Inspiration

I have never cooked or baked as much before.

Even though this kitchen is very basic it inspires me every week to try new recipes.

I have made this lemon cake before, but never this big. 

They always advice not to open the oven door so that what is backing rises properly. 

And do I listen? Obviously not....look at the dip in the middle - but perfect for holding the hundreds and thousands. 

Still, it is delicious!

Strawberries

Finding these in the garden are a wonderful tasty present. I love these long warm evenings and having time to enjoy the outdoors. We finished doing the move this weekend. We are finally in our new home!

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Healthy colours

I have been unwell for the last few days with bad headaches and a tummy bug. 

The timing is really bad. We are moving to our new home this weekend. 

I am super excited, but just wished I had more energy.

I selected this photograph because bright colours always make everything better.

White

I admit the quality of these photos is not great and that one can't really appreciate how white the walls are now, but I hope you can see the difference on the before and after.

For home DIY and improvement, neatness and white, have a look at Chez Larsson. I spent a lot of time looking at it!

Zebra design in the larder

I can't tell you how happy I am that now we have a usable kitchen. 

This is the larder. 

The first photograph shows it as I found it, with old paper on top of the shelves, full of dust and dirt. I removed the paper and cleaned underneath. There was this blue lino and wood. I painted inside the walls, varnished the wood and covered the old lino with sticky fabric ( I am sure it has a name, but I don't know it). I wouldn't normally go for zebra design, but there wasn't much to choose from, and since it is temporary I thought I might as well go for something outrageous and fun. 

Well, maybe I should do something outrageous and fun when we design our new kitchen, rather than going for a plain classic style....what do you think?

To be fit for the job

When you do this dozens of times a day, and for days and days, you become quite more flexible and achy. 

I have never felt more tired, fit and satisfied. 

We have had some help this weekend. 

Thanks a million! 

This means less bends and stretches for us!

A clean space

R has done a magnificent job with the kitchen floor.

I have been painting inside the larder today.

We finally feel we are in a clean space. 

But it has taken so many hours!

Now I go to sleep

Any plans for this weekend?

Photos

Some days I am just plain tired and cannot seem to do much work on the house. 

And so, I potter around and take photos.

Kitchen

The kitchen is coming along. 

Many hours of hard work cleaning decades of dirt and making it look decent through coats of paint and new lino floor - all temporary until we can get a brand new kitchen. 

Ideas

Reading, looking at photos, getting ideas.

Endless lists of things to do.

Daydreaming, imagination running wild.

Notebooks to download my brain and remember what needs to be done.

Flower power

We have a garden full of a varied selection of flowers and plants.

My problem? I am clueless in this area. I can identify the basics of the basics, but that is about it.

Need help. Need helpers. 

Should be fun to have friends round this summer doing gardening and enjoying what I can't right now out of ignorance. 

I can provide tools, drinks and food.

And gratitude.

Surprise

This is the exciting discovery I was talking about a few days ago. 

Laminate wooden floor under the dirty, grim and bland carpet. 

It makes a big difference!

I like the way the light reflects and makes the room brighter.

This place is full of possibilities. 

And I love that.

Lamps

The only things that were left behind were the lamps.

Yesterday we made an exciting discovery about the house. 

I will tell you soon, : )

Cleaning

Our new home is perfect for us. 

There are many things to change, like the kitchen.  

We see this house as a long term project that will evolve most dramatically in the next few months....but it will be in constant change for years!

Before anything, we have to clean, clean and clean. 

So, I'm changing clothes, taking good music with me, and off I go to do a bit more scrubbing. 

Have a happy weekend!

Changes

We have been living in this apartment for nearly 4 years and it has been wonderful.

Location, quietness, space. 

We will be moving to our new home in a few weeks.

I will miss the squirrels and the lovely trees outside our window, but that is about it.

Can't wait to move!

Sunny afternoon indoors

Weekend

The weekend has come and gone as quickly as usual. It has been sunny outside, and still we spent much of our time indoors enjoying the warmth coming through the window. R is getting better and better at his bread making and this was one of the loafs that have been best so far.

I have been sewing a little bit too, but I feel a bit lost as it had been so long since I did any stitching. It was very nice to look through the fabrics whilst listening to the radio.

Another week ahead. What will it bring?

Colour in my life

Hallo everyone!

So you think that I haven't been doing much just because I haven't been posting, right?

Fair assumption!

but I have been doing a little bit of this and that, and right now I am making this water bottle cover following a pattern from a Cath Kidston book. Still early stages, but I am enjoying the process of sewing after all this time.

I have promised myself not to buy more fabrics until I use most, if not all the ones I have already.

And life is always better when I surround myself of colour and pretty things, hence the flowers.

Thanks for still looking at my blog

Keeping warm

I realised I hadn't shown you the quilt I made in November with bits of fabric I had and needed to use (or get rid off). There is all sort of patterns and colours combined, and it might not be your choice of quilt compared to those very well thought through quilts you see online. But what I like about it is that it follows the tradition of using bits of fabric that you have available, rather than designing one. Just for a change.

The fabric on the back is from a duvet cover I bought in a charity shop.

These are my two TV, book reading, lazy sofa moment companions.

Keep warm!

In the kitchen

The kitchen is my favourite place in this house. It is of good size, has lots of light flooding in and it is the place where all the good stuff is.

Believe it or not I crocheted these pot holders without realizing they would match the oven glove we got from Lakeland. Needles to say I was really happy when I saw they looked all quite pretty together.

I love tins and tinned things. For the same unknown reason why I like boxes, pens, notebooks, some people's handwriting and so many other things....

And I love these open shelves we have on one of the walls. It fills the kitchen with colour and life.