Friday 26 August 2011

Things I Love Thursday...


This week I love...

* fresh air * chips * starting crocheting a new rag rug * this conversation with a little girl at work 'how old are you?' '26' looks at me hard, 'are you sure?'...excellent! * planning a visit to my uni friends * applying for a dreamy job * crisp o' clock * blankets * reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows until I fall asleep with my face in the book * watching the Great British Bake Off * getting 11 points in 'guess the musical' at work * sitting down *

What do you love this week?  Hope you're having a most lovelysome one!

The Big Knit (or crochet)...

I just learned about Innocent Smoothies Big Knit campaign, you knit (or crochet in my case) a teeny cute hat to sit atop a smoothie bottle and send them to innocent, for each bottle sold with a hat they donate 25p to Age UK (a charity that helps old people).  The deadline for sending in hats is 14th October, and there are knitting patterns and more info on their website, these photos are from there, you can  see lots of inspiration on their blog.
Week 7 susan smith

Sarah jane burningham

Edward t bear

Photos from here

I'm going to do this! Is anyone else?  I'd love to see or hear about what you're making!

Saturday 20 August 2011

The BEST Vegan Chocolate Courgette Cake Ever...

I usually make awful cakes, as in they're more like dried up biscuits and don't ever, ever rise, or taste nice...so I'm especially proud of this chocolate courgette cake, which has risen and tastes delicious!  It's also massive, but that's not really a bad thing is it?!  You can find the recipe here (you have to scroll down a bit)



Yummy!

Friday 19 August 2011

Things I Love Thursday...


This week I Love...

* gardening in the sunshine * making an epic courgette cake * buying swirly, beautiful el naturalista shoes in the sale £40, down from £90 * getting paid * Listening to the Juno sound track * watching Twilight - silly but good! * reading Harry Potter * buying Delia's Vegetarian Cookbook and a Kaffe Fassett quilting book for £1.60 from the library book sale, they're worth £15 and £25 new! * crocheting * tidying my room, it looks lovely! * someone asking me if I go to sixth form college, does that mean I look 10 years younger than my age? yey! * watching awesome free fireworks, twice *

What do you love this week?  Hope you're having a most lovelysome one!

Wednesday 17 August 2011

Gardeny Goodness...

I LOVE August in the garden, it's sunny, most of the planting has been done and lots of things are growing and being exciting!

I don't want to speak too soon, but I think my bell peppers are going to be a huge success this year.  Last year they didn't fruit until about October, by which time it was way too cold, this year they're in the greenhouse at the new house, which is in a much warmer, sunnier spot and they're doing much better! 


We also have cucumbers, tomatoes and (an unpictured) melon in the greenhouse, all making enormous fruits!


We have two plum trees, the first one has already finished plumming purple plums, this second one has just started getting ripe, pinky, green plums on it, soooo many plums!


Ahh, poor old onions, we planted 2 big packs of onion sets and lots of spring onion seeds, this is all that grew, they're not happy, most of them went brown and squidgy, these are a bit droopy, but the onions are firm and seem healthy so we're letting them stay for now...

This is Pierre the pumpkin, all the way from France (a present from one of mum's friends), he started off all puny, but he's making up for it now and has run all over the garden, he has lots of flowers and lots of yellow pumpkin babies!  I also have two courgette plants that I've already had about 8 courgettes from, good job the snail likes them too!  The courgettes have been sooo much happier in the ground than last years attempts to grow them in pots!


We have many leeks!

I had broad beans planted in this patch, once they were finished I pulled them up and we've planted 2 rows of beetroot and a row of spinach plants in the space, I also planted some more broad beans (no photo of them) about three weeks ago up by the courgette patch, and they've already got beans on them! Must have been the perfect time for them to go in!


I didn't take photos of everything, we also have potatoes, peas, kale, broccoli, cabbage and lots of herbs growing too - phew! How are your gardens growing this month?

Monday 15 August 2011

Bit More Crochet...Lavender Mice, Strawberries and a Crochet Crochet Hook Holder...

I've been busy with my hook again (that makes me feel like a pirate!) Making this rainbow of lavender mice and an experimental lavender filled strawberry, which I think looks more like a spotty radish (I'm claiming it's a homage to Luna Lovegood)  It makes my wardrobe smell nice, anyway! 



I also made this crocheted crochet hook pot, it's from a plastic bottle with it's top cut off, then crocheted round and round and round, tis very much handier than keeping all my hooks together with a hair bobble as I used to (they kept slipping out!)

Are you making anything at the moment?

Sunday 14 August 2011

It Starts With Me...



I just came across this inspiring video on Green Bag Lady's blog, and wanted to share it with you too, you can find It Starts With Me here.

Thursday 11 August 2011

Things I Love Thursday...


This week I love...

* passing my driving test * my new, swishy about my ears, summer hair cut * all the kids at work giving us a cheer on the last day and asking us if we were going to come back and work with them next summer * crochet, crochet, crochet * my mummy doing me balloons and a card with a  beetle on for a driving-pass-congratulations * getting lots of library work this month * watching watchmen * reading harry potter * listening to Hello Saferide and Placebo and songs from musicals * nice coffee date with friends * reading all the new craft books in waterstones and stealing all the best ideas from them! *  2 hedgehogs having a snumfy fight on the lawn * evening walks in the sunshine *

What do you love this week?  Hope you're having a lovely one! xx

Wednesday 10 August 2011

I CAN DRIVE!!!

After 18 months of lessons, today I finally passed my driving test! Wooohoooo!!!


These are the balloons my mum stuck on our front door for when I got home tonight :)  She's drawn pictures of cars on them, not bowler hats, as I mistakenly thought!


Monday 8 August 2011

Meet Fredrick...The Elephant Hawk Moth Caterpillar...

This week my mum is staying at my brother's house, dog sitting while he's on holiday.  Today she popped home with a 'present' for me...an enormous caterpillar that she's found on the path at my brother's house and rescued because he 'looked cold', and probably so the dogs don't eat him.  I've done a bit of research on him, and he's an Elephant Hawk Moth Caterpillar, he likes to eat fuchsia and willow herb.  Currently he has lettuce and a pink flower to eat, I shall have to go on a fuchsia hunt under cover of darkness later! He would like a layer of soil and leaves to pupate in, he'll make a cocoon any time now, then he needs to hang out somewhere cool over winter, like the shed, then in spring he'll turn into a beautiful butterfly..well, moth!  I have called him Fredrick. 



This is what Fred will turn into one day!


Elephant Hawk-moth adult


I found information from here and here especailly useful in finding out how to care for Fred.  Have you ever raised a caterpillar-child?  Any tips?

Thursday 4 August 2011

Some New Crochet Friends...Amigurumi Lavender Mice, Hedgehog and Bunny...

I've been busy with my crochet again,  I'm really quite proud of these little amigurumi's because they're the first ones I've made without patterns, I just made them up as I went along.  First I made a little green mouse, he's full of lavender so he can make a nest in my drawers and make my clothes smell sweet.  I liked my little green mouse so much that I made some more, a set of 3 in sherberty, sweetie, sugar mice colours to sell in my etsy shop...



 Then, using the same basic body shape as the mice, I made a hedgehog, with lots of prickly spikes and a cute beary face, I always think hedgies look like cute little bears...


And finally, this bunny, which took ever so long to make from 2 ply yarn and a 2mm hook...but so worth it!  I love this little fluffy tail!



What have you been making?  I'd love to hear all about it!

Things I Love Thursday...


This week I love...

* work busyness * getting paid * crochet mice, hedgehogs and bunnies * lavender * picking my first courgette * quiet gardening time after hectic work time * cakes for good behaviour * lie ins * reading Harry Potter * watching Kikis Delivery Service and Jawbreaker * having the house to myself * seeing photos of the monkeys that live near my friend in Brazil * thirsty squirrel drinking from the bird bath * sweet peas * pink potatoes * mummy coming home from her holidays * buying a new flowery blouse * listening to She and Him and Belle and Sebastian *

What do you love this week?  Hope you're having a lovely one?! xxx