Happy 2011!

Happy New Year everyone!

I hope you all had a safe and happy holiday season. We had a quiet Christmas with my husband and I both coming down with gastro! The girls were sent off to have Christmas with my mum and had a lovely day but it was a little sad to miss it all.

New Years Eve was also a quiet one. I guess that is just life with little ones. When we finally got them to bed we enjoyed some chocolates and a dvd.

No resolutions for me this year. One thing I have discovered this year is that there is no point in making them as it will only happen if I am really ready for it to happen.

I am going to commit to a little project though…Project365. I want to take a photo a day for the entire year. Something that tells a story of our day, our weeks and our year. I want to improve my photography skills, learn some new ways to use my camera and be in more photos myself. I probably won’t post them each day as I know what I am like. But I will eventually get them up. I may even miss a day or two because once again I know what I am like! No strict rules…just doing this one for me.

 Botanical Gardens, sun, knitting and a cup of tea…a lovely start to the year

Christmas Pattern Swap

Oh I do love a good swap! The stalking, the shopping, the wrapping, the posting and the waiting. But most of all the excitement of opening my parcel!

I sent a parcel of Malabrigo sock, chocolate, and a shawl pattern to Hannah and what a lovely surprise to find that Hannah had me too!

Today I received the most gorgeous parcel! I absolutely adore the yarn! Hannah dyed it herself. Isn’t she clever! She sells her yarn too so head over to Red Riding Hood Yarns  to get your own gorgeous yarn! She also gifted the Teachers Pet pattern and I can’t wait to cast on…maybe after Christmas.

She also included 3 handmade personalised ornaments, one for each of the girls. They love them. Thanks Hannah!

         

{Conversations with little girls #3}

While taking Isla to a public toilet

Isla - Mummy, what’s that? (pointing to a sanitary bin)

Mummy – It’s for yucky things

Isla – …pause…for little boys?

Twirling fun!

You know the skirt mentioned here? Well this is it and the enthusiasm Elsa expressed for me to finish it still exists every time it comes out of the wardrobe. She loves it! So do I. Perfect for those warmer days (Summer hasn’t quite hit here yet, we had the fire on the other night!).

Pattern – Barefoot Knits Twirly Skirt

Yarn – Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece

 

If you can’t do it right, don’t do it at all…

I am afraid this is me. I wish it wasn’t a lot of the time and I am learning to not be so much like this. I mean who can sew, knit, craft everything perfectly the first time! Not me! Blogging has been a bit like this lately. I guess I don’t have to tell you as it has been pretty obvious that I haven’t been around much at all lately. It was once again one of those “ I don’t have time to do it perfectly so I can’t do it at all” moments…or months really!

But I am back! It won’t be perfect but I will post more regularly!

Just because the blogging stopped it doesn’t mean the crafting did. Time to get the camera out I think. I will be back….soon.

And the winner is…

Number 2 for the girls set…Kathy

Number 4 for the boys set…Tanya(who I know gave birth to a baby boy only days ago! Congratulations Tanya!)

I will be in touch soon to get your prizes to you.

Blogtoberfest Day 28 {Oaty Apple Pikelets}

This was lunch today for the girls. I had something a little lower in calories!

SO yummy! Oats, apples, honey and spice, what more could you want!

 Oaty apple pikelets (Recipe from here – if you want the healthier one use this recipe, I made mine a little fattier!)

INGREDIENTS

2 cups (500ml) full cream milk
1 cup (120g) oat bran
½ cup (75g) plain flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar
½ teaspoon mixed spice
2 eggs
1 large apple (200g), peeled, cored, chopped finely
1 tablespoon lemon juice
honey for on top
Butter for cooking

METHOD

Blend or process milk, bran, flour, sugar, spice and eggs until smooth; pour into large jug. Stir in apple and juice, cover; refrigerate 30 minutes (mixture will separate during refrigeration).
Heat large frying pan and add butter. Stir mixture to combine; using ¼-cup batter for each pikelet (mixture will be runny), cook two pikelets at a time, uncovered, until bubbles appear on the surface. Turn; cook until browned lightly. Serve topped with honey. (original recipe had ricotta as well which I think would be divine but we didn’t have any)