Monday, October 17, 2011

A very wet week

It's the school holidays here at the moment and we are having the most blah weather. The poor kids are bursting to get outside and run around but it is pouring with rain. So to try and distract them for a while we started some crafty projects.

I am so in love with these tiny bottles and have lots of them around the house as vases. We also have some in the kitchen which the small folk like drinking milk from with a fun straw. So with some of the empties, we decided to paint them and make a colourful wee selection of them to sit on my little kitchen shelf. So out came all the test pots I've collected over the years. I did have to pop down to the paint store to get two of the colours as I really needed a yellow and an orange. Such a simple job - pour in the paint, turn the bottle over and over to make sure it is well covered, then pour the excess paint back in the pot. Wipe the top of the bottle with a paper towel to leave it nice and neat, then leave to dry. Too easy!

They are just the right height for my wee shelf and they add a lovely burst of colour during these rainy, gloomy days. I love them!!

Ah ha - could it be? Why yes - these are all the trimmed ends from my blanket!! I finished nearly all of it last night while half watching the the All Blacks playing Australia. The last two little grannies were tidied and trimmed today. And wouldn't you know it, within five minutes of finishing my blanket and getting all excited about taking some pics and showing you - the weather took a turn for the worse. It was wet, dark and miserable - definitely not great photo taking weather. So I promise that by the end of the week, when the sun is meant to reappear, I will post pics!

I am thrilled with how it looks and can't wait to share it with you. Thank you for all your lovely comments as I've progressed with this project! Miss 4 asked if she could have it on her bed tonight so I think she may have claimed it as her own already. I am very flattered!

Here's just a quick pic of it folded up awaiting its photo session. I haven't pressed it yet (and don't normally do it) but will give it a go to see how it looks. I ended up changing my mind about the picot edging. I did one side with the picot and my crochet appreciation committee (Miss 4 and Mr 7) told me that it didn't look so great. I had to agree! It's fussy enough with all the grannies so a nice simple SC edge works well.

So fingers crossed the weather improves and is more Spring-y than Winter-y. The Spring flowers at the market yesterday were amazing. I am so in love with these beauties. Bright orange rununculas have cheered up my dining table. I can't stop staring at them - they are so intricate and perfect.

Now this is one thing that I do like about colder weather - comfort food!! I was so proud of myself for making this as it was my very first attempt at making pastry. I like to think I'm a fairly ok baker but I had never ever tried making pastry - I thought it would be too difficult. I was so wrong - it was easy peasy. My family loved this rustic pie so much, it will now have to be a regular addition to our dinner menu.

But I am really counting on better weather and more salads instead! I spent Saturday afternoon making a whole lot of these little newspaper seedling pots with the children. Lots of capsicums, lots of salad mix and a few other surprise seeds that I found in the cupboard - so goodness knows what they will turn out to be!! These wee pots were great to make and they can pop straight into the garden, newspaper and all, once the seedlings are ready to plant.

Well that's enough from me - I've crammed quite a bit in! I will hopefully be back fairly soon with some lovely blanket pics. It's all a bit of a downer, getting it finished and not being able to share it with you!

Have a fab week all - see you again soon.

Leah
xx

24 comments:

  1. I love the painted bottles- awesome idea!

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  2. Love the painted bottles. And the newspaper idea is brilliant!

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  3. Gorgeous! I need some of those wee bottles too. Your blanket is stunning, I can't wait to see the whole thing. Loving the seedlings - the newspaper is a great idea xxx

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  4. You've been busy in all that wet weather. Where can I get the recipe!! That looks yummy. Must do the bottle too soon.

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  5. Hi Leah!
    Watched the rugby yesterday, woo hoo!!! Fantastic game, well done the All Blacks, and I bet there were some celebrations going on over your way yesterday!
    Love the bottles, I must have a go at that!
    Blankets looking lovely, no wonder your duaghter wants it!
    The pie looks scrummy!
    Lucky you with warmer weather to look forwrad too - other way here, had the wood burner going this weekend and its pretty windy out there with rain to come.
    Hope your seeds do well, you have been busy!
    Gill xx

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  6. Hello Leah - your chocolate arrived on Saturday and we saved it to celebrate an All Black win. As you hooked your way through the game I spent our morning doing the same thing. Wonderful way to start a Sunday. Anyway back to Whittakers - we chopped it up and the boys went silent with appreciation. Myles' first words were 'And why exactly did we leave New Zealand?' Thank you for such a lovely treat. I especially love the little bag - it is now hanging in my kitchen with your beautiful little tag still attached. It makes me happy just having it in my kitchen, bringing back so many great memories. One day we will return! Much love, Karen x

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  7. I will be writing a post very soon x

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  8. Hi, Leah,
    Gorgeous makes, i also received my choccie bar and bag at the weekend. Up to now i have resisted eating it, im just waiting for that "I must have chocolate moment".

    Thanks again for prezzie,
    Best Wishes,
    Gael.xxx

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  9. Oh Leah those bottles are just the cutest, & your blanket is so stunning, you should be so proud of it , an amazing make. Speaking of amazing that pie is making me drool, oh my i'm supposed to be dieting!!!!!
    Lots of love Karen x

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  10. You have been a busy bee, and your post is full of great ideas! I think I'll make some pastry this week. Yum! Take care :)

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  11. What a lovely idea with the bottles. I'm going to hunt for something similar sized in the supermarket now and also some little sample pots of paint. What kind of paint did you use?

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  12. You sure did cram a lot in! Those bottle look ace. One to remember that's for sure.

    You blenaket is looking so good. Well done for finishing it. I must take a leaf out of your book and finish a few things. It's been ages since I had a ta dah moment.

    That rustic pie looks yummy. I wish so much that my husband wasn't on a stupid low carb diet. It's seriously depressing me.

    xxx

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  13. Lovely blog and that blanket is gorgeous , i love the colours, im in the process of making my own x

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  14. Leah, the bottles! What a fantastic idea! I'm going to start collecting bottles this minute. Very fab. I can hardly wait to see your new blanket. I have been loving the sneak peeks so much!

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  15. Hi Leah
    Your blog is Deeeeeelicious!!
    I adore ranunculas, they are surprisingly rare to find here in the UK, I keep thinking I should really try and grow some.
    Beautiful blankie too, it turned out great with that gorgeous border.
    lots of love to you
    Lucexxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

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  16. Your blanket is a stunner! Can't wait for the real tadahhh post!
    LOVE that idea for coloured milk bottles- you clever girlie. They are amazing- when I first saw the photo I guessed you must have bought them, but no- just paint! Marvellous. Am now on the look out for little bottles....!
    Have a fab weekend, hon.
    Xx

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  17. Your blogs are just amazing, Leah!!! I especially like the 'painting of the bottle' idea. Just a question, but how did you manage to paint the bottle without getting your fingerprint marks on it?

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  18. Hi Debs, ah ha the trick is to only paint the inside of the bottle whick keeps the outside nice and shiny and clean! Pour it in, roll it around, then pour the excess back into the paint pot. Leave to dry and voila - cute wee bottles!

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