Happy Easter!

This is the first easter I've ever bothered 'decorating' for, and I think that's down to have a little one to entertain and a new look on interior decor!

It's my mother's birthday today as well, so this morning I am busy making lemon drizzle cake and a pasta bake as a contribution to the buffet style lunch she is having at her house.

Mini Monster hasn't yet had his first chocolate egg but as it's just past 9am I think that is reasonable, he's not old enough to start demanding his eggs as soon as he wakes up as I remember my sister, brothers and myself doing!

Well I hope you enjoy your day, it's wonderfully sunny here for a change!

Happy Birthday!

To me!

I have a wonderful day ahead of me filled with housework, housework, housework... Hurrah!

J went to work before I got up this morning so I was greeted by cards, and a very nice card each from J & Mini Monster. He'll be finishing work early today and I'll be visited by Mum around the same time so I've a whole day alone with MM.

It's stopped raining now so hopefully I'll be able to take Mini Monster and the dog out for some much needed fresh air, we might visit the allotment but the ground will be so wet that I won't be able to do much... hmmm something else then... I know, there's a forest drive a few miles away that'll be nice for a change. Better get ready then, Mini Monster starts getting tired about 11.30 so if I time it right I can get him into bed from the car.

I am feeling a bit melancholy if I'm totally honest, fancy a bit of spoiling but it's just an ordinary birthday - the big three ohhhhhh is next year!

I shall be clinging on to the last of my 20's very tightly for the next 365 days!

Menu Plan Monday

I love lists.
I love organising.
I love to think I'm a domestic goddess.
Unfortunately, after a few weeks I lapse into a not-very-domestic goddess.
But our home is in need of organising, as is my mind and our lives!
I have made up a very nice looking spreadsheet with household chores to do, things and days to remember and a menu plan all for the coming week.
I feel very keen about my new system and quite positive that I shall be able to keep it up.

Here's what we shall be eating this week -

Monday - Jacket potato, beans, salad, houmous and coleslaw.
Tuesday - Quorn sausages, mixed veggies, mashed potato and roasted butternut squash
Wednesday - Pasta bake and salad
Thursday (a very busy social day) - pizza, garlic bread and potato wedges
Friday - Chickpea curry and rice
Saturday - Quorn pieces stir fry in szechuan sauce and noodles
Sunday - Spaghetti bolognaise

Mmm, I'm rather peckish now!

Visit Organising Junkie for more Menu Plan Monday inspiration!

A New Upcycled Bag... For Me!

My darling sister from time to time goes through her expansive wardrobe and de-clutters. Most of what she doesn't want comes to me for fabric (or for wearing if I like it!).
Her recent offering included the cutest tshirt emblazoned with cartoon owls, watering cans and mushrooms which turned out too small for me to wear myself, and the brightest pair of stripey trousers I think I have ever seen! (My sister is an art teacher and falls into the kooky art teacher sterotype!!)
I needed a new bag and browsing through the shops wasn't bringing up anything of interest, so what's a crafty girl to do... oh yes, make my own bag!
The Other Half groaned when I told him of my plans - I do have many handmade bags, but this is different. I don't have a handmade nappy bag, I haven't actually made a bag for a few years and my favourite bags are falling apart from constant use.
I used a tutorial from Craftster for this bag. When I find more Perfect Fabric I'll make another one but smaller.
Using tshirt fabric for a bag is difficult. Bag's need some stiffness to keep them in shape, so in order to get some shape I used a thick upholstery fabric for the lining.
For the inner pockets I used the existing back pockets from the trousers, they easily fit my keys in one and phone in the other..

Oh! And I am so happy! I used the buttonhole function on my sewing machine for the Very First Time, and it worked! The Other Half didn't understand my excitement, I tried to explain that the possibilities are endless but there was no convincing him...

On to the photos........... (click the photos for a larger view)

The whole bag.

Inside, already filled with necessities

A close up of the outer pocket and fabric. Oh my! There's a snail! And a guitar, pear and apple, and a few leaves... well, well, well!

Full view again. I made the strap this way so I can adjust the length.

Ta Da! What do you think?

Happy Mother's Day to all you mummies and mummies-to-be!

Could You, Would You, Stop At One?

There's something about those little paper cases filled with light sponge and drizzled with icing, something that makes me return to the kitchen for 'just one more' time after time.
It could be that just one or two are not enough to satisfy my sweet tooth, or that my waistline cannot comprehend the amount of calories and fat in such small portions!
Or it may just be my non-existent willpower...

They don't last long in this household now that is for sure!

Now that the cakes have been made I am about to adjourn to my little crafting corner to either finish the spotty project, carry on with the crochet project or maybe even start something new...

Happy Thursday everyone ♥

Key Companion

I was in need of a quick crochet project and found this adorable little bunny amigurumi pattern on the Craft Matters blog. It's my very first time at crochet-ing a toy :)
Not only is it cute, quick and small enough for my keys, it also ensures that The Other Half doesn't take my keys when he wants to use my car!

A Couple Of WIP's...

Can you tell what these projects are going to be?

I've nearly finished the spotty one, the crochet one hasn't been touched for a while but looking at it now makes me yearn for the feel of soft yarn!

Here's an extra picture of what I have to put up with during my sewing sessions - Mini Monster just has to be on my lap!

Cake, mmmm, Cake

I've had a bake-y day today, lots of mini welshcakes and a cake that started as cupcakes, then upon discovery of just four paper cases, fruit cake and then when realising there's no dried fruit in the house it turned into a sort of lemon drizzle cake!


The mini welshcakes disappeared before the camera had time to take photo's and this is the last piece of the big cake...

Here's the recipe if you'd like to try it :)

225g self-raising flour
about a tsp bicarb
115g marg or butter
115g soft light brown sugar
1 egg, whisked
some milk

Grease your sandwich tins and preheat oven to 180c/350f/GM4.
Sift flour & bicarb into a bowl, rub in the fat, add the sugar and whisked egg mixing well. Slowly add the milk until it's smooth - not runny and not dough-y.
Spoon into the tins and bake for about 20 mins, maybe more... I didn't really keep an eye on the time - just stuck in a knife when it looked ready!
Cool for a couple of mins in the tin then on a cooling rack.
When the cakes are cool, spread with jam and sandwich. Sift a load of icing sugar into a bowl (didn't measure, again this is guess work) and add enough freshly squeezed lemon juice to get a 'just' runny mixture.
Pour the icing over the cake so it runs off the sides and pools around the bottom of the cake ♥ I love that bit ♥ yummy lemon-y icing sticking to the cake waiting to melt in your mouth. Mmmmmm!

Tinga Tinga

My dad was born in Zimbabwe, or as it was known then, Rhodesia. He moved to the UK with my mother in his mid-20's but has always kept a special place in his heart for Africa. Lately he has been interested in Tinga Tinga art.

I decided for his birthday I would do some form of this art but in fabrics rather than paints. I reproduced one of my dad's favourite pieces into a cushion. It didn't turn out exactly as I had in mind but he likes it so I'm marginally pleased! As usual, it may take a while for me look at the cushion cover and not be slightly agitated by it but here it is for you to see...

Some of the clothing is made from Kangas, as is the main body of the cover. Dad brought it back from Tanzania where he helped build a school a couple of years ago.

A Wander Through The Churchyard

More Spring announcements

In the form of flowers

Make my heart skip
Along with my feet

Spring

Daffodils, spring lambs in the fields, sunshine and a cold chill in the air.

All sure signs that Spring is here!

Hang washing on the line, open all windows, rake leaves from the budding bulbs.

Blow away your cobwebs out in the fresh Spring breeze!