Giving good gift

It was my birthday this week. My friends are very kind. I have already shared the beautiful early birthday present I got from Abi in this previous post...

...and now a few other very nice surprises (and this isn't even including the hugely surprising and marvellously great bicycle that came careering down the hill in the park at me, festive ribbons flying from the handlebars – but a photo of that is probably for a different blog entirely).

The beautiful print on the left is of the Crystal Palace tower, in south London. I live in south London – not right by the tower, but near enough that it's always visible on the skyline when you look south. Which is because it's the fourth tallest structure in the capital, and it has been providing Londoners with a TV signal since it went up amid the ruins of the former Crystal Palace in 1956. What a lovely present for a south Londoner. Or maybe just for a TV fan. Ha. Anyway, if you like it, the sticker on the back of the print say it's from Sold by Sold, where I see they have had these prints in stock but are currently out, and waiting for a new colourway.

The plate is by Carly Dodsley, whose crockery is made in England's traditional ceramics epicentre, Stoke-on-Trent. It all has a nice hint of midcentury about it, and I love those late 50s colours.

The "K" in this great font comes from Tiger, which is a favourite shop of the lovely friend who gave it to me. Be warned, its website will absorb much of your morning.

Loveliest of all, of course, is the beautiful cake card drawn by my boyfriend's very small and very excellent niece, Isabella. She's two. And she is very good at drawing!

I also got this...

 ...which came from a charity shop. Who could throw Luther out? And a gift that inspires a spontaneous 80s disco (and a surprise martini) is surely a gift that keeps giving.

Finally, a sweet ending. Beautiful old French plates, which arrived bearing extra gifts in the form of these beautiful muffins. They look pretty, but my god you should have tasted them: blueberries, lemon zest and almonds. They didn't last long.

Thank you friends. You are great.