summer holidays ::

we're off on our summer holidays! To lovely sunny (hopefully) Cromer we go!

in the garden ::

this week we are starting to reap the rewards of all our work.

There is lots to harvest (even if mostly they are small harvests of small fruits/vegetables).

This week we've enjoyed ::

• peas
• courgettes
• spring onions
• raspberries
• strawberries
• carrots
• salad leaves

Milo planted the carrots just like Miffy in one of his favourite books. They are only meant to be little round baby ones (I thought quick growing best for a little boy). It's only been 9 weeks since we sowed the seeds and today he harvested lots of little round sweet smelling carrots to enjoy for our lunch.

The raspberries are really starting to fruit now, which is amazing, it feels like a true true treat to eat those beautiful little jewels. However I'm a little disappointed that both the strawberries and the blueberries seem to have stopped flowering, I hoping that the strawberries will have another little flourish later in the year. The blueberries are new this year so I guess I should be pleased to have any fruit and hopefully next year will be better.

book group ::

Source: en.wikipedia.org via VickiBrown on Pinterest

a friend of mine brought the 1book140 twitter book club to my attention last week. Mainly, I expect, because the first book on the reading list is by my all time favourite author, Margaret Atwood. The book itself is 'The Blind Assassin' which won the booker prize in 2000.

I first read it back when I was at university, not long after it was published, I loved it. It's such a clever book, I cannot wait to give it another reading.

I just hope I actually find the time to get through it, since having Milo I've managed to read a grand total of 2 books. I used to read continually, constantly and with so much joy, I really hope I can rediscover that.

finding inspiration :: handknits ::

We're off on our holidays next week (horay!) and whilst away I wanted to get to work on knitting a new jumper for Milo. I've been designing a pattern and am almost there with it all written up, except for the details and colours, so I've been scouring the internet for some inspiration.

Source: ravelry.com via VickiBrown on Pinterest

Source: flickr.com via VickiBrown on Pinterest

Source: flickr.com via VickiBrown on Pinterest

Source: etsy.com via VickiBrown on Pinterest

Source: flickr.com via VickiBrown on Pinterest

Lots of lovely turquoise and cosy hoods. I haven't done any knitting for what seems like ages, can't wait to get started!

cat turn ups ::

:: for milo.

Milo is pretty short of trousers at the moment, due to potty training, the lack of a big ol' nappy means he's a lot slimmer than he used to be, plus we do a few more daily trouser changes now, add in there a bit of a growth spurt and it became apparent it was time for some sewing!

I've been using the basic 'trace round a pair of trousers' technique for pajamas for a while. This works out great for simple trousers and also great for easy up and down (brilliant for potty training), but ideally wanted to make something with a bit more detail.

I saw this tutorial on pinterest a while ago and have been eager to give it a go ever since. As the pattern itself is for a 3 year old, I copied down the basic idea and drew out my own pattern pieces.

It all worked out OK, but I definitely made a few foolish mistakes. The legs are too tapered, when in fact they should probably have been straight, plus a little too long (not a big problem when they are intended to be turned up anyway). But they do the job and Milo seems to like them, plus as with most of my sewing adventures I learnt a lot and next time they will be better.

It is super tricky to get a 2 year to model nicely for you in said trousers, hence the rather blurry pictures and I didn't get any of the trousers sans baby prior to the below episode of supper on trouser activity! So apologies for the lack of pictorial evidence.

• pattern :: from i kat bag
• fabric :: a mixture of charity shop finds and scraps I had stashed away.

this moment ::

Inspired by SouleMama

In her words...

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

in the garden ::

:: lots of cornflowers and nasturtiums. I love the nasturtium flowers so much, my favourite salad addition, though they are also one of the few flowers in the garden at the moment, so I'm torn between picking them and leaving them!

:: a few strawberries (enough for a toddler sized portion daily now) and one ripening raspberry (I've had to carefully ply said toddlers fingers off this red beauty many many times the last few days)

:: the first tomato!

:: gorgeous clematis creeping over the wall from a neighbour's garden, complimenting the lovely purple little purple flowers growing out of the wall perfectly.

:: discovering that the caterpillars and the snails and the green fly seem particularly keen on my flowers. Though this is good for my vegetables who seem to be escaping much damage, my calendula, dahlias, poppies and sunflowers and being munched away.