The Handwriting Game

Becky from Strumpets Crumpets recently nominated me to play The Handwriting Game. My handwriting is pretty messy most of the time, but sometimes when I have a nice pen I can write neatly. I have to write a lot of nursing notes at work, and a nice pen can make the difference to my day!

1. What is your name / blogger name?
Jessy, or apparentlyjessy

2. What is your blog URL?
www.apparentlyjessy.blogspot.com

3. Write "The Quick Brown Fox Jumps Over The Lazy Dog"

4. Write Your Favourite Quote
"Game Onnn!" From Waynes World

5. What is your favourite song?
3 Libras - A Perfect Circle, a really beautiful song, you should listen to it if you haven't heard it.
(If you listen carefully, you might get a clue as to how I came up with my blog name)

6. What is your favourite music right now?
I have lots of favourites, and a wide variety of tastes, but I've been listening to Sia and Temper Trap a lot lately.

7. Is there anything else you would like to add about your handwriting?
Meow! I draw that kitty a lot, have done for years, one day I'd like it tattooed on me, really tiny.

8. Choose Thee Bloggers to follow suit:
Danelle - One of my first blogging pals
Donna - One of my newest blogging pals
Holly - One of my favourite bloggers

Loki is Growing!

My little loco Loki is growing fast! This is the stare I get whenever I am eating something, it's like he is trying to hypnotoad me into giving him my food.

Cupcakes for Charity 2011 - March

March

This month the 3rd Thursday conveniently fell on St Patrick's Day. I made up Chocolate Guinness cupcakes with coffee butter cream frosting. I have always wanted to try out the beer cake thing so this was the perfect opportunity. I only made 2 dozen cupcakes to sell this time, as I'm a bit tired of desperately trying to convince people to buy the last few. Murphy's law, these cupcakes sold out REALLY quickly, and lots of people were upset they missed out. I seriously can't win!

Chocolate Guinness Cupcakes - Recipe from Annies Eats.
Makes 24 large cupcakes

Ingredients

1 cup stout (Guinness)
16 tbsp. unsalted butter
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups all-purpose flour (I used Self Raising Flour and omitted the salt and baking soda)
2 cups sugar
1½ tsp. baking soda
¾ tsp. salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cup sour cream

To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C. Line two cupcake pans with paper liners. Combine the stout and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the cocoa powder and whisk until smooth. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the eggs and sour cream to blend. Add the stout-butter mixture and beat just to combine. Mix in the dry ingredients on low speed just until incorporated. Divide the batter evenly between the cupcake liners, filling them about 2/3 to ¾ full. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean, about 17 minutes. Allow to cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Frost as desired and nom nom nom nom.

All proceeds were donated to the Red Cross Japan and Pacific disaster appeal, instead of my usual animal charity, as while sick on the couch I watched probably too many hours of the disaster footage, and I really felt like I needed to do something for the people who were so lovely to us on our holiday in Tokyo last year.

How lovely is this fundraiser print from Etsy seller This Paper Ship. I think its great how crafty and creative people band together to help each other out in times of need.

Thrifting Finds

I've managed to go to several Sunday morning car boot sales this year. I mainly go there to buy cheap fruit and vegetables from local farmers (half the price of the supermarkets). Sometimes I'll come home with some good loot, sometimes I'll find nothing at all. These are my favourite recent finds...

These wooden cat salt and pepper shakers are just so lovely, and were actually a find from late last year. I bought them from a man who had hundreds of salt and pepper shakers, his mother had collected them her whole life, and when she passed on he didn't know what to do with them all. So selling them seemed like a good idea, and I am glad, as I found these beauties amongst them all.

I had to buy this vintage ice cream tin, despite it not being all that nice on the inside. The design on the top was so intriguing and cool, who knew Sunkist made ice-cream!? Apparently they did in the 60's. And well, isn't the red dancing elephant on the side so sweet:

Lastly, this was a recent find. I was drawn to it because of the cute red rabbits. When I opened it up it seemed to be some sort of clutch purse, or maybe jewellery box. The seller wasn't really sure what it was meant for, she let me have it for $2!

The inside compartments are separated by these shrimp, such a strange animal to pair with singing rabbits! Once I clean it up a bit I think I'll use it for storing sewing bits and pieces in.

Thrifting is so much fun. Have you found any bargains lately?

The Garden of Unearthly Delights

Once a year a magical garden pops up in the city of Adelaide for the Fringe festival. I love going and absorbing the atmosphere.

I almost missed out this year, but luckily made it there on the final weekend. There was a cricket plague which while gross, was quite entertaining too.





We saw a fantasticly fun show, called the Freak and the Showgirl. I also indulged in hot chocolate and Dutch profitjes (sort of like mini pancakes) yummo!

St Patrick's Day

Happy St Patrick's Day!

I like all the green on St Patrick's Day, such a bright happy colour. I baked up some Chocolate Guinness Cupcakes to sell at work today, they went like hot cakes, I'll blog about them soon.

I also made up these two clover brooches (I've made a similar one previously) the orange one I sent to Becky from Strumpets Crumpets to thank her for sending cheery Holiday cards my way and brightening up my day. The pink one I made for myself, and sported it proudly at work today.

Hope you have had a good St Pat's Day too!

I ♥ Snail Mail

I have been lucky enough to receive a couple of sweet things in the mail recently. Jodie from Kittyrobot sent me these darling vintage kitty buttons because she thought I have been doing a good job with my Cupcakes for Charity resolution. It was such a thoughtful thing for her to do, and made me grin all day, and every time I look at the buttons.

Also, my Valentines swap arrived from Alexandra from Russia. She made me this amazing rabbit which I absolutely adore (she made it without a pattern!) plus a cool heart lollypop, which is too pretty to eat. Thanks for being a great swap partner Alexandra. Here is what I sent her.

Hooray for snail mail! I don't really get much (except for bills, there's always plenty of bills) so when it arrives it is so exciting. Have you received something awesome in the post recently?

Dinosaurs!!!

Way back in January I got tickets for Darren and I to see the Dinosaurs Alive! exhibit for his Birthday. I took along my new camera and had some fun snapping pics. Darren and I have both loved dinosaurs from a young age, and we really revelled in seeing these giant robotic recreations of the dino's we loved as kids.

My favourites as a kid were the triceratops and the stegosaurus. What were/are yours?

P. S : See my new blog banner? Alicia from The Red Deer made it for me because she is nice and an awesome blogging pal. I love it, thank you Alicia!