Celebrations and Awards

Last night we had a fabulous little get together to celebrate Mark's 50th birthday. Just family and a few really close friends. Mark had a lovely evening, as did I, and I am delighted with how well it went.
We decided to have hot food, rather than the usual buffet bits (had enough sausage rolls and potato salad over the Christmas period). I cooked a chilli, Mark made a chicken curry and my Dad made a lamb tagine which we kept hot in slow cookers and I also made an enormous lasagne. There were the usual assortment of accompaniments - nan bread, rice, couscous etc. The food was a big success with everyone coming back for seconds.

My mum made Mark a really fantastic cake - he was thrilled (he's a total guitar obsessive!). It was incredible - such a shame when we had to cut into it. She's a very clever lady.



I'm feeling pretty thrilled as well as I have received my very first blog award from the lovely Sucrette at Le Monde de Sucrette (check it out here). Thank you so much.

Now, I'm supposed to tell you seven things about myself that you probably don't already know (this is so hard, I've been wracking my brains over this one), so here goes:

1. I am a huge fan of the Chalet School series of books by Elinor M Brent Dyer and am proud to say that I own all 62 paperbacks. I started reading these as a child, but it wasn't until I was about 30 that I realised that there were so many in the series, and I have since been able to complete my collection.
2. I am terrified of falling down the stairs! Don't really know when this started but I'm really not very good at coming down stairs, and have been known to have a helping hand from my children at times (they are very tolerant!).
3. I'm slightly OCD! I like my towels and tea towels folded just so, and I like photographs kept in the order they were taken etc etc! Drives Mark mad but I can't help it!
4. I love my crafting - it has taken over my life and my home. I have more paper, card, stamps, wool, fabric etc than I could ever use - but it makes me happy.
5. Some books, films and music have reduced me to tears. I cried at the end of Watership Down and Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince and I can't watch Meet Me In St Louis without a box of tissues to hand.
6. I love chocolate of all kinds, but you can't beat a bar of Cadbury's Dairy Milk.
7. I drink black coffee (don't like milk), but can't stand anything coffee flavoured - hate, hate, hate coffee cake!

There we go, that wasn't too bad! Now I'm going to pass this award on to some of my favourite people, do go and pay them a visit.

1. Coco Rose Textiles here
2. Chickens in my Kitchen here
3. Ladybird Ladybird here
4. Kids, Cakes and Cobwebs here
5. The Ramblings of an Everyday Mummy here
6. Little Tin Bird here
7. Cooking, Cakes and Children here

Well, that's me done for today. I am off to get cosy on my sofa with my Dream Blanket and crochet hook, maybe a film on the TV and a lovely cup of hot chocolate in my new Cath Kidston mug.

Enjoy the rest of your precious weekend.

M x