365 CHALLENGE: DAY FORTY TWO

11TH DAY THEME: MISTAKE

THINKING THIS BOWL OF STRAWBERRIES WITH LEMON JUICE WAS GOING TO LAST WAS OBVIOUSLY A BIG MISTAKE. 

THEY WERE DELICIOUS.

365 CHALLENGE: DAY THIRTY NINE

8TH DAY'S THEME: WATER

365 CHALLENGE: DAY THIRTY SIX

5TH DAY THEME: SQUARE

ART IN THE STUDIO. 

MY VERY MUCH LOVED BENJAMIN LACOMBE'S SNOW WHITE, NEXT TO A TOLKIEN'S QUOTE. I HAVE A FEW OF THOSE FRAMES PEPPERING THE STUDIO WITH INSPIRATIONAL SENTENCES AND EVOCATIVE ILLUSTRATIONS. 

THEY'RE NOT NEARLY ENOUGH. 

365 CHALLENGE: DAY THIRTY FIVE

4TH DAY THEME: CHILDHOOD

MY OLD STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE FIGURINES! I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MANY HOURS I SPENT PLAYING WITH THEM. I THINK I STILL HAVE THEIR LITTLE HOUSES PACKED SOMEWHERE. I ONLY HAD THOSE FOUR, BUT A FEW MONTHS AGO, I TRIED TO COMPLETE MY COLLECTION AND GET A FEW MORE OF THEM ONLINE. BUT HONESTLY, THEIR PRICE WAS KIND OF RIDICULOUS, I COULDN'T JUSTIFY THIS SORT OF EXPENSE OUT OF CAPRICIOUSNESS.  

I LIKE THE OLD VERSION OF STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE BETTER THAN THE NEW ONE. I'M A TRADITIONALIST! ALTHOUGH I HAVE TO ADMIT THAT HER NEW OUTFIT MAKES WAY MORE SENSE THAN THE OLDER ONE, SHE ALSO LOOKS OLDER NOW, NO LONGER THAT SWEET PRETEEN GIRL OF MY MEMORY. 

I GUESS THAT'S BECAUSE PRETEEN GIRLS NOWADAYS LOOK NOTHING LIKE WE USED TO LOOK AT THEIR AGE. I'M FEELING REALLY OLD, RIGHT NOW!

365 CHALLENGE: DAY THIRTY

PRETTY LAMP IN MY SISTER'S SITTING ROOM. 

IT'S A PRESENT FROM A VERY LOVED FRIEND OF OURS, BROUGHT WITH HER WHEN SHE CAME BACK FROM STUDYING IN GRANADA. SHE BROUGHT A PAIR OF THEM, AND WHEN SHE FOUND SHE WAS EXPECTING, PLACED THEM IN THE NURSERY. THEIR LIGHT IS WARM AND RELAXING, THE NURSERY WAS THE PERFECT CHOICE.

A FEW MONTHS LATER, MY SISTER GOT PREGNANT TOO, SO OUR FRIEND GIFTED HER ONE OF THE LAMPS SO THEY COULD BOTH NURSE THEIR BABIES UNDER THE SAME LIGHT.

SISTERHOOD IS NOT A MATTER OF BLOOD, IS A MATTER OF THOUGHTFULNESS...

365 CHALLENGE: DAY TWENTY FOUR

IT'S FREAKING COLD HERE, RIGHT NOW. WE'RE NOT USED TO SUCH LOW TEMPERATURES, WE HAVE LOVELY WEATHER ALL YEAR ROUND, SO THIS SITUATION IS NEW AND UNEXPECTED. I'M ENJOYING IT, I LOVE ME SOME SOME BLANKETS AND WOOL SOCKS, BUT NOT EVERYBODY IS AS EXCITED AS I AM.

I HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF THE BLANKET SITUATION IN OUR SITTING ROOM. IT'S GETTING OUT OF HAND! I'M THINKING ABOUT USING ONE OF THOSE LOVELY WOOD LADDERS TO DISPLAY THEM WITHOUT VISUALLY CLUTTERING THE SPACE, AND SO FAR THIS IS THE BEST SOLUTION I'VE COME UP WITH. IF WE GO WITH THIS IDEA, THE LADDER WILL BE PROPPED AGAINST THIS WHITE WALL, AND OUR LIVELY  ANTHURIUM WON'T BE THE ONLY NOTE OF COLOUR IN THIS CORNER. 

I HAVE SO MANY IDEAS FOR SPRUCING UP MY HOME, RIGHT NOW! MUST BE THE UPCOMING SPRING!

365 CHALLENGE: DAY EIGHTEEN

A LITTLE DASH OF COLOUR GOES A BIG WAY...

365 CHALLENGE: DAY THIRTEEN

ENJOYING THE PRETTY COLOURS AT HOME.  

RIGHT NOW I HAVE A LOT OF GORGEOUS PLANTS INSIDE, SO MANY I'M ALWAYS FORGETTING TO WATER ONE OR ANOTHER. IT' STRESSES ME A LITTLE BIT, BUT SOME OF THEM SEEM TO ACTUALLY LIKE IT BETTER THIS WAY, AND IT'S MAKING ME THINK THAT MAYBE, JUST MAYBE, I WAS KIND OF DROWNING THEM A LITTLE, BEFORE...

I'M REALLY FOND OF ORCHIDS, AND I USED TO HAVE AN AMAZING ONE NOT TOO LONG AGO. THE CRAZY AMOUNT OF FLOWERS IT USED TO HAVE, OMG! IN FACT,  I LOST THE ORCHID BECAUSE IT HAD ALMOST THIRTY FLOWERS IN ONE BRANCH AND IT WEIGHTED SO MUCH THE BRANCH BROKE AND THE PLANT DIED. I HAVEN'T MANAGED TO ACHIEVE THE SAME RESULT WITH ANOTHER ORCHID SINCE. 

NOW I HAVE A QUITE NICE ARRANGEMENT OF PLANTS I ROTATE AROUND. I'M GOING TO TAKE A FEW PINTURES OF MY CAMELLIAS NEXT, THEY'RE SO CUTE!

OK, I FOUND ONE PICTURE OFTHE ORCHID IN MY ARCHIVES, AND I'M GOING TO POST IT HERE SO WE CAN ALL MOURN IT PROPERLY.

WAS IT AMAZING OR WHAT?  

365 CHALLENGE: DAY ELEVEN

LOVELY BRUCH WITH OUR LOVELY LAURA...

ISN'T HER DESS THE MOST GORGEOUS DRESS EVER? I'M SO, SO IN LOVE WITH IT...

365 CHALLENGE: DAY TEN

HAPPY TIMES...

365 CHALLENGE: DAY NINE

LUNCH AT OUR FAVOURITE RESTAURANT.  AN ALMOST WEEKLY DATE THAT WE TRY TO MAKE TIME FOR, AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. IS OUR "US TIME" THOUGH WE LOVE TO SHARE IT WITH OUR NEPHEW IF WE CAN. WE'LL MAKE A SUSHI FIEND OF HIM, JUST WAIT AND SEE. 

365 CHALLENGE: DAY EIGHT

I FIND ROUTINE PRETTY COMFORTING.  I KNOW IT CAN MAKE SOME PEOPLE FEEL CONSTRAINED OR LEAD THEM TO BELIEVE THEY'RE LIVING A BORING LIFE, BUT THAT'S NOT MY CASE. 

I'M CRAVING THE SWEET, SWEET SERENITY OF OUR EVERYDAY LIFE. WE'VE HAD ONE OF THE MOST EXHAUSTING CHRISTMASES EVER, AND I THINK THAT GETTING BACK INTO OUR PROGRAMMED SCHEDULE IS GOING TO HELP US ALL A LOT. 

I'LL MISS THE LONG AFTERNOONS FILLED WITH LAUGHTER, THOUGH. WELL, YOU CAN'T ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU WANT...

365 CHALLENGE: DAY SIX

¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡FELIZ DÍA DE LOS REYES MAGOS!!!!!!!!

365 CHALLENGE: DAY FIVE

THE PARADE. WE HAD THE BEST TIME AND THE BEST COMPANY. THIS IS TURNING INTO ONE OF OUR MOST LOVED ACTIVITIES EVERY YEAR FOR CHRISTMAS. 

THANK YOU, PACO AND MARISA, FOR LETTING US SHARE THE HAPPINESS WITH YOUR LOVELY FAMILY!!!!!

365 CHALLENGE: DAY ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY EIGHT

MY NEPHEW'S SECRET HIDEOUT.

IT MUST RUN IN THE FAMILY. WHEN I WAS A KID, MY FAVOURITE PLACE TO PLAY AND READ WAS UNDER THE TABLE. 

GENETICS ARE FUN LIKE THAT. 

365 CHALLENGE: DAY ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY FIVE

THE CUPBOARD...

365 CHALLENGE: DAY ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY THREE

THE DOOR TO THE COUNTRY HOUSE LOOKS LIKE THE ENTRANCE OF A MAGIC GARDEN. 

IF I HAVE TO BE HONEST, SOMETIMES THE WHOLE PLACE ALSO FEELS LIKE A DREAMY RETREAT, A PLACE WHERE YOU CAN HIDE AND BE APART FROM EVERYTHING. I'M LEARNING TO VALUE IT MORE AND MORE, AS I GROW OLDER. (AND WISER, I HOPE!) 

365 CHALLENGE: DAY ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY TWO

MAKING MEMORIES.

365 CHALLENGE: DAY ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY FOUR

DREAMS MADE OF VITAMINS!!!!!!

365 CHALLENGE: DAY ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHT THREE

WHEN I HAVE THOSE IN FRONT OF ME, I CAN'T HELP BUT THINK: "GAZPACHO!" WITH ALL MY HEART.