Cake...

I like cake, in fact I like cake a lot, because I really like tea and tea and cake go together almost as well as cappucino and cake and I also love cappucino.However since I have been going to fat club for the last two months I have to avoid cake as much as possible and cappucinos which I find really hard so I have to drink a lot of herbal tea and I'm pleased to say that cake and peppermint tea are not good companions......
When I do crave cake well it has to be hands down,carrot cake with cream cheese frosting and if possible chopped nuts.....

Second on the list has to be to die for,lemon drizzle cake.It must have a really thorough infusion of lemon juice and a crunchy,sugary topping......

Most people I know love chocolate cake.I like the idea of it but never really enjoy it as much as I think I am going to.......I am very fussy....I find too many chocolate cakes can be heavy too dry and they tend to look better than they taste....

A well made coffee cake can also make my heart sing if its light and fluffy......

What's your favourite?

Look at these beauts I found on flickr.....hand painted cakes, total works of art.......

They are just amazing.....

I am seriously considering getting married again if I can have a wedding cake like this one...I would never eat it just look at it forever.....

Imagine a world without cake..........not possible.

Anne x

Shop photos

Having just visited Niki @ http://nostalgiaatthestonehouse.blogspot.co.uk/ and  being very inspired and amazed by photos her lovely shop I thought I would post some recent photos of my shop, before it has a well needed makeover.This will of course give me a good excuse to take up residence in the local auction room and buy some more furniture.This is going to be a terrible hardship as I  really hate buying' junk and old lady furniture' as my son Harry refers to my past purchases.I'm not going to make any huge changes but it just needs a bit of a facelift and a bit of imagination.I love the patchwork table cover/bedspread which was an ebay bargain a long time ago.....

Lots of pretty pastels

I;m going to paint my kitchen cupboard a pretty cornflower blue

The childrens corner is a bit lightweight and I am trying to decide what to buy or make next....

I made this bunting out of an old ladybird book called Five little kittens.I am going to make some to sell.

I've made the photos larger but I'm afraid the quality is not brilliant.I really don't care much for this camera.It's not as good as my last one.I am going to have to invest in a better one.....plus the light has not been very good of late, in fact the sun has gone on a sabbatical and is currently having a gap year the other side of the Gulf stream!

Anyway,I hope you enjoyed having a look.If you are in Pickering do pop in.There is a map on my shop website but it's right in the heart of Pickering.Talking of websites mine has ben very badly neglected but now I have the time to put my energy into it -I am going to get Gary & Cheryl @www.design-farmstudio.co.uk   to give my website a facelift too. Lots of new beginnings in the pipeline,I wonder should I get a face lift too lol!!!

Anne x

A Little bit of retail therapy....

I have been very lazy with my camera just lately,so here are a few pictures of my car boot/auction finds.Car booting has been virtually non existent this year.In fact I have only been to two.The auction is usually full of rubbish and the charity shops are getting very expensive.However, in the interest of thrift I have been very discerning and have only invested in things I can't live without or that require very little money to be extracted from my purse......The quality of the photos is not great as the light was very gloomy due to the rain pouring outside...but I think you'll agree these are vital to sustain life as we know it!!

This little stool is so lovely but I may just paint the frame a lighter shade- can't decide yet....

         A bargain cup and saucer which is actually a deeper shade of blue than it appears....

A rather pretty trio which are a very unusual and very dainty....

This is my favourite...a beautiful needlepoint rose picture.I think the frame is a bit shiny but it is just so vibrant, I almost fainted when I saw it (I'm so dramatic!)

Some scarabble tiles which I thought would be useful to stick on something as I'm revamping the shop.

A little glimpse of my newly arranged dresser...It's all pastels for summer which make the room very serene and I will introduce the reds back in the winter....how sad am I ?
However,it's the little things that give us pleasure and serve as adistraction to the bigger more scary things.
                                                     Talk soon.Have a good one
                                                                     Anne x

Bad endings and new beginnings

I have indeed been quiet for some time(Thank you Dotty Red for your concern) and  have not felt able to post any words which would come across as anything but very self pitying and full of rancour.I have been through a fairly hideous time over the past few months,uncertainty,severe stress,disappointment,anger,unashamed bitterness and betrayal and fully in the picture as to who I can count on as friends.

However,what doesn't kill you makes you stronger and thankfully my situation is not life threatening and nothing that isn't being experienced by thousands of people all around the world.I find myself middle-aged, unemployed ,no longer a teacher,  a stone lighter and now very confused by the new blogger set up which I am finding very unfriendly.

So pity party over I have sought solace in words borrowed from Pinterest (thank you Cocoa Rose)and take comfort that there are so many lovely bloggers who do care and who are always so sweetly supportive and kind.Thank you for being there and tolerating my hugely self- centred mini meltdown.I am over it now and very scared but looking forward to new opportunities which will be of my own making.

                                                          Don't you just love words?



I will make a start by being a much better blogger and try to post more regularly.

Anne x

A wet Sunday in April....

And the rain came down and soaked the sleeping land and we awoke to grey tearstained skies and water falling from the sky in great quantities....and we did get in  the car and travelled to fair Thirlby to visit,Sarah and Jackie's pop-up shop at east Farm Thirlby.We were greeted by the lovely girls,pictured below and their gorgeous cakes which both Mum and I had to sample in spite of our weight loss programme and the fact we have to stand on the scales on Tuesday...

           There were lots of lovely things to buy,pretty china,fabric and household objects.......

pretty cushions,all beautifully finished.....

                  So we had a little spend and when the light improves I will show you my purchases.....
Home for a bowl of soup and a read of the papers then this afternoon I painted some furniture,cooked a lovely dinner then enjoyed an hour or two of patching and hooky business.Another perfect Sunday....

Have a super week

Anne x

Easter Sunday

Wishing you all a wonderful holiday weekend.

Anne x

Easter

Well, it is April and they say it is Spring but yet what is this white stuff falling from the sky?Five inches in fact at the foot of the NY Moors.The sun is battling to break through but it is still bitterly cold.It is probably normal weather for the time of year.When I got married in 1984 on the 31st March, it was bright and sunny for the best part of the day then we had six inches of snow during the evening into the small hours and it was touch and go wether the mini moke would make it to exotic Llandudno for our honeymoon.
As it was, the alternator went on the car and we could only stay in hotels on a hill as we had to bump start the car in order to get going.Not an auspicious start to married life I can tell you.....
Anyway here are some lovely images ot get you in the mood for Easter...