Baking

I have been having a little dabble in the kitchen every now and then.   I am by no means within a healthy weight range and know that I should watch what I eat but do you know what?  I don't want to.....! Ha! There!

Me and the Mr do not have many luxuries in our life as we just cannot afford them and food is the one thing that I do try and enjoy so we do our best to cook things that are nice.

So,  I started watching Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall Everyday series.  I truly do love this man.  I don't know why because I don't find him sexy attractive or anything, I think I just like the fact that he drives an old jeep, he looks like he's wearing old clothes, he has a scabby bit of thread tied round his wrist that looks like one of his kids made him a friendship bracelet.  He grows his own veg.  He has the most amazing house.  What more can I say.

Anyhow, on one episode Hugh is trying to encourage people to make their own bread.  This is right up my street.........something we eat everyday.........that I can make.........and save money..........BRILLIANT!

And here is what I made........

Pretty good eh?  They weren't as light in the middle as I would have liked but I'll get there.

I also baked a delicious chocolate cake for my niece's birthday.

I was quite impressed with myself as I have never made a cake like it before ever.  This was done with a recipe I got online!

Have you baked anything scrummy lately?

Street Art

This is just a short post as really I wanted to get your opinion in street art.

I feel there are many opportunities around us for street art.  I don't mean graffiti or tagging I mean proper art.  I also don't just mean a random piece of metal put up in a flower bed to represent..............erm...........a piece of metal in a flower bed.......I mean art that people can look at and know what it is. That people can appreciate for being a well drawn/painted/sprayed thing.

I know an up-and-coming artist who has worked with young people in projects and got permission from the local council for them to graffiti some buildings that were due to be torn down.  He has also been known to stop teenagers who were about to poorly graffiti on a wall and gave them a lesson in how to do it properly!

Anyhow,  if you've been in Hitchin recently you may have come across some of the following posters/stickers around the Town...........

The following was on a wall near a badly stencilled Banksy wannabe thing......

then these were in a stairwell of a car park

The next day a conversation was overheard by a street cleaner talking to a colleague about how he was keeping one!

So what is your opinion on street art?  Just a mess or should be encouraged at the right level?




Note: I do not condone damage to public or private property but personally I think they are very good and brighten the place up!

magazine rack makeover!

So......I have a bit of an addiction to magazines..........

It's not as bad as it used to be.  I normally only buy 2 a month now (Mollie Makes and Red) but can sometimes be tempted with Country Living or Country Homes and Interiors.  When I've read the magazines I them cut out any pretty pictures that make me feel happy or inspire me (or articles) and stick them in a scrap book.  However, having a wee one and a pre-schooler sometimes leaves me with little free time so the mags were just getting stacked up in the living room.  I decided I needed a magazine rack so headed to my local car boot.......................................................

and came back with this.........

So me and Izzy set about making it a little more interesting.

I don't know why but for some reason I seem to have ended up with red accessories in my lounge (see tablecloth) and quite like this colour so decided to go with it.

Here is the finished item.  Just a bit of sanding and 2 tester pots of paint (I'm far too lazy for a base coat).  Not bad eh???

I keep looking at other wooden items in my living room and wondering what else I can paint??????

Watch out table and chairs.............here I come!!!!!!!