Back to work...

... back to reality. My maternity leave has ended.

But I have enrolled in this exciting blogging e-course, starting in September, so I can't wait for it to begin! Thanks Holly for sharing and teaching.

By the way, when will I have this Birkin to go to work? :-)


Have a nice week!

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White Flowers at Dusk.

As I pruned some of the standard roses in our front yard this afternoon, I noticed a tree completely covered in tiny scented flowers.

One of the joys of living in a new (to me) house is discovering the changes each new season brings to the garden.

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Hospitality

By Thomas Bailey Aldrich

When friends are at your hearthside met,
Sweet courtesy has done its most
If you have made each guest forget
That he himself is not the host.

I am trying to work on being more hospitable.  I enjoy having guests in my home but have done very little about it lately, apart from having some of the kids' friends over.

While we were renting I didn't often have people over because it was not my own home.  Now that we have bought a house I keep thinking we should wait until we have a sofa for the sitting room, or a barbecue, or an outside table.

Sometimes hospitality just feels like too much hard work, especially after a long week at work.  Yet I also think that if I am blessed with a roof over my head and food on my table then I should be willing to share - and generously.  Guests rarely care if the house is messy or there's not enough furniture.

Certainly, I am better at inviting friends to my home than strangers. Yet not so long ago I was a stranger in this city and others welcomed me into their homes.  How short is my memory!

How do you practice hospitality in your home?

Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.  

Hebrews 13:2

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This Week

celebrating: the warmth of open fires and the first black and white flowers on my broad bean plants

thinking: that it has been a particularly cold and wet winter.

planning: our (long) road trip to Sydney for my brother's wedding and Christmas in December

reading: Gone with the Wind and The Grapes of Wrath

eating: spicy curries to warm me up and home-made yogurt to cool down my tongue afterwards!

What have you been up to this week?

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Amy Atlas

Fiquei tão feliz quando ontem enviei algumas fotos da festa da Carlota para a rubrica Featured Submissions do blog da guru de decoração de mesas de sobremesa, a Amy Atlas e, pouco tempo depois, recebi a resposta: as fotos da mesa que decorei para o aniversário da minha princesa iriam ser publicadas!

A Amy Atlas dispensa apresentações. Esta americana vive em NY e desde 2007 que deixou a advocacia para se dedicar ao design de dessert tables. O trabalho dela é inigualável, pela criatividade, bom gosto e capacidade de conjugação de cores. Impossível não nos inspirarmos nas suas mesas!!

Agora que sei de mais alguns designer tricks que partilha connosco, vou concerteza tê-los em conta quando fizer a mesa de aniversário das minhas sobrinhas no próximo mês de Setembro!

Credits: Amy Atlas

Yesterday I sent some photos of Carlota's birthday party to Amy Atlas' blog - Featured Submissions . You can imagine how excited I got when they answered me back telling me they would feature it today!


Amy Atlas is simply the best dessert bar designer. She lives in New York and since 2007 she's been creating the most wonderful tables, with special attention to decor and detail, taking party table decor to the next level. Her criativity is so inspiring and the designer tricks she shares are absolutely precious. I will surely keep them in mind for my next project: my niece's birthday dessert bar in September! Thanks Amy!

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Backyard Harvest: Radishes

Apparently radishes have been cultivated in Europe since pre-Roman times, which says something about the ease with which they are grown and their lasting appeal.

They have the very definite advantage of fast germination.  Indeed the Greek name for radish raphanus means "fast appearing".

I am currently using radishes to add colour to winter salads when not much else is growing in the garden apart from greens.  My husband also enjoys eating them plain and raw.

What have you harvested this week?

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Things to Do with Lavender

After my post about the winter-flowering lavender in my garden, Tanya asked for ideas for things to do with lavender.

Here are my suggestions.

The best thing to do with lavender is enjoy its presence in your garden and its scent as you brush past..  

If you must cut it back, you could make lavender sachets to scent your drawers and deter moths, or if you're lazy like me you could make lavender socks.  Lavender is also an important component of homemade potpourri.

If you are sure your lavender has not been sprayed you could make lavender tea.

If you are a bath-lover, you could make old-fashioned aromatic bath oil for your bath.

If you like your linen lavender-scented, you could make a bottle of luscious lavender linen water.

If you don't have fresh lavender but like lavender essential oil, you could use it to scent homemade multipurpose cleaner, or use it in an oil burner.

If you are a soap maker you could make a batch of lavender soap.

Some people make lavender scones - but they don't appeal to me very much.  I don't really like the idea of eating lavender.

That's all I can think of.  What else could you do with lavender?

 

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