National Stationery Week - Day Two

Now today, Notebook Day, is the one I have been looking forward to !

I will freely admit to love, love, loving a brand new, clean-paged notebook. I quite often, like a true stationery addict, buy a notebook without actually knowing its end purpose. Example, a lovely A4, pink-fronted notebook caught my eye in Asda and it turned into a notebook for my new crafty obsession which is sewing. I covered it with appropriate embellisments and hey presto!

I like to use artist's sketch books, which look like this when I buy them from The Range. The paper is 120gsm which is thick enough if you want to decorate or ink the pages. You are not restricted by lines and can use them to paste photos in pictures and photos. For me the cover is the best as it is canvas and perfect for really properly embellishing!

My blog posts are drafted in the one you see below, obviously after I have customised it. I love to use this one but it is nearly full so I will have to decorate another one in readiness!

I have a notebook which is a kind of journal as it is my Journal of Gratitude in which I write down at least one thing I am grateful for every day. Makes you think.

I have in the past customised notebooks to sell, see here my Pinterest page of the ones I have completed for people. I have two "in stock" which I am saving for something special,

but in celebration of National Sationery Week I am offering this travel journal you see below as a giveaway. To win this unique notebook, perfect for recording that special journey or trip, all you need do it comment on this post by Thursday April 3 midnight.

 

Happy scribbling and catch ya later!xx

National Stationery Week - Day One.

 

Woop woop! Today is the beginning of National Stationery Week!


There are so many things to get involved with this week including competitions, poetry, getting children to write letters and about the importance of good handwriting. Something for everybody!  
 
This week is the chance to celebrate all things written and everything to do with it - for stationery addicts like me this is fab! Over the next five days I will be blogging about various things to do with this wonderful week and you can take part by Tweeting at @NatStatWeek and other tags, visiting their website and find them on Facebook.

#NWW14 have put this list together to get us talking about stationery so I'm joining in with the fun. 

Today is Monday so I thought I'd give you some information about a great place for stationery addicts to visit, especially children. The place to visit just has to be -
The Cumberland Pencil Museum in Keswick. 

Here you can learn all about the history of the pencil and see the largest pencil, in the world. (The last bit was meant to be said in a Jeremy Clarkson voice!) So if you're looking for a great place for a day out in the Easter or Summer holidays this could be the very thing - now that reminded me of Billy Connolly for some reason (you know why I describe it as my ramblings!). 

Whether you like to write with pencil or pen everybody needs a lovely notebook, but more of that tomorrow!


Catch ya later, and remember Stationery Rocks!

My ramblings in Pretty Nostalgic - No Way!

Hello. This post is partly to cheer me along with the fact that the weather, quite frankly, is pants today!

I'm blogging about something very exciting which happened a couple of weeks ago. You know very well I am a huge fan of Pretty Nostalgic, the magazine about "creative and sustainable living inspired by the past". Well I sent in some of my non-blonde ramblings along with a picture of one of my vintage finds. Whilst emailing an order for more back copies, nearly have a full set now with just one to go, Nicole told me my letter would be printed in the next issue! Here is my published piece. Eeeek!

I should explain that Nicole is Editor-in-Chief and an owner of Pretty Nostalgic, along with Rae Edwards, and her very own home is also featured in the latest issue. Take a look here at her beautifully decorated mantlepiece. 

    



There are so many wonderful things to look at but I especially like the bunny in the tea cup and the hyacinths which are one of my favourite flowers in Spring.

I find Nicole's arrangement so very inspiring as I love to decorate my own mantle at all times of the year, and here it is just now! (It changes now and then but loving it right now.)

 

So I hope you enjoyed mine and Nicole's show and tell, but before I go, you still have time to order a subscription to Pretty Nostalgic to make your mum's day on Mothering Sunday - check out the link here on all of the subscription options for this lovely, lovely publication!

Catch ya later. xx

Creative Eclairs Blog Hop!

Hi, you may remember that recently I was lucky enough to interview Ruth Clemens, of The Great British Bake Off fame, here recently. 

Well, I am very pleased to have been asked to take part in a blog hop in connection with Ruth's wonderful new book called Creative Eclairs. This is something very new to me so I really am hoping you like my contribution. You will find all the members of the blog hop listed here on the host website of Stitch Craft Create. 

Check out just how gorgeous the cover is, how inviting does that look?

 

Here are some images from inside the book to inspire you!

  

I have been lucky enough to get a sneak preview of the book's yummy contents and have a yet to be released copy to give away to one lucky winner - VERY excited to have my first blog giveaway! To be in with a chance of winning, I ask that you simply comment at the end of this post. All entering posts must be made by midnight on March 31st to be included. I will notify the winner by email.

Good luck to everybody!x

So for the first time, with the help of Ruth, I've been baking choux pastry and I'm sharing my experience with you. I decided to go for a small batch of the mixture as it was my first bash, but I was confident that as long as I followed Ruth's instructions then all would be well.
 

Initially the mixture is a lot like a roux sauce base.

You add the eggs and beat even though it looks like it might be curdling!

I am going to be perfectly honest with you as honestly is always the best policy in my opinion. I had intended to make the allumettes but I do not have a plain nozzle so decided to go for a fluted one and see what happened. It didn't work so I figured the best idea was to go for a woopie-pie inspired creation (hope you don't mind Ruth). 

Not too impressed with my piping but hey ho!

Once out of the oven I was quite happy with them.

I decided to fill them with my home made lemon curd - going for extra Brownie points here as I always use Ruth's recipe, but I add an extra egg and it makes it even yummier. (Again, I hope that is ok with you, Ruth?) And here is the final result. 

  

I was pleasantly surprised with the result and I can safely say I will definitely be making choux again. Thanks Ruth for the very easy directions and tips along the way.


So, I hope you have enjoyed this special blog post and that you will enter my giveaway; the lucky winner will be sent their very own copy as soon as possible!

Don't forget to check the list of other bloggers taking part in the hop, too.

Take care and thanks for stopping by and hope you will visit again soon. x

Use Life Well.

What do you consider this statement to mean?

For me it's about doing your best to use life, and not let life use you. To me it also means trying to take opportunities when they come along and, as one of my favourite sayings tells us - know where you are going, don't go where you know. Along with this, exploring avenues and possibilities life may put in your path can be a real eye opener. Doing this really can help you come to decisions when mulling over a situation. You may eventually find the grass is not greener, or now isn't the best time for whatever you are contemplating.

All these ramblings, which I hope make sense to somebody, came out of our considering moving from where we now live. We looked at a house that needed a great deal of work, do-able but a lot of it! We had time between the first viewing and making a second appointment to really think things through. The realisation dawned on us, that we had a wonderful home designed for us as a family and had just about everything we needed to be happy. We had visions of land and chickens and living the good life, and I think we can do that where we are right now. It takes looking over the fence at somebody else's back yard to realise you have been taking for granted what you already have. Preparing the house for viewings made us come to the conclusion we already have what we want, with a bit of tweaking.

So, we are to stay where we are for now and be oh so grateful for what we have, instead of going somewhere else to try and create the happy home we already live in!

Been Junkin' - What Fun!

Yesterday I went junkin' with my niece and hubby's cousin. We had great fun and I am now sharing with you my goodies soon to be used in and around the house.We went to Haslingden in Rossendale and started off at the indoor flea market. Truth be told, a lot of the stands have quite a lot of tat on offer. However, that is the thrill of a good rummage and I have a couple of favourite stands there which I was looking forward to having a look at.

First purchase in the bag was this ancient looking tin. I figured I could secure the label and protect if from the elements to use it for a planter in the front garden so that is the plan. I should point out that I got it for the price he wanted but also got him to throw in the 1960's recipe leaflet on Danish bacon!
 

 
Then onto that favourite stand where the owner had a lovely, small brown suitcase - see here.

This, once I have given it a vacuum inside and a clean on the outside, is perfect to go on the prayer table at the end of the spare bed. It will look delightful holding towels, facecloths, soaps etc.

In scanning the many shelves I spied a lovely cigar box in great, colourful condition so bagged this, too.

         









 
Kitchenalia is always something I am on the hunt for and original blue and white enamel ware are items I hope to find. I was lucky enough to come across 2 pie plates and I like to pick up any nice looking cutlery so found these two. All in all, after offering him what I wanted to pay for the bundle, I got the lot for £12, which I think was a great price.

We then popped to Holden Antiques, also in Haslingden. I felt slightly sceptical as to whether or not I would find anything in my price range, but how wrong I was! The place was a gold mine for the big buyer or somebody, like me, looking for little accents and special items.

I could have bought a tonne of things but I kept to my budget and I came away with this fantastic old first aid box; it also came with a small pot jar. This will go beautifully on a wall in the spare room and I will now be looking for suitable vintage items to go inside.

Well, that is my goodies shared with you and I look forward to showing you them in their chosen places and homes very soon.

Thanks for stopping by and catch ya later!x

National Stationery Week Is Coming Soon!

For all you letter writers, scribblers, planners, list makers and general stationery addicts, like me, our week of weeks is coming - SOON!

NATIONAL STATIONERY WEEK is March 31 - April 6 so visit their website because it is choc-a-block with items celebrating the written word, getting people to write letters, espcecially children, and tonnes of other fun stuff including competitions.

Why not put pen to paper and write a note or short letter to somebody today instead of emailing or Tweeting? Personally I have always loved writing letters and belong to #PostCircle set up by the lovely blogging lady Anna of Miss Beatrix.

I am quite a stationery addict and just love to buy beautiful notebooks, folders, files, anything I can write in really, even if I don't avtually need to use them right now. good to have them in stock just in case!
 
BTW, my English teacher always told me you could remember to spell the paper kind of stationery by remembering the e for envelope at the end not an a as is the standing still stationary. Just thought I would mention that! 

Hope you will join in with this wonderful week and that you enjoyed this post and will stop by again soon. x