Autumn in July

Feeling like Autumn in in July. When is Summer going to arrive?

Damien Hirst

Went to see this AMAZING piece by Damien Hirst on Saturday and if you have a chance go and see it. It's the most incredible experience. You go into a totally black room where the skull is vaguely lit and you are given a few minutes to stand and admire the 8601 diamonds encrusted in this real skull. Absolutely out of this world.

Tagged

I've been tagged by terra so here are a few random facts about me:

1. I like sunny days with thick clouds on a blue sky

2. I don't like soggy food like porridge

3. I like to categorise things

4. I don't know how to deal with quiet, shy people

5. I like a coffee and a croissant in the morning

6. I don't like waiting

7. I like little fairy lights

Sew Easy

Hannah bought me this book last year for my birthday and it has taken me a whole year to make something from it. The book is so beautiful it satisfies me by just looking at the pictures inside. This bag matches none of my clothes, it's too Cath Kidston, and it will probably never leave the house. Otherwise it was fun to make, and it's reversible!

Collaboration

Collaborative piece by Esme and Ana

Bucket and Spade

Last week at home by the seaside: lots of sun and light

This weekend on a camping adventure: lots of wind and rain

First collage

At last I've learnt how to make a photo collage!This is a summary of a very lovely recent visit.

Favourite Foods

Bread and Butter

Quick picnic

A beautiful clear sky


A 99p blanket from a charity shop on the way to the beach

A quick picnic: ham, cheese and bread

To iron or not to iron

Should a little girl be encouraged to have one of these?

Birthday Cake

This lucky girl had this wonderful birthday cake made by gentlytiptoe. Lucky me! And she was very kind to follow my request of having a "no chocolate day" (she loves chocolate, you know) I much prefer a chocolate free cake. This one was made with walnuts, ginger and other lovely spices. The decoration at the top was Hannah's own artistic creation. She's got a talent. Yum, yum.

First quilt

Today I started my first quilt. I'm not quite sure what to do with it but it probably will become a doll quilt. My technique is pretty bad but I hope to get better. I really enjoyed the chosing of the fabric and the machine sewing.

Some little hands got very excited about scissors and needles

Under attack

Ana has been attacked by one of these

My poor little girl is going through chickenpox and just when you think she is not going to have any more blisters, she develops even more. She is wippy, tired and wants to cuddle a lot (I like this bit). In the meantime her main carer (me) has not been feeling well either (could it be that I'm under attack as well? My mum doesn't remember if I had it or not!!) so we'll see where this episode takes us. In the meantime, lots of cuddles and sofa time.

Apples for Jam

I wanted to say a few words about this wonderful recipe book by Tessa Kiros. She has included lots of wonderful and simple recipes that remind me of food when I was growing up in Spain. Although not a Spaniard herself, there is a Southern European feel to all the recipes, and she has divided the chapters into colours so she groups the recipes that way. As a result it's full of wonderful colour everywhere. I seriously recommend it. And the pictures she includes are as nice as the recipes. Have a look...

Shadows at home

Off sick today. I won't bore you with the details but let's just say that my whole body aches. Ana is at nursery and I'm at home wanting to make something but have zero energy. However I couldn't stop noticing these shadows around the house. Taking the pictures and uploading them (it took ages!) is enough work for me today. Off to bed now.

Busy bodies

I don't know what's about this game that Ana loves. She can spend ages (that's about 5 whole minutes) opening the box, closing the box, taking the shells out of the chickens, the chickens out of the box, the chickens back to the box, with shells, with no shells... so much fun! Maybe I understand after all. Needles to say this is not one of those beautiful, stylish toys that I'd like her to play with, but, hey, I try whenever I can. And she hasn't been the only one busy. I actually did a bit of crafting, yes I did, although not of the most adventorous kind.

And yes, if you wonder what is it that I made, it's those tiny circles that I added to her dress with some crazy machine work. OK, OK, I know it's not much, but what about teddy's happy face? At last it has a mattress and a pillow to sleep.

Ah, that's so much better!

A little girl's room

One of the many, many great aspects of having a girl is getting to decorate her room. That is before she wants pink and purple everywhere, not my favourite colours at all.

This little girl loves to play in her room

And her mama loves to go in there and place things here and there. Decorate it, arrange it, rearrange it, and start again. Oh, how much fun! This is a glimpse of its present state at the moment. It won't last for long.

Totally obsessed

I have to admit it. There is another man in my life. I'm totally and utterly obsessed by him. Since he entered my life he's being keeping me awake at night and can't stop thinking about him during the day. His name is Jack. Because of him I've stopped watching telly, reading, crafting, drawing, looking at blogs and talking to my husband (although he actually approves and also loves Jack, in a different kind of way, of course!). So now that I've admitted my love affair, let me tell you something about 24. It's the kind of series a girl should hate: ludicrous violence, endless action shots, plenty of chases and runs, no much human emotion and not many happy endings. But what about those crafty and very, very clever plots? There's some serious genius minds behind this programme and that is so refreshing to watch. So many twists and turns that you can't predict. I absolutely, totally adore it.

Corners of my home

New find

I got this cute children's book today.

Obrigada::gracias::thanks

Thanks a lot to Graca for these lovely, lovely postcards she sent me and I received today. She not only paints the most amazing pictures but she has the most colourful house ever. I just love her sense of colour.

Assignment #2

It has taken me a while to get round to do this assignment but once I started I couldn't stop. I had been sent a black glossy envelope by some bank and when I opened it it was red inside, so.. I immediately thought I could start cutting and see. I started with a square, and then another, and another...

And then I gave it the photoshop treatment (my favourite toy at the moment!)


And then I got hooked...



Mmm, very, very satisfying indeed.

Working on improving my sewing skills

Last week I finally finished this...

That's the chair cover, by the way. It came with the most horrid material and hideous pattern and I've been meaning to change it since Ana got the dolly pushchair for Christmas. It's the same material I used for this, an although it took me a while to work it out (with my very poor sewing skills) I'm pleased with the results. Oh, a while ago I also made the blue teddy and as you might have recognised I used a Wee Wonderfuls pattern. Finally, let me just show you this cute duvet I made using a pillowcase from Zara home I bought last Summer.

Ana is very good with her new caring skills.

Just remind me to make some sort of mattress, as that poor dolly is going to have terrible back ache!

Blue and white

Look at this beautiful object I found today! It's Carltonware but not all their designs are my cup of tea