tis the season to bake, bake, bake!!!

Well the Christmas season is mearly at an end, new years eve tomorrow. Am looking forward to lunch with the girls to celebrate the New Year as we have different plans for the evening. Lunch at Irmas-can't wait!

2010 saw so many changes for me one of the biggest being my new found love of baking! Pregnancy brain made me love it and even after Oly arrived the desire is still there. Weird as I used to loath baking- didn't mind the end result but all the beginning part AHHHHH! No longer though... I am a baking addict and the christmas season was a perfect excuse to indulge.

I made Osk's teacher's some cookies with lovely homemade jammy centres- and was able to use my new Martha Stewart gift boxes I ordered from the States (they have amazing stuff there!) Thank you Two Peas in a Bucket for your amazing products and great service!!! They all looked very festive!
Then Osk and I made a cookie Christmas tree- so easy and looked very professional- with glitter and "snow" sprinkled over it. I got the cutter set from Cox and Cox which has become my new fav site and I am slowly working my way through the catalogue and making a good dent in my bank account- everything is just so pretty!!! The tree made a great gift to take to Christmas mulled wine with friends and was quickly devoured by the kids.
Next was my "piped" icing cookies using the piping set I got for christmas. If I say so myself they looked quite good once I'd got the hang of it and I'm looking forward to using it again!

All this baking and other over induging has rather left me wanting (a slimmer waist line that is) so although I never do New Years resolutions I must get back into routine and get active again!!! No more school runs in the car! Getting out the Wii Fit in the hopes that may help a bit!!?? Not giving up on the baking though too much fun and far to many yummy results for that!

Christmas cookie tree

"Henna" iced belguim biscuits

I had lots of fun icing these icicle cookies

I finally finished painting the conservatory.

The wall paper samples worked a treat covering up the old light fitting marks!

My lovely "new" sideboard

It’s been a while- not had the get up and go to write anything it seems. I have been busy renovating tho and have just finished a beautiful sideboard for our conservatory. I trudged through the heavy snow we had a couple of weeks ago to our local secondhand dealers and found it hidden in the back of the shop- did my best Kirsty Alsop bartering and got it for a song! I am so pleased with how it turned out and am such a believer in restoing old things rather than buying new! I love the wallpaper samples I have used on the inside too- thanks to a dear friend who shall remain anonymous for forgetting to return them to the uber expensive decorating store many moons ago and to my lovely husband for rescuing them from her skip.Will be using them again on the newly painted conservatory walls (when I finally get them finished!)

I love the way the new sideboard displays my tea-set. I finally have a lovely place to show it off!!!Very proud of myself! 

Snuggling down

Is it meant to snow today?? I am doubtful it will the sky doesn't look that lovely muddy colour you get just before snow. It is certainly cold enough though.I am home with a sick Osk snuggled up on the couch with the Tweenies- has put a stop to any plans I had for today (christmas shopping/posting, getting decorations etc) but looking outside that isn't such a bad thing. Today is a stay in bed under the duvet and snuggle day.

What would be a lovely addition to the day is one of these gorgeous eiderdowns. I think I may start investing in some snuggly "granny" eiderdowns. They just look so good! 

Boggarts and Brownies

Having been blessed with a 7 hour sleep - Oly decided to sleep for 10 1/2 hours last night! I awoke refreshed and ready for the day !!I decided it was a baking kind of day - so I thought I'd take a go at baking Brownies. I haven't made them before- but I sure will be making them again!!! I have gorged my self on the richest Brownies all day and am now feeling rather seedy- all worth it tho. Osk's teacher looked rather frazzled on friday so I have decided to box up (using my lovely new gift boxes) small chunks of the brownies to cheer her up at morning tea time- always a welcome thing for a teacher!!!

Osk had a Pirate party today so spemt the weekend finding stuff for his costume- he did look very sweet scary as a Pirate and came back full of the joys of parties. Not sure I envied the hosts tho as it was an awful day and so turned into an indoor party. A house full of hyped up pirate boys... hmmmmmm... still made for a quiet afternoon in our house.

 Nothing beats the smell of warming the chocolate, sugar and butter- heavenly!

 I had brownie chunks rather than the suggested slices- not intentional but looked better I think.

Love these gift boxes I picked up the other day-have filled this one with  chunks of brownie for Osk's teacher.

Here goes....

Well this is the 1st attempt at blogging for me. I am an avid follower of blogs galore so figured it was about time I had a go- maybe I can get some followers some day too haha.

It has been a busy 7 weeks for me as a mum of a 7 week old and a 4 year old I am getting used to the whole no sleep, school run, mountains of washing thing. All seems a life time ago the Osk was a baby so I kind of forgot about sleep deprevation etc. Was alot easier with just 1 too- no hanging around in my jammies all day now!!!

Filling my days is no problem- I foolishly thought I'd actually have more time to fulfil my crafty urges too. Thankyou cards to be made and sent (would it have been easier to buy them?), Oly's wooden letters for her room covered (painted would have been easier but not as pretty) and have managed to get back into knitting, despite my darling son undoing all my work to use the needles as a sword! Wrist warmer 1 is done now have to find some time to start and complete the other one.

Loving reading my gorgeously talented friends blog a small bite of mondo cherry- she and her sister are so creative and inspire me to get my self back into it!! Jewellery making, sewing and decorating here I come! Am going to tackle my lovely but dull (and a bit grubby) conservatory next. Goodbye green and hello crisp white- all ready for the christmas season and festive decorations. Can't wait.

Really pleased with how these letters turned out. Amazing what scarps of fabric can be used for!