Eversotoile

Yes, I seem to find myself liking toile again recently.  You know how it is: you get struck down with a touch of the Marie-Antoinettes and have to go rushing around adorning every available soft furnishing with idyllic pastoral picnic scenes.
And so it is for my bed ce soir.  I can't seem to get a half-decent photograph today, so you'll have to make do with a, erm, quarter-decent one (impeccable maths, as ever).

At times like these you may find yourself seeking out the finest french linens in quaint little vintage shops.
Me? ... I go to Ikea.

Yup, all cotton, quite lovely, all the stuff you'd expect from stuff that goes on your bed..... and cheap as pommes frites....find it here.
All I need now is a couple of lambs with pink satin bows round their necks and I'll be laughing all the way to the  Hameau de la Reine.

Eversoflowery

In the meantime, here's a nice idea for a lazygirl flower arrangement.  I love coloured glass, love little bottles, love roses.  Did I mention I love roses?

Eversobusy...

Here's a sneak preview of what I've been working on for the last couple of weeks...

A tea cup chandelier!
As soon as it's properly finished, it will be for sale.  A couple more in the not-too-distant future too.  It's so exciting!  Completely mental chandeliers-r-us.

Have a look at this on Ebay right now.... lovely!
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/160784563359?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649#ht_500wt_1413

Eversosweet, part deux...

Today I have mostly been making tiny, pastel-coloured almond macaroon biscuits.
Clearly that's not true; I have been doing many other things today but this was possibly the most entertaining.  Yes, yes, it's been a dull day.

Here is the recipe, so you can make them too:

For the macaroons:
200g (7oz) icing (powdered) sugar
100g (3½oz) ground almonds
4 medium-sized egg whites
75g (3oz) caster (superfine) sugar
Almond extract
Food colouring


For the filling:
100g (3½oz) softened butter
200g (7oz) icing sugar
More almond extract
More food colouring


Line some large baking trays with baking paper.


Whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks, then gradually add the caster sugar until you get a thick, glossy meringue mixture.  Fold in the icing sugar, a few drops of almond essence and the almonds.  Divide the mixture up and carefully fold in a few drops of food colouring to each so that you have 3 or 4 different coloured mixtures.


Using a piping bag, pipe little circles of the mixture about an inch apart on the baking sheets.  I made mine about 1 inch diameter.  You should get around 50 macaroons.  Leave them to dry out for about an hour then bake at around 160c or gas mark 3 for about 10 minutes.  


When they're done, slide the paper onto a cold surface (granite worktops are perfect) until the macaroons are cool and then, using a thin palette knife, remove them from the paper.


Meanwhile, mix up the butter, icing sugar and a few drops of colour and almond essence.  I often add a few drops of very hot water to get the mixture going and to make it a nice, soft consistency. Either pipe or spread the filling between two macaroons and there you go!

One is supposed to religiously sieve the icing sugar before using it but I never do.  I rarely sieve flour before using that either - I know, it's shocking!  I sort of do understand the science behind sieving... but I sort of don't agree with it.  But that's just me and I've never really noticed the difference since I stopped doing it.  If you want to sieve, then sieve.  Also, if you want to add salt to carrots during cooking to make them taste more carrotty, then do that too. Personally, I think adding salt to carrots makes them taste more salty... but an army of foodies out there would probably have me swinging from the custom-built overhead herb-drying rack by my apron (don't wear one of those either) strings for so much as even thinking such thoughts.

And now, after an exhausting plethora of recent posts, I'm going to go and lie in a darkened room with cucumbers** over my eyes and listen to soothing whale song.  Actually I'm not... but it sounds quite nice.

Oh, and if you like the heavenly little glass cake stand and dome then you should probably go here... or the tablecloth here!

** Just noticed this and had to laugh for about 15 minutes while I considered the soothing possibilities of sticking an entire cucumber in your eye.   I meant, of course, cucumber SLICES.

Everso...moving on.

And so to Easter.  A welcome break from the r,w & b and back in to the pink.  By July, everyone will be thanking me for this.

When I say... and so to Easter... of course I realize Easter has already gone.  But never mind that, it's a mere detail.

Here is the Easter Bunny.

Yep, she's pink.  

This is where she lives.

In previous years, she has brought the usual array of big chocolate eggs.  In previous years, the majority of the usual array of big chocolate eggs has hung around (after the initial feeding frenzy) for about 2 months, until some bright spark had the brilliant idea of inventing a new recipe, to include half a ton of Easter egg chocolate, 2 boxes of corn flakes, 4 saucepans, 7 mixing bowls, 5 square metres of work surface, 17 spoons, ALL the butter and an egg.

This year, she got smart. 

There hasn't exactly been a national shortage of chocolate in this house this year but somehow it seems more manageable..... and select.  On top of that, the special Easter butterflies may go towards some holiday spending money for the summer.  If they don't get spent on Airfix models, eyeliner and beer, of course. 

EversoevenworsethanIthoughtIwaslasttimeIwroteanythinghere!

Not even going to bother with excuses ... if you know me, you'll know my absence is not an indicator that I love you any less.

So, let's continue the patriotic theme, as smoothly and seamlessly as if we'd never been away.  See what I did there, with the royal 'we'?  Clever, huh.  Anyway, as it is with writing blogs, so it is with making jewellery - I've had a bit of a break from that too.  To get me back in to the swing of things I've gone a bit red, white and blue and started experimenting with silver wire.

It kind of reminds me of a cool little tiara and I'm thinking of knocking up a bigger version and sending it on down to the palace for June.
Watch this space for further experimentation.
In the meantime you can find some of my stuff to buy here, on a whole new... and very utterly beautiful... website.