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Love's beautiful pixie hat arrived yesterday afternoon. It was a little tricky to take her photograph with the pixie hat on her little head without her trying to pull it off... That was until she had a FaceTime conversation with her Australian grandmother (who I overhead telling Love that she looked like a gumnut baby).

Oh how adorable our little Love looks with her scrunched up smile and pointed elf hat. Many thanks to the lovely Greer Worsley for hand knitting this beautiful woollen hat in time for our chilly wintry beach walk and also to Jodi Wilson for hosting the Typically Red giveaway on her blog, Practising Simplicity.

I want to give thanks to these ladies, including Katherine, an old friend of mine, for sharing their love of homemade, hand stitched clothing. Katherine writes a few blogs, most notably, Lamb Loves Fox however, she also writes Crochetlatte, which is where I found her pattern for a beginner's crocheted baby bonnet. I am currently stitching my first crochet project for my friend's newborn baby boy with Katherine's easy pattern and am thrilled to see this garment come together between my clumsy fingers, in-between breastfeeding and my other typical mama duties.

My next projects will be a bonnet for Love, a pale olive jacket (eek!) and hopefully Susie the Reindeer (if I haven't gone mad). x

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23/52 The River House

A portrait of my family, once a week, every week, in 2013

Coco: Content to relax in the morning light by the river, she is pictured here looking towards the bone treasures she hid in the garden.

On a crisp winter morning we rose from the warm comfort of our little bed to wander along the bank of the slow moving river. The earth was damp and cool under my bare feet, forcing me to hop back towards the river house to find a pair, any old pair of shoes.

I love to visit the river house in the winter time. The sunlight plays on the water as it hops from one ripple to the next and the whole scene is quiet and calm as nearby floating ducks create wake triangles downstream. Here I sit on the weathered bench and close my eyes. I listen. The distinct sounds of nature can be heard: The musical trill from the birds on the island; the gentle rustle of dry leaves in the breeze and the rhythmic lapping of the gentle ripples against the pontoon and embankment that was built to prevent flooding onto the perfectly manicured lawn.

I stretch slowly, deliberately as I inhale deeply. My worries drift downstream with the ever flowing current and I feel serenity. I have my health, my greatest love, my family, my life to be thankful for and I make a silent promise to myself to come back here. Soon.

My favourite portraits from last week's link up with Jodi's 52 project are of these sweet faces, from the magic of bubbles to the cheeky expression and tiny toes. These are precious images. I was also struck by the humour and sweet nature of this little one as she bathes her brother in the kitchen sink.

Less than one week remains to enter our giveaway. If you haven't entered yet, the link may be found here. I will announce the winner on the 17th of June, 2013. Good luck my dear blogging friends and check back soon for another fantastic giveaway that I'm bursting to share with you all... As my readership grows, so too does my excitement with our giveaways.

You're going to love it!

Bella xx

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