Roses are pink October 15, 2009

He came back home with flowers for me. In a shade of pink I so love. I like that he never buys flowers from a florist. It’s always from the wholesaler, wrapped in clear plastic. I like them this way, knowing the flowers are fresh and plentiful and cheap and I get to place them in a vase the way I like them – simple, messy, not in a posy.

“My first roses for you”, he says. And yes, it’s true. He usually gets fillers for me. I’m strange this way – the fillers like hypericums, statices, baby breaths, sweet williams and the like are my favourites. But these bright pink roses (fuchsia, he says), I love.

Pretty, drippy Sunday August 30, 2009

It has just rained, and the air is cool to the skin. Outside, the garden smells fresh of mint growing gloriously in the garden. How lovely it is to sip tea (from Gen!) from a pretty cup (from Bemused!) on this drippy Sunday! I sit on the couch by the window, Janet Seidel tuned on low. The after-rain slightly-chilly breeze blows in, and I shuffle my feet gently to keep them warm.

We are going to the nursery later, for more herbs in the garden, and flowers on the table. I know exactly where I’ll put the fresh blooms – in my watering pot in the middle of the antique-stained dining table. And a small pretty one for the little missy in her hair. The cushions on the white wicker bench need some new covers – floral-patterned I hope, but none too feminine. And our family photos, big and small, waiting to be hung up on our pink wall.

This beautiful weather makes me dream. And it makes drinking tea so so lovely.

See how they drift on by August 22, 2009

The rewards of going to work early are aplenty.

We saw the sky doing its thing, allowing the clouds to arrange and rearrange themselves in some random yet spectacular manner.

We saw how the ridiculously neat round of palm trees nodded in the cool morning breeze, gleeful as can be.

And best of all, I got to hold the huddy’s hand before the route to campus became thronged with students.

Tea-ed and Ponyo-ed July 25, 2009

This Friday, we had afternoon tea. Apple crumble for him, apple and blueberry pie for me. With big scoops of vanilla ice cream for him and for me. We read magazines while the missy played with her bib. Later that night, the huddy returned home with a bag of goodies. Pink and red blooms (little flowers for my cute wifey, he says), a black key pouch for me, and Ponyo VCD! On the table sits the fresh flowers now in my milk glass, stems of eaten cherries and pictures of the incredibly cute Ponyo, whom we shamelessly think look like Missy Raeann. Tell me if you think so too!

I so love this cute little family of mine.

Socked June 18, 2009

The cutest socks from the chic mommy-to-be! And a lovely cheery note that made my heart leap. The mailbox was full that day with my online purchases for the baby and me. But nothing beats a parcel sent with love. Thanks, babe, thank you!

Not just a slice of cake June 14, 2009

Because of Missy Raeann’s early bedtime, this mommy hasn’t been out in the evenings for more than half a year. I haven’t been moping about the loss of spontaneity in the nights, but there are times I so wish I could be out there, watching the streetlights cast a fuzzy glow on the sidewalks.

Last night, the huddy joined the Kohs for a late night tea at The Cookie Museum. The sweet couple very thoughtfully bought me a lemon steamed cake with lavender flowers. I love lemon, I love lavender, I love cakes! Of heady lemony scent, this cake was glorious (albeit a little dry because I left it in the fridge to eat for breakfast this morning), and just perfect for a Sunday morning breakfast with lemonade sloshing up and down the side of my glass.

Thank you guys, for thinking of me.

Into the pouch she goes May 19, 2009

I don’t know how I would have survived the weekend without this Pupsik pouch.

There were gatherings, grocery shopping trips, lunches and errands to be fitted into every waking minute, and Missy Raeann was out and about like a little dancer on her toes. It doesn’t quite help that she can now go from the lying position to the sitting to the kneeling (on her own, with no assistance), and eventually to the standing position (provided there are props like the crib or our pillows). She’s adrenalized these days by her new skills!

I couldn’t keep her still in the stroller. I couldn’t get her to nap. She only wants to transform from position to position.

And the only thing that can soothe the revved-up Missy is this pretty little thing I won from the Pupsik giveaway.

That’s when the world is not so topsy-turvy, for me and missy.

That’s when I can take a swig of coffee.

That’s when she leans in close to my chest, her fingers clutching mine.

Now, she even swings her arms endearingly towards the sling when I take it out of the diaper bag. I’m getting so dependent on it I’m awfully glad it’s such a pretty one in vintage toile print. My yummy-mummy-wanna-be accessory.

Pink and brown and white March 21, 2009

What a wet month. Gone are the long, warm, golden days. The hallmark of March this year is torrential rain that strikes in the most unpredictable of hours. The maddening idiosyncracies of the local weather.

So we spend the grey-hued Saturday afternoon in the nursery listening to the rain outside, the homeland smelling of mango and camomile – Latte’s bodywash. The boy’s getting some soft stools, and the huddy is one tired man cleaning up after him.

I settle down with a book on the bed beside Raeann’s bouncer. The nursery is pretty – stripes on the curtains, flowers on the cushions. There are lovely shades of pink, brown and white, some of the yummiest colours ever. And best of all, it’s filled with handwritten cards, toys and gifts with love from all around. And Raeann’s playtime squeals.

I can’t believe that it won’t be long before she wakes up in this very room, to morning light sliced in from underneath the drawn curtains, to Latte scratching at her door. And she will soon learn to embellish her room with our country finds, and be enamoured of all things country and pretty.

It’s a nice thought for a quiet Saturday afternoon at the homeland.

What did you think about this Saturday?

Made pretty by the aunties March 13, 2009

She’s a blessed one. Thank you, dearies, for being such great aunties to the little missy.

From Aunty Gen. Cupcake Sleepsuit!

From Aunty J. Country floral PJs!

From Aunty Bemused. Pretty in pink too!

I’m a little teapot February 7, 2009

I came home last night to a package on the dining table. A 1960s vintage teapot from Czechoslovakia, found in the UK! And it comes with its very own patent number for its ‘unusual swivel lid’! I almost couldn’t sleep last night because I couldn’t wait to have tea. From the beautiful teapot in my beautiful teacups.

The huddy asked if I wanted it to be kept under wraps until the actual day. I didn’t, of course. It’s too long a wait. So today, we had Spice Imperial tea and butter pound cake for afternoon tea. The living room smelt lovely of orange and cloves, and I got to pour tea many many times from the teapot. And we kept singing “I’m a little teapot, short and stout, here is my handle, here is my spout” to the clueless Missy Raeann.

I love my life with my doting huddy, my little missy, my ditsy doggie. And my pretty teapot. And teacups.