2015 - An Explanation

So in the whole of 2015, I wrote 11 blog posts - less than one a month.

A lot has changed in this last year, and some things still are, and I think always might, remain the same. I'm still ill, barely any progress has been made this year into why I'm ill. I'd like to say I'm surprised but as a pessimist I'm not, however I am trying to be positive that 2016 might be the year they fix me!

Dave is still the same, it's nice having someone so reliable. I doubt he'll ever change, and I'm OK with that.

We're still in the cottage, but our Landlord has changed. The house was put up for sale in the Summer and lucky for us, another Landlord bought it and is happy for us to stay. Something I'm very glad of as I really hate moving house.

The time I have spent crafting this year has taken a dip, which has probably then impacted on my blogging because I had less content. The main reason for this is because I started a new job. At the end of August I finally left the call centre after 3 years! I've gone back to working in a Letting Agents which is what I did during the University holidays. Going back to full time has been hard, but I won't deny its been nice to bring home a normal wage again! I don't have the time to crochet at work like I did at the call centre, and I've then been coming home and having no energy to do anything except eat my dinner and go to bed.

So one of my goals for this coming year is to get back on track with my crafting, especially as I never have to work a Sunday any more so could potentially dedicate the entire day to crafting (and laundry because its never ending). I have the added incentive of the lovely posh camera Dave bought me for Christmas and the portable light studio to photograph all the things I make. This is proof, once again, that Dave knows me better than I'll ever know myself and that's why he's so good at gift giving. I'd also like to finally get my Etsy shop up and running, but I'm trying not to be too optimistic!

To anyone who may have stumbled upon this post, I wish you the happiest of New Years, and I hope that you accomplish everything you set out to do!

xx

BEDM - Day 3 - Self Care Sunday

I, like probably the majority of people, don't take as much care of myself as I should. I'm reluctant to spend money on things that I feel are unnecessary or frivolous, even though I'd happily spend the money on something equally frivolous for Dave. I think its because when we buy things for other people its easier to justify; passing it off as a gift, or thinking, they deserve to be treated.

Luckily I have people who buy me the things I would never buy myself. At Christmas my friend Bekki treated me to some lovely Soap and Glory products, and told me she had bought them because she knew it was something I would never buy myself, and she's right. Then on mornings when I'm not running late, I can take the time to "treat myself" and even though its something small I feel it sets me up for the rest of the day.

Today was a nice day, spent with my in-laws meeting Dave's brother new girlfriend. She's lovely but much to Dave's mothers horror, she (like me) isn't really interested in having children. I think she feels left out as her younger sister already has 2 grandchildren and another on the way.

It's nice having another "outsider" in the group after it being just me for the last 6 years, although its hard finding a table to seat 7 people while out for tea.

On that note I'm going to sign off and pester Dave until he makes me a brew...

Hope everyone had a lovely Sunday

xx

Marscapone Frosting

I had my good friend from university Liza come to stay this weekend. I spent the majority of the week before she got here hooked up to IVs at the hospital; turns out my body can't cope fighting 2 infections at once! As I still wasn't feeling 100% we didn't do much, Sunday was spent sitting under a duvet watching Disney films, I had to limit my sing-along-ing as my throat was really painful. I did however keep my promise to bake her something. Of all the things I have in my baking repertoire her and Dave will always request the same thing - Brownies.

I made Dave some last week, just plain brownies that when microwaved were molten in the middle (Dave thinks they're the best ones I have ever made!) and wanted to do something slightly different. I found a recipe for brownies,baked as individual cakes rather than a traybake and with marscapone frosting on top.

I've only had marscapone frosting once, it was in a Lemon cake someone else made, and it was amazing but wasn't something that I had made myself. It's made pretty much the same as you would make cream cheese frosting for carrot cake; its just the cheese, icing sugar and vanilla essence. I also added in some chocolate shavings.

These are really good if like me you have a sweet tooth. They are very sweet, and I couldn't eat more than one (a day). The marscapone frosting is sweeter than usual cream cheese, I'm actually tempted to put it on my carrot cake next time I make it, see what the difference is.

Has anyone else been baking this weekend? xx