Winter's Wrap Up

Things I'm loving during these last weeks and days of winter:

• Our neighbourhood blossom trees are blooming. We had two aged cherry blossoms outside the front of our house, and a few weeks ago one cracked in half during a strong wind. We were sad but are determined to replace it. Meanwhile, here is the one remaining in all of its glory.

and here is a branch from the one that didn't make it.

•  Instagram! I'm not brilliant at it, but I think I'm improving..
• Cold days to rug up under a faux fur rug while reading in the sun. Sipping a hot cup of tea just completes the ecstasy.
• Favourite winter wardrobe items including black knee-high boots (love wearing them with skirts) and scarves (I'm alternating between a hot pink stripey one my brother bought me in Italy and a lighter weight white with silver streaks I found in a discount bin at an Oroton outlet.
• We're into our third week of having NO TELEVISION on in the afternoons. So far so good. With the sun shining till 4.30pm we get an hour for playing/lying around/reading/games and homework - till bath time. Mim has become excellent at choosing music for us to listen to (mostly jazz for its non-jarring qualities).
• Kids playing Take 2 on sunny afternoons (for those not initiated into Take 2, it is like Scrabble without the board. Everyone starts with 7 pieces and once they have made them all into joining words, they say take two and everyone has to take two..on it goes..may end in uncontrollable screaming on non-winner's part)

and snuggling bubbas (with their sniffy blankies) who are too "wittle" for playing word games...

• Some great op shopping finds, like this precious Cornucopia china photo frame by Wedgwood ($5 - a travesty!). I initially intended to put it aside for Father's Day, but was too excited and gave it to J already with the kids' passport sized school photos stuck in.

And this lovely oval Johnston Bros plate, intriguingly titled Dream Town. Really? Not sure about the dead tree in the foreground. I love that it is black and white, which is slightly unusual and large enough for serving afternoon tea. Nice.

• Sweet treats on cold nights (Yes, I realise the exercise regime for summer needs to be implemented ASAP). J brought me home this French vanilla tart on the weekend, and it was super yum, even if I did have to share it..

• Gardening! After three years of doing very little in the way of landscaping our yard (that's what happens when you marry an ex-landscape architect..Don't get me started..) we have suddenly become motivated to remove the things we don't like and beautify our surrounds. The kids are getting to be regulars at the nurseries, and yes, when they stop complaining they even enjoy it a little bit.

Hoping for quite a few more sunny wintery days...but also looking forward to Spring!