TUESDAY TUESDAY

chewy macaroons for a tuesday. flavoured with a little cardamom and rolled in rose water scented hands before baking. obviously no relation to these beauties but satisfyingly easy to make and deliciously not so sweet that you can't eat four in one sitting with a cup of earl grey. recipe from feast by ms lawson which i just found written out here...please excuse my lazy bones for not jotting it out once more!

and a couple more joys to add to the good things list today. fancy a free stitch font? home sweet home is a new favourite thanks to the link from the very inspirational tea for joy...and for those who like a bit of woolly writing there's a knitfont too...mum are you reading?

lastly before i head to bed i heartily recommend rushing over to the world of miss pickering for a rather wonderful giveaway...do it for me because i feel non-eligible somehow for knowing the real miss p from school days and already being lucky enough to have received two of her beautiful arrangements. hey i even get to visit the floral emporium and fuss the handsome hound on a whim so i definitely count myself out of the running!

RHUBARB + CUSTARD

well yes...to say that things have been quiet here of late really is stating the obvious...but i have been creating...honest!

today i made a little thank you card for our lovely friends hilary + david who got married a few weeks ago. we took a long but easy-going road trip up to scotland to see them tie the knot and spend some days enjoying the beautiful surroundings. i popped a few photos over here when we got back.

as a wedding gift i got reacquainted with my sewing machine and put together a patchwork bed runner for them. nice and quilty with a couple of layers of cotton wadding...it should keep their toes warm and cosy for a few years to come! the colours were inspired by hil's invitations...and the sweet handmade daisy detail that would become a real feature of their day with a pretty necklace worn by the bride...little decorated cupcakes and her simple bouquet of the flowers.

of course a sprinkling of vintage buttons couldn't be resisted!

ONE LITTLE RASPBERRY

the sunshine has lead me astray...not much time for words these days...just time to report that the first raspberry has been spotted then savoured on the spot. it's a race with the birds but i got the prize today. i must say that they are my very favourite berry...should i confess to this in the midst of strawberry season? no apologies...i'm just not that fussed on them. anyway raspberries go so much better with chocolate so that's the winning match for me.

so i'm off now to dream up ideas for a wedding headpiece. but first must come the outfit! two weeks to go so i'd better get looking...but who wants to go shopping though when there's tennis to watch and roses to be picked in the garden?

FIVE YEARS IS WOOD

TEAR SHEET TUESDAY :: 009

i'm back into making mode and about time too!

chambray ciel :: school navy
cherry pop :: summer cotton

THIRTY FOUR

today was a very good birthday.

truth be told i think it comes high in my top five...a high chart entry indeed when it ranks alongside the one where i not only had a strawberry shortcake birthday cake but also wore a strawberry print ra-ra dress and received a bean bag in the shape of a strawberry...all made by my clever mum. it was sunny that day too. i think i was seven.

and my mum didn't disappoint with this year's cake either. raspberry and chocolate. ciaran and me have just indulged in two helpings with an evening cuppa. life is good.

i woke up early and read my book before ciaran woke up. i didn't even need to open the curtains it was so bright. listening to the birds in conversation outside. opening cards in bed. a long catch up with my brother on the phone. lunch outdoors with warm shoulders and chatty people. hugs from my family. a surprise flower arrangement that i want to carry with me from room to room. (my very favourite peonies and a sweet william that has a special meaning...my dad took my mum a bunch wrapped in newspaper when i was born) and with two new cake stands too this birthday is nearing the number one spot!

i am a very lucky girl.

BEFORE MAY RUNS AWAY

it's time to return with a little makeover and a bit more spring in my step...thanks to the splendid sunshine here it's sandals ahoy and pale legs bared for the world to see! loving the simplicity of dressing in this weather...not loving those "what-no-socks?" blisters that my soft winter heels have endured as i dared to wear new shoes. no-back footwear is the only way forward for me i feel!

i often find myself in these cycles of blogging. i take a week off and then seem to step away from it all for a lot longer not knowing why and not knowing how to get back. but back i am and with things to share.

so for starters...a spot of friday baking and today's cupcake of choice is the hummingbird...courtesy of this recipe found through miss pickering (she of the red stained fingers!) i added a bit of cinnamon to mine and very nearly some grated carrot too just because i do love a vegetabley cake...i was very disciplined though and stuck with the original ingredients. (cooks note...for the cream cheese frosting i reduced the quantity of everything by a third which was plenty and as a bonus means a standard 200g sized tub of philly is perfect.)

and in other news...

the first rose in the garden has bloomed and i spy four fat pink peony buds too.

leya started up a new weekly flickr group called daily rituals

i launched a webite with my mum to showcase our stitching adventures...you can see a bit more of what we do over here. it took a good few weeks of my scribbles on paper and ummings and ahhings to be cleverly converted into html by ciaran. he who's patience was tried more than occasionally with many a diva-ish demand for colour changes and spacing issues on my part...and the poor boy got paid in baked goods only...ok with a good helping of love!

stories of painted furniture and chopped hair? stay tuned for the next episode...