This and that!

Okay, okay, so I've been lazy. I'm not sure what's going on with me lately but I've been sleeping like crazy and getting nothing done. Well, I'm not really a morning person anyway, I prefer to stay up late into the night. I suppose it's probably when it is most quiet in the house. The fact that the sun is forever on holiday doesn't motivate me much either. However, I am aware of my problem and I'll try to do better. :) I also have bursitis in my right upper arm and shoulder so it can be a little painful at times. I had a cortizone shot a couple of weeks ago which helped but it's still sensitive. Oh well, it shall not stop me from writing and crafting. Speaking of which, let me show you some decos and FBs I've made.

I LOVE how this "Vintage Toys" Deco turned out. It is part of a group swap and I hope my partner will like it.

I also LOVE how this "Vintage Beauties" Deco turned out. It is also off to my partner as part of a group swap.

Another Deco part of a group swap. The theme is "Vintage Couples", perfect for Valentine's Day.

And finally, three FBs I made for another group swap with the theme "Cute Characters at Christmas".
I also received some great mail a couple of weeks ago that I hadn't posted here yet.

A wonderful letter from my pal Stefanie from Switzerland. She also sent some great photos of the crafts she makes.

50 gr. est. FBs as part of a group swap.

Another wonderful letter from my friend Reiko in Japan. She also sent photos which I always love.

A Christmas present from my friend Ria from Trinidad and Tobago.

And finally, a fantastic assortment of Decos from Vanessa. Love them!
Last weekend, Jeffrey, Noah and I went to a Reptile Show. I'm not really a fan of reptiles at all but I must admit I found it quite interesting. It was very educational and fun to see the various reptiles I find creepy and know nothing about. We had our photo taken with crocodiles just for fun.

Jeffrey and Noah.

My baby kittens are growing. They are now 51/2 months old. Mustang is a little plump but so adorable. He now weighs 8,5 pounds. Subaru is so slim and weighs 7,5 pounds. Mustang loves to eat and it shows. They are always so proud of themselves when they learn something new. It's difficult for me to decorate at this point as they love to climb so I have to wait until they learn that certain places are off limits. Do cats ever learn that? Ha! Ha!

Kylie has even gotten a little more tolerant with them. She lets Subaru lie next to her until he starts pestering her.

I recently started a sewing class. Well, I've only been to one class and I am quite excited. The class goes for 10 weeks. We'll be making a sewing bag as a first project and then we choose what we want. I haven't decided what I'll do yet. I was thinking maybe a handbag or dolls' clothes, or...There are so many beautiful sewn things out there. :) I'll be back soon to post my 3rd recipe.

Recipe #2!

What a week! Oh my goodness! It was filled with appointment after appointment. I hardly got anything fun done but I guess that's what weekends are for, right? I'm happy to say I did get another recipe done for my "one recipe a week challenge of 2011". :)

Slow-Cooker Provencal Beef Stew

Ingredients: 1 lbs (450g) boneless stewing beef cubed
3 tbs flour to coat meat
2 large peeled cubed potatoes
1 can (28 fl oz/796ml) undrained diced tomatoes
1 sliced zucchini
1 chopped onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup beef broth
1/4 cup Sun-Dried Tomato & Oregano dressing
1 tbs basil

Coat meat in slow cooker with flour, then add remaining ingredients and stir. Cover and cook on high for 5 hours. Enjoy!

We absolutely enjoyed this meal. There were no leftovers since everyone had more than one plate-full. Be back tomorrow (hopefully) with a mail update. Have a nice weekend everyone!

Oh sweet, sweet mail!

Hello, hello, hello! :) I had a fantastic mail week swap-wise. It was great finding something in my mailbox everyday. It cheers me up during these long and drab winter months with pratically no sunlight. Take a look below at some of what the mailman brought me.

Two Vintage Sisters Decos from a group swap. They are lovely!

A Vintage Paris Deco and a Vintage Christmas Deco from a group swap. I LOVE vintage.

Some various decos from another group swap.

A beautiful Vintage Beauties Deco from a group swap.

Cute Characters at Christmas FBs and a couple of others for a group swap.

A fantastic letter from my friend Kimie. She also included some HQFBs and Decos.

I've been rather busy myself with answering letters and working on swaps. I haven't posted anything I've crafted because I was not quite satisfied with it. More crafting and letter writing coming up this weekend too. I am really in the mood for making vintage Valentine crafts. Have a nice rest of the weekend!

Recipe # 1!

Here is my first recipe for my New Year's challenge. In a previous post I mentioned how FED UP I am with eating the same foods so I have challenged myself to make one new recipe per week for the entire year. I chose "Sausage with Peppers and Pasta" and it turned out really great. It was simple, quick, and delicious. We love pasta dishes in my house.

The first step is to cook the cut up sausages and peppers. Aren't the colours just so pretty?!

Then add Italian-style diced tomatoes and warm touroughly. Mix in pasta and 4 Cheese Italiano shredded.

Top with parmesan and serve. Delicious! I haven't yet decided what I'll make for my next recipe, but I'll let you know how it turns out.

On another note, I thought I'd share this adorable photo of Mustang totally relaxed and snoozing. :)

Be back tomorrow to update on mail and swaps received. :) It's blowing and snowing right now so I'm happy to be cozy inside. I'm off to an evening of crafting and letter writing.

Card crafting & mail news!

Happy New Year! Hope this New Year has been treating you all nicely so far. No complaints on my end. I never make resolutions but I do give myself challenges. Here are a few: trying one new recipe a week because I have become so bored with eating the same foods, more crafting and opening an online shop, working for myself, and taking care of me for a change.
Below are a couple of birthday cards I made for some special friends. Instead of rubber stamping I decided to print out some vintage images. I think they turned out nicely.

I received a bit of mail in the past two weeks, mostly swaps. The ones below are from a swap partner and the themes were; Christmas Tree Deco and Snowman Deco. I think they are lovely. She also included a cute Christmas card.

My friend Claire from New Zealand sent me a pretty House Mouse stamped Christmas card and some ribbon.

These three Cute Characters at Christmas FBs are from a group swap. Adorable!

A cute thank you card from my friend Nicole in Massachusetts, USA.

A sweet letter from my friend Agnes from Poland which included a Christmas card, FBs and lovely postcards.

An absolutely beautiful Vintage Christmas Deco from another group swap. She also send a cute Christmas card.

And, three lovely Vintage Ads FBs from yet another group swap.

I'll be working on swaps this weekend and doing more letter writing. I've been in a writing mood for the past two weeks. Have a great weekend everyone!