same but oh sooo different!

Okay then if you read the last post which really there wasn't much there at all except for the illustration with 'boy' underneath you may have got the idea that I was a little surprised by the confirmed news this afternoon that we are pregnant with a boy. YES I WAS SURPRISED!  Happy? YES! but still surprised and I tell you why, I am exactly the same as I was with both of the girls:
- no pregnancy symptoms apart from the initial obvious one, but no morning sickness (lucky I know)
- no weight gain especially apart from the obvious but again as the others small bump which to those who don't know even at 5 months do not notice
- no cravings as such but the same favourite foods as with the girls; citrus and berry fruits, salt and vinegar and not really going off foods
So at the end of the scan the sonographer said "you wanted to know the sex?" "yes" we both replied and although Mr Loveliness is denying it now he did think they were going to say "a girl" but the sonographer didn't instead he said "well it's a boy" I shot up and pretty loudly announced "No way, OMG, how's that? you are joking?" mmmm I know a little OTT! The sonographer must have thought I was a little bit crazy as he then went one step further zoomed in and hovered the mouse towards "well that looks like a penis to me!" 'Oh yeah right' I replied thinking oh goodness mini1 is in for a shock because there has been no telling her this could be a boy as much as it could be a girl as she too has been adamant that the baby is called Lovely and Lovely is a girl! We now know she is a he and I'll let you know how the idea of a brother goes down with the mini1's soon.

i'm carrying a .........

    boy! 

Hello baby.....

Two months ago we went for our first scan and little dot waved on screen saying hello.

We came away happy and with photos (x6) to show the little ones at home, minimini1 didn't really take it in but mini1 (age 4) looked and said "what? you have 6 babies in your tummy", love them as I do I'm relieved to say there is only one boy or girl we don't yet know but later today we find out if the family will be.......

OR

i'll see you later to share the news xx

our stumpy bud

Another sunny day, another day in the garden playing, exploring, inventing and having some fun with lots of new creations we made including our stumpy wood bud who Mini1 informs me is very shy and that is why we don't have his/her name yet because he/she is too shy to shout it out! The stumpy wood bud however didn't mind having his/her photo taken in fact I think stumpy wood bud was quite photogenic.
Pop down your garden next time it's sunny and dry and add some woody buds, they make good friends and are very well behaved!

A cake for you....Happy 2nd BIrthday Boo x

At 6.30am I looked at Mr Lovely and said '2 years ago Boo was just half an hour old' we recapped bits of that morning. As well as holding Boo the additional highlight after a speedy home birth (about 1 hour - yes they can be quick but that's another post!) were sitting in bed with Boo beside me and mini1 taking her first peek at her baby sisiter with a cuppa tea and slice of raspberry jam on toast that dad to two beautiful girls had just done for me. I had the same breakfast today too but it was not in bed!
So on the topic of food I had not arranged a birthday cake, I had ingredients but no actual cake. Party was due to start at 2.30pm so I had around 4 hours. Now I love being in the kitchen rustling up delights or baking biscuits with the mini's but honestly when it comes to birthday cakes My Lovely has always taken it upon himself and done a super fine job too, but that was not happening today as he was at the practice busy. So what did I do?

and Boo went "WOW"
There was a jolly spotty number two candle on the top too but in the excitement it got whipped off, maybe it was thought to be a big sweetie.
Cake was enjoyed by all and girls are now sleeping on yummy full tummies having happy dreams of  "an amazing day" (mini1's words) with family, friends, new shiny bikes (another post), dogs; real and not, and lots of bouncing!

The eve of Boo's 2nd birthday

I cannot believe where the last 2 years have gone and looking at little Boo today she too looked somewhat surprised on the eve of her second birthday!

Tomorrow we'll be celebrating with family and friends and the sun will be shining just like the day she arrived. Strangely as I'm typing this up I recall a photo of me and baby boo just a few hours old and I'm actually wearing the tunic I was then! I really must sort the 'old' closet' out, or maybe I'll wait until we have number 3 and then it's certainly going to be cleared, refreshed and injected with inspirational finds.

Well I'll be back to report on the day soon and wish you all a wonderful 26th May x

i crown you....

The sun has taken our crafty sessions outside and with a mix of cutting and sticking I chatted to the little1's all about Queen Elizabeth being crowned and celebrating the Jubilee in a couple of weeks from now. At nursery they've been busy bunting making so out in the sun with cardboard tubes, scissors, glue, stars and some pretty foil we got making our own crowns and crowned our own 'mouse' and 'hophop'.........

i crown you queen hophop

king mouse & queen hophop

queen hophop

orange & blue

What a wonderful day, it has been just perfect; no appointments, little1's home all day, plus a real summers sunny day.
I've just popped indoors to share with you the flower heads that mini1 picked as they are such happy colours that match the mood of the day. The flower heads are made up of a variety of shapes that will be inspiring me later when I get down to do some repeat patterns.
Enjoy the evening sunshine all and the week ahead as I believe it's here to stay x

i really fancy.....

which would be fine any other time but just not whilst I'm pregnant, all three things are off the list, not for mr loveliness though as he happily tucked into this earlier whilst I enjoyed sparkling water accompanied by other delightful nibble-esque food but not just as delightful as these three beauties would have been.
I wonder how do Italians get on? surely they're surrounded by parma ham, salami, saucisson and other out of bound tasties.
I've always been fortunate enough never to have to contemplate a diet but I bet I'd just crave all the things I shouldn't have. It's just like the mini1's today, don't jump in the cow pats and then what, yes one through a big stone on top of the one she found and was highly amused (i had a private chuckle) and the other well I don't think she quite knew what it was as she replied; 'pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake....' as for the hound well she must have thought they were pizzas?
Crazy and enjoyable day filled with temptations for all us girls but we resisted and have had fun and substitutes instead.
I bet I know what I'll be dreaming about tonight, night all x

what little ones love.

In my experience (all of 4 years of it!) they love the simple entertainment, at their youngest they're amused by the textures and sounds of scrunchy paper, toddling and holding stage a saucepan and wooden spoon for lots of noise and when steady on their pins up until an age we have not yet reached in our house they love a cardboard box, small for their mini play toys and animals as they role play farms and houses, and if you have a big box well it can be a house, a boat, a spaceship, a den, a robot, the list is endless. Another thing I've noticed is they love to have a climb and a sit on an object, the 'object' they first discovered at ours was a camel I brought back from a trip to India. Well it's great to make these when you're crafting and making with the kiddies but sometimes a gift is needed and I'm not sure I'd always take along a hand made cardboard house or boat so I was really pleased to come across Rijada and their toy section tat includes a sit on cardboard wolf, house 'find me', wicker sit on 'duck' and wooden items like bricks and families.

old home new home

When planning the reluctant (i was the reluctant one) move out of the big smoke there were a few boxes that had to be ticked. Our London home was like many others there, semi detached, Victorian, black wrought iron railing out the front, small but adequate garden, wooden sash windows, high ceilings, wooden floors, fireplaces (out of use but decorative) and on road parking!
For some folk some points on that list would be a no no, I can hear tutting at the thought of having to park your car several doors away (or on occasion streets), original sash windows; drafty and noisy may not appeal either and all those bare floors. Well to me most of those things were on my list of what I wanted to have in our next home. My list was period with features but not over the top, original windows, high ceilings, fireplaces (working downstairs please), as we were moving out of the smoke I added some things I'd not had before but thought it was a given as we would no longer be London based and they were; off road parking, big garden for great parties and animals if we so wished, in house studio and storage and a stand alone bath. I didn't think all my boxes would be ticked but they were. Not necessarily to our taste or in the right place but with mr loveliness working so hard and men on site we have a year later got there.
With the dust settled, little lovlies in their sweet rooms, (our room still pending!) a pet dog and another mini1 on the way I feel ready to start the blog I planned a year ago. Back then I would have been adding contacts and reviews for the best bath taps, wall colours and how do I use an aga sagas but that part is behind me if any one would like to know those things though please ask, Instead I feel the new baby will have a big input, products, twinges, the birth (hopefully super quick like the others) and sleepless nights!

The old neighbourhood which i now have up on the wall rather than around the corner.

courgettes on the side

Earlier this week i had courgettes that were screaming out to have something new done with them so I set to popped over to 'my french kitchen' and dished up this and I really can recommend it, mr lovely had a smile too and the little ones, well there was a constant mmmmm sound coming from their direction.
Winner all round I'd say, looks good, tastes delicious and at least one of your five a day!

I tweaked what was on the site and did mine like this:

courgettes (i used 3 medium ones)

drizzled these with olive oil seasoned and into the aga for 30 mins

bed of rocket and spinach drizzled with a fresh lemon dressing

toast around 75-100g pine nuts and have them ready to sprinkle

take out courgettes and place on top of the dressed leaves

crumble approx 80g of feta on top and add the pinenuts

season and add extra olive oil/lemon dressing if required.

enjoy!

why 'journey of loveliness'

Over a decade ago me and mr loveliness went on a trip to Honfleur whilst there I fell in love with an oil artwork by Natasha Perlick on the artwork that we did buy was a ladybird, cat, birds, flowers and fruit! I loved it then and still do now, the one important point about this painting was the ladybird and on the reverse of the canvas Natasha wrote "pour trouver le chemin du vrai bonheur toujours suivre la coccinelle"(to find the path of true happiness always follow the ladybirds) I did, I do and I will.
Where there have been many "a lovliness of ladybirds" I have found that place or time of my journey especially happy. I find over this past decade my life has been on it's biggest journey including travels, moves, many enjoyable design roles and projects, saying bye to friends, making friends, moving houses, making homes and most rewarding of all becoming part of my, our family with lovely1 and lovely2 and another lovely due to join us in October.
This is where I will share my / our journeys, those that have happened and those taking place now, each day whether they be finds I just want to share; design, family, life, crafty and design projects I'm working on, dishes me and the mini1's have made and sometimes a crazy rant, who knows, I just hope you enjoy sharing the journey.....