A Birthday Party.

I can always count on my husband to completely blow me away with his gift-giving-birthday-planning skills. And this year he recruited Sarah and Rachel to plan an actual birthday party for me (I can't remember the last time I had a birthday party). 

I was expecting something simple...dinner and hanging out with friends. But no. First of all, Herman thought it would be fun to have it at our new house, in the atrium (YES), so that we could show it off to our friends before the remodel. Second of all, there were decorations: spray painted woodland critters (with party hats), clouds with notes from my friends in the shape of raindrops, and gorgeous flowers. And the food! Popcorn, cupcakes (with raindrops on them!), strawberry cobbler in jars for people to take home, and freaking cloud macarons. Amazing.



I am so filled up with love and overwhelmed with gratitude for my amazing husband and my incredible friends that spent the evening with us. Sarah and Rachel, thank you so much for spending so much time planning and making every single detail beautiful and meaningful. I'm still completely overwhelmed at all the work you put into making this happen. And Herman, thank you for filling my day with beauty and with sweet time with my dearest friends. I am your biggest fan.

Oh. And if you're wondering about the girlie, she spent the entire party playing in the backyard with her cousins and friends. I LOVED looking out there and seeing them all running around and having fun. And for the record? The atrium is the most amazing place to sit around a table and chat. I foresee many many evenings and days spent in there.

earthy canonmills

this earthy is at canonmills bridge, right at the canonmills intersection, and is the third earthy outlet. it's just down the road from the botanic gardens with the other two in portobello and causewayside.

the canonmills earthy takes up the whole building and includes a shop for packaged as well as fresh food and a cafe/restaurant.

the food - both prepared for immediate consumption and bottled/tinned/packaged/fresh - looks great with a wide selection. we sampled some salad and fritata and it was lovely. also on the extensive menu when we went was game pie, quiches, a good range of imaginative salads, burgers, soups and whatever is freshly available and in season. the sweet/cake options are equally lovely and those with allergies may be catered for with gluten-free, egg-free etc.

we've been on a few occasions and the large seating area has been near full with folks catching up and relaxing over newspapers. a pretty high kid ratio too

you find yourself a table or bench and then order and pay at the counter after which the friendly staff bring it to your table.

they use matthew algie coffee (independant glasgow-based provider). if you order a flat white make sure you specifically ask for a double shot. the cups are quite large and really need two shots (most flat whites in edinburgh have too shots). we found the milk texture and flavour good and full with some bitterness that was well balanced with acid and, dare we say, pleasant 'earthy' characteristics.

- coffee: matthew algie
- coolness: also has a great grocery store
- website:  www.earthy.uk.com
- child-friendly





french press

french press is at 25a dundas street, about half way down the hill on the north side of the new town.

it's a wee place with a few tables and chairs inside and, on sunnier days, a few outside.

the friendly folk will provide you the coffee of your liking in china for sitting inside or paper cups, as per licence regulations, outside.

we tried the flat white, shown, and it was strong, balanced, had a good crema and soft milk texture at a good temperature.

they also offer aeropress, V60 and french press/cafetiere/plunger. they're clearly passionate about their coffee in the way they take the time and care to make it.

- coolness: coffee any way you like it



New Work!!!

A French inspired invite for the very lovely Jess and her Parisian themed baby shower! 


Tasty Tuesday: Fruit buns.

This is a recipe I use often. The children and Steve love them and they are pretty easy to make. This recipe is a hot cross bun recipe I just don't put the crosses or glaze on and call them fruit buns.

Ingredients:

1.5 cups milk
7grms yeast
1 tspn caster sugar
1 egg
60grms butter melted
4 cups flour
1.5 cups mixed fruit.
1 tbspn all spice
1/2 tspn salt
2 tbspns caster sugar (extra)

Method:

Heat milk in microwave for about 50 seconds.
Add yeast and 1 tspn of caster sugar
put to the side until foaming.

Put flour, mixed fruit, spice, salt and extra sugar in bowl.

When milk has foamed, add melted butter and lightly beaten egg.

Mix dough together and turn out onto a lightly floured surface.

Knead dough for about 20 minutes. put into a greased bowl and leave in a drought free space for 1 hour or until doubled in size.

Put oven onto 200 Celsius when dough has doubled. Turned dough out onto a floured surface again and punch down then knead again. Break dough into 16 even pieces and put into square tin. Put aside for 20 minutes till they are 2 cm higher than before.

Place in oven for 10 minutes and then turn temperature back to 180 c. Cook for a further 20 minutes until buns sound hollow when tapped.

Serve hot or cold. These taste great with butter.

I have also made the dough in our bread maker but the dough comes out stickier and needs more flour added before you punch the dough down.
Therese.

Joseph's new overalls.

He made it hard to get a good shot with all the running around so I took one while he slept.

The Rock House.

This is our new backyard:



We have big plans for the backyard (grass being one of them...red wood decks, not so much), but for the time being, we're going to leave it (to focus on the inside). Besides, the girlie? She loves it. She's affectionately named the house "The Rock House".

She hasn't been back to the house since the previous owners moved out, so yesterday I picked her up from school and we went to the Rock House to have a picnic.





She's also made it abundantly clear that she can "fix stuff" and needs to go "measure things" for us. So that's what we did after we got done eating. She loved it.

Thankful Thursday.

Yesterday it was Steve's 20th anniversary of being a Catholic. He was baptised, confirmed and received Holy Communion for the first time at the Easter vigil in 1992.

Over those 20 years, Steve's and my faith have both grown. We have come to appreciate so many good things about the church and all she teaches.

When Steve first joined the church, I knew faith was something I wanted to pass onto our children, but I think I was more motivated by the culture that I had been brought up in than a commitment to God.

One of the things I love about Steve is when he takes on something new, he takes it on 150%. He did this with his new found faith. For a long time before I meet him, he had been reading the bible. He didn't really know if it was true in  his head but he hoped it was. He was waiting for someone to prove to him that it was true.

Hearing about apparitions and hearing about some of the saints that have had miraculous things happen was the proof he needed. He took on following God and the teachings of the church with the same zeal that he took all other things on.

At first I was worried. I didn't want to be to committed to God. It was okay to believe in him and go to church each week but to take on everything the church taught was just too legalistic and extreme.

Steve was a great example to me though. I realised over time, just how much happier he was within himself and how he was a better husband because of his faith and his commitment to God.

So today I give thanks for Steve and his faith in God. I give thanks that he took on the teachings of the church with such zeal and encouraged me too as well. I give thanks for all the church teaches and that she tells us what is right and what is wrong.

Happy anniversary Steve.

Therese.

Wordless Wednesday: Joseph in new bed.

He looks naked but I'd does have a nappy on.

Our Eichler!!!

Thanks for your excitement everyone! We are still on cloud nine around here.

Now, the next big question is "When do you move in?". I so wish I could say something like, "tomorrow!"...but it's going to be more like 4-6 months. Why you ask? Well, our house was built in 1958 and the lovely family we bought it from has lived there for 53 years. 53 years! And done nothing to the house...and even though it's absolutely in pristine condition (seriously. It's amazing), it is still an older home. And since we plan on spending the next 20 to..oh say, 50 years there, it's easier to do most of the updating before we move in.

We LOVE the all original Eichler. We really do. The paneling, the cabinets, the floors. It's all fantastic. Stepping into our house is like stepping right into 1958. But the electrical needs upgrading. And there's no insulation in the walls. And there's asbestos in the floors. And (as you'll see in the photos) we want to open up the space between the kitchen and what is now the living room (soon to be dining area). Etc. We could move in tomorrow and be perfectly happy, but seeing as these things will need to be done eventually...now is really the best time.

On to the photos!

Our Eichler (!!!) is 4 beds and two baths, with this sort of bonus area when you walk in from the garage:




The current living room, which is separated from the kitchen/family area:



My absolute favorite part: the atrium. That's the front door in the back and my office with the sliding doors:


The kitchen/family area:



Master bedroom:


Master bath:


Hallway (that's the atrium behind that floor to ceiling window):


Emilia's bathroom (and yes, that's a door that opens to the side yard):


Emilia's bedroom:


Guest room:


And my office!


Man. I love this house.

Guess What?!

We bought a house!

And not just any house. We found our dream house: a 1958 atrium model Eichler.

Someone pinch me because I still can't believe it. Photos and more info to come...



Smart Martha Monday.

On my list last week, I had do Christopher's home school curriculum and to cut out Joseph's overalls.

I cut out Joseph's overalls today but forgot about doing the home school curriculum. I guess I will have to get it done this week since school starts next week.

So this week I am going to do Christopher's home school curriculum and also give Amelia a few sewing lessons.

I hope you all have a great week.

Therese.


Happy Friday!



Thankful Thursday.

It is Thursday again and time to stop and give thanks for the good things in our lives.

This week we are on school holidays. I am thankful for the extra time with the family. I am thankful that Daniel is here with us and that he bought two of our nephews up to visit.

I am thankful for the extra time to do sewing and baking. Today I made hot cross buns and meat pies. I also sewed some leggings for me.

What are you thankful for today?

Therese.

Wordless Wednesday. Having fun with the cousins.

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