I wholeheartedly believe that no matter what is happening in your life, there is always something that you can be thankful for... no matter how simple it is.
Is it that time of the week already!?! Here are a few of the things I am loving at the moment...
I'm loving Kiwi Cakes and their new premises (Grant Street, Kamo, Whangarei)!! The amazing Sandra invited me up to visit her new shop this week. She also had a wee surprise for me... some amazing moustache cookie cutters and straws!! I looooove them and can't wait to make some moustache biscuits!! I also gave her my latest amigurimi cupcake as a little 'shop warming' gift.
Seriously, if you live in Northland (NZ), you must check this place out. It is like my dream shop, filled with every type of cake tin, cupcake patties, birthday party supplies, cook books, icing colours galore and every cake/cupcake decoration supply you could ever need. She also host an array of cake/biscuit decorating classes (more details here). You can even order online if you live in another city or country! Thank you so much Sandra!!
Loving how cute my girl looks in her 'geeky glasses'...
Speaking of nerds, loving the fact that while every other 'normal' kiwi kid would be playing sport on a Saturday morning, my boys were out with their Poppa and their local rock collecting club, scouring the hillside and beaches for precious stones and rocks. A wee bit nerdy but also very cool!
Loving delicious cupcakes (from Kiwi Cake's opening night)...
Loving (and slightly not loving) what hubby has secretly done to my passport photos...
Loving the fact that Summer is on it's way (yeah, can you spot my payback below)...
Link Love: Loving this link for how to sew your own Chewbacca! Loving this funny Christmas ornament, and this cracks me up!
Here's how you can join in....
Link up below with your blog post telling us what thing/s you are loving, and don't forget to link back to here in your post (or use this button below) and visit the others who have joined in too. Linky open until Sunday!!
A strange phenomenon has occurred around these parts lately.
Ever since the giant Mario Mushroom blanket has been finished (aka "The Blanket of Torture") there has been a flurry of creative craftiness going on.
I think the burden of my blanket commitment has lifted, and hence I've gone a bit crazy.
Makings include this cute crochet cupcake made for a certain someone, and another moustache mug cozy.
I'm also attempting to make a crochet paisley, and horror of all horrors, have started on another granny square blanket with block colours!!
And guess what my other son has ordered for his birthday next year? A Space Invader granny square blanket, in grey and black!!
I'm totally keen (and maybe a wee bit crazy!).
For more crafty makings, go here.
Joining in with Our Creative Spaces.
Everyone knows how much I love cheesecake! While looking for a recipe over the weekend I came across this amazingly simple Indian dessert called "Bhapa Doi". It only has 2 main ingredients in it and tastes great!
I am definitely going to make this again, and maybe experiment a bit too by adding a few other flavours... but I'm not going to dress up in my Indian inspired garb this time for my blog photo though (snigger).
Please note, you will need to allow about 8 hours to drain your yoghurt before you start making this dish.
Ingredients
1 litre natural unsweetened (preferable full fat) yoghurt
1 (395g) can condensed milk
2 tablespoons sliced almonds (I didn't have any so improvised with chocolate chips)
Method
Place a large coffee filter in a large strainer (I just used a sieve). Pour yoghurt into the filter. Place in the refrigerator and allow to drain for about 8 hours or until it is the consistency of soft cream cheese. Add the condensed milk to the strained yoghurt and mix thoroughly.
Grease a baking tin or a glass baking dish (20cm round works well). Pour the mixture into the greased baking dish and bake at 180°C for about 30 minutes, or until the mixture is firm and the top is lightly browned. Take out of the oven, and sprinkle almonds evenly over the top. Cool, and serve sliced into wedges at room temperature.
Oh yeah - I loved this, and so did most of the family!
Original recipe link here.
What a weekend!
Unless you've been living in a monastery for the last couple of months, you would know that last night our little country of New Zealand became the Rugby World Cup Champions once again!!
What a game... I think most New Zealanders would have let out a collective sigh of relief when the final whistle blew! New Zealand 8 - France 7.
So our long weekend was spent in anticipation of last night's game... we had a wee All Blacks party which consisted of black themed nibbles, downed with a hearty glass of black milk (which looked slightly blue).
We also spent time with family and today we ventured out to a fabulous free fun day put on by Fonterra for their 10th birthday. It was a pity we missed out on the free sausages, yoghurt's, iceblocks and other goodies... it seemed like most of Whangarei also decided they'd like to check out the fun day as well!
Such a great weekend - proud to be a Kiwi!!!
Joining in with Life Made Lovely Monday.
I wholeheartedly believe that no matter what is happening in your life, there is always something that you can be thankful for... no matter how simple it is.
Here are a few of the things I am loving at the moment...
This week I'm loving pet snails. Yes, you heard me right... I am loving the pet snails that the girls have in little containers at the moment. Mind you, next week I will probably be hating pet snails.
Loving the fun activities that fill up school holidays. Things like making tents out of sheets over chairs, playing Rummikub, filling up a tub of hot soapy water to let little ones wash their own dishes. Often it's the simplest of things that bring the most joy.
Loving our local library and the amazing inspiration that comes from all the fabulous books I would not be able to afford to own myself. Libraries rock!!
Loving clever friends who create amazing Mario themed gifts! My friend and blogging buddy Becky, whipped up these cute creations for my boys birthday. He loves them so much!!
Finally, I'm loving spending some alone time with my special guy, while the kids are away staying with their Nana (thanks Mum).
Here's how you can join in....
Link up below with your blog post telling us what thing/s you are loving, and don't forget to link back to here in your post (or use this button below) and visit the others who have joined in too. Linky open until Sunday!!
Tonnes of fun was had yesterday, as we celebrated our boys 10th birthday.
Our day started off with our birthday tradition... all the kids (and Boo) squeezed into/onto Mum & Dad's bed. We each shared something special we loved about the him, then we prayed for him and then it was present opening time!
Just so you all know, he loves the blanket. He even said it was his favourite birthday present of them all! I must say that at that precise moment, my heart swelled with motherly pride in having a crochet appreciative son. Sigh.
He invited a few of his nearest and dearest friends (and family) around for an afternoon of feasting and fun.
We celebrated with a giant layered green birthday cake I made for afternoon tea (just like the rainbow cake but each layer a different shade of green) along with other party nibbles.
There was also an array of fun games for the boys to take part in, organised by my amazing husband (aka the "Youth Pastor Extraordinaire")... lovely things like Snot Put (shooting jellybeans from the nose), an egg and spoon obstacle course, dizzy broom spin, paper dart competitions, blowing up balloons with your nostril and other disgusting fun-filled activities that only tween-ager boys would love.
The main disgusting thing about the game time was that Boo kept eating all the snot covered jelly beans from the Snot Put game! Ewwwww.
Anyway, it was an awesome afternoon, and our boy was totally blessed, because isn't that what birthdays are all about? Celebrating the blessing of a precious life.
Life is a gift - totally worth celebrating at every chance you get.
Happy Birthday to our darling boy. Double digits now - wow!!
Today we will celebrate the life of our youngest son, the green eyed, brown haired and super clever boy who has always loved all things scientific, technological and anything quirky or silly that will make others laugh.
He has also always loved the colour green and adores our cat Barney (the cat that drives me mad with his naughty antics).
We love you tonnes (and you better love the blanket I lovingly made for your birthday).
So blessed that God brought you into our lives!!
I did it!!! I finally finished the Pixelated 1up Mushroom blanket that I started way back here in June (progress posts here and here)!!! It's a birthday present for my youngest boy's birthday on Wednesday, and I finished with 3 days to spare (phew!).
Three hundred and sixty-one squares people... 361! Then you've got to join those babies together, thread in the loose ends and do the border. A whole lotta love put in right there... and great memories spent watching the World Cup Rugby while finishing it!
It feels so good to finally finish this project. I've learned a few things along the way... things like "don't put off a crochet blanket project until right before your son's birthday", and also, "crochet can actually be rather cool". I've been amazed at the reports of how many guys have been drooling over this project and wanting a blanket like this for themselves. Haha!!
I feel proud that my son requested a crochet blanket for his birthday, and even asked if he can take it to school for 'show and tell' next term. I hope he likes it when he sees it on his birthday morning!
Anyway, here are the traditional crazy 'I've finally finished my blanket" photos.
Here's the 'how to' from the original genius, if you'd like to make your own.
Birthday boy post to come soon!!
To check out my other finished granny crochet blankets, go here.
I wholeheartedly believe that no matter what is happening in your life, there is always something that you can be thankful for... no matter how simple it is.
Here are a few of the things I am loving at the moment...
Loving these baby mushrooms I found growing in the back yard (they look poisonous but they were fun to photograph)...
Loving Golden Book classics and Daddy's that read to their wee girls...
Loving being inspired to make fun food...
Loving Pinterest...
Loved taking my girl on a date. Also loving the fact that she is rather sentimental about going to the same old tea rooms (that badly need a makeover and slightly remind me of a dungeon) that my mother, grandmother and great grandmother used to visit in their younger years. I did try to tempt her with going to a more modern cafe, but nooooo, Tiffany's it had to be!
Here's how you can join in....
Link up below with your blog post telling us what thing/s you are loving, and don't forget to link back to here in your post (or use this button below) and visit the others who have joined in too. Linky open until Sunday!!
