I'm moving...

...a quick note to let you all know that as of tomorrow I will be over here...

A bit of a rash decision maybe, but so far I'm quite pleased (although it took me a while) with my typepadding.

Please come visit. I'll be doing a giveaway on the new blog (in an attempt to woo you over!) tomorrow, so please do follow me over!

More gardening...

It's been a pretty super weekend round these parts...Johnny had a whole 4 days off work. It's been great for me to be able to get lots and lots done, including crafting, cleaning, boring computer chores and the building of my very own indoor gardening space.

By building I mostly mean bringing a large cardboard box (the one from Milo's pushchair) into the kitchen and putting some pots on top of it!

But I'm very pleased with my handiwork.

Growing in our pots we have...

• oregano
• basil (green)
• basil (purple)
• coriander
• parsley
• rocket
• hot chillies
• sweet chillies

I shall be sure to keep you updated on their progress.

Happy bank holidays xx

Crafting 31/365...

...more ninjas...

Crafting 30/365...

...ninjas in various states of completion...

Crafting 29/365...

...citrus shades of ninja earrings...

...and a few black...

Beetroot Cake...

Since we've been having vegetable boxes delivered to us from these folks, we've found we quite often have bits and pieces which we wouldn't normally buy, or we're not quite sure what to make with. This led to one of my new favourite games being born, google dinner, where you simply pop into google the ingredients you have to hand and find a whole array of wonderful recipes using them.

Well when it came to googling beetroot, the recipe I found most was definitely beetroot cake, mostly chocolate beetroot cake, but I did find a couple of basic just beetroot cake. 'What a wonderful idea' I thought, 'just like carrot cake'.

As it happened I had all the ingredients I needed at hand for this recipe (which coincidentally is from the same website that we get our veg from). So as Milo was napping I set about baking.

It was lots of fun, mostly for the wonderful pink juice that bled pretty much everywhere! And it was a very easy recipe. Once in the oven it started to smell fantastic, and then, well, it started to just smell a little weird!

It came out well, to look it, and is pretty much the perfect cake consistency, lovely and light and moist, but, well, it just doesn't taste that great! It's not bad, we'll probably manage to eat it all between the two of us, after all cake is cake, but I certainly won't be making it again. Maybe I'll try the chocolate variety next time.

Crafting 28/365...

...knitting socks...

I started these socks, oh I don't know, about a year ago maybe, and well they had been abandoned. However last night I felt the urge to do some knitting, so I went upstairs rummaged through the many, many unfinished knitting and crochet projects and dug these out. Surprisingly I managed the whole bottom part (heel to toe) so who know maybe I'll have them finished in less than another 12 months!

Herbs in pots one week on...

Growing anything from seed is just about one of the most exciting things!! Especially if, like these little beauties, they are quick to give you aesthetic rewards.

I'm quite tempted to create a little space especially devoted to the housing a growing of various herbs and plants that will be happy indoors.

Crafting 27/365...

...red and purple heart buttons...

Crafting 26/365...

...ninja's with nunchucks...

A weekend in Bruton...

...this weekend just gone we travelled, not too far, south to a beautiful little town in Somerset, called Bruton where Johnny's grandparents live. We went to celebrate both Johnny's Mum's and Uncle's birthdays. It was a lovely family gathering, it's great that Milo gets to see so many generations of his family.

The weather was perfect (I even got my first touch of sunburn this summer!) there was some croquet playing, duck feeding, fruit picking and lots of delicious food.

Unfortunately my camera battery ran out just before the sun decided to shine, so it may look a little overcast, but the sun did definitely come out to play.

We stayed in a very grand bed and breakfast, I don't have any photo's, but it was stunning.


Milo was beautifully behaved all weekend, despite missing most of his naps and staying up too late! All in all it was a very wonderful weekend!

Fruity beads in action...

The lovely snowberrylime has worked some of my fruit beads in to this delicious yarn.



What a privilage! I absolutely covet so many of her wonderful yarns...I have yet to purchase any, in the full knowledge I will never find a project that I feel worthy of such beautiful supplies!

A New Blog...

...I have started a new blog over here. It is about my adventures on becoming a mama.

I'm using typepad, to be honest at the moment I'm not that all that sure I'm totally impressed by it, but we'll see how I get on, and maybe if it works I'll transfer this little blog over there too. I'll be sure to keep you informed.

xx

Handm@de Oxford...

Hey there...just a quick note to let you all know about Handmade Oxford...it will be taking place on November 29th.

I will be there with Johnny and my sweetest little assistant Milo.

You should come too...if you're close by that is.

xxx

Crafting 25/365

...eyeless, armless, weaponless, work in progress ninjas...

Crafting 24/365...

...throwing star ninjas...

Crafting 23/365...

...ninja earrings...

Crafting 22/365...

...ninja keyrings...

Books and Bread...

I got some wonderful new books for my birthday (some as gifts from others and some as gifts from myself!)

'Totally Simple Food' by Jill Dupleix

'Apples for Jam' by Tessa Kiros

'Handmade' by Ros Badger and Elspeth Thompson
'The Creative Family' by Amanda Blake Soule (not pictured as it is currently residing on my bedside table)
I'm loving them all...so much wonderful inspiration, some of which can be seen below.  

I made this white milk loaf from 'Apples for Jam' (I've wanted this book for such a very long time)...and for pretty much the first time in my bread making attempts it actually came out pretty well.

It was a little sweet because it has honey in it, so it was super delicious with jam (and I hate to admit it, chocolate spread) but next time I may experiment with skipping the honey, or only adding a very small amount.

Growing...

...herbs in pots...

I painted these pots at my mums shop on my last trip home and she kindly brought them up with her for my surprise birthday visit. The herbs I planted at the beginning of the year were transferred outside and have either been eaten by giant slugs or just not made it!

...my little green monster...

who just wants to sit or stand (or a combination of the two) all the time! He's growing up so quickly...he learns something new every day...amazing!

Crafting 21/365...

...slowly developing little houses embroidery...

I have to admit I've completely lost track of where I am with crafting 365 now! I've still got a few days to put up a few things to photograph...but I've also lost ALOT of days!!

Excuses for absences....

Oh I have been a very naughty absent blogger the past week, and as for crafting 365...well I am failing terribly!

So what is my excuse? It was my birthday on Tuesday, and just as I had finished putting Milo down for his morning nap on Monday, there was a knock on the door, I was expecting the postman but when I opened the door I discovered two very lovely little girls (my nieces) my mum and my sister!!  They had driven all the way down from Norfolk to surprise me!!  It was a good job I was in!

Then of course Tuesday itself was full of birthday loveliness provided by my super wonderful boys and my first night out without the smallest of them since he was born!!

As for the other 5/6 days I missed, well...I was just slack I guess!!

So today I shall be updating a few of my crafting 365 days, but not all of them I'm afraid to say, and tomorrow I am off to Cambridge for the weekend, so more blogging shall no doubt be missed, but I will try my hardest to achieve some crafting on those days.

Happy Friday xxx

Crafting 20/365...

...lace buttons....

I made these lace buttons last night with some ivory sculpey that my lovely mum sent down for me. I thought they looked a little too subtle like this, so I played around with adding some paint to them.

I tried different colours, but think that I prefer the pale beige ones the best. They'll be available for sale in here and here (hopefully) this afternoon.