The world is suddenly full of sunshine and colour. I love daffodils this time of year, such a blast of sunshiny yellow. We've been to the park and happily sat on the bare grass and didn't get damp bottoms, and so I can say that spring is definitely in full swing. We have been giving our house a spring clean and I've been taking a few photos of colourful corners as we go along. Perhaps I'll post some more soon. I love colourful, cosy homes, I'm not a tasteful, beige, minimalist kind of girl at all. And I love seeing pics of other bloggers' homes online. Isn't it fun to peak into the homes of others?

I remember sleep. I was madly in love with my bed. I could stay there under the duvet for hours of the sweetest, deepest sleep. It was divine. http://lullym.blogspot.com/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/annaszczek/4038066839/From Blonde magazine
But tonight I must prop open my eyelids as I'm off to the theatre. I only hope my seat is uncomfortable enough to keep me awake.

How many coughs and sneezes can a girl catch one after another? Life is all early nights and soggy hankies. I swear I never used to get ill, ever. I feel worn out and faded like an old Polaroid photograph. Even right now, as I type, and the baby sleeps, I could quite easily rest my fuggy head on the keyboard and drift off. That would be nice but foolhardy as this hour whilst the baby sleeps is so precious. Girls with no babies revel in your freedom! Read that book, go watch that film, get drunk, put on your dancing shoes and dance and dance. And then sleep. I used to. In my old life. Ahhh. Now I'm happy enough to catch colds and kiss my baby. But I do so envy your freedom. But at least I sometimes get a tiny minute to draw or paint. Here's Sally after telling the time with a dandelion. (It's six o'clock.) Tonight I'll watch The Delicious Miss Dahl on TV and drool over Sophie's yummy concoctions as well as nosing at her kitchen. Is there anything that girl can't do? Her cooking's divine, I loved her book Playing With The Grownups and she's also the real Sophie from The BFG. Lucky Girl.
And now my sweetheart is awake and so I must go and get our coats on and take Lola for a walk before it gets too cold. They say the snow may be on its way back.

Betty with a bow in Breton stripes.
It's been so sunny here, sunny but brrr freezing, which I quite like. Cold noses, clear skies, the smell of spring. And the evenings drawing out, soon we will have lots more time for walking, going to the beach, beer gardens and all other summertime evening pursuits. To think that just a couple months ago the sky was starry at this time of of day and right now as I look out of the window I can see blue sky and white clouds floating by. Hello spring, I shall not be giving up my coat and hat just yet though. http://www.flickr.com/photos/luverne/4370019909/in/set-72157623477535422/

My very busy weekend has been swept away by a bug that my little sweetheart and my husband both have. Oh dear, but at least I've escaped it's clutches... so far. They are both in bed right now, asleep under the duvet.
I have a new watercolour that I quite like. She looks sad, although it is her birthday. Perhaps she misses her lover who is far away and hasn't sent a card or a gift.Last night I visited my friend's new horse, Ffion. She's beautiful, I can't wait to ride her. I love horses eyes, they are so huge and soulful. I used to ride when I was young. I miss it still.
Now I'm going to watch a film and drink some tea.

This is Valerie.
She loves gardening and Italian food. Sometimes she takes a day off work to watch old black and white films.

I have been painting again. It feels good! Just experimenting and trying out different ideas, trying to find something that feels 'right'. Art, exercise and books. My ingredients to wellbeing. Mix them all up with a good base of family and friends, the odd glass of wine, lots of kindness and a few pretty treats.

I'm learning to be mindful. It's a skill that takes practice but I can see the benefits straight away. It's kind of hard for me to explain at the moment but it's a way of bringing yourself into the present and of freeing yourself from the way that your thoughts can influence the way that you feel.I used to be a little scornful of this kind of thing but now I'm an absolute convert. It works! It's good stuff.
And right now I'm drinking ginger wine which is also surprisingly good stuff. Very warming. Tomorrow I hope to get some work done, D is here to look after the baby for a couple of precious hours. So, so looking forward to it.

At the moment...
...candlelightCarla Bruni mindfulness waiting for David Radio 4 library visits airmail
There is so much to do. It feels like I'm trying to find time and space from nowhere and that I'm running on the spot, getting nowhere. But little moments can be snatched here and there, thank goodness. Precious little moments.

Watched Me, You and Everyone We Know again the other evening. ))><(( Such an great film don't you think? If you haven't seen it then get it out, watch it, it's beautiful! Miranda July is a hugely inspirational artist, film-maker whatever. I bought her book of short stories, No One Belongs Here More Than You, for D for Christmas. He seems engrossed. I'll get to read it next.

A little bit late in coming but here are some beautiful things lucky me had for Christmas.
Pink GHDs.
Delicious rose petal chocolates from this sweet cottage industry chocolate maker. A Paris stamp set. Prada perfume to squirt and make me smell divine.This charm bracelet with a star and an 'A' charm ready to dangle.This moomin pocket mirror. Love the moomins, so cute.And lots more... books, pom-pom slippers, books, pyjamas, books, tickets to the theatre and a couple more books.And here's my sweetheart on Christmas morning with her ugly friend. I think she loved Christmas almost as much as me.

New Wendy print finally completed. Oh, how sweet and sad Peter Pan is.
All children, except one, grow up. They soon know that they will grow up, and the way Wendy knew was this. One day when she was two years old she was playing in a garden, and she plucked another flower and ran with it to her mother. I suppose she must have looked rather delightful, for Mrs. Darling put her hand to her heart and cried, "Oh, why can't you remain like this for ever!" This was all that passed between them on the subject, but henceforth Wendy knew that she must grow up. You always know after you are two. Two is the beginning of the end.

New Beatnik Love print up on etsy. This print looks so good in our living room, I really love the colours. We have a stack of other framed prints we've been meaning to hang for ages but never get round to it. Must do so this week, I'm the world's worst procrastinator when it comes to stuff like that. So tired tonight... yawn...

The temperature's dropped outside, I've got a cold and with Christmas creeping in through all the nooks and crannies it's definitely the time of year for getting cosy indoors. So I thought I'd post about all my favorite delicious cosy indulgences. Starting with (almost) every girl's favorite, fairy lights...I have a terrible weakness for fairy lights that I need to keep in check. Other wise my home would single handedly drain the National Grid. I'm sure lots of people see them as tacky girlie nonsense but they are so lovely, so magical and so cheap. Probably they remind me of being a little girl, an excited little girl, thrilled at Christmas, at all the wonder and all the beauty and surprise. What's not to love?
Switch on the fairy lights and instantly create a wonderland of twinkling loveliness.
And in other non- fairy light related news there are two new prints up on etsy. I'll post photos tomorrow. Right, on with the lights, it's getting dark...

Yesterday we went to the Lauren Child exhibition at Cardiff museum. It was interesting to see how she works, building the gorgeous tiny sets for The Princess and the Pea and how she uses collage to achieve her unique style. Of course, it was really an exhibition for kids and there were lots of them all having a whale of a time. Her stuff is such fun, I love it and want all her books. Every single one.




I had my own little girl seven months ago and I haven't posted any photos of her yet on this blog. I feel a bit weird about it, I suppose because she's too little to have a say in it at all yet. She is such a sweetie though, very smiley and, well, she's just gorgeous. It does make it very hard to get anything done though! I've been trying to sort out my etsy site and get some new work done too (I've got lots of ideas) but it's nigh on impossible with a baby who wants to be held ALL THE TIME. I read all these blogs by supermums who have four kids and still manage to be novelists, artists and cupcake entrepreneurs and I can hardly find the time to wash my hair and find clean underwear. She is so worth it though.

Summer Of Love print now on etsy. Summer feels like a long, long time ago now. The rain! So much of it. But I do love the rain. As long as my feet are dry. Why am I talking about rain when I'm posting about the Summer Of Love print?
It's such a beautiful print, the colours are lovely and it looks ace framed up. It would bring cheer to any room. Hope you like it too. Don't know why this type is so big, it won't let me change it. Grrrrr!

The latest Very Fine Female, Wendy. Think she may be my favorite so far. For today at least.
I eed to introduce the text behind but can't find my copy of Peter Pan and Wendy. None of the libraries for miles around have the real thing, just adapted picture books, and only two of them out of about 14 libraries even have those. So sad!