link to a wonderful blanket in progress

http://blairpeter.typepad.com/weblog/2010/08/hands-busy-blanket.html

Isn't it just gorgeous? I love the colours... and the idea of different textures!

News here, i felt the baby kick for the first time last friday (18w). I felt it, and told P, and he put his hand on my belly and said 'you know it's very unlikely that I'll be able to - ooooooooh!' and he could feel it, too! I love it, it makes it so much more real, for both of us... And soon for Emm!

The second rag doll

I've made a second doll! She's as of yet unnamed, she goes by 'Dollie' or 'Puppe' so far. I really like her, she's so much better than the last. Here she is:

I meant to post as I go on making it, but my sister being over to visit meant that I didn't spend much time on the computer! I did however get time to do some stitching as we were sitting and chatting. I don't have photos of all the steps but I have some:

 This is my amended pattern (I used the one from before as a base): I added a neck and a dart to the head, rounded the shoulders and made the bottom narrower for the body. I made a different back body pattern by adding darts and increasing the width and length so that it would still match up. I added a foot shape to the leg and made it much wider,and  I added a hand shape (mitten style) to the arm and made it much wider, too. I got the idea for the hands and feet and the head dart. from the hop skip jump dolls, I just love her dolls! I know I could have bought the pattern, and be done with it, but I like the challenge of making my own, and changing it a little which each doll (I already have lots of amendments for the next doll planned!).

I cut all my body pieces from pale pink baby cord, and sewed the darts, neck and limbs with the machine. After turning and stuffing the limbs I basted them to the body pieces and handsewed them on. At this point I realised that I wouldn't just be able to tuck the limbs into the body while sewing all around it! Instead I turned the body, I thought I'd never manage it!

oh dear...very hard work!

Phew!

I hand sewed the body and what was left of the head, and stuffed with some more pillow fiber. This sounds like I was nearly done at this point... But then I attached a lot of wool hair, strand by strand, decided I hated it, removed it, tried to fix the angle of the arms (which looked nothing like the above once the body was stuffed), gave up on that and ripped the seams and handsewed the arms back on. All this over the course of a week or so! 

After the woolly hair disaster I decided to go for felt hair instead, and found a great instructions in this purl bee felt doll tutorial :

 as i wasn't happy with the head shape

 i stuffed the 'felt wig' with some more of the polyester filling

 and then tried it on and whip stitched it in place.

I embroidered the face and M played with the naked doll for the afternoon. 

Here the two dollies are having a rest on the window sill. 

Emm's main demand was a nappy for the doll, and 'anziehen' (getting dressed), so in the evening I made some quick white knickers, and in the morning a simple sleeveless dress, held together with elastic at the neckline. Which brings us back to the first photo of this post!

Once I'd decided to make another doll I did lots of image googling, scanning through the pictures and checking any websites with those that I liked, this especially worked when I was looking for hair inspiration and tutorials! There are lots of great doll making resources out there, and photos for inspiration! 

I made a doll

She's a bit weird, something went wrong when I printed the pattern, I'm pretty sure the body and head turned out wider, and the arms and legs narrower! I started her last winter and stopped the work when I realised how skinny the arms and legs were. This weekend I took her out again and finished her today. I didn't want to invest too much more time in a wonky doll, so she just got a single layer of hair and a quickly embroidered face.. My mind is already on modifying the pattern to get more shape to the head. And bum, so she'll sit. And obviously fatter arms and legs! Emm seems to like her anyways, she's reading her 'Owl Babies' at the moment.

The pattern I used was from make-baby-stuff.com , I think it's a great and easy pattern, just be smarter than me and check your printer settings before you print!

djeco fishing game

The little one got this gorgeous fishing game from a friend who just returned from her french holiday! Isn't it lovely? (took me ages to find a link to the right version of the game, she definitely got the cutest of them all!). I tried the amazon associates link, but it can't find it even though they have it:  http://www.amazon.com/Djeco-Magnetic-Tropical-Fishing-Toy/dp/B003ATO1NA . Not sure how it works, I thought it would be a handy gadget to find links to stuff, but it still seems to have bugs...

Anyhow, she thinks the flying fish is a rabbit, and starts singing 'twinkle twinkle' whenever she gets a hold of the star fish.

I have to stay away from the big toy shops here and constantly remind myself that toys don't have to be garish and plastickey! This game is such a nice example of beautiful design, colours and materials. We're just back from the house of a friend, who's boy's plastic toys were all over the place, and I'd just started wondering if I'm depriving my child because her toys mainly fit into 2 big boxes, and a lot of them are wooden or fabric. Then I remembered that she seems happy, and always finds something to do! And that I'm much happier in a halfway calm looking house! Trying to only get beautiful things for her also stops me from spending too much money, because I think three times before I buy anything!

making gnocchi (a fairly colourless post)

I made gnocchi today. I figured it was time to have potatoes as we haven't all week, but fancied something different! The Silver Spoon had a recipe, it's basically a kilo of spuds, a fifth of that in flour, a pinch of salt and an egg, quite simple! I steamed the peeled potatoes (Queens), mashed them and mixed them with the flour, salt and egg (make sure the mix isn't too hot when the egg goes in!). This mix is kneaded until you have a flexible dough.

I divided it up in two batches, as 600+g seemed quite enough for the three of us! One half I put aside, for Kartoffelklösse tomorrow.

The other half I divided up again, and rolled into thin sausages.

Those I cut up with a pairing knife, into little pillows.

The pillows were rolled into little balls

 ...lots of them! You can see how I started to flatten them a little with the fork (I think too much, I was looking up some other recipes and you're supposed to hold the ball in your hand while pushing on it with the fork, but I left them on the plate! The Silver Spoon says to push them against the underside of a grater.). The other half of the dough I made into 7 Klösse (or Knödel) which I wrapped in cling film.

Emm was fascinated with the process, she probably thought it was playdough! I gave her a little piece to play with, but she immediately tried to eat it, and with the raw egg I reckoned that wouldn't be a good idea!

I didn't get to take pictures of cooking them, as I was too busy cooking them! You put them in small batches (I did seven or eight at a time) into salted boiling water, and when they start to float to the top you take them out with a slotted spoon.

I made a spinach and philadelphia sauce, improvised, to go with it, with some of the perpetual spinach from the garden. (I fried some garlic and chili in a bit of olive oil and butter, and removed them as soon as the garlic started to get golden. I added the washed and chopped spinach and put the lid on, for about 5 minutes. Then I added cream cheese and tomato cubes and seasoned with nutmeg, salt and pepper.)

I know, it doesn't look too appetizing in the photo, but trust me, it was delicious! They were light, soft and kept their shape and didn't disintegrate or dissolve! All in all a quite colourless dish, it could have done without the philly, but I tend to not think much before I throw something together! I might serve the gnocchi with a tomato sauce the next time, or with sage butter and a mixed salad!

By the way, Gnocchi is pronounced something like [n'yog-kee] rather than [g'nok-chee] or [g'no-chee[ as you might often hear, to the confusion or despair of Italian waiters wordwide, depending on the level of their experience!

Visit from the cousins

Emm had a great day on Tuesday when her cousins came to visit. Danny will be 4 and Megs is 8, and they all got on like a house on fire! We went to the beach and had fun building castles, collecting shells and digging Megs into the sand, making a lovely mermaid tail for her. Emm demanded 'more water!' for her castle and her big cousin obliged, carrying bucket after bucket from the shore.


Afterwards we desanded the kids as much as possible and went for a little walk, aren't they cute together? I'm so glad Emm has cousins, we always loved hanging out with our cousins when we were kids.


Back home the kids were all put into the bath and we ordered Chinese. I thought I'd managed to pay for it after a long discussion, but the SIL and BIL hid money before they left the next day! What is it about (irish?) people not being able to let anybody else pay for anything? Why does it always have to be an argument, and even if you think you've won it, they trick you afterwards! It's the same in the pub, in the restaurant, in the shop... They wouldn't even let me make them sandwiches for their trip to the zoo the next day, even though I'd already bought the bread and ham and cheese... I mean, the food in the zoo is overpriced and manky, and there are long queues for everything! Back home people, especially family, would maybe say "oh, don't go to any trouble", and then "are you sure" and then gracefully accept! How many "no really I want to"s does it take in Ireland? Five? Ten? Maybe I'm not persistent enough? Let me go watch some "Father Ted" and learn from Mrs. Doyle... But I really don't like making such a big fuss, if I offer something I mean it!

New Charity shop in Skerries! Yippie!

While running some errands in Skerries I discovered a new charity shop, for those who know their way around, it's just opposite of 'Frock exchange'. It's in aid of children with autism and opened just two weeks ago. I'm delighted! I've always put off going to Swords, to the charity shops there, as parking is such a nightmare, and I generally don't do my shopping there. But Skerries, now there we go a lot, to the beach, for lunch, for walks, the bank, the library... you name it! I'm delighted!

I got Emm this beautiful lined grey tweed dress with bright crochet embellishments. For 4€!

And that's not all, the price included this matching cotton blouse!

So, people of North County Dublin, go check out this wonderful new shop, and donate your unwanted clothes, bric-a-brac and books, the next time you're going for a 'walk around the Head'!

a reminder of a lovely present

isn't this ring just gorgeous? it's by www.linksoflondon.com

it reminds me of a ring P bought me years ago, a costume ring, is that the word, that had lots of blue beads attached, and they moved, too! Unfortunately I lost the ring over the years, but I still have one of the beads that fell off before that. The ring usually left a dark mark on my skin but I loved it. I'd admired it in a shop and he just got it for me, I think it might have been one of the first presents he ever got me. One of the first times I'd realised how generous and observant he is...

sunday baking - apple cupcakes (no icing)

upon browsing some blogs i came across this recipe for blondies, and it looks absolutely delicious! Instead, however, I'll made my mum's simple apple cake recipe (but in a cupcake tin) to use up some cooking apples!
I'll be added some wholemeal flour, to make the cakes a slightly healthier treat. I've tried it last week, but they turned out a little too dry, so this time I added a spoonful of natural yoghurt, to get a moister consistency. Anyhow, the basic recipe, about right for an 8 or 10 inch round tin or 12-15 cupcakes, goes like this:

125g butter
125g sugar (I use some brown, some white)
3 eggs
some vanilla sugar (I include this in the 125g)
175 g flour mixed with 1/2 Packet (about 1 tsp) of bakind powder
   (I usually use selfraising: when I'm making this in Ireland)
2-3 cooking apples or sour eating apples, cut into wedges then into slices

you beat the butter until fluffy, add eggs and sugar alternately while beating. Fold in the flour (already mixed with the baking powder), and finally fold in the apples.

I used 100g white self raising flour and 75g wholemeal flour, plus a tablespoon of natural yoghurt. This made enough batter for 12 cupcake papers and 2 buttered ramekins. At 200C (no fan) the cupcakes were done after about 20 minutes, the ramekins after another five. The top should be golden and an inserted skewer should come out clean.

For dinner I made Lakeshore Pork from one of the Avoca Cafe Cookbooks (Avoca Cafe Cookbook: Bk. 1 / Avoca Cafe Cookbook 2), first time I've tried it, it's soooooooo good! Emm was stuffing her face and demanding more and more sauce, we obliged, of course, and mashed her potatoes with lots of the appley mustardy goodness.

We're lucky she didn't puke up all that dinner, because this is what she got her daddy to do, soon after!

The laundry basket swing, great exercise for P!

He's off to Italy for work tomorrow, I'm not looking forward to being a single mum for 3 days! And I'm always nervous when my loved ones are flying... In fact, I'm kind of nervous for anybody that I don't have right in front of me, you never know what is going to happen, like those horrible deaths at the Love Parade in Duisburg, and I'm trying to be grateful for and aware of every happy moment I have with my family and friends. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-10755856 My thoughts are with the families and friends of those injured or killed. I've only just heard about these sad news.

peanut butter button cookies

Today I made these peanut butter cookies from 'like mam used to bake', thinking they might turn into a total disaster. I didn't have enough butter so added a little oil and milk, then I didn't have enough peanut butter (and only the crunchy type, I always go for crunchy!) so I added some dark tahini. I also decided to use less sugar, 6 oz instead of 7.5. I used mostly white and a little wholewheat flour, and it was selfraising. I know, I know... it's a much better idea to try a recipe to the letter, first, before making any adjustments, but I was in a rush, and not very organised, and you know, I can blame pregnancy brain for adding the flour to the mix before actually mixing it! Aargh!

Well, the first tray got a little too dark, as I was distracted by Emm coming in from the garden, having covered herself in soil, asking to be cleaned! Thankfully that was the tray with only six cookies on it. The other one had twelve, and they turned out perfectly! I froze dough for another 8 cookies, so my yield was 26 cookies.

I'd sneakily eaten one of the giant chocolate buttons, and lucky me, there were exactly 19 in the bag!

Anyhow, we had a great morning/lunch playdate at a friend's house, with the delicious biscuits (could have done less sugar again, they were still quite sweet), lattes, later some pizza for lunch, and then some of my friend's delectable chocolate chip cookies straight from the oven to go with cups of tea. At the end of this Emm was thoroughly tired out and asked for 'auto, home, soother, bed'. And true to her word she went straight to sleep, bliss!

It was great to catch up with my friend, after being away for so long! we're planning to go swimming and we might go and see 'his and hers' in the cinema, and i'm going to look into antenatal yoga classes for us. my social life is taking off again! It's always strange having been out of the loop for a whole month!

Happy News!

We're expecting a baby at the end of Januray! This photo is obviously not today's (13 weeks), but one from when I was pregnant with Emm!

I've felt a lot sicker with this pregnancy so far, and the heat in Germany wasn't helping, nor was the stomach flu... I thought I was over the worst but got sick again last night. But of course I know that I'm lucky compared to many! I mostly feel really nauseous, and gag a lot, but I'm able to keep it down almost all the time, apart from maybe 5 times so far. Still, the constant nausea is kind of annoying!

We had our first hospital appointment and official scan last friday, so it feels OK to tell! It's strange though, having a toddler to run after means I don't have time to worry as much, and I don't feel as attached to this baby yet. I that normal for a second baby? It's becoing more and more real though, some days I even look like I have a little belly already! Although I still don't weigh as much as I did when I got pregnant with Emm, I just about got back to my usual weight of ten stone, while I was nine and a half for most of Emm's life. I lost all of the pregnancy weight within the first three months of breastfeeding, and then another three kilos (half a stone) soon after, she was just a very hungry baby I suppose!

It's strange, I was kind of worried during my pregnancy with Emm, about my breasts sagging, my waist disappearing, the dreaded jelly belly, but I was very lucky, and while I wouldn't mind my breasts being a little fuller, I actually like the softness of my belly. Proof of what my body did, grow a baby, cell by cell...

Well, I better finish this post so I can get some sleep, letting my body do its good work!

the little one's pursuits during our holiday at the grandparents'

mostly exploring... on her own,


or with her cousin!


And playing hide and seek with the kittens!


Apart from that she spent a lot of time learning new words (by turning into a little parrot), eating, visiting the hens, the rabbits and the dog, and of course charming everybody around her. We also both got the stomach flu, suffered through a humid 37C degrees in the shade, and lost a bit of weight, but I'm sure it's not going to take us long to put it back on. Due to the heat and the flu we didn't do as much as we might have liked, but still, it was lovely to spend the time with family, and the weather meant there was a lot more hanging out time for everybody, anything non essential was put on hold as none of us were used to it and everybody was very mellow!

It's good to be home, I have so much more energy in about 20C degrees less, and while P was with us in Germany for the last 10 days, it's so nice to be back in our house, it's always a bit weird being in your parents' house with your own family...

Waiting for the flight home

While we were waiting for our delayed flight home, Emm and I went for a few rounds with the stroller, in a vain attempt to get her to sleep. This storage building was transformed into a jewel by the setting sun, nearly imperceptibly the pattern on those window panes changed, ever so slowly...

home alone!

P took Emm with him to his parents in the Midlands and I am home alone! For the first time since she was born, which is over nineteen months! I was worried sick about the two of them on the road for 2 hours, even though P is a very careful driver. But they arrived safe and sound and I'm a lot calmer now. I was craving a weekend of doing nothing, but i couldn't help but sweep and mop, and tidy away the laundry and put on some more, and to mow and fertilise the lawn.

Then I cycled to the veg shop, yes, cycled, just got on my bike and went, no buggy, no wrestling with car seats and keys, and mainly, no toddler to lift and carry! So easy!

So far I'm really enjoying my little holiday, it's strange to have the house to myself, to do what I want, with no demands on me. I even had crisps with my ham sandwich for lunch, I never do that when Emm's around as it would be setting a bad example for her.

I'd say it'll be very lonely tonight, but for now I'm happy as a piggy in sh*t, especially as the house isn't a pig sty! Usually the first thing Emm does in the morning, is to get at least half of all her toys out and spread them out all over the house. Later she'll insist on eating her snack at her own little table and as soon as I look away she'll be sneaking out and I'll find banana squashed into the sofa, and she'll carry in compost and grass from the garden... but today I'll only have to clean up after myself!

Some of the things I might do over my quiet weekend is to...

  go for a swim, the tide should be in soon
  start the next sookie stackhouse  novel
  eat lots of fresh strawberries with greek yoghurt
  sleep in for as long as I like
  shower for as long as I like
  paint my toenails
  surf the web uninterrupted
  have a mid day nap

But by this time tomorrow I think I'll be waiting at the door for my husband and daughter to arrive back!

June! And the sun is shining, too!

I've managed to let all of  May go by without a post. I have excuses though, we went to Germany for my sister's wedding, which was brilliant, even if it was extremely cold. 7 degrees in the afternoon is not a lot for mid May! Emm was supposed to be a flower girl, but she decided she'd rather hold on to the basket and keep all the petals to herself...

Thankfully we got to fly to Germany, we were worried we might have to go by ferry and car on a murderous 24 hour trip trying to make it in time for the big day. On the way home however we got delayed for two days because of the ash cloud, we didn't mind to much though, we knew before we'd set off for the airport, P could work from my parents' house and Emm and I got to spend another day with the family. My dad's birthday will be next hopefully the volcano will stay quiet for that!

After Germany, we had a week at home, before Emm and I headed off to Switzerland, with my friend Deborah, to visit friends of ours in the Alsace and in Zurich. We had a great time, although Deborah might have had quite enough of toddlers and babies! Emm took a real shine to her and was babbling Debbie-Debbie-Debbie all day long. She even talked about her in her sleep! The lives of the two friends are so different. The girl in Alsace moved there because of her husband's job, and he picked a run down house in a tiny village for them to live. She didn't have much influence on the decisions as at the time she was just after giving birth to their second child, and having a horrible time with breastfeeding (mostly due to undiagnosed thrush and lack of support from her hospital/GP/nurse). She's now stuck there in a dark and dingy house, with no friends, with nobody to talk to all day with a very lively 4 year old and a baby! The other friend is happy as a flea, having decided to move to Zurich after separating from her husband, meeting her new partner there and  living  in a bright and modern apartment with their new baby.

Now we're back home, with a mountain of laundry to do, but the sun is shining and we're in and out of the garden, hanging the washing, swinging, playing with stones and herbs... Emm loves the herbs, she picks bits of oregano and thyme and chews on them. If she tries to put stones in her mouth I have to be strict though, I say no quite sternly, take the stone away and bring her into the house with me. Hopefully she'll learn soon and I can be a bit more relaxed outside with her!

I just hear another load of washing finishing, so I better head off, to my probably boring, but very enjoyable life!!