Four.

Last week was the week of Four. Four years old and there are no more babies in my house.

On Wednesday we had kinder duty. Chocolate cupcakes with yellow flowers and the Happy Birthday hat.

Thursday was the day and we had a chocolate swirly frosted love heart cake with glace cherries and a vat of spaghetti sauce. Because they are his favourites. Four articulates demands. Loudly and frequently.

Saturday was party day.

I was pretty heavy handed with the icing and sprinkles.

And I was totally insane as far as the cake was concerned.

You’ll forgive me though, as this is the last four birthday in our family. A fantastic afternoon was had by 30 small children riding wheeled things maniacally around the Traffic School. With mini Four on his brand new bike.

He has already started planning his Five birthday.

New fabric and cake!

New fabric about to hit the shop. Lovely yarn dyed mini plaids in pink and chocolate are part of the Charleston V range by Judie Rothermel. Mix them with the rest of the Charleston range or use them on their own to make up some of our children’s wear patterns.

Wee one turned three last week. Now not wee so much- maybe more midi. I think I’ll keep working on a new nickname.

We had a lovely party for him on the weekend to celebrate. Bouncy castle, helium balloons, gourmet Greek food as far as the eye could see (courtesy of my mother in law) and a Makka Pakka cake (as requested by the wee one himself) and lovingly- if not skillfully- made by me.

As always, it’s not a proper party without my Nigella cupcakes…

We were so busy with the party we didn’t take many pictures. Luckily a special friend deployed her husband to be our event photographer.

Mostly plants.

Here are some things that make me smile… 

Fijoa blooms, my spoilt bubbas, peaches ripening on the tree.

my herb garden, thriving on neglect. It gives me a little Jamie Oliver rush every time I make a roast chicken and cut herbs from the garden to stuff it with.

Hydrangeas picked from my garden in a beautiful hand thrown vessel I bought myself as a little self birthday pressie. These hydrangeas grew from a cutting my father-in-law gave me.

They are my favourite, favourite flower. Hope your weekend was a good one.

It’s my Birthday.

Today was my birthday, and a pretty good one too, even though I didn’t get to see husband!

Got lots of lovely birthday wishes and some lovely gifties including an ace camera for making blogging, shop, etsy shop and flickr prettier (now I just have to learn how to use it- it is very complicated!)

Also, check out these fab-u-lous Dorothy ruby slippers. Actual slippers too, super comfy from a much loved girlfriend.

I was also spoilt with flowers and a gorgeous soy candle in a teacup from another lovely girlfriend. I’m so lucky! Hope your day was equally good.

Belsize Square the Store- Now Trading!!!

D’you like our shop? Please come and visit us, we are now open!

Oh yeah, this is where I’ve disappeared to, felt too guilty every time I logged on to do anything fun like blog, so I’ve been strictly head down, bum up trying to get the shop ready for it’s soft launch. And talk about soft launch, we’ve strapped pillows all over it so it doesn’t explode on impact! This is some of my most favourite stuff that’s for sale there, right now!

If you’re here reading this, then I love you already (of course), but if you fancy take a stroll over to our shop and have a play. I’ll be ever so grateful.

Actually, I am such a liar, also managed to have the little terror’s second birthday and sneak in a 5 day holiday when I didn’t think about work at all (and even found some sunshine and warm weather, yeay!) Bubba boys had fun too…

It’s really not a proper holiday unless you visit a big thing.

Actually, I didn’t take this photo. It was (sadly) our second visit to the big pineapple in a year and as lumpy was asleep I didn’t actually get out of the car. Pumpkin and his dad did the train ride, saw the koalas (which, according to pumpkin, are very smelly) – did the whole schemozzle.

Birthday Prep.

Little Pumpkin was really into his dad’s birthday preparation this year. We made wrapping paper to wrap the pressie he chose for him and his brother to give their dad (funnily enough, apparently all dad’s ever wanted is a collapsible Thomas bridge for the boy’s train set, but the sentiment was there- somewhere).

Then we made the cake and it was completely decorated by Pumpkin. I LOVE it, it’s totally Zandra Rhodes circa 1970- something. Very punk.

Today we cleansed ourselves of all of the wee baby goods the boys have outgrown at a second hand market to ready ourselves for the launch of the business. I was most teary to let go of the baby bjorn and found myself quite emotionally attached to it. Now it’s all sold however, I feel rather excited for my new baby, the shop! Hopefully this one will allow me to sleep through the night.