A blog post at last!

I bet you all thought I had disappeared

well truth is, I almost did!

Thanks to all who told me that I had comments disabled on the last post
I didn't even know and thought you were all ignoring me
by the time I realised it was off it was too late to turn it on!!!

♥♥♥♥♥

It has been dull and dark here so I needed something to brighten those long day
flowers were the call of the day

lovely yellow and pretty white...

♥ t u l i p s ♥

lots of knitting happening

I made some pretty love hearts,

and bought a book to help me along the way

and I have a bag full of yarn so am raring to go...

The weather has been upside down,

one day really cold

the next, sunshine and blue skies

and the day after that - lots of the wet stuff...bleughh

What I bought...
 
I was out shopping during the week and
treated myself to a new bag in the sales in Carraig Donn

down from €50 to €29

it's a good size so should come in useful
happy happy days...

I also bought some pretty brushes for the kitchen in Primark all under €3
they're almost too nice to use...

and a lovely (big bauble) neckpiece in Dunnes which was €25 but reduced by 75% to €7.50

an oldfashioned cookbook for €5
I have tried out some of the recipes and they're yummy (maybe too yummy)
I'll be back on that diet if I don't watch myself!

A giveaway...

I just want to  mention a lovely giveaway at Sweet Like Cinnamon

Look at the fab prize she has for one lucky winner...

Sweet Like Cinnamon is an Irish blogger 

she shares  recipes, pretty things and good ideas on her pages

She has 10 followers but should have more

why not pay her a visit become a follower and enter the giveaway..

you never know you could have beautiful hands and feet in a couple of weeks

and wouldn't we all love that!!!!
The closing date for this giveaway is Valentine's Day  ♥

An award...

Alessandra from Homemade@myplace
has awarded me the Liebster award
Thank you so much Alessandra, I appreciate it very much.

Alessandra has a wonderful blog full of creativity
she is certainly a very taleneted lady.
Why not pop over and say hello

{Green Day 30}

Well it's Friday and so it's Green Day

Why not post your photos here?

Thank you to all who participate I hope that you enjoy it as much as I do

Raindrops and Daisies

{Green Day 24}

If you go down to the woods today be sure of a big surprise...

 come on now and don't be shy...

that's better,

now we can see lovely you! 

I have a very short post for you today and the reason for this is because the letters on the left of my keyboard have died 

so when I type "are trees green"

it comes out as "a tres grn"

you would honestly think I had 6 glasses of vino in me when posting

so a bit of a nuisance

so please excuse my lack of commenting and posting this week

fingers crossed I will get it sorted soon.

****

Anyway I hope that you are all well and staying warm and dry.

The weather here has been very cold and frosty

with horrible icy roads in the mornings

I am like Miss Daisy driving to work

 I trudge along really really slowly

as I am so scared of skiding

(yesterday a tractor overtook me)!!

****

I have the results of the giveaway for the Christmas ornament

1st prize

Karen from My Little Home and Garden

and

2nd prize

Victoria from Tangled Sweetpea

If you email me your details ladies I will post as soon as possible.

Thanks to all who participated

well done to the winners and commiserations to the people who weren't picked out

but there will be another giveaway after  Christmas so maybe next time!

Knitting...

After all your lovely compliments on my shawl/ I bought some wool and have started again

I really enjoyed the last one and when it finished my fingers were itching to give it another go

so hopefully this new knit will turn out ok...

Lovely Jennifer from A Well Styled Life has tagged me in the Sunshine award...

These are the questions she asked...

Who is a style icon for you?

This is a really difficult question to answer as there are so many stylish women
women who  dress really well and have oodles of style and panache
 I tend to dress in what suits me, trends that flatter my shape, colours I like
and I think that I have a fair idea of what works.and what doesn't
afterall I have years of experience!!!!

Can I name my style icon - No

What is your favourite cookbook?

I have shelves and shelves of cookbooks

I very rarely use them but they do look pretty in the kitchen.

any cookbook by Rachel Allen would be a favourite of mine

her recipes are simple, easy to follow and delicious

so always a winner!

What is the best book you read this year?

I think the best book I read this year was "The Island" by Victoria Hislop

I really enjoyed it. 

I'm reading "The Lost Wife" at the moment and that is a pretty good read too!

What one cosmetic can you not leave home without putting on?

Only one!!!!!

I never leave the house without makeup, never ever, ever!

I would scare away small children, old people, young people,  animals ....

But I suppose  if I had to chose one I would pick lipstick

as I would feel naked without it!

What is your favourite moisturiser?

Every day - Liz Earle

Pay day - Clarins

Some day  - Creme de la Mer

Thanks Jennifer for thinking of me.

I am not going to tag anyone today

but if you would like to take part it would be lovely to read your answers.

Well it's Friday and so it's Green Day

The usual rules apply...

Thank you to all who participate I hope that you enjoy it as much as I do

Raindrops and Daisies

A cake, a candle and cosy comforts...

 Now, I'm not a fan of the month of November
it's cold, it's dark and it's dreary
but here are some of the things that I am enjoying this month
♥♥♥♥♥♥
Baking

Irish Tea Cake

I have been baking a lot more now that the weather has turned cooler

This is a great recipe and goes a long way-

Half pint of cold tea

1 lb dried mixed fruit

8oz demerara sugar

4oz chopped walnuts

4oz glacé cherries, rinced, dried and quartered

1 large egg beaten together with 2 tablespoons of milk

1 lb self raising flour

Prepare the fruit by soaking overnight with the sugar in the cold tea.

Next day, 

stir in all remaining ingredients

 spread into a well greased roasting tin approx 11" x 9"

Bake in the centre of a pre-heated oven (150 degrees fan)

for approx one hour 10 mins or until golden brown and springy to the touch

I usually cover the top with foil (but that is probably my oven)

Cool on a wire tray

cut, spread with butter and enjoy.

I ♥ fruit in my pretty pink bowl

having a little taste of the mixture before popping it into the oven

and best of all eating it with lots of "real butter"

and cups of hot comforting tea!

Y U M M Y

 ♥♥♥♥♥♥

 hydrangeas

the last of the flowering plants in the garden

any day now they will be hit by heavy frost and turn black

so

I have taken some into the house

so that I can continue to enjoy them for another while at least

♥♥♥♥♥♥

 berries, berries and even more berries

The garden is full of them and they are so pretty...

 ♥♥♥♥♥♥

Warm fires at night

 ♥♥♥♥♥♥

a glass of red 

or 2

or 3

or maybe even...

♥♥♥♥♥♥

 cosy clothes

I bought this snuggly snood

 to keep my neck warm during the cold weather

it goes perfectly with my cream coat...

♥♥♥♥♥♥

candlelight

I have been super duper organised this week and started a little bit of Christmas shopping 

I bought this Max Benjamin candle to put into Mum's Christmas stocking 

Max Benjamin Candle

but 

I was very very bold

because on Saturday night 

I removed it from the box just to have a 
tiny sniff you understand and before I knew it I had it lit and the smell was beautiful
oopsie

will have to buy her another one now!

♥♥♥♥♥♥

and it's getting a lot like Christmas here

with the shops starting their seasonal displays

♥♥♥♥♥♥

Another award

this time The Beautiful Blogger award

from my friend Jill

Jill has a great blog Chillin with Jill and is  a lovely blogging friend,

pop over to visit her and you won't be disappointed.

I have to pass this award on and so it goes to

 Marcia from A Little Shop around the Corner

Daphne from Ivy, Phyllis and Me

Karen from My Little Home and Garden

Val from Val's Alentejo

Ayu from White and Roses
Natasha from Made by Natalia

♥♥♥♥♥♥

Good News- the painting is finished at last...

Mr. Raindrops and his assistant

Mr(will help -if I really have to) Teenager Raindrops completed the lounge,

 went on to do the hall, stairs and landing

and thankfully it is all done now!

♥♥♥♥♥♥

{Green Day 21}

Well it's Friday and so it's Green Day

The usual rules apply...

Thank you to all who participate I hope that you enjoy it as much as I do

Raindrops and Daisies

Autumn Lovlies & Green Day 19...

Here in Raindrops land the weather has been foggy, damp and miserable

but we did have a blue sky on Sunday
Happy days

♥ In the Kitchen...

baked some cakes but they were demolished very quickly by the 3 men in this house

 I could bake everyday and it still wouldn't be enough to feed them!

I made a coffee and walnut loaf (my favourite)

 and

out of the same mix

I made a chocolate and orange loaf and a zingy zangy

lemon loaf

easy peasy lemon squeezy!

To make 2 loaves you need the following ingredients
4 eggs, 8oz caster sugar,  8oz soft butter, 16oz self raising flour,
 add about 4 half egg shells of milk and just beat the lot together, voila!
 If I want lemon cake I add grated lemon rind  and substitute some of the milk with lemon juice
for coffee cake I add some coffee essence
 for basic light fruit cake, grated orange zest  and some of the juice and a packet of mixed dried fruit,
Orange and chocolate chip - add orange rind and a packet of chocolate chips.

All baked in a loaf tin at 160 fan oven for approx 35 minutes.
This mix can be used for buns too

I love baking,

measuring out the ingredients

putting the mix into the tins and popping  them into the oven

the wonderful aroma that fills the house

but

after I have baked my kitchen always resembles a war zone

 and the washing up, oh dear, oh dear oh dear!

*** is it just me or are you a messy cook too?

Because I ♥ cakes I needed a stand to display them on

so I bought this one for €18 in Dunnes Stores

it is so pretty with or without cakes!

I bought a mug to match for when I am having my cuppa €3

and the cutest little delph spoon - 75c ♥

 

♥ Home & Garden...

The orchid I got during the Summer is thriving

and I think that for €8 it was certainly good value!

" 

Ordered one of my very  favourite dvds from Amazon - Captain Correlli's Mandoin

brilliant  soundtrack, scenery, love story and Mr. Cage comes across as very manly and a bit of a hunk.

Not a huge fan of his in anything else but in this he just hits the spot.

What's your favourite curl up on the sofa movie?

♥ Where I live

photos from my walk with Mr. Raindrops yesterday

♥ and finally an Award...

Thank you to the lovely Natasha who has given me The Versatile Blogger award

I really appreciate this award, thank you Natasha.
Natasha has a wonderful blog Made by Natalie visit her and drool !!
I will pass the award on next week as this post is so long
 and I'm sure you have read enough of my ramblings at this stage!!!

 Green Day 19

Well it's Friday and so it is Green Day

The usual rules apply...
Thank you to all who participate I hope that you enjoy it as much as I do
Raindrops and Daisies