love those cupcakes

Buying stuff

I'm not one for buying at car boot sales or charity/thrift shops.  It's not that I'm against them for any reason, I've just never managed to find anything I've wanted to buy or give house room to (although I do buy used books which have been donated to the care home where  my dad lives) but I do find them useful for passing on no longer needed/unwanted belongings after a good clear out. It's probably that I don't see the potential in some of the items they're selling.  I do like to buy stuff,though, and TK Maxx is one shop which I think is worth having a good old rummage in every now and again.  I wandered in my local one yesterday and found this

which I bought with the idea of  making sure these

don't get lost under, and sometimes even in, the bed which is where I've tended to do most of my reading lately.  I also bought the prettiest brush

which just might get me sweeping.

Getting craftier

I've still got the crafting bug - I think it's down to all those fabulous blogs I read - and have managed to complete my first knitting project.  I'm not sure it will ever be worn but, just in case, I've purchased a length of co-ordinating fabric to transform (maybe) into a skirt to be worn with. Although I notice that in the picture from the pattern book, the sweater is worn with what look suspiciously like pyjamas.

The pattern is from Louisa Harding's "Modern Classics" book and it's knitted in Kimono angora, an annoyingly fluffy yarn. And now I'm onto my next knitting project which is a cardigan I first saw in a post at the exquisite Yarnstorm.  It's a Debbie Bliss pattern called "Rosy" from the Cotton Angora book. With this one, the front and back are worked sideways and at this stage (I've finished the back and the photograph shows where I'm at with the front) it's difficult to see what might go where. At least there's no fluff with this one.  I have a horrible feeling I'm knitting too large a size but haven't the heart to pull it out and start again.  Maybe I just need to get bigger.

And if that wasn't being crafty enough, here's a cupcake I kept back from a batch I made this morning for a friend.  I used my new toy, the Kenwood Patissier, which worked really well apart from the incident with the icing sugar when I managed to create a kitchen winter wonderland, including a snow dog. Time to put the kettle on, I think.

New office cupcakes

I took these cupcakes into work today to mark my move into a new office. (No, I didn't get the job I talked about in an earlier post, this is just about managing a new project). They're simple vanilla sponge cakes with buttercream icing and various sprinkles and glitters and, like the cakes in an earlier post, are an homage to Crumbs and Doilies , those expert cupcake creators.  I AM the Buttercream Queen of the office, though.

Oh, and I've given myself a little treat by buying a Kenwood Patissier  so that I can make larger quantities in the future without too much effort. You never know, the commissions might start to pour in and I need to be prepared!

Coveting this

I love winter clothes.  It's probably something to do with all those layers, ideally topped by a proper winter coat.  I'm not one for high fashion (bit too old for that) and would rather buy something which will last more than one season.    Black is my all time favourite colour, whatever the time of year.  In my view, you can't go wrong with black,  though I've been bravely branching out into colours recently.  This is what I'm coveting at the moment - a Jaeger coat.  I love it.

                                                      

And I'm determined to have it!

The end of summer

Now that there is a definite autumnal feel (and smell, autumn has a definite smell don't you think?) in the air, summer is well and truly over and with it, summer holidays.  Ours in Spain was better than ever this year as, choosing to go slightly later than we usually do, the weather was kinder, i.e. cooler, especially for sightseeing in Granada where we spent a couple of days.  This was our first trip to the city and a visit to the Alhambra at the top of our "to do" list.  It was well worth it.

   

And of course one of the best bits about being on holiday was having the time to read these.

And so the end of summer. The yet to be used (and painted) Adirondack garden chair to be stored away, the plant pots to be emptied and refilled with spring flowering bulbs, the charity Christmas catalogues,which arrived in August, to be pored over, the annual post holiday diet to be started.  And best of all?  Polo neck sweaters, long boots and winter coats to be reacquainted with.  Yeh!!