Random Facts About Me (Part 4)

We’re nearly there!  Just 25 more random facts to go.  And here they are:

76.  I always tuck my pj bottoms into my socks

77.  I like tins and I like glass jars

78.  I like taking photos of my feet

[Our footsies - snuggling up together]

79.  I always have a cup of tea and bowl of breakfast cereal when I get home from work

80.  I love warm weather.....

81.  ..... and I love snowy weather

82.  I really don’t like rain, though
83.  I love tidying and organising things

[One of my fabric drawers - all tidy and organised]

84.  Sewing was my first crafty hobby (I started sewing about three years ago)

85.  I like to listen to crafty podcasts while I craft

86.  I LOVE Tchaikowsky's 'The Nutcracker' ballet (as you may have guessed from my last post)

87.  We have over 600 books in our house - I LOVE books!

88.  I love the SMELL of books

89.  I love the smell of baking bread too!

[I'm loving Simon's 2013 goal of experimenting with bread-making]

  

90.  I don't like currants in cakes

91.  I'd love us to have our own caravan one day

92.  I like dresses that I can ‘twirl’ in
93.  I love bright colours

94.  I can’t sing
95.  I have lots of cardigans

96.  I have never broken a bone in my body

97.  My favourite flowers are springtime blooms (snowdrops, daffodils, crocuses, tulips.....)

98.  I feel like I’m not properly dressed unless I’m wearing brooch or necklace that goes with my outfit

99.  I’m scared of spiders

100.  I’m a list-writer (as you can see)

..... aaaaaaand breathe!  Well, my dear blogging friends, that’s it!  Thank you for sticking around for that marathon!  And thank you for all the sweet comments you've been leaving lately.  It seems as though we've all got a lot in common (though fairground rides seemed to divide opinion).  

Now you all know me better than I know myself!!!

I'll be back soon, to let you know what I've been up to lately.....

Hugs,

Carly

x

  

Giveaway Winner

We’ve been having some very strange weather here this week!  It was lovely and sunny last Sunday and Monday, and it really felt as though spring was on its way.  Since then, though, it’s been snowing pretty-much constantly.  BUT the snowflakes have been teeny-tiny, and never enough to cover the ground completely.  On a couple of occasions, it even snowed while the sun was shining brightly! 

When we got home from school on Friday, it started snowing quite heavily.  The flakes were dancing around in the sky, as the sun was setting.  It was so pretty!  It reminded me of the Waltz of the Snowflakes music from 'The Nutcracker' ballet (have a look at THIS).

So, I had to act quickly to draw the winner for my giveaway (before it got too dark to be able to take decent photos). 

I put all of your names into one of my new blue IKEA cups (we bought them a few weeks ago – I couldn’t resist the pretty colour).

I gave them a good shake up.  

Then I got Simon to pick out a winner.  

And the winner is.....

Congratulations, Helen! Your prize (Donna Hay's 'Chocolate') is all wrapped up, and will be on its way to you soon.

  

  

I’ll be back soon, with the final instalment of ‘100 Random Facts About Me’.....

Carly

x

100 Random Facts About Me (Part 2)

Hello again!

Thanks for all of your comments on my last post.  I'm glad you enjoyed the randomness!  Are you sitting comfortably?  Then off I go with my next 25 random facts:

26.  I love to LOOK AT fancy German cakes, but I love to EAT good, old-fashioned English cakes

[Yummy banana cake, made by Simon this morning]

27.  I always forget to take my camera with me on occasions when great photo-opportunities arise

28.  My favourite TV show (at the moment) is ‘Downton Abbey’

29.  I couldn’t pick a favourite movie

30.  Nor could I pick a favourite book

31.  I’m shy around people I don't know (though not as shy as I used to be)

32.  I’d love to be able to ballroom dance really beautifully

33.  I have a ridiculously large collection of children’s books (and PRETEND this is because of my job)

34.  I’m TOTALLY un-sporty (and always have been)

35.  The only sports team I’ve ever been in was my primary school netball team (and that was only because I was the 2^nd tallest in the class)

36.  I love quiet nights in.....

37.  And I love big nights out (in Düsseldorf)

[I think you should all visit Düsseldorf - it's great]

38.  I got engaged while I was still at school.  My form tutor said it would never last – she was very wrong!

39.  Our relationship started out as a holiday romance – Simon was a lifeguard at the holiday camp pool

40.  Over the two years before we moved in together, we took it in turns to travel the 200 miles to see each other EVERY weekend

41.  I was 22 when we got married

[This is a photo my cousin took when we weren't looking]

42.  Simon is my very best friend

43.  I have the best husband in the world.....

[Last year, in France]

44.  .... and the best family too (I’m VERY lucky)

45.  I have one sister (9 years younger than me)

46.  I love cheese sarnies – mature cheddar on crusty white bread.....

47.  ..... but chip butties are even better!!!

48.  I once drank three shot glasses full of hot, melted chocolate (at Cadbury’s World) – and didn’t feel too great afterwards

49.  I love starry nights

50.  I passed my driving test aaaages ago, but I don't drive 

That’s all for this post, folks!  Do you feel as though you know me even better now?  

  

There’s still some time left to enter my ‘Chocolate’ book GIVEAWAY, if you haven’t already.  You can find all the details here.  

Hugs to you all,

Carly

X

Better Late Than Never

Ooopsie!!!  It’s almost the end of January, and I haven’t made my new year’s resolutions yet.  I guess it’s not too late (as it’s still January).  And I’m sure a wise man once said “BETTER LATE THAN NEVER!”

Deciding to ONLY set fun, crafty resolutions last year was a brilliant idea – no worrying, no guilt, no disappointments, no shame, no stress! 

So, there’ll be no dull diet plans or excruciating exercise itineraries for me in 2013.....  just lots of crafty capers and arty adventures - AGAIN!!!

How did I do with last year’s resolutions?  Here’s a quick review:

1.  Learn to crochet. Well, I did!  I’m still just a newbie, but I’ve completed a few crochet projects now – and you can tell what they’re meant to be.  So, tick!

2.  Make more things for myself (including some clothes).  I’ve knitted myself a few bits and bobs to wear, and I’ve made myself some jewellery.  But I haven’t sewn myself any clothes (which was what I intended last January).  So, yes and no to this one.

3.  Make more (and hopefully buy less) greetings cards.  Tick!  I have made more cards (especially Christmas cards) and bought less. I could still do better, though.

4.  Have a go at knitting things that are not just sewn-up rectangles.  Yes!  I’ve knitted a few things using circular needles, and a few things that aren’t rectangles or squares.

5.  Experiment with making more home accessories.  Tick!  Lots of cushions, a few papercrafty things to hang on the wall, baby quilts, different kinds of Christmas decorations.....  I would have liked to have experimented with more new patterns and ideas, though.  

6.  Improve my photography skills.  I think I have.  I feel more confident in using my camera now.

7.  Post more tutorials on my blog.  Sadly, no.  Sorry!  I only posted one last year.  That’s shameful, I know!  Must do better!!! 

Bearing my review of 2012, and thinking of what else I’d like to achieve, I came up with my CRAFTY RESOLUTIONS FOR 2013:

1)  Post more tutorials on my blog!

2)  Make some clothes for myself (sewing).

3)  Learn to follow a proper crochet pattern.

4)  Make more greetings cards – for different occasions.

5)  Expand the range of things I make to sell (including adding more home accessories).

6)  Venture into the kitchen to do some baking.

7)  Try out some crafts that I’ve never tried before.

If you have any suggestions for number 7, I’d love to hear from you!

Let’s see how this year’s resolutions go.....

I’m off to make a start right now.....

Carly

x

P.S.  Who else is IN LOVE with their Mollie calendar?

Me! Baking!!!

Hello there, my lovely bloggy friends!

Guess what I did???  I actually braved the perils of the kitchen, and did some baking!!!  I know you probably don’t believe me – as you know me so well – so I took some photos to prove it.

Simon was out all afternoon, at a ‘magic lecture’.  I imagined him sitting in the Great Hall at Hogwarts, while Dumbledore imparted all his wisdom on witches and wizards from all corners of the globe.  It WASN’T like that, though, Simon assured me!  He said, “It was just a load of magic geeks, sitting in the basement of a magic shop!”  How disappointing!!!  

Anyway, the upshot was that I was Home Alone!  I had been catching up on my blog-reading, and was drooling over Jooles’ scones, at the Sew Sweet Violet blog.  I decided to give her recipe a try.....

I left out the sultanas, as I’m not a big fan.  But, other than that, I followed the recipe to the word.....

And my scones actually turned out LOOKING and TASTING like actual scones!  Success!!!  The ones I enjoyed most, of course, were the ones I sneaked (with a cuppa from my favourite mug) straight from the oven, while they were still hot!  Mmmmmmm!!!

Thank you, Jooles, for sharing your recipe!  ♥  

Oh, by the way, Jooles is currently running a FABULOUS giveaway over at Sew Sweet Violet.  To celebrate her 1st blogging birthday, she's giving all her followers the chance to win either some gorgeous pocket bunting, or a super-cute patchwork needle case.  So, pop over and take a look.....

Wishing you all a lovely weekend!

Carly

x

Crafty Christmas Pressies

Now that I've shown you some of the things I made for my friends and family for Christmas, I’d like to do a little ‘show-and-tell' of some of the super-duper pressies THEY gave ME.  I must have been a VERY good girl this year, as Santa was exceedingly good to me!  Although I got all sorts of wonderful gifts, I’m just going to post photos of the crafty ones here..... 

[I can't get enough Christmas crafting books!!!]

[my cute CK knitting bag]

[I LOVE Alice!!!]

[some more CK goodies]

[possibly THE prettiest Tilda book yet]

[yarn inside, strap on wrist, off you go - INGENIOUS - from madebyloumms]

[I can't get enough Scandinavian crafting books!!!]

[gorgeous vintage ribbons and CK badges]

[a bit of Kirstie]

[someone dropping hints that I should spend more time in the kitchen, perhaps???]

[a colourful crochet book]

[some shiny little birdie embroidery scissors]

Thank you, thank you, thank you, my fantastic family and fabulous friends!!!  You (clearly) know me VERY well!!!  With SO MANY new toys, I don’t know which one to play with next.....  

    

After I’ve had a bit more time to look through the books, I’m planning to do a few reviews to post on the blog.  If you’re interested in any of the books I mentioned (if you’ve been thinking about buying any of them or putting them on your ‘wish list’), let me know and I’ll try to review those first.  Likewise, if you have any of these books already and have tried any projects from them, I’d love to see some photos and/or hear about how it went!

Until next time.....

Carly

x     

Return of the Breadmaker

Guess what, dear blog readers.....  I dared to venture into the kitchen – AGAIN!

I guess some might say that this baking session was cheating, but why do all the hard work if a machine can do it for you?!?

After having read all about the lovely Martine’s breadmaker bread-making adventures on the super-fantastic imake blog (take a look over there if you haven’t visited already, by the way), I decided to drag our breadmaker out from the back of the cupboard (where it’s been sitting, feeling sorry for itself, for a good 3 years), dust it off, and have a go!  Martine’s photos made me drool – the bread looked SO good that I could practically SMELL its bready freshness wafting out of the computer!!!  It made me very hungry for a nice, big, fresh loaf – so I got to work straight away (forgetting that the breadmaker would need 3 hours to work its magic)!

I decided to try the French bread recipe.  Despite the fact that making bread using a breadmaker is easy peasy lemon squeezy (you only have to pop the ingredients in, after all), I only just narrowly avoided disaster.  I heaped in 2 tablespoons of salt (thinking that was rather a lot), when my husband leapt to my rescue, pointing out that the recipe said 2 TEASPOONS, and hurriedly scooping out a heap of salt.  Phew!!!

I got my bread eventually!  And here it is.....

Tada!!!  Fresh from the breadmaker (my new best friend)!

It looked pretty good (if a little flat) both outside and in, the smell was amazing, and the taste didn’t disappoint either!  It was especially yummy smeared with some Italian olive paste, with some Greek salad on the side (a European feast)!!!

I’ll be using the breadmaker a lot more from now on.  Thanks for the inspiration, Martine!!! 

Until next time.....

Carly

x

P.S.  I just want to say a HUGE thank you to all of the lovely, lovely people who took the time to visit my little MISI shop and leave such kind comments on the blog (or send such sweet emails)!!! 

xxx

Celebrating National Cupcake Week

I have to confess that I am probably THE world’s worst cook!!!  Luckily for me, I have an amazing husband who’s a great cook – and who actually enjoys being in the kitchen.  

For me, the kitchen is a scary place, where dangers lurk in every drawer and cupboard!  The last time I attempted to make dinner, for example, I plugged in the blender without realising that the button was switched to ‘on’.  Ooooops!!!!!  My husband heard the blender start up at the same time as my scream of shock and came running in, thinking I’d blended myself.  Luckily, I’d only blended all the blender attachments and lid (that we keep inside the blender when we’re not using it)!

So.....  I tend to avoid the kitchen as much as possible!  But, loving all things pretty, I bought myself the ‘Bake-a-Boo Bakery Cookbook’ (by Zoe Berkeley) a few months ago.  My husband nearly died of shock when he saw what I’d picked up! 

When I realised that this week has been National Cupcake Week (check out www.nationalcuocakeweek.co.uk for some mouth-watering recipes and photos), I thought I’d get out my scrumptious little book and venture back into the kitchen.  This time, thank goodness, there were no disasters!  I decided to use the basic fairy cake recipe (starting off my baking career as simply as possible), and put pink butter cream on top.  This photo from the book was my initial inspiration for icing.....  

..... but I thought I’d give the sugar craft flowers a miss and use hundreds & thousands (along with some cute cocktail sticks I found in the drawer) to decorate my cakes.

Here are all my ingredients, laid out nicely.

And here they are again, all mixed up and ready to go into the oven.  Of course, there was a tiny bit of mixture left in the bowl for me!

While the cakes were in the oven, I mixed up the butter cream.  Mmmmm!!!  I had to fight off the temptation to just stick my head into the bowl and lick away!

And.....  TADA!!!  Here are my finished cupcakes! 

I know they’re absolutely no match for the ones in the book, but they look girly and pretty – and they taste okay!  If I made them again, there are a few things I’d try to change.  The icing could have been thicker and more creamy.  And I think I left the cakes in the oven for a few minutes longer than I should have.  Next time, I might try the recipe for ‘dainty lemon cakes’, though.  They sound (and look) yummy!  But, until National Cupcake Week 2012, that’s it from the Crafted by Carly kitchen.....

Now I’m off to have another cake.....

Carly

x