blackbird

 A sweet little blackbird keeps visiting me in my garden and rummaging around in my newly planted seedling patches. All this while I am battling with the neverending growth of bindweed in the same said patches. She is completely unfazed by my presence in the garden so I took the opportunity to sketch her a little one afternoon while the children were at the park with D.

The children are in a mutinous mood this afternoon, my mood is not much better and the afternoons seem so yawningly long at the moment. I think I need that sunshine back. I also think I need some chocolate. Brownies might help.

Peony Bud

A Peony bud in my favourite mug.

Saffron

I found a sachet of saffron in my local Italian deli. I loved how kitch it was and felt compelled to put paint to paper and create a representation of it...

I love a lot of the packaging from Mediterranean countries. Being half Greek, I like the thought that they have kept the same designs and typography from past decades without seeing the need for change. There is something refreshing about that I think.

May...

Oh lovely sunny days! We have been soaking up the recent gorgeous weather by spending most of our days out doors. I have felt the call to sew more than ever recently and in a moment of spring madness fell head-over heels in love with the gorgeous jersey fabric seen below and bought three metres of the stuff... I have never sewn with jersey before and oh my is it a tricky customer but I basically followed the most simple pattern I could find which was found in this fantastic post right here. I only changed it by adding a lining, oh, and it took me about an hour and a half instead of fifteen minutes, but most of that was spent trying to cut the stuff into a vague rectangular shape!

Oh and my garden wall is actually a bit wonky, it is not just my terrible photography! Well, it probably is a combination of both actually...

Also in the bid to drink slightly fewer dozen cups of coffee a day have been loading up water with fruit and herbs a la the rest of the Internet world! Totally digging the kiwi and apple mint combo today!

 

Look at that sky!

And finally, wanted to share a piece of my drawing/painting (gulp) that I have been working on as a commission for a friend of mine...

Thought it fitted in with my spring theme of today! Hope all is well with you. 

Hugs xxx 

bits and bobs

Having just returned from a lovely Easter weekend away, I am now catching up on piles of washing and deciding what to cook for the two fussy ones with practically nothing in the fridge... Hmmm....

I just felt like sharing a little bit from the last week. I was lucky enough to steal a couple of hours alone while we were away and visited this fantastic vintage shop in the town we were in. I must have gone around the building about four times and came away with gifts for my beloved's birthday. I keep thinking about various bits I saw and didn't come away with. I must be the only person in the world
who gets obsessive about a missed fifties wooden toast rack with matching jam pot, but there it is!

I would so love to own a little shop like this! 'Tis the stuff of dreams.

Also, after seeing this pin, I decided to have a go at making my own body butter. This recipe is fantastic as you only use a cup of coconut oil, a teaspoon of vitamin e oil and any essential oils you 

wish. I adore the heady scent of jasmine and so decided to add that. You then simply whip it all up in a food mixer and it becomes this glorious scented cloud of loveliness... 

No more expensive moisturisers for me! It would be great bottled up and gifted as well.

Hope you had a gorgeous Easter weekend too?! Hugs xx

littlest collection #6 ~ beautiful artworks

On my latest late night etsy trawls, I have been on the hunt for beautiful art. These three stunning examples are from three different and beautiful shops which totally tap into my current need for the dreamy, serene, haunting and surreal.

 Dark Circles 2 by AMMIKI

Greenland VI by paulina r v

Ghost Horses by Becca Stadtlander

This last one reminds me of this album by Dirty Three that I used to listen to a lifetime ago. Did you ever listen to it? What type of artwork is calling to you at the moment? 

oatcakes, a recipe

I am still on my gluten free kick (and feeling a lot better for it...) and just thought I'd share a favourite recipe which is easy, delicious, healthy and incredibly moreish!

I love these at any time of day. For breakfast with peanut butter and sliced banana or crumbled over greek yoghurt and fresh fruit, or for lunch and dinner with soups, salads and various cheeses and spreads! They are also incredibly versatile in that you can flavour them any which way you like. Here I have included some finely grated extra mature cheddar, but you could do anything from adding mixed seeds, herbs and spices (rosemary is gorgeous and i am going to try caraway seeds later this week) to sweetening things up by adding cinnamon, raisins and a trickle of honey.

Scottish Oatcakes

3 cups oats (I use gluten free ones)
1/2 cup hot milk or water
3 tbs melted butter
Pinch salt
1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees celcius. Put your dry ingredients into your food processor with the blade attachment, whizz around a bit until the oats become more powdery, add your wet ingredients and continue to mix until it comes together to form a dough. If you are going to add flavouring, such as finely chopped rosemary, do so now and mix again.

Roll out to 1/2 cm thickness and cut out (I use a small glass). Place on a greased baking tray and put in the oven for between fifteen and twenty minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely.