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Thursday 13 November 2014

Gingies galore!

Yip...it is indeed THAT time of year again. My mind turns to Christmas earlier than most, as I look forward to crafting and creating for the festive season. As I mentioned before, I have found myself with very little time to indulge in creative past times this year, but I was determent to make time to sew some gingerbread men (gingies as we call them!), in preparation for Market Night on my Facebook page this evening. Oh, I so enjoyed getting my foot on that sewing pedal again! And as a result, a truck load of happy gingie faces....!

New for 2014...'Night-night gingies'...








































Hmmm...I can almost smell the gingerbread...

Blessings

Friday 7 November 2014

'Sew' restless...

Today, I am feeling a little restless. I have felt this way all week to be fair. And I know exactly why...I have a case of 'sewing-itchy-itess'! Since I started working in an office, I just don't have the time to craft and create like I used to, and it is making me restless, a bit grumpy and like there is a hole deep in my soul! I am my happiest when I am making something, creating and sewing. Hence it has also been so quiet on here. We've been away in Wales for a much needed family break too, and I have come back itching to get behind my trusty Elna. I just haven't had the extra minutes to do it! But, I have great intentions of doing just that this weekend, indulging in the luxury of taking needle to thread. So, hopefully, I will soon have some new creations to show you! But,for today then, just a few snaps that make me happy...

My newly acquired 1960's Bush radio...A very thoughtful gift from a friend...


























A cheerful painting in oil...A thrifty find I stumbled across in Wales, and brought home with me...


























Here's to a happy weekend. May you too find time to do what you love...

Blessings



Tuesday 14 October 2014

Tuesday's Taste Bud Tease: Toasted Cinnamon Nuts

Nothing beats the smell of warm, toasted cinnamon and vanilla wafting from the kitchen! It's like a warm hug that urges you to close your eyes and inhale the loveliness! I tried this recipe for toasted cinnamon and vanilla nuts, in preparation for Christmas, because I think it would make a lovely gift. Just think, a quirky vintage tin, filled with nutty yumminess, tied with a pretty velvet ribbon, or a brimming Mason jar, hand-tied with a pretty tag, and filled with delicious, sweetly spiced nuts made by your own fair hands! I think it would be the perfect accompaniment for cocktails, warm mulled wine, or just as an after dinner treat on Christmas Eve, or whilst battling it out over a board game or two! This is definitely on our agenda for the festive season. And the recipe? So easy!




You'll need:

* Nuts of your choice! I opted for a mixed variety of almonds, 
  pecans, cashews and hazelnuts. (3 cups)       
* Egg white from one large egg.
* Vanilla Essence (2tsp.)
* White sugar (half a cup)
* Brown Sugar (quarter cup)
* Cinnamon (two tsp.)

Method:

* Preheat oven to 150 C/300 F. 
* Line an oven tin with baking parchment/greaseproof paper. 
* Whisk the egg white, vanilla essence and a teaspoon of water
  together until frothy. Set aside.      
* Combine sugar and cinnamon in a little bowl.
* Coat nuts thoroughly in egg white mixture.
* Add sugar and cinnamon mix to nuts, and coat well.
* Spread mixture onto lined tin, and toast in the oven for 30  
  minutes.
* Remove from oven, and if you can resist, let it cool. If not, tuck
  in! So yummy when warm, but don't give yourself tongue burn!





































Enjoy!

Blessings



Sunday 28 September 2014

Fall-ing in love with autumn...all over again...

Hello! Well, what a crazy busy week it has been! School trips, work commitments, celebrations and 'normal life' have filled every second with a sense of  'busy'! But, I have finally managed to dress the mantel in the living room for autumn. I like to change things for every season, and this September has been no different. I did however, decide to try something a little different than usual for this beautiful season. I do love autumn...It is almost like nature is taking a deep breath, pausing, waiting, before it exhales a warm glow over an ever changing landscape. Nature is painting a pallet of gold, rust, crimson and warm browns, comforting colours to usher us gently from the brights of summer into the deep of winter.

Autumn, to me, is a time of feathering one's nest, in preparation for the long cold winter that will soon come knocking. I imagine the little woodland creatures hunting and gathering, wisely making hay while the sun still shines! So, for the mantel, I decided to go for a woodland theme with an autumnal feel...

A leafy garland, carefully sewn together and hung from the mantel...


























I found the free printable on Pinterest...A great reminder that we should be grateful for this season, for the harvest is to come...

A few happy creatures...Mr Bear, Raccoon and a feisty little fox...I drew the template for the bear myself, but the raccoon and fox were featured in 'Mollie Makes', and can be found online.


























Some woodland toadstools perhaps?













































































A few woodland tales so we can snuggle and read together...'Little Red Riding Hood', 'Squirrel's Autumn Search', 'It takes two to twit-twoo', and 'Freddy and the Fairy'...We love nothing more than cosy story time on a crisp autumn evening...


























A few pumpkins and painted pine cones for a bit of colour!



















































And so we fall in love with autumn...all over again!

Blessings


Thursday 18 September 2014

Feeling out of sorts!

Hello my lovelies! This week has been a funny old one...An I am feeling-out-of-sorts' kind of a week...My mind is just all over the place, like a very confused chameleon on a Smartie box! I keep telling myself in my best 'Mr. Miyagi' voice...'Focus Daniel son!'.....Okay, so I'm not called Daniel, but you get my drift! I need to focus. 

When I feel like this, it's usually because the house is in a mess, I've got a 'to do list' as long as King Kong's arm, and I'm running around like a headless chicken trying to fit seven days into twenty four hours! And what do I do? I try oh so very hard to tackle THAT list, and I am somewhat productive, and equally, so easily distracted! I'm not going to bore you with a long wordy post, as I've got to go and pop some pizzas in the oven (slummy mummy today!)... the hungry bears are starting to growl! 

So...A week in pictures...

A little rearranging in the kitchen...


























An attempt at getting organised...so that I can flourish...


























My 'creative environment', a little tidier than usual...


























A few pretties to cheer me up...












































































And the distraction to avoid the 'real' housework...'Do you want to build a snowman?' My second attempt at needle felting...


























And a little sewing of course! New bunting for the bathroom window...












































































My mind is still in a funny old place, but I suspect equilibrium will be restored soon...I hope! It's been a week of doing lots, but actually not that much at all! Tomorrow is another day...

Blessings


Monday 1 September 2014

Goodbye summer...Hello September...



Hello my lovelies! Today's post is bittersweet...I have so enjoyed the balmy days of summer, so it is with a heavy heart that I look to September! The temperatures are changing, days are drawing in, and the children are getting ready to step onto the  'back-to-school-treadmill'! But, it's brief...I only need to cast my mind to all the goodness that comes with the month that leads us to autumn...crunchy, rusty leaves under foot, wholesome orchard offerings such as black berries, plums and gleaming apples, ready for the picking to create hearty apple pies and crumble puddings, jams for the store cupboard, and fresh fruit for the fruit bowl. 



I love that soon, I will be wrapping up in a woolly blanket, fingers hugging a warm cuppa, book on my lap, mind drifting off to new adventures...



The changing season will bring with it candle lit evenings around the record player, listening to Prokofiev's 'Peter and the Wolf', whilst sipping hot, marshmallowy chocolate, waiting for the deep, harrowing sounds of the three horns to get us all shouting...'watch out Peter, the wolf is coming!' We have already indulged in this past-time...a lazy pyjama morning before the mayhem commences!


































There will be sewing...A LOT of sewing...


































...and baking...


































So, perhaps the heart need not be so heavy at bidding summer farewell...After all, it will return again. But for now, it is....


































Blessings






Monday 25 August 2014

Going for gold

Today I'm thinking interior trends. And then I look at my home, the way it has evolved over time, and I cannot stick a particular 'style label' on it! I love so many different elements of varying styles...a little bit of shabby chic...country cottage charm...bohemian boldness...vintage and retro! It is unfortunate, as it creates a bit of a jumble, especially as I'm not particularly 'minimalist' in my ways! So, I think I'll opt for the 'lived in' look...A style (for lack of a better word!) that speaks of personal loves and collections gathered over time, a kind of personal 'storybook style', as it tells the story of our lives! Visitor's often refer to our home as a dolls house, as it clearly shows that I like to play house! I style and dress our home purely with things we love, nothing is too contrived or thought out. If I like it, I'll home it! Of late I have fallen in love with what I can only refer to as 'grown-up style', influenced mainly by the work of TV host and interior stylist, Emily Henderson. She is one trendy lady, and I like her mix of colour and textures. Here's a little taster of her own personal home...Oh, that chair!



Now, the trends for 2014 have incorporated bold geometric patterns, like chevrons and stripes, teal has made a real surge in popularity, and the mix of mid-century (1950's/1960's) and modern has had me pouring over the pages of interior magazines. It's such a vibrant, bold look, and I sometimes wish I could pull it off, wall to wall, ceiling to floor! But, that would mean a whole different change in budget! So, I choose to incorporate small changes of trends that appeal to me into our home, to lift things a little and create interest.



One of the most popular trends for 2014 has definitely been the use of metallic accents, be it copper, bronze or gold. I have never been a fan of dripping gold and opulence, but I do think that the use of gold accents can add an air of sophistication and freshness. I have tackled a few projects to show just how easily (and cheaply!) this can be done. I set to work, armed with nothing but a tin of gold spray paint and a bit of masking tape. The idea was to 'update' objects already owned, or cheaply thrifted ones.



































First off...the mini globe...Sprayed with gold paint, and then covered in glittery snowflakes, it now adds a touch of quirky glamour to my dressing table...


























The enamel bucket, beautiful in it's simplicity, is jazzed up with a touch of gold for an instant update...As is an old favourite Celtic vase...Simply mark of the area you'd like to add your gold accent to, and spray away!


























And now for a little project I like to call 'glam-a-gnome'...Okay, maybe not THAT sophisticated, but certainly a bit of fun! A jewelry holder, perfect for stray earrings...


























A few shells got the gold treatment too. They look lovely among unpainted ones in a bowl, or scattered neatly on the coffee table...






















































Will you be going for gold? Let's face it, it's not everyone's cup of tea, but I'll take a few small trendy sips this week...

Blessings