Knitted Tea Cosy

I know I haven't been posting much about my knitting lately....but honestly I have had my needles clicking. So today was very cold and whilst hubby was busy doing the breakfast room...Oh by the way I have painted the yeuk brass fire surround (picture on previous post) and it has come up a treat, it is now black.
So anyway I wanted a quick knit to do and thought there's my lovely Denby teapot feeling brrrrrrr!!!..so I quickly polished off this lovely tea cosy today. The pattern is from https://www.ravelry.com/account/login which is a worldwide knitting community (for those who have never heard of it or don't knit or crochet. So Mrs teapot is warm and cosy with a pretty flower atop. Anybody that likes the pattern to knit...it is called Autumn Tea Cosy....oh and the yarn I used is Kureyon Silver Thaw.

Eeeekk dust!

Hello...so we are in the process of changing our snug...which is a little room off the kitchen. At the moment as you can see from the first picture, there is a rather huge gas stove in there and just back left of photo there is a small eating table. The reason
for the change in this room is really........simply that we want a change. We are still in the family home and things have to change to suit our needs.


So we thought hmmm! lets make this room into a breakfast room...but first off that stove had to go so we could knock back the hearth to make room for a kitchen table. Which I'm happy to say is on order, a lovely solid beech and four ladderback chairs.




As usual nosey parker has to get in on the scene.






Sorry my photos are back to front...(I've yet to sort this out). So next photo is the new
...well not new but taken out from another room...funny thing was we were about to sell it..then I had my brainwave....use it in the new room, only thing is EEEEEEEEKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!I HATE AND I MEAN HATE THAT BRASS SURROUND......I'm going to take it back to chrome or more likely paint it black with hammerite. Anyone else any other ideas that would be great.....grins sweetly xx

Oh yes of course Madams there again.

So these are the bits I hate...the husband doing bits, honestly the kitchen was covered in the brick dust...but hey needs must.

Whats really strange in this photo is all the little circles...can you see them it looks like dust particles have been picked up...first off I thought it was the sun shining through and making shadows.

All for now byeee.

Friday night and the lights are low....

Friday night and the lights are low....looking out for a place to go..........lalallalalallalalla..come on all sing...you can dance...you can.....llalal....oh alright then I'll stop. So Friday night we had a couple of friends round for dinner....I cooked all day....Watercress and celeriac soup......then Beef Wellington and roast potatoes and peas alla Italiano...(well peas with bacon lardons...spring onions all cooked in double cream)...glazed carrots. Then we had a chocolate savarin for desert...which I must admit was rather jostled together at the end with the strawberries etc.....the savarin was soaked in syrup made with wine/sugar/brandy and then chantilly cream.
Coffee was served with ROCKY ROADS.....with due thanks to lovely Nigella Lawsons "Christmas" book.


I laid the table very simply with white tablecloth...burgundy place mats and napkins. 3 bottles of wine later...full bellys and very happy dinner friends....and then after clearing away and all I ended up going to bed 1.27am Saturday morning...phew.

Spring times a coming....

Did you know that Monday 19th January is officially the most miserably day of the year...(well apparently according to the guy on the radio).....mind you could be very true today...its wet/windy/very overcast and the garden is looking decidedly sorry for itself....so on that thought. Off I came to my computer and looked at it May 2008 when greenery was becoming in in abundance, the air smelt of fresh mown grass...birds twittering and one dreamt of long summer days lounging on a lounger on the decking.

So with that thought in mind...heres some pretty pics of the garden in sunnier days. The building in the picture at the back is the hot tub....mind you this is used more in the winter...as love to come out of it into the cold and feel that tingle on your skin....so refreshing.

So have a lovely Monday all.x

Sooo cheeky!

Hey sis!...shall we play swing Grandma's lamp....err errr errrrrr!!! Oh alright then.

Come on both at the same time 1.2.3. weeeeee!!!!

Don't think Grandmas' wee dog will mind me taking over his bed do you?

Honestly pictures at times say a thousand words, just look at the rather disgruntled face on my dog....

A nice Wednesday morning....

Today went for a visit to a historic town called Arundel in Sussex. It is a maze of antique shops and flea market stalls. Mind you some of the prices for me looking were a little off mark. But anyway whilst browsing... this gorgeous mauve/lilac/lemon coffee set caught my eye. I'm not in the market for one as it would just sit in its box...but it was so pretty. The stall owner saw me looking and dropped it from £45 to £40 straight away...I continued browsing and was just leaving and she dropped it to £35.00...I still wasn't tempted...no matter how pretty it is. Couldn't have wanted it that much he!

So I continued my walk back to my car and passed by Arundel Castle....because Arundel sits in a vale and a river running through it, its often shrouded in mist and either side of the town... blue skies and brilliant sunshine. Today was one of those days....the castle seemingly rising eeerily out of the ground, I found it very atmospheric.

Thought would show you a road 5 mins from my house...it is in Tarring Village, Worthing. In the 17/18th century ... it was a hive of industry for smugglers and the houses are very tiny. Doorways of some no taller than 5'. The building on the right is I think 17c...could be earlier. It is now a very very nice restaurant...have been a few times. They have individual little rooms where only two tables sit , so you can almost have private dining.

The floors are very hicklety pigglety as you can see my the building...lots of low beams

The tiles on the roof fascinate me as they are huge slabs which the picture doesn't really illustrate.

All the black and white wood structure is the original. Could you imagine living here if it wasn't a restaurant?

My small collectables....and a hard lesson learnt

Thought I would show you my small amount of collectables....I say small because I used to have a very large amount. I had been collecting glassware, salts, coffee cans, small jugs for about 10 years and then about 2/3 years I'd had enough. I don't know what happened, I think I just got fed up dusting it all and I started thinking less is more. So what did I do.....I packed it up and it all went to my local charity shop. I kept a few of my favourite bits and bobs, but now looking back I think maybe I should have kept more...my darling hubby kept on saying "Are you sure"......you took a long time going round all the flea markets etc. "Oh no, been there done that" was my reply. Which brings me onto another topic, through ones interior/decorating years, do you or have you changed your style. When the children were young I didn't really have a style, was too busy being a Mummy and I suppose it wasn't until I was in my late 30's/early 40's that I became interior mad. The house we are in now has changed so often over the last 15 years. It started off being decorated with deep maroon carpet and mahogany furniture...I had a beautiful carved Edwardian sideboard which was far too big for the room and far too out of character for the house. But I loved it, it even had the joiners name on the draw DORIC WHITE....theres a beautiful historic first name....I loved it as I chose the very same draw that ladies before me had chosen for their cutlery draw and whats interesting is...how I found this out. I would take my knives out and catch the top of the draw then realized there were lots of other knife marks there as well. My lounge was covered in doilys and I had lace curtains "victorian" style swagged back as room dividers. That phase then passed....then came the modernity phase, which surprise surprise lasted a very short time. I found it cold and sparce, I tried the limited pallette of colours and the one central piece of china/pottery, it just didn't work for me...so now I find I am going full circle. No not back to burgundy and mahogany...the furniture we have hubby and I love and its staying.....no by full circle I find that I am a "TRADITIONALIST" in my home....anyway learnt me lesson. So thought I would share my few collectables that didn't make it to the charity shop.

I just don't know what to think anymore regarding my Mum?

Honestly, I'm just so bewildered by the whole goings on with my dear darling Mum and her senile dementia....well as in a previous post and postings, we thought she was going to depart this world before Christmas due to all her other problems as well as the dementia. So the hospital had been booked for the 22nd January for Mum to have this tube inserted in her side to release her gases as her stomach swells up huuugggeeeee! As previous my thoughts on this were "Eh what...she wouldn't survive....well I have spoken to my Dad today and the date for this op has now been changed to end of February...apparently the ambulance didn't/don't realize that she is totally bed bound. But my thoughts are and please don't think me cruel or such BUT....if my darling Mum carries on in this world until then and the ambulance duly takes her to hospital. What on earth are the medical staff going to think when they pull back the sheet and see her....she is soooo wasted she looks like one of the starving millions...as described before her body is rigid at right angles...her torso is a square box. Honestly sometimes I feel like taking a photo and going "here look".....but thats being far to dramatic, so I come to my blog and type my thoughts. It is so so sad now...as now she cannot even utter any sound whatsoever and she constantly chews her mouth.....oh to describe as such....how a cow chews grass. Even when she could mutter it was this strange gibberish sound. Dad is getting more and more upset as when she is awake and he goes near her...she looks so scared and he has and is still such a wonderful devoted husband. When I spoke to him earlier, he said that he wanted to ask me and my two brothers something.....that if she goes into hospital for this tube????? that me and my brothers of which I have two choose whether she be resuscitated. Again my internal reaction was "eh"....would she survive such operation anyway. He then said...he didn't want the responsibility of the question. Oh deary me....my poor darling Daddy....it would be maybe easier for him if she quietly went to sleep soon....but then whom am I to judge. I have thought about his question long and hard. and sat and gone through maybe different answers that I might give him. I haven't spoken to my brothers, they must think this through themselves without big sis.
So if and when he does ask me the question properly and if my darling Mum has not gone to sleep and if they do try, I say try and put this tube in and if things did go wrong... I would take hold of his hand....my answer to my darling Dad would be...."Don't you think enough is enough Dad......what quality of life has Mum got and what yours". xx

My New Year baking sort out.

I've been a really good girl and actually have carried out what I said I was going to do in the New Year in a previous post.....woohoo!!! am I chuffed or what, finally got my flours/sugars/dried fruits all together in one place for baking. No more going to my larder and sorting through turned over bag tops and then the flour dust flitting all over the place...they all have homes...I know I know it might be sad to some but for me...its wonderful. Mind you I do have Nigella Lawson aka The Domestic Goddess to thank for this, after watching all her programmes where she has everything to hand and in reach. SO DO I....am starting to feel like a real cook now.
Anyway let me tell you about my new area....there was a blank area beside the door to the garage, it had been bugging me for ages, when we redid the kitchen I decided not to have any units there and subsequently it became a dead space. But now...lookee lookee looke....can you tell I'M EXCITED. Anyways purchased one lovely trolley that has two wheels so can be moved around complete with stainless steel shelves and a blockwood top. Then a trip to Ikea was called for of course...us girlies when we do it...do it right....I purchased glass containers etc and the wonderful unit underneath the shelves plus the stainless steel shelves. First off I put all my sugars in the wooden container with glass partitioning.....but alas they are not airtight within reason and the sugar hardened...duh!!! silly me. So now it holds the dried fruit. First shelf has my bread making flours...2nd shelf sugars...3rd shelf baking flour (are you bored yet!!!! hehehe) and then the boxes hold the dried fruit....ain't Ikea wonderful? Oh of course had to have a bit of kitch to break the modernity up....a lovely little hen and chicks era 1920's.

Then decided needed nice new mixer...well I originally wanted a Kitchenaid Mixer but the prices here in the U.K £350 EEEEKKKKK!!....looked on US websites a lot cheaper but postage costs put paid to that. So went and perused Amazon and read some wonderful reviews on this little beauty...KEWOOD PATISSIER....I love it.http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss_w_h_?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=kenwood+patissier&x=12&y=22 The shape is wonderful and and price even better
£97 smackeroonies (theres slang for you)...I think its now gone up a bit to £133.00 but ne'er the less, very well pleased. I think they come in red as well. So I now have everything to hand when baking....wonderful...all for now....xx

Wedding cakes or a date slice anyone?

When my daughters got married....they searched for wedding cakes and the prices for what they wanted were sky high....."Mum", well you can guess what came next..."do you think". Well I knew I could make the rich fruit cakes etc, but sugarcraft etc, well that was a different matter. Well as luck would have it I was talking casually to one of my neighbours and was telling her about my dilema. Well I didn't even know that she was a proficienado at sugar icing and teacher as well, she took me under her wing and showed me the basics and away I went. I spent many an hour making the red sugar roses and leaves listening to Steve Wright in the afternoon on the radio. I was pleased with the result of the rose cake. The other cake was a winter wedding and a lot simpler, even though you cannot really see it, there is embossing all around the sides. The draping effect looks so effective but is so easy. Funny thing is I have been asked to make for other people but I couldn't do it...there was so much of my heart/soul and love put into these cakes....such tender sweet memories of when they were small was on my mind a lot when making these.

AND NOW.....date slice....yippee

Hmmm....fancied a bit of baking this afternoon. First thoughts were of a huge fruit cake, but then the guilt trip stepped in...fruit cake. I can never eat ONE slice, especially with a lovely cup of tea. So browsed my lovely new "treat for myself" baking book and came across date slices. Well I have made these numerous times from another recipe before but thought.."they're easy, healthy and I won't feel a guilt trip". The recipe called for soft brown sugar of which my cupboard was alas bare...so subtituted dark brown musqovada. Isn't is strange how one standard ingredient can change a recipe, they have turned out richer with a strong molasses taste, very nice indeed. Only problem is they're very moreish too...so I have been a good girl and frozen the other half. Anyway if you can get hold of this great book. I thoroughly recommend it. I purchased it for £10 from Waterstones, on amazon I think its now gone up to £12.99.

Tablescape Tuesday

Welcome to my tablescape for tuesday...this is only the 2nd time I have presented. The dinnerset I have used is simply Denbyhttp://www.denby.co.uk/ranges/1146/greenwich.aspx in the greenwich. This is my everyday use tableware and has served its purpose very well over time. The beautiful yellow/red/green and purple glass bowls you can see are from my belated mother-in-law. You can see how thin the glass is by the single photograph of the purple one. Honestly when you hold them it feels like paperthin ice. They I think come from the 30's/40's.....I don't and cannot use them as they are so delicate...but they are gorgeous to get out and hold at times. The tablecentre piece is a huge...well to describe it is...(ok for those of us who can remember the drink) like a babycham glass. Thank you for stopping by...and I hoped you enjoyed my green/goldie tablesetting...till next time.x
Oh before I go if you fancy a look at other beautiful Table Landscape...please go and have a look here http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/and you will see the links....they are truly lovely. Enjoy....you never know if you haven't joined in yet...you might.

Phases......

Hello...hope everyones well. I have been thinking a bit over the last few days...(and my voice is now coming back) even though my darling hubby joked about it being quieter hehe. Anyways...started to sort out a few of my arty bits and bobs....a few years ago I was mad on watercolour and pastels...and enjoyed this hobby for quite a time then for some reason it has taken a back seat...I just wondered why my enthusiasm for this died...could it be been there, tried that etc. I have tried picking up the brushes on the odd occasion the last couple of years...but I just couldn't seem to get anything quite right with the strokes. So anyway in the meantime I thought I would share with you some of my work...albeit these images are copied but painted by me in watercolour and the floral one in pastel
from watercolourist authors books.... but I enjoyed the learning process all the same....funnily enough my dreams were to take myself off into the English countryside and paint what I saw...tried it just didn't work for me....oh well...maybe I might be inspired sometime soon. Just seen that one piccy seems to have repeated itself...opsy.

Happy New Year....

Hello and wishing everyone a Happy Healthy wonderful 2009...and may all your dreams come true.

Changed the top picture of my lovely dog to my favourite sofas.....these are so comfortable, you just sink into them...they're made by Tetrad. Its funny as had hankered after these for a couple of years, well when we went and purchased our previous 3 piece suite I knew it wouldn't work in the lounge, it was far too classic and upright and never had the sinkability factor in it.....so 18 months ago we changed it to two sofas...my darling Dad was after a new 3 piece suite so the other one found a good home. I must admit that the cushions etc have to be fluffed up every day as they're feather etc...but for me thats a small price to pay. Especially at the moment as have largyngitus (I think thats how its spelt)...well don't laugh but anyone that knows me is laughing at the moment as my voice is a whisper and has been for nearly 3 days know and me not to talk.....hehe...do pigs fly. Anyway where was I oh yes...will be curling up on sofa this pm to watch a film.
Have just finished taking all the Christmas decs down...don't you just hate it when all the prettys have to go away...mind you I have left some very small twinkly lights in a red glass bowl on the side table in the dining room, I think I will be able to get away with it. Now all I have to do is dust and vacuum and thats that for another year.

So I best be away and give my throat and chest some TLC....speak soon...take care x