Two years!

This time two years ago, I was relieved that the baby had finally put in an appearance - ten days after his due date, but to make up for it, just a three hour labour.  We were nearing the end of our first day together, daddy had brought the big sister to the hospital for their first encounter and I was adapting to being a mummy of two.

When we thought about having another baby, Isabella was about one and a half, she had been a dream as a baby and she was still at the cutest of ages (scientifically proven!)  Naively, I though - this is easy, let's do it again.

The jump to two is way bigger than the switch from none to one.  First of all, Joshua is a very different child.  He refused to sleep in his own bed for ages, during the day he would only sleep on me for six months and he is way more active.  Secondly, while you can divide and conquer when you have two children and are lucky enough to have an amazing co-parent, you get way less 'time out' than with one.  Plus, Isabella quickly moved from the cutest age to the Jekyll and Hyde stage of threenager and beyond.

Starting nursery made the biggest change in Joshua.  I was seriously worried that he wouldn't settle in as he had been such a clingy baby.  Now he runs in every morning (after a goodbye kiss) without looking back and has developed so many skills over the last twelve months.  

He adores his big sister and most of the time she loves her role as teacher and often leads him into mischief.  Our little boy has completed our family in so many ways.

Every day, both of them amaze me in new ways.  I am so proud of how far we have come over the last two years - through all of the ups and downs and I am equally excited about the next two years and beyond.

Make it Monday: July birthday cards

This week I got out my stash and my stamps and made these two cards.

It was fun and they're both unique to the recipients. I didn't even know I had the pink card but I love the glitter - it matches the gold ink really well.

I've not been crafting much lately so it felt good to get creative again. Lots more along those lines coming soon!

4 years old!

Our little girl turned four on Monday.  I don't know where the time has gone.  It's always at these big milestones that I get emotional and reflect a lot on the past and it seems like just yesterday that she arrived.  

Since her brother was born she has certainly become more of a little girl and less of a baby.  She surprised me so much in how fantastic a big sister she is. There's never been any jealousy between them (I'm well aware that it will come at some point) and she is like a little mummy to him. He adores her too.

She started Kindergarten in October and is consistently praised for being social and including all her classmates in games.  That's also the reason we had twenty children here on Monday for her birthday party.  We hadn't expected that everyone would be able to come but it speaks volumes for her that so many did and luckily the weather was good so we had cake and games in the garden.

It is the biggest honour and pleasure to watch this girl grow and learn.  She is so clever and inquisitive and while it is at times exhausting, I wouldn't have her any other way. I'm loving this stage, as I loved every stage she's been at and I'm looking forward to all that her fifth year is going to bring.

Make it Monday - Party Bags

Today I've been making little party bags for Isabella's party later.

We took some plain breakfast bags and stamped them with the same colours and shapes as the invitations.

Each one has a lolly, a little bag of skittles and a glow in the dark jewellery item. We also got some water guns on offer but they were too big so we'll hand them out separately. Can't wait!

Make it Monday - Birthday Invitations

 Isabella turns four this month and there's going to be a big party. As a child, I never liked having to pick and choose among friends and I hated being told "sorry, you're not invited, I'm only allowed ... friends." Since Isabella is so social and often praised for including everyone at Kindergarten, I told her she could invite everyone. Hence a day spent making twenty-one invitations and a week hoping half that number might already have plans.

 While we were out on Saturday, I stocked up on pink card and flower stickers. I found a tulip template online and resized it.
Today I cut out twenty-one pink tulips. Isabella helped me stick on the flowers, I added washi tape and wrote the friends' names and she went crazy with a flower stamp and my ink-pad. Then I wrote the details on the back.

It was a fun, practical project and Isabella loved helping. I always forget how easy and fun it can be to get her involved in crafts.

Make it Monday- April birthday card

Despite being my birthday month, we don't actually know many people with birthdays in April so between using up my stash and being creative I've just one to share with you this month.

I like the neutral colour theme, especially with the card being for a man. I enjoy making these relief designs.

One year!

Somehow, our baby turns one today and I'm left wondering where the time has gone. He is such a joy and brings light to all of our lives.

The stages have flown by. The year started out tougher than I expected as Joshua is so different to his sister. He was and is much more clingy and we were almost inseperable for six months which was exhausting.

He is such a funny little character though. I think he gets a lot of it from observing his sister but he does make us all laugh. He's walking, playing and eating for himself at the moment and starting nursery next week!

Today we're celebrating with family and I'm feeling reflective and grateful. It's so true what they say - the days are long but the years are short.

Make it Monday: Papercut Card

 Today I tried a new card making technique through a freebie project from Mollie Makes. I had a cutter and the mat so it was quick and easy.

It's a bit fiddly and the results aren't perfect but it was very therapeutic and the more I look at the finished project, the more it grows on me. I'm looking forward to trying some more paper cutting projects and honing my skills.

Recipe: Summer Trifle

A friend made this for us recently and I pinched the recipe for Isabella's birthday.

Ingredients:

-strawberries, chopped
-250g whipped cream
-250g quark
-pack of chocolate chip cookies

Instructions:

Whip the cream. Fold it into the quark.

Starting with cookies, then the cream mix, then the strawberries, layer the ingredients in a bowl and allow to set in the fridge for an hour or two.

Make it Monday - Girl's Headband

This week's little sewing project was a headband for my niece's birthday. I used this tutorial. It was quick and easy but effective. I love the contrast fabrics.

I'm hoping to make some more for the other little girls in my life.

Weekly Wisdom

It's not the years in your life that count but the life in your years!

Make it Monday - Knitted Headband

In keeping with my goal to create more this year, I knitted this girl's headband for a little girl who turns one this week.

It's my first make from this book. It was my first time knitting with English instructions for a while and I even learned some new skills.

It's really cute and luckily I have lots of wool left over as Isabella likes it too!

Make it Monday - Infinity Scarf

As part of my year of 'create', I'd like to make as many gifts as possible instead of buying. (Anyone who thinks that's cheap ought to check out the cost of fabrics and materials!)

Kicking this off in January is my best friend's birthday tomorrow. I sewed her this infinity scarf using this tutorial and two meters of this black and white woolen check material.

I figured it's warm and the colours are neutral - I hope she likes it!

Weekly Wisdom

source

Recipe: Paleo Almond and Orange Cake

For Nico's birthday I wanted to try another new cake and a colleague recently put me onto this website where I found the recipe for this almond and orange cake.

I wanted to make something fruity and not too dry which can be a challenge when baking gluten free. 

This turned out to be a pleasant surprise, very soft and juicy. It was a little more in the Christmas direction but we really enjoyed it.

The colleague who recommended the site is leaving next week so I'll be baking another one for her. I'm really looking forward to browsing through this site for some good recipes this summer.

One Year!

Today we're celebrating one year with our wonderful little girl. I have no idea where the time went, I just know that it has been the best, hardest and most special year of my life.

Isabella is such an amazing little girl. She makes us laugh every day, she's learning fast and making us proud.

When I think back to her a year ago, it's hard to remember she's the same little girl - constant naps and feeds for what felt like forever and now she's so independent. I can't imagine how life is going to look in another year.

What I do know is that I am going to appreciate every moment and every stage because they go too fast.

Proud that we have a wonderful year behind us and excited for the future with this amazing little miracle.

Garden Update - Flowers

Just look at the latest blooms from our garden! I love that every time I look out there are different flowers. This is a pink rose with white and purple bells.

We've also got red roses, a different type of pink rose, orange lillies, red lillies, honeysuckle, and so many more. Look out for some more photos soon.

In the meantime, these will be the centrepieces for Isabella's birthday tomorrow. Exciting!

Make It Monday - Girl's Summer Dress

It's my niece's 5th birthday this month and I wanted to make her something special. I remembered this project from last year and I had this lovely summery material just waiting for the right project.

I'm really pleased with the finish and the size - I just hope she likes it!

Garden Corner

After my birthday last week, I planted several plants I'd received as gifts in front of the dafodils in this planter by our front door. I think it looks much more welcoming and seasonal.

Even though we have a big garden now, I really like focusing on one little corner like this as you can see the progress straight away.