Blonde frustrated female searching for what is missing in her life

That is a new sewing machine within her budget to replace her well loved and slowly fading machine. Poor Elna how well she has served both me, and my MIL before me, but she is on her last legs. It pains me to hear her chugging away and no amount of oiling and cleaning will stop the progress of her deterioration. The light connections have gone too, hence the lamp in the photo, I got a quote to get her fixed up a bit but it was more than buying a new one.




I have been looking for a while to replace my machine but have yet to find the perfect one which feel as good to sew on as this one does. Well I have but really I need to find one under £700. So the search is still on, any suggestions are very gratefully received.

PS I want to spend under £200 ideally and it only need to be a simple but hardwearing machine.

These are a few of my favourite things

My mum found this article the otherday from a online magazine about Baltimore Style - Yarn stores in Baltimore


I know I have put this photo here before but it is the one they used for the article so it seemed to make sence to put it here again. It is about a couple of my favourite things, yarn and Balitmore. If you read the rest of my blog you will know that my partner and I have been to Baltimore twice and I also sell in a shop there called Doubledutch. I love it there so it is so nice to see my photo and nice comments about this blog as well as my work in an article about the place.

New year new start

The new year always brings new things but this year I have lots of things to look forward to. I have just booked my flights to go to the wedding of one of my bestest friends Sini in Finland, i'm so excited as not only will I see her on one of the most important days of her life but also as I get to see a bit of Finland as we have decided to drive from Helsinki to the wedding.

Also before that I have a exhibition to prepare for at the central kent library in my hometown of Maidstone, Kent. I am going to be showing some of my designs that you all know as well as making some special one off appliqued wall hangings. I used to do a lot of appliqued work on my purses so am really looking forward to seeing peoples responses to some larger pieces of work.


I am also in the middle of doing my lovely paperwork for my tax return as well as making new designs for the new season. New items will be avaible soon in my Not on the high street shop as well as in other laurafallulah retailers so keep an eye out.


So really this post was just to share a couple of photos of new things and work in progress so you can see what I have been up to, but as usual I have babbled on so dont mind me.

Theres no baking like snow baking

Being trapped indoors and freezing cold does make you crave comfort food doesn't it and what better way to to keep warm that a bit of old fashioned baking. As I have said before we get a fruit box delivered weekly and each week we have more bananas. Now I like a banana but there is only so many I really want and one a day for the rest of my life is probably a few too many. So I am always on the look out for ways to use up those brown ones which have been left to one side in favour of a juicy clementine or sharp kiwi.

This recipe is one that I found a while ago in my trusty 500 cupcakes and muffins book but completely forgot about. I made them just as a treat with a cuppa but they would be great warm as part of a fancy breakfast or taken to work as a replacement for that oh so predictable cereal bar. Its very easy and even the most messy throw it all together of bakers, like me, can't go wrong.

You will need a muffin tray, muffin cases, 2 mixing bowls and the following ingredients.
Muffins
225g/8oz Unsalted butter
225g/8oz Caster sugar
225g/8oz Self Raising flour or 8oz Plain flour with 4 tsp baking powder
4 eggs
1/4 tsp Nutmeg
225/8oz Mashed ripe bananas (about 3)
Topping
3 tbsp Granulated sugar
1 tsp Cinnamon
2 tbsp Softened unsalted butter
4tbsp Oats
1tbsp Flour (SR or P)

Preheat your oven to gas mark 4/175C.

So in one bowl mix the butter and sugar until creamed, add in the eggs, flour and nutmeg and mix until combined. Add in the mashed bananas and again mix until combined.
In the other bowl mix together all of the ingrediants for the topping, it will be quite a dry breadcrumb like mixture, the smaller the crumbs the better.


Fill your muffin cases about 2/3 full. So here I divert from the books recipe as I find that if you add the topping here it just sinks into the mixture and you don't get much of a crunchy top. So I would cook your muffins for 5 minutes or until they are puffed up enough to fill the cases. Then quickly sprinkle on the topping mixture and continue to cook for about 20mins keeping an eye that the top isnt getting too dark.

Remove from oven and leave for 5 mins to cool in the tray and then cool on a rack, or if you are like me and impatient then tuck in taking care not to burn your mouth.


As modeled on my new cake rack which was a christmas present from my mum and dad, but better to keep in an air tight container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Sale on hannahzakari. com

Just wanted to tell everyone to check out the amazing sale on hannahzakari.com for some great post christmas shopping. There are many laurafallulah items in there as well as some beautiful jewellery, art and many other lovelies.

A couple of my favourites are this really cute top by Pretty Raccoon, love the chandelier print and there is a pretty awesome ship one also in the sale.


Also some great grettings cards by Yee-Haw Industries. Being a cat lover myself I would go for the Magician Cat myself but if Decapitation is more your thing then there is a card for you too.

Out with the old

and in with the new! I am having a huge sale over in my Etsy shop with all older items reduced up to 50% off. Bags, purses, cosmetics pouches, brooches and lavender hangers all at great prices. This tote is reduced from $40 to just $24.


So go on over and grab yourself a bargin. I will be putting new sale items in through out the whole of January ready to start listing my new collection in February.