card factory

One of the unexpected joys of early motherhood has been the shower of presents received from friends and family. Of course, one expects some of the gestures, especially from parents and close friends and colleagues, to a certain extent.
However, we have had some genuine surprises these past few weeks, and some people's generosity has really touched us, whether it is a simple bunch of flowers, a kind note in the post or a little knitted cardigan.
In my -now little- spare time, I made a few thank you cards. They are far from perfect, but I think it was important to thank those people properly, and to show them that we cared as much as they did.

one month

A couple of days ago our ♥ lovely daughter ♥ turned one month. Our world has been completely moved since then, and although most things are the same, we seem to see everything in a new light too.
Overall it's a super nice experience, and I am growing fonder and fonder of my little one as I get used to her and start to know her more. It's amazing how much character a one-month old can have!

A month on, I am slowing becoming my old self again though. I try to keep the house clean, cook a bit, and hurray - put some make-up on twice this week! I still dream of being whisked away to a spa for a day though...one can dream, right?

♥♥♥ Have a lovely week, everyone! ♥♥♥

homemade bread

Do not ask me how on Earth I am still finding time to bake a quick loaf of bread. I have no idea where this came from, but last Sunday, I managed to quickly knead, rest, knead again, and bake this lovely mini bread. Mini, because I only used half the packet of flour. That way our bread doesn't go funny. We just enjoy it while it's fresh.

On this occasion, we wolfed nearly half of it with some rillettes my parents brought over on their recent visit. Complete indulgence! Maybe it's time to start thinking about that post-baby body soon....food for thought :)!

baby bits

How cute is this?
.......  Biased - moi?

cherry blossoms in Japan

Baby Lavender loves a bit of fresh air, so we try and go for a walk everyday since she is about ten days old. I think she was born at the perfect time of year to allow for that to happen: the air is full of hope for warmth to come, there are explosions of colours and scents at every street corner, and of course, lovely bucolic cherry blossoms - my favourite!

in my neighbourhood - this week

This recent article reminded me of our trip to Japan three years ago, and made me all nostalgic of the lovely time we had in Kyoto during the sakura season...I can't wait to visit this country again!

hanami in Kyoto - three years ago

opening up my Singer machine

The best thing about having a DIY-inclined dad is that they'll have a go at anything. During his visit to come and meet his grand-daughter, I spoke to my father about my thread tension problem, and straight away he made it his mission to fix it! He had never gone anywhere near a sewing machine before, and I suspect he may have needed a break from all the baby stuff, so he took the challenge without hesitating!
In any case, once he found the correct tools in our poorly-stocked DIY box, this happened...

This last picture shows where the upper tension lies. It was fascinating to see how it all works inside, and I couldn't help but take a few snaps of the entrails of the machine. 

Unfortunately, we discovered that pretty much everything  is working as it should! Once the operation was over, I tried sewing some more, and the same problem started all over again. Hey ho...that's life!

Maybe it's just as well - after all, I do have a magnificent baby to look after now, and she requires a LOT of attention. Sewing will just have to be put on hold for another few days / weeks.In the meantime, I am sure the seamstresses out there must be enjoying the Sewing Bee on the BBC on Tuesday nights - I know I'm addicted!

simple lunch

The thing with looking after your new baby is...before she was here, I thought I had no time to do anything. Wrong!
It's amazing how efficient I am becoming at doing things with one hand only. It's even more amazing how quickly I can do things now. Like prepare this ultra-simple yet kind of balanced lunch in 1 minute tops. Incredible!

Kitty flats

Ordered yesterday, delivered today. Cheap and definitely cheerful!
I love them! What do you think? A new mum always needs treats...

April things

This month I love having flowers everywhere in the house: orchids, lilies and roses. Neighbours and colleagues have been most generous since our baby arrived- so heart warming!
Eating and drinking all the things that were forbidden for the past nine months is also a major source of happiness. Mr Lavender treated us to a glass of champagne on our return home from the maternity ward, and went out to buy Serrano ham, blue cheeses, etc.
I also got my favourite breakfast on Easter Monday: eggs Benedict. Complete yumminess!