Simple pleasures of ordinary days

...the hidden beauty of rice grain porcelain; a birthday present that was carried across the seas
...the perfect use of such a delicate dish: to cradle these heavenly treats (teamed with peppery chai)
...her mealtime companions
...janma and grandfather brought her home a collection of shells from the south coast and she inspected every one
...the best kind of gift (green and wrapped with love)
...magic basket rides with her best friend (but it's these images that give me butterflies)
...it's a little silly that I get such a kick out of rotating the toys
...chopping into my Frankies to make gift tags

Joining Em and creating a collection of weekly images, recording simple pleasures of ordinary days.

Pinolates

These are my favourite ever biscuit. Big call, right? Crunchy on the outside, gooey on the inside. They are super easy to make it's almost not worth putting on an apron...but I still do (I may have a teeny collection of Anthropologie aprons). And the uncooked mixture keeps for up to a month in the fridge so you can bake them fresh when friends pop in. Yet another reason to love them so.

Or, like me, you can make a batch mid-December and bake them the night before you see your friends and present them wrapped in tea towels or popped in jars for Christmas gifts.

I snipped the recipe from a Karen Martini column in the Sunday magazine years ago, when I lived in a beautiful art deco building in Elizabeth Bay with my dearest friend. I think of that wonderful year in our shoebox apartment with the window boxes that overlooking Rushcutters Bay and the miniscule kitchen with standing room for one, when the breakfast table was always set and tea was brewed with mint leaves, late night runs for coconut gelato and sunrises spent on the lawns of Elizabeth Bay House in last night's clothes. I had known K for many years, but it was in that apartment that we were brought together again, and I fell in love. 

Isn't it magic that just the making of these biscuits has set about a little montage of my past to play out in my mind? 

*I was going to type out the recipe from my book, but I found the recipe online here - with some clever modifications to lower the sugar content. 
**Don't you think an uncooked batch would make a handy little present to a new mama with an endless stream of visitors?

Cheese

It's the first thing she looks for when she comes upstairs in the morning. It hangs on the tea trolley so she tugs at the strap then swings it over her head. Her camera, a birthday gift from her little best friend, goes everywhere with us at the moment. Bumping around on that belly.

Hand-me-downs

(I realise this post may make me sound like a loony)

Was anyone else devastated to discover that Amolin discontinued their laundry liquid? (loony)

As soon as found out, I started 'saving' my remaining quarter of a bottle for 'best' washing. (loony)

Yesterday when washing some baby hand-me-downs and woollen cardis, I used some of my stash. The smell was all newborn baby and freshly washed swaddles. I might have cried a little. (loony)

*A lovely neighbour from the Village dropped in with her daughter's old baby clothes she had been saving for years. Her daughter is now 25 years old and most of her clothes were handmade. I was so touched.

Little One's first Christmas...

...and on Christmas Eve, my first birthday as a Mama.

Met my dearest friends and little ones for tea and scones at a nursery cafe. Dappled light, babes in arms, summer dresses, young sisters on the grass immersed in their drawings, dads in sunnies, and little pink cheeks after a hot morning out.

At night we had Brazilian Christmas with K's family and opened our presents at midnight. We have only just discovered the magic of bouncers and were ever so pleased when she spent most of the night happily snoozing in a nearby room to the muted sounds of hyped up little people and happy chatter at the dinner table.

Christmas Day was special...beginning the day as a family of three for the first time, and joining the rest of the family for lunch at Mum and Dad's, including Little Sister who is back from London for a brief visit. Saskia charmed her little cousins, slept when Christmas lunch was being served, became fascinated by the twinkly lights on the tree and was very blessed to receive a thoughtful array of gifts. I kept glancing at her cousins and thinking about what it will be like next year when she's a walking (maybe), talking little being...

*Ceramic ornaments from the lovely Paper Boat Press...one for me and one for the Little One...will make this a tradition every year.

**Thanks Mum & Dad for the sweet geranium flower boxes for the balcony. Makes me feel all European villager when I'm watering them.

Mug Love

A Happy Mama's-To-Be day present from my lovely Little Sister. A tad late as the lazy local post office failed to deliver the parcel slip.

I dragged Little Sister and K to Lisa Stickley's store in Clapham when we were in London last year and I think they were both a little disgusted at how happy I was at the sight of spotty tea towels.

So you can imagine how delighted I was to unwrap a Lisa Stickley souvenir Kate and Wills wedding mug (in a spotty box). I'm not really a royalist but have become quite attached to this little bit of china, and it's now my work mug. Nothing beats crocked handwriting, scalloped detailing and duck egg blue as a combo?

A little delivery

Propped next to my avocado toast this morning I found a gift and a card from the little one. Wishing me (an early) happy mothers day. I barely made it through the first sentence before I started with the tears. I think it's my most favourite card yet. Thank you little one. x

My gift was the latest Dumbo Feather - am sure you've all read/heard of it? Such a thoughtful publication. It's the first issue with new publishers and format so I hope they've managed to retain the spirit and original philosophy.

Oh and look, a shot of me in my 40 year old dressing gown.