five on friday. otherwise known as thursday.

1. so bee and i have been working through the fsi amharic course, and i am pleased to report that we are making great strides (by which i mean we can say 'hello' and 'thank you' and 'oxen,' the last of which is bound to come in handy, i just know it).





2. from september through april i pad around the house in terry slippers and jeans and a fleece zipped to my chin. it's been blustery dark with lightning and a side of cold, the wind slicking petals to our glass.

sometimes you just gotta cook up your own sunshine, all lemony cream:




turkish bath towel : posy pins : goatsmilk soap : vintage dress
rosette broach : surfer photograph : zesty marshmallows : embroidered wall flower
sunflower print : porcelain dishes : giclee print : rain&sunshine letterpress
buttercream cookie-wiches : yellow dog canvas art : vintage minolta camera : boards print


3. it has only taken me thirty-four years to admit that while i'm right fond of the idea of cadbury eggs, the reality of all that sugary muck makes me a bit queasy. sad story.


4. i did not keel over from the yellow fever vaccine this morning, which always makes for a fine day.


5. in a fit of celebration over my survival in number four, i came home and hammered up this enat necklace. i'm so fond of the thing, i thought it’d be fun to do a shiny little mother’s day giveaway to one happy commenter. (enat equals mama in amharic, but i’d be happy to customize yours with mother or nana or grandmum or aunt tilly, as applicable.)





the sterling heart will be hammered and lightly blackened for a rustic feel, then curved into a slight cup. i'll top the heart with a baby pearl for each child, or else a fat cluster just for decoration—your choice. (i can fit probably nigh eight or so, but if you need more we’ll rig up something sweet.)

to drop your name in, just say hello in the comments below sometime before midnight on tuesday (april 26th); i'll draw out a name at random on wednesday. bonne chance!