Cakes and Crochet!

A quiet Birthday afternoon tea for Steven. He would certainly have enjoyed the coconut and passionfruit cake. I know if he had been there, we would have been celebrating with a beer!

Now.....I haven't mentioned my love of crochet. My mum taught me to crochet when I was in primary school, and in the past few years I have revived and brushed up on those skills. She loved the 'gentle arts' of sewing, needlework, crocheting and knitting, and I have many treasured keepsakes that she made for me.

My first offering is a Valentine's Day project that wasn't quite ready in time. I found this Heart Gift Bag at Tangled Happy. I mastered the graph (took a few attempts) but I am pleased with the result! Maybe it will be filled with chocolate hearts and find its way into an upcoming present....

Probably one of my favourites is this Scottie Dog, complete with collar and bell! I found a pattern for a Scottie Dog potholder but I used crochet cotton and a 3.5 mm hook so he would be smaller. He is destined to be framed!

And finally, for today, a 'retro style' potholder. This is worked with 2 different coloured strands of cotton yarn held together. Very easy and fun to make. Don't you love the colour combination?

Every month, my local newsagent puts aside a newly arrived copy of my most favourite craft magazine Mollie Makes. This is one of their published books, full of fantastic projects!

Along the Garden Path .....

Our own little special place, tucked away in the corner of the garden ..... visitors catch a glimpse and ask to see. A quiet spot to have a cuppa and catch your breath.

We have a small feathery resident, who lives in this garden. He has built himself quite a 'taj mahal' to attract the ladies, which he does very noisily. He is rather handsome and has a fetish for blue! He was very camera shy this morning, but I know he was around.

More Birthday Fun!

I am still on the trail of sharing birthday pics and stories - I do like to make the most of this annual event!

1. No birthday celebration is complete without a specially made mudcake (by my clever son!).

2. A little snippet of a very enjoyable pizza dinner at a newly opened wood fired pizza restaurant.

3. As a friend exclaimed, when I told her my family had given me the complete series of Downton Abbey and Call the Midwife, “Far out you lucky girl. Get watching so we can ooh and ahhh about what is happening.”

4. Three beautiful vintage cushions that showcase someone’s amazing talent for needlework.

5. A very cute little sewing box that opens out to reveal a collection of someone’s sewing needs. I wonder who once owned this little treasure?

6. Finally, a close up peek of some of the bits and bobs inside!

And, one last thing....... some cards. No day is complete without a few phone calls and some cards in the post!

Afternoon Tea

I thought I would share a few photos of my Birthday, starting with afternoon tea at my favourite local vintage cafe in the company of two wonderful friends. 

The lovely young ladies who work there (and who make the best coffee!) played Stevie Wonder's "Happy Birthday to You" and decorated the table with a beautiful vase of roses.

The beautiful glass domed cake plate is one of my presents! This is what is wrapped in the spotty paper below. My lovely friend wrapped it so beautifully I just had to take a photo! (And, no, the little iced cupcake did not come with it - that's my afternoon tea!)

Another present is this snazzy red luggage which is an amazing 2 kilos in weight, has 4 spinner wheels and will fit into an overhead locker. It is called a trolley case and came from Peter's of Kensington! This is a present from a fantastic best friend and I am sure she is giving me a huge hint that she is ready for another holiday!

So, thank you to these wonderful friends who helped me celebrate and surprised me with such lovely gifts!

Happy Birthday, AmelieAnne!

Happy Birthday, AmelieAnne!

Well, Happy Birthday to me! Yes, that time of the year has rolled around again. I am enjoying a lazy day of doing 'me' things. The spoiling continues with afternoon tea, dinner at a local restaurant and a Birthday mudcake (homemade especially for me! And, boy, does it look yummy!). And, of course, one must extend this into a Birthday weekend by enjoying a shared Birthday dinner tomorrow night at another restaurant. It is always so lovely to have family and friends make a little fuss over you at birthday time with lots of special thoughts and surprises. 

Beautiful Brighton Beach Boxes

A little bit of handy alliteration there to start my blogging life, stringing together a quadruple B in the title to get my afternoon going. I honestly think there should be a section in the Olympics for this kind of talent. And it's only gonna get crazier from here folks, believe me.

On a recent holiday to Melbourne (surprise Christmas present!!!), my friend and I decided to visit Brighton to see the beach "boxes", as we do like all things English. Well the weather sure wasn't English! A scorching hot day, combined with following incorrect directions, getting off at the wrong station and then a lengthy walk back, we finally found these little gems. However, somewhere along the way, a complete stranger joined us and somehow gave himself the job of tour leader in helping us find our way. After half an hour of walking along the beach and admiring the "boxes", we realised he was waiting to show us the way to walk to another train station! Very kind but all too much.....quickly found a reason to part company! Anyway, we can certainly recommend a visit to Middle Brighton and while there, enjoy eating at the local Japanese restaurant.