Being a Right Sew and Sew!

Housework that needs to be done:

• Laundry, Laundry, Laundry
• Mop Floors
• Dusting
• I threw some of the desk detritus in a box yet the poor old thing still needs dealing with!!!

But instead of doing that.....

I have had the unspeakable pleasure of doing some sewing. I don't sew as often as I would like because I get a bit caught up in it and then I forget to feed the kids and important stuff like that. Also, the unrelenting fatigue that seems to be my constant companion these days tends to make me put off doing anything that requires more than 10 minutes of concentration.

It started yesterday when my lovely MIL (and yes, she is genuinely lovely) came over to watch the kids while hubz and I popped out for a couple of hours. I arrived home with a  sewing pattern in hand but not much intention of doing anything with it any time soon. However, an hour later one little person was asleep and the other had gone home with Nanna and I had a little bit of free time, so out came the pattern.

I should also explain here that I have so many projects in progress that I actually started organising the patterns, notes etc in a folder fro ready access when I have a spare moment. The theory is great and it has helped a little, but it just doesn't help me with my innate (or possibly inane) spontaneity when it comes to craft projects. I get sooooo excited when I see something new that I simply forget all the other million gazillion projects that I have on the go. Off I go and procure all the materials for the new project and then never get it finished because I get interrupted and then my attention moves to something else!

So this weekend has been a marvel because not only did I finish my sons PJs within 36 hours of buying the pattern, but I also sewed up his beanbag cover (which I bought the fabric for last year and cut out over Easter weekend) AND I made a lovely sultana cake (it's the FIL's fave) to say thanks to the In-Laws for all their help this weekend .

Bake-arazzi

Housework that needs to be done:

• Washing and Folding of Laundry
• Put Away Clean Dishes
• Tidy Living Areas
• Mop Floors
• Dusting
• and as for that Desk! Well .....

But instead of doing that.....

I have been doing a bit of baking. Realistically a bit of baking isn't entirely unusual for me, but I tend to keep it reasonably simple unless I am making a celebration cake. Today I have pushed the boat out a bit as I am taking dessert over to the in-laws as they have family visiting from overseas. It's always nice to do something a little bit nice for a special occasion.

Filling the mini loaf tins

So the menu today involved Nigella Lawson's Mini Lime Syrup Sponges (available in her book "How to be a Domestic Goddess") and a chocolate/raspberry profiterole concoction I fondly refer to as "Chocolate Bards" - more on that another time.

Smoothing out the batter

Anyhow, the other thing worth noting is that Miss L (my darling 3 year old) is now the proud owner of a lovely purple camera - no other colour would do, of course! (Thank goodness the shop had a reasonably priced purple camera!!!) As soon as the battery was charged she was up and snapping. As I was baking there was some serious paparazzi action going on so today you are getting a few shots of a 3 year old's perspective of baking activities.

All ready for the oven

As you can see, she's not overly concerned about things like focus or composition, but I love how she likes getting right in on the action!

Miss L likes order (although it is not always easy to tell, given the trail of destruction she leaves in her wake). You can often find her rearranging the carefully merchandised displays in stores. Most of the time everything gets lined up in some regimented order that makes sense to her. So, when she realised my photo tent was out and there was baking to be photographed, off she went to set up a "shoot". I was delighted when I saw my chocolate choux buns arranged in the classic Miss L line up! 

Chocolate Choux Buns all in a row

I wasn't quite so delighted with the how the buns appeared in the resulting photograph. Thankfully I had taken my own pics of the finished product.

Choc Raspberry Profiteroles

And we all indulged happily ever after.

Nigella's Mini Lime Syrup Sponges