Pumpkin Soup

Big wedge of pumpkin

chop into bits and bake in oven until sqidgy

scrape flesh away

chop up a bit

sweat some red onion

chuck in pumpkin

pour in boiling water

crumble in 3 veggie stock cubes

stir

whizz with whizzer until consistency you like

season to taste

How to win Monopoly

Here's one of our games of Monopoly we played on holiday...as you can see I have a hotel on Park Lane.
I soooo whooped Nicked arse!

Here's me looking like a very happy bunny.
It is impossible to be unhappy in south west France...

the £1.50 bottles of wine maaaaaay have helped slightly!!!

Focus

What is my problem?
What is it with me?
Is there really a problem at all?

I have too many ideas, too many things I want to do and not enough time in the day or even in one hundred years to do them all.
Here's just a few things I would love to do but probably never will as you can only have one career at a time....

To start up my very own greetings card company. Design and publish fab cards. I have already designed 4 ranges, sent off for envelope and board samples, named the company...no time.

I want to make things, knit bags and flowers and toys and egg cosies, scarves and sock and hats. But I don't really know how to knit.

I want my allotment to be the best allotment up there with row upon row of healthy veggies. But I haven't the time to devote to it,, so it's full of weeds. I am yet to grow a successful carrot. I am very good at growing pumpkins though.

I want to write more. I have had several ideas for junior fiction but they never get past 5 chapters.

I want to bake. I want to welcome Nick home from work with a batch of freshly baked cookies. I want a nice kitchen to do it in. Not a fitted one from MFI you understand, but a homely, warm kitchen with nice lighting. I want to wear a full 50's skirt while I'm baking with lots of petticoats...and a pinny. I do not own a pinny.

I want to move to France ( THIS WILL HAPPEN). I want to open a little shop in Brantome and call it Chez Fai, where I'd sell all things faery, from dolls to books. I would deck the place with fairy lights. I would paint the facade lilac. I would have a studio in the little room upstairs where I would work on my children's picture books. I would have a cat who lived in the shop...I would call him....hmmmm...what would I call him....Mabinogion...or Gobolino....or Dave...?

I am in no way complaining. I'm a happy bunny doing my children's books, but I'm never totally content. I'm very restless.
Maybe I should just Jack everything in a become a river gypsy...

I still don't feel as though I have really ACHIEVED anything yet. I know I've had books published...but I've NEVER seen them in a bookshop. I feel there's more in me than I'm getting out.

Perigord Pumpkin Press

I have started up a new blog to record our journey to France....

see link on the right ----->

cooooo-eeeeee!

I'm back!

I feel very guilty for not blogging in so long!
I've just been so busy with work and we had a quick break in France (see Perigord Pumpkin Press)

Erica
x

Pot of Autumn

Just been up the allotment and gathered the last of the summer veggies. Still loads of chard, kale and savoy cabbage to come. Making a lovely soup for my lunch tomorrow! Ooooh forgot to take a piccy of my pumpkins! Just as well really, they are a little disappointing...all 2 of them!!!

Wedding anniversary on a budget!

It was our wedding anniversay today... 4 years!
Where does the time go?

My, my...

Well, this is the front cover I did for Hodder.
It's been published!
As usual, I'm the last to know ;0)

It needs a background colour, but here it is so far

xx

Foxy Teacher

This is a sketch that I'm going to paint up today. It's very rude, sorry, but hopefully I'll get some cool commissions. Here boobs are a bit wonky so I'll have to fix that.

new stuff...

Here's a new piece for my adult porfolio.
Hopefully I'll get some more book jackets.
I've just finished one for Hodder Headline which was great fun to do. I'll post it up when it's been published.

Must dash!

Erica
x

new stuff...

Here's a new piece for my adult porfolio.
Hopefully I'll get some more book jackets.
I've just finished one for Hodder Headline which was great fun to do. I'll post it up when it's been published.

Must dash!

Erica
x

August...

I've got some weeding to do!

Lucky

My cat caught him.
I saved him.
He lived with me for a day, a night and most of another day.
Then he popped his little feathery clogs.
R.I.P. my little Lucky

Spoilt spoilt spoilt!

I've been really slack lately blog wise, I've had a lot going on (excuses excuses). BUT ANYWAY! My Pink swap partner is a veeery nice lady who lives all the way over the sea in Washington, in America! I wish I knew how to do a linky thing, anyone know?
Well. Just look what arrived i the post for me!

The most beautiful gifts. And sooo thoughtful, THANK-YOU Kim!
I was so ashamed of the pack I sent Kim, that I've sent a few little extras by way of a thank-you!

Inbetween showers

Some piccies taken inbetween showers today







An onion... obviously!

And my first pumpkin!


Here's my new path

ZZZZZAAAAAP!

Thunder and lightening and some much needed rain!

Just been up allotment, cor it were 'ot!

I harvested by first pickings of the season. I'm way behind last year. I had all sorts by this time last year.
I'm veeery please with my lolla rosso, it somehow looks a more deep red than the stuff you get in the shops!

Bling Bling!!!!

Oooooooh get me an me new banner! In't it sparkly!

My life is sooo disorganised. I have a squillion and one things I COULD do, but end up achieving nothing.

I could -

Paint up the two new picture book ideas I have (if a little daunting)
Do some housework (yeah right)
Go up and work at the allotment (tempting)
Work on my new card ranges


Ugh, I think I'll go up allotment...bye for now!

June at the allotment

. So far I have planted out ;

Sweetcorn
Tomatoes
Various lettuce and salad leaves
radishes
cabbages (savoy)
Cauliflowers
Peas
Beans (Fire tongue & polestar)
pumpkins
courgettes
sunflowers
sweetpeas
chard
onions




I've been having serious blog guilt, I haven't posted anything for ages...
Time to catch up...

Today I went up the allotment and while Nick was doing something with my beans, he accidently disturbed a nest of little mice! Mum ran off too quick to catch her, and the babies all started scurrying off in different directions! I collected all the babies together and we made a little nest for them and covered tham up again. I hope mum comes back! They were making enough squeaking noises! I wanted to bring them home but Nick wouldn't let me :0(