feeling blue......?

Its is those inbetween days, weather is rotten, lots of television has been watched, I have seen so many period dramas which I love, Emma, Great Expectations, Mansfield House, Downton Abbey, starting to speak poshly, ahem!
Kevin and the kids have gone to the pictures to see Alvin and the Chipmunks, I would need ear muffs with all that squeaking!
So it is lots of lazy days, busy doing nothing, but I am loving it! But I have a craving for the colour blue, its softness, airiness , its floatiness, in this season of indulgence, Blue is what I need.

Just hanging about the house?

Enjoy your day and take care,

Denise

Merry Christmas to all........

Wishing everyone a truly magical Christmas
Forget all the stresses and enjoy the company
of those close to you
Watch the twinkling of fairy lights in the eyes
of little ones as the enchantment begins
Drink a glass or two of cheer and look forward
to a New Year.

Happy Holidays....

Happy Christmas from Apple Blossom Barn, some of my festive decorations.

My big Ben in the Christmas mood
Rosie is very excited for Santa coming soon

Lots of nasty head colds and rotten tummy bugs have been visiting our home the last week but I am on the mend and the turkey shall be cooked, Jack and Isabelle are so excited for Santa, tomorrow Christmas Eve will be magical for them and for anyone who sees it all through a childs eyes. So I will be baking tomorrow and wrapping and a little visiting to friends.So have a lovely Christmas eve and do not forget to leave out a treat fot Santa!

Our fairytale......

This is one of the readings from my wedding ceremony

Oh dear there are lots of things I do not seem to be getting right

maybe I should pin list above onto fridge door!

All images via Pinterest

Today is our 8th wedding anniversary, so 8 years ago I was getting ready in Kinnitty
Castle for my big day, we got married in a tiny country chapel in a village in the countryside, my great uncle was the priest, it was all very Irish!


My son Jack was only 11 weeks old, he was in a tiny pinstriped black velvet suit,
my flowers were the duskiest pink roses so gorgeous.
It is lovely to look back and celebrate but sad to as my Dad has passed since then and I have really clear memories of him on that day.
Kevin and I went to Paris for the first time on honeymoon and it was fabulous, you nearly have to pinch yourself, to see everything you have only ever seen in the movies. We then took a train all the way to Verona Italy, the most magical journey through the snowy Alps
it was breathtaking. Then we stayed in a castle in Verona the home of Romeo and Juliette, how perfect!
Kevin surprised me with flowers this morning earning himself lots of brownie points,clever boy!

O Christmas tree o Christmas tree.......la la lala...

Today we are off to get our Christmas tree, I am really getting into all things festive now, once

the tree is up it will be all systems go. Now I am slightly nervous too, I have Christmas tree history, when Kevin and I moved into our first house, our first Christmas together, he bought the most ugliest tree ever grown, no matter which way I turned it was so wonky, all you could do was laugh.

Then one Christmas at our cottage, Kevin went to visit a neighbour who is a great friend and a bad influence, he came home with the biggest tree ever about 30feet and shockingly merry on whiskey, they had cut the poor tree down in the woods, lucky they did not saw off a few fingers!

So simple Chocolate Brownies......yummy

my brownies


pinterest
pinterest
These are the easiest Chocolate brownies ever, you really could have them ready all warm and gooey within half an hour,Magic!They are cheap to make as well as you are not using lots of expensive bars of posh chocolate!

The ingredients are

225g Butter melted
400g caster sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
1 teaspoon Baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
225g plain flour
80g Cocoa powder
2 tablespoons of milk
4 eggs

Mix the butter and sugar, then mix in the flour, baking powder, salt, vanilla, eggs,cocoa powder,
Basically you can put all the ingredients in a bowl, use your whisk to blend all, just make sure the melted butter is not hot, you do not want to scamble the eggs.
It is up to you if you want to add chopped nuts or chocolate chips.

Put in lined baking tin(23 x 33in) and bake for 20 mins at 180 degrees celsius

So gorgeous served with freshly whipped cream and a handful of raspberries or my kids
like it cut into mini brownies so they can dip them in a chilled glass of milk!
So if anyone bakes these let me know how you get on or if you have a great easy recipe for anything let me know, I would love to hear from you!

I am off to the worlds biggest Blog Party tonight go to www.splenderosa.blogspot.com for an invitation

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.........

It is December 1st, the countdown begins today, Jack and Isabelle are so excited, every year they mark each day with mini stocking for each day and it contains a little treat each. I am going to have my first mince pie today oh yum, this year I have decided to take pleasure in the simple
things, christmas shopping is being done on line, who wants to be in long queues
when you could be at home in front of the fire sipping on an Irish Coffee!





Its the family traditions that make Christmas not just what is beneath the Christmas tree although a few goodies from http://www.cathkidston.co.uk/ would be great!

Take Care

DENISE

Monday Morning Inspiration

Monday mornings can be tricky, kids do not want to get up early and head out to school and grown ups too feel that 2 days is not enough for a weekend wouldnt it be lovely to have a 3 day
weekend. Monday is a day when you really need to motivate yourself, so put on something that cheers you up and that you know you look good in, now I would love pretty pink shoes and a fabulous lace dress but I am sure in the depths of winter the local farmers would think I had totally lost the plot!

Look out for a friend today.




Pretty up your table, it always cheers me up.

Autumn is on her way out....

Autumn is definitely on her way out,it is a rainy stormy day the last of my favourite
roses are getting a battering, so it is really time to embrace all things
wintry, woolly socks, hot chocolate, big bowls of soup, mulled wine, nights in watching movies
in front of the fire with the kids, hot water bottles, porridge and golden syrup, treacle pudding, I have just read that back no wonder I put on a few pounds every winter!



Soon December arrives it is time to sprinkle a little festive magic about

All images via Pinterest

Snow fall in Autumn, how beautiful!