Joy

Some things to be joyful about.

 Firing up the Dover stove for the first time this autumn, and making a snuggly nest next to it:

 

Books, always!:

 

A single white rose:

 

 

Eva and Robin had a big presentation about the Oktoberfest today. They had to apply everything they learned in primary school, before moving on to middle school in August.

They were great!:

Lovely, expressive Georgia:

 Wishing you a joy-filled day!

Lots of love,

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DIY Summer dress from yoga pants

Lovely Rose from Fine Craft Guild invited me to be part of her new series:

Here is my contribution, a skirt/dress made from yoga pants:

Easy and quick, like most of my tutorials. Come over to Fine Craft Guild to see more.


Thank again Rose!




Lots of love,

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Raw coconut lemon bars

Good morning dear friends. The time changed yesterday and we got an extra hour of sleep. It feels quite wrong to
be still sitting at my desks, while it is already so bright outside. Autumn has now officially started, and I am very
much looking forward to the intense blue of the sky, the chill in the air, making fire in the Dover stove, soups,
snuggling up and knitting a blanket.

It is Eva's last day of holidays. Tomorrow morning will be quite a shock to her system. Getting up at 6 instead of
at 11h30... She is such a night owl. Not like her mother, who likes to be in bed by 10.

Last night I got that 'Oh no, the weekend is over already' feeling. Since I get that every week, and since Monday
is probably not going to go away, I decided that I need an attitude change.
So here is my new mantra:

Thank God it's Monday!

(I will let you know how often I have to say it before it starts to feel true :-) ).



And now finally onto the reason for this post:-).
I haven't been eating sugar since the beginning of the year, but on Sundays feel incomplete without some cake.
Yesterday I tried these lemon bars. So yummy AND good for you. Perfect!



Lemon Coconut Bars 

You will need:

1 1/2 cups of pitted dates
1 1/4 cups of desiccated coconut
1 cup of ground almonds
Peel of 1 organic lemon
juice of 1 organic lemon
1 teaspoon of salt
vanilla essence

 

Put the dates and the lemon juice into the food processor and process until the dates are chopped up.
Add the almonds, the salt, the vanilla essence and the lemon peel and mix.
Put the mixture into a bowl, add the desiccated coconut and mix by hand until it all sticks together.

Put some clingfilm into a rectangular form and press the mix into it. Leave in the fridge for about 1 hour, then lift it out
of the form and cut into squares. Sprinkle with some coconut and enjoy!

And now I have to go to Yoga. Thank God it's Monday!



Lots of love,

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Bits and pieces

Early morning coffee and cat cuddles:

Checking out a brand new day:

Please, switch the light off...:

Garden, waking up:

Spell-bound by the Order of the Phoenix:

The dachshund finally got off my chair!:

A new haircut, it was high time:

And new winter house shoes. I am starting to get clever and took the ones Eva thinks are completely hideous:

Glamour girl:

My mum wanted to know what Harry looks like now, so I went into the chicken coop to take a picture. The chickens
went completely ballistic (new haircut? bird brains?).
I only managed to sneak a picture from outside the coop.
Reminded me of the time Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt where in Namibia and AP asked me to get pictures. Lets just
say that it was not very successful (I got arrested about 10 minutes into my Mamarazzi career).  But I still have a pic
of Eva on the playground on the beach, and a teeny tiny Brangelina in the background. Kind of like: 'That yellow spot
there in the distance is a lion').

Chicken house:

Morning sun:

And now I would really like to go to a flea market, but my budding teenager is still fast asleep...

Have a gorgeous weekend!

Lots of love,

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Paper light tutorial

Now that it is finally cooler, I am much more enthusiastic again about little crafty projects.


Yesterday, I made this paper light. It gives beautiful light when you put a candle (in a glass) inside, and it is really easy
to make.

You will need:

Wallpaper paste
Some wood glue
Cling wrap
Tissue paper
a bowl and scissors


Mix the wallpaper paste according to the instructions and then add some wood glue (the white stuff in the picture).
Mix it and let it stand for about 15 minutes:

In the meantime, find a nicely shaped bowl and cover it in cling film, then cut the tissue paper into stripes.
I put the glue directly onto the clingfilm, and then put the tissue paper stripes on. After a layer of stripes, put more glue on.
Make three to four layers, then let dry:

 

 

 

When the outside is dried, take the light off the bowl, and carefully pull the cling wrap off. Then let the inside dry too,
and enjoy!

Have a wonderful weekend dear friends,



Lots of love,

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From the couch

It rained through all of Saturday night, and now autumn is here!
Can't wait to wear jeans and sweaters, can't wait to be cold :-).

Ex-man went camping over the weekend, and I felt so much better.
Relaxed, peaceful and calm, and no parts of me in his space. Because we live in such close proximity to each other,
I am always aware if he is home or not, if his lights are on, if he has visitors...

I do not want to pay attention, but I still do.

This weekend put my mind at ease about Eva and the separation. She told me three times that this was
'the best Easter ever!'. We had a beautiful breakfast with friends, an Easter egg hunt, dog walks in new and exciting
places, and some snuggling up and reading and movie watching.

Seems like when I am ok, she will be ok.

This morning I got the down duvet out of the cellar, and I moved from my summer couch to my winter couch.
It is a great place to drink tea, think, read, and listen to a soundtrack of giggles and high screams produced by Eva
and her friend (must have something to do with One Direction...)



Couch impressions:


Eva gave me the 'The Simple Things' magazine for Easter. She knows me well :-):

Pretty feet:

And a pretty lamp:

Looking for the perfect spot on her winter snuggle-up place:

The Easter bunny is hanging out above the couch:

One of these days, I will clean my windows:

 A beautiful Easter Monday dear friends!

Lots of love,

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