All Things Sweet

There's been lots of sweetness going on here lately.

Spring has given us some super~nice sunshine which I plan to enjoy more of over the weekend.

I did some baking a few weeks back for morning tea at work.

I tried a whole new thing..

Mini vanilla cupcakes with a cherry (canned) inside, vanilla bean mascarpone frosting and cherry glaze.

I thought they were pretty cute in their rosy cases.

And my piping skills have definitely improved, hehe.

They were oh~so~good!!

I might have to make some more this weekend..

Add it to the list!

I hope to get into the garden too as the weather is forecast to be nice.

I have weeding to do, lawns to mow and a big pile of soil that needs to find somewhere to go - probably on the lawn to level it out.

The new plum tree arrived and has been planted close to a fence along the side of the house to espalier.

Spuds are sprouting, flowers are blooming and...

Chicks are hatching!!!

OHMAGOODNASSSSS!!!

It was the most exciting thing ever to come home from work and check on our broody mama hen who was sitting on 6 donated, hopefully fertile eggs.

We weren't sure how many, if any at all were fertile, or how mama would go but she has been amazing.

The last egg wasn't fertile so mama hatched her first lot of fluffy darlings just perfectly.

It is incredible how quickly they grow!

A day old and they were motoring around over the straw in their box, too cute!

They are a week old now and yesterday had their first walk with mum outside the box.

Mum gave herself a dustbath and paid no mind to her babies, showering them with dirt and pebbles as she fluffed herself around!

The boys have named this cutie Barbara.

If they are roosters we will have to return them to the friend who gave us the eggs as we can't have roosters in our neighbourhood.

And I'm not a fan in any case, meanies they are!

I've been cracking along with the retro/70's blanket I started.

Some days felt quite tedious but I kept going and the end got closer, and closer..

All the squares were finally finished, hooray!

Then the joining.

Which I did, undid, did again, undid other places, did again the right way around, and finally got to edge!

Haroo! Hoorah!

I finally completed the whole thing!

I'm making such a fuss when really it wasn't complicated and only took 7ish weeks but I am proud of myself.

I am achieving these little goals, winding down as I go, and decorating my house all at once, WIN!

I am so grateful to my friend that motivated and re~inspired me to get back into crochet a bit more seriously.

When I was 11 my Grandfather passed away, it was my first family death and I took it pretty hard.

I developed anxiety and had several severe panic attacks each day and night.

It was the time I was learning to crochet and my mentor lady was giving me 'homework'.. "finish these granny squares by class next week so we can join them and make your bag".

I had put it off and put it off but in my desperation to find something to do to distract myself from the anxiety that overwhelmed me, I picked up a square and finished it.

Then the next one.

And the next.

I didn't realize it until the other night just how stress relieving crochet is for me.

Life was getting on top of me again but finishing this blanket opened my eyes to how I do still have time for myself after work, kids, boyfriend, cleaning, yadda yadda..

As soon as I start weaving the wool through itself I feel the tension just melt away.

My goodness I sound old.

But I'm getting there, so oh well, haha!

But anyway, THANK YOU to my lovely, amazing friend who has helped me in more ways than she will know! ;)

I have started a new blanket and am trying the bead stitch for my first time.

It's super easy and will give a cool texture.

I really need to not use the cheap wools as they are a bit on the scratchy and stiff side.

In the library.. I only read 3 books in the Flowers in the Attic series as the characters were just so unlikeable! I just didn't like a single one of them!

Judgy, judgy I know, but jeepers creepers there was a lot of extremes going on!

I will say though that it was well written, and to think it was possibly based on a true story..?

Goosebumps!

I read Beloved my Toni Morrison.

Again, goosebumps, but what a fantastic book!

Loved it beginning to end although it did break my heart a couple of times.

Next book on my bedside table is The Reckoning by John Grisham.

I bought this a while ago but it got buried under my pile of 'to~be~read' books which is getting bigger and bigger and bigger!!

I can smell my roast chicken dinner coming along so I better be checking on it, probably doing a taste test of the taties, too!

Enjoy your weekend

❤❤❤