earth cakes

Last weekend we went for a walk in sunny London and came across the lovely food market behind the Festival Hall on the South Bank. I love the stalls there, they're super nicely presented and you feel like trying a bit of everything on display! However, this lovely item caught my eye more than others, and it soon found its way to our plates for dinner...crumbled chocolate cake with nuts. Yummy.
I kept the terracota pots in case I feel like replicating it one day.

 Then I got thinking about food that doesn't look like what it is, and remembered this Halloween post from a while back. And if you like this, try this Pinterest page. How cute is that bento full of baby pandas?

Anyway, I'm afraid that's all for now folks. The unexpected heatwave is affecting Baby and mother pretty badly, and I'm sorry to report that as a result, no sewing projects have been undertaken/continued/finished in the last week.  There is hope for the weekend though, as temperatures should be slightly subsiding...stay tuned!

English rose

 Wimbledon fever ♥ punnet after punnet of strawberries and raspberries ♥ blue skies everyday ♥ dresses ♥ sleeping with the windows open ♥ rose bushes in bloom ♥ an ice cream a day ♥ more peonies!

simple summer lunch

If you fry chopped spring onions in olive oil, add a handful of blanched frozen peas, mix together with left-over lasagna sheets cut-up papardelle style, and top it all up with serrano ham, you have yourself a very nice, improvised lunch!

give me a break ;)

Last week the three of us went away for the first time as a family. I was dreading breaking the routine we managed to establish, sleeping in different places, driving long journeys, packing and unpacking twice in a week, etc.
In the end things went pretty smoothly, and we sort of maintained a routine with Baby. We went for a few walks, saw family, visited a craft centre, and ended the trip with a long weekend in Center Parcs surrounded by the local fauna of rabbits and ducks, and more importantly, finally had that massage and facial I was dreaming of - heaven!
One week was enough though, and we were happy to come home to settle back into our own rhythm - we're home people really, and no matter how much we love traveling, we have always loved coming back to our base.Still, here's an idea of what the first family break was like:

project

I am very excited to be working on a special sewing project this week. It is always a bit hectic to get things done properly whilst juggling looking after the house, enjoying maternity leave, and err...well, feeding and making sure that Baby is as happy as can be. Which she is, I am delighted to say. I will never tire of listening to her cooing, watching her sleep, holding her close in the little nook in my neck, smelling her baby hair after her bath. Those things make my day, everyday.
The Lavender household is going to take a little break for the next few days in search of lost sleep time and quality togetherness, but I'll be back soon with - hopefully- more on that little pet project of mine!
In the meantime folks, enjoy the start of summer - it's officially here!