A morning at the park with lovely friends, on a crisp and sunny autumnal day, is hard to beat. Especially when you throw in some raisins and a park bench, plus a few cheesy smiles and posing for the camera.CHEESY SMILES AT THE PARK
A morning at the park with lovely friends, on a crisp and sunny autumnal day, is hard to beat. Especially when you throw in some raisins and a park bench, plus a few cheesy smiles and posing for the camera.
WHAT PHINEY WORE
WHAT PHINEY WORE: Kitipongo Dress tk maxx // Handmade Cardigan // Tights h&m // Hair Bow happy circus // Desert Boots clarks (find similar here)
This week, Josephine is wearing the sweetest dress I found while rummaging the rails at TK Maxx. I have a love/hate relationship with that store. It's awesome if they have what you want in the right size, but so often you find the perfect piece and they only have one of them, three size too small. Ben shops there a lot for work clothes so I take a look in the kids section for Phiney when we go in. The reduced, past-season prices are always so reasonable, and sometimes you can snag a real bargain. When I bought this dress (for the grand sum of £12) I also found a soft grey Petit Bateau cardigan for next winter for just £10 (reduced from £65!). If you're happy to scour the rails, it's a great shopping destination, but if bargain hunting isn't your thing, i'd stay clear!
My Mum made Phiney this beautiful cardigan from a vintage design she found in her pattern stash. It coincidentally matches this dress so perfectly and I love it's longer length; perfect for autumn. Having my Mum on hand to whip up a cardigan in a matter of days is wonderful. Thank goodness for your pro-knitter Nanny, Phiney.
Finally, Josephine is the best model for my Happy Circus hair bow clips and I have to make her some more in other colours soon. They just look so sweet buried amongst her curls.
43/52
"A portrait of Josephine, once a week every week in 2013".I asked her to pull a face scary enough to rival our pumpkin's...
42/52: two very special portraits
"A portrait of my children, once a week every week in 2013".
Josephine: She will make the best big sister in the world, we have no doubt. Her heart is as full as ours with happiness, and she's so excited about having a baby to play games with.
Baby: Sweet little one, your first portrait. We are bursting with love for you already and cannot wait to welcome you into our arms, and into our family.
Due in late April 2014, we are so overjoyed to announce our special news. Feeling so blessed right now.
WHAT PHINEY WORE: bosca beauty
For many months now, I've received a lot of lovely emails and comments from you guys about the clothes Josephine wears. I'm not going to lie, dressing this girl is so much fun and searching for beautiful vintage, secondhand and unusual pieces for her is one of my absolute favourite pastimes.
It isn't always easy though. I find the majority of the shops on the high street stock small versions of (unappealing) adult styles, made poorly for a price that, in all honesty, I can't justify spending. And little girls (especially) dressed as adults is something that just doesn't sit well with me. I want traditional and classic pieces, in beautiful fabrics, prints and colours that I know I'm not going to see every other little girl wearing in the playground.
So, with so many of you asking where I find these great pieces I thought I'd start a new regular series called What Phiney Wore, in which I'll reveal some of my favourite stores (which I may later regret!) as well as some of the tricks of shopping for kiddos that I've learnt along the way.
Today, Josephine is wearing one of the most beautiful dresses in her wardrobe; The Bosca Dress from La Coqueta. If you haven't heard of this store yet, I urge you to go check out their online shop, or if you're in Hampstead in London, to drop in the store. Launched by inspirational Mama of five Celia in 2012, the brand stocks the most beautiful clothes for babies, girls and boys all proudly made in Spain. All you need to know is I could happily dress Josephine in every piece the store has on offer, and I've bought her the most fantastic winter coat too, which I have no doubt will be popping up in a What Phiney Wore post soon.
The Bosca Dress is beautifully made from a Liberty floral fabric, and I adore the little detailing of the lace trim on the lining inside and and the corduroy buttons on the front.
While Josephine's boots are Clarks Originals, if her wide little feet could squeeze into them, I'd surely be buying a pair (or two) of the desert boots from La Coqueta. And maybe a pair of Mary Janes too.
But it's not just the dresses and coats, shirts and shorts that La Coqueta have on offer. Celia has sourced the best collection of ribbed tights and long and short socks I've found, and Phiney has several pairs in her drawer. In beautiful colours, and of the highest quality, they are perfect for boys and girls alike.
Of course, I can't finish an outfit without a piece of vintage, and this chunky knit I found in a charity shop just after Josephine was born is the perfect piece to keep her warm on a crisp autumnal day.
13
All the laughter and adventures, all the tough times. It all got us to where we are, right now. Happier than ever; more in love, more infatuated.
Know that I will always be standing with you, holding your hand, squeezing it when you need me to. I am yours, forever. For eternity.
And I love you.
*our anniversary is actually tomorrow, but with fun plans and exciting times, who knows if I'd get the chance to blog. And I couldn't miss the opportunity to tell the world, once more, how awesome my boy is, and how much I love him.
Two of my favourite photos of Ben and Phiney, on holiday in the summer. Love.
41/52
"A portrait of Josephine, once a week every week in 2013".Always dancing. When she's sitting, when she's eating, when she's in the bath. Life is a disco for Josephine.
40/52: the outtakes
Because I spent about 45 minutes staring at the computer screen yesterday trying to decide which portrait to post for 40/52. Ben and I finally settled on her happy, smiling face, but these two show other sides of Josephine that I want to remember just as much, forever.
She is a beauty, inside and out, this girl of ours. Our hearts burst every second of every day with love for her.
40/52
"A portrait of Josephine, once a week every week in 2013".She has the kindest soul. I've mentioned it here before, i'm sure. She'll squeeze your legs and offer 'cuddle?' if you let slip the slightest sigh or moan. I believe kindness to be one of the most sacred things in the world, and it makes us burst with pride to watch it become one of Josephine's strongest traits.
39/52
"A portrait of Josephine, once a week every week in 2013".Conversations and a picnic with Jenny in the tent. As the autumnal rain pours down, is there anywhere more cosy?
The second portrait in the tent. Look at our tiny bird back in February. The summer sun helped her grow into a toddler, for sure.
APPLES
Current obsessions? Apples and playing on Mama and Daddy's bed. Put the two together and you've got a very happy Josephine.
AUTUMN
Oh, autumn. You are my favourite season for sure. The cooler temperatures and the need to wrap up; knits and tights and boots; the promise of Christmas. And the blackberry and apple crumble. Nothing like a spot of blackberry picking at the meadow to get those autumnal juices flowing.
I'm sorry for being rather absent round here the last few weeks. Doing a full time freelance job, whilst being a full time Mama is pretty crazy. Especially when you have a poorly baby, like we did this week. Mostly though, it's all going rather smoothly and the money is absolutely worth it. Plus I'm nearly halfway through, thank goodness.
This week I'm going to try and squeeze in more blogging though. I miss this space and I miss you guys. It's going to be a big week; I shoot my first wedding on Friday and I'm both crazy excited and crazy nervous. I can't wait to share more with you all.
Thanks for sticking around, and I hope you all have a fantastic week xx
38/52
"A portrait of Josephine, once a week every week in 2013".Josephine in the box.
37/52
"A portrait of Josephine, once a week every week in 2013".That, up there, is a moment of true magic. One I doubt I'll ever forget. That, up there, is a picture of Josephine and her cat, Teeny.
One afternoon this week, I was tapping away at the computer while Josephine was happily playing. Suddenly she took my hand, exclaiming 'cat! cat!' Puzzled, I stood up and let her show me what she was so excited about. She led me to the fireplace, laid down and pointed at the tiles in front of her.
Josephine: 'Cat! Cat!'
Mama: Where darling?
Josephine: There!
Mama: In front of you? Wow! How big is it?
Josephine: This! (making a very small shape with her hands)
Mama: Oh! And what colour is it?
Josephine: Red!
Mama: And what's it's name?
Josephine: (thinking about it carefully) Teeny!
Mama: It's name is Teeny? Wow!
Her first imaginary pet/friend. It was an extraordinary moment, that was so wonderful. She was so excited, and she sat looking and talking to Teeny the Cat, like this, for about ten minutes. My camera happened to be on the table and I snapped these shots.
Teeny has been with us all week. He mostly lives in her cot, and they play when she goes to bed. Ben and I listen with glee as we hear her talking to him ('hello cat!') across her monitor.
This girl. She blows our minds every day.
SPONSORED POST: the eden project
We've been meaning to visit the Eden Project whilst on our Cornish adventures for years now, but have never quite got there. This year, thanks to Superbreak, we finally made it and I'm so glad we did.
It drizzled a little here and there, but it made no difference at all. Especially once we meandered through the beautiful displays of plants, flowers and art into the Rainforest and Mediterranean Biomes. We strolled round the Mediterranean Biome first, taking in the sights, sounds and smells; Josephine 'ooohhing' and 'aaahhhing' over the pretty flowers. The winding pathways ensured you were always moving, always seeing something new. We were lucky enough to find a few wooden stumps where we could sit and enjoy our little picnic while listening to the water trickle into a nearby pond. Josephine adored eating her sandwiches there, looking this way and that at all there was to see.
Next we entered the Rainforest Biome, and it really felt like we were transported right into the heart of some tropical jungle. The heat and humidity hit us instantly, while the giant butterflies swooped round our heads. We followed the paths up into the canopies of the trees, stopping to read genuinely interesting facts about rainforest life. The heat soon got too much for our sleepy explorer and she fell asleep in my arms.
As Josephine snoozed, Ben and I carried on wandering through the gardens outside. The rows of lavender were beautiful. As was the hillside covered in striking sunflowers. But my favourite was the wild flower meadow (the last picture). I want our entire garden to look like that please.
It was a great day, and I would definitely recommend it as a place to visit if you're ever in the depths of Cornwall. The message really resonated with Ben and I and (if you're anything like me, this is an important factor) the shop at the end was awesome :)
It drizzled a little here and there, but it made no difference at all. Especially once we meandered through the beautiful displays of plants, flowers and art into the Rainforest and Mediterranean Biomes. We strolled round the Mediterranean Biome first, taking in the sights, sounds and smells; Josephine 'ooohhing' and 'aaahhhing' over the pretty flowers. The winding pathways ensured you were always moving, always seeing something new. We were lucky enough to find a few wooden stumps where we could sit and enjoy our little picnic while listening to the water trickle into a nearby pond. Josephine adored eating her sandwiches there, looking this way and that at all there was to see.
Next we entered the Rainforest Biome, and it really felt like we were transported right into the heart of some tropical jungle. The heat and humidity hit us instantly, while the giant butterflies swooped round our heads. We followed the paths up into the canopies of the trees, stopping to read genuinely interesting facts about rainforest life. The heat soon got too much for our sleepy explorer and she fell asleep in my arms.
As Josephine snoozed, Ben and I carried on wandering through the gardens outside. The rows of lavender were beautiful. As was the hillside covered in striking sunflowers. But my favourite was the wild flower meadow (the last picture). I want our entire garden to look like that please.
It was a great day, and I would definitely recommend it as a place to visit if you're ever in the depths of Cornwall. The message really resonated with Ben and I and (if you're anything like me, this is an important factor) the shop at the end was awesome :)
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