The 52 Marvellous Makes Madness Challenge - Week 6!

What a glorious day we are having up here in my wee piece of Scotland.  I hope all you lovely folks down south are blessed with such good weather on your bank holiday, fingers crossed.  I never look at forecasts so am oblivious...

Last weeks make was these...

 yummy, scrummy, in my tummy [lots] brownies!

Not to be too decadent, they have bananas in them, so healthy really if  we discount the butter, sugar, chocolate and walnuts.  I love brownies, especially the edge pieces that are slightly over done.  I had forgotten all about this recipe from a long ago Good Food magazine and my Biscuits find them less rich than the ones we usually bake from Nigella's Domestic Goddess or Jamie 'O's Cook with Jamie.  I love the ease of making, of stirring lazily and the soothing smell of chocolate warming in the pan.  I want one now so am thrilled I had enough sense to freeze some.

I am stuck a little on this weeks make as I am reaching into the realms of Christmas making - I know it's early but if I don't start now I'll be a 'baldy, crazy lady' Ali, like the scary cat lady from the Simpsons, ready to crumble in a heap in the corner, wanting  never to see Christmas again and I can't have that!  No way No how!!  I give myself a huge list you see and this year, I'll capitalize that again for effect,   THIS YEAR  I am determined to get ahead, hence the problem.  I don't want to be showing them all in detail on here in case the cat gets out of the bag but it's what I'll be mainly making.  I'll maybe have to play that game with the photos, of really close up parts of the makes, making it hard to tell what the full thing is.  But that would defeat the purpose really as of course I want to show them...aaah!!

Ach we'll see.....

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This weather is making me......(a lament to summer)

...indulge in an awful lot of temporary melancholic listening of  The Smiths and Morrissey.

Rain clouds pouring with 'Everyday is like Sunday' interspersed with sunny intervals of gladioli thrashing  'Ask'.

I may have to indulge in some kind of lament to summer...ceremonial burning of flip flops...already thinking about Christmas a lot...deary me!!!   
Thank goodness I am not single or I'd be going right over the edge, gratefully........or be sick over your frankly vulgar, red pullover! 

"won't somebody stop me from thinking, from thinking all the time about everything, so deeply, so bleakly?"

"come armageddon, come armageddon, come!"

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The 52 Marvellous Makes Madness Challenge - Week 5!

Feeling quite back to normal today!  As the lovely Heather predicted no matter how much I pottered about yesterday I achieved nothing.  Should have sat on my bottom watching DVD's after all.  My Biscuits had a wonderful first day and came home very excited and full of news.  I always feel sorry for their Daddy at this point as they tell me about their day when they arrive home but by the time Hubby Biscuit comes in from work they cannae be bothered repeating themselves.  Shame!  Eldest Biscuit got all moody and teenager like by tea time, it seems you cannot be that 'up' without the come down.

So before I get back to cleaning I thought I would share with you my make for Week 5 of the 52MMM Challenge.  Youngest Biscuit is just entering his third year of Primary School and his teacher this year has never had a class of her own yet as she has just finished her probation year.  She was very excited yesterday photographing the kiddies as they lined up and during the holiday YB received a post card from her welcoming him to her class.  He was so chuffed to get a note from his new teacher as well as receiving post full stop.  She really made his day so I thought she deserved this as a wee thank you being so thoughtful...

...an apple brooch.  She loved it I am pleased to say! See below for my makes up to now and for a looksee at some other lovely peeps makes at Flickr.

I wonder what this weeks make will be?

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Week 1

Week 2

Week 3 & 4

The 52MMMC Flickr group!

It's a funny kind of day....

My Biscuits have gone back to school today and it's always a funny kind of day.  

This year, due to holidaying so late, the weeks haven't dragged so much.  I haven't wanted to lock my Biscuits in the shed at all really which is a rarity in itself, so I wasn't really wishing for the first day at all.  Yet it has come today and my Biscuits were so excited to get back, again a rarity.  Even receiving a letter yesterday to say Eldest Biscuit's expected teacher would not be returning and he would be getting a new one, didn't dampen their spirits too much (well once EB had taken himself to his duvet for a bit to deal with the disappointment!)  But I always find the first day back emotional.  Suddenly we are up, dressed, fed and out by 8.30 which is just so strange and then I am back home by 9am to a very quiet house and it feels all weird and wrong.  Don't get me wrong that 'very quiet house' will become 'peaceful' soon enough but today, today it feels...and I feel...it all feels......y'know. 

I had lots of house work planned but the quiet is freaking me out and making me want to sit and stare.  No, I do not like the first day of school.  Maybe if the sun was shining and it wasn't trying to rain my spirits would be lifted somewhat but it's not and it is, so.....

Maybe a DVD and lots of hot drinks and some crochet are called for or I'll just get a grip and get the hoover out!  A Valentine Warner DVD though.........??!!

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The 52 Marvellous Makes Madness Challenge - Weeks 3 and 4!

This challenge is such a good idea.  I'm really enjoying 'having' to make something every week.  My Week 3 make was something I bake often but it deserves a place for the sheer pleasure it brings in the making/eating/devouring of them.  They are from the delicious Hummingbird Bakery Book and are moistly moreish!  I get to use my KitchenAid too, *sigh*.

Week 4 brought these and...

... it's what I made whist holidaying on the canals of England and Wales therefore my make of that week.  I've still got lots to do!  I am using  Rico Creative Cotton; colours inspired by the Gustav Klimt canvas we have in our bedroom.  I love the Pistachio green!  

Picture me sat at the front of the narrow boat hooking away in between locks and long gazes at firey coloured butterflies and the dazzling blues of dragonflies.  

In the evenings, awaiting a delicious dinner courtesy of my Mother-in-law, my hook was replaced by this for more gazing...

...bliss!!  I could spend a lot of time on a narrow boat.  My gypsy soul yearns for it now I've had a taste of it.  Shame it's so expensive...!

More makes...

Week 1 - the wedding cake

Week 2 - crochet hook pouch
The 52MMMC Flickr group!


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A quick hello!

Howdy folkaroonies!

I've just managed to get my laptop on for the first time in just under two weeks which just seems mental. Seventy eight e-mails I may add and not one from a real person.  

I wanted to say a quick hello to you all, to say I'm back and hope to be blogging properly soon, why this doesn't count as a proper post I do not know?!?  Our canal boat holiday was wonderful, unbelievably relaxing and gypsy-soul embracing.  I loved it.  This week, this week....Hubby Biscuit and I decided to (stupidly)  have a clear out and sort out cupboards.  Not teeny cupboards either but walk in ones!!!  Aah!!!  You know those jobs that get worse before they get better.  Glad when it's done jobs. Can see/can't see why we put them off jobs.  All consuming.....

Hubby has had an allergic reaction to the hoover, used it more in the last few days than in his whole life.  His body was not happy and made him ill.  I've told him in no uncertain terms I'm not falling for it.  It's akin to making crappy tea to get out of making any at all.  I've tried that one on him and it didn't work.  That's Electricians for you, drink any ol' dishwater/tar tea!  To be fair it was me that brought up the hoover reaction thing, he's just ill but I've got to have a little domestic dig!!

I don't think I've ever posted so late but I had to get my sluttish red toes wet before I got serious withdrawal and I confess I have missed my ickle blog and my bloggy friends! 

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The 52 Marvellous Makes Madness Challenge - Week 2 and a hodilay!

Hey folks......

Week two's marvellous make was this...

...an ickle knitted pouch for my crochet hooks.  It's a bit skew-wiffy because I added an extra kitted layer at the bottom to keep the hooks in place (too lazy to line with fabric) but it will do the job and I've been meaning to replace the vanilla pod metal tube I've been using for a while now as it makes an awful noise, all those hooks rattling around inside.  I used Rowan handknit cotton and a lovely button I received as an 'extra' from Jess at Nellie&Elsie.  I wanted to make it  for the project (you can just about see the practice squares in one of the above pictures) I have planned for next week when we are off on this...

The 'Speckled Hen'- image from cottage4you

...for a whole relaxing, rejuvenating seven days.  Meandering along the canals of England and Wales with a book or this granny square project for my bed, on my lap taking in the sights and sounds at a slow pace. Sipping on a nice wine of an evening........bliss!!  It won't be like this all the time, we will be with the Biscuits after all but the potential is there and I'm all about the potential.  Father-in-law will be present to talk 'boring' narrow boat things with Hubby Biscuit and help drive etc (all those things I want no part of!!) and Mother-in-law will be present to talk 'interesting' things about whatever we like, with me.  The Biscuits will partake in one or t'other, both or none of the above.  

As expected I am having a busy, busy week preparing.  Hubby is working a lot of extra hours coincidentally, so can't help organize as much as he usually does and to top it all I spent the better part of yesterday at the orthodontist in Edinburgh (aahh! those blue eyes!) so I am in pain today AND I had an appointment at the hospital earlier today to see a surgeon and the Biscuits and I had to wait 

ONE HOUR AND FORTY MINUTES 

to be seen.  Like I had nothing better to do when I have a holiday to prepare for and in pain and my poor boys were amazing considering.  I eased my guilt at dragging them along with crisps as soon as we got out.  Having to wait that long to discuss procedures I don't particularly want but have to have was a right pain in the proverbial...and mouth for that matter!!  I am finding it hard to concentrate on writing lists so I am procrastinating a little by being here with you.  I've a gazillion things to do and feel my usual mantra about hodilays floating around my head 'after preparing for a holiday, I'll need a holiday'.  The fact I will be going on one is handy then!!!  

Hubby Biscuit still doesn't believe me when I say I am leaving my laptop behind.  I bet he sneaks it in a bag pretending he was thinking of me if it rains continuously for the whole week but it''ll be for him really to look up something 'boring' about narrow boats! 

See you soon!!

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The 52 Marvellous Makes Madness Challenge - Week 1

 

 (click on image to find out what it's all about)

This challenge was set up by the lovely Mrs Thrifty as a way to get those usually endless 'WIPS' completed, one per week for 52 weeks and importantly to enjoy and find pleasure in the process of the making of those projects.  I wasn't inclined to accept such a challenge as I hate feeling I have to do things but I thought of that list I have of things I mean to make and somehow never get around to.  I thought I'd use this challenge as a way of trying to get through that list and any of those new challenges in the land of homemade.  All that and any of those things I really find pleasure in making.

So for Week 1 I thought what better place to start than with THAT wedding cake!  It was mainly a pleasurable experience, especially when it was done and dusted, ready to be enjoyed.  So here it is...

(click on image to take you to the T52MMMC Flickr group)

Here is a the photo of the gorgeous Bride and Groom with their heads....the above photo was all about the cake...

 Don't they look happy?  

They cut the cake with a humongous sword, by the way, shame you cannot see it!  

It was a wonderful wedding!  The atmosphere was amazing, infectious and all the guests were up for having a huge celebration.  The last wedding I was at was so serious, formal, dire and pretentious, it was actually really uncomfortable and unsettling to be there so it was bliss and such a relief to attend a wedding that was how they should be, a joy filled celebration!  

Other than our own wedding  four years ago, My Biscuits have never been to a full day ceremony and reception, so they had a ball.....check out their outfits!

Eldest Biscuit cannot pose seriously for a photo!

They managed to stay until the end, for Runrig and Loch Lomond, at midnight, but they did flag a little during the disco...

 Not really sleeping though, just resting their eyes. 

So that was the wedding, the cake and the first week of The 52Marvellous Makes Madness Challenge. 

I wonder what I'll make next week?

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