Springtime

I love spring, it is possibly my second favourite season after winter. Our garden looks so lovely and bright after the greyness of the last few months, plus the sun is actually shining so I couldn't resist taking some photos. We seem to have lots of yellow flowers and then a few pink but not much else so I think I will be buying some more varied plants at the weekend.

We also have every kind of daffodil I have ever seen, these are my favourite with the white outside petals. We also have the normal all yellow one, yellow with orange middles, frilly middle ones, multiply layered ones that almost look like roses and tiny weeny ones. See I know all the technical names.

However this is my favourite plant in our garden at the moment (till my roses start coming through). I have no idea what it is, so if anyone does please let me know. The has long hard stems coming from the base with hundreds of these lovely yellow pompoms clustered around small green leaves. I know the sunshine is here when I see these flowers.

So heres to more sunshine and happy days. I was hoping to grow more veggies this summer but I think I am already a little late for most of them. I think a trip to the garden centre is needed soon to see what late bloomers I can get my little mitts onto.

Waste not want not

I am a huge believer in making the most out of what you have got. I love to cook and try to bring my resourceful nature through into my food. Every week we get a fruit box from one of the many food box schemes which seem to be growing ever the more popular. We only get fruit as it is the only thing that we can't buy a huge variety of from our food market here in blackheath. Anyway we always get bananas every week, and I love bananas, but sometimes it gets a bit too much so by the next weeks delivery we have two or three browning very ripe bananas in our fruit bowl. So I decided to look up on the good ole internet a recipe to use them up. I added a few of my own little touches too as I am a sucker for spices. It was so delicious that I thought I would share it with you. Eat it still warm with a big cup of tea, it will store in a tin or container for up to a week as it is very moist.

4oz Marg or unsalted butter

6oz Caster sugar

8oz Self Raising Flour

2 Large eggs

3 very ripe Bananas

2 teaspoons Honey

1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg

Firstly grease a loaf tin, I add a small piece of baking parchment into the bottom so that it wont stick and pre heat the oven at gas mark 4. You will need 2 bowls, in one roughly mash the banana with a fork and add in the honey and spices. In the other bowl cream together the marg/butter and sugar until smooth and pale, then add in the eggs and beat until combined. Then mix the banana mixture into the other bowl and mix until combined, it may curdle a little but dont worry. The sift the flour and fold into the rest until completely combined.

Pour into the loaf tin and bake in pre heated oven for 40 mins then reduce the heat to gas mark 2 for a further 25-30min depending on your oven. If you are like me, and cant wait for something sweet, you can lick the bowl of cake mixture while you are waiting for the cake to cook.

It should come out looking a bit like this. The ends are the best bit as they are a bit crunchy and then the cake inside is really moist.
Please make this cake, honestly it is so delish I am actually hoping that we dont finish all our bananas again this week so I can make another one.

Busy, busy, busy

It has been all go here since christmas really, decorating many flats and sewing like a mad woman. Well better to be busy that not I guess. So I thought I would share what I have been working on. I want to build up the stock in both my Notonthehighstreet shop and my etsy shops so it has been pedal to the metal all last week. Also been trying out some new ways of photographing my products and been learning all sorts of new things about my camara which really I should already know.

Green and pink is my favourite colour combination. So when I found this gorgeous minty green and white flower fabric I new just what I was going to put with it. This is one of a new range of floral coin purses each with an amazing little button from kirsty at bigfish.

I have been making cover buttons now for quite a while and up until now have been really just using them on purses. I have been playing around with this felt flower design for a while and only just put 2 and 2 together. I really love the contrast between the felt and the pretty flower fabrics. Plus they are pretty big and bold which is just what I wanted.

Take a break

I had a very stressful year in 2008 for many reasons and we decided we deserved a break. As is was my fellas birthday he picked to go back to Baltimore. The weather was beautiful and, as always we ate and shopped and went to many museums. My two favourite days out this time round were to Hampden and Washington, they couldnt be more different than each other if they tried.

Hampden is a wonderful place, I really love it there, it is a small area of Baltimore which really shows off the place to its full kitschyness. There are great little independent shops and amazing food places. Two of my favourite shops just happen to be right next to each other at the end of the main street. Doubledutch is a fab boutique which sells a mix of great lables and handmade items. I bought a coat last time I was there and enquired about selling laurafallulah items there, cut the chase they now stock my new sling bags, zip purses, large rose brooches and leaf brooches. Other than being completely biast I would really reccomend a trip there if you are in the area. Next door is Atomic Books, bringing out the geek in me, a great book shop which stocks alternative literature such as graphic novels, zines and other types of info books on music and craft plus so much more. They also sell a great range of toys and cute homeware. The pick above is of a 'knitted tree' outside a cute yarn shop which is just along the road.

This time round we had a extra day so decided to go to Washington for the day. This was my first time here and I thought it was such a beautiful city. We spent most of the time in the museums as it was so windy that we could hardly walk outside. The path up to the white house was closed off by the police so I was a bit dissapointed as I like a bit of the touristy stuff. We snuck round the back though were there was no one around and I managed to take this snap. The back door was open so I said hello to Obama but I dont think he heard me.

Anyway we are back now and back to the grind stone. I have lots of sewing to do and also unpacking our whole flat now the work has finished. No rest for the wicked hey!

Booooo paperwork

I am in the middle of collecting all my paperwork together so that I can sort out my tax return. It is incredibly boring and easily my least favourite bit of running a business. So as a little break I decided to edit my holiday pics. Now I am wishing I was back on the beach in Sunset, LA. Look how lovely it is, bet you wish you were there now too.

Sunset on Sunset beach

Enjoying the warm sunset on the beach

Well now I have to look forward to our already booked jollies this year, just need to get this workload out of the way first. Booooo paperwork.

Fallulahs

Today I opened a new etsy shop to sell handmade supplies and commercial fabrics. I have only listed a few items so far but I am going to fill it with lots of lovely covered buttons, pin cushions and beautiful fabric.

sorbet felt cover buttons

I love fabric and haberdashery which is why I started making things. I studies textiles through out school and onto to university. Because of this I have a massive stock of fabrics which I pick up whenever I see something I like. I have always been a bit of a hoarder but now I decided to use this to my advantage and pass on my love of fabric to others.

red and pink stripe cover button

You can tell it is my shop I think as everything is quite girly and kitsch. I will be selling some different styles of fabric too which I have picked up on my travels. Keep looking as there will be more coming really soon.

Happy 2009 and hello again

I know I always say that I am going to be blogging more but it is now officially one of my new years resolutions (I have writen them down and everything).

To begin this year I thought I would share a couple of things. Firstly a photo from christmas which was great and a well needed relax. I got some fab presents and was spoilt as always. In this photo you can see two of them, dress from my parents and legwarmers from my sister. I like action shot of my brother is running in the background.

I also have a new online shop which I set up just before Christmas. I will be selling lots of new designs, some of which will be exclusive to that shop. There is already a new size of my simple rose brooch in there which is very large indeed, a definate statement accessory (see below).