There is a distinct advantage to being employed, and that is the spare (I say 'spare' loosely, it's the term given to my 'luxuries' money, that no one can touch!) money one has to play with each month. On my payday I go out into my local town and I shop. With only one thing in mind - usually, me. I can buy anything I like, it can be as whimsical (rarely) or as practical (usually) as I like and it's always something I find in a charity shop.



These past couple of weeks have come up trumps. Sometimes I can go for months without seeing a single thing I like, then lo and behold, I find a whole stash of excellent things. All for little more than £1. Bargain!



What better way is there to have morning tea, than on pink and gold bone china? Or serving an esteemed houseguest nibbles in a 30's/40's Crown Ducal bowl?



I am drawn to things not only for the aesthetic, but also for the practical. I saw these plates and fell in love with the low-tone wildflower design. Made better by the fact that I can recognise the flowers on the plate.



I was having problems describing this to a friend, but I would rather have a plate from a charity shop, with some history and aesthetic value, than the same thing new from Ikea. Not only does it tick my recycle box but I'm supporting local companies/charities, helping the local economy, saving petrol (and therefore the planet) and avoiding air-miles taken to ship the stuff over from China or wherever it was made. See, you can save the planet and shop at the same time!



One of my favourite finds were these plates, of which there were two, hiding at the bottom of a stack of much uglier plates. It pays to rummage. I love the garden path design, the wisteria and sunflowers, the colours and the shape.

My first attempt at [proper] cupcakey goodness was for a friend coming to visit. I've made fairy buns before, who hasn't? Those are a very specific sponge recipe - usually 4oz, 4oz, 4oz, and 2 eggs. But cupcakes? Now they are a very different beast indeed. Having some of our own, home-grown pumpkins left, and a Very Important Friend coming to visit what else could a girl do, with such inspiration?

A few decapitated white chocolate mice (nothing is more delicious) and a grated pumpkin later, and we have these most delicious beauties. I even invested in a piping bag and nozzles so I could get the icing just so.



Perfect for morning tea, with pink china (photos to come!). How terribly civilised!

If you walk through a forest at any time from august to november, and maybe even beyond, you're bound to see these little fellows peeping up all over the place.



Sometimes they are thin, amazingly delicate mushrooms, quite alien and yet recogniseable. They are deserving of reverence, as one touch from some of them could mean death.



The mushrooms you see on the top of the soil aren't actually the plant itself, they are the fruit that sends forth millions of spores into the air, creating yet more little mushrooms next year. The parent plant itself can run for many metres underground in every direction, some enormous fungal systems have been shown to run for miles and their systems work in harmony (symbiosis) with surrounding plants, creating the perfect environment for them to flourish. That's kindness in action.



This is, as far as I can tell, a Beechwood Sickener. As its name suggests it is found in beech woods and can cause some rather nasty side effects. I left this one be.



Whereas these bracket fungus look rather fae, and although I'm not hugely into faeries, I could imagine the odd little fae creature living beneath the shelter that one of these fungus could afford.



Then there are the plain white ones, growing rather higgldy-piggldy amongst a mass of leaf litter. Their smooth caps and delicate colouring evoke textures of softest silk and the colour of pure wool.



This is possibly the prettiest mushroom I saw on my journey. The pattern on its cap is intricate and beautiful, as if it had broken out of a toffee-coloured glaze to show its white flesh underneath.



And lo and behold, having come back from my walk around a local estate, what do I come home to find? Our own patch of mushrooms growing completely of their own accord in our own garden! I love to imagine that they are a delicacy, some wonderfully-flavoured fungi that we could tuck into. I'm not brave enough to identify it, and not fool-hardy enough to try it [never advised], so I'm going to leave them all there, where I can take photos of them until they disappear. Perhaps to come up again next year.



However, I was very pleased to tuck into normal field mushrooms from our local greengrocer and make this wonderful pie last night to share between the two of us, with a glass of mulled apple juice (yes, it's that time again) and the warmth of the first central-heating use of this season.

There is no particular knack to making a good fruit cake - indeed any cake at all. If you have a good recipe and measure everything out well, have an eye for what's 'right' and what's not - you can't go far wrong. That's my take on the subject anyway, and I'm often asked by friends what the secret is to a good cake. Is it the ingredients? Or how one treats the mixture, or does the perfect cake need a particular type of oven. Well, I always reply, it's a bit of everything. You do need to treat the mixture with love (particularly if you're having problems with a Victoria sponge), firm but tender works well (for most things, I may add). You also need good ingredients, a cake can only be as good as what one puts into it. And as for ovens, it seems to make not one jot of difference what type - gas or fan, as long as it's hot. But the best baking can only come when you put your heart and soul into it.



Unlike some people, I absolutely love baking and cooking. Food is something I'm passionate about and so it's seldom a chore - and baking never so. From the quickest Victoria sponge to the most-involved bread or pastry it's the time and care taken that are the most important bits. I don't know where my love of all-things-food came from, but it's a long-kindled passion with smells, tastes and textures that seems to be inexplicably ingrained into my personality. Baking is food and food is home. Simple. So if you're looking for the perfect way to make the perfect cake look no further - it's all about the care and attention lavished upon the ingredients that makes the perfect cake. My grandmother would say "If a job is worth doing, it's worth doing well.".

Now off for a cup of tea before bed, with a slice of the still-warm cake above, so that I may slip peacefully off into the land of Nod, before my rude awakening to start work tomorrow.

• The last of the wonderful flowers in the garden. These calendulas are still going strong, along with the roses, although soon they'll all fade away - I vow to enjoy them as much as I can before then.





• Sufjan Stevens. If you haven't already heard of the guy you really should, he has already touched many hearts in the blogging world with his mastery of words. I first heard of him in 2004 when his album Seven Swans was banded around in low-fi music circles in England, but it wasn't until last year that I actually heard any of his albums in their entirety. They are now some of my favourite albums ever, and once you hear the first few opening bars of "Greetings from Michigan: The Great Lakes State", you will be in love. I certainly was, which prompted me to find Illinois, Seven Swans and his most recent offering The Avalanche



• Using my new camera. Is there any pleasure greater than spending a whole day doing something you love, with no time constraints, with chilly but perfect weather, and such beautiful things to capture forever? For when the days are short and the nights are long, for when all of the flowers are no more, and it's cold outside I'll have pictures to keep me warm.





• Finding the first conkers for many years. This used to be an annual event for me when I was a child, if the conkers weren't to play with, they were to make an autumn display at school or some such thing. We sorrowfully haven't lived near to a horse-chestnut tree for a long time, and no longer playing the same games as I did when younger, I didn't search them out. But when presented with a tree and many fallen fruit, I couldn't resist picking a couple to take home. Instead of choosing the conkers on their size or shape, hardness or weight, I chose those that felt nicest to the touch, small or large it made no difference. Aesthetically they are very pleasing things. Find yourself a horse chestnut tree (you can't miss them) and have a look at its base around this time of year to see if you too can find some polished beauties.





• Furniture that makes me smile. We needed some storage in the creative haven that is the back bedroom, so at the same charity shop that we bought the Beautility dining table, we came across this 20's/30's oak writing bureau. Practically it holds lots of things, looks amazing and smells exactly how good, old furniture should - of love. On closer inspection after the delivery, I found that the stays had been wedged up some time ago with pieces of paper; but not just ordinary pieces of paper but letters. A piece of furniture with history, and I know now, that the owner loved this desk immensely.

You know what they say about things happening all at once? Well, it's true. We now have the most gorgeous fence at the bottom of the garden, doing a splendid job of keeping little holligans out, and the dog firmly in. And Santa came early. It's a long story, but I'm now the stupidly-happy owner of a really wonderful camera and when not working, or cleaning, or providing tea, sympathy and biscuits for the Men At Work I have been taking insane amounts of photographs!



After a really long and tiring day at work yesterday, I needed to get out. I longed to be in the middle of English countryside, with open country roads and the chance of seeing the odd little creature, the turning leaves on the trees and to smell the must of damp leaflitter. I took myself on an outing, completely on my own, and had a most wonderful time.



It was a National Trust property, but with hardly anyone there, it made the most perfect excursion and photo opportunity.





You'll be pleased to know that I am now the Very Proud Owner of a sock. It was conceived on honeymoon, and was born on Saturday, having gone through some painful grafting (if anyone can explain this to me, send an email to the usual address...) before it came into being. I will be starting the next sock once I've recovered from the ordeal of the first. But I do love it to pieces, imperfections and all.


[knitted in Opal 'Petticoat' #1292 (isn't that cute?)]

You'll be very pleased to hear that there are hundreds more photos to come ~ I just hope you have broadband ;-)

It all started with a pumpkin losing its top - and ended up with its innards, cooking in cream until deliciously tender, then being devoured. It all went very well although the pumpkin wasn't overly flavourful - so I added some garlic and seasoning, which made it gorgeous. It was rich, and with half a pint of cream you can see why, but oh my, it's something I'd make again in a heartbeat.

Once you've scooped the pumpkin clean...



You add cheese (our choice was a mature cheddar) and cream and seasoning (with garlic if you like a bit more kick)...



Then you cook until tender ~ about 1 1/2 hours. In a (chipped) bowl to avoid collapse...





And voilá, you have the most delicious meal, served with gorgeous (homemade) cheesy scones and a wonderful apple crisp for desert.



Which I would have a picture of, except, well, once cooked it didn't really live very long, if you know what I mean!


The only photo of my wonderful russet apple crumble, with gorgeous spices and brown sugar - it did get a top, but was cooked and eaten so soon after that there is no photographic evidence at all!

When a girl is left alone all day and most of the evening, what can she do but make herself the most gorgeous bread and butter pudding? My other half was away at a party, so I was left alone to create a culinary concoction to be proud of. I am also craving puddings at the moment, so excuse the multiple-pudding-posts that will follow.



I also harvested a cornucopia of Jerusalem artichokes (don't they look wonderful?) and tomatoes. I'm not entirely sure what to do with the Jerusalem artichokes, apart from eat them sparingly, as I've heard they cause ...ahem... a rumbly tummy (think baked beans). But the more you eat, the more you get used to them, or so I'm told! Perhaps a soup might be a good thing, or maybe just as an extra vegetable. I do remember when my mother and I were getting organic veg boxes one of the recipes that came in the box was a Jerusalem artichoke and cider casserole ~ I might dig that out and have a go! The small ones have been left in the soil and I've been promised that they'll come up again next year - one can hope!



Oh, it's also the Bloggers' Breakfast today (or any day you can join in, of course!) which I'm insanely excited about because Robyn and I (and anyone else who wants to join in) can share a meal together. Yum.

I set my life around the seasons, and for me, each season has something new to do, appreciate or take part in. Now that the leaves are starting to turn, the nights are getting chilly; (must must must take the myrtle inside!) all thoughts have turned inwards and towards the inevitable Christmas, dark days and long dark nights, cold frosty mornings, ice and, of course socks. I am warding off my also-inevitable bout of chillblains with lots of Deep-Heat and slippers, keeping off cold floors, and spending time in the kitchen in front of a radiatingly-warm oven.

In the last few days alone I've created the most sumptuous creations, from rock buns, to a Blue Peter lemon cake, Chelsea buns and now, the pièce de résistance this year's xmas cake! Woot. I should've, in theory, made this a few weeks ago. But life being as life is, I haven't felt inclined until today. Making Christmas cakes is a beautiful thing, the recipe is rich and different to normal cakes, so much fruit to play with. This recipe is a tried-and-tested recipe, having been used at some point in our family for christenings and also xmas cakes, and this summer it was the recipe for our wedding cakes. It's wrapped in two cereal boxes because we were out of newspaper - I'm glad I thought of that!

I have bought at least 2 xmas presents already, just because I'm going to be working on xmas eve, so the ritual walk through the christmassy-infested streets of BigLocalCity on xmas eve will be out all together. I guess that is all for now, more things later :)

My days are spent enjoying what little sunshine comes pouring through the windows, musing on my socks, coming together with pained expressions of anguish when I just don't understand how to shape the heel, and with long steamy days in the kitchen making soft, soothing foods that are eaten with my regulation cup of Clipper tea. Those up there? Chelsea buns, gorgeous buttery, sugary things, diddy-enough to be able to eat, oooh, 20 at once.. (I will not divulge how many I actually ate, needless to say, I'm ashamed!)

I'm looking forward now to christmas; I have not been making tremendous headway with xmas-card making this year ~ my creative bubble seems to have burst, and although I am filled with pure lust at the thought of doing something artsy/craftsy, all inspiration has left the building. For now at least. So all I can do is hope that by next week inspiration from Zeus and his palace of immortal gods (can you tell I've been reading Odyssey or what?!) will strike me down with Olympian ferocity and send forth a muse to give me inspiration. But hey, I'll settle for an idea any day hehe.



The garden is now looking pretty, not stunningly full of blooms, all of the plants either have or are about to drop their seeds before bowing gracefully and leaving the stage. The calendulas are one of my brightest spots in the garden - not usually an orange and yellow lover, these have been one of my favourite parts of our 2006 garden. I emphasise the '2006 garden' bit, because I would like to have subtle change, and with nature, nothing stays the same for long, at the constant whim of weather and beast, we can only guide the garden on its path and hope for a pleasing outcome. This year has surpassed our wildest dreams in this respect, and whilst our William Morris rose is coming into the most beautiful blooms, the rest of the garden gently fades.



Sad, but nice to look back at the many photos we have, and remember the beautiful summer that we've had and enjoyed.