Blooming

We've been working on the garden, it's that busy time of year when the veggie garden needs to be started. Some of my roses have been happy with the weather and blooming. This one is an old-fashioned shrub that requires little care. This particular variety is called Mademoiselle du Brabant. I like roses that not only look good, but are easy to care for (no spraying for bugs or disease) and smell good. The old-fashioned varieties really do the trick, before that I had many failures with hybrids and thought I just couldn't grow roses. Turns out I was just growing the wrong kind. I want them to smell good too. It's one of the things people do when they see roses in bloom, they usually move in to try to smell them. So if they don't smell good, they are not worth growing. A shame because there are some pretty roses out there that don't smell so good, but again, the old fashioned ones usually have nice scents to boot. I must look funny at the nursery when I'm looking for roses, sniffing all of them before I choose which one I want!

Buttons

I acquired a mixed collection of buttons, and found some containers to hold them all. The studio is coming together - little by little but getting there!

Fresh Squeezed

I was gifted some just-picked citrus, and finally bought an inexpensive juicer so I could enjoy some of the juice oranges (navel oranges, on the right. The ones on the left are Chinese Honey oranges, easy to peel and great for eating.)
Some oranges look a little dirty because that is what they look like when they are just picked. After washing they look much better. This little juicer will make my next batch of lemon curd much easier to make!

Another Tiramisu Adaptation

This baby blanket pattern is addictive! I just had to make another one. This one is 100% cotton.

I Love Weekends!

Egg, whole grain toast, and sharp cheddar. Yum!

Colorful

I love all the bits of color in my studio. Marbles are a particular favorite of mine, I love the way the sun shines through them, and painting them has always been an enjoyable challenge!

Tiramisu Baby Blanket Finished

I finished the Tiramisu Baby blanket I started recently:
It was so much fun that I started another one the same evening. I modified the pattern a little and did not thread a ribbon through this blanket because I wasn't sure whether it would be safe for a baby. I'll have to look into that because it'd sure look cute with the ribbon. Either way I love the drape and the little scallops on the edge. I can't wait to finish the next one!

Happy World Nutella Day!

Finally a holiday I can totally get into! Nutella is one of life's greatest pleasures, IMO, and I have recently been fantasizing about making strawberry nutella crepes again:

Hey, Valentine's day is coming soon and what a better excuse to make these delicious treats (though I need to work on plating and maybe try making them during the day so I can get better images!) Last year it was Nutella gelato, which was good, but I have to confess that little else beats just having a spoonful of the stuff straight from the jar. Of course, being as weak as I am around Nutella, the last time it made an appearance in my home was last year's gelato obsession. Must remedy that today.

What type of Nutella lover are you? And in case you are worried you may be crossing the line, here are the top 10 signs you are addicted to Nutella.

Rescue Birds

I know someone who rescues birds and these little guys were being thrown away by their owner. I felt bad for them and took them in. I hope they enjoy hanging out with us.

Tiramisu Baby Blanket Started

I used to work on projects one at a time and stay with each until I finished, but lately I have a lot of them going on and work on whatever suits my fancy at the moment. I'd been wanting to make a Tiramisu baby blanket and got one started recently. It's going quickly and I have the stitch pattern memorized, so hopefully it'll be finished soon!

Ribbon Flower

I'd been wanting to try making these and I finally finished my first one for a friend. It has a pin on the back so she can wear it on whatever she wants.

Sunny Breakfast

Toast with homemade lemon curd and mock Devonshire cream. I do love having time to eat something a little more leisurely while on break.

Ripple Blanket Update

The ripple blanket I started a while back is still around and growing. I did take a break from it in summer (just not the type of weather that inspires blanket making.) But here it is so far, about halfway finished:

Felt Ornament

I made a little felt ornament for a friend who is expecting next year.

Mini Cheesecake Brownies

I saw these online and had to try them. I made a few modifications and baked them in mini muffin pan to control portion size. They were delicious!