30 Comments
Oct 29Liked by Laetitia Maklouf

You had me at scented pelargonium. Ordered. My poor family were conscripted to bring in all my 30-odd pelargoniums from the greenhouse to the warmth of the house at the weekend. There may have been comments about me having enough. But I don't have a Fragrans! Not yet anyway... thank you

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Always, always room for one more!

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Oct 29Liked by Laetitia Maklouf

I also love the Cambridge Imprint stuff, it's so seductive. Last year my sister got married and every guest made origami hearts from their origami papers, so so pretty and now a string of bunting in their kitchen. Did the same at my parents diamond wedding party a few weeks ago. New family tradition!

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Lovely idea - I actually bought an origami kit from them - perfect thing to keep a group busy for half an hour over Christmas

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It's strangely addictive!

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Oct 30Liked by Laetitia Maklouf

Another hugely inspiring post! With many thanks indeed 🥰

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THANK you for your kind words!

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Lovely ideas, thank you. I’ve had my eye on a pelargonium sidoides too and will get my skates on to order one (or two)

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Sidoides now on my list! Thank you for this

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Nov 1Liked by Laetitia Maklouf

Thank you so much for this Laetitia. A lovely read to start the day.

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Thank you so much for taking the time to say so. I hugely appreciate it

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Oct 31Liked by Laetitia Maklouf

Cambridge Imprint is a local obsession of mine. Their things are truly wondrous as are they. Sign up to their newsletter because they are infrequent but always a delight and have it just right…I have a string of their stars in my kitchen which followed me from my old house and always will ✨

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I bought the stars! Signed up to newsletter - thank you

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So glad! Hope you love it. And them ✨

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Oct 30Liked by Laetitia Maklouf

Love all the aunt stuff. My aunties were wonderful but in very eccentric ways. I try to be the same. Are you familiar with the word materteral? It is aunt equivalent to avuncular. Needs to be better known and recognised. I love being an aunt and try to include a bit of the ‘cloven hoof’ P G Wodehouse mentions.

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Thank you SO much for this - what a gift of a word! It’s gone straight into my notebook, together with Amita and patruus. I never did Latin at school and always regret it!

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Oct 29Liked by Laetitia Maklouf

Since COVID my husband has been working mostly from home. Don't get me wrong this has led to a better work life balance and been brilliant in many ways. However, every single day he asks me "What's for lunch?" and it drives me potty😂. I have never 'made' lunch so it is even more unfathomable why he asks. I am afraid I snapped back the other week with "whatever you can find!". I think he knows not to ask again poor dear!!.

Your observations on what make a wonderful aunt were perfect, Olivia must have been a prime example.

Thank you for the list of delightful things. My mind is edging towards present buying and any help is most welcome!

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Yes, indeed, get your own lunch, unless you want to go and buy me a sandwich! x

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Oct 29Liked by Laetitia Maklouf

Such a lovely list. Where on earth do you find such lovely suppliers!? X

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I spend too much time on the internet!

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Oct 29Liked by Laetitia Maklouf

What a totally wonderful description of Olivia - and I love the red lamp xx

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Watcyn did a wonderful speech…it’s been just brilliant xxx

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PLEASE WILL YOU MAKE ME LUNCH, I'M STARVING ALREADY

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GO AWAY!

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I celebrated the day my children were old enough to fix their own lunch. Then a relative came to stay for six months and lunch had to be "served" at noon. Didn't have to be the least bit fancy, and I didn't have to sit with him, but having to stop whatever I was doing to do that made me very, uh, cranky.

Loved the list -- especially the umbrella and the papers! (I'm across the pond, so I can source the plants here.)

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Oct 29Liked by Laetitia Maklouf

And yes to wonderful aunts and any adult who sees the children they're engaged with!

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Thank you, another lovely read. I missed your Saturday emails 😍 now have quite a shopping list 🙈

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I am totally with you on lunch. When we lived in England I used to dread being asked to Sunday lunch and would try to come up with an excuse as quickly as possible. I thought I was alone on this until, in his 90's, my father in law confessed that he too dreaded the lunch invite and now turned them down. It sounds really ungrateful put like this, but life is short ......

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Lovely post. I got ‘Orange Fizz’ from an RHS show this year and it’s lovely. Thanks for the link to Winter’s Moon, what a lovely shop.

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Highly recommend!

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