Parents

I don't think I say it enough, but I love my parents, who they are and what they do... but mostly how their cup is just overflowing with love.

This is them, on their beach where I got married.

Team Toscana

The view from the pool


Mad Men, complete with theme tune courtesy of Tim


Race!

Ahhhhh yeeeeeeh. So another brilliant idea from the Mazzetti Higginson duo (now trio) to go to Tuscany for a week staying in a beautiful villa called Tizzano outside the tiny town of Barberino Val D'Elsa with 11 great friends... and that's exactly what we did.

Relaxation, plenty of local food and wine, a few excursions, some seriously competitive doggy paddle races and some incredible company. Not forgetting a beautiful 1 year old who charmed the pants off us all. Oh and the awesome Mad Men dress up night we had...

Lee and I flew to Pisa for one night before we met the rest and stayed in this awesome Medieval dated hotel (not rough at all) called The Royal Victoria Hotel, it reminded me of our Galle Face Hotel only this one knew how to capitalise on it's history. It was right on the river and Lee and I had a great time in the Piazza the night we arrived, getting drunk with the locals.

We just got back from the holiday and I wish I could go back in time, it was such a lush time, but moreso to be able to hang out with the wonderful Glyn and Ella - so sad to say goodbye...

Pictures....

Fforest Carnival

3-legged race with Tom and Guy either doing badly or really well.


The Jim and the Katharine.

So in the grandest celebrations possible we threw and had a MASSIVE carnival party over 3 days at Fforest, Wales (Lee's dad Bobby's place) to celebrate Helena's 30th, Bobby's 60th and Lee's 34th. My folks came, so did Ashvin and Alex and so many of our other bodacious dudes... it was hilarious with a Mad Hatter's Tea Party, Carnival and general merriment in the field. Pizza's, paella's, Prosecco...mmmm.

The been and gone summer

What a summer it has been, crazy to try and summarise it in a few lines but it really sped past me. I am in total denial that it is the middle of September though the grey clouds and slightly wintry air give it away somewhat.

This has been the summer of DIY - never before have I put these gentle hands to such labour (drama queen anyone?). We moved into our gorgeous little flat in Maida Hill but not before refurbing most of it, from new floors to painting the place and assembling furniture and buying antiques - every living free moment went on the flat but now as I sit here, it feels so worth it. Such a strange feeling to move into your 'home' before it really feels like yours... it's like 'that's not my toilet', 'that's not my bed'.

Still, what I love most, is that we built and designed almost everything ourselves - including this gorgeous book shelf which was Lee's idea, black baroque flower wallpaper with thick pine shelves we picked from the timber yard and most importantly, tiny aluminium roll bolts to support, each one made by Lee in his lunch hour.