Bobble Crochet Cushion

I was Blog Surfing the other day and found the pattern for this fabulous crochet bobble blanket, which inspired me to make a cushion (slightly less to do, I admit).

Check it out here where there is a free pattern (love a free pattern) - thank you Nearsighted Owl.

 I love it soooooo much and it's such fun to make.

Keeps my ever changing thirst for diversity happy.

Maybe it's because I have changed colour every row, or because it's a cushion rather than a blanket, but it's keeping me engaged and I am almost finished with it.

It's soft, bumpy and cuddly.

Making me wish I had about six of them scattered around my home.
Gosh... it's so hard to just stick to one project and I am already thinking about the other 10 I could be making.
Hence the million things I start and struggle to finish.
 

Cocktail Week End

I would love to visit Brazil one day.

In the meantime, I can settle for the imaginary Brazil (in the UK this currently means: autumnal rain and fog... but hey... no excuse...) and "curl up" with a

CAIPIRINHA

 

It's a very easy cocktail to make.

The alcoholic ingredient in Cachaca (which you can find in any good off licence - I got mine, called Pitu, in Duty Free).

Limes.

Brown Demerera sugar.

Soda water.

And a pestle (or a wooden rolling pin).

See below for recipe:

In the meantime, this week end is a "finishing off" week end.

Putting to bed a few of my many unfinished projects and tasks.

Bring out the un-ticked To Do List.

Happy Week End Everyone.

x

Nina is 1

I can't believe that a year has gone by.

Nina is 1, and time has just flown by...

It feels like she should only be 6 months old, rather than 1.

She now, goes up the stairs, and back down when I say "Girati Nina" ("Turn around Nina").

She cruises, from piece of furniture to piece of furniture and has attempted her first steps (this week end), much to her excitement.

Feeds herself, very happily.

Is a wriggly girl, when nappies are concerned.

Gives kisses when I say "Bacini" (Little kisses).

Is fearless.

Loves the swimming pool.

Is an explorer and socialite.

Loves taking things out of things (and throwing them all over the room) and putting lids on anything "lid-able".

Adores her big brother Luca so much.

Follows her Daddy around and calls him "Dan" (very amusing, as his name is Alex - has Luca and I in fits of giggles).
Has just started saying "mamiiiii" (pretty much for anything and everything though).

Has 8 teeth (and lots more very sore ones pushing through...)
Wakes up at 6.45am on most morning (aarrggghhhh - though I have to say, better than her brother at this age)
Is a good traveler, but can handle a car journey for only a short-ish time.

Her 1st Birthday party was a Mad Hatter's one.
Cupcakes.
Jelly.
Hoola Hoops.
Pink Lemonade (though in effect, it was more Orange than Pink - how do you get Pink when you mix Lemons and Strawberries?)

 So... as you can see I went Cupcake mad.
I bought the Primrose Bakery App (for the iPad) and got baking.

 Also, I found the recipe for this yummy cake (more health than birthday, but then again... there was already a lot of sugar on the table).
Check it out here.
Mine didn't quite turn out as "pink" as it looks in the original picture, but it tasted good none-the-less.

Anyway, all in all, Nina's 1st Birthday Party was a lovely, vintage, tea party success.
Not sure how aware she was that it was in fact her big day, but hey... it's the photographs that will in future bring back her memories.

Happy Birthday my dear, gorgeous, smiling, yummy little star.
I love you so dearly and deeply.

xx

Cozy Tea Cozy

I found a crochet tea cozy pattern, in a new magazine called The Simple Things.

So easy to make and gorgeously retro.

I've already made three of them (addicted me thinks), I now just don't have enough

Pot Bellied tea pots to go round...

Now all I need now, is to really push the boat out, leave the square teabags behind

and invest in some proper loose tea leaves

:-)

 In the run up to Nina's 1st birthday party, I attended as many car boot sales as possible and entered each and every charity shop in search for mix and match tea cups and saucers.

For a Mad Hatters Tea Party.

It was such fun... and I never need worry about breakages, as... who cares, they are all odd!

Then a few days before the big One, I baked about 60 cupcakes (see above).

I became cupcake queen...

More on those later.

In the meantime, I'm off to drink a warm cup of Posh Tea.