My first blogging award!

Thank you Mary Poppins for my award! It is so touching that people read my blog and consider it worthy of a blogging award! I will send it on to my favourite 8 blogs who will in turn send it on to another 8, including the special piece of text (below) ... this will be a difficult choice as I keep discovering more and more vintagy/crafty/foody blogs!!  

The authors say that blogs who receive this award are exceedingly charming. This blog invests in proximity in space, time and relationships. These kind bloggers aim to find and be new friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandisement. Our hope is that when ribbons of these awards are cut, even more friendships will be propagated. Please give your kind attention to these writers.

It's so hard to choose as I read so many wonderful blogs which are full of inspirational ideas ... but I would like to award my current favourite crafty and foody blogs: 

Mary Poppins

Kitschen Pink

A Thrifty Mrs

Vintage Tea

Lucy Locket Recycled Her Pocket

Lavenderhouse

Domestic Goddess In Training

Green Apples

It's Marmalade Time!

I received an email from Lakeland this morning declaring that

Seville oranges are now briefly in season (until about mid-Feb) ... so time to stock up and make some marmalade!  So, without further ado - I'm off to get myself nine oranges to make a batch of the orange stuff!

Nine posts until my 100th post giveaway! Keep your eye on my blog!

Cup of tea?

I'm so proud of myself!! I managed to knit this fab tea cosy ... my first attempt at something which wasn't a scarf ... I even followed a pattern! 

Afternoon tea with Audrey Hepburn

Hurray! It's the weekend! Always a relief!

Today we ventured into Plumdon to look for some new boots (I spent yesterday sitting at my desk with soggy feet - and had decided enough was enough!)  I didn't manage to find any bargain boots in the shops - but got some lovely wool instead! 

We didn't stay out very long and I popped some scones in the oven while we had some lunch.  So here I am on Saturday afternoon with tea and scones, watching "Paris When It Sizzles".....perfect! 

I've been tagged!

It's always exciting to know that I actually have readers - and have been linked to other blogs so it was doubly exciting to be "tagged" by Greedy Nan!  I can't resist to join in!

Here's what you need to do:

Link to who tags you;
Post the rules;
Write 6 random things about yourself;
Tag 6 people at the end and link to them;
Let each person know;

Here are my six things:

I love Georgian urban history (spa towns and the like)

I wish I had been born in any decade 1900-1940 as I love the fashions of those periods.

I'm vegetarian ... and no, I don't miss bacon sandwiches!

I cry at anything and everything (books, films, tv, music)

I love listening to Radio 2 ... especially "Brunch with Ball", Radcliffe & Maconie and Elaine Paige!

I want a cat!

Here are the six blogs I am tagging:

Domestic Goddess In Training

Mary Poppins

The Adventures of an American Girl in England

Molly Cupcakes

Lavenderhouse

Vintage, Pretty and Shabby

I hope that you will want to take part! Thank you for tagging me, Greedy Nan!

I won't give up my day job! aka "The Bag"

I have just finished my bag! Hurray! I got fed up with trying to follow the complicated non-instructions in "Sew Hip" magazine (and also noticed that it was an 'intermediate' project ... oh well) and just sewed the thing up any old way (!) ... have you noticed the nifty pocket on the front for knitting needles?! 

I used 3 different fabrics - the outside and lining were purchased from ebay and the bottom was some old fabric of my mum's ... I think we used to have curtains  made from this material! 

I have now got it stuffed with all my bits of fabric and wool - it's a bit of an ... unusual shape ....! Needless to say , I won't be giving up work to start a bag making business any time soon!! haha!

This was my first proper go at sewing from a pattern and I suppose that I have to start somewhere! Think I will have a go at something from "Make" next .... should be slightly easier!! 

A Crafty Saturday ...

As it was such a lovely sunny day today (unlike the rain and gales which were forecast, and I suspect, will hit "the south" tonight..) I decided that as Mr Plum was off taking photos and spending time in the "Apple Shop" with a friend from work, I would walk to my nearest haberdashers and get some bits and pieces to get working on!

It was a pleasant 30 minute walk along one of South London's parks ... it felt more like March and the beginning of Spring than mid-January!

I got the Cath Kidston "Make" book for Christmas ... so picked up some felt and threads and will start embellishing and appliqueing (is that even a word?)!  I think that I am addicted to buying fat quarters ... but have decided to make some bunting with the collection of material I have now acquired! 

As I write this, I have given up (!) for the evening, my attempt to follow a "beginners" pattern for a hold all bag to keep all my bits of fabric in ... I think I will have to do a bit of unpicking in the morning, as it has gone slightly wrong! oh well ... 

While we are on the subject of sewing ... here's a gratuitous picture of the lovely red polka dot sewing box which Mr Plum gave me for Christmas!  

I've finished my scarf!

Hurray! I have finally done it .... started and finished a knitting project!!

I have knitted a lovely scarf using lovely pale pink and minty green mohair wool .... I had never had to "cast off" before (as I had never actually finished anything that I had started knitting before!) so found help on youtube!

Hmmm...I might try knitting something else - maybe a tea-cosy? Not sure how difficult these are as I have only ever knitted scarves (or half-scarves!!) .... but as one of my new years resolutions was to make more stuff, rather than just talking about it - I think I need to get started on my next crafty project straight away!!!!!

Mr Plum's New Camera

Mr Plum has been out and about taking photos with his new Digital SLR camera which he picked up at a bargain price in the sales. Here are a couple of my favourite pictures so far ...

Apologies for being quiet on my blog for the last week or so ... I have been busy knitting a scarf, and not doing much else!!!  

Another posting about cakes!

My Sunday tea party went very well .... every single cake, scone and biscuit was eaten up.  I thought I would use this as an excuse to post a picture of my cake stand.  I love it! It was given to me by Mr Plum's Auntie from Oop North....it's always a pleasure to find an excuse to load it up with goodies!  

And, could my Sunday get any better?  A new series of Lark Rise started on BBC1!  

Well, the Christmas decorations are down now ... and the living room is looking bare and bland and ready for redecoration! Me and Mr Plum spent Saturday going around DIY stores and have bought a lovely new fireplace!  Here it is ... Luckily we got a bargain in the January sales!  I can't wait to have it installed (to replace the awful fireplace we inherited from the previous owners of our flat). 

A Sunday Tea Party

Any excuse to drink tea and eat cakes!!  As I was feeling a bit under the weather over New Year, I have invited our friends who hosted us on the 31st round for afternoon tea ... a fine excuse to try out some recipes from "Cherry Cake and Ginger Beer".  

On the menu today, I will be serving scones (with Marco Polo jelly from Paris, and lashings of cream), and "Strike Me Pink" Raspberry cakes (I tested one, just to make sure they had worked .. I'm not sure, so will just have another one ... and maybe another one ....!)

I will also be serving Christmas cake and biscuits that we have left after Christmas ... ready to start with a clean slate tomorrow!

There's only four of us here to tea this afternoon - do you think I have baked enough??! 

New Year Treats

I had a look round the Cath Kidston sale the other day ... and although these weren't reduced, I thought I would treat myself to the pins and threads tins to add to my sewing kit.  

They are lovely!

Happy New Year!

This year I will:

1. Lose weight ... I am a serial Weight Watcher and will be joining the online scheme on Monday 5 Jan
2. Be more crafty ... knitting and sewing
3. Do something useful around the house rather than getting sucked into Soapland!
4. Read all of my "to read" books that I have stacked up before buying new ones (that will be the hardest to keep!)