Vanilla Press

Welcome

2008-01-15T14:11:00.000-08:00

Hello and welcome to my blog!
I enjoy talking about a number of different topics...motherhood,housekeeping, books, films,music....
I hope to meet many interesting people and get loads of opinions!

My daughter is 10 years old and my son is 5.He has autism.
I am living in Ireland, but am originally from South Africa. We have been here for 6.5 years now and there certainly have been good and bad times...the hardest being my sons diagnosis and living so far from my family.

However, we have en devoured to make a life here....and finally bought our own house a year ago.
I am interested in Home Decor issues, particularly shabby chic,vintage and french styles.
I am an avid reader of Country Living and Country Homes and Interiors magazines.
I love reading and watching movies and talking about general topics, be it global or local issues.

I truely hope we can share interesting stories and ideas and I hope to be around for a long time to come.

Delicious Vanilla Cupcake Recipe

2008-01-17T02:19:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

Half cup butter
2 thirds cup Granulated Sugar
3 Large eggs
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract/essence
1 and a half cups Flour
1 and a half teaspoons Baking Powder
A quarter teaspoon Salt
A quarter cup milk

Method:

Preheat oven to 177 degrees Celsius
Cream the butter and sugar until it is light and fluffy.Add eggs one at a time,beating well after each addition.Beat the Vanilla essence in.

In a separate bowl whisk the flour,baking powder and salt.Add this to the butter and egg mixture, along with the milk and beat.
Spoon the mixture into paper cups and bake in the oven for 20 minutes until golden brown.
Enjoy!These are Yummy!

Frosting: (Optional)

Ingredients:

2 cups Sugar,sifted
Half a cup of butter
One teaspoon Vanilla
2 Tablespoons Cream

Blend the ingredients and mix until you have a smooth, consistent paste that looks like icing.You can add more or less butter or sugar according to preference.
Sprinkle with Chocolate flakes or grated white chocolate for added yumminess!!

Easy to make Banana Bread

2008-01-17T12:41:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

2 Cups Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
A quarter Teaspoon Salt
Half a cup butter
3 Quarter cup Brown Sugar
2 Eggs,beaten
2 and a third cups overripe Bananas,mashed

Method:

Preheat oven to 175 degrees Celsius.
Sieve flour, baking Soda and salt.
In a separate bowl, cream butter and sugar.Stir in the eggs and banana.Then stir in the flour.Pour this into a loaf pan and bake for 60 - 65 minutes.

Tips on Beating the Winter Blues

2008-01-18T02:16:00.000-08:00

I really know what winter is since moving to Ireland...I've been here through 6 or more...and each year I realize that there are things you can do to make those winter days not seem so long or gloomy.
These are a few of my ideas to brighten up your dreary winter days!

Take a walk!I have discovered so many beautiful woods since moving to the east of Ireland and I am sure there are many in your area to!I wrap the kids up in their jackets,hats and wellies and off we go.Our boxer,Bella comes along too, and she loves the freedom of being outdoors. The kids collect sticks and leaves and it is so lovely to see them out in the fresh air.
Light a fire! I love a big, gorgeous, roaring fire on cold winter days.It is so comforting to curl up on the sofa with a book and a blanket and sit by the fire.
Light candles! Candles create a wonderful atmosphere in a home.Buy yourself different candle holders, look for different textures - glass, wood,beads - they will create a wonderful feeling in the home.If you have small children, you can use the top of the fireplace or shelves that are out of reach.
Read! Lose yourself in a good novel.Sitting on the sofa or lying in bed with a cup of tea, reading a book is such a relaxing experience. I am reading "The Memory Keepers Daughter" by Kim Edwards at the moment and will be posting a book review on it when I am finished.See www.memorykeepersdaughter.com for more information on this book.
Cook wholesome Meals! Why not try making a lovely stew?I learned to make stew by trial and error, I make it differently every time,using an assortment of meat and vegetables.I will be posting a recipe here for one of my stews!
Head for the coast! May sound crazy, but a walk along the beach in the crispy cold weather is invigorating and the kids will love it!Why not book a weekend, or even a night away down the coast for a well earned break.
Change your Decor! I have been painting furniture and re-arranging my house over the winter.It is really therapeutic and can help you get through those long winter afternoons. Try whites, creams and duck-egg blues to brighten and lighten your home when the days are darker.

Meet my Beautiful children!

2008-01-18T13:37:00.000-08:00

This is Payton and Max!
Payton is 10 and Max is 5, this photo was taken in the gardens at Bunratty Castle, Ennis, Cork.They had such great fun that day, there was a magic show, face painting and they found the castle facinating! It really was a great holiday.

Scenes from my home..

2008-01-19T15:17:00.001-08:00

This is my dresser and my fridge door, both in the kitchen...i like everything in my home to have a good feeling about it and battle to leave anything plain and simple...thus the clutter...Which drives my husband mad,but I have tried not to collect...problem is the shops just keep on producing more and more beautiful things...and whats a girl to do?

Shoes,shoes,shoes...

2008-01-21T08:46:00.001-08:00

With a pretty small budget for shoes,clothes....and all things nice, I really get excited when I get my paws on something out of my price range.Ah how I love these shoes (Monsoon).I feel like a million dollars when I wear them, they are truly an indulgent purchase which is not soon to be repeated.
I've never been one to wear stockings with open-toed shoes, but I think this works somehow.My friend,Lisa was here in December and we both decided that we want to get our wardrobes up to scratch with a few lovely pieces of clothing. Problem is my taste is usually very expensive. I long for flea-markets and thrift shops that you would find in England...I think I need to save some "pounds" and book a shopping weekend in London...

Photo of Sheepy

2008-01-22T03:51:00.001-08:00

This is Sheepy!The picture was taken by my little boy,Max,who is 5 and has autism.He will often grab my camera and click away, leaving me to delete 20 photos of the floor!But he often takes some really good shots...The other pic is of my daughter,Payton all dressed up on a sunday. Isn't she lovely?

Jamie Oliver's new Book

2008-01-22T04:07:00.000-08:00

Hello again from a very very wet Ireland...The rain
has not stopped ...When I talk to my mom in Cape Town, South Africa, she complains about the heat...so it looks like we all have our gripes with the weather no matter where we live!

My friend Lisa bought me this present in December - Jamie At Home,and I have to say that it is such a beautiful book! And I am ashamed to say that I have not had a minute to sit down and really look through it properly, but I am going to to do that today. Some of the recipes look amazing...and the book has such a beautiful, aesthetic quality about it.
Some recipes which I would like to try soon are the Roasted White Fish and Leeks, Crispy chicken thighs with squashed new potatoes and tomatoes,Quick sausage meatballs with a tomato and basil sauce,spaghetti and sweet raw peas...............aaahh the list is endless................when I get round to cooking some of these dishes, I will let you know the outcome.
In the meantime, I am going back to turning the pages and dreaming about all this wonderful food...and also planning how to start growing some of my own veggies!I'm inspired!

How I love Greengate...

2008-01-24T07:29:00.000-08:00

Oh how I love Greengate....I have discovered all sorts of little shops around Cork that stock this lovely stuff, and just need a few more hundred euros to satisfy my craving for Jugs, spoon, cups, saucers, dish-towels...I love this little jug, my friend who was here over December bought the beautiful bowl like this..more Greengate pics coming up soon!

My Precious Family

2008-01-24T11:24:00.001-08:00

This is a picture of my Grandfather and my Grandmother on their wedding day in (I think) the late 1940's or early 1950's.
When I look at this,it paints a picture of my history...although I never met my grandfather,my dad was 16 when he died...my Grandmother played a pivotal roll in my childhood and influenced so much of my thinking and other elements of my life.And I love her with all my heart.
Unfortunately,my dear Grandma (Ouma) lives thousands of miles away in South Africa,and I miss her everyday and just wish I could sit with her and have a cup of tea and a scone.

And the sun shone...

2008-01-24T14:57:00.001-08:00

After a rainy wednesday, Mr Sun showed his face...so when I fetched my little boy from school, we headed straight for the playground.
It was a joy to watch him out in the fresh air, sliding and swinging.
I have to say, since moving from South Africa to Ireland, I have a new appreciation for warmth, the sun and dry days.Something I always took for granted is now a gift!

Life with Bella the Boxer...

2008-01-25T02:43:00.001-08:00

Oh my,where can I start with Bella...We got her as an 8 week old pup a year ago,she was one of 8 puppies, her mom is Bella and her dad, Benny.
My daughter picked her out of the entire litter...because she thought she was the quietest, most shy...ha ha ha.Not so I'm afraid...
But then, boxers are known for their boisterous nature and also for their loyal and loving personalities.
Oh how we love Bella, but the past year has not been easy.We have had a lot of difficult behaviors to deal with and a very energetic dog who requires a lot of exercise....So every morning after dropping the kids at school, Bella and I take to the woods (or some other long walk) and this really gets me out and about,helps with a healthy mind, thats for sure.
I would recommend a boxer as a family dog, however, be careful if you have small children as their loving nature can sometimes be over-bearing, and they can get really excited and enthusiastic and knock things (and little people) over! Please let me know if any of you out there have a Boxer or a boisterous dog and how you handle day to day living with your pooch.

My Childrens Room

2008-01-25T03:15:00.000-08:00

Max and Payton decided they wanted to share a room, which has worked out beautifully!They enjoy each others company at night and really don't (by some miracle) get in each others' way!
The top picture is Max's side, which reflects his personality with his "Aliens" on his shelf and the bottom pic is Payton's side of the room, which reflects her love and adoration (thats all she talks about and reads about) for - HORSES!!
I love my children's room, but am thinking of a color to paint it, perhaps a nice green...or duck egg blue...I just don't want to make it too dark.

Oh the housework...

2008-01-26T03:42:00.001-08:00

This is my entrance way...I love my cupboard (which took me ages to save for and pay off at a little shop near to where I live...) - the color on the wall is Cord, which I just love.It goes with so many different decor styles.
Because I have only been blogging now for a few weeks, I find myself drawn to all the beautiful blogs...sitting for hours musing until my bottom is sore...and guess what?The housework does not happen...guilty, YES.In fact I have just sent my dear husband out to tesco to buy me a new Mop Head, because I am soooo sincere about wanting to mop the floors later today. Why isn't there time to blog
blog blog, shop, be a good mom, bake and have a pristine house? Oh, and try look half decent in the process. 24 hours is just not enough.Agree?

My comfy Spot..

2008-01-27T14:18:00.000-08:00

This is where I sit everyday and try and come up with ideas for articles,book reviews etc...and where my beloved hubby and I watch tv and read books at night...
The wall surrounding the fireplace was cream..then pink and now its striped,I can never leave anything alone and untouched for very long.Drives my husband mad because he generally has to do the DIY work!
As you can see, I attacked the coffee table a while back and it has now become naturally distressed from use,just how I like it!The green paint is by Cath Kidston.

Well...its been lovely and sunny in Ireland, much to my delight,although my little girl is sick with a cold at the moment and so we have had a quiet weekend.
I baked a lovely banana bread today and am finally sitting down on my comfy sofa.Sigh...

I love Vintage Prints

2008-01-28T03:51:00.001-08:00

January's nearly Over

2008-01-29T02:30:00.001-08:00

January is definitely a tough month to get through.At the moment my daughter is really sick and I feel the flu coming on as well.
Why does this feel like deja-vu? Every year seems to be the same story.
Anyway, we will get better...and life will go back to normal.
I was very excited last night to come across a dress-making course (correspondence) through an Irish college, it looks really good.
They send you the full kit you need including fabric, thread, patterns and you have 6 to 9 months to complete the course, and by the end you would have made a skirt and I think a blouse...now I am so keen to find my machine,probably going to look in Argos, and as soon as I have it I will hopefully sign up for the course.It will be a dream come true, as I have always wanted to know how to sew and I want to start making my own things.
The various crafty web-sites are so inspiring,and i can see them being a great help through my learning process!

Feeling Sick

2008-01-30T11:05:00.001-08:00

Blah, I have the flu and I feel really low.One thing I have learned to do is to light a really good fire...Its freezing in Ireland and waiting the whole afternoon for my hubby to come home is really long.......does anyone else feel that way?
Its the highlight of my day when he walks through the door.
I guess thats a good sign?
These are some of my daughter's lovely dolls,the one in the middle was given to her by my friend Lisa, all the way from the U.K. She is gorgeous, very stylish!

TV Programmes

2008-01-31T13:09:00.001-08:00

Hello again,I guess this is a good time to blog about my favourite TV shows, seeming that i have been inside for a week and have no idea what is happening in the outside world, in civilization as we know it...

Anyhow..does anyone out there watch Whose Line Is It Anyway? Oh I love that show,its brilliant.I love Ryan Stiles,Colin Mockery and Greg Proops...and Tony Slattery is...well...a honey!I think those guys are so talented to improvise like they do - my husband and I laugh so much each time we watch it.

Another show we don't miss is American Idol.What is it about that show - is it Simon Cowell that keeps you coming back for more?Is it watching people make fools of themselves...no actually I hate seeing those poor unsuspecting people getting slammed by the judges..
The best part of the show is when they get to Hollywood and you begin to see the real talent come out.
I also love watching some of the reality TV shows that are on such as the wedding programmes,interior design shows and the ones that advertise Sun Holidays!
Once I am over the flu, hopefully by next week - I had better get up off the sofa and do something more constructive with my time......Cheerio!

Bella's off to the woods

2008-02-02T02:39:00.001-08:00

Ah look at my sweet girl,she's been stuck inside much of the time with the weather and the flu in this household...
She has been sitting in her favourite spot by the window and looking out.
She loves watching the cats play out in front of the house..
Thank goodness its the weekend, my hubby is home and is now about to take her to the woods so that she can run off some of that boxer energy...xx

Dreaming of Paris..

2008-02-05T01:04:00.001-08:00

Can you believe...we have not been to Paris yet? I was convinced that once we moved all the way over to Europe from South Africa, we were sure to see that city before too long...but life got the better of us,and especially since my son came along...its been crazy,financially and in other ways.
But, I am starting to see the light, he is already 5 and my daughter is 10 and I am thinking that perhaps, soon, I can take that trip I have always dreamed of.
I would love to go with the whole family, so have been scouring the internet in search of budget hotels, budget flights etc...
Its been educational to say the least...as everyone knows, Paris is very pricey.
I am determined,however, to make this my little project,even if it takes a while to organize...
You see my finances are dwindling at the moment - trying to get money together to buy a sewing machine,take a dress-making course and then I am taking the kids to see my best pal in Manchester in the summer (plus I plan on coming back with some lovely fabric etc to sew...)Does anyone else have these frequent budget dilemmas?
Oh, you can't have it all!
Being sick for the past week, I have had far too much time inside to THINK and I think that is driving me a bit loony.I need to get out, I need fresh air and I need my life to get back to some form of normality.
I've even felt too sick to blog...until now...so I'll just spend another day staring at the mounds of housework and dreaming of Paris!x

Winter Blues

2008-02-07T06:39:00.002-08:00

Do any of you lovely bloggers out there suffer from depression or the occasional bout of it...?
I have been doing some research into SAD, which is Seasonal Affective Disorder, and found some interesting facts...
SAD is far more common in the Northern Hemisphere and occurs during the months of September to January,mainly...but I believe can be quite profound in February and March when the weather is still quite dull.
Symptoms of SAD include weight gain, excessive sleeping,craving carbohydrates,lethargy,feelings of misery,low self-esteem and apathy.
Causes of Seasonal Affective disorder include light deprivation,stress and some people do just have a vulnerability towards it.

One known treatment, is to get a lightbox, which are available from electric stores and some health shops will stock them.Have a look at the website link at the end of this post - you can buy them from here and there is some more advice about SAD.
I am definitely feeling the effects of the winter blues!We bought a heater the other day which gives off quite a strong light, and that helps.
I pray for another sunny day in Ireland, soon!

http://www.lighttherapyproducts.com/

My Laundry Room

2008-02-10T06:41:00.001-08:00

Hello on this lazy sunday afternoon...the kids were going crazy in the house, so my hubby has taken them to the local playground to burn off some energy, even though it is hardly warm and sunny outside...sigh...what can you do but make the most of the weather, at least its dry.
In the meantime, I am working on my poor neglected house...it really needs attention.
This is my lovely Laundry room...when we were looking at this house, it was one of the first things that attracted me to it,and it has been a life saver.Although, it needs alot of work still, we need to put up more shelving, finish the painting and it needs a very good clean.So I am about to go and do that,and I will take more pics once we have done more work in this little room!
The colour I pained it is called "Peony" by Laura Ashley and the curtain was made by a very good friend of mine, Steph, and it is in one of my favourite Cath Kidston fabrics.
Enjoy your afternoon!

Just a bunch of thoughts...

2008-02-11T12:51:00.000-08:00

Ah this picture is beautiful...I would love it on my wall.My favorite art involves the human body,I really think it is amazingly beautiful.I would love to have more art on my walls.
I can't believe we bought this house 18 months ago, it really doesn't feel like it was that long ago - but at the same time it really does feel like "home", more than any other place we have stayed in.
But I am restless...I want to knock some walls down,shop for furniture,paint,create an entire new theme in a room...Its all in my head...but the proof is in the wallet! (and theres not much there)
I know I just have to be patient,our family really needs a holiday and I have a few things coming up over April and July that are going to cost me a pretty penny.

My friend Lisa and I were invited to a "Ball" at a really nice hotel here in Cork, in April and when we first heard about it - well, we were NOT going to go, just felt too "mature" and a bit silly going to something like that.I guess its also a bit unfamiliar to us "South Africans.."
But...she phoned me last night, and we are now discussing the fact that we may just go and the more we spoke about it the better it sounded.Now I am a bit excited!
I booked us into the hotel anyway, and if she books her plane ticket...I am going to start looking for a dress. Why not?I think we will have a lot of fun and even if it just turns out to be a good laugh, it will be worth it...and I get to see my best friend in the world in April and I don't have to wait for July! Yaay! I'll let you know how the plans progress.