Birthday.

This week, it's my birthday. Very exciting, although I have been too busy recently to get in the mood fully. I'm turning 36 which is a bit of a weird age. It's not 35 which is a nice round number but it still seems ages away from 40. Plus I feel like it's such a long time since I turned 35...

As per usual, Mr K and I chose my presents together (such a long history of average gifts and lots of angst on Mr K's part have led us to this point - a place we are both comfortable). I'm collecting a Limoges tea set so he bought me two plates to add to that and this beautiful pearl bracelet from Bower Haus. I love baroque pearls - their unusual knobbly shape is modern yet classical.

I also got a beautiful Emile Henry pie dish. I can't wait to use it.

It was the Baby's first visit to Peters of Kensington and I'm fairly certain it will be her last for a while. You definitely can't use the pram in there and anticipating that, we popped her in the Ergo which she loved but there was so much going on she was overwhelmed. We fed her over lunch in the cafe and while she was very well behaved, the people and bright lights and cluttered nature of the store meant that she was overstimulated. Luckily we only had a few things to get so we were in and out within a few hours (including lunch). Thank goodness you can purchase most things online or over the phone.

Kitty

Every girl needs a pair of leopard shoes...

And by girl, I am of course referring to Baby G. Check out these beauties I bought her today.

From Seed - where else?

Kitty

PS: And yes, I probably need to be reminded that babies don't actually wear shoes...

P.P.S: I went in to buy her eminently practical plain white leggings for under dresses...

Busted.

We had our new mattress delivered this morning. Within five minutes, this happened:

So busted, Mr Max.

Kitty

Pop!

Red Phoenix Emporium recently released their 2012 Summer "Pop" Collection - and I have to say I am struggling to choose my favourite piece. Really struggling. There are so many gorgeous necklaces in this collection and given my currently lifestyle, I can only really justify buying one at the moment... Well, maybe two...

Return of the Audrey features beautiful white baroque pearls, black faceted agate, crystal cubes, and smoky quartz. It's elegant, stylish and chic, but I wonder if it would life the monotony of my all black wardrobe?

Everything's Peachy features beautiful rose jade beads, crystal and white faceted agate and would be perfect for summer. However, given summer hasn't really arrived in Sydney (it's thunderstorming as I write this in my woollen cardigan) I'm not sure I'll get the wear out of this one, beautiful though it is. On the flipside, maybe I can manifest summer by wearing it?

The I'm a Sydney Shop Girl Too necklace is a special collaboration with the popular and ever so stylish blogger Sydney Shop Girl. Featuring shiny faceted navy agate, crystal cubes and baroque freshwater pearls, it can be worn long or as a short double strand necklace using the joiner clasp provided. It would be perfect worn with a nautical theme, which is oh so popular at the moment.

The Party like it's 1920 necklace features black and white smooth round agate and Chinese turquoise four petal cherry blossom flowers. You can wear this necklace wrapped twice around your neck or long, flapper style. I love the turquoise and really think you can dress this up or down.

The Crystals are Forever necklace is gorgeous. Featuring a triple strand of crystals, I could see myself getting a lot of wear from this one. It's trans-seasonal, and like diamonds, goes with everything. It reminds me of large chunks of ice strung around your neck. Very Bond Girl.

So... I'm thinking that perhaps The I'm a Sydney Shop Girl Too necklace might be my favourite... But there are still contenders. I think it'll have to ponder my decision a little further... Or maybe just buy them all...

What do you think?

Kitty

PS: You can enter the giveaway for the I'm a Sydney Shop Girl Too necklace over at SSG's Blog. In the words of the Immortal Faux Fuchsia, run, don't walk people!

The pavlova you have when you are too lazy to make a pavlova.

I like desserts. That's no secret. But with Baby G and her cranky time being in the evening at the moment, homemade puddings are few and far between for us right now.

When it comes to sweet things, I particularly like pavlova - it's a combination of textures and flavours that really appeals to me: the crunchiness of the meringue and the softness of the cream contrasts beautifully with the sharpness of the fruit.

But when you don't have the 15 minutes to whip up the egg whites and the sugar, an hour and a quarter to bake it and overnight to cool it, then this is almost as good. And it takes less than 10 minutes to whip the cream, crumble the meringues and chop the fruit. Bliss.

Miss Kitty's Layered Pavlova
Serves 2

4-6 store bought meringues or 2 meringue nests
200ml thickened cream
1 teaspoon vanilla paste or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (paste is better)
1/2 punnet strawberries
1/2 punnet raspberries (or a handful of frozen raspberries)
1/4 punnet blueberries

Chop the strawberries and place in a bowl with the raspberries and the blueberries. Stir to combine and set aside. Whip the cream and the vanilla until soft peaks are formed. Crumble two or three of the meringues into two serving glasses and top with half the cream. Divide most of the fruit between the two glasses then repeat the layers with the remaining meringues, cream and fruit.

You can make this with any fruit you like: mango, passionfruit, kiwi fruit, banana, peaches, nectarines, cherries... Whatever you have going spare in the fridge! It's absolutely delicious and worth the few minutes required for the assembly.

Kitty

True love is...

...Having someone to share the journey with.

Kitty

Three months

Dearest darling Georgina,

I can't remember a time before you were in our life. In just three short months you have changed us completely and I can't imagine being without you. Not for a moment, a minute, a heartbeat.

I remember the first time I held you. You were lifted above my head, howling and purple, and placed on my chest. I didn't know what to say. After 34 hours of labour I was tired, emotional, scared, terrified, relieved, ecstatic... But you looked directly into my eyes and that look conveyed everything that needed to be said. Love, devotion, happiness. It was just the three of us. Together.

It seems like only yesterday we brought you home from the hospital. I remember that day so well, even though every day since seems to be a blur. We drove you home from the hospital - I sat in the back of the car because I couldn't bear to be apart from you. We brought you into the house and placed you - asleep in your capsule - in the middle of the lounge room floor. We all sat around you, silent, admiring your beautiful little face. I remember thinking "I can't believe they let me leave hospital with you. Don't they know I have no idea what I am doing?" But together we have muddled through and we are both still okay. We must be doing something right.

Little Birdie, we love you so much. That cheeky grin, that happy disposition. You do something new every day. At the moment you are trying to pull yourself up to sit. You are imitating our words and rolling over. Already my tiny baby girl is growing up too fast. I cling to these precious moments of wonder and newness, knowing all too soon they will be distant memories.

We so longed for a baby and you certainly took your time coming to join our family. It was worth the wait, the pain, the heartache. Through the good times and bad, having you here has made me a better person. I couldn't have imagined how it feels being a mummy: it's almost as if every feeling I have had until now is magnified tenfold. I feel so much more - happiness is happier, sadness is unbearable. I'd do anything to protect you and my love for you is fierce. Now I appreciate fully what it means to love - because of you I love your Daddy more, my friends and family more and you. Always you.

Happy three months, my darling little girl.

Love,

Mummy xxx

Busy.

Apologies for my absence. I've been busy taking care of our little kitten. She's just adorable but our hands are well and truly full. Every waking moment, people.


I'm loving every minute though. Well perhaps not the all ones when she cries...

She turns three months old on Monday. I can't even remember life before she was born. The months have just flown by. I'll be back shortly. For the moment, enjoy these photos!

Kitty xx

Violets.

I saw this Jigsaw scarf before Christmas and I liked it. A lot. But not for $99. The colour is great, it's soft and fine and I love the floral motif. I wear so much basic black that it would be fabulous with my winter wardrobe so when it came on sale for $49 I snatched it up!

I don't wear much from Jigsaw at the moment - not that I don't like the clothes, it's more that they are a bit too formal for my style right now. But there are definitely a few tops in their range I am keen on. Perhaps my shopping mojo might be on it's way back again...

Kitty