Beautiful Bed Linen

Images via White Company

At the moment I am loving all of this bed linen from The White Company. I am always attracted to boats and stars for simple stylish boys linen.

How cute is that bed in the last image. I love their classic simple designs. As well as childrens bedding and furniture The White Company also have some cute clothing and pyjamas.

Etsy Finds

These little dresses from Anna Fabo are just so sweet - they remind me of something my grandmother would have made. Check them out in her etsy store.

Gingerbread Men

Image: Donna Hay Modern Classics 2

With so much wet weather around I think it is time to do a little baking with the kids. My boys absolutely love gingerbread men and this one by Donna Hay is our favourite. They are still a bit small to cut out the cookies but love to help mix the dough and have a piece of thier own dough to play with while i cut them all out.

Gingerbread Men

125g (4oz) butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup golden syrup

2 1/2 cups plain flour, sifted

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)

1. Preheat oven to 190 degrees celcius.
2. Place butter and sugar in bowl, beat with electric beaters until light and creamy.
3. Add golden syrup, flour, ginger, and bicarbonate of soda and mix to form a smooth dough. Refridgerate for 10 minutes or until firm.
4. Roll out dough between sheets of nonstick baking paper to 4mm thick. Cut out shapes from the dough using a gingerbread man cookie cutter.
5. Place on baking tray lined with non stick baking paper. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on trays.

Source: Donna Hay - Modern Classics bk 2

Inspirational Artist

Image via www.annarubin-fineart.com

While flicking through back issues of Notebook Magazine (Sept08) I discovered the inspirational story of Russian born Anna Rubin. Anna is a Queensland Artist with no formal training who painted her first painting to fill an empty wall in her new home in Australia. The painting was discovered when she took it to the picture framer for framing. She was offered $10000 for it - which she declined and later sold the painting for $16500. She has some beautiful works on her site it is well worth a look.