FAVOURITE BLOG FRIDAY

So I thought i'd go oldschool and show you the first blog i ever found and fell in love with a couple of years ago.
A Bit East

Keisha has a way of creating the most amazing beautiful scrapbook pages as if were a piece of art in its own right. They were the things that introduced me to scrapping and wanting to scrapbook my own pictures and memories. Not that i've actually got around to do that much...(and you wondered where 'procrastination mama' came from?!) They are an inspiration. I also totally love looking at her interiors and the best of all her studio.

I salivate over this picture (yep the one above NOT the dog!)

But her photos are pretty hot too.

If you want to see more go and check her out.

Happy Weekend folks!

TIN COLLECTION

Just some of my collection. I love these tins. The Prince and Princess of Wales tin has kept buttons in it for over 30 years and has done a damn fine job of looking good at the same time. The M&S cream tin i stole off my mother in law at Christmas and is housing some paintbrushes but not sure what to do with the French tin i bought a couple of summers ago in Saubriges, France. I love the colours. Any ideas you imaginary readers?

MY SEEDS ARE GROWING!

So excited to see these growing. My new veggie project is coming along nicely. I'm kinda an instant gratification girl so these coming up so quickly is keeping me a happy lady! And the kids too.

Children's bedroom is finished!

AFTER!

It is always hard trying to create a joint room for two different sexes that is feminine enough for a 3 year old girly girl and a 1 year old boisterous boy, and still give the room some time for them to grow into it, but this just seems to work. It was awkward trying to mix two rooms of furniture into one as they were different but until they are both in matching single beds it can be more of an eclectic look! Well there's always room for improvement but this is it right now!

Love this blanket Kitty had as a baby from Mamas and Papas

And how cute are the lion bookends?!

This colour combination is enough to make me smile.

Mr Stripy rabbit was bought in Canada when i was pregnant with Kitty so it has such a pride of place in their room with the Creative Thursday prints.

The blind is Ikea Fabler fabric.
My friend Karen made them up for me. It totally makes the room for me.

The photos are in painted Ikea frames. The 'Amazing' name prints are by Kal Barteski

Love my new Belle and Boo Print.
The Belle and Boo postcards i picked up in Paperchase for a steal!

I painted the old mirror yellow and the Ikea chair pink but nearly everything else we already had.

The BEFORE shot!

This was taken before we moved in when it was a spare bedroom.

A post for Liam

Recently i saw this. Thought its good karma to share others stories. Donate or not but just wanted to show you imaginary readers and tick off my good citizen of the week badge. Always makes me feel warm and fuzzy and that's a feeling i like.

You can link to the site and find out his story here : Liam

FAVOURITE BLOG FRIDAY

Hey all, I have been so inspired lately by all my favourite blogs I've decided to share a new one with you each week. This week its a new one for me that i've recently discovered.

Hus and Hem. This is basically a magazine blog. Now to be honest I have absolutely no idea what anything says on the site but that is irrelevant. If you like Scandi living you'll be in heaven. Don't they say a picture is worth a thousand words or something?! My favourite part on their site is the house tours (hem) and I think you'll see why. They are quite literally hours of inspiration.

Cakedy cake

This is a damn fine cake my friends and so i feel compelled to tell all you imaginary readers the recipe so you can go forth and make it for yourselves. It is the most moist cake ever! Go on, you'll thank me

imaginary readers response: "Thanks Tracey!"

And the beauty is its sooo quick because you don't even need to make buttercream to go on it.

From Nigella Lawson's 'How to be a Domestic Godess' (as if i need help..ahem...)

Easy Almond Cake
250g soft butter
250g soft marzipan
150g Caster Sugar
1/4 teaspoon Almond Essence
1/4 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
6 Large Eggs (free range please people )
150g self raising flour

25cm buttered & floured patterned ring mould/springform tube pan or i just use a circular 18cm cake tin. (And i just realised i have never floured my tin either! whoops.

Preheat 170 oc /gas mark 3
Chop butter and marzipan and combine with the sugar until smooth.
Add Almond and Vanilla
Break eggs one at a time processing each time. (this cake is easier if you use a mixer)
Tip in the flour, process again.

Whack the mixture in the tin.

Cook for 45-50 mins. Check from 40. It should be golden brown in colour then use a piece of spagetti or a skewer to check. If it comes out clean it cooked!

Leave in tin to cool before turning out.

Add icing sugar and edible glitter to decorate.
If you want to make it look fancy put raspberries on it (or in it, as you can make it in a ring mould too.)

Bob's your uncle...your done!

i love my blackboard

...the kids love my blackboard. That's all folks.

(This is the 'before' shot from before we moved in. The blackboard was the first thing we painted. Our kitchen is quite large and the black really brings the room together and makes it a whole lot more cosy.)

Weekend Action

Busy weekend with favourite friends, painting, laughing, sleeping, playing, making camps, building, getting mucky, digging, planting, cooking and just a bit of naked dancing/running/screaming/laughing/childsplay.

blows my mind

This colour combination blows me away. It's an old belt from Accessorise and is showing signs of wear and tear but i just can't bear to part...(story of my life). Would love to do something with a room using this as inspiration. What to do with it? hmm?

Hey there imaginary readers!

The best bit about you all being imaginary is really that i can write anything at all and it really doesn't matter. Well really the best bit is that i'm doing things and not procrastinating as usual as i feel the need to update myself and all you imaginary's here. So quick decor update. Nearly finished with the kidlets. Couple more pics to put up but have annoyed my husband beyond annoyance. He took a day off yesterday to do our room and I couldn't decide so we painted it pure brilliant white (eco) I feel the need to add that! Anyway, anywho... i don't like it, bit too clinical and fresh and i wanted more of a cosy, decadent white...(is there such a thing?) So he is horrified from staying up past midnight still touching up the white and now i want to repaint a slightly cosier white!

Am i crazy? I guess the best thing about all you imaginary readers is that i have no one to say 'yes'!

Art purchase!

The decorating is coming along nicely after a few minor hitches. I tried 5 different colours of turquoise before trying to mix my own and then giving up and going back to the first colour i tried! Hey ho!

I have been busy collating all the prints and pictures i have bought for the kids over the last year ready to hang up in their new room. It will be my favourite part about the redecorating. I love art for kids. Mostly i have bought from etsy or but have managed to find some beautiful postcards in Paperchase and now i have just been inspired to purchase this little beauty from Belle and Boo.



Can't wait to receive it and hang it up.

Pics of the room coming soon. x

Must make me one of these!

I saw these storytelling frames by Elizabeth Kartchner from her guest post on Ali Edward's blog today. I love them and it has inspired me to do something like this in the kidlets room.
What i saw straight away was the box with the page from a story called 'Pinkalicious'. We don't have this book in England (that i'm aware of) but my husband brought it back for Kitty on his last trip. It quickly became her favourite book and she loves it so much she knows all the words without us having to actually read it to her at all. I love how Elizabeth has incorporated her favourite book into the frames. A really creative way to remember their first literary loves.

Decorating weekend coming up!

So we've been in a new house, our life house now since January and i think it's time to pull out that paint brush and paint the town red...or turquoise blue more to the point.

Kids room first. They share a room because its so big and they like being together and really because we wanted another room just for our clothes. Selfish? yes but you've got to have some perks for yourselves after a hard day parenting! Oh and we still get to keep a spare room for guests!

Here's what i'm thinking.




all of which i found here at the House of Turquoise. What a brilliant blog for turquoise lovers!