aug, 29th - 34/52....

the 52 project: "a portrait of the girls, once a week, every week in 2013"

day 1296 / 395:

Limi and Claya: sitting in their dress-up trunk....

they already have such an interesting sibling bond.....so close and sometimes too close when they push away a little to get their freedom. i couldn't have asked for Limi to handle the arrival of a baby sister any better.....she's shown so little jealousy and mainly been incredibly caring and thoughtful from the start. for our part, we try hard never to pitch them against each other.....never to say 'act more like your sister'......i hope that they can grow up to be best friends and always understand how special their relationship is.

ones that caught my eye this week......

• che and poet
• this little girl at the Thai coke machine

aug, 27th - licky chops....

day 1294 / 393:

we revisited quite a few of our old favourites over the weekend. after Mudchute Farm {see day 1290 / 391} a group of us descended onto Licky Chops a pop-up, Summer restaurant in the Climpson's Arch.

i spent my birthday here this year {see day 1228 /327}

the food was just as fantastic as the last time. i struggle to describe how much flavour is cooked into the simplest dishes here. the menu paid homage to Notting Hill Carnival and we had incredible jerk pork, beer-can chicken, salt cod curry and in fact one of the most delicious dishes was the rice with beans and peas......it was packed with warmth and reminded me of home (South Africa).

i could honestly come here again and again and again. the simple, yet interesting food and decor in a very industrial setting....and the bonus being that it's pretty kid friendly.

you can read more about Climpson's Arch and Licky Chops here and here.

aug, 25th - mudchute farm....

day 1290 / 391:

we had a long weekend in the UK and wanted to do some fun things with the girls. Claya is obsessed with animals at the moment so we had thought about taking her here but some friends suggested that we try Mudchute Farm instead.

Mudchute, is a vast, open, urban farm space on the Isle of Dogs, with Canary Wharf in the background. it houses chickens, geese, sheep, llamas, donkeys, ponies, goats, pigs, ducks and even a horse riding stable. i did a bit of reading up on the farm and love where the name originated from: during the 1860s, Millwall Dock was constructed nearby and the excavation was dumped on what is now Mudchute, using a conveyor system. "The end of this system, where the rich Thames mud was deposited, was literally a mud chute, and the area of fertile, hilly land thus created became known as "The Mudchute". "

i loved the contrast of the farm setting with high finance towers in the background.

it was a great success with the girls. they loved every second....feeding animals....picking blackberries.....running through fields and splashing in muddy puddles. Claya was especially besotted by the sheep although as with every other animal, she insisted that the sheep either bark or roar.

it's another great find in London and worth venturing out to for some farmyard frolicking. you can find out more here.

aug, 22nd - kempton park racecourse.....

day 1287 / 388:

we haven't made it back to Sunbury Antiques Market lately {see day 1223 / 322}(although, we really should be capitalising on the fact that we're up at five am anyway so, could could easily catch the early morning treasures) ....but i never did get a chance to share the pics from our last visit.....so, here they are.

this market really is a gem. it's held every second and fourth Tuesday of the month and I could easily visit each and every time. it's a friendly, unpretentious place full of genuine treasures. 

there is a broad range of things to linger over from stalls inside selling trinkets, glass, clothes and silver, to a large space outside with rows of vans that have poured their contents onto the tarmac. i'm told that many of the stall owners travel across from Europe for the day which doesn't surprise me given how interesting and diverse the stock is.

it's worth taking the time to chat to the stall owners as they generally know their stuff and can usually be persuaded to give you a better price. although, i Strongly advise you to take your own flask of coffee and snacks....the only food option attracts a long queue and the coffee certainly doesn't have enough kick to take the edge off the early start.

aug, 19th - claya turns one....

day 1285 / 386:

while i was having a blog break, Claya turned one. 

on the day of her actual birthday both A and i had to work so, we opened presents in bed (Limi did most of the opening) and then Claya and Limi each had a cupcake for breakfast.......

after about the fifth rendition of 'Happy Birthday', Claya started to understand that all the fuss was actually for her! although, i do think that she was more taken with the idea of cake for breakfast!

(i'll post pics of her birthday party later this week!)

aug, 18th - 33/52....

the 52 project: 'a portrait of the girls, once a week, every week (ish) in 2013'

day 1284 / 385:

i can't believe it's been almost a month since i lasted posted......i was focusing on Claya's first birthday and the launch of our company (more about that soon)....and there just didn't seem to be any time to do this space justice......but now.....i'm keen to give this space a revamp and some new energy....thanks for still stopping by.

Limi: we've had such an amazing Summer in London and so much of it spent in parks. this pic sums it up for me.....struggling to keep clothes on Limi, glorious sunshine, bubbles, water, water bombs.....these two girls seem to have squeezed every last drop of sunshine out of this Summer.

Claya: she's so proud of standing....she's practising her steps but still prefers to crawl....(i think standing is just for the applause and whoops that she gets)

ones that caught my eye this week:

a boy with his bus

beautiful light

this silhouette