I can crochet!

Last night I had my second class at The Make Lounge and it was much more successful than the first!!

I managed to do a bit of practising during the week ... not as much as I would have liked, but think that I have now got a hang of the wierdly named stitches (double treble - I ask you!!). Anyway, here is a picture of the flower I made last night!!

I am now going to have a go at crocheting a granny square and may even book myself onto the Super Cool Crochet Squares workshop!

I probably said this in my last post about learning crochet - but I would definitely recommend The Make Lounge. There were six of us in the class, of varying ability ... but Catherine (the teacher) made us all feel relaxed and explained the stitches in terms suitable for absolute beginners (like myself!) there were plenty of biscuits, tea and wine to keep us going! It feels great to have learnt a new craft this week!

Hurray! It's Friday and due to being super-diligent at work today ... I don't have to go in for Saturday overtime! Yey!! Having worked almost every Saturday since the August Bank holiday ... I am ready for a two day weekend ... with nothing planned yet (a trip to Northcote Road (Cath Kidston) or Marylebone High Street (Cath Kidston)? A nice breakfast somewhere?) .....

Weight Loss Wednesday

The time has come to face facts ... I call myself a "Weight Watcher" - but I am failing, and failing BIG TIME. Eight years ago I lost 5 stone ... but I have allowed 3 of those to "creep" back on. So ... after enduring a second weekend of going out, but no having anything nice which fits I have realised that I have to get back to Weight Watchers (online) and I have to track ... and track properly. No ... a chocolate biscuit does count if it's eaten at your desk/standing up, yes ... a moment on the lips will mean a lifetime on the hips ...

I have been inspired by recent posts by Kelly and Victoria, and have just signed up to Weight Loss Wednesdays at Rosie Little Things. This week I have lost 2lbs! So I am please with that!

A bit late ... SHOW US YOUR CATH!!!!

I'm a little bit late with this, but on 22nd October LissyLou hosted a day of "Show Us Your Cath"! Lots of lovely blogs I follow took part, so here is all mine.

Inspirational felty embellishing ideas ....

Old cabinet CK'd with "Breakfast" oilcloth

Mini dot mac and lovely Chiswick Flowers bag

Writing paper, soap and passport cover ... also have a luggage tag to match!

Sewing essentials ....

I'm feeling the need for a trip to Cath for more goodies!!!

All the colours of the rainbow swap!

I had a lovely surprise this afternoon! Having been at work from 7.30am-2pm (on a Saturday! Gasp!!), I came home to find that Mr Plum had popped to the local depot to collect a parcel! This was my parcel from the lovely Kelly - my partner in the All The Colours of the Rainbow Swap!

This was a swap with a difference ... we all had to choose our favourite colour - I'm loving grey at the moment, so have received a wonderful parcel full of lovely grey things from Kelly! I have sent her a parcel of pink things in return! Kelly has been very generous, I feel thoroughly spoilt!

This picture is probably not very clear ... but Kelly has sent me an oil burner, candles, 2010 diary, make up bag, nail varnish and eyeshadows, earl grey tea bags, blackboard, fleecy throw, velvety ribbon, gloves, pashmina, table mats, napkins and tissues!! Wonderful!!!

Of course I had some help unwrapping ....

I love swaps!!

Evita and a Charidee Dinner!

I mentioned in my previous post that we had gone to my parents for the weekend. It was quite exciting as we took half days and headed West (on different trains ... but that's a whole different story!)

Me and mum got dressed up and headed to the college where my Dad works for a Charity Dinner in aid of Help For Heroes and the Fifteen Foundation. It was a brilliant evening - a team of chefs from Claridges go to the college and work with the students to produce an amazing six course dinner! Very nice!! I also got to briefly meet An American Girl In England, a family friend, who is writing a book with my Dad!

On Saturday we went to see "Evita" in Birmingham. It was wonderful! You can't beat a good show!

Whilst at home, Mum helped me out with my first big knitting project! I am still an incredibly slow knitter - and as this project is going to be a Christmas present for someone, I needed a bit of a hand! Does anyone know where to buy cheap Rowan Kidsilk Aura yarn? Or know of a cheap alternative?

Learning to Crochet!

Tonight I went along to a beginners crochet workshop at The Make Lounge in Islington.

As you know, I love to knit ... and my mum did teach me how to crochet many years ago - but I have forgotten! It was seeing the lovely images of crocheted squares on the beautiful blog Do You Mind If I Knit? which inspired me to book this workshop - and I am so glad that I did!!

I would recommend this to anyone wanting to learn a new craft (and there are lots of workshops to chose from!). The first session was three hours long (and it whizzed by!), there was tea & coffee, wine and biscuits and five girls all wanting to learn something new! Tonight we learnt the basic crochet stitches and next week we will be making flowers!!! Very exciting ... I will be spending the next few days practising my stitches!

I will add photos of my little bits of crochet that I did tonight when I am able to move without being attacked by kittens!!

I will let you know how I get on with my crocheted flowers next week!

Foraging in the Hedgerow

Autumn is definitely here ... I tend to feel slightly detatched from Mother Nature stuck in the big smoke ... so it was nice to go home to the Cotswolds and see how far on Autumn actually is. I love the cooler mornings and beautiful colours. This weekend we headed to the hedgerows to pick some sloes (I'm not making any sloe gin this year, but was picking some for a friend who had given me some blackcurrants in the Summer), some crab apples and some rosehips. I'm looking forward to making crab apple jelly and rosehip relish (from a recipe in my dad's book-more of that later!)

What were you doing last night?

Were you listening to the radio?

Did you watch a bit of telly?

Or were you at the Camden Roundhouse like me? Yes, I went to see Robbie Williams last night!!!!!!!

It was a fantastic night and I am so glad that I was lucky enough to get tickets...this was mainly due to my friend (who has yet to appear on this blog, so will call her Ms Morrissey) who has an amazing knack of getting tickets for gigs that sell out in a matter of minutes!

I don't watch the X-Factor - but have heard that Robbie wasn't at his best ... well, he was brilliant last night and I am glad that I have got to see such a showman in a small venue like the Roundhouse!

I'll be back soon to tell you all about my lovely weekend at my parents!

Christmas Is Coming!

I've just booked tickets to go to the Country Living Christmas Fair in November. I have never been before, and am very excited!

Is anyone else going?

Yummy Tea Loaf

Greedy Nan emailed me today to say that she had received her giveaway prize! And, thankfully ... she loved it!

I thought I would do something a little different ... and sent her a tea loaf! Here is the recipe, it is so nice and low fat too (means you can eat more of it!!).

250g soft brown sugar

175g sultanas

50g chopped mixed peel

300ml cold strong tea (I used Yorkshire Tea)

1 egg, beaten

300g S.R flour

1. Mix together the sugar, sultanas, mixed peel and cold tea. Leave to soak for 6 hours, or overnight.

2. When you are ready to get baking - pre heat your oven to 160degrees C (gas mark 3) and line a loaf tin with greaseproof paper.

3. Stir the egg and flour into the fruit mixture and beat thoroughly then pour it into the loaf tin and smooth the surface.

4. Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes

Borough Market, Today's Harvest and a bit of Cliff!

I'm feeling a bit sad today as I have to go back to work tomorrow ..... I have had a lovely weekend with Mr Plum though (although, for I did feel like an extra in Dawson's Creek for a bit of it ...but that's another story!)

Yesterday we got up very early and headed to Borough Market. I love this market ... I know that it is quite overpriced ... but it is nice to walk around, taste a few things and pick up a bit of cheese ... some olives ... salami and bread!

We met our friends at Maria's Market Cafe - I would recommend this cafe as a good starting point on a cold Autumn morning. So full of two mugs of strong tea, a bubble and egg roll for myself and a bacon and sausage roll for Mr Plum - we wandered around a picked up some goodies for lunch!

We had planned to head to Spitalfields Market after lunch ... but full of cheese and cava, we just sat in my friends lovely Barbican flat and talked the afternoon away!

Another early morning today! We headed to the car boot sale at Crystal Palace ... no goodies to be found there today ... which was a little disappointing! Anyway, after a quick dash around Tesco we are home reading the Sundays. I have just picked the last of my peppers and a few tomatoes, fed the kittens and am now watching Summer Holiday!

ps: how does anyone manage to knit with two kittens running around attacking the wool? Any tips welcome!! (have tried shutting them out of the room - but they cry!)

Step In Time!!

New shoes!!! Yes ... lovely purple new shoes!!!!! I have had my eye on these beauties for a couple of months - and today I bought them!!! Don't they look like something Mary Poppins would wear while dancing on rooftops with Bert? Nice socks too (thanks Nicola!!).

Had a lovely Friday ... a morning of sorting out my wardrobe and drawers, I took two bags of clothes and shoes down to Age Concern. I then popped to my local vet and registered Pansy and Twister ... they will need to have their jabs very soon, poor little kittens. I will have to ask Mr Plum to take them to the vet ....

I then popped to the shops to pick up a few bits and pieces (see above!) ... while sitting in Clarks waiting for my shoes to appear, I happened to see a friend of mine walk past! Now, this does not happen here very often here so I quickly phoned her as she disappeared up the escalator and we went off to our local Fullers Ale and Pie house and awaited the arrival of our husbands! A very pleasant and impromptu evening! Lots of plans were made ......

Tomorrow we have an early start as we are meeting other friends at Borough Market at 9am!! So I am off to bed (after Family Guy!) ... good night!

Trip to the pics on a Thursday afternoon - how decadent!

What a wonderful film! I'm so glad that I took myself off to the lovely cinema this afternoon to see "Julie & Julia"! I haven't read the books (but will be picking them up tomorrow!) and hadn't heard of Julia Childs ... but how can I resist a film about food? Being veggie didn't stop my mouth watering at the many Boeuf Bourguignon scenes!!

Out and About....

Today I decided to drag myself away from the kittens and head into town to do something "cultural" ...

I headed to the Victoria and Albert Museum - I haven't been there for a while and wanted to see the 80 years of Faber exhibition and have a look at the frocks - always my favourite bit! I love the V&A shop ... I treated myself to a pair of button ear rings! They also had earrings made from zips!

After the V&A, I headed East to the Geffrye Museum over in Shoreditch (I don't venture to East London very often!). This museum specialises in "Living Rooms" and had rooms from various periods of history. At Christmas they have a Victorian themed living room decked out in all the lovely Victorian decorations! I must head back for that!

I picked up the latest issue of Time Out so that I can plan some other trips out for the rest of my week off ... I'm looking forward to reading about the markets as I am meeting some friends for a wander around Borough and Spitelfields markets at the weekend!

I will be sending off this little package to Greedy Nan tomorrow .... I hope that she likes it!! :)

A week off work ... and what shall I do?

Good afternoon!!

I am enjoying a lovely week off work ... and having worked eight days in a row last week - I think I deserve it!

Mr Plum is at work, unfortunately as he has a lower leave allowance than me ... so here I am, home alone (well - with two crazy kittens!) and a list of projects as long as my arm to do!! :) Where to begin ....

I realise that I promised you a giveaway back in August ... I didn't get very many comments on my blog, which was a little disappointing - but nevermind! Today I have finally got around to picking a winner!!! With a little help from Miss Pansy Plum .... more of that later!

So - what will I be getting up to this week? This morning we had our boiler serviced and had hoped to get our gas fire finally fitted - but that is going to prove to be more difficult and expensive that we first thought ... great.

I have just baked my first sponge cake for a cake competition at work ... and have enjoyed a lovely poached egg with mushrooms on toast for my lunch. I will probably pop out for a quick swim in an hour or so ....

Tonight me and Mr Plum are off to a special gig by Ian Brown - Mr Plum won the tickets and is very excited!! I last saw Ian Brown at Reading 1997 when he was still with the Stone Roses ... he actually stropped off stage in true rock star style mid set! I hope he doesn't do the same tonight!

I am planning to do a fair bit of tidying and sorting, a huge amount of knitting ... something cultural in town and just generally relaxing!

Okay ... on to the giveaway!!!!!

My five commenters ....

Here they are lined up on the sofa .... I wonder if there is a willing kitten who will help me pick the winner???

Of course there is!! Thank you Pansy ... and the winner is ...

GREEDY NAN!!!!!

Well done and thanks for reading my blog!

Autumn days ....

It's been a while since I last blogged ... not sure where the time has gone! I think it might have something to do with my (rather late) discovery of the Twilight Saga ... I have now read the three books which are out in paperback (and will see if I can restrain myself for a while longer and wait for Breaking Dawn to be released in paperback!). I even bought the DVD last week! For some reason these books and film had passed me by, but I picked up a copy of Twilight while walking in Guildford and am hooked! I am looking forward to the release of the second film in November!

This posting will be a bit of a catch up post! Here goes ....

I finally got to see the latest Harry Potter film! I know that it has had mixed reviews, but I thought it was fab!

Last night we had a new arrival! Yes ... finally, welcome to Plum Cottage Pansy and Twister - our lovely little kittens!!

Pretty little Pansy playing with my apron!

Gorgeous Twister!

We had a trip up North to visit the inlaws ... and watch the start of the round the world clipper race, a fly past by the red arrows ... of course a visit to Betty's in York! My favourite place ... we stocked up on tea loaf, parkin and a fat rascal!! YUM!

Mr Plum took some fab pics ...

I have also been busy harvesting my vegetables .... golden sunrise tomatoes and scrummy red peppers ...

More tomatoes and a green pepper ...

As promised ... here is the picture of my yummy coffee cake!! Mmmmm mmmm tasty!! You can never have enough buttercream!!

I haven't forgotten my giveaway! Sorry for being so behind with things. I will draw a name out of a cake tin tomorrow!

Coffee Cake on a Rainy September Day ...

I love Autumn ... woolly jumpers, big boots, hats and gloves all come out of the wardrobe. I almost froze to death at work today in my still summerish office clothes! What better way to warm up than get into the kitchen and make a cake!

I'm making my first ever coffee cake. While having a cup of tea and piece of coffee cake in Seale on Saturday - I suddenly thought "why have I never made coffee cake?" So here I am with my first ever coffee cake baking away. My parents are coming to visit this weekend, so another reason to get something yummy in the oven!

Here is the recipe:

175g self raising flour

1.5 tsp baking powder

175g marg

175g soft brown sugar

2 tsp instant coffee mixed with 2 tsp boiling water

Bung all the ingredients into a bowl and whisk until smooth. Divide between two tins and bake at 180/gas 4 for 25 minutes.

Sandwich together with coffee buttercream and a good dollop spread on the top of the cake .... decorate with walnuts, choc buttons etc .... picture to follow!!!

Our Kittens!!!

Here is a video of our little kittens .... we will be picking them up in a couple of weeks! They are so cute ... Mr Plum is in love with them!!!

The North Downs Way - Guildford to Gomshall

Well....Me and Mr Plum headed off to the start of the North Downs Way on Saturday and walked from Farnham to Guildford! The North Downs are beautiful ... mile after mile of beautiful rolling English countryside. We stopped off in Seale for a lovely cup of tea and piece of cake. This leg of the walk was 10 miles ... by the time we reached our B&B we were absolutely shattered! We managed to eat and then collapsed! I actually slept for 11 hours! Ha Ha Ha! But that's not all ... on Sunday we headed into Guildford for a yummy Full English breakfast at House Of Fraser and then started on the next leg of the walk ... 8 miles to Gomshall!! As you can imagine, we are both feeling a bit sore today!

I hope that you have all had lovely Bank Holiday Weekends!!

A Double Wedding!!

There is nothing more exciting than a wedding! Especially when it is one of your oldest friends ... and she is having a Jane Austen style double wedding with her younger sister!! The grooms are best friends which made it even more lovely! The sun was shining, the grooms were dashing and the brides were beautiful!

After the church, we strolled along the country lane back to the Brides' family home for a marquee reception in their (very large!) garden. The couples arrived at the reception by boat - fantastic!!

Here are the three sisters, and their dog - aren't they all gorgeous?

We had such a good time ... this was definitely the second best (after my own, of course!) wedding I have been to. It was a perfect day!