250 is a good enough reason

I've just realised that I've posted 250 posts on this here little blog of mine - yay! 

 

Surely, that is a good enough reason for me to hold a giveaway.

 

Seeing as my blog is entitled I Should Have Listened to my Mother, why not leave a comment on today's post, telling me what was the best piece of advice your mother gave you. If not that, then how about a favourite recipe she passed down to you, or maybe just a treasured/funny memory (if you want to share it, that is). 

 

Closing date will be next Friday, which should give me plenty of time to sort out a prize.

 

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend.

 

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Thank you postcards

 

Last year's 'Thank You' postcards were so well received by various folk, that I decided to do the same again this year. 

 

I've gone for a simpler version this time round, and I'm really happy with how they turned out.

 

 

I had created a collage version over on Picmonkey first, but sadly it didn't transfer well on to a postcard layout.

 

This was my original design.

Perhaps I'll be able to make a card version from this design instead, as I love all the different expressions on Violet's face.

 

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Spots, stripes & roses

After a dear friend complimented me on the bag I made a few weeks ago, I thought I'd make her one too. 

 

She's really in to pinks and I thought this Barefoot Roses fabric, designed by Tanya Whelan would be right up her street.

 

 

The stripe fabric is also by Tanya Whelan, though I can't recall the name of the spotty fabric.  Sorry, my little grey cells aren't what they used to be.

 

I took special care when constructing this bag, making sure that the striped panels on the sides all matched up perfectly.  Taking my time and paying attention to those little details really paid off.  It's probably my neatest sewing to date, and my friend was thrilled when I gave it to her. 

 

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It's another beautiful day here again today - I've even got my legs out!!!!

 

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Edited 12th July 2013:  I've just been into town and found out what the spotty fabric is.  It's Flea Market Fancy by Denyse Schmidt.

 

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Revisiting an old favourite

This morning I had a hankering for a cheese scone.

 

I used to make them quite regularly, but since having Violet, I've become lazy and just haven't bothered.  But, today I thought I'd get out my faithful (read very old, falling to pieces, covered in different foodstuffs from past decades) notebook, which holds some of my favourite recipes. 

 

 

According to my notebook, these little lovelies are Lincolnshire Poacher Scones.  Though I used plain old Supermarket Strong Cheddar today, as I didn't have any Lincolnshire Poacher sitting in the fridge.

 

Here's the recipe if you fancy making some.  The original source is unknown, though I probably jotted it down from a Good Food magazine.

 

 

Ingredients

 

675g Plain Flour

40g  Baking Powder

1 tsp Salt

140g Butter

200g Lincolnshire Poacher/Cheddar, grated

3 Egg, beaten (plus 1beaten Egg to glaze)

200ml Milk

 

1.  Heat oven to 200c/180c (fan)

2.  Sift the flour, baking powder and salt in to a bowl.

3.  Add the butter and rub together.

4.  Add 150g of the grated cheese.  Then add the beaten eggs & milk.  Combine to make a ball of dough.

5.  Tip onto a floured surface, and roll out.  The dough should be about 2cm thick.

6.  Cut out as many rounds as you can, and put them on a baking sheet.

7.  Brush with the beaten egg, and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.

8.  Bake for 15-20mins, until golden.

  

My husband absolutely adores cheese scones, so I think I've earned myself some major wifey points today!

Right then, I'm off to sit in my garden.

 

 I have knitting and scone eating to do.

Hope you're all enjoying this glorious sunshine too.
 

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A Rainbow Promise

 

A very good morning to you all.  I hope you were out enjoying the fabulous sunshine over the weekend. Wasn't it glorious?

 

And, what about the tennis?  I was totally enthralled.  Huge congratulations to Andy Murray - what a stupendous achievement.

 

All I've got for you on this sunny Monday morning is a photo of Violet making her Rainbow promise.

 

 

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Thank you gift

It's coming to the end of Violet's Reception year, and I have to start thinking about what to give her teacher, and teaching assistant, as a Thank You gift.

 

I've been wracking my brains trying to think what I can get her teacher.  He's a man, and I don't think he'd appreciate one of my embroidered lavender bags, or a covered notebook, like I've made in the past.  If any of you have any ideas on what would be a good gift for a male teacher, please let me know. 

 

The teaching assistant's gift is much easier, and I've already made a start.

 

I bought a fabulously bright green notebook from TK Maxx a few months ago, and decided to cover it in some of the fabric, which I had left over from the bag I made a few weeks back.

 

 

Covering a book is so simple.

 

 

 

I absolutely love this fabric.  Sketchbook Roses from Amy Butler's Alchemy collection.

 

I'll probably make her a bag to match.

 

Wishing you all a wonderful, sunny weekend.

 

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Mrs........

 

Hello, and thank you all for the lovely wedding wishes you sent.

 

Unfortunately, I don't have any actual wedding photos to show you at the moment, as we haven't had chance to view them yet.  It will be a bit of a wait I'm afraid, as we aren't booked in to view them until the end of August. 

 

What I can show you, are some photos I took.  Though there aren't that many.

 

This was our beautiful hotel room.

 

 

And our fancy shamcy bathroom.

 

 

I think Violet was a bit upset that there wasn't a third sink for her.

 

We stayed at the Hotel Du Vin, in York.

 

This was my bouquet.

 

 

I only wanted something very simple.

 

Three heads of white Hydrangea with some Bear Grass around the outside.

 

It's still looking good, sat in a vase on my kitchen window.

 

I kept my fingers crossed for some sunshine on the drive up to York, and luckily it kept dry all day.

 

The wedding was a very simple, intimate affair at the Register Office, with only a handful of guests.  Then it was off to the Museum Gardens for some photographs, before heading off the Betty's, for cakes and some fizz.

 

Here's a pic of my new husband with Violet outside York Minster.

 

 

Look at the glorious blue sky.

 

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