Make It Perfect

.A macaron success!.

They worked!!! My macaron quest was successful. Not perfect, but it wasn’t a total disaster either and they tasted SO good!

When I went to the Lindt Chocolate Cafe, the coconut flavour was my favourite so I thought I would try coconut first. I have to admit that I did a LOT of reading and research when I was preparing myself to make them and it did get a bit confusing. There are many awesome pro-cooking blogs out there that give tedious step-by-step instructions and dozens of warnings that these are going to be super difficult to make. After reading a few different approaches, I kind of amalgamated what I thought to be the most important points and ended up following Tartlettes basic recipe for the base.


The taste and texture was awesome. If you haven’t tried one, try one ASAP…a good macaron is crunchy on the outside and really chewy on the inside, definitely not the texture I was expecting when I first bit into one. The thing I like about macarons, is that they are a really sweet treat so you can’t eat a lot at one time (trust me, been there…felt really sick afterwards!) A few in a little box make a great gift for a friend and they look really cool sitting together on a plate for morning or afternoon tea.

Next up, I want to try some coloured versions..maybe some green pistachio ones?


Apparently mastering the “feet” on the bottom edges of the macaron can be a little difficult. Mine aren’t perfect and maybe it was just beginners luck, but I got feet! I need to work out why the tops of my macarons didn’t end up as flat and smooth as they are supposed to be…mine had little pointed tops that didn’t flatten out. I think I read somewhere that may be due to slight undermixing the mixture?

I want to make a couple more batches and try and iron out the kinks, and then I’ll share my “how to” with you. My aim is to try and come up with a base recipe that you can add your own colours/flavours to that is easy to follow and (hopefully) fool proof. Wish me luck again!

September 5, 2010
Make It Perfect

.She did it.

For about 2 weeks Lil has been incredibly vain. She always thought she was beautiful (and she is…I love how little girls think they are pretty!!) but recently the hot topic of conversation has been her LOOOOONG hair. She makes us touch it and comb it and asks me many times a day if it is growing longer. If I want to put her hair in a ponytail, it has to sit right at the base of her neck so that she can still feel how long it is down her back. Seriously, she is so vain she should have been my sister’s child. (Hi Carli!)

Today I was doing a quick stint of sewing (if I want to sew during the day I have to take 5 minute spurts here and there when I am lucky!) and she came into me and said, “Look at my hair Mum. Isn’t it beautiful.” This is not an uncommon thing for her to randomly say to me and I absent mindedly replied, “it is Lil, I love your hair.” A few minutes later I had to go to my bedroom for something and as I walked up the hallway I noticed long clumps of hair along the way. It wasn’t until I reached my bedroom and saw a big pile of beautiful blonde locks on the floor that I realised what had happened.

I didn’t think I would react the way I did, but it was like my heart stopped beating for a moment and I started yelling, “No Lil, no! It is NOT beautiful hair!!”

Haha, I’m laughing at myself now. It was terribly dramatic – I may have exclaimed that it was the worst day of my life and I even started to cry!!! Which made her start to cry (alot) and when we asked her what was wrong with her she said, “I just want my Mum to be happy again”

This is the good side…


And the bad…


After a helpful phone call from my hairdresser friend, Pip, I think I am just going to leave it for a little while. I don’t want to cut her hair all off – it will be so short and I don’t think it will suit her face at all. I’ll see how fast it grows in the next few months and then see if I can get a hairdresser to work some kind of blending in magic. In the meantime she will be wearing clips and headbands to try and hide it when we go out!!!

Have you had any bad self-hair cutting experiences? What did you do? Is it normal for me to feel so upset??!!!!!

September 4, 2010
Make It Perfect

.September Cool Shops! SAFFRON CRAIG.

Last, but DEFINITELY not least in the September Cool Shops! round up is Saffron Craig.


If you have been following this blog for awhile, you will most likely be familiar with my love for Saffron Craig fabrics. I love her fresh and contemporary one-of-a-kind designs and vibrant colourways and feel quite honoured to be reviewing her fabric.

I’ve already started cutting into the stack of Birdtree fabrics that I was sent to review – Saffron Craig’s recently released new range – and will be releasing a pattern in the near future featuring these bold designs.


I was so excited when I received the parcel in the mail and, although I loved the fabric on the computer screen, it is divine in real life 🙂


My absolute favourite Saffron Craig range would have to be Fields. I love the soft colours and floaty designs and have plans for a few more sewing projects using some of these fabrics.


Forest Elementals is another favourite range…The Elk Landscape fabric is shouting out to be made into a skirt. It is just beautiful!


So, if you are on the lookout for new fabric (um…who isn’t?!) to add to your stash or use in your next project, head over to Saffron Craig and take your pick! (You can buy from her online store direct and her fabric is avaliable in many fabric stores around Australia and the rest of the world)

GIVEAWAY

Fabric lovers are going to be excited about this giveaway…One lucky person will win a fat quarter bundle of the Bird Tree Range! All you have to do to enter is leave a comment!


Giveaway will close on Saturday 11th September and winner will be drawn randomly. Your comment will be disqualified if you do not leave an email address in your comment or linked to your profile.

September 3, 2010
Make It Perfect

.September Cool Shops! FUNKY POLKA DOT GIRAFFE.

Next up on the Cool Shop! run for September is Funky Polka Dot Giraffe.


If you have a girly-girl in your life who loves pretties in their hair, then I think you will love Funky Polka Dot Giraffe. I don’t think I have ever seen clips quite like the ones that Kyla creates…especially Disney princesses out of ribbon! Lil is a big fan of Tinkerbell, so I knew she would be excited when she saw the cute Tinkerbell clip Kyla sent us to review and I wasn’t wrong…


Isn’t this amazing? I would never have thought to use plain ribbons to make little people – so cool!


We were also lucky enough to receive one of Funky Polka Dot Giraffe’s sweet headbands which Lil instantly claimed as her own 🙂



If you are looking for some seasonal accessories, there are a heap of Halloween-inspired clips to choose from in store now!

How cute is this Rainbow Clip? Seriously, Kyla…where do you come up with these ideas?!

GIVEAWAY

As part of her Cool Shops! review, Kyla would like to extend a giveaway to readers of my blog. The winner will get to choose any two items from Funky Polka Dot Giraffe (excluding carseat canopies). All you have to do to enter is leave a comment!

Giveaway will close on Friday 10th September and winner will be drawn randomly. Your comment will be disqualified if you do not leave an email address in your comment or linked to your profile.

September 2, 2010
Make It Perfect

.September Cool Shops! KNITTY BITTIES.

Cool Shop! #2 for September is Knitty Bitties.


Andrea is the creative mind behind Knitty Bitties, a vibrant Etsy store selling a range of bright and funky sewn goodies. I received one of her gorgeous Camera Strap Slipcovers in “Hello Sunshine” to review and it is very cool. I love how it has livened up my boring plain black camera and is also extremely comfy resting around my neck.


Andrea has a great eye for putting together lovely fabric/colour combos – if you take a look at the products in her store you will see what I am talking about.


Knitty Bitties sells a huge range of cute, gathered clutches, camera strap covers, list takers, zippered pouches, and more – you are guaranteed to find something you love and the perfect gift for a friend.

I love this Gathered Ruffled iPad Cover:


And her Gathered Ruffle Clutches are super sweet too:

GIVEAWAY

As part of her Cool Shops! review, Andrea has generously offered to host a giveaway to readers of my blog. One lucky person will win a Camera Strap Slipcover of their choice. All you have to do to enter is leave a comment!


Giveaway will close on Thursday 9th September and winner will be drawn randomly. Your comment will be disqualified if you do not leave an email address in your comment or linked to your profile.
September 1, 2010