Monthly Archives: April 2010

Gratitude

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I was lucky enough to be given this blog award by my fabulous friend, Suburban Mummy.  So it’s only right and proper than I write about what I am grateful for…

And there are a few things for which I thank my lucky stars…

First and foremost, the midwife who helped me bring little Ruby into the world.  Her name is Lorraine Cleghorn and she works at St George’s Hospital in Tooting, South London.  I know the chances are she’ll never read this, and even if by some stroke of serendipity, she did, she delivers hundreds of babies every year, so the chances of her remembering Ruby’s birth are slim to none.

But this woman was amazing.  If I could choose her to deliver all my babies, I would in a heartbeat.  She was exactly what I needed her to be, straight talking, and up front, and no-nonsense.  She cheered me on when I got tired, she coached me through the wrenchingly painful contractions, she told me I didn’t need pethidine, or an epidural, and that I could do it all on my own.  And I did do it all on my own.  And afterwards I felt like a warrior (still do).

At the end of May, that will have been two years ago.  My little girl is leaving babyhood behind at what seems like light speed but not a day goes by when I don’t look at her and silently thank Lorraine for doing such a stirling job with us both.

Secondly, but equally as important as Lorraine, is Ross.  He works all the hours he can so that I don’t have to.  Our household may appear stuck in the 1950′s but you know what, we like it that way.  I sometimes suck at it, but I really like being a housewife.  He does everything he can to keep a roof over our heads, decent clothes on our backs, our tummies full and our car on the road.  So I do everything I can to support that.

I am also grateful for the fact that Ross and I share pretty much the same values and ideas on just about everything.  It makes things easier, you know.

Thirdly, are my mad money management skillz.  Try saying that after a few glasses of wine.  I know that might seem like an odd thing to be grateful for, but I am proud and thankful that I am pretty good with numbers.  I like to think I am shit hot at keeping us quite happily afloat on one salary.  Two years, and some very hairy moments later, and we’ve never once defaulted on our mortgage and we always always pay at least the minimum payments on our credit cards.  I can make and keep to a budget that means Ruby never goes without, I am excellent at sniffing out a bargain, I make sure we don’t spend too frivolously and I try my hardest to keep our credit score looking good.

In turn, I ought to say that I am grateful I’ve been allowed to make mistakes with money and been made to learn from them, because I don’t think you can really understand the importance of a good credit rating unless you’ve cocked up a little.

And lastly, I’m grateful my tight network of friendship and support, both online and off. I have a loving supportive family, and good friends, and don’t I know it.

And that is where I’m ending this post, before it starts to read like an Oscars speech.  I’m going to hold on to this award, and tag people when I have a few more people on the old blog roll.  So for now, have a lovely long weekend, everyone!

The Gallery – Portrait

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This isn’t a new photo by any means.  But today is the first time I’ve discovered The Gallery and I wanted to join in, and toddlerface is asleep.

I love this photo, because it’s Ruby doing something she really really loves.  Eating.  And like most toddlers discovering a world of new flavours, she goes through phases.  Sometimes all she wants is pasta, other times, it’s ham sandwiches, sometimes she goes a few days hardly eating anything and the next week she’ll happily pack away more then either of her parents.  There is only one constant, and that is fromage frais.  Put a pot of Petit Filous and a spoon in front of her and she’s a happy little girlie.  And it’s lucky this is the case, because it’s the only way I can get Calpol down her when she’s got a temperature.

Anyway, I digress.  This photo is about seven months old,  but it seems fitting as when I took it she was all about bananas and right now, she is all about the bananas again.  Happy eating, little one.

My Beautiful Beautiful Shoes

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I know he can’t see the dress, but is it bad luck for your husband-to-be to see your wedding shoes before the big day?  If it is, well then we are already doomed.  Because I can’t stop talking about my shoes, and I also can’t stop looking at them.  Every couple of days, I have to have a little peek-a-boo at them sitting there, pretty things, in their shoe box.

And the shoe box is not hidden away from Ross.  It’s sitting on a shelf in our bedroom, and even though I know he won’t be nearly as interested in them as I am, and certainly not interested enough to sneak sly little peeks, he was there when I picked them up from the post office, there when I excitedly ripped open the package, and it’s fair to say he’ll definitely be around when I break them in between now and July 24th.

As much as the National Wedding Show showed me exactly what I didn’t want in my wedding (a long fussy gown, a marzipan-slathered fruit cake, a hen night that involves a pink limousine) I did go home with some great ideas and even some concrete decisions made; a french netting veil, cheesecake of glory and shoes from Harriet Wilde.

You know when you see something, and that’s it, mind’s made up, won’t even bother looking at anything else, because how could anything else even come remotely close? Well, thats how I felt when I saw my shoes.  And the netting embellishment in turn helped me to make up my mind about my veil, which then helped me decide on gypsophila flowers in the table settings and my bouquet.  As odd as it may sound to say I’ve planned the look of my wedding around my shoes, it’s true – these beautiful shoes have really helped me out!

I’ve gone for Bella Ivory with the ivory netting, and aren’t they just the cutest shoes you ever did see?  I just adore the little puff of netting on the toe.  So ridiculously dainty.  The moment I slip my feet into them I instantly feel about ten times more girly and feminine.

And I can’t help but smile.

If you want your own pair (and let’s face it, who doesn’t?) You can pick up the phone and have a chat with Ruth.  Because the only thing better than ordering pretty shoes, is ordering them from someone as nice as she is.

Mary, Mary, quite contrary

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How does your garden grow?

Pretty well, hopefully.  Despite the fact that Chez Chapman is on the market and we are en route to Southampton, I still want our tiny postage stamp sized garden to look pretty.  I want it to be somewhere I’ll look back on fondly when we no longer live here.  I’d like to be able to sit out with a nice refreshing drink surrounded by nice smelling plants that are thriving.  But mainly, I don’t want that blasted bindweed rearing its annoying-but-actually-quite-pretty head again.

And the weather is so gorgeous at the moment that today I thought, why not do a spot of planting?! The girls love to play out there and if they want to get grubby, they might as well get grubby by helping me out.  So in the car we hopped, and nipped out to Homebase, and came back an hour later, laden with gardening goodies.

I bought a tomato planter, 3 different tomato plants, chives, thyme and oregano to replenish my sorry looking herb garden.  And the girls had enormous fun.  Who knew Darcy and Ruby we so green fingered?  They helped me turn the compost, water the plants, replant them and pat them down in the soil.  And now I have the makings of an epic tomato salad growing out there in the sunshine.

But actually, I’m really pleased that Ruby is keen on gardening.  One of the things we’ll be looking for when its time for us to look for houses in Southampton, is a much bigger garden.  South West facing, please.  So we get the sun for as much of the day as possible.  I fully intend to get all Good Life on Ross’ behind and grow a substantial amount of food.  Knowing I’ll have at least one mini helper is a comforting thought.

The next thing on my list to buy (because I don’t think I want to stop now I’ve started) is an etagere to put all of aforementioned pot plants on.  Perhaps I’ll think about ordering that at the weekend.

Anyone for cheesecake?

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We have an 8″ vanilla cheesecake that arrived this morning.  It’s a sample of our wedding cake and right now it’s defrosting in my fridge.

Cheesecake of Glory

Cheesecake of Glory

I saw the English Cheesecake Company at the National Wedding Show last November and that was it, I was sold. What could possibly be nicer than a vanilla and strawberry cheesecake at a July wedding?  I stopped looking at other cakes there and then and happily ticked it off my gargantuan list of Things To Organise.

So I called and ordered on Thursday, and it arrived this morning.  In dry ice, no less.  And can I just take a moment to remind you of your GCSE Chemistry lessons and that dry ice is cold.  Very very cold.  I’d go out on a limb and say it’s the coldest thing I’ve ever held.  Because in my excitement to get to my cake, I did not heed the warning and I picked up the bag of dry ice with my bare hands.  Ouch!

Always wear oven mitts when handling dry ice.

What I should have done.

It took a few seconds to register that my fingers were, infact, freezing, before I realised what I was doing.  Fortunately, an hour or so later, my hands are fine, pink and warmed up nicely.  And the dry ice has warmed up and dissipated.  That is a mistake I shan’t be making again.

I’ve already tasted my cake and let me tell you it’s melt-in-the-mouth amazing.  Creamy and delicious and a real pleasure to eat.  I know it’s going to go down a storm at my wedding this summer, especially with all those gorgeous strawberries piled up on top.  If you ever fancy a cheesecake, the English Cheesecake Company is without a doubt the place to get it.