Sunday 28 June 2015

101 Things in 1001 Days #26

Win Something - Competition, the lottery, an award etc

Lets be realistic here, I was never going to win the lottery was I - mainly because I usually forget to buy a ticket each week - what was I thinking when I wrote these? But I did, however, win a competition - Yay to myself! I literally never win anything. And the best part is I was chosen to win, not picked at random, which makes it even more exciting!

The story begins wayyy back at the beginning of May when I was browsing Instagram & BeakUpCrafts posted about the Sykes Cottages Simple Crafts Competition, which she was helping to judge. I immediately headed over to her blog to see what it was all about as there was talk of winning a £100 Craft Bundle! To enter, all you had to do was share a photo of a craft you had done on the Sykes Cottages Competition Page. I chose to share the photo of my Bedside Cabinets I made last summer as I was really pleased with how they turned out & it was my first furniture upcycling project too. I didn't for one minute think I would be chosen as one of the winners so when I recieved an email to say I had won, I was so surprised. I couldn't wait for my Craft Bundle to arrive in the post. So I am sure you are all eager to see what was included in my Craft Bundle. Here we go...


Kirsty Allsop Goodies! 

Fabric Covered Notebook Kit
Rose Bath Bomb Kit 
Button Kit
Cosmetic Bag Kit
Themed Card Pack


Hobbycraft Goodies!

Decoupage Starter Kit
Patchwork Cushion Cover 


A Year in Crafts Book


I am still surprised that I was one of the lucky 6 to be chosen to win & am so grateful to have received such a lovely prize, so thank you to Sykes Cottages & all of the judges involved! I haven't had much time to properly sit down & look at everything but the minute I am back from Glastonbury Festival I will definitely be getting everything out to play with - which will obviously lead to a review on each one too! I am most intrigued by the Button Kit. Do you have any of these kits? If you have, please let me know. Would be great to see what you made too! And if you won the competition too, let me know :)
 
ZoFlo

Thursday 25 June 2015

Thursday Thoughts #28

Happy Thursday!

This week I am at Glastonbury Festival - Yaaaaaaaaaaaay! So it is only right to have an appropriate thought for today...

Photo Source

I love everything about Glastonbury Festival. It is literally my favourite time of the year. Perhaps I even like it more than Christmas! It is so close to where I live, so if you don't go it is absolute torture. When the diversion signs go up about a week or so before the Festival opens, I always get really excited. It's all everyone talks about here in Somerset! Camping for 5 days, wearing flowers in my hair everyday & listening to all of my favourite bands whilst drinking copious amounts of cider...I can't even think of anything I would rather do. Even if it is raining. I will (obviously) be uploading a post when I return about my experience, as it is too good to not share with you all - I hope you don't mind!

Enjoy the rest of your week! I am here until Monday so I know I will definitely enjoy mine *reaches for another can of cider*

 
ZoFlo

Sunday 21 June 2015

How To // Decoupage Candle Holder

So I had a free morning yesterday, but didn't feel like taking on anything too big (I have another foot stall & 2 chairs that need upholstering but I really wasn't in the mood yesterday) so thought it would be the perfect time to do a bit of decoupage. Its easy, not too messy & actually quite theraputic. I chose to make my own Candle Holder & thought I would share it with you all as I was really pleased with it. You will need:
  • Old Jar (I soaked mine in hot water to get the label off)
  • Decoupage Glue
  • Brush
  • Decoupage Paper - in a pattern/colour of your choice
  • Candle
  • Ribbon/Bow to decorate (optional)


Make sure you have removed the label from the jar & it is completely dry before you begin.
  1.  Tear up your decoupage paper into small pieces, depending on the effect you want to create. I was happy with doing it completely random so just did small, stamp sized squares. But you could do long strips the length of the jar to keep the pattern on the jar similar to the pattern on the paper.
  2. Put a thin layer of glue onto the jar covering only the area you want to cover. Dab the piece of paper you want to put onto the jar with the brush & stick to the gluey area. Cover with a thin layer of glue.
  3. Continue with this, doing small sections at a time, until you have covered the whole of the jar. 
  4. Leave to dry for 1-2 hours. Tie the ribbon/bow to the top of the jar, for extra decoration.
  5. Pop the candle inside & you're done!

Tip: You don't have to stick to one piece of decoupage paper. Mix it up! Use lots of different colours/patterns to create bold designs!

 This is definitely one of the most simple How To post so I do apologise but I thought it was such a cute idea & some people haven't done decoupage before. I certainly hadn't until I went to the Creative Crafts Show, where I got all of the bits needed to give it a go for myself. It is a lovely little hobby especially if you don't have much time on your hands or even if you have little ones as they can join in too! Also, you can literally decoupage anything....

 
ZoFlo


Thursday 18 June 2015

100 Happy Days // Update #2

We have reached day 32 of my 100 Happy Days - it's going so fast - & I have had some really great times. I've met up with an old friend, spent time with my Niece & Nephew, enjoyed the sunshine with friends, lost at Badminton against Nick twice & won a competition (more on that soon)...So it has been a fun/busy few weeks!
 

I have lots of plans over the next few weeks (including Glastonbury Festival - Wooo), so the next update will have some slighlty more interesting photos.

Are you doing 100 Happy Days too?

 
ZoFlo


You can see update #1 of my 100 Happy Days here

Thursday Thoughts #27

Happy Thursday!

This weeks Thursday Thoughts is an obvious one, but one we should never forget...

Photo Source

When things all start to get a bit much, put the kettle on!

 
ZoFlo

Sunday 14 June 2015

Sunday Baking // 101 Things in 1001 Days #97

Learn to bake Lemon & Poppyseed Muffins

These are my absolute favourites & I have never made them before (I'm not sure why)! I really wanted to make ones with Lemon Curd in the middle - like the ones in Costa - so I used a Lemon Curd Muffin Recipe but made a few adaptations. I was actually really pleased with how they turned out & will definitely be making them again. This is how I made these little lemony treats...

  • 200g Self-Raising Flour
  • 100g Caster Sugar
  • 1 Large Egg
  • 75ml Olive Oil/Vegetable Oil
  • 150ml Milk
  • 1 Lemon
  • Poppy Seeds
  • 12 Tsp Lemon Curd


  1. Heat the oven to 190°C and line a muffin tin with 12 paper cases
  2. Sieve the Flour into a bowl & mix in the Sugar
  3. In a separate bowl, thoroughly mix the Egg, Olive Oil & Milk together.
  4. Slowly add this mixture to the Flour & Sugar, stirring well to ensure the wet & dry mixtured as thoroughly mixed together.
  5. Add in the zest & juice of one lemon & the Poppy Seeds (you can you as many as you like, but you really don't need too many at all).
  6. Half fill the paper cases with the mixture & then add 1tsp of lemon curd to the middle of each muffin. Use the remaining mixture to fill up the paper cases.
  7. Carefully place into the preheated oven, being sure that you don't slam the oven door. Bake for 15-20 minutes until rises & firm (I couldn't really get mine to go golden brown like usual cakes, but I can assure you they are definitely cooked enough)


Let me know if you give this recipe a go, I would love to see how yours turn out. They are so yummy & easy to make too. I can't believe I haven't attempted these ones sooner! And it's another thing ticked off my 101 Things...

 
ZoFlo

Thursday 11 June 2015

101 Things in 1001 Days #62

Go to the Cinema

As we have an extensive DVD collection, Netflix, Sky Movies & at one point even LoveFilm, there really isn't any need for us to go to the Cinema very often. Especially as the Cinema seems to cost a small fortune these days. And don't even get me started on the cost of Pic N Mix! Well anyway, as I got my car insurance through Compare The Market, I qualified for Meerkat Movies - aka buy one get one free on Tuesdays & Wednesdays (I would highly recommend using this if you qualify for it). So myself & Nick decided to have a little "Date Night" last week & go for dinner followed by the Cinema. We both have really different taste in movies - Nicks favourite films tend to be anythnig that involves Aliens or Arnold Schwarzenegger. With my favourite films being Never Been Kissed & He's Just Not That Into You, understandable we find it difficult to agree on a movie. However....when we saw the trailer for San Andreas we both immediately wanted to see it. Disaster Movies are the only things we both enjoy (we did watch Bridesmaids the other day though & Nick loved it).


Image taken from Google Images

 I think some films are well worth watching in the cinema & this was definitely one of them. Based around an Earthquake in California, a rescue chopper pilot (Dwayne Johnson) is on a mission to save his daughter who is caught up in the disaster. Although in some places it's a little far fetched it is still a fantastic film, with a great storyline. There are lots of nail biting scenes that had me on the edge of my seat at times & even a small appearance from Kylie Minogue. It is definitely one I would recommend if you are thinking about going to see it. And I would definitely watch it again if it were to come on Netflix/Sky Movies. Have you seen any good movies at the cinema recently? Anything you would recommend?

 
ZoFlo

Thursday Thoughts #26

Happy Thursday!

I don't remember where I found this one, but I absolutely love it!


Not my image - I can't remember where I found it though!

I think it is particularly relevant right now as everyone is getting "summer ready" so it's important to remember that you are beautiful too...

 
ZoFlo

Sunday 7 June 2015

How To // Chalkboard Plant Pots

If you Like my Facebook Page you may have noticed that last month I picked up a small pot of Blackboard Paint from Wilko. I had been meaning to get some for a while as I had a few project ideas in the pipeline, one of which being to jazz up some old plant pots we have in the Garden. Since moving out of my parents home, I have become more aware of the cost of things as well as having to prioritise my money. Meaning I have to spend more on Bills, Food & Petrol & less on fun things like Clothes, Make-up & apparently new plant pots!!

The only thing I dislike about some of our plant pots are the colours, other than that they are fine. So it seemed a shame to get rid of them when they were in perfectly fine condition. I have seen in a few places Chalkboard Plant Pots which are super cute but they always seem to be quite pricey. So obviously I thought the cheaper option would be to make my own & thought it was only fair to share this idea with you all. You will need:
  • Plant Pot
  • Blackboard Paint
  • Paint Brush
  • Chalk
  • Wire brush / Sandpaper (if required)
  1. Prep your painting area - as it was a nice day, I did my painting outside (this also helped the paint to dry quicker too). I still put down a dust sheet or two though as Blackboard Paint on the Decking is not okay...
  2. Make sure your chosen plant pot is clean - give it a good wipe over with a damp cloth, getting rid of any dirty bits. Also if there is any old paint chipping off, get rid of this too. I used a wire brush to get all the old paint off but you could use sandpaper.
  3. Get painting! Don't apply the paint too thickly, otherwise you may end up with drip marks. I also did two coats, just to be sure that everything was nicely covered!
  4. Once the paint has completely dried, you can use the Chalk to do whatever you like - I wrote the names of my plants on mine. I also like the idea of letting the little ones go crazy with the Chalk Pens & doing their own design for you.



And that's it - super easy & cheap. Definitely beats paying high end prices for something so simple that you can create yourself at home! What other things have you done with Blackboard Paint?
 
ZoFlo

Thursday 4 June 2015

101 Things in 1001 Days #43

Complete Greys Anatomy

(If you're currently working your way through Greys, then don't worry you can read on - there are no spoilers in this post. I promise!)

This one has literally taken me years! I started watching Greys Anatomy in 2013, when a few people I knew recommended it to me. The minute I started watching it, I was hooked! I soon began to feel like the characters were my actual, real life friends...sad isn't it?! If you are a massive fan, then I am sure you will understand & totally agree with me. So many wild story lines, including shock deaths, countless weddings & so much snoo snoo in the on call room! Is this real surgeon life. If it is, I am glad I didn't choose to go down that route. Too much drama.

Image taken from Google Images

I won't lie, I am slighlty upset that I have come to the end of it all - I am not sure what to watch now. Nothing seems good enough anymore! I am crossing this one off my list as technically I have completed it - but you never know, there could be a series 12 (I hope)!

 
ZoFlo

P.S. "It's a beautiful day to save lives" *sits & cries*

Thursday Thoughts #25

First things first - Happy June! And of course, Happy Thursday!

I have no idea where time is going recently, but it's kinda scary don't you think? I feel like the months are slipping by & sometimes I think to myself "What did I actually do in the last week/month?" June is an exciting month for me, with lots of plans made with friends & family. So todays thoughts is very fitting...

Photo Source

We are half way through 2015 already, so it is only right to spend your time wisely, doing things that make you happy with those that matter most!!

 
ZoFlo