The Pudding

some seasonal books to share

2009-11-21T10:19:00.003Z

A trip to the library this week surprised us with some wonderful new Christmas books, just to get us in the mood for the forthcoming festivities:

Christmas Trolls by Jan Brett :: we have read a couple of other books of hers but I had never heard of this one before. A favourite of Adrien's now, I think he particularly loved the naughty Trolls.

Kingfisher Christmas Book :: A selection of Christmas stories, poems and carols for the twelve days of Christmas. Includes classics such as The Nutcracker (one of my favourites) and The Little Fir Tree, as well as traditional stories from Scandinavia and Russia.

The Magic Sleigh by Cynthia & Brian Paterson :: Part of the Foxwood Tales. An enchanting story of woodland animals discovering Father Christmas's magic sleigh that whisks them off to his castle. Beautiful illustrations together with such a sweet tale just makes you want to jump into the book with them.

Lucy & Tom's Christmas by Shirley Hughes :: I am a big Shirley Hughes fan. I adore her nostalgic stories & illustrations that seem to represent the perfect childhood. Was not disappointed with this book.

This book, A Day on Skates by Hilda Van Stockum, I have purchased as a gift for Alex for Christmas but I couldn't resist showing a sneaky peek inside the book. Bear in mind I have not read the story yet to myself or the children so the verdict on that is still out until after Christmas, but just look at the illustrations-

I have managed to get another sewing project finished. A little tote bag with embroidered hedgehogs and toadstool on linen fabric. Lining is re purposed polka dot cotton fabric. One less Christmas gift to worry about.

Talking of handmade gifts, I am so eager to pick up my knitting needles I need to find some ideas for knitted gifts to make. Any ideas?

sewing therapy

2009-11-12T13:43:00.003Z

I have not been by here in a little while because I simply haven't felt like I wanted to. The past couple of weeks have been sad and stressful; the sudden tragic death of a friend and sickness with the children which brings a lot of extra stress.

However, I have been channelling my energies to get long overdue projects completed for Adrien's birthday in a couple of weeks. The cowboy quilt which I started ages ago is finally finished. It is supposed to take on a crinkly kind of effect once washed, but unfortunately we have not had a dry day for weeks, so that will have to wait.

I have also started (but not finished yet) a bunny too from this pattern, and a birthday crown for him.

our nature table

2009-10-25T10:58:00.004Z

this is our new autumn nature table we have just set up. For past seasons the nature table has been situated on top of a low bookcase, but I came to realise it was too inaccessible, especially for little Adrien and this, I thought, defeated the object of it. This way requires a little more work to maintain but we are all very happy with it.

I am a little late compared to most of you out there, but I just purchased my copy of A Year of Mornings. Apart from it being a beautiful and wonderful book, it has really got me thinking about whether we are morning, evening or night people. I am most definitely an evening person, which after some serious reflection, quite comfortably coincides with my love of autumn/winter. For me they both represent a letting go of pressures, demands and expectations. A sense of cosying down under soft candlelight, cuddling under warm quilts and blankets, enjoying warm tea, soups and delicious pies and surrounded by my books, knitting, sewing or music. Everything is calm, warm, serene. Nothing needs to be achieved except relaxation and peace.

hello again

2009-10-17T20:52:00.005+01:00

I am back. That was an unplanned break. Sick children and a full schedule has been keeping me busy. Decided to crank it all down a notch today, we all stayed at home, listened to music, played 'dog shows' (don't even ask) and I even got to do some cooking. Pumpkin soup and a sun-dried tomato, goat cheese and onion tart. It was delicious.

I am starting to think about Christmas coming and a little one's birthday and wondering how I am going to do things this year. I really want to scale things back with the gifts, toys etc., and have a more thoughtful and less materialistic holidays. I am just not sure how to get the balance right between what I want my children to have/experience to what they want and expect. The last thing I want is two unhappy faces on their special days. I just always remember when I was a little girl the big sack of toys left from Santa and all the excitement that went with that, but at the same time I don't like the idea of that for my boys. I know that will probably sound very contradictory and maybe a little selfish on my part. I am still trying to figure this one out.

time for cake

2009-10-03T10:38:00.003+01:00

Baking my first fruit cake.

Now autumn is upon us I have been in the mood for lots of baking. This is probably why I like this season so much, time to spend cosy days baking, sipping hot chocolate, jazz music in the background and maybe a little knitting? I have not picked up the needles since the hats I made last year, but with the cooler days I much prefer to cosy down on the sofa with some knitting than sitting at my sewing machine in a cold corner of the dining room.

hello autumn

2009-09-26T07:53:00.002+01:00

hello autumn, my most very favourite month.

this is also time for new beginings, fresh ideas and challenges.

I will be starting an OU course shortly, just a short 10 week one to start with, but I would love to go on to do a degree, something that has always been a dream of mine. Its just the time aspect that worries me, being able to fit it all into family life, and hoping I don't take on too much.

I read a great post yesterday over at Bluebirdbaby, it was just what I needed to read right now; over the last few months I have been getting stressed basically over things that I have no or little control over - so I am going to make a big effort to step back from many things, take more time for me and let things happen the way they are meant to.

30 days of happiness:: cornerview - conkers!!

2009-09-23T20:45:00.004+01:00

Things have been pretty conker-mad around here lately. We now have a huge box full of them, which I quite know what to do with, any suggestions?

The subject for this week's cornerview is 'from my car window'. Well I don't have a car, so you could say this is from the window of my world: gorgeous autumn days, and lots & lots of conkers!

30 days of happiness

2009-09-18T21:06:00.004+01:00

:: Time to get away at last to the beach

:: Watching the boys swimming, exploring, having fun

:: Swimming in the sea for the first time in years (it was so good)

:: Eating ice creams by the harbour

:: Burying in the sand

:: Spending precious moments in time that I shall never forget.

30 days of happiness:: back to reality

2009-09-16T20:44:00.002+01:00

I am back from a little holiday in Dorset, happy, tired and thankful for the break.Feeling very tired, I did something rare for myself, but something I think I should do more often: in the 1 1/2 hours I have to myself in the day when both boys are at school and nursery, I sat back with a cup of tea and watched this movie. A rare treat I immensely enjoyed.

30 days of happiness 8::

2009-09-05T09:05:00.004+01:00

Enjoying a stop at a coffee shop with extra special treats::

This was our last full day together before my little guy goes back to nursery.

30 days of happiness:: day 7

2009-09-02T17:09:00.002+01:00

Watching these two little guys play 'rock stars', making up their own songs and singing away makes me happy today.

Eating the crumble we made yesterday::

Seeing this scrumptious bakewell tart and planning on making my own.

30 days of happiness:: 6

2009-09-01T11:33:00.002+01:00

I am trying to keep material things to a minimum as sources of happiness especially over these thirty days, however, sometimes there are certain things that cannot avoid bringing a big smile to my face even if I did have to buy it. I treated myself to this beautiful box of vintage and new haberdashery, one of the estate lots at the wonderful Lobster and Swan.

All this wonderful goodness arrived beautifully boxed and I can't wait to start using it all for all the projects I have swimming around in my head.

It is the first day of September, Autumn is just around the corner (my favourite season).

I am filling the house with little jars of posies.

A new school term is but two days away.

We are off now to spend some time at the playground and pick some more berries to make this wonderful crumble.

I have much to make me smile today.

30 days of happiness:: 5

2009-08-31T08:50:00.002+01:00

Yesterday was quite a tough day. You know, one of those days when everything seems to be going against you. Well at one point I thought there would be nothing to bring a smile on my face that day, that is until I spotted these two jars of blackberry jelly that the boys and I made earlier in the week. Looking at the writing on the labels that Alex made (with the little drawing of a blackberry) together with some sticky little fingerprints on the jar, where little ones have sneaked a taste, really did bring a big smile to my face.

30 days of happiness:: day 4

2009-08-30T08:28:00.005+01:00

We visited the library and came out with heavy bags,

stopped for milkshakes,

found a nice sunny grassy spot to sit and watch and listen and smell.

After a slow walk home, made dinner for the family, my homemade lasagne.

30 days of happiness: Day 3 the beach

2009-08-29T08:18:00.002+01:00

Happiness was finding our way at last to the seaside. This was the first time Adrien has seen the sea. It was a delight to sit back and watch him take it all in, from feeling the cold salty water on his toes to the gritty sand in his hands.

We took crab lines and fished for crabs, Alex was totally into this.

Playing with friends:

Drawing in the sand:

Taking in the views:

Making sandcastles with friends:

The boys loved the seaside so very much, feeling grateful that in a week or so we will be at the sea again.

30 days of happiness

2009-08-26T21:52:00.003+01:00

This is what made me happy today::

Watching Adrien in his new blue shoes

Turning blackberries into jam

30 days of happiness: day 1 fairy cakes

2009-08-25T21:39:00.003+01:00

I have been feeling quite overwhelmed recently and have let things get the better of me, failing to 'see the wood for the trees' so to speak - then I read this post over at Bluebirdbaby this morning and I was instantly inspired to join her 30 days of happiness. To seek and notice the small but important things in our lives that are easily overlooked in the frustrations and stresses of day to day life.

So to kick off day 1: I sat and just watched as my little adrien made these simple fairy cakes. I watched as he thoughtfully and strategically spooned on the icing and sprinkles with such concentration and determination, it was so amazing to watch and I didn't step in once I just let him go. We then sat together and ate a cake each, savouring the sweetness in our mouths and licking sticky fingers.

weekend thoughts

2009-08-23T09:50:00.003+01:00

Thank you for your kind words and suggestions from my last post, I value your words so much.

This weekend:
Spent Friday with my Dad, the boys love to see their Grandfather; wish it could had been for longer.

Saturday - took some flowers to my mum's grave. Alex is always wanting to go there, I find it kind of hard, but it is getting easier. Found some brambles brimming with blackberries; picked two tubs full to take home. I am now left with scratches over my legs and arms and tiny thorns in my fingers. Oh the joys! I am planning on making some simple blackberry jelly with the fruit; this will be my first attempt at preserving so am a little nervous, but am going to try a simple recipe I found in this book.

Sunday: enjoying some simple pleasures, and thinking of next week:

Possibly meet up with my sister and go to local park for picnic.

Make blackberry jelly.

Go into town for new shoes for Adrien and school shirts for Alex.

Planning on going for a day trip to the beach on Thursday with friends.

Maybe start to strip the wallpaper in the dining room (as part of my' freshen-up' for the house.)

See you next week!

2009-08-19T21:39:00.004+01:00

It has been hot today, in the 80's - which is hot for me, I don't do well in the heat. I yearn for Autumn, my favourite season, I enjoy wrapping-up, blustery days and darker evenings.

I have been quite stressed the last few days. Trying to keep the boys occupied and constantly battling with Alex over the TV. (I keep pulling the plug out, he keeps plugging it in). If I had my way I would get rid of the TV - I very rarely watch it at all. I thought I was doing really well up until now with the viewing habits of my children, but this summer has hit a roadblock. Alex wants to either be playing outside (on his own), which I think he is too young for, or watching TV. Everything suddenly is boring! All his previous favourite pastimes, like drawing, dressing-up, imaginative play are not cutting it for him anymore. I was so looking forward to these summer holidays - an opportunity to spend much more time with him, but it just hasn't worked out the way I had hoped. I am hoping that our little summer holiday that's coming up in a couple of weeks will maybe shift the mood. I am hoping this is a phase and if anyone has any tips for me, they will gratefully be received.

On a lighter note, spent some lovely time in the woods searching out bugs and managed to get close to an amazing dragonfly - I am still trying to identify it. And can never get enough ladybirds!

home

2009-08-16T21:31:00.002+01:00

Up until now I have been hesitant to show much of my home. We have lived in this house for just about a year now and there is still SO much to be done, and to be honest we haven't really begun. The usual time and financial constraints mean I have been concentrating my attention and money elsewhere.

However, recently I have been so inspired by pictures of other peoples homes, that I feel that with a little attention I can maybe start to begin to love my home better. I am thinking that although I cannot make big changes at the moment, I can start small - searching out vintage pieces at thrift stores and boot sales - freshing-up paintwork, framing photos and artwork for the walls.

What I thinking I am finally getting, is that you don't need to spend a fortune at the department store to make a house a home, and I don't think that's the look and feel I'm looking for anyway.

punch & judy

2009-08-14T20:38:00.005+01:00

This morning we were treated to a wonderful punch & judy show. You don't really get to see these anymore. The show was held in our local museum as part of a Victorian seaside theme.

I feel it is such a shame that these classic children's pastimes, that children for decades have loved and enjoyed are all but gone, over misguided fears of health & safety. I am so grateful that my children got to experience such a wonderful piece of history and entertainment; I doubt whether they will ever get the chance again.

The boys loved the show as much as I did. We got to meet the puppeteer afterwards, and she let the children play with the puppets and act in their own shows.

Alex loved this skeleton. It has an extendable neck that lengthens and twists like the old 'quack' doctor.

Adrien's favourite was Mr Punch.

We are so inspired by this that we plan to make our own puppets from maybe papier mache, and of course stage our own show.

bits & bobs

2009-08-08T16:36:00.004+01:00

How is your weekend going? The boys have just gone out with their dad to McDonalds and to choose a movie to rent, which has given me some precious time to gather my thoughts and round up a few things that have been going on here.

Firstly, the brand new Summer 2 Book of Days is out today, which I downloaded and printed this morning. It is full to the brim with lots of activities and ideas for the whole family to be involved in, from cowboy treats to make, to bug-hunting, to making your own magic tricks. I think it has come in great timing for me, as I am starting to dry-up on things to keep the boys busy.

If you remember a couple of months back I started a scrap fabric quilt for Adrien. Well firstly, I came to the realisation that I probably wouldn't have enough of the scrap fabrics to make the size of quilt I was after, so instead I turned that patchwork into a cushion cover, which I backed with a Laura Ashley Cowslip fabric.

I love it. It brings some much needed colour to my rather bland looking living room.

Then I fell in love with this wonderful cowboy fabric from Cath Kidston, and knew I just had to make him a cowboy quilt. Here are the pieces ready to be sewn together. I made the squares much bigger at 9", so that the cowboy print is much noticeable, and also makes for quick piecing together.

This book below, Out and About through the year by Shirley Hughes, was a gift given to me from my friend B. I have loved Shirley Hughes' books, especially the Alfie stories and the classic Dogger but I had never heard of this one. It is a collection of poems following a little girl and her baby brother through the changing seasons. And of course her illustrations are as charming and captivating as ever.

Finally, have started some new embroidery inspired by some of Adrien's little wooden toys.

Hope you are enjoying your weekend. See you next week.

pies

2009-08-06T11:04:00.002+01:00

There has been lots of fun making mud pies.

Recipe:

Dirt

Water

Grass

Seeds

Blackberries

Stir to a good consistency, mould into pies and put on baking sheet.

Voila!

I have been making some 'pies' of my own. I have fond memories of my mother making Madeira cake when I was a little girl. I adore the smooth creamy buttery taste, with a crumb that melts in your mouth. I had such a craving for this cake that I decided to make one myself.

This was my mothers recipe for Madeira cake:

175g/6 oz butter, at room temp

175g/60z caster sugar

3 large eggs

250g/9oz self-raising flour

approx. 3 tbsps full-cream milk

1/2 tsp lemon zest

1/2 tsp vanilla essense.

Bake at 180C/350F Gas 4 for approx 60 mins.

a cup of tea & a freebie

2009-08-03T19:16:00.004+01:00

I do love a nice cup of tea, especially from a teapot, but haven't had one for so long. Well I picked up this lovely teapot and mug from a thrift store today for just 50p each!

I also bought this wonderful Annabel Karmel book for just 25p. I used this book a lot when my boys were little and couldn't resist buying it at just 25p. The recipes are easy and nutritious, and the book sets out a whole week meal planner. So if anyone out there wants this copy I will be happy to pass it on to you. I think it must of been an ex-library copy, but except for some stains on the first page it is in good condition. If your interested just send me an email with your details at, dasspart@hotmail.com.

some photos of the weekend

2009-08-02T22:28:00.002+01:00

Fun at the fayre.

A sneak peek at Rhino, here sleeping in his food bowl. More pictures to follow. He is becoming a lot more friendlier now, I think he's getting used to us.

sewing stuff

2009-07-31T16:03:00.003+01:00

Here are some projects that I have been working on, which I have actually managed to finish. The yellow shoulder bag which I started a while ago has turned out quite a success, I think I will be keeping this one for myself.

Here is the cherry blossom embroidery I made some months back, I eventually managed to turn into a little zip bag/purse.

I made some of these lavender/chamomile tote bags way back in Easter as gifts for the boys teachers. I had so much fun making them I made some more!

For quite some time now I have been pondering on whether to run an Etsy shop to sell some of my projects. Seeing lots of other people doing this I have been quite inspired. I do not intend this to be a business, I am far too busy and committed elsewhere for that to work. I basically want it to be fun, a way to enhance my crafting experience. I do not claim to be an expert of any kind, but I enjoy creating and only intend to cover the basic costs involved, which in turn can then enable me to make more things. It is always nice to own something handcrafted, maybe from a different part of the world and I want to be involved in this. I read of many others doing swaps and think this is a great idea too. Spread the love, as they say.

As I mentioned before, I have been chewing on this for quite some time, deciding whether this was the right way to go and whether it will fit with me, and so have decided to take the plunge, together with a whole lot of excitement and nervousness.

Ware

2009-07-30T15:27:00.004+01:00

We spent today with friends of ours at a small town called Ware. We visited the tiny museum there. Below is Adrien at the museum in a WWII bunker with gas mask.

We had a picnic in the beautiful gardens and fed the ducks in the nearby river. In between the sunny spells were torrential rain showers which soaked us through, but that was all part of the fun.

new member of the family

2009-07-27T14:40:00.002+01:00

We are welcoming a new member of our family today. Rhino the hamster, our first proper family pet. Alex has been begging us for a pet for some time now, so we thought a hamster was a good way to start. He is sleeping under the shredded paper at the moment, but when he is more settled and calmed down from his move I will introduce him.

Alex had received a special award from school at the end of year assembly, for his great achievement in reading. He has been having problems with his hearing and didn't get the best of starts at school because of this (this is quite a story within itself, I may elaborate further another time). But he has done so well this year and I was so proud of him getting this award, so I did promise him a 'special treat'.

My dad took the boys and I up to the pet shop this morning to choose our new pet. He is a gingery, browny colour and we love him already. The boys don't get to see their grandfather very much so this I think made it all extra special for them.

books

2009-07-25T15:35:00.003+01:00

I used to be quite an avid reader, but over the last year or so I have been concentrating my efforts more on being the best mum I can be, and creating a 'creative' life for my family, and so my reading has suffered. But I do miss it, and of course to be the best mum I can be requires me to take a little time for myself and be a little selfish at times.

We generally visit our library weekly, but unfortunately recently the only ones checking books out have been the boys. So I decided to change that today. The first book Life of Pi by Yann Martel; I remember when this book first came out, I was living in the US then and Alex was but a year old, and I must have checked this book out of one library or another between the US and UK some 7 or 8 times, but I never got to read it - that is about to change NOW. The next book The Other Side of the Bridge by Mary Lawson; this sounded interesting and the last book is The Miracle at Speedy Motors by Alexander McCall Smith, part of the Ladies No.1 Detective Agency series. I have read all the series of books so far and have loved them all, so look forward to digging into this one. I find these books very easy to read and a good way to get back into reading after a book hiatus.

Here was some of the boys choices. The Secret Path by Nick Butterworth, Adrien loves the Percy the Park Keeper stories. Captain Small Pig by Martin Waddell & Susan Varley, The Black Cat by Allan Ahlberg & Andre Amstutz and lastly a very sweet story of a frog looking for a home, Home Sweet Home by Caroline Pitcher. This book was also good because at the back was notes to parents/teachers for ideas to extend the story beyond the book.

What are you reading? I love recommendations and am always interested in what others are reading.

teacher gifts

2009-07-23T11:48:00.004+01:00

I wanted to tell you about the gifts we made for our teachers. The problem is that with all the rush that went with making six of these gifts, (we were up until late last Thursday night) together with all the other end of year activities that needed to be done or attended I completely forgot all about capturing their sweet goodness on camera.

We decided to make some Fruit Nut Balls from Molly Wizenberg's book A Homemade Life.
I wish I could show a picture of them because they were so gorgeous looking, sitting nestled in cute cup cases all round and plump with shiny chocolate 'hats' on them. (I may make some more and will be sure to show you them this time.) We then made from cardboard these small gift boxes to hold the little darlings in. I downloaded a template from here. We then decorated the boxes with tissue paper, and Alex had the wonderful idea of picking some fresh flowers from the garden to decorate too. The boxes managed to fit 7-8 balls in them.

a time to explore

2009-07-22T14:39:00.002+01:00

We visited some new woods yesterday and enjoyed the discovery of somewhere new. We played imaginary games of monsters and bears chasing us, where we had to hide and make quick escapes.

Spotting and identifying fungus to add to our nature journal.

Trying to catch grasshoppers to take home, but being unsuccessful we just observed.

paper dolls

2009-07-20T16:15:00.002+01:00

The school summer holidays are officially underway now, and although I look forward to spending more time with my boys, not have to walk to and from the schools six times daily and generally relax and enjoy the summer, the thought of seven weeks with two rambunctious boys with endless energy and a shoestring budget does feel a tad overwhelming. We are lucky in that the town we live in does provide lots of free or heavily subsidised activities for children over the holidays from our nature reserve to our local museum. Something that has kept us quite busy over the last few days was these Charlie & Lola paper dolls which you can download free here.

We also have plans to build a Charlie & Lola dollhouse from old boxes, that is if the paper dolls last that long!

We are also working on a Charlie & Lola activity book, again which can be downloaded free here.

I do not have a specific plans for the coming weeks, I try not to stick to a rigid plan to avoid unnecessary disappointments. We do hope to go to the seaside, the local museum, local art gallery, nature reserve, town park & farm, open air paddling pools and hopefully lots of picnics. I hope to not be away so long this time.

hot, busy days

2009-07-03T21:46:00.003+01:00

I never intended to be away for so long, but sometimes life just gets in the way. With just a couple of weeks now until school's out, there are the many end of term activities to juggle between two schools. We have also been having somewhat of a heatwave here, and I don't do heat well, it melts my brain and all I feel like doing is lying down sipping ice water.

Had a wonderful day at Adrien's sports day. A picnic lunch to start on the school field, then time for races. My little guy getting to win the 'beanbag on head race'. I am quite upset though that the schools seem to be taking a non-competitive line on sports days now, so there are no winners apparently. How sad for children who do not excel academically and wait for their day to shine on the playing field, for that now to be taken away from them.

butterfly

2009-06-25T18:03:00.003+01:00

We have said our final farewells to our butterflies and set them free. Unfortunately we missed all five hatching from their cocoons, (I had no idea it happens so quick), but was delighted we got to see them eat. What a wonderful experience this has been. The boys are actually quite sad they are all gone now.

We still have one tadpole left, who is coming along great, with legs now. I think its about time we bought some new wild pets home, maybe that can be mission for the weekend.

Worthing

2009-06-11T09:41:00.006+01:00

On Tuesday I got to spend a fantastic day with wonderful friends down in the seaside town of Worthing, West Sussex. Believe it or not, this was the first time I have spent a day out, without any children in 7 years!!!

My friend is a missionary working in Tanzania, but is home for a few months. We had lunch, walked along the seafront, visited the many small shops, had coffee and cake in a tearoom, and ate fish & chips on the pebbly beach.

I fell in love with the lovely old little Victorian houses close to the beach, I love to imagine the generations of people who have lived there.

We also visited the Dome. One of very few original cinemas left in Britain. The Dome dates back to 1911, and is so beautiful inside, still with its original ticket office. You can actually sit and watch a movie while sipping tea from a china cup. It did leave me feeling a little angry though that so many of these wonderful beautiful buildings, so much a part of our history and heritage are just knocked down. Here are some pictures inside the Dome.

You know, I really must do this more often.

Cornerview: View from my back door

2009-06-10T21:14:00.003+01:00

A little late and a little rushed today. I was out all day yesterday and still exhausted today (will tell you more about that tomorrow). However, here is the view from my back door, it is small and rather messy but really its a lot of fun. The beach toys are used for playing in the mud with. The little makeshift pond houses our adopted tadpoles, which are still going strong by the way. It is also a football pitch and a place to make dens.

For more cornerviews:

jane, ladybug-zen, ian, bonnie, esti, sophie, cele, modsquad,caitlin, joyce, ani, kim, a day that is dessert, natsumi, epe, kaylovesvintage, trinsch, c.t., jeannette, outi, schanett, ritva, francesca, state of bliss, jennifer, dana,denise, cabrizette, bohemia girl, ruth, dianna, isabelle, amber, a girl in the yellow shoes, mister e, janis, kari, jgy, jenna, skymring, elizabeth, audrey, allison, lise, cate, mon, victoria, crescent moon, erin, otli, amy, ida, caroline, lisa, dorte, kimmie, la lune dans le ciel, nicola, malo, vanessa,britta, virgina, april, rebecca, b , kyndale samantha, karen, kristina, angelina, dorit, goldensunfamily, sophie, janet, mcgillicutty, desiree, di, travelingmama, aimee, sunnymama amanda, ali, jenell, guusje, britta, juanita, pamela, inna, daan, myrtille, cris, ibb , susi, jodi , lily , gillian, doobleh-vay

sunday

2009-06-07T11:33:00.004+01:00

We have had heavy rain this morning, so much so that the back yard got quite a bit flooded, and I got a little worried at one point. We have lived in this house for less than a year, so I was not sure how it would cope in heavy rains; this area has been affected by flash flooding in past years and I know of a couple of families that homes were ruined in those floods.

The caterpillars have all now formed into chrysalides and have been safely transported from the feeding cup into the hatching habitat. I have pinned the paper disc, in which they have attached themselves to, to the mesh of the net, vertically about 4cm from the bottom. This is the first time I have actually seen a chrysalis up close and personal and I am amazed.

Despite the fact that I have countless unfinished projects in limbo, I have started a new project today, a quilt for my little boy. Am I crazy or what? Adrien doesn't have his own bed yet, he still sleeps in my bed with me, and to be honest it is mostly me who is delaying this next milestone, but he is now asking to have a bed of his own. Although when he actually realises he will have to sleep in it on his own, all night, he may not be quite so enthusiastic. So the idea is that I will make him his own quilt ready for his new bed, whenever that may be. This is the first block made up of mainly re-purposed fabrics that I already have. I am trying to go for a natural, woody, nature feel. What do you think, honestly? Does it work? My husband remarked, "what were you thinking?" when I showed it to him, but what does he know, ha ha. I thought it worked pretty well. It would have been nice to go out and select specific co-ordinating fabrics, but I really cannot afford that right now. I also like the idea of using the resources that I already have.

Well, the rain has stopped, the sun has shown its face, and I think it is now time to tidy-up and make some lunch.

Cornerview: the beach - South West England

2009-06-03T09:34:00.004+01:00

Unfortunately I don't have a beach where I live, so I am going to cheat a little bit this week and show you the beach we will be heading to later in the Summer for a short break. This is West Bay in Dorset, along the Jurassic coastline, sometimes known as the Dinosaur Coast for the presence of fossils. The famous sandstone cliff at West Bay exposes 180 million years of history.

It has been sooooo long since I have been able to breath in sea air, and I am so desperate for my boys to spend time playing, exploring, discovering and relaxing on a beach. Alex was a tiny tot the last time we had a holiday and this will be the first for Adrien, so we are all very excited. It's hard not to be wishing away the weeks, but I am mindful to stay in the present.

To explore further, try visiting some other beaches:

jane, ladybug-zen, ian, bonnie, esti, sophie, cele, modsquad,caitlin, joyce, ani, couturecoucou, kim, a day that is dessert, natsumi, epe, kaylovesvintage,trinsch, c.t.,jeannette, outi, schanett, ritva, dongdong, francesca, state of bliss, jennifer, dana,denise, cabrizette, bohemia girl, ruth, dianna, isabelle, amber, a girl in the yellow shoes, mister e,janis, kari, jgy, jenna, skymring, elizabeth, audrey, allison, lise, cate, mon, victoria, crescent moon, erin, otli, amy, ida, caroline, lisa, dorte, kimmie, la lune dans le ciel, nicola, malo, vanessa,britta, virgina, april, rebecca, b , kyndale
samantha, karen, kristina, angelina, dorit, goldensunfamily, sophie, janet, nicki, ruth, mcgillicutty,
desiree, di, travelingmama, aimee, sunnymama
amanda, ali, jenell, guusje, britta, juanita, pamela, inna, daan

space

2009-06-02T13:29:00.003+01:00

After the craziness of last week it was good to sit and breath, and to enjoy the quiet. After reading these wonderful posts, empty hours and white space, from Camp Creek Blog, I have allowed myself and my family some space; time to think and ponder, to paint or sew, to read or nap, to lie and dream, or to do nothing in particular.

Wherever you are, I hope you can find some space.

caterpillars, damselflies and tadpoles

2009-05-31T08:30:00.011+01:00

Despite feeling less than well this week, there has actually been a lot going on. The truth be told, with both boys home all week, I was unable to hibernate in my bed and nurse my cold away, I still needed to occupy them at the very least for my own sanity and well-being, because as we all know bored restless children is not a good thing.

Have I told you about the caterpillars yet? I don't believe I have. Well what with it being spring and all, the boys have been very keen to hunt for caterpillars, but with a rather small garden that we have, and it being of the "work in progress" category they didn't find any. Then I found this little guy along a pathway. I took him home for the boys to observe, but eventually had to let him go as I couldn't find anything he liked to eat. I have not been able to properly identify him, but I believe him to be a moth. So what I decided was to purchase one of these butterfly kits.

So, we have five little guys now, living in a small container, getting bigger and bigger everyday, and the boys are totally fascinated with them.

We have also managed to adopt some toad tadpoles caught in a local pond. The boys want to rear them into toads, if we can manage to accomplish that, I think that would be amazing for the boys to see.

And finally, this has been somewhat of a dragonfly/damselfly week. They have been abundant around here lately, and we have had some great fun spotting these truly beautiful insects; Common Blue Damselfly (Enallagma cyathigerum), and I think, Small Red Damselfly (Ceriagrion tenellum).

I think I deserve a rest now after all that exploring, hunting, identifying and catching. Or a cup of tea at the very least.

Cornerview: Cityscapes - East of England

2009-05-27T14:26:00.002+01:00

I'm afraid I have come down with a cold today and feel totally awful and still have two small children to occupy all week so I will leave you with two shots of my nearest and favourite city to escape to, Cambridge.

To discover more corners:

jane, ladybug-zen, ian, bonnie,esti, sophie, cele, modsquad,caitlin, joyce, ani, kim, a day that is dessert, natsumi, epe, kaylovesvintage, trinsch,c.t.,jeannette, outi, schanett, ritva, dongdong, francesca, state of bliss, jennifer, dana, denise,cabrizette, bohemia girl, dianna, isabelle, amber, a girl in the yellow shoes, mister e, janis, kari,jgy, jenna, skymring, elizabeth, audrey, allison, lise, cate, mon, victoria, crescent moon, erin,otli, ida, caroline, lisa, dorte, kimmie, la lune dans le ciel, nicola, malo, vanessa, britta, virgina,april, rebecca, b, sunnymama, kyndale, samantha, karen, kristina, angelina, dorit, goldensunfamily, sophie, janet, nicki, ruth, mcgillicutty,
desiree, di, travelingmama, aimee

weekend

2009-05-25T10:52:00.005+01:00

It has been a very busy weekend for us. On Saturday the boys and I spent the day with friends of ours. It was a beautiful warm and sunny day, we picniced in the garden, went for long walks, picking wild flowers and ended up at the adventure playground. After walking back we ate pasta and ice cream al fresco. My friend Barbara is a talented artist and as we were leaving she gave me one of her paintings, of a bridge over a river to keep. It is my first piece of original art in my home and I really love it. Every time I look at the painting I see a new dimension to it.

The garden is yielding some beautiful flowers that I want to share inside the house as well.

Unfortunately, after so much play and relaxation from Saturday my To Do List is not getting any shorter. I have countless sewing projects that I need done, the house cleaning has been seriously neglected recently, the front hedge needs trimmed, the garden needs tending to, and of course the endless laundry, cooking and baking, not forgetting time to play and engage with children. Alex has been desperate for his room to be decorated since we moved into this house last August. The walls are covered in this hideous pink yellow stained wallpaper. So yesterday all other jobs aside we started to strip the wallpaper off, so we have at least made a start.

The children are off from school this week, so I dare say I wont even make a dent in that list, but at least we can have so fun.

i'm loving it

2009-05-21T10:19:00.005+01:00

Here are a few things I am loving right now. A new book for Adrien, which we both fell in love with immediately after it arrived in the mail yesterday; such a sweet story and the illustrations are beautiful. Our favourite one is where the little girl Emily is building sandcastles in a sand pit. Too cute!

And more beautiful surprises popping up in the garden. I think the first one is a Clematis but I have no clue what the others are. As far as our gardening has been going, we haven't had much luck. The grass has grown beautifully now, but the seeds we planted have not come to much. I think they probably didn't survive the over-watering from Adrien. He is also still pulling out any tiny shoots that do manage to appear and tipping over the seed trays. I think we will need to start again.

Cornerview: Coffee in East of England

2009-05-20T10:50:00.008+01:00

England is well known as a tea-drinking nation and I am a little embarrassed to admit that the majority of people around here drink instant coffee. I am somewhat of enigma to my friends when I brew fresh coffee. I love it. I enjoy quite strong coffee with a little cream, no sugar. I think I developed my love of (real not instant) coffee when I lived in America, and I'm still addicted now.

So, a word of warning. If your ever in England and someone offers you coffee outside of a coffee house, you're more than likely to be served coffee from a jar.

Here is coffee from a different perspective:

jane, ladybug-zen, ian, bonnie, esti, sophie, cele, modsquad, caitlin, joyce, ani, couturecoucou, kim, a day that is dessert, natsumi, epe, kaylovesvintage, trinsch, c.t., jeanette, outi, schanett, ritva, dongdong, francesca,state of bliss, jennifer, dana, denise, cabrizette, bohemia girl, ruth, dianna, isabelle, amber, a girl in the yellow shoes, mister e, janis, kari, jgy, jenna, skymring, elizabeth, audrey, allison, lise, cate,mon, victoria, crescent, erin, otli, amy, ida, caroline, lisa, dorte, kimmie, la lune dans le ciel, nicola, malo, samantha, vanessa, britta, virginia, april, Rebecca,b,
sunny mama, angelina,
kyndale, kristina, dorit, goldensunfamily, sophie, janet, nicki, ruth, mcgillicutty,

more soup?

2009-05-19T13:20:00.004+01:00

This week is the turn of Broccoli and Stilton Soup, and I think it has got to be my best yet. I'm sorry if the picture does not make it look that appetising, but it is truly delicious. (However hard I try I cannot get these soups to look good in the photographs). Here is the recipe if you would like to give it a go:

Broccoli & Stilton Soup

1 clove garlic chopped

1/2 onion chopped

30g/1oz butter

2 tbsp olive oil

1 handful of grated potato

290ml/ 1/2 pint vegetable stock

1/2 head broccoli chopped

75g/3oz Stilton, cubed

85ml/3 floz double cream

1 tsp thyme chopped

1. Saute garlic and onion in butter & oil for 2-3 minutes.

2. Add potato and stock and simmer for 7-8 minutes until potato is tender.

3. Add all the other ingredients and simmer for 2-3 minutes.

4. Blend and serve.

I did have to play around with this recipe a bit, like adding more water when necessary. Also, I think the recipe assumes the broccoli is already cooked

nature fayre

2009-05-18T05:06:00.001+01:00

I took the boys to a local nature fayre yesterday and we had a wonderful time. There was pottery, woodwork and crafts, and learning about bee-keeping, medieval games and charcoal making, to name but a few. The bat stall caught the boys attention. They learnt about the different species of bat, how to help conserve and encourage them with bat-friendly gardening. Coincidentally Alex has been learning about nocturnal animals at school at the moment, so this was a great way to support his learning. So now we have gone all bat crazy. But best of all was the tree-climbing, even little Adrien had a go, he was their youngest and most daring participant.

The gentleman in the above picture was carding wool and the lady spinning it into yarn.

I treated myself to this little ceramic garden from a pottery stall. They are unique designs by a lady called Roz Lowe. You can put a little essential oil, like lavender or lemongrass around the edge of the pot to give off a wonderful calming aroma. The plants inside grow and just need a little spray of water every so often to keep fresh. I think it will look fine on our nature table.

remembering

2009-05-17T08:00:00.001+01:00

Today marks the fourth anniversary of my mum's death. I can barely believe it has been four years, it still feels so very new and raw.

This picture of my mum and dad with Alex when he was about two, was taken just a few short months before she passed away, we had no idea. She was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma (cancer of the plasma cells) and died a couple of months later. It was fast, shocking and totally unbelievable. She was only 58 and one of the fittest and healthiest people I knew. It has left me a different person to who I was before. In some ways good; I endeavour to take nothing for granted, make the most of every moment, and appreciate the little things. In some ways bad; I constantly feel like the rug is going to be pulled from under me yet again, at any time, I worry so much more and sometimes feel very cynical.

Adrien was still in my tummy when she died, so they never got the chance to meet, but she is still a very big part of our lives, and he talks of her like he knows her.

This is very difficult for me to write, but I thought it important to me to acknowledge this day in this way as a way of healing, as opposed to previous years where I have tried to ignore the day, and try to carry on a normal.

We want to spend this day, remembering, celebrating and having fun. That's all she would ever have wanted.

morning walk

2009-05-16T14:52:00.003+01:00

This buttercup meadow is literally on our doorstep, a two minute walk from our house. We took a lovely walk over there this morning. It was an extremely windy and showery morning, but felt immensely invigorating. We collected some wild flowers and weeds, and sat and did some pencil sketching.

Cornerview: The Great Outdoors - East of England

2009-05-13T13:26:00.004+01:00

These are some of the outdoors activities we enjoy in our little corner. Visiting the animals at the farm.

Walking or even taking a small rowing boat down the river.

Pond dipping at our nature reserve.

Den building in the woods.

Enjoying the natural world at the nature trail.

Go visit some other little corners:

jane, ladybug-zen, ian, bonnie, esti, sophie, cele, modsquad, caitlin, joyce, ani, couturecoucou, kim, a day that is dessert, natsumi, epe, kaylovesvintage, trinsch, c.t., jeanette, outi, schanett, ritva, dongdong, francesca,state of bliss, jennifer, dana, denise, cabrizette, bohemia girl, ruth, dianna, isabelle, amber, a girl in the yellow shoes, mister e, janis, kari, jgy, jenna, skymring, elizabeth, audrey, allison, lise, cate,mon, victoria, crescent, erin, otli, amy, ida, caroline, lisa, dorte, kimmie, la lune dans le ciel, nicola, malo, samantha, vanessa, britta, virginia, april, Rebecca,
b,

sunny mama, angelina,

kyndale, kristina,

brown bear, brown bear what do you see?

2009-05-11T18:54:00.000+01:00

I was inspired to create this little felt brown bear after reading about Courtney's at two straight lines.

The pattern for the bear can be found here. I just couldn't resist the crate bed too. I found it a little tricky working with the felt, it tears so easily and the seams show through, but the boys loved it anyway. Adrien is really loving brown bears at the moment after reading this book,
and the classic We're Going On a Bear Hunt.
He asked me, "mama, is that the bear snores on?" and I suppose in a way it could be.

meet Susie

2009-05-10T18:52:00.007+01:00

Here is Susie, about to embark on an amazing journey to Nicaragua as part of the Craft Hope Project 2. Adrien named her Susie because she reminds him of a girl at his nursery. In fact, both boys have become amazingly attached to Susie, even though she is less than 24 hours old. I think they will be quite sad to see her go. They did have a little play with her today, which I must admit added a little femininity to this testosterone loaded household. She even got a kiss from an Action Man! You go girl!

I hope she can bring as much love and fun to the little person she is going to, as she has brought to this family over the weekend.

Farewell Susie, safe journey. xo

lemon fingers

2009-05-09T21:04:00.006+01:00

I was craving some sweet lemon today and so baked some lemon fingers. I adapted a recipe from Tana Ramsay's Family Kitchen book. Here is the recipe for anyone interested:

175g/6oz butter

175g caster sugar

3 large eggs, beaten

175g/6oz self-raising flour

1 tbsp lemon juice

1. Preheat oven to 180/350.

2. Mix together all ingredients. Once smooth pour mixture into a lined & greased baking tin.

3. Bake for approx. 15-20 mins.

4. Once cool, slice sponge into fingers of approx. 21/2 cm x 8cm.

5. Mix together 200g/7oz icing sugar with 2 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tbsp lemon zest & 1 tsp water.

6. Decorate fingers.

dolls with love

2009-05-08T14:15:00.003+01:00

I today discovered Craft Hope, a project designed to share handmade crafts with those less fortunate. It is currently on its second project, to provide handmade dolls to the children of the Casa Bernabe Orphanage in Nicaragua. You can read more about it here.

I am very excited to be a part of this amazing endeavour. I love making rag dolls, and am pleased that I am able to give a little to these children. I am also keen to involve my children in making the dolls as I think it will be a wonderful learning opportunity for them.

Corner View: Shopping in East of England

2009-05-06T20:25:00.001+01:00

This is the old town, full of quaint old shops and hosts a farmers market fortnightly.

The new town is host to the big players. Large characterless stores and bland concrete.

Check out some more:

jane, ladybug-zen, ian, bonnie, esti, sophie, cele, modsquad, caitlin, joyce, ani, couturecoucou, kim, a day that is dessert, natsumi, epe, kaylovesvintage, trinsch, c.t., jeanette, outi, schanett, ritva, dongdong, francesca,
state of bliss, jennifer, dana, denise, cabrizette, bohemia girl, ruth, dianna, isabelle, amber, a girl in the yellow shoes, mister e, janis, kari, jgy, jenna, skymring, elizabeth, audrey, allison, lise, cate,
mon, victoria, crescent, erin, otli, amy, ida, caroline, lisa, dorte, kimmie, la lune dans le ciel, nicola, malo, samantha, vanessa, britta, virginia, april,

treasure boxes and pirates

2009-05-05T11:32:00.007+01:00

I love these treasure chests which are supplied through Bookstart, which come free with children's books. My boys tend to keep their favourite artwork stored in them (although we quickly run out of room). They gave me an idea to make some smaller boxes ourselves, decorate them and use them for special 'treasures'.

We used an empty laundry detergent box, (which is conveniently shaped and opens up like a treasure chest) covered it in brown paper and drew lines to make it look like wood. Adrien decorated his with glitter, glitter and more glitter. Some coloured tissue paper rolled into balls as the 'gems', and some decorative drawings with markers.

Here is the finished box, together with full pirate costume. Of course we couldn't make treasure chests without playing pirates afterwards.

A little less scary here. Adrien let me have a sneak peek to see what's inside his new treasure box - a Spiderman, a marble and a half-eaten cookie.

cloudy

2009-05-04T05:11:00.000+01:00

Well, it has been a strange kind of weekend for me. In a rut, the funk, uninspired or whatever you may call it. I go to bed with all these ideas of things to do the next day, but when the time comes I have been feeling a somewhat lack of enthusiasm. I hate it when I feel like this, so yesterday I decided to grab the bikes, scooters, balls, bats etc. etc. and have a good old run and play around in the park. I'm thinking all that exercise will get those endorphins going. Does anyone else have days like this? What do you do to pick yourself up?

I did find the energy to make my next new soup, Red Pepper Soup from this book. It's quite a light soup so would be ideal as a starter, for a lunch would be great with some fresh chunky wholemeal bread to bulk it out a bit, as otherwise I would still feel hungry. I left out the lemon rind and topped it just with olives and Greek yogurt. With all those red peppers and tomatoes this soup must be brimming with antioxidants.

Today is a holiday, so the children are home today. I hope my cloud has lifted and stays away for a while.

friends

2009-04-30T10:07:00.004+01:00

a friend from Brazil.

a friend from home.

a friend for life.

Corner View: modes of transportation

2009-04-29T13:44:00.004+01:00

Most people in my town get around by the dreaded car. In their defense the public transport system (buses) is very poor; incredibly unreliable and doesn't even cover much of the town. The basic concept seems to be that people only need to travel up to the town centre and back! Personally, I hate the car and do not own one. I rely on my two feet and two legs and they take me wherever I want.

My town is very good for cyclists. There are cycle paths criss-crossing the town, and for the most part they are scenic, well-kept and safe.

state of bliss, jennifer, dana, denise, cabrizette, bohemia girl, ruth, dianna, isabelle, amber, a girl in the yellow shoes, mister e, janis, kari, jgy, jenna, skymring, elizabeth, audrey, allison, lise, cate,

mon, victoria, crescent, erin, otli, amy, ida, caroline, lisa, dorte, kimmie, la lune dans le ciel, nicola, malo, samantha, kyndale, capturereflection,

something new?

2009-04-28T10:20:00.004+01:00

With the rain pouring down and the children safely tucked up in school, I thought it about time to resume some sewing projects. I have decided upon making a new bag.

I am thinking a subtle linen blend fabric for the exterior with a touch of embroidery, and a vibrant juicy yellow fabric (which was kindly sent to me from Michelle) for the inside lining. I am loving that at the moment, bright eye-catching fabric peeping through natural coloured linen. yummy.

This is a very basic sketch I have drawn of the design I want the bag to be. I always find it easier to have a rough outline [of what I have in my head] on paper to work with, helps to keep with the plan, so to speak.

Today I will be busy baking a birthday cake for Alex for tonight, and rushing into town for some last minute errands. We will be celebrating Alex's birthday tonight, just the four of our family together, with maybe some games too!

party, party

2009-04-27T09:32:00.003+01:00

Firstly, my apologies for the bad quality of pictures here. My poor little camera couldn't keep up with the speed of which things were moving at this party. My friend had promised to take the pictures of the party with her high-tech expensive camera, but unfortunately forgot to bring it!

This eating area is based upon the cabin in a pirate ship. Lots of Jolly Rogers and swords.

Alex was delighted with his 'booty', as he left with a black sack full of presents.

Just to say.....

2009-04-23T21:06:00.008+01:00

this bundle of handmade goodness arrived here from Sarah at A Flower For You. They were from her blog giveaway which I won. All the items are so well made and the fabrics are gorgeous. This little bag is already a permanent fixture on my arm whenever I go out. It's perfect for my keys, cell phone and wallet when I am out on one of my many school runs.

Here is a lovely little pouch filled with recipe cards. I can't wait to try them out. Sarah has recently opened a new Etsy Shop, where you can find more of her gorgeous items.

It is Alex's 7th Birthday on Tuesday, so I am organising a party tomorrow at Pirates , a local kids play centre. Parties scare the hell out of me - confession: this will be the first party I have thrown. I am quite a shy person and the thought of organising a party for 10 7 year old boys is enough to give me sleepless nights. That is probably why I haven't been here for the last couple of days. If I survive the party on Saturday I should be back on Monday with some pictures and let you know how I got on. Wish me luck!

Soup & stories

2009-04-21T17:02:00.006+01:00

It has been a gloriously sunny day today and I have been feeling lazy. Alex is back at school, Adrien is not back until Thursday, so things have definitely slowed down. After a little play at the playground, we came home and I made soup. Watercress and potato soup, its so delicious and so easy to make:

1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 large potato, peeled & finely chopped
2ooml vegetable stock
1 bunch of watercress, chopped
100ml double cream
salt & freshly ground pepper

- Heat oil in medium saucepan.
- Add onion & garlic & saute gently until softened.
- Add remaining ingredients (except cream) and simmer for 8-10 mins.
- Blend until smooth. Add cream, heat and serve.

We ate soup and fruit and sipped tea in the garden. Read and relaxed. I haven't done any sewing over the Easter break, and I don't think it will resume until next week, but I can sneak in a little catch-up reading. This book City of the Beasts, is on loan from a Colombian friend of mine. She introduced me to Isabel Allende and also Paulo Coelho, two great South American authors. The book is full of exotic adventure, set in the remote world of the Amazon rainforest. Adrien is loving this book at the moment; umm maybe I should be making pumpkin soup instead?

Out of the Woods

2009-04-19T08:54:00.005+01:00

I wasn't sure whether to publish this post, as I didn't know how personal I should get on this blog, but since I have already made some wonderful new friends through here, I actually feel safe in doing so.

I have had somewhat of a health scare recently, but Friday was a wonderful day, as I got my results back and everything is ok.

This starts back to about 3 months ago when I went to my doctor about a niggling issue I had. I just thought it would be a case of making an appointment with my GP, getting a prescription, walking out and carrying on with the rest of my life, like what mostly happens. But it was obviously something more serious (or appeared to be), so I was referred to a specialist at the hospital, who then made an appointment at the Colposcopy Unit, who then took a biopsy, and then I waited an agonising 4 weeks for the results. By this time I was hoping for the best but bracing myself for the worst; every scenario going through my mind. I am a worrier by nature, so under these circumstances I felt like I had been living in the twilight zone this last month. Not a minute went by when this huge burden was not on my mind, and on my back.

However the results came back very positive (or I should say negative in terms of medical results). I do still have the initial problem which will be something I will have to live with for the rest of my life, but it can be managed, and with regular check-ups I should be fine.

So now I am going to spend precious time with my children. Hug them tighter, play with them longer and enjoy every second of it.

A Small Chunk of London

2009-04-17T08:43:00.007+01:00

I have been wanting to take a trip down to London for quite a while now. Living in a small town I miss the diversity, culture and all the interesting shops and markets they have there. Alex has been wanting to see the dinosaurs at the Natural History Museum for like ever, so we decided to take the train down there this week.

The reason I had put this trip to London off for so long is that the idea of taking the little ones fills me with anxiety.

Unfortunately we didn't get to see the dinosaurs, as it was an hour wait inside the museum, and with a tired and cranky three year old that would have been an impossible feat. There were, however, lots of dinosaur bones to see elsewhere in the museum and Alex had great fun in the gift shop!

I have since pondered on whether this trip was actually worth all the time, energy and expense; we didn't get to see a fraction of what I would have liked, most of our time was spent travelling and negotiating our way through crowds of people and looking for toilets. Yet I have reasoned with myself that with children this age, London can only be done in very small chunks and that to them the whole thing is an experience in itself; the train, the tubes and the crowds of people.

Vanilla Cake

2009-04-16T15:41:00.004+01:00

This seems the perfect cake to take on picnics or have for tea parties, but since we had our sunny picnic day yesterday we will have our rainy day tea party indoors today. This Vanilla Cake recipe is from Apples for Jam - oh yes I am surely working (or eating) my way through that yummy book. I even got to decorate my cake with this pretty little blue flowers that have sprung up in my little garden.

Teddy Bears Picnic

2009-04-15T15:38:00.002+01:00

From a grey and dull morning emerged a beautiful warm and sunny afternoon, perfect for a Teddy Bears Picnic. My friend met us over in the woods and we were joined by many furry friends too. Alex had fun with his friend exploring in the woods, while Adrien and I relaxed in the sunshine.

On our way home we stopped off for ice lollies; surely this must mean Spring is well and truly under way now.

The Easter Egg Hunt

2009-04-13T08:50:00.004+01:00

"Should I, or shouldn't I?"

Adrien with the stag.

Riding Diby the Dragon.

Alex with the stag.

We had a very good time at the Easter egg hunt yesterday. Although there was no sign of the Easter Bunny, there were plenty of chocolate eggs along the way to keep everyone smiling, and a large Easter egg at then end as a prize!

Easter Goodies

2009-04-12T08:22:00.003+01:00

Along with all the chocolate bunnies and chocolate eggs, this year I decided to buy the boys a book each for Easter. For Adrien The Sun Egg by Elsa Beskow. We already have a few of Elsa Beskow's stories, Peter In Blueberry Land is a particular favourite of both boys. For Alex, My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell. This book was a favourite of mine growing up and although Alex is not at a stage to read the book himself I thought it would be perfect for reading aloud to him at bedtime. The book is set on the Greek island of Corfu, where as a boy Gerald and his family spent five years. I loved reading about the adventures he had with all the animals and colourful characters he met.

I confess I did cheat a little bit this year. I gave the boys their gifts on Friday - I just couldn't bear to wait any longer. Not so much the chocolate for me but the books, I couldn't wait to dive into them.

Today, if the weather stays dry, we are off to our local nature reserve for an Easter egg hunt, and we may even have a chance to spot the Easter Bunny!

Wishing a Happy Easter to all who celebrate!

An Easter Surprise!

2009-04-10T09:49:00.004+01:00

After returning from the hospital with Alex yesterday, a package all the way from Chicago was waiting patiently for me. Michelle from Shell Please sent this lovely package of loveliness to me. Some wonderful fabric that I admired afar from her blog, which she so kindly shared with me, and some gifts for the boys, candy and crayons. Thank you so much Michelle for your kindness and thoughtfulness. How fitting it arrived just on the eve of Easter. I don't believe these things happen by chance. I feel so privileged to have you as a friend.

A Trip To Papa's

2009-04-09T08:09:00.016+01:00

Yesterday we cycled over to my dads, so the children could see a little of their papa and their cousin.

I am feeling exhausted now, it just seems to have been non-stop this last week and I was hoping that today we could just stay at home and relax, recharge the batteries and maybe fit in some baking and even a new soup recipe a friend recently passed onto me. Then it dawned upon me this morning that I need to take Alex to a hospital appointment his afternoon. Oh well, at least we have the morning to relax.

I made fish pie yesterday from the recipe in the Apples for Jam book. I had to substitute the shrimp for salmon as I knew the boys would not eat that. It was very good, although I think I need to make a bigger pie next time, as it barely went around us all. I also made my personal seasonal favourite, rhubarb crumble. I so love rhubarb and I think this weekend I will just boil it and serve with honey, a recipe I saw recently on River Cottage and it looked divine.

A footnote to add here: yes Alex feels the need to show is Ben 10 watch in every photo I take of him.

Boys Time

2009-04-08T08:15:00.002+01:00

Yesterday the boys and I spent the day at my good friend Martha's house. She has two boys of similar age to mine and they all had a ball together.

She made me a delicious lunch of baked salmon with fresh asparagus, green beans and sugar snap peas, served with a glass of wine, and fruit for dessert. After lunch we set off to the woods for some pond-dipping, crafts and general frolicking in the woods.

My friend came up with the idea of all the boys dressing up to go out. Great idea - the problem was everyone wanted to be either Spiderman or Batman, the cat costume and pirate costume were balked at. So my boys made do with Ben 10 and Spiderman T-shirts.

Crafts were made inside the conservation area. We never manage to actually make anything in there whenever we go; a quick play with the dough and it's back into the woods for superhero and secret spy games. I guess being outside and actually IN the woods is the general idea.

A New Day A New Bag

2009-04-07T08:08:00.008+01:00

So spring break is officially under way. The sun was shining and the boys spent most of the day playing outside with their dad, which freed up a lot of time for me to work on some of my sewing.

I actually managed to finish the bag! I am so proud of myself over this, considering I have never made a bag before and was following no pattern or instructions. I just had pictures in my head of several bags that I liked the look of, and a basic understanding of how to construct a bag and away I went. So you can imagine my delight when I finally turned the bag the right way out to discover that everything was in the right place. I think this bag will be ideal for when I am out with the boys. Plenty of room for drinks, snacks, and toy or two and maybe a book for me too.

The outside fabric was from Good-ness and is a lovely fine corduroy. The lining is a beige cotton twill.

My son Alex has passed a big milestone over the weekend, he is now on two wheels instead of four! Yes, the training wheels are finally off and there is no stopping him now. Well done Alex, I knew you could do it.

There's A Whole Lot of Loving Going On

2009-04-06T10:56:00.000+01:00

I have had much to be loving this weekend. There was a lot of baking and cooking going on too. These delicious cinnamon muffins were a big hit all around, I particularly liked the combination of the cinnamon and dark chocolate. Thank you Cosycactus for introducing these bad boys to our family.

My little garden continues to delight and surprise. Out of seemingly nowhere these beautiful daffodils made a surprise apperance. So I brought a couple indoors for us to enjoy, and then the next day this wonderful aroma filled my living room - yes it was the daffodils. I have no idea what type of daffodil they are; they have four flowers per stem with delicate creamy pale yellow petals with a bright orange or yellow centre. I cannot wait for what more surprises my garden has in store for me.

I baked some wholemeal bread, which always seems to cheer me up. I guess its that homey feeling it gives and the wonderful smell that fills the whole house. The world seems a perfect place when freshly homemade bread is around.

Just when I was about to give up on my grass, these tiny shoots appeared on Saturday morning. I never thought I would be so excited over humble grass. We have had a couple of little shoots appear from the pumpkin and tomato seeds the children and I planted. The problem is my garden has one big cheeky pest - Adrien my 3 year old son. He has this habit of turning the pots upside down, ripping the tiny shoots off and generally causing havoc. I guess this gardening thang is a learning curve for all of us, little ones included. I just have to stay patient. Isn't that one of the first lessons gardening teaches?

Old Finds

2009-04-03T10:45:00.005+01:00

My Dad came over yesterday and gave me these two old knitting books that were my mother's. They date back to the 40's and are full of wonderful old illustrations like below. I love the idea of following one of these old patterns, and making something my mother or even my grandmother would have made many years ago.

Tucked away between the pages of one of the books I found this old newspaper cutting. I have no idea of the significance of the story, it says... "The Duke of Edinburgh placed a wreath yesterday on the grave of 21 victims of New Zealand's Christmas Eve rail disaster. He flew from Hamilton to Wellington for the funeral. On the wreath's card was written 'From Elizabeth R. and the Duke of Edinburgh". As far as I know my family have no ties to New Zealand, but my mum must have kept the cutting for a reason. It sounds romantic to think that I could unravel a secret from the past, like in an old novel.

I found these old embroidery threads buried under a pile of junk at a thrift store yesterday all for £1. I was like a kid with a new toy. (I'm easily pleased.)

My gifts to my son's teachers all wrapped up and ready to give.

Have yourself a wonderful weekend.

Daisy Chains

2009-04-02T06:17:00.001+01:00

Yesterday I picked up a copy of Apples for Jam from the library, after a recommendation from Cosycactus. I love this book already and can't wait to start making the recipes! I loved the line in the book "....And all this should still have the grace and honesty of a daisy chain." That got me thinking a lot about childhood daisy chains.

How easily we forget the simple delights of sitting in the sunshine making daisy chains. Adrien and I spent 'our' morning picking daisies and making necklaces. I say 'our' morning as I have come to consider this precious time we have alone together each day like our little secret. Ssshh don't tell.... Which leads me to think that Alex my older son misses out on any alone time with mama, and that is something I need to change.

Spring break is coming up next week, and hopefully if the weather is kind we can do lots of outdoor activities. Like the nature reserve, our local petting zoo and lots of walks. And I am ready to give the 29 Gift Challenge a go.

Special Moments

2009-04-01T07:51:00.002+01:00

These are some special moments I have been having with Adrien this week. The simple special moments I would like to wrap up in pretty paper and box forever. Adrien seems to be growing up literally before my very eyes. He loves role-play. Above he is Dr Zay, ready with his 'tools'. We have also done a baby clinic, a grocery store, a cafe and a post office. I must remember to take some pictures for the next one, which I am not sure what it's going to be yet.

Lots of time spent at the playground on the 'flying saucer', and playing hopscotch.

Playing with the chalks. Here he is writing the letter A - that's as far as we have got so far with his name. Like many boys, Adrien much prefers the active, imaginative play, and is reluctant to sit down to draw or paint, so I am trying to think of ways to incorporate that into his style of play. He wasn't too keen on the chalks to start with, but I have been subtly persistent over the last few days, and he seems to be gradually taking more of an interest. Today we sat out in the back garden for a little while and as I was colouring away he decided to draw 'X's' all over the ground. That's progress.

Adrien loves to dress up. He has this old Spiderman costume that is now far too small for him, has holes in it (despite the fact I have tried to mend it countless times) and is basically ready for the bin. I think it's a bit like a smelly old security blanket. He cannot bear for me to even wash it. He used to have these huge tantrums when it was time to get pyjamas on or get ready for nursery, because he couldn't bear to take this costume off. I am so glad that phase is over with. At least now he willingly takes it off when necessary.

Cherry Blossom

2009-03-31T06:08:00.000+01:00

From orange blossom to cherry blossom. There is so much of this around right now and the pink petals are gorgeous, blowing confetti-like on the ground.

This is what I have been working on over the last week. As I walk Adrien to nursery school I pass by so many cherry blossom trees, I was inspired to capture the beauty on paper and linen.
I am not great at drawing, but I do love to sit and sketch flowers and wildlife. I then painted in watercolours. The embroidery then followed. I am not sure what to do with the embroidery though; put it in a frame maybe or turn it into a small bag.

Orange Blossoms

2009-03-30T06:55:00.000+01:00

I have been wanting to make these Orange Blossom Cookies ever since I saw Leslie's here.

I liked them a lot. In fact I loved them, so did all the family - the entire batch was gone in a day.

I didn't think my Orange Blossom Cookies were too bitter, but they did spread quite a bit in the oven, maybe next time I will need to add a little extra flour.

Talking of orange blossom, aren't these beautiful? Looking at this picture makes me want to go paint - maybe I will.....or embroider?

My weekend was rather quiet. The weather here seems to have gone back to winter, so I didn't spend much time gardening. I have not much to report on the garden front. I see no sign of any grass shoots from the seed I planted last week. I thought it took about a week for grass seed to germinate, but I am not sure.

The clocks went forward this weekend, which I had no idea was happening. The boys and I turned up at our church Sunday morning an hour late - I had no clue up until then. It was rather embarrassing, I have never forgotten anything like that before, my excuse is that I have quite a lot on my mind at the moment - or maybe I am just getting old!

Childhood Treasures

2009-03-27T07:16:00.003Z

This is a gorgeous book I picked up at the library recently and have been devouring ever since. It is basically a book full of vintage inspiration to enable you to create handmade gifts for children, and includes ten detailed projects to get you going.

I just love looking at the gorgeous pictures of vintage toys, fabrics and playthings, and there are so many ideas to get the children involved too.

There are so many wonderful books around at the moment, and I can't get enough of them. I am quite an avid reader, but I have to admit that since rediscovering my creative side, I have not been reading nearly as much as I used to. There are just not enough hours in the day, I can not do it all I guess. So because of obvious time constraints, I am relying mostly on creative books, with lots of pictures to fill my literary needs. The epic novels will have to wait for another time. I also love children's books, so any excuse to cuddle up with boys and books is a plus.

Alex being almost 7 now, I am finding myself introducing old favourites of mine as a child to him. He is starting to read independently (although he hates it), but I love to read longer stories to him, like 'Treasure Island' and 'Just So Stories' by Rudyard Kipling. Although I am somewhat of a bookworm now, I only picked up my love of reading at about 16; it all seemed rather a chore up until I read the 'Flowers In The Attic' series by Virginia Andrews, and finally 'got' what it meant to actually get taken away by a book. So although Alex doesn't show any sign of becoming a book lover at the moment, there is still plenty of time. I hope.

Refocusing

2009-03-26T07:00:00.001Z

This week I have been making a conscious effort to 'let-go' of some of the ever-revolving chores that seem to constantly eat up all my time at the cost of my children, and instead spend more time playing, talking and reading with them. I am really feeling (even more than ever before) how precious my time with my children are, and I don't want to miss a second of it. So it's ditch the dishes!

I especially feel this way with Adrien. Since January he now goes to nursery school every afternoon, and I feel that my time at home with him is slowly slipping away. I don't ever remember the time going so quickly with my eldest son Alex. Maybe it's because I know that Adrien is my last child and I will not get this opportunity again.

Whatever the reason, we have been going on walks in the woods, painting, gardening, baking and lots and lots of playing. To be honest it feels so good, I no longer care about the dirty dishes or the growing laundry pile, or the mess everywhere - it feels rather liberating.

I did have a strange afternoon yesterday though. After dropping Adrien off at nursery school, I was walking back home when Alex's teacher drove by me, stopped and asked if the school had called me, because apparently Alex was crying in the school saying he didn't feel well! (This was a coincidence that we passed, she wasn't actually driving around looking for me). The school seemed very reluctant to let Alex go home, even though he was in quite a state. I eventually took him home, where he was fine for the rest of the day. He told me later that he had had a bit of a squabble with another boy, and didn't want to go back to the class! I guess one afternoon off school is not going to hurt - we actually enjoyed some mama/Alex time that we don't normally get.

Fabric & Candle Goodies

2009-03-25T07:00:00.002Z

I was very excited to receive some new fabrics in the mail today.

The gorgeous floral fabric on the left is from good-ness. It is fine corduroy and I plan to make my first bag with it. I still need to find a good lining fabric first before I begin. In the centre is evenweave natural linen and on the right is a vintage Laura Ashley Cowslip piece, which I am thinking of making a quilt with.

I have also been fortunate to win a sampler pack of five scented, hand-poured, 100% soy tea light candles from Homemade Candle Creations, through Monkey's Momma blog. I have never used tea light candles before, although I have always thought they sound so nice, so I cannot wait to try them out when I receive them.

Pop over to Melissa's wonderful candle store to see for yourself. Happy Wednesday to you!

My Banana & Seed Bread

2009-03-24T07:00:00.002Z

We didn't make it to the local nature reserve at the weekend like we had planned, but we did make my special Banana and Seed Bread. I like to enjoy this as a snack with a cup of tea. The children love it too - a good healthy snack. I tend to reduce the amount of sugar (I think this actually improves the taste) and I whizz the seeds up in food processor, otherwise my boys would spit the seeds out!

Ingredients:

125g butter

125g sugar

2 eggs

250g Self-raising flour

1 tsp cinnamon

2 mashed bananas

100g mixed seeds (pumpkin/sunflower/linseed)

Cream butter and sugar together. Slowly beat in egg. Sift in flour and cinnamon. Add seeds and mashed banana then transfer quite thick mixture into lined loaf tin. Bake at 190 for 50 minutes.

Allow to cool.

Eat and enjoy.....

Mother's Day

2009-03-23T07:00:00.001Z

It was Mother's Day here in the UK yesterday. I got treated very well with breakfast in bed and some lovely cards & gifts, (handmade of course - ). The above picture is my card and present from my eldest son Alex. Inside the red heart is a photograph of us together when he was about 3.

All my lovely things together.

This is my card and gift from Adrien, which he made in nursery school. The gorgeous pasta necklace was inside the little red tissue wrapped bundle. It was all so sweet. I had a lovely day yesterday, didn't want it to end.

Itsy Bitsy Sewing

2009-03-20T07:37:00.003Z

Here are some of the little sewing items I have been making recently. I am thinking of giving these as gifts to my sons' Teachers at Easter, as I think they do an amazing job!

Here are miniature lavender tote bags, ready to hang in a closet.

Here is a selection of hand embroidered linen purses. Up top a clutch (note: I am still deciding on the button to add), on left, a coin like purse with red polka dot lining to match the red flowers, and on right, a daisy zip purse.

I also whipped up this pink headband for myself. Last week I went for a long overdue appointment at the hair salon, and got about 6" chopped off! I am loving the shorter look, and thought I would play around with some hair accessories. I took this picture myself yesterday at the playground with Adrien.

I made the hairband from this Old Red Barn tutorial. It was very quick and easy to make, and I got many compliments at the school about it. I am thinking of making a few more in lots of bright coloured fabrics, ideal for spring and summer.

Well I have lots of housework building up. Have yourself a wonderful weekend!

What's been on my mind?

2009-03-19T07:30:00.000Z

I have been dabbling in a lot of small projects recently, which is fine, but I suddenly feel the need to get my teeth into a bigger and more challenging project. I am thinking a bag, maybe? (I haven't made one of those before) or maybe a quilt. I have this thing for yellow at the moment, it may have something to do with the fact that there is so much yellow around these parts right now.

I have also been having some wild thoughts about the garden. he he.... not that wild, mind you. I want some vibrant colour, possibly a mediteranian or South American feel.

Lots of large clay pots,

colourful tiles,

red check table cloth,

potted olive trees with creeping rosemary,

french lavender,

bourgainvillea.

This is what you might call an inspiration board of the mind.

So many visions, so many notions and ideas. It's knowing what to do with it all.

A Trip To The Library

2009-03-18T07:30:00.001Z

A trip to the library calls for all manner of things to be bought along. Back-packs filled with toys, markers, food and paper. Is there any room left for the books?

Adrien carries his 'Archie'. A birthday present I made for him last December from the Wee Wonderfuls pattern. I really wanted to make him a cloth 'boy' doll, but was unsure whether he would go for it. Well since his birthday we got off to a very slow start. After the initial novelty of a new present wore off, Archie was thrown to the back of toy beyond. Well I gradually persisted and now they are the best of friends! He takes him to bed, on shopping trips and to Nursery School. I don't know now how we ever did without him.

Breakfast In The Garden

2009-03-17T07:30:00.001Z

It was such a beautiful spring day yesterday, I decided to have breakfast in the garden! I treated myself to a freshly baked pastry and a cup of my favourite freshly brewed coffee. It was all so delicious!

On the way walking to school, the daffodils are in full bloom and the sun shining. It was a beautiful day.

Gardening

2009-03-16T07:30:00.001Z

I have been working out in the garden for the first time this year over the weekend. We only moved into this house late summer last year, and this is my first opportunity to start to do something with it. It is only a postage-stamp size back yard, but for us, who lived in an apartment for four years and yearned for a garden, it is everything. The previous occupant of this house was an elderly lady, so the garden was just concrete slabs for easy maintenance. I badly want to grow some vegetables and get the children involved in it all, so I was eager to make a start.

It's going to be a lot of hard work though! Have removed most of the removable concrete, so its left compacted earth that needs to be dug & turned. I have got through about half of the digging so far, which is more than I expected and I now have the back-ache to prove it!

I am not looking for a landscaped beautiful garden, just somewhere for the children to grow stuff, learn stuff, and somewhere pleasant to sit and play in the summer.

I had better get those wellies on!

Mrs Rabbit

2009-03-13T16:26:00.000Z

Here is something I have been working on for some time now. The rabbit is made from Japanese cotton fabric with embroidered facial features and paws. It has been somewhat of a labour of love, and I have been tempted at many times to forget the whole thing and move onto another project, but now she is actually completed I am quite happy with her. She will be the first soft toy that I have designed and made myself, and I have learned a lot on this journey we made together.

I know the picture quality is not great, I am hoping to save up my pennies to get a new camera soon.

I am very excited to find out that I won the A Flower For You blog giveaway. This will be my very first giveaway win! Sarah makes such gorgeous handmade items. I will be sure to show them off when I receive them.

Have a lovely weekend!

Pink Brooches

2009-03-12T22:05:00.000Z

Have been making, selling and buying these cute felt brooches on behalf of my son's Nursery, to raise money for the Epping Breast Cancer Unit. I was very humbled to read the two women's stories (from the link), who happen to be teachers at the school my son attends. I had no idea these women had been through so much!

I have been hearing many sad stories lately; I have always been a person who is grateful for what she has, but I am even more so now. I do not dream of expensive items and material gains, I am happy in my humble little house and grateful for my and my children's' every living moment.

I even had a rare treat yesterday. I splurged at the hair salon! I got about 4" cut of the length of my hair and had some highlights put through. I feel like a new woman now.

A Little Package of Happiness

2009-03-11T07:30:00.000Z

What better way to make me happy? When yesterday on a cold, bleak, drizzly day a little brown package slips its way quietly through my letter box.

This is the lovely linen zip purse I recently purchased from the lovely and very talented Melissa at Tiny Happy. It's made from gorgeous yellow linen and Finnish lace.

The lining is Liberty lawn fabric. How beautiful. I think I will use my new little treasure to keep some of my jewellery in.

Happiness in a little brown package.

Self portrait

2009-03-10T08:30:00.000Z

Adrien's self-portrait

Alex's self-portrait

These works of art were produced at Sunday School. They were asked to draw a picture of who they love! I guess they both think pretty highly of themselves! I particularly loved the way Alex created his red stripey T-shirt by tearing strips of red tissue paper, what a lovely effect.

Blog Giveaway!!!

2009-03-09T16:29:00.000Z

There is a wonderful giveaway over at A Flower For You, with the chance to win FOUR gorgeous handmade prizes. A recipe bag filled with recipe cards, an adorable patchwork pincushion, a spring time scarf AND a gorgeous little handbag! Go check it out.

Drawstring Bag

2009-03-09T10:18:00.001Z

I just finished making this cute drawstring bag from a pattern in the new sewing magazine Sew Hip for my little Adrien. I used a Japanese print linen fabric and the red fabric is also linen. He now takes it to Nursery with him for a PE bag. The magazine comes with lots of great patterns and ideas. I particularly like the section 'Crafting with Children'. Although I haven't had much luck getting Adrien to do any of the activities yet, not that they are not great activities, but my little guy prefers imaginative play at the moment to creative. I guess I can but keep on trying.

Hello & welcome!

2009-03-08T14:22:00.000Z

Welcome to my new online journal. Here you will find a snapshot of what is going on in my world, what inspires and excites me and any projects I am working on.

I am a mother of two boys who are currently aged 6 and 3. I like to bake, sew, knit and craft and enjoy the natural world.

For anyone who followed The Glass Jar, I decided not to continue with that, as I felt it was going in an opposite direction to me.

I welcome any comments, suggestions, tips & advice, and so look forward to hearing from you.