Make, Bake, Sew, Grow

{ Make }

Making - at last - decisions and purchases, resulting in two lovely, shiny new lampshades for the hall.

I am in love with them. They were just as I hoped they would be. No more prison-chic bare light bulbs!

I've also been making a few sneaky purchases for myself lately, like these bits and bobs from the Liberty range at Uniqlo. John said the wide shorts look like pyjama bottoms. I am ignoring him and insisting that I will be both stylish and comfortable in them this summer, with a white vest and my Saltwater sandals. 

{ Bake }

I was given Anna Jones' A Modern Way to Cook for Christmas. I loved (really loved) her first book A Modern Way to Eat, but found I was less drawn to her second in the months following Christmas. It seemed too light, too salady, in the winter months when all I wanted was stodge, and I never seemed to have the right ingredients in the cupboard at the right time. But I've been using it so much over the last month and have found it an incredibly inspiring and helpful resource in my quest to eat not less, but better. It's worth buying for the breakfast chapter alone.

I made these chocolate bars, which are like a healthier version of a Bounty bar. Really, really good.  

My other current obsession is these rice bowls. 

They are amazing and have made them every week for the last three weeks when John is working a late shift (he would consider this a glorified salad, and therefore Not Dinner). It's essentially a bowl of brown rice, shredded roast chicken and lots of greens and fresh, crunchy shredded vegetables, elevated to the level of high-deliciousness by a dressing made of soy sauce, lime juice, rice vinegar, sesame oil and ginger. 

And this evening, John is making roast lamb followed by sticky toffee pudding so, you know, it's not all health, health, health.

{ Sew }

Thank you so much for your kind words on my Midsummer Sprigs cross stitch sampler. Recent creative efforts have been quicker but no less enjoyable. 

Oh a whim I made a few felt baubles/pompoms, from the book Felt Sew Good. I've had it for a while and this is the first thing I've made. Something about the colours and shapes is really pleasing. 

I am about to try my first kit from Wool and the Gang, a tablet cover. I'll let you know how I get on. In the mean time, nice packaging.

But the main thing I have been working on lately is the border for my blanket. 

I am nearly, nearly there. I keep thinking I'm at the end, then add another row, but I reckon it's almost finished now.

{ Grow }

Ever the fair weather gardener, the garden and I have been spending some quality time together lately and now my pots are fresh and colourful and my borders weed free. Drooping daffodils and withered tete-a-tetes have been removed and the front door step now looks respectable. (It's that kind of street.)

I remembered some great advice Sarah kindly left in a comment a while back: 

"When your daffodils have finished flowering you could plant them straight into the border letting the foliage die down naturally. Next year they will flower again and you can avoid bulb planting in Autumn which always carries the risk of damaging existing bulbs. Buy fresh bulbs and use fresh compost for your pots in Autumn and you will be able to continue the cycle."

Thank you Sarah. I planted all these fading bulbs in a bare patch of border in the back garden where they can die down with the rest of the foliage and hopefully re-emerge next year!

The long border at the end of our garden is a big old mess of yellow and purple. Suddenly, everything I planted last autumn has come up and burst into colour.  It's not going to win any prizes but it makes me so happy to look out the kitchen window and see this messy, colourful border that my mum and I created, rather than a big long fence.

Over the last week it seems like everything woke up in the garden.  Wall flowers suddenly have tiny flowers and plants suddenly look fuller, greener. 

The blossom is almost gone. It was so pretty while it lasted.

Can you tell that I'm enjoying being at home this Easter? My head is just bursting with ideas and plans, and my heart is full. I love spending time in and on our home. 

{Make } Something for our home, or for me.

{ Bake } Something from the kitchen.

{ Sew } Something crafty.

{ Grow } Something in the garden.