Birthday Presents!

 I am feeling utterly spoilt today after a wonderful birthday yesterday. Hugo (9) and I were at the local market last week when I spotted a salad sprouting kit which I thought was wonderful. Hugo stowed it away, later explaining it to Jonno. And together, they made one just for me! Archie (12) snuck away an enormous and very much forgotten glass jar I had filled with odds and ends and turned it into the most beautiful terrarium. So I am feeling very fortunate. I'm so glad they already have that ethos we all cherish in blogland, of making something special for someone you love. 

So today Hugo and I are going to start sprouting some seeds he bought. Very exciting..... watch this space!
Lots of love,
Kate. xxx

The Birthday Season!

We are firmly smack dab in the birthday season again. Hugo turned 9 yesterday. NINE! What happened.

 Hugo had a couple of friends come over for afternoon tea and of course lots of lovely family and we ate 'Egg Cake' aka, chocolate cake with crispy chocolate eggs on top.

 And lashings of ginger beer.

And something a little different for the adults. Oh Monday afternoon - if only every Monday could be as wonderful.

 Even though Autumn has crept up on us, it was a decidedly Summer's day.

 This is Hugo when he was a little boy.

This is Hugo now he is big. Off on one of his farm adventures.

Lots and lots of love,

Kate. xxooxx.

It's My Birthday (and I can play with Lego if I want to....).

Today is my birthday. Yay. It's a quiet one this year, so many exciting things have happened over the past 12 months that a low key celebration is absolutely sublime. In fact, it's such a quiet one that I am blogging at the moment rather than out at the movies with Jonno (the calves escaped down to the estuary so we had a change of plans). The boys departed at lunch time for a weekend of adventure with their grandparents and cousins, so this weekend will be about getting my studio back in order. I so hope I have some wonderful photos to take of it by Sunday.

Considering that we are only catching up with a few friends over the weekend, Jonno and I will also be eating a lot of cake. This year I made a hummingbird cake with lemon cream cheese icing for the top and raspberry cream cheese icing for the centre. It is so, so, so delicious - hopefully the boys won't be expecting anything upon their return.

 I'm also feeling the luckiest person in the world as the boys gave me this Lego ice-cream truck that I've been beside myself over. It is utterly inspirational and I can't wait to crochet something similar. Have you ever seen such a Lego-ey piece of art!

 Beautiful birthday table.

 My new birthday mug - thank you Gaga and Pa! The tea tastes particularly scrumptious!

 New birthday books - reviews next week!

Archie being oh-so-helpful. What a boy!

Lots and lots of love,
Kate. xxooxx.

Birthdays...

 Hugo turned 8 on Sunday and received a very special birthday present.... a teensy, tiny motorbike. Let me add at this point that he does have a helmet and would never be allowed to ride without it, but this photo was taken at the exact moment he discovered his new bike.... 

 The birthday boy and his big brother - did you know that we live in a big blue barn? I will  have to put some photos up of it as some stage.

 Hugo and I decorated this cake together. We used a very clever technique where we threw the smarties onto the cake and they stuck tremendously well. Apart from the H which Hugo sectioned off with a smartie fence.

Big, grubby 8 year old birthday boy.

I can't believe my baby is 8 years old... it feels as though he only popped out two minutes ago. But what a joy he is - one of the funniest human beings I have ever met in my life. Mischievous and sweet and a whirlwind of energy. We love him.

Lots of love,

Kate xxooxx.

My Birthday...

Can you believe that it is that time again? What time you might ask.... why, my birthday season. Here I am with the boys (and my bird crown which I thought would be appropriate for the day) sharing my joy. I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY LOVE BIRTHDAYS - not just mine - everybody's. You can tell that Archie has been through a few of my ones now - look at his slightly bemused face. 

I love this time of year because you can decorate your house any way you like and say "It's just for my birthday". This helps you to justify things like sticking hot air balloons to your ceiling with washi tape.

 And threading pompoms through wisteria.

 Or adding pompoms to the roof.

 Or filling transparent balloons with interesting things.

 (Such as pompoms and confetti - some even had fake flowers)

 Putting birds in with roses.

 And buying pretty straws.

It has also given me an excuse to go crazy over making pompoms with the boys these holidays. Hugo is so good now that he is considering opening a pompom hair salon.

 There have even been a few presents which I will show you in my next post. I have been very spoilt.

 This really is how homes should look all the time.

 Ceilings are very bland without a little bit of party bling....

This is the house two days after my birthday. I will take the decorations down soon but I won't lie, it will be hard. Bring on Christmas.....

Lots and lots of love,
Kate xxooxx.

A Big Birthday!

 My big boy Archie turned 10 yesterday. It is funny how the blog often goes quiet for a few days before an event like this hits.... Too much time spent baking and scheming methinks.

I included this photo of the cake just to show that not every cake is an amazing 6 tiered rainbow cake or  crenellated castles replete with jelly moats. Sometimes they are fall apart chocolate cakes grouted back together with icing. And it is always such a relief to see them all eaten with the exact same amount of gusto.

 10 year old boys can even light the candles on their cake!!!

 Such a milestone!

 By the way, this is Archie's new jumper that was knitted by his Gran Gran. It is incredible and is particularly cool with his teal skinny jeans and purple sneakers. 

Lots of love,
Kate xxooxx.

p.s. These school holidays we have decided to make life a little more low-tech... unfortunately this includes me which may mean that blogging will have to occur on the down low.... if I can sneak it in. 

Mice, Lighthouses and Cake.

Hugo successfully turned 7 on the weekend... I say successfully because his first attempt was botched at 4 o'clock in the morning when he met Jonno on a bathroom run, "Do you have anything to say to me Dad?"......... "Yes, get back to bed".

It's funny how much more prepared we were acknowledge birthdays after 6 am!

Jonno and I gave him this lighthouse puzzle - it's an absolute cracker with over 220 pieces all labelled  with numbers and arrows. We sorted them out by 10's, a really wonderful exercise for Hugo in number placement and recognition - particularly when we reached the 100's. Very proud of it he is!

 I on the other hand, have been crocheting these little mice. Mice love lighthouses.

 Although they are a little nervous about peering over the ledge.

As for the birthday cake, I'm afraid this photo is it. As per usual, I took about a million but somehow they have vanished into the ether. 

By the way, I did end up with the response from Hugo I was after.... when he saw it iced but unadorned, his face wrestled with emotions from disappointment (he knew I spent a whole morning making it and had high expectations) to incredulity. Finally he tentatively said, "It's a bit boring". 

I had to laugh as Archie, in on the secret, replied "Oh well, you know we're on a budget this year. It's all cheap ingredients and plain cakes now".

So yes, he was a very happy chappy when the cake was cut.

Lots and lots of love,

Kate xxooxx.

Rainbow Cakes.

 This year I decided to bite the bullet (ouch) and make a rainbow layer cake for Hugo's birthday. Gluten free too I must add. I'm not a cake professional at all, they usually come together in the end with lots of sweating and swearing along the way... however, this one has been pure fun.

 I used Martha Stewart's icing but with vanilla extract rather than lemon. 

 And now having iced the cake I think I am going to die. I have never felt so sick in my life from nibbling bits and pieces along the way. Eyes can test things Kate, trust your eyes...

 Usually with left over icing I do little treats for birthday parties like the biscuits above. Such a great cheat.

 With the cake I was left these colourful strips, very corally and sea creaturey.

But I ended up having to throw them out because I was so sick of the cake smell. I am hoping this feeling will go away by tomorrow and that I won't grimace every time a cake-smeared child comes my way.

Next rainbow layer cake there will be no 'testing' along the way. Bllrrgggghhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!
Love Kate xxooxx.