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!

Apple Blossom Barn Guest Review

"Just wanted to chip in and say that we (a family of 4 including a currently hard to please 2 year old twins ), stayed at the picture perfect Apple Blossom Barn in early November and in a nutshell it was gorgeous! Thats it! It really was the perfect place for a family break, other words spring to mind ........ homely, cosy, friendly, tasty,( see baking reference on this blog) and even sunny! "

"Big thanks to Denise and Kevin "

The Jarman Family

Kate Forman just gorgeous.......

http://www.kateforman.co.uk/ is a dream website, Kate Forman designs the most beautiful 18th century french linens, I have made cushions with her fabrics and the quality of her linens are divine, she lives in a real english country home these are pictures of her home and fabric line

I just love how romantic and gentle her style is, there is an elegance about it but it is also homely

and comfortable. My newly made window seat in my cottage will have a few of her cushions on it

and I think a couple of Christmas stockings would be perfect I will post those photos once I have them made, now that puts the pressure on better get that sewing machine out!

Bedroom Bliss

There are so many really beautiful images on the internet of dream bedrooms these are some of my favourite found on pinterest

This little cabin bedroom tucked away in the eaves is just magical, now this is the kind of bedroom you would have to wake up wearing a floaty nightie, not yesterdays smudged makeup ahem!

This is the mezzinine bed in our barn it looks onto an orchard then the rolling hills. This on the bed is my new Cath Kidston Eiderdown which I won on Ebay it is so plump and perfect, just love it, our postman thinks I need councilling for Ebay addiction, not at all.

Come on in.......

This is our Thatched Cottage built in 1711, we have lived here for 9 years, we are down a
little lane (a bohereen is what us Irish call a little lane) .

I love peonies these were from my garden in June. It is something I look forward to every year.

The living room in Apple blossom Barn.

My little Isabelle in the snug.

The thatched cottage windows have changed colour again from french grey to Pantry blue

am I a bit fickle?

This is a little bit of my home, there is always something to do, and I always seem to have a to do list as long as my arm. But you know those days when the sun is streaming in through the windows and a smell of baking is in the air or in the evening when the kids are tucked away in bed the wood burning stove is chugging along, all the tea lights are glowing, glass of cold prosecco is waiting yum yum ,thats when I love my home not when I have just walked on another tiny bit of Lego Ouch or a tiny dog has amnesia and piddled, though house trained, but those are the things that make a home as well.

A new cookie recipe

I am always on the look out for an improvement on my Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe, I want to find a recipe as close to Marks and Spencers Bakery cookie so this is a good one, the jar is

nearly empty, lots of cookie monsters about. I bake every week for our Apple Blossom Barn guests and we had a lovely family stay this week and they received their own jar of cookies which went down very well with 2 year old twins so sweet.

The recipe is from The Australian Womans Weekly, The Cake Stall, it has really yummy things in it and is triple tested.

Chunky Chewy Choc Chip Cookies

220g light brown sugar

110g caster sugar

225g self raising flour

75g plain flour

185g melted butter

1 egg lightly beaten

1 egg yolk lightly beaten

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

100g dark eating chocolate

100g milk eating chocolate chopped coarse

Preheat oven to 180 degrees/ 350 F

Mix sugars, sifted flours in a large bowl

Add combined butter,egg, egg yolk, and vanilla; mix to a soft dough, stir in chocolate

Roll in to balls place 2 " apart on a lined baking tray

Bake for 10 to 12 mins

Makes 20

Lovely with a cold glass of milk or a dipped in a good cup of coffee

Monday morning inspiration

Yes monday morning inspiration is badly needed it is a dull grey day and when you live in an old cottage with tiny windows it is quite dark so I need some bright and breezy pictures to keep me going
.

A busy little cottage

I have been a busy bee, baking, painting and knocking out a part of a 300 year old wall(ok not me personally on that one, Kevin weilded the lump hammer), so getting lots done. My bedroom has a fresh coat of paint, the sewing machine has been out, I have made lampshade covers, cushions covers, updated curtains so feeling very smug and productive however kitchen is a disaster and there is a gigantic mountain of laundry to do, oh well I never claimed to be a domestic goddess.

Long winter nights by the range

I dream of having a lovely big Aga range in my kitchen it would complete my country living fantasy of cooking yummy winter warming stews and pies and toasting crumpets on a wet
and stormy night. Well maybe I will send Santa claus a pleading letter!