Ashes of Roses

by Becca

Beth and I have been in the process in redecorating our room -

 slowly but surely it's coming together.

We had two adorable milk-glass lamps we wanted in our room,

 and good intentions to make crocheted lampshades.  

Well, I finally got around to making them; and now instead of exposed lightbulbs illuminating our bedtime stories- we have the soft glow of "ashes of roses"

(the name of the yarn color)

The yarn I used:

A discontinued yarn I found at a thrift store, I loved the color and just had to bring it home.

We had looked at a lot of different patterns for the lampshades, and Beth had made one for another lamp before, but the stitch was too close and hardly let any light through.

I hoped that I could use a simple open stitch and just make it up as I went along.

No, I didn't keep track of anything- so my special pattern is a secret, 

and the two shades aren't quite the same  :) 

Adorable carved stone bookends given to us by a friend.

Thanks Annie!

The vintage mint green phone we've had since we were kids.

Once a toy, now a decoration and, when we plug it in, a means of communication : )

This sweet little alarm clock is one of our favorite antique store finds.

Another piece that has been completed and found a place in our room, is this shelf.

It came home from a thrift store.  I gave it a few coats of white paint and now it displays some of the dollhouse furniture we have collected. 

Can you see Batman?

Happy Valentine's Day!

Our valentine to you, our dear readers: Cheesecake!

Well, you have to buy the ingredients and make it for yourself, but we are giving you our most favorite recipe for it.

The basic recipe is from a well loved cookbook of ours "Just a Matter of Thyme".

We've added a few things to make it extra tasty.

Turtle Cheesecake

Ingredients:

3 (8 oz) pkgs. of cream cheese, softened

1 can sweetened condensed milk

3 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

20 chocolate sandwich cookies (we use Oreos)

Blend cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, eggs and vanilla until smooth.

Set aside.

To make crust, crush cookies in a food processor or blender until fine.

 Press into the bottom of a 8 in. springform pan. 

Pour cheesecake batter over the crust. 

Bake in a 300 degree oven for 1 hour or until set.

( we couldn't help it!) 

Cool completely.

Toppings:

Mini chocolate chips (a debated amount. you can use your discretion) 

carmel sauce (recipe here)

chopped pecans

Sprinkle the chocolate chips on top of the cheesecake, then pour the warm carmel over it.

Finish with the pecans.

Chill at least one hour before serving.

Enjoy!

Invasion

Something has invaded our home...

This little fellow wandered into our house out of the cold. He was too cute to turn away, but we are starting to regret letting him in.

Just kidding.  :)

This Dalek has been my most recent crochet project,

 and it looks like I'll be making another one for Becca.

The pattern was free, and can be found here.

Rosie has also experienced a bit of an invasion.

Her favorite place to sit has been requisitioned by Robin Hood's band.

(Sorry for the red-eye)

"Mummy, there's no room for you!"

Much, Marian, Kate, Alice, Will, and Luke.

 All of the babies are getting very big, and at a little over four weeks old, they will be on their way to new homes soon.

   Rosie is quite tired of them pestering her and getting into trouble, and she will be glad to see them off. 

Sarah Jane on the other hand, has decided that her children are quite nice, especially for taking naps with.

Guy Gal &  Isabelle.  

Meg and Mama

The pet store had room for four of the babies today, so Rosie has a bit of a break with just Will and Marian left at home.

In My Heart There Rings a Melody