[Sweet Summer Muffin]

I am thrilled to bits that the weather's good and sunny and i'm feeling normal again. Aidan and i walked to the park for a picnic and then later fed the ducks. we had a brilliant time! we're enjoying our last days of summer 2009. we sang while we walked to the park, we giggled and laughed when we fed the ducks, we held hands and we chase after each other. i treasure life's simplest moments, and i'm glad i've got some captured in our new camera!

I wanted to write on my second part of our malaysian holidays at my other blog but i wasnt in the mood (yet), and so i jumped here and thought i'd share these few things with you. i dont bake cupcakes (not seriously), but i adore them (dont we all!). i do however bake muffins! check out these talented friends of mine- wiz, ninie and wati all three serious bakers. (click at their names and look what their talented hands can do!)

I however would stick to papers and ribbons (for now!). although i love eating the real ones!

My cousin K.sha was so kind enough to bake me a box of yummy oreo cupcakes when i was back in malaysia. she just recently started her own business and it looks like its growing really well! i left her a present before i went back. just a token of my appreciation. hope she likes the present as much as i like her cakes!

Anyway, i'm almost drooling just looking at these cakes. we will break our fast at 8.40pm today. "my sweet little muffin" is napping now, i should finish up cleaning my craft room! thanks for dropping by today!

Enjoy your weekend everyone! enjoy the littlest things!

(p.s: k.sha, happy birthday! may all your dreams come true, love and miss you and hope to see you again soon!)

{When Ideas & Talent Combines}

I work best with my mum. we can sit down for hours and hours talking about crafty things, our feet and hands can cope for hours at the craft stores and fairs, we can come up with tonnes of ideas and how to execute them! and if truth must be told, she is my inspiration. she can make everything possible and fix EVERYTHING!

She makes beautiful necklaces! and her passion are beads and precious gem stones (amongst others)! i mentioned to her that it'll be nice to diversify and try to come up with different things using beads once in a while... and since i have loads, infact tonnes of ribbons, perhaps we should make some female book readers out there a little treat! certainly a treat for me (yes, i am now a bookreader as well, having a couple of books to master!)

These are just some of her beautiful beaded bookmarks. they're lovely for gifts dont you think so? mum and i love every one of them. there's more! just CLICK HERE to enter her world of crafting! do pop by and say hi.. i bet she'll love it!

(p.s: havent been feeling too well. was down since friday and what a bummer! feeling much better now!)

Love and best wishes,

{Dressing Up}

I have just had the busiest, bright, brilliant and the best week ever! i was so occupied and was really enjoying myself till i almost forgot that i have not said "hi" to all of you for nearly a week!

Hi to you sweet bunch of girls! hope all of you had a good week last week cause mine was simply something! i havent craft for more than week now, and i still havent had the chance to reply some of your mails. i am now in my garden, with my faithful laptop trying to reply most mails while enjoying the last few weeks of sun! we still have a few more colours in our garden but whats been growing really well are our vegetables and herbs!

As much as i love fresh flowers, i also collect artificial ones. one in particular is vintage millinary flowers.. i'm definitely a collector! i found one at an antiques market and it is almost perfect with the exception of normal wear with age. i certainly do not mind! the rest of the flowers are from markets and i also have some new ones as well.

Look at these gorgeous bright colours to celebrate the sun! i bought these lovely paper lanterns early summer and knew straight away what i wanted to do with them!

Dont you just love playing dress up? i used to love playing dolls and dressing them up with various outfits when i was younger. now, i dress books, cards, boxes.. and almost anything plain! i suppose girls will always be girls eh!

I think i should make a few more for my summer party next year!

Three of my heavily decorated paper lanterns! have a lovely week ahead girls! i'll be crafting some wedding cards the whole week this week! how exciting!

Followers Fans and Freebies!

Oh, one more thing, i will host a giveaway this september! giveaway is open to you "followers" of my blog as well as you "fans" at my facebook. i can assure you that this is going to be a big one with lots and lots of stickers, embellishments, papers, ribbons, laces and more (and some of my favourite things!), all for you to craft! more details soon but mark your calenders! this september! there's a Cotton*Candy giveaway! so do hop by!

I should get going, there's a couple of bees flying nearby! till my next post! love always,

The Art of Giving

I've had a good weekend and hope yours was as good, or even better! we walked to the park, we fed the ducks, went to see the watermill, spent lots of time outdoors and in the garden.. it was just pure bliss! weather's been gorgeous! it was seriously hot last week, temp went up to 30c but it's slightly cooler now... much better!

We have lots of zomermarkt now that it's summer. a lot of antiques markets, outdoors. i just love them! i get this rush everytime i'm at the market! my eyes will be wide open scanning all the things and thinking what i can do with them and how can i decorate them! i saw some beauti

ful chinas the other day at the antiques market in Maastricht. i was so tempted to get them but i told myself not to get carried away! its so easy to overspend!

But guess what i've found! i found these old wooden cotton reels! gosh, they're so pretty i cant take my eyes of them! they came in various sizes and all look so warned out and rustic. i just love the brands and logos on them! most are made in France and some Belgian made.

They look lovely on their own but i just couldnt help myself! they're such a lovely shape and just the right size to dress them up with pearls, petals and papers!

Just in case if you're wondering what it says on the reel-

Have friends not for the sake of receiving, but of giving.

What lovely words! i couldnt agree more! i always get this warm feeling when i give- let it be a small tiny thing to the biggest thing of all. giving is so so rewarding. its says it all when you look at their faces, when you shake their hands, when they kiss you on your cheeks, when they write you a thank you note, when they utter words such as thank you... it certainly means the world to me!

I gave this special one to a dear friend of mine! glad she liked it!

Till next time, enjoy your week ahead! i know i will! lots to look forward too!

Lavender Cupcake

My lavenders are doing well in the garden! they're gorgeous, every bit of them! from the look, to their smell and even their taste! there are different types and species available. some are edible, most are not. they have such gorgeous colour, dont you think so? so soft and sweet, it makes you want to kiss each and every one of them!

I was curious on how they taste like. i found some cullinary edible lavender flowers in the UK during my last visit and decided to have a go with baking them! found this simple recipe on the net and voila!

You can, of course frost your cupcakes or add a little bit of icing. add a teeny bit of lavender colour in your icing and decorate your cake. should have done it but i was too excited to savour them!

Lavender Cupcakes

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp dried lavender (flowers only)

8tbsp butter (at room temp.)

2 large eggs

1 cup all purpose flour

1-1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp milk

1 tsp lemon zest

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180c and line your muffun tin with liners.

2. Place sugar and lavender flowers in a food processor and process about a minute.

3. Place the lavender sugar in the bowl and mix with butter (on low speed) until just combined. increase the speed to medium-high and beat the two together until light and fluffy.

4. Add the eggs and beat well after each addition. s

5. Sift the flour into the mixture and then add the milk, vanilla extract and lemon zest. mix until just combined.

6. Spoon the batter into the paper liners and bake for 18-20 mins.