The Antidote

50

Doesn't a month pass quickly?  It has been a very busy month for us. 

Oscar was chosen to do a poem recital along with some other little boys in his class, they have been working together with a  workshop leader from the Royal Opera House and plan to go there to do a recording of it.  The recital was breathtaking, such small little boys both appreciating and embracing the arts and using language way beyond their years.  It was astounding what these lads could come up with when their learning came from a different angle - thank you soo much to the very cool Lea Cornthwaite who completely captured the imagination of our boys.

We had a very relaxing Easter holiday in Somerset.  Shopping in Bath, food and drink with the lovliest of friends and a trip from the Easter bunny.

My Boy also celebrated a BIG birthday.  Can I really continue to call someone who is half a century old, My Boy?  With his floppy hair and cheeky grin - yes I can!  I am amazed this handsome chap is 50, when it seems a heartbeat ago that we were celebrating his 40th in Mexico, with plans of starting a family.

We celebrated with our lovely friends and unrighteous amounts of cocktails.  And a coffee and walnut cake.

And now there is still a week of the school holidays left.  We have a little fun planned, and I do hope to drop in a little more often.

Cookie

No, not the Cookie I currently have a (not so) secret crush on from  E4's fabulous Skins, but a delicious stack prepared by the lovely Ivy.

A Hummingbird recipe, which she chose, read and followed. and they were rather yum! Yesterday with a cup of tea after doing the ironing. Last night one shared with the husband while we watched Lost and this morning with coffee, four dogs, two children and three lovely ladies on a very chilly Essex beach.

Happy Weekend x

Fairy Cake

My My time does fly.  January is always a bit of a tight month, what with Christmas and important people having birthdays, along with a Huuuuuge tax bill, so I put myself down for a couple of extra shifts at the hospital and before I knew it almost two weeks had passed without a little hello.  So, Hello!

I have, managed to hook and bake and colour in and stick, so I now have a week off and will try to pop in every day - Ha, famous last words.

We are off on a doggy walk now, 20 nurses 20 doggies and about fifty a hundred children.  I hope these cupcakes will share around ok.

Sprinkles are courtesy of the very lovely Saffron at Make do and Mend, with whom I was paired for the Seven Days of Specialness swap.  I will share more of that this week.  Right I have another half dozen to ice now before bracing the elements x

Chores and Afternoon Tea

Why is it that you spend only two nights away from home and the laundry pile is four times what it normally is?  Than goodness we are having such a glorious September and I have been able to get things dry.  I refuse a drier and prefer my long line.

While I glean perverse enjoyment from the sorting and pegging of laundry, I despise the pressing of it, and seem to have spent the last two days ironing continuously.

Having pegged my washing at 0630 this morning, I had these babies in the oven before 0700.  They were smothered in radioactive icing and nibbled with my Nan as we spent an enjoyable afternoon in the sunshine in her garden celebrating her 80th birthday.

I am now going to pic my jaw up from the floor having just watch Jamie Oliver's exploits with an alligator. Oh my.

This Week I Am..

Admiring my fuscia..

and my Freesia, which I grew from bulbs all by myself!

Grateful for my weekly greenhouse parcel from my lovely father-in-law.

Picking out red and pink smarties ONLY for fairy cake decorations.

Watching Ivy camouflage into our garden.

Paddling.

Crocheting with mostly grey (love grey)..

and wondering what on earth to do with this?! I though it would be a giant granny blanket, but it is sooo mishapen!

Planning summer adventures.

Frequenting the beach and being completely unable to wait for Friday when the Babies break up from school.

Sorry this post is a little picturey, I seem to be a bit snap happy at the moment x

 

 

Jumble Colour

I have been having a little bit of colour panic over my blanket that I am crocheting at the moment.  When I planned it, I hoped to replicate the really old fashioned ones that you get at jumble sales and in charity shops using lush wool/cotton mix and colours which appear random and yet compliment each other.  I also had this and that lovely throw in the Mini Boden catalogue in mind.

Then yesterday the Queen of Crochet admitted that even she was not happy with one of her blankies and reviewed her use of colour and undid it.  If someone as clever as Lucy can get it wrong, then I can assure you I certainly can!

This morning, these two little babies arrived, along with some more cream for edging and I am a little unsure as to how these are going to work with the rest of my palette.   It has to be said I have had just a little bit too much fun this morning, colour coordinating my fairy cakes with my yarn, whilst ensuring my lovely husband that I have been ironing all morning!

So this is how far I am, I have done about fifty of these, but this is the basic idea for the colour scheme.  I have had this laid out on our living room floor most of the morning and I think it is going to be ok.  Would love to have your views on this and maybe a little reassurance..something along the lines of "your masterpiece will be to die for and don't worry, it will take no time at all to darn those ends in...!"

OK I get it, I have a lot to learn on this crochet lark!

A Colourful Weekend

What a lovely relaxing bank holiday weekend.  We didn't really do anything special, lots of playing and planting, eating and drinking and just enjoying being together.  I have come out the other end feeling very rested, best of all, I am not back at work until tomorrow night.  I really meant to post this on Friday with the rest of the May Day stuff..

Ivy made me a calendar for Christmas, and I have no idea why I have not shared this before, but May is one of my favourites.

Some beautiful pink roses.

More pink roses on my favourite PJ's (which, thanks to the bank holiday I spent a lot more time than usual wearing).

Lilac if full bloom, with some cheeky Wisteria peeking over the back.

A makeshift ocean.

Lemons, in fairy cake icing, drizzle cake, salad dressing, curry and gin and tonic!

And new crocs, not may favourite children's footwear, but essential for kids who spend most of the summer on the beach.

Doesn't colour look better when the sun shines?

Book of the Week

Ok, here we go, as promised one of the loveliest books I have seen so far this year.

I have had this on pre order at Amazon since Christmas time when I received Elspeth Thompson's last book.  I had a little idea that I would love it.  And oh yes I do!

I am going to share a few pictures from it, but I am sure it is going to be hugely popular in blogland and I really don't want to spoil it for anyone.

The first thing I love about this book is (as with last weeks book) it is ordered in seasons (I am so glad that this is becoming popular).  The photography is beautiful.  And it has one of those delicious cotton covers.  There is an wonderful balance of recipes, knitting, crochet and gardening along with many other crafts, there really is something for everyone in this book.

Spring offers Valentine ideas...

Easter crafts and seed sowing.

Summer takes us a little more outdoorsy including a summer salad trough...

A sweet little girls dress and ideas for beach finds.

Autumn is the most beautiful chapter, with an autumn chandelier

and these sweet little hair slides.

Winter beholds Granny squares (I love the snow scene behind)..

lots of knitting, an advent calendar and this my favourite..

a sweet little knitted angel, I see a lot of these in our house next Christmas.

There is also patterns to photocopy in the back and a very resourceful directory, similar to the one in The Gentle Art of Domesticity.

I am loving this book, and looking forward to enjoying it some more over the bank holiday.

In the meantime..

Is is just happy coincidence that I always have a batch of fairy cakes of the go when this arrives!?

Time for a Bunny Hop

 

I am going to hop off on a little Easter Break now.  In a weeks time I will be back with lots of lovely pictures and stories of our Easter adventures, we have lots planned.  If our farmhouse has wi fi you may hear from me sooner.  Will miss you lots, am getting ever so slightly anxious about leaving Federal Agent Jack Bauer at home too (maybe 3 episodes of 24 every night is a bit too much!).

Happy Easter to you all, hope you enjoy the cake x

Lovely Day

Ah, What a lovely day.

I dropped the babies at school this morning then took the dog for a walk.  It was perfect dog walking weather, we went along the cliffs which overlook the estuary, there was sunshine with a fresh spring chill and crocus and daffodils and Biba thoroughly enjoyed scampering around them.

 

I made this for my mum this morning, what do you think?  I think she will love it.  To be honest it only took about twenty minutes from choosing the fabric to stuffing the tissues in, but I know the fact that I made it will have my mum treasure it.  She will have some other goodies too, am thinking of making soap tomorrow with the babies for her,  will keep you posted on that one.

Then the usual domesticity, ironing, washing (actually I love washing, especially if it is a nice day and I can dry outside).

 

Then I made my man his favourite cake, nothing fancy, just a Lemon Drizzle.  I make a lot of cakes but he is by far the best to bake for.  His last cake (a victoria sandwich) had him hovering over the cake stand for two days "It is only a little slice" he kept saying, right until the last "little slice" was gone.

S tries to finish work early on a Friday and we have a little coffee date and a catch up before picking the babies up from school.  So I am off to wash my hair and pretty up.

Enjoy Mothers Day x

PS thanks to Lucy and Pink Cat for Hooky encouragement yesterday, I feel like I have made a commitment now and will have to deliver the goods x