Oh today...

I am feeling a bit low today -maybe it is the weather, maybe it is the lack of sleep - we have a problem with visiting fighting cats in the middle of the night.....it is becomming very tedious, any suggestions welcome.

Tonight is my Creative Splurge, once a week I try to get to a friends house where we chat and giggle and do whatever craft project is on our plates at the moment. Hopefully inspiration will strike before now and then - last week I dont think I even opened my bag, instead drinking numerous cups of hot water and de-briefing, which is fine, we all need to de-brief every now and then.

Maybe it is because I haven't got an actual project to work on. Since learnig to crochet - which I am loving still, I can't seem to commit to a project and keep trying out little bits of things, trying stiches and techniques - I really want a project that stirs within me......any suggestions welcome!

Well maybe some fresh air will help - the rain has stopped for the moment, I will collect the eggs, and hopefully my thoughts at the same time.

How long has it been? Far too long. It has been hectic here, and I can't pinpoint why, just busy with life I suppose.

Master N has been having a wonderful time constructing his cubby, and every time I here him banging nails in it makes my heart sing!

I have tried some of my baking challenges, the first one being ....... macaroons!

And I had a little peek in the oven while they were cooking - look at those 'feet' - I must admit, I did a little dance in the kitchen when I saw those infamous 'feet'!

I think they worked out, I haven't tried one before (must rectify that!) but they looked like the picture.

Could possibly have mixed the mixture a little bit longer....and I definitely want to try different flavours, I think they would be nicer with different flavours so I need to get my hands on some freeze-dried fruits and other ingredients that will not add moisture to the mix. I also need to get some colouring powder......where is my list......

The next thing on my list was to give Whoopie Pies a try. They were great! And very yummy!

I needed to get some special ingredients from a shop that imports USA foods. That jar of 'Jet Puffed' (marshmallow) is lethal...straight out of the jar yum, and sooo many possibilities!

I made the traditional Whoopie (chocolate biscuit with marshmallow fluff centre) and then tried a chocolate biscuit part with mint butter icing in the middle - oh yeh, so good.

I took these to my nephews birthday party and they went like lightening.

I am still trying to get some crocheting done but I keep falling asleep in front of the fire at night - I must be getting old....hmmmmm. Hopefully it has more to do with the fact that I have been helping Carl on the farm a bit which has been great, but, well, tiring!

Photos of the skirt that I made Miss J still to come.....it is finished and has been well worn - yay!

baking, baking, baking

I needed to spend the day baking today, I knew it was time when I went to the cupboard this morning when I was making school/kinder lunches and there was nothing..I mean absolutely nothing in the cake tins...bad bad mother, do you know what I had to pack, uh, I shudder to type it - milk arrowroot biscuits. My poor poor children.

So after the drop offs, I collected the eggs (thank you girls), got out the mixer and went to work. 2 hours later I have finished a batch of choc-chip soft cookies, (3 without choc-chips and replaced with little white marshmallows for me), butterscotch crunchy cookies, a slice and pear cupcakes. That should keep us all hapy for a little bit!

Here is a sample of the fabric I got last week (I cant believe it was last week - where does the time go??)

I have made this selection into a skirt for Miss J - she loves it, and so do I the pattern was super easy.....I will post a picture soon......

I dont know what this will end up being......hmmm....

And I have also found the delights on Ravelry.......there are so many fantastic crocheting ideas on there.......so little time!!!

Once again I have been trawling the Internet and coming up with so many ideas that I have no idea how I am going to come up with the time to complete any of them.

My latest thing I want to try in making Macarons - not macarOOns with the coconut type (I actually REALLY dislike these) but those other ones.....

Unfortunately I have been able to get a whole lot done - Miss J has been particularly fragile with a terrible cold that Master N passed on to her. On the up side Master N is fine and dandy and full of beans, happy to be back at school and full of mischief.

Despite illness in the family, I did manage however, to get to the craft show at Jeff's Shed and found so many beautiful fabrics and of course that has led to more fantastic projects.....ahhh, and so the cycle continues.

So back to trawling.....I cant believe how many great blogs and websites are out there....

Here are some more of my favorites. (I hope you are allowed to randomly post these...is there protocol??)

http://www.mytartelette.com/

and

http://www.cakeart.com/store/default.asp - check this one out....if anyone knows of a shop like this in Melbourne please please please let me know!

OK the one with the cold is now hungry (again) - I will hopefully be back soon with photos of the beautiful fabric I purchased.

I have had a few more late nights but nothing much to show for it I'm afraid. I am practising different stitches and patterns and am trying to make the perfect flower for a flower throw I have seen, but all the attempts I have made so far have not been quite right.

I am off to the craft show at Jeff's Shed tomorrow - it is an annual pilgrimage for me and a friend of mine, it is the one craft show that we really try to get to and this will be our 4th (5th?) year. I am really looking forward to it, but will have to have an early night tonight in preparation.....I will NOT pick up a hook!

I have also been on the Internet a lot looking at different pages and blogs - so inspirational, and a couple of my favorites so far are;
http://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/
and
http://foxslane.blogspot.com/
and many more, including baking ones which I will continue to post on here any that have particularly tickled my fancy.

There is a chill and a whiff of smoke in the air, enjoy your Wednesday......

I have finished my first crocheting pattern - there is a few mistakes but crocheting is SO forgiving, luckily!


It started off that I had picked up a couple of great pattern books at the op-shop and collected some hooks from my Mum and also some spare wool that she had.

Well it was a cold day, the fire was on and Miss J was happily watching a video so I thought I would just have a practice at a few little things, a circle and an open wholly pattern.

I also wanted to have a go at something that started off with a circle of chains and then was added to from there, so I had a look through my new op-shop books and saw that there was a hat pattern that started that way. Well it was only going to be a practice and then the next thing I knew I was trying the next row of the pattern and then the next and the next.....well the fire was on and it was cold outside.


Miss J saw the finished hat this morning and decided it would be great to wear it while eating her porridge. The hat is a bit big for her. I didn't use the right size needle (because after all I was just having a practice!) so I added on a couple of rows, as a consequence, it is a bit tight for me and a bit big for her - but we are happy to share!
So a bit hooked now (pardon the pun!) I had a couple of late late nights sitting up - I will just do one more round.....
I am now looking for my next project - stay tuned.....

Brrrr it is cold today so I have the fire going full blast and it is taking avery inch of will power not to get out my new crocheting project and snuggle in for the day.


Yesterday brought a new experience with hosting a cooking class here at my home, which was so much fun, very masterchef! We made vanilla slice and mini cheesecakes.


It was great, I had a blast and I would love to just cook and bake all day, wouldn't that be just lovely. I wonder how I can get that job!

Here are the little lemon cheesecakes that we made - soooo lemony!