little stars

This week is Baby J's birthday week. I really can't believe that on Saturday I will become the proud owner of a one year old daughter. How did that happen? (Well I KNOW the stork brought her but...) Never did a whole year whizz by so fast.
Tonight I finally decided on a theme for her party. She is really into 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star' and every time she sees a star she does the actions to the song: a little open and closing hand like a twinkling star. I sat and cut out a load of multi coloured stars tonight for decorations. There are cakes to make too of course and her little fairy outfit is finished too, complete with star shaped wand.
We both love pretty things and hunting for fairies in the garden, building towers and knocking them down again, following cute dogs in the park, reading picture books, bashing the piano and making castles out of cushions...

I have lots of pictures to upload (and lots more news) but I am too sleepy.

x

lemons and violets

Inspired by reading about fairy crowns I spent the afternoon in the garden knitting a little crown for my own baby fairy. Its not finished yet, its for her to wear on her birthday next saturday.

In the evening I had the luxury of a long soak in the tub accompanied by a vintage teacup filled with vanilla tea. I like to drink tea in the bath. Oh and my bar of soap that smells just like turkish delight. mmmmmmmmmmmmm.

I had time to luxuriate tonight because last night I finished the first 3 things for baby Violet's bedroom (my friend's daughter). The colour scheme they picked was sunny yelow and purple, but I have been thinking of it as lemons and violets...

Now I just have to write a rambling letter and then mail everything...

Lady of Letters

This week I am a lady of letters... in more ways than one.

1. LOOKING at letters.
I am reading Patterns of Childhood and gosh I adore those old samplers. I remember spending a few blissful hours in the embroidery room at the Burrell Collection in Glasgow. It was in that room I decided to work towards some kind of 'domestic art' business venture one day and to leave behind my previous career in the book trade. I knew then my passions had shifted (though I still adore books, I just don't want to work with them).

2. MAKING letters.
I am spending every evening sewing and embellishing fabric letters. They are very pretty (pictures to follow). These are for selling on Etsy and also for a friend's daughter's bedroom and my own daughter's room too.

3. I have always loved WRITING letters. And I am enjoying rekindling old penships and writing long rambling letters full of ideas, shared experiences, favourite poems and pictures torn from magazines.

4. Then there is READING letters and postcards that flutter to my doormat. And I always did have a 'thing' about postmen...

Baby & the Beast

Another day spent crawling around the floor of the library. ah bliss. Hired out a few craft and cookery books... then we went home and ate lunch in the garden. Yes! it was actually sunny enough. I remember last year we had a glorious April and May and then a rainy, stormy rest-of-summer. My July baby was born during a thunder storm.

Beauty & the Beast - I always imagine Beast as a lion... and I never want him to change into a Prince at the end... Is that just me?

because, just because...

I save a little money here & there... because I cut my own hair and because I prefer to holiday in the UK. I save a little money this way & that... because, just because... I love to spend that money on pretty things instead...

I bought this polka dot throw to keep me warm as I sew and when I saw this solitary willow patern story cushion... oh my goodness! - it just leapt into my hands. I love love love it.

This is my dresser. The dresser my Dad made from scratch for me. It is completely my favourite thing in our house. So naturally it holds many of my favourite things too. A few more gorgeous crockery bits and pieces were added to the shelves over the weekend, namely the 2 jugs top left and bottom right. There are piles of plates and pieces in the cupboard beneath too. Mismatched china makes me smile.

impromptu tea party

Everything is colour. the weekend was colourful.

Instead of lunch on Sunday we had a tea party. Me, Mr K & Baby J.

Baby J says 'da da da' to this Lion when he wears her Dad's spectacles. Hilarious.

Meanwhile I posted off a huge package full of hand-me-down baby goodies to a wonderful old friend who I have been getting to know again through the shared recent admission to the 'mummy club'. I love love love putting together little packages, little bundles of bits and bobs all tied up with a ribbon.

Blowing Bubbles

I have spent the day playing at 'blowing bubbles' and crawling around the floor of the library. It is certainly true to say that having my daughter has freed me up to finally spend my days the way I always wanted to...

Ideas sort of come to me in flashes and its sometimes difficult to reach out and catch one... especially when I'm tired. In my head swims visions of dolls dancing with bears, a domestic cat with a mane like a lion, pockets full of stars and roses roses roses...

I have also been thrifting and collecting and making and ordering things for baby j's little room. Its pink and green and polka dots and flowers, its dreamy, sleepy and cut and paste, its books books books...

We are reading Minty & Tink tonight. Its just perfect. Are you really real?