Lazy Sundays and Messing With the Cat

Just a lazy Sunday here today. I'm grabbing onto them with both hands, as life is about to get a little bit crazy.
My Sunday mornings normally start with dropping Miss S off to ballet rehearsal (she is in the production of Nutcracker) or hubby does, then I come home, go for a brisk walk, make some eggs for brekkie, and laze around reading the Sunday mail and sipping a latte. That to me is ultimate bliss, knowing you have a carefree day ahead with the family...

The other day I saw a pic of a cat with it's head sticking out of a box, and a cartoon outline of a body. For some reason it was the funniest thing ever, maybe because we have two nutty cats of our own and love their antics.  We thought it would be great to up the ante and recreate it.
So hubby decided he would make his own version with miss Bambi, and they set about drawing a batman for our own Batman, who is a seal point siamese. Meet Kato, the most anti-social, nutty, bad tempered, ill-mannered cat that ever existed (but one who we love to bits )

The result was this; We were in STITCHES.

Happy Sunday!

Happy Monday.. well kind of

How are we feeling this Monday? Is it just me, or is Mondays at this time of year harder to get through? Count your lucky stars if you live in the States, it's still your Sunday night there ;)

My day started with a grocery shop after dropping the kids off. I'm not complaining here, shopping kid-free is a huge luxury for me.

Being this close to Christmas, I am winding down on the sculpting side of things, though the creating is still there, just in other areas. Today I will be starting a memorial sculpt for a special angel baby, and I am hoping to sew up some things as extra gifts as well. I'll share pics and tutorials once they are done, but for now, I can't risk those people peeking here ;)

On the baking side, I think I baked more in this past week than I have in the last six months. My cupboard is full of baking goodies and I have found so many recipes on pinterest.com that I still want to tackle. Seriously, go check that site out if you haven't yet, it is ADDICTIVE, I tell you.

I'll leave you with some pics of the girls getting into the baking mood last night. We made White Chocolate Ginger cookies, and they are to die for. Especially while still warm from the oven. You can find the recipe here.

 I love kids in the kitchen....

I hope you all have a great start to the week.

Hand Stamped jewellery

When I create, I do it good and proper. Would you just look at all this mess? I'd be stressed out by it, but I can't help but be in awe of the gorgeous Czech glass beads that arrived today.

I have started making metal hand-stamped jewellery, and I am fit to burst with all the ideas I have. At the moment I am making a 'mummy' bracelet on behalf of my brother for his wife.

On a sadder note, I also made this necklace today. This necklace was made for a girl I went to school with, and have known since I was 7. Unfortunately, her 14 month old daughter lost her battle with life from the devastating meningococcal disease just last month, and I cannot begin to tell you how shocked and devastated I am for her and her family. To have your baby admitted to hospital thinking they are just unwell, to going home without her less than a week later is something I cannot even concieve of. 

Just hug those babies of yours a little tighter tonight. 

Cake Balls

Cake balls and cake pops are huge right now. OK, you're probably about to say they have been for a long while, but down here in Australia we are always late catching that train. So let me repeat that...

Cake balls are huge right now :)

I love to whip up a batch when we are invited out to someone's house. They are huge hit with kids as well as adults. Mostly, when having a social dinner, us Italians have a knack of over indulging, so when it comes to dessert, (and there is normally plenty on offer) we are fit to burst.

This is where I love cake balls. I can't fit in a big slice of cake after a huge dinner, but a cake pop, or two is perfect....especially when wanting to sample everything else. They are even great to have as a little indulgent treat with an afternoon cuppa :)

I thought I would share with you how I make cake balls.

Gather your goodies, and get ready to roll....

Ingedients:

1 packet cake mix of your choice, cooked and cooled completely. (I used Gluten free for these, so the Coeliacs in our family can enjoy them too)

1 x 225g block of Philladelphia Cream Cheese, softened

1/2 cup pure icing sugar

1 tablespoon butter

1 +1/2 packs of White Melts (375g packs) (Candy melts work better if you can get them, otherwise melt a teaspoon of vegetable oil with the melts for smoother consistancy)

Method:

Make sure your cake mix has cooled entirely. WIth your hands, crumble the cake into fine pieces, rubbing it between your palms for a finer result.

In a seperate bowl, mix philly cheese, icing sugar and softened butter. You can use your electric beater for a couple of minutes if you want.

Now, add the cream cheese mix slowly to the cake crumbs. DO NOT add the whole lot at once! I find cake mix sizes vary, so you may end up with mush if you pour in the whole lot. It should feel like cookie dough.

Mix in very well with your hands.

Roll into firm balls, place on a cookie sheet on a tray and place in the freezer for 20 minutes, or in the fridge until firm if you have more time. DO not freeze them through, or your coating will crack.

Using a double boiler method, stir your candy melts until totally melted, add the oil and stir through thoroughly.

Drop your first ball in. Some people choose to use a kebab stick to hold the balls, I find juggling the ball between two spoons once or twice works for me.

If using a stick, tap it gently on the edge of the bowl to remove excess melt.

Drop onto a fresh cookie sheet and decorate how you wish.

If you're wanting to make cake pops, dip the end of the stick into the melt before placing it into your ball. Only push it half way up.  Decorate and stand them up on a styrofoam block to set.

Remember to work quickly and make sure the entire ball is fully covered.

They sure don't look pretty the first time, (or in this case, the 10th time) but they taste too fab for anyone to care ;)

To see the queen of Cake Balls and Cake Pops (and for a virtual sugar rush) visit http://www.bakerella.com/

Sappy Birth Videos

Birth videos just don't get me...I know plenty who get emotional with them, and that's all good. But since the birth of my first child, which was horrific and left me with post natal depression, any form of cluckiness went out the window, and fast.
Don't get me wrong, I was the cluckiest person out there! My daughter had a box full of shoes even before we discussed having a baby ;)

There are so many birth videos out there, and they are so inpiring for sculpting...but I have to confess, this birth video had me teary! So I take my hat off to them, it does take a lot for me to get emotional over birth vids these days and they hit the mark...

Enjoy! (it's gorgeous!)

Sculpts, New Journeys, and Life

I was too scared to see when I last posted. Mothers' Day. Serious?! How can life be so consuming? They say to stop and smell the roses but it's near impossible when time is snatched away from you before you can do anything about it.
Enough of that...I didn't come here to whinge about something you know already.
Let me share what's been happening.


We tried to sell our house twice this year. Lovely bungalow that we'd renovated from scratch. 9 years, and two kids later, we outgrew it quickly and we had to either extend or move. We felt it was time for a new beginning elsewhere.
So after a really testing few months, we sold, had to find a rental within a couple of weeks and we are in the process of securing our dream home. Stressful but part of the journey. :P


Not much sculpting has been happening. I need a perfect space and the right frame of mind to sculpt, otherwise it doesn't happen. I seriously need to get over that, or there won't be many sculpts coming.
I did produce this little guy though:

   

It's Mr Otis. He came out with the most juiciest lips :P

Other stuff that's been happening. Little Miss 'S' turned 7 this week. It's been a huge year for her. She was in the SA Youth Ballet's production of Wizard of Oz in May/June. She had something like 15 performances in one week (school tours) as well as performing at theatres in the city and local country town. The rehearsals were crazy but she loved it once she settled in.
Now she's the little mouse in Nutcracker, and will be performing December 23 and 24 at the Festival Theatre in the city. (we luckily got out of school tours this year :)
Pics to come....the laptop got dropped, and all her photos were on it (back-up, Mina!!)


Miss Bambi secretly joined choir, and sang at the big Catholic schools festival at the Festival theatre too. It was such a hoot for her, and I am so proud of her as she is going through a stage where she is not sure what she wants to do. It's hard going on 11. She is turning into a big of a moody tween, but nothing that is out of control. I'm lucky she still comes in for hugs often.


Hubby is plodding along. He was in this years' Masters Boxing competitions. He lost by 2 points only, but he did SO well (and how sexy does he look in all his gear? ;)


And me? Well this year has been a total awakening for me, in so many ways. It has not been easy, as I struggle when life gets busy and complicated. Must remember to BREATHE.
But I feel like I am a new me, and I have reassessed what life is all about. I guess that's what 2011 is about, and 2012 I feel will be huge in that respect, for many people. Bring it on, I say.


I'll leave you with some snapshots of everyday life from my hipstamatic Iphone app (best app EVER. The only reason I wanted an Iphone!)

Our babies that grow too quick...baby teeth, gone

Husbands' in the kitchen...what's not to love? :)

Sushi for dinner...yum

Hubby's boxing match  (he's in red)

Moshlings...the Moshy Monsters craze in our house

Juicy lip colours for spring 

Rainy spring days, *love*

PS3 time during school holidays

Climbing kitties

                                                     Drives around our beautiful city




                            Enjoy the rest of your week xx