anyone for pudding?

I've start to make a few bits and pieces to use on Christmas cards. I can't show them all as it'll ruin the surprise for some who pop by here but this is the kind of thing I've been busy with this past week.

All the W's

At the Weekend we all Went for a Walk in the Woods at West End.
The leaves on the trees are beginning to turn from green to brown

and good fun was had with the ones that have already fallen.

An hour's walk on a cold and bright morning was followed by an afternoon indoors playing Cluedo amongst other things such as a spot of sewing (me), colouring (S), dozing (G) and even dancing (T and S).

In case you were wondering it was Mrs Peacock with the rope in the conservatory.

stocking 1

I've finally done something with one of the 4 woollen socks I bought a while ago to use as Christmas decorations. It certainly wouldn't win any awards in innovative styling, but I'm pleased I've done something with it, however small. Pre blogging I would have thought about doing something crafty and that would have been it, but now I have more oomph to try and do little bits and pieces just now and again.
So with a small child's chopped up PJ top bought for 50p from the Salvation Army charity shop I did this.


Number 25 has a little flap on it and when you lift it up

you're greeted with a slightly bizarre wide eyed Father Christmas!

a right royal celebration

We were back up in Salisbury on Saturday to celebrate G's birthday with his family. His birthday was actually on Friday and after a day at work and then present opening, friends visiting and pizza he went off into town to watch Korn play.
His mum is a very good cake maker and this year has really got stuck into cupcake making so instead of one birthday cake G was presented with this cupcake delight complete with (4)4 candles!

On Sunday we went into town twice. There was lots going on this weekend to mark the Queen Elizabeth naming celebrations.

We had a picnic lunch in West Park, also known as Watts Park, as there is a statue of Isaac Watts here, with a pigeon sat on his head.

As the colours of the leaves tell us we are in the midst of autumn

although from the way S was dressed yesterday you can tell we were lucky enough to enjoy weather as warm as a summer's day.

Afetr eating we wandered over to the new Guildhall sqaure where we spent some time watching a short play with just 2 actors playing all the roles.They managed to condense the reigns of Henry v111 through to Elizabeth 1 into 15 minutes of entertainment. Top left is one of the actors in his role as William Shakespeare. Not sure what happened to the rest of the head and body to bottom right, lost them in the mosaic making process! There were others dressed up in costume, jesters and we even got to throw (very soft) rubber balls, in substitute of rotten veg, at someone in the stocks. T managed to hit her square on the head!

We rounded off the day by going back into town later on in the evening and watching The Kings of Queen and singing along very loudly to all the songs. Great way to finish the weekend.

it's a wrap

I have spent a fair bit of time this week sat on the bedroom floor with sellotape dispenser and scissors close to hand wrapping up birthday presents.

Spotty polka dots for my sister C

and zingy stripes for G.

I really enjoy wrapping up presents, especially Christmas ones. I'm very much looking forward to using this wrapping paper. Polka dots and gingham and stars, scrummy. Hopefully I'll be able to have a play around and make some nice tags to match for those that appreciate that kind of thing.

our weekend

We had a day out and a day in this weekend.
Saturday morning we wnadered up to the local park for an annual Nature's Harvest event.


G fell in love with the ferrets who were very cosily nestled in their fleece blankets waiting their turn in the racing competitions. Money raised from the races goes towards an animal charity. Cute but smelly. The ferrets that is not G.

S made a bird feeder with seeds and vegetable fat using a plastic drinking cup as a mould.

There was also live music, a bird of prey display, a stall selling old English varieties of apples and pears. a pottery workshop, face painting, farm animals to pet and a climbing wall.

We also paid a visit to the nursery next door to the park and liked this display of the different coloured heucheras.

T was the only person to leave the house on Sunday as one of our neighbours is on holiday and he has taken responsibility for feeding their cats. In fact the majority of us didn't get dressed, but we did play Connect 4 and Tumbling Monkeys, we played word games, we played flap the paper fish across the dining room floor with the recently collected school prospectuses, we played Wii, we tidied bedrooms, we even managed a bit of homework without too much grumbling and we ate a lovely roast dinner.

All in all it was a very relaxing day and this was the view I had when I flopped down on the sofa with a cuppa and a book at 7pm before I began the mountain of ironing.

goodness

Within the past couple of weeks I have been given 2 awards, one from the very lovely Kathy

and the other from a very new blog friend fondant kiss.

Many thanks to both of you.

I know there are rules to these but being the rebel (or lazy person) I am instead of conforming and doing what I should and by the rules and passing it on, I thought I would share a recipe and pass on a bit of nourishing goodness. We eat a lot of vegetarian food but recently G was craving a bit of red meat and I knew one that suited the autumnal nip in the air and would go down well.

This is from a Blue Peter cookbook, Guinness Hot Pot.

Cube braising steak and fry over a high heat to brown, then add sliced carrots and a chopped onion. Stir in 1tbsp flour, 1tsp sugar and 1 clove of garlic and cook for 1 minutes. Pour in half a pint of Guinness and half a pint of stock. Season. Put on the lid and simmer for an hour and a half until meat and veg are tender. Serve with mash and lots of veg. Not tried this with the Quorn beef chunks, but if anyone does please let me know if it works.