Péitseoga

Oh, that was easy!

2010-01-29T01:36:00.004Z

my new home is

http://tulpenpink.blogspot.com

join me there!

what's in a name?

2010-01-29T01:15:00.005Z

I decided to change my blogging name! Péitseoga, the Irish version of my nickname, has some disadvantages, namely the fada (the accent on the e) and also pronounciation, also, I feel I should have a more German sounding name... so, 'Irmhild', I decided, is sufficiently German sounding, easy to spell, and to pronounce! ...and I like the sound of it!

I'm doing this on a whim, and might regret it, but I have posted so little lately, nobody's going to miss Péitseoga!! The blog name will change to 'Tulpenpink'. It's German for 'pink tulips'. Tulips always put a smile on my face, brave little things, sticking their heads out on a cold grey winter's day!

nearly forgot!

2010-01-27T23:09:00.001Z

the mittens!!

and the wool i used was manos del uruguay silk blend. so nice to work with!

stella pixie hat and yoga

2010-01-27T22:10:00.004Z

Oh it's been a long time since I last posted! I just don't seem to have the time to read and post... During the day the lap top is off limits as M likes to take the keys off it with her little fingers, and if I don't let her she gets very annoyed! And in the evenings (if I'm not out), after the dishes and tidying up, I'm often so tired, blog reading or writing is just not on the agenda! I did however manage to knit this 'stella pixie hat'

and I am currently working on a 'little sister's dress'. It requires a lot more concentration than the hat did, but I'm ready for a challenge!

On Monday I went to my first yoga class in over 15 months, the last one being my last pregnancy yoga session! I felt like it was the first time i did something relaxing for just myself since I've had M! I was lying on the mat, focusing on my breathing, and of course wasn't actually supposed to think about anything, but this thought popped into my mind!

I'm very excited about starting yoga again, it just feels like I deserve doing something for myself! I'm hoping to find an audio CD to help me practise at home, too, something I haven't done with any of my previous yoga classes over the years. But now, I am actually at home during the day, and most days there is an hour where I could maybe fit 20 minutes of exercise in, if I put my mind to it! Usually I use M's nap time to catch up on laundry and dishes and tidying, but maybe it would do me good to take some time, and calm down and focus on just one thing at a time.

I'm reading (when I'm getting to read) 'buddhism for mothers' at the moment, and I hope to bring some mindfulness into my life. It'll be hard for a seasoned multitasker and well known scatterbrain like me, but I hope it'll benefit my parenting, and our quality of life! Time is flying so fast, and I worry my career break will be over in a flash and I won't have used it as best I could, if I just carry on being dragged through my days by trying to catch up with housework and little tasks, while keeping lots of random thoughts and lists in my head and never really being in the moment, enjoying time with my daughter. It's often only moments, one moment during the whole day, where I realise how lucky I am to have this time with her, and that I haven't been fully there all day!

before and after pictures (the attic conversion)

2009-11-24T23:00:00.003Z

hall

guest room

attic

christmas ornaments

2009-11-24T22:58:00.000Z

little santa hat, pattern on ravelry
tiny sock (cast on 8 stitches!) the original pattern is also from ravelry, but i changed it quite a bit.

these are going into an advent calendar that us stitch and bitch girls are making for one of us, who's moving abroad. i'd say the tiny sock would be great on a card, too!

armchair cover

2009-11-24T17:53:00.000Z

here we are, the armchair cover, finally finished! it's not great though... i made lots of mistakes, and i'm not that happy with the fabric, maybe the print is a little too big, really... it's a nice splash of colour though!

power cut

2009-10-25T12:06:00.000Z

We had a power cut last night, 9 hours! It was a nice evening actually, maybe we should voluntarily switch the power off every now and then! Emm had her first candle lit dinner, and loved it! Our neighbours dropped by for a cup of tea (gas hob, how lucky!) the stayed, so we ordered pizza, opened a bottle of wine, then we got out the cards and played '110'. It was so nice and relaxed, no distractions, no fussing or cooking (didn't want the fridge to get warm!), no background noise, just candles and friends. when they left, we looked up at a beautiful starlit sky, we rarely get to see the stars properly, because of the light pollution! i wonder will there be a baby boom in the area, in 9 months time!

a new room!!!

2009-10-23T22:06:00.000Z

wo-hoo! the builders are gone and we are left with this new room, and lots of storage, and a lot of walls and ceilings and woodwork to paint! (and still a lot of dust, i've started to get rid of it, but it's literally on every surface and with a teething baby clinging to me it's not an easy job!) am thrilled, hoping we'll get two desks in there, one for p's computer, one for my sewing machine, and a sofa bed, eventually, or a futon that can be made into a seat. or maybe just an armchair, and keep space for a blow up bed? we'll see. as we'll be pretty broke once we've paid the builder it might be a while before we get it all kitted out...

dust dust dust...

2009-10-21T20:45:00.003Z

my whole house is covered in dust! but on the upside, the attic is nearly finished! there's plastered walls and ceilings, there's stairs, and doors and cubby holes! there are still a lot of bits to be done, the devil's in the detail, but it's great to see it progressing. i'm truly sick of tasting plaster dust. or saw dust. or glass wool when i'm stepping into the hall! can't wait for it all to be finished...

then i can move all the boxes out of the living room, and start thinking about moving books, and the sewing machine and the computer! i'll have a less cluttered downstairs (hopefully it'll last for a little while!) and i might be able to host one of the mother and baby coffee mornings (so far i haven't dared, as there's too much too break, and too many dangerous things stuffed into bags and boxes in the corners and behind the couch).

i used to not mind having a small house (1000sqft or 93sqm, i think), but since Emm came along it seems to have shrunk! the study was made into her room, so all the things happening and being stored in there have been moved downstairs. then there's all of M's toys, the buggy, the play pen, the bobby car... we'll be banning our grown up stuff to the attic, computer games and sewing sessions will take place there, and a whole lot of stuff can go up. oh, and ideally there will still be space for a guest bed!! because little Emm is nearly a year old and there will be guests for her birthday party!

peaceful lunchbreak

2009-10-07T21:07:00.000Z

as we are getting our attic converted m and i were escaping so she could have a sleep, not possible in the house, where the builders were making noise right above her head. i got myself a coffee, sandwich and cupcake (eek 10 quid! not going to be doing that every day!!), parked up at the sea side and listened to lyric fm while having my lunch. m slept for about an hour, then i wrapped her up warm and we went for a long walk, taking a break to have a cuddle and for her to have a feed. i still enjoy feeding her so much, but am getting more and more comments "you're STILL feeding her?" and "WHEN are you going to stop". Well it's national breastfeeding week here, this week, and while i didn't make it to a special coffee morning (apparently there was one in IKEA) i did nurse her on a bench, in the sun, overlooking the sea, and maybe somebody walked by and thought how happy the two of us looked, and considers breastfeeding their next baby, or encourages their wife to feed. only 55% of women in ireland attempt to breastfeed, but even this small number drops significantly as there is no sufficient support available, and family, partner and friends often aren't supportive, either... here a few links of organisations that are trying to change this and make it easier to have a good breastfeeding experience in ireland:

http://www.breastfeeding.ie/
http://friendsofbreastfeeding.wordpress.com/
http://www.lalecheleagueireland.com/
http://www.cuidiu-ict.ie/

and these are some great sites for general breastfeeding support

http://www.drjacknewman.com/
http://www.kellymom.com/

a weekend of activity

2009-10-04T22:34:00.000Z

this weekend we cleaned up the garden and the shed, and then proceeded to clear our attic (a lot of it is now in the shed, which of course you can't see in the photo! i cleverly took that before we started moving in junk from the attic). together with our neighbours we hired a skip, and it's fairly packed now! we came across loads of giant spiders, oil for a motorbike (we've never owned one!), broken garden tools, a shed door, pieces of carpet from 4 years ago... the things you hold onto... the attic especially was scary, it's where things get thrown and then forgotten... out of sight out of mind. i labeled almost every box and crate that went back into the shed, hoping we'll have more of an idea of what's there.

now i've got to clear the guest room, so we can begin the next adventure: the attic conversion! i'm so excited. we'd gotten quotes for it a few years ago, but prices then were mad, and we had nowhere near enough saved up. but we contacted lots of builders again this summer, and prices have come down! it's going to be an inconvenient 3-4 weeks, emm and i will be out of the house as much as we can, but i'm hoping it'll be worth it. i went to see some attics in the same type house as ours, we'll lose some space from the guest room, but we'll gain a decent extra room, and storage. since emm's arrival we've had no study, and we have to keep the guest room for our parents and relatives, so the computer, the sewing machine and lots of other things are cluttering up our downstairs space, making it difficult, and maybe also unsafe, for emm to crawl around. she seems to be able to reach new heights every day! i feel like i'm constantly moving things out of her reach! eventually the guest room will be in the attic, well, if we brave the adventure of trying for a second baby!

picasa 3.5 - great fun to be had

2009-09-23T22:38:00.002Z

i downloaded the new version this eveningand of course had to try the face tagging. the pictures on my harddrive are mostly family photographs and it's great fun to see who's getting tagged as who! you get to confirm or decline. it's making me feel woozy, seeing so many versions of one person's face...

http://picasa.google.com/

a weekend with friends

2009-09-21T19:35:00.004Z

two friends from college came to visit this weekend, we had a great time! there was less going out and less hiking than during previous trips, and a lot of emm entertaining! everything is so much easier with two friends around, to entertain the baby and help with the dishes or cooking... i wonder would communal living be like that. i was surprised how i had time to finish a cup of coffee or eat my dinner while it was hot!
we went to skerries and carlingford for walks, and food, and emm came with us. i didn't take many pictures, but the girls got a few nice ones!

we went into dublin without emm, but i didn't enjoy it as much as i had thought i might. i missed her, and i just couldn't work up any enthusiasm for shopping, it just seemed quite unimportant! i used to love trawling around the shoe shops, and buying clothes and accessories. i never bought very much, or very high fashion stuff, but i used to like hunting for the perfect cardigan at a good price, checking out what's on offer and buying when i saw what fit the bill. on this occasion i just couldn't be bothered with the 'checking out what's on offer' part, i didn't really want to look at all the runners in all the shoe shops to see if there was a pair to replace my worn to bits and recently thrown out green golas. i'm actually wearing an even older pair of cheapo dunnes stores runners, and i don't mind at all! it must be part of the mother hormones...
i had been hoping to maybe go to the art gallery, but we never got around to that, with no train running we had to rely on the buses they put on, so we had to leave quite early. maybe i'll go in with emm, and visit the art gallery.
i find time runs so fast, and i still haven't any proper structure to my week, with scheduled outings or fun things, i go with the flow and it works to an extent, i get the important things done, but i fear i might fritter away my career break without making the most of it!!

my friend took this picture of the clothes line, another mother gave me lots of girls' clothes, and i did a red and pink wash, to make sure none of the rest of our clothes get died pink!

my friend's lovely scarf, i admired it greatly,

as she only just got it in her town, and she said the shop had loads more, she left it for me! what a nice gesture, now i have a souvenier of their visit!

indian summer!

2009-09-13T21:41:00.002Z

we've been granted another few days of summer, what a treat! we went to skerries, where the husband watched a football match while m and i went for a lovely walk.
there was a swimming competition on, i had contemplated a little dip myself, but then chickened out!

p joined us after the match (they lost) and we had another walk as the sun was setting, and then went for some pasta. m got little bits off our plates, she loved the tagliatelle and the peas. she's really good at sucking the tagliatelle in, it looks so cute... she behaved quite well, despite being a little noisy at times, but that's just her lively self! she always gets a very lively when she gets tired.

i had great hopes for this photo, the little flags were really brightly lit up by the sun, but i didn't catch it right.

baby going exploring

2009-09-13T11:18:00.000Z

we went to the local soccer club's family fun day, a great way to enjoy the rare sunshine! my brave little baby went off exploring, without a look back! this is how far she got before she slowed down and then turned around...

swing night

2009-09-11T11:05:00.001Z

My friend C and I went to a swing night in the Spiegel Tent, and it was great fun! it's such a lovely venue, i think it's 1920s style. lots of people dressed up in 1920s-1950s gear, i only had 2 hours notice and still had to cook dinner and look after the babe, so i just put on a dress and some danceable shoes, no strings of beads and feathered headbands for me... there were performances from The Harlem Hot Shots, Miss Dotty Pots, The Vaudeville Vamps, Dorothy Darker, The Hep Cat Strutters, and the 'Swinging Blue Cats' were playing (Here some more info). There were some great dancers on the floor, and even C and I got a few dances! I could hardly remember how to turn, it's been nearly two years since I went swing dancing!

Very few beginners and rusty ones like me dared to swing a leg,

but later on the dance floor was packed!

I love this picture i took just before we left, the abandoned rows of chairs in the coloured lights from the dancefloor! The roll of masking tape there is no coincidence, some dancers use tape to make their street shoes more slidy!
There's M waking up, gotta go! Will see can I find some youtube links to videos of the shenanigans later! Here's one from 2 years ago!

the time travellers wife

2009-09-02T22:03:00.002Z

I went to this film tonight! I loved the book, but have to say it doesn't work as well as a film. Or maybe that's just if you've read the book? There were at least two girls sobbing their hearts out, in the cinema, so maybe if you don't know what's going to happen it makes more of an impact? They had lovely sets, beautiful furniture and lamps! I especially loved the round yellow lamps in Clare and Henry's apartment...

Oops. Half eleven. Busy day tomorrow, we're going for her check up at the local health centre. Apparently they test her hearing by standing behind her and making funny noises from two sides...

green grass

2009-08-30T22:22:00.004Z

i know i shouldn't have, but i bought this nail polish today! green grass (236). i usually try and buy just one nail polish per year, because i only use it on my toes and with careful application (i do a base coat, two coats of colour and a clear top coat) it lasts for nearly a month, so you can do the maths. but - it's grass green! i didn't have one of those! i have 'coralicious', and a dark turquoise and a hot pink, and a more muted pink called 'frisky clover', and a nearly black purple that i never use. but the perfect green was missing.
i love opaque, non-pearly polishes, and i love mad colours, but they have to work without a tan. i like wearing my birkenstocks, which, without nail polish, can look very very alternative; and i have a few pairs of coloured sandals, that look even better with a bright colour on my nails (today i was teaming bright yellow sandals with dark turquoise nails). if i had better finger nails i would use it on them, too but mine are so thin and weak, they don't survive the taking off of polish, and start to splinter and seperate.
ah the shallowness... to get excited about nail polish!

my little girl

2009-08-29T18:13:00.003Z

...is crawling (commando), and waving goodbye, and really playing with her toys... she's learning so much every day! she's so fast, you can't leave her alone for a minute, she'll be going straight for the sockets or a paper bag, or anything else she's not supposed to have... she giggles on the changing table if i blow raspberries on her belly, she shouts angrily if i take the remote control or my mobile phone off her, she loves other children and will 'chat' to them and smile at them!

she'll be 10 months old tomorrow! 10 months ago, around this time, i was retiring from a green thai curry dinner, allowing myself a half glass of red wine, and waiting for the water to heat up, for my warm bath! dreaming about meeting my baby. 10 months ago, i didn't even know if it was going to be a boy or a girl. although i'd had one beautiful dream, where i was holding my little girl's hand.

if i hadn't been approved for my career break i would be back in work on tuesday! i am so glad that i can stay at home, to spend time with emm, and watch her grow!

I baked bread!

2009-08-22T21:40:00.000Z

This is the second batch of white bread I made this week! I'm delighted, two in a row that worked out! After a very bad attempt last week (the bread was stale as soon as it was out of the oven! too dry!) it's nice to see it work out. I don't have an exact recipe, but it goes like this

1 sachet of dry yeast
mix 250ml milk - and 250ml warm water
1 teaspoon of salt
1 tablespoon of oil
enough white flour to make a good dough

I have a foodmixer, so I start with the yeast, half the milky water and a little flour, stirring it with the dough hook attachment to a yoghurty consistence. I then leave it until it starts to bubble up, maybe 20 minutes? Then I add the rest of the water, the salt and oil, and on the lowest setting, slowly add flour until the dough is nearly, but not quite, dry enough to handle. Turning it out onto a floured surface, I knead it some more, adding more flour if needed, then return it to the mixing bowl, cover with a clean tea towel and put into a quiet, warm place. There I leave it for about an hour and a half or until doubled in size. I knock it back, shape two loaves and put them into two loave tins, leaving them to rise for at least an hour, after that I check on them and if they look well risen I preheat the oven and as soon as it's hot they go in, 200 C in a fan oven for 45 minutes (although I think I might have done 220 for 35-40 minutes the last time... I really should write these things down...)

The loaves are nice and airy, with a hard crust on top, but squishable on the sides. There is some satisfaction in pulling good bread out of the oven! I already passed half a loaf on to my neighbour who's forever giving me thick slices of her cakes to sample! And today she brought two scones from Avoca, yummie!

Other news... we have realised Emm doesn't really need the night feeds any more, she's just waking up for a little drink and cuddle! So for the last week and a half I have more or less weaned her off the night feeds, with P's help. He's been looking after her when she wakes up, which is usually around 4. Some nights it just takes a soother to get her back to sleep, others she needed a little cuddle. Last night I tried to take over, but no luck, she could smell my milk and just wouldn't go back to sleep! When she also started to cry I had to wake P, and within a few minutes she was asleep. I'm a little sad to hand over that ability to soothe her back to sleep with a little milk, that connection we have at night, but on the other hand, I have so much more energy! I didn't just dream of going back to bed while making breakfast, I actually bounced out of bed in the morning, and getting lots done during the day! She's nine and a half months now, and becoming very aware of what she wants and doesn't want, so maybe it's a good time...

i've got plans

2009-08-10T18:21:00.003+01:00

involving this:

and this:

and this fabric (the second one!)

P sanded this chair down, years ago, and I unpicked the cushions and was going to try my hand at upholstery, but the cost of proper upholstery fabric and the chance that it mightn't work out has kept me from it so far. But now, that ikea is here, i got some fabric at 6€ per meter, so even if it doesn't work out, it won't be a tragedy. We sold one of our big chunky brown leather armchairs today, and this fireside chair will replace it, and give us a bit more room in the guest room. We have another one to match it, but it's not sanded yet.

The living room was just getting too crowded, with a 3 seater couch, and two big armchairs. We also have a buffet and hutch, a tv cabinet, a couch table, two little book shelves (to be replaced with one big book shelve and a tiny desk or bureau, at some time in the future), a play pen and a play mat, plus assorted baskets (for magazines, firewood etc). Oh and the ironing board is hidden behind the buffet and hutch. That'll have to change when M starts to crawl!

It feels good to have gotten rid of that armchair, we never really used it anyways! The space and light we gained is worth it. I'm trying to evaluate my possessions at the moment, what do I really like, what do I hang on to for the wrong reasons... Hanging on to an armchair just because it's part of a set and because we might use it some time in the future - wrong reasons!

When I got the call after putting it up on gumtree and emailing with a buyer, I was at first a little worried, I'd thought it was a girl looking to buy it, but it was a guy! I called my neighbour and asked her to come over with her little girls, so I wasn't alone in the house. Better safe than sorry! Of course the guys turned out to be lovely, and one of them brought his little daughter along, who went out with my neighbour's daughter to look at our ducks in the garden. They were, I think, spanish, and one of them was very dishy indeed, as my neighbour appreciated greatly, a bit of eye candy for her, after a hard day involving potty training, a 70 mile drive and tantrums from both her two little ones! In true diet coke style he was wearing jeans and a nicely fitting pristine white T shirt, tanned skin, dark eyes, shiny black hair... OK OK, I did appreciate it, too!!

day out in muenster

2009-08-05T21:55:00.001+01:00

P, M and I had a day out while we were in Germany, just the three of us, which was nice. We visited Muenster. Apart from a few showers to begin with, we even got good weather!

There was an organic market on the Domplatz, we bought a Waldmeister plant and chestnut honey for my mum, and had some yummie Bratwurst, and got some white peaches for M.

Muenster is very flat, so everybody cycles!

Emm had great fun in front of the mirror while her daddy was looking for new runners...

chickens

2009-07-30T22:29:00.000+01:00

i saw these cute chickens in my aunts house, i want to make some!! they are very simple, i think, cotton, ribbon, rope and filling. love the photo, it's taken in the room my aunt keeps for her grandchildren, there's always been a huge assortment of playmobil in her house, and i'm glad to see it's still there! my granddad used to make willow baskets, i wonder did he make this one...

rain rain rain

2009-07-20T22:58:00.005+01:00

it's too depressing to take pictures of, so here some photos from last week, when it was lovely and warm!

my nephew's cousin had this cool gadget for observing little critters

like this fat caterpillar!
you can't see it in this photo, but it's pretending to be a one eyed lizzard! no idea what it's called!

the older kids were delighted to get a ride on the combine harvester

i used the rain to do some sewing though, with fabric i got in IKEA (bedlinen).
A purl frog, I drew the pattern on an a4 sheet of paper (printer no work), I think he's quite similar to the original!
doesn't he look so at home in the rainsoaked greenery?

and a little turtle, from this book i think (i only brought the pattern, not the book!)

oh, i forgot to mention the most exciting and scary thing, I applied for a career break, and i got it!! 3 years off! I'm delighted to get the chance to spend so much time with my little one, i feel so privileged! we won't have much money to spare but i think we'll be OK, and time with the babe will be worth so much more than money ever could be!

I really should be sleeping... I better go to bed!

a 1st birthday party

2009-07-20T22:29:00.004+01:00

my nephew turned one and we had a lovely afternoon in my SIL's beautiful garden! there were bubbles and games and toys and a paddling pool!

we had a champagne cocktail (made with this raspberry liqueur (with real raspberries in the bottle, i have to bring a bottle back to ireland!) and italian sparkling wine), after coffee and cakes and before a BBQ, the life, i tell you!

here some pictures of her garden!

these tables and chairs are really only for decoration, there is wooden garden furniture on the big patio off the living room, what luxury! there are advantages to country living...

love that little yellow bird house!

the crossover smock

2009-07-16T14:22:00.002+01:00

Making the most of being surrounded by willing 'babysitters' i made a little smock for Emm, using this pattern. I shortened it a little, so it'll fit my little 8 months old, but kept the width as is.

This one is the first attempt with this pattern, so my mum gave me an old stripy shirt that my dad doesn't wear any more, it matched the turquoise-blue plain fabric I brought from Ireland really well.

I cut the pattern out of the stripy fabric, then pinned it, right sides together, onto the plain fabric. I sewed all around, leaving a gap to turn. Ironed, turned, ironed again and topstitched all around.

It didn't seem to fit very well when I was knotting the straps, so instead I attached snap buttons, and folded the pointy edge of the strap under. In this picture she's wearing it tied losely once, then buttoned. If that makes any sense, it's hard to describe in words... I will make another one, I'm sure, but I think I might make the straps longer, with a square edge instead of the pointy ones, so that it'll look a little bit like ribbons. Or I might attach actual ribbons?

vintage crochet baby dress

2009-07-12T15:44:00.007+01:00

about 40 years ago, before she was married, and i think before she was even engaged, my mum crocheted a little red baby dress, and embroidered some flowers onto it. Years later she had a baby girl, and another, but somehow didn't get round to putting the dress on them, but she kept it through all these years! And presented it to my little daughter last week! the style and colour are very nearly back in fashion, and it's super cute over jeans!

...as you can see in the second photo emm has discovered her tongue and uses it a lot to make interesting sounds, mostly gerrell, brell, babblabblabb! she's having so much fun! the only downside is it's hard to take a picture that doesn't have a little pink tongue in it!!

i'm really touched to think she kept it all these years!

at home

2009-07-12T14:02:00.005+01:00

It's strange being at home, it's hard settling in, with being a mother, but at the same time being my parents' daughter, fitting into their routine. I'm missing the husband, and of course Emm is missing her dada. It's strange being in my home country, in the lush country side, everything so green, I think it's greener than Ireland at the moment! I chose to live in Ireland, and not at home, for good reasons, but on a nice day, a leisurely day, it seems mad. There's such a strong network here, of neighbours and friends and family, I know it's partly why I moved away, I felt suffocated and fenced in, but at the same time, I miss it when I'm in Ireland.

Everything here seems so nice and well looked after, I missed several turns when driving around town, because many streets don't look like streets any more, no tarmac and sidewalks but everything paved or cobble locked, with flower beds and potted trees to calm traffic. I kept thinking it's somebody's driveway! But of course on a weekday I see the price that's payed for having everything picture perfect, an awful lot of work and money goes into keeping everything looking so tidy. I was talking to my brother about herbs I have in my garden. He asked
'Herbs? What for?'
'Cooking of course, it's much cheaper and fresher to grow them, rather than buy them'
'But all the sachets and jars already have herbs in them already!'
'Oh, do you use them often?'
'Yeah, of course, do you think we want to spend half an hour every day cooking, and chopping herbs and mixing it up ourselves?'
' - '
'We wouldn't have the time!'

I was really surprised. His wife is a stay at home mum of two little boys, and I thought she'd have lots of time. But that's the thing, healthy food, or 'slow food' is just not a priority for them. Food is made quickly and eaten quickly. It takes a lot of time to keep the house clean and super tidy, and the garden, too, and she does a lot of DIY home decorating projects. So different to us, we try to keep on top of the house, and do the projects that need doing, but we spend lots of time on cooking and eating, and we buy good quality unprocessed food wherever we can. And I'm glad we are able to live our lives that way, making time for meals and getting some time to ourselves rather than 'trying to keep up with the Joneses' when it comes to garden ornaments and polished windows.

Also, my family here hardly ever go out just the two of them, or my brother with just his family, all the leisure time goes on outings with 'the circle of friends' and the football club, and the neighbourhood, and the extended family (or getting the house ready to receive same). So much more couple and family time for P and me...

Being an expat is great in a way, I don't take anything for granted or feel I have to do something because 'it's the done thing', I always have the other perspective and can pick and choose from two cultures!

homeward bound!

2009-07-01T13:43:00.002+01:00

My little one and me are catching a flight this afternoon and my parents are picking us up at the other end. Everybody's quite excited to see her, I can tell! I mean, my parents always looked forwards to seeing me, too, but for little Emm they just can't hide their excitement! Better go and make some lunch, and pack the last few bits and pieces! And put the many portions of bolognese into freezer, so my hubby won't have to cook every night!

orange anglepoise

2009-06-30T15:10:00.001+01:00

we bought a vintage lamp for the bedroom, it had some scratches so we got it cheaper, i don't mind the 'shabby look'! it's bright orange, to go with the orange flecks in the throw. i never would have thought i'd pick green orange and purple for my bedroom!!

redcurranty goodness

2009-06-28T20:51:00.000+01:00

persian lamb - the BBQ version

2009-06-28T20:48:00.001+01:00

grilled lamb (gigot chops)
onion-tomato-cucmber salsa (with a mint and lemon dressing), yoghurt sauce, and just to be sure, also a mixed salad with a lemon and garlic dressing (in that tupperware shaker thingy, it's a great little gadget, my sis got it for free at a 'tupper party' and gave it to me, how nice is that!)
fried rice and green beans, with parsley and dill
and for the baby some steamed veg. she seems to prefer the lamb chop though!

we also had some chicken, and then redcurrants and vienetta (yoghurt for the ice cream hating husband) for dessert. a lovely relaxing afternoon with the MIL and SIL!

lunchtime walk

2009-06-26T21:16:00.000+01:00

and a little break in a field

on days like this i'm so glad we moved here, and not into some run down estate to be closer to the city! actually, even on rainy days i'm happy out here!

The throw from Donegal arrived today

2009-06-25T20:35:00.000+01:00

Love the colour! Soft green tweed with flecks of orange, purple and a bright blue. Emm likes it, too, it's so soft! It'll remind us of our lovely weekend break for years to come, as the hotel room had a similar throw.
Time to pick paint, it'll have to be the perfect shade of off-white!

nappy rash...

2009-06-21T18:10:00.000+01:00

open air nappy changing, with a long break in between nappies! thanks to air, sunshine, caldesene and bepanthen, her nappy rash cleared up quite fast, it's the first time she's had it (at 7.5 months) so i know i can count myself lucky...

happy fathers' day!

2009-06-21T17:59:00.000+01:00

spray paint might work?

2009-06-13T23:15:00.000+01:00

i 'found' this lamp in a photo from germany, it might be the right kind of green to go with the new throw? with a bit of spray paint to cover up the chrome bits i think it would be quite a cool lamp!

Strawberry Buns

2009-06-13T22:15:00.000+01:00

last week's, with a butter-cream cheese icing (the butter/strawberry/icing sugar mix didn't combine, so i added philadelphia, yum!

today's, this time i didn't give in and kept beating the icing with the liquidiser until it turned into perfectly pink butter icing (thanks jo!). then i added some more strawberry pieces, blitzed it briefly, done!

Plans for the bedroom

2009-06-06T10:56:00.000+01:00

After buying something purple for the first time in years I've chickened out of the plan for a soft purple feature wall, I am too scared of purple!! Instead I will go for a (maybe even scarier) purple and green combination! The cushions might lighten up a little if i wash them a few times and should nearly match the curtains then. The material for the throw has flecks for purple in it, and I love the fact that it will be handwoven in Ireland. It's a bit of an investment piece but I think it's timeless, and such good quality, for the same price as most synthetic bedspreads! Unfortunately the weaver can only do 140cm width on his loom, but he will make it 220cm long, so it'll cover the width of our king size (153cm) bed nicely. It'll be a few weeks before it's going to be finished, so I have time to look for a nice watercolour or painting of lupins or other purple flowers, which should pull the colours together nicely.

I don't know what it is with me and purple but there are VERY FEW shades of purple that I like in the first place, (it has to be warm and muted, not too pale, not too pink, not too blue...) and I got quite excited when i got the curtains. But I've had the tester tin of paint for the feature wall sitting on my chest of drawers for ages and I just couldn't bring myself to paint the test patch! i think any more than one shade of purple wuld be too much for me!

lemon cup cakes for stitch'n'bitch

2009-06-05T10:41:00.000+01:00

yumm...
we sat outside until half eight or so, then it got too cold! it's such a pity, the minute the sun has disappeared behind the house it got chilly. It's something I've noticed in Ireland, even in the middle of a hot day, it's always cold in the shade, it's not like that in Germany, as far as I remember. I wonder is it latitude, or the fact that it's an island, or is it like that at any coast?

the swing seat, our favourite place at the moment

2009-06-03T23:12:00.001+01:00

a few days of sunshine

2009-06-03T22:47:00.000+01:00

this place is like a different country! everybody's in a great mood and determined to make the most of the time, i think the day after tomorrow the rain will be back... we went to 2 BBQs at the weekend, had one at home and had another evening of al fresco dining. it's nearly like summer at home!

stitch and bitch birthday

2009-05-28T22:06:00.002Z

chocolate and peach cake
my friend c made these! how cute! see the letter 'p' that's a hank of embroidery thread? there were balloons at the door, too! nice to get a little attention for a birthday, even though i've pretty much stopped counting!

as you can see, c, who's hosting, is a big emma bridgewate r fan!

better bib - success!

2009-05-21T09:34:00.000Z

yes, it's definitely working! so tonight at stitch and bitch i'll be finishing the edges!

breadsticks for the baby!

2009-05-18T22:49:00.001Z

i made these with

1 cup water (250ml)
1 tblsp oil
1 tsp dry yeast
1 tsp date syrup (instead of sugar)
1/4 tsp salt
and enough white spelt flour to make dough.

the breadsticks and mini flat breads i baked for 15 min at 200C, but the flat breads could have done with less, they are more like teething biscuits now. the rusks (zwieback) i baked for 20 min at 200C, then cut into slices, then baked again at 100C for about half an hour. (i think i'll have the rusks myself, with milky coffee in the morning!

i know we're not supposed to use salt for babies, but with the amount of salt i put in she could eat the whole lot over a day and a half and just about reach her salt limit. even i couldn't eat that many breadsticks! next time i might actually put 1/2 tsp salt in, they could do with a little more... (she'd never eat that much in 3 days either!!)
the rusks i might make again, with a milkier and sweeter dough.

better bib project....

2009-05-18T22:30:00.002Z

today emm decided to have some of my carrot soup and destroyed the sleeves of a lovely top, so i decided to try my hand at making a better bib. i made a raglan pattern using one of the tops that are still to big for her for reference. i got some lovely fluffy cupcake tea towels in penneys (aka primark), 2 for 3€, so if i can make 4 bibs out of them, that's not too bad! for the sleeves i'm using an old top of mine, the embroidery actually matches the colours of the tea towel!

the sleeves are deliverately long, so i can roll them up a little, the idea is that they will push up the sleeves underneath it and hence keep them clean! BLW safe!

as the little one is asleep, i just attached two fabric pieces as ties for now, and left the edges unfinished. we'll try it tomorrow morning for breakfast, and if it works well then i'll finish the edges and make ties using bias tape!

i could see these working with slightly puffier sleeves, with elastic in the cuff!

summer is here!

2009-05-05T14:13:00.001Z

oh dear, those birkenstocks need cleaning... how do you clean suede??

new curtains for emm's room

2009-05-04T15:53:00.001Z

i am planning to trim the curtain to just below the top of the radiator, or should i leave them long? i was thinking of usingthe leftover fabric for cushions, and the pink and turquoise bird fabric (on top of the trunk) fur either bedlinen for emm (maybe some appliqué on plain white bedlinen?) or also cushions? or to cover a notice board? the bird fabric was the inspiration for the curtains in the first place!

new curtains for the bedroom

2009-05-03T22:33:00.001Z

hopefully these 'aubergine' coloured lined cotton curtains will make it a little darker in the mornings, so emm might sleep a little longer! i B&Q'd it for these curtains, after trawling some curtain shops and getting depressed by the choice of dowdy beiges, old fashioned florals and tacky taffetas and deciding to wait for ikea to come to ireland! looking for storage boxes i accidentally wandered into the curtain isle in the big hardware retailer, and low and behold, decent prints and lovely coloured plains! i chose the purple for us, to go with the 'tarnished bronze' bedstead, and for emm's room i chose 'hot pink'! it'll be gorgeous with her aqua walls and white woodwork.

our room will need painting, the 'buttermilk' walls are scratched and grubby, and really don't go with my decadent luxurious bronze and purple colour scheme! i still had the bedlinen and dark purple cushions (dunnes). i'm thinking a plain off white for most walls, like the 'shimmering' we used in the kitchen/dining area, and a soft warm purple for one feature wall, (have a sample of crown's 'warm velvet armagnac' and shade cards for dulux 'mellow heather' and 'twilight cinders'. or would that be purple overload? hm, is there a contrasting colour for purple?

i hope i'll be able to get this room finished without going to 'boudoir' like, i do like simple lines and contemporary design... but i also like pattern and colour, i wouldn't mind some embroidered cushions... i'd like an interesting bedside lamp (and a different ceiling lamp, too!). yeah, then i'd also like nicer bedside tables (once emm has moved into her own room), a painting or print, i should keep a book just for my room ideas so i stay focused and can be let loose at flea markets and car boot sales without buying lots of uninspired junk!

another sling

2009-04-10T19:23:00.000Z

i made another one, using lightweight cotton that i've been saving and looking at for ages (and a cream coloured sheet from 'penneys' for lining), i thought i might like a lighter coloured sling for the summer. i'm not so sure now about the print, it's probably a bit too small for wearing? does it look dowdy? M likes it, she is fascinated by the tiny flowers and circles..

painting the fireplace

2009-04-07T22:11:00.003Z

before (yesterday morning)

some of our break times:
raspberry mascarpone cupcakes
smoked salmon and cream cheese on brown bread

roasted red pepper and carrot soup

the finished product, this afternoon!
weiss, passend zu den fussleisten und Tuer, und irgendwann gibt's dann auch mal ein buecherregal! i really like it, it brightens up the room and is lovely agains the light grey wall

No. 92 lamb

2009-04-05T22:54:00.002Z

we had this today, it's really delicious!

No. 92 LAMB
(this was number 92 on the menu of a restaurant i used to work in as a student, the owner was iranian, so i suppose it's a persian dish! it's lamb with rice, green beans, a cold yoghurt sauce and a light salsa.

buy lamb shanks (or other cheap stewing lamb on the bone) at your local butcher, get him to split them for you. simmer for about 5 hours in salted water (we added carrot, celeriac, leek, onion, so we got a great lamb stock out of it, which we can use for stew another time). the meat should just fall off the bone!

fry cooked basmati rice and green beans in olive oil and butter, with some dill and parsley, salt and pepper. (the dill and parsley mix makes it so delicious)

for the yoghurt sauce mix 2 parts yoghurt with 1 part mayonnaise, season with salt, pepper, a bit of lemon juice and herbs (e.g. mint)

for the salsa chop onion, cucumber and tomato, add salt, pepper, mint and lemon juice. (you only need a small amount of this salsa)

i like to keep the 4 parts seperate on the plate, otherwise the sauce will cool down your meat and rice too quickly.

money saving tip: instead of buying dried mint from the herb section, get mint tea bags! much cheaper! or, grow mint in your garden, it grows like a weed!!

5 months already!!

2009-04-04T21:35:00.002Z

Our little M is 5 months old already! I couldn't even tell you how many weeks she is exactly, it's that many!! (Life definitely gets in the way of posting) We've even started to think about weaning and have decided to give Baby Led Weaning (also referred to as BLW) a go. Looking forward to it, but a bit apprehensive of the mess, although apparently feeding Purees isn't all clean and tidy either i hear...

I'm looking forward to seeing what she'll make of broccoli. She's licking and chewing and sucking everything she can get her hands on. Her terry bibs are a favourite, and my knuckles, too! Imagine the fun she'd have with the texture of broccoli floret, and the taste!!

We're gonna stick with the breastfeeding for another while, it's become so easy since we've come off the nipple shields, and I'm thoroughly enjoying it now! Can't imagine wanting to stop and start her on formula at 6 months. Have gotten quite attached to the new Cup size, too, it would be a pity to loose it already!! I can only recommend it to anybody, the initial hard work pays off soon, and the longer you stick with it the more you get 'your money's worth'! losing the baby weight has been a breeze, i was back to pre pregnancy weight after about 14 weeks, and am now skinnier than in years!! I hope I won't get too many odd comments from friends and family if I don't stop at 6 months...

guinness and chocolate cupcakes

2009-03-02T22:50:00.002Z

i baked guinness and chocolate buns today, they turned out lovely! i made some vanilla creme frosting to go with them, german style, which involves custard powder, milk, sugar, butter and icing sugar and makes for a lovely light but buttery topping. i'm not a hundred percent sure if it's ideal for the very rich chocolate buns, maybe a dark chocolate glaze would be better? maybe i plain buns would be better suited to the buttercreme?

either way, tomorrow morning i'm planning to ice the buns and bring them along to the mammies and babies coffee morning. the girls and babas are a lovely bunch and we have great chats, but the surroundings are grim (the local pub, smelling of shake'n'vac, selling instant coffee and tea) so i think some little cakes with sweet icing and sprinkles will lighten things up a little! if i have time i'll take a picture!

i interpreted several chocolate and guinness cake recipes (nigella has one, delia too) and made up my own version. recipes are such a mine field, all the different measurements, and the fact that to my german palate a lot of american and english baking tastes too sweet, so i often mess with sugar amounts. i think the difference is that in germany we eat cakes in the afternoon, several hours after lunch as a seperate meal, you'd have a big piece of cake, or two, with some coffee, whereas in a lot of other countries cakes are dessert, a small sweet treat directly after the meal.

don't get me wrong, germans have desserts, too, but they tend to be served in little glass bowls: custard and fruit, pudding and cream, yoghurt, ice cream... mmmh, i must write a post about all my favourite desserts from home, we had dessert with every dinner (lunch)!

Neil Gaiman

2009-02-17T21:49:00.002Z

Today we went to see the brilliant Neil Gaiman reading and signing, and Amanda Palmer singing in Chapters at five! Well, that was the idea, unfortunately the crowd was quite big, and no microphones used, so we couldn't actually see or hear anything, and as i had the buggy with me there was no trying to shuffle for a better space, either. When it came to queueing for signing, which snaked around the whole back section of the shop, i was however ushered to the front of the queue, courtesy of my little babe! I got a book signed for my friend, and he also signed m's fabric picture book! Hm, can't let her drool on it anymore now!

Afterwards my friend A and I went for some fish and chips and tea in Benny's, and then it was home for me and M. A went back and got another book signed at 20 past nine! Over 3 hours of reading and signing, respect! I wonder how many people were there...

M behaved so well, sleeping all the way into town, quietly taking in the sights and sounds in the book shop, she got a little grumpy around 6 so i fed her (in the fantasy/science fiction section, very quiet with everybody trying to catch a glimpse at the reading) and she fell asleep soon after, sleeping most of the way home, too! Back in the house she was full of giggles and smiles!

another sling picture

2009-02-15T13:02:00.001Z

this is the pouch sling i made for my husband, i think it came out a little too short, and it's not even washed yet! although it's not on quite right, either, it's a little twisted. i think the westfalen fabric works really well for guys, this is a woven stripe coordinated with a matching check. m isn't quite used to being in a sling, yet, after 2 or 3 minutes she was trying to stand up to get out! if the weather's still nice when the rugby's over, maybe i can convince the daddy to go for a little walk with us, to try out the sling properly, maybe in the cradle hold.

the toy attached to the sling is a 'tigerente' (tiger duck), a janosch character.

slings, christening and baby weight

2009-02-14T23:03:00.005Z

it's from www.gorgeousbaby.ca, and i'm very happy with it! lovely soft fabric, good fit (i measured according to the website), and m seems to like it, too!

it's great for breastfeeding, i'm planning to go to the parent and baby cinema on tuesday, i think i'll bring it for that, it gives good support.

i made a pouch sling for p, too, it's nowhere near as nice as, and much simpler than the bought one, i sewed it this evening and can't wait to try it out! a reinforced curved seam is quite hard to do,, especially when the curve already looks a bit wobbly! but i used nice westfalen-fabric, so it's definitely man-friendly, and all cotton. unfortunately i can't remember if i pre washed the fabric, i kind of think i mightn't have... must remember to only wash it cold or it won't fit!!

we had the christening last week, a mad day, 23 adults and 9 children in the tiny house! a bit of a squeeze but all had fun, and the food went down well, my mum and i cooked all day saturday, and my neighbour made lovely desserts. anybody in north dublin, get your desserts from her! her cakes are divine! there was a merengue roll, a swiss roll with mandarins, a cheese cake and a banoffi, yum!

all the work cleaning, tidying, cooking, and 8 visitors from home shifted the last 2 kilos of the baby weight that were still hanging on! considering that i don't diet and eat whatever i like, including chocolate, that's not bad! i can't say my figure is the same as before, there's definitely a bit of soft belly jelly that seems to be here to stay, but at least most of my jeans and all of my tops fit again. oh, did i mention i'm loosing my hair! the post pregnancy molting has definitely started :-( and i have so little to start with...

i'm getting used to motherhood and am enjoying myself here, while i'm off work there's lots of time for cuddles and giggles with my little angel, and while i'm not doing half the things i thought i might be doing on maternity leave, i'm enjoying pottering around, and finally having a car so i can go for walks on the beach and for trips to the shopping centre for a browse and a latte, and to buy 'exotic' vegetables like fennel, which i couldn't get here in the village... i kind of expected to be really bored and dieing to get back to work, but that's not the case at all! it'll be hard to go back in autumn!

flame headed tulips

2009-01-30T10:51:00.000Z

my bunch of tulips on their second last day!

a florist opened up in our tiny village, so, always willing to support local business, i got a big bunch of these in the perfect warm orangey red. they've been putting a smile on my face for a week, but now they've lost their petals and have to go...wouldn't you just love a walk through a whole field of these on a sunny day!

pushchairs

2009-01-28T23:37:00.002Z

buggies used to be so simple! see that one above, circa 1977? i look quite confident pushing my little sis around!

my friend cath and i went to go for a walk on the beach yesterday, with m in tow. c was picking me up in her car, so instead of the pram i was bringing the carseat-buggy combo. as my husband had the buggy i usually use, a quite old but lightweight model, in the car with him, i got the other one, slightly newer but heavier, (another 'present' not put to use yet) collapsed as it was, and put it into c's boot. in skerries we parked and then proceeded to uncollapse the buggy! how embarassing! two grown women fighting with a piece of equipment on the sidewalk! for at least 15 minutes we were pushing all the buttons, unhooking clasps, pulling, pushing, kicking... to no avail! looking at each other in disbelief, at not being able to unfold a pushchair! in the end we packed it into the boot again, and went for a hot chocolate, carrying the baby in the carseat...

of course it took my husband all of 2 minutes to get the hang of it at home, all that was needed was a little pull and shake! like an umbrella! and i usually pride myself on not being intimidated by any piece of technology! i've heard of pregnancy brain, but is there a condition called breastfeeding brain??

scanning old photographs

2009-01-26T22:54:00.003Z

i'm having great fun (and frustration) scanning old photographs on an old scanner. the software on it is very spartanic, no remembering settings or file locations, and i can only run it 'as administrator' ... (the driver is not really meant for my version of windows, and not approved and possibly a little dodgy)

the fun comes into it when i look at images on screen! this one should be summer 1976, sunday afternoon coffee, i think it's the day of my little sister's christening, that's why my aunt's there, and the good china is out even though we're in the kitchen. on screen little things that i don't really see when i look at a photo in the album jump out at me, expressions on peoples faces, the cute coffee pot on the counter, and the printed glass on the table. i also love the pattern on the high chair!

and of course to me it's amazing how YOUNG everybody looks! i forgot how pretty my aunt was, and my uncle and 2nd cousin were mere boys!

my aunt is wearing a 'kittel' over her skirt and top, white for sundays, they were the 'modern' version of an apron, crackly polyester or 'perlon' sleeveless apron-dresses, and my mum and aunts and granny wore them almost all day every day, goes to show you how much of their day and week was seen as 'work', only for leaving the farm and in the evening the aprons came off.

i might post some more of these as i come across them. it's a pity all those seventies plastics haven't lasted, i'd love that high chair now for my little one!

black ice

2009-01-11T22:00:00.003Z

(flickr spratmackrel)

i fell on my bum. so sore! i was walking (fast, as it was cold) to the bins, and on the concrete there was nothing, then on the paving - swoosh - wham. the shock reverberated (is that a word?) through my spine all the way to my head! couldn't breathe or get up at first, thank god my friend was there to help me up, she was already in her car pulling off.

i had bum back and headache on the first day, then only bum and backache, now only bum and lower back ache, and only when i get up or sit down or bend .

i was so lucky i wasn't carrying my baby at the time! i was very lucky not to get hurt any worse, too, as i was flat on my back. i should start a gratitude book, and this should be my first entry... i am grateful that i didn't get hurt badly, and that my friend was there to help me and that she stayed until i was sure i could get up and down the stairs and pick up and put down m.

i did make something!

2008-12-31T18:33:00.002Z

ha, i have something to show after all, i just forgot (i forget a lot these days...) over christmas my mum made the tiny mittens to match the hat that i made before she was even born, and then i used the rest of the wool to make the little scarf/neckwarmer. a bit of mother daughter cooperation!

right now she's finishing my stripy crochet blanket (i started it, not anticipating the 3rd trimester tiredness. mama continued it while she was staying here to help me with m., after that i managed all of 3 rows, so i brought it home with me for christmas...)it's made with organic cotton, the pattern is random stripes

christmas surprise

2008-12-31T18:06:00.002Z

we're back from germany today, pretty tired with a grumpy nearly 9 week old, but happy!!

we surprised my parents for christmas with a visit, which was great fun! we didn't think we'd make it home with getting a passport for our little one and everything, and told my parents so for weeks, but we did get everything sorted in time! we let my sister know and she picked us up from the airport on christmas eve, and put us up at her house for the afternoon, then in the evening she and her boyfriend went in to my parents, as they had planned, and told them to stay in the living room for a minute as they wanted to set up their present in the hall, then they went to the back door, let us in and told my parents they could come out now. the look on their faces was priceless! it was such a happy evening! they had been disappointed but understanding that we wouldn't be coming to germany this year... a lovely laid back week was spent, with the cousins getting to know each other (my 2 year old nephew was besotted with her, he licked her face!)

as i like to blog with photos, and have nothing much to show myself (except for a gorgeous daughter, but i'm not sure yet how i feel about posting lots of pictures of her on the blog... or how my husband feels about it... i probably won't, apart from the 1st day picture i already posted), here a picture of my mum's christmas pyramid ornament (these are traditionally pyramids of angels, and you use small candles to power the propeller that makes it go round, but mama puts hers onto the swedish stove that heats their living room (so hot... we were close to melting point!).

i love discovering little things i made years ago, that my mum still keeps, like this candle (old candle stumps sorted by colour, and poured into jam jars and similarly cheap containers, that can be broken off when the wax is hardened). this must be at least 20 years old, because i seem to still have considered stick on gold stars an essential!

or this salt dough sheep (i hadn't realised salt dough could keep so long! maybe i varnished it??)

the wool is made with a garlic press... mama displays it with her collection of christmas angels

isn't she gorgeous!?

2008-11-04T23:38:00.000Z

chocolate and pear cake

2008-10-28T22:05:00.001Z

mmmh... it turned out quite well!

350g of butter
350g brown sugar (some soft, some dark)
5 duck eggs
300g self raising flour
30g cocoa powder
4 tbl sp milk
2 pears

10" round tin, 180C (fan oven), about 1 hour 30 minutes (or until a skewer comes out clean)

i made a bag

2008-10-27T22:47:00.000Z

it's a simple oversized shopping bag, or maybe it'll be a laundry bag, for the hospital! the size was based on my (currently essential) wedge cushion, so i can bring it to the cinema or a restaurant with me, should we go once more before the baby comes! anybody out there that's pregnant, too, get a wedge cushion! so comfortable! it has an angle so your knees are lower than your hips, instant extra room for the bump! and your back will get less sore, too! mine's very firm, and 4" thick at the back, i got it from 'the back shop'. if you're good at cutting upholstery foam you could probably make your own! i have another one, from 'lidl', but it's not as angled and not as firm. i use that one in the car.

the fabrik is 100% cotton, from ikea, i added the tiny embroidered bird,

the bump today (39 weeks)

2008-10-27T18:56:00.000Z

i think it might be changing shape, getting lower maybe?

a walk without the crutches

2008-10-25T13:34:00.000Z

i don't like how the camera seems to do very aggressive 'JPGing'... i don't know what it's called, but when i zoom in i see horizontal and vertical lines, i think it has to do with compression...

today i made carrot cupcakes

2008-10-23T17:54:00.001Z

i had nearly all the ingredients... the recipe comes recommended by jo from piosacakes
i'm not very good at icing...

bump, less than 2 weeks before due date...

2008-10-21T15:31:00.001Z

sorry about the bad image quality, was trying to take a picture outside and couldn't find my tripod, so it's handheld... not sure how the camera came up with this exposure...

last week's 'belly shot'

2008-10-19T22:47:00.000Z

apple cake

2008-10-19T21:09:00.000Z

i didn't quite get it right, it's slightly undercooked, i think. possibly too many apples (i used the right amount of apples but i think they were very big... or maybe the 30 min was for the smaller amount, my mum's recipe specified doing either the recipe in a round tin or double the amount on a baking sheet, but the time said 30 min for both... or, 3rd possibility, i think my mum has the 'oven sized' baking sheets, whereas mine is a big cake tin, so it's the cake would be a bit deepe than my mum's.
next time i go for 40 min, or for half the recipe...

some pictures from last month

2008-10-17T18:07:00.003Z

i thought i'd posted these already... a line of freshly washed baby clothes!

the only sunflower we got this far...

closeup of the cutest babygrow...

after a week at home, i have to say, being off at home is much more fun if you're fit to go out! i finally got the new camera (just a point and shoot), and would love to go for a walk or a drive to take lots of pics and try out all the different modes, but with crutches and no car, i'm kind of limited... can't post any pics taken with the new camera yet, the house is too messy!

will hobble off now, and tidy up a little, and maybe work on some crochet... (i did make matress covers, but they are not worth photographing!)

pregnancy hormones

2008-10-15T20:40:00.004Z

right now i'm just feeling very happy to be married to my husband... i didn't post any photos on our anniversary, but today i feel like posting one!

he brought me lindor chocolates. and he's drinking non alcoholic beer during the ireland qualifying match (in case i go into labour). and he's giving me hugs whenever i need them. and he's letting me have the first sip of his bottle of becks non alcoholic, the cold one (if i had a bottle of my own it would take me all evening to drink it and it wouldn't be nice at all after the first few sips).

36 weeks bump

2008-10-06T22:00:00.001Z

4 weeks to go, or maybe only 1? or as many as 6! i can see now how people get very impatient, this baby is starting to kick me sore, plus p's granny could race me now, and she's 92, with an artificial hip!

hyper with exhaustion!

2008-10-03T16:44:00.002Z

what a week! i'm not even gonna make it to yoga tonight, still in work, waiting for CDs to burn... busy busy week! had meetings and gave training every day, in preparation of maternity leave, only 2 weeks left! and diary's filling up for next week, but i am looking forward to my antenatal appointment and 2 days off, so next week should be much easier. but still, so much to organise and sort and explain to my replacement!

getting really restless now, can't believe it's still a month to the due date and possibly another 2 weeks after that!! it's getting harder to walk, got some kind of pelvic girdle pain, and feeling bruised and battered from all the kicking. i won't even start talking about sleep...

i can't complain though, i've had it so so easy compared to so many of my friends! this is really the first week where i properly feel the discomfort and pain that comes with a pregnancy, most of my friends were much earlier with that.

looking forward to the weekend and some nesting and resting!!

yummie tea...

2008-09-28T19:26:00.002Z

i discovered this tea recipe on apron thrift girl's blog, and made up a similar mix with what i had in the cupboard and in the garden! it's yummie!

for a pot of tea (about a litre) i used 3 chamomile flowers (the ones i have are really strong), one lavendar flower from the garden (mine are very small this year, normal sized ones i'd probably use a half), one big sprig of mint from the garden (crushed) and two tea spoons of dried raspberry leaves (the ones i got are called 'pure raspberry leaves' and are green, not read). All this goes into the 'tea sock' (a filter/strainer for the pot) in the pot, fill up with boiling water and steep for ten minutes. stir 2 teaspoons of honey into the pot. drink some while hot, let the rest cool down and fill into a caraffe or bottle, for the fridge, i quite like it cold!

i'm not sure how much i'm supposed to / allowed to drink while pregnant, but i had 2 cups yesterday, and two today. i might step it up a little as i get closer to my due date (the raspberry leaves are supposed to 'tone' the uterus and make the contractions more effective when it comes to labour, that's why i bought the raspberry leaf tea initially)

if i manage to keep the tea drinking up then i might make up a mix, i might even try the rose hips in it, but from all i remember i don't like them, never have, too sour...

one big spider...

2008-09-21T21:04:00.000Z

there are loads of them around this autumn!

the bump at 33 weeks (and a half)

2008-09-20T22:15:00.000Z

Another day out with visitors!

2008-09-13T20:51:00.003Z

We went to the usual close by attractions, if we get many more visitors this year we'll have to think of some new places to go, so we don't get bored!!

Skerries Harbour was lovely and busy, everybody making the most of the warm day, knowing well it might be the last for the year!

the sun going down always makes for a nice photo opportunity, these are all taken with my old, clumsy, slow, noisy, annoying olympus x715 camera... ach, it's nowhere near as nice to handle as the benq... it'll do for blog photos, but i really hope i can get the other one fixed... and maybe get a more advanced one, for when the baby needs lots of photographing, all going well... (still scared of jinxing it if i assume all will go well...)

my camera is very sick!!

2008-09-12T21:47:00.004Z

:-( just paralysed! it kind of half starts up and then goes into error mode, display frozen or off, and the lens out or half out!! the only way to switch it off is to take the battery out, but that doesn't retract the lens, oh dear... i've treated it so well, never dropped it or got it wet or anything...

i don't like to be without a camera, it makes me uneasy! i like to have it with me most days! just in case! i love digital, i don't mind taking 20 photos to get just one good shot, and i love being able to take pictures of bits that i'd never bother to get printed, just to show on the blog or send home to my sis or parents. p got it for me last year in february, on ibood, so it is still in warranty, unfortunately it's a 'carry in' manufacturer's warranty, and i have a feeling it might be for the UK only, they don't even have an irish phone number... have to wait till monday when their warranty department opens to find out. it wasn't expensive, as far as digital cameras go, under 150€ including all the bits, postage, tax... all of it! so if i go down the warranty route, i might spend a large percentage of the price on sending it to and from the UK...

i might see can i bring it into one of the camera shops in town, but the two i tried today were no good. in one of them the guy was pressing on the lens to try an make it retract! he even left a big fat fingerprint on it, i think to work in a city centre camera shop you don't actually have to have any knowledge of or interest in cameras... ah well... p managed to make it retract properly by pressing a lot of buttons at the same time, so at least i can transport it safely and won't be asked if i dropped it!

if i can't get it fixed i think i'll have to get another compact, and i'll have to decide on one soon (only 7ish weeks till baby's due!). i had just started to think about getting an SLR-like camera, but i don't think i could handle having only a bulky camera, i really like to have something small that i can slip into the handbag or jacket pocket, it was supposed to be in addition to my point and shoot!

i like what i'm reading about the lumix lx3 , but it's only just out and not in any shops here, and gee, it is pricey for a compact! but it reminds me of my precious old analog olympus myu, no zoom on that one, but a lovely bright lens and it takes great pictures. although the flash can be a bit bright... alternatively maybe the tz 5 but i heard it's got noise problems?

i seem to be quite set on something with a wider angle lens, and at the moment i like the panasonic ones best, but i'll have to do a bit more research... when really i should be preparing the house for the baby!! i seem to be suspiciously easily distracted...

pregnancy dreams, and not just mine!

2008-09-10T12:44:00.003Z

anybody else have weird dreams during their pregnancies? some are panicky and scary, or just unpleasant, and showing how i'm a bit worried i'm not quite ready for this baby!

like the one about us having a baby boy, and friends coming to see us in the hospital, and they are asking what we called him and we realise we haven't decided on a name, and our friends are horrified at us being so uncaring and unprepared as not to give our baby a name!

but some are nice dreams, too...

my favourite is the one where i discover i have a pocket on my belly, you know, like you'd have on a hoodie, and i can carefully put my hand in and feel the baby, and i can stroke her hand and she holds my finger and i know it's a girl and she's happy and content in there!

one of my friends had a dream about my baby! she said she was over to visit and i had 'taken the baby out to show her' like that was the most normal thing in the world, it was a boy and he was smiling and had dark spiky hair, she said it was all very lovely and cute, until i said, 'right, now you have to help me to put him back in, he's too young to be born yet'! thankfully she chose to wake up before it got to gross!

i finished my scarf yesterday!

2008-09-10T12:29:00.003Z

remember last winter i started this scarf? well, after some 'summer' hibernation and a final giving in to the bad weather and knitting woolly things again, it's finally finished! i was worried it wouldn't be long enough, but everybody kept telling me it's fine, just start on the decrease rows... i reluctantly gave in, this scarf is near impossible to unravel and restart, because of the dropped stitches (i find), but i needn't have worried! i washed it yesterday, in the machine's 'wool and delicates' cycle, together with a cream jumper (that said dry clean only, but i don't approve of dry cleaning...) using wool detergent.

perfect results! both jumper and scarf came out unharmed, and the scarf grew from a just about OK 180cm to a brilliant 250cm! i dried it flat on the guest bed and am delighted to find the wool turned softer and drapier and the scarf is just what i wanted! and just in time for the miserable september weather that's hit us this week.

i'm not a hundred percent sure if i used the wool cycle properly, there was quite a strong detergent smell off the wool, i wonder are you supposed to run a rinse and drain cycle afterwards? or is that just the way wool detergent smells? if the smell doesn't go i'll have to do a rinse&drain and lay it out flat on the bed again... will the drapiness stay if i wash it again?

belly at 31 weeks

2008-09-03T21:15:00.003Z

if i take my arms up it looks a little less big and even more pointy!!

day out with the visitors

2008-08-31T08:25:00.002+01:00

we had a fun day yesterday, well, fun for most of us, it started quite rough i imagine for my husband, who woke up with the mother of all hangovers.... and staying in bed wasn't an option because there was still more tidying and cleaning to be done than i could manage before the visitors arrived! my baby belly had calmed down considerably, which was good news because i don't know how i'd have managed showing them around otherwise!

we picked my parents and their friends up from the station and had coffee and biscuits here, and they had a little look around the garden and house (with the usual comments from the guys about how much less sturdy and 'proper' houses in ireland are built... they were knocking on the plasterboard walls and comparing the window frames and width of the stairs to home. i'm starting to feel like we live in a cardboard house!). Then we headed to Skerries for a 'walk around the head' and a drink. then we went to the Mills to have a look at the Farmers Market and for some coffee and cake/their homemade soda bread, then on to Ardgillan Castle. The ladies loved it, the guys are way unfit and not used to walking... my mum was telling me when they went around dublin the women were mostly walking ahead, leasurely, chatting, and every now and then stopping to see could they still see the guys in the distance, and then letting them catch up! we left them behind as we explored the walled gardens, they are always a big hit with my female realitves, who get excited to see plants they have at home all labeled and categorised, and to see some of them grow to twice the size, and others that they keep indoors grow happily outside.

We had dinner in the stoop, which everybody loved, and we all got to chat and rest some more (outings with 'older' people involve an awful lot of breaks and sitting down and stopping...). eventually we dropped them back to the train station and they all got on the train, it's kind of cute watching your parents on public transport if they drive everywhere at home, we could tell they were excited and nervous, making sure it's the right train twice, then all heading off down the compartment looking for seats together... i'm glad they get to travel like this is in a foreign country, i know it gave me lots of confidence, travelling and realising i could do it. who knows they might take another trip abroad, go to paris or prague for a long weekend, now that they know they can manage!

P and I were completely exhausted by the time we got home! especially P with the remnants of his hangover...

lying low

2008-08-29T11:27:00.002+01:00

i took the day off today...

my parents and their friends arrived in town yesterday and we met them for coffee and took them for a walk around the city centre, making sure they get their bearings, pointing out nice pubs and restaurants... i was so delighted with the nice weather and wanted to make sure they see the city in the golden light and take home some nice impressions, knowing the next few days might get quite gray (and look out, what a gray day!!) seeing so many people out enjoying themselves on a mid week evening, they were surprised by that, but of course they get way more lovely summer evenings at home than we do here.

i must have overdone it a bit, i walked from stephens green to brown thomas to meet them, then we made our way with a few turns to the busy feet cafe (it's not that easy finding a cafe with space for 8 people on a sunny thursday evening!) after that we weaved our way back towards their hotel, along grafton and dawson and nassau street, the tourist information, the foggy dew, temple bar, the 'italian quarter, finishing at that pub on mary st that's in a former church. there we split, and i could really feel my belly. the husband and i made our way back to o'connell st and i could started to get cramps and pains, we decided to get a taxi back to my office where i had parked the car, but of course my husband had had a pint with my dad and friends so i still had to drive home, i got a bit scared with the pains and had to breathe really deeply, and moving my foot from exelerator to break was really sore...

i went straight to bed when we came home, but didn't sleep properly all night, (the baby had lots of extra energy from sleeping all afternoon/evening while i was walking) every time i got up to go to the bathroom the cramps started again, scary! there was no more pain though, so i'm pretty sure we're OK. anyhow, i'm off today, taking it very easy, but there still is a lot of tidying up to do, before the visitors come up to our house tomorrow! i'm leaving all the strenuous stuff for the husband though, who unfortunately has a work night out tonight, so it'll be left to him in the morning, when he most likely will have a hangover!!

all not ideal... but i'm glad i could take the day off at short notice, and of course i'm not telling my parents, i'm going to say i'm working from home! wise people that they are they were saying all along the way that i should turn around and head back to the car and not overdo it, and i was ignoring it, thinking i was going to be fine and wanting to spend more time with them. i miss them, they are going to spend most of their time sightseeing with their friends while they are here, looking forward to seeing them again tomorrow. i just wish their friends would do stuff on their own for at least one evening so we can spend some time with just my parents, but they all don't speak any english and want to stick together, and the friends are looking towards my parents as the seasoned travellers, because they've been here before!

i also thought my mum looked very tired and red eyed and my dad looked like he lost weight so i'm a little worried about them...

annions

2008-08-27T19:41:00.004+01:00

sorry, is it just me or is rachel allen pronouncing onions in the most peculiar way? we were just watching her make roast chicken and were nearly on the floor laughing, especially as she said it so often, we didn't count but it went 'then i take the annion and i peel the annion, then i put the annion into the saucepan..." anybody know where she's from?
the other thing that cracks me up is that she often looks like she hates the food she's tasting, while saying 'i lav the flavour, mmh, it's delicious' and it often looks like she hates touching produce, too!
enough bitching, i have to say i love her clothes, make up and jewellery, and the actual food looks yummie!

break ups

2008-08-23T19:02:00.002+01:00

two of our friends broke up this weekend. i feel really sad that it didn't work out for them, and also because i'll most likely be losing a friend, she's only moved in with him last year and we started doing lots together, we get on great, now she'll be staying with family in the city centre, and then rent her own place, maybe near here but there's no way she'd stay living in this village, it's just too small. and by next summer she'll most likely move to the south side, for a new job, and i won't get to see her much at all any more! she's quite teary and sad, but at the same time relieved and happy, because she's finally made the step, from what she said and from the impression i got, she's been working very hard to try and be happy in the relationship, to settle with him, to build a future, it just didn't work, she was edgy and things just weren't falling into place. i remember being in a similar situation, and every little extra bit of commitment was making my want to jump out of my skin, and i was doing all i could to ignore it and to be 'grown up' and 'work on the relationship' like my much older boyfriend at the time was telling me to.

i had a feeling there were some issues, and that they might break up, but still i was hoping that i was just imagining all that!

add to that the miserable weather, the mess in the house (lots of little organising projects started but none of them quite finished), a slightly hungover husband... what a miserable day... i just have no energy! i slept like a log but still feel like all i want is to curl up and go back to sleep.

instead i did laundry, some tidying up, filing papers from the last 5 years, and hugging my husband a lot, because i'm upset over the breakup and grateful that we're together. now i'm writing this post while watching 'last choir standing', after a bowl of half and half cornflakes and crunchy nut (this baby is making me like food i usually don't buy at all! and it seems to have a thing for sweetcorn...) and i'm feeling a little better already.

mamma mia

2008-08-21T19:26:00.003+01:00

we had a girlie cinema night out, to see mamma mia last night, hilarious! really cheesy, of course, and the plot is slightly confusing, they had to try and somehow fit in as many abba songs as possible. most of the singing is alright but Pierce Brosnan's singing and dancing is so bad, we were dying laughing in our seats! the youths did my head in, but the 3 ladies were brilliant, especially done up in shiny seventies gear! a very cheery film, for sure, unfortunately i'd had non alcoholic beer, i think the film would have been better with a few cocktails. my favourite thing though was the interiour design, light turquoise blue walls, slightly distressed bright red accessories, beautifully embroidered throws and cushions, any type of apron you can imagine, seventies style tablecloths on the clothes lines, mismatched plates and chairs...

at the end of the film i was more or less decided. i was going to paint one wall in our bedroom that colour, and do a similarly bright and mismatched nursery, but the girls pointed out that it all looks right in greek sunshine, but won't be so lovely on an irish, dark, dank, rainy, day. i'm not convinced, i think especially in grey weather bright colours are needed!

missing july

2008-08-18T21:54:00.002+01:00

how weird... july is missing from my blog archive!?
and i was nearly sure i posted a bump picture a few days ago? that's gone!

ok, found the bump post, for some reason it appeared with a june date? blogger is doing funny things...

WIP - yet another baby beanie

2008-08-18T18:31:00.004+01:00

not sure if i prefer this heart shape or the one from the last?

eclair desaster...

2008-08-17T17:00:00.002+01:00

this is a picture of yesterday's attempt to make chocolate eclairs... i used duck eggs, which i think might have been the problem. i tried all kinds of temperature time combinations, but the centre just wouldn't cook! it was gloopy, eggy, shiny, wet, nearly custardy. what a waste of a saturday afternoon! the reason i tried making them was that the weather was awful, torrential rainfall! and i thought i'd feel much chirpier if i could have the eclairs i fancied without leaving the house!

you'd think i'd have gotten into the car today and bought some, but no, i'm attempting them again. with medium chicken eggs. the dough looks lighter this time, less oily, wish me luck!!

the recipe i'm using is a german 'windbeutel' recipe,

60g butter
1/4 l water
pinch of salt
150g flour
1 tea spoon of baking powder
4 eggs.

i'm going to do some more experimenting.

using the fan oven i'm starting with 20min 200 degrees, (eclair shapes, not german sized profiteroles or mini profiterols) i'll try all sorts of combinations again, from different other recipes, and hope that at the end of it i'll get at least 2 eclairs for dessert tonight!

bump picture! (28 weeks)

2008-08-12T17:48:00.001+01:00

my bump

my toes

my arm

(after only one stab by the midwife!)

another baby beanie

2008-07-27T16:08:00.002+01:00

this one might be for ours. or my cousin's or my friend from college's or my other friend's or my neighbour's! we'll see who has a girl first... it's slightly bigger than the others, 76 instead of 72 stitches

i finished it last night, i've never done stranded (and woven) colour work before... details on ravelry!

the weather is brilliant today! we're mostly spending it in the garden, relaxing, reading, having some cool (non alcoholic in my case) beer, getting up every now and then to do tiny amounts of pulling weeds, watering, harvesting... and to flee indoors for some shade, we're so lightskinned! factor 25 and i still feel i have to get out of the sun every half hour!

later we are planning to go to eurobaby and/or mothercare to look at some babythings. i've seen a bedside cot on the web that i want to have a look at, it's basically like a co-sleeper, but a proper cot as well. that ticks all the boxes in my book! and it's small enough to fit into our bedroom if we get rid of the bed side tables! if we get a very slim bedside lamp we could still have a reading lamp on the other side of the bed.

garden in july

2008-07-21T14:04:00.006+01:00

gooseberries - green and hairy, just as they should be!

redcurrants

strawberry blossom, this variety is pink!

lavendar, perspective 1

lavendar, perspective 2, i think this will be part of my next moo postcard set!

baby beanie hat

2008-07-21T13:31:00.003+01:00

i made a hat for my nephew! this is actually the 2nd, the first one was plain sage green, with no beanie topper. the pattern is by onegirl, and it's a great one (i modified it by doing stripes and adding the beanie topper)!

this is it inside out

here you can see the colour change on the wrong side.

must get some more wool and make more, this one only took me one evening, while watching TV and 'In Bruges'. I used the magic loop method. I weaved in the ends and evened out the colour change this morning on the bus, and posted it to germany at tea break...

car bootie

2008-07-13T20:19:00.003+01:00

i went to a car boot sale and got these beauties! they are soup cups and saucers and i just love the leaf pattern... and the colour!

my idea was to plant something in them, but for the moment i have them on the window sill just to admire them. and the middle one right now holds the last flower of my anniversary bunch of flowers, a pink lilie that was only opening up when the rest of them had already given up the ghost.

these are the flowers on the day i got them!

and this was the anniversary breakfast, fruitsalad with raspberries and yoghurt, and the first redcurrants from the garden, made by me, and french toast with honey made by himself, he makes the best french toast...

hard to believe we're married over a year already!

oh, must stop writing, just got handed a delicious smelling beef and udon noodle stir fry, with some of the monster pak choi from the garden!

window sill gardening

2008-07-13T20:11:00.002+01:00

pepper progress!
they are a lovely bright red now, there was a spanish student in the office the other day, and she couldn't believe the veggies were doing so well, she didn't think you could grow peppers or tomatoes at all in ireland... this is an east facing window, the sun is gone after one o'clock, so i'd say you could work miracles with a south facing window!

coralicious, again...

2008-07-03T11:05:00.004+01:00

remember my post about my current favourite nail polish? i am in good company, marian keyes herself writes about it in her newsletter! it is a a great great colour of course... it'll save your sanity on a ridiculously torrential july day like this (yes. i am wearing sandals. foolish, i know. but it wasn't raining when i left the house! and it is july!)
PS the image of it on the rimmel website really doesn't do it justice.