Biffsugar

Signs of life

There are signs of life appearing in the garden :

 
I am very excited about this.  For years I have wanted bulbs in the garden, spring bulbs that's all, some daffs and a few snowdrops - I love snowdrops.  I never had them though as I was expecting that someone else would plant them which they never did.  This year I didn't expect anything.  I just went out and did it myself and it wasn't that bad.  It was really easy and done in a flash.  Now, just a few short months later are the signs of my work and soon there will be flowers!

 
This is my favorite thing in the garden right now.  Oh Hebe of joy!  It's really the only thing with any colour in it everything else is just muddy and dismal.

 
There are plans for the garden this year and that trampoline which has been moved to every available square inch in the garden and never really looks right anywhere, it's too big of course but there's no point in getting a small one.  Last year it went outside the garden on the 'patch' but then the children forgot about it and it didn't get used.  There could be an ebay listing coming up soon.  Same with the blue house.  It took us 8 hours to build it in the pouring rain about 4 years ago and it's never really been used for anything other than a dumping ground.  However, as soon as I suggested we sell it I am informed that it is going to be used as a detective agency!  I can still remember so clearly how disappointed I was as a child that my Dad wouldn't get me a shed for my detective agency so I could hardly refuse.

These plans involve creating a kitchen garden and you can get pretty carried away with the images of these on the internet:

 
 
 
I have no idea what ours will turn out like but if it's half as good as these I'll be happy!

 

 

40

 

I am 40.

It happened on Friday and actually it's fine.  It's not like being 30, it's so much better than being 30.  I've had a great weekend in Stratford-upon-Avon where we went to see Matilda the Musical.  It was superb!  It was funny and scary and happy and sad and uplifting.

Tim Minchin who wrote the music was there and signed our programme and the paper airplanes that the children caught during the show.

It was so good in fact that we went back again on Saturday night because I couldn't bear the thought that I may never see the show again.  It's due to finish at the end of January although I can't believe they'll let it end there.  It should go on tour, it should go to the West End and Broadway.  The world needs to see this show!

 

Mermaid earrings

 
I started to make some earrings with all the beads that I bought.  These are my mermaid earrings made from beautiful green glass pearls and fire polished dark teal with milky pink beads. 

 
They're making me very happy - the green is so spring like!  I need a bit of spring green just now.

I also made these : :

 
and these : :

 
Earrings have been a great place to start with my beads.  I have been really inspired by the images in Belle Armoire Jewellery and Jewelry Affaire and want to learn more.  I'm hoping I'll get a subscription to these publications for my birthday!

CASTLE BIRTHDAY CAKE

There was a slight issue with Sunday's birthday party and that was the cake.  I was asked to make a castle cake - which I had made for a 4th birthday - but this time I was going to try something different.  Saturday was exhausting doing all the shopping for the party so I decided to leave the cake until Sunday morning. 

 
By 8am the cake was in the oven.  It was a straight forward all-in-one Victoria sponge cake from the WI - you just can't go wrong!

The cake turned out just fine but then turning it into a castle began to overwhelm me.  I had bought some Angel cake for the turretts and all sorts of sweets and icing and ice cream cones and edible glittler.  The buttercream was sending me into a spin as I just couldn't get it on the cake properly. 

Eventually I decided to give up and go with the back-up plan of a shop bought cake.  However, when I told my daughter she looked so sad and informed me that everyone was expecting a castle cake (no pressure!).  So rather stroppily I returned to the cake and took the approach that if I just covered it in everything I had bought it would be ok.

So that's what I did!

 
It certainly has that kind of "lived in" look about it but you know I quite like that and more importantly so did she.

When I brought the cake in at the party and we sang happy birthday, one of her friends said, "That is the best cake I've ever seen", I had to give that girl a hug!

 

NINE

Today is Miss B's birthday. 

 
The party was yesterday at home with a lovely group of girls from school and her brother of course who did very well entertaining himself as now he's 6 he doesn't want to join in with a girls birthday!

This is a week of birthdays with mine being on Friday.  I am going to be 40 and I'm looking forward to an exciting weekend!

 

Red and I do get along!

I took a little trip into town to buy myself a dress for my birthday.  I had seen it on the internet and loved it, which usually proves fatal as when you get there, they don't have it or at least not in your size and if they do it doesn't suit you.  But ...

 
... they did and it was and it does!  I feel very pleased with myself as clothes shopping is not my thing at all and usually leaves me feeling very sad.  But it didn't stop there.  Riding high on the waves of my new leaf dress I also bought a top!

 
And a cardi!  And the cardi is red and I never buy red.  I love red but I never buy it because I always thought we wouldn't get along.  But now I think we do! 

Changes are occuring and I seem to like it.

Jewels

 
Just before Christmas I ordered lots and lots of beads.  They have been sitting in their bags since then and I haven't done anything with them.  A while ago I bought some basic tools and made a couple of pairs of earrings and my daughter made a charm bracelet.  It was so much fun but what I liked doing best was looking at all of the different kinds of beads and the wonderful colours and so a bit of internet shopping was undertaken.

I did go quite mad with it given I'm not sure what to do with all of these wonderful things ...

 
But the colours are so enticing and the shapes so delightful, some even magical.

 
I am feeling inspired and overwhelmed all at once...

 
Now, what to make?

New

 
The cards and decorations are all put away but this year the house doesn't look bare as it normally does after Christmas.  This time I was ready for it and I like that everything is simple again.

It is very dark and cold today.  A few huge flakes of snow fell and then stopped again.  The winter months are still ahead of us.

 
But the stove is lit and the dog is resting, so all is well.

Happy new year.