Random ramblings - nothing new there then!

Good evening. 

Today's post is inspired by Pretty Nostalgic (PN) magazine again. Sorry, can't help it! Whilst reading the latest issue, subscriptions to this delicious magazine are available here, I scribbled down, there I go again, a few things which inspired me, reminded me of stuff or just gave me ideas.

I have recently purchased a good supply of soda crystals, commonly know as bicarbonate of soda.

 

I have been using it for cleaning various things around the kitchen as I am in the middle of a kitchen deep clean. This involves cleaning out every cupboard and drawer, vacuuming those hard to get at areas, dusting cupboard tops and having a general de-clutter. So, making a paste of the crystals and a drop of water I have cleaned out most cupboards and they have come up shiny like a new pin. I think I will use it next time with a drop of lemon juice; this can increase the cleaning power and, of course, it smells lovely. I've put aside items which other people may want, that which is beyond the pale plus items for the charity shop. I always have a look round when I drop things off hoping that I see something the shop will trade for what I am taking them instead of crossing their palm with silver. Still yet to manage it!

I don't have a lots of recipes of my mums and I was not that interested in baking when I was younger so don't have an old exercise book of recipes like I think my oldest sister probably does. However, since becoming a fully-fledged fan of baking and cooking I have acquired a few more books. I think my current favourite recipe is cheese and sweetcorn scones, just yummy - I plan to add this to the Foody Fun page of my blog. I am, however, an avid fan of collecting recipes for all food be it savoury or sweet; this means I am continually increasing the size of my recipe folder!

I am keen to sew more, for myself, the boys or the house but need to find a way to fit it in with the other things I like to do. It occurred to me the other day that I could re-purpose and make do and mend something which only sees the light of day for the month of December. That item is my Christmas draught excluder. I think I should find some fabric with which to create a sleeve so I can use it at other times of the year. I don't think this would be a difficult sewing project and I really should get myself organised and do it very soon!

So, there we have a few ramblings from your friendly non-blonde blonde. They were inspired by PN so maybe you could also get inspired by them or just let me know what inspires you? I would love to know.

Thanks for stopping by and I look forward to hearing what inspires you.

Catch ya later! xx


 

Vintage-inspired journals - when they're gone they're gone!

Good morning! 

This is just a quick post as I am having a lazy morning today. My Country Living 
magazine arrived this morning so just about everything has come to a standstill! 

I've just popped up to our Chill Room to use the computer, this is the room in our home which houses my crafting area - including my needs-to-be-used-more sewing machine, hubby's guitars, you get the idea. Anyway, I spied two of my embellished journals which I am keen to sell as I am not going to be at the upcoming Saddleworth Creative Network event in March. Just having a little rest and concentrating on a few things for myself. It takes a lot of preparation to take part in one of these events and sometimes I just feel I don't have the energy.

So, here are the two journals. They are A5 in size with blank pages and come with a decorated book mark, both have a vintage feel to them. Due to the paper being 120gsm they are just great for using as art journals as you are able to put inks on it and use some kinds of art pens, too.

They would be perfect as any kind of memory book to keep tickets, photos etc in. I have a couple of them for things around the house myself like my Journal of Gratitude, which I began in January, plus one for scribbling in if I am working on a blog post or a piece of writing. I do love a good chunky note book and these fit the bill very nicely indeed.

 

Now the nitty gritty. I have these priced at £16.00, due simply to the (wo)man hours they take to complete, plus gift wrapping and postage. If you are interested in buying one for a very special person, perhaps with a special occasion coming up, then being a completely original item I really think it would be a gift they would treasure.

Hope you are having a good day.

Catch ya later! xx

Book review involving cake!!!

This review is a little late as the book was a Christmas present from my cake-making big sister. Today's review is of "Brilliant Baking Step-by Step" by Ruth Clemens who was a finalist in the first series of The Great British Bake Off.

Right off the bat I loved the book, and why the heck not its pink! I am a huge fan of recipe books which give a list of useful tools and ingredients, ideas on how to get the best from your kitchen equipment and how to use what you already have in your store cupboards. I think Jamie Oliver is really good at doing this, too.

I thought it was fantastic of Ruth to include tips along the way, such as how to turn plain flour into self raising - who hasn't run out just at the wrong time? Ruth makes the point that baking is a science and I totally agree; measuring ingredients correctly is of paramount importance for a good bake.

Before we even reach Ruth's cake recipes there are a couple of Troubleshooting pages. I think it makes perfect sense to read this before you start so you can hopefully avoid making little mistakes later. I loved the tips on using up egg whites and yolks and I think homemade custard is just the best thing ever; I much prefer making it to opening a ready made packet!

Now to the actual cake making. Ruth gives you a step-by-step guide, of course, to the cakes requiring a creaming method, a whisking method and those needing a melting method. This allows you to make such classic bakes as a Victoria sponge, a genoise and a yummy tea bread. The selection of recipes is excellent because there are cakes with fruit for the summer, indulgent treat cakes with chocolate and cakes just perfect to go with a brew!

As far as the design of the book is concerned I like the way the pages are peppered with drawings of vintage kitchen utencils; I use an age-old fish knife and bone-handled fork when I am baking! 

All in all this book is a sweet treat to look at, a joy to read and a sure-fire winner. Whether you are a newbie to baking or looking for a tasty new recipe for a special occasion you will not be disappointed.

A Scribbler I Was, A Blogger I Be!

Ever since I can remember I have been a writer and a scribbler. If I had money to go to the shop with, my mum was never surprised when I came home with a super-sized jotter pad!

Throughout my life I have kept diaries, written poems, always been fond of letter writing and forever felt that you cannot beat the first, fresh page of a brand new notebook!

I am a continual list maker and lover of my Household Notebook (HN); if I don't write it down it just may not get done. Here is where you can get the printables I use, and more!  I am a planner of menus and for upcoming events on the organizer calendar I have on my kitchen wall. My HN is an idea from the States and it brings together all I need to keep body and soul in order throughout the house. (Whole sections of Pinterest are dedicated to printable sheets you can utilize to organize every aspect of you and family's lives.) Mine helps me with things like a daily To Do list, inventories for my freezers and shopping overflow, shopping lists, phone numbers and information about school/children.

 

I keep part of the article about Team Pugh from A Year Without Supermarkets and their shopping habits for inspiration.

The A4 folder stays on the kitchen table most days, along with my calendar it is command central for me and I love it!

I guess you could say my blogging comes as an extension of my love of scribbling, a place where I can ramble on and share my thoughts, every day goings on and happenings. I use my embellished journal for my scribbling for blog posts and other things.

 
I really do enjoy writing a great deal and a dream I have is for something to be published in a magazine; I was very flattered when asked on a couple of occasions to be a guest blogger. If I never get thousands of visitors to my blog I don't think I will care too much; for me it is about the writing, the words and the sharing. If people chose to read it and find something  I have talked about interesting, then that is just wonderful and I hope they, and you, continue to do so.

Thanks for stopping by and catch ya later! xx

A Little Catch Up On A Monday.

Hi. Thanks for stopping by - I really do appreciate it and look forward to you letting me know how you like my blog and its ramblings. Don't forget you can become one of my Friendly Followers or get my ramblings straight to your email box. Just check out the left hand side of the page for detail.

So, yes, time I let you know what I have been up to. Well, in the last week or so I have sent for, received in the post and replied to lots of lovely things. I received four letters from #PostCircle buddies and other friends then managed to reply to three of them whilst having some lovely me time.

One of the things I received in the post was something called a Weekend Box.  

This is a collection of activities to help occupy your little ones on a weekend. I know I never liked Sundays when I was young so this is a fun way to enjoy that family time. I am normally great at setting up activities for my two; a trip to the library and a quick (?!) internet search and I can normally come up with anything from a hospital role play set up or printables for an airport check in! I thought this would be fun and I did actually get a promotional code from a friend (thanks Jocelyn), who has a wonderful blog called The Reading Residence, so thought why not give it a go in readiness to use them when one of the boys has a birthday after this coming weekend?

I did a really dumb thing and bought a poor substitute for my regular calendar for this new year of 2014 and it just shows that false economy is a waste of time and money. I am waiting for delivery of a copy of my usual one, see here. It is by Sandra Boynton and the best planner/calendar I have ever had - as a bit of an organising freak it is just the job for me.

Something I am about to order in just a few minutes are the next two back copies of my new obsession Pretty Nostalgic. Being a subscriber means you can order these fab back copies for just £5. I  have sold one of my embellished journals so am using the money for a little treat. 

Talking of treats, I am stashing £5 when I go shopping each week to use as a treat for me and hubby. Not sure if I will make it two treats for the year or save it for near the end of the year or one every couple of months - have to see. Eeeek!

 I am currently doing really well with my Journal of Gratitude that I began at the beginning of January. See here the unfinished front cover which I MUST get done!

I am managing to keep up to date and I am grateful for that! as I would hate to waste a lovely note book with lots of lovely blank pages to fill with yet more of my ramblings! One positive quote I found which I tweaked for my Journal was "Always be happy with what you have whilst you are working towards what you want". So so very true. Loved that. For more of the same follow @the_speakmans on Twitter.

Today I began my Spring/deep clean around the house. I love the website called Orgnanized Home. I take some of my Household Notebook printables from here and when I saw this challenge I thought this was just the thing for me. This week sees me concentrating on the living room and today have made a great start with paintwork, curtain rails and lamp shades. The biggest job will be the sofas but I am up to the task, I  know it! 

Well, seeing as I lost the first draft of this earlier I think I will not tempt fate and just let you read this. Thanks again for stopping by; not sure why anybody would like to read my ramblings but at least I have a record for myself of the day to day life of me and mine. 

I am trying to do  some new things with my blog this year so watch this space.

Catch ya later. xx














 

"I Have A Dream..."

Do you have a dream or share a dream with your other half? We have a family dream but we are working hard to turn it into a reality.CHECK
  
Given the chance, or when we have worked hard enough, we see ourselves living on a farm or small holding. I would be happy as a pig in muck in my wellies and apron feeding the chickens.CHECK. We would have an honesty box at the gate where people could pick up a dozen eggs when they needed them.

 
I long to grow my own vegetables CHECK and herbs and that 
pig I was happy as muck in, well we would have one or two
to feed up then put in the freezer! 

 

 









 I imagine canning, jam making and preserving in my kitchen and making and baking yummy things, with our own eggs,CHECK in the Aga CHECK that keeps our house warm and cosy. The scrubbed wooden table CHECK would always be there with a pot of tea or coffee and a plate of home made cakes and bakes.CHECK

I would love fruit trees so that, come the autumn, I would make lots of chutney, preserves and pies to put in my walk in larder where I would also store the spoils from my labour on the vegetable patch.

We don't currently have a dog CHECK but I imagine, if we did, the boys taking it out as they charge around in their wellies enjoying the outdoor life - with me saying be back at tea time!

Come the winter there would be no problem if we were snowed in as I am sure we would have a monster of a woodpile CHECK. With all my making and baking plus a freezer full we would more than survive until "the pass is open, the pass is open!" (Anybody familiar with Seven Brides For Seven Brothers?)

This sounds perfectly idylic to me and we are trying to hard to eventually make this life for ourselves and our boys.CHECK

What dreams or plans do you have? I would love you to share them with me.

Hope to hear from you.

Catch ya later! xx

What began as a magazine review....?!

 I began this piece of writing with the intention of it being a magazine review because today I received the first issue of my Pretty Nostalgic (PN) subscription.

However, as I gradually turned the pages it also turned into a wonderful trip down memory lane.

When I first enthusiastically tore off the plastic wrapper the first thing I noticed was the smell of the paper. Mmm. As I  meandered through the pages I noticed my #PostCircle was mentioned. (This was set up by Anna from Miss Beatrix, a lovely vintage-style blog I follow.)
 

 I was also reminded that when you subscribe to PN you will be helping a charity through a philanthropic £12 donation from the magazine. Also, when you buy a subscription you have the chance to buy the back issues for just £5 - I currently have issue 1 and 2 on order!

The article entitled 'Ready For My Close Up' was about vintage make up products. My memory was nudged about such things as 4711 Eau do Cologne in that distinctive blue and silver bottle. 

 I discovered kirby grips are called as such because they were made by Kirby, Beard & Co. Ltd! I was lead back to school days when, too many years ago, a boyfriend bought me some Norman Hartnell "In Love" talc. 

The images of talcum powder in tins reminded me of my paternal grandmother, as did the bath salts cubes. And while we are at it, can you actually buy perfume funnels anymore?! A men's grooming kit was featured and my husband and I recently bought something very similar for a family member as a gift. 

***Light bulb moment!! I think vintage beauty products would fit perfectly in my spare room!**

The next article which brought back memories was 'People Who Came To The Door' , about pedlars who, in days gone by, sold their wares from trays or bicycles offering anything from ice cream and haberdashery items to muffins and household products.

 It reminded me of Mr Crowson's corner shop when I was young with wooden floorboards and shelves behind the counter, but he would also come around the village on a Saturday with his van selling various items. Underneath the base of the van's shelves was a big, wooden drawer which, when opened, revealed a plethora of sweets and treats on which to spend our pocket money.

The 'Live By Our Motto' pages are something I am really trying to keep to, along with the PN pledge. 

I have mentioned in a previous post about having milk delivered, buying produce from the local market, making bread and writing letters. (You get the idea.) I have a small number of pen pals who live in places from Cornwall to Carmarthenshire - and I received two letters just today! On a family note, when my two boys are on their individual activities after school with dad me and the one staying at home play Battleships on paper and draughts instead of watching TV.

I hope you have enjoyed my little nostalgia trip. Each issue of Pretty Nostalgic is indeed a collectors item and should be treasured as much as the memories it evokes. This is exactly what happened when I read my copy today, and I have yet to get the most out of it by any stretch! I cannot WAIT for the next issue and I very much hope you buy your own copies to enjoy and treasure.

xxx