FIRST 1ST

we had the loveliest afternoon. me and my girl at a party. it was a joy to watch her slowly loosen her grip on my shoulder and go to play with the other bambinos. clapping and crawling and chatting. oh and new toys to share.

elsa wore her top {saved for best} by belle and boo...our sweet friend mandy sent it for us when little miss arrived on the scene. their new collection of clothing is so very adorable. in particular i am coveting this coat!

so many firsts coming up...it scares me to think hers will be one of them. but there is a 1st christmas to come beforehand so i don't have to think about it just yet!

photos of the card for the birthday girl today. i can't get my printer to work so my usual photoshop/stitchery combination was un-do-able. i actually quite enjoyed creating one with just a few doodles and hand stitches though.

COCO SMOCK

i have felt beyond happy to sit in my new 2 desk workroom and sew a little top for a girl celebrating her 1st birthday tomorrow.

oh the joy of 2 tables! one for my computer and one for my sewing machine...it feels like the ultimate luxury. plus the feeling that i feared had slipped through my fingers to cut out pieces of fabric and create. see me grin.

adapted from a vintage pattern and made with vintage fabric and lace...i am hoping that it fits the new owner. and i hope...no i promise to make another for my girl too.

i think this would look adorable over a stripey top with jeans. i quite fancy one myself.

MUSIC FOR MONDAY

paint and paper are go around here. in the kitchen we present green blue. turns out arsenic wasn't right. right for something...i loved it but not for the walls. i'm glad i tester-potted! i have lived and learned from past experiences and disappointments.

and music to enhance productivity today...nashville blues. i dare you not to say yee-ha.

TEAR SHEET TUESDAY :: 014

we are lucky enough to have a decorator in the family and on sunday he is hopping on a plane {with brush in hand-luggage} from across the water to stay a week with us and whizz round our house to do most of the rooms. i am a little overwhelmed to say the least at the necessity to make multiple decisions on paint colours + wallpapers. i am a hopeless decision maker. so as usual i am leaving it to the very last minute to choose.

i have many many samples {see above} that are currently taped around the house. for the kitchen...our bedroom...and the sitting room. i am loving the prospect of a wall of pattern in these rooms. i am also hoping to learn the art of papering from an expert. top left is so very abigail..are you by any chance freelancing for marimekko miss percy?

paint though? all i know is i am very drawn to f+b arsenic in the kitchen.

a few before + afters will be in order. watch this space.

oh + thank you for the image size guidance comments...i will have a go!

NURSERY SUPPER

it's nice now we can all eat the same thing for our dinner. today a butternut squash + chicken risotto with sage. whizzed up a bit + enjoyed by elsa. then seasoned for me + c {with additional parmesan for us dairy eaters!} lovely comforting creamy rice in a bowl. perfect for evenings that are creeping in earlier + with an added chill. i really think it could be any day now that we light the woodburner.

fry half a diced onion in olive oil with a chopped chicken breast.
add a small diced butternut squash + 4 chopped sage leaves.
throw in about 200g of aborio rice + stir to coat until the grains start to cook.
add hot stock {i actually just used water today as i didn't have any homemade-non-salty-baby-friendly ready + it still tasted lovely!} stirring little by little as it cooks + turns creamy.
i test the rice for bite + it usually takes about 20-25 mins to cook through.
season + sprinkle with cheese {cheddar is good too}.
enjoy. wipe behind ears {that's just elsa you understand}.
get cosy!

{experimenting with photo sizes...seems only square ones come up as big as i'd like. any ideas?}

GO GO GO

thank you kindly for a warm welcome back. i must say that my time away from this space was completely unintentional...i have been consumed with spending time watching and helping our girl and learning alongside her. and i have to say that time has taken on a completely different meaning these days. i still feel like i am sat in the aftermath of a tornado most evenings once little miss is settled in her cot!

the last few weeks i have become what i can only describe as a human climbing frame. we have delighted in the ever evolving crawl and standing circus that our wee one performs for us daily. it takes a fast foot to catch her now. it makes me smile thinking how she must see my legs like tom + jerry in the cartoon...but then she's hoisting herself up and firing me looks of love that melt my heart and practically running up to my shoulder. it is all go round here.

{click to enlarge}