A Question for you

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I have always loved learning, big fat book worm.  So this period of inert, jobless state I'm looking forward to a time when I can afford to take on an evening class or something.   I'm also looking forward to doing a Masters as soon as I can afford it.  I also hope you look quite as stylish as the student above while studying again :-)

I'll probably enrol in a evening class every year, but one option I'm thinking of doing is further A-levels.  I've done some research and it turns out they only cost £200 for the year.  Maybe I'll do one next year if I don't enrol in the Masters at Leicester University I've got my eye on. 

I'd want to do the A2 level year for English Literature, having an AS under my belt already, but I didn't carry it on to A2 because I was thinking I'd need Chemistry for university (I was wrong).  As I was better at English this was a shame, but I think it'd be fun to carry on as I still LOVE English and reading.

So, the question for you... is there a subject you wished you had done/ hadn't dropped at A-level/high school or what not?? 

And another question (spur of the moment addition)... What, out of everything, would you be interested in studying in a evening course?

Freya May

Chocolate Orange Delights!

I've been playing in the kitchen, one of my Life Time Ambitions is to get published in some form, and a cookbook would be a great idea and achievement!

This is the recipe for my very own Chocolate Orange Cupcakes, this is a super easy and very tasty cupcake, that Hubby has declared his love for!

Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 200g Caster Sugar
• 200g Butter
• 2 eggs
• Rind and juice of one orange
• 200g flour
• 1 table spoon of cocoa

1. Cream the sugar and the butter, then add the eggs, orange rind and juice until smooth.
2. Sift in the flour and the cocoa.
3. Divy up into large 12 hole cupcake tin ( I chose orange cases, 'cos I'm like that)
4. Bake for 20-25 min, until the cake is spongy to the touch.
5. Cool ready for icing.

Ok, there are two types of icing you can use, and they are both very sweet.

The one I used in the photos is orange butter cream.

Ingredients

• 250g icing sugar
• 100g butter
• juice of one small orange
• 1tsp of orange colouring (if you want, gives the best colour but isn't necessary)

Cream all ingredients them pipe on to the cooled cakes.

or, Chocolate Ganache, which I'm doing on my second batch of cakes.

Ingredients

• 400g dark chocolate
• 375ml cream

Melt the chocolate over a saucepan of boiled water, off the heat, add the cream, and let cool, out of the fridge, before use, pipe on before it sets.

And the decorate how ever you want!  I've used orange segments, but go wild, have fun and put anything you want to finish them off.

Happy Baking!  If I ever write a cookbook, this will totally be in it!

Freya May

T-Shirt Quilt

This is the quilt I made this month.

I've wanted to make a t-shirt quilt for ages, and have been collecting shirts for even longer.

You'll need:
>12 shirts/side with image/text on- the more you have the bigger it'll be, I've got 20 in mine and its about 60" by 35"
Backing fabric- i.e. fleece
Sewing machine
Thread (Black)
Scissors

First, cut out all your shirts, which ever side you what to use, in to even rectangles, or even better, squares.

Then choose a soft/warm/comfy backing fabric.  I chose fleece, as it is very warm and soft and easy to work with.

Then cut out a piece of the backing fabric to fit each shirt piece.

Sew the shirt to the backing with a big X through them.

Once they are all sewn together, lay them out in the order you like.

Sew each piece in to strips, with at least a half inch hem, raw edges to the front of the blanket- this is important, you'll see in a moment.

Once you've got all the strips, sew them all together!  Again, at least a half inch hem and raw edges to the front.

Now, sew another half inch boarder all around the out side edge of the quilt.

Then, get your scissors out again, and start the hard part.  You might think it looks a little scruffy, with all those raw edges sticking out the front.  I certainly did. At this point I had a moment thinking 'Well, that looks like a mess'.  Well, you'll want to take them scissors and cut tiny little cuts into the raw edge, up to but not over the hemming.  This is the part that takes forever (and might give you blisters).

before

But, once it's done, you can totally see the difference!!

after

So there we have it, very simple T-shirt quilt.  Will be making another one in a few years once I've collected enough Greenbelt shirts :-)

Finished article

Have Fun!

Freya May

Have you met... Geoff?

He is my first sockmonkey... and I'm very proud of him :-D

Freya May

Feeling Like a Spy...

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I've got a part time job, kinda, working as a mystery shopper :-)

Naturally, I can't tell you much about my 'assignments', but I did one yesterday, which was fun!

I wandered around, checked out the different departments, and made a purchase (for which I get reimbursed! Free stuff!!!)

I totally felt covert, but also, really self conscious! Like, 'How do I normally behave??'  'Are people looking at me?' 'How do you talk to staff?'

Then I had to write a long report on my experience and stuff, that was the boring bit, but I was worrying I'd forget important details...

Fun, I hope to do it again, little bit of cash is never a bad thing.

One Chilly Morning...

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I woke up this morning to a definite chill in the air, the kind you can feel while still wrapped up in blankets in bed, and makes you hope you never need to leave the slight warmth they are providing.  I hate that chill, for one thing it makes mornings ever so slightly worse than usual, but it is also a signal that the weather is changing for winter :-(

I don't hate winter in general, I like the idea of roaring fires, and cute jumpers and hot chocolate, but the fact that the weather is cold enough that these things are essential, makes me sad.  I'm just a warm weather person, loving beaches, and sunny festivals and wearing skirts and vest tops and sandals.  I like being HOT.

But, there is no escaping it.  So, preparing to layer up, turn the heating on in the next couple of months and dealing with the British winter, again.  I just thank God that this year, we're in a house with a working timer on the central heating- last year it was manual and the on button was down stairs :-(

Have you felt the chill yet?

Freya May

Zumba!

Had my first Zumba lesson this eve, with the wonderful Ruth and her Mum.

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It was so much fun, I've always loved dancing and I did feel like I was getting a good work out!

I had to take it kinda easy, as I haven't done any kind of exercise in aaagggeeeeess! Unless you count walking round shops- which does burn the calories, but isnt really hard core:-)

Totally going again next week, it was brill!!

Pudding Date

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Settling in to our new town, finally working out some ways to try and live cheaply, Hubby and I went on a pudding date this evening, to Cafe Rouge.

The idea is that we eat at home then head to a restaurant to have pudding, thereby enjoying the excitement of going out in the evening with out forking out a ton of money for the pleasure- we do worry about becoming hermits sometimes.

However, Hubby enjoyed a large glass of wine with his pudding, so the bill came to roughly the same as a meal out in a cheaper restaurant, heyho :-)

Perhaps we're finally get used to being poor once we've started bringing home some money?  You never do know...

Freya May

A late nights randomness

I'm up late, not quite feeling ready for bed yet, though the I know I will be shortly.

I'm feeling rough, nothing major, but a sore throat all day and a constantly runny nose.

And I've had one of those days where I have really only eaten one thing, Peanut butter and bread, with the odd chocolate too.

I always find those days odd, like, there is really nothing else I want to eat, so, why not just eat what I want.  I do worry about them though, really haven't had my 5-a-day, or any substantial food.  But, I'm full, and I hear peanut butter is actually good for you. 

Never mind, hey, tomorrow I'll be a model balanced diet citizen.

Freya May

Unfinished

The new advert for lable maker asks a bunch of people to lable themselves, mine would be: Unfinished.

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Not knowing where my life is taking me, sifting through the options of next steps and plans leaves me feeling like I'm still building to something.  I'm just not done yet.

Any ideas for your lables?


Freya May

I Love a Beautiful Wedding

Congratulations to the shiny new Mr Andy and Mrs Francesca Shaw, who got married this weekend in a beautiful ceromony and wicked party!

We wish them the best of luck, all the blessings in the world and life time of happiness.

Love you, Franberry!

Freya May

Crafty Insperation

So,  the job hunt continues after an unsuccessful interview for a TA job yesterday.  I handed in my CV to Newlook today, which I'm hopeful for, be nice to have a low pressure job, plus I'd get discount.

So, in the mean time, I persevere with craft, as it is one thing that certainly makes me happy and not feel like I'm waisting my time.

And here is some inspiration, I think it is full of great ideas! Glad I found it on Pinterest.  I find pinterest so funny, having an obsessive personality, and loads of time on my hands, I have had to set my self a limit of time that I'm aloud on it for: Max two sessions a day, 30 min a piece.  Self control, its nice to meet you.

I go through peeks and troughs of creativity, and I'm always on the look out for something like this, to give me a push and some inspiration to get back in to a creative mindset. So, i guess I must get on with doing some of the things on this list.

Freya May

One Year Anniversary

I just wanted to take a minute out of our anniversary to thank my darling Husband for a wonderful year =)

I love him more than anything, ever. 


Soppyness over,

Freya May

British Heart Foundation

I've started volunteering in the local BHF charity shop to keep my self busy for the last 3 weeks.  I've only done 3 hours a week, but it's been fun. 

I do stock stuff mostly, which means that I get to see all the new stock and put aside items I fancy before they even get on the shop floor- sweet!!

I hope I get to keep doing this for a while, we'll have to see if I can fit it around work when I finally get some =)

Freya May

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Pretending to shop

I've been thinking about clothes, as always really, and decided to have a look around at one of my favourate shops, Dorothy Perkins. 

This is a selection of the things I'd like to be wearing as the season changes.

Greenbelt Baby!

Another year has gone by and Greenbelt, again, as always, was awesome!  I love the festival, it's usually the most relaxing weekend of the year, because there are no pressures, not required activities, just interesting and fun things to do.  This was my 6th year, which I can hardly believe, and every year I come away, wishing that I could do it over again.  Well, wishing I could have a shower and sleep in my own bed for a night before doing it all over again.

Dave and I had managed to convince a few of our university friends to join us and I do believe that they, too, had a fabulous time! :-)  I think a couple of them thought they'd got rid of us forever, but we've since made plans to sleep on their floor next time we're up at Keele, so no luck of that- Sorry!

So, favourite Greenbelt memories from this year include 'discovering' Edwina Hayes, a singer/songwriter from the UK with a stunning voice that I can't get enough of.  She is the one who sings 'Feels like home' at the end of the film 'Lovely Bones', and, if you know that song, I hope you'll agree that it's just purely beautiful.

In addition to her music, I also really enjoyed the affirming talk that Rob Bell gave from  main stage.  His message - Be you, if you've only got a little to give, give it all, because it is everything.  I happened to go to a few talks that have given me some inspiration of how I can make my mark on the world for God.  I always aim high, in the hopes that one day I'll make it, so watch this space:-)

Thank you Greenbelt for the memories, and see you again next year, perhaps after persuading more and more people to join us!

Has anyone else been to a festival this year?

Which one? and What were your best bits?

Freya May

p.s. my back ground image is one Dave took at Greenbelt a few years ago, it's of balloons we all let off at the communion service to send our prayers heavenward.

House Warming- Nice and Toasty

Held ourselves a little house warming party the weekend before last- I personally have far to much fun making decorations and preparing food for parties, but I enjoyed having something productive to do with my time.

Thank you to everyone who came and made our home feel like home.  Now you've been and know where we are, you got no excuse not to visit again.

Have you had any parties over the summer?
What is your favourite thing about getting ready to party?
And, what makes home feel so homely to you?

Freya May
xxx

Nothing to report

*pic from my pinterest

Life goes on: been baking, and looking for work and hanging out with Dave.

God Bless,

Freya May

Such a Lovely Weekend

Busy weekend, lots of fun, friends and family.

Dave was back from his training course- only one week left, yippee!- and on Friday night we went to the cinema to see the Cpt. America film, which I enjoyed, controversial!

Then we had a lazy Saturday morning in, went to see my mum to pick up yet more boxes from her garage, had a bbq with David's parents for tea and then to a party at our friend Tom's, where we got to see and hang out with friends:-)  Emma, from uni came too, and stayed over, being the second person to ever sleep in our new home. 

Sunday was another lazy morning, we missed church, so went for a walk and home for pot-roast Sunday dinner, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and a group, afternoon nap.

Dave and Em had to leave to return to Warwick University ready for the last week of training and I watched the West Wing.

I love hanging out with people I love, it always ends in loads of fun.

Freya May

Heyho

I made cupcakes today and, for reasons now unsure, I choose to ice them with blue icing.  Humm...

They look tasty, no?

This has made me decide to get rid of my food colours, apart from the red- for Red Velvet Cupcakes, and the pink, because it always manages to look cute! :-)

Hey ho, I'm sure I'll still be able to find people to eat them- call me if you fancy one, k.

Freya May