time goes so fast...

  I have been so busy... SORRY. I will be back and slowly update this blog over the next couple of weeks. I have many pictures of crafts, places and dishes from the last 3 months since I was last here! 
  I will go now and get back to you later but just one thing...  heres a quick picture i drew for a virtual Christmas card i sent round by email and text. Hope you like it...

 MERRY CHRISTMAS, love C.C. Homemaker xx

eat local, eat british

  Im all for eating British produce and support the local businesses in your county. I try to avoid doing massive shops in supermarkets buying everythiung in site that I think I need and then end up going to waste. Usually I buy my veggies from Leicester market which can be better in terms of value but that produce is sourced from all over the world and the majority is unlikely to be British. But sourcing all your meat and veg locally is easier said than done, who has the time?

  
  Well my friend introduce meet to Riverford months ago and I have been so excited to try it.  Riverford are a farm that have brought together many farms from different countys across the country to provide local people with fresh produce, which includes meat, cheeses, breads and veggies and more speciality items. You go online and chose the type of veggie box you want, you can have salad boxes, fruit boxes, ones with lots of variety or your usual potatoes, onions and carrots. I went for a seasonal box to receive every two weeks. In this box you get 8-10 varieties of veg, never potatoes and hopefully the best examples of the season! I got my first box last week and its been great planning meals to make the most of the veg. It helps using the little recipe slips and magazines that come with your boxes. 
 Here are some of the recipes ive made so far using the veg. 

 Courgette and feta fritters. These are great and really light because the only use 1tbsp of flour and is lightened by beaten egg whites. I  had mine with chicken breast and chopped tomato and coriander salsa. 

 Chicken and leek pie filling with a basic white sauce. 

 Homemade shortcrust pastry, top and bottom. 

Enchiladas - Chilli made with lean mince, courgette, mushrooms wrapped in soft tortillas with rice and refried beans made with kidney beans, onions and peppers. 

I aslo cooked broccoli and carrots with my roast and runner beans with sausuge and mash. 
I love the fact that you get your produce in box, all dirty and fresh. No plastic, no chemicals, completely organic! Excited to see what I get next time. What shall I do with the fennel? 

all white

  Here are a few of my finds from the last few months. I was cleaning out a cupboard that needed moving and as I was gathering them together I didn't realise how many white and glass items I had.

  First of all, The two art deco mirrors at the back were from a 2nd hand shop down the road, only £4 each, it was a struggle getting them back but worth it. The wind up alarm clock is lovely to look at but the TICK TOCK is insane so I can't actually use it in my bedroom and Im reluctant to wind it up again. 

These white tea cups with the gold trim  are from a  chairty shop in perfect condition, I love them and they were so cheap. 

These glass tea cups were a bargain, a set of 8 for £3! I thought they would be great for drinking herbal teas, making jellies and dessert for parties. Im still looking for the perfect glass teapot to go with. 

The owl was a 50 chairty shop find, my sister thinks its weird I like it. The tall cylinder vases are from marks and spencers but I also got it from a charity shop. The expresso cups were another find for a £1. And the tea light lanterns in the back were £1.40 each from a shop called Clas Ohlsen a bit like a high street ikea!

The two birds were on sale at Wilkinson for less than £2 each and I just like the cut out design. The fan is a 2nd hand electoral shop find for £5. 

The two egg cups were a charity shop find, I also love the cut-out design and the oval serving dish where bought for a dinner/party serve solution and 40peach. 

my studio and reading nook

  Now I have been absolutely awful at keeping the progress of my flat and interior challenges updated but to be honest I haven't had enough time to focus on it. So the odd job happens here and there and I always forget to take pictures and record what I am doing. 
  Anyway I recently moved a few things around. Up until a couple of weeks ago I was using the 2nd bedroom as a living room but I think my rooms need to have their real identities back. I am still working on the living room but here are a few pictures around my studio and my little reading nook for my ever growing collection of magazines. 
  So here are a few pictures of my place, I haven't staged my items and made it look its best because I just haven't had the time so I apologise for some of the mess!

 My Living room; a bird side view from my reading nook. I love the huge window and my comfy sofa is great but I fear for mess or a spillage due to it being a natural cream colour. 

 The reading nook; I wanted somewhere to put all my magazines and the cabinet at the end will eventually have all my fabric and craft materials organised. The rug was £10 from Ikea many years ago, the cabinets 2nd hand from a charity shop. 

 These are my good friend Danny's Collection of Dazed and Confused and Pop magazine. He moved to Spain and they were just to heavy to take with him (which was great for me) I'm slowly working my way through them. The type writer is one of my proudest collections found through a recycling website., its in fully working order I I just have to learn how to change the tape.

 Eventually I would love a little reading chair but I have to find something light weight enough to get up the ladder and compact but comfortable enough to fit in this area.. the challenge is on! The bean bag needs more beans, the sheep skin is an ikea cushion cover that I have thrown over it for now and the geometric patterned cushion was £1.50 from Primark. 

 My record player that I got for my 18th birthday its suppose to be a 50s style but its completely modern. The red box underneath belonged to my Grandfather when he lived here in the 70s, its an amazing collection of 7" vinyll full to the brim. The nest of tables was £10 from a 2nd hand shop. I have plans to give them some new life but not sure how. Any ideas? 

 My studio; its a very large space that I don't quite know what to do with it yet. I think I need a little shelving units and maybe another table for sewing rather than using that desk but we will see how it goes. 

 My desk, use this mainly for stencil cutting and measuring but I haven't had many occasions to sit there and really utilize it!  

 I have a small collection of cards and postcards that people give me that have a great message, image or something personnel and I like to use them as art in the studio. The cupcake card was a handmade illustration by friend laura, the bird  and the elephant images were also cards I think both from Paperchase and the other two landscape images are postcards. 

 My desk, a complete mess! A collection of old and vintage tins I use to organise my items, I also keep glass jars for this purpose. The polaroid camera is my friend dannys that I'm looking after! The oversized clock is a quirky christmas present and then I have a collection of notebooks beside that. I love notebooks, most of them have nothing in because Im too afraid to start writing and drawing and ruining the books. Its silly I know, but there must be people out there that share the same obsession with crisp new note books? 

 My collection of crafty books, some my mothers, some charity shop or carboot finds and others are presents or deals from the internet. 

 The crates I use for storage and keep them tucked under my desk. I currently use my dining chairs as desk chairs because I haven't found a good enough desk chair yet.

This is in the forgotten corner of my studio,  taking some other collectables. It sit by the window seat with a collection of cushions. Non made by me but they are waiting in the production line to get stitched up not I have my new machine!!

newcastle

  I spent just about 48hours in Newcastle last week and only have a handful of pictures but I just wanted to show you the Earl monument and the little bit of history about one of my favourite teas! The next couple of pictures are just a few examples of some of the beautiful buildings that are found lining the streets of most of the city.  I walked along the Tyne, went to art galleries, shopped, watched Wallace & Gromit in the street, had great food and enjoyed the old architecture. Its absolutely stunning, everyone should go visit, I love the north. 

Also they have a metro, a city just is not a city without a metro system.. or a tram! Poor little Leicester!

meet Bonnie...

...my new purple sewing machine. I FINALLY bought myself some new kit. I have been talking about doing this for too long but now is the time. I had some money saved so thought I would treat myself. This is only a medium duty machine, for light to medium work and has enough variety of stitches etc for intermediate use, which is important for my new projects. 

  New projects you ask? Christmas is round the corner! I KNOW, I know its still August. Im not usually one of those who start talking about and planning it so early but this year is different, I want a handmade Christmas. From tree decorations, to the tablecloth, to cakes and most importantly friend and family's gifts. My aim is high quality well designed gifts that people can actually use and appreciate rather that just a card that would end up in that drawer or the bin.    

  So I'm starting to plan, get my equipment and my materials together and Im ready to go! 116 days until Christmas which sounds like plenty of time to get crafting, but with full time work, holidays, keeping a social life and sleeping to contend with its going to be very challenging!

corfu

I have been away from my blog too long and it feels I haven't got that much done in that time. But I did get in a lovely relaxing holiday to Corfu a week. It was quiet, sunny and beachy and heres just a few and the beautiful things I saw around the island.