The Bump

Whilst Jess was staying over Christmas, I finally remembered to take some pics of the bump (i.e. my expanding waistline) - this is the one and only time in my life that I will ever be happy to visually document an expanding waistline I can tell you!

Will and I are going to take some more pics on Saturday - we are feeling slightly guilty that I am now in my fifth month and only have 2 pics to show the little one of his/her journey inside.

I {heart} you!

How sweet is this heart shaped berry wreath!

I spotted it this morning on Etsy and just had to share:)

Flavours

Being in my 18th week, it is only a couple more before we get to find out whether we are having a boy or girl. As I may have mentioned, I am convinced it is a boy - not that I have any preference whatsoever.

Because there are so many girls in my family, I had always imagined having a girl. When I fell pregnant, I just couldn't imagine having a boy. Our friend Jess remarked the other day that she didn't think I would know what to do with a boy - to her, I just simply had to be having a girl! Well, from day dot I started imagining having a boy, trying to get my head around the possibility and alas, it stuck. In fact, not only am I now convinced we are having a boy, I am actually looking forward to it.

Thankfully, the wait is almost over. I do hope the little one co-operates at the ultrasound so that we get to find out! And in retrospect, I think it has become non-negotiable that we do find out (not that we were debating it). Imagine being in the delivery room, as utterly convinced as I am that it will be a boy, and then giving birth to a pink flavoured one! That might just be a bit too much emotion for this mumma to handle... not to mention all the cute boys clothes that would go un-used:)

Pic from here

New Years Eve

What are your plans for this evening?

Will remarked during the week that we should really be going out to paint the town red tonight considering it will be our last NYE sans children. That all sounded like a good idea until I reminded him that I would be painting the town red...sober!

I guess, unbeknown to us at the time, last NYE was really our chance to shine! Can't even remember what we did to be honest. Sad, I know.

After abandoning plans of all night partying, we decided that a night in experimenting with our new Kitchen Aid pasta attachment was the perfect recipe (Christmas pressie from my lovely in-laws). Whilst I was getting my hair done last night in prep for date night, Will went and purchased supplies for our feast tonight (an assortment of mushrooms, ever so thinly sliced veal, pasta flour,eggs, delicious cream, truffles (of the mushroom variety) - YUMMO). Fingers crossed the pasta works out...

The thing for me is, I have never really been a big fan of NYE. My favourite day of the year (aside from my Birthday and perhaps Christmas Day) is new years day. The first day of the year. It is (and always has been) really, I mean fundamentally, important for me to spend new years day with a fresh head and a positive spirit. This is somewhat hard to do with a hangover as you can well imagine...

So no matter what I usually do on NYE (and I will admit there have been a few exceptions to this - probably around the ages of 18, 19, 20 - ...), I usually try not to drink too much so as to wake the next day feeling less than 100%.

So now you all want to know what we have planned for new years day. To be honest, nothing extraordinary. We are going to visit a friend's new bub in hospital (I guess this qualifies as extraordinary, especially considering he was delivered super early and did not have the easiest time in his mummy's tummy), then we are going to lunch at a (semi) (sense a trend here) new restaurant in town - 8 1/2 Otto e Mezzo by Bombana (what are the chances he will be cooking on new years day - unlikely I say) (I guess this is also kind of extraordinary considering that I have wanted to try this restaurant for ages and now I finally get to go). Then we are having some friends over for dinner, which whilst not extraordinary (cause we tend to do this a lot), will make a lovely end to the first day of the year.

Usually we are back home in Oz for new years day and hence we spend the day outside in the glorious sunshine, at the beach, going for picnics, spending time with the family.. all that jazz. Oh, I do miss home this year:(

Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, make sure you enjoy a glass of bubbles for me:)

Date Night

Tonight is date night in the Holden household (well outside the household to be exact, but you get my gist). I don't think Hubby has cottoned onto the fact that we also have a romantic evening planned for tomorrow night to celebrate NYE. Who am I to say anything - two date nights in a row are fine by me...

So I am off this afternoon after work to have my hair done (desperately overdue btw), then out for dinner at a (semi) new restaurant called Lily & Bloom.

Let's hope our night is not as eventful as the one shared by Tina & Steve in the movie...

The world is such a small place...

... made all the smaller through blogland!

A couple of weeks back I was in London (for work) and managed to snag a day for shopping. I have to be honest, I didn't do the town justice - I only managed to do two shops (but boy did I do them well). Which two shops you ask??? Mama's & Papa's (for obvious reasons) and Liberty (for obvious reasons!).

I managed to spend the entire day in just two shops, and it was heaven! Whilst strolling the floors in Liberty I stumbled across a display of the most delightful tableware ever. I couldn't resist, and bought two matching cups and saucers (the pink & blue one in the pics above). The brand was not one I had heard before, Pip Studios, but boy did I love everything in their range.

Anyhow, I was actually sitting here this very morning sipping my morning coffee out of my lovely new pink cup when I read the post by Cannelle et Vanille and stumbled across this pic and a story about Pip Studios. All of their products are so delightful - I just wish my suitcase had of been bigger :(

Small world hey - who would have thought that my little indulgence in Liberty would turn up in a post by one of my favourite bloggers...

Annechovie sale!!

Yeap - you read right! All stock in Annechovie's Etsy store is 50% until the end of the year...

I have to confess that I might be slightly addicted, having purchased all of the prints below - and I am sure I have forgotten some... hurry on over here and nab yourself some before it is too late!

Whilst I have all of the above in my collection (saving them up for the cluster wall of my dreams) I can't believe I don't have 1 of Annechovie's iconic "Keep Calm and Carry On" prints. I may have to allow myself just 1 more print to take advantage of the sale ... I'm thinking pink ...(does that surprise you!)