To Ali, With Love

Well well, a whole week has zoomed passed in a whirlwind!  So much to share with you!   Firstly, I finally decided to make the move away from breastfeeding.  It had been a long hard and exhausting experience and one I was determined to give my best go, I am very sad to be stopping, very sad, but at the same time I am now emerging faster and stronger (and ever so slightly fatter) from this post-natal depression.  For the first time in over three months I straightened my hair, bought a new top, stopped subconsciously wearing only black, started enjoying my baby.  I am still feeding her every evenng and there is a lot to say about this whole story, but another time. 

This week is half term and it has been insane here.  My first week alone with my two girls has been...brilliant.  Granted it has been hectic, messy, nuts, noisy, stressy, sometimes verging on impossible but on the whole it has been so bloody rewarding, the sense of achievement I get from surviving the day with nothing to show for it but two exhausted, snoring and happy girls I can't put into words.  Plus, we've had four nights with the baby sleeping through (touch wood) which means I can finally indulge in a couple of well earned glasses of wine :)

Two other things have brought smiles to me this week - both of which arrived via snailmail...

What's my favourite colour? That would be yellow.  What's my favourite combination of colours?  Um, yellow, orange and pink actually.  What's my favourite craft?  That'd be crochet. 

The ever glamorous and ever fabulous Charlotte who writes the hugely inspirational Lottie Loves blog sent me this scarf.  It was a huge surprise when I reached into my mailbox (yes we have a mailbox) and retrieved the parcel.

"What is it mummy?", asked Lillia. 
"I don't know but it's from America", said I.
"Ooooh, Amerwica...can I open it?", said Lillia.

I shall be wearing this scarf until the weather turns spring-like and warm and the other mums on the school run think I am nuts.  Ha!  Thank you Charlotte, it really has made me smile :)

The second snailmail surprise I received was this utterly gorgeous print...

Gretchen, who writes at June at Noon, has been a long-term bloggy friend, but she is also somebody whose work I am in awe of.  Her sewing and embroidery is amazing, but her illustration...well...

I just love it, it is totally my "thing", completely my style.  I love to collect original prints of art that just appeals to me but I don't often treat myself.  Hubby surprised me by ordering me this print of Gretchen's "unexpected" illustration for Valentine's day.

Included was a small print of her "catch" illustration too.

I am a lucky girl.  I have a friend who cares enough to make me something gorgeous just to cheer me up, a bloggy mate who is an inspiration on many levels, a husband who surprises me with something he knows I will love.  Plus I have two beautiful girls who I am at last appreciating and enjoying fully.  And it's only February...

:)