Weetbix Slice

Is SUPER yummy.  Recipe here.

I have been ticking along....promise

I have somewhat fallen off the blogging band wagon recently.  I'm gonna call it SAD because of all the bad weather today and the fact that for the past 3 weeks I've been going to work and coming home in dark - yuck!  Luckily, the 21st of June has passed and it's all up an onward to summer now - YAY.  I love spring so can't wait for September.

In saying that, I have been ticking along doing my 101 challenge and  will be back onto 'things I'm loving' this Friday. So much easier while I'm on school holidays.

Just to prove that I've been keeping up with my 101 things, here are some stats and updates for you;

Stats;

• 26 complete challenges complete, 75 to go.
• Of those 75 still to complete there are 20 challenges underway (I've begun to work on them in some way).
• I'm really worried 3 won't be done...but am trying to hatch a plan to at least get them started or have a plan in place at the completion of the year I've set myself.

Hmmm... more than half a year done and less than half of the challenges complete or ont he way to completion... scary.  Time to get my A into G.

Today I completed the following;

And just to prove it;

And there are a couple of things I've been working on in the past week that I just need to complete. Luckily for me it's the holidays! Here is another I completed today;

Make you own Glitter Polish

I must admit I don't actually paint my nails all that often but seeing inspiringly beautiful nails on piterest so often and following blogs like Steffels I began to covet these beautiful glitter style polishes.

After finding a place that would ship to NZ (Plug: Dollish Polish) I made a big list of polishes I would purchase but upon going to the website I found that they were all out of stock - many of the places that make this polish are hot in demand.

Which got me to thinking... surely it's only as difficult as glitter + clear polish = glory, right? Wrong... ish.  Yes, that is the basic formula... no it does not always work out that way. I personally was looking for a glitter polish, not one that had colour in it also (as you will see below I got the latter from my concoction, best guess is cheap glitter and/or clear polish?).  So although I share my world changing formula with you, as you will see, it doesn't always end up exactly as you would like. I encourage trial and error my pretties, trial and error.

You'll need - clear polish, a selection of glitters in your chosen colour/s and a funnel or paper to make one.

Like I said.. the method is bascially glitter + polish.  And also like I said, trial and error.  Play around with it and have some fun.  If it gets too gluggy pop in some nail polish remover.

Enjoy x

And just to see you out a pretty song quote with one of my bokeh shots <3

Silent Sunday

Day 6: Paper
Not the greatest photo but a great message!

Exploring Auckland City

This morning the family and I ventured into Ponsonby to go to Mary's Market - a market with a tonne of baby and child things for great prices.  I didn't buy much at the markets but think it would be a GREAT place to go if you're pregnant.  I think if I was to buy anything there today it would just be for being greedy. Leah already was waaaay too much stuff as it is!

We then decided to head into the CBD and have a stroll around town.  What was really good is that it was early in the morning which meant a couple of things;
1) There weren't too many people around, and
2) Lots of shops weren't open yet so I wasn't able to spend too much money.

What this did mean though was that I was able to concentrate on just having a really good look around, something I don't often do in town.  It was great fun! And it crossed one of my 101 challenge things.  Woo hoo!  Here are some of the photos I took of our beautiful city.

Yummy Apple Cake

My husband eats this warm with cream... and lots of it!

175g butter at room temp
175g caster sugar
2 eggs
225g plain flour
1 1/2t baking powder
2t mixed spice
200g eating apples, peeled, cored and chopped
3 small eating apples (for the top)
Zest of one lemon
3t apple juice

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celcius.  In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until they are light and fluffy.  Add the eggs, one at a time.

 2. Stir in the flour, baking powder and mixed spice.

3. Gently fold in the chopped apples, lemon zest and apple juice into the bowl. Scrape the mixture into the pan and level the top.

4. Core and quarter the 3 small apples leaving the peel on.  Make two or three cuts through the skin into each quarter to make a fan, then press the cut apples lightly into the batter in a decorative pattern.

5. Bake for 50 mins to 1 hour or until the top is golden. Cool for 15 minutes.... if you can wait that long.

Lace Crown

From pinterest to my kitchen table in less than a week!  How clever am I?

I originally found this idea here. I had to change some slight things with how I made it as the spray stiffener isn't avaliable where I shop for craft things (or in NZ at all possibly... over the last week I've found we're very limited with things around here :().

So... to start, you'll need some lace of your choosing, fabric stiffener and a flower or other embellishment. You are allowed to giggle at the brand name of the fabric stiffener :D....I did... many times.

With this fabric stiffener you need to soak the lace until it's well coated then dab off the excess.  Once that's done fashion it into the style you want (in this case a crown) and voila - done!

I'm not 100% happy with my crown but will hopefully get some photos with bubba wearing it soon for your paroosal. I'm sure there's some other things to make with this stuff too... watch this space!