Thankful

The husband has a very bad cold, the baby has a stomach flu, and I have a fever, not a very good way to end 2010 and start 2011, but still I remind myself to be thankful.

Thankful, first of all, for that it is very rare for any of us to get sick -- so this is just us paying our dues to the universe, I tell myself -- and most of all for that 2010 was, all in all, a good year, the year when we concretized certain plans and when we had interesting projects begin.

I also tell myself to remember to be thankful simply for that we are together, the three of us; that my husband and I, by happy accident or divine destiny, call it what you will, found each other, and that Lilou, our shared "grand amour" then found us.

To welcome the new year in, we had planned to cook up a storm. To fill up shells with cut-up oysters, salmon, and apples; mini glasses with crabs and grapefruit; Asian soup spoons with scallops and litchis, but we didn't have the energy. We then thought abut booking at a restaurant, but it only took us two minutes to decide that that was a very very bad idea. So to celebrate while having to stay cooped up at home away from the partying crowd of healthy people, I cooked us some spicy soup filled with shrimps, clams, and coconut milk, and spiked with lime juice. Nothing can beat it for declogging plugged-up nostrils, I tell you! And after you finish your bowl, you're just thankful that the fire in your throat has ceased and that your eyes have stopped tearing up :)
Happy brand-new year, readers and friends! Remember to hug those you hold near and dear.

Photos of Lilou in a Tutu, on Christmas Day

And one with Mama who, amidst all the gift-wrapping and Christmas-lunch-entrée-making, dressed all in black because she didn't have time to think of what else to wear!
I hope that the holidays are treating you nice! Mine is going along just fine.

P.S. Lilou's strange haircut courtesy of her Papa who, saying that Lilou looked like a Playmobile toy with her bangs cut straight across, decided that Lilou would look so much better with her ears showing. So he took a pair of scissors... and transformed her from Playmobile character to monk from the Middle Ages. Sigh.

Holiday Sale

Hi there! I thought you'd like to know that I'm having a little sale over at the shop of some vintage goods and overstock of some apples and pears, including a couple of sets of these Peace, Joy, and Bounty Apples from my Autumn-Winter 2010 collection. All holiday-themed pieces will be removed from the shop at year's end, so if you've been eyeing these, it's the time to get them! The sale is happening here.

Feels Like Christmas

I finally had time to do some Christmas decorating - say yey! After my 16-month-old spring roll made the Christmas tree in one of the village cafés come crashing down (yes, she is that kind of toddler), I decided to skip the tree in the house, and concentrate on decorating in areas high enough that she can't reach.

Here's a shot of the fireplace, which we dressed up with the branches I saved from the weeping willow that was felled by a storm this autumn; a bird by Abby Glassenberg, some of my own plush fruits, and cute little animal ornaments made from polymer clay by Heartshaped Creations. There are also vintage objects - my collection of vintage white ceramic horses; keys, a pocketwatch, and two miniature copper cups. I'm quite pleased with how it all turned out.

I'm excited for Christmas day to come, because then my husband and I get to give out the presents we chose, most of which were made by local artists and artisans. That which I am most excited about is the wooden rocking horse we got spring roll Lilou, who loves riding horses on carousels. The horse she'll be getting is painted white, and looks really pretty. And the box it comes in is bigger than she is! I'll post pictures when the wrapping paper has been cleared away.

I hope you're all swinging into the Christmas spirit. It took me time, but I definitely am in a holiday mood now!

Hello There

One of the commandments I live by is "Thou shalt not whine," but I shall have to break it this time to explain why I disappeared so long here on the blog, and permit myself to scream, "November was horrible!!!"

The horrible-ness involved the loss of a babysitter, the loss of Internet connection at home for almost three weeks (long story), the loss of electricity for a couple of days (we had our new old house rewired), the loss of hot water for the same number of days (due to the electrician making a mistake in his rewiring), and the crashing of my computer just as November was about to end. All these led to me almost losing my marbles, because it had to happen just when Christmas orders were due, and also when suddenly the vintage goods sections of the shop started doing really really well.

Picture me elbow-deep in cardboard boxes packing vintage orders in the mornings, when the husband takes care of the baby, and then sewing up apples, pears, and lavender bags at night, when the house was quiet and everybody was asleep, sometimes until three in the morning!

To say that it has been hectic would be an understatement.

But now - big sigh of relief here - life is back in order, and we even had time to take a small break last weekend. We stole off for an unplanned little getaway in Marseille, where we happened upon a carousel near the old port, and I snapped this photo of my two loves:

I'm back blogging, for real now.

Merry Christmas, everyone!