Winter Warmers...

Hi guys! Yesterday I had a great day because I went home to Leicester to visit my family and do some Christmas shopping. I love going home because although I do only live an hour away, I still miss them a lot! I also really miss my doggies, Dolly and Lennie.

Lennie in a very on-trend shearling aviator jacket!

And here's Dolly in her little parka! How cute?!

I just wanted to bring them both back to Northampton with me!

This morning I was really in the mood for baking so I made these yummy (and rather enormous) chocolate cookies! I've not tasted them yet, but I'll let you know how they've turned out!

I was inspired by the Nigel Slater recipe on this week's Simple Suppers. I can't wait to eat them!

Ooh ooh ooh, also yesterday I found this in a garden center! It's the candle at the front! I have wanted one for ages because my nan used to have one when I was little, but I've had so much trouble finding one! I couldn't believe it when I saw it! The best thing about it is that the little reindeers and the sleigh go round like a carousel when the candle's on. Amazing!

And, I'd like to leave you contemplating my tights! I love them...but it's hard to know what to wear them with! Any ideas?

xxxxx

"The frost makes it look like Narnia..."

That was what my boyfriend texted me this morning after he had walked to work. I thought it was such a lovely sentiment that I had to share it.

This weekend we put our Christmas tree up! Yay! I was overly excited about doing this because it is our first tree, and my boyfriend said that I could decorate it however I wanted (it is the one time of year he has let me have everything I want when it comes to decorating the flat, and I'm hoping to have my own little Santa's grotto here before long!) so I said that I didn't want a themed tree. I didn't want to discriminate! There's so many lovely decorations out there that I thought it would be silly to stick to a theme. However, now that it's up I've realised that I inadvertently have a theme. Red and white...what to do you think?

Yes, that is me drinking the kitsch Christmas classic, a Snowball! Mmmmm... yummy!

Also, look at what I made at my friend Cass' house on Thursday...

It took me much longer than I expected, but I'm pretty happy with the result. We've put it over our kitchen door so that it looks a bit festive when we go to make a cup of tea!

I was planning on doing some festive baking when I got home from work this afternoon, but I got sent home early because I'm not very well (how annoying), so instead I've been watching Nigella's Christmas Kitchen repeats (I am more than a little bit in love with her, and if I see that she is on TV, I will always watch. It doens't matter how many times I've seen it before) and The Nutcracker on TV.

Hopefully I'll be feeling better tomorrow, and I'm not getting the dreaded flu! Eek!

Hope everyone's had nice Mondays!!!

xxxx

Almost December!!!

Hey! So sorry I haven't posted for ages! Wish I could say that I've been ultra busy making fantastic things to show you, but the truth is, I've just been lazy and getting overly excited for Christmas!

I really am like a child when it comes to Christmas! I think it may have something to do with the fact that my birthday and my brother's birthday are so close to Christmas, that it's like a little triple celebration in my family! We love it! So, with that in mind, I thought I'd show you some festive things that I've been buying and making!

First of all, yesterday me and my lovely friend Adam went to a fantastic new antique shop in Northampton town. The place is huge and it has sooooo much beautiful stuff, everything from clothes, to coal scuttles, to teapots and tea cups, to these little darlings that I purchased!

I'm talking about the four teeny tiny squirrels at the front! They really caught my eye. Firstly because they're squirrels, and I love anything with woodland creatures on them, and secondly because they're made by Wade pottery! This may not mean much to some people, but my surname is Wade, and I remember when I was little we had some piggy banks made by Wade, so I thought that these were just perfect for me. I'm thinking of starting a collection of Wade Whimsies, which is what these are. What do you think? Cute or what?

I also managed to snap this up from Morrisons for my boyfriend!

I was very overexcited when I saw it. I just want my boyfriend to drink it so we can put a candle in it! Very festive...

Today I have been making a couple of Christmas decorations and these are the fruits of my labour:

I cross-stitched the little penguin, and thought he looked so sweet, that he deserved a place on my tree, which I will be putting up on Friday! I also made the candy cane. I put some seed beads on it as well, to add a little sparkle, always a winner for Christmas!

And finally I decided that I was going to make something from something we had in the kitched...cinnamon! I just love the smell. It IS Christmas to me. All I did was tie some ribbon around it, and I'm thinking of hanging it on the tree, or above the door, so when you walk into the living room you get the smell. Yum.

Hope you're all had lovely weekends!

xxxx

A Fun Filled Halloween Evening!

Hey!

Last night we went to a Halloween party at the house of my boyfriend's sister and her husband. It was a fantastically festive night and we must have had 20 separate lots of trick or treaters! They were so cute, and all had awesome costumes!

I have to show you a picture of my boyfriend's sister's a-ma-zing pumpkins! I was so jealous, but you've got to see them to understand, so here they are!

They're brilliant aren't they?! Apparently they took around an hour and a half to make each one! I wish I had the patience for that, but my hand was in so much pain after my poor effort!

Unfortunately, mine isn't really up to their standard, but I was quite proud of it! Plus, I think mine looks a little bit like the Cheshire Cat from Alice In Wonderland, which can never be a bad thing! Don't laugh though...

What do you think? Hehe. It's the taking part that counts and all that jazz!!!

Although, technically I didn't make the majority of my outfit, I did make my accessories! I love working with felt, maybe because it takes me back to when I was little and I had Fuzzy Felt! My favourite was a woodland forest themed one! It was sooooo cool. Wish I still had it...I'm sure I could make some lovely stuff! Anyway, here's my outfit...

I am supposed to be a cat, but my brooches and necklace just make me look like something out of the old Batman TV series, so if anyone asks, I was Catwoman, OK?!

Also, I was quite distressed when I realised that spiders have eight legs, and the one that I made as a brooch only had six! Whoops!!!

xxxx

Half Term!!!

Hey. I'm not at work this week because it's Half Term in Northampton. Yay!!! I'm loving it, and I'm spending my time doing things that I love.

On Saturday, me, my boyfriend and my great friend Adam went to breakfast at a place called Zebedees in Northampton. I had never been there, but it was really cool and you could even play Mario Kart in there on some sort of old console (N64 maybe?). Also, upstairs they have a retro shop, that I really want to look around on another occasion. When we dropped Adam off, we got to have a little play with his kitten, who is just so cute and playful!

Here she is...

I really want a cat, but we can't really have one in the flat. It is something that I'm constantly badgering my boyfriend about. He says we can get a hamster, but it's not exactly the same is it?!

After this I went to the Vintage Fair in Leicester and saw my lovely friend Katie who had a stall there. I got some great stuff from her, and here they are.

She had so much beautiful stuff, and I would have brought soooo much, but sadly my budget could only stretch to a couple of treats! I adore the acorn earrings, they are just perfect for me and my love of all things inspired by autumn. And the little robin badge is so cute and quirky, and definitely gets me in the mood for Christmas - my ultimate favourite time of the year!

That's all for now!

Have a fantabulous week!

xxxxx

More Autumn-Based Fun!!!

I was flicking through one of my craft books the other day and found a way to use oranges in a very haloweeny way!!! And here is my interpretation of it!!!

This is only my first attempt, but I don't think it's too bad. I decided to go for a star instead of something too haloweeny because I feel that maybe it's a little bit too early for a scary face yet! Maybe next weekend will be appropriate??? What do you think?

Anyway, I was quite proud of it. Although, the first time I put the tealight in it, it went out straight away because I hadn't made the "chimney" big enough! Strange but true!

After lighting it, the lovely citrus smell is just beautiful and the light looks really pretty too. I would advise anyone to give it a go! You can even have some freshly squeezed orange juice after you've got out all of the orange!!! Yum yum yum!

Or, just leave it for your boyfriend to sort out like me!!! Oopsy!

Have a lovely Saturday everyone!!!!

xxxx

I heart autumn!!!

Today I had a moment of serendipitous(!?) joy when I was walking home from the hairdressers.

I was walking through the park, contemplating popping into Morrisons to get something chocolatey and yummy, when I glanced down at my feet...I couldn't believe how many conkers there were! I could feel my face breaking into a huge smile. It was as if I had travelled back in time to my childhood! I picked some shiny nuggets up and put them in my handbag, thimking that I must be able to find a nice place for them in my living room. Just as I was picking another conker up, one of those strange green, spiky pockets fell off a tree, and burst open to reveal a beautiful perfect conker! So I took that one too.

And here they are in pride of place on my dining table:

Now all I need is a load of weather cones to make them and the conkers into a lovely autumnal table decoration!!!

xxxx