Because it’s January… or Jaguars Need You, Larry

So it’s January 2012.

Or it’s Jaguars Need You, Larry
according to my Cats Let Nothing
Darken Their Roar calendar.

(I missed out on getting one last year
so I was determined to have the 2012 one.
I’m trying to be good and not peek
at what the following months are…
we’ll see how long that lasts!)

Yup… I even put the cover in a frame.
It’s ridiculous just how much I love it.

So how’s everyone else coping with January?
I’m refusing to take down all the extra
fairy lights from around the flat…
and I’m still happily eating Xmas chocolate
which I need to stop doing soon!

Apart from that, I’m back to work,
back to yoga, back to reality…
and planning (hopefully) some rather
exciting stuff for 2012.

Yes, this cat is going to let
nothing darken her roar…
whatever that means!

Happy 2012 so far everyone xx

P.S. Thanks for all your lovely comments
and interest on the book project I was
working on (still doing a bit now actually).
I’m only part of the book, no solo project yet…
but I’ll tell you all about it as soon
as I allowed to. Promise!

It’s beginning to look a lot like a rather crafty Christmas…

So Christmas has arrived…

On Friday night, we bought our tree
(and named him Bruce the Spruce)
then on Saturday we set about decorating.

A lot of last year’s decorations were looking
a little tired… so I decided to make my own,
using things that we had left over from the wedding,
like baker’s twine, paper doilies and washi tape.

Candy canes, word banners
and a stealthy deer!

I looked for pretty paper to make
my Joy word banners with…
I couldn’t find any so I made my own
using washi tape. (God I love that stuff!)

I even cheered up this mirror with a little ‘joy’ too.
(Yes, I was watching Home Alone at the time!)

If you’d like to make your own,
here’s how in this mini ‘how to’:

1.a Find yourself some pretty paper.

1.b Or fail to find to pretty paper
and decide to make some yourself.
I just took A4 sheet of paper
and stuck rows of different Japaneses
washi tape to it. And voila!

2. Draw in pencil your letter shapes
(I do it in pencil so I can rub it out!)
3. Then cut out using scissors or a scalpel.
4. Using a needle, thread some baker’s twine
through each letter twice. Then tie the ends
with a loop and a slipknot so you can adjust them.
That’s it!

******

I still had lots of paper doilies leftover
from the wedding so I turned them into…

… Xmasy doilies with typed phrases
and dotted ’em round the flat.

There has to be a fox right?

I’m counting the elephant as festive since he’s red!
The rest we hung up, using fishing wire…
(it’s virtually invisible which is great for decorations,
not so good when you’re trying to find the end of it!)
We also made some ceramic hearts…
Strangely I didn’t take any pics of making them.
But I did take pics of our ceramic stars.
It’s the same theory, different shapes!
1. Basically you roll out some ceramic clay
(like you would with some pastry).
2. Then use a star/heart shaped cookie cutter
3. Depending on your clay, leave to dry or bake.

(I’m planning on making a little star banner,
that’s why they have holes in them.)

And to complete our ‘love xmas’ scene
I added my wee snowman, tree and pudding.
(The pudding makes me laugh so!)

****
The rest of the weekend was spent
doing secret crafty stuff.

Handmade presents mainly…
but also crafty things I’m making
for a book which I can’t tell you
more about until next year!

******
So I’m starting to feel a mite more
festive now… how about you all?

Because it’s Decembrrr… letterpress gingerbread cookies

A while ago, I had the thought of using
our wooden letterpress blocks to
stamp letters into cookies.

I tried it. It wasn’t a failure.
But it wasn’t a great success either.

Then my husband tracked me down
some letterpress cookie cutters instead.

With Blook Club 3 on Sunday,
I thought it was the perfect excuse
to try them out…

So I made up a lump of gingerbread dough
based on an adaptation of this recipe …
(Lump being the technical term of course!)

140g unsalted butter
100g dark muscovado sugar
6 soup-spoons of golden syrup
350g plain flour
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
2 teaspoon ground ginger
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoon powdered ginger

Heated up the sugar, butter and syrup
then mixed in the rest until there was
a lump of gingerbread ready to go!

Then it was just as simple as pressing
the letter you wanted into the dough…
firmly or they lost their shape when rising.

And then cutting them out using the cutters…
Much simpler than my original plan!

And then they went into the oven
for 10 minutes at 200C…

And the finished result…
Not bad for a first attempt!

I did consider icing the letters
but thought that might
look like they’d been iced on…
which would defeat the point!

*****

What will you be baking this Xmas?
I’ll definitely be making more of these
and some of Danae’s amazing brownies
that she brought to Blook Club too.

*****

P.S. I owe the title of this post
to this gorgeous illustration
(found via Wit + Delight‘s pinterest)
… it’s blooming freezing isn’t it!

Because it’s Monday… Awopbopaloobop Alopbamboom

One of the first things I ever blogged about was
wanting a ‘Awopbopaloobop Awopbamboom!’ print.

It was my Wayne’s World print… often coveted,
considered, sometimes in the online shopping trolley
but never actually purchased…

So imagine my surprise and delight
when at a certain Secret Santa swap
my present from the lovely My Spare Thoughts
turned out to be a handmade cross-stitched
version of my so long longed for print.

Surprise and nearly tears!
(Yup, I may have been a little emotional!)

*****

Back home, I added a little washi tape
and then put it next to my Airstream.
Another one of my often coveted things.
Wonder if anyone will ever
handmake me one of those?!

I’m lucky indeed
but maybe not that lucky!

******

P.S. Anyone else ever got
a really good Secret Santa? 
I think this might be my first!

P.P.S. I can’t show you yet what
I made for the Secret Santa
as I might be making a version
for my family.

I Do DIY… finding a home in our home for wedding stuff

“What do you do with wedding stuff after the wedding?”

Of all the wedding related questions I’ve received
recently this (from Lorri) struck me as a striking one…

You spend so much time making things and then what?

For us, there’s a simple answer.

We had a wedding sign – a gorgeous, gorgeous thing
made by my super talented uncle – and there was no way
it wasn’t going to become a feature of our home.

So at the weekend, we hung up our sign in our kitchen.
The space totally seems like it was made for the sign.

It made me so happy to see while
eating my cereal this morning!

As for our other bits and bobs…

We also put back up our gin print.
(It was our ‘bar sign’ at our wedding.)

And hung up our new ‘bike’ print… a wedding
present from our best man and best lady.

Happily the two co-ordinate very well!

This is where our chalkboard sign currently resides…
I may have to think of a better place for it eventually
but I kind of like it here at the moment.

We also finally found a spot for our Hang It All
(a wedding present from very generous friends).
And somehow one of our stags seems to suit being here…
so he’s found a home too.

Elsewhere in the flat, we have jam jars with candles
and jam jars with leftover pinwheels. It makes
me smile to see them every day and glad
that we don’t have to put them ‘away’ just yet.

Happy Monday everyone xx

P.S. What’s your advice? What did you do
or are planning to do with your wedding diy?

P.P.S. I have no idea quite where to begin with
blogging about our wedding. I have a few DIYs
to share but if there’s anything you want to
know or ask, do let me know!

Because it’s Monday…

Some days… well, some days are just a bit Monday-shaped aren’t they?

But these beautiful masks by Keely of (Kiss Me) Go made me smile.

I like the bear one especially with his little rosy cheeks.

“It’s Monday. Bear with me.”

But of course everyone knows I have a soft spot
for foxes… maybe it could be for wearing on Tuesdays?

*****
All images via (Kiss Me) Go

 

 

Because it’s Monday… a little bit of rain

When I was little, very little, I thought I could control the weather.

Whenever there were tears running down my face,
the world seemed to weep with me.

Big fat raindrops to match my own wet chubby cheeks.

(I blame my literal interpretation of my Nana
singing ‘When You’re Smiling’ for this.)

Then you get older and realise that no, the weather just does as it pleases.

You plan a picnic and it pours.
You want a rainy day for movies and there’s a heat wave.
You want a white Christmas? Well, tough.*

And like most Scots, I learnt to just deal with it.

And then I learned to like it.

Blame living in LA straight after uni as it taught me to miss weather.
Every day there started with grey smog which would clear to blazing sunshine.

Brilliant yes? Well, kind of. After a while, I missed the unpredictability.
I missed the need for a cardigan. I missed the sound of rain.

****

We knew three weeks before our wedding that
it was going to tip it down. Proper, proper rain.

So we bought brollies, gazebos, wellies, the works.

Lots of people told us the day would be ruined if it rained…
And I never understood that. How? How ruined?
Would we not get married on account of the weather?

So when I spotted this little beauty below by Heidi Burton
I wanted to have it for our wedding day.

“I like people who smile when it’s raining.”

I do. I really do. And from the wedding pics I’ve seen so far,
my god, me and my now husband are two
of smiley-est people you’ll ever see.

Surrounded by lots of lovely other smiley people.

And maybe they sort of did control the weather
that day as it only really rained a little bit.

*******

* Likelihood of snow at Christmas is now pretty likely I know!

P.S. My lovely print was framed by the lovely people
at Curiouser & Curiouser. They did a fab, fab job!

Because it’s Monday…

I discovered these tiny boxes of instant comfort by Kim’s Little Monsters
a few weeks ago and today feels like a particularly apt day to share them.

It’s blustery, wet and blurrgh outside.

I’m tired, a little worn out and I have The Fear.

Oh yes and it’s a Monday.

So I could really do with one of these little wonders…

There’s even one with a fox…
but this smug pig one is my fav.

What’s your instant comfort on days like these?

I’m away to put on my fluffy yellow dressing gown that
makes me look like a giant chick. That should at
least make me cosy… plus it’s impossible to
feel bluesy when you look like poultry!

*****

All images via Kim Welling

Because it’s a heart-shaped Monday…

Here’s a bit of a confession:
we don’t do Valentine’s Day.

Well, not really.

In our many years together,
we have done the 14th of Feb
a few days before or after,
a week early, a week late,
but hardly ever on the actual date.

We’ve skipped cards, presents,
dinner dates and flowers.

Not out of any sort of protest
(though I’m not a huge fan of Clinton Cards)
but just because we’ve always liked
doing things on our own terms.

I much prefer ‘I love you’s on every other day.

All that said, I have adored Aesthetic Outburst‘s
20 Valentines in 20 Days. Especially the heart medals.

Bit late to share it I know but I guess that’s in
keeping with the way I keep Happy Heart Day!

P.S. For a Valentine’s post that will make you cry,
visit Red Boots. (But remembered I warned you.)

Love to you all
365 days a year
and then some xx

******

All images via the ace Aesthetic Outburst.

Baking, making and being spoiled… a wee xmas recap

I was an exceedingly lucky girl this Christmas.

(I’m pretty lucky at the best of times
but this occasion involved presents!)

I got lots of lovely things, too many to share,
but here’s a few iphone pics of my favourites.

This is my buffalo print from my Dad and his girlfriend.

(It’s by Paul of Navarone in case you’re wondering.)

It’s a. gorgeous and yellowy,
b. taps into my Japan obsession
and c. just makes me laugh.

My other half gave me this tiny bunting dish
(from a place in Glasgow) to keep my jewellery in.

I like it too much to put anything in it.
(I’m strange like that!)

I also got this wonderful typewriter necklace
by boygirlparty from my Dad’s girlfriend.

It’s my ‘oh hi, did you know I’m a writer’
necklace and I’m pretty chuffed with it.

My little sis got me this super gorgeous wedding book.

I’ll share a few of the DIY suggestions this Weddingnesday.

A good friend got me this yummy posh jelly book.

We can’t wait to try and make one of them…

… but I’m betting our first attempt will look nothing like this!

And now to share one of my
absolute favourite presents:

My adorable fox picture handmade by my little cousins.

Isn’t it absolutely fantastic?

(I think they might have been reading my blog!)

************

Of course my little cousins weren’t the only ones being crafty…

As I mentioned before, we had loads of Craftmas plans.

And we sort of, nearly, kind of made them happen. Eventually.

This is me at 2am on Christmas Eve Eve,
stitching away on my handmade cards.

This is the start of our ‘perch on a mug’
gingerbread houses production line…

Baked house segments… it was so hard not to just eat these!

One of the first assembled gingerbread villages…

And yay… proof that the gingerbread houses do perch on mugs!

Last but not least, the snowmen pinatas we made for my wee cousins.

My other half made the ‘shells’ and I did the illustrations.

He’s threatening to make more next year so
I better work on my drawing skills by then!

Hope you were all suitably spoiled too?
(Did any of you manage a very crafty Xmas?)

Because it’s (another snowy) Monday…

Right now I am obsessed with 3 things:

1. Mint hot chocolate

2. Cosy cuteness

3. Trying to find my wellies

Yes my life is currently a blur of coveting Costa’s
hot chocolate and trying not to succumb too often.

Craving cosy cute stuff to compensate for the fact
that I’m dressing like the Michelin man!
(I have already asked Santa for one
of Hilary Grant‘s lovely scarfs.)

And obsessing over where the heck my darn
wellies can be… typical they should go missing
when there’s the most snow ever!

****

1. my extreme measures 2. a Yes Jess
2. b Hilary Grant 2. c little fille 3. sloe gin fizz

Because it’s (a rainy) Monday…

So it’s another rainy Monday…

The perfect weather to mark the end of my really rather rainy staycation.

We went up North (and got rained on).

We went to museums (and got rained on).

We went to exhibits (and got rained on).

We choose one day to stay at home and do diy… the one day it didn’t rain.

The day we choose to go spend my birthday money it rained so much that my jeans absorbed ALL the water on the pavements and were wet past my knees!

But what do you expect with a holiday in Scotland in November?

But even with our continual soakings, we had an absolutely great time.

In fact, I would trade you sitting at my work desk for stomping about with the OH in the pouring rain right now.

(As long as I get to have a hot cup of tea and a fruit scone with raspberry jam afterwards!)

1. Ashley G (spotted here) 2. Ashley G (via here) 3. via Victoria’s Vintage 4. via ffffound.com 5. The Butter Flying (via here) 6. The Butter Flying

Fine Little Day… and the tea towel sofa cover

I’ve seen many a tea towel transformed into a cushion cover but never into a sofa cover! Elisabeth from Fine Little Day and her husband reworked a lovely old sofa with the help of their rather fine Mountains tea towel.

“Oh hi… um… I didn’t do this ok?”

“Oh no, my sofa…”

Brilliant isn’t it? (I love how their cat only looks vaguely impressed.)

And such a budget-friendly thrifty idea… Wish I’d thought of it!

Fine Little Day also does this wallpaper with the Mountains print…

… all of which was designed by her son Otto (along with the wallpaper below).

How super cute is that?

Happy Monday everyone x

My first batch of black bottom cupcakes…

A few weeks ago, the postman brought me something much nicer than the usual bills and junk mail… the Hummingbird Bakery Cook Book.

Up until we began speaking to bakers for our wedding, it hadn’t dawned on me just how many types of cupcakes there are. And then upon opening on this lovely baking book, I discovered even more pretty, spongey, gooey goodness!

The dilemma became… what to bake first!

Red velvets are already a favourite of mine (thanks to their involvement in our engagement). My little sister (up for a visit from London) pointed out the green tea cupcakes. The OH spotted the raspberry cheesecake brownies.

And then we saw Black Bottom Cupcakes. They sounded insane. Double chocolate sponge with a cheesecake centre… and cream cheese frosting!

Were they too much of a challenge for my first bakeathon? Perhaps vanilla was a safer bet. My sis vetoed this. So Black Bottoms it was!

So we got to mixing the ingredients…

And you gotta break a few eggs to bake a cake…

… making the cheesecake part… which at this point seemed so liquidy we were sure we’d done it wrong!

But everything came out of the oven, all baked and smelling amazing… even if they didn’t quite look like they did in the book!

And then while they cooled, we made up the cream cheese frosting… hmmm.

Even though we stuck to the recipe, our batch came out as 10 cupcakes – not sure how we managed that!

We dropped most of the batch at my Dad’s… and the majority of them were swiftly demolished, which we took as a good sign!

So all that was left was to try one with a cup of green tea…

… and god, they were good. They taste just as insane as they sound!

Since baking these, we’ve been gone a little baking crazy and made our first ever loaf of banana bread, some dark chocolate brownies and some spiced apple loaf.

Next on the list… maybe some strawberry cheesecake cupcakes! Yum!

When you’re tiling, the whole world tiles with you

So we’ve built the kitchen cabinets, we’ve ordered the worktop (not being delivered until September unfortunately) and now we’re thinking tiles…

Originally we (well, me) had been thinking about getting mirror splashbacks to maximise the light in the kitchen – but having decided on a white worktop with white cabinets, I’m thinking mirror might look a bit stark. So we looked at some coloured splashbacks and we just weren’t that wowed… They seem more modern than tiles, more streamlined etc but somehow less personal.

Which now means we’re on the hunt for cool tiles that would suit a white kitchen that will have a grey with dots floor and pink jelly wallpaper… um…

One of our thoughts was to buy plain white tiles and then get a few patterned/screenprinted ones to mix in among them. Kind of like Lulu Guinness’ kitchen (via here) but less full on…

Here’s what I’ve come across so far in my tile hunting so far:

This Punk Doily tile by Kiss Her is the right colour for going with the jellies… it also reminds me of my friend’s wedding!

We could spell out any word with these circus tiles by Kiss Her … though I think deciding what those words should be would be a hard task.

Which would be the same problem with these Big Tomato tiles (spotted via Home Shopping Spy). Our favourite is the Dalek… anyone who saw the ‘would you like a cup of tea?’ episode of Dr Who will understand why we think we need this in our kitchen!

We also came across these rather lovely Wellbeck cutlery tiles (also via Home Shopping Spy)…

They do a jellies one too which would either look great with our Thornback and Peel wallpaper or be jelly overkill!

A further look at their range revealed Wellbeck also do these gorgeous tiles… Now I’m not a very flowery girl but how awesome do these look? I love the mix of the white tiles and the patterned ones (especially the gold hearts).

Then in amongst all this tile thinking, we remembered we already own this Rob Ryan tile (ours is in red) and thought well, we could maybe just buy a few more of his tiles…

But I’m not sure I could cope with these buttony ones… they remind me of Coraline too much!

So we gave up on that theory. (One Rob Ryan tile turns out to be enough for us!) Anyway, from there, I ended up on Design Sponge where I spotted these lovely tiles by Xenia Taler…

A quick trip over to her site revealed these cute as hell tiles… I think the caterpillar is my favourite but he’s maybe a bit of an odd choice considering how much else we have going on in the kitchen. (The OH now wants owl tiles though!)

After all the searching, I remembered seeing these teacup tiles a few years ago…

They would be very handy but wouldn’t exactly break up an all white kitchen!

So basically after all that I’m no further on deciding tiles… though I did come across a clock that I now want!

Anyone any suggestions for cool tiles?

I’m half beginning to think we should make some ourselves 😉

Because it’s Monday…

I wish… it was still Sunday.

I spent the weekend doing more wedding planning, doing diy, planning a new kitchen, eating veggie sushi and laughing so much that my stomach muscles hurt. I wish I could do it all again – but maybe with less planning and more laughing!

What’s your wish for today?

Ring by punky bunny designs

Because it’s Monday…

Today was a good day. A very good day. A happy shiny smiley day.

Which is pretty surprising since I was at work while it seemed like the rest of the world (ok, the UK) was outside enjoying the glorious sunshine.

But not that surprising when I tell you that me and the OH chose the date of our wedding today.

So it’s official… we are getting married!

Yay!

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