Happy Friday

With the smells of orange blossoms filling even our little dusty stone ally, am inspired to put pen to paper and write a letter- (one of my goals this year has been to stay in touch with old friends by post and not just through the screen). So of course stationary is an important question (will embark on stamp making one of these days but more birthday parties to prepare for in these parts) so till then.... isn't this nice?

Take a look at what else is in their etsy shop here at paper pastries

or this

or something like this at http://www.etsy.com/shop/SilhouetteBlue

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daily pleasures

I came round the corner this morning and under our list of things to buy and meal ideas for the week was this drawing, my middle child - the very nearly four year old had just finished, she explained it was a caterpillar holding balloons (and yes those are doors all over it's body). very time I look at it, I can't help but chuckle. kids are funny.

Nice quiet moments - busy on the day's masterpieces... or is it rock painting day again?

New life- the seeds have woken and every day the children rush out in their stocking feet to see how the little sweet peas have grown (we planted them a week or so ago). Small moments of joy, for them and for A. and I watching.

Christmas books on the mind today...

A moonlit hour restless and what a discovery (thank you internet), I can't wait to get this book for the children for christmas.

 and then there is this one, which I remember reading as a child.... (is it obvious I had hippie parents with a name like Juniper and books like this).

and ohhh and a new illustrator discovery that I must share-

Lizbeth Zwerger (new to me) but I do think I may have seen the cover of her thumbelina at the library in Brighton. Love her style of drawing.

breath

As I got down our laundry flapping away in the wind and drizzle I captured a view from the rooftop this morning.

Oh glorious rain (it seems to be sunny and bright 49 of 50 days here, so today I am loving the dark grey stormy sky today and the chance to have some cozy time with the kids (school holidays at the moment).  So it's potato stamps, playdough and some all together baking lined up (and maybe some sewing for me).

Must say we have had a great weekend here, largely filled with cooking, eating and socialising. Can say in all honesty we have been cooking up a storm in this little house, from five course dinners for a dinner party on Friday to six (each different, large French savoury tarts for a Sunday birthday gathering), and sweets wise a sour cream mace tort, a chocolate mousse with a fig and honey whip cream side, and a plum upside down cake. Some of the mains included pumpkin, feta, toasted walnut and mint fatyer, a greek cypriot beef stew and a roasted cumin and beetroot soup (looked nice with the intense red drizzle of yogurt and fresh parsley garnish but I had no clean hands to grab my camera).  I found the beets so striking (featured above) that I took this photo. Sadly that is the only food photo I had a moment to capture over the weekend. Juggling cooking and three smalls means you are on the move at all times.

It's been a feast of smells and colours here, always seems to bring my husband and I closer together, which is always nice,  we both love cooking.  The flip side of when the kitchen and food take up priority is the effect it has on the rest of the house.... the piles of laundry and scattering of toys, crayons and papers seemed to have gobbled up the rest of the house so we, ok 'I'  am digging my way out today. Strong cup of coffee at my side and the intention to blast some music. Am ready for the day.

Hope you are too.

Oh and guess who has joined our family!

Little Pepito the monkey (made by talented Elise over at My Funny Valentine).

Check out that cool tail!

Destructo is one lucky lady!