Photo Diary: Project 365, weeks 29 and 30

A tricky week with our darling Sash meant I didn't manage to take daily photos, and also wasn't able to do a post for the previous week.

To compensate for the lack of photos for week 29, there are several extras for week 30.

A pink tart, with ricotta and remains of the berry compote I made the day before. I added the berries to ricotta and eggs, and poured over the shortcrust pastry case.

It might not be a GBBO material, but it was tasty, and colourful.

Since Boots have changed their points system, it takes ages now to acquire a decent amount. It took me a couple of years to get enough points for a new scent.

As it was Eddie's birthday coming, I have ordered a Lacoste Original perfume with a free gift of a sports bag. The perfume itself was also on offer. All paid in points, so I'm super pleased.

An exciting day for the Varese household. My husband received one of the signal copies of the forthcoming book Tradecraft/Writers on le Carrė. 

The book will be out in October, to coincide with the exhibition at the Bodleian library in Oxford. The book creates a portrait of the great writer and gives insights into his writing technique. My husband edited the book and wrote one of the chapters.

I read it when it was still a draft, and inside there are a couple of photos that I took many years ago.

If you're interested in le Carrė's life and work, visit the exhibition and read the book.

You buy expensive plants and bulbs for the garden, and they die. Yet so many wild flowers appear, that I haven't planted, and in spots where they shouldn't be growing, like this silly mallow, nestled among the flagstones. These flowers are really in the wrong place, and I should get rid of them, but I have no heart to do so.

The same with hollyhocks, there are some varieties that noone planted on purpose, the seeds must have arrived with the winds or perhaps in a bird poop.

One of my sketches for the ongoing Penandinkchallenge. Prompt: popsicle. I did a quick sketch in a vintage style palette, using Karin Realbrush Pro and Stabilo pens.

The fig tree has lots of fruit, still rock-hard, despite plenty of sunshine and heat. I was hoping to get at least another ripe fruit, and to my chagrin, the birds got to it before me, the other side was pecked to bits.

Monday school day was totally nuts. Eddie arrived home, covered in red paint, as they played games in different teams, representing their houses. They might have had a blast, but I wasn't amused. 

It was supposedly a water-based paint, yet the soap and water didn't help much. After Eddie had a bath, we had to clean it, as it was stained pink. And then I spent ages, trying to clean his face and arms with cotton wool and face lotion. 

On Tuesday morning I met up with one of my friends, who I haven't seen in months. I realised we haven't seen each other since before spring school break, as I still had a little gift for her which I bought in Paris (and that was in April). We went to the Middle Eastern cafe for a coffee. I also had a maamoul cookie with pistachios.

The last day of school... and freedom until September, when Eddie will need to think about his GCSEs. We met in town to buy a new wetsuit, as the last year's one is too short now (took it to the charity shop), and had some drinks in the bar. Sasha was out with his PAs, and enjoyed his trip to the cafe and the book shop.

My Pentire Coastal Spritz...

There are plenty of hazelnuts on the trees in the garden. The problem is: do I pick them up now while they are still green, or wait longer, and then they will most likely be bitten off and thrown on the ground by the thuggish squirrels. If they ate them, it would have been less aggravating, but they just throw them around.

On Thursday I managed to meet up with another friend. It's pure luxury to be able to see two of my friends in one week. It basically never-ever happens.

OK, now I have tried the overhyped M&S limited edition strawberry and cream sandwich. So much online furore over nothing, it being called a social media sensation. It is a bit bland, and while inoffensive, it was just about OK, nothing special, and I won't be buying it again.

Have you tried it? What's your verdict?

We don't usually have a cake for breakfast but as my husband was going away to Vienna to teach in a summer school, we decided to have a slice first thing in the morning and sing a Happy Birthday to Eddie. 

This is the Neapolitan cake that I buy for all my guys' birthdays, as it's their favourite. Sasha was very happy with the cake. 

One of Eddie's photos popped up on Facebook, from the day he turned one year old. And now my baby is taller than me, and is going to do his GCSEs next year.

It's not easy to get the right gifts for a teenager. One of the presents I bought for Eddie is The Last of Us game. We recently watched two seasons of The Last of Us, and I knew he would enjoy comparing the original game and the series.

You can also spot the Squid Game Funko Pop figurine under the screen, which was another of his presents. 

How was your week?

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter