Mummy-to-be Shower

I hadn't planned on having a baby shower but my dear friend Amy, who I work with, threw me a little mummy-to-be shower - an afternoon of spoiling for mummy! The theme being vintage children's toys - she knows me well.

The spread was amazing, all my favourites; finger sandwiches, scones, lavender shortbread, brownies, banana loaf and red velvet cake! All homemade by the girls. We played an American 1950s game of Stork Bingo which was really good fun. We drank watermelon punch - another fave of mine. I was spoiled with lovely pressies for me and baby. Such a lovely afternoon and I'm so grateful for lovely friends. 

['the baby loves red velvet']

Mollie Makes Handmade Wedding Magazine

How thrilled was I to find out that Mollie Makes was making a Handmade Wedding magazine?? So excited. I love this magazine and my sister is getting married next year so my head is back in wedding inspiration mode. If anyone should be making a wedding magazine it is these guys. So imagine my joy when I had an email from Mollie Makes saying they would like to feature our wedding! It almost sent me into early labour.

When I received my copy from lovely Jane (Editor-in Chief) I was overwhelmed. The magazine is beautiful and if I were a bride again this is what I would have wanted. Cover to cover inspiration, full-page images and lots of fabulous ideas from real-life brides. The weddings featured are stunning - the one from California was breath-taking. I am overjoyed that we are featured in the first edition. I so loved revisiting our wedding and remembering all the detail that went into it and looking at all Emma Case's beautiful photos. It really was so much fun and I would advise all brides to resist the urge to get stressed out and just enjoy every second of the planning, crafting and making.

I really hope there are more editions of the Homemade Wedding and the Mollie Makes Home as that was another great publication that I thoroughly got lost in.

37 weeks - we went swimming!

Baby is now full-term! Amazing. The first 12 weeks dragged, I was so desperate to reach the relative safety of the 12 week mark and to be able to tell everyone. Since that point, the weeks have gone so fast and here we are. Incredible really how quick a human being is made. I am at the point of bursting with excitement to meet our little man. Only slightly anxious, I just hope that all will go well and that he'll arrive safely. I'm weirdly excited and curious about the birth in that I really can't wait to get in there and see how I handle it, however it happens.

I have been plagued with all sorts of symptoms the last couple of weeks, swollen hands and feet, carpal tunnel and oily skin being just a few, am just grateful they have arrived at the end. It's manageable knowing that it they will not be around for much longer.

We went swimming this week and wow, it felt so good to be weightless in the pool. So nice to comfortably exercise too, I was able to use all limbs pain-free.

I have been busy this week buying advance birthday presents and wrapping for the next few months, making up dinners and freezing, making lists and generally getting us as organised as possible so that all our attention is on settling our boy in. I think I have emptied and reorganised nearly every drawer and cupboard in the house, which has had it's benefits as I have found some things I'd forgotten about, some vintage crockery and more excitingly a christmas pudding I'd made and forgotten about. We'll be enjoying that in the garden later today -never had christmas pud in the sunshine before!

Last weekend just gone was spent weeding, gardening and updating all my pots and baskets in the garden, really wanted to get it ready for the summer days sat out there with the baby and looking at all the colours. Dan made me a makeshift potting station so I could sit and have everything in reach as I am so unwieldy these days. It was so nice to be in the garden working with the soil, plants and being entertained by the dog and the chooks.

We are ready for you little one...

My Summer Drink....

This is my summer drink, not only is it the prettiest of pinks, it tastes amazing too and ridiculously easy (apart from the watermelon deseeding!).

Simply blend all these ingredients together (you will need to deseed watermelon unless you have a Vitamix in which case you can sieve afterwards) and pour over ice. So yummy and so refreshing. Watermelon has been my biggest craving in pregnancy and having it this way is mess-free. Watermelon is rich in antioxidants, and vitamin C, it's also a great source of vitamin E for healthy skin. Watermelon is also rich in citrulline, which is an amino acid that converts to arginine in your body - necessary for healthy cardiovascular and immune function (source: livestrong.com). So not only delicious but super healthy. I have also made this with honey instead of sugar syrup which works well. I am sure it would work well with Agave syrup too but have not tried, would be interested to hear from anyone that has tried it. 

Enjoy ...

Shedspiration

This year we are focusing our efforts on the garden, the first job being replacing our rotting shed. We have decided on a shed/garden room. The garden room will house a little potting station for me, our garden furniture and an old rocking chair I picked up from a car boot that I will be given a little makeover to. Who hasn't dreamed of a little house at the end of the garden to go and hide in, drink tea and read a book??? 

I have been searching online for inspiration and came across all these beautiful images and I thought it stupid not to share. So inspiring. My shed unfortunately will not look anything like these but hoping to take a couple of little aspects from some of them - I definitely want to paint the interior white and love the colourful drawers in the top image, the hanging baskets and hooks. I will also need some shelves to store my growing collection of tatty terracota pots (my favourite things). I want to also incorporate my apple boxes and vintage beer boxes in there. Hope you enjoy the images as much I do.

Source: www.eva-fotojournalist.no/

Source unknown

 Source: calgarygardencoach.typepad.com

Source: whimsicalraindropcottage.tumblr.com

Source: http://daintyanddangerous.tumblr.com/

Source: mylovelythings.blogspot.co.uk

Source: vitaranunkler.blogspot.co.uk

Summer Wardrobe

1. ASOS maxi dress 2. Topshop bag 3. Saltwater Sandals 4. Mango necklace 5. Noir studded bangle

Finally the nice weather has arrived and it has got me thinking about summer outfits. I will be living in maxi dresses and Saltwater Sandals as always but for sure this summer with my post-birth body. I already have a red pair of Saltwaters but will definitely need a brown pair as I am really loving all these muted colours I have seen about for this summer. 

Roll on summer, drinks in pretty beer gardens, 99's on the sea front, walks in the woods and picnics on the beach! 

Treats to look forward to...

I have loved being pregnant. People told me I would but I didn't believe them. I was the person that squirmed when listening to someone talk about their baby move within their tummy. It all seemed a bit too Sigourney Weaver and Alien to me. But here I am, loving and cherishing every movement. I love slipping into bed for an afternoon nap when I can, and I just lie there and feel baby move. He has started to stick his little bum out now and I stroke it, as I stroke, his bum goes back in but as soon as I stop he sticks it out again. It's our little game and already I know I will miss that. 

So as much as I am loving it, there are some things that I miss and looking forward to having back in my life...

1. Hot bubbly bath and G&T - this was my little Friday night treat. Hot bath with insane amounts of bubbles, Ray Lamontagne playing and a G&T with excessive amounts of fresh lime squeezed in and ice. 

2. Lying on my tummy and back - in pregnancy you are advised to lie on your side. I can't wait to sleep on my tummy again and get back to normal yoga and stretching back on a hard floor.

3. Pate on toast, charcuterie board, Brie, Chardonnay..... food - the thought of a perfectly chilled glass of buttery Chardonnay, sat in a beautiful long stemmed glass, with condensation forming on the outside honestly makes me dribble a little. The thought of it next to a charcuterie board is enough to make me swoon. I took these things for granted when unpregnant, but now I am without and have been for 8 months, I just can't wait to be reunited. I have had the odd sip of Dan's wine and enjoyed some bubbles at Christmas and it's been nice but it's not the same as it's laced with that little bit of guilt. I want that guilt-free beautiful glass of wine just for me with a massive hunk of oozy Brie and bread on the side.

4. Star jumps and shimmies - ok, I don't really miss these things but I do miss the ability to do them should the mood strike. Now heavily pregnant I really am limited to move freely. The other day I so had the urge to run, just run and run. I have never in my life been a runner, I hate it. But at that moment I just wanted to run, jump and tumble. I am sure there will be lots of running and tumbling when my boy is here.

Not long to go now at 36 weeks and I am incredibly excited, more to meet our baby then anything else but the things above are added bonuses which I can't wait to enjoy again.