My new obsession

I'm a teensy weensy bit addicted to Pinterest. I get almost giddy with delight at the thought of logging on at night and spending a few hours browing through the gorgeous and inspiring pins.

It's more restful than Facebook and requires less thought and care than blogging. Plus it's all about simply beautiful things.

Bliss.

Long weekend cooking

There's something incredibly liberating about having time to play around in the kitchen. Most weeknights it's just a mad rush to get everyone fed and it's hard to find the motivation to try something new or that takes time to pull together. So having the freedom to experiment with new recipes is wonderful.

Inspired by the new Gourmet Traveller and the cooler weather I embarked on a sausage and red wine risotto. A risotto that turned into a sausage and red wine stew/soup after I discovered we were out of arborio rice. Oops!

Lentils were substituted for the rice and I threw in some tinned tomato for good measure. The result was scrumptious - Mr Puddleduck didn't even complain about the lentils.

This morning I found the arborio rice. Oops!

Family of three?

What's wrong with this picture? A lot apparently. You see, according to my mother-in-law it would be entirely wrong of our little Puddleduck family to stay at three. This isn't because she simply wants more grandchildren. No, it's because only children are socially unacceptable and, frankly, awful.

I've spent all night trying to work out what offends people about only children? What about me offends my mother-in-law?

I know the stereotype - spoilt, lonely and unable to interact socially. So I wonder how she thinks I fit that?

My parents were careful not to spoil me with material things. I didn't ever want for anything - well, for a while I desperately wanted for a Sportsgirl t-shirt - but I certainly didn't get everything I ever asked for. Instead my parents showered me with love.

I was surrounded by friends and cousins and substitute siblings as I grew up. Our house was always full of fun and laughter - right up until I left home. I had friends and cousins who were like sisters - we played, we fought and we made up. I was never ever lonely. Even when I was alone, I had my imagination.

As for an inability to interact socially, well I guess I'll let friends and colleagues be the judge of that.

So why is it OK for people to judge only children? I've known quite a few and none of them fit the stereotype. So I simply don't see why it should be such an awful thing for Puddleduck to be an only child. Epsecially if Mr Puddleduck and I can do half as good a job raising her as my parents did with me.

Getting my Sarah Beeny on

I'm a little addicted to renovation shows. I love the idea of knocking down a wall here, putting in a new kitchen there and splashing about some paint. But I didn't ever intend to actually buy a renovator. Not least because I didn't ever think Mr Puddleduck would agree to it!


Yet that's exactly what we've done. We've bought a project. A run down higgledy piggledy upside down house.


While we wait for settlement we're trying hard to figure out how we want it to look at the end of the project. We have a very basic idea, but it's all a bit challenging having carte blanche over the layout and design.

If there's one thing I know, it's that I want a gorgeous chandelier like this one I saw on a trip to Malaysia. Divine!