Tales from Mount Pleasant

#Mumentum - A Week Off

2012-02-21T14:16:00.000Z

I spent most of last week at my mums which meant portion control pretty much went out of the window.
My parents like to eat - although, to their credit, they do eat a lot less than they used to! They like BIG meals, usually meat based and in much larger quantities than we are used to.
As a grazer who prefers to eat little and often, I find the traditional eating three meals a day thing quite difficult. I find I simply can't manage the plate load put in front of me, and certainly don't have any room for pudding afterwards but a couple of hours later I am ready to eat again (while they are dozing). I also realised that I drink a LOT more than they do. And I am not talking about alcohol here. At home I virtually chain drink tea and coffee, although I am trying to alternate with water now. Whilst there I find myself flicking the kettle on and ending up making tea/coffee for the multitudes... (I should explain both my brother and sister still live at home. There is some rule that states whenever one wants a cuppa one MUST make a cuppa for everyone else in the house too. Which is probably why they don't drink nearly as much as I do...)

The weather wasn't brilliant either so, apart from a Friday morning bimble around town (which included a very lovely crafty purchase) there was not much exercise to be had, but I did manage to get to bed at a reasonable time and the Little Man was good and didn't wake up too early so I got a decent amount of sleep!

I am also proud to say I was able to turn down a (repeatedly) offered doughnut - I honestly don't think my mum believed me the first time!

Last night I did my first Wii workout for a week using the 'Combine Routines' function for 30 mins of varied exercise followed by a 20 min jog. After a week of nothing I noticed a definite drop in performance but it felt good to be back on it again.

And as for the scales - my new BFF - they neither frowned nor smiled. No change.

The Generic mp3 Shuffle Game - Round 2

2012-02-18T11:28:00.004Z

You know, I love my music but I don't get to listen to it nearly as much as I used to or want to (strangely the LM would rather listen to The Bopps than Bjork but I'm sure he'll grow out of it ;-) )

My lovely OH bought me a new phone a couple of Christmasses ago that had a built in MP3 and since the LM has been going to nursery, and I have had the long walk to pick him up, I have finally had the chance to indulge in all my old favourites (and a few new ones).

I spotted this game on Seasider in the City blog today, inspired by a similar game on the Chris Moyles Show. Apparently I missed round one, but nevermind. The idea is you set your MP3 on shuffle and share the first 5 tunes that come up - whatever they may be. Could be interesting (or a bit embarrassing or just down right hilarious)...

So lets Shuffle....

1 System of a Down - Forest

2 Duran Duran - Reach up for the Sunrise

3 All About Eve - Scarlet

4 Nirvana - The Man Who Sold The World

5 Green Day - Hitchin' a Ride

So there you go. Never let it be said that my tastes are not varied...

Visit Seasider in the City to see what others are listening to or to add your link if you want to join in!

Calling all yarn lovers!

2012-02-17T20:50:00.001Z

Today I visited a beautiful wool shop in Abergavenny, The Wool Croft. Stuffed full of beautiful yarns including Rowan, Noro and Debbie Bliss plus Organic Welsh wool and some unusual skeins of beaded or hand painted yarns.
I was in a mood to treat myself and left with some new bamboo needles, some cute heart shaped wooden buttons and this...

Isn't it gorgeous? It's a hand dyed, silk/merino wool mix yarn by Louisa Harding. It is smooth and soft with a fabulous sheen. Hand painted by artisans in Chile - every hank is unique.

This one is a blend of blues ranging from pale aqua to dark navy called 'Coastal' and I absolutely fell in love with it and just had to bring it home!

Only problem is I have no idea what I will make with it!

So I am looking for some suggestions.

Knit or crochet - I don't mind.

The yarn weight is somewhere between DK and aran weight with a recommended needle size 4mm or hook size 5.5mm - 6.5mm. The hank is 110yds in length so there is only enough for a small project.

Please help! I would hate for this sublime yarn to end up in my stash box, taken out occasionally to be stroked and 'oooooed' over...

Love is in the air....

2012-02-14T08:21:00.000Z

There is a lot of love about this week... Hearts in all shapes and sizes are popping up everywhere I look on the internet. Did someone mention Valentine's Day?

You know, my Other Half is not the most romantic type - he has only ever bought me flowers once. To be fair it was a single red rose and he had to tuck it inside his bike jacket to deliver it. All those thorns with only a tshirt to protect him... no wonder he never got me any more!!! This year he has a meeting with the Coleford Carnival of Transport Commitee (of which he is a member) tonight so no surprise dinner for 2 for me then... *sigh*

So it seems, if I want some of that lovin' feeling I will just have to find it for myself...

Happy Valentines Day my lovers!!

#Mumentum - Weighty Matters...

2012-02-13T18:47:00.001Z

The scales are not my friend...

Or you could say they are my very best friend as they are honest and they tell it like it is without sugar-coating the truth. Unlike a good friend, however, they don't offer hugs and a cuppa to ease the pain of bad news (and they are a bit of loss on the gossipping front to, if I'm honest...).

After last week's post full of positivity my confidence is back on the floor. You see, despite spending best part of an hour every day jogging, hula-hoop-ing, boxing, yoga and pretending to be a Jedi knight with my light sabre on the swordplay section of WiiResort; despite clocking up a couple of hours and 15km on the exercise bike whilst watching Eastenders; despite sweating like a pig in my Zaggora Hotpants; despite there being barely a cake, biscuit or packet of crisps in the house because money is tight again; despite all of this the scales show no change...

It's frustrating to say the least.

Friends have tried to reassure me that aren't showing weight loss because I am building up muscle mass thanks to all the exercise and although I am losing fat, muscle weighs more. Etc. Etc.
Problem is my scales are clever. They show me how much of my body is fat (a scary 38% at the moment!!) and how much that fat weighs (you really don't want to know).
The numbers are exactly the same as they were at the beginning of January...

I am clearly not doing everything I could/should so this week I am going to really concentrate on what I am eating, portion control, getting plenty of water and ABSOLUTELY NO SNACKING.

Snow lovely...

2012-02-12T16:44:00.000Z

The past four winters we have been blessed (cursed) with LOTS of snow. It disrupted everything from food deliveries to public transport and emergency service response. We have had to abandon vehicles and walk home through the drifts when freak snowstorms have made it too dangerous to drive. Local supermarkets ran out of staples as everyone panic bought essentials in fear of the worst. Our business suffered badly as, for two winters running, the snowy conditions dragged on for weeks and nobody was coming into the shop. Assuming the OH could even get to the shop to open up.
So this winter's distinct lack of the white stuff has been a welcome relief. Yes we've had snow but it hasn't been enough to stop most day to day activities (at least in this neck of the woods) and it hasn't hung around for long enough to be a pain.

Yesterday it was doing it's damnedest to prove that, actually it can be rather beautiful...

When we woke up to this sight - a bright, slightly waning moon suspended in a pinky blue sky just before the sun rose - I knew we were in for a lovely day...

Snow covered black branches against a pale blue winter sky

In places where the sun doesn't reach the snow still lay thickly

A Hazy Shade of Winter

Temperatures have plummeted over night this past week or so, creating a 'snow-thaw-freeze' cycle that has made for some gorgeous icicle formations...

Every twig has it's own little ice jacket...

Even the individual blades of grass have been treated to crystal coating!

Natures own tinsel and fairy lights - this tree actually glistened. Unfortunately I could not quite capture the sparkle of sunlight on the ice... Believe me, I tried.

The late afternoon sun on the rapidly melting ice was dazzling.

It's all gone now. With every day we are heading closer to Spring so I don't know if we'll get any more this Winter... If it means we can head out in the sunshine and witness this beauty again then I won't mind too much.

But if it stops everyone from getting to where they need to go and means the corner shop runs out of coffee I might stamp my feet a bit...

#SilentSunday 12/02/12

2012-02-12T08:49:00.001Z

for more fab pictures search #SilentSunday on twitter.com

Retro toy fun - Old Skool Lego

2012-02-07T17:42:00.003Z

Yesterday we* were given an amazing gift from the Other Half's brother - a box of Lego. More accurately, a vintage (mid 70's?) set of Lego in it's original box!

*I say we - technically it was for the Little Man, but, you know, he has to be supervised and besides he has the attention span of a fly...

This is Lego as I remember it before it got all technical and based around the latest blockbuster movie...


Check out that collar and the hair!

Now if your family was anything like mine there was always plenty of Lego to play with but, despite our best intentions, it rarely stayed in it's original box for long. This set however even has the instructions!

Well, naturally I couldn't wait to get stuck in. It didn't take long to build the hospital - cleverly hinged on one side to allow easy play. Honestly it was like being 7 all over again. Right down to nearly throwing a wobbly when I couldn't get one bit to stay together properly...

But after about half an hour of reacquainting myself with teeny Lego (the LM is still at the Duplo stage of Lego building) I had my state of the art (c. 1970) hospital complete with bed, trolley, sink and tiled cabinet (I made that one up myself - you see it all comes flooding back!).


Doctor 'How are you feeling?' Patient 'A bit stiff, doctor...'

See this is 'old skool' Lego - in the days before Lego mini-figures existed. These guys don't bend in the middle...

Now I have made the hospital I can't wait to have a go at some of the other ideas on the box...

Relaxing in our stylish living room...


Who needs MFI?

As I suspected the Little Man got bored about ten minutes into construction and decided that bowling on the Wii was much more fun. I think I may have to pass the task of creative Lego play over to Daddy. I'm sure he could make something far more interesting to a four year old boy than the various retro interiors I want to recreate :-)

Thank you to Uncle M for this little surprise. I promise I will pass it on to the Little Man as soon as he is old enough to appreciate it.

In the meantime I have a restaurant to construct....

***UPDATE***

Apparently all Lego sets can be dated by their set number. This one was released in 1978. Thanks to @frizzychick for filling me in on that one :-)

#Mumentum New Year, New Me (blah blah blah)

2012-02-06T16:59:00.001Z

It's been a while since I last did a Mum-en-tum post and, well, nothing much has changed.
December brought the usual round of over-indulgence - I blame the fact that mince pies and brandy cream are only available for 2 months of the year. I have to get my fix before they disappear from the shelves until next November...
But, that said I entered 2012 10lbs lighter than I was at the beginning of 2011 so there must be some progress being made!
Now back in the old days (read early 20's) shifting a stone after the party season was not a major problem. A few weeks of soup, salad and chocolate hobnob abstinence was usually all that was required to shift the winter weight. But it is true what they say about it getting harder as you get older.
Last week I celebrated my 38th birthday (with Chinese food and chocolate cupcakes) That's officially 'late-30's'. Nearly 40 even. If I stand any chance of getting rid of those excess ~~pounds~~ stones for good, this is the year I have to make it happen or else a life of floaty tunics and elastic waistbands looms...

No dieting here though.
I detest that word... instead I am looking a bit more carefully at what I eat and, most importantly, my portion sizes. I have been researching some low fat, healthy recipes and trying to create meals that I can enjoy with the LM. I am looking for recipes that are intended to serve only one or two (not as easy as you might think) so that over-eating is not an option. If I find some good ones I will share if you like :-)

The gym or exercise classes are still a non-starter for me. Even if we could spare the cash I can't get to any of the darn things! The exercise bike, however, is finally being used as it was intended - ie: it's not draped with coats, bags, ironing etc and my lovely OH picked up a second hand Wii complete with Wii Fit for me for Christmas which we have all had lots of fun with through the dreary month of January. I am just starting to get into a routine of sorts and it is actually very good fun and the daily body tests are pretty motivational! I will let you know how I get on with that and how much of a difference it makes...

In the meantime I wish all you lovely Mumentum ladies a (slightly belated) Happy New Year. Lets make 2012 the year we all achieve what we want! xx

Don't forget to visit Liska's blog NewMumOnline and check out all the other Mumentum posts this week... (for some reason my lovely new blog template won't let me add the the linky tool to this post)

#SilentSunday 05/02/12

2012-02-05T10:04:00.000Z

for more fab Silent Sunday pictures search #silentsunday on twitter.com

Knit along with Deramores and Rowan

2012-02-04T11:09:00.000Z

Have I mentioned before how much I love Mollie Makes magazine? Well they have a fab blog too and the other day they pulled my attention to a great idea from the award winning website deramores.com. They have joined forces with Rowan Yarns and, utilising the modern wonder that it social networking, have organised a 'Knit along' by giving away a free knitting pattern for a cosy snood (just perfect for the cold snap we are weathering at the moment!) and encouraging their facebook 'likers' and Twitter followers to join in and post about their progress!

Well, as part of my New Year's Promise (as opposed to 'Resolution', but more about that another time) to myself I felt I just had to take part...

I confess I cheated slightly and used yarn from my stash - a double knit baby yarn (Sirdar Snuggly) that I bought ages ago with the intention of making my baby something cosy- rather than purchase the Rowan Alpaca Cotton yarn the pattern specifies*. Obviously it's finer than the aran weight yarn but I figure it will be all the lighter and 'lacier' for it.

Wanna see the project so far?

I love the simplicity of the pattern and the short rows mean it is easy to pick up and put down without risking losing your way or dropping stitches. I'm not the worlds fastest knitter - my mum could probably whip this up over a couple of evenings - but it's growing quick enough for me not to lose interest and pack it away with all the other 'unfinished' projects...

If you want to have a go too, head over to Deramores for the free pattern. They also have 10% off the gorgeous Rowan Alpaca Cotton yarn until 9th Feb as a further incentive if you want to do it properly.

You can post your work in progress pictures on the Deramores facebook page or tweet them using the tag #KAL and mentioning @Deramores and @RowanYarns so they can see what you've created too!

If you blog your knit along project then be sure to let me know and leave a link with your comment.

Good luck! x

*If money was no object I would have gone for the gorgeous muted Lichen (green) or Raindrop (grey-blue). Or maybe made one in each colour...

#SilentSunday 29/01/12

2012-01-29T07:00:00.000Z

For more fab Silent Sunday pics search #silentsunday on twitter.com

#SilentSunday 15/01/12

2012-01-15T09:17:00.000Z

Bring back the Peace and Harmony...

2012-01-14T15:33:00.000Z

In my last actual blog post I mentioned that I would be easing off on the blogging for a while to concentrate on my health, family, the Other Half's business and Christmas. I had planned to continue posting Silent Sunday photos and write a post or two when the mood took me but, once again the Universe just had to step in and make sure I took a proper break.

By blowing up my netbook.

Four days before Christmas.

The cable to the webcam shorted and burned a nice black hole in my screen. The screen itself is simple enough to replace. The cable, however is a whole other kettle of fish. Apparently it's only available from three sources - Acer direct, a supplier in Japan and another in the US - and with a delivery time of 21 working days wherever it came from. Factor in the Xmas/New Year holidays, the inevitable backlog of orders due to aforementioned holidays and the shitty weather that is bound to come in after the holidays and delay everything further still. Then add a dash of my extraordinary (bad) luck when it comes to anything technical. What you end up with is no netbook for best part of a month!

And it is driving me nuts!!

Yes, we have a PC but it's situated in the corner of the room so you have to sit with your back to everyone - not ideal when you have a little one running riot with felt tip pens. Besides which Little Man gets jealous when I have PC on anything other than Cbeebies, Nick Jr or the newly discovered Sesame Street website.

That was the beauty of the netbook. It was perfectly proportioned for stealth blogging. And stealth tweeting...*

In the evening the PC is reserved exclusively for the Other Half to tweak his website, list stuff on Ebay, read crash.net and play cards. Which is why, of course, I got the netbook in the first place. It allows me to write, edit photographs, build my own website and tweet to my hearts content from the comfort of my sofa. It saves us getting into fisticuffs over keyboard rights and having shouty conversations that begin with "wait until I win a game of Spider Solitaire..." Not for nothing did I name it 'The Bringer of Peace and Harmony'.

Even if I could get on the PC it can be so slow that I can bath the Little Man and get him to bed in the time it takes to delete that last sentence, and there are so many pictures of bike spares (Ebay fodder) stored on it that the photo editing suite takes about 15 years to load...

So I have been reduced to drafting this post ON PAPER. WITH A PEN. The idea is that it will only take 15 minutes to transcribe it to Blogger and publish it. I surely should be able to grab 15 minutes at some point during the day. It probably won't be that simple. It never is.**

I wonder if it would be easier to just scan the sheet of A4 and then post as a picture but I fear you may not be able to read the coffee-ring decorated, handwritten scrawl.

And, besides, the scanner doesn't work either...

*Yes, Twitter I have missed you terribly, in case you were wondering.

** It was, actually, surprisingly simple. Apart from the Little Man constantly saying "Are you nearly done yet? Can I go on Cbeebies now?"

#SilentSunday 18/12/11

2011-12-18T10:03:00.000Z

#SilentSunday 11/12/11

2011-12-11T09:39:00.001Z

#SilentSunday 04/12/11

2011-12-04T08:20:00.001Z

Ben & Holly's Little Kingdom - Talking Ben Elf toy Review

2011-11-29T20:53:00.001Z

Little Man has new best friend. His name is Ben. And he is an Elf.

"Squeeze Ben's hand to hear him say five fun phrases, including 'Elves are very good at finding things!'. Made from soft and cuddly fabrics, he is ideal to hug and hold."

Well, our Ben Elf preferred to have his tummy squeezed and the five phrases are just what you'd expect Ben Elf to say "Hello, my name is Ben and I am an Elf!". Little Man was a little disappointed that he couldn't have an actual conversation after the introductions were done but once he got over that he has happily allowed Ben Elf to tag along on all his adventures and made a space in his new bed between Bagwuss and green rabbit for Ben to snuggle down at night which is about as good a recommendation as you can get! Talking Ben Elf would make a smashing stocking pressie for any budding Elf!

A whole range of Ben & Holly's Little Kingdom toys, including the Talking Ben Elf Toy (rrp £12.99) are available from all good retailers.

If you (or your little people) love Ben & Holly as much as Little Man why not visit their fab new website and dedicated facebook page for news, reviews, fun and games.

Thank you to Entertainment One who kindly sent Little Man a Talking Ben Elf to review.

#HandmadeChristmas - An Apology

2011-11-28T15:53:00.001Z

Life has a way of taking over, have you noticed that?

Despite all my plans and ideas for a whole series of Handmade Christmas posts, we are less than four weeks away from the BIG DAY and... well... time is running out.

It's not that the ideas went away more a case of being pushed to one side while I was forced to concentrate on more important stuff like working out how the hell we are going to keep both shops open now we are a staff member down and all our friends/family/nice people who help out are either ill or have other commitments. It doesn't help that while much of the retail sector is building up for the Christmas rush this is traditionally the time of year our business tends to wind down a little as all the fair weather bikers pack up their gear for the winter...

I have been ill for best part of three weeks too, and last week Little Man was struck down and spent 3 days in a semi-zombie state on the sofa, temperature going up and down like a yo-yo and with barely enough energy to keep his eyes open.
Evidently he was not considered serious enough for a home-visit from the doctor so I had to bundle him up, fish out the long unused pushchair and take him down to surgery in the cold and dark only to be told there was very little to be done and to continue giving him Calpol every 4 hours.

A week of sleepless nights compounded by worry about the business, our finances and family stuff has left me feeling drained and exhausted.

So this post is mainly an apology that the promises of Handmade Christmas posts I had planned will not be happening now - I will not be making my own mincemeat because we simply cannot afford the ingredients (although I still hope to have a go at fudge...)
I have been asked by MENCAP to create a tutorial for their Christmas Make with Me campaign which I am more than happy to do but the tutorials I had hoped to share with you here will have to wait until next year. I will, however be posting a list of fab tutorials that I have found around the inter web for you to have a go at and I still hope to highlight some great handmade decorations available to buy for those of you who have neither the time nor the inclination to create your own.

As life continues to do it's damnedest to butt in and spoil my plans I will be taking a little step back from the blog. I am determined that no matter how stressful and depressing our situation may seem at the moment, we will have a wonderful, Handmade Christmas to remember.
I hope you all do too! xx

#SIlentSunday 27/11/11

2011-11-27T11:14:00.001Z

Black Friday - sales start here...

2011-11-25T06:17:00.001Z

Today is Black Friday - the day when, in the States at least, the festive shopping frenzy begins in earnest with many stores opening their doors as early as 4am with some juicy discounts in a bid to capture the gift market right from the start. It would seem the trend is beginning to take hold here too with many of our big names offering discounts for the day (which will probably stretch into the week and then, before we know it the Boxing Day Sales...)

The day is called Black Friday because the boost to income allegedly sees retailers begin to turn a profit, or 'go into the black' but the origins of the term can be traced back to Philadelphia where it was used to describe the unusually heavy traffic on the day after Thanksgiving. This year some US stores have opened even earlier than usual sparking a backlash of 'anti-Back Friday' sentiment as employees are forced to give up several hours of sleep or family time at Thanksgiving...

Well, I don't have any employees (unless you count the Little Man helping me find the lost sticky tape when parcel wrapping....) so the only person getting up early this morning was me (completely involuntarily, I might add) and the beauty of a virtual shop is that is can be open 24 hours a day with no-one to staff it!

So here is my contribution to the Black Friday frenzy...

A very special, ONE DAY ONLY order code that gets you 25% off everything on my website! Just visit my little corner of the interweb, browse handmade goodies to your hearts content, then enter BLACKFRIDAY at the checkout and the discount is yours! International shipping is now available too - so you can bag yourself some HandmadeChristmas charm wherever you are, without having to fight your way through crowds of bargain hunters.

Happy Shopping peeps xx

#SilentSunday 20/11/11

2011-11-20T08:14:00.001Z

#HandmadeChristmas - Vivi Gade Paper Baubles

2011-11-15T21:50:00.000Z

So, how many of you have tried the Paper Stars yet? Want to have a go at some lovely paper baubles to match? Of course you do!!

Vivi Gade Paper Baubles

Amongst the little bundle of goodies Creativity Direct sent me was a pack of pre-cut strips to make these fabulous decorations.

You will need a set of Vivi Gade die-cut paper strips and possibly a fittings kit (although if you are a jewellery maker too it's possible you will already have the beads, crimps and wire in your stash). You will also need a pair of chain nose pliers and side cutters for the wire.

First sort through the paper strips to get the colour/pattern combos you want - I did some single pattern ones and some mixing two patterns. You may find you have some odd ones left over. Use these to make your first bauble - just to get the technique right.

I used a large wool sewing needle to enlarge the pre-punched holes either end of the paper strips as they were little more than pin pricks before assembling the baubles following the tutorial

It states at the end of the tutorial that 'unfolding' the baubles takes a little practice. I would certainly agree with this - just pay attention to the shaped bits at the top and bottom and make sure they overlap as they should and they work fine. Also make sure you pull the wire tight before squeezing the crimps and don't leave the wire between the top and bottom (ie the inside of the bauble) too long or your bauble won't keep it's shape.

The theory is quite simple but these are actually quite fiddly to put together. A little experience with beading and using pliers (I used to make jewellery) definitely came in handy and, unlike the stars, which are just folded paper, a couple of extra tools are required to put these together.
But they are definitely worth it! The finished baubles look absolutely stunning and will certainly add an unusual touch to my tree this year.

The best thing about them is I will be able to close them up and store them away for next year too!

Creativity Direct provided the materials for me to have a go at this project but all words and pictures are my own

More adventures in black and white...

2011-11-15T11:41:00.001Z

Some time back I did a Gallery post on the theme of Black & White. I said then how much I love black and white photographs, how the absence of colour just emphasises the detail within the picture, forcing you to look at the image in a different way.

You may think that autumn, with all it's fiery glory would not be the best time to focus on black and white. I mean surely all that fabulous colour in the trees against crisp blue skies wold make for such stunning images why would you want to drain the colour away?

When we went for a stroll along the canal at my mums the other week I flicked the B&W button, took the colour away and let the shapes, the patterns, the light and the shadows speak for themselves...

#SilentSunday 13/11/11

2011-11-13T08:00:00.000Z

One Ingredient Challenge - Carrots

2011-11-09T21:25:00.000Z

I was recently introduced to the excellent blog Working London Mummy. It's packed with lots of lovely foodie posts including some great children-friendly recipes. This month she has opened up her 'One Ingredient' challenge to the blogisphere, inviting us to come up with a recipe focusing on the chosen ingredient...

This month's 'One Ingredient' is.... Carrots

Me and the Little Man are big fans of carrots, raw and cooked, grated in sandwiches, dipped in hummus, as a base for soups and casseroles and as side with everything from fish pie to Sunday roast. Little Man has even requested that we grow some in the garden next year (although I do hope he is not expecting them to sing to him like the ones n Mr Bloom's Nursery...)
But one of the best things you can do with carrots is use them to make cake!

Even better - we used them to make muffins! With less sugar and fat than traditional Carrot Cake you can almost pass them off as 'health food' ;-)

Muffins are dead simple to make and really take no time at all to prepare and homemade ones are a million times better than shop bought!

Scrummy Spicey Carrot Muffins
(makes 10-12 large muffins)

Pre-heat the oven to 190c/gas5 and prepare your muffin tin

Mix the following 'dry' ingredients together in a large bowl:
10oz/280g plain flour
1tsp baking powder
1tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp salt
2tsp ground cinnamon

Mix the following 'wet' ingredients together in another large bowl:
12oz/340g finely grated carrots (I process mine in the 'chopper' attachment of my Braun stick blender)
1 egg, beaten
4-6tbs milk or water
2tbsp runny honey
4oz sugar (caster or soft brown sugar is fine)
1tsp vanilla essense
3 fl oz/90ml vegetable oil

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Add a handful of chopped walnuts and/or raisins at the last stir if you want (optional but tasty).
Spoon the mix into prepared muffin tin and bake for approx 20mins - until the tops spring back when pressed.

These are gorgeous just as they are or you can add a simple cream cheese frosting when cool - 1 heaped tbsp cream cheese to 2oz/55g icing sugar and a dash of vanilla essence beaten together until smooth. This makes enough frosting for 6 muffins. I usually freeze the other half of the batch (without frosting). You can take them out of the freezer when you need them and just give them about 30 seconds in the microwave or 10 mins in a warm oven to defrost and warm through.

So there you have it - a tasty, nutritious, quick recipe using carrots that even a sworn carrot-hater can't help but enjoy... (just don't tell them what the secret ingredient is!)

If you like these why not try my Courgette and Cocoa muffins for more 'hidden vegetable' yumminess?

Do you have a carrot based recipe you want to share? Why not hop along to Working London Mummy's blog and join in the 'One Ingredient' challenge...

Hotel Chocolat - Christmas Chocolate Giveaway

2011-11-08T21:50:00.001Z

Recently Hotel Chocolat put a call out for bloggers to review chocolates from their Christmas Gifts and Stocking Fillers ranges. Naturally, I replied. I mean, who wouldn't?
When I got an email saying I had been picked I may have danced around the room a little bit....

As a former Chocolate Tasting Club member, I have already experienced their extremely special, artisan created chocolates first hand. Beautiful to look at, almost orgasmic to eat (yes, they are that good!) I eagerly looked forward to my monthly selection box. These days I have to settle for the 'Best of the Best' yearly selection. But it's a little treat well worth waiting for....

I was sent the fab Christmas H box selection to munch...*cough* review and wasted no time getting to work!

Thirteen individual chocolates, bringing together the flavours of Christmas - cinnamon and spice, gingerbread, and mulled wine all get a nod (Happily there was no sign of brussel sprouts anywhere! ) . Creamy truffles, smooth pralines and silky caramel all feature.
A handy 'menu' is included to tell you a little about each chocolate and help you decide which one to go for first...

House Praline

First up for me was the House Praline - a lovely thick milk chocolate shell with the HC logo stamped on the top filled with super smooth, mellow praline. Would go down a treat a cup of proper coffee...

That was followed swiftly by the Gingerbread Truffle (scrummy smooth truffle centre with ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg. Quite intense flavour - smokey, almost bitter... I LOVED it!), Star Anise (white truffle with the consistency of soft caramel. Distinctive liquorice flavour with just a hint of alcohol) and one of my all time favourites - Salted Soft Caramel (I would, quite honestly, be happy with just a box full of those...)

Sea Salt & Caramel Bauble

There are several chocolates in the selection containing alcohol (which gives you a really good excuse to keep this selection well away from the kiddiwinks!) You can almost taste the bubbles in the Champagne Truffle (which, incidentally, is definitely my preferred way of ingesting the bubbly stuff!) but for a real kick the Rum Truffle - generously laced with premium Saint Lucian golden rum - will blow your socks off. Or make you sit back and smile for a bit at the very least...

My favourite? One chocolate in the box that really encapsulated the whole flavour of Christmas for me is named, simply, Mulled Wine. All those traditional Christmas flavours - cinnamon, orange and clove with a generous measure of ruby red port all wrapped up in a milk chocolate shell.... mmmmmmm Christmas Chocolate Heaven.

There really is something for everyone in this selection.

But, trust me, you won't want to share!

Now I bet you are all drooling... so here's the best bit. Hotel Chocolat are giving away a Christmas H Box to one of you lucky readers!

To enter all you have to do is tell me what your ultimate Christmas chocolate would be. Do you go nuts for praline? Or crazy for caramel? Love a bit of alcohol or just a simple truffle? Just leave me a comment below, along with a means of getting in touch (Twitter ID or register your email address when commenting).

For an extra chance at winning you can do one (or all) of the following:

Follow this blog using GFC and comment to say you have done so
Like the Tales from Mount Pleasant Facebook page and comment to say you have done so
Tweet 'I want to WINscrummy Christmas chocolate from @HotelChocolat and @ForestFlower23 http://bit.ly/tKusZo '

This giveaway runs until midnight on Saturday 19th November. Any entries received after that will not be counted. Winner will be drawn at random and announced on this blog, Twitter and Facebook. If the winner has not got in touch with their details within 7 days the prize will be redrawn.
Competition open to UK residents only.

Don't forget, if you want to keep up to date with news and offers, you can follow @HotelChocolat on Twitter and like their Facebook page

Good Luck x

Update 22/11/11 This competition is now closed!

Congratulations to the winner.....

Lorraine Cooper (aka @meedja)

Thanks to everyone for taking part and revealing your ultimate Christmas chocolate!

#HandmadeChristmas - Paper Stars

2011-11-03T18:51:00.004Z

You know how much I love Scandinavian interiors. I love the clean lines, the fresh colours, the light, the innovative use of space - it is something for me to aspire to (although I really need to de-clutter...). I am particularly inspired by Scandinavian folk art so when I discovered creativitydirect.co.uk earlier this year I was in crafting heaven!!
Their brilliant website (and accompanying HUGE paper catalogue) is just packed to the gills with gorgeous papers, stickers, trimmings, fabrics, ribbons, beads, buttons, paints and items to decorate that, if you are a bit of a 'butterfly crafter' (ie: you flit from craft to craft) you will be hard pressed to know where to start!!
Very helpfully Creativity Direct have included a big 'IDEAS' section on their website giving detailed tutorials on all manner of crafty makes from papercrafts to art, from sewing and knitting to jewellery. They even have 'seasonal crafts' sections covering Christmas and Easter. Each tutorial consists of clear photographs showing each stage of making, downloadable templates if needed and useful ingredients lists with links to the items on their website, making shopping for your crafty bits a lot easier.
Creativity Direct sent me a few of their gorgeous items so I could have a go at a couple of their lovely Christmas tutorials.

First up...

Folded Paper Stars

I received a pack of Vivi Gade paper strips from the gorgeous Copenhagen range - red and cream strips, polka dots and damask type patterns - right up my street.
The tutorial was very clear and easy to follow, although I did find getting the turn of paper for the 3D effect a bit tricky to start with!
It is very important that you set the four paper strips up correctly to begin with and make sure your folds all go in the right direction!
The first star took me about 15 mins to make but once I got the hang of it they took no time at all!!

Completed stars can be piled up in a bowl as they are or attach some cotton (just punch through one of the flat points with a sharp needle and thread the cotton through) and hang them on your tree or make a lovely star mobile.

If you leave one side flat and trim the paper off neatly they also make really special gift toppers - just attach to your parcel with some double sided tape or glue pads.

The Weaving Paper Strips come in several different colourways and pack sizes and are available from creativitydirect.co.uk . The pack I used costs £4.50 and contained enough strips to make 5 large stars and 8 small ones. I think they are gorgeous and I can't wait to adorn my tree with them in December!

In the next Handmade Christmas post I will be having a go at some unusual paper baubles...

Creativity Direct provided the materials for me to have a go at this project but words and pictures are all my own.

#HandmadeChristmas - what's it all about?

2011-11-02T22:45:00.000Z

Now we have Halloween out of the way and we are properly into November I guess I can start talking about Christmas without getting too many dirty looks and dark mutterings in my general direction...

If, like me, you are getting fed up with the whole crazy commercialism that surrounds the festive season you may want to join the ever growing trend that recognises the unique value of handmade gifts, decorations and food.

These days it is possible to do your entire Christmas shop from ONE supermarket - from the food to the drink; presents for everyone from baby to Granny. Cards, trees, decorations and even the outfit you are going to wear for the Christmas party.

But why would you want to do that? Really?

Now I'm not suggesting for one second you fore go the supermarket completely (although I would say that doing your food shop online two weeks before and booking a home delivery to arrive couple of days before Christmas is definitely preferable to fighting over the last frozen turkey with 15 other desperate shoppers...)* but certainly consider creating a few homemade touches to your celebrations to create a really memorable Christmas.

From gorgeous paper star and bauble decorations to homemade mince pies made with your own mincemeat, to highlighting some great British designer/makers for fabulous gifts you can pretty much guarantee you won't find on the supermarket shelves.

In my first post, tomorrow, I will be showing you how to make some gorgeous star decorations just by folding strips of paper.

Later on I will be trying some homemade sweeties, which make a really good present, and the above mentioned mince pies. I hope to show you some gift ideas to make yourself and highlight some great tutorials across the web, plus some picks from the many talented online sellers from sites like Folksy, Etsy, Gift Wrapped and Gorgeous, Not on the High Street and the newly set up SHHIMUK promoting independent sellers who, like me, are going-it-alone and running their own online emporium!

Last year I set up the successful Handmade Christmas page on Facebook and encouraged designer/makers to use the #handmadechristmas hashtag on Twitter when advertising their wares. All the relevant blog post will be posted on both Facebook and Twitter.

If you want make sure you don't miss a thing why not follow this blog with GFC or subscribe by clicking on the 'posts' button at the top of the right hand column?

*thats a whole other blog post.... I might write it one day!

Going Live...

2011-11-02T08:21:00.003Z

Well after a month of planning, typing, photographing, uploading, tweaking, more tweaking, testing and fine tuning my brand new website has finally GONE LIVE!!!

forestflowerdesigns.co.uk

Please go and have a nose about and tell me what you think!

I had my first sale within 15 mins of launching but I would love some more. As an added incentive all you lovely blog readers can add the code BLOG20 at the checkout for a 20% discount on your order total (excluding P&P)*

Currently my my complete Rustic Country Collection is available - including scrummy, festive Christmas Spice scented options - and gorgeous felt and gingham Christmas Star decorations. I am hoping to add more christmassy things very soon - stockings, garlands, bunting, decorations. Just perfect for a Handmade Christmas!

I am really please with how it has turned out and how easy it was to do. The create.net package as very user friendly and gives you a professional looking shop in no time at all, and you even get a month free trial to build your website and assess how well you get on with the package before you have to start paying. Can't ask for more than that!!

*discount code valid until 14th November 2011

More on Monday...

2011-10-31T07:13:00.002Z

Yesterday's Silent Sunday picture was one of a series of photographs I took from my mum's back garden as the sun rose on Saturday morning.

You guys know I am found of a sunset. From our house on top of the hill we have an amazing view westwards which means stunning sunsets are a regular photographic subject and have starred in a few Silent Sundays and a whole blog post of their own

Sunrise, however, is mostly obscured by the houses that are just above us at the very top of the hill. I keep meaning to take a stroll along the road to the fields on the path overlooking the River Severn and the Cotswold Ridge to the east but I don't really do mornings.

My parents also live on the side of a hill but their view is east facing. Which means their sunrises have the potential to be as spectacular as our sunsets! I was determined that, weather permitting I would get some decent shots of the sunrise whilst I was there this weekend. And I wasn't disappointed...

"Why sleep when the day has been called up by the sun,
From the night, coz the light's gonna shine on everyone?

Why sleep when the sleep only closes up our eyes?
Why sleep when you can watch the sun rise?"

'Baby Day' Melanie Kafka

ps I chose the 'Mist at Dawn' shot for yesterday's post because, in contrast to the explosion of colour in the rest of the shots, I loved the layers of pinky peachy mauve and grey; the splashes of pale blue sky and the little hillocks poking up out of the mist. So subtle but no less dramatic.

#SilentSunday 30/10/11

2011-10-30T06:43:00.000Z

Forest Flower Designs at The Tube Gallery...

2011-10-26T22:25:00.000+01:00

Occasionally I get an e-mail in my business inbox that gets me all excited (and no, I am not referring to the 'Are you looking for some flirty fun?' or 'You've won $1million' ones...). Back in September I had one from The Tube Gallery in Woodstock requesting some of my new 'Rustic Country Collection' for an exhibition they were running from mid-October all the way through to the New Year. Entitled 'Wonderland' it is an 'electic mix of all that is wonderful and covetable'. (You can see a selection of photographs of the exhibition on their Facebook page)

It was by far the largest order I have had to date and entailed quite a few late nights to get the stock finished in time...


My new Forest Flower Designs tags...


Every item has to be tagged...

A basket full of love :-)


Everything is wrapped up in tissue before parcelling up...


...ready to go!

That was 2 weeks ago...

Today I had another email with a couple of pictures attached showing my collection beautifully displayed in the gallery for everyone to see (and hopefully buy!).


Birds in flight... don't they look cute?

...and the hearts look gorgeous in this vintage suitcase!

It's so nice when someone else sees your creation and shares your vision!
Thank you to Clare at The Tube Gallery for this great opportunity to show Forest Flower Designs to a new audience!

And that's not all...

I have been working very hard on my brand new website this past week or so. It's nearly ready. The official launch is Sunday 30th October so pop back for a link and a very special, limited time offer to celebrate!

#SilentSunday 23/10/11

2011-10-23T14:36:00.001+01:00

Project Bed (or 'How to be a flat-pack queen')

2011-10-22T09:26:00.001+01:00

Little Man is growing up. Fast. His lovely cot bed that has served so well for the past three and a half years has become noticeably 'too small' over the past couple of months. So it was time to get 'A New Bed'.
His room is tiny (lets be honest - all the rooms in our house are tiny!) so we needed something that would make the most of the space without being too overpowering. And we had to bear in mind that he is only three so I didn't want to get anything too high off the floor...
We found this brilliant raised bed frame in Argos - lovely antique stained (not shiny varnish, thank goodness) solid pine. No cupboards underneath, just under a meter off the floor so plenty of room underneath for toy storage and play! Simple, basic and not too expensive (for bonus Brownie points!).

It arrived, in a deceptively small box just after lunchtime. I didn't have to put it together myself. I could have waited till the Other Half was here all day on Sunday. But, you know, I get impatient about stuff like this...

And, besides, I am the Queen of Flat-Pack!!

First things first - dismantle the old cot bed...

This lovely cot bed was second hand from the Newent Association for the Disabled charity shop. It was missing a couple of bolts (but a friend in a fabricators sorted that for us) but otherwise fine. It will be going to my brother and his wife for their new tot due in December...

It was a darn sight easier to take apart than it was to put together, I can tell you (sorry R&M but you are going to have fun getting it back together again ;-) )

Won't be needing this anymore either. Little Man says it's for baby beds not big boy beds! Oh, he is growing up so fast *sniff*

Rule no 1 - when tackling flat pack furniture - ALWAYS READ THE INSTRUCTIONS!
This is where most men fail dismally.

Rule no 2 - assemble a decent tool kit... this is where I fail dismally...
Luckily all we needed was a a screwdriver and a hammer.

Now to put it all together. I am always happy to accept help when it is offered...

The bed ends are done (that really was the easy bit!) now to join them together. To be honest, I could have done with a helper who was a little less easily distracted by toys at this point!

I think we were about 2 hours in to the build and it was nearly time to break for tea. But not before the ladder was put in place...

After tea it was on to the important bit - adding the bed slats. Properly spaced out. Using a ruler and everything just like the instructions specified (yeah, right...) whilst at the same time getting the Little Man in the bath and having to move everything out of the way to get to the pj drawer...

As you can see it is dark now - and actually Little Man's bedtime. As you can probably imagine, he wasn't complaining too much about staying up a bit later than usual...

Mattress on. Duvet and pillows in place. One happy not-so-Little Man- anymore in his big boy's bed!
It took five and a half hours, gave me very sore hands (who ever thought allen keys were a good idea?) and pushed bedtime back a whole hour (woah) but I did it. All by myself (more or less).
I am the Flat Pack Queen!

Today brings Project Bed Phase 2 - tidying and sorting toys/books/clothes and other furniture in the room and creating a den under the bed. Will let you know how it goes...

Moshi Monsters Clay Buddies review

2011-10-16T22:31:00.003+01:00

Just in time for the half-term holidays, Emax have released the uber-collectible Moshi Monster Clay Buddies. Combining traditional arts-and-crafts creative play with the super-cool Moshi Monster characters, the pocket-money priced Clay Buddies foil packs contain everything you need to create your very own Moshling figurine:- colourful plasticine, Moshi features cards and adoption book with information about your Moshling and instructions on how to put it together.

Little Man couldn't wait to get stuck in...

We were sent two Clay Buddies packs - some are more complicated to make than others so the Little Man made the Luvli....

The plasticine supplied was really soft and it was easy to mix the colours together as required.

Making the base.

Adding the pre-cut cardboard features was easy, using the little velcro tabs supplied...

...although Little Man got a bit carried away with customising his Moshling!

Rather chuffed with my Diavlo (I am just a big kid at heart!)

but Little Man decided to pull his apart and have another go!

Moshi Monsters Clay Buddies are great fun to play with and kept Little Man amused for a good while. I can see how slightly older kids would have great fun making them and building up a collection!

Moshi Monsters Clay Buddies are available from ToysRUs, The Entertainer, Smyths, Next and Hobbycraft with an RRP of £2.99 each. A special Moshi Monsters Clay Buddies box set with materials to make 4 Moshlings and a cardboard backdrop for imaginative play is also available (RRP £5.99)

A website is due to be launched for you to upload images of your creations and they have their own Facebook page too!

We were sent 2 Moshi Monster Clay Buddies play with (review) but recieved no payment for this post.

All words and pictures are my own.

#SilentSunday 16/10/11

2011-10-16T09:57:00.001+01:00

The day we met The Bopps...

2011-10-14T15:14:00.001+01:00

You gotta love Twitter - I have made some lovely acquaintances, and a few good friends; kept up with some old friends and hob-nobbed with the stars, whilst in my pj's! Recently I found @KeithBopp, one half of NickJr musical duo The Bopps and, being the friendly sort of chap he is, we chatted about random stuff (mainly cake) for a bit before working out that we acually only live a few miles apart! And that Bopp Towers - The Bopps HQ was literally only a half hour bus ride away...

And then Keith invited me and the Little Man along to visit. Well it would have been rude not to!

It was easy enough to locate - it's across the road from the old building where I worked at my first proper job (between bands!) as a solicitors receptionist. An unassuming building, with no clue to the silliness that goes on within!
Keith let us in with a big beaming smile and I could see the Little Man was a little bit confused - where were the pink braces? The stripey t-shirt? It was KB but not as he knew him... Then he heard Stan's voice from the office down the corridor and giggled. We were in Bopp Towers!!

After a bit of chat and some cake (my lemon curd cake was, after all, the main reason I was invited ;-) ) the lads very kindly 'Bopped up', reappearing in full Bopp costume much to the Little Man's delight!!

be afraid....

high five!

it's a geeeeetar!


Honorary Bopp for a moment...

"I like that song...and that one...and..."

Then we got a tour of Bopp Towers including the studios where the Little Man got excited over the computers while I drooled over the mixing desk...

This is where a lot of voice over work for various childrens TV shows is done. We also visited the post -production room and the most important room of the building - the table football room.

And I saw the squirrel suit. That's right, THE squirrel suit. I had to resist the urge to try it on.

Original models from the 'Little Red Tractor' series created for CBeebies

While Keith told me a little about the post production work they do here, the Little Man got up to mischief with Stan, giving him a crash course in the 'create' section of Nick Jr website - there was a lot of giggling going on...

Too soon it was time for us to go so Stan and Keith could get on with planning their live show (like the hard working couple of chaps they are ;-) )

Thank you to Keith and Stan Bopp for making us feel so welcome and for entertaining the Little Man and really making his day special. He has been enthusiastically telling everyone who would listen all about the fun he had at Bopp Towers!

He has also been enthsiastically listening to The Bopps cd. Over and over again. I now know ALL the words...

The Bopps are on NickJr at 7:35am every morning and hope to be appearing live at a venue near you very soon too!! You can follow KeithBopp on Twitter or join TheBopps on Facebook for news and general silliness. The Bopps also have their own website

Forest Flower Designs gets featured...

2011-10-11T08:31:00.000+01:00

I have been working very hard over the past few weeks, gearing Forest Flower Designs up for the Christmas craft fair season. I have my first one - billed as a Christmas shopping night - at a local village hall on the 21st October (that's less than two weeks! *gulp* ) Last year's event was very successful for me, despite a relatively small turnout so I am looking forward to this year's event... I have lots of Rustic Country Collection mini bunting garlands (more about those in another post...) hearts and birds ready to go plus some fabric covered diaries and address books, cute wallets and christmassy patchwork table runners and place mats in the making. So many more ideas but so little time...

In other news I was offered a trial run with online boutique Gift Wrapped and Gorgeous, including their full pr package which included uploading of hi-res images of my products onto Press Loft. This is where all the journalists go to source product images for magazines - monthly membership costs something in the region of £200 so to have someone do this on my behalf, for free (for a limited period) has been tremendously helpful in developing Forest Flower Designs, as you can imagine. Especially when I received an email a few weeks back to say that one of my images had been downloaded by a journalist from Living Edge!

To say I was a bit excited is possibly an understatement

Then, last week I got another email with a pdf attached of a page full of red and white loveliness!!!

Honestly I am so proud to see something I have made in print, alongside all those other gorgeous things - every one of which I would quite happily give a home to by the way!

So many thanks to Alison and Amanda at GWAG for giving me this opportunity and to Leanne who does all the pr stuff for keeping me in the loop!

I am currently building a new website using create.net which I am really enjoying working on. It is much more geared towards the creating of a great online shopping experience for my customers and much easier to use than the MrSite package I currently have. Hoping to re-launch by the end of October and I will be posting some exclusive 'blog readers special offers' so stay tuned!!

Ben & Holly's Little Kingdom DVD Review & Giveaway

2011-10-10T17:05:00.000+01:00

"Somewhere hidden amongst thorny brambles is a Little Kingdom of elves and fairies. Everyone who lives here is very, very small..."

The Little Man loves Ben & Holly's Little Kingdom (although he insists on calling Holly, 'Horny' which was funny at first...) and watches this BAFTA award winning show regularly on Milkshake (Channel 5) and Nick Jr, so he was pretty excited to get stuck into this DVD when it arrived.

Ben Elf and Princess Holly get up to all sorts of adventures in the ten episodes featured here - including a trip to Santa's workshop (The Elf Factory), a search underground as everything goes missing (The Ant Hill) and on a treasure hunt with a real pirate (Redbeard the Elf Pirate)!

If your child regularly watches Ben & Holly then, sadly, there is nothing here they haven't already seen. There are no extras on the DVD although you can use the 'Magic Shuffle' option that plays the episodes in a different order (keeps 'em on their toes!) However it does run to nearly 2 hours which represents pretty good value and I find these DVD's are particularly good to take away on holiday where regular TV may not be available.

Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom : The Tooth Fairy was released to buy on October 3rd 2011 (cert U, Entertainment One RRP £12.99) but Entertainment One have very kindly supplied one copy for me to give away to one of my lucky readers!

All you have to do is tell me the name of the Pirate that features in the 'Ben & Holly's Little Kingdom: The Tooth Fairy' DVD.

For an extra entry 'Like' the Tales from Mount Pleasant Facebook page and leave a comment to tell me so!

Or if you are a tweeter tweet "I'd like to win a little magic! Ben & Holly DVD giveaway from @forestflower23" with a link to this post.

This competition is open to UK residents only and finishes at 9pm on Monday 17th October.

Good Luck everyone!

**This giveaway is now closed**

There are more Ben & Holly activites over on the Nick Jr website and they even have their own website LittleKingdom.co.uk with games, stories, clips to watch and things for your little ones to do.

#SilentSunday 02/10/11

2011-10-02T07:31:00.000+01:00

Summer's final fling...

2011-10-01T12:35:00.000+01:00

Thanks to an unexpected little block of high pressure, after a less than summery end to the Great British Summer we are now basking in what has to be the best weather we've had for months. So whilst all the magazines are touting Autumnal treats, presenting us with chunky winter woollies, tweed and boots and shops are starting to promote their Christmas deals, we are all slapping on the suncream, lighting the BBQ and filling up the paddling pool one last time.

We made the most of this good weather by taking a stroll around Soudley Ponds...

The sun is much lower in the sky at this time of year and the play of light through the leaves and across the water is very different to 'high summer'. I love it - it lends a very atmospheric, almost fairytale feel to the surroundings...

Paying attention to the undergrowth reminds us that actually it IS Autumn... (I think these ones are edible - I must go on a 'mushroom hunt' with an expert!)

The Forest of Dean is a popular tourist spot because it has all these wonderful places to visit. How lucky are we to actually live here?

...and finally, a beautiful end to a beautiful day...

Make the most of this glorious weather folks, we all know it won't last!

Just because...

2011-09-29T08:00:00.000+01:00

You know how sometimes you do something, say something, create something that you makes you feel incredibly pleased with yourself and, hopefully without coming across as too big headed (it's just not British...), you want to share it with everyone and their dog?

Well, the other day I posted a picture on Twitter. I was going to save it for Silent Sunday but I loved it so much and was so proud of it I just wanted to share! Lots of you loved it and I thank you for your comments :)

The subject is Rudbeckia - so I'm told. Mum gave me a small plant in with some others she'd grown. I'm sure she probably told me at the time what it was but it was obviously classified as 'it's not really life or death is it?' and dropped into the bottom drawer of the last filing cabinet that is my memory bank.

All I know is that it has got much bigger than I expected and the dark red flowers are just stunning!

So here is the picture again, along with a couple of others.

Just because...

Bountiful Garden

2011-09-28T09:42:00.000+01:00

I believe I have blogged before about how much I love Spring. Did I mention I am also a bit of an Autumn fan? I would say that it's because, after a long, hot summer the blessed relief of cooler days is so welcome but we all know that that's a load of rubbish - in fact since we hit 'official' autumn time about a week ago the weather has improved to the point that my garden has been tricked into thinking its spring again and put on an almost triffid-like growth spurt!

Actually it's because all the hard work put into the garden through the spring and summer finally pays off with (if we are lucky) an abundance of goodies to see us through the damp, cold dreary winter bit...

This year we have been pretty lucky - the slugs and snails left most of my plants alone (apart from the low growing strawberries. Next year ALL my hanging baskets will be full of strawberries...) The raspberry canes I picked up for 99p from Woolies closing down sale a couple of years back have really flourished! I have a big bag full of them in the freezer to add to smoothies and puddings through the winter.

And as for the magic beans I planted way back in May with the Little Man...

Well they just grew...

...and grew....

...as magic beans do!

Now I just need some

runner bean recipes....

We were a bit late with the courgette plant this year. This is not a bad thing as last year I confess I got a little bit sick of eating the darn things. They get grated for salads, added to Mediterranean Roast veggie dishes and I made another batch of these GORGEOUS muffins (yes, muffins, with courgettes. Go on, try them!)

And it's not just our teeny patch that has provided this year.

My parents had the benefit of a new (secondhand) green house and produced an abundance of tomatoes and some cucumber too (have you ever had homegrown cucumber? They ACTUALLY taste of cucumber and not water...)

They also have a pear tree. Last year it produced a grand total of one lowly pear. To be honest we thought it was past it and that was as good as it would get but this year it was absolutely heaving!

Look at them!!! I love pears - just ripe as they are; chopped up in yoghurt; lightly poached with melted dark chocolate dribbled over them....mmmm... ahem... where were we?

The in-laws have apples, plums, damsons, hazels and blackberries galore which we are always welcome - actively encouraged - to help ourselves to. Well it would be rude not to...

Yup - Little Man loves blackberries! That night we had Blackberry and Apple crumble and with what was left I had my first ever attempt at making jam!

I did make one surprising discovery - maybe its just because they have had some of the jungle trimmed back or maybe I just had my eyes closed before when exploring this part of their garden but hanging out above the blackberry tangle, growing over the shell of an old shed is a grape vine. Absolutely smothered in big bunches of ripening grapes!!
I cannot believe I have never spotted these before...

Now I have a garage full of wine making equipment I inherited from my dad (ie; he was going to throw it away coz it was cluttering up his garage and I jumped up and down so now it is cluttering up mine...)

I wonder...

Jammin'

2011-09-26T19:47:00.000+01:00

The other day I made jam. For the very first time.

For some reason it's something I have avoided in the past, partly because of the bewildering array of 'special' utensils listed in my recipe books - jam thermometer, jam funnel, special pans, waxed circles, preserving jars etc etc. Perusing the Lakeland website (my kitchen utensil supplier of choice ) confirmed my suspicions that these things cost money. More than I can afford to shell out for what, at best would be a once or twice yearly activity. I really might just as well go out to the supermarket and just buy a jar or two of jam (good stuff, obviously. The ones with 'extra' on the label somewhere...) So I avoided making jam.

This year, however, I thought 'Sod it! Surely I don't really need all that stuff? I mean how difficult can it be? Really?'

And you know what? It really isn't as mystical as hardcore jammers would have us believe.

There are loads of recipes on the internet but basically you need the same weight of sugar and fruit.
I had 600gms of blackberries and apples (peeled and chopped up small) from my mother-in-law's garden, so used 600gms of sugar. I added a large dash (more of a slosh really...) of lemon juice coz it seemed to be mentioned in at least three of the recipes I looked at. And a slosh of water. I have no idea how much... (sorry thats not very helpful I know, but that's the kind of cook I am )

Bring to the boil gently on the lowest heat you can - this can take quite a while so put some music on and make sure kiddiewinks are occupied. You do have to keep an eye on it and stir it so it doesnt burn/stick! In the meantime put a saucer in the freezer (one of those 'mystical' jam things - will become clear in a bit!) and place your washed jam jars upside down in a warm oven for half an hour to sterilize them (140C/275F/Gas1) If you are making this sort of quantity you will only need one or two - recycle old jam jars rather than buying special 'preserving jars'.

Once the fruit and sugar mix has come to the boil keep it there, stirring pretty much constantly for a good 10 mins or so. To test whether 'setting point' has been reached drop a small amount of the HOT jam on the ice cold saucer you have just fished out of the freezer. If its ready it should set fairly quickly as it cools. If not keep it boiling and try again in 10 mins. When ready, remove from the heat and allow to cool for 15mins then ladle into sterilsed jars.

Et Voila!

I know it's chunky but that's the way (uh huh uh huh) I like it (uh huh uh huh)

No complicated ingredients or utensils need! (Sorry Lakeland, but rest assured I will spend my money on other lovely things...)

This is quite a small amount of jam and should keep fine in the fridge - I have no idea how long it will last - but if your house is anything like mine it will be eaten up long before it has chance to go off!

Day of the Diesels giveaway - Winner

2011-09-26T09:08:00.000+01:00

Thanks to everyone who entered the Thomas the Tank Engne 'Day of the Diesels' giveaway. It was lovely to read about all your favourite engines!
So the lucky winner is...

Helen & Callum Faulkner

Congratulations Callum - here's another to add to your collection. I hope you enjoy it as much as my Little Man did :)

Riot Raffle update

2011-09-23T21:34:00.000+01:00

You may remember I posted a couple of weeks back about the great idea that is Riot Raffle.

Events have gathered pace and so far over £1000 has been raised for the Retail Trust to help those affected by the August riots. More than 100 artists, crafters, designers, independent businesses and even cupcake makers have donated prizes to this worthy cause.

If you haven't already, you can by your raffle tickets here - you can donate as much as you can afford and you get one entry for every £1 you donate (so a £5 donation gives you five chances to win a prize)

For a reminder of some of the great prizes on offer visit the Riot Raffle website.

Tickets are available until midnight Friday 30th September. Please show your support.

Thomas the Tank Engine - Day of the Diesels Review & Giveaway

2011-09-18T12:42:00.000+01:00

As you may remember the Little Man is a bit of a Thomas the Tank Engine nut so the opportunity to review a copy of the brand new movie 'Day of the Diesels' before it is released to the general public was one not to be missed!

Percy is feeling a little left out as Thomas spends more time with two new engines Belle and Flynn the Fire Engine. When the devious Diesel suggests to Percy that he knows someone who would love to be his friend Percy makes the decision to puff to the diesel works and meet this new friend for himself...

'Day of the Diesels' is an action-packed adventure as the Diesels and the Steamies face off on the Island of Sodor, and introduces several new characters as well as all the familiar faces. Important lessons about friendship and the value of working together are dealt with in a way that even a three year old can understand.

To say the Little Man loves this movie would be an understatement! He has watched it at least once a day, nearly every day since we received our review copy. At 60mins running time I was unsure he'd stick out the whole movie in one sitting but he is happy to have it on whilst playing with his own Thomas train set, and now he knows the story, is happily captivated for most of the movie.

The extras on the DVD include an informative little introduction to Steam and Diesel engines, showing how they work and how to tell the difference. Two songs from the movie - 'Day of the Diesels' and 'Hear the Engines coming' - are featured with karaoke style lyrics across the bottom of the screen for a Thomas sing-along session, should you feel inclined! (We have listened to these so many times now that Little Man no longer needs the word prompts, even if he could read them!!)

As ever, there is plenty of merchandise available to tie-in too, including storybooks, activity books and play sets. So that's Christmas sorted then!

'Day of the Diesels' is currently showing in selected cinemas across the country ahead of it's release on DVD and Blue Ray on September 26th 2011

***GIVEAWAY***

Thomas and his friends have been popular with generations of kids but which one does your child love the best? Leave a comment here to tell me and you could win your very own copy of 'Day of the Diesels' on DVD.

For an extra entry follow this blog using GFC or like the blog facebook page and let me know with a comment.

Giveaway is open to UK residents only and ends at midnight on Sunday 25th September 2011

Good Luck!

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED

Silent Sunday 18/9/11

2011-09-18T07:09:00.000+01:00

Who won a little luxury?

2011-09-14T08:37:00.000+01:00

First of all let me thank everyone who entered the giveaway to win this gorgeous ring from LouLou's Luxuries and to all of you who tweeted, retweeted and shared on facebook many thanks. I hope you all popped along and had a peek at Kerry's lovely jewellery - don't forget many of her items are very limited (ones or twos) so if there is anything you love grab it while you can!

And now, the important bit.....

The winner of the Lou Lou's Luxuries giveaway is....

Erica Hughes

Congratulations honey - I have tweeted you!

To everyone else commiserations - but all is not lost. Kerry has very kindly set up a special offer code for my blog readers so the rest of you can treat yourself to a little luxury of your choice. Simply use the code BLOGF15 for a 15% discount off your order. Offer code is valid til the end of the month so why not use it for a little early Christmas pressie shopping?

www.loulousluxuries.co.uk

Do you know your onions?

2011-09-12T08:05:00.000+01:00

Out here in darkest Gloucestershire we are rather partial to a street party. All the market towns and most of the villages of the Forest of Dean have some kind of carnival/festival/celebration during the year. Just up the road in Brockworth there's Cheese Rolling at Cooper's Hill - a manic event that involves hundreds of ~~idiots~~ people tumbling down a VERY steep hill after an 8lb wheel of Double Gloucester cheese (if you've never seen the ~~carnage~~ spectacle for yourself take a look here )

In Newent we have the rather more sedate Onion Fayre - a festival of food and drink with some good music and funfair frolics thrown in for good measure. We opened the second branch of BikerDean in Newent on Onion Fayre day two years ago so the day holds a particular kind of excitement for us. It may not be the best day for taking money off people but, with approx 15,000 visitors walking past the door it IS a good day for reaching potential new customers and making new contacts.

The shop was busy with browsers most of the day...

...and the Little Man's training in customer service continues ;-)

But all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy so me and the Little Man went of for a wander around town.

There was plenty to entertain, both traditional...

And the not so traditional...

There were a lot of fair ground rides and the Little Man is getting bigger and no longer satisfied with a quick go on a merry-go-round. Oh no! He spotted a huge inflatable slide that he simply had to have a go on. I tried to steer him to the slightly less daunting bouncy play castle with smaller slidey bit (yes, that IS the technical term) but he was having none of it so - as there were no height or age restrictions - I agreed to let him have a go...

OMG he looks so small up there...and yes it really was as high as it looks, but judging by the look of pure joy on his face he loved it!!

Keeping with the high up theme the next ride he insisted on trying was the Ferris Wheel.

Having never been on a big wheel I was quite excited to have a go too and as the OH 'doesn't do heights' I knew this was one experience he wouldn't mind missing out on!

The view was pretty good up there too! There's another shot of the street from the very top here.

The Little Man took it all n his stride, although he did go a bit quiet when the car we were in rocked at the top of the wheel in the wind while we waited for the passengers to get on down below...

But Onion Fayre is mostly about food!

And Onions. Obviously.

We had a lovely day, Little Man made some new friends and the rain even managed to hold off until the end of the day. Even then it left us with something to smile about!

Now then, anybody got a good onion soup recipe?

#SilentSunday 11/09/11

2011-09-11T13:10:00.000+01:00

Olive the Ostrich

2011-09-11T09:04:00.002+01:00

A new show with a difference premiered on Nick Jr this week.

Olive is a lovable little ostrich who lives with her mum and dad in the outback.. Whenever Olive buries her head in the sand she goes on a fantastical adventure. Who knows where she will pop up this time! On the moon? On a theatre stage? In a science lab? Wherever she ends up, she just loves to help!

The episodes are short and sweet (perfect for a three year old attention span!) and each one sees Olive use her friendly enthusiasm to solve problems and help out in her own, unique way.
The series is narrated by Rolf Harris and the theme tune has his distinctive 'wobble board' sound. I don't know about you but I love Rolf (I met him once and sat on his knee - but that's another story...) and grew up looking forward to Rolf's cartoon time on Bank Holiday weekends! I am so pleased that now my Little Man can enjoy his warm voice and enthusiastic story telling too!

Olive the Ostrich was created in partnership with The Prince's Foundation for Children and the Arts, through a series of workshops, hosted by selected schools across the country, aiming to inspire creativity and develop story telling skills and give pupils an insight into the animation and film making process. The result is a wonderful, quirky set of five minute episodes that burst with life and colour with backgrounds, props and characters drawn by the children themselves. It makes Olive just a little bit different and we love it :)

Olive the Ostrich is shown at 8.15am and 6.30pm weekdays on Nick Jr
Watch a clip or get creative with Olive on the NickJr website

We were not paid for this review. NickJr sent us a DVD containing 2 episodes to watch (although we had already been watching them on TV ) and a poster for the Little Man to put up in his room. All opinions are our own :)

Forest Flower Designs - I'm dreaming of a (Red &) White Christmas...

2011-09-07T10:29:00.001+01:00

I am very excited about my new Forest Flower Designs collection for Autumn 2011!
Inspired by my love of Scandinavian Chic, Rustic French country elegance and English Shabby Chic, along with my desire to create a stylish, co-ordinated red and white Christmas decorating theme that wasn't overtly christmassy and so could be enjoyed all year round.

It all began with these fabrics...

I spotted the cute polka dot and the gorgeous retro floral print at my local quilting shop The Patchwork Basket in Newent...

I am so totally in love with this fabric - from last year's 'Lumiere de Noel' collection by French General for Moda. I just knew I HAD to do something with it. Unfortunately for me it is, as I said, from LAST year's collection and, as I had the last FQ the shop had I then had to track down further supplies. There seemed to be plenty of it still available in the States but for UK sellers it was like gold dust. Finally found some at Thread Bear , thanks to the power of Twitter!! (or more correctly, the helpfulness of my lovely twitter friends!)

So this is what I have done with them

Six gorgeous felt birdies with patterned wings...

...six hand-stitched felt hearts with patterned fabric inserts...

...and these cute fabric hearts with felt panels and heart shaped shell buttons.

I absolutely love this collection I have named 'Rustic Country', and it seems other people do too! It has already been picked up by a gallery in Oxfordshire - The Tube Gallery - who want to feature the hearts and birds as part of their 'Wonderland' exhibition running from October into the New Year, alongside loads of really talented artists and designers whose work they consider 'an eclectic mix of all that is wonderful and covetable'. I am so proud to be part of that! If you live in (or are visiting) the Forest of Dean area, the full range will be stocked by Solid Objects Gift Store in Newent and the award winning Forest Bookshop will be incorporating them into their Christmas window display and selling a selection.

I have added these designs to my Folksy shop and I am in the processes of uploading them to my Gift Wrapped & Gorgeous boutique. (There will be some online exclusives being added there shortly too!)

All of these decorations would look just gorgeous anywhere in your home but I reckon they would make an amazing display on your Christmas tree for a relaxed and stylish red and white 'Handmade Christmas' decorating theme. Coming up in the next few weeks I hope to add some more new designs 'Rustic Country Christmas Collection' will include bunting (including one special design/idea I can wait to unveil), mini stockings, full size personalised stockings and garlands.

Following my popular Handmade Christmas Giveaway last year I have something bigger and better in planning for this year. Stay tuned!

I'm not pregnant, I'm just fat, ok?

2011-09-05T08:33:00.001+01:00

Morning MUMENTUM ladies - hope you are all well and have enjoyed the summer 'break' (I use that term in the loosest possible manner as I know it's not really much of a break for many of us!)

It's been a while since my last MUMENTUM post ( about 6 weeks to be exact!) and to be perfectly honest not much has changed. I managed to not put back on any of the weight I lost through that *food poisoning* episode which is a bonus. But that's it.

The Thinking Slimmer Slimpod frankly didn't do for me what I had hoped it would do. That's not to say it had no effect whatsoever. It gave me a much needed boot up the jacksy and made me re-evaluate how I spend my day. I have become more organised and have achieved much more because of it. My appetite has definitely dropped, I am eating less (although that is partly due to financial constraints on my food budget as much as anything...) but there has been no further weight loss. It's quite depressing.

Last week I was wearing one of my favourite tunic top/dresses over leggings. A gorgeous retro 70's print, A-line with little cap sleeves and a cute double frill hem. I love it - makes me come over all 'Barbara Goode'. And it's very flattering. Or so I thought.

Whilst flitting about town (as you do) not one, but two people asked me if I was pregnant!!!
You know how it goes. "I don't mean to be cheeky but are you expecting again?" "No!" says I. "Oh I'm sorry, didn't mean to be rude!" "That's ok - it's just this top!" Inwardly seething - how bloody rude!! - and considering burning favourite top. "It's just that you look really well, glowing even..." Trying to cover tracks now and avoiding any possible accusation that she has just called me fat, quickly followed by "I love that top. Covers a multitude of sins!" "Thanks!" I mutter and quickly leave the shop before I burst into tears in front of her and further compound the embarrassment.

But the truth of the matter is, despite having lost a little weight (I can see it in my face and my legs) I still have the MUM TUM. It's getting in the way. It means none of my clothes fit properly. Hell, I look more pregnant than my sister-in-law who IS actually 5months pregnant....

I know what I have to do (uncover the exercise bike that is hidden behind a stack of ironing/toys/random crap and actually use it) I have the motivation. Now I just need to find the time...

#SilentSunday 04/09/11

2011-09-04T08:06:00.000+01:00

Introducing... Lou Lou's Luxuries

2011-09-03T08:26:00.000+01:00

One of the best things about being a part of the fabulous online crafting community is some of the lovely friendships with other designer/makers I have formed over the past 18 months or so. Some are old hands with plenty of experience, on hand to offer help and advice. Then there are others who were relative newbies, setting up around the same time as me and we have watched (and encouraged) each other as we grow and develop our businesses.

One of the first people I started talking to on Twitter was Kerry 'Lou Lou' Milne. She was selling her fabulous range of vintage inspired pieces on Folksy at the time but has since gone independent and set up her own website Lou Lou's Luxuries. To celebrate the launch Kerry agreed to spill the beans a little on her inspiration and aspirations...

So, Kerry, how long have you been making jewellery? Why did you start?

I've always loved making things, my mum has countless cross stitches, pillow covers, plaster casts and bracelets that I've made since I couldtie a knot but I never thought I'd do anything remotely crafty in the future. It wasn't until last year when I had some time off from the day job and started playing around with beads and vintage bits and bobs. Low and behold...a couple of months later LouLou's Luxuries was born! And she's here to stay (I hope!).

Where do you find inspiration?

My Jewellery is definitely inspired by history, nature and fashions of the past. I've always been a bit of a history geek and funnily enough one of the first ever books I borrowed from a library was a fashion through the ages book. I lovethe style and sophistication of the Victorian era - especially their love of pearls! I'd love to think that my style encapsulates the feminine style of a by-gone era.

Can you describe a typical Lou Lou's Luxuries customer?

Oooh let's have a think! The typical Lou Lou's Luxuries customer is someone with a love of vintage fashion, someone who loves to feel feminine and beautiful with simplistic but beautiful accessories. Probably someone with a lot of shoes too!

Any plans in the pipeline you can tell us about? What does the future hold for Lou Lou's Luxuries?

That's a secret ;)

Describe your style in 6 words

Vintage, feminine, sophisticated, luxurious, beautiful, wearable

Apart from making jewellery are there any other arts/crafts you practice or any you would like to learn?

I have tried my hand at lots of different things over the years! I've tried card making (nope...not very good at it!) I've made soaps, I've done some wood work, cross stitching and I'm also not too bad at knitting :) Although I only seem to knit in thewinter and every year I have to buy new needles because I loose them during the rest of the year! But watch out...I may add a line of knitted luxuries to the website in about November hehehe.

What would be your perfect day?

Hmm...my perfect day would probably happen on a Sunday :) And a perfect Sunday doesn't start until about 11:30am. That's about the time to move from bed ontothe sofa and await a delicious bacon sandwich from the other half, followed by a gallon of coffee and and film snuggled up in front of the telly. Squeeze in a bit of crafting and then a Sunday roast and that's the day sorted! Oooh and if there could be somesunshine and the scent of fresh cut grass coming in through the window then that's a bonus.

Many thanks to Kerry for taking the time to answer my questions, your website looks lovely!

Now, lovely readers, here's your chance to get hold of your very own Luxury from Lou Lou.

Kerry is giving away a fabulous and bang-on-trend flower ring!

Measuring an impressive 45mm across, this stunning deep red cabbage rose ring will certainly get noticed and would look gorgeous with this seasons rich, autumnal colours.

Set on an Art Nouveax inspired, gold coloured filigree base that can be adjusted to fit any size. Supplied in it's own little pouch so it would make a lovely gift for someone special, if you can bare to part with it!

So how can you get your hands on this little luxury?

First of all visit loulousluxuries.co.uk and have mooch around. What's your favourite item? Perhaps you like the cute Bouquet Dreams earrings? Or the stunning peacock freshwater pearls of Depths of Beauty necklace.

Next, leave a comment here, tell us which Luxury you would love to treat yourself to. (don't forget to include a way I can get hold of you if you are the lucky winner - email or twitter name is fine)

And that's it!

For extra bonus entry you can like this blog with GFC in the column to the right - and leave a comment to say that you have done so.

If you are on twitter tweet the following for another bonus entry "I want to win a little #luxury from @loulousluxuries and #TalesfromMountPleasant http://bit.ly/ommMkl "

The giveaway ends at 10pm on Monday 12th September and is open to UK residents only. The winner will be drawn by a random generator (ie - my other half ;) )

Good Luck everyone!!

This giveaway is now closed. The winner will be announced at 9pm Tuesday 13th Septempber.

#TheGallery - Animals

2011-09-01T07:54:00.000+01:00

Two years ago I bought a little fennel plant to add to my small scented herb border. Last year it grew well and provided plentiful 'leaves' to make delicious fennel tea (great for aiding digestion). This year it has taken over the entire border, providing a stunning, 7ft high display of wispy green fronds and strange, almost alien looking flowers. (Not to mention getting tangled up in the washing line and attacking anyone who walks down the garden. It may have to go before next summer...)
It has also been a haven for all things buzzy, literally humming with life!

Yes, I know, technically they are not animals but insects but, hey, I'm not one let a mere technicality stop me publishing some interesting photographs!

Why not buzz along to the Sticky Fingers blog and check out all the other Gallery entries?

Staring at the sun...

2011-08-29T10:11:00.001+01:00

If you are brave (or silly) enough to follow my ramblings on Twitter you may have noticed I have a penchant for photographing sunsets.

We are very lucky to live on top of a big hill.

Actually, I say lucky, but doesn't always feel like it when I have to struggle up said hill with a rucksack, two bags of shopping and a stroppy toddler who doesn't want to walk anymore. But I digress...

Although we live on a modern housing estate our house is right on the edge and at one of the highest points so, from our bedroom window, we can see over the rooftops of the houses below us, across the Forest of Dean and westward into Wales. The view was one of the reasons we compromised on location and type of house we bought (well that, and the price. Beggars - and first-time buyers - can't really afford to be choosers!) and I love watching the progress of the sun across the sky through the seasons.

Through the winter months it sets to the southwest and the view that way is mainly rooftops. As the days lengthen towards the Spring Equinox the sun sets steadily further west until the view of sunset, due west at the equinox, is uninterrupted.

Spring Equinox sunset

From then it moves northwesterly, dropping behind the Brecons on the horizon, to midsummer before heading back, due west for the Autumn Equinox, then disappearing southwards behind rooftops for the winter.
Every sunset is different and even on the evenings when the sun is obscured by clouds, the vast expanse of sky can look pretty spectacular as the light changes from day to dusk to night.

...and you don't always have to capture the actual sun to capture the atmosphere of a late summer sunset...

But going back through my digital photo collection it would seem that the best sunsets by far - or at least the most captured ones - occur around this time of year.


Early August


Late August

You do have to be quick though. This series of pictures were taken within less than 2 minutes as the sun dipped below the horizon...

Sometimes, by the time I have grabbed my camera, raced upstairs and opened up the window, the sun itself has vanished. This is not always a bad thing...


taken early September last year

Once the fire of the sunset has faded, it's worth hanging about a bit. If it's the right time in the lunar cycle you might catch a magical glimpse of the two days past new moon, just before it, too, drops below the horizon.

If you want to see some more, I have blogged other sunset pictures here (one of my all-time favourites - this picture is going to find itself turned into a canvas and hanging on the wall as soon as I can afford it! ) and here. As I never tire of the view and staring at the evening sun, I am sure there will be many more to come.

p.s. This post was inspired by the lovely Fi at Childcare is Fun who actually really did want to see the other 20 odd pictures I took one sunset a week or so back...

#SilentSunday 28/08/11

2011-08-28T00:00:00.000+01:00

Riot Raffle

2011-08-26T23:03:00.003+01:00

A few weeks ago I watched in horror as the events in Tottenham spread throughout east and south London. Like many people I was unable to turn away from the TV and found myself almost in tears as rioters and looters made their way through Camden and Ealing - parts of London I know, and where people I love have their homes - leaving a path of destruction in their wake.

More than a hundred homes were destroyed during the riots, and businesses estimate costs running into the hundreds of millions. Those hardest hit were the many small, independent businesses that still cling on in an already difficult financial climate. With no huge corporation to back them up many have seen everything they have worked hard for many years to achieve completely destroyed by a bunch of yobs in an opportunistic frenzy.

All this made me mad, but while I was angrily tweeting my disgust, the lovely Zoe at Zoe and Drew was formulating a fabulous plan - a way for all of us, helplessly watching from the sidelines, to actually help the victims of this nightmare rebuild their businesses and their lives.

Working with Retail Trust, Zoe came up with the RIOT RAFFLE

A simple appeal for members of the crafting community to donate something to the prize fund resulted in a flood of fabulous contributions - so many in fact that Zoe has said she can accept no more after Sunday 28th August, so if you want to add something to the prize pool you need to get in there quickly (tweet @RiotRaffle for how to donate...)

Now all you lovely readers have to do is buy a ticket, or three (or however many you want). Simply visit the website, click on the 'Buy your ticket' button and donate as much as you can afford - you get allocated one ticket for every pound you donate. You have until 30th September 2011 to purchase tickets.

So tweet, post on facebook, blog, email this post to all your friend, spread the word about the Riot Raffle to anyone who will listen and let's show all of those whose neighbourhoods and livelihoods were destroyed that we saw and we care enough to help them put their lives back together.

www.riotraffle.org

tweet @RiotRaffle

facebook.com/RiotRaffle

ps here is my donation to the prize pool :)

#TheGallery - Capturing a Moment to Remember.

2011-08-24T08:04:00.000+01:00

Friday was World Photography Day

"World Photography Day is all about celebrating photography and remembering how special a photograph can be."

So Tara dedicated this week's Gallery to capturing a moment to treasure, something to look back on in the future that would spark a memory. Unusually, she insisted that this week's picture be taken on World Photography Day itself (or at least over the weekend).

Luckily for us we had visitors on Friday - my little bro, his wife and their 20month old daughter (you know what, I still can't get used to the idea that my little bro is a daddy! I used to change his nappies!! Does this mean I am getting old?). The Little Man is old enough now to remember his cousin and look forward to seeing her.
We were blessed with beautiful sunshine which meant we could let the kiddies play outside, which made 'capturing a moment' so much easier... so easy in fact that I captured several! (including the sulky face when little F sat down in the dumper truck that had a pool of water in the bottom. But I'll save that for another time...;-) )
I loved watching the two cousins interact - and particularly see the Little Man taking care of his little cousin, showing her around the garden, trying to play ball with her and actually allowing her to play with HIS toys (although he did get a bit teary when she wrecked his building block/gogo construction ). My sister-in-law is expecting another, due in December, a little boy this time. I can't wait to capture moments of the three of them playing together...
In the meantime here is my Gallery picture. Please don't shout at me, Tara, for cheating a little, but I couldn't pick just one...

For more magic moments on (or around) World Photography Day visit Tara's blog and check out the Gallery Linky...

#SilentSunday 21/08/11

2011-08-21T07:40:00.002+01:00

#TheGallery Black and White

2011-08-17T09:21:00.002+01:00

Once again Tara has given me a wonderful excuse to share some pictures with you that I fully intended to blog earlier but never quite got around to it...
This weeks theme is Black and White.
I LOVE black and white photographs!
The absence of colour to distract the eye brings details out to the fore and lends itself particularly well to architectural images.
Whilst on holiday in Yorkshire recently, we visited the magnificent ruins of Whitby Abbey. The weather was, well, changeable. Wet and windy when we arrived, clearing to warm sunshine by the time we had made our way back to the entrance and the welcome presence of a vintage land rover based ice-cream van. Of course, the plus side of the dodgy weather was that the exposed abbey was almost deserted when we got there which made getting some atmospheric (ie: not full of tourists!) shots much easier!
So here is a selection from my Whitby Abbey photo album. In black and white.

Hope you enjoyed this selection - there are more black and white and colour photographs from our Whitby trip to see on the Tales from Mount Pleasant Facebook page (including the aforementioned vintage ice-cream van!)
And don't forget to head over to Tara's blog to see all the other Gallery entries this week.

#SilentSunday 14/08/11

2011-08-14T07:10:00.000+01:00

Puzzlewood - A Forest Adventure

2011-08-13T22:12:00.001+01:00

We are lucky enough to live in one of the most beautiful parts of the country.
The Forest of Dean is approx 43 square miles of woodland, dotted with villages and market towns, nestled between the rivers Wye and Severn on the English/Welsh border. One of the best things about the area is the history that seeps out of every pore. Although now primarily a tourist destination, up until very recent times (and, to a lesser extent, in the present day) the Forest of Dean was very much a working forest, riddled with mine works both deep within the earth and open-cast.
Nowhere is this extensive working more apparent than at the fabulously named Puzzlewood.

Situated near the market town of Coleford this tourist attraction has benefited immensely over the past few years from BBC patronage - fans of Doctor Who and Merlin may recognise the surreal landscape - the attraction has been developed to include cafe, indoor wooden maze, outdoor Willow maze, play area and large picnic area.

The Puzzlewood itself is quite breath taking. From the moment you step through the living archway the light changes as the brilliant sunshine is filtered through the leaves of beech, ash, lime and oak trees that tower above.

The formations were created hundreds of thousands of years ago by the erosion of natural underground cave systems, exposing rich veins of iron ore to the surface which were then exploited by early Foresters, digging it out of the rock using little more than antler picks and rock tools.

All around there are amazing rock formations, secret caves, rickety bridges made of yew branches. The root systems of many of the huge trees are clearly visible snaking through the rocks. Everywhere is carpeted with bright green moss and ferns with the rich red of the compacted earth pathways wandering in and out of gullies and through clefts in the rock.

I was utterly entranced by the place! Needless to say, the Little Man and his two older cousins who accompanied us absolutely loved it! Indeed I would say that this small but beautifully formed piece of woodland could keep any child (and most adults) occupied and captivated for hours...

Meet our tour guide: a very friendly Robin kept us company!


What could be around the corner?


Climbing the rocks...

Be warned though - the pathways are quite rough and ready, narrow in some places, steep in others. Pushchairs are not permitted within the wood and I would suggest that it is not for those who are at all unsteady on their feet or have difficulty walking. Sensible shoes are a must (I actually saw one visitor in wedge heeled sandals. I can't imagine she got very far!), as is old clothing. The paths can be slippy and little people have a tendency to run about a lot! The Little Man landed on his bum several times and the stains caused by the glorious iron-rich red soil are a PIG to get out!

Once we had finished having fun in the woods it was back out to explore the rest of the attraction, enjoying a picnic lunch (how refreshing to find a tourist attraction that actually provides ample tables for picnics with none of the "only food bought on the premises may be eaten here" signs so commonly seen elsewhere!) and letting the kids burn any remaining energy in the playground.

At less than £20 for a family ticket (2 adults, 2 children) and no charge for children under 4, I think Puzzlewood represents excellent value for money and well worth a visit if you are staying in the area.

Win a Nick Jr Goody Bag!

2011-08-09T07:59:00.014+01:00

This giveaway is now closed.

Congratulations to

Lorraine Cooper

hope your little one enjoys her special prize :)

The summer holidays are well and truly underway and, in true British Summer tradition it is raining! So what are you going to do with your little ones to keep them amused when they can't go out and play? I have one lovely goody bag full of Nick Jr treats to keep your little ones occupied over the summer break.

Contents include:

Dora activity book with stickers
Poster
Go Diego Go story book
set of ABC cards featuring all your little 'uns favourite Nick Jr characters and a fab ABC poster
Colouring in postcards
Key rings
Ben and Holly workbook
A fabulous art case filled with pens, pencils, pastels and paints
A Dora plush doll

All these wonderful items come in a lovely Nick Jr canvas tote bag.

A great little prize I think you'll agree. The Little Man has had great fun with his art set, colouring in anything that stays still long enough!

To win this Nick Jr goody bag all you need to do is leave a comment below telling me what your favourite rainy day activity is.

The goody bag has been provided by Nick Jr but will be posted to the winner by me. I recieved no payment from Nick Jr for this post.

#SilentSunday 07/08/11

2011-08-07T08:00:00.000+01:00

Crochet... I'm hooked!

2011-08-02T21:18:00.000+01:00

I know, I know - I am probably one of the last to jump on this particular bandwagon but a week or so ago I picked up a crochet hook and learned how to crochet. It's something I have been meaning to do for a while. I mean I have been knitting for years (well decades actually...) and I have had a go at pretty much everything - cabling, fancy stitches, colour, patterns, jumpers, jackets, socks, baby clothes...quite a lot of baby clothes come to think of it, more socks, bags etc etc. But for some reason the lure of the crochet hook has never attracted me that much.

Until now.

I blame this...

This - if you haven't seen it before - is a brand new magazine dedicated to handmade living. It's chocca full of wonderful ideas, inspiration, interviews, makes and general handmade loveliness. It is right up my alley and so refreshingly gorgeous it surely must be almost illegal.... (I am assured it isn't)

So, yes, I am absolutely in love with Mollie Makes. I dream that one day me or one of my makes might feature within it's beautiful matt paper covers. In the meantime I lust after dinky felties and crocheted flowers, scrummy interiors and to-die-for studio spaces (imagine a space totally dedicated to crafting...no toys, no teetering piles of bike magazines, no spending half an hour tidying up before I can get anything out and then having to put it all away again so the Little Man can do Play Doh... oh, a girl can dream),

You see it was the flowers that did it.My Other Half suffers really badly from hay fever so real flowers in the house are pretty much a no-no (I do manage to slip some in when he's not paying attention on very rare occasions...) I'm really not a fan of chintzy, floral fabrics, preferring more stylised designs. But when I saw that gorgeous cover and knew that I could have a house full of flowers I loved without making his nose twitch!

So I had to learn how to crochet! With the help of this tutorial I got the basics together fairly quickly (although I feed the yarn like I knit, with my right hand not my left. I'm sure I will work it out eventually!) and this was my first flower attempt...

Not bad but far from perfect. So I kept at it. Last night I felt confident enough to try an ACTUAL PROJECT. Coincidentally (not that I believe in coincidence mind you!) one of my fave reads the Angel Eden blog posted a tutorial a few days ago that was absolutely perfect - a Crochet Jar Cover - I could make something pretty with my new found skill and find another use for an old jam jar!

Wanna see? Of course you do...

Now it's pretty safe to say I am hooked - I love it! The simplicity. The speed at which projects grow. Most of all I love the way crochet lends itself to itty bitty projects so much more than knitting! It is much easier to pick up and put down when the Little Man demands attention and SOOOO much easier to pick up the single stitch if the hook falls out. If you have ever tried picking up an entire row of knitting when the needle gets pulled out you'll know what I mean...

So thank you Mollie Makes for inspiring me where all others have failed, and Abi at Angel Eden for the great tutorial :)

#SilentSunday 31/07/11

2011-07-31T08:09:00.000+01:00

Helena Dowling talks about the NickJr 'Help Dora Help' Campaign'

2011-07-30T07:45:00.000+01:00

If you have kids of a certain age you may be familiar with the Help Dora Help campaign that has been running on Nick Jr for the past month or so.
Nick Jr have teamed up with The Prince's Foundation for Children and the Arts to offer a special £20,000 award to one lucky pre-school, nursery or playgroup to enable them to improve their facilities and give their kids the best possible start.

I was lucky enough to have a chat with Helena Dowling - presenter of Nick Jr's 'Wake up World' slot every morning and the face of the 'Help Dora Help' campaign - and she told me a little about the initiative.

"Dora is a fantastic role model for kids... We have worked with educational specialists to create a great educational pack that encourages creative learning through exploration and developing their sense of adventure."

She is really excited about the campaign and the opportunity it provide for the winners to do something really special for the children in their care.

"The first prize is £20,000 which could provide a great outdoor play area or an amazing trip out. There are fabulous prize packages for the runners up too!"

Helena has visited some pre-school groups to see the the activity packs in use and said the kids really enjoyed working with characters they are familiar with.

Helena, who has taught kids dance classes for years absolutely loves her job as the 'face' of Nick Jr

"I get to go into work and play with soft toys and be silly all day. Of course I enjoy it!"

You can also see her in some episodes of the new series of 'The Bopps' singing and dancing with Keith and Stan Bopp, which she enjoyed immensely.

"Keith and Stan a couple of great guys to work with. We had a lot of fun filming the show."

Thanks so much to Helena for talking to us - it really made the Little Man's day and he couldn't wait to tell Daddy later that he had spoken to 'He-ena' on mummy's phone!

Unfortunately due to unforeseen circumstances I am little late with this post and the closing date for entries for the 'Help Dora Help' competition has now passed. However you can still download the activity pack which contains six curriculum linked session plans based around different themes such as pirates, nature and space. Why not have a look? You may be inspired to begin a project to keep the whole family occupied during the summer holidays.

Still looking for something to occupy the littlies during the summer break? Nick Jr have kindly sent me a fabulous activity pack to give away to one lucky reader of my blog. Giveaway post to follow in the next couple of days...

Something has got to give...

2011-07-27T20:48:00.001+01:00

My life is slowly disintegrating into utter chaos.

I have far too many things to do - there is keeping on top of all the paperwork for the OH's motorcycle retail business; developing a website for the charity my MIL works for (that was founded by her mum, OH's Nan); developing my own website for Forest Flower Designs; keeping up with the orders and commissions for Forest Flower Designs; keeping the house in a half decent state of repair (OH doesn't do DIY) on an extremely limited budget.Then there is general housework, cooking, washing, ironing, cleaning, tidying up the mess everyone else thoughtfully leaves for me to do. And last but by no means least being a mummy to my Little Man and keeping him occupied in a positive way throughout the day whilst trying to do everything else (which means not just allowing him to sit in front of the TV all day...) Is it any wonder why I am permanently on the edge of exhaustion? Sometimes it only takes one tiny little thing to tip me over the edge and the whole day lies in ruins as I huff and puff and maybe slam a door or two. Or dissolve into a useless, tear-streaked mess.

Something has got to give!

Time management is not my forte - at least not at home. And neither is organisation. Or tidiness!
To make matters worse both me and the OH are clutter bunnies with hoards of 'stuff' between us, all of which is important, none of which can be binned/sold/donated. (Although I would suggest that my crap is significantly more important than his... I mean do we really need to keep an old Betamax video player, that may or may not even work now, and stack of videos. Really?) It all makes keeping tidy that much more like hard work...

Then there is the blog.

This blog.

I love it to bits but it's starting to go a bit wayward and developing a persona of it's own and I'm not sure if I like it. The problem is I recently discovered the whole working with 'Brands' thing (and I don't mean Russell and Katy here...) that seems to go hand-in-hand with the 'Mummy Blogging' scene. For a few months I have found myself chasing reviews, replying to emails and campaign shots, entering competitions run by brands to find new reviewers (mainly toy brands). It has got to a point where I am feeling obliged to write something - either a review of an item I have been sent to try out or just a post, something to keep the stats up...
I am finding myself almost resenting it. And I am really finding it hard to fit in along with everything else!

So...

As of today things are changing. I will still join in some of the fab linkys I have discovered - Silent Sunday, The Gallery, Magpie Monday, What are you reading? and Mumentum - although maybe not EVERY time. I will continue to blog about the things I love - my home, my Little Man, my baking and gardening attempts, my photography, my crafts and my design business. I will continue to tell you all about the latest Barefoot Books because it is a company I am proud to be working with/for. I will happily review items that fit into my lifestyle, my ethics, my experiences. I would love to work with ethical companies who care about their customers health and well being and not just their money. I would love to work with small, local, homegrown businesses.I would be happy to work with companies whose products I already use. And I am always happy to promote other designer/makers like myself, just trying to earn a living doing something they are passionate about.

But you won't find any reviews for big name brands that I have no interest in or advertising for products that I would never use. I have so very nearly gone down that road and realised, before it was too late and big brand advertising got a hold on me, that it's not what I want to do.

I apologise to those blog followers/readers/subscribers who are hoping for lots of freebies/giveaways/competitions but that is not what this blog is about. If you wish to go now I won't hold it against you at all and thanks for joining me for time you have.

For those who wish to stay expect more craft orientated posts, I may even join in Folksy Friday's again if I have time! I may do some tutorials too and share more of my Forest Flower Designs journey. Expect lots more photographs of plants, flowers, food, interiors, walks in the woods, sunsets, days out and my Little Man. I may share some of my favourite music with you too - it has played such an important role in my life it deserves to be talked about more!

I will blog when I want to not coz I feel I need to. That might mean two posts in one day or nothing at all for a week.

Blogging makes me happy. I want it to stay that way.

#SilentSunday 24/07/11

2011-07-24T07:42:00.001+01:00

'Levity III' comes to Lydney

2011-07-22T22:31:00.003+01:00

Every now and again something really special lands on your doorstep and if you are lucky you get to experience some magic...

Levity III arrived in the Forest of Dean this week - setting up home a Taurus Crafts, Lydney. For the next 9 days you can visit this extraordinary exhibit before it moves on.
The Luminaria comprise of a series of large domes connected by tunnels all made from a specially developed plastic that filters the light in such a way to create magical hues and colours so intense that my poor camera nearly went into overload!!
We were fortunate enough to be the first people allowed in to view the luminarium and the minute we walked through the ante chamber into the first, magnificent green chamber it was as if we had been transported to another world...

Shapes from nature, Islamic and Gothic architecture and mathematical precision inspired the Luminaria designs. Only four different colours of plastic are used to create the myriad of colours...

The Little Man was joined by his best buddy Princess P and they were both utterly entranced by the whole experience!

As we moved from one chamber to the next there was plenty of time to chill out to the ambient music. The whole structure is inflated so when you lie down and close your eyes you kind of sink in to the walls...

...it was most tranquil. Even the Little Man gave up his relentless movement and chatter to just chill for a moment or two!

We were all absolutely blown away by Levity III - it was truly sublime and and unlike anything I have ever experienced.

Levity III is at Taurus Crafts until the 31st July. It is open to visitors every day from 12:30pm and costs £3.00 per person or £10.00 for a family ticket (up to four people). Taurus Crafts boasts a fantastic cafe, craft workshops, gift shops and a fab deli, plus a garden centre, children's play area and local artisans showcasing their craft. Parking is free too so you have no excuse not to plan a whole day out!

For more photo's from our visit to Levity 3 please visit my Facebook page and have a look at the 'Luminarium' photo album.

My new best friend...

2011-07-20T22:54:00.005+01:00

Well I did it! I got my new camera!!

After a bit of begging to get some Folksy sales and some calling in of favours I manged to get the money together to not only replace my poor, dear departed camera but quite significantly upgrade it!
So my new best friend is a Fujifilm Finepix S2950HD, factory re-conditioned and thus a fair bit cheaper than Argos price (gotta love eBay).

Now the reason I was in such a hurry to get this camera is that I have been invited to a fab event on Friday that absolutely demands top notch pictures so I have 2 days to get to know how it all works and how to get the best out of all the settings...

We started with the obligatory flower shots - exploring the macro functions and the special 'flower' mode, pre-programmed to take perfect close-up shots. Well I am impressed - particularly with how well the colour translates. The beautiful blue of the Borage flowers never came out right on my previous digi cameras. Check out this extreme close-up...

How stunning is that?

Then we moved on to portraiture, and the Little Man was more than happy to pose for mummy's new camera!

There are several functions designed to get the perfect portraits - I particularly liked the multi-shot one that takes continuous frames until you release the shutter - great for capturing those funny expressions!

We wandered down to the fields to see the ponies (my, how they have grown since we last saw them too!)

Utilising the x18 opitical zoom for a pretty view across the Severn Vale (the river is too close to the other side of those hills to see it, sadly)

And finally, one function I know I'm going to have great fun with. The in-camera Panoramic feature!

Now in the old days I used to walk up to high places and take a series of pictures as I turned 180 to capture the 'whole' view. The film was sent off for processing and when the pictures came back I would painstakingly piece them together to make a long panoramic masterpiece. It never quite worked out how I hoped it would...
With the advent of digital photography and photo editing programmes, panoramic pictures became a little easier to produce. Now this camera does it for you! A full 180 view taken in 3 frames and merged together by the camera in seconds! How cool is that? (yes, it's true, I am easily pleased ) Well I HAD to have a play with that one...

We have only just met but I think the love affair with my new camera has just begun :) We are still in the honeymoon stage - finding out what we are capable of together. Give me a little while and I'll work out which buttons to press to get the results I want and soon enough it will be like we have always been together...

#TheGallery - Vintage

2011-07-20T07:30:00.001+01:00

Ahhhhhh 'Vintage' - what springs to mind? Lacy curtains, fifties dresses, delicate china tea sets... Vintage rallies full of impeccably restored old vehicles with their proud owners equally impeccably dressed in period costume. And campers.

Now we are not talking that old cliche the VW here. Oh no!

First up I will admit to slightly cheating here - our camper is not technically 'vintage' in the sense that it is slightly too new to be tax exempt (such a shame!) but we will gloss over that for now. It is still over 30 years old and in 'car' terms that's vintage enough for me. (Although the first person to suggest that anything/one over the age of 30 must, using that logic, be considered 'vintage' gets a slap. OK?)

We bought the camper, a Mark 1 Transit, shortly after I suffered a miscarriage. It had been an 'unplanned' pregnancy. We had been together for a couple of years but I lived in my own flat whilst the OH was still at home. We hadn't really got as far as the 'settling down for the rest of our lives together' bit so when I found out I was pregnant it kind of shook us both up and made us properly evaluate our relationship. Losing the baby at 11 weeks, just as we were coming to terms with the idea of becoming a family, was devastating to say the least. We spotted the camper on a garage forecourt. It was taxed and MOT'd so we could drive it away. Our first 'camper holiday' was week in West Wales. We spent each night somewhere different and watched the sun set over the sea from a hilltop campsite one night whilst eating camper stove sausages and beans off plastic plates. It was bliss.

It became clear that our camper needed a bit of love and the OH spent many hours sanding, filling, sanding again and priming until the original sky blue paintwork was patched with grey. And obviously adding a decent stereo and some serious speakers was a must! But it was used regularly, taking us backwards and forwards to work, summer and winter, never letting us down.

Occasionally we got the chance to take it on longer journeys such as our annual Shaolin Kung-fu Summer Camp gatherings near Bournemouth. Even in it's patchwork state our camper got many admiring glances, random strangers would come over and talk to the OH about it and what he planned to do with it (which he loved). When it was set up with a gazebo extension it was the envy of our fellow 'summer campers' in their cramped little tents. We even had a little portable DVD player set up in there, running off a spare battery!

With a coat of shiny royal blue paint (which we did ourselves, with brushes!) it became a camper to be proud of!

I don't care how big your tent is, I bet it doesn't have an entrance hall and built in kitchen!

We had several lovely weekends away in our home-from-home but the business became more demanding of our time. And then, one day, our 'super-reliable-never-let-us-down' camper stopped. Or rather it didn't stop... the servo went whilst the OH was driving to work. He managed to coast it to a halt and park it up safely but that was pretty much it's last journey...

A new part was going to cost far too much so the hunt was on at local scrap yards and eBay to find something more affordable. By the time we found what we needed it had been stood for months. All the hard work spent keeping the bodywork from rusting was starting to come undone. It needed far more work than we could do alone and we simply couldn't afford to pay someone else to do it.

And besides, I was pregnant again so priorities changed.

Yes, that is moss growing in the passenger foot well...

Our poor, faithful friend has been stood ever since. Neither of us can bring ourselves to say goodbye to it - it means so much to us and our relationship. It saddens me to see it slowly falling to pieces in our driveway. The back doors would probably disintegrate if we opened them, the wooden cupboards on the inside of the back doors have rotted away to a pile of chippings on the floor. There is moss growing on the inside of the cab and, as you can see, the blue paintwork is peeling away and the rust is doing it's worst.

What saddens me most is that the Little Man will never get the chance to spend the night in it, on a hilltop campsite, overlooking the sea, and watch the sun set whilst eating camper stove sausages and beans...

Now why not pop over to Tara Cain's lovely blog Sticky Fingers and see everyone else's Vintage treasures...

#MUMenTUM Losing weight the icky way...

2011-07-18T08:54:00.004+01:00

Hello ladies - it's Monday, so it must be time for some MUMenTUM catch-up!
This past week has not been the best week ever - read this post here to see all the reasons why - in fact there were moments when I actually lost track of the hours/days and curled up in a little ball under a duvet on the sofa and prayed that it would all just go away... (especially the energetic toddler who insisted on using mummy as a bouncy castle)
Food poisoning is not a nice experience. It completely sapped my energy ( I guess not eating for four days can do that...) and reduced me to tears of frustration and pain. Not pleasant.
On the plus side I lost over half a stone. A couple of pounds have gone back on since I have started eating again but hopefully that's it.

I did continue to listen to my Thinking Slimmer 'slimpod' although the 'success log' seemed pretty pointless for four days. If I managed to keep anything down it was a success!!
Now I am into my last 7 days and still feeling positive about the whole thing. I may continue to listen for another week before starting my bonus track as I feel the events of last week have thrown the results slightly off course and I want to make sure the message is firmly embedded before I go on to the next phase.

So not silent Sunday

2011-07-17T09:22:00.001+01:00

I am not in a good mood. As I related in my last post, in amongst all the crappiness that was last week my camera died. It was nothing big or particularly special but it did all I wanted it to do and some. It had some fab little features that really made a difference to my captures. Now it's gone and I really miss it.
Have been having a look around at different options to replace it with and have run up against a brick wall.

It's called my Other Half.

Put simply he doesn't really understand just how important taking photographs actually is to me.
Yes I want to take pictures of the Little Man as he is growing up. Yes I need to take picture of my designs in order to add them to my website and, oh, actually, maybe, sell some stuff!
By taking photographs I am preserving a memory and it gives me a way to share with him the things he misses coz he's at work (or doesn't want to come out with us coz he'll miss the motorbike racing. But that's another whinge.)

But it really is more than that. Photography is an art. It's a way for me to express my creativity and create something beautiful that lasts.

I don't profess to be a great photographer. I don't feel the need to have top of the range kit - I wouldn't know what to do with it if I did have it! But I do want something more than just a brightly coloured pocket-sized point-and-shoot. I'm not being greedy or aiming too high - I found a reconditioned camera on Ebay that is exactly what I am looking for not much more than the the rrp of said point-and-shoot. I am prepared to make sacrifices - I will give up my weekly Graze box and live on Beans on Toast for a month or two if I have to. Some things are worth it.

The Other Half wants me to wait, have a look around, I might find a better deal, a better camera for the same money etc etc. In the meantime 'you can always use the one on your phone....' (I might suggest he park up his shiny red TL1000 and jump on an old CG125 for a few weeks and see how he likes them apples.)

But I can't hang around too long. I have been invited along to the launch of the fabulous art installation 'Levity 3' Luminarian at our local tourist hot spot Taurus Crafts. It's on Friday. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to get some amazing shots. My phone camera just won't cut it!

This week has not been a good week...

2011-07-15T22:06:00.050+01:00

It began on Saturday when our much anticipated Summer Fun Day at the Shambles Retail Village in Newent was almost literally washed away by torrential rain! The Little Man, of course, loved it and spent half an hour running around like a loon, jumping in puddles, standing under the awning of our gazebo and waiting for the cascades of water to splash down on him as it got to heavy for the fabric roof to support. I would have taken pictures so you could share his joy but I was too busy trying to rescue all my stock from the elements (dried lavender pillows and books - neither like getting wet!)

On Sunday I went with the MIL and SIL to the Tewkesbury Medieval Fayre. This amazing event we attend every year (I have blogged about it before, here) but this year the boys stayed at home so we took advantage of the opportunity to shop. I had planned a whole blog about it, artisans and craftspeople using traditional methods and skills to create items of beauty to cherish... My camera however had other ideas. Today was the day my trusty little pocket Yashica joined the great 'Tripod in the Sky' and decided it would open up no more... *sobs - I have NO camera! How will I manage with NO camera?*

Monday was a busy day. I got a lot done and treated myself to a nice Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni meal from local supermarket...
At approx 4am Tuesday morning I threw my guts up. And then again at about 7am...

Have you ever had food poisoning? If you haven't, pray you never do. If you have I sympathise entirely but it's probably not something we will discuss over drinks...
The last three days have taught me several things:

Parenthood really is the hardest job in the world - I don't care how demanding your job is, if you get sick leave you don't know how lucky you are!
Three year olds understand more than we give them credit for - LM at 5.30am on Wednesday morning 'Are you still poorly Mummy?' 'yes, baby' 'Ok. I'll go and do some colouring then.'
Three year olds are also better at entertaining themselves than they lead us to believe...
My OH is great at coming home from work and getting the LM off to bed AND bringing home things like Lucozade but crap at feeding himself and getting himself out of bed in the morning*
OH really doesn't do washing up.**
Lucozade is marvellous stuff - and you can get it in Cherry flavour now!
I will probably be giving Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni a very wide berth from now on...

So 4 days with little more than a piece of dry toast and half a dozen bottles of Lucozade for sustenance and I am feeling tired, listless and a lot lighter (just over half a stone to be exact - there IS a silver lining!) but my stomach is no longer churning. I am feeling hungry again this morning, although the memory of what happened last time I ate anything lingers. I don't think I'm up for a three course Sunday lunch just yet...

*To be fair I already knew this
**and this...

It's Bear's Birthday at Barefoot Books

2011-07-13T07:37:00.001+01:00

Barefoot Books are celebrating the launch of the eighth book in their iconic 'Bear' series in a very special way.
For every copy of Bear's Birthday they sell during the month of July they will be donating one book to Refuge - the UK's largest provider of emergency accommodation and support to women and children escaping domestic abuse and violence.

“Children and their mothers who access Refuge’s services often leave home with little or no notice. Many women and children arrive at the refuge in the middle of the night with nothing but the clothes they are wearing and if the child is lucky their favourite toy,” explains Sandra Horley, CBE, chief executive of Refuge. “Books are a huge treat for children, and especially the children we work with who have been uprooted and who may be missing home comforts."

'Giving Back' is at the very core of the Barefoot philosophy and since the company began 20 years ago they have donated tens of thousands of books to charities such as First Book. Book Aid and Books for Africa.

'Bear's Birthday' is a lively picture book for 2-6 year olds. Help Bear count backwards from 10 - 0 and find out who is making his birthday balloons disappear! Available as a sturdy board book, perfect for little hands, or a larger sized paperback, it would make a fantastic birthday present!

So here is your chance to 'Give Back' - click on the badge below to purchase a copy of 'Bear's Birthday' before the 31st July and Barefoot Books will donate one of their fabulous books to Refuge.

Don't forget I am giving away a copy of the gorgeous 'Over in the Meadow' hardback book and enhanced cd to one lucky reader right here. Competition runs until 24th July.

The Garnier Ultralift 14 Day Challenge

2011-07-11T21:49:00.000+01:00

Let me start by saying that I am a girl who has NO beauty regime. I rarely wear make up. Cleansing is usually little more than soap and water. I will occasionally slap on a bit of Johnson's Baby moisturising cream if I am having a dry day! And that's about it...

But I am not getting any younger and the youthful complexion I have been blessed with is going to need a helping hand sooner or later! So when I was offered a chance to join in the Garnier Ultralift 14 day challenge, I thought 'Why not?' and agreed to put Garnier's Ultralift day cream to the test for two weeks to see if it had the promised wrinkle reducing effect!

The pack I received contained 14 sachets of Ultralift Day cream - a total of 21mls which is nearly half a jar!
First I had to grade my crows feet with the unique 'Wrinkle reader' included in the pack.
I was quite pleased to note that I measured somewhere between a 1 and 2 - not bad for a busy mum in her late 30's! - then apply one sachet of cream around my eyes and the rest of my face for the next 14 days, before comparing results. The sachets were generous with enough cream to apply to my face and neck. I would recommend you go easy around the eye area though, as I found my eyes watered a little if I used too much!

So does it do what it says on the tin (pot/sachet)?

Well I will let you see for yourselves...

Well I must say I don't think the pictures do it justice (do you have any idea how difficult it is to take pictures of your own eyes by the way?) and the difference IS noticeable - a couple of people have commented on how much less tired I look, which is always a bonus!

Garnier launched the Ultralift 14 day challenge a few weeks back, were inundated with requests for challenge packs and have no more left. However, if you really want to give the 14 day challenge a go, I have one extra pack to give away to one lucky reader. Just leave a comment on this post and a way of contacting you if you win (Twitter id/email address).
Open to UK readers only. Competition closes at 9pm Tuesday 19th July. Winner will be chosen by a random number generator.

#MUMenTUM - Things they are a-changing...

2011-07-11T07:50:00.001+01:00

Good morning ladies - I hope you are all well and feeling positive!!

I am now into the second week of using the Slimpod and although I haven't shed masses of weight (3/4lb at weigh-in on Saturday morning) I am beginning to notice a change in the way I am thinkng about food and eating. My portions are definitely getting smaller and my food choices are getting better.
A case in point - yesterday I went to the Tewkesbury Medieval Fayre with my MIL and SIL. We go every year, usually the whole family but the OH really didn't feel like it and the Little Man was happy to stay at home with Daddy and watch World Superbikes and F1 on the TV. This year it was packed to the gills and by lunchtime the queues out of the food tents were ridiculous so we found ourselves a nice refreshing fruit juice slushy (which was yummy!) and decided to carry on shopping and get food on the way home. Which meant McDonalds...
After ordering strawberry shakes to take back for the boys I surprised myself totally by going for the Grilled Chicken Salad Wrap and a bottle of water. No fries. No coke. No McFlurry. I think the messages ARE getting through!*
The changes are not only food related. Looking back on my week of success log enteries and I see that I am feeling a lot more relaxed about what I can and cannot do and ultimately I seem to be achieving more each day because of it! My creative mojo seems to be returning AND I seem to be finding it easier to keep on top of the housework as well.
It seems there is more to me being the me I want to be than just simply losing weight...

*just in case you are interested you can work out the nutrirional information of your McD's meal by going to their UK website and adding your meal items to a list that adds up total calories, fat, sugar and salt. It's an eye opener!

#SilentSunday 10/07/11

2011-07-10T20:41:00.000+01:00

What am I reading in July?

2011-07-05T21:31:00.000+01:00

Well it would seem I was a bit ambitious in June and only managed to read two out of three of my planned books despite, or perhaps because, being on holiday one week!

This month we are going back to basics starting with this little gem I have borrowed from my dad that promises to be a great, and possibly educational read..

Really looking forward to sharpening up my English!

From the sublime to the, well not ridiculous. Quite sensible actually...

Picked this one up from the library today and have already had a flick through with a coffee earlier. Lots of recipes to try and handy tips on meal planning, shopping, cooking in advance and making the most of every last bit of food...

Don't forget to check out what everyone else is reading this month and if you love books, why not join in and share your reads this month?

#Mumentum Thinking Slimmer...

2011-07-04T07:31:00.001+01:00

Hi ladies! Have been a bit lazy these past couple of weeks. Our lovely holiday in Yorkshire saw the diet on hold for a week as we lived mainly on fish and chips and ice-cream! I put on a couple of pounds that week and then spent last week moaning to myself about tightening waistbands and lack of will-power.
By Thursday I had had enough. Various things went pear-shaped, we had no money for food shopping and life just seemed to be one hard slog...

So I sat myself down and had a long, hard chat with myself.

In the old days I was pretty good at living in the 'now', enjoying the moment and trusting that what ever was needed to get me through would be provided. Somehow. I think it is time to start getting that groove back. I think that would go a long way to helping me feel 'me' again...
So I told myself to stop worrying about the future, next week, next month, next year, and start concentrating on the here and the now. We'll do what we can do in this moment and trust that we will find a way to do what needs to be done tomorrow...

Post arrives on Friday with letters from both the water company and electric/gas supplier. *GROAN*
Unbelievably the water supplier has halved our monthly direct debit as we were paying too much and even more unbelievably the electric company were refunding our over-payments from the past year to the tune of £170!!! Is this what they mean by 'the universe will provide' I wonder?
More remarkably still, a stroll down into town later reveals a fabulous red dress, only one left and in my size, and pair of shoes, both reduced, so I could even justify buying a new outfit for the wedding we were attending on Saturday...

It's the little things :)

With my little windfall I also 'treated' myself to a 'Slimpod' - I have heard so much about this weight loss method based on cognitive hypnotherapy and have been wanting to try it out but really couldn't find the money to pay for it. Until I stopped trying to find it! I am on day 2 so really too early to tell if it's working yet but I have high hopes!
One of the keys to the Thinking Slimmer programme is setting realistic goals to focus on and making them public - they suggest pinning them up on the fridge door (which I have done) but I also thought I would share them you as well....

To fit comfortably back into my pre-pregnancy size 14 clothes
To practice my Yoga stretches and breathing on a regular (daily) basis once again
To find the energy and enthusiasm to do all the things I WANT to do as well as all the things I NEED to do...

I will keep you ladies posted.

Join me 'Living Barefoot' Giveaway

2011-07-03T16:37:00.003+01:00

My first batch of gorgeous Barefoot Books have arrived and I am like a kid in a sweet shop! This takes me right back to my bookshop days when a delivery of new titles was like Christmas. I absolutely adore the smell when you open the box - new print, unopened books full of delights just waiting to be enjoyed... The there is the 'oooo'-ing and 'aahhh'-ing as each treasure is lifted out and examined. It doesn't matter how thorough the reps are seeing an image of a book in a catalogue is never as good as actually holding it in your hands....

So, yeah, I LOVE books! I especially love beautifully illustrated kids books!! And when it comes to illustrations Barefoot Books are definitely amongst the best - from the distinctive (and lovely) oils of Niamh Sharkey and the stained-glass inspired illustrative style of Olwyn Whelan to the dreamlike quality of Italian artist Nicoletta Ceccoli and the gorgeously bold and colourful work of Debbie Harter plus many, many more.

There are also a large number of story books available with accompanying CD's and Barefoot Books have enlisted the vocal talents of Niamh Cusack (Tales from Celtic Lands, The Faery's Gift), Jim Broadbent (Storytime, The Prince's Bedtime), Miranda Richardson (The Princess and the White Bear King, The Barefoot Book of Stories from the Opera) and Juliet Stevenson (The Tear Thief, The Real Princess)

Amongst their new titles for this year are a series of gorgeous 'Sing along' books complete with 'enhanced' cd's that bring the book's illustrations to life in a little animation with the words scrolling across the bottom of the screen! Brilliant fun for little ones (and not-so-little ones) and a great way to learn a new favourite.

Check out the fabulous 'Over in the Meadow' below

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To celebrate my becoming a Barefoot Books ambassador, I have one copy of this gorgeous book and enhanced CD to give away to one lucky reader!

To enter this competition please do at least one (if not all) of the following:

Firstly - pop along to Barefoot Books and have a look around at their gorgeous selection of books for children of all ages, then come back and leave a comment telling me which one (or more) you would love to give to the special little person in your life. You MUST do this to be entered into the draw.

For extra entries you can -

'Like' the Tales from Mount Pleasant Facebook page - this will keep you up to date with future competitions, giveaways and new Barefoot Book releases. Comment to let me know.
Follow this blog with 'Google Friend Connect' or subscribe to the RSS feed by clicking on the tab at the top of the column to the right. Again, please comment to let me know you have done so.
Post the tweet ' I want to #livebarefoot with @forestflower23 and Barefoot Books' with a link to this blog post.

The competition runs until 9pm Sunday 24th July. The winner will be chosen by a Random Number Generator and the winner will be announced on Twitter and Facebook and emailed if address provided. If the winner does not get in touch within 7 days the prize will be re-drawn.

Please note this competition is open to UK residents only.

Good Luck x

*please note the prize has been paid for by myself and not provided for free by Barefoot Books. This post is not sponsored by them in anyway. As a Barefoot Books Ambassador I earn a commission on any books sold through my link to their website.

#SilentSunday 03/07/11

2011-07-03T07:46:00.000+01:00

B Record Plus Review

2011-06-30T22:40:00.001+01:00

You may remember a couple of weeks back I mentioned that I had been given the opportunity to trial a new energy supplement called BRecord Plus (Give me back my energy please!)

BRecord Plus is a liquid food supplement made up of a unique blend of four key amino acids and the Vitamin B-12 to boost energy, overcome fatigue and improve concentration and improve intellectual performance. Unlike many caffeine-based energy supplements that provide a quick buzz, the micro-nutrients in BRecord Plus works with your body metabolically to produce sustained energy.

But does it work? Well, I was told not to expect too much in the first couple of days as the micro nutrients take time to get into the system but by the middle of the week I could definitely say that I felt perkier. I was able to get a lot more paperwork done and work a bit later into the evening than I normally would and I felt better able to concentrate than I have recently.
That said, I was not leaping out of bed any easier than usual (and the Little Man waking me up at 5am on two of the mornings didn't help...) so I guess the real secret to not feeling utterly exhausted every day is still to go to bed earlier!!!

BRecord Plus is available to buy online in packs of 10 bottles priced at £12.99. Sigma-Tau recommend that you take BRecord Plus for at least 14 days so you would need to buy two packs to get any real benefit.

So would I use it again? Maybe... if I was preparing for an exam or trying to meet a deadline then I think, for the improvement in my ability to concentrate, I would be tempted to try it again.

In the meantime I think what I really need is an early night...

*I was sent a free 10 bottle pack of BRecord Plus by Sigma-Tau to try out and review. All words and opinions are my own.