A Lovely Easter & A First Birthday!

Greetings dear friends & readers & (Belated) Happy Easter Wishes!

We have honestly had the loveliest Easter here at Threadbear ... my Cottage is now closed, the weather was beautiful, we didn't have to do anything in particular or please anyone!

And then yesterday, we had a small birthday celebration to attend for my youngest grandson Sid - who turned One!!

Here he is on the new trike gifted to him by his other grandparents

Early last week I decided to make Sid a couple of bibs to pop in with his gifts .... I used some Peter Rabbit & Winnie the Pooh fabrics that I already had in my stash .... backed with a cream towel put aside especially for bib making

The bibs went together so well I then decided to make him some little boots .... I used Lisa's pattern from Here ....
 the Tie Back Boots

Once again these were made entirely from scraps of fabrics I had on hand

The boots are fully lined & I had a lovely soft polar fleece that was just perfect for the job

Wrapped & ready & waiting for the Birthday Boy!

I offered to make a birthday cake for our morning tea ... I have popped my recipe at the bottom of this post ... it is such a simple chocolate cake recipe that I make up in my meat dish, lovely & moist & keeps well too.
I decorated it with some choccie eggs & M & M's ... though I have photographed it from the wrong angle, the candles spell "SID" - another of those times you are thankful your grandchildren have short names!

Here I am wearing my new bib, waiting for some of that cake & wondering why it is taking so long !!

These autumn days have been beautiful ... I spent some time out on my deck painting a couple of small projects ... this wooden trug needed an upcycle

Some pale duck egg chalk paint & a scrap of vintage wallpaper just big enough to line the base, plus a coat of wax

Whilst I loved this tissue holder once upon a time, it had gotten old & chipped & tatty looking .... I decided 
a freshen up was in order

While I had the pale duck egg paint out I gave it two coats & a light sand of the edges.
I then mod podged paper doilies to each side & glued some vintage braid around the opening 


My lovely friend Shirley loaned me her copy of this Tilda Book
I made up the Paper Angels & strung them across my dining room dresser as a bunting

I plan to make some more as feel they would be perfect attached to brown paper gift wrapped parcels!

I spent a bit of time pulling one of my raised veggie gardens to bits & picked yet more tomatoes & some chilli peppers 
I am keen to get my winter planting in but those tomatoes just keep on producing!

And then this morning I picked the last of my dahlias before they all hibernate for winter .... these have given me so much joy this season & kept on flowering away merrily

I hope you all had an enjoyable Easter dear friends - it feels as though March passed us by in the blink of an eye!
I am off to my Mums for a few days - she will be turning 89!
Be good & kind to yourselves & to each other,
Thanks so much for your visits here today,
with much love & friendship,
Julie & the furry ones x0x0x 

*Sherie's Chocolate Cake Recipe*
1 3/4  cup flour                         1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 tsp baking pwdr                  3 desstspoons cocoa  
   1/4 tsp salt                                    1 1/2 cup sugar   
1 cup milk,          1/2 cup soft butter,        3 eggs 
Sift all dry ingredients together in basin.
Add butter & milk & beat vigorously for 2 - 3 minutes.
Add eggs one at a time beating well.
Pour into meat dish or large tin & bake in moderate Oven (350) for half an hour.
When cool ice with chocolate icing or chocolate frosting.
(will keep well for a long time - if it gets a chance!)