My Second Annual Baking Challenge.

Well, here we are National Baking Week 2013. I have given myself the challenge, again, of making something for the first time every day from now until Friday. This is in honour of National Baking Week. Hurrah!

Today's recipe, I admit, did not tax the brain too much but I have had a really busy day and I am also trying to create and bake around my hubby who is currently re-decorating the living room, so can't complain really.

Today I have made banana and chocolate flapjack and here is the finished product.

Pleased to say they went down well with all the men in my house. I hope to post the recipe on Foody Fun at some point.

Today I am also able to share with you a papercraft commission I have recently been working on, a birthday guest book.  

The party will have a burlesque theme so this is all gilt and feathery; I particularly like the gold-effect book mark.

That is is just now as we are mid-way through bath time and I have one lot of reading to do before bedtime. Just off to Twitter this to a few people to spread the word of creating and baking!

Catch ya later! xx

Christmas is coming!

Just have a couple of minutes to post a quick craft for Christmas project. Hubby is putting a new front door in so I am out of the way- keeping warm. I bought these wooden pegs and my sister gave me the stamp set and I am very happy with the results! Planning on putting them in the Christmas craft event stock basket.

Must dash - school run calls! xx 

How Very Exciting 

Well, some very quick but also extremely exciting news!

 

Through my Twitter account I was asked if I would like to contribute to a food blog as a guest blogger. I was extremely flattered that John from FoodBlogs.co.uk asked me to write something for them. On this blog you will see a link on the right hand side to my article. I was really pleased with the way it came out.  

Maybe if you have time you could pop over and take a look at it?

That's all for now. Catch ya later! xx

Blackpool bargains!

Yesterday me and mine took a trip with the Gramps to Blackpool. We normally go to 
St Annes but the weather didn't seem quite right for shoes off walking on the sand. (As it turned out it was glorious, but the tide was in so no good anyhow!)

On the outskirts of Blackpool we came across a boot fair. I haven't been for a good rummage for ages and was very pleased when I came away with a couple of proper bargains.

The first stall I stopped at had some really cool stuff like of ration books, stamps from the US, old kitchenalia and then I came across the item pictured below. Always on the look out for anything special to do with Christmas - there will be no apologies from here on in about December and the associated festivities - I thought this was fantastic and it cost just £3.50 and in mint condition; sorry there are so many photographs but I just love it!

I'm watching Jamie Oliver's new TV prog at the moment and was given the accompanying book for my birthday. In it is a recipe for steamed pork dumplings that I really wanted to try  so how pleased was I when I picked up a bamboo steamer for 50p?

The last thing I found just before we left was this fantastic plate. I love old crockery and really enjoy picking up really cool platters, turines etc as they make displaying food so much more interesting.They asked for £1 but before I had got out my peggy purse they said 50p - super bargain!

After this lovely mooch we drove into Blackpool, parked and after a nice lunch, but with service which left an awful LOT to be desired, we had a lovely walk around, the boys spending a little in the penny arcades and the Gramps spending a lot! We had ice creams and doughnuts and a ride on the tram and then headed for home - tired but happy.

My birthday goodies and other stuff!

Well, it was my birthday a week ago but I was still looking forward to receiving some of my presents when we travelled to Nottingham at the weekend for my niece's 30th birthday, hope you are still enjoying your presents from everybody, Laura - she was born on the same date as me so that is always fun!

Most people know me so well, I think. I am known as a scribbler, lover of my Household Binder, maker of lists including freezer inventories, meal plans and basically writing stuff. You name it!

Along with some uber smart post- it notes from a good friend in New York, as shown in the picture, I also received a fab Orla Kiely note book, some Great British Bake Off post-it notes/stickers and a cup cake design post-it note pad.

My biggest sister Helen, who I have previously mentioned as a wonderful maker of glorious cakes and is also a paper crafter like me, gave me a copy of "Granny Chic" by Tif Fussell and Rachelle Blondel.It is a book of pure inspiration as it "breathes new life into second-hand objects." I do hope I can make good use of it along with some lovely fabric I was given by both my mum and my biggest sister, see here. Fab heh?!

So, what else has been happening? Well, at the family get-together last weekend we told everybody that we are lucky enough to be taking the boys to Lapland with the Gramps this year! We are all very excited indeed! We leave home on December 22 for some fun festive days where the boys get to go to Elf School, I will end up calling them Buddy I am sure - love love love that film -  "I know him!!" - and we get to see the Northern Lights. Should be a trip of a life time.

On return from the weekend I nipped quickly to see my crafting buddies at the Saddleworth Creative Network Autumn Fayre in Uppermill. I will be having a table at the next one on November 10th and will remind you nearer the time, but just wanted to go and say hello and spend some of my birthday money. Here are the goodies I picked up.

This is a fab big clip to keep my papers together.

Just a scrummy thing to hang in the kitchen.

This brightens up my grey coat just beautifully!

Now I think I mentioned I had made a bag for a friend in New York, well I have sent it so it should be safe to post a picture. I used some denim from the leg of an old pair  of Jon's jeans and made it into this bag and decorated it. Quite pleased with it and now wait to see how it was greeted by the recipient. What do you think? (Sorry that I cannot turn it round, duh!)

I think that is about it for today's ramblings. I was taking a couple of minutes on Pinterest the other day, yeh right, and looking at journal pages I found something called a Journal of Gratitude. I think in life, whatever is happening around us, we have a lot to be grateful for. Therefore this kind of journal is there for us to record reasons you should be grateful, everyday. I hope to be able to do this - not for a religious or spiritual reason but just to acknowledge how lucky I am to have family, friends, opportunities whatever it is that, hopefully, makes me content. 

So, that will do for now. I have a party guest book to finish, I have been asked to make two small hampers as donations for fundraisers and, as I said, I have a craft event on 

November 10 so need to get organised for that. Also, it is National Baking Week starting on November 14 so I will be attempting my second annual baking challenge when I bake five things Monday to Friday, sweet or savoury, I have never baked before!

Thank you for stopping by. You can follow me on Twitter, not Facebook anymore but hope you will drop by again for my ramblings.

Catch ya later! xx

So Much Creating and Baking Going On!

Well I have so many things running around my head at the moment - Pinterest has just got in the way for half an hour so REALLY need to focus!

I am loving my #Post Circle, in fact this morning I received a letter from a new snail mail friend called Nikki. Check out her jewellery at Bead It And Weep. She sent me this lovely hand made bracelet for my birthday. How cute is that? (Oooh sounding a bit like Ina Garten there!)

On Tuesday I went blackberry picking after seeing on the news that there is currently an abundance of hedgerow fruit. We get a good lot of blackberries near where we live so out I went with my trusty basket and got plenty, baking a lovely pie was the obvious thing to do and here it is. The picture was taken just as it came out of the oven as I had the feeling it would not last that long, and boy was I right!

Free, foraged fruit. doesn't get much better than that, really!

Today I have pulled my Christmas craft supplies out from under the spare bed and had a look at what I have got. I have already bought a couple of new things but need to see what I will be making.

It is no secret at all that I love Christmas but things are going to be a little different this year, but more of that next week. Those of you who are paper crafters may see some Tim Holtz inspired items here. I really love his products and style so cannot wait to incorporate some more of it into this year's crafting projects.

Going back to my #Post Circle for a moment, I decided that I needed to really make an effort with the envelopes I was sending out. Plain white really does not cut it so this is something I am planning on doing in between other things. 

 
















 
 I finally finished the sewing project gift for my friend as I think I said last time and today it went in the post, so hopefully I will be able to share a picture once it has been received.

Well, have to leave it there as hubby will be home shortly wanting lunch and I have MORE baking to do for the school Macmillan coffee morning tomorrow. Planning on baking cupcakes in flat bottomed ice cream cones - will post a picture of the finished items!

Take care and stop by again some time soon. xx

Sunflowers can brighten anyone's day!

Today I bought some sunflowers after finding myself very envious indeed when I recently saw a front garden with around 10 of them soaring into the air for about eight feet! Mine are NOT quite that big but I love them - you just can't help smiling when you see them. I have used them in my decorations for autumn and am happy now with the result so thought I would share them with you. My plan is that as I have cut between five and six inches off the stems the water will not have so far up to go hence they may last that little bit longer?

A microwave is a microwave is a microwave so you have to make the best of it I suppose.

I do have some spare hessian/burlap, whichever you call it, so I my tweak this one. I bought a copy of A Country Diary Of An Edwardian Lady by Edith Holden from a charity shop for £1 a while ago and it comes in so handy for displays, card making and general crafting. (Much to my mother's dismay that I cut up any book at all!) The wood chips are from, well I can't remember where, and you can't go wrong with a spool of string. I am taking much of my inspiration from Country Living magazine - now all bow in unison!

Now, the front window flowers I sort of miss out on in the daytime because I like to have them facing out, but here they are in all their glory.

The little red dahlia is from my front garden, I thank you! Chuffed to be able to add something I actually grew myself. However, my little patch at the front of the house is in need of a certain amount of weeding, as are the boxes in the back yard, but that is for another day.

Finally, I love to decorate the mantle piece at any time of the year so autumn is no exception. Was looking for a mix of colours and textures again and quite happy with this.

The open-paged book is called The Magic Apple Tree by Susan Hill. It is just a wonderful look at the seasons of the year with the odd recipe, gardening tips and general goings on of country life. I have loved this book since being young and never fail to dip into it without finding a little gem of countryside-inspired prose. I love earthenware anything hence the plant pot and the flowery tin was found in "the shed".

Finally, and partly to cover the scaffolding from the pointing that is going on around that side of the house at the moment, this is the other window in the living room. This book was produced by the ladies at Pretty Nostalgic magazine. Much like the charity shop find, I use this wonderful 12 x 12 inch book for the things previously mentioned. Plus it is a wonderful source of ideas and lots of old and beloved things from the past that help you make your modern home just that little bit different, or that is how I feel anyway.

So, there you have it - my autumnal decorations. I am planning a scout around a few charity shops on Saturday I hope so may find a few more goodies then. Catch ya later! xx