Banana Muffins

The first day of the Easter Holidays and I have exhausted all my time filler ideas already!

Send help, or a nanny!

Today we washed the shed, travelled back in time and baked banana muffins.

Glossary:
'washed shed' - cleaned outside toys which, it was decided by those wiser than me, should include the shed.
'travelled back in time' - visited the newly installed and hugely condensed Stamford Museum exhibit at the library. They have a cool tapestry if you are passing.
'baked banana muffins' - err, baked banana muffins.

Taking a recipe from Allrecipies.co.uk we tackled the 'too-ripe-to-be-eaten' bunch of bananas.

Mashing and smashing them with a fork, adding sugar and an egg, and a dash of honey (not in the recipe but we were feeling all daring).
Folding in plain flour with a half teaspoon of baking powder and a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda.
Adding raisins which was the Princess's idea.
Baking for 20 minutes.
Eating.

365project - Week 13

One word sums up this week - Green.

Green lanterns catching the sun.
Green grass being mowed along with the sacrificial daisies.
Green card Easter Eggs in an egg hunt dry run.
Green hillocks conquered by the Princess.
Green credentials recognised in an upcycled dress for the Princess.
Green things spotted through binoculars (Green connection addmittedly a bit weak with that one!).
Green peas on a plate caught by a shaft of sunlight.

Next week purple?

For more 365project photos head over to The Boy and Me.

And it's not too late to vote for me for the BiB Award recognising photography by clicking on the pretty pink and green badge below :)

And if that's not enough please feel free to vote for me in the MADs ;)

Silent Sunday

#SilentSunday

Saturday is Caption Day

Mealtimes can be a bit like feeding time at the zoo, except zoo animals are less vocal and showy-offy than my animals.
Zoo animals will grab their food and retreat. My animals lark about, have a laugh, scream a bit, wander off, and then say "I don't like it".
I may trade them in for chimps, or penguins.

Look, see what I mean?

Slap a caption on it and then slap some more at Mammasaurus.


PS. Just in case you didn't know (where have you been?), I've been shortlisted in the Brilliance in Blogging Awards and I would be obliged if you could place a tick next to my name in thereby issuing me a vote that gets me one step closer to the red carpet. Just click the badge. Much obliged x

PPS. I've also been nominated in the Best Photographic Blog category of the MAD's. This is just getting embarrassing but I have to mention it, and then I might just ask in a casual way if you fancy voting for me? So, thanks, and all that.Click the badge ;)

Domesticaphobia

Image credit

There must be something wrong with me.

First it was the carpet and dusting off the ancient Vax machine, searching online fruitlessly for some instructions before conceding to the "suck it and see" rules of experiementation and sudless anti-foam carpet shampoo. The results were considerably less wet than expected and considerably cleaner carpets than expected. But I was audibly shocked at the colour of the water coming out. As a side effect, ancient carpet cleaners make for great upper body workouts.

Second was the underwear drawer clear out. Odd socks, heel-less socks, elastic-less knickers and wireless underwired bras were confined to the recycling bin. Not to be recycled into anything useful in my house despite my best efforts to visualise sock monkeys with no noses, but to be sorted by the council into rags. It was therapeutic but I now have no underwear.

Thirdly I have been washing (with actual soapy water in a bowl and sponges and drying cloths) my skirting boards. This was an amazing feat in itself but it was, in fact, a precursor to touching up the chipped paint where my hoover bashes into them whenever I drag it out and use it in anger (no other way to hoover in my household management manual).

Fourthly, I have weeded 3/4 of my 'flower' beds. This in preparation for a drought when nothing survives in my garden except dandelions.

Should I seek medical help? Should I at least have a lie down and sip gin? Should I start a cleaning company?

I have considered all 3 options, albeit the last one only very fleetingly, and the answer would seem that it is an annual infliction that I seem to recall occurring at a similar time last year. Yes it is the over-rated Spring Clean. Thing is it is getting worse every year and I have heard it can be age related, symptoms getting progressively acute as you age to the point of cleaning on a daily basis. I know, shocking isn't it! Who knows where this could end. I might actually wash the floors next.

Should I be worried? Is there a cure? I was quite fond of my loathing of all housework. I even discovered a name for it: Domesticaphobia. It would have been called Oikophobia had I been writing this post in the period immediately after WW2 and had Robert G. Moeller been reading it who invented the term in relation to slacking wives.

I like my Domesticaphobia status so please can anyone make any suggestions for what, on the (polished) surface of things, seems to be a cure?

Look Closer

This is a photo of my front door. Close up.

This is the door that I pass through 10 times a day, at least. I take it for granted. I don't even notice it but it keeps me safe when I am inside, is a doorway to a new day and new opportunities, and welcomes visitors. It holds a certain charm and beauty up close but stand back and all I see is glass that needs cleaning more often than I can bothered to do it.

I am amazed by the beauty in things when you take some time to actually look, examine, turn something a different way to create a shape. I seem to be doing this all the time, looking at colours and textures, looking up and down, and seeing beyond what is there. I think this stems from my increasing interest in photography, joining in with the Gallery and doing the 365project. I am constantly looking for another image.

But it has gone further. I am wandering round charity shops and I spot a cotton top. Only I don't see a cotton top. I see a dress for the Princess. I am looking for things that can be turned into something else, a bit different and I can't stop myself. I walk over a rippled paving stone to aid the blind at a road crossing and I see a really lovely pattern and take a photo of it. I boil wash a jumper and (cry) see an infinity scarf.

It's driving the kids mad. "Can we go now, Mum?" "Yes, just as soon as the sun has moved a little further round because that is going to make a stunning shadow." *sighs from the children*

But I am so absorbed by it, and I am loving the thrill of my finds whether they are visual or material. And I'm not going to stop any time soon.

In the meantime, sorry door. I promise to take more notice of you in future.



I am joining in with this weeks Gallery and the theme 'Extreme Close Up'.

The £1 Dress

I love a bargain.
I also love a rummage.
I love creating things.
I love sewing.
I love the smile on the Princesses face.

So can you imagine the skip in my step when I delved into my local charity shop and came out with this little cotton top for the bargain sum of £1.

It was the fabric that drew me to it. I loved the bright blue and orange print and a little bit of me hoped that the top would fit me. [I can't ever bring myself to try clothes on in a charity shop. It is the smell you see].

It didn't. Too small. Must diet.

So instead I cut it up. Or partially deconstructed it like this.

Then I had to wing it.

I wanted to keep the yoke section and then have the dress attached from that leaving it sleeveless.
I took in the side seams of the dress and then gathered the top of the front and back of the body to fit the width of the yoke.
I then cut bias strips out of the excess fabric from the sleeves to finish the arm holes.
I attached the yoke front and back and then finished the edges of the yoke.

Not the neatest of jobs I have to admit but for a £1 slip-on dress I was chuffed.

And the Princess? Well she doned her model pose and declared that it was lovely!

Am I alone in wandering charity shops looking for things to cut up?
I'm going to start my own club.