We've had a whirlwind of activity here in the last few weeks, so much so that I've hardly had time to sit down and catch up! Most importantly, Finnlay turned one. Big boy!

A whole year! It's amazing to see how different he is to his big sister at the same age. He is stronger, bigger, more demanding. But he is also less confident, more affectionate. The sweetest little boy. He loves his sister, his family. He loves Peppa Pig. He loves saying "go". He has an amazing abundance of love to give, and approaches everything with a soft kindness that amazes me.


I haven't spent nearly as much time in front of a computer as I normally do. It is a wonderful thing. These days I spend most of my time making soap, playing in the garden with the children, attending markets or exhibiting at shows. We paint, we play in the sandpit, we chase Finnlay around as he climbs anything taller than himself - the slide, steps, chairs. I do spend some time doing work work, but it's wonderfully liberating to be moving away from that.


We've also been doing events, including a huge market at Southend Festival, loads of soapmaking, family visiting from South Africa and visitors staying from the West Coast, we've had the summer arrive with gloriously hot days and long sunny nights, and an occasional moment for crafting.


Here's a sneak peek of what I've been working on: a house number made with cut stained glass. I hope to put our stamp on our home as we slowly transform it from an ancient mosaic of different styles and eras. There seems to be an endless supply of walls that need stripping, wallpaper that needs peeling off, and layers upon layers of old tiles that are coming out. Small projects like these rainbow-coloured house numbers are an excellent way to feel like we're making progress in amongst the never-ending big jobs.

Finnlay turning one marks a year that we've been in this house too - golly, a whole year! Next on our project to-do list is: bedroom cupboards (oh the promise of the luxury of storage!) and a new bathroom to put in a shower upstairs. How exciting. Watch this space.