The easiest way to make a live wreath - Stone Gable

When I saw the "easiest way to make a live wreath" tutorial that Yvonne @ Stone Gable posted on Tuesday I immediately pinned it to my "stuff I want to make" board on Pinterest.
Click here to see the tutorial for yourself.

Following Yvonne's instructions I took an old faux wreath, pretty baubles and some plaid ribbon from my Christmas stash.
I don't have a stand like the one Yvonne used whilst creating her wreath so to make working on the wreath as easy as possible I hung it on a window handle inside.
As you can see through the window there's no snow in Normandy, yet!

Armed with a pair of secateurs I went foraging in the back garden where I cut several small branches of ivy, cypress and box.

As my wreath wasn't as "snarly" as the one in the tutorial is, it was very quick and easy to simply thread the branches through the wreath, no hot glue gun needed!

Then using small wire hangers I simply attached the baubles to the wreath, tied a bow at the top and voila!

The easiest live wreath ever!

Linking this post to Mrs Matlock's Alphabe-Thursday

where our class assignment this week is the letter E.

BREAKING NEWS..........................

literally!!

Since I posted the above photos this has happened.....

I honestly only snipped a few small branches for my wreath, sometime since yesterday afternoon

this stately evergreen was torn asunder and fell to earth without us being aware 

that anything was amiss.

If you need some foliage, for your own wreath, you're all welcome to come and help yourselves!!

Ben watching The Tartan Parade

Ben is sending lots of love and a picnic to share with Sadie

because Aunt Sarah @ Hyacinths For The Soul

 is hosting The Tartan Parade!

We're also visiting with the Tablescaper for Seasonal Sundays,

after all it's not every day a chap gets to wear plaid!

And..........

since the letter T is centre stage at Mrs Matlock's Aphabe-Thursday this week

we're joining the party there too.

Scrap booking

With Diane & Susan- Graceland 2005

For Alphabe-Thursday this week over at Mrs Matlock's blog off on my tangent 

I'm sharing some of my recent scrap book creations.

Nick & Mr Ben June 2011

Tea for one in the garden

Susan & Me - Paris 2011

The SP jumping for joy in HHI.

Thanks to UKScrappers my scrap booking mojo is back!

the 5 most important things needed for our trip to Italy, next month

Quelle surprise!

QUELLE SURPRISE!

Recently I received a surprise in the mail.
A beautiful hand knitted woodland nest, a gift from the hugely talented Vicki who's blog 2 Bags Full is a wonderful place to spend some time.

There you will find more beautiful nests such as this one.

You may remember that I was able to acquire the last 2011 Christmas nest last December, so lucky as the waiting lists for Vicki's nests are very looooong!
Vicki also shares her love of travel on her blog, she just returned from a cruise and her photographs are always amazing.
However, whilst Vicki and her husband were away a community very close to theirs at home was almost completely destroyed by the terrible hurricanes which ripped through the area causing unbelievable devastation.
You can read more about what happened, on Vicki's blog, by clicking here.

As I did at Christmas time I created a small vignette of the nest alongside my vintage copy of Diary Of An Edwardian Lady.

As you can see the illustrated pages for May are perfect with the nest, how talented Vicki is and Edith Holden, the author and artist of DOAEL, was.

Linking this post to Mrs Matlock's Alphabe-Thursday where the lesson for today is the letter Q.

Nostalgic in New York City.

Last week whilst preparing my review of "Emily and Einstein" by Linda Francis Lee for my other blog just books (you can read the review by clicking here ) I spent a pleasant hour or two looking through photographs taken on our trips to NYC.

So, settle back for some more armchair travel - stroll through Central Park, shop for souvenirs in Times Square followed by a boat trip out to see the Lady herself.

Joining Mrs Matlock for Alphabe-Thursday @ off on my tangent with this nostalgic look at NYC.

Alphabe- Thursday - K is for Kedgeree

For Alphabe - Thursday this week with Mrs Matlock a dish you might not have tried - Kedgeree.
Kedgeree is an Anglo – Indian dish of onions, basmati rice, cooked smoked haddock, peas, hard boiled eggs, curry powder, parsley, cream and butter which was introduced into Victorian Britain from colonial India.

It is a very simple dish to make and perfect for brunch or supper.
In series one of Downton Abbey kedgeree is one of the first dishes that Mrs Patmore prepares for Lord and Lady Grantham and "the girls".

Some people make kedgeree using leftover rice and fish but like Mrs Patmore I make it from scratch!

Using the ingredients mentioned above, this is what you do……………..
In a large pan poach 250g undyed smoked haddock (+ 2 bay leaves) in 250 ml of water for about 5 minutes, drain and reserve the cooking liquor.
Discard the bay leaves and flake the fish into bite size pieces.
Put 100g basmati rice in a small saucepan with the reserved cooking liquor, simmer until rice is cooked. Remove from the heat and allow to stand until all the liquid is absorbed by the rice.
Meanwhile place 2 (or 3 if you’re hungry) large, free range eggs in a saucepan of cold water, bring to the boil and cook for about 8 minutes.
Remove the eggs when cooked and plunge into a shallow bowl of ice water, when they are cool enough to handle peel the eggs and cut each one into quarters, set aside.
In a small saucepan cook 50g of frozen peas, whilst this is happening melt 20g of butter and 1 table sp sunflower oil in a large frying pan. Add a finely chopped onion and fry gently until cooked and slightly golden in colour. Add 1 tablesp of curry powder and fry for another couple of minutes.
Tip the cooked basmati rice and drained peas in with the curried onions.
Next add 2 table sp chopped parsley, 2 table sp crème fraiche, flaked haddock and quartered hard boiled eggs.

Pop a lid on the pan and cook gently until the eggs and fish are warmed through.

Transfer to a serving dish or dot some butter over the top of the kedgeree, cover with foil and place in a preheated oven to keep hot until needed.

Serves 2 if they’re hungry and 3 if they’re not.

Talking of Mrs Patmore…………….are you a Downton fan?
Do you prefer upstairs or downstairs?
Do you know which character asked:
 “A weekend. What is a weekend”?
Or who said:
 “Friends? Who does she think she’s fooling? We’re not friends.”

Whether you’ve only just met the Cawleys, or can find your way around Downton as easily as Thomas the footman, call back here at the weekend for a chance to win The World Of Downton Abbey by Jessica Fellowes.

The Rivalry and Romance Revealed and the Secrets and History unlocked. 

Joining Jenny Matlock @ off on my tangent
for  Alphabe-Thursday
where the letter K is our subject this week.

What's in a name?

My grandparents Eliza and John William Smith had seven children, three boys and four girls, my dad was the first born and was also christened John William.
As a child they called him Billy, when he grew up he was known always as Bill.
Eliza and JW. Snr named their other two sons Gordon and Harry, then they reverted back to names beginning with the letter J for the girls who were; Joan, June, Jean and Jessie.

Bridesmaids at older brother Gordon's wedding.
L-R June, Jean, Jessie & Joan.
 (the other little bridesmaid was from Mary the bride's) side of the family 

When the first grand child was born (me) Eliza dictated expressed a wish that the J tradition be continued and so I was duly christened Julie Margaret.
However, my mother Eva was also a woman with a strong will and she insisted that everyone call me Margaret.
(4 years later my sister Rhonda was born, no J for her!)
Over the years I've been asked many times "are you Julie or Margaret", it can cause confusion sometimes.

My parents on their wedding day.
Gordon was the best man.

What handsome young men they were.

Gordon, Harry, Joan and Jean all chose not to continue with the J tradition, however June has a daughter, also Julie, and Jessie named her daughter Jane.
After my parents divorced in the early '60's, Dad married Joyce. Another J!
When their daughter was born in 1968 my second sister dodged a bullet too.

This is the first page of the Memory Scrapbook which I created for
Kathryn's 40th birthday.

In my early twenties I decided Margaret was too "old fashioned" and asked everyone to call me Maggie, now only my close family call me by my given name.

Like father, like daughter.
Bill & Maggie or should that be John & Julie?

My dad passed away almost four years ago and we all still miss him very much. 

Joining another J, Miz Jenny, @ off on my tangent 

for this week's

Alphabe-Thursday 

with this very personal tribute to

the letter J.

Alphabe-Thursday - H is for Hellens Manor

Joining Jenny @ off on my tangent

for

With a visit to Hellens Manor. Much Marcle.

Hellens Manor and the famous knot garden.

In 1096 Hellens Manor, a beautiful historical house, situated in the lovely Herefordshire village of Much Marcle, became the property of the de Balun family who were witnesses to the signing of the Magna Carta by King John.

In the Spring of 2011 the Senior Partner and I spent an enjoyable afternoon touring the house and gardens.

This door leads into the medieval part of the house.

This post is really all about the photo's that we took that day, with just a little bit of info gleaned from the tour guide and the brochure we were handed as the tour began.

The Stone Hall has a Minstrel's Gallery and a great fireplace which bears the crest of the Black prince.

In the 14th century the house was the property of the Earl Of Gloucester.
His nephew James, a companion to the Black Prince, rented Hellens Manor in exchange for a pair of silver spurs.
He later leased the house to Walter Helyon, who gave his name to the Manor.

The great fireplace in the Stone Hall bears the crest of the Black Prince.

His descendants have lived at Hellens ever since and it has always remained a home and not a museum.

In the 16th century Hetty Walwyn, a daughter of the house, ran away with her lover.
She returned years later, destitute apart from a diamond ring. She was imprisoned in a locked room with iron bars at the windows, for the rest of her life.
She used a small bell as her only means of communication with the rest of the household.
It is believed that she haunts the house, still ringing a bell.

This case contains the family coronet and some items said to have belonged to Anne Boleyn.

The rooms are filled with inherited paintings, furniture and decorations, most are family heirlooms.
Some belonged to Anne Boleyn, Mary Tudor, the Earl of Essex (a favourite of Elizabeth I) and Charles I.

Bloody Mary's chamber.

At great expense to the family a room was prepared for Bloody Mary and her tutor Featherstone, it is also said to be haunted.

In the early part of the 20th century Hellens passed into the hands of Lady Helena Gleichen one of Queen Victoria's neices.
Her decendants, the Munthe family, have created a charitable trust in order to keep the house running.
The richly panelled Music Room, which is used by the family when in residence, has a large stone fireplace, on the mantel above are family photographs.

I hope you've enjoyed my virtual guided tour of Hellens Manor and if you would like to learn more about Hellens then click here to go to the website.