Monday 7 January 2013

Advanced Style


I got this book for Christmas from my sister, it's amazing!  It is the book which accompanies the blog Advanced Style. These women are incredible, I only hope I look half as good as this when I am of the advanced age...

Here are a few of my favourites from the book:

 This lady's hat boxes are nearly as big as her


Lynn Dell
Being a fellow lover of Orange I can really appreciate this outfit.





 I want an outfit like this to wear now.


Linda

Ilona Royce Smithkin with Dita Von Teese
Ilona is trying to eat her cocktail.


 Here she is sunning herself and her eyelashes.


And here she is with her Michael Jackson glove!



p.s. please excuse the fact that these photos were taken before I hoovered my carpet....!

Saturday 5 January 2013

A Year in Cake


So as many of you know I really like cake. Here is a few of my cake experiences from the last year...


 





Kuala Lumpur Airport cake on my way to Vietnam, my homemade Brownies




Lunch bun, Mumma Spruce hen do cakes










Gingerbread head, Jammy scone,



Cake pop from Lady of Vintage, Homemade doughnut cakes




Big lunch bun, Country fair lemon drizzle




Birthday Cake woo!





Skeleton biscuit, Yum chocolate cake




Katymitten new house cake, Papa birthday cake (he was 66, not 6 as the candles suggest...)




Macaroons at the Good Food Show, Halloween cake by me


SO that was a brief account of my year in cake. There were of course many others that didn't make the grade, not necessarily because they weren't as good, probably more likely that my picture was a bit crap... also if I'd have included ALL of them I'd look like a right greedy fat fat.

Making Christmas pt.1 - Pickling



So this year I decided to make Christmas, I'd like to say this is because I am super thrifty but actually I just like making things, and I think I end up spending more on all the bits...

Naomi's home made Red onion and chilli marmalade for Sally



If you fancy making some, I used the recipe from
the Channel 4 website. It's very tasty!

 Then came the most exciting bit - the PICKLING! Being a lover of pickled onions myself I can appreciate the art of steeping things in vinegar for long periods of time until the don't really taste of much else other than vinegar. I also love vinegar so this helps. When I was little I was known for drinking it off a spoon...

My original Christmas pickling idea actually came from my sister - her favourite vegetable is brussel sprouts and she was complaining that you can't get them all year.... so after a bit of googling I found this and hey presto!



 Brussels - after leaving them overnight in brine to remove the excess water...


My pickling vinegar - with Chilli, Garlic, Black Pepper, Cumin and Coriander seeds
(incidentally this is great for clearing your sinuses - although my flat did smell of spicy vinegar for about 3 days afterwards...)



































The final result! WOO PICKLES!


I bought the jars from TKmaxx, they had loads of different Kilner Jars to chose from, but as TKmaxx can be a bit hit and miss, you can also buy them from here. You can use normal jars that have been washed and steralised but the vinegar can make the lids go funny so best to use the proper ones to be on the safe side I thought.




 Also made Pickled Peppers...



...and Pickled Chillis












And I have now decided that I am the Pickling Queen.


Friday 4 January 2013

Happy birthday Sally!!

This is dedicated to my sister Sally, who's birthday it is today! woo!




Some of you may know Sally from Drawing with Spoons...

Love this