The Sun has got his hat on...

As I was driving to work this morning, I couldn't believe my peepers...

What is this strange phenomenon I see before me?? Could it be...? No, I'm seeing things... "Pinch" 

Ouch! I'm not dreaming. I am awake!  I can see Mr Sunshine!! Where the devil have you been??

"Could my day get any better??" I thought. 

Oh goodness me yes!! Look at these treats that were waiting for me when I arrived to work this morning and it isn't even my birthday!!

I just had to share them with you! Well, not my little cake of course, I had that all to myself.  Deeee-licious with my cup of tea when I got home from work this evening.

My fabulous friend D, made me this gorgeous little package to say thank you for picking her up this weekend and taking her to an art exhibition in Leeds (will post all about it later in the week). There was really no need I told her. I so enjoy spending time with her as we get on so well and like the same arts and crafty things. It's always a pleasure to be in your company D so I would like to take this opportunity to say a 'BIG THANK YOU' to you for agreeing to come with me in the first place and being such a wonderful and thoughtful friend. 

P.s You make the best cakes!! tee he hee! xx

D, also gave me some odd balls of wool that she didn't think she would use to practice my crocheting with. I'm one very lucky lady today aren't I?

Speaking of crochet, another very good friend of mine popped round to see me this evening to teach me how to crochet a birdie decoration that she had said she would help me with once I had completed my 'Treble Stitch Challenge'. I haven't got very far but will post about it at the weekend when I get chance to photograph my progress. Thank you All4meggymoo for being a star!!

Well, I guess I will love you and leave you for this evening. oh! nearly forgot! There is someone who would like to say hello

He's still alive! Hooray! 

Sweet dreams xx

Pleased to meet you Herman...

Still raining, but that's no problem because as of this morning I have a new friend!!

To cheer up my day, I popped round to see the lovely All4meggymoo and not only was I greeted with a cup of tea and a cheeky smile on such a miserable day but I was promptly  handed by a bowl of goo! 

Hello! bowl of goo! Knowing I like baking, All4meggymoo has given me the 'Herman the German Friendship Cake' challenge. "Cool beans!" I thought. What's this all about??

Apparently, Herman is a sourdough cake. He is to sit on my worktop for 10 days without a lid on. I CANNOT put him in the fridge or he will die and if he stops bubbling, he is DEAD! No pressure here then!! Eeek! I was never very good at keeping cyber pets alive and up until this year, I didn't think I had green fingers so what a challenge I face!

I am on 'Day 2' of the challenge as All4meggymoo had to divide her dough into four and hand out to four friends. So watch this space and I will update every day with Herman's progress. Wish me luck! 

EDIT :: Whoops! Silly me, you split the goo into four portions and hand out to three of your friends, not four. You'd be giving away your own yum-eee cake. Doh! 

In the meantime, if you'd like to learn more about the challenge, please follow the link above and I will leave you for this evening with my darling buds on my pear tree. I'm sure they are fruiting too early. The rain is obviously helping our gardens grow!

xx

Raindrops keep falling on my head...

Will Mr Rain ever stop?? He is gate crashing my days! Not to mention ruining my shoes. I must buy new wellies.

Today, he also brought his friend Hail along with him this afternoon, I don't remember his name on the list... 

So, housebound for the rest of this afternoon, I decided to use up the last of my egg supply before my next fresh delivery from the hen house. Wish I could say at this point they were my hens but with the 'KitKats' always on the prowl, ruling this roost as they do, they would be too scared to lay. So our very kind friends who do have, keep us in a good supply, we're so lucky!!

I just had to share my puts with you. Haha! There was one that came out of the oven the size of Mini Magpie's shoe!! We just couldn't believe our peepers. Tasted very nice too!! Couldn't resist. 

xx




P.S **Update** **Update** **Update** **Update** **Update**              

I just wanted to let you know I am still on with learning to crochet, I've moved onto my next challenge, the "double". Still loving every minute of this craft. I will post photos asap. 


I am also working on a " learn a stitch a month" project and would hopefully like to invite other beginners to join me and post their results. By the end of this year, the idea would be that we would all have learnt the basics thoroughly and can see light at the end of the tunnel, well hope anyways, to be like you fabulous crocheters who simply dazzle my mind with your talents. I wish, I wish to be like you! 


What do you think? Good idea??  xx

Pitter Patter...Pitter Patter...

" It's Raining, It's Pouring, a new baby we'll soon be adoring"

Last week, saw me designing, making and trimming up my house with lots of baby shower bunting and streamers for a friend of mine, K, who is expecting to hear the pitter patter of tiny feet any day now. Hee he! How exciting!

I met K at a local baby group just after Mini Magpie was born. I also met M, D, J and A as we all had our babies very close together. Four of our babies infact are just days apart. We are having one big 'We Are Two' party this year. Combining has made it a lot easier.

We all see one another at least once a week. We chat, eat biscuits and drink tea while the 'kidney beans' (my word for little ones) play away, happily together. Actually, they all play very well together. It's lovely to see.

Anyways, ah! yeah, we also started to meet for a much needed, kidney bean free (unless chilli is on the meal, sorry, couldn't resist) "mummies meal out". 

Last month, we decided that as it might be the last meal out for one of our mummies for a while before the imminent arrival of K's third precious bundle of joy. All in agreement, our next meet would be at my house for a take away and a little soiree to wish her well. 

I know baby showers aren't exactly as well known over here in the UK as they are in the States, but as I was lucky enough to have been thrown one before Mini Magpie was born, and  it was such a nice feeling celebrating the next adventure in my life with close family and friends, I wanted to return the favour. Plus the fact A and I are the only two out of the six of us who had ever been to one, we thought it would be nice to throw a mini one for K and indulge in a mid week treat at the same time.

What could be better than a nice evening with friends, a new baby on the way and a take out? 

A goody bag or basket should I say, that's what! Filled with baby essentials from us all in preparation of the arrival .

Can't wait to meet you little one.


xx

Magpie's New Patch

Still in the very early stages but very eager to share as I can't contain my excitement (yes, I'm SAD, I know) any longer...

For a while now, I have anchored after my own space to grow my own 'bed-ee-tubles' as Mini Magpie calls them (that will be veggies to you and I, haha! don't worry I'm still getting to grips with 2 year old talk, Love it!!). 


So Mr Magpie and I have constructed a Veg bed to accommodate my green fingers in our garden. It's in a good spot that gets the sun, shade and a fence as a wind break.


Ermm...well, I shouldn't take any of the credit here on the building side. I just sat watching Mr Magpie from a very nice, dry, comfy spot in our living room  with a hot cup of tea in hand, while he tackled this out door project in the rain. Clearly the heavens were just topping us up with some much needed rain, it certainly loosened our clay soil so it did make it easier to stake the bed in. 


The April showers don't appear to be letting up in my neck of the woods or do the cold nights. Too cold to plant anything out, so at least I can get our new 'bedee-tuble' bed kitted out before planting out. I do have veggie news though, so if you have time, please pop over to Magpie's Patch for a 'Marto Pant' update.


Will keep the pics of the 'patch' coming...if this rain ever stops!! : )


Thanks for popping by


xx

My "Get up and Go...

... has got up and gone!!! "


"Cute phrase" I thought, said by Mamma Magpie (my wonderful mum) last week and pretty much summed up how I have been feeling too. So, I'm so sorry for my lack of posts since Easter. I realise now that even though my work load at work has been one of the tightest deadlines I have ever had to meet, I have also been doing more cool stuff than I thought. I'd like to share some of it with you over the next few days if I may...


...Starting with this dish that was deeee-lish. Made for our Easter 'Splendid Buffet' at work. Every so often, mostly for special occasions or if deadlines are getting us down and we need a bit of a morale boost, we each, and there are now 18 of us in the studio, bring in a dish and have a lunchtime feast. Hence, the name 'Splendid Buffet'. With 18 different dishes what could be a better way to make your day!!


My contribution was

It's one of my favourites at the moment, sooooo easy to make, very filling and full of all things good for you. Here's the recipe if you think it might tickle your taste buds. 

Once cooled, cut into squares and serve. I usually enjoy it with a nice mixed salad, don't seem to need to add anything else. Hope you like it, let me know it you do.

xx

An "EGG-CELLENT" Day!

Happy Easter Everyone! 

Hope you have had an 'egg-cellent' day and the Easter bunny has paid you a visit?

He did at our end. Mini Magpie and her cousins were entertained this afternoon with an Easter egg hunt around the garden, while we adults indulged on some very nice Easter treats.

Eye spy with my little eye something beginning with...

...E...

...and E...

...and E...

...and E...for Egg-cellent!!!

A good day had by all! 

xx

Cute As A Button!

How do you get from here...? Millions and Squillions of beautiful buttons

...to here?

I really wanted an extra special, yet different gift from the norm for our friends' little girl. As she not only turns one tomorrow but it will also be the day that she is Baptised. This called for the "Thinking Cap". I thought something handmade would be just the ticket. Something that no one else will have and will be unique to her.

Looking back over my Pinterest boards. I remembered pinning a button monogram idea that caught my eye a while ago. The original is by Jen Jockisch and click her name for her tutorial.

Here's how I created my own 'Button Monogram'.

Things I needed and used:

• A Box Frame ( I used a 14" x11" for image size A4 )

• Buttons (lots of different sized pink buttons)

• Hot Glue Gun

• Foam Board

• A3 White Card

• Double sided Tape

I started by printing out a template of the letter I wanted to create and a boundary box so that when it came to fitting it into my frame, I knew it would and I wouldn't have over or under estimated its size. Also, at this point, I thought it would be even more personal to add the child's name and date of birth, so on printing my template those were added too.

Next step, begin to add the buttons. Hmmm! Something's not quite right here for me. Even though my monogram was taking shape, it looked very flat. Both in height and colour. Too much white.

So I printed out my letter onto pink pearl card and attached it to foam board rather than foam pads to give it the height, depth and colour I thought it was lacking.

  

I used foam board rather than foam pads as I thought when all the buttons are attached later on, it would be more stable and less likely to sink under the weight of the pretties.

Let the button attaching fun begin... 

Using the hot glue gun, I created a base layer of buttons first and then worked in another button layer on top into areas where I thought looked a little sparse. 

Once happy with how my finished button letter looked, I then attached it to the backing board using the hot glue gun to keep it secure in it's new home, 'The Frame' : )

Voilà!  Here you go, one unique present for a very special little girl who is 'Cute as a Button'.

Hope she likes it!

xx 

TOOT! TOOT!...

...off to the 'Easter Parade' we go...

Mini Magpie came home from nursery yesterday with a letter in her bag yesterday.


"Dear Parents...


We are having an Easter Bonnet Competition here at the nursery. We would like you and your child to decorate a hat with an Easter Theme." 


So far so good I'm liking what I'm reading, my first proper parent project that I have been waiting to tackle, so I read on.


"The hats will be judged on the afternoon of Thursday 5th April 2012." 


What? That gives me a day, or an evening in my case as I am at work all day tomorrow (today) to come up with not only a theme but bits for bonnet arrghh!!


"With 1st, 2nd and 3rd all winning a prize. So get cracking!! "


Get cracking? What's a mummy Magpie to do for her first attempt? Time's not exactly on my side for this project, not to mention one slight technical problem, how can I get my 21 month old to co operate in assisting with the decorations. So... I made an executive decision and "cracked" on with it myself.  I'll just show her it in the morning when she gets up. "Hey Mini Magpie look what the Easter Bunny left you to wear" She'll never know, less messy this way!


What do the 'kids' like to craft with these days? I'm a child of the sticky back plastic era, along with "what couldn't you do with the odd toilet roll tube?" Must think like a little person here! After my shop is complete, it seems reverting back to thinking like a child comes a bit too easy to me. I've discovered since the birth of Mini Magpie, I'm still a big kid at heart. With the bits and bobs purchased in my lunch break. I leave work on time to make a start.

Armed with buttons, pipe cleaners, mini bun cases from our kitchen cupboard, mini ' Pock Pocks' (Mini Magpie's name for Chickens, God love her! ) and a hat found in a £1 shop, I set to work.

First, Spring flower. Every bonnet should have flowers, right?

Next the cheeky little 'Pock Pocks' and oh yes! they will need nests. I'm on a roll here I think. The evening is flying by and i'm getting side tracked. Not good! I have to be up at 6am to get ready for work. 


A thought popped into my head while my chicks were nesting. Didn't I buy Mini Magpie some bunny ears? I did, now where are they? Found them and also a pretend flower garland. I can use this to cover an unsightly edges around my, whoops! Mini's hat. Brilliant! All Finished!


Cup of Tea time. Oh Yes!


So, here it is! All set for the Easter Parade...

Happy Easter everyone! Will let you know how Mini Magpie gets on at nursery. Fingers crossed! 


xx