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