{#BEDM} five favourite posts

My five favourite posts are:

I'm a PostCircle Angel - I love being a part of PostCircle, I can say without doubt that I've made some lifelong friends being part of this great community.

{teapigs} matcha green tea - I love it! It has changed the way I feel and my health {for the better}! I a matcha shot daily. If you're feeling rundown then give it a go!

Home sweet home - I love my home, there really is no place like home... your own bed, your favourite cup / mug, lounging about... and relax.

Smitten Saturday - My village.  I love the walks, the animals you see each day... my little bit of heaven.

My Kiddos - I love them...


I hope you enjoyed my five favourite posts.

A x

I'm an Angel {a PostCircle Angel}

You know I love writing, right? Writing that is snail mail, the best kind of mail.

I joined PostCircle {which is the brain child of Miss Beatrix} sometime in March 2013 and when Anna asked for volunteers to be PostCircle Angels I jumped at the chance. I'm loving my new, very important role.

Do you love happymail?  You can click here to find out how to sign up!

Here's some PostCircle HappyMail that I sent out recently...

I hope you get some lovely happymail through your letterbox soon!

A x

Full on {Friday}

Can you believe it was Monday that I lost posted! Well it was Sunday actually as I scheduled my Meal Planning post, that was when I was was organised {last / this week}. 

It's been a busy full on week which has been filled with an abundance of happy mail, the new bureau also happened and I've spent many many an hour sat at it this week. My new assistant started and she is just amazing, lots of yummy food has been consumed too AND the Mount Killa-mon-ironing was conquered!

Here's some snippets of the fun filled week!

Monday was new bureau day

Some of the happy mail I received this week...

Some of the happy mail I sent out...

I designed and made some new dividers for my lovely new filofax

And I found Pantone notebooks (and other goodies) in TK Maxx at a bargain price, that was the find of the week as I was nearly buying a Pantone notebook online last week at £10! How cute are the Liberty Hello Kitty notecards?

I nearly forgot... I also won £25 Love to Shop vouchers on a Twitter Competition, you had to come up with a #foodstadia pun {combine food and sports stadiums}, you'll all know I'm not a sports person but I do love a good pun and my winning entry was 'Surf N Turf Moor Stadium'. So, I now I have £25 of vouchers to spend on my shopping trip tomorrow when littlest and I are meeting up with Aunty Knit Knit {my very talented little Sister}

What's your weekend plans?

Busy {bee}

STOP the bus, I need to get off! That's exactly how life feels right now.

There is not enough hours in the day, days in the week, weeks in the month... I know I've just been on holiday but even that was far too busy and we were constantly on the go. I'm juggling my full time office job, my service assessing, being a Mum, Wife, Cook, Cleaner, Personal Shopper and still fitting in some design jobs I have scheduled... AND I'm crap at juggling too!

I'm usually such an organised person but my head is literally spinning.

So, what do I do when I'm so busy? I sit down and I design something funny to cheer myself up. I've said this phrase out loud so much in the past few days (not in-front of baby though, don't worry)...

This design will feature in a collection of postcards that I'll soon be launching in my etsy shop and it will also be available to purchase as a print. I already have my first order for a print and it's not launched yet! I get the feeling this design will be popular, I still giggle when I read it!

What do you do when you're stressed / busy to cheer yourself up?

Exciting Times

There has been a lot going on today, all very exciting.

First there's the small matter of this www.anneeapple.com a lovely surprise from my Husband!  I have wanted the domain for a very long time but it's just recently become available and now it's mine.

As if that wasn't enough exciting news for the one day, I woke up to read this very lovely blog post by Miss Beatrix.

You'll all know {unless you've been on your holidays for over a month} that I joined up with Miss Beatrix's #PostCircle and I am loving being part of it. I've had some gorgeous mail and little gifts sent through the post, there is something wonderful about snail mail. I've been on the hunt for some stationery and it was / is a hard task to find something that I liked, if you've ever looked online for stationery you'll understand what I mean. I even scoured local shops for some nice writing paper and envelopes and no joy! So I made my own!

I started off designing some envelopes which ended up rather complicated and fiddly so I scrapped that and focused on some writing paper designs. A few late nights and about 30 designs later I am kicking off my range with 'Tea Time', 'Yelo' and 'Grey Heart' {I might change the names as I develop the range}. I've also designed some lettergrams.  I love lettergrams, I used to buy these from the post office when I was little and I wrote to my pen friend in Australia, they were so convenient to use especially when I was writing abroad. I just knew I had to design some lettergrams as to me they are a symbol of snail mail.

I'm in the process of setting up my etsy shop  {you can come over just now and follow me there so you don't miss out on the launch} and I plan to offer sets of writing paper, personalised writing paper and also lettergrams. I have lots of other little things swimming about in my head too and I have also now mastered the envelope making {with a totally new design}, so there could be some handmade envelopes available too!

To celebrate the launch of my new etsy shop there will be a giveaway on my blog, right now I'm in the process of designing and organising the goodies for the giveaway.  I'm off on my jollidays next weekend {some lovely time in the sunshine} so when I come back it will be all systems go!

You can follow this blog using the link on the right {via bloglovin or you can follow by google connect or email} so that you don't miss out.  I'm also on Twitter and Facebook come over and say hello!

Thank you to you lovely people who are already supporting me and encouraging my new venture and a big thank you to Miss Beatrix for her lovely blog post and most importantly for setting up #PostCircle as without it none of this would be possible and let's not forget all the new friends I have made recently... hello to you all!

Ax

Getting Organised {postcircle}

Have you signed up for #postcircle yet?  I must say, so far I am loving creating stationery and writing the letters. I had forgotten how good it is to actually write a letter!  

The suspense of having to wait to know the answer to your question, waiting for the postman each day hoping there's a handwritten envelope in his hand just for you!  It's great!

When I first signed up, I started the search for a nice writing set... not wanting to spend a fortune in-case I didn't really get into it.  How difficult is it to find nice writing paper?!  

So far all I've found is a writing set in WH Smith but it was quite expensive.  I don't have a Paperchase near me (was once my fav shop) and I know they will have some lovely things.  I decided to make my own!  It's been a bit of trial and error, putting the double sided tape on the wrong side of the envelope, cutting things too short... printing things too small but I'm getting there and my last batch was quite nice and instead of cutting the writing paper I tore it so it has a rustic edge.  I've got lots more ideas and I'm even contemplating making some sets up to sell on if anyone is interested as there is a serious lack of good paper / designs out there.

My stationery

We made a trip to Ikea tonight.  We had originally went to buy a new cabinet to house our printer (as little fingers are pulling the front open and close, open and close, open and close... so it will get broken!) but when we saw it in the showroom it looked a bit cheap (it was £60 too!) so we didn't bother buying it.  Whilst we were there we bought some new replacement canvas boxes (that we use for all of baby's toys and books, they slot perfectly into our TV cabinet, so when baby goes to bed we chuck everything back into it's box and close them over... toy free!).... so that inspired me to use some of the old boxes (the ones that are decent) and have a bit of a de-clutter and to sort all my craft things out... I didn't realise I had so much, it was all hiding in the garage (and I think there might be more in there)...

I've now got all I need for #postcircle in the one place.. I've got a box of coloured paper and card, a tub full of cards and envelopes, ribbons, embellishments  stickers, card toppers, buttons and other bits and bobs and another case full of pens, paints, fancy edging scissors, inks etc... so much good stuff that I can't wait to write more letters... although I'll wait now until I get some more.

I had been having a little 'poor me I've not had a #postcircle letter yet' moan on Twitter (I was just so desperate to get it all going) and the lovely @squeakypigshop sent me some happy mail.  It was so thoughtful, such a lovely long letter AND a chocolate bunny.  

I wrote my reply today... oops it might be a tad long (sorry!).  I also got my first #postcircle letter and it was so exciting... it was all so thoughtful the envelope was apples, I was giddy before I opened it!  Inside there was a beautiful letter and a gift of 3 fabric fish and some to do list paper, so pretty!

My first #postcircle mail

I hope you've got some exciting plans for the Easter weekend?  I'm working tomorrow but off on Sunday and Monday... and it's my BIG girl's birthday on Monday, exciting times!!

Have a lovely Easter!

A x

{stuff}

Is it just me or is the world moving way to fast?  There is always far too much to do and never enough hours in the day...  this week has been a blur!

You'll have heard (or be sick of hearing) that I've been under the weather, it's just been the cold / flu virus that everyone's had but it really drags you down... If I had the option of going to bed for a day or two to try and sleep it off it may not have lasted so long but that option just isn't there, not when you have a toddler!  So, after nearly 4 weeks of feeling yuk, I eventually went to the Dr as I was in some pain... I have a paraumbilical hernia from all the coughing and vomiting... great!  There is a chance I may need surgery to repair it.  I've to have some test this week and the decision will be made on the results.

On a happy note, I signed up to join #PostCircle  (<< click to find out more).  I'm so excited and can't wait to receive my first letter.  I am on Team Vole and there are 6 members... I sent my first letter out a few days ago and I created my own letter paper and envelope... I hope they withstood the journey!

my stationery

I've managed to stick to my Meal Plan for this week so far and tonight's slow cooker ham with fried rice was very tasty indeed!  

Here's my method:

A ham joint... not an expensive one as slow cooking it makes it so tender... simply covered with water and slow cooked on low for 8 hours.

Rice... I use what I call the 'Riddock Rice' method (as my friends shared their method with me and it's FOOL PROOF)... to serve two I use half a cup of basmati rice and put this into a pot, add a pinch of salt and any herbs / spice you like (you don't have to, a pinch of salt can be enough), add a splash of oil (sunflower or olive oil) and stir until the grains of rice have some oil on.  Then add twice the amount of boiling water (so I'd use one cup of boiling water as I used half a cup of rice) and stir again.  Then pop the lid on the pot, put the gas onto a low peep and cook for 12mins (DO NOT STIR)... turn the heat off and leave to stand, with the pot lid still on, for another 12mins (DO NOT STIR DURING THIS TIME)... after the 24mins you can take the lid off and stir.... perfect rice!

Whilst the rice was resting I chopped up some onion, red pepper, green pepper and mushroom and gently cooked in some oil when the rice was ready I added that, plus some sweetcorn and some slow cooked ham, 2 tablespoons of soya sauce and cooked / stirred for a few minutes until all heated through...  Serve and enjoy!  I love this kind of dish as I can have some leftovers the next day for lunch (I love cold rice).

I'm really looking forward to my Pastry Ring on Saturday, it was so tasty last time I made it, fingers crossed it works out the same!

What have you been up to?

Ax