Tuesday 10 August 2010

Prehnite and silver earrings

In the wee hours, when the girls and Louie are fast asleep and purring, I spend my time putting together semi-precious stone beads, crystal and silver to make jewellery. Prehnite is a pretty misty- greenish-milky stone which often has black inclusions. Apparently it is a stone for dreaming and remembering and it enhances the ability to make contact with unseen entities....ooh errr !

Friday 6 August 2010

The Bee is back - new job, new motivation!

Hello lovely peeps and huge apologies for being absent for so long. Life has been having its wicked way with me of late - despite all my best efforts I have sadly neglected my blog. But all that is about to change! I am surprised and delighted at having been offered a new job as Business Affairs Executive working for Objective Productions (a TV Production company) where I will be starting on 1st September. So one more week at my current job, followed by two weeks of freedom, and then a new challenge. I'm so excited! Other news is that M completes a 2 week drama course at the Mercury Theatre today which she has thoroughly enjoyed and E finishes "CHUMS" - two weeks of sporting activities held at Essex University. The Boy has been very busy at home painting and decorating - it's amazing the difference a bit of white gloss makes. Now we're just figuring out how to get white gloss off a black cat.......more to follow!

Wednesday 12 May 2010

Cornwall - heaven in the West Country


We had an amazing week of blue skies and sunshine in Cornwall, staying in a little cottage on a farm near Tintagel. An added bonus was a hot tub and sauna that worked wonders for aching joints. The girls loved being able to help out on the farm with the animals and fell in love with Brightly, the pony they rode. We set ourselves a challenge and climbed Rough Tor (the second highest mountain on Bodmin), walked along the cliffs at Zennor, saw the seals at Godrevy and breakfasted in the cafe, strolled along Gwithian sands, mooched around the shops and galleries in St. Ives and of course ate far too many pasties, scones and clotted cream. This photo was taken on our cliff walk at Zennor - a truly magical and mystical place steeped in folklore. The scenery is always breathtaking on a clear day and I would move there in a second, given the chance.

Latest news

Apologies for being absent from my blog for the last few weeks. Things have been so manically busy - Louie's eye troubles, little M's adventure trip, our spring break in Cornwall, little M's birthday/sleepover, visits to/from mum....the list is endless. Plus I've been getting up at 5.30 a.m. most mornings to spend an hour in garden pre-work, to get the veg seeds planted up, runner bean seedlings planted out, slugs and vine weevils removed. M and the Boy had a fantastic time at the Black Eyed Peas concert in Birmingham last Saturday (M's birthday prezzie) - from the YouTube clips I have seen it looked like a very professional show. I'll be posting some belated pics from Cornwall and updating on the gardening progress and, just for good measure, we've started painting our bedroom - very overdue after putting up with inherited dark terracotta for the past 4 years. We're painting it white so that it looks light, bright and airy. Once the huge Leylandii comes down in the garden, the bedroom should be flooded with light and look gorgeous. I'll post photos in due course.

Monday 29 March 2010

Little E's Tudor Day


Little E is looking less than thrilled in this photo at being dressed up as a Tudor lady for her school outing to Cressing Temple Barns. Maybe it's because we said she looked like Anne Boleyn ("off with her head")! She was actually very excited and had a fantastic day with her classmates learning all about the Tudor way of life.

Louie's home!

Yes, our furry boy is finally home from the AHT in Newmarket although we are under strict instructions to keep him in one room and not to disturb him or play with him except to feed him. They are very concerned there is still a chance that all their good work could be undone if he gets too excited or exerts himself too much, hence his "isolation"....it's very hard though, as he meows and scratches at the door almost constantly. I don't know if we can hold out for a whole week...then he's back to the AHT next Saturday for a check-up. He seems to be relatively happy in himself though but we can't wait to be able to give him lots of TLC and snuggles.

Thursday 18 March 2010

Traumas of recent weeks!

I've been somewhat slack at keeping up my blog these last few weeks. Firstly a hideously debilitating round of the Norovirus struck us all down. Then, last Tuesday, Louie was diagnosed with a hole in his eyeball (ewww!) and taken into The Animal Health Trust hospital in Newmarket where he remains. He has now had three operations on his eye to try to repair the hole including a skin graft where they took some of his eyelid skin and grafted it across the hole. He had some more stitches yesterday. We haven't been able to visit Lou-boy as the hospital is afraid he would get too excited and pull the stitches out. It's very weird, being cat-less; our house feels empty and just not right. We are hoping to be able to bring him home sometime this weekend, and can't wait to give him lots of snuggling and treats. The AHT has given Lou-boy the very best care possible and we are eternally grateful to them for working so hard to save his eye. Here's a link to their website:
http://www.aht.org.uk/404.html

Tuesday 2 March 2010

Next Project - turning an old piano stool into a footstool














I found this lovely photo of a footstool on the net which has inspired me to try and make something similar. A friend recently gave us an old piano stool which would otherwise have gone to the tip, so I'm working out how to cut it down and re-upholster it to make something similar. Currently hunting out some nice fabric in shades of duck egg blue, eau de nil, cream etc. I'll show you how I get on!





Little E's Tudor House


Little E's half-term history homework project was to make a model of a Tudor house. So we set to work with shoe boxes, paint and cardboard and came up with this. What's nice is that the lid still comes off the top section so, if she feels like it, little E can make some furniture and Tudor people at a later date.

Thursday 18 February 2010

Fire Lanterns at Tessa's birthday celebration


Last Saturday a crowd of us got together to celebrate my sister, Tessa's, "ngrdieth" birthday! Much fun was had by all, fabulous food, brilliant games and culminating in a walk down to Felixstowe seafront to light some Chinese Fire Lanterns - here they are....just taking off. Beautiful!

Friday 12 February 2010

Little M's castle cake - school project

Little M's history project - a castle in any medium. Like mother like daughter....she chose cake! We cheated a little bit, using ready made swiss rolls, and then she had fun with the chocolate butter icing and cutting the windows out of wafers. The ice cream cones were a flash of inspiration although she didn't have time to decorate them. A definite success - 20/20 mark and every morsel wolfed down by the class!

Monday 8 February 2010

Helena Bonham Carter






















How completely fabulous and effortlessly cool is Helena B-C? I adore her slightly dishevelled, gothic sense of style. I am SO looking forward to Tim Burton's forthcoming Alice in Wonderland movie, due for release on 5th March. Go check out some of the trailers if you haven't already caught a glimpse!



















Weekend fun with Alex, Sam and Lola



















This is the adorable little Lola May, dancing to some wicked drum and bass courtesy of the Puzzle Factory ( http://www.myspace.com/thepuzzlefactory). We had a lovely weekend with our friends from Bristol, made lots of scrummy edibles and managed a well-wrapped-up wild and wintery walk along the beach at Walton-on-the-Naze, even though the temperature was just 4.5 degrees - brrrrrr!

The latest batch of Colchester Harriers results were issued and Little M was delighted to discover that she had come 2nd in her age group in her last cross-country race - fantastic result Lulu!!

Monday 1 February 2010

Bee's chocolate brownies


A platter of brownies made for our friends' weekend visit, using the simple recipe from the Hummingbird Bakery. Next time I think I'll use a smaller tin to make them a bit chunkier, and perhaps bake them for a little longer than the recipe suggests, as they were maybe just a little too squidgy in the middle. My bee stencil is a work in progress too, as this prototype ended up looking more like a fossilised flying fish or some mystical and ancient cave drawing!

Sunday 31 January 2010

It's in the can



















I loved the design on this soup can so much I couldn't bring myself to send it to recycling. I'm still not sure what to do with it though so, at the moment, I've filled it with crayons. Maybe I'll plant up some herbs in it in the spring. Soup cans huh? Guess Mr. Warhol isn't the only person to have been inspired.........

Thursday 28 January 2010

Marmite - Do you? Don't you?


Well in our house we absolutely DO !! The Boy introduced me to the wonders of hot toast slathered in butter topped with marmite followed by crunchy peanut butter....oh my goodness....nosebag heaven!! And how fab is this special Valentines jar, with an added touch of champagne? I am already starting to feel that loved-up glow in anticipation of Feb 14th, so will be scouring the shops for a jar this weekend.

Tuesday 26 January 2010

This week's Little piece of Lovely


Well I did promise you some more gorgeous things with a Valentine theme, so I simply had to share with you this stunning limited edition laser-cut that I spotted at Ryantown on the Columbia Road - I haven't found a website but here is their blog: http://www.ryantownshop.blogspot.com/ Their shop is a treasure trove of loveliness.


Little M running for Colchester Harriers 24.01.10














Little M ran cross-country for Colchester Harriers last Sunday at Martlesham in the 53:12 inter-club 1.5k race. She ran a fantastic race, coming in 36th overall, which was a brilliant result as it was the under 14's and she is still only 11 (note the comparison between M (in green) and the huge boy in blue next to her!). It's not easy getting up at 7.30 on a Sunday, but it was a lovely crisp, clear morning, we had a good walk and M was very pleased with her result, coming in two places ahead of her last race so onwards and upwards and WELL DONE M!

Saturday 23 January 2010

Student short film - "Barricade"














Today the girls did some acting as "extras" in a short film being made by Ben Harley and two of his co-students. They filmed a bunch of children playing on a small green in Tollesbury for the opening scene of their film " Barricade". The students are in the final year of their film making degree at Colchester Institute. The rain held off and all the children had a great time playing together for an hour while the guys filmed. They were very pleased with the results and we are now looking forward to seeing the completed film later in the year when it is due to have a number of screenings including in Colchester, Chelmsford and Soho. Thanks to Ben and the guys for putting the children at ease and for organising a delicious lunch.

Tuesday 19 January 2010

A little piece of lovely




This week's little piece of lovely is this Scandinavian birchwood/laminate tray, available from Caroline McGrath (http://www.carolinemcgrath.co.uk/). Loving that cute hairy chest! Something else to add to my ever-growing wish list. A perfect Valentine's gift - and I will be sharing a few more Valentine's day gift ideas with you nearer the time, so watch this space....

Monday 18 January 2010

Little E's Bird Feeders


Despite a horrid cold and a very sore nose, Little E made these lovely bird feeders from apples covered in peanut butter and rolled in wild bird seed (a big thank you to 'My Tiny Plot' for the idea!). If the squirrels don't get there first, I hope the birdies will enjoy these!

Fish & Chips and beachcombing fun at Aldeburgh


There was only one thing to do with yesterday's sunshine and blue skies - head east to Aldeburgh for fish and chips and a bracing walk along the beach. The recent rough seas had churned up some interesting flotsam and jetsam, including lots of cuttle fish bones and some nice pieces of driftwood. I will hang some cuttle fish in the garden to see if the wild birds like it - I remember from childhood having a budgie who liked to nibble it. I also have a vague recollection of using cuttle fish for a school art project, as a mould for something perhaps? Although I might be imagining it! The driftwood will come in useful for my next craft project - a large driftwood heart - for the kitchen perhaps. The Littles had lots of fun playing beach cricket with driftwood bats and stones, then on to Thorpeness for steaming mugs of hot chocolate..mmmmm

Little M's "God" puppet......


Little M had to make a hand puppet of God for her R.S. homework, so we found a bit of furry fabric left over from another project, a wooden spoon for the head and a 50p ball of charity shop wool for his hair and beard. Isn't he smashing? (Even though he looks more like Demis Roussos!)

Thursday 14 January 2010

Being Human to include Anomalies music

It's just been confirmed that the rather wonderful hip hop/indie band The Anomalies will have their track 'Employee of the Month' included in Episode 3 of the new series of Being Human, to be screened on Sunday, 24th January on BBC3. Admittedly I am a little biased as The Anomalies are managed by The Boy, but Being Human is my absolute favourite TV series so understandably we are very excited. A vampire, a ghost and a werewolf share a house in Bristol - what's not to love?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/beinghuman/

Wednesday 13 January 2010

Welcome!

Hello everyone,

I wanted to start the new year in a positive way and have been meaning to set up a blog for ages, so...here goes! I am hoping this will be a fun place to visit for my current (and future) friends. I plan to include things that I hope will make you smile. My blog will have a leaning towards the arts - music, film, literature, art and creativity, plus stuff about gardening, cooking, family and interesting finds and general stuff I come across which I hope you will like. No rules really except no moaning allowed! Plus links to cool blogs and sites I think you will enjoy too. "Bee's Lovely Buns" is what I hope to one day call my little tea room/shop of vintage stuff, artworks, jewellery etc, so please don't pinch the name otherwise I shall have to come round and put a bat up your nightdress/down your PJ's.

So, a little bit about me - I am happily married to my bloke, who I will call "The Boy" - not to be confused with our Burmese cat - Louie (AKA Lou Boy, The Beast, Fu-Man-Lou), and we are blessed with two angelic daughters, little M (11) and little E (9).

Me and The Boy met and fell in love over our mutual appreciation of music and, in particular, worship of a certain Mr. Bowie. The Boy is a guitarist and I did a bit of singing and we have been in bands and gigged a lot during the 90's. Now The Boy teaches guitar and manages a band (about which you will be able to read here).

Stuff I love:
Kate Bush (our national treasure)
Cornwall (for re-charging the batteries and soothing the soul)
Vintage VW Campervans (one day, you will be mine)
Growing my own veg (novice)
Beach combing and making things out of my beach-combed finds
Baking (especially cakes and desserts)
Vintage and hand-made stuff

I have started 2010 with a bunch of - not exactly resolutions, as those are just asking to be broken - but more I guess "hopes to achieve"....including:

Setting up my own blog (yay!! 1 to tick off the list)
Not moaning so much (I promise to try hard)
Writing the book that's been swimming around in my head for more years than I care to remember
Finishing off the house renovations (yeah, right -old houses are never finished...)
Using my free time more creatively and purposefully
Doing some yoga or Pilates
Joining a choir

I can't wait to hear from you all and look forward to sharing some fun times.
Bee xx