Royal...

Can you choose one favourite street out of your whole country?

I can. My favourite – of all the avenues and streets and roads and boulevards and circles and ways in America – is Royal Street, New Orleans.


To me it feels at once like a lovely mystery and like coming home.

I was going to write all the reasons why, but even in my head they sound like a tourist-book tallying of attractions and histories and quaintnesses... and that's really not what it's about.


It's just that when I'm on Royal Street, I want to stay.

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Sleighbells in summer...

In the world of cards, it's never too early for Christmas.

Rephrase: for highly-organised card-givers, it's never too early to buy Christmas cards. I've heard of people who are already addressing their envelopes (yes, in August).
So... drumroll please... for all the highly organised types, I present the first-ever Christmas/holiday cards in the Bella Figura collection. Festive and fun, guaranteed to brighten even the chilliest December – and available on Etsy now (yes, in August).

Oddly, despite my card-and-stationery-obsession, I'm not a highly organised Christmas card giver myself. I'm more "ruh-roh, is it November already?" My excuse is that I'm too busy making cards for other people to be early with my own. You don't have that excuse.

More holiday designs and Christmas card sets coming soon!

Cinco de Mayo

I don't even know if I spelled that correctly – it's a new holiday to me, but fun! We had a big party out by the old planes with all the Army doctors and their families, and we (the three Air Force families) played host. The kids had a pinata and Berry somehow got hold of her first-ever lollipop (for all of a minute before I removed it and became the least-popular-mummy-ever).

[The picture: Mike, our friend from next door, is helping Berry take her swing at the pinata...]