A Bit of this and That

Phew can't believe its a week since my last post.  What a busy time.  I have done three 10 hour shifts in a Children's Centre which was great fun but very tiring. I haven't worked a long shift like that since mother's day in the florist shop. The children and staff were really lovely, friendly and good fun so it went really quite quickly.

I have also bought some more Annie Sloan paint for more make overs.  The latest item to receive the paint treatment was the fireplace. It has gone from Morris Green to Old White.  Looks a little better but still have to organise the ornaments and shift things around a little.  I bought the bottles in the basket from Reg Taylor Garden Centre and I am so pleased with it the daffs look very spring like but boy they smell nasty - bit like cat wee actually.  Oh well they look good and I am looking forward to using different flowers as the seasons change.

Want a peek-

Morris Green 

Old White - much brighter

Painted the mirror too

The pretty smelly daffodillies in my new bottle/basket vase thingy

It makes the room look brighter and fresher.  Did you notice the old yukky gas fire not a pretty sight and on the long list of things to change.  I also started painting the dining table and am nagging K to bring the top of my dresser back in from its 10 year hibernation in the garage.  I am so glad I didn't get rid of it and am looking forward to having it back in the house.

Here is a photo of the cakes Belle made for us for when we returned from Southwell at the weekend.  Rocky road cakes - they were yummy.  Thanks Belle! I promised I would put them on here and I did.  She cleaned all her pots and the kitchen too. 10/10.

Here are the museli cookies I made yesterday they are so tasty and you can make them in minutes and depending on the museli you use they taste quite different.   Last week I made them using a berry museli and they tasted good too.  This week I reduced the sugar by half to make them a little less sweet and it worked well.  Here they are

They look a little like rock cakes but they are cookies - honest.  Want the recipe I don't think Mary (Berry) will mind. If she does - sorry Mary.

Ingredients

6 oz marg soft

4 oz caster sugar (I only put in 2 oz)

1 egg

6 oz SR flour

6 oz muesli

Pre heat oven to 180C 

Measure ingredients and place all but muesli in a bowl.  Mix until smooth and blended.  Add muesli and stir in well.  Spoon teaspoonfuls of mix on baking sheet leaving room for spread.  Bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool and enjoy.  They really are that simple.  Let me know if you make some.  

Painting, Pottering and Pancakes

Just a very quick post as tea is on and almost ready.  Yesterday was such a lovely day it definately gave me a spring in my step.  After I had cleaned the bathroom I thought that looks better - urm then I looked at the yellowy white doors and the far from white ceiling.  I got out the paint that had been bought for the job previously and gave it a quick lick of fresh white paint - it looks so much better.  I then went on to paint 4 of the doors on the landing and the skirting board.  I didnt do any prep at all - i'm a rebel - I just splashed it on and it looks so much better.   I'm sure it was quicker than washing all the doors and woodwork down.  After that I had a potter around the garden - in my slippers - and dug out some weeds and generally tidied up.  Much more needs doing though.  I did start to take photos but it all looked so bare and bland that I didn't bother in the end.  Then it was time to get Nephew H from school and have a pancake party. 

Table at the ready, cornish ice cream, syrup, nutella, squirty cream, jam, bananas and sprinkles.  Yum. Not very well presented but delicious all the same.  H thought it was great and declared that he was going to have three. 

Nom, nom nutella with banana, squirty cream and sprinkles.  I had one just the same.  Delicious.

Nellie had the same.

H pancake with syrup and nutella this time.  Did he manage three - not quite he did manage two and a half though.  It was declared a successful pancake party and after two I felt positively stuffed. 

New Chairs from Old

,Here are some before and after photos of my dining room chairs. I'm rather pleased in fact I am chuffed.  Want to have a peak - here goes

Please adjust your head  to view photo or rotate your laptop if using one - i'm still learning remember! A cherry coloured chair with yukky fabric seat.  Not very appealing.  See the bottom of the dresser in the photo - its not quite ready yet.

A chair being painted in the kitchen - see the roses in the background £1.79 from Aldi one climbing and one fragrant tea rose - just waiting for a little bit of sunshine so I can get planting. 

A pair of beauties. I am soooooooo pleased with the new look so much brighter.  After I had painted them I gave them a coat of clear beeswax to protect them a little. The fabric is some I have had about 5 years I bought it in the sale at John Lewis and its perfect.  I do have a few pieces of vintage Sanderson and fancied making them all different but the girl's general opinion was a strong NO and actually I agreed -  they made the right choice. 

Close up of fabric

All in all very pleased - a good job and a cheap one.  Paint free from Annie Sloan and fabric about £9 in sale.  Excellent 4 new chairs for next to nowt.

We had  curry for tea tonight and I did warn everyone if they got any on the chairs there would be trouble with a capital T.

Before I say night night I must tell you a funny that Belle came out with at the tea table.  She saw a man on the road in a small white van carrying a brown book. He visited my immediate neighbour and then a house further down the road. Is that man a preacher she said I asked her why she thought that and she said well  I think that brown book is a bible and well he just looks like a preacher.  I pointed out that he came around once every week.  I know he calls a lot she said.  Belle I explained that is the milkman and he is collecting his money. Oh my goodness I howled with laughter, you know, tears, snorting, struggling to breathe laughter.  As you may  imagine we had a very grand discussion around our tea table pointing out the differences between a preacher and a milkman. Think she watches too many American movies as we don't have preachers in our village just Vicar Margaret, a Methodist Minister oh and a Milkman.  Now have tears rolling down my face. 

Must just show you my hexagon progress before I retire for the night.

All different

Whoops two photos the same

Close up each hex is a different fabric

I can't make my mind up if to make it into a cushion or to carry on to make a small quilt.  Maybe I should stick to a cushion as I have already started (a year ago) a granny flower small quilt but that's hibernating. 

Good night really must go now.

Good night all.



Sunshine On My Shoulder Makes Me Happy

Had a lovely day today.  Been to Chesterfield for a potter around with K and then went on to the antiques centre in Bolsover.  A gentle pootling day which was welcome as today would have been Dad's 75th birthday so I had approached it with very mixed feelings - sad that he is not here and happy in that I had a good day which he would have liked.  I bought some pretty spring flowers from the market - cheap as chips - and from the Antiques Centre I got a blue and white striped pudding bowl and a pretty pink rabbit - very spring like. 

Pretty pink bunny

Pretty pink primula

A trio of loveliness - oh and a painted dresser

I am saving the dresser reveal for another day as it needs a bit more attention.  It's looking good though and has already made the room look brighter. 

After I got back from our little outing I donned my black and white starry pj bottoms, my scruffy purple hoodie and my green crocs - why you may ask - well the sun was shining and it was the ideal opportunity to paint OUTSIDE.  I was looking good - um thats debatable - well its not I looked a state.  Yeah I opened the patio doors and dragged out two of our dining room chairs.  With a splish and splash of Annie Sloan they are looking much better.  Two more to go and then the seats to recover.  It felt really good to be outside and I had a look around the garden and there are lots of signs of new growth.  My clematis Dad gave me is sprouting. honeysuckle growing, ladies mantle poking through and lots more.  There's lots of tidying up to be done - weeds to pull out, dead plants to remove and brambles and nettles to clear.  Hopefully a little more sunshine will inspire me to get going.  Going to watch Marchlands now pips going on Radio 4 for 9 o'clock gonna run through to other room grab remote from Nellie and enjoy.