This is Great Britain

14/2/12- Stuck.

2012-02-14T14:42:00.002Z

Happy Valentines day!

Hope you have a lovely day.

I enjoy making Valentines day crafts, but have yet to take a pic of this years result. Those felt hearts give you some indication of what the craft looks like however.

I've been absent on the blog again- for any good reason you ask? Well its that darn motivation thing that keeps creeping up on me. I'm struggling to stay motivated on the blog, and am trying to decide what to do next.

My lack of ambition towards the blog causes me to post inconsistently, which I am sure is annoying for those people that do check this blog on a daily basis.

The main reason I started the blog over two years ago was to share my daily joys, and new experiences here in England. I've touched on this before saying that now, the daily joys are still here, but its become everyday. So I switched to a focus on crafts, baking, sewing, ect. I enjoy posting on this, but now with the popularity of Pinterest- are people interested in reading about the domestic joys that comes with DIY and baking, or more interested to just 'pin it'?

It's not like I want a huge following by any means, but its nice to know that there is someone out there that enjoys my posts and would love to continue reading. However, if there ever was the potential to be invited to blogger events, or get more involved in the blog, I'd be keen.

I feel like its either an all or nothing mindset when it comes to the blog, and I'm kinda in the middle. I am going to take a break (and hit up the Alps for some snowboarding), and have a think. In the meantime I'd love to hear your thoughts.

What types of blogs do you read?

What makes you return to a blog again and again?

What would improve this blog?

General comments and feedback would be great.

7/2/12- Taste of Britain Tuesday

2012-02-07T09:24:00.002Z

Last night I had a wee dinner party, and decided to make a pie for the gals. I tried one out of this new cookbook from Pieminister.

If you have a few moments, take a look at their website. They have some delish pies available, and you can see the wide range of what a pie can actually be. Pies are not a Canadian thing at all, and I have to say one my my new fave dinners is a fish pie. We had the Pieminister 'Pietanic' for supper on the weekend.

Moving on. In all my busyness to put the dinner together, I never took any photos of me creating this wonderful Hunters Pie which I made, but it worked out and everyone seemed full and satisfied after the dinner.

I am sure I've done a previous 'Taste of Britain' and have mentioned pies, but there is nothing wrong in repeating a good thing!

6/2/12- Fog

2012-02-07T09:14:00.002Z

Thick, thick fog this morning.

3/2/12- Beautiful.

2012-02-03T16:32:00.002Z

1/2/12- Yup, thats cold.

2012-02-02T08:41:00.001Z

February is upon us, and here in England its cold. This is the coldest week this winter I believe, with lows getting to -8 in our area. Yikes.

If you've never had the pleasure of experiencing that damp cold, you may think -8 is not so bad, but the way that everyone describes it is "the cold goes right through your bones".

Days are looking like this...

So on days like this, its nice to make some homemade scones with some lovely jelly.

I made Mary Berry's scone recipe, which worked out perfect!

31/1/12- Perfection?

2012-01-31T15:32:00.000Z

I tend to read a lot of blogs. The majority of them are similar to mine- daily musings, baking, cooking, travel, fashion. (Though I don't really talk about fashion, I do enjoy reading about it).

At one time I was following so many blogs, that it got to the point that I wasn't even reading the posts, but scanning quickly to get onto the next one. Seems wrong. So I've cut back, and only follow a small handful. I've gone back to the days of enjoying blogs, taking time to comment, and trying suggested recipes or DIY.

One thing that I've always noticed with the blogs I've read is the perfection of bloggers and what they do. No one seems to blog about a bad day... Would the reader be interested in a ruined outfit, a loaf of bread thats not risen properly, or a rainy day in paradise? Do we read blogs to divulge into the perfect-well organized-good looking-quaint-twee-always baked to perfection- lives of others?

This past week I tried and failed a number of new recipes. New dinner recipe- failed. Lemon curd- failed. Onion marmalade- failed. Macaron filling part 1- failed. But did I blog about these failed attempts? Nope. I will try them again, and share my successes with you.

Funny isn't it?

Rose macarons with a lemon buttercream filling

25/1/12- The Everyday

2012-01-29T19:45:00.000Z

I don't know if I will ever get used to the fact that I now live in a town, that has a castle.

A-mazing!

Is there anything you see on a regular 'ol day that you take for granted? (I'd say at home in Alberta is was those beautiful Rocky Mountains. Don't realize how amazing they are till you can't see them everyday.)

Castle tower shown peeping over a local pub.

24/1/12- Taste of Canada Tuesdays- Perogies

2012-01-24T13:27:00.000Z

Well, it's back. Taste of Brit- I mean, Canada Tuesdays!

Just for this one week, lets take our taste buds to Canada. (Ultimately we are taking our taste buds to Poland and the Ukraine, but that's just details).

Though I am back in the UK now, a couple weeks ago I got to try the Perogy Boyz- a food truck in Calgary thats been getting some serious buzz around town.

As a perogy lover and maker (see Christmas traditions), I had to give these Boyz and their 'rogues a try before flying back to England.

My cousin and I (my compadre perogy maker) took a trip downtown one chilly (-30) day to find the roaming truck, and to have some lunch. Thankfully due to the cold temps there was not a huge queue for lunch.

We both got the traditional perogy (though they did have some other interesting mixes), and I have to say they were fantastic. (Better than ours? That's debatable). I love the idea of these food trucks, and how the Perogy Boyz are making 'rogues the hit meal for lunch. Check em out next time you are in YYC.

Now that I am back in the UK- the land where perogies are not common- I am keen to whip up a few batches to freeze for those perogy-kinda-days.

23/1/12- What are you reading?

2012-01-23T13:02:00.000Z

Christmas put a bit of a hold on my reading, I couldn't even get through one book!

Now that the holidays have passed, and life is a bit more regular here are my two reads for this week. First this Lonely Planet book... It's interesting so far. Nice to read about people moving to a new country- I can relate.

The second is not a book, but a magazine. A friend suggested I have a flip through her 'Oh Comely' mag over Christmas and I loved it. It's a British mag (So, you can get it in Canada but its a bit pricy), 4 quid at your local WH Smith. It's an interesting mix of artsy/domestic/unique/warm your cockles sorta stuff inside.

What are you reading?

21/1/12- Raspberry delight

2012-01-21T21:23:00.001Z

Oh hello 'This is Great Britain'! I've not forgot about you.

After a fantastic time at home I've now made the transition back to the UK. This week has been a bit of getting over the jet lag, and getting back into life here. As promised a few posts ago, I will be back into making this a regular hobby- starting now.

This evening I had the pleasure of enjoying some raspberry beer, which came delightfully wrapped in brown paper.

I also gave this blueberry beer a try.

All the whilst making these fabric covered candle holders. For some tea lights. The plastic kind. (You know the fake kind of tea lights? I think they have great potential). I found the idea on Pinterest - original source here.

15/1/12- Cycle Sunday...on ice.

2012-01-15T17:49:00.000Z

Cycle Sunday is back!

This week I've chosen to share a photo from our lake skating adventure on New Years Day. This is lake Invermere in BC which was completely frozen over.

Perfect for skating... or riding ones bike?

See the wee cyclist out there amongst the ice fishing huts?

8/1/12- The Perfect Mix DIY

2012-01-08T21:22:00.000Z

A couple of weeks before Christmas a friend and I got together to create some holiday gifts.

I didn't post photos at the time as I know some people that read this blog, were getting one of these. Now that Christmas has passed, and gifts were given and received I thought I'd share what we created.

My friend found this idea on another blog (where many DIY ideas are found these days!). We created "The Perfect Mix", all the important items needed for a good cup of hot chocolate.

Simple and cute... See the steps below.

4/1/12- Happy New Year!

2012-01-04T23:45:00.001Z

Happy New Year!

Lots of solid time spent with family and friends over the last week or so. (My excuse for the lack of blogging).

Soon life will resume to normal, and I will be on here regularly, with my weekly posts like Taste of Britain Tuesday and Cycle Sundays.

In the meantime, there will be more skating, snowboarding and enjoying the season.

17/12/11- Traditions

2011-12-17T15:35:00.000Z

Traditions.

What traditions do you carry on every Christmas? Have your traditions changed after getting married or having a family of your own?

One of our traditions is our awesome traditional Polish Christmas Eve dinner. We've always celebrated Christmas that way, and I can't imagine not doing so. It's a very special dinner, with lots of family history. Part of the dinner involves perogies, which my cousin and I make every Christmas Eve morning...

So tell me, what traditions do you cherish?

15/12/11- Homemade love

2011-12-16T05:32:00.001Z

As mentioned in a previous post, a friend and I got together recently to do a little crafting to make some homemade gifts.

Every Christmas season I have a enlightened moment where I consider whipping up fantastic homemade gifts for family and friends, but the moment leaves and I don't do it. Saying that, I always make truffles to give away and have been doing so for years and years, but would love to do more.

I also spoke to a friend the other day who is giving away homemade gingerbread, shortbread and Baileys. (Homemade Baileys! I had no idea!!! I think I have to try that just for fun). What a great idea.

I'm thankful for the motivation from my friend to create these gifts, of which both turned out perfect!

So...do you create any homemade gifts for friends and family? Do you have an annual treat that you make each year to give away?

A little peek at our creations. Apologies for the poor image. The flash on my lovely camera decided to stop working and I am now left with poor photos and no camera. Boo.

12/12/11- Chew chew, its lunch time!

2011-12-13T04:34:00.001Z

This weekend my cousin, friend and myself attended Market Collective. I took only two photos and they were pretty poor, so chose not to blog about that event.

However, if you are in the YYC area, I highly suggest attending a Market Collective event sometime. (There is one again next weekend). We made sure to get our Christmas-themed photo taken with the odd outfits and humorous poses as well...what a hoot!

A few weeks ago I went for lunch with a friend in a small town just south of Calgary. We decided to lunch in the cute cafe that is located in a train car! The food was great, but of course the idea of eating in a stationary, old, CP rail train car was more delightful!

After this we checked out a local shop with excessive antiques. Will share the photos soon.

9/12/11- Christmas Crafting

2011-12-11T06:14:00.001Z

Last night my friend and I got together to create some Christmas gifts for friends. We made a few very cute gifts that she had found on a blog. (Oh blogs, what would we do without you?)

Cute Christmas crafts deserves great supplies.

We went to the local quilting shop in her town to find some fabric, and what a treat! This was no ordinary quilting shop. The building which it was located in was well preserved and loved.

The floors, ceiling, lights- and all the little touches around the store were beautiful.

Now, you may want to see what we created...but I will have to save those pics till the gifts are given. I don't want any recipients to see the photos on here in advance of Christmas!

8/12/11- Gingerbread house time!

2011-12-09T15:05:00.001Z

Yesterday I had the pleasure to make a gingerbread house with my cousins children. Oh so fun!

I purchased one of those pre-made kits, as though I do love to bake, I am not an architect. ha! The thought of making each piece to an exact size was too much- maybe another year.

The kiddies did a great job of decorating, I was the builder of the house and icing squeezer.

Do you make a gingerbread house every year?

'Look! There's the one I put on'

29/11/11- Taste of Maui Tuesdays- Pineapple Coconut bread

2011-11-30T02:43:00.001Z

It's the revival of Taste of Britain Tuesday! Though this week is a little different... It's taste of Maui Tuesday.

When we were in Maui driving the Road to Hana, there were all these great little roadside stands selling homemade goodies like banana bread, coconut bars, fresh fruit smoothies and so on. I believe I saw on stand selling pineapple coconut bread.

Upon arriving home (to the cold dry city) I was missing that Hawaiian feeling. (If you've been to Maui, you know what I am talking about) So I decided to try this very tropical recipe.

I found it on this website and gave it a try.

The recipe was pretty easy, and the house smelled amazing as it was baking.

So tropical...I could almost hear the ocean waves crashing ;)

The 'bread' was more like a cake, and this is mentioned on the website. I found it to be almost a little too moist, and I had to bake it for a bit longer than what the recipe said. If I were to do it again, I'd use less pineapple, as that is what caused this cakey moist texture.

However, it was delish! If you want a little tropical in your cold days, give this recipe a try.

24/11/11- AGA

2011-11-26T19:59:00.001Z

Earlier this week I drove up to Edmonton to attend to some bits and bobs.

One thing on my list of to do's was to check out the Art Gallery of Alberta. The AGA had opened just after I had moved to England over two years ago, so I've missed out on seeing it till now.

The exhibitions were great, and the layout of the gallery is nice as well.

What I was also so impressed with was the building itself. A pretty amazing space to be in... I guess the architect decided to juxtapose the angled windows with a steel ribbon referencing the North Saskatchewan river with the Aurora Borealis.

21/11/11- Cycle Sundays, Maui style

2011-11-22T04:51:00.001Z

I miss my weekly posts for Cycle Sundays. Patty and Betsy (my two bikes) are home in England, so I've not done much cycling lately.

(That, and I am not a fan of cycling on snow, our current weather here in Canada)

In Maui there were many locals on bikes around the small towns. Lots of them had bikes similar to my town bike, and there were many Cruiser bikes. (How cool eh?)

Life in Maui seems so slow paced, riding a bike around town for your daily ventures seems to fit well into that laid back vibe.

One bike I spotted on my travels...

20/11/11- Back, brr...

2011-11-21T00:29:00.001Z

Well we are back from Maui!

I'm already missing looking at this...

The view from our balcony aka lanai

And drinking these...

Mai Tai

An amazing trip, Maui really is an island paradise. Thank you for the comments on my last post, the flowers really are beautiful eh?

This morning I woke up to -31. Not cool Canada, not cool.

16/11/11- Where have I been?

2011-11-16T07:10:00.001Z

Aloha!

Where have I been for the past two weeks you ask?

Maui!

We came out here for my oldest BFF's wedding, which was so beautiful and amazing, and along with that have had a fantastic trip to Maui.

We've got a few days left, and before we leave this island paradise I wanted to share some photos of some of the wonderful flowers found on the island.

Mahalo for sticking with my blog during my absence. Once I get back home to Canada, will share a few more snaps. But for now, its back to the warm island air and pina coladas.

2/11/11- Yar!

2011-11-03T05:39:00.000Z

I attended a fab family birthday party on the weekend. It was for a lovely three year old whom I adore, and it was a dress up party. The guest of honor was a pirate, and all the children that attended dressed up as well.

I took some fun photos that I was going to share, but ran out of time to make a decent blog post about the party. So instead I will just show these two photos of shoes.

A good friend here at home is a drama teacher and always teaches her students the importance of shoes and how it creates a character. The shoes are the first piece of a costume an actor/actress receives, and once they have those shoes, they should not rehearse without them. For they put you into that character from the way you walk, to how you hold yourself on the stage.

I thought of this when I looked at these two photos.

(Playing musical islands. Like musical chairs, but since it was pirate themed it was islands)

(My cowgirl boots and the birthday boys pirate boots. Love this pic).

Exciting trip happening this week, so I may not blog as much, but will post some pics to tempt you of warmer climates when I get a chance.

31/10/11- First snow

2011-11-01T20:26:00.004Z

What's that falling on my windshield?

(FYI I was stopped at the red light and took this photo. Driving and taking photos is dangerous!)

Yup, it's snow!

However, the good thing about this snow is that it only was in certain areas of the city, and melted by the afternoon. The first snowfall is always fun and pretty, but after many months of it, let me tell you, its not so fun!

29/10/11- Artsy

2011-10-30T22:36:00.004Z

Serious art evening last night with my artsy friend. It's been ages since I've done artsy/journaling projects.

It was a great way to spend a night! Add in a little cake and wine, and you are set!

28/10/11- Young bakers

2011-10-30T06:01:00.003Z

I've been doing some childcare whilst I've been home for my cousins children whom I love. I'm learning a lot about the wee ones, and of course enjoying the funny things they say, and their outlook on the world.

There are some great toys out there these days, and this is one I've noticed a few times.

Wood cupcakes.

The icing tops can be interchanged between the wood bases, and you use your icing (aka markers) to decorate the cakes. Once complete, stick on your candle (attached with velcro), and your cake is complete!

Too cute.

27/10/11- Minnewanka

2011-10-28T16:59:00.000+01:00

How beautiful is this?

Taken at Lake Minnewanka a couple weekends ago. The lake is close to Banff, and believe it or not is used for scuba diver training. There's not much to see down below, but the frigid mountain temps make this lake a interesting training ground for new divers.

25/10/11- Who needs a boat?

2011-10-25T21:21:00.003+01:00

Last week I went for dinner with a fellow sushi lover. Sushi is something that is not so prevalent in my English home, so I take advantage when I am in Canada.

We tried a new place, and the best part was the sushi train they had going around! How cute. A sushi boat is always lovely, but this was my first time picking food from a moving train. (And a CP Rail train at that).

If you live in the UK, tell me where your fave place to get sushi is. (So I know for the future!)

24/10/11- Life Made Lovely Monday- Vinyasa

2011-10-24T15:36:00.000+01:00

Lululemon has to be my number one fave store here in Canada. I adore it all, but have to restrain myself from buying excessively when I go there.

They have a great scarf in store these days called the 'Vinyasa scarf' which is made of a lovely jersey material, and has snaps for closure. I love it, but my crafty brain said 'You could make that!' (Does anyone think this too?)

So I went to the fabric store to get some rather inexpensive jersey fabric to give it a try. My Mom also has a fantastic new sewing machine here, a nice change from the old girl in England.

A short time later (hand sewing on the snaps took the longest!) I had my very own Vinyasa inspired scarf :D Happy days!

(Teaming up with Life Made Lovely today for this domestic moment)

(Lovely plaid shirt I have on isn't it? No, just cause I am home in Canada does not mean I wear plaid, it just happened!)

22/10/11- Market Collective

2011-10-24T02:34:00.002+01:00

This weekend my friend and I attended Market Collective. A market showcasing local artists and artisans and their wares. My cousin has attended a number of the Market Collective events and raved about it. So we thought we should check it out.

I love attending events such as these, those which shine a light on local artists work. And of course with any market, shopping is involved!

Local musicians jamming throughout the day.

The photos from photographer Amy Victoria Wakefield were beautiful!

A couple other fave tables of the day were Chika Ando's quirky illustrations and Cinder & Sage's unique jewellery

My one purchase of the day was this print from Tara Put. She had some lovely and very creative pieces- check out her etsy shop here. Isn't it lovely?!

21/10/11- Waiter!

2011-10-21T15:40:00.001+01:00

Waiter, there's a shoe in my drink!

Milestones creates amazing belinis, which used to come with tiny plastic animals sitting on top of the creamy, delish slush.

When a friend and I had one on a patio in the beautiful autumn sun, we were pleasantly surprised to see shoes this time around, how fun!

On that note, have a great weekend everyone, cheers!

19/10/11- Rockies!

2011-10-20T04:58:00.000+01:00

Flying over the Rocky Mountains from Vancouver to Calgary.

I mean, how amazing are they! I do miss seeing them everyday, and am loving seeing them each morning now that I am home. Can't wait to get on them with the snowboard as well!

12/10/11- Nice marketing

2011-10-18T00:37:00.002+01:00

Oh hello blog! I've missed you...

The schedule of my life in Canada is a wee bit different than England, and as I've said in previous posts I'm still getting used to it for this time I am home. It feels funny to be sharing images and stories of Canada, as the blog is called "This is Great Britain" not Canada after all.

But I hate to drop the blog for the time I am home, so I will march on and continue it. I'd think that my British followers may be interested to see bits of life over here?

A little tiddle from our Vancouver trip as mentioned in the previous post. One day we saw a Telus truck set up on the side of a busy street in Van, with a long queue of people outside of it. (For the UK crowd Telus is a mobile provider like Vodafone)

We did some further investigation and found out that the queue was for a free tshirt which you could choose the silkscreen image for your shirt. The choices you had were the ones below, we thought they were pretty cute so decided to wait and get one.

(We both got the iphone is the new nintendo print)

The shirt was pretty good quality and there was only a small telus logo on the back. Smart marketing telus, smart.

Everyone loves a free tshirt. Don't they?

11/10/11- We woke to this

2011-10-12T00:38:00.000+01:00

My BFF and I took a girls trip to Vancouver last weekend. What a beautiful city, and so lovely at this time of year!

We stayed in a hotel on Robson Street, which goes up 48 floors or something of that height. We got a room on floor 27 and this was our view- amazing. I highly suggest staying there as the views are great and location to the city is perfect.

We also enjoyed the sights of the constant stream of lululemon fashion on the streets, it seems like its the norm to wear it everywhere and anywhere. Also very miffed about all the Vancouver Canucks fans wearing jerseys, but not on a game day. Odd.

Clearly I've slowed down on this blog since I've been home...Just need to get back into the swing of things here and I may post a bit more.

2/10/11- Cycle Sundays

2011-10-06T19:58:00.001+01:00

Hello! I've not forgot about the blog, just a change of scenery has caused this slight delay.

This will be the last cycle Sunday for a while, as last Sunday I didn't even cycle, but was flying home to Canada!

I'm home for a bit, and have been getting settled into life back here. I am sure I will keep up the blog, and will try my best to keep up my weekly 'features' as well. However, it may not be so 'This is Great Britain', but 'This is Canada' for a while.

Hope you enjoy.

29/9/11- Skyline

2011-10-03T15:43:00.002+01:00

In town one of the (many) churches is getting a revamp. I believe they are working on the stone work, and some bits that are falling apart.

On the 10k race I ran a couple weeks ago in town here, there were many people running wearing shirts that read "save the church!". It's a beautiful addition to the skyline here, which of course has lots of history.

It's all wrapped up as they are doing this work, and if you are from Alberta (or Canada for that matter) what does it look like to you?

Yup, a grain elevator! How lovely is that? Alberta was once dotted with them, but years ago they started knocking them down. I loved that this looked like one.

27/9/11- Taste of Britain Tuesday- Broccoli & almond soup

2011-09-29T17:24:00.002+01:00

Apologies for the lateness of this TOBT post. It's been a busy week for me...

On tuesday I made a wonderful James Martin recipe of broccoli & almond soup. He says that almond soup is actually an old British fave, which I had no idea. I thought this soup was also a nice knockoff of the traditional British soup broccoli & stilton.

I love homemade soup, and this one was amazingly delish.

26/9/11- Oreo

2011-09-26T12:32:00.003+01:00

The other day I whipped up these homemade oreos, a recipe I found via Canadian Livings Pinterest, via Flour Child.

They were SO easy to make, and delicious. If you check out the original recipe and read her commentary on the cookies, you will want to make them too.

25/9/11- Thatched

2011-09-25T13:08:00.003+01:00

Thatched house from a nearby village... how cute!

22/9/11- On the left

2011-09-22T15:14:00.001+01:00

This morning I took Patty out for a ride. I am finding that each ride that I take her out, I am getting more confident on the bike, stronger on the hills, and am increasing my overall speed.

She is a very different ride compared to my town bike Betsy, and don't worry, Betsy still gets a ride every now and then :)

I snapped a couple pics on the ride today, and would have taken some more of the beautiful scenery, though I'd have to stop riding. I guess there is nothing wrong with stopping to take photos, but I like getting out there and just pedaling.

The majority of roads that we ride on around here are like this. They are called B roads, joining small villages and towns, and in the morning or afternoon (outside of commuter times) are nice and quiet to ride on. There isn't much of a shoulder like Alberta roads, but drivers are generally quite respectful when passing you.

Yes, this is a road not a bike path! Isn't it lovely? This is a favorite stretch of mine on this one specific route. This isn't even considered an B road its so small. It connects a few smaller towns on the route, and has nice rolling hills to get some good speed on and to work the legs.

21/9/11- Morning & Night

2011-09-21T09:46:00.000+01:00

Oh! It seems a 'Taste of Britain Tuesday' has passed me by and I've forgotten to post. Whoops...Will make it up to you later on this week.

Also another thing to note, I've signed up to Bloglovin' to organise my daily reads. I was using Newsfire, which worked pretty well. However, I had to reinstall it and they want to charge me for it now, no thanks.

So far I am liking the usability of Bloglovin', so if you are on there feel free to follow my blog (Link will be at the bottom right hand side of the page), and if you don't use it, maybe you should!

Anyways, here is a lovely photo of the Quarry the other morning, I had to take a pic of the autumn colors as I was on my way for a morning swim.

And a lovely sunset last night

19/9/11- Life Made Lovely Monday- Zipper-de-do-da!

2011-09-19T09:22:00.001+01:00

Today I am linking up with 'Life Made Lovely Monday', sharing the lovely-ness it is to install a zipper!

I am working my way through the Amy Butler 'Style Stitches' book, with my first project the Cosmo Bag shown here. (Which I use all the time, and have received some nice compliments on).

I skipped the second project, as it wasn't really a style of bag that would suit me. So next was the Origami bag set.

This pattern gave you six different bag sizes to sew, and I tried the small and medium sizes.

Like last time, I also followed along using Jem Jams blog to guide me, as she always has helpful photos and notes about each step.

I admit, I was nervous in installing the zipper...I don't think I've ever sewed a zipper, and without my Mom to help me I wasn't sure if I could do it! I shared some frustrations with my sewing cousin, and glad I wasn't the only one that found zippers annoying. I broke about four needles in the process of learning, but later found out that was my 1970's machine acting up, and had nothing to do with the zipper.

Once I got the hang of the zipper foot, it was a breeze! You will see the finished product below- and may notice I used some of the Cosmo bag fabric on this project.

I whipped up two of these bags no problem, and even made two more just this past weekend. (In an afternoon!). A few tiny details to alter for my next zipper project, but all and all I think I am over my fear! :)

18/9/11- Cycle Sunday

2011-09-18T12:12:00.003+01:00

Betsy and some local sheep.

15/9/11- Sewing woes

2011-09-16T12:03:00.000+01:00

So after being inspired by Teka's blog post about her skirt, I decided to whip up a skirt of my own. I got inspiration from both this blog, and this fuller version.

After making a few bags I am feeling more confident about my sewing machine, which is very exciting and slightly addictive. The material I chose was a nice grey color, with a bit of sheen. Because it was a wee bit sheer, I even sewed in a lining. Whoop whoop!

So this is what the skirt looks like in the end.

I have mixed feelings about it. It goes just below my knees which I think is a bit too long, so I will have to shorten it. I love that it has a bit more body, as I prefer a more gathered 50's style look. However, at the same time it's the fullness of the skirt that I am unsure about. I think any skirt you make with a elastic waistband has this sorta 'bulgy look', but I am unsure if I may have put too many gathers round the waistband.

(Oh, and I didn't make the waistband tight enough, so its too big for me!)

For you sewing gurus out there, what do you think? Any suggestions?

13/9/11- Junk or Treasure?

2011-09-14T15:36:00.000+01:00

One day we ventured to another part of town to pick some bits and bobs up from the local bike shop. On that journey we discovered this new store "Junk 'n' Disorderly"- what a great name!

The shop sells old and refurbished furniture, and I had to take a look. Love places like this!

(Saying that, I've never bought an antique or refub'ed piece of furniture in my life, but maybe one day?)

It was this red chaise lounge that was on the street the day walked by, and it caught my eye. Beautiful isn't it?

Will set you back 245 quid, and unfortunately was not in the best condition either.

I kept exploring. As you see from the exterior image its quite an old building...it had many rooms and multiple staircases.

I love this mirror. I think a mirror like this would look amazing at the end of a hallway. Very Van Eyke. (One of my fave paintings).

This scared me a bit.

I didn't understand the set up of the scary doll and multiple footballs on the stairs. (Oh and for those of you concerned about health & safety, you could not use these stairs)

Some great china sitting around as well...

13/9/11- Taste of Britain Tuesday- The 99

2011-09-13T15:17:00.000+01:00

For todays Taste of Britain Tuesday I am going to focus on a summer favourite, the 99.

(Clearly I still wish it was summer, and am in no mood to cook tonight!)

The 99 (aka 99 Flake) is a soft serve ice cream, with a Cadbury Flake inserted in. You'd get a flake from an ice cream parlor or your local ice cream truck.

I had no idea what this was before arriving here in England, and I know I have mentioned it before on the blog. I thought it was just too darn good, not to mention again.

I've heard that people are having issues commenting on the blog...I will have to take a look into this, as when I get comments it really means a lot! Sorry, if you've had any issues...

12/9/11- Farmhouse White

2011-09-12T18:53:00.000+01:00

On this blustery Monday I had a bit of time to make some bread. I had found this recipe for Farmhouse White bread on Pinterest, and I believe it was Canadian Living where the recipe came from.

Oh Canadian Living :)

Anyways, this recipe used milk instead of water which was new for me...I would also normally make a granary (whole wheat) loaf, but wanted to try a plain white loaf. I have a fantastic bread book called "Dough" that I often use for bread, however its always nice to try something new.

The bread tastes delish, and I am happy with the consistency of the bread and the crust texture. Only concern was it did not rise as high as I would have liked. My sleuthing makes me think it could do with the warmth of the kitchen, as it could have been a touch warmer.

11/9/11

2011-09-12T15:02:00.002+01:00

I heart NYC

10/9/11- Page turners

2011-09-11T12:44:00.000+01:00

I've not posted a 'reading' update in a while. One main reason for this is because I've been working my way through 'Gone with the Wind'. Well I finished it on friday and loved it. If you've not read it, I suggest you invest some time and give it a chance. Such a great story. Thanks again to my cousin for suggesting this one to me. This week I am going to find four hours to watch the movie...

I am now excited to move onto my bookshelf to see what's next. I am taking it easy with a couple short reads, before hitting another longer more intense book.

Started this one yesterday, I love Paris so am really looking forward to learning more about it.

Sent to me from a friend, looks like a cute story.

A book about the color, and the scandals associated with color and getting pigment. I am an art geek, so this is useful info for me.

Ya, this book is still waiting to be read. I mentioned it my last book post, but this month I am finally going to read it.

9/9/11- Patty

2011-09-10T12:08:00.001+01:00

This is Patty.

I went from having zero bikes, to two bikes in a month and I love them both! I've always wanted a road bike, so recently purchased this one. She is very different to ride compared to Betsy, and don't worry Betsy still hits the town even though Patty has arrived.

There are some great roads in this area of the country to ride on, very picturesque and lovely to ride, as well as challenging and hilly. I've switched my cycle computer to Patty, as it makes more sense for the long rides to see the stats of speed and distance.

7/10/11- You spin me

2011-09-07T11:57:00.000+01:00

Last week when I was in Birmingham, I popped over to the Ikon Gallery to take a look at their current exhibition.

It's been a while since I've been in a gallery, so it was nice to see what they had on. It was a two floor exhibition highlighting the work of Atsuko Tanaka, including paintings, drawings and and installation.

I had never heard of this artist before visiting the gallery, but the exhibition was well curated and I left with some new found knowledge. The rounded painting shown in the image below was actually wired up to some motor, so after you pressed a button, the canvas spun around in a clockwise direction. I've seen a lot of art in my time, but never a spinning painting!

6/10/11- Taste of Britain Tuesday- Lemon Tarts

2011-09-06T16:41:00.001+01:00

Currently on tv there is this show called "The Great British Bake Off", which is exactly what you would think its about. A reality/challenge type show where bakers compete with each other. It was on last year as well, and a cookbook exists from the first season.

They usually create at least two different items and its interesting to watch how they put a spin on the challenges. It's also nice to see all the British dishes they are creating. Last week they all had to create lemon tarts... I love lemon so I decided to try a lemon tart this week.

Well needless to say, if I was on the Great British Bake Off last week, I would have failed. ha!

The tarts taste great, but the buttery base did not work out as I would have hoped, and for some reason the top of the tart got a bit browned. This was not in the plan.

Oh well, they still taste great!

5/10/11- Run!

2011-09-05T15:54:00.002+01:00

The other day my cousin posted a blog entitled "Live a Little". In this post, she talked about the idea of setting goals, and the sense of achievement when you reach those goals.

I found this to be an inspiring post to read only days before my half marathon which I ran yesterday. It wasn't my first one, but nonetheless it was exciting, challenging and painful. I obtained my PB this race, which was also great. After an experience like that I look forward to the next race and know my time will be even better.

I will leave you with a quote from my cousins post I thought was fitting. "So my friends, throw caution to the wind, try something scary, make a list, you really can do whatever you want! And it feels fabulous".

I agree.

4/10/11- Cycle Sundays

2011-09-04T18:27:00.001+01:00

Ah cycle sundays. However I didn't bike today, I did something else...Will fill you in tomorrow.

For now, here is a pic from a ride this week.

1/10/11- Back to School

2011-09-03T10:59:00.001+01:00

Well September is upon us! From what I've seen on facebook and twitter, many people are surprised how quick this month arrived.

For many its a time to hit the books and head back to school. I love that back to school feeling...Though I admit I will miss the warm summer weather. Hoping for a warm September here as our August was pretty dull weather-wise.

I went to Birmingham on September 1st, and saw these great murals painted on the side of the old Birmingham library.

How lovely do they look? Birmingham is building a new library, which looks quite large and modern compared to this one. I wonder how long these will stay on the building?

P.S. Thank you for all the recent comments, it's lovely to read your thoughts and comments. I do my best to reply to your comments as well, so make sure to check back :)

Home- 31/8/11

2011-09-01T08:03:00.000+01:00

There are some streets in town here that I love. To me, they are so very "British"- though don't ask me to define what that means!

I seem to take many photos of streets, and couldn't help but snap this photo as I rode home yesterday. It's a tiny street in the town centre, very quiet, with a school at the top of the street, and the entrance to the park near the bottom.

I think these homes are so pretty...The colored doors, a bit of greenery, and at Christmas time they always have these great festive wreaths on the doors.

(I am still making small changes to this blog every now and then. Is there any format you liked/dislike? Anything you would like to see on here? Any suggestions?)

Taste of Britain Tuesday- Pancakes 30/8/11

2011-08-30T09:05:00.003+01:00

For todays Taste of Britain Tuesday, I chose the humble pancake.

British pancakes are different from the Canadian type I am used to. The main change is the thickness of the pancake, as well as the topping. They do have a similarity to French crepes as well...The batter in a British pancake is quite runny, compared to the thick Canadian batter.

Traditionally pancakes are eaten with lemon and sugar.

Right, thats enough writing about pancakes, eating them is far better.

Stockholm Sweden- 29/8/11

2011-08-29T21:41:00.002+01:00

The second last port of our cruise was Stockholm.

(Post continued from my first cruise post ages ago!)

We first stopped at the Vasa museum to hear the amazing story of this ship...

As Stockholm is comprised mainly of small islands, we took a hop on, hop off boat to the islands.

Of course, no trip to Stockholm is complete without a trip to H&M!

Stockholm was pretty awesome. It was beautiful and unique- a return trip is a must. I could have put many more photos up for this post, but kept it simple.

The sail away from Stockhom was also beautiful. We cruised by thousands of islands on the way to open water. Some so small they housed a tiny cottage, and others larger with roads and numerous houses. If it wasn't raining it would have been a better view, but still fantastic.

Cycle Sundays- 28/8/11

2011-08-28T09:10:00.001+01:00

Back from a great trip to the cost, here is the cycle sunday snap for now. More to post later. Happy bank holiday!

Taste of Britain Tuesday- Pie 23/8/11

2011-08-23T10:07:00.004+01:00

Today I've chosen a very British dish...that I don't eat! Pie.

Well let me correct that, I eat some types of British pie, just not the ones with red meat like steak & ale (my Mom's fave) or pork pie. Granted most of the common pies have red meat, but I have had a chicken & mushroom pie from time to time.

A pie sure can fill that void you may have, and is great on a cold winters day. Add some chips and baked beans, and you are set.

Any pie fans out there?

Looking back on this weeks blog posts, its all about sewing and biking. I realize I've not taken many pics around town for a while, and since I have some new followers (hello!) I should make sure to keep this blog well rounded and interesting for all.

Which reminds me I've still not blogged about the final two ports of our cruise, Stockholm and Copenhagen. I will be sure to do that asap.

On that note, August is almost over (can you believe it!) and I am off for the rest of the week, so a break from the blog for me. Enjoy your week!

22/8/11- Cosmo Complete!

2011-08-22T21:00:00.005+01:00

The Cosmo bag is complete!

I blogged about this project earlier on this week, and completed it today. These aren't the best photos, but you get an idea of how the first project went.

The bag was labeled as 'easy' in the book, and once I got the hang of the instructions and the many many pieces, it was a great starter project. I also got some help from this blog Jem Jam, as she had some great photos of the many steps involved.

Overall shape & look of the bag:

The side view & exterior pocket:

The inside lining, which also has four side pockets:

The bag is very roomy and I love how it turned out. Onto project two!

21/8/11- Cycle Sundays

2011-08-21T16:32:00.002+01:00

Stop and smell the roses...

19/8/11- Moo!

2011-08-20T09:19:00.003+01:00

A while back on another fellow bloggers site- Crafted by Lindy, she mentioned these stickers she had recently received from a company called Moo.

I know that stickers and printing on stickers is not a new thing, but this seemed like such an easy way to personalize cards or letters, and a fun thing to do as well! It also brought me back to my days of collecting stickers. ah...

I decided to create a little photo sticker book with some of my snaps. It arrived, and look how cute it is!

18/8/11- Cosmo

2011-08-19T19:32:00.005+01:00

I received this beautiful sewing book for my birthday last month, and this week decided to take on the first bag.

Amy Butler has included some beautiful bags in this book, and I love the patterns of her fabrics. I was a bit nervous starting such an intense project, as though I love to sew, it's been ages since I used a pattern. I was so surprised to see that the patterns she uses are just normal paper, not the flimsy tissue paper style like the old days. (I know, for those of you that sew you are probably thinking- paper patterns have been around for ages! This just tells you the last time I used a pattern).

The first bag I will be making is the Cosmo Bag- which is seen on the front cover of her book. So far, its going pretty well! I don't plan to show you the step by step process, but will share the final result with you. Here are the fabrics I chose...

I LOVE the pretty skull/rose pattern on the one fabric. It's got that nice mix of tough & pretty.

17/8/11 Photog

2011-08-17T20:19:00.003+01:00

Hello everyone!

I apologise for the lack of 'Taste of Britain Tuesday' yesterday. Whoops! I had all the intentions of making a real British recipe, however due to my lack of planning I didn't have the right ingredients and well... no post.

I thought today I share some artwork that I've got up in town. The new coffeehouse is holding an open photography exhibition where artists could submit their photos. Throughout the month people can vote on their fave, and then that artist gets a solo exhibition sometime in the new year. I think that would be amazing!

However, for now, I am pretty chuffed about having a couple photos framed up in public. It's been a while my art has been hanging for people to see. The two pics are from traveling, the one on the left entitled "Hudsons Bay Company" taken in Cork, and "Lemon Gelato" taken in Florence.

As a part of the show they are also available for sale. I'm hoping someone buys one of my prints, how fantastic! If not, then either I've got two new photos to hang, or maybe one of you wants to buy it?! ;)

15/8/11- Life made lovely- a bit of cushion

2011-08-15T15:34:00.008+01:00

On my bike ride with Betsy (fyi Betsy is my bikes name) yesterday I had my purse, and some other bits and bobs in my basket. Loving that basket, as its so handy to have. I found however that there was some rattling around, and my bits were creating an unpleasant noise in my basket. Not what you want on a lovely sunday ride.

I decided to whip out the sewing machine when I got home to create something to alleviate this issue.

I am not a professional seamstress by any means (what's that saying- "Don't quit your day job"), but I do enjoy it and that is what matters right? So without a pattern or any internet influence I took my leftover Liberty fabric, and whipped up this little diddy.

Sure, call it a pillow, or maybe it looks like a chair cushion but I don't care! It has a pocket for my mobile, camera and keys. The best part is, it stops that jingling and jangling that was happening before. :) (I will be taking orders if you want a bike basket pillow for your bike. hah! Kidding).

Linking up with Heather for...

14/8/11- Cycle Sundays

2011-08-14T17:43:00.004+01:00

Today starts the first installation of a new weekly feature- Cycle Sundays.

I've always been a huge fan of taking photos of vintage bikes, and have decided to include a weekly photo of my bike, taken somewhere on the previous weeks cycle trips. Alice from Quaint Living tweets a weekly "bike on a fence" photo, and I love seeing her lovely bike around Oxfordshire.

If you are a biker, and love bike photos like I do, I hope you enjoy these photos. If not, well... tough luck! ;)

I also have some new additions to my bike as you see in the photo below. A lovely bell (needed when people are walking four across on a pathway), and a odometer clocking speed and distance. The odometer is great, as now I don't have to google earth my route to see how far I went. Today I went for a great country ride after watering a friends garden and picking some fresh herbs (as you see the parsley in my basket!).

Cycle Sunday snap

12/8/11- London (& British) Love

2011-08-12T19:10:00.007+01:00

Hi all,
I thought I should include a blog post about the weeks events. It's been a hard and frustrating week whilst watching the news every night, and reading about it online.

I don't want to write about the riots, as there is so much out there already discussing it, and I'm still letting it all settle in my mind. Perhaps you've read about the events, or maybe not at all.

Instead I will leave you with some photos from my very first trip to London back in 2006. This the the trip which caused me to fall in love with the city, and to look towards living in Britain.

Below the images are some links to some blogs which I read, and their feelings on the subject.

Talli Roland- London Love (Which I've named this post as well, thanks Talli)

Style & Grit

Little Brown Pen

The Fabric of my Life

Sunshine With Everything

Have a good weekend, and I promise more blogging next week from me! :)

Taste of Britain Tuesday- Chili & ginger biscuits 9/8/11

2011-08-10T16:00:00.004+01:00

Hi all!
Sorry for the delay, I've chosen this recipe for this weeks Taste of Britain Tuesday, simply cause I always wanted to try it, and they are called 'biscuits' not 'cookies' as we'd call them in Canada.

They were lovely!

8/8/11- Pedal heads

2011-08-08T19:02:00.003+01:00

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

We were hoping to get out for a bike ride today, but the weather was not cooperating, and riding in the rain is not my idea of a nice bike ride! My bf got a super-fantastic-uber-fast road bike, so now I have someone to pedal along with. Though I have a feeling he may be faster than I.

I've updated my "blogs that make me swoon" area on the blog, so when you have extra time make sure to check them out. There are some great reads on there, and some fantastic new bloggers I've recently discovered.

I'm trying to expand my daily reads to more unique blogs, as I've realized many of the ones I read are very much alike. I will mention some of my new and fave finds sometime this week. (Like bike blogs!!!)

What blog is your fave daily read? I'd love to hear about some new blogs.

Since I have no pics of Betty (my bike) to show today, I will leave you with this pretty bike I saw in Helsinki. Speaking of travel, I also have two more days of the cruise to share with you.

5/8/11- Helsinki

2011-08-06T13:41:00.007+01:00

Next stop, Helsinki!

I really had no idea of what to expect of Finland, and really the first thing that comes to mind when I think Finland is this man.

Anyways, we had a nice full day in Helsinki, though it was a sunday so some things were closed. I thought this was ok, as when we first got into the town centre it was quiet.

This is in a main town square, and I believe this is a church, sorry! I should know these things...We didn't go in, but it was listed on our walking tour route.

I found the city to be an interesting mix of modern and old, it was clean, and had some great views along the water.

This is a view of the Rock Church, from the outside. It's pretty amazing inside, but check out the wiki page for the pics. Mine don't do it justice.

We then took a long walk out of the city centre from the Rock Church, to the Sibelius Monument A great piece of modern art, it was heaving with tourists, but an interesting piece.

I'd add Finland to my list of countries to make a return to...Has anyone else been?

Taste of Britain Tuesday- Tea 2/8/11

2011-08-02T20:41:00.003+01:00

Hello blog readers!

I will admit, I am feeling a bit lazy, and on these warm days I am in no mood to bake. (Though would love a slurpee- but they don't exist here!)

I wouldn't go without posting a blog on Taste of Britain Tuesday though, but its a simple one- Tea.

If you are British reading this, you could probably comment on what a cuppa means to you. Lets be honest, of course we have tea in Canada, but here, tea seems like an institution.

A secret for you, I never used to put milk in my tea before moving over here. Now I wouldn't touch a cuppa without it! PG Tips is the standard tea here that everyone has, and I quite enjoy it. I can't seem to find a replaceable tea in Canada for when I am home.

I've blogged about tea many times on here before: Tea with my cousin, Irish tea, and listing tea as one of my top ten loves of England! (That last link is a good one to read more about me rambling about tea!)

But for today, lets simply just take a min, put the kettle on and have a cup of tea to finish the day.

30/7/11- Russia

2011-08-01T15:42:00.004+01:00

Russia.

I don't know about you, but Russia is one country I've always wanted to visit. There is something so mysterious, dangerous, impressive and so interesting about the place.

We had two days in St. Petersburg. Because of visa rules we either had to purchase a Russian visa for those two days, or book a tour with the boat. We booked a tour. Day one was an overall view of the city, with some free time to wander.

I find Russia hard to describe, so lets keep it simple. I really enjoyed our time there, and am so interested to return one day.

Day two we took a day trip out of the city to marvel at the beautiful Catherines Palace.

29/7/11- Estonia

2011-07-31T16:02:00.009+01:00

Back to the cruise...

After our two ports in Germany, we stopped in Tallinn Estonia. I wasn't sure what to expect of Estonia, but was surprised at how beautiful it was. Nice to spend the day just wandering, and taking in the feeling of the town.

Beautiful and very fairytale-like. A main square, beautiful buildings...

Cobblestone streets...

And breathtaking churches. We enjoyed our day in Tallinn's Old Town.

28/7/11 My new ride

2011-07-28T17:09:00.005+01:00

I got a new bike- and I love it!

I forgot what it was like to ride a bike, and this old girl is such fun to take around town. 1979 Royal Enfield, made in England.

I think I may call her Betsy...or Betty. I also love taking pics of people on bikes, or bikes in general (as it seems everyone in Europe rides a bike!), so its great fun to finally have my own to take a pic of. :)

I promise not to post too many of her!

Do you have a bike?

Taste of Britain Tuesday- Aubergine, red pepper and tomato tart. 28/6/11

2011-07-26T19:38:00.003+01:00

Well it's time for another Taste of Britain Tuesday...This week I've chosen to make tarts.

I'm not sure if savory tarts are a British thing, but I've noticed more tarts on menus and in cafe's here, than at home. This is a nice summer savory tart, and gives you a nice serving of veg.

I've used courgettes (aka zucchini) instead of aubergines (aka eggplant), as Waitrose didn't have any aubergines in, and frankly I am not a huge fan!

This recipe is from 'Popina book of baking'. Lots of lovely recipes in this book.

25/7/11- Germany

2011-07-25T08:57:00.009+01:00

On the trip we had two ports in Germany. One thing I loved was in every port, the ship would fly that countries flag. Here you can see the German flag (whipping in the wind, on the left hand side) as we pulled into our first port.

The first day we arrived in a pretty place called Kiel. A major maritime centre of Germany, but more importantly where my Mom was born!

That same day we took a train to a nearby town (45 min away) called Lubeck. Lubeck was another pretty German town, the home of marzipan, also home to some interesting buildings like this one.

From the Kiel port we sailed overnight (slowly as it was quite close) to the next port called Warnemunde. From here many people took the train ride to Berlin. We have both been to Berlin (I've been quiet recently), and the three hour train ride too and from was not overly appealing.

So we spent the morning at a nearby town (15 min by train) called Rostock. Another small, but pretty town with a lovely town square, and a fancy clock.

That afternoon we took the train back to Warnemunde, where the boat was docked, to spend the afternoon there. Did you know Germany has beaches? We didn't. The warm sun brought out the locals to their beach to catch some rays...we enjoyed the sand and sun, and a fish & chip lunch (I know, so German! ha) from a fish shop that was located on a little fishing boat.

We were pleasantly surprised by these small port towns in Germany.

24/7/11- Days at Sea

2011-07-24T19:40:00.005+01:00

Cruise ships are a great way to see the world. (Not to mention the fantastic service and food). Mom and I discussed that it was great to see all of these ports via the cruise, as doing it on our own would have made for a very different (and possibly more expensive) trip. A nice snapshot of the ports, allowing us to see many new areas.

Not only are the ports great, but we had three full days at sea. You could make these as relaxed (see below) or as busy as you'd like. The ship had events, courses, shows, exercise, food, ect ect ect to fill your days and nights.

Have you ever been on a cruise?

Our beautiful boat

How I enjoyed our afternoons at sea. (Reading 1984).

23/7/11- White Cliffs of Dover

2011-07-23T17:12:00.003+01:00

Well, I'm back!

The holiday was fantastic, here is what happened. My Mom traveled over from Canada the first week of July, and on the 9th we departed on a Baltic cruise. The cruise left from Dover- located on the south east corner of England. Dover is where the ferries go to and from France. Dover is also known for its famous white cliffs.

From there the cruise went up north and around the following ports: Kiel, Warnemunde (Germany), Tallinn, St. Petersburg, Helsinki, Stockholm and Copenhagen.

Very amazing ports, and a great cruise. Will do a bit of blogging over the next week about the ports we were lucky to stop at.

Scarf swap & holiday! 8/7/11

2011-07-08T19:25:00.004+01:00

At the end of June I participated in a scarf swap with some UK bloggers. I was paired up with lovely Lauren of A Bird in the Hand whom just blogged about my scarf I sent her today.

I thought it was time to mention the scarf she got me- how beautiful! I've not styled it yet, but will do so soon and maybe post a photo. It's a pretty print with some tassels on the end, with a nice light weight. I've worn it twice already, thank you Lauren! x

I'm taking a little blogging holiday now, but keep your eyes peeled for some exciting posts in a few weeks time. Enjoy the first summery weeks of July bloggers & readers. :)

Books, beautiful books... 7/7/11

2011-07-07T21:15:00.003+01:00

I think book posts are one of my faves to include on this blog. Friends always comment who have great suggestions of new books to read, and great conversation.

Sadly I am STILL reading the Berlin Wall book. As mentioned before, it's a large book with a heavy subject matter, therefore taking me a while to finish. Almost done though. To balance out that heavyness I am also reading "Meet me at the cupcake cafe", a light read I bought en route to Paris. It's light and fun and actually has more of a story than I expected.

Below that you will see the next three reads I have planned. "Kafka on the shore" was given to me by my cousin who just finished it, and I look forward to reading that after her review. She also convinced me to read "Gone with the wind" saying it was amazing! I also can't wait to read 1984. It's seems so relevant to what our world has become today- or at least thats what I've heard.

So as always- what are you reading right now?

Taste of Britain Tuesday- Pimms! 5/7/11

2011-07-05T09:31:00.005+01:00

Pimm's is a wonderful British drink that makes it's presence known at backyard gatherings, weddings, summer functions, and just plain warm summer days.

There are a few variations on how to make Pimm's but the standard is three parts lemonade (and lemonade here is like 7-up at home), to one part Pimm's. Then you add the fruit- strawberries, lemon, orange. Generally mint is included (but it was sold out in three stores!), and sometimes oddly cucumber.

It's Pimm's o'clock!

Cinnamon. 3/7/11

2011-07-04T13:19:00.003+01:00

I made this very odd looking cinnamon pull apart loaf today...I got the recipe from Dinner with Julie a Canadian blogger that posts some amazing recipes.

This was interesting to make, and turned out great! (However, I think that certain types of baking does not photograph well. Take a look at Julies website to see how it really looks ;)

My Mom arrives tomorrow for a few weeks of quality time. I'm excited to have her here, and therefore may be posting a little less.

Canada Day 1/7/11

2011-07-01T21:52:00.004+01:00

Happy Canada Day!

I could go on about my love for Canada, but I will keep it simple just by posting this pic I took a few years ago.
Mountains, the maple leaf, and wide open spaces.

:)

Thrifty! 30/6/11

2011-06-30T20:09:00.003+01:00

I can't believe its the last day of June! Already :(

Today I did a little bit of thrifting- I am quite enjoying this now that I have my fave shops to pop in. I found this cute summery dress that reminded me very much of this one showcased on the blog "What I Wore".

My main plan for the morning was to find the perfect scarf for the lovely Lauren Croft of "A Bird in the Hand", for our UK Bloggers scarf swap. We decided to start our own UK bloggers swap, after Jessie of "Concrete Catwalk" started a US/Canadian swap. I was lucky to find a scarf at this great vintage fair in town centre today. Scarves for the swap go in the post tomorrow, and I will be posting when I receive my scarf from Lauren.

In my travels I also checked out this massive vintage/antique shop that is in town here. I've never been in and decided to check it out after a friend mentioned it. It's located in a basement, so I wasn't sure what I was getting myself into. What I found was the biggest antique/vintage collection of every good you would ever want in one place! I was so overwhelmed. I also forgot my camera today, so I have no photos to share. However I am sure I will be back there soon, and will share some images with you then. :)

Stylish- 29/6/11

2011-06-30T09:27:00.003+01:00

I was so very lucky to get some beautiful and thoughtful gifts for my birthday...(which reminds me I've not share many Paris photos!). Birthdays make a girl feel so special don't they!

I made my first drink with this yesterday morning, a latte macchiato. It was amazing! I think it was better than some coffee that you'd pay for in a cafe!

Does anyone else have one of these? What is your fave drink? How did you live without it?

Taste of Britain Tuesday- Victoria Sponge. 28/6/11

2011-06-28T16:45:00.006+01:00

A exciting day here at "This is Great Britain", the first installation of Taste of Britain Tuesdays.

Every tuesday will feature a British food (or drink), allowing me to share with you a recipe that is quintessentially British. There are so many different foods here than at home, why not share them?!

Today's first Taste of Britain Tuesday (or TBT in short) is Victoria Sponge cake by Nigella Lawson.

It's a beautiful and light cake, and perfect for raspberry season- right now. I have a baking guru here in the UK that I am lucky to know. She bought me these double cake tins, used for a layered cake such as this. She's also shown me the beauty of creaming very hard butter and sugar, and whipping up a cake without a recipe. She also explained that making a layered cake does not always need to be for an event, but just a regular day. I agree.

25/6/11

2011-06-27T18:42:00.003+01:00

Today was spent in one of my fave cities!

Will share a few more photos tomorrow, but for now here is one from the top of the Eiffel Tower.

Which city in the world is your favourite?

Cheddar 24/6/11

2011-06-24T07:55:00.003+01:00

This weekend it's a rather substantial birthday for me, so the celebration is leaving England and will be in another country. I may show a photo or two come monday. ;)

Until then I will leave you with this photo of an interesting colored cider. My cousin and I went to the pub the other night before she left, I mean, what's a visit to England without a pub!? The cider was delicious!

Happy weekend everyone!

Ludlow 21/6/11

2011-06-24T07:50:00.003+01:00

As mentioned in the previous post, my cousin is here visiting. We took a day trip to Ludlow on tuesday, as I thought it would be nice for her to see some other towns in the area. Let me tell you, Ludlow is beautiful and all, but there is nothing happening on a tuesday!

No market (there is one every other day of the week though), shops closed, and the town just generally quiet. hm.

However after all that, it does not really matter does it? It's all about spending time together and enjoying each others company no matter whats happening, or in this case whats not happening.

PS. It's my Dad's birthday tomorrow- happy birthday Dad! Cheers xo

UK Scarf Swap- 21/6/11

2011-06-21T22:16:00.005+01:00

So I'm looking forward to some blogger swapping!

Jessie from The Concrete Catwalk has started a fab blogger trade idea called the scarf swap.

Image source: theconcretecatwalk.com

Elle from A Bird in the Handand I have decided to get some UK bloggers involved in a UK based swap. (As Jessies swap is for Canadian/USA bloggers) Want to know more and become involved? Have a read of Elle's blog- everyone loves getting post, and wouldn't a new scarf be fab?!

Tea time 20/6/11

2011-06-21T11:17:00.004+01:00

Well, the event on saturday was grand- a bit of rain for those participating, but those of us under the tent stayed dry! ;)

Sunday night my cousin arrived, she's been traveling the world (ok, it just seems like the world), I mean Europe for the last five months or so. It's her last few weeks here, so she came down to visit.

Monday was spent wandering the town, and we had to have some tea in the afternoon. A new place in town that is going for a tea room/lounge sorta feel. Not too sure about it all, however I did enjoy the vintage china we were served our tea in, and the books holding the menus on the table.

Rain rain go away! 17/6/11

2011-06-17T17:33:00.003+01:00

This is the weather we are having right now- same with you?

We've got an outside event happening tomorrow, and rain will not do. Fingers crossed it stays dry for a few hours in the morning.

I do enjoy the smell of rain- or wet grass moreso? We've all heard that connection between smell and memory, and one just popped into my head (maybe its the time of year). Our annual campout I have with my family. Not sure if it was the rain, or that fresh outdoors feeling, but it gave me a little smile.

Happy weekend!

Chutney 16/6/11

2011-06-16T22:25:00.003+01:00

Yes, this post is about chutney.
I have a friend here who is such a lovely domestic goddess- so inspiring! She made this tomato chutney the other day and gave me this lovely little jar of it yesterday.

(Chuntey- like bread- does not photograph well. But believe me, its delish)

Have you ever made chutney? Jams or preserves? I am so interested to do it, but would love to hear if you've dabbled in this process.

Long Days 15/6/11

2011-06-15T15:28:00.004+01:00

A cricket game across the river, rowing team out practicing, and the warm sun. Feels like a wee bit of summer...

Is it feeling summery where you are?

However, the rain is set to start again, and continue till the weekend :(

Candy Striper 14/6/11

2011-06-14T16:59:00.008+01:00

I am starting to get very excited about where I plan to take this blog- the transition starts now to the new one, but first a bit of planning and possibly some tutorials of how to jazz it up. I can't wait!

The other day I was reading this post on A Beautiful Mess, about her daily outfit. Just by chance I was at some charity shops today and found a dress that reminded me of her pink one, which I decided to purchase.

A lot of the fashion bloggers I read have "thrifted" much of their clothes, so I am trying to get back into that, finding pieces that I love, or ones that need a quick fix on the sewing machine, and then would be set to wear. It's also a nice change from the high street styles that everyone has these days.

I thought this dress was a fun summer addition- maybe a little candy striper? Nah. Now all we need is some warm weather!

Gettin' techy 12/6/11

2011-06-13T10:16:00.006+01:00

Hi!
You will notice I've made a few changes to the blog. I was speaking with my BFF from home yesterday and she gave me some great ideas of where to take the blog. I am quite excited about this new phase, and ideas have started to flow.

We were talking about blogger vs wordpress sites (for you non-techies, its basically the program that creates the blog and what it looks like). I think some wordpress sites look quite nice, but then we looked at blogger sites and realized there is a fair bit you can do with blogger. When I looked at the settings, it seems that its been changed so that you can personalize and create a blog just right for you.

I am just playing around with the templates and colors for now, so you may notice some changes from time to time. For now, I like the pink background and the little maple leaves. Kind of cute. Brings a little Canada into the blog.

I've also updated the "blogs that make me swoon" area, with the majority of blogs I read everyday. Take a look if you have time, some are pretty great.

Thank you for the comments on my posts- it means a lot. I will try to respond to them more often, so if you do comment, be sure to check back for my response!

No pic today...However, if you want to picture what took place in my day my running partner and I ran a 10k race in a town called Aldridge. It was HAMMERING down with rain the whole time, but overall it was a great race. Training continues for more races planned in the upcoming months, whoohoo!

Savory 11/6/11

2011-06-12T19:23:00.004+01:00

Fishcakes are not something we eat in Canada- are they?
I was only introduced to them via my British partner (He's a chef extraordinaire). They are a nice light meal, or a good snack.

I made the Nigel Slater haddock fish cake recipe for dinner, along with some homemade sweet chili sauce.

10/6/11

2011-06-11T18:34:00.004+01:00

After getting some work done, I decided it was time for some Friday retail therapy in town.

Don't you love it when stores take the time to wrap up your purchase such as this? At Wysteria Lane she also sprays your bag with a small spritz of perfume- so sweet!

My birthday is coming up, and we will be celebrating in style with a city break. Will keep it a secret for now, but I can't wait. I thought a new dress was in order so I picked this one up. This color drip/fade/tie dye (?!) seems to be a new thing these days. So pretty.