little black forest

10 things that make me happy

2010-03-02T09:39:00.000-08:00

i have been tagged by the adorable mathyld over at encore petite to tell you about ten things that make me happy. so here we go........

one my little family which consists of my husband & my two fur children, cheyenne and alfie.

two visiting my inlaw's beach house. i love going in the off season when we have the whole beach to ourselves.

three blue eggs. i don't even eat eggs but when we are on our travels & find blue eggs i have to buy them.

four sheep. i will one day have one of my own. until then i have to visit the farm to get my sheep petting time!.

five the sunsets on the lake in front of our house. they are incredible.

six seeing in the new year twice every year. being a relatively new transplant to the united states i celebrate the new year at 7pm EST & midnight. it's always fun to call home before i am tipsy & wish all my friends and family a happy new year!.

seven cooking. i love to make soups & bake bread so autumn is my favourite time of year. i am so happy in the kitchen chopping & prepping. and of course i really enjoy the eating!.

eight alfie. or alfie elvis darling if we are going to use his full name. i love this little dog & he makes me happy every single day. when i was in the hospital last year i was beside myself without him.

nine my best friend catherine. my partner in so many crimes. we have known each other forever but still maintain a fabulous friendship across the thousands of miles we spend apart.

ten well, the many friends i have made through blogging & crafting make me very happy!.

after the storm

2010-02-17T09:25:00.000-08:00

things are getting back to normal since the storm. the tree has been tended to by the wonderful people at save-a-tree and we have a lawn again. it is still so bitterly cold so the snow is not going anywhere and the icicles are out of this world. like glittering swords. i have been spending quite a large portion of my days watching the birds visit the feeders in our garden. if this winter is anything to go by i can't wait until the spring birds visit.

i really must do some sewing this week. i have three dolls started but have been neglecting them due to all the feathered friend watching!. i do hope you are all keeping warm. pictured is my favourite recent visitor. which are your favourite garden birds?

snow

2010-02-11T10:56:00.000-08:00

meet geneva. she adores the snow. i on the other hand have no love for snow whatsoever right now. yesterday we experienced storm number two. we already had a storm 3 days prior to this one. needless to say we are snowed in. the worst part of the storm was losing power & losing a lot of limbs off of my beloved 60ft pine tree. it is currently strewn all over our property. so i am not happy. i will be back with something more positive once i have thawed out.

't' is for tuesday and trees

2010-02-09T06:01:00.000-08:00

where do i start?. i think it will be with the trees i have just added to my shop. little wish trees which i adore making!. trees are very special to me and when we bought the house i was so happy to have eleven trees total on my property including a huge oak tree and some twin oaks. trees are a lot of work, we discovered this upon moving here in the fall!. i have made these little trees that don't need any work at all. i was inspired by this description of a wish tree :

"A Wish Tree is an individual tree, usually distinguished by species, position or appearance, which is used as an object of wishes and offerings. Such trees are identified as possessing a special religious or spiritual value. By tradition, believers make votive offerings in order to gain from that nature spirit, saint or goddess fulfillment of a wish."

i have updated the shop this morning with the trees. there are also more dolls on the way. ones like 'polly' who is my new header star!. she is already on her way to her new home!.

i also think that bringing a little bit of colour into your home this time of year is extremely important for morale purposes, especially if you have been experiencing the weather we have been getting here!. last friday i was sitting on my chair looking outside into the back garden at one of my squirrel friends. if you know me then you know that squirrels and myself have a history as it were. i seem to find every broken squirrel and try to nurse it back to health. they really are fascinating little creatures. on friday my favourite little one was sitting enjoying the abundance of acorns in our garden.

come saturday our second major snowstorm this winter rolled on in leaving the entire neighbourhood looking like narnia...

and because old man winter is feeling especially cruel we have our third major storm on it's way this evening. another possible 25 inches of snow to cover my garden. i think i need to make a wish on one of the wish trees. possibly for less snow & a hope of not losing power!. stay safe & warm wherever you are right now.

where i work wednesday

2010-02-03T08:24:00.001-08:00

i am a person who right now is lucky enough to craft all day every day, that is one of the bonuses of having major surgery a few months ago. probably the only bonus mind you. and i thought i would share with you a sneak peek of my craft room. i still have a long way to go with decorating & storage solutions but as soon as the weather is glorious i can open the windows & start painting!. that maybe quite a few weeks away though as we had snowfall last night & we are expecting a storm come the weekend. anyway, here is a little look at my desk which is directly under the window.

i try to keep my actual work surface as clear as possible as i find if my desk is clear i want to be in here more & doing what i like to do best - sewing!. i can't sew anywhere else, i am not one of those (lucky) people who are comfortable on the sofa in front of the tv sewing. if i did that my fingers would be riddled with pinpricks.

where do you craft?.

i have a vision

2010-01-28T09:00:00.000-08:00

well, it's more of a lifelong ambition & that is to have a garden that produces herbs, food & very pretty flowers. now that i have all of this outdoor space i have been planning where i am going to plant various things & what i actually want to grow. it has been years since i have had a garden & every time the weather gets above freezing i have been ridding the various plots of earth around the house from unwanted plants/shrubs/weeds in preparation for the time when i can plant seedlings & seeds. i have been trying to source as many heirloom seeds as possible & found a lovely etsy shop which i ordered from. the seeds arrived very quickly & came in very precious little envelopes with handwritten planting instructions. i don't know about you but i love the personal touch when i order something from etsy. i am sad to say that i am finding etsy a little depressing now. i purchased a few things over the holidays & really did not feel i got that personal touch that i yearn for when buying handmade. anyway, enough rambling, back to the garden!. here is 'plot one', situated directly under the craft room window & the front of the den. this will be home to the herbs. i want to grow everything from chives to lovage & pretty much anything i can will to grow for me!.

the first batch of seeds i ordered were actually not herbs ( apart from the chives ) but they are for 'plot 2' which is under the lounge window & 'plot 3' which is the side of the house. the seeds were purchased from http://www.etsy.com/shop/myvictorygarden and i highly recommend this seller!.

so that only leaves me with one more thing. a question. what are you excited about growing this year?

ruby & lula and my disappearing days.

2010-01-20T14:08:00.000-08:00

my husband has been away on business so i have been busying myself in the craft room. it's amazing how one can forget to do simple yet important things like eat dinner when left home alone with a huge pile of vintage fabric!. for the past few days i have been sewing so much that i start to get thirsty, look out of the window & realise it is dark outside!. anyway, enough of my rambling - meet ruby & lula.

ruby is a very talented banjo player & an avid chicken fancier. lula ran away to become a juggler in a circus troupe.

tomorrow the husband arrives home so i will be putting down my needle & thread to spend some quality time with him. i will hopefully manage to squeeze in a trip to the goodwill at some point. i really need to update the shop soon too. i am planning a new venture so it's going to take many cups of tea & a lot of concentration.....maybe it's something i will leave until monday unless i get a large amount of inspiration before then.....or if we get our promised snowfall that will render me stuck home!.

saturdays finds

2010-01-17T06:55:00.000-08:00

ever since moving out of the big city & into the sleepy wilds, the charity shops have turned into the best places in the world. finding a bargain in the city never happened but now i squeal like a child every saturday morning knowing i am bound to find something fabulous for not much money at all!. last week it was the plank table which is featured in the photograph - yesterdays finds are sitting on it. this week somebody who had a penchant for pink kitchen things had cleared out their unwanted wee things & for that i thank you!. i was not leaving the shop without the large printed framed 'immaculate heart of mary' much to my husbands upset as he does not like it at all. i also found a 1909 copy of 'cranford' with beautiful illustration plates for 49 cents. i love old book smell & this is like having a mini bottle of it to inhale whenever i want!. all in all a good little trip to the goodwill!.

quite a lot of running around was done yesterday but i guess it's all part of having a new house. it is supposed to rain today but that is a good thing as i have three dolls that need limbs & clothing. i'm off to do some sewing!.

a new year & a new direction

2010-01-14T12:47:00.000-08:00

well hello there 2010!. i can already feel the magic that is going to happen this year. i am going to be using this is my main blog from now on, so please check back here for all the updates i will be making to my shop!. i am in love with making dolls right now. there will be many more & a shop update very soon but until then i here is.........i have no name for her yet!.

broccoflower & cauliflower soup

2008-12-08T12:23:00.000-08:00

i love to make soup. normally sunday is soup day but i was so tired yesterday i decided to do the heavenly task today instead. it was going to be a basic roasted cauliflower soup because our local supermarket had two heads of cauliflower for $2 this weekend but i was in trader joe's earlier & simply could not resist the bright green broccoflower they had. so, this weeks soup is roasted broccoflower & cauliflower.

this is a really simple soup. not only is it cheap to make but it is also vegan & delicious.

ingredients

1 head of cauliflower
1 head of broccoflower
6 garlic cloves
2 shallots
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups of vegetable stock or fake chicken stock
1 cup water
1 small bunch of fresh thyme
2 cups of soy milk
salt and pepper (to taste)

preheat your oven to 400 degrees. chop the broccoflower & cauliflower into small florets. slice the shallots & peel the garlic cloves. put in a large roasting dish & add the olive oil. if you would like to skip the olive oil add 4 tablespoons of vegetable stock instead.

i cook this for 35 to 40 minutes, turning every 10 minutes to prevent burning. a nice bit of heavy browning is nice but cauliflower stuck to your tray is not good, so keep turning during this cooking process.

pour the water & the vegetable stock into a large pot. add the roasted vegetables but remove the thyme bunch. bring to a boil then partially cover & simmer on low for 30 minutes until the vegetables are very soft. i let this mixture cool uncovered for around 15 minutes then in a blender puree the mixture in batches until smooth. return the pot & stir in 2 cups of soy milk, or less depending on how you like the consistency of your soup. heat on low until nice & hot then add salt & pepper to taste.

this soup is filling & so perfect for cold days.....like the one we are experiencing right now in the city!. this soup can be frozen but it is better if you refrigerate & use within 3 days.

baron

2008-09-24T13:09:00.000-07:00

meet baron the bat boy. i made a few of these last fall & decided to create another one today. i think he is rather special & his wing span is much larger than the last battys i made.

i have already listed him in the shop. i am busy today!.

fall

2008-09-23T18:59:00.000-07:00

it is starting to feel fall(ish) here in the city. to celebrate this i am introducing some new little ones for the season....zombies!. meet derek, he is currently for sale in my etsy shop.

i am currently stuck at home fighting off a bad cold so expect more from me over the next few days. sniff.

september

2008-09-07T16:42:00.000-07:00

i am enjoying the end of summer & the vegetables it has to offer. so tonight we are dining on ratatouille, which is one of my favourite dishes to eat & to prepare.

i like to salt the aubergine first before cooking. you don't have to but i like to as it draws the moisture out of it.

i like to cook ratatouille slowly & for a long time. actually, this afternoon i drank a pumpkin ale & did some sewing for a halloween project i am working on for my etsy shop (more on that at a later date!).

growing

2008-06-21T05:11:00.000-07:00

i have started, a little late i know, the annual "grow something in the apartment' fest. i have started with dwarf leaf basil, garlic chives & corriander. i do not have any outdoor space at all so everything that i grow must fit on my windowsills. the dwarf leaf basil has sprouted but everything else has not but is doing a good job of trying to. well done, but must try harder little edible plants!.

if i manage to grow these without killing them then maybe i will become a little more adventurous, but it's baby steps for now. i am great at growing things in actual gardens but plants in pots are not my forte.

may already?!

2008-05-02T09:22:00.000-07:00

i am pleased to announce that i have some yetis for sale over at the shiny squirrel. it is so humbling to have my work nestled in with such amazing artists & designers. the yetis you will find there can not be found anywhere else as i made a whole new pattern for these ones.

you should take some time out to visit the shiny squirrel & i promise you will see some lovely things!.

i am hoping to do a shop update very soon with some great new things. look out for an update here very soon.

a little break of sorts

2008-03-30T10:14:00.000-07:00

oh my goodness it has been a long time since i have written here. not much has been going on but some new yetis have been made & are up for sale in the shop. todays yeti is pandora, who like to sleep a lot.

it does not feel like spring here in the city yet. actually, it is absolutely freezing today in my opinion. the one thing that is keeping me warm & sane is planning a little break for my birthday. we want to go upstate to unwind for a while so i have been trying to find the perfect cottage to spend a week or so in.

now it's time to walk the dogs & hope it is a few degrees warmer outside than it was earlier h morning!.

wonderland

2008-02-23T15:16:00.000-08:00

so, it arrived a little late this year but the city has finally experienced snowfall of some significance!. it made a change from all the recent rainy days we have had where i quietly wished that it had been snow instead.

i think i have been in winter limbo. i have been waiting for the snow for so long. now i can begin the tasks that i have been pondering since january 1st, finally organise the craft space & update the store.

january

2008-01-09T08:56:00.001-08:00

i took a little break from writing over the holidays, it was nice to have some time off & spend it quietly at home with my husband & the dogs. i have been working hard on the shop or more to the point preparing for a wonderful update in the next week or two. i have been working with some amazing vintage wool felt i purchased & i must say it is a dream to sew with!.

today is being spent sewing & waiting for a parcel to arrive. inside that parcel is my new desk lamp with daylight bulb so i can sew in the evenings with more ease & without my eyes hurting. i can't wait for it to arrive!. i am also drinking a lot of coconut chai tea with soy milk which is rather delicious.

little sale

2007-12-29T16:21:00.001-08:00

i hope everyone had a wonderful christmas. things have been very busy here with dogs having surgery, sewing new items for the little shop & rushing around like a march hare!. just to let you know that i am having a mini sale before the shop gets a makeover in the new year!

tabletop

2007-12-22T10:17:00.000-08:00

due to being unwell recently it has been very quiet craft wise for me. this weekend is even quieter as my husband is visiting family so myself & my little dog are home alone!. this always results in a large amount of cleaning & tidying which is never a bad thing. i have been polishing the floor, arranging my tabletop display & drinking tea.

i am also spending my time planning the christmas day dinner. we are eating a predominantly traditional english christmas dinner this year. we have christmas pudding ready to steam, i have been searching for the ultimate roast potato recipe, i will be making mince pies & vegan sausage rolls - oh i am so excited.

on that note it is off to the kitchen i go. so much to do.

winter soup with kale

2007-12-08T13:05:00.000-08:00

i was perusing a magazine in the doctors office yesterday. i found a wonderful soup recipe, it did have a cheese toast side dish to it originally but i do not eat dairy so did not bother. the soup is pretty much a meal in itself anyway & pretty healthy too!.

winter soup with kale

1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil

2 large idaho potatoes peeled & sliced 1/4 of an inch thick

2 onions, quartered lengthwise & thinly sliced crosswise

2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, finely chopped

1 bay leaf

a little black pepper ( i do not add extra salt, i do not think it needs it )

4 cups/32 ounces of vegetable broth

1 bunch of kale, stemmed & coarsely chopped

one 28 ounce can of fire roasted crushed tomatoes

3 large roasted red peppers ( i used ones from a jar & rinsed the oil from them )

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in a medium sized soup pot, heat the olive oil over a medium heat. add the potatoes, onions, rosemary & bay leaf. season with black pepper & cook, stirring frequently, for about 9 minutes until softened.

add the vegetable broth & bring to a boil. add the kale in small amounts & cook until wilted, this will take about 2 minutes then stir in the crushed tomatoes.

using a food processor or one of those little chopper things, puree the roasted red peppers & then add to the pot. lower the heat to medium/low & continue to simmer for around 15 to 20 minutes making sure your potatoes are cooked!.

remove bay leaf, put into bowls & devour!. i think this recipe will serve about 6 small portions of 4 very hungry persons.

happy december to you

2007-12-03T10:15:00.000-08:00

on saturday night i made some mulled wine in my favourite heart shaped pot. i like to add dark rum, orange juice & clementines as well as a little muslin bag filled with delicious spices.

apparently the previous nights mulled wine was a wonderful idea as in line with the festive spirit we woke to the first snow fall of the year.

today i finished little byron the bat. i am very pleased with him & will be listing him in my etsy shop today!

little bat children

2007-11-25T07:28:00.000-08:00

i am so busy with so many things, from gift buying, gift making, working, to sewing & cat sitting. i still have found time to introduce edgar the bat boy to you though!. i love him, his wings & the fact that many more bat children will be on the way soon!.

tiny yeti's, plush you, lentil soup & a rather short work week

2007-11-19T10:38:00.000-08:00

it is so cold outside but sadly no snow yet, just rain. still, it is always good to make soup on a day like today so i am currently simmering some lentil & tomato soup which really did not look too good until i added a teaspoon of marmite. thank goodness for knowing the secrets of marmite - i have been eating it for as long as i can remember & upon moving to america i was so concerned about not being able to purchase it!. it is not difficult though, they sell it in many speciality stores & when friends & family visit i always request a big jar.....just in case i run low.

i was very honoured this weekend to be featured on plush you. you can take a peek here. it is always nice to be noticed.

i have two little friends to introduce. tiny yeti's or yeteenies as i prefer to call them. pocket sized, stocking sized little characters.

i am very lucky to have a one day work week. tomorrow is my first & last day this week.....this makes me very happy indeed as i can get some sewing done.

not yet yeti!

2007-11-15T11:29:00.000-08:00

meet my yeti. he has a friend who is currently under construction. i love the fact that he has an almost rod stewart hair do. i will be updating the store tonight so keep a look out for him!. he is so bright white & wispy....he also has a little bell on his scarf - the festive little jingle yeti!.

owl foresteers

2007-11-12T13:12:00.000-08:00

i have some new little friends. owl foresteers!. i adore them & their little moose like disguises. their numbers will be growing very soon.

i just don't know where the day has slipped away to. it is almost dark outside. i have been so busy.

toasty

2007-11-11T12:48:00.000-08:00

i am feeling rather 'toasty' right now, toasty & warm. i have been busy listing new owls & sewing some darling new creatures for my little shop. i also have just finished a small bowl of the tomato & five grain soup i made today. it was delicious & so perfectly fitting for this very chilly november day.

it has felt like the longest week ever what with the clocks changing & the constant care i have been giving to my little dog all week. he is on the mend even though he spent the majority of the week looking like this

but onto the shop. i have managed a little update today with some new miniatures & a new large owl. hooray!.

have a toasty sunday !

saturday night dog emergency

2007-11-04T14:49:00.000-08:00

my little dog alfie had to be taken to the emergency hospital last night. he is doing much better & is at home now but he is in some pain which is simply heartbreaking. he had a ruptured abcess ( disgusting, yes ). he had to be heavily sedated so the vet could do what she needed to do & we were home & tucked up in bed by 2am.

this being said i have had not a minute to even think about sewing let alone do any so the shop update is not going to be happening until after the 10th but i will keep you informed. my number one priority is making alfie feel better, doing all of the things he needs to have done to him to get rid of any infection.

i hope everyone had a much more calm & relaxing weekend, now it's dark at 5pm & i find this all so comforting. i adore shorter daylight hours as it makes me feel more at home.

good night

oh i just could not wait!

2007-11-02T12:35:00.000-07:00

normally i prefer to make a few little ones for the shop so i can list them all together, but today i was not prepared to wait. meet orland the watching owl.

i think he is adorable & just listed him in the shop. i am sure he will be followed by many similar owl friends.

so very late

2007-11-02T07:54:00.000-07:00

i hope you all had a wonderful halloween, we certainly did here!. i always tend to decorate very early in october & then get sad, like this morning, when i remove the decorations. i always leave the gourds scattered around though....until they start to look rather sad.

the miniature owls have been flying out of the little shop just as fast as they flew in so expect a shop update in the next few days. i am working on some very special little ones right now & i can't wait to share them with you all.

lazy weekend

2007-10-28T13:13:00.000-07:00

waking up to the rain yesterday was lovely, when the weather is not so great outside i know for a fact i will get on with some sewing inside. i also tried out a great vegetable chilli recipe from the lovely Door Sixteen - needless to say the entire apartment smelled fantastic & my dinner was the most delicious i have eaten in a long time. inbetween preparing & eating i made three new miniatures for my little shop. i will be updating either later this evening or tomorrow.

i am obsessed with little scarves so i am convinced that little hats will be making an appearance very, very soon. and on that note, time to find my winter hat & brave the chilly afternoon.

grey thursday

2007-10-25T08:43:00.000-07:00

it is a very grey & rainy day today with a perfect chill in the air. finally autumn has arrived!. the leaves had been clinging to the trees for dear life due to the recent unseasonal temperatures. i really have to do some sewing, i have so many festive ideas running through my head right now but i am so comfortable in this chair with my little dog by my side. maybe a pick-me-up cup of apple tea then to get on with creating.

I have managed to finish a wee little owl this morning though, her name is mistletoe & she is wearing a snug little scarf. something i must remember to do when i walk the dogs later on.

little black forest is home

2007-10-22T15:24:00.000-07:00

welcome to my new little blog for my little black forest. i am certain myself & my little creations will be very cosy here, like sitting in front of a roaring fire wearing striped cashmere socks kind of cosy.

here are frost & rosehip which were added to my etsy shop today & on that note i am going to go & cook some romanesca & sit in the orangey glow of our halloween lights.

good evening.