Some of the ways I feathered my nest were:
I painted the storage tins that I got a week ago. This made them look like a set and I love them! The largest ones all take the biggest cakes so they will be so handy for me.
The painting was easy. The images are from paper napkins Mum gave me. That took a bit longer! I had thought of buying water slide decals... but I had these so I cut them out and varnished them on. Vicky said to make sure I count that as savings in the challenge!
They sit in a big stack and I put felt pads under each one so they do not scratch.
Lucy gave me this little nest she found. The little bird has used dryer lint and cotton and it's blue!
Can you believe that!? The Bluebirds are now building blue nests! It matched my tins...
This is how the tins looked before. I got them all for under ten dollars....
I love them now. Plus they were fun to do. I will do more next year to use to give cakes and biscuits.
This is how the house looks basically constantly living with sour dough starter!
This week I tried it with focaccia and it was beautiful. We had a BBQ and ate outside. I brought out a pan of hot bread from the oven. So easy and so nice!
Later in the week I made one like this for Lucy. Then I made six lots of dough for pizza bases. I squished them out and froze them to be thawed and rolled when needed.
I want to try Sticky Buns and also cheese and bacon scrolls... I think this weekend I will make the scrolls.
In the garden I planted out a heap of spider plants and filled a shady spot for free.
I downloaded some good free ebooks. Vickie's Kitchen and Garden is a good blog to follow as she lists free ebooks every day. I get so many it is wonderful.
In the lane there are grape vines. I went out and covered a heap of bunches with old stockings... hopefully we will get some bunches this yer instead of just the birds! I am watching peaches out there as well!
I made two lots of shortbread. This gave me some gifts, I shared it around, was desert, went in Andy's lunch box for the week.
This is a super fast way to make biscuits. Really it could apply to any recipe. Just press out and slice while hot.
A whole round wrapped up is a beautiful gift.
If we ever bought pizza I thought a pizza box recovered would be perfect!
We increased our preparedness with more items that can be battery operated plus batteries.
At the shops I took notice of a lot of prices. We have really changed our shopping this year. I noticed yesterday our wholesale butcher and Aldi were well under half the price of the other two main supermarkets. I was shocked at some of the prices of meat especially. Steak at $57 a kilo. Lamb at $44 a kilo. Seriously.
But I got ideas! These little Gingerbread houses were being sold at a cafe. They are individual sized about five inches tall? Really cute. $14.50 each. I took a quick photo so I could share the idea...
Today is a beautiful day and I am going to play with Harper later! I have Hydrangeas flowering.
I have about two hours of painting to go! Maybe this weekend I will finally finish!
How did you build up your home this week?
Enjoy this lovely time and think of little ways to make it beautiful for everyone!
Have a wonderful weekend! xxx
My I ask what kind of paint did you use on your tins? They are lovely.
ReplyDeleteSue
Dear Sue, I used matt white paint from the cheap shop it was $3.50 a can and I used a can plus a bit. I did a heap of very light coats. I love spray paint!
DeleteHave a wonderful Christmas! Thank you! Love Annabel.xxx
I love the look of your tins also! So glad someone asked!
ReplyDeleteHow big of a pie pan did you use to make your shortbread? It looks very big.
Dear Laurie, Thank you!
DeleteIt is a large sized deep pizza tray so yes it is pretty big and I made two lots.
Have a great weekend! With love Annabel.xxx
Love your encouraging and creative blog. Would you consider sharing your shortbread recipe? It looks delicious.
ReplyDeleteThank you Elise! Here it is...
Deletehttp://thebluebirdsarenesting.blogspot.com.au/2013/12/easy-and-stunningly-good-shortbread.html
I had a little more flour in this one as the weather was warm and the butter was runny. As long as you get a good smooth dough it is very easy to work with. I hope it goes well for you! With love Annabel.xxx
Dear Annabel and friends,
ReplyDeleteThis week has been a much better week for me . I have been cooler, healthier and as a bonus awesome savings!., I have built up and feathered my nest a fair bit. I was out yesterday and my Dad took me to Bunnings and bought me a meteor Rose plant/ bush from himself and mum as a Christmas bonus!( seperate from my Christmas gifts) , I saw some large cup and saucer planters which I loved immediately and I thought, I am going to buy one for my patio, there was no price on the big box they were in and no price on them, expecting it to be $30 , I thought it's my Christmas gift to myself!. Anyway the staff members canned it and said they are $5 !, bargain so I sent my Dad back to get another one. I am going to put gerbras in them.
I will send Annabel pictures when I am done patio feathering!.
Inside my home , my Centacare lady cleaned out my freezer , it is amazing now and will save me money as I actually know what I have now.
My pantry is totally full so I will only gave a short list next Wednesday, yay!.i am going to meal plan based around what I already have ( as I always do) .
I have also made some Christmas and birthday gift tags , took me 10 minutes to make about 10 tags with materials at my mums place in her craft room, free to me!.
I received some shallots / spring onions from mum and dads veggie garden and some pumpkin( As they buy a large whole pumpkin every couple of weeks and give me some.i also saved a fair bit on Christmas gifts including more books for a friend and to put away for next Christmas ( my first official gifts for Christmas 2017) , I got cook books suitable for adults or children for $2.95 each for a beautiful book on mini sweets to make plus another recipe book.
I have not had a haircut for months and my hair is only just looking and feeling like it needs a cut( getting it done next week by our family friend) , saving me money on hairdresser fees twice I believe as I maintain my own hair ( don't trim it just look after it) .
I absolutely adore your bluebird nest and tins Annabel , " custom tins by Annabel designs" !. How lovely that you have such talent. You have inspired me to try it for myself . I have bluebird napkins too , not a nest but a bluebird. If I have plenty I will send some to you in the new year Annabel.
I am having a quiet day here today, I have done the usual morning tasks and just finished a cup of tea on my patio, my bluebirds ritual!.
Have a great weekend everyone . Love Barb W.
Dear Barb, What a wonderful week! I love the sound of the tea cup planters! And your plans for your patio. I also love that you sit out there and have a cup of tea. A nice outdoor area is really like having an extra room and its lovely to be outside.
DeleteYou have done very well and sound happy. So this Christmas is really shaping up to be a very good one!
You are even ahead with gifts now for next year!
I hope you have a lovely weekend and that next week will be just as good! With lots of love Annabel.xxx
Annabel those tins are so 'Annabel'. They're beautiful. Katie bought home two rose chocolate tins. I now know how I can make them not only useful, but beautiful. Love the little nest your Lucy gave to you.
ReplyDeleteThis week has been one of catch ups. My parents bought my Aunt, cousin and his daughter up for a visit. These relies live in South Africa and I last saw them when I went I was on my African adventure two years ago. I now have a new peg bag, complete with embroidered zebra, and a new Apron with PE(Port Elizabeth) all over it. My cousin had seen the posts of Bluey and Cobber on FB. He bought over a lovely bottle of South African red wine called 'Faithful Hound'.
The following day an NT friend, one we have known for over 25 years, popped in for a visit. We haven't seen her since we left the NT 3 years ago. It was like we had seen each other yesterday.
I feathered my nest by re arranging the pots on the veranda. I have planted out herb seedlings within these pots. I made two lots of soap. One is lavender scented and the other rose geranium. All family Christmas presents were wrapped and sent on with Mum or Aus Post for delivery. I made a 25th Birthday gift for our Katie. I have made a few more washcloths and have both enjoyed and been frustrated by the new patterns.
Over the weekend I plan to empty out my sewing room, give it a post sewing frenzy clean out. I have the garbage bags of fabric that I was given put away. It is a mess and needs to be done. Might go do that now.
Life is hot and sweaty, as you would expect in the sub tropics, but it is good.
Dear Jane,
DeleteYou had a lovely family week! Wonderful to catch up with so many.
And you still fitted in soap making! That is amazing. I love the scents. I can't wait to start ... will be in January I think.
You have done a lot of sewing and now you have fresh supplies! A good tidy up is great. I get in a terrible mess when sewing...
Have a great weekend! With love Annabel.xxx
I called my husband inside to look at the photos of your tins. I said to him 'this is why I love Annabel's blog so much, she is always coming up with great ideas." He agreed with me that the tins look lovely.
ReplyDeleteDear Sherri,
DeleteThank you for telling me that! It kind of made my day! The tins could be any colour or theme at all. Even themed for storage i.e. picture of cotton for reels of cotton and so on.
Have a great weekend Sherri! With love Annabel.xxx
Annabel, your tins are beautiful! I've been busy as a bee putting the finishing touches on our church's ladies Christmas party I'm hosting at my house tomorrow night. So far, I've spent about $5 on the party and don't anticipate having to spend any more! Can we hear it for a well-stocked pantry!!!
ReplyDeleteYeah Patsy!! You got my cheer for a well stocked pantry!
DeleteXOXO
Vicky
Hip, hip, Hooray Patsy
DeleteI hope the party is wonderful Patsy and I loved the favours you made up. I wish I could be there with you!
DeleteHave a lovely weekend! xxx
Oh those tins are gorgeous! They in themselves would be a wonderful gift! I've been baking up a storm making mini loaves of banana bread and will start on the cranberry orange breads tomorrow. I still need to make candy too. I did make some homemade Christmas "crackers" filled with candy to give out and they look so festive all wrapped in shiny paper. :)
ReplyDeleteDear Debbie, Do take a photo of your Christmas crackers if you get a chance, they sound lovely.
DeleteYour cooking sounds beautiful! I think these things get us really in the mood for Christmas! I am thinking what to make next. Everyone just looks forward to it! My daughter has requested more gingerbread so maybe I will get on and do that.
Have a wonderful weekend! With love Annabel.xxx
Annabel! Your tins are gorgeous I love, love them! They look so designer. And your dough is lovely in it's own way too. Phew dough still kind of scares me though as when I first ever used back as a really young mom I didn't know that the packets you buy that have 3 on them wasn't considered 1 packet and I was doing a double batch and used 2 so I actually had 6 packets of yeast! Ugh! the dough took over my whole fridge like something out of a horror movie! Dummy me hauled out in a trash can and the sun hit it! Whoo wee what a mess! Haha I have never lived that one down and when I was very young they called me Ellie May if you ever watched the Beverly Hillbillies you know it's because she couldn't cook! LOL it's a wonder I'm normal! Haha anyway I hope everyone's weekend is wonderful!
ReplyDeleteXOXO
Vicky
Dear Vicky, Ok I need you to know I have a bad history with using yeast. It usually sits there and does nothing for me. I am told it gets stale and things but anyway I never have been much good. You have had the opposite problem it sounds! But anyway this dough starter is really easy.
DeleteYes I watched the Beverly hillbillies. I loved all those shows like Greenacres, Petticoat Junction etc. I still love them!
Have a good weekend and restful! With love Annabel.xxx
Love the tin's, I would have kept them for myself, They would make good storage also.
ReplyDeleteThank you Tealady. These ones are for my own kitchen and I plan on making more next year as gifts. Now I will watch out for tins everywhere! Have a great weekend! xxx
Deletethe tins are beautiful Annabel.
ReplyDeleteI feathered my nest by removing all the winter hats and scarves from the hat stand, and putting some summer hats and scarves on instead.
Cotton sheets were put on the bed, and the flannelette ones washed and put away til winter.Picked a couple of bunches of roses, the ones that only had a few more days left before they died. Once in the house and in fresh water they often last up to a week, at the same time it makes the bushes produce more.
I have frozen slices of lemon, and some mint leaves for using in soda water during the hot weather. The mint is growing extremely well at the moment, so I will freeze more leaves tomorrow.
Dear Meg, Thank you! It is really nice refreshing the house for a new season and makes things much better.
DeleteThe roses sound beautiful. I am finding that so many more come on when we cut them. Plus you get a lot of enjoyment out of them too.
Lemon and mint ready to go in the heat is very good. I froze a lot of lemon squeezed it into ice cube trays. It is really nice on a hot day.
Have a good weekend! You had an excellent week! With love Annabel.xxx
Annabel every week I just love seeing what you've been up to. What a great project with lovely results the tins are, and you're right, they look like a set!
ReplyDeleteI have been very quiet in the comments section lately, but have been reading and admiring! There have been so many lovely gifts made. I have knit three scarves and am knitting a last minute blanket which should use up all of the yarn that I had heaps of (but hated knitting with!). In truth I don't actually need the blanket for a gift, but I'm determined not to have any more of that wool to start 2017 with! Luckily it looks and feels nice when knit, it's just horrible to work with lol.
This week I made homemade cookie samplers with chocolate chip cookies, sticky date cookies, afghans with M&M's on top and lemon shortbread. All plated up on platters I picked up for $3 down from $40! I was really happy with how they turned out, and they were very well received. People really do love home baking don't they? I love the look of your shortbread, it looks so classy.
Have a lovely weekend everyone
Jen in NZ
Dear Jen,
Deletethe platters for $3 were an amazing find and your cookie samplers sound just amazing. I hope you took photos! :)
What beautiful gifts. Just about anyone would be thrilled to get that.
Your knitting sounds beautiful too. I understand about the yarn. Some things are just hard to work with. But using it up was good!
With all your cooking spray painting tins could work for you as containers to store biscuits but also as part of the gift. I feel like I am endlessly looking for containers.
Have a lovely weekend Jen. thanks for commenting too I am so happy to hear from you and that things are going well! With love Annabel.xxx
Those tins are just beautiful and I think it is so clever how you used the napkins. I can just imagine your beautiful treats wrapped inside. Gorgeous! You have done so well with the painting, I am so impressed- what a great way to finish the year/Christmas to have it all done. Thanks for suggesting for one of the kitchen whitegood boxes to be used as a cubby- I am excited now. We can decorate it too. Cute! We have had a great week together. I am loving holidays with DS. We have been to the local pool, library and parks. It is a lot of fun. I bet you are having lots of fun with Harper. Cute age. But I get tired some days lol Most presents are now done too. I felt proud to give Christmas cakes (your beautiful recipe) and my journals. Mum said she saw tiny, tiny Christmas cakes for sale for $10 each. So that was cool! Cute gingerbread houses. They have been getting styling tips from you. Lots of love to you all. Love, Bridge
ReplyDeleteDear Bridge, Thank you! Harper is just at an age she would like a little cubby space as she runs in and hides in one at the playground and its like peek a boo which she thing sis hilarious. A big box with a door and windows cut into it will certainly provide a heap of fun for a while. For bigger kids I saw someone joined a heap of boxes together and made tunnels to crawl through... which I can imagine would be fabulous fun!
DeleteThere are a ton of cardboard box ideas on pinterest. I saw some made into kitchen appliances that were amazing. So clever!
Well done on the cakes and journals! That is fantastic! You should be proud! And yes they are expensive to buy.
Your holidays are sounding lovely. No wonder you get tired... I have Harper for half a day and its go go go and exhausting! hahaha I think how did I do it when the girls were little?
Have a great weekend Bridge. With lots of love, Annabel.xxx
Dear Annabel,
ReplyDeleteI'm in love with those beautiful tins. It's such a gift to be able to look at something not for what it is at the moment but you it can become with a little clever imagination. The little nest is so dear. The gingerbread house a cute idea.
This week everything to be posted got packed up and sent. Somehow the mail gods were looking out for me and when I got to the mail station there was no one in line so it just took minutes to get the job done. There's a type of quilt I've been wanting to make and so this week I started cutting the fabric. It's something called a "fusion quilt" which combines fabric and crochet. My sewing room will need some reorganization even though it was done just a few months ago because of the flurry of activity in there.
Besides making fudge, 12 blueberry muffins were baked using the blueberries that were frozen from last summer. Just a small amount of grocery shopping was done. Like you I'm shocked at what the prices have become in the large chains, making me even more appreciative of my vegetable garden and a well-stocked pantry. Wishing everyone a beautiful weekend. Blessings, Cookie
Dear Cookie,
DeleteThank you! I know you understand the fun of creating something. I had a lot of fun on those tins!
Our post office had queues but mostly I got in early. I am glad you got in and out quickly!
Blueberry muffins! Lovely. It is interesting that you are in a different country and also shocked by the price rises. I was floored by some of them this week. People will really be reviewing what they buy and all they/we are facing rising power prices and other costs. As you say this all makes gardening, cooking, stocking up on bargains etc just necessary and we better get good at it!
Have a great weekend to you too! With love Annabel.xxx
ReplyDeleteHi Annabel and friends!!
Annabel, your tins are outstanding! You have really excelled yourself here, and that is something! I like Barb's description - 'custom tins by Annabel designs'!! I'll be looking at tins in a new light now! Each tin is a pantry in its own right, and I am seriously considering making 'pantry fruitcakes'!
Your sourdough focaccia looks scrumptious, and I am interested in hearing about your battery-powered purchases sometime! You're one clued-up lady!!
I am hoping that all you blue birders up North in snow zones have beautiful snowfalls! I am thinking that Jen's Nova Scotian hand knitted mittens and socks will stand out beautifully against the white snow! I don't know how you keep warm!!
Barb, your comments are as refreshing as ever!!
Jane, my husband pays your banana cake a compliment, saying that, in a bowl with cream poured over, it ought to be called banana pudding! It went down well! Thank you!!
Cookie, it is amazing that you photograph so well using a laptop camera! Keep going! I do like your paintings and hydrangeas in the background! Beautiful!!
-----
How did our nest get feathered? Well, my husband just replaced a door handle, and that works so beautifully now! I transplanted more passionfruit plants, which had been marked with newspaper flags on sticks. The rebounding potato plants were hilled up further, and vegetable plants growing from scraps are now protected after a little bush fencing by yours truly. Inspired by Cristy's red beans and rice, we are now full of beans - cooked outdoors, and so soft! I love beans! When buying IGA's dried beans on sale, I noticed the borlotti beans (not on sale!) that I grew up on. I remembered saucers of beans shooting on wet cotton wool and ..... well, a 375g bag of these beans (US 'cranberry beans', apparently) takes about 70 m to plant out!! I thought it would be funny if they don't grow, because they took a while to plant, but, then, it will be more funny to have them all growing. Some early beans are up already, and looking strong!! I don't want to be like old Ma of the Hillbillies, who was searching her modern gardens in vain pursuit of greens and other nutritious plants!!
Building up home life included using up some milk and lemon butter/curd in the form of a milkshake! I tried a gifted manual whisk which uses an up-and-down motion to turn it. I think it will be useful for outdoor cooking - like omelettes, whipped cream ..
My parents are still de cluttering from years of raising a family! I had no idea that I fitted the same shoes as one particular family member, so I am now ahead in what were surplus leather boots and sandals!! There's not much left to sort now - I hope!!
Our twelve volt car fan, linked directly to a small solar panel (no battery or regulator) is working well. When it is brightly overcast, it runs more gently than in intense sunlight, and we like this. It only operates when it is hot enough for us to need it. We do let it cool if it has been running intensely. It works well for us!!
Loving the 'Annabel designs',
Rachel Holt
Dear Rachel, Thank you! And thank you for commenting on others things such as lovely comments and recipes!
DeleteYour fan sounds very good. I am working on having battery operated fans for if the power is out. The key I think is having rechargeable batteries. We are working on this. In a crisis our generator is the key and we know how long to run it in order to keep the fridge and freezer right. It i surprisingly little. Meanwhile I am loving that we are having mild lovely weather and I basically celebrate every time the weather report sounds good!
I need to use more beans in my cooking. I will get chilli con carne going next winter for one thing.
Have a lovely weekend Rachel! I hope it is not too hot up there! With love Annabel.xxx
I love your tins! I think those would be so much nicer than baskets (hampers, if you prefer) for food gifts. Now I need to watch the shops for next year.
ReplyDeleteBlessings, Leigh
Dear Leigh, Do you remember the tins that were like picnic tins with handles? If I could find some like that I think they would make the most gorgeous hampers! I am on the look out! Also.... really big old tins that people used to store large amounts of flour or bread in... now I will be watching for those also. Ahh the possibilities!
DeleteHave a wonderful weekend and thank you! Love Annabel.xxx
You have inspired me with the tins! I will have to browse the stores a few weeks into the new year to see if I can pick some up for 80-90% off. I will remake them and use them to package up baked goods for birthdays though out the year.
ReplyDeleteI know that steak is expensive but $57 (I checked and that would be $41.56 US) is terrible! At those prices my poor family would never eat it!! I always check the meat mark down section and that is the only way I purchase steak.
Right now my focus is on Christmas preparation but as soon as that passes I will hit the savings and stocking my pantry hard.
Dear Wendi,
DeleteThank you! I hope you find plenty of tins. Many of us have tins put away as they are useful and often biscuits and chocolates come in them... and mine were all from a thrift store for very little. I am watching out for some more!
Steak will be off the menu for most people I think. I am glad you are working on stocking your pantry. It is better than money in the bank I am sure. Next year this will be on of the focus discussions here. I hope you find many after Christmas bargains. I will be looking for turkeys for one thing! With love Annabel.xxx
Annabel, I love how those tins turned out, just beautiful and they are so you as everyone has said.
ReplyDeleteWe have a grape vine growing over our side fence and I have put stockings over the bunches too.
I can't wait to get my sourdough started and looking forward to making all sorts of goodies.
I have had the last 2 days off work and have cooked madly getting all the hampers finished. I have made shortbread, salted caramel fudge, chilli beer peanut brittle, cinnamon almonds, coconut ice balls, mango chutney, strawberry and vanilla jam, rosemary salt and a couple of body scrubs and foot soaks. Just have to bag them up and make them look pretty.
Have a lovely weekend. Love Debbie xx
Dear Debbie,
DeleteYour hampers sound amazing! I love everything! That is wonderful. Everyone will love them!
I am hopeful that as well as grapes later on I will get all the trimmings as the lady next door has the vines all cut back... and I will make wreaths with this. Combined with hydrangeas I might be able to make lovely wreaths hopefully.
Today I used the dough to make bacon and cheese scrolls. These were really successful. The boys are going fishing tomorrow so I made a tray of these to send. Well they are amazing! Will post that Friday as it is a very simple thing to do. Crowd pleaser! This dough is very handy stuff! Getting going is the thing but then its easy. I hope you have the same luck as I am having!
Have a great weekend! Well done on so much glorious cooking! With love Annabel.xxx
The wreaths sound wonderful and I will try that too.
DeleteScrolls are always a crowd pleaser so I will try those too. I have feed my starter and it looks like it is starting to bubble so yes I think it is going to work wonderfully. We both love sourdough and can't wait to try everything.
Hope your weekend is going well and hope the boys caught heaps of fish. With love Debbie xx
Annabel your tins look absolutely gorgeous. I would love to try my hand at putting on the napkins. Would you please be able to share information on how to do it next year when you have time? I'm sure lots of our other lovely ladies would like to learn how. Your little nest is sweet. Your shortbread looks divine, especially in the big round.
ReplyDeleteI'd just like to thank you Annabel for your wonderful blog. You have inspired me in so many ways to enjoy and thrive on this happy, frugal path we choose. It has certainly enriched my life. Also a huge thanks to all fellow nesters with their contributions all year. What a brilliant community we are.
Merry Christmas all and an even better 2017, Lorraine xxx
Dear Lorraine,
DeleteThank you so much! I really appreciate you telling me this. It makes me so happy. I hope we can go on next year and achieve lots. All the help from everyone has been incredible.
Ok I will make a tutorial. It is such a cheap way to decorate something... vases, boxes, books, coaters... tins and jars! So watch for napkins in designs you really love as images and colours you like is the key. they are also very good in card making. It is much cheaper than buying decals/transfers that is for sure. Thank you for the suggestion!
Have a wonderful Christmas! With love, Annabel.xxx
Hi all. This week I made cranberry and white chocolate biscuits(cookies), ginger bread and shortbread to give my girls' teachers. I made up a birthday present for my little grand niece from things I collected from markets and op shops. I have made lots of meals from scratch and took my lunch both days to work. Made my coffee at home to take also. I am making aprons from tea towels tomorrow for my grand nephews and neice.
ReplyDeleteNext year I plan on becoming a better nester.
Merry Christmas to all.
Dear Janine,
DeleteWell done! You are miles in front when you take lunch plus coffees. When I worked out the maths i.e. how much that was per year doing Andy's lunches etc. I was amazed.
Aprons and tea towels sound wonderful. And so does the cooking! Have a great week before Christmas! With love Annabel.xxx
Hello, your cans are just beautiful!
ReplyDeleteAnd your shortbread looks delicious ❤️
Dear Annabel,
ReplyDeleteI am poking my frozen head out of the snow to write and say that I love your tins! They are gorgeous! We're on the home stretch now and I am feeling great about things, thanks to all your help and the great ideas from everyone who comments here. We now have a rainfall warning for tomorrow for 25mm of rain and very warm temperatures...what a mess that will be! Thank goodness we have no where to go! We are decorating our tree tomorrow and having our first "snack dinner" of the season, so "Let it snow" (or rain) away! Always love to read your blog.
xx Jen in NS
Dear Jen,
DeleteI have never considered rain on snow. Which shows how little I know about it! But warmer rain on snow has to make a whole mess of holes and melting stuff!
Thank you for your comments on my tins! Also thank you for all your photos and participation all year! Only yesterday your knitting was mentioned and how mittens and snow are so beautiful as here it is sun hats and sand lol
Stay snug and happy inside! With lots of love Annabel.xxx
Dear Annabel and blue birders we have had a busy week here, lots of noise and early starts for 3 days. We finally have a driveway - even when we purchased the house there was no actual driveway, just some large pebbles put down many years ago. It now means that I can wear my shoes and not damage them or get wet feet. My husband, on the other hand is happy as it has cut down his mowing.
ReplyDeleteYesterday the new/old bed was put up - we have moved from a double bed to a queen. It will take some getting adjusted to, especially if we get up in the night and there are no lights on.
My husband repaired and then stained the bed to match our bedside tables.
One of the supermarkets that usually has great specials has changed it's fruit and vegetable section and it is so much cheaper. They always had great quality fruit and vegetables but obviously it was more expensive than elsewhere and they were not selling as much as they should have. Now with the changes it is drawing more customers into the shop and hopefully they will buy other things as well.I spotted a good looking lettuce for -59 cents, pity I didn't need one.
Last Saturday we spent a couple of hours down at Redcliffe, walked along the front shops (now almost all are food places) and then the back street. I spotted a 2 seater cane lounge (no cushions) in a homewares shop and had to check out the price - $348-. Mine cost me $20- from the op shop here last year and looks exactly the same.
We are heading off later to our daughter's place down on the Gold Coast - just an overnight trip but will be taking down most of what we will need for our stay there after Christmas.
Annabel I love the tins - use to have the girls (when I was a Leader) use a similar idea for attaching pictures to cakes of soap - clear nail polish was the go with that. Cut the picture out, a base coat of clear nail polish then apply the picture, then a couple of coats of clear nail polish over the top to seal the picture to the soap.
I remember those metal hampers, haven't seen any in ages though. Often the paint shops have a deal where you buy paint and then get a paint tin full of jelly beans - that might be something you could seek OR if you want a larger one I have seen the chupa chup tins around.
This week is going to be a busy week - I have some sewing to do, a trip up to the shop, the food that I need to make for my mother in law and the list continues.
I am planning on one thing at a time when we get home tomorrow. I will be making a list of what needs doing and then I will not forget anything.
Have a great week everyone and if I do not get back here before we head off later in the week have a safe and happy Christmas.
Love
Lynette
XXXXX
PS Rachel could you post your lemon jam recipe please?
Dear Lynette,
DeleteThe drive way being done would be a really good thing. You sound very busy but I hope it is all lovely and enjoyable especially when you get to go away later.
I remember something similar to the pictures on soaps years ago. I think we used some kind of varnish. But I would love to do this again! You have given me some ideas!
I am working to a list too. I would be hopeless without my lists. I have the whole week drawn up and a list a day at the moment!
Have a really good week! With love, Annabel.xxx
Dear Lynette!
DeleteMy lemon jam was an experiment! The lemons were thought to be Meyer lemons off a seedling lemon tree, but may actually be a stronger tasting variety. The resulting jam, using the whole lemons, is more suitable for baking and medicine, I think. I made it like Dad's citrus jam, with only lemons. This is, of course, is his reduced sugar version, also! I would develop it much more before recommending it as a jam for the table!!!!
The link for Dad's Citrus Jam is as follows.
http://thebluebirdsarenesting.blogspot.com.au/2016/08/the-christmas-challenge-august-show-and.html
I make a wood-fired version of Dad's, and that I can recommend!
Thanks for another laugh!
Regards,
Rachel
PS We saw that rascally carpet snake again, today, and a storm is now nearly here! This snake has a bit of value!!
Our pizza places here in the USA will give you free boxes for the asking. I never ask for more than two at a time. No sense in being greedy!
ReplyDeleteDear Toni, Thank you for that! I think they would be great for giving a wheel of shortbread, chocolate pizzas, cookies... many things!
DeleteMany thanks! Love Annabel.xxx
Dear Annabel, I think my comment from a few days ago is floating in cyber space! This has happened another time. I'm not sure why. I can't remember all I wrote but wanted you to know I did comment. I love your tins, the cookies and the nest Lucy gave you! Love, Teri
ReplyDeleteDear Teri, I went to check if I have a not posted comment but I could not find it... you did email me on Saturday though which I did get. Thank you for trying again it just happens sometimes I think.
DeleteThe tins are so handy as they are a lot of storage and they stack. Just now I am baking biscuits and filing a couple of them!
I hope your week is going well! With love, Annabel.xxx
Greetings Annabel - thanks for stopping by Gail-Friends. I'm delighted to find your lovely blog. These tins are right up my alley. You did a beautiful job on them.
ReplyDeleteI'll be back!
GG
P.S. The weather in Australia sounds very much like central Florida. We've had a wonderful, warm winter so far, and I enjoy porch sitting almost every day. Blessings!
Dear GG, I am so impressed with your canning and storage! I will be pointing it out to everyone! Thank you so much! Yes I think there are a lot of similarities to here and there! With love Annabel.xxx
DeleteDear GG, I just realised I mixed you up with another blog sorry! Now I know... I totally agreed with your article. The news has been terrible and I am so happy to be a woman and be feminine! Many thanks, Love Annabel.xxx
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