Lucy's Loves in Life

New Blog

2010-01-25T17:20:00.000Z

Hello everyone,
I bet that you have all just about given up on me as it has been so long since I have added a post to my blog.
I now have a new blog called "Rosie in the Loft"
Please come and visit me there and sign up as a follower! I look forward to seeing you really soon!

Trick or treat?

2009-10-29T19:01:00.001Z

Ohhhhhhh, ahhhhhhhhhhh- are you feeling a little spooked in anticipation of ghouls, ghosts and witches paying you a visit on Saturday evening? If so, I have just the thing to ward them away with no hint of a trick or a curse being left in their wake! Read on.....

Halloween comes just once a year, and despite all the protestations of Americanism and commercialism etc, I think that it is a jolly good chance to have some good old-fashioned fun!

Having recently lived in the good, ol US of A, I can vouch that the Halloween I spent there was absolutely great! Goblins and monsters everywhere I looked that day- on the streets, in the parks, in the shops.

I am lucky in that parents of small children residing in the road where currently we live collectively organise trick or treating in a very sensible way. Signs are distributed to all houses a few nights before, and if you want to take part in the fun, you just stick the sign on your front door to indicate that trick or treaters are welcome!

You may recall in my previous blog, I presented this image with very little explanation.

Clearly, the more astute of you out there in blogland wouldn't have had any difficulty working out that what was pictured were the ingredients for toffee apples! Would you like to know how to make them? Read on!

First of all, for the quantities of ingredients that I am going to give you, you need 14-16 small apples (ideally acquired from a farm-shop where they are currently in abundance).

Wash them thoroughly and then insert lolly-pop sticks. I bought these in a packet of 100 from my local Lakeland shop, but you can also get them from craft shops.

The next step is to make the toffee. For this you will need:

750 grams of demerara sugar
75 grams of unsalted butter
2 teaspoons of vinegar
2 tablespoons of golden-syrup
175 mls of water

Put all the ingredients in a heavy-based saucepan and stir until they have melted.

Bring to the boil and then let it boil for 5-7 minutes without stirring.

You can test if it is ready or not by putting a tiny spoonful into a cup of cold water. The toffee will harden immediately when ready.

While you are waiting for the toffee to boil, line a tray or dish with foil and lightly grease with butter.

Okay- now the fun part.

When the toffee is ready, take it off the stove and place on a protected flat surface on your worktop. Then dip your apples, ensuring that they are thoroughly, well and truly and wonderfully covered with the delicious golden toffee.

They should look something like this:

Here's a close-up view. Mmmmmm- yummy!

Leave them to set- mine only took about 10 minutes to set and cool down.

Another fun bit comes next and that is the wrapping. Be as creative as you like! Now, that won't be hard for all you wonderfully clever crafty-types.

I used cellophane (purchased from the local florist shop- I simply could not find it anywhere else, despite searching high and low!) and Halloween-coloured ribbons!

Wrappity, wrap, tie, tie. For me, this part was the most fun and I must admit, the results were very pleasing!

What do you think?

Here they are all finished and packed into my Halloween basket waiting for those tricksters to come a knocking! Not having any children of my own, I love being able to be involved somehow in those fun things that I miss out on. Gosh, I hope the parents won't mind their children having toffee apples- at least they are organic apples and the toffee is chemical and additive-free!

Last year I tried to encourage healthy habits as well as treats so gave out clementines with the sweets. Needless to say, I am not sure that the children felt the same way. I guess that not suprisingly, they were just interested in the sweets!

Don't they look good, all lined up on my kitchen bench? So easy to make too! Why not have a go yourself?

So, have a great Halloween and remember it is all just a bit of fun.

Bye for now,
Lucy

An autumn afternoon

2009-10-29T14:47:00.001Z

Hello All
I am working from home today but have just taken a little bit of time out to share some photos of my day with you. Well, actually not really my day as such, but some things that are making my day a good one!

I really love roses, and have some beauties in my home this week. Big yellow ones with some pretty carnations as well. The sunlight is streaming in at the moment and it is a stunning autum afternoon here in kent- just perfect for showing these beautiful flowers to their full glory!

Don't you think they look pretty?

My photography skills are not the best (as you will know!) but still, I don't think these snaps are too bad at all.

On another matter, with Halloween just around the corner, and me loving the fun that goes with it, these few items have appeared on my kitchen bench................................................................................................

I wonder what is to become of them?

Watch this space!
Now I must get back to work!

X Lucy

A productive afternoon

2009-10-17T18:43:00.002+01:00

Hello again,
Another post today- I am harnessing this very out-of character energy! I hope that you are not too shocked.

It is a cold, bleak day where I am today, so just the perfect afternoon for some sewing. That is just what I have spent a few very enjoyable hours doing and this is what I made:

.

Two little cosmetic bags made from vintage- style floral fabric.

This one made from roses fabric.

And this one, which has little pink flowers on it.

They are lined inside with contrasting fabrics.

The pattern came from the "Sew Pretty Homestyle" book, which I know some of you have. To be honest, the instructions were not the easiest to follow, but I think they have turned out okay. Most importantly, they will come in very handy as I needed some new make-up bags. All I had to buy was the zippers, so quite a thrifty project!

While I had the camera out I thought I would take a few snaps of the crocheted quilt that I finished making a few weeks ago, but haven't shown you yet.

Here it is on our bed.

Do you like the colours? I think it looks pretty and although it is only put on the bed like this at night, it does actually look okay with the floral patchwork quilt underneath.

I think the best thing about it is that because it is pure wool, it is deliciously heavy and warm- no doubt it will be getting lots of use from now on in!

Enjoy the rest of the weekend,

Lucy

Saturday!

2009-10-17T12:55:00.001+01:00

Hello and welcome to Saturday!

I hope that you are all having a good day.

Despite my rather uninspiring aand unimaginative title to this post, I am feeling energetic and full of creativity!
It has only just gone midday and so far I have already:
- finished the housework and tidied up
-put on a load of washing
-supervised the kittens while they played outside (still too young to be let out independently)
- shopped for groceries, including some lovely fresh salmon fillets for dinner tonight from a fabulous new fish-mongers that has just recently opened in the town
- made a huge pot of vegetable soup which is now contently bubbling away on the stove- it smells delicious and just the thing for a very chilly day like today!

Hooooray- that's all the mundane stuff over with (except the kitten part)! Now there's still loads of time left today for the fun stuff. My sewing machine is all set up and ready to whiz into action and I have a perfect project in mind. More about that later.....

Speaking of projects, do you remember the shopping bags that I made this week. Well, one was put into good use today!

Something that I also bought were some pretty pink tulips.

I love fresh flowers, and having a surname like I do, feel that it is my obligation to buy fresh blooms regularly!

Besides, they definitely add something to the house, especially when displayed in one of my many jugs!

Enough about flowers for now- I must get on with my sewing. Have a good day and I will be back later on.

Lucy x

The Big Knit

2009-10-15T18:18:00.002+01:00

Hello again,
Every evening this week I have tried to do something creative as this is something that makes me feel happy and fulfilled and balances the stresses of work. So far, so good! On Monday evening I finished making the gorgeously bright green and pink bags (thanks for your lovely comments- no talent involved though-they were incredibly simple!). On Tuesday evening I bottled 6 jars of delicious grape jelly/jam and that was really rewarding. Needless to say with my excessive jam production this year, I really doubt that I will ever have to purchase jam again! I really must stop now as it has become almost addictive!

Yesterday evening I finished off my ten little bottle hats for the Innocent Drinks Big Knit 2009. What do you think?

They are cute aren't they? These were really very easy to make and when I looked on the website today to find the address to send them to I saw that they have extended the deadline until the end of the month. So, now I have time to make a few more. It is for a fabulous cause, so if you have a few spare hours, why not give it a go? Honestly, if I can make them and they turn out half-decent looking, anyone can!

Here's another snap (just slightly different from the first- I really should have posed them differently!)

Just one more thing- if you do decide to make these, keep your pets away from the proceedings! Our playful,mischievous kittenshad a ball stealing the completed pom-poms that I had made!

So much fun in fact that they completely destroyed 3!

Would you like to see how fast they are growing?

Have a good evening and I'll chat again soon!

Lucy

Autumn is here

2009-10-13T23:19:00.000+01:00

Hello Everyone,
Thanks for your lovely comments about my bags (glad that you liked the colours too) and the half-marathon. My legs are a little stiff today but I am still pleased that I did it!
It is really cool and autumnal here in Kent, the leaves and trees are very pretty and there is that definite earthy/woody scent in the air. It won't be long until it is time to get out my big winter coat!

I leave home to walk to the station quite early in the morning, before most of the neighbourhood are even out of bed, and this morning there was a light frost on the cars and the air was very chilly- it was also still quite dark. A sign that winter is creeping in!

I love coming home after a good day at work and settling into some creativity- this is another thing that makes me happy and adds some balance to my life. This evening I finished making some grape jelly (grapes from our own vine- they are in mad abundance and we don't know what to do with them all- any ideas????) and then I finished knitting some innocent drink bottle hats for "The Big Knit". I have made ten in total and now just need to add the pom-pom to the tops and they are done! I will show you what they look like tomorrow.
Bye for now!
Lucy

More happy things

2009-10-12T22:52:00.001+01:00

Well, it is 10pm on Monday evening and I am writing feeling rather contrite, having said just last week that I would blog every day for a week. So much for good intentions as that resolution lasted all of two days! I am so busy with work that the time just flies and there are just not enough hours in the day. I guess that it really wasn't that suprising that I fell off the regular blog-writing wagon yet again......

Anyway, here I am back to say hello and to share with you some more happy things. I was supposed to add something to my blog on Friday, and I had intended to ramble on for a bit about how happy Fridays make me feel, so perhaps it is just as well that you were spared the joys of that one!

Another motivator of happiness for me is making things, whether it be baking a treat to enjoy with my husband or doing something crafty. Some of you who have read my previous entries will know that I recently finished crocheting a woollen blanket. The whole process from start to end was very enjoyable and I used to enjoy picking up my crochet hook in the evenings to make a few granny squares after a stressful day at work. I really must post some photos to show you what the final product turned out like.

So, having completed that project I was on the look-out for a new one, and have been very inspired by you all- so much crafting talent out there in blogland! Feeling in the best of creative spirits on Saturday, I set off into the town to visit the local haberdashery/wool/craft supply shop with the intent of buying an armful of lovely Debbie Bliss yarn to start either another blanket or perhaps a scarf. It just wasn't to be. The colour choices were dismal to say the least and the prices ridiculous, so I gave the whole wool thing a miss. Instead I set off in the direction of the fabrics in search of something tremendously bright and cheerful.
This is what I bought:

As you can see, these are five bright and gloriously cheerful fabrics in bright pink polka dots, gingham and three fresh green prints.

Would you like to see what I made?

Okay- here they are- three, handy bags complete with front pocket and contrasting lining. The photos still aren't great- and truthfully, in reality they do look a lot better, but I think you can sort of get the idea.

This photo really doesn't do them justice, so here are a few individual ones:

and inside, this one is lined with pink gingham.

I think my favourite is this one:

I like the polka-dot lining very much. In fact, it sort of makes me happy just opening it up and peeking inside.

See what I mean:

You might be wondering what on earth I am now going to do with three rather garishly coloured, large fabric bags...? Well, I think I will put them in the car and use them as shopping. They are much nicer than my current, rather non-descript, run-of-the-mill ones and I am quite pleased how they have turned out.

I ran a half-marathon yesterday and even though I did not feel the least bit happy while running, especially at the 11mile mark when I really just wanted to stop and go home, the lovely feeling of achievement at the end was worth it and it did make me happy. I hope that you all enjoyed a nice weekend as well.

It is now getting late now, so until next time- bye for now.

Lucy

Happiness is also.....

2009-10-08T18:29:00.003+01:00

Hello Everyone,
Thanks so much for popping into say hello yesterday- it gave me a huge boost and your comments were lovely!
As I mentioned yesterday my challenge each day for the next week is to post about something that makes me happy.
Today I am going to tell you just a little bit about where I live, because that tends to make me very happy indeed.

I live in Kent, not far from the Sussex border and it really is a beautiful part of the country. Commuting into London everyday really means that I enjoy spending the weekends at home with my loved one. One of my favourite things to do is to go out on a country walk, and luckily, the countryside is literally just minutes away. I have spent many happy hours enjoying walks through some really pretty scenery.

Perhaps it is because I was brought up in a sunburnt country and lived all of my life (until 9 years ago) in a region that couldn't really be described as pretty, that I find the Kent countryside so beautifully and happiness inducing. Here's what I mean-

That's all from me for now- well at least until Friday when I will be back with something else that makes me happy. Actually, just the thought of Friday makes me very happy indeed!

Lucy

Happiness is........

2009-10-07T16:02:00.001+01:00

I have been a little downhearted lately for no particular reason. I haven't felt like doing any of the things I usually enjoy and even blogging, which I was initially so excited about, lost its spark. So, I have decided to get myself back on track, pull myself up, dust myself down, snap out of it- in fact there are so many cliches that I could use that I could go on forever, but I am sure you know what I am trying to say.

To get things started, I am going to blog everyday for a week to share with you something that makes me happy.
So, for today it is my kittens Ruby and Bert. We've only had them for 7 weeks, but they are already a permanent fixture in our home and so much fun. I know those of you out there who are not cat-lovers may not agree, but they really do add something special to a home.

Anyway, here's some photos and I will see you again tomorrow for my next post.
Lucy

No excuses!

2009-09-09T20:15:00.006+01:00

Hello Everybody- I do hope that you are all in fine spirits and enjoying whatever's come your way since I last posted.
Things have been busy here and work has kept me more than occupied and left very little time for my new found love- blogging!
Strangely enough, I have also fallen victim to what I can only describe as "Blog-block" manifesting in a total muddle of thoughts on what to actuall y write about. Hmmmm I'd think to myself at regular intervals throughout the day in anticipation of my evening blogtime, will it be my latest craft? No- haven't had much time for that either lately. Perhaps I could write about what I've have been baking. No- I couldn't really write about that as it was a terrible failure- a chocolate cake that resembled a burnt pancake! I know- maybe an update on the increasingly naughty but still heart-meltingly adorable Bert and Ruby? No, perhaps not very interesting to all of you non-kitten lovers out there?

So, you can see my dilemma. I just haven't been able to make up my mind- hence my total lack of presence. I've also been writing alot for work- a book, so that possibly has something to do with it!

Anyway, tonight as I was walking home from the station I sternly said to myself "Enough is enough I WILL blog again!" so here I am!

Before, I go any further, I would like to say a huge thanks to the people who actually read my blog and to those who have either signed up as followers.I am ecstatic to now have 15 yes FIFTEEN followers! Okay, well , um only13 actually, if you don't count my husband (who only signed up after some considerably bribery on my part!) and myself. How sad is that- signing up as a follower on your own blog just to have a follower! I cannot tell you how thrilling it is to read your comments too- so thank you so much! This rose is for you all to say thanks!

On a crafty note, I am very pleased to report that my blanket is almost complete! I have finally finished joining the squares and have sewn it up so it actually resembles a blanket. Being made of pure wool it is very heavy too, so should be wonderfully warm in the winter!
I just have to do two rounds of the whole thing to make the border and then it is done! Here's a little preview of what it looks like:

Another crafty snippet is that to my utter joy and delight I discovered that my local fabric shop now stocks (albeit a very small) selection of Amy Butler fabrics! HOORAY! They are beautiful! I just couldn't resist buying a little piece last weekend although I haven't decided what to do with it yet. I think it will probably go into my grandmother's quilt as a hexagonal patch.

Finally, I just cannot finish without a quick update on Bert and Ruby...actually, better than that- here's a few photos! ( My apologies to those of you who are dog lovers!)

So until next time, and it will be soon, goodnight!

Oh, I almost forgot- don't forget to enter Sarah's fabulous giveaway at Red Gingham
Definitely worth checking out!

Weekend catch-up

2009-08-30T19:36:00.004+01:00

Hello everyone,
I hope that you are all enjoying the weekend with the prospect of a lovely extra day off tomorrow for all of us in the UK- hoooray!
Right, I will start this post with a list of my five current obsessions. it really was tricky narrowing the list down to just five things, but here goes in no particular order:

Okay number one would be books and reading. I absolutely love reading and love books of all sorts. My local library, the library at the university where I work and the Amazon website are perhaps three of my most visited places. Fiction or non-fiction, new or classic- it doesn't matter I am interested in all sorts of books.
"Bluestockings" by Jane Robinson is definitely top of my to read next list. Has anyone else read it?

In at number two is fresh flowers. Beautiful, gorgeous, fragrant and utterly delightful- even more so if tied in a big bunch with a big floppy ribbon- need I say more?

Number three would have to be crochet. I have been crocheting on and off since I was a child, and one of my favourite possessions is a lovely, brightly coloured granny-square blanket that my late grandmother made for me when I was about 8. Just being wrapped up snuggly underneath its heavy warmth made me feel warm and secure. At the moment, as some of you will know, I am in the process of making my own granny-square blanket for the sofabed in my spare room and it is just so satisfying. I just love it!

Here is a photo of my blanket in progress- hmmm, someone seems to have found my pile of squares a rather comfortable napping place!

Old wares can be my fourth obsession. I particularly love cups and saucers and old china, baskets and linens. (More about these later!)

Finally for something completely different and in at number five is running. I have been running for the past few years, mainly entering 10km and alf- marathon races. So far this year I have run three half-marathons, the latest being the New York marathon a couple of weekends ago, and I have another coming up in October. I am not particularly fast and feel that this picture probably closely resembles what I am like as a runner and to be honest I'll say that the actually process of running these races is not particularly joyous but the feeling you get at the end is exhilarating and definitely makes it all worth while!

Now, I think as part of the blog award process I also need to nominate five of my favourite blogs. Again, this is a lovely task, but very difficult to choose just five so I think i will need a little more time to think about this.

When I last left you on Friday, I was off on an antiquing adventure around Kent and Sussex. Well, what a lovely day I had. My first stop was Nutley Antiques in the little village of Nutley not far from where I live in Tunbridge Wells.

What a treasure trove! This little shop is absolutely crammed with all sorts of wonderful bits and pieces ranging from old furniture to teapots, kitchenalia, garden wares and quilts and that is just the beginning!. Upon entering I was like a child in a sweet shop and just didn't know where to start looking- there was just so many things that I loved so imagine my excitement when I discovered that there was also a basement to look through too- wow! This is somewhere I will definitely be revisiting. Thanks for the recomendation, Sian!

I also paid a visit to the lovely Lewes- another gorgeous town and again loads of wonderful antique and bric-a-brac stores just waiting to be trawled through by the likes of me. One place that completely caught my attention was this place:-

Goodness, you could literally spend hours looking through this place. I made a couple of interesting purchases including this lovely teacup (pictured above as well) which I have someone in mind who I think will love it, so I am going to stash this away in my present-box.

(

The other purchases I made were two old (1897) magazines quaintly entitled " Isobel's Home Cookery".

They are so interesting and provide such a wonderful insight into the world of women one hundred and ten years ago. I was particularly interested in the article about making jam, but there are all sorts of other recipes and stories on topics like budgeting to planning a week of simple summer suppers. I haven't quite finished reading them yet but will share more with you when I come across something that I think you might like.

Now it is time for me to settle down with my crochet (I am getting close to finishing it now...) in front of the film "Becoming Jane", a lovely portrayal of Jane Austin's life, which is on BBC1 tonight. So until next time goodbye and enjoy the rest of the weekend!

Blog awards

2009-08-28T09:26:00.015+01:00

Hello Eveyone
I am so excited to have been given THREE blog awards this week so have added them to my side-bar. The first one was from Sarah at Red Gingham. She has a really lovely blog, so do go and have a peek if you haven't seen it already. The other one came from the lovely Lucy at Vanilla Ivy. This is another fabulous blog and she is such a clever crafter!
I have just found out that Suzie at itch2stitch has given my blog an award too! I am thrilled!!!! Have you seen her blog? Definitely worth a visit and really inspirational!

I need to list five obsessions as well, so as I am such an obsessive person about soooo many wonderfully delicious and delightful things, I will need some time to think about this, so watch this space.

I have an annual leave day today and am just about to hop in the car for a drive around Kent and Sussex in search of the antique shops mentioned a few weeks ago by Sian at Diary of a Tinyholder who clearly has a talent for interior decorating and beautiful buys. Hopefully, when I get back this afternoon I will have lots to share with you. Have a great day!

Oh, just couldn't resist adding this photo that I have just taken of Burt and Ruby.

Ready for a treat?

2009-08-25T22:45:00.008+01:00

Hello again everyone.
Here I am late home from work again on Tuesday evening but just had to look at my blog and add some more to it. It is like an obsession, a really lovely obsession of the best possible kind. All the way home from London in the train I was thinking about what I should write about tonight.

Well, I think you are in for a treat, because I am going to share with you one of the most delicious recipes that I have come across in a long time and it is just perfect for the season (my apologies to my bloggy pal in NZ- Sarah, you might just have to store this recipe away for a few months!)

Firstly, a clue:

Yes, you're correct, blackberries! All picked fresh on Sunday afternoon from the fields and hedgerows near my home. Goodness the bushes were just laden with them, hiding among the nettles and prickles, and my hands and arms were a little scratchily worse for wear , but it was so worth the fun and satisfaction! As you can see our efforts (yes, my husband is an avid berry picker too) were worth it and we harvested 6 punnets full to the brim, even though there are only 4 in the photo.

What then to do with them? That was the question but it didn't take me long to work it out!

So, in between being totally mesmerised by the antics of the baby kittens and besotted with my new old sewing machine, I whipped up a big batch of blackberry jam. So much in fact that I ran out of jars!
Still, not a bad output- I now need to find somewhere to put it.

Even after all of this I still had a punnet or more of blackberries left so after a quick flip through the recipe books, I came across a recipe for Blackberry Crumble Cake. Believe me it is absolutely delicious! Here's the recipe:

What you need-

Melted butter, to grease the cake tin
200g butter, at room temperature
170g (3/4 cup) caster sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
150g (1 cup) self-raising flour
150g (1 cup) plain flour
185ml (3/4 cup) milk
about 2 cups fresh blackberries

crumble topping
75g (1/2 cup) plain flour
50g cold butter, chopped
60g (3/4 cup) shredded coconut
55g (1/4 cup, firmly packed) brown sugar

Here's what you do-
Preheat oven to 180°C.
Lightly grease a springform pan with melted butter. Line the base and sides with non-stick baking paper.
Beat the butter and sugar in a bowl until pale and creamy.
Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each.
Add the combined flour and milk and use a large metal spoon to fold until well combined. Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan and use the back of the spoon to smooth the surface.

Arrange the blackberries, in a single layer, over the top.

Then

To make the crumble topping, place the flour in a bowl. Use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Stir in the coconut and sugar.
Sprinkle the crumble topping over the blackberries.
Bake for 1 hour.
Then cover loosely with foil and bake for a further 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Allow it to cool and the the best bit- Cut the cake into wedges and serve!

Yummy! Here's what mine looked like-

And here's what it looked like on my lovely new china just waiting to be enjoyed with a nice cup of coffee

So, if you haven't made any plans for the Bank holiday Monday, grab a container and go and pick some blackberries!

Sunday success!

2009-08-24T23:09:00.009+01:00

Hello Everyone. I hope that you've all had a good day and stayed free from the clutches of the dreaded mondayitis!
Thank you all very much for your lovely comments about my "new look" blog. I must admit that a monster is well in the process of being created and the more I add to it, the more addicted I get! The photo editing business is all a little time-consuming though and very tricky at times.

Anyway, if you haven't already got a nice cuppa in your hands, quickly go and make one and settle down somewhere comfy because I think this is going to be a long post. I've lots to tell you.

Right- are you ready? Okay, here goes- I am going to tell you all about the wonderful day I had yesterday (Sunday).

The weather was bright and sunny so first thing on the to-do list was a visit to a car boot sale. Very conveniently there is one held every couple of weeks just up the road from where we live on a local farm. Having been quite disappointed previously with car boot sales, especially after reading about some of your wonderful finds, I went with no expectations at all. Needless to say, this time I was not disappointed!

The first things that caught my eye were these bowls. Emma Bridgewater look-alikes and for the asking price of 10p for both they just had to come home with me. I hanker after the real thing but just loved these at first sight!

The next thing I came across was a basket full of what looked to be some old cups and saucers. I just love old china so I stopped to have a look and then just couldn't resist it for the £1 that the seller asked for. £1 can you believe it? I was told that it is Victorian so quite old.

What a bargain and such a pretty teaset. After a good wash it looks lovely and I have used some of it already.

As well as the cups, saucers and plates there are 6 little bowls and a large bowl.

I was thrilled to say the least, but better was yet to come. I continued strolling along scanning the stalls for vintage bargains and thrifty buys when I came across this. Has anyone got any ideas of what it might be? Looks just like an old wooden box but there is more.

Let's take a look inside.....

What a beauty! Have another look. It is an absolutely fabulous vintage Singer sewing machine in working order. It has a serial number, which I have looked up and it was made in Clyde in 1910.

I just love the beautiful details and it is in such good condition.

What do you think? Do you like it as much as I do?

Okay- now the most amazing thing of all. After looking at it and drooling over it with love, I asked the lady selling it how much it was. I was expecting something in the region of £35-£40 so nearly fell over when she said £5. Yes, you read that right- just £5. I couldn't get my purse out fast enough. She seemed to want to just get rid of it and told me it used to belong to her great aunt. I couldn't help but feel a little sad.

That was all I found but wow- what a morning!
I have lots more to share with you about the rest of the day including my adventures berry picking, jam making and also one of the most delicious cake recipes I have tried in a long time. However, it is getting very late and I have to get up early for work, so I will save that until tomorrow. Bye for now!

Settling in!

2009-08-23T07:09:00.001+01:00

As you can see, Ruby and Burt are starting in settle in. Having never had kittens before they are a source of constant amusement. Full of energy and mischief, racing about, chasing one another and generally doing what kittens do- sleeping! They also have the abililty to look so sweet and vulnerable, so alot of time is spent picking them up and marvelling at how cute they are!

Blog makeover

2009-08-23T00:07:00.001+01:00

Hello Everyone,

You may have noticed that I have made some changes to my blog- in fact, it has had a complete makeover! What do you think? Please leave me a comment.

Introducing Burt and Ruby

2009-08-18T20:03:00.007+01:00

Here they are! My lovely new gorgeous kittens: Burt and Ruby.

They are even cuter than they look and I am in love !

What do you do with a......?

2009-08-13T16:41:00.015+01:00

Hello again Bloggers.

Two blogs today (I think I am quickly becoming addicted to this blogging thing) but this time I have something different for you- a recipe!

With all the delicious homegrown summer produce in abundance at the moment you may, perhaps, have wondered what you could do with the humble courgette (zucchini). Yesterday my office mate presented me with a huge one from her garden- and I mean HUGE! Take a look for yourself-

So, I thought to myself, what will I make? Will I chop it up and boil it? No- yuk! Will I chop it, coat it in batter and fry it? No- too unhealthy! Will I add it to some tomatoes and onions to make a healthy ratatouille? That was a good option, but no, that's not what I did. (This is starting to sound a little like the tale of Goldilocks and the three bears now so I will just get to the point).

I made it into a delicious bake. This is a tried and tested recipe that I have made many times and it really is delicious and so simple and quick to make! So next time you have some spare courgettes why not give it a go? Here's the recipe:-

Ingredients
600 grams of courgette
4 eggs
1/2 cup of grated cheese
1/2 cup plain flour (sifted)
1 chopped onion
1 chopped garlic clove
salt and pepper to season

Step 1
Firstly- wash, chop and grate the courgettes. This really easy and actually quite fun. When you have finished grating, squeeze out the excess water using thick paper towel or a clean cloth and pop it into a bowl.

See easy peasy!

Next, in a separate bowl, lightly beat the eggs

Then- just add the other ingredients

It is satisfyingly gooey to mix!

Right- almost there now- no prizes for guessing what to do next. Yes, that's right, mix the gooey, eggy, cheesy mix with the courgettes and season with salt and pepper.

If you like you can also add some extras: mushrooms, bacon, olives, tomatoes, pinenuts. In fact you can add what ever you please. I have added some baby chopped tomatoes to this one.

Finally, pour the whole mixture into a well-greased baking dish and cook in a moderate oven for 30-40 minutes. It smells absolutely scrumptious as it's cooking- a delicious combination of cheesy, garlicy bliss and there is no way that you will be able to stop yourself from creeping up to the oven at regular intervals just to have a check!

Take it out when it is cooked to your liking- I like mine quite firm and brown on top, but others may prefer a more golden hue. You can eat this hot or cold and it goes really well with salad and a glass of cold, crisp white wine. Enjoy!!

PS My courgette bake is still in the oven, smelling divine, but not quite ready to take out and photograph. I will add a photo when it is done- promise!

Here it is- YUM!

Making progress....

2009-08-13T15:20:00.006+01:00

Hello Everyone, I do hope that you are having a good week. I am very pleased, in fact I'm thrilled to report that I am making Progress (with a capital P) on my blanket. I must admit that faced with the prospect of joining so many granny squares together had left me feeling slightly overwhelmed. In fact, Granny-Blanket was ignored for a few days entirely! However, some encouraging words from my fellow-bloggers got me back on the straight and narrow and, as you can see, I have really started to make progress with the dreaded joining up process.

I hand stitched the first 4 X 4 block together and that was far from enjoyable- it felt like a tedious chore and that I would just never get through the huge pile. So, with the help of Attic24's wonderful tutorial on joining up squares there is now no stopping me and I have a very satisfying pile of 4 X 4 patches sitting in front of me and I am feeling rather wonderful about it all. It is just so much easier to crochet them together than to sew them, however, when I make my next blanket I will definitely joing as I go.

I know I still have far to go before my beloved Granny-blanket is finished with more joining and hooking and umming and ahhhing but
hey- don't you think it is starting, just starting to come together? Have another look-

Right- enough about that and onto something entirely different- the garden. It is a funny sort of day today and the sun keeps poking out for a bit to flood the garden with its beautiful rays, and then it sneaks back off again behind a dark cloud and it looks like rain. I am working from home today, trying to get yet another paper drafted (I heard today that the previous one has been accepted!)so have been popping out periodically to enjoy the sun. Here are some of the little things in my garden that give me enormous pleasure-

My colourful pot of pansies. Aren't they just so cheerful?

And- my lovely roses that smell delicious! This one is almost past its best but it still looks pretty.

Look at all those glorious buds just waiting to bloom.

AND- just look at what I have in store. There must be about 80 or so green tomatoes just waiting to ripen. I think I am going to need a good recipe for chutney if anybody has one?

Anyway I think that's about all for now- I look forward to your comments!

This and that.

2009-08-08T18:24:00.018+01:00

Hello everyone. I do hope that you are having a nice weekend. The weather here in Kent is lovely- hot and sunny. Perhaps you are experiencing similar. Well, unlike yesterday's post, this one is all about crafting and crochet, thrifty finds and baking. Where will I begin?

Some of you may remember that I am currently making a big granny-square crocheted blanket for the sofa in my spare room. This has been a labour of love to which I have been quite committed since I started it in April. I finished making all the squares while away on holiday and am now in the process of joining them up. Not an easy feat, in fact this is much trickier than I had imagined, so any hints or tips would be gratefully received! You can see from the photo below that this is going to take me quite a while.......

While on the topic of things that take time, my other ongoing project is a patchwork quilt for our bed in a design called "Grandmother's garden". It is made from small hexagonal patches and I am handsewing it all. This is definitely not a weekend project- in fact, I really do think that it will take me years. I am making the patches in bright colours and using both scraps that I have in my craft basket as well as fabrics that I am buying. These are some of the patches that I have done. Each still has to have another border, which I plan to do in cream but I haven't found the right fabric yet. This one is my current favourite-

I also really like this red one-

I think I have done 12 in total so far, and still have about 80 left to make. Here are some more-

I promised something about baking and here it is. Have you seen the wonderful Attic24 blog? I really love it,and Lucy posted a delicious recipe for Cranberry and Pecan Tiffin which I couldn't resist trying. It truly is scrumptious, although mine didn't turn out quite as chocolatey as hers looked. Here it is ready to be yaffled down with a cup of coffee. The pretty plate is my latest buy. I bought it with a teacup and sauces and a milkjug and sugar bowel all for £2.50 from my local charity shop. This photo really doesn't do it justice, but it is a beautiful garden cottage design.

Finally, an update on the kittens. We went around to the breeders to see them today and they are just the sweetest little things- even cuter than the photo I posted yesterday (that was just an example- not actually them). The names that we have decided on,after much deliberation are- Burt and Ruby.
Enjoy the rest of the weekend!

Quite a surprise!

2009-08-07T20:35:00.005+01:00

Today's blog is not about holidays. It's not about craft. It's not about thrifty, bargain buys or baking. Believe it or not, it's not even about work. Have I got your attention? Good- then here goes. Today at work, I had a phone call from my husband-nothing unusual in that I hear you say, and you are right. However, it was what he had to say that was a surprise. Read on......
There I was at my desk, surrounded by papers, and just slightly frazzled as I was struggled to finalise a paper to meet a 5pm publisher's deadline (as usual, I had convinced myself that I write best when under pressure, and had left it until the last moment) when he called.
Bypassing all greetings, he simply said "I am standing here looking at the cutest little tabby kitten you have ever seen"
"mmmmmmm" I said, not knowing what was coming next, "and?"

Well, you can see for yourself.......

He had put a deposit down for not one- but two, sweet little 6 week old tabby kittens! (At this point in the story I must be honest and tell you that we had been serioulsy looking for one) but what a surprise!
We will bring them home in 2 weeks time but in the meantime, we have to come up with two names- any suggestions?

Where oh where?

2009-08-05T09:45:00.006+01:00

Hello again at long last!
It has certainly been a while since my last blog which may have got you wondering where I have been?
Well, this photo might give you a clue......

Can you guess? Look at the lovely blue, sunny skies and the deep blue sea-is it England on a summer's day? (I think not!)
Here's another one.....

It is Collioure in the south of France! So beautiful and I was lucky enough to have two weeks holiday there with my husband. I cannot really describe what a great time we had- loads of swimming and cycling and running (preparation for that half-marathon that is looming very soon, but more about that later...eeek!) and of course, eating! Fresh seafood, warm bread fresh from the bakery and delicious local olives! I was in heaven.

All good things must end, and sadly the holiday is now a distant memory and I am well and truly back into the normal, everyday humdrum of work. Never mind, that is what makes holidays so enjoyable!

As sad as it seems (although fellow bloggers and crafty-cats like myself will understand) my crochet basket accompanied us on holidays and major progress has been made! I have now finished all the granny squares (108 in total!) and am in the process of piecing them together. Phew- what a task! Trying to take my time and not ruin it with my impatience to have it finished and on the sofa, where I can smuggly admire it and think- I made that!

My camera is still misbehaving and any photos that I take are definitely still dodgy, but will try to post some evidence of my granny blanket progress later today.

Crafty catch-up

2009-07-09T23:05:00.009+01:00

Hello! What a week it has been. Work has been really very busy with many deadlines to meet before Friday. Disappointingly, I haven't had a chance to add to my blog until now. Anyway, here goes......... The weekend was wonderful and I spent a few hours beavering away on my sewing machine while the sun shone and the birds sang! What a productive way to spend a day! I made a few little things for birthdays that are coming up. I would show you the finished creations but my camera has decided to misbehave, so I will post them as soon as I can. Is it just me, or do you enjoy the process of making something for someone so much more than simply going to the shops to buy a gift? Late on Saturday afternoon, I decamped to my little outside terrace and did some work on my granny squares. This photo, which is rather dodgy shows just a few of the squares complete with their final cream and mauve rows. The photos really do not do the colours justice, but I am actually beginning to see what it will look like. This photo only shows 16 squares, but I have now completed 48!
As you can see though, I still have lots more to do- over 100 in fact! Then I will have the challenge of joining them up. Would you suggested stitching or crocheting them together?

It really was enjoyable sitting outside in the fresh air, lworking on my "grannies" while istening to the radio and sipping iced lemonade mixed with homemade elderflower cordial! Summertime bliss or perhaps just middle-age?

Inspired Saturday

2009-07-04T15:52:00.006+01:00

Have you ever woken up feeling full of inspired craftiness- so many ideas about lovely things to create that you just cannot wait to get started? Yesterday, was like that for me and I was definitely having difficulty focusing on my work and what I should have been doing! 5pm couldn't come fast enough and I was soon out the office door and on my way to find supplies- and what lovely things I found! Some beautiful Liberty fabric remnants. Oh, these are so gorgeous and flowery and utterly summery! I also bought some very pretty braids and two cards wrapped with old- fashioned ric-rac, in lovely pale blue and pink. Isn't "ric-rac" a lovely term- it sounds so much how it looks ric-rac/zig-zag! When I was a little girl, my favourite summer dresses were those with rows of ric-rac around the hem.

To add to the summery theme, I also bought a little box crammed with gorgeous buttons of all shapes and sizes in pretty pastel colours. There are some flower-shaped ones, heart shaped ones and loads of beautiful shiny round ones. The possibilities of what I can make this afternoon are endless- I'd better get to it!

Packages in the mail

2009-06-30T19:33:00.004+01:00

Today I worked from home, and pleasingly, had a productive day, completing not only a lecture for tomorrow but also a research proposal. I feel so relieved as both had been playing on my mind and I was starting to feel stressed!
The best thing about working from home, was that I was here to receive two packages from the postman. The first contained some wool I was waiting for to complete the granny squares that I am making for my throw. Although I have used bright colours: aqua, pink, yellow, lime green, corflower blue and purple for the squares, I wanted to have some consistency so decided on a row of cream and then a row of mauve. I have done one as a trial and think that it looks pretty- so perhaps I have made a good choice? The other package was a surprise from my Mum in Australia. She sent a lovely magazine full of great ideas, so maybe some more projects will be on the way!

A little find

2009-06-30T07:45:00.006+01:00

What do you think of my little find? It is the most lovely little thing- a tiny china English cottage, no taller than 3 inches, with gorgeous flowers in the garden and around the door, a bright pink front door and a thatched roof. I saw it standing proudly in the front window of my local charity shop and just knew that it had to come home with me and for £2 I couldn't go wrong! If you look at it closely, you can see that it is actually a little money box! That makes it even lovelier!

Bargain boot buys!

2009-06-28T10:46:00.003+01:00

Inspired to find some carboot treasures, today I dragged my P out of bed to accompany me to a local carboot sale. I always imagine that I will come home laden with treasures of all description, however, this is rarely the case and today's finds were a little disappointing. However, I did manage to find a lovely vintage wicker basket, which I just love. It is perfect for my crochet squares which seem to be accumulating at a rapid rate! At last count I had done 123 so have almost made my target of 160. More about my crochet later!

Mondayitis again!

2009-06-22T17:27:00.006+01:00

Goodness me- where has the week gone. Here we are again and its another case of Mondayistis! Do you ever get that? Great weekend full of energy, wake all perky and ready to go on Monday morning and then by the time you are back at work, it all starts to slide downhill fast. Hmmmm- that's exactly what happened today. However, life's just too short for feeling glum, so what I propose to do is to spend the evening in a most enjoyable way.Hmmmm-how shall I do that? Perhaps I'll sit out in the garden admiring the roses with a glass of wine and some crisps? Or maybe I'll take a long walk through the countryside taking in the sights of the Kent summer? Perhaps a soak in a tub filled with delicious fragrant bubbles with a glossy new magazine or maybe I'll just plonk down on the sofa in front of the television with my crochet? There are just too many decisions but hey, my case of Mondayistis seems to be disappearing!

Mondayitis

2009-06-15T14:49:00.003+01:00

It's Monday and I have a severe case of mondayitis! Not quite sure why, as a peek in my diary tells me that this week at work isn't going to be too taxing, but nevertheless (don't you just love the way that word always just rolls off the tongue?) I am definitely feeling a little mondayitisy. Could it be that I had such a lovely weekend? The weather was great and I filled the days with some of my favourite things to do- baking crunchy chocolate slice for my husband to take with him to share with this sailing friends, a browse around the shops and an even longer browse in the local library, a picnic in the grounds of Leeds castle, some hours spent in the garden in my comfy cane chair admiring the roses, two long lazy lie-ins and a walk with my husband through the fields picking elderflower to make cordial. Today, it is wet and grey and thundery and I just cannot find the inclination or thoughts to write a proposal that I have to write and instead I am wasting the day thinking about what I will do next weekend. I think the only thing for it is to try to focus on my work for the next few hours and if I can do that, I will reward myself with a wander to the shops, a new magazine and maybe even a sweet treat. Monday is feeling better already!

Paris in the springtime

2009-06-14T08:51:00.004+01:00

I was lucky enough to spend last weekend in Paris with two girly friends. You can probably imagine how much fun we had. Wandering, shopping, eating, drinking and people watching. There is definitely something about Paris that makes me want to live there- everytime I visit I imagine having an apartment on the Seine with a little wrought-iron balcony that I could sit out on eating croissants and drinking coffee each morning before starting my day. Of course, I would also be impossibly chic, elegantly dressed and stylish and completely fluent in french- ah, to dream!

Jam making- how enjoyable!

2009-05-31T18:46:00.005+01:00

What a fabulous weekend it has been. Not only has the weather been perfect and I have been able to spend many hours in my garden, but I have also spent time doing one of the things I most enjoy- jam making! Seeing that the sun was shining early on Saturday morning, my husband and I (one of the best fruit-picking partnerships around) decided that it would be great to go out to the fabulous Downingbury farm that is located very close to where we live, to pick some strawberries. They probably aren't quite at their best yet, but nevertheless, we picked about 3 kilograms, and then I spent a few enjoyable hours on Saturday afternoon making them into jam- 11 jars in total and it is delicious!

I don't know what it is about jam making that I find so enjoyable and rewarding- perhaps it is the fact that your labours last all year long? In the winter I love being able to have jam that I made myself from fruit that I picked myself. So, this was the first batch of the season and I still have redcurrent jelly,blackberry jam and grape jam (from grapes we grow ourselves) to come! The only problem is that I am already running out of jars!

Milly Molly Mandy and all things nice

2009-05-29T19:01:00.002+01:00

I just love old-fashioned children's stories and grew up on a literary diet filled with Enid Blyton, Sue Barton, Cherry Ames and the Chalet School stories, just to name a few. One of my all-time favourites is Milly Molly Mandy-both the stories and the illustrations and delightful and capture your imagination beautifully. I love the image of Milly Molly Mandy with her straight bobbed hair, candy-striped dress and black buckle shoes- just gorgeous

Nurses

2009-05-29T18:35:00.004+01:00

A couple of days ago, I sustained a slight head injury, or to be more precise, had to have a minor surgical procedure that has left me with three sutures in my head. I hadn't anticipated quite how uncomfortable they would be and how horrible they would make me feel. I cannot wash or brush my hair properly and as a result am feeling rather fragile. Anyway, this situation made me think about nursing and how much I love this picture. Another of my hobbies is collecting historical images of nurses.

Granny squares everywhere!

2009-05-29T18:15:00.002+01:00

One of the projects that I am currently working on in my spare time is a crocheted granny square throw, which I plan to have in the newly decorated spare room, which coincidentally, I think I am going to rename the "Reading and relaxation room" as it is currently crammed full of books! I wanted the colours of the throw to be vibrant and bright so that it added an element of joy, especially when curled up under it on the sofa in the winter when reading a good book (which is what I plan to do). So the colours that I have chosen are green,purple, yellow, white, pale pink, vivid pink, pale blue and aqua. So far I have made about 58 squares and think that I am just about half way there. I am making it with pure wool so that it will have that cosy, heavy feeling of something substantial when finished. Here are just a few of the squares so far......

In my garden

2009-05-29T17:54:00.004+01:00

I have just ventured out into my small but perfectly formed garden and couldn't help but feel delighted with it. Roses and pansies in bloom all over- how I love springtime!

Creative cushions

2009-05-29T17:34:00.008+01:00

It was my birthday late last week (I won't tell you how old I am) and I was very lucky and received a spanking new sewing machine from my husband. How excited was I? I just couldn't wait until the weekend to try it out and create some wonderful things for our home. I had an enjoyable Saturday afternoon, making these two cushions for the spare room, which I have decided to redecorate with gorgeous homemade things- a bit like "Kirtsy's homemade home" but on a smaller scale. What do you think? I still haven't decided which one I like the best.

Roses, roses, roses.

2009-05-29T17:20:00.003+01:00

What could be more lovely than an old-fashioned jug full of fresh, fragrant roses? Perhaps, knowing that they came from your own garden! Here are the first of hopefully many- they smell delicious and look so pretty!

Hello and welcome

2009-05-29T17:13:00.002+01:00

Hello and welcome to my blog. I am so exciting about this and view it as a sort of virtual journal/scrapbook, which I hope to make as interesting as possible.
What a glorious sunny day it has been. I have been working from home today and actually have been very productive, which sometimes isn't always the case on the rare occasions that I do work from home. So pleased that it is now late Friday afternoon and I have the whole weekend stretching ahead. What will I do?