I've been . . . {another List}

• busily preparing for the celebration of Christmas

• to Scotland & back

• catching up with loved ones

• making.  Lots of making.

• baking 

Mary Berry's Orange Spice Cake -  absolutely deeelicious . . .

• sewing

• knitting

• shopping

• wrapping pressies

• swapping pressies

my lovely creative & talented Book Club ladies

• swapping crackers

Thank you lovely Sue from Crafts@home, my swap partner who completely spoilt me with an abundance of yummy goodies in the  Cracker Swap organized by Tracey over at Mad About Bags.  Squeee . . .

• making up our guest rooms for our family arriving to stay next week

• trying to keep on top of the laundry, the household chores, and muddy doggy paws

don't let that sweet face deceive you . . . those paws are mud-magnets

• planning my "week between Christmas & New Year" yarny project

  - a lovely Vector Wrap/Scarf Knit-A-Long with Rachel at Tangled Yarn.  This pretty Mirasol yarn arrived in the post today and I can't wait to cast on.  If you're looking for a project too - do join us.  (Just pop over here or have a wee look on Ravelry) 

 

So,
 are you "making a list & checking it twice" ?

Only 6 more sleeps . . .   ; - )

'til next time,

xoxo

* * * * * * * 

For Claudine, who was kindness personified,  truly beautiful inside & out, who loved to make . . . and who delighted in a good List too.  

RIP my sweetest friend . . . 

(1969 - 2014)

* * * * * * *

Tea Party Tuesday, on Wednesday . . . etc etc

 I won't bore you again with the fact that the painters are STILL here - in fairness, they are doing great work but why, oh why does it have to take sooo long? 

So instead today I thought I'd share a mish-mash of some happy things . . .

 a surprise beautiful bouquet from a most precious BFF 

a gorgeous little gift in the mail from a new bloggy friend who had a giveaway

(have you met Robin yet? Do pop over & say hello. . .)

homemade waffles with bacon & maple syrup for breakfast, 

and delicious chocolate cake for tea

a wee bit of sewing 

and tea with friends at the new little shoppe in our village

 Linking up with the lovely Chantille Fleur for Tea Party Tuesday . . .

better late than never ;-)

'til next time,

xoxo

How to enjoy A Perfect Sewing Day . . .

A little while in advance . . .

1.  Diarise a date with a lovely, creative friend and set aside the whole day.

2.  Plan what you're going to make, choose & buy the fabric and notions.

3.  Start to look forward to it.

 

 The day before . . .

4.  Bake something.  No Perfect Sewing Day would be complete without something sweet & yummy.   In my world anyway.

On the day . . .

5.  Spend the entire day in the company of above-mentioned lovely & creative friend and her oh-so-sweet hounds, just nattering, laughing, pinning, snipping, gathering, sewing . . . 

6.  Don't forget to stop for a yummy sweet snacks and lunch in between.

And that my lovely peeps, is How to enjoy A Perfect Sewing Day.

In my world anyway.

 

Thanks lovely, creative Mrs Purple Pepper -  what shall we make next ?

'til next time,

xoxo

ps.  Whilst it wasn't strictly a tea party, there was indeed tea and there was indeed cake, so I'm linking up with the lovely Chantille Fleur today for Tea Party Tuesday.

I'm Dreaming of a White Easter . . .

 Whilst we've had a beautiful sunny day here, it's jolly chilly and there's still lots of snow around.  We live almost at the top of a hill, and seem to have our own little micro-climate.

So there's every possibility, that come Sunday, we may just have to hunt for Easter eggs in the snow :-)

But in the meantime, we've been decopatching,

 

and putting up the Easter decs (the girls) , 

Sweet little chick from the lovely Vanilla Squirrel - I just couldn't resist it . . .

 

baking yummy chocolate cake (Princessfairygodmummy - that's me), 

icing the cake & learning to knit (gorgeous goddaughter) ,

sewing an oh-so-cute Easter chicken (Lee-Anne, the mum),

still in the making stage, pics to follow when it's done . . .

enjoying the above-mentioned yummy cake, and treating ourselves to a very dee-licious cream tea to celebrate the gorgeous goddaughter's 12th birthday . . . at The Bluebell, Henley-in-Arden.

 

All in all, a perfect start to the weekend . . .

Wishing you & yours a truly happy & blessed Easter,

xoxo

Happiness is . . .

52 Weeks of Happy

{ Linking up with Jen at Little Birdie.}

Week 3:

I've had this on my wish list for ages, and finally I could resist no longer.

 

Wasn't he sweet to stay still long enough for me to get my camera out and my gloves off so I could take his picture?

Peanut butter frosting on dark chocolate cupcakes - recipe courtesy of Hazel at Cupcakery.

 Hop over for a peek at her lovely blog, and DO try these cupcakes - they are oh-so-delicious.

Need I say more ?

Have a happy weekend,

xoxo

Time for tea?

The lovely Sarah Jane at Chantille Fleur has declared today (and every 2nd Tuesday in the month) as Tea Party Tuesday - what a fabulous idea, don't you think ?

http://chantillefleur.blogspot.co.uk/

I am a huge lover of all things tea . . . morning tea, afternoon tea . .  in fact a wee cuppa goes down well any time of the day.  My favourite is Earl Grey.  That will always be my go-to tea, but I'm equally fond of  Mint.  Both of which are always so refreshing.  Ah, yes, there's really not an awful lot that a cup of tea can't help.

And of course, the upside to all this, is that one should always have something yummy along with it.

I haven't done any baking yet this week (although I am the official "Bringer of Cake" for my book club on Thursday, so I will need to get the tin filled before then), so I thought instead, I'd share some of the yummy recent bakes from my family & friends . . .

My gorgeous goddaughter, Robyn-Anne LOVES to bake but as she lives far away (in South Africa), I don't get to taste all the yumminess she creates. But her mama knows how much I love seeing everything she makes, so she thoughtfully sends me lots of pics:

 

So here's Robs making a batch of the doughnut muffins that I posted about a little while ago, and her interpretation of the ginger reindeer biscuits.

Robs & her mama are coming to visit us in March (soooo exciting, I can't wait) so I'm looking forward to we girls donning our pinnies and doing some baking together.

Next up is the birthday cake that my lovely cuzzie, Carole,  made for her man's recent birthday.  No prizes for guessing what his favourite pastime is ; - )

Doesn't it look great ? Apparently, it tasted delicious too - but yet again, I didn't get to try it as they live up north in bonnie Scotland.  Closer than South Africa, but still just that wee bit too far away to pop in for tea & birthday cake.

Sigh . . . can you see the pattern developing here ?

Ah, but wait . . .

At last . . . this one I did enjoy the pleasure of a chunk slice (or maybe even two) AND with a cup of Earl Grey to accompany it.  My lovely sis (yes, the very same one that made this scrumptious cake too), who very conveniently lives just over an hour away, baked this delicious and oh-so-chocolatey yule log for dessert on Christmas day.  Yay (happy dance)

Do pop over to Chantille Fleur and have a little hop around all the other tea parties, and maybe even join in if you'd like.

Me ? I'm off to put the kettle on for a wee cuppa . . . **

Back tomorrow, hopefully with an update on my a.l.m.o.s.t finished chunky charcoal jumper.

'Til then,

xoxo

**And then head off to my Pilates class . . . lest you think I just sit around drinking tea all day ; - )