january blues.....

....yeh it's friday! ... i've got the january blues!, work is stressful, it's cold, and amongst other things gramps is not great SO last night to cheer myself up I had a very large hot chocolate & baileys and I scrapped some yummy cupcakes! ...these were made for my team for my birthday, Blueberry cupcakes.

Recipe for the Cupcakes are:

225g plain flour, 1tsp bicarbonate of soda, 1/4 tsp salt, 1tsp allspice, 115g caster sugar, 3 lrg egg whites, 3tbsp butter, 150ml thick low fat yoghurt (blueberry optional) 1tsp vanilla ess, 100g fresh blueberries.

Sift the flour,bicarb, salt, 1/2 allspice add 6tbsp of caster sugar and mix in bowl. In a separate bowl whisk the egg white together. Add the butter, yoghurt, and vanilla ess and mix together. Stir in 3/4 of the blueberries. Fold the fruit mixture into the flour mixture. Divide the mixture between 12 muffin/cupcake cases. Bake in a preheated oven (190'/375'f) for 25minutes.

Topping: mix icingsugar into a small tub of mascapone cream to preferred sweetness. Swirl onto cooled cupcakes and top with fresh blueberries. Alternatively prior to baking mix remaining sugar and allspice together and sprinkle onto unbaked cupcakes.

I've managed 2 books again this week on the london tube commute,

An Offer you Can't Refuse by Jill Mansell, which was fab. I've loved her books forever but have found the last ok, this one got her back to her best!...... the other was another from Veronica Henry ~ Love on the Rocks, which was a romp...got me wanting to jump on the train and head down to the devon & cornish coast....I love it down there, some of my favourite holidays as a child and adult have been spent there. This week saw the return of the fantastic CSI vegas....what a season opener .. i blubbed all the way through it! ...

...hopefully i have a cozy & crafting weekend to look forward to... :-)

layout ingredients:

papers~ all kinds of happy - imaginisce

chipboard letters ~ american crafts thickers jewelry box

cupcake stamp ~ forever friends

calendar stamp ~ imaginisce

ribbon & bling ~ from stash!

Scrapping Sunday

Well i've managed to finish off another double layout today... this one details gramps & my trip to the Tower of London. I wanted to keep the layout quite simple as the colours are quite strong. I love the london paper from 'far & away' I purchased this in america! ... the crown & the soldier are great. We had a lovely day when we went, and i'm determined to go back when it warms up a bit. To get me in the mood while i scrapped i watched "The other Boleyn girl"....read the book last year and enjoyed the film.... Today is my friend Lucy's sons 4th birthday .... so happy birthday George. i was Lucy's birth partner when George was born alongside her mum and i can't believe that it's 4 years ago!... here is a picture a georges card... kept the design very simple...

cheers cupcake!

how cold has it been this week!.... no good when the boiler is still broken... the only scrapping i've done this week is a couple of bottle tags for drink gifts!...really simple to do and very effective.

This year i plan to be a little bit more organised!...i am rubbish and leave everything to the last minute, so this year i aim to do better. I've bagged some bargains today and have managed to pick up some stocking fillers and all my gift wrap for christmas this year! .. for those that know me well know that i am really particular about wrapping and plan my parcels scheme each year, so i'm very happy that I have it all sorted and hopefully will get things made earlier so that i'm not so stressed christmas week, especially as i would really like to go away for christmas this year.

This week i've read 2 books on the train... Wild Oats by Veronica Henry, a real romp ..loved it and the fantastic Spooks - Adam Carter, which I absolutely loved, and couldn't put down! other than to stare at the front cover - ha ha !..mmmm very yummy... talking of yummy here is another clip Rupert & Richard...a girl can dream!

This week I caught the Virgin Atlantic advert, which i'm loving...a real blast from the past...it has been said that i'm a bit of an 80's girl!!...Our Price records, Wimpy (home of the Hamburger!) and those shoes...I need to say I had a pair of those and between my friend & I we had in every colour of which we wore to school & shared!... they were put on at the end of the road and the sensible shoes stashed in school bag!...as we get the train to London together most days, it does sometimes feel like we are 14 again!...i'm off now ...CSI NY back tonight yippee....

Sunday Scrapping....

Today I embarked on trying to get some layouts finished.... this year I am determined to finish what I start!...so here are a couple of layouts finished for my Grandad's birthday album ( yes I know it was december, but I haven't got it all finished yet!).... golden celebration details my Grandads parents Golden wedding anniversary, the group shot shows the brothers & sisters......talking of brother's & sisters the fantastic 3rd series starts next week (thursday 8th), i can't wait! .... on a different tv watched....i caught the gorgeous Rupert Penry Jones in the remake of The 39 Steps, ..yes i know it was Spooks in another decade...but he' is very yummy! Here is my other layout...Mr & Mrs and a group family shot outside my Nan's parents house..... back to forthcoming tv viewing the fantastic CSI season 9 hits's our tv sets (13th jan)

and NCIS season 5 this week... i so live in the wrong country... cam you tell that i'm a little addicted to american tv!... last weeks book read on the tube was the Yummy ~ Recipes for a Perfect Marriage by Kate Kerrigan, and I loved it...... off now to cook dinner....x

Cupcake Wishes for 2009

Happy New Year!...I couldn't bring in the 2009 & the New Year without a Cupcake so here they are.... these were made for a New Year cupcake swap that I participated in recently.

"Looking back on the months gone by,
As a new year starts and an old one ends,
We contemplate what brought us joy,
And we think of our loved ones and our friends.Recalling all the happy times,
Remembering how they enriched our lives
We reflect upon who really counts,
As the fresh and bright new year arrives.And when I ponder those who do,I immediately think of you.Thanks for being one of the reasons I'll have a Happy New Year!"

To all my special friends thankyou for 2008 may your 2009 be sprinkled with Health, Happiness, Love & Luck

For those that pop in and read my blog...thankyou for all your lovely comments, it always amazes me that people take the time out of their busy lives to read my ramblings. I have 'met' some wonderful people this year via my blog wishing you heartfelt thanks and best wishes for 2009.