VISITORS & CAKE

We have Ciaran's sister Marian & her hubby Louis arriving today....they're staying with us for a few days before we all fly to Italy on Wednesday for a hoilday together. It's Louis' birthday tomorrow so I baked a cake this morning for him. From my trusty Nigella Lawson cookbook Forever Summer, it's my first attempt so fingers crossed it actually tastes ok!! My Mum has tried it out before so here's hoping mine's a success too....I'm certainly pleased with how it looks from the outside! Strawberry Meringue Cake....it has a layer of sponge and meringue top and bottom with fresh cream and strawberries sandwiched between....and flaked almonds too....what's not to taste yum?!

Being a busy bee getting the house in order today....it's the first time that Marian & Louis have visited us here so they'll be getting the tour....then everything can go back to the normal mess, hee hee!

Planning to take them to have a look around Cambridge tomorrow which is always a treat....other than that we have nice food, drinks and chatter in-store until we fly to Venice. Oh....and I've got to pack!!!! So best get to it before they arrive....I have a pile of ironing to get through and some outfit choosing too. Shame on me I haven't made anything new to take but I've got some lovely things to wear in my wardrobe and what better excuse than a week in Italy?

Will be back soon with lots of travel tales & piccies to share. xxx

PEONIES FROM HEAVEN

If only there was a way to really describe how these look and smell....they are just so beautiful and brought to me from lovely Mum from the peony field in Norfolk. This is where we cut them for my wedding and each year we're enjoying revisiting what feels like our secret field and the nice lady it belongs to. I've now got 2 plants in the garden (both from Mum - she spoils me!) and hope they'll bloom like these around our anniversary in June for years to come. Their perfume is so delicate and now these ones are getting so open and blousey the sitting room is full to the ceiling with scent....v nice to come home to....I just hope they'll last me a week!

Work is BUSY as I'm about to take 2 weeks holiday and I'm getting brain strain trying to organise things for the time I'm gone....not much time for crafty stuff but I'd love to try and make myself somthing new to take away with me, even if it's just a cuff! Will definitely make my brother & his girlfriend a Happy New Home card as they are starting their move up to Norfolk today. Must think of a nice housewarming gift to make too....may have to wait until back from hols though, sorry Ben!

angry chicken has some really inspiring posts at the moment....it's making me want to drop everything and join in with the fun but too much of the day job to do this week. When I'm back though I'm really going to spend some quality time with my sewing machine!! Looking forward to sketching around Italy to keep the creative juices flowing and taking lots of photos along the way. This time next week we'll be arriving in Venice....can't wait!

I LOVE MY DAD!

My Dad is at home this weekend but I won't get to see him :( I did speak to him and he got his card from me through the post. He'll have to wait another day for his pressie which I'll be sending back with Mum tomorrow. I had this tiny photo of me & him fast asleep when I was little....very sweet (those lovely colours that you seem to only get in old photographs) so I did a bit of scanning and stitching to make him a one-off card.

Card making is probably one of my favourite creative hobbies and something I'll be selling through Etsy. I currently sell some at my lovely friend Abi's cafe but alas I've been very bad at supplying them of late :( but this is about to change as I'm determined to get back into the swing of things! I'm going to scan some of my favourites of late on my flickr page this week.

Planted pumpkins today:) and had a bit of a sort out with the runner bean and sweet pea canes so the veggie patch is looking smart. Could do with a little bit of rain now....but not too much please! We've got flowers showing on the beans now so looking forward to our first crop and being able to share some out too.

p.s. Something I forgot from Saturday....my Grandma G let me cut some arum lillies from her AMAZING crop. She has 3 huge groups of them by her pond and they are stunning....they have become quite a family legacy as she passed a clump on to my Mum for her garden a while back and now my Mum has passed on some to me. I only got 1 lily bloom this year in my plant but over the years there should be more and more to come :) so beautiful in their simplicity and watching them slowly uncurl is V exciting! I've got them on my desk so that I can enjoy them all week when I'm working :)

p.p.s. Remember the learning curve?...well I'm well and truly on it and I made a couple of errors with my Saturday including the title which seems to have disappeared (LEMON CUPCAKES FOR GRANDAD G) and a funny 3% thing which has appeared at the end of the post....hope this isn't my mark for effort!! I can't quite seem to work out how to add a photo in amongst paragraphs....so all are featuring up top for now!

LEMON CUPCAKES FOR GRANDAD G

Saturday started with baking for me & I made these cuties from Nigella's Forever Summer recipe....very tasty & plenty for sharing so I took some over to my Grandad G who had a birthday yesterday! I use Nigella's books all the time. However I tend to forget to check out her website but it's refreshed my memory now I'm writing this and it's worth taking a peek....includes some of her recipes plus more from anyone who wants to contribute and feedback forums on how things turn out. This particular recipe isn't listed but her basic cupcake one is and all you need to change is the vanilla extract for lemon extract and also to use lemon juice with the royal icing. I'd definitely recommend getting the book though....it's full of yummy ice creams and summery drinks as well as loads of barbeque and salad recipes....I'm drooling now so lets move on!

Had a lovely visit to my Grandparents and then next door to see my Aunt & Uncle and cousin Sophie who was back for the weekend. A spontaneous afternoon drop-in which led to much talking, a scrummy dinner and finished with fantastic slide show of their recent holiday to Kenya....funny how an hour can turn into six! Always lovely to be in their company & we're hoping to make a trip to Brighton this summer now to stay with Sophie:)

p.s. My Eiffel Tower Toile fabric from ebay arrived today....mmmm....looking forward to making a new skirt for our hoilday & having leftovers for other projects which of course I'll be reporting back on! And even more exciting....the postman delivered my mail order #3 from angry chicken and is full of lots of crafty goodies....hooray!

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SUNSHINE ON MY FOXGLOVES

Well, I have dithered long enough so today I am going to write something and post a pic on my new blog and just get it over with! Believe it or not I have only just stumbled into this world & it's been like finding an old friend....this is how I got reunited....

Whilst researching a Martha Stewart Baby style font I found myself at a blogsite called Loobylu - I then proceeded to become completely distracted, in awe and totally immersed! For a good few hours I continued to link to other creative blogs and websites and for the first time in a long time I felt a drive come back in me to put my-creative-self back out into the world. I'm now raring to go and full of inspiration:) I'm optimistic that by starting my own journal it will put me in touch with a like-minded community as well as family & friends and give me a chance to share my crafty goings-on too. (Have just discovered Etsy & flickr - so am V excited at all the possibilities out there!!) It's going to be a bit of a learning curve but I'm ready to have a go.

So, see you back here soon! x Kelly

p.s. I did eventually source the font:) called MeMima

http://www.type-o-tones.com/p_fonts/p_memi.htm