2nd Pinterest make!.

I was happily pinning away on pinterest when i came across a recipe for a Chocolate Sour Cream Cake. mmmmm, i thought!. my 'coffee cake' has sour cream in it and makes a beautiful cake - the words are in ' ' because there is no coffee in the coffee cake....its a term the Americans use for cakes they eat with coffee apparently!. So i whipped up the cake....a very easy cake to make, however i hit a small road block....i didnt have enough sour cream!. i decided to carry on and see how it turned out. it needed more time in my oven than what was stated on the recipe, and i'm sure my oven is ok, as other things cook within the required time. because it needed longer there is a slight burnt cake smell wafting through the house!. the taste....well....it tastes ok, however, i dont know that i would say it's the best chocolate cake i've ever had, like some of the reviews said. i also havent iced it, and probably wont.....cuts the calories somewhat!!. it is lovely and moist in the middle( and yes it's cooked!!)...the outside edges are a tad crispy from the extra time in the oven!. so all in all, about a 7.5/10!. excuse the flash in one of the piccies....but it gives a good indication of the cross section.

tell you what though.....a website full of chocolate recipes.....will add that to the list of websites to waste time in!!.

new treasures!.

Today i took a bus ride or 2 to an antiques fair in Potters Bar. I've been to it a few times now, and usually manage to come home with something!. Today was no different. I managed to get home on the bus without breaking a platter, vase, soup spoons and 2 Wade elephants!. Since i had brought the vase, i decided i needed some spring flowers to go in them, so went to the supermarket on the way home and got some tulips....my favourite spring flower. so.....show'n'tell time...

also, here is a full length picture of the crocheted birdhouse i brought a couple of weeks ago

I want a blue house!

on a miserable wet sunday in London, i am spending some time on a virtual open home tour of houses in Christchurch again, and again, i have fallen in love!. where as before i loved the other house because of its different layout, todays house swoon is more in keeping with the period style of house i actually prefer. i love these houses, the period details, the leadlight windows and if you're lucky some beautiful mantels as well. todays house i quite like in its entirety - needs some updating and TLC....but the section is to small for any decent vege production. however what i love the most is the outside paintwork....combined with the greenery, its gorgeous, and i have decided, when i grow up, i want one just like this!!. here is the full listing for the property if you want a sneaky peak yourself!

now where am i going to hang the dressing gown?!

on pinterest recently was some cute crocheting, which i duly pinned and hoped would have a pattern attached. when i went to look into it, i found there was no pattern, just a link to an esty store. so i went to look anyway, but thought it would be in the US, and to much money to buy!. imagine my surprise to find it was in Holland and under £20 inc postage, so, i had to buy it!.

the shop is called TeenyWeeny Design and she has some lovely crocheted items!. i shall endeavour to take some better pictures of it today when the lighting is better!.

Kia Kaha Christchurch

the the first anniversary of the deadly earthquake i think of you and wish so very much i was home. I am attending a memorial event in south London tonight where the 'One Year On' documentary film will be shown. I dont expect to survive the evening without tears!. Remembering you toda Christchurch and my fellow Cantabs.

The Purple Bag.

Last week on my way home i decided to go to Libertys. In the 20yrs i have lived in london i have never been inside the shop, and have often wondered what treasures awaited me in there!. Well, i can honestly say not much!. i discounted 2 floors of fashion because they wouldnt have anything in my size that didnt require more limbs than i have to pay for it!. so i headed up to the haderdashery and homeware sections!. again, not alot that really grabbed my fancy!. however, having said all that, i did manage to come home with 2 purple bags!!.

in the bathroom section i found my favourite Italian soap, and amazingly, £1 cheaper than its sold for in Enfield!. so i got the last bar they had in the variety i like!. i also brought about hair turban, as the one i got in the States is fab, and still going strong, but having a spare is always a good idea. then the trouble started!!. i headed into the kitchen area....oh boy!. i had to really talk strongly with myself about just 'window shopping'. however i still managed to walk out with a large purple bag!. i spied 4 cereal bowls (all they had left), by Royal Doulton for £5 each!. not bad, and i love the soft blue on them.

then i saw the storage jars.....swooon.....i want more!. again, each was less than £5 each as well. i love that they are glass, and that they are different. i am going to get a few more of the jars, and also see if i can get relacement rubber seals and metal clasps. so, in conclusion, its an amazing building full of very helpful staff, but not alot in it that i desired or could afford.....picked up one flan dish....about 15cm diameter...£76 if you please!.

progress

i am making progress with my blanket and have stumbled upon a new way colourway for the squares, which i also like!. so now the blanket is going to have about 3, possibly 4 different patterns for the squares, while they still follow the overall master plan!. i say 4, cos as i was making the 3rd pattern i thought about another option, but have yet to try it!. since this photo was taken, i have made two more original pattern squares, using the 4 nonwhite colours. i'll photograph the squares again this weekend. seeing it laid out on the bed shows me how much i am going to need to make, if i want it to cover a double bed!. so i need to think what i want it for, to know how many more squares i need to make. then, and i keep saying this, i need to thinking about blocking and joining up the squares!!.