• Creepy crawly cupcakes
    baking

    Creepy crawly cupcakes

    May 18, 2013 - By 

    It’s so cold today, I can’t really believe it’s the middle of May. This morning we went to the annual May Fair at the toddlers new Nursery (he starts in September and I can’t wait!). When we got back he really wanted to have a picnic lunch in the garden but the chilly weather meant we enjoyed lunch looking at the garden rather than sitting in it.  To cheer ourselves up we thought we’d take part in the latest Centre Parcs challenge. Creepy crawly cupcakes We wanted to make something special for our picnic which meant making sure we had…

  • competition - film review

    Lala-Oopsies: A Sew Magical Tale – The Movie review and giveaway

    May 17, 2013 - By 

    Last year we reviewed Adventures in Lalaloopsy Land: The Search for Pillow which the toddler really enjoyed. Now for the first time you can journey beyond the rolling green hills of the original Lalaoopsy Land to an extraordinary place never seen before, where islands float on strawberry milk surrounded by tall mushroom trees to meet the Lala-Oopsies! The whimsical Lala-Oopsies are princess ballerinas, fairies and mermaids who love to throw tea parties, make sweets and knit treats. But their kingdom ends up in trouble when the strawberry milk, which powers Lala-Oopsies Land, suddenly stops flowing and our new friends need some…

  • crafts - handmade

    Fabric painting with buttons

    May 16, 2013 - By 

    I thought it would be fun to use my buttons in a different way and decorate some tshirts for Little Sis. I chose a handful of buttons which were unusual and made them into stamps, using some corks and a glue gun. I left them overnight to dry and then dipped them in fabric paint before carefully applying them to a blank piece of fabric to practice. Some worked better than others and gave a clearer result so I ended up using two of the buttons on two blank tshirts. One dark tshirt was stamped around the neckline and bottom…

  • competition - crafts - handmade

    Reloved magazine giveaway

    May 15, 2013 - By 

    I came across a new magazine last week called Reloved – the creative guide to upcycling. The cover immediately appealed to me so I bought it even though I have little time for reading at the moment. I love to recycle and upcycle and am always on the lookout for smallish items which I can put my own stamp on. I have a couple of half-finished projects which I’ve never got round to blogging about (mental note to write about them soon). One of my favourites is a small wooden box found boarded up in our old house. It was…

  • baking

    Yummy ginger cake for a wet day

    May 14, 2013 - By 

    I can’t believe we’ve spent two weeks in our new house. It’s flown by and the place totally feels like home, despite having a room full of boxes waiting to be unpacked. The only slight dampener on our spirits has been the weather turning from glorious sunshine to stormy in the space of a couple of days. What better way to cheer ourselves up that with a spot of baking. The toddler was sent a cute little Miffy apron to review. Did you know that June 21st marks Miffy’s 58th birthday? We think she looks great for her age! We…

  • book review - Cath Kidston - competition

    Cath Kidston – Coming Up Roses review and giveaway

    May 13, 2013 - By 

    It’s difficult to believe that this year Cath Kidston celebrates her 20th anniversary. I’ve always been a huge fan and my house is peppered with floral tea towels and bed linen. To celebrate the anniversary she has relaunched some classics designs in her popular antique rose print. I particularly love the special edition Moleskin. As well as the collection of classic designs you can find out how it all began in Coming Up Roses, Cath’s new book about the brand’s first 20 years. Despite having little formal business experience, Kidston built her eponymous brand into one now recognised by more…

  • crafts - handmade - London

    Crafting with Post-it Notes

    May 12, 2013 - By 

    We love taking inspiration from everyday items and the stormy weather has been perfect for staying indoors and getting crafty. 3M have just launched Post-it Notes Colour Cubes, packs of Post-it Notes in a range of vibrant hues. We were sent a selection of the new Post-it Notes Colour Cubes and challenged to create a piece of Post-it artwork with our favourite colours. Over the last week we’ve been inspired to have some fun indoors and so far we’ve made a photo booth backdrop, origami boxes and a temporary racetrack for cars! We decided to create a London picture as the…

  • film review

    Playing for Keeps film review

    May 8, 2013 - By 

    We were sent a copy of Playing for Keeps to review, it’s billed as a romantic comedy with a bit of spice. It’s out to rent and own on DVD and Blu-ray from 20th May (RRP £15.99/£17.99). Gerard Butler (P.S. I Love You, The Bounty Hunter) stars as George Dryer, a down-on-his-luck former football star who is desperate to rebuild a relationship with his ex-wife, Stacie (Jessica Biel: Hitchcock, Total Recall), and his young son, Lewis. In an attempt to grow up and win his family back he starts coaching his son’s football team. But while football is a hands-free…

  • crafts - Crafts for adults - handmade - sewing

    Dyeing wool blankets

    May 8, 2013 - By 

    There’s something lovely about old wool blankets. They feel lovely and are easy to transform into something useful, thank goodness we no longer need them on our beds. I’ve been on the lookout for vintage wool blankets for ages and recently bought a double blanket in perfect condition in a charity shop in Frome for only £3.99. They seem to be getting harder to find but I was really pleased with this one. It still had its original label and was an unusual peach colour. Dyeing wool blankets It was too big to use so I cut it into several…