The week that was......

.....Okay.....

...so it may have seemed that I was at my desk last week.....but it was half term and I was, in fact, in Egypt.....

......nahhhhhh......just kidding..... We hopped across the border to Wales to visit family....So if I seemed a little quiet, that was why.

It was a nice relaxing week apart from all the Bears being ill at some point......always the way.

There were wet days.....with wet walks.....

 It was a stars and stripes day for me

 It was a floral day for my beautiful Sister-in-law

And Baby Bear has not reached the age when pink for a boy is completely uncool!

 .........sunny but cool days.......

 I love this view so much

 hummmmmm...there seems a familiarity here in this photo

 Crossing this was fun!

 Three Cliffs Bay

 I could not get my Bears off this!

ahhhhh.....stripey love.....

.....and sunny and really warm days.....

 ......nestled amongst the rock pools

 Such a perfect day

 Always lovely to create happy childhood memories with lots of family around

 This was my Egypt! Did I fool you with the top photo?!!!! We never seem to do a bog standard sand castle. 

 Before the tide went right out, the channels were filled with water and the Bears (and Mr H) were in their element.

ahhhhhh fun was had

I even got a 3D heart castle made just for me.....that was until one of the boys ran and jumped on it!

Five out of 6 cousins wasn't bad. Have you any idea how hard it is to get boys to stand together?!!!!

To have such a wonderful day at the beach right at the end of October was truly AMAZING.

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I also grew a year older

and drank out of pretty crockery

whilst admiring pretty crockery....

So......all in all we had a lovely break. Sooooooooo much to do now though. It will take me a week at least to catch up in the house, it always does.....and another week to catch up with all the goings on in Blog land.

Apologies for the picture overload. A real bore of a post to many, well done if you got to the end! ha ha! Memories created and saved for the Bears. That's what it's all about!

Happy Monday all

Hope it's not as wet where you are as it is here!

xxx

A Different Version........

Now.....you know how my guys love a bit of Rocky Road? Seriously.....they LURRRVVVVVEEEEE the stuff. I do try to make it in moderation.....I rather like it too.

I saw a really enticing piccie on pinterest that led to the most gorgeous bloggy blog blog.

here

OH MY GIDDY AUNT

I needed to try these out......

I adjusted things a little. I added some hazelnuts and the marshmallows were pink as well as white. I also forgot to faff about and make it all so pweety pweety on the top (I shoved it all in!). But it tasted so lovely. You only need a teeny tiny square as it's very very rich, but the apple, cranberries and strawberries make it taste really fruity and the marshmallows chewy. It was a delight to have one with a hot cup of tea. Even the bears thought they tasted good, although, I think the dark chocolate will win hands down every time for them. A nice one to try though and it was lovely to find such a lovely cookery blog too!

Seriously more-ish

yummy scrummy

So....I think my makey bakey stint is over for a bit now! ha ha!

Have a super duper day all and a wonderful weekend!

xxx

Melon Hearts.......

Ridiculous really.....I am such a sucker for pretty....

.....although, I swear it tastes so much better.....

xxx

If I could.......

Spend all day on carousels with butterfly wings strapped to my back......then I would.....

...in a heartbeat.......

Pudding Love...........

..........Sticky Toffee Pudding to be exact.

I have been wanting to make this for a while, I just had to leave a bit of time in between baking. I LOVE baking.....but if i'm honest, the only person that eats it, is me (apart from the heart biscuits recently made....I didn't get a look in with those!). The Bears like a little bit, but in general, they are not 'bakey' eaters. Mr H will eat the fruits of my labour, but he has his favourites and likes to stick to them. Bakey, cakey lovelies don't have a long shelf life, so then it's usually me that scoffs them whilst they are still good enough to eat. So, I haven't made much recently, I just cannot justify it all going into one person!

But......making this was a must. And it was delicious!

Now, this is certianly not something I will be making all the time. I think it is a real calorific indulgence, but certainly a crowd pleaser. Making it in the tins made it that much nicer. A perfect treat to make if you have people over. Hot sticky toffee sponge that delves into a deep and rather generous layer of warm golden syrup, topped with melting clotted cream ice cream. Wickedly delicious!

So......nothing to be made for a while. I was a snuffle truffle piggy wiggy, but it was OH SO NICE.

If you fancy having a go, I have put the recipe on the baking tab at the top of the screen. It was taken from Eric Lanlard's 'Home Bake' book.

The recipe is also available online, just google Eric Lanlard's Sticky Toffee Pudding.

Happy Baking lovelies!

and

Happy Weekend too!

xxx

So......

....You all think................ scarves can be worn whenever.........whatever the weather.........and wherever you are going! Thanks for that!

You mostly think.........that trying to dye the blanket would be a no-no.....and that flower embelishments are the way forward with it.

You mostly think........I should leave the blog layout as it is and just tinker here and there with the header when it takes my fancy.

Thank you all for your input! Sometimes my head is fuzzy and it needs a bit of outside help to make it work a bit better!

I shall take everything on board, carry on wearing my scarves, how and whenever I please, make a start on my blanket, and, most likely have a blog tinker.....

but first......

..............have a play with a ball of yarn recently purchased. It's called Snowdrops by Sirdar in the snuggly range. It is so pretty.......I have plans for it.

....and carrying on with some Christmas makes.........

Cheerio!

xxx

Questions.......

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Are silk neck scarves too formal for everyday wear?

Not that how and when I would wear one would change....just that I wore one the other day on the school run and then on to a food shop. Two ladies at school asked me where I worked, and so did the man who served me at the grocery store. When I replied I wasn't off to work, just off back home after the school run to do the 'household chores', they all sounded rather surprised, like I was WAY too overdressed for housework! I fancied bright and cheerful that morning and something that wasn't too big and bulky. Just wondered what general thoughts were on silk scarves! Only something meant for the office?

❦

What should I do about this blanket?

Again, thoughts appreciated. I picked it up in a charity shop for....wait for it......£3! You know when you spot something from a distance and there are people in the way and you don't want to run, and be all casual, whilst your heart is pumping ten to the dozen inside you?! Well, in one of my local Charity shops they have ladies who knit blankets to sell. They use some of the wool donated and they enjoy making them. The colours have never been 'me' enough to buy though and never a size I would use.....but this one.....I could see, even all folded, that it was a really good size and looked well made. It is perfectly made, I could appreciate just how many hours had gone into this blanket, and for £3 they were almost having a laugh. So....i'm thinking, it's big, plain and perfect for a bit of embellishment.

The dilemma is, that, although it is plain white.....and I do love a bit of white.....it is bright white.....almost shockingly white. A little TOO white for me. I am not sure what it is made from, though I would guess an acrylic mix yarn. I'm not sure it would take to a dye, but was wondering if soaking it in a bath of cold tea could maybe just take the edge off it. Do you think that could work? Or does that sound completely ridiculous? Part of me says for £3 I should try it, the other half says leave it alone.

I have been wanting to make this blanket 

from Nicki Trench's Cute and Easy Crochet. This blanket would be perfect for it. A sort of cheats version if you like. I could just add some flowers to each square and put on a border. I'd love your thoughts on the whole 'dye it' thing. I am just not sure what to do.

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My Blog Layout?

Keep or change? I am undecided. I have had this blog for over two years now and have played about a little with blog designs. The style I have now has been like this for for about year and a half. When I arrived at it way back, I knew it was a keeper. It's me. I tinker about with my header, just because it's fun and I like a little change....but I'm wondering about whether I should do a big layout change. Not sure what yet. Just wondered what your thoughts were. Keep it as it is...or change? I only ask because I know sometimes change is a funny thing. You get used to something and you like its familiarity, so when it changes, it can be a bit...no...no....no! I am rubbish at making decisions.

okay...so any thoughts on any of the above questions would be gratefully received!

Happy Monday to you all!

xxx

Ahhhhhhhhh......

Yesterday was a good day....my kind of day......

....the sun shone......the windows and doors wide open.....

.......my favourites playing on iTunes....

....and a spot of baking......

.....it has to be done on a day like that.....The sheer joy of getting out all my baking bits.....

....nothing fancy.....

....butter biscuits.....with a fondant topping....and a squidging of icing to top it all....

.....espresso, and bagels topped with cream cheese to munch on whilst they were baking....

....okay so they were ❤ shaped.....it had to be done......and they were pink.....it's actually all I had in the cupboard.....

....but the Bears had fun icing them when they got home from school.....and they enjoyed munching on them too....so all good.....

....happy Bears....happy me.....

....yes....definitely my kind of day.....

xxx




p.s ..............thank you for all your comments on my last post. I don't want to sound like a gusher or sycophant, but they meant a lot.