The exciting and the downright mundane: an update

Hi!  I went MIA for a while there, right?  I've been SO busy.  Last time I blogged it was warm and sunny.  It's now cold and grey, and we've put the clocks back!  Sheesh.  I so hope I still have some blog friends who might read my ramblings.  I've been popping by reading everyone else's but just never have the time to comment (or, let's be honest, the inclination to… It's always a right faff commenting via blogger on my iPad).

So much has happened and I promise to blog more regularly again so that I can keep my posts relatively short.  This, however, will be epic.

Brace yourself.

Cosy kitchen.  Still working up the strength to chop up the world's largest butternut squash. 

Ellie, my new little niece, continues to be a delight and I am pleased to report that her Auntie Nicki was the first to make her properly giggle.  Seems she likes the cha cha.  Her mum, sister and grandmother have all tried their hardest to get a similar explosion of giggles from her but have failed miserably.  This makes me feel very smug.  Particularly as I have always been terrified around babies.  Izzie (my eldest niece) was not a cuddly baby and this did not help my phobia.  Ellie makes me almost broody.  She is a smiling, quiet and content little baby and she likes nothing more than a cuddle.  She also likes my singing (I know!), which makes me love her even more.  (I am currently singing, on repeat, 'Cauliflowers fluffy and cabbages green'… thanks to niece's harvest festival.  Too cool, I know.)

I had the day off work on Friday to take Izzie swimming.  There's a fun children's pool at my local Virgin Active and I knew she'd like it there.   We only spent an hour in the pool and I felt like I'd been through the wringer.  She was constantly splashing me, chasing me, racing me and once even (accidentally, I hope) gave me a sharp knee in the jawbone as she over-exuberantly practiced her backstroke legs.  By the time my sister left at 4pm I was exhausted.  How do parents do it, each and every day? It baffles me.  Big respect.  That said, days spent with Izzie are amongst my favourite.  She's funny, loving and so very bright.  I had to stop myself sniggering when she told me at the pool that it was 'a thrill, Auntie Nicki'.

Scissor fob pattern from The Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery.

I've been crafting my little fingers off with every spare moment and have made myself a lush little selection of spooky sewing notions.  Stitching witches, monsters and pumpkin faces on these long dark evenings has given me much joy!  I have also been working on a few bags and home accessories for a new venture with my lovely friend Claire.  We hope to launch the shop at homebird and belle later in November, just in time to sell a few Christmas decorations.  We will also sell a few bits and bobs that fellow crafters might like.  We are starting very small as we both have full-time jobs but it's a way to justify our fabric purchases and share our favourite things so we're happy right now.  We're blogging fairly regularly too and have already uploaded the first of some delicious recipes so please do stop by!

Speaking of full-time jobs, I start a new one at the beginning of December.  Still with the same organisation but I'll be working in a different department.  It's a step up for me and I expect it to be challenging and verrrrry busy!  I'm looking forward to a change.  Thankfully, I will still be in contact with my current line manager.  He has been my favourite boss of all (albeit the most demanding and challenging; he has such high standards!).  And I'm not just saying that because he might stumble across my blog!  I've worked for him for six years and learnt such a lot, I feel well prepared to move into another role.  Exciting times.

In other [less exciting but no less important] news, I have had my ear syringed, blitzed my bathroom cupboards (unearthing 4 brand news pots of my fave L'Occitane body cream - yay!) and developed an unhealthy obsession with hazelnut lattes.  I have also bought four new winter dresses, fallen in love with my mother-in-law's new Westie pup and sliced my thumb open on a plastic tub of fresh pasta sauce (serve me right for taking the lazy option).

You're all up to date!  ;)

I'll be back soon - thanks for reading.  Have a super lovely week.

Love

Nicki

x

A new baby in the family

Sewing [kitchen] trolley from Ikea.

Some pre-cut fabrics and FQ bundles in my sewing trolley :)

Fabric basket.  Lined with stiff interfacing to maintain shape.

My favourite quilting thread:  YLI.  Very strong, good colour selection and on pretty wooden spools.

I went to see my baby niece as soon as was feasibly possible: late afternoon last Monday.  She was 44 hours old as I held her in my arms.  She slept the entire time and I couldn't stop staring at her, she's perfect.

Izzie is 5 and totally enchanted by her little sister.  When I arrived at their house, she came running out of the front door to greet me, a giant smile stretching across her face.  She said breathlessly, "Auntie Nicki, the baby has popped out of mummy's tummy and I've got a sister - come and see!"  Ha! They'd just got back from the doctor's for Ellie's 48 hour check-up and Ellie was still in her car seat.  She is so small!  Izzie cannot leave her alone.  She plants big, wet kisses all over Ellie's face and - "look at her tiny little fingers and nails, Auntie Nicki" - pulls the sleep suit roughly up over Ellie's hands to marvel at the perfection of her baby sister.

My sister, though obviously still uncomfortable and sore, is blissful.  She and Ellie bonded immediately and Sarah seems content, relaxed and unbelievably happy.  She has always wanted children - lots of them preferably - and her doctor warned her it would be difficult to conceive due to her PCOS.  Her husband is looking after her well and they are the loveliest family.  I'm so happy for them.

The joy a baby brings to a family, right?!  Mum, Sarah and I group-message daily on Viber and it so nice to receive regular snaps of Izzie and Ellie; hear their news.

The sun continues to shine but it is definitely a little cooler, which is so welcome and makes me look forward to Autumn (I know, too soon).  The heat was starting to make me ratty.  I was fed up of feeling sweaty and unable to sleep at night-time.  I also have really bad hay fever this year - what's all that about?  I didn't get a whiff of hay fever until about four years ago and it seems to get worse each year.  Bizarre.  It's clearly a slippery slope to old age.  Ha.

I'm on a mission at the moment to organise and prettify my workroom.  I bought the [kitchen] trolley from Ikea a couple of weeks ago and it needed to be separated into compartments to help me properly sort my sewing bits.  I wasn't happy with the baskets available in Ikea and decided to make some fabric buckets on my return home.  I'm really pleased with the ones I made.  They were made purely by trial and error (they started off as just the one, quite shallow basket which didn't stand stiffly enough or fit into the trays) and I'm delighted with them now.  I used a Tilda charm pack and lined with pale pink tiny polka dot fabric (also by Tilda).  I am a huge Tilda fan.  I am planning a couple of Tilda quilts for myself, together with mother/baby hares and a mouse with a crown on.  The make-up bags, beach mat and sewing accessories are also on my 'to do' list.

Have a lovely week, friends.

Nicki 

x

Slow summer days

Rustic heart on our front door

Our back yard; the pots are starting to look really pretty.

Current WIP.  These are hexies that I printed ever so slightly too small, by accident.  Not sure what they will become.

Pretty Tilda fabric.

Lizzie photobombing.  Again.

I am having a quiet summer and loving it.  The days are long and hot.  I am working, sewing, watching a little TV, reading and swimming.

Man, I *love* going off for a swim when it's hot outside.  I have started to meet an old friend at the pool on a Friday evening and I'm really enjoying our dates.  We meet straight after work and swim half a mile alongside each other then have a good gossip in the spa before we each head home.  K is getting married in September and it is so nice to hear her wedding news.  I didn't enjoy planning my wedding at all and wish, now, that we'd gone for a smaller affair.  Don't get me wrong, my wedding day was the happiest day of my life, but I did not enjoy being the centre of attention.  I've changed since we got married.  I care less about what I ought to do and more about what I want to do.  I think if we got married again I'd hold a bunch of wildflowers in the local church with just my close family and friends.  I'd wear a pale pink dress and we'd all spend the rest of the day squashed into in the garden at home with lots of fairy lights and amazing food.  Anyhoo.

I am keeping a low profile socially.  I'm lucky to have a lot of really lovely friends but I went through a phase of over-booking my social diary then cancelling and letting people down, which would ultimately make them (and me) feel bad.  So I've scrubbed the diary clear and I'm letting things happen spontaneously where possible, which makes me feel much more calm and, oddly, in control.

My book stash is severely depleted; I am tearing through it.  Really enjoyed Tracey Chevalier 'The Last Runaway' and followed it up with 'Falling Angels' which I also liked.  I've then read the latest Peter James' 'Want You Dead' (another excellent read) and have this afternoon finished Mo Hayder's 'Wolf' (which is a decent read but a bit slow and not as scary as I'd hoped).

J has been with us this weekend.  I fetched him on Friday afternoon and we spent a lovely hour or so on the swing seat in the shade, catching up.  His school prom was a couple of weeks ago and he showed me the photos of him and his friends.  He seems to have a really cool group of friends; fun and cheeky but with enough nouse to work hard at school and get good grades.

We went into London last night to have dinner and see Derren Brown live.  It was stifling in the theatre but it was such a good show.  Made a change to do something different and it was really nice wandering through the busy streets of London on a hot summer night, sipping cold drinks and discussing the show.

But I've kept my best news 'til last.  My sister gave birth to a gorgeous baby girl last night.  She went into hospital at 6:30pm and the baby had been born by 9:30pm.  She did it all with just gas and air, lost a lot of blood and I understand it was *quite* painful, but they came home this afternoon and all is well.  I am going to see them after work tomorrow.  I cannot wait.  I adore my niece and to be given another… well, I couldn't have had better news this weekend.  Happy days!

Have a good week, lovely people.

Nicki

x

Let's finish with a little grumble, since I'm constantly hot and therefore a little bit ratty:

• My make-up is flatly refusing to stay put in this weather.  My eyebrows melt off my face within an hour and hayfever gives me leaky eyes, ruining my eyeliner.  I look, frankly, rank.

• Every day is a bad hair day.  My locks are well overdue a cut and colour so I am spending the summer resembling an aging rock star with long, greasy, dark roots and dry ends. 

• I am still smarting from my doctor telling me that he will no longer prescribe the contraceptive pill for me after Christmas.  Feels like it is only a matter of time before he suggests a hip replacement and heart pills.  I am NOT old dammit! 

Being an Auntie

I have always *always* wanted to be an auntie.  Never wanted my own children, but always wanted a niece or nephew.

In my teens I would joke with my sister that I was going to be the cool, fun, auntie who would screech to a halt outside her house in my little red sports car, toot the horn for my delighted niece to join me then whizz her away for a day of fun, treats and general spoiling.  Then I'd drop her off at the end of the day, exhausted and happy, and roar into the distance, to a glamorous party full of interesting people and gorgeous men.

My life isn't the glamour-fest I imagined in my youth (although, let me tell you, I can ROCK a fleece onesie) but I have the most lovely little niece that I could ever have wished for.  She is cute beyond words, funny, bright and extremely loving.  I adore her, even if she is a cheeky little madam and too used to getting her own way!  She's a pretty little thing, too.

This year, for the first time, she chose and wrote my birthday card all by herself.

When we met in the restaurant on my birthday, she rushed up towards me clutching two pink envelopes:  "Auntie Nicki, Auntie Nicki, we've got two cards for you.  This one's from mummy and this one's from me."  She proceeded to tear open the envelope.  "Look, isn't it cute?!   It's the cat's birthday and the birdy is giving him a flower." As she said this, Izzie clenched her fists and pressed them excitedly against her mouth; her eyes were sparkling and she did one of those quick little knee-bend bobs that people do when they are really excited and can't stand still.  "Isn't it so pretty, Auntie Nicki, is it your favourite?"  

I don't like to pick favourites but, yes, this card really is my favourite.  I will never forget the way she presented this little card.  She was unbearably cute and her enthusiasm was contagious.

I know that when she wrote the card out she would have concentrated *really* hard on writing each letter, asking her mummy how to spell 'Nicki' (I'm guessing she included the 'y' herself as she is learning phonics at school and this would have made perfect sense to her.)  The little kisses at the end are an extra little flourish she would have added herself.  It is the most perfect specimen of writing ever.

I realise that to most people this is all sentimental nonsense and that scribbles from your little ones are probably ten a penny.  But, to me, this is everything.   It is evidence of a little person in my life that I have always wanted and a relationship that I treasure.  

With love and fluffy stuff,

Nicki 

x

A festive round-up

Hi hi! Happy new year!

I feel great today.  Really happy, relaxed and calm.  I do not have a hangover, for I was in bed reading at 8:30pm last night (yeah, dudes, rock n roll).  As a result, I was up bright and early this morning, pottering and faffing in my craft room.  I am now writing this whilst drinking chocolate Baileys and watching The Sound of Music.  I could not be any happier!

Matching my yarn to my dress, natch.

I was incredibly busy in the run up to Christmas and, as we were hosting Christmas lunch (for 8 adults) for the first time ever, I was getting stressed.  I usually love December.  It feels like such a slow month and I adore the building anticipation as you get closer to Christmas Day.  This year, December flew by.   Time seemed to ramp up a gear from our weekend at Cowslip and I didn't leave the fast lane.  Until Monday evening: 30th December.  I wrapped up in a red tartan wool throw then we lit the fire and watched the Downton Abbey Christmas special.  It was lovely.  I was in that snuggly state of being half asleep but awake enough to register what was happening with the Crawleys.   It was the first time that Andrew and I had properly snuggled up in front of the telly on our own over since way before Christmas; we needed the time to recharge.

I made quite a few gifts for friends and family this year, including lots of lavender hearts, tissue cases and peppermint bark.  The tissue case tutorial was found on the two brown birds blog and is, frankly, genius.

I also made a festive lap blanket for my mother in law. (snorting at the expression 'festive lap blanket' - sounds so pompous.)

I used a layer cake from Moda (a Winters Lane) and cut the pieces into 5" squares - still lots left.

Packaged up with a lavender heart, ready to wrap.

Because I was nervous about making the quilt, I left it right until the last minute and produced it almost entirely fuelled by adrenalin.  I chose a piece of red gingham for the backing fabric and, after an impromptu binding lesson in the patchwork shop by the friendly owner there, I was on my own!  I was dreading the binding but it was actually my favourite part in the end.  I was sad when it was finished and am already planning another!  I *may* need to change our dining room table so that I have something big enough on which to lay out some much larger quilts! ;)

I think Ma F liked it; she sent me this photo from her house on Boxing Day.  Phew!

What made the whole process more nerve-wracking is that my MIL is an expert machinist - she has been making shoes in Northamptonshire her whole working life; even teaching at the local college.  She can spot a wonky seam from fifty paces.  With that said, she does at least appreciate the work and effort that goes into making something and I think she liked the finished quilt.  At least, I hope she did.

♥♥♥♥♥

Yesterday, New Year's Eve, was my birthday.  I love birthdays.  (Especially mine - ha!)

Andrew surprised me with a candle-lit birthday cake and champagne before breakfast, then we headed into London to see a West End show, as is our tradition.  This time we went to see The Lion King.  Both Andrew and I had seen it before (with our exes, not together) but we wanted one that Izzie (my 4 year old niece) could come along to, and this seemed to be the only suitable one - Matilda and Charlie were too old for her, according to the parental guidance.  My sis and her husband brought her to join Drew, mum, dad and me.  I loved it.  Loved every minute.  I adore my family and love spending time with them; time together feels even more precious as you get older and I definitely do not take it for granted.  We always have a great time going out with my mum and dad but it was nice that my sis and her  family joined us this year.

We ate steaks and mussels at Cafe Rouge, spending a good two hours chatting, laughing and being kissed by Izzie.  We sneaked in a bit of shopping beforehand at Liberty too (of course).  We were all back at our respective homes by 7:30pm and I can't tell you how much I prefer a NYE involving a bit of shopping, lunch and a matinee performance rather than dolling myself up to go out drinking in the evening.  I've never liked going out in the evenings on NYE; I think because mum and dad used to go out every NYE and leave me to be babysat by my nan.  Nan and I used to eat crisps and sweets (a real treat!) and pull the two armchairs right up to the TV to watch Morecambe & Wise together.  I still like to cosy up at home on New Year's Eve now, 27 years later.

I was given some lovely presents for my birthday including some gorgeous additions to my wardrobe from Cabbages & Roses from Andrew and some beautiful perfume with matching body lotion:

Smells beautiful and has the added benefit of calming and restoring the mind.

I was given my favourite chocolates, too.  Love Rose & Violet creams and the best I have tasted are from Charbonnel & Walker.

The Greengate quilt in the background was a birthday gift from my Grandma.  

Mum and dad gave me a beautiful sparkly Swarovski cuff bracelet, a Swarovski pen and a Lynette Anderson cushion kit - The Orange Tree.  I will crack on with that soon.

The threads above were not for my birthday - mum gave them to me for Christmas, but I'm so delighted by them that I wanted to show you!  I know my blog friends will appreciate them :)

So, a lengthy post and a bit of a Christmas/birthday round-up.  Hope I didn't bore.  Andrew's just fetching me a coffee and a mince pie so I'm going to sit and watch the rest of the Sound of Music and enjoy the last dregs of the first day of the year.

Wishing you all a very, very, happy new year.  Looking forward to spending it with you in cyberspace.

Nicki 

x

Happy Days

A day off with bright sunshine and I feel as though I've won the lottery.  It's days like today that make me realise that it doesn't take an awful lot to make me happy.

I've been up since 7 (on my own - bliss!) and have already pegged out my first load of washing, put a second load on, fed the dog and had a hot cup of coffee (a rarity, I usually get distracted and they go cold).  

Friday morning's cuppa.  This morning's was much the same!

We've had a lovely weekend here so far.  Both Drew and I took an extra day's leave on Friday and had lunch together at the Bell Plantation in Towcester.  The cafe there is one of my favourites - gorgeous homemade food and the place is really nicely decorated too.  It was a lovely sunny day so I dug out the summer brights.

Dress, cardie and bag all Joules.  Pumps M&S.  (Grin c/o of boss for sorting my work woes this week.)

We ate homemade salmon quiche with salad and chips.  It was so good.  Afterwards, we came home for a nap in the sunshine before fetching J.  Upon seeing me, J 'helpfully' commented that I was 'one of those' people who wears their summer wardrobe the second the sun starts to shine (I am).  I'm not sure it was a compliment.   

The sun has continued to shine all weekend, for the most part, and after a busy day on Saturday we spent yesterday just hanging around at home, painting (me), watching football (Drew) and watching TV/texting whilst pretending to revise (J).

Still working on my tea cosy.  I hope to finish it this week.

I have a few plans for today, all of them fun.  Yay!  First up, I'm going to give my craft room a good sort out.  I haven't really used it since we had the kitchen done apart from popping in occasionally to retrieve and deposit yarn/books etc.  I am sitting in here now and there are piles of craft books and bags of yarn everywhere, all lightly sprinkled with a dusting of various random craft items including ribbons, jewellery charms, embroidery floss, fabric scraps and beads.  It *sounds* like my idea of heaven but in reality is beginning to resemble a scene from 'The Hoarder Next Door'*.

This afternoon I'm going to have a go at some patchwork and might pop out to a local May Day fête.  I should be able to persuade Drew to come if I let him know there will be homemade cakes!

♥♥♥♥♥

Finally, I am pleased to report that I have, at last, hit the point where I am properly motivated to lose weight.  I've steadily gained pounds over the last year and now none of my favourite Current/Elliot jeans fit me.  I've tried to diet recently but have been through a bit of a mood slump and chocolate was the only cure.  The slump is finally behind me (a whole other, very boring, story).   I had the loveliest of chats with my gorgeous friend Lisa over wine and pizza on Thursday and now feel totally motivated to sort out my shiz once and for all.  

Pre-run, proudly showing off my bumbag.  See, I am so motivated that I bought a BUMBAG!

I'm 5'6" and yesterday hit the scales at 11st 1lb.  I am very small boned and do not carry weight well at all.  My hips and bum are a size 14 and my bazongas now require an F cup.  This would be fine if the clothes in my wardrobe were able to accommodate such voluptuousness, but they aren't - they were all bought for a far less curvy me.  So, yesterday evening I took photographs of myself in my undies without holding my breath.  I took photos from the front, the side and (shudder) the back.  (Then I had a stiff drink.)  I've annotated the photos with 'Day One' and my weight, then saved them in a special file on my computer that is heavily encrypted and causes any would-be hackers to spontaneously combust if they try to access it.  I'm using the MyFitnessPal app on my phone to log my calorie intake and I've set up an extra instagram account for photos of every bit of food I scoff (sounds enthralling, right?! ha!).

I have also started a weight-loss journal.  At the back of the book I've logged my weight and vital stats, then each day I will record the calories I've eaten and the exercise I've done.

My favourite 'food rule' is the 'Cake at Weekends' bit... I wanted something positive! 

It will be my gratitude journal too; each evening I will list five things that day I am grateful for.  Yesterday I noted gratitude for having such a lovely stepson - he delighted me by producing a diet coke for me.  He put it in a pretty glass and took the time to put ice in.  Unprompted.  That boy has been brought up well.

Enjoy your bank holiday Monday everyone.  I haven't forgotten about showing off my kitchen... I'm just waiting until it's tidy enough for some nice photos with my big girl's camera.

Big fat kisses,

Nicki 

x

* Fascinating and mildly horrifying programme on CH4 which documents people who live atop a huge pile of general rubbish that they've hauled into their homes over the years.  One woman actually had rats nesting in her 'stuff'.  Eeek.

Sun, Sand and Sea in Norfolk

We went to the seaside over the weekend.  My parents have a static caravan by the beach in North Norfolk and we had booked it a while ago.  It was tempting to call the whole thing off given the weather here on Friday but I am fed up of the rain putting the mockers on my summer so decided that we would proceed with our mini break and just ensure that we had the right clothes with us in case of rainstorms.

When we picked J up en route on Friday night the rain was coming down in bucket-loads and I was mildly alarmed (but not surprised) to see that he wasn't wearing a coat.  (He's a teenager and I don't think they 'do' coats.)  He was also wearing a pair of brand spanking new - very white - trainers.  I quelled my natural instinct to insist on him grabbing a jacket and a pair of more practical [older, less cool] shoes and thanked the Lord that we had packed a shedload of DVDs in case we were stuck indoors.

Saturday, however, dawned bright and breezy.  I was up ages before Andrew and J so made myself a big mug of coffee and sneaked into the living room, put the little fire on and spent a few hours stitching before the menfolk got up.  It was bliss!  

  

Andrew was first to surface so we dressed quickly and took the dog for a walk to the bakery to fetch supplies for brunch.  We sat around the caravan watching TV for a while and then drove across to Holt for cake and a poke around some of the antique shops.  I have found a new favourite shop and spent a bit too long lusting after vintage factory baskets (bought two, yay!), vintage-style ribbon and wire bread baskets.  I also found a ladybird book in an antique shop that I had LOVED as a child and completely forgotten about.  Wish I had bought it now, I keep thinking about it:  The Elves and the Shoemaker.  Remember that one?  I loved the little pink boots the elves had made.

When we got back to the caravan it was warm and sunny so we took a long walk along the beach - J and Andrew played catch all the way along the promenade.

Walking along the sea front with my little dog in the sunshine, watching my two best boys running around, laughing and yelling to each other makes me so happy, really properly heart-squeezingly happy.  Such simple pleasures.  Nice to spend the weekend remembering what's important - it's been a bit stressful round here lately.

We rounded up the day with an early dinner at the pub, a quick turn around the little amusement arcade and walked back to the caravan with an ice cream before settling down to watch a film together.

Sunday was more of the same - walks in the sunshine, sewing and reading.  The weather was beautiful so we chose to make the most of it and stay a bit later than we ordinarily would.  It was quiet, relaxed and nice to have some proper quality time together.  

♥♥♥♥♥

Today has been a different story altogether.  We discovered that our debit card has been cloned and the fraudsters (love that word) have spent £1,500 on gambling websites.  (I am ashamed to admit that I was a teeny bit relieved at the fact it was a genuine fraudster this time.  Andrew phoned me, just a few weeks ago, in a huge panic about a potential fraud on our account where the fraudsters had spent ridiculous amounts of money at Amazon and Space:nk, all in the space of a few days.  Erm, no darling, that was me.  Not popular.)

We will get the money back but not before our holiday on Thursday and I had big plans for that cash, largely involving the French flea markets and haberdasheries.  :-)

Have a good week everyone.  Thanks for popping over here and a big thanks to my new followers for clicking the follow button!  *waves* 

I'm planning a giveaway to celebrate 300 followers so we're getting closer! 

Nicki 

x

Baking Frenzy

I have been meaning to upload these photos for a while now but after having my horrid root canal treatment (yay for sedation!) I managed to saddle myself with a cold.  So annoying.  I have just about managed to get through the working days but the second I switched off my laptop I was back in my PJs and into bed.  

I'm on the mend now but the husband has caught it and, obviously, has it much worse than I did.  Whatevs!   I am no nurse and his constant mouth-breathing, throat-clearing and nose-blowing is grossing me out a bit.  I know that sounds really unsympathetic but I'm just super-queasy when it comes to snot.  Ick.

So, let's talk about sugar and spice and all things nice.  Like cake.

I had a bit of a baking frenzy before our holiday to Center Parcs - I really wanted to take some homemade baked goodies for the family.  Having made the doughnut muffins recently I have become a little bit obsessed with injecting things with jam (!).  It's such fun.  These little vanilla cupcakes have a squidge of strawberry jam in the centre and are lush.  In fact, Drew declared them my 'best ever' cupcakes!  I knew this little jam trick would work because my friend's mum runs a gorgeous cupcake business and she sometimes adds a squib of jam to hers.  

I made two dozen muffins too:

Cinnamon & Walnut muffins

Rocky Road muffins

The muffins look delicious but were a bit disappointing.  The cinnamon and walnut ones were a tad dry.  The chocolate muffins were OK but I didn't feel they were nice enough to warrant the calories.  I have this thing about chocolate cake.  I love it, but I rarely find one I absolutely delight in.  I can't bring myself to finish a slice of chocolate cake that's anything less than delicious.  My search for the perfect chocolate cake continues (alongside the search for perfect red lipstick - they all make me look a bit sinister).  Delia's chocolate roulade is amazing but really just for special occasions.  If you can give me a fab chocolate cake recipe I'll be your BFF.

I had to make scones - we've developed a bit of a love affair with the cream tea - but I also made some  coconut tarts:

My mum makes these every Christmas. They are jam tarts with a mixture of sugar, butter and coconut spooned on top before they are baked.  One is never enough! I love them.

And of course I had to make a few mini buns for my niece's dollies to have a tea party with:

Told you it was a frenzy!  I don't know why I made quite so many cakes (there were only seven of us on holiday) but I was just enjoying it all so much I didn't want to stop.  I'm planning more baking this weekend.  I've already made a big plateful of the ubiquitous chocolate crispy bird nest cakes, complete with mini eggs, but I'm also going to make some coffee cupcakes and a batch of iced fingers for our Easter tea tomorrow.  I had a practice run of the buns last weekend and I think they are going to be amazing!

In other news, I've finally finished my granny square blanket, decorated an Easter tree, had a huge sort out of my kitchen cupboards and cleared our barn to create a delightful little potting shed.  It's a work in progress but photos to follow.

Have a great Easter weekend! 

Nicki 

x

PS -  I just wanted to explain why I've been so rubbish at commenting on blogs lately.  I had an iPad for my birthday which I use all the time now.  I love it.  It isn't great for commenting on blogs though.  I've found that if I type a comment and try to correct a typo the whole thing freezes so I have to scrap it and start again.  Beyond frustrating so I've been reading your blogs and not commenting, which makes me feel a bit rude.  Sorry - I've dug the laptop out of hiding now and I'll be back in full 'gobby' glory!  :-) xx

Back from our holidays!

I'm back from my first ever visit to Center Parcs.  I'm always honest on my blog (and on yours, when I comment) so I'll start by saying that I really wasn't expecting much from the place.  I imagined an overpriced Travelodge in Nottingham with a sports centre attached.  

I loved every minute.  Of course, the weather helped - we were treated to beautiful spring sunshine every single day.  

We hired bikes as soon as we got there (£25 for the week - take your own if you have them!) and I loved the simplicity of travelling everywhere by bicycle.  (Although I did discover that my cycling skills are not quite so sharp in the dark after a few glasses of wine and a huge plate of nachos in the pub-style Sports Cafe...)

We played badminton every morning and followed it up with a Starbucks coffee on the terrace with the sun on our [red/sweaty] faces, listening to the birds sing and watching the grey squirrels go about their business.  

We were on holiday with my parents, my sis, her husband and my adorable little niece and we all shared a lodge.  It was newly decorated (I think, actually, it was newly built) and a really good size.  There were four bedrooms each with its own flat-screen TV, wooden balcony with furniture and a decent en-suite with double sinks, jacuzzi baths and monsoon showers.  Our particular lodge also had an open fire, a mains-fired barbecue on the terrace and our very own outdoor sauna!  We had a games room, too, with a pool table and PS3 which came in handy for the evenings if you fancied staying in*.  

I loved being Auntie Nicki for the week.  Particular highlights (that all Mums probably take for granted) included snuggly cuddles at 6am each morning, hiccuping giggles at the silly jokes I made and her absolute, unwavering concentration on our little game with the Sylvanian Families toy that I took as a mid-week surprise for her.  Cute as a button.

Part of the wall in our lodge painted with blackboard paint  - a bowl of coloured chalks was provided.

We also played a fair bit of table tennis.  The husband was chuffed (and surprised) to discover that I'm a bit of a demon with a ping pong bat.  I did beat him at a game on our honeymoon but he considered that a fluke.  Drew is amazingly good at table tennis so I didn't beat him but I put up a bloody good fight and felt a bit like the cool girl in the K-Swiss ad.  Ha!

Of course, Center Parcs is well-known for its swimming facilities.  I did give the rapids and one of the slides a go but, to be honest, I was a bit underwhelmed.  The wave machine was tame and the slides were short and, dare I say it, a bit boring.  However, we paid for a cabana for the afternoon which gave us our very own wooden little hut with sunloungers, magazines, TV, fresh towels and cold drinks.  It was lovely to have somewhere to escape; to dry off, relax with a coffee and a waffle and watch Baby Jake...   Also, my Mum's experience of the rapids will stay with me for the rest of my life.  She was hilarious.  Very embarrassing but hilarious too.  She disappeared for ages - my Dad had to go back to fetch her and the lifeguard had to yell across the pool to her (he called her 'my love' which tickled me; he was about 19!).  I stood by him laughing my head off, almost to the point of wheezing, when she blinkingly emerged from the final - quite fierce - waterfall, very panicky with puffed out cheeks and her hair pasted down to her forehead looking exactly like a hairy swimming cap.  Makes me laugh just thinking about it - sorry Mum.

We girls spent Wednesday afternoon at a willow weaving class**.  It was ace.  In an hour and a half we each made a willow teepee for the garden.

We did manage to whack each other a few times with unruly bits of damp willow (it is soaked in cold water for a few hours before the class to make it malleable) and my Mum was embarrassing yet again when she accidentally whipped the oldest lady in the class (who let out a surprised yelp) but all in all it was a very civilised activity and I can definitely recommend it.  In fact, I'm up for doing more of it.  I'd like to make hearts and wreaths next.  

Izzie had a fantastic time. The place really is great for kids and families (I know, that's the point). 

She took part in tots bowling and tots tennis whilst we were there and then went on a pedalo with her dad on the lake.  There are parks a-plenty and a little man-made beach which was quite popular.  (It was packed out and this was March.  I imagine it's horrendously busy in the summer.)

So, a fab time had by all and I'm hoping it will become an annual event.  I've come home looking and feeling much healthier and fresher - I feel as though I've blown the cobwebs away ready for spring.  

Have a great week! 

Nicki 

x

*These lodges are quite expensive in the school holidays but because we stayed off-peak and shared the cost between three couples we managed to get amazing value for money.  

**You do have to pay for activities when there so it's worth bearing this in mind before you go - the willow weaving class was £16.  I thought this was pretty good value for money but I do think that to properly experience Center Parcs you should really pack in the activities, which obviously mounts up.  Definitely take your own bikes when you go - it's super-safe to cycle around as no cars are allowed in the park except on the two changeover days.  Next time I will be trying the watersports - the double kayaks look like fun - and I'll take my tennis racquet too.  

The new polka dot bag and other happy stories

Sickeningly happy at the moment.  On-top-of-the-world, want-to-hug-myself and smile-at-strangers happy.  I might be a little bit irritating - sorry about that.

Completely in ♥♥♥ with my new polka dot satchel:

I am 100% chuffed as nuts with it.  I went for the largest size traditional satchel because I plan to use it for my laptop when I go into the office.  It's roomy without being bulky and fits my laptop, cables and notebook perfectly.  It's genuine leather and lush quality - even came with a little signed certificate by the ladies who made it.  This baby will last me a lifetime.  I am crazy for polka dots at the moment and red is my new favourite colour - this bag makes my heart do little skips.  I can't stop looking at it!  

For work I wear either black, grey or beige - my winter coat is plain grey and very sensible so this little beauty will give my outfits a little blast of colour.  It's from Zatchels and they are available in all kinds of sizes, styles and colours.  I quite fancy a neon pink number too.  Love.  Love.  Love.

♥♥♥

Remember the pretty tea set and spoons that my MIL gave me a while back?  Well she emailed me last weekend to say that she'd picked up some little glasses because she thought I'd like them....

Like them?  I LOVE them!  There are six and all are in tip-top condition.  Apparently they were in a box on the floor ready to be put up for sale - I never have such luck in charity shops to catch things that early.  So lovely of her to think of me and she wouldn't accept the money for them either.

Perfect for sherry o'clock!

♥♥♥

I missed my yoga class yesterday morning.  I was up bright and early, wearing plenty of layers to deal with early morning stretching in the cold.  As soon as I stepped outside I knew I wouldn't be going to yoga.  The sun was shining brightly and a thick frost was sparkling on every surface.  It was, quite simply, the most beautiful winter morning.  I did an about-turn back up the drive and into the house.  Dumped my yoga bag, called the dog and was out the door again.  It was crispy cold outside and as I tramped through the fields with the dog trotting and sniffing by my feet I had an overwhelming sense of wellbeing.  I actually stood at the entrance of one field, stretched my arms high over my head (trying to make up for missing the yoga class - felt a bit guilty) and it occurred to me that I had an enormous smile on my face.  What a hippy! 

I stayed out for an hour and a half, all by myself.  I am so happy I made that spontaneous decision to ditch the yoga and enjoy the morning.  At lunchtime it turned grey and misty - by 4pm we had the first sprinkling of snow.

We made a quick trip to Brackley Antique Cellar (it's my new favourite place) where I picked up a gorgeous chunky old candlestick, a couple of other knick-knacks and some Annie Sloan paint.  I bought an old rocking chair over Christmas which I am going to have a bash at painting.  

It is my Great Auntie's 70th Birthday on Tuesday and the whole family met for lunch today.  There were 24 of us in total with about eight children, it was very noisy and I'm sure everyone else in the pub was delighted when we left!  

Bunting that my cousin's wife made for my niece.  Isn't it lush!

As we were leaving we all gathered together for a group photo and roped an innocent passerby into taking the snap.  There was a huge beer garden at the pub which proved the perfect place for the children to have a snowball fight. Before long, we adults had all joined in!  I love my extended family - we are all quite close and they are all really good fun.  I'm a lucky girl to have such great people in my life.  

(Told you I was sickeningly happy.)

So a bit of a long post I'm afraid.  I wait until I have a sufficient amount of time to blog and then I have too much to say! I've discovered the addiction that is Twitter - if you have an account, please say hello! I'm @xxnickifxx.  

I really like taking little shots of my day on Instagram to post via twitter. Here are some recent ones:

Mini Malteser bunny

Stopping for a quick cuppa

Baked mini sponges with my new pan

Swapped sides with the husband to keep away from the cold window. It's weird but I love my new little space!

Manic Monday tomorrow.  I intend to get through my least favourite day by moving my home office temporarily to the dining room where I'll work by the fire and stay snug.  

Have a great week everyone! 

Nicki 

x