The Sitting Lamp

My Graeme (puffing chest with pride here) has launched his Sitting Lamp today and for the very first time will be taking private orders. You can mail me natashahappyduck@gmail.com if you want one of these puppies. I will hook you up. 

He is already in communication with buyers & stores, so I'm not sure how long he will be 'allowed' to handle private orders. This is very exciting. I am SO PROUD of him. He's already got the next design in production for gosh sakes. He makes me feel really bad. When I am sitting on the couch watching Twilight and hanging out on the facebook  -he is doing all this cool stuff with his time. Yes.

This pretty little lamp will be featured in the Visi December issue too. Obviously I will scan and post that article as soon as I get my eager little hands on it. 

So I'm writing a book, Graeme is designing furniture, the kids are being awesome and we're about to go on holiday. Things are pretty much delightful right now.

Benjamin's first birthday party at home.

I made these birthday jars with layered chocolate pudding and smarties

Pudding jars

Bunting was a free alphabet printable from In Good Company

That chalk board used to say "What would Spiderman do?" Obvious case of vandalism.

What is it, what is it?

I love this! Thanks Gaga & Lester!

Best. Present. Ever. He LOVES this

Exploring some new toys

My beautiful mom (Gaga)

Ben is infatuated with his uncle Paul

Hand the camera over! Ben checking out Paul's tattoo

I love my brother xx

My mom being pretty

Proud birthday parents

Marshmellows for breakfast? It must be my birthday!

First I was like .... then I was like !

Lesson #one

Picture: Pinterest

Nice finds at Mr Price this weekend. I think I missed my calling as a Mr Price model. I'm expecting Amber Jones on the phone any minute.

Laced-up, Mr P

Hat: Mr P Ben: Product of Natasha Clark

Swallow print dress detail

Shades and beach top: Mr P. Shorts: Finch

Pom-Pom shot for my Claire. Inside joke.

Bits and bunny bobs

p

Amber Jones and friends: Come live in my cupboard.

Pick me, oh please pick me.

Be still my beating heart. Angie is running the best giveaway that your face has ever seen on Lucky Pony, her (really nice) blog. I don't really really want to repost this, because I must.have it. MUUUUUUUUUUUST. 

But, because I am a good blogger and a nice friend (and have signed an imaginary code of blogger conduct & ethics), I will tell you all about it. Here goes. 

Starling and Hero is a little business that restores old bicycles. This in from Angie:

"What’s cool about Starling & Hero is that you can pick every part of your bike from what colour you want the seat, the fenders, the frame, then bell, if you want a wicker basket (obviously you want a wicker basket), you can together with them design the whole thing right off their site and then they take whatever you have given them, whether it be your old bike, or just a vintage frame and turn it into a shiny piece of magic awesome."

Hop on over to her blog for the finer details on how you can win this, but like... Please don't win, OK? I could really just kill bunnies. Fluffy ones.

Far. A long, long way to run.

I am having a 'The Sound Of Music' day. I am a huge fan of musicals. It just occured to me that I haven't shown this beautiful piece of film to the kids yet. I sing 'Do re me' to Benjamin at night and he really just loves it. 

So I've decided what to get him for his birthday. A little hi-fi for his room and the soundtrack to 'The Sound of Music". And because Noah also needs a present for Rabbit's birthday... He is getting the DVD to add to his collection. I just know in my heart of hearts that he is going to love it just as much as I did and still do. Want to pep up your day? Listen to 'Do Re Me' by clicking here. 

Mother of the year attempt number 274.

I used to follow a meal plan with Noah when he was one. Then Bunny hopped in to the picture and any hint of routine that existed at home got put away in a cupboard for a while. It became a case of each man for himself. Thank goodness Noah could reach the refrigerator by then, otherwise he might not have made it.

Now that Ben is (almost) one, he is pretty much eating the same things that his big brother does. This is a very loose meal plan that we can all follow and the main reason I'm doing this again is for grocery shopping. So I don't wander around checkers for seven hours trying to figure out what I'm making for dinner next Tuesday night. You know? 

Obviously this will change and adapt but it's good to have a guideline, especially for the boys and so that Alice has some mommy assistance. Shame I can just see the poor chick staring in to the fridge every afternoon, wondering what the hell you can make with two tomatoes and half a bottle of chutney. OK it's not that bad. I am a bit unorganized and that's OK. I'm fixing it, see? This is just a draft, for next week, to get Alice and I back in to the vibe. It worked so well with Noah for over a year. Really.

I haven't run this past a nutritionist or anything. I need to work in more fresh fish, and beetroot and raisins and stuff. We aren't big meat eaters. I live in a house full of rabbits, so I think this is too much. We'll see how it goes. Maybe just tiny, baby-sized meat portions.

I've created a shopping list off this plan and I'll let you know if it worked out cheaper and if the groceries lasted as long. From what I remember with Noah's plan, it did work out being a lot less expensive with no waste. I'd rather have too little than too much. I really can't stand wasting money. It irks me out. Even throwing a rotten cucumber away makes me realize that I've deprived a hungry person somewhere.

Graeme looked at this and was like "Awesome. Hot chocolate every night." and I'm all "Noooo only on Sundays! It's in the plan." and he was all "Pish, whatever". He knows it works though. Deep down. He knows.

Please can I have a "good mommy" gold star on my face? Right now.

Picking up chicks.

Nina and Noah, taken months apart by Ninasaycheese

Remember I posted this picture of all the boys' little sentimental bits and bobs? The idea and picture were all from the totally nice Vanessa over at Ninasaycheese. Here is Nina's picture above too. How pretty? So one day when Nina and Noah get married, I will show them this picture. Yes. And they will love and treasure it forever. Because I said so.

Vanessa also put a super-duper mini interview and pictures up on her blog about my Little and Bunny. Check it out! 

I can't wait to hang out with her & Nina at the Rabbit's party on Saturday. They're such cool chickens. I'm so happy that I'm making more friends (that are also mommies) in Joburg. Like my friend Christy said when she also made new friends: "I'm picking up chicks everywhere!" Man I laughed. Sometimes a playdate and meeting another really nice mom can get so complicated. Will she call? Did she like me? How long do I wait before I mail her? Maybe my kids were too loud.... No? Just me? Whatever.