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!