Back in the pink

This rose is the first to flower in our new home. We planted it last year and have been waiting patiently ever since. It opened on Saturday, glad I think to feel the sun shining again. Every summer in our previous home we would pick the first rose of the summer and give it to my oldest daughter to press. We had done this every year since she was a little toddler and I was hoping that the tradition would continue. Well, the intrepid explorer returned from her Italian adventures on Sunday and the rose was there waiting for her! Pretty, pink and blooming.



The rest of the garden is coming into its pink phase too and I'm loving it. We now have some pink foxgloves, the geraniums are in flower and the lavatera that we planted to brighten up a corner under the fig tree has just begun to bloom too.
Sunday was spent lazing around the garden listening to my daughter's holiday tales - well that was the plan. The reality was that for three hours she lay asleep on the grass, waking only for food and drink. Italy - the land of art, culture and wonderful food and what did we get? Tales of running around in bikinis during thunderstorms, awful hotel food, rude shaped pasta and 24 hour coach trips. Today, however, when she'd caught up on sleep and eaten the contents of the fridge, she did tell me that yes, Verona, Venice and Lake Garda were every bit as beautiful as she'd imagined! It's good to have her back.



On Saturday I was able to get on with making some more things, having had a very quiet time craft-wise over half-term. My youngest and I had had a lovely few days together, despite the rotten weather and it was a real treat being able to spend time with her. Perhaps all her girliness rubbed off on me as the first thing I made was this pink and lilac girl's bag. It's got a little pink butterfly on it too, now I wouldn't mind a few of them flying round my garden!



I had some fabric left over from the bag and decided to make these two pompoms. I think I'll put them in my Etsy shop before my girls grab them!