Monday, June 21, 2010

Winter Monday


Ok, so it's winter and the days have been cold and a little uninspiring. The winter landscape can be very beautiful of course, but it's more that the insideness of it all can leave me a little flat.

So the frosty mornings and cold nights, indoor semi cranky kids and the relentless cycle of housework/cooking/being at home too much is making me feel a little like Gingy (above).


So today I'm trying to focus on the good things about this time of year. Things like the bag I am crocheting using a great tutorial by Attic 24. What an ace blog, I love all the colour in her posts and the tutorials are easy and fun. If you are a novice crocheter, like me, it's a good place to start. I'm still not sure how this bag actually becomes a bag but hey, I'm enjoying the process! Does anyone else out there get Crocheters Neck Syndrome? I think I am suffering from this, maybe I need to stretch before I start hooking!


Other happy things are happening too. Ballet is going really well and the girls & I love our trips over to Ballarat (Ballet-rat) on Saturdays.



And there has been quite a bit of dancing at home too.



And some fancy leaf/sticky tape hair projects. Much better than the scissor/hair project of last year.....


And doesn't cake make a girl feel good? Here is the recipe for the All Together Cake I made last week. This one is a beauty, as it the recipe for the Sugar Donut Muffins, both are super easy and fairly foolproof.

All Together Cake (from Frankie's Afternoon Tea)

Cake

1/4 cup milk, 125 g butter, 3/4 cup caster sugar, 2 eggs, 1 tablespoon plain flour, 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla essense, 1 cup self raising flour

Icing

3 tablespoons icing sugar, 60 g butter

Preheat oven to 180 C. To make cake, combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and beat for about 6 minutes. Grease cake tin and pour in mioxture and bake for 40 minutes.

While cake is cooling make icing. Mix icing sugar and butter slowly and add hot water while stirring. Add enough water to create a thick consistency, add more sugar or butter if needed. Once cake is cooled, apply icing. I used a fork to make a pattern. Serve by itself or with cream & strawberries.Yum!!

So there you go! Let me know if you do make this cake & if you loved it too. You should really try the donut recipe too, they are super addictive.

The sun is out now and I'm feeling a bit more positive! The weather can really affect your mood can't it? I start to google sunnier places and imagine myself living somewhere else. But really these are dreams and perhaps that is all they should be. I do love living here in Daylesford and we have such a warm and supportive community, how could I ever leave?

How is your week going? Are you suffering from the winter blues too? Or maybe you are basking in the summer sun and playing outside all day long. Where ever you are, I'm sending lots of love to you, hope to see you soon xo

16 comments:

Heidi said...

It's so strange to hear you talk about winter and were in summer! what cute little girls. I can't wait to see what you knit up!
have a good week!

Liz said...

I've made two of Lucy's bags so far, great pattern, such a talented lady isn't she?
Stay warm.
Lizzie
xxx

Knicky Knacks said...

I take my hat off to you as ballet is quite the committment from what my girlfriends tell me. My girls have not ventured into this territory yet but I'm just sitting back and waiting - my time will come. I'm not a big winter fan as I really feel the cold but your home looks lovely and toasty. The beautiful smell of a sweet cake baking whilst your girls are twirling around would be such a comfy way to spend the day.

Screamstress said...

I'm completely hooked to the weather, you can pretty much tell how I'm feeling just by looking out the window at the sky. I do love crunching the ice encrusted grass though! We moved to Cairns for a while, but friends and family cannot be replaced, and I missed the seasons too. (Even though I do struggle in the cold.)

Anonymous said...

I've just started crocheting too and a friend referred me to Attic24. I can defintely sympathise with the stiff neck- I'm all fingers and thumbs at the moment as well!

hester said...

Your post made me smile, Beck, as I have dreams of having a weekend in Daylesford - seeing the lake, having a hot stone massage, browsing in the "oppies" and lots of cake and cups of tea!

Those photos of your girls are gorgeous. Em is doing jazz ballet this year and we're having lots of fun (and a few tears today because I wouldn't buy $20 cheerleading pom poms for a concert she won't be in)

mel @ loved handmade said...

Your crocheted bag is looking lovely! Being home too much can be a bit of a downer in winter that's for sure! I think that's why I've been trying to brighten up our place with a few cheery changes, hopefully that'll help. I love the pics of your girls dancing in the living room, gorgeous!

Fippa said...

Hi there groovy girl. Can you crochet me one of those green leotards that Rosie is rocking out to? The outfit was supreme!!!!

teddybearswednesday said...

Gee I love your blog. I feel like I'm talking with you.
Your bag is looking gorgeous Beck, I can't wait to see it finished. And I'm totally with you on having Crocheters Neck Sydrome, it's more unusual for me not to have it ( and then I have Bear Neck Sydrome). I do yoga and it does help.
that Cake looks sooo yummy, and so does those muffins.
Hope the sun keeps shining over at yours. xo

crzylady said...

I'm glad by the end of your post you are feeling better. That picture of gingy is terrifying!

love the flashdance picture and thank you for sharing attic24! You're right the colors are great (I don't think I could follow a pattern to save my life, but i'll pretend I know what she's talking about).

Mary said...

Well, here in New Jersey, USA, it's the 1st day of summer and about 95 degrees F.! School ends on Wednesday, and the air has not been off for weeks. Cabin fever for a different reason!

Enjoy the ballet! Tutus and little girls; a perfect fit.

Sue said...

Attic 24 is a very inspiring colorful blogger isnt she. I am sure looking at all her colorful projects will fill you with inspiration. We have had cold weather too but I dont think as cold as you have had. I think your girls enjoy dancing just as much as mine does, she never stops most of the time dancing around the house. I will have to try out that donut cake recipe too. Thanks for sharing Beck and I am sure very soon the weather will warm up and we will be wishing for it to be a bit cooler!

beachvintage.com said...

That picture of Gingy made me laugh.

Peta @ Pippiwillow said...

Yep..it's the inside -edness of Winter that gets me (or the bone cold wind of the outside-edness).. But it makes me more inclined to create stuff, be it food or craft.... Love the uber cute Rosie 'leap' and natural hair accessory. Peta

Mary said...

Love the colours you have chosen for your bag. I get a stiff neck/headache when I crochet for too long as well. I reckon it is because I have to look down at my hands all the time to see what I'm doing as I don't get it with knitting as I can knit without looking. Remembering to stretch is a biggy.

Unknown said...

Love The colours you've chosen for you bag. I love crocheting but have done any for years...it's all the other crafts I do taking up my crocheting time!
You need to stretch after you've been crocheting a little while and if you are crocheting for a longer time have a couple of stretch breaks!