Vintage Decoupage

After so long on hiatus, I have recently felt that I need to do some crafting. I decided to take on how to decoupage. It is actually quite easy, as easy as cut and glues your paper or any item on a surface and of course you need to use the correct medium to achieve this. I have decided to decoupage a nice cute looking bottle. On the clean bottle, I use Reeves acrylic water base paint, pale olive in Matte. I decoupage a pinkish looking flower and it came out looking vintage! Just the colour I want to achieve. Looking over my desk, I still got a few more items to decoupage, as once you started, it can get really addictive.

Clean bottles to decoupage with the correct medium

Vintage look decoupaged bottle

Decoupage can be addictive

Tea - Time at the Inn and Miss Marple

At last I got the opportunity to write something that I am passionate about , I also had this book that I bought in 1993 at Hatchard Piccadilly, London entitled “Teatime- at the Inn” by Gail Greco.  This interesting book tells of the countless Country Inns across America and the tea services that they provide to travellers. The pictures were beautifully illustrated and I like to read it from time to time and reminisce about visiting at least one of those Inns one day. This book also includes some of the Inns best recipes. Anyway having said that, my sister in law is in Melbourne now visiting the niece, Christina and she sends me pictures of a tea house Named Miss Marple at, 382 Mt. Dandenong. Who don’t know the famous sleuth Miss Marple of Agatha Christie, she was one of my favourite characters. I thought the place  was magical, the Colonial house and all. The trifles and brownie were mesmerising!

Tea - Book I bought at Hatchard, Piccadilly, London.
Beautifully illustrated with  Country Inns across America
and their favourite recipes

Below are some of the awesome pictures send by my sister in - law from Melbourne, Australia.

Miss Marple Tea House

English Trifles

Scones Served with home made jam and whipped cream

Brownie with cream

Josie Rose Garden

Recently I had my sister Josie sends over these beautiful pictures of the roses she planted. I couldn't believe that she actually had lovely green fingers. Apart from roses, she told me she also planted some mangoes, pineapple and avocados in her garden. My sister Josie, if you don’t know her, she is a compulsive person who likes to spring clean her house every day. I cannot imagine the amount of time she spends on cleaning her place and garden. Anyway, she is a very accommodating person and she will go out her way to help you if she can. I am grateful to have a sister like her.

Beautiful Roses

A Joy to Behold

Healthy Burger

I have been more conscious of my health and what I have been eating recently. I have no health problem as far as I know but I tend to eat outside more and that is another trend that I am worried about. My son Jonathan likes to eat his fix of MacDonald Double Cheeseburger at least fortnightly. I often time felt guilty if I were to have a whole burger at any one time thus I made my own burger, it’s as simple as what you see in the pictures. I use a tin of Cilio Barlotti bean you have to drain it, 3 pieces of crushed wholemeal vitabix, ½ Cup of Organic rolled oats, 1 eggs and 1 bombay Onion diced and fried till soft, a bit of seasoning otherwise it will be bland. Put everything into a blender and blend with no water added, it will be tough but as soon as it comes together you just take it out and bind with half cup to a cup of bread crumbs. If the mixture is too dry add in a bit of water. Heat a non stick pan with a little Olive Oil and fry each side till brown and there you have it, a healthy homemade burger to enjoy with wholemeal burger bun.

Crushed Wholemeal Vitabix and Organics Rolled Oats

Fry diced Bombay Onion

 From the Blender you will get this mixture

A Healthy Alternative Burger to Enjoy

Nostalgia Shelf and Corners

I thought I would write something about the house we grew up in and the corner of the house that caught our attention always was this shelf, where we neatly arranged some of our displayed items. I am sure my siblings, when they see this, will bring back memories of us who need to take turns to dust the shelf. Unfortunately it was not a very clear picture but it is sufficient to feel the nostalgia. The next picture was of the turntable where we listened to countless good music. I can still recount the many cassettes that we use to arrange on the ledge of the wall. Each one of us like different singer, my brother’s  favourite was Mariah Carey , while Josie was more to Bonnie Tyler ‘Total Eclipse of the heart’  and Leo Sayer .For me it was more to the evergreen oldies and George Baker Selection and rod Steward. My sister Veron was of a different genre altogether I don't recall what she likes to listen to.

Nostalgic Shelf

Family Turntable and Collection of Cassettes

In Room Hand Pump Perfume Bottle