Kirstie and I embarked on a festive adventure- straight from work on friday evening.
My weekend away was off to an awesome start when I got back to my parents to abandon my car and my dad made me alphabet spaghetti on potato waffles.
:)
We got the train up to cardiff- Ditched our stuff at the hotel and made for City road for some yummy cocktails and onion bhajiis.
When we arrived in cardiff we we're really impressed because it wasn't raining. that lasted about 2 hours- by the time we left Milgis to go back to our room the heavens had opened.
We got a taxi back- and I'm soooo glad we did- the driver was the most termorfa person I've ever had a conversation with! And he had a festive taxi.
I hadn't realised that this particular evening was "black friday". we passed an interesting night.
On saturday we we're picked up by Trist and went for breakfast at Romones in Cathays- which was awesome!
I've never been to ramones before even though its like 3 streets over from the Brithdir- I'm a bit gutted now that we missed out for all those years!
Tristrum ordered a rather massive breakfast- although not the biggest fry up that they do- maybe thats a challenge for another day...
Then we went to see sarah and the bump and Becca and Dan. Sarah has already passed her due date so we were under instrctions not to make any sudden movements.
Kirstie and I had Ice skating tickets for the winter wonderland- but it was raining heavily all morning and the skating was cancelled.
I'm quite gutted actually- this is the first year Since living in cardiff that I've not gone ice skating on the outdoor rink- Even in the rain!
It looked awesome though
We got totally drenched in the rain and headed back to the hotel to get changed for going out in the evening.
I miss living in Cardiff- but I REALLY don't miss the weather- I have no idea how I used to live in this city! I must never have gone outside except for the 3 days in July it doesn't rain in wales.
Or something.
We met up with Sarah in Buffalo bar - and Hayley, Dai, Jay, Baker, Helen and Josh. For some yummy dinner! (This is my Fav place in cardiff to eat- close second is Pepe's El Pasos.. this is also my 2nd fav coctail place after Mligi)
Sarah was saying that her back was achey as she'd been shopping in town- little did we know this was the start of her labour! oops! thankfully she didn't have the baby in the bar.
after lots of yummy food and cocktails we headed out to live lounge. and then we had chippys! (Chipply lane, Tonys, of course..)
Friday, 28 December 2012
Wednesday, 19 December 2012
How to make custom tea blends :)
This is a re-blog from Esty- the idea is that you have a "tea blending" party and try out lots of different combinations!
That sounds like my kind of party!
This is also a bit of a hint for next christmas.... :P (Please, no peppercorns! unless you really don't love me anymore!)

Photo by Briar Winters
Gather your materials:
• Teas and spices
• Blending bowls, spoons, mortar and pestle
• Brewing equipment (teapots, paper tea bags, tea strainers, teacups)
• Winter fruits, nuts, and chocolate for snacking (or have your guests bring their favorites!)
• Packing materials (bags, jars, tags, twine)
• Teas and spices
• Blending bowls, spoons, mortar and pestle
• Brewing equipment (teapots, paper tea bags, tea strainers, teacups)
• Winter fruits, nuts, and chocolate for snacking (or have your guests bring their favorites!)
• Packing materials (bags, jars, tags, twine)
Decide which base teas you’d like to provide for your guests’ blending pleasure.
Assam (a black tea from India) lends itself well to chai and other spicy, robust blends.
A toasty Chinese green tea like Dragonwell is delicious with a few jasmine green tea leaves or cacao nibs tossed in, while Japanese sencha (a grassier, greener green tea) loves a dash of matcha powder and mint or citrus peel.
Red tea, or Rooibos, is not a true tea in that it doesn’t come from the tea plant, camellia sinensis. It is caffeine free (perfect for sipping in the bathtub before bed!) and has a rich and honeyed flavor. It’s just perfect with exotic chai spices, or with peppermint and cacao for a soothing dessert tea.
Here is a little chart with a few flavor-pairing suggestions to get you started:
Assam
|
Green tea
|
Rooibos
|
| ceylon cinnamon | winter citrus zest: meyer lemon, blood orange, tangerine | cacao nibs |
| cardamom | fennel seeds | saffron |
| ginger, dried or candied | mint | shredded coconut |
| peppercorns: black, pink, long peppercorns or grains of paradise | licorice | golden raisins |
| rose petals | lemongrass | rose petals |
| vanilla beans | cacao nibs | ginger |
| dried berries | candied ginger | peppermint |
| cacao nibs | matcha |
Find a spot to lay all your ingredients out, and if you have small ramekins or finger bowls to fill with your spices, so much the better. All the teas and spices set out in pretty little dishes on the table should look like a scene from an exotic banquet. Have a full tea kettle on hand, as well as tasting teacups for your guests.
You can group suggested ingredients together with their respective teas to make blending simpler, though a few ingredients will be perfectly happy to cross those boundaries. You could also stick with one base tea for everyone to simplify the whole affair and then marvel at the variety of different blends that result.
Set out bowls and spoons for guests to blend their tea, and put on the kettle for test runs. A mortar and pestle can be helpful for crushing spices to make chai. I like to have some unbleached paper tea bags on hand to fill with teas as the blending progresses, to see if the flavor is just right. A good rule of thumb is to start with just a little of what you’d like to add and let your nose guide you as you go along. Then do a few taste tests to fine tune your creation and appreciate the magical way that hot water releases the flavors. Many tea blends also benefit from a period of marrying, or allowing the flavors to come together in the finished blend.
Drink plenty of tea as you go along! Be sure to observe the correct brewing temperatures for each base tea, in order to bring out the best possible side of your blends. You can always experiment with time, temperature and amount of tea, and do make sure to write brewing instructions on your gifts tags when you package your teas up.
Brewing Times and Temperatures:
• Black tea is best brewed with boiling water (212°F) for 4-5 minutes, while black tea chai blends are best simmered in a 50/50 mix of water and your favorite milk for about 5 minutes.
• Green teas are most often brewed at about 180°F for 3-4 minutes.
• Red tea is best brewed at 195°F, or just under a boil for 5-7 minutes.
• Green teas are most often brewed at about 180°F for 3-4 minutes.
• Red tea is best brewed at 195°F, or just under a boil for 5-7 minutes.
Make packaging. I love compostable brown paper bags for my teas, but glass jars are beautiful, (and reusable) too! Have twine, paper, tape and gift tags on hand to finish off your packages beautifully.
how to make a snow globe (which can also be used as a cake topper? maybe? WHY?!)
You Will Need:
Jar with a rubber lid
Water
Glycerin (found in hobby or drug stores)
Picture of the wedding couple on heavy paper
Scissors
Clear tape or access to a laminator
Glitter
Glue gun
Jar with a rubber lid
Water
Glycerin (found in hobby or drug stores)
Picture of the wedding couple on heavy paper
Scissors
Clear tape or access to a laminator
Glitter
Glue gun
Step 1: Cut around the picture of the wedding couple. Laminate or attach clear tape to the picture of the wedding couple on both sides so that the picture becomes waterproof. Trim the edges.
Step 2: Glue gun the couple to the bottom of the jar lid (use lots and lots of glue to make sure it’s secure).
Step 3: Immediately pour glitter onto the glue to cover it and create the mounds of “snow” on the bottom.
Step 4: Add water to the jar leaving about an inch below the top.
Step 5: Add in about 2 tablespoons of glycerin.
Step 6: Add glitter. If needed, add more water to the jar until the jar is nearly filled to the top.
Step 7: Add the lid onto the jar.
Friday, 14 December 2012
old skirt-to-wrap blouse
Find more of the “wrapped clothing” series in theLIFE Archives.
You Will Need:
1. Fabric (Mine measured 56×34 inches. However, you can judge this based on your size and the length you prefer. This was more than enough for the shirt and strap.)
2. Sewing Machine
3. Scissors
4. Fabric Marker or pencil
5. Something round for the neck-cutout
1. Fabric (Mine measured 56×34 inches. However, you can judge this based on your size and the length you prefer. This was more than enough for the shirt and strap.)
2. Sewing Machine
3. Scissors
4. Fabric Marker or pencil
5. Something round for the neck-cutout
And here it is after I took it apart. You will notice the pocket holes. I eventually sewed them closed.

Fold your fabric in half. The open end will be the bottom of the shirt, while the closed end will be the neck area.

{Excuse my feet…hehe} This next part depends on how long you want your shirt AND how big you want your straps. I recommend each strap measuring at least 2.5 inches or more. I ended up cutting more after I sewed the first strap on. I wanted a thicker bow.
You will then hem all sides on the straps. My hem varied on each side. You basically want the straps to look nice and not frayed.
Now sew the ends of the straps together to make one long strap. You pick the ends, it doesn’t matter.

Sew strap along the base of the BACK flap. In other words, the strap should be attached to the flap that will cover your back, jack. (lol… I had to… ooooook moving on)

Go to the closed end of your fabric and at the center make a neck hole. I also wanted a deep ‘V’; you can do as much or as little as you like. You may not want you back out so only cut the top flap, etc. etc.

Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)

























