LISTINGS

i am such a stranger here lately.

i feel quite convinced that there will soon be no one about to greet me should i make it here to post photos or kitchen ramblings or baby reportage or even (hold your horses!) creative projects.

there has actually been quite a handful of those goings-on in my real life but for tonight i just made it this far to make a list. so on the eve of what is sure to be an incredibly cold december i think i will just note a few current loves and happenings.

these wonderful stirrup socks...and as a knitwear (wish i could knit) fan i am still enjoying this handmaker's shop of delights.
way back i took out a subscription to a new magazine. i waited. and waited. issue one of anthology was definitely worth the wait. i'd recommend it for lots of ooo's and aaa's.
i'm planning on baking a birthday cake for my dad's 60th. should i go fancy or make his old favourite?
the american...i actually got taken on a date to the pictures! it was very beautiful.
i am working on a commission for a wall hanging with my mum. one of our 1st pieces since i had elsa. luckily it is a loose deadline...getting back in the swing of it has been trickier than i thought. but it has been good to put pen to paper and be designing again.

tired eyes will return. please check back!

EMPTY BOOTS

afternoons are so dark here now. autumn time-shifts have me turning on the lamps post-lunch and hitting the heating switch. still...it's nice to get cosy.

my mum took e off on an adventure today. just grandma and grand-daughter...the first time they've strayed further than a stroll out in the pram together. it was kind of nice being able to get on with things at home. i washed the windows and had chance to put a bit more heart and soul in to sorting out the house. but it felt a little strange. i missed my girl and it just seemed quiet here.

making a coffee and pulling up a chair to sit and read my 3191Q seemed the height of luxuries. and the new issue really is beautiful. as is the new toast christmas catalogue that dropped on the mat today.

after a couple of hours though i found myself peeking out the window checking for the car more than a few times. and of course when they got home together i was not the favourite...now i know how her daddy feels when she doesn't go to him for a cuddle. grandma's girl.

this morning my cousin had her 4th baby...a boy...at 34 weeks. he is so tiny. she has had a very difficult pregnancy and a very complicated operation to keep them both safe which thankfully they have both come through ok. she has always been a little toughie and i think he must take after his mummy too. my thoughts are filled with them recovering in different wards tonight. i pray they'll be able to be close soon. just a few hours without elsa by my side today and i can hardly begin to imagine how my cousin must be longing to be with her baby.

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?}