Introducing....

Daisy May

Rescue cat extraordinaire

She is just over a year old, but was abandoned when she became pregnant.

She has had five fluffballs (all of whom have been re-homed)

She is coming to live with us forever on Thursday!

The children screamed with excitement when we told them.

I didn't think they would sleep!

It's been a while since we have had a cat.

Am rather excited myself!

x

Easter Holidays

Happy Easter

New cotton...oh the possibilities.

Work in progress...crocheted bunting and a new cushion cover - design yet to be completed!

Southwold...my favourite place in the world.

Crochet on the beach.

Linköping, Sweden

Here are just two pics from my visit. I have loads more! The first was the view from my bedroom window on the Friday morning - everyone said it was going to snow, but I didn't think it was going to snow that much. My jaw hit the floor when I opened the blind. We had to walk to the church we were working in and it was soooo thick, so quiet and so beautiful.

We went for a long lunchtime walk the following day and I was amazed that all the pathways and roads had been cleared. Impressive! Naturally we walked past a gorgeous craft shop but in my haste I had left my purse back at the church....that was probably a blessing!

Hooked on Hooking

For Christmas my lovely hubby bought me the greatest gift - a voucher to learn how to crochet at Loop in London! Hooray!

I had already done a bit of crochet, taught by well-meaning (right-handed) friends and Youtube..however I couldn't read a pattern and could not get to grips with US and UK crochet terms. Also as a left-hander, my brain couldn't handle watching right-handed friends anymore.

That has changed, hooray again! Loop was amazing - the tutor (Bee Clinch) was fab. She was very helpful, and even though she is right handed, somehow it all clicked. Three Saturdays later....

Now I am definitely hooked (scuse the pun).

I used to read Attic24 and WISH I could make something! I used to get all befuddled and confused. Then.....TADA!

Japanese Flower Scarf

Calorimetry

(Pattern on Ravelry)

I am currently making Granny Square Bunting which is very exciting and I am hooking furiously to try and finish it!

I have made a few hats, the Attic24 Wreath, have learned how to 'ripple' (again, thanks Attic24!) and my wool stash is growing faster than I can hook. Fortunately Hubby is very forgiving and the Study is now Officially...the Sewing Room. Poor chap has nowhere else to go but rest his feet on my wool stash (under the desk) when he's working from home. I have even covered the office chair with a crocheted blanket!!

xxxx

Watoto....

I went to my local church to watch these amazing children. Click here to see their website!

The choir were fantastic and the stories were very humbling. These children have lost parents and siblings, yet the work of Watoto has transformed their lives. Their approach is Rescue, Raise, Rebuild. They also partner with Living Hope

Last night left the Cupcake family speechless (which is usually difficult). We are all working out in our own minds what we can do to respond to it.

Thank God for the people at Watoto!

Where does time go?

Yet again I haven't posted for ages. It's not that I'm not doing anything creative, or haven't anything to say. However, I spend very little time on the computer so I spend that time reading everyone else's blogs and not adding to my own!

I will try and do better....

Spring Fever

Not for cleaning!!

Sewing has been on my mind. Please excuse the very bad photographs but they are taken on my iPhone and it's 10:30pm and light is not good.

Felt covered hair clips with tiny suffolk puffs.

I discussed "itchy" sewing fingers with Miss Moss Stitch the other day, we agreed that it must be because spring is in the air that we feel we MUST sew (I think that is also due to the fact Miss List Writer has outshone us all in the stitching department of late!), although I have a new front garden (photographs to follow) and need to spend time designing and planting that so I have itchy gardening fingers as well! But today I have sewing on my mind. Instead of staring at my list of things to make I have actually started sewing again.

I have cast on 100 stitches for the Two Summer Sundress (look it up on Rav, it's gorgeous!), and in under an hour have made a pretty little hairband as an Easter gift for my little person who loves all things pink and pretty.

I have also started some small embroidered squares for a wall hanging for a friend. C has started learning how to stitch too.

Spring Fever has sprung!

The model, Easter morning!

Been away too long...

Trevarno

Quilts stitched by Nana

Coverack

Am drawing a line and starting again.

______________________________________________________________

Too much has happened since I last blogged, I wouldn't know where to begin. From discovering a pain in the back of my knee was actually a blood clot which travelled to my lung (scary), and then having to live with being on anti-coagulants whilst hundreds of questions whirl through my head (a bit like The Night Before Christmas' descripton of "while visions of sugar plums danced in their heads") only mine were more sombre. It's something I have to live with now, but not something I want hanging over my every movement. I'm still on Warfarin but not sure for how long so I am leaning on the Beloved and rejoicing that I am still here!

Anyway...we have fallen in love with two new places. Southwold in Suffolk and Coverack in Cornwall. Both holiday destinations last year and we have already booked to go back. I could move to Southwold, and it's not just because they have a shop that sells Cath Kidston (but of course, that helps). There is just a feel to the place which speaks Home to me. Coverack is the same, but too far to have a holiday home (if we could afford one!). The view from our rented house was sublime - I just have to see it again!

I have been doing a fair bit of sewing, and have finally learnt to Crochet, thanks to Miss Moss Stitch who patiently reversed all her crochet so that I could learn (I'm left-handed). I just need to master the famous Granny Square. I have knitted a gorgeous baby hat for a friend, some fingerless gloves and sewn lots of little presents for friends. My next crochet is a few tops for me which I will share when I've actually cut the pattern out!

We have five more additions to the family - three more hens and two bunnies. Together with our three other hens and hamster, we now have a little menagerie. If only I could persuade Mr Cupcake to get a dog. Maybe one day!

Byezeeebye.....

When I return I shall fill you in on all that's been going on but for now, I'm off to relax, restore and.......read.

Blogging and Sewing

I hadn't (until a week ago) been doing much of either. Now I have a sewing room/study it was only time that was preventing me from getting down to writing a blog and sitting and sewing something. (Note it's a sewing room before it's a study! Well, to me it is).

This week I have:

Started to put my quilt together.

Made a strawberry cushion for a girl who loves strawberries.

Made a knitting bag using Cath Kidston's Strawberries fabric for a friend (forgot to take a picture before I gave it to her!)

Made a strawberry pin cushion to go with the bag...it looks nice and cosy with my other pin cushions so I think I'll be making another one for me!

Made a belated Mother's Day present for my lovely mum. (I finished at 1 O'c this morning...it was going so well I HAD to finish it).

Made some delicious bagels.

So I had to write a blog to complete my list of things to do in this room!

The next thing will be tidying the floor....pins, thread and scraps of fabric all over the place.....

HAPPY EASTER!

I've Started So I'll Finish

The last few weeks have been very exciting for me in that I have finally "got" knitting. I've tried for years to do it - after H was born, after C was born only to give up halfway through a garter-stitched bag! But it's always been in the back of my mind of something I want to learn (that, and Crochet but I'm taking one step at a time here). Perhaps I was trying too hard the last time(s) but it's clicked and I'm not giving up! Perhaps it's that I am now a member of a new knitting group or that I have a new set of bamboo needles but The List Writer's house was the place I started to really enjoy knitting! She even had nibbles and wine and I kicked myself for filling up on roast chicken before I left home.

I started off simply - I made a facecloth. I love it. I love the fact that when I use it and rinse it out I look at all the stitches and think I made this myself and I'm using it. Last week I dug out my knitting books (I have quite a few for an inexperienced knitter!) and bought some wool.

This little sock is my first go at proper making-something-that-someone-can-wear kind of knitting. My mum is a very good knitter and I had to call her 3 times when I couldn't work out what the pattern meant. I have a baby in mind (there seems to be a bit of a baby boom in my circle of friends at the moment) so I can enjoy making little things for new babies and finally doing something I have wanted to crack for decades. I'm finally doing it! Now I just need to make the other one....

I started this quilt at the end of last year, then promptly got so busy at work that it never came back out of the bag! After a few weeks off sick with Pleurisy, I didn't have the energy or inclination to do any sewing (or anything at all) so I took it along to Cornwall (where I seem to have the most creative energy) and started measuring, cutting and sewing.

I've just spent an hour half-watching BBC iPlayer (Tom Cruise on Jonathan Ross!) and started pinning it all together. I am really not sure whether I've made the right choice of fabric and I find all the pinning intensely boring. I was going to do a few small projects like The List Writer (I have some Moleskine cahiers which I planned to do before Christmas, and a few little bags for C's friends), but if I don't start putting this quilt together, the bedroom it's going in will be finished and it'll still be in bits!

I should've changed before I started because my lovely black trousers are now covered in thread!

New Year, New Me

I was in a cab this morning and the driver said "Have a good Christmas?" and it took me a while to think about it. Christmas is a mere memory now we are back at school, work etc etc. We did have a wonderful Christmas and New Year. I don't usually do Resolutions but the new year seems like a good time to turn over a new leaf, put stuff behind you and start afresh. So my NYR's are:

1. Drink more water
2. Say No more!
3. Do more exercise
4. Eat better
5. Keep a journal
6. Cut down on TV/Computer

I am doing quite well so far. I have lost 3lbs, sleeping better (although last few nights have been dodgy due to hubby being away on business) and today I bought a gorgeous leather journal from Paperchase in Tottenham Court Road. Thought I'd died and gone to Stationery heaven! Suffice to say that wasn't the only thing that went into my basket. Although I managed to leave without buying a heart shaped mixing bowl, measuring cups and baking tray because R would say "Haven't you got enough heart shaped stuff!"

I did quite a bit of walking today, more than I would have had I gone the right way in the first place. I walked to Oxford Street from Tottenham Court Road before realising that I should have turned left instead of right - d'oh! I was on my way to Heal's to have a look at a sideboard for our new dining room/family room. When I entered the shop I turned left again instead of right and ended up in Habitat. What a fool! I got there in the end, managing to avert my eyes at the rows upon rows of Molton Brown, Orla Kiely towels, bed linen and handbags. Have ordered the sideboard (it had 70% off) and am now awaiting it's arrival. I then walked back to Oxford Street thinking I'd pop into my favourite shop (John Lewis) but by that time I'd been accosted by various charities asking me for several donations/sponsoring a Granny so I headed down to the tube, jumping on whatever train came in and fell asleep. I did wake at Wanstead in a blind panic but thankfully it was a loop train so I got off and walked straight into JBF . After nosing around in there for 5 minutes, I headed home to listen to the radio and do a bit of knitting.

My Christmas Present from R....

and he asks me if I have enough heart shaped stuff! NO is the answer to that!

It's been a while (again)....

Time flies when you're having fun. Or even if you're not having fun, time still flies! That's not to stay I'm not having fun.....I'll stop there I think!

It's been ages since I have updated my blog but I have been extremely busy working and making cakes, brioche, scones etc etc for the coffee shop (if I see one more lemon drizzle cake I may scream). Haven't had much chance to sew, started my jelly roll quilt and am currently trying to catch up with Miss Moss Stitch who is sewing like a madwoman for our Wonky Bunting stall at the school's Bring & Buy school on Wednesday. Nothing like a bit of pressure, I sat yesterday making little fabric wreaths and hearts. I also have a craft day on Saturday and need to make things for that too.

Why does time fly so quickly? I need a pause button! (or I need to learn to say No!)

What a Beautiful Day (hey hey)

Nothing much to add...the pictures say it all really !

They're Here.....

I know that title comes from a film (answers on a postcard as to what film, as the name escapes me at the mo!).

(From left to right) Frankie, Jamie and Tilly arrived yesterday.

They are settling in well and even put themselves to bed last night. I kept ringing my mum up and asking her all sorts of daft questions, and when they were all "in bed" I went to shut the door and they made a little sound. I found myself apologising for shutting the door and waking up early wondering if they were OK - it's like having babies all over again! This morning, H shot out of bed at 6:15am when I whispered "Who wants to help me....." and he said "ME ME ME!"

Frankie (who "belongs" to C) was the last one out of the Eglu this morning, so she is definitely like her owner as C is always the last one up in the house. H said that Tilly is like me, in that she's bossy! Well I said, "I'm the mummy, and I'm in charge!" To which C whispered "No you're not, I'm in charge actually" and then rolled over in bed, pushed her thumb back in and closed her eyes. I left her there for another half an hour! (I pick my battles carefully!).

The coffee shop has been open for 2 weeks and all I can say is....my feet are killing me and I sleep really well every night. I've had to make so many Brioche loaves that I now know the recipe off by heart. People love the variety of cakes on offer, and this week I added to the "collection" by making Nigella's Breakfast Bars. With a slight tweak (no peanuts and 25g less Oats), they went like hot cakes, even though they aren't technically a cake!

It seems the local Bobby is partial to The List Writer's Tea Loaf and a cup of builder's tea and we have had several repeat customers who all seem to love that we remember them, how they like their tea or coffee and sometimes if they have given us a recipe or suggested a certain cake, when they come in again - we have made it! (Not sure whether that was a good thing or not!!!!) Anyway Friday's are cream tea days and today was our busiest day yet, so I was rather pleased when a friend had to postpone a play date, because I can hardly type, let alone speak. The children are out playing with the chooks, so I'm going to make myself a nice cup of Assam tea and put my feet up for a while!

Bake City

Strawberry & Polenta sponges (bottom),

Daddy, Mummy and Baby Pineapple & Raisin loaves

(recipe courtesy of Cake Makes the World go Round).

Lemon Drizzle and Cherry Bake (which H made).

Brioche in the breadmaker (recipe below)

Banana, Choc Chip and Raisin

I've been away for a while......but as you can see I have been busy.

News since I last blogged: THE BUILDERS HAVE FINISHED!!!!!! We are now in the 'decorating stage' which is so much better than the 'everything is covered in dust' stage. We have our beautiful new kitchen, showers are in, everywhere needs a good clean and our chickens arrive on 11 September!!! (thought I'd slip that in quietly!)

Our new coffee shop opened for two weeks, as part of the church's opening celebrations. We were mobbed! It seems a light and airy coffee shop with good coffee and home made cake is needed in the town. I will post pictures of that another time because I was so busy I didn't take any!! We decided on the name City Light which fits nicely with our ethos "You are the light of the world, a city on a hill cannot be hidden".

For the first two weeks of the school holidays we went to Whitstable for a week (glorious weather, right on the beach) and then to Cornwall (torrential rain all week but stayed in a forest which was very relaxing). R and I came home and the children stayed in Cornwall with Nana and Grandad.

So....I've been doing a lot of baking and a little bit of sewing too (that's another blog for another time!).

The aim of the coffee shop is to have home made cakes and I will be making the majority of them so I've been making tried and tested recipes that are suitable for freezing, trying out new ones (Strawberry & Polenta cake being one of them....delicious with ice cream!) and my breadmaker has probably been used more since the new kitchen has been installed than ever before for things other than a brown loaf.

This is a really easy peasy recipe. I don't really like shop bought because I find it too sweet. - it's a really nice treat and change from croissants for breakfast or today smothered with jam after tea!

4 medium eggs at room temperature

125g/4oz butter, melted and slightly cooled

6 tbsp warm (not hot) water

450g strong white bread flour

1.1/2tsp salt

2 tbsp caster sugar

7g sachet of instant or fast-acting yeast

Melted butter for glazing

Pour eggs, butter and water into the breadmaker bucket, then add half the flour. Sprinkle with salt and sugar, cover with remaining flour and mound the yeast in the centre. Set to dough programme. When ready remove dough from bucket and quickly knead on a floured surface. Drop into a large loaf tin and brush with a little melted butter. Bake for 10 minutes at 220 deg/Gas mark 7 and then reduce temp to 190/5 for 25-30 minutes until well risen and golden.

I have frozen a few test slices to make sure it tastes just as delicious as it did fresh. This will definitely be on the menu!

Thankfully we have 2 more weeks of school holidays which means loads more baking, a bit of sewing, a bit of decorating, spending time with friends and family, enjoying long lunches with a bottle of wine (OK that's just tomorrow because it's my birthday!!)...it also means that we're 2 weeks nearer to getting our chooks which have already been named as Frankie (a more girly version of the boy's name, named after C's favourite boy (after her brother of course!!), Serena and Tilly, although C has just come into the office (new office!) to tell me she wants to call one of them Nugget......

Tag....

I have got so much to write about, but not a lot of time. So I am doing Ms Moss Stitch's Tag first.

What were you doing 10 years ago?

I was working at Kellyfield Consulting, a lovely small firm of legal recruitment consultants. Worked for 2 really great guys (one of them now an MP!) Had been married for almost 2 years. We were renovating our first home together and were probably up to our eyeballs in dust (10 years on we are at it again!). Weren't really thinking about children. We were planning a long touring trip to Italy (never made it, H arrived instead!)

5 Things on my to do list today -

Put old cooker in the skip
Dry my clothes so I have something to wear tomorrow
Hoover everywhere (futile because of dust, but imperative all the same)
Get refreshments ready for tonight (London Community Gospel Choir coming to sing at our church, 250+ people coming....I am going to be so tired later)
Iron my tea towels and apron for another busy week at City Light Coffee!! (more on that later)

Snacks I enjoy -

Jaffa Cakes
Toast
Starbucks Skinny Frappucinos
Apples
Water biscuits

Things I would do if I were a billionaire -

Give to charity and my friends/family.
Set up a wonderful secondary school in the area and not let anybody in who tutors their children. Give them a fantastic education and a good set of values too. Let them be children and enjoy having lots of fun whilst learning too (subject close to my heart? Noooooo ;-)
Buy a house by the sea and a house in the forest
Get a dog, cat and lots of chickens!


Places I have lived -
Essex, Essex, Essex and erm, Essex. I haven't moved more than 10 miles away from where I grew up.

People I want to know more about-Whoever hasn't done it! I'm a bit slow doing mine so am probably the last!If you haven't done it yet then I tag you - let me know though so I can have a nose!!

Happiness and Hearts

This weekend has been one of those times when you are thoroughly exhausted but for all the right reasons.

We escaped from the builders who were putting in new windows at the back of the house, and told the children we were off on an adventure. After singing our way through both soundtracks from High School Musical and High School Musical 2, plus various other songs - we arrived from our arduous 2.1/2 hour journey that should've taken 45 minutes at Legoland! I thought H was going to faint in the car as he only twigged where we were when he saw the large piece of Lego outside the entrance. I wish I'd had my camera for the open mouths and squeals of delight.

Saturday was a glorious day.

Sunday was not-so-glorious weather wise, but we still managed to have fun. I'm so glad I packed my Cath Kidston Poncho! H still managed to go on the Bungee Trampoline....

C went on as well, but I couldn't catch her on film. She was up....she was down and all the photographs I took either have the top of her head or her toes!!

Of course we had to have a trip to the shop, and now we have a whole box of PINK lego.

After a relaxing swim at the hotel this morning, we headed home in the horrendous rain. I found two new hearts waiting for me to add to my collection.

This wooden heart is sumptuously smooth. It is bigger than the palm of my hand but I just love turning it over and over in my hands. It will go in our bedroom when it's finished.

The end of the weekend is near, but at least I have new windows to keep out the rain...and a lovely set of new french doors ('scuse the mess!!!)