design-a-week challenge...week 1

copyright littletree designs

copyright littletree designs

So...first week of the challenge and I have just realised I haven't put a time limit on this challenge! 12 weeks seems like a good idea and it will bring us up to (eeep!) christmas... This first design (plus additional placement design) is a combination of an old design that I never got around to completing and the little illustration that I made for my website, as shown below...

I'm really pleased with the newer versions and I loved playing around with the oppacity and adding texture...I hope you like what you see! x

copyright littletree designs

***

sunday busy sunday...

Jay Roeder

So far today I have...

Fed all the animals...whilst tripping over the cat and trying to stop a chicken on her mission to sneak past me and out of the gate to freedom...

Fed myself...

Filled up bird feeder...forgot that I haven't been feeding the birds since mum went on holiday...

Put washing on...

Walked the dog, tried not to get blown away in the process...

Hung washing up inside as it was so windy...after cursing at my mother for not putting the airer back where it has lived for the past 6 months, which resulted in half an hour of stomping around the house looking for it...under the bed anyone?!

Picking up dog poo...cleaning cat litter tray...delightful jobs as always!

Sorting the recycling and food waste...

Wrestled with the tarpaulin covering our garden bench and chairs as it was threatening to blow away...the solution? Lot's of bricks...

Decided that I wouldn't be eating a whole bowl of tomatoes before my mum returns from holiday so not wanting to waste them decided to make a roasted tomato and pepper soup...

Lot's of washing up...

Finally sat down and had lunch slumped in front of the TV watching food network...

The animals then decided it was time for their lunch too...and so the whole process begins again!

Happy Sunday everyone! x

***

pinterest pick of the week...

from my board Tea and more... by Laura Caldentey

Well the week started so well with the sun still clinging to summer, but by today autumn has well and truly arrived... This illustraton by Laura Caldentey sums up exactly how I have been feeling about the new season, a big chunky scarf and an enormous cup of tea...autumn perfection. To be fair we have had a rather glorious summer for a change so I can say with joy that I am looking forward to chillier nights, soup, scarves and jumpers! Have a lovely weekend and I will see you on Monday for my first Design-a-Week challenge post...x

***

blog love...oh no rachio!

I haven't posted about a new blog crush in...well a looong time! But this one is a goodie... OH NO Rachio! is the blog of Rachel Basinger and is clearly a girl after my own heart...she blogs about food, bakes awesome cakes (see pic below), has amazing diy's to try AND shes also a designer with a great Etsy shop packed with goodies! I highly recommend a visit asap...x

picture from OH NO Rachio!

***

design-a-week challenge...

Hello lovely peeps! Now I briefly mentioned on monday about taking part in a new Design-a-Week Challenge...it isn't an official challenge just something I came across on the blog of Jessica Hogarth last week and thought 'hey, that's actually achieveable!'

As I said Monday I have been busy with house DIY and my design work has been put on the back burner for a fair few months so this challenge will help me ease back into the swing of things (hopefully!) The plan is to share with you each Monday a new design or two that could later become part of a new collection. But for now I thought I would share a few designs by Jessica Hogarth that she has created so far during her challenge...

 All Images Copyright Jessica Hogarth

***

a littletree weekend...

1// Enjoying the funky birdie pattern on my new pj's from Primark...via instagram

2// Yes that is me holding a snake! I am snake-sitting for a friend this week...lot's of my friends and family think I'm mad!

3// I have decided to start trying to complete a Design-a-Week challenge like the one Jessica Hogarth and  Jules McKeown of Yuyu have been doing for the past few weeks. I've been so distracted from my design work with DIY on the house so I thought this small challenge would help me get back in the swing of things!

4// Finally getting around to framing the fantastic Famille Summerbelle print I got for my birthday.  

Have a good week friends and I hope you are enjoying our slightly extended summer!x

***

pinterest pick of the week...

Cat Naps by Peskimo

Not sure why but this week I seemed to have pinned quite a few cat images to my Cat Stuff... board, must be a lot of cat lovers around! This little black kitty above has to be my favourite though, snoozing on all those beautiful mid-century chairs...what a lucky cat! I think I just love the colour aswell, that pretty mint with the striking black... You can buy the print from Peskimo's Etsy shop and check out all their other fab prints too. Have a lovely weekend blog friends and I'll see you next week. x

***

littletree bakes...mary berrys' devonshire scones

image copyright littletree designs

Mary Berry is the queen of baking here in the uk, thanks to the success of the fabulous TV series The Great British Bake Off (aren't you loving the new series so far?!) And it is her personal mission to get everyone baking, a grand idea in my book!

With the traditional English Afternoon Tea on the rise in the past few years I have been in need of a foolproof scone recipe...and this is it! I will not tell you what I did because I did exactly as Mary instructed, apart from adding in a few chopped cranberries in at the end...I love cranberries but you could add whatever dried fruit you like. I also used a square, yes square, fluted cutter for my scones which I think gives them a little modern edge.

Follow the recipe HERE, do it exactly as she says and you will end up with perfect scones. It is a super simple recipe, she uses the food processor rather than all that finger flapping stuff and they take no time at all. Infact by the time I had popped them in the oven and cleaned up they were ready!

Oh and you can freeze them...so if like me you are a 2 person household and 10 scones is just too much in one sitting then once they are baked and cooled pop them in a sealed bag and freeze. Simply defrost and (to quote Mary) 'refresh in a moderate oven for about 10 minutes.'

These really are the ultimate scone and perfect for breakfast or part of an afternoon tea. They were so nice I just ate one on it's own fresh out of the oven, no butter, jam, anything...just with a cup of tea. Bliss...x

***

littletree listens to... Daughter

Just popping in to say hello September! Wow the summer has really flown by... Today I want to share with you a recent music purchase of mine, the album If You Leave by Daughter. I only discovered the music of Daughter a few weeks ago but I was instantly compelled to download the album as I loved the soulful, ethereal music and gorgeous vocals... This video is of one of my favourite tracks from the album, Youth. If you're interested then you can hear more on the Daughter website...x

***

littletree loves...debenhams / ben de lisi A/W 13/14

main image via Debenhams

Phew! What a busy week...I don't feel like I have sat down much, apart from when my new Living Etc mag turned up of course. That requires a cup of tea and no disturbing for at least an hour...as usual there is always plenty of gorgeous things to swoon over but inside there was a little promotional section all about Debenhams designer ranges for the new season and this image above in particular caught my design eye...all taken from the Ben de Lisi collection. So I hopped on over to their website to check out more...

For starters there is a great range of cushions (1) in particular I like the one with the tape measure pattern and the cute felt house (4) with it's little red roof! The fun paperclip hooks (3) would be great in a kids bedroom (or a big kids hallway!) For the kitchen I love these teatowels (5) with recipe printed on them in a quirky handwritten scrawl. Finally are these two amazing side tables (2) I just ADORE them! Now according the magazine they are part of the collection and are a set of two for £95...but they have yet to appear online so I cannot link to them! Don't you just love their candy colours and skinny little legs!? 

If you want to see more of what is in the new Debenhams home collection you can view their brochure online HERE...hope you all have a nice weekend and I'll see you next week. x

***