Make and Owl

Have a go making your own owl! the template to use is below :)

Have a go, Make an owl

Template

owls!

xxVickyxx

Owl Knitting Pattern :)

Having fun with cable patterns :)

CO 3 sts.

Row 1: k

Row 2: k1, inc in next st, k1

Owl pattern

Row 3: k1, inc in next st, k to end

Row 4: Rep Row 3 (6 sts)

Row 5: k2, yo, k to end

Rows 6 to 31: Rep Row 5

Row 32: k2, yo, K7, p3, k8, p3, k to end

Row 33: k2, yo, k11, p8, k to end

Row 34: k2, yo, k8, p3, C4B, C4F, p3, k to end

Row 35: k2, yo, k12, p8, k to end

Row 36: k2, yo, k9, p3, k8, p3, k to end

Row 37: k2, yo, k13, p8, k to end

Row 38: k2, yo, k10, p3, k8, p3, k to end

Row 39: k2, yo, k14, p8, k to end

Row 40: k2, yo, k11, p3, k8, p3, k to end

Row 41: k2, yo, k15, p8, k to end (43 sts)

Row 42: k1, k2tog, yo, k2tog, k9, p3, C4B, C4F, p3, k to end

Row 43: k1, k2tog, yo, k2tog, k13, p8, k to end

Row 44: k1, k2tog, yo, k2tog, k8, p3, k1, P2, k2, P2, k1, p3, k to end

Row 45: k1, k2tog, yo, k2tog, k12, P1, k2, P2, k2, P1, k to end

Row 46: k1, k2tog, yo, k2tog, K7, p3, k8, p3, k to end

Row 47: k1, k2tog, yo, k2tog, k11, p8, k to end

Row 48: k1, k2tog, yo, k2tog, k6, p3, C4B, C4F, p3, k to end

Row 49: k1, k2tog, yo, k2tog, k10, p8, k to end

Row 50: k1, k2tog, yo, k2tog, k to end

Rows 51 - 77: Rep Row 50 until there are 7 sts

Row 78: k1, k2tog, k to end

Rows 79 - 81: Rep Row 78 (3 sts at end of row 78)

xxVickyxx

Massage Bar Recipie

What You'll Need:

85g Beeswax

15g Soy Wax

55g Cocoa Butter

55g Shea Butter

68g Jojoba Oil

28g Sweet Almond Oil

20-50 drops Fragrance or Essential Oil

Instructions

1. Melt the beeswax in a pyrex jug in the Microwave (or a double boiler)

2. Add the other base ingredients and return to your heat source and heat until totally liquid

3. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes stirring occasionally

4. Add Fragrance/Essential Oils
5. Pour into prepared mould

Once the lotion bar has hardened, if it doesn't pop out really easily, place it in the refrigerator to cool it, and it will then pop out nicely. As this is quite a large mould, it takes several hours to cool completely.

If you don't have soy wax on hand we suggest substituting extra Cocoa Butter or Shea Butter - the Shea has a lower melt point, but the Cocoa Butter makes a harder bar.

Bath Bomb Recipie

Gather your ingredients:

*1 part citric acid


* 2 parts baking soda


* Witch hazel


* Colouring of your choice


* Fragrance oil of your choice


* Dome Shaped Mold

BLEND BLEND BLEND BLEND the citric acid and baking soda

this step is super important if you don’t blend well, you end up with a grainy bomb. With larger batches try using a mixer.

Once you’ve blended really well, add your colorant. Dry pigments or a specialty bath fizzy colorant like La Bombes work best – don’t add too much though – the color shows up once you add the witch hazel.

Add fragrance oils to your personal nose preference. Now, this is the difficult part. Spritz (with a squirt bottle) the witch hazel onto your batch while stirring with the other hand. When your batch sticks together when squished, you need to start putting it in molds – time is of the essence. If you wait too long, the mixture will get hard. If you spritz too much, the mixture will be too wet and “grow” (start the fizzing reaction) on you. Put the bombs in molds – wait a few minutes and tap them out. Let them air dry for 3 or 4 hours and voila! Wonderful, hard bath bombs. The harder you pack the bath bombs, the more dense, heavy, and durable bomb you will get. xxVickyxx

Solid Shampoo Recipie

Easy to use and no more searching for your bottle of shampoo, and its easy to keep to hand!


Shampoo Ingredients

2 lb 10 oz olive oil

1 lb 7 oz of solid-type vegetable shortening

1 lb coconut oil

10-1/4 oz lye (sodium hydroxide)

2 pints water

1-1/2 oz glycerine

1/2 oz alcohol (I'd use vodka or other food-quality ethanol and call it close enough. Do not use methanol.)

1-1/2 oz castor oil

essential oils (optional), such as peppermint, rosemary, lavender, for fragrance and therapeutic properties

Let's Make Shampoo!

In a large pan, mix together the olive oil, shortening, and coconut oil.

In a well-ventilated area, preferably wearing gloves and eye protection in case of accidents, mix the lye and water. Use a glass or enamelled container. This is an exothermic reaction, so heat will be produced.

Warm the oils to 95°F-98°F and allow the lye solution to cool to the same temperature. One of the easiest ways to accomplish this is to set both containers into a large sink or pan full of water that is at the correct temperature.

When both mixtures are at the proper temperature, stir the lye solution into the oils. The mixture will turn opaque and may darken.

When the mixture has a creamy texture, stir in the glycerine, alcohol, castor oil, and any fragrance oils or colorants.

You have a couple of options here. You can pour the shampoo into soap molds and allow it to harden. To use this shampoo, either lather it with your hands and work it into your hair or else shave flakes into hot water to liquefy it.

The other option is to make liquid shampoo, which involves adding more water to your shampoo mixture and bottling it.

xxVickyxx

Chocolate and pistachio cupcakes

 

I seem to always go through phases of buying massive amounts of nuts to snack on and getting tired of them quickly and the massive bag of pistachios I bought last month were no different. Hating to waste over 200g of shelled pistachios I resolved to put the in my cupboard and search the Internet for a delicious recipe involving them. A seemingly easy task, which led me no where.

Finished cakes.

I decided to make my own cupcake recipe and see how it turned out and to every one's surprise, except mine - they were made to my vision after all- they turned out pretty well. So I am now going to share my recipe with everyone else!

Makes 12 Cupcakes.

Ingredients:

200g Sugar

200g Margarine

200g Self raising flour

2 Eggs

200g Pistachios (which will need shelling -_- My poor fingers hated this part)

100g of milk or plain chocolate (on your preference)

Method:

Preheat your oven to 175C /350F /Gas Mark 4 (I Used the Internet for the Fahrenheit and Gas Mark conversions so you might want to double check!)

350 degrees F = 175 degrees C = Gas Mark 4

Cream the margarine and sugar together. Put most of the shelled pistachios into a blender, leaving 12-24 nuts whole for decoration.

Pistachio from the blender.

Authors Note: I tried to do this this with a hand blender attachment with my electric hand whisk and they went everywhere!Which shouldn't have come as a surprise!

Add the ground pistachios then sieve in the flour and the eggs a bit at a time, folding the mixture together till all the ingredients are combined.

Put the mixture into the cake cases and put into the oven for approx 25 mins.

Out of the oven.

Decoration:

Make a double boiler with a pan of hot water with a heat proof bowl over the top and melt your chocolate. Crush/chop your remaining pistachios to make smaller pieces. cover the top of the cakes with chocolate and sprinkle pistachio pieces over them, leave somewhere for the chocolate to set.

ENJOY!

xxVickyxx

Nail Varnish Fix

Don't you just hate it when your nail varnish isnt as good as i was when you fist applied it?

Chipped?

Well fear no more as i have the prefect solution instead of stripping the nail back and starting all over again just follow these handy tips

File down the edge of the nail varnish (where the chips start) until smooth
then carfully apply the colour to the tips dont worry if their is a faint line where the coats meet this will be sorted.

Then paint the whole nail with another coat of varnish (no more line :0)

Perfect!

Then apply top coat to seal the nail varnish and to help prevent from chipping, leave to dry for 10 minutes and then turn on the cold tap and just touch the nail to the water (while running) this helps to set the nail varnish.

and volla nice back to the fantastic finish you had before :)

Products I used :)

xxVickyxx

Massage oil and aromatherapy bath oil blend

Pamper yourself or a loved one with a relaxing bath or massage, which can be customised with a homemade massage oil or your own personal blend of bath oils to enhance the experience. 

Some of the materials I used.

Home made massage oil:

You will need:

*Base oil (Sweet almond oil, jojoba oil, olive oil, avocado oil, sunflower oil, evening primrose to name just a few)

*Scented essential oil or fragrance.

*Clean empty container or bottle

Method:

Pour your base oil into your bottle and add up to 25 drops of your scented oil. and it is ready to use!

Another way to use these essential oil is to mix up to 5 drops, or 5ml of a blend in a bath of warm water. This method is especially good for sensitive or dry skin and may help preserve a sun tan.

Avoid splashing in your eyes!

It is safe to use this method every day and the warm water assists in the absorption of the oils. In addition this aromatherapy treatment may improve the quality of sleep.

Relaxing bath oil blend:

You will need:

*Lavender essential oil

*Chamomile essential oil

*Sandalwood essential oil

*Ylang Ylang essential oil

*10ml Bottle or container to store your blended oils in for later use.

Method:

To fill a 10ml bottle you will need to add:

1 teaspoon plus 20 drops of Lavender essential oil

30 drops of Chamomile essential oil

30 drops of Sandalwood essential oil

20 drops of Ylang Ylang essential oil

Note: There are different types of Chamomile. Roman Chamomile is believed to relax muscles where as German Chamomile has better anti inflamitory properties.

Extra information:

Almond oil:

Sweet almond oil is a popular choice for massage oil. It is light yellow in colour and has little to no odour. Almond oil is suitable for use on all areas of the body.

Avocado oil:

Avocado oil is a rich heavy oil which is penetrating then most base oils. It is very good for use on dry skin. It is a deep green colour and is rich in vitamin E

Evening primrose oil:

Evening primrose oil is more expensive than other base oils but it has a lot of beneficial effects which include; treatment of acne, eczema, dermatitis as well as being used for allergic skin reactions. Combined with suitable essential oils for these conditions the effects can be quite dramatic.

Some essential oils and problems they can help:

Chamomile: Good for inflamed skin.

Lavender: Bruises, muscle aches and pains, headaches and PMT.

Rosewood: Relaxant, nausea, sensitive or dry skin.

Tea tree: Acne.

Bergamot: Depression, eczema, cold sores and loss of appetite.

Juniper: Acne, cellulite, obesity and anxiety.

Sandalwood: Dry, greasy or chapped skin.

Ylang Ylang: Depression, stress and anxiety.

xxVickyxx

Rocket and Caramel

We also have 2 Guinea Pigs called Caramel and Rocket they are a dynamic duo and always try to get into mischief they always like to explore and they love finding things that they can eat or try to eat.





Eating again!!

They are 18 months old and they are getting fat too i think they have a secret stash of spinach that i don't know about


xxVickyxx

Tiger the Rabbit

I have a rabbit called Tiger he is a dwarf lop rabbit (well we were told this when we got him but theirs nothing dwarf about him)

Tiger being lazy!

Hes a happy fat rabbit and enjoys laying out in the sunshine and likes to hop on the paving stones in the back garden.

Hes a happy rabbit and normally joins us on the sofa and watches T.V with us he is 3 and a half years old and will live till he is about 8 so he's still young and he loves spinach!

Tiger on the explore!

xxVickyxx

Knitting a wrap

This Cute and fuzzy wrap is prefect for parties and holidays taking walks along the beach at night when the air is a little more crisp.

Wrap

Materials 

Two skeins od fuzzy medium weight yarn, about 300 yards

Size seven needles

Crochet hook or sewing needle

This pattern makes a wrap thats about 14inches wide and 52 inches long, Use more yarn for a longer wrap or increase more to get a wider wrap.

Instructions

Cast on 3 stitches

Knit row one,

Purl row two,

Increase by knitting into the front to back of the first and last stitch, knit the other stitches,

Purl row four,

Repeat this pattern, increasing on both ends of the knit rows and purling the purl rows for a bout 12 inches,

Knit and purl straight until piece measures about 45 inches,

Continue the same pattern, but this time decrease on the first and last stitch of the knit rows by knitting two together on each end,

Finishing

When you get down to three stitches, bind off and weave the ends.

A great way to wear this project is draped over your shoulders and held in place with a pin or you could even use a fancy chopstick to hold your wrap closed.

xxVickyxx

Strawberry Trifle

Yummy!

Ingredients:

*Sponge Cake 

*Jam

*Sugar

*Strawberry's

*Custard

*Cream

*Liqueur

Method:

Slice the cake and sandwich the slices together with  jam. Cut into cubes. Sprinkle the sugar over the strawberries in a bowl.

Divide the cake between 6 glasses and sprinkle a little liqueur over each. Spoon over

the sliced strawberries and any juice and then top with a layer of custard and a layer 

of cream. Decorate with the strawberries

xxVickyxx

Summer Make-up Tip's

Take on summer with a fresh face forward - less is best! Accentuate your glowing skin by brushing on a light shimmering powder instead of a heavy foundation. 


You don't want to appear like you are melting under the hot sun.

Summer Time :)

Those of you who read my column know that I'm a big advocate of the powder bronzer. This is a great way to give yourself a pretty glow. I like to use a matte finish on my face and then a shimmer powder on my eyelids, above my cheekbones, and on my shoulders and collarbone.

A hot look on a bronzed face is shiny lip gloss. The BEST is "Lip Glass" by MAC. It gives you ultra shine over lipstick (applied with a brush) or on its own. Plus, it stays put - a big bonus for die-hard lip gloss wearers!
Try a light shimmering eye shadow in beige just under your brow bone to draw attention to your eyes.


If you are wear mascara, try a waterproof. This way you will avoid "Raccoon Eyes" when you are perspiring or near water. Don't forget the must-have partner, eye make-up remover, or else you really will end up with the dreaded dark circles!

xxVickyxx

Summer Skin Tips

It may be hip to be tanned, and it does tend to camouflage a multitude of imperfections, but don't deep-fry your skin for the sake of fashion. Your best bet is a high quality bronzer in a bottle. The Body Shop has a great all-natural formula. Just remember to use a facial scrub prior to application to slough off any dead skin cells. You may also want to use a pair of gloves, lest your palms turn orange!

If you spend lots of time outside, be sure to use sunscreen with minimum SPF 15. The cancer-preventing benefits are obvious, but protection is also a must for those of us who don't want to look old before our time.
Make sure that you are adequately hydrated - at least 8 glasses of water a day and even more when you are outside.

If you do burn, apply Aloe Vera or lotions containing it. This will cool and soothe your skin and help you to heal faster. A personal trick is to apply cream containing zinc to my face at night. This is an effective way of healing my burn by the morning.

Nothing is more revolting than skin full of little red mosquito or bug bites, not to mention the new threat of West Nile Virus, so don't forget the bug spray. You may want to try one of the new two-in-one sunscreen and insect repellants.

For a quick skin boost in the sun, fill a misting bottle with a little bit of toner and water, and spritz your face and body for a quick cool off. Just remember to close your eyes so you don't risk burning them.


xxVickyxx

Summer Hair Care

If you spend lots of time outdoors and want to spice up your look naturally, try combing a little lemon juice through your hair. The sun will lighten those strands faster than your locks sans lemon, giving you an attractive sun-streaked look. It's also easier on your budget than salon highlights.

Be sure to deep condition your hair at least once a week, especially if you swim a lot. Hair tends to become dry, dull and brittle if it is soaked and dried too often.


If you like to swim lengths, try spritzing on some leave-in conditioner under your swim cap to help ward off damage from chlorine and salt water.


xxVickyxx

Homemade Lip balm

Spring is coming but for now we still have bitter cold winds and drizzly overcast days which make this a perfect project for staying inside and making something useful for the days you have to face the cold and rain.

There are several different ways to make a lip balm, which range from using organic oils and beeswax with colourings and essential oils of your choice, to making a simple one from Vaseline, eye shadow pigments and left over scented lip balms such as lip smackers or chapstick.

Lip balm made from melted Chapstick and Vaseline

First I am going to explain the easier, less expensive method, then the more advanced version which costs more due to using different ingredients. 

Simple lip balm method:

You will need:

*Vaseline and /or old chapstick (I clean and keep these and you can use it to store your new lip balms or to use to store a solid fragrance, which I will explain in another post!)

*Eye shadow in a pink, red or colour you want your balm to be, or food colouring. (Optional)

*Cocktail stick

*Empty lip balm pot or small pot with a lid. Also a Vaseline tin or similar tin will work well too.

*Scented essential oil(s) to add a scent to the lip balm make sure they are safe for skin contact. I use ones for massage oils. Also, flavourings for cakes can be used but these are fairly limited, but will make the lip balm taste good too!(Optional)

*Small heatproof bowl

*Saucepan of water

Firstly get the pan of water boiling and add the glass bowl over it to create a double boiler to melt and mix the ingredients in.

Add a teaspoon of Vaseline to the bowl, you can also add all the ends of chapsticks in the bowl but you'll need less Vaseline. Let it melt and add a few drops of your desired essential oil scent(s) to get the desired scent and then add the coloured pigments from food colouring (You'll only need a small amount) or scrapings from your solid eye shadow(s) or loose pigments till you get the desired colour.

Mix everything together so that the base becomes a liquid with all the colour and scent mixed equally.

Carefully lift the bowl off the heat and set the tin/container on a flat surface. Using the cocktail stick to guide the liquid into the container without spillage tip the lip balm into the container, you need to be fairly quick as it starts to set. If this happens put the bowl back over the boiling water to melt it before continuing.

Leave your lip balm to set on the side before moving to have a neat new lip balm.

Advanced Method:

You will need:

*Beeswax

*Vegetable oil/Jojoba oil/sweet almond oil/coconut butter

*Scented essential oil(s) to add a scent to the lip balm make sure they are safe for skin contact. I use ones for massage oil(s) Also, flavourings for cakes can be used but these are fairly limited, but will make the lip balm taste good too! - unless you are using coconut butter as this will give the lip balm a coconut scent

*Eye shadow in a pink, red or colour you want your balm to be, or food colouring. (Optional)

*Vitamin A capsule, or rose hip oil (optional but extra nourishing)

*Empty lip balm pot or small pot with a lid. Also a Vaseline tin or similar tin will work well too.

*Cocktail stick

*Small heatproof bowl

*Saucepan of water

As with the simple method heat the pan of water till it’s boiling. Then add the glass bowl over it to create a double boiler to melt and mix the ingredients in.

Add a small piece of beeswax and a small amount of your desired oil. If using the vitamin A piece the capsule with the cocktail stick or a pin and squeeze the oil into the pan, or if using the rosehip oil add a drop or two into the saucepan. Add in a few drops of your desired scent. Remember if you use coconut butter it’ll add a slightly coconut scent.

Add the food colouring or eye shadow pigments to achieve your desired colour.

Mix everything together, stirring with the cocktail stick to make sure it’s all combined together.

Carefully lift the bowl off the heat and set the tin/container on a flat surface. Using the cocktail stick to guide the liquid into the container without spillage tip the lip balm into the container, you need to be fairly quick as it starts to set. If this happens put the bowl back over the boiling water to melt it before continuing.

Leave your lip balm to set on the side before moving to have a neat new lip balm.

Enjoy your new lip balms and soft kissable lips!

xxVickyxx

Homemade Lip scrub

Constantly going from the cold, damp outdoors into central heated rooms can cause your skin to dry out, especially your lips. One way to get rid of unwanted flaky uneven skin is by using a lip scrub.

Lip scrubs remove any dead skin and improve their appearance. There are many different recipes for lip scrubs.

Sugar scrub:

Mix a small amount of coarse organic sugar mixed with a few drops of water, gently apply to your lips and gently rub in small circles then wash off with warm water.

Salt and sugar scrub:

Mix salt, sugar and Vaseline together. Gently apply to your lips and rub in small circles to remove dead skin. Rinse with water. The Vaseline in this mixture will leave your lips feeling soft and smooth.

 

(My personal favourite) Honey lip scrub:

Mix a dessert spoon of honey, sugar and Vaseline together to form a paste. Apply to your lips and gently rub in small circles to remove the dead skin cells. Rinse with warm water. This makes enough for a few uses, I store mine in a small airtight container as it lasts for up to 2 months.

After exfoliating your lips apply your lipstick or lip balm – check out my homemade lip balm recipes!

You can exfoliate up to 2-3 times a week if you have dry or flaky lips. 

Enjoy your soft smooth lips! 

xxVickyxx

Obsession : Earl Grey and Lemon cupcakes

After tasting these a few months ago I recently made a batch with my best friend and her daughter. They were even better than I remembered!

I thought I'd add the recipe to share them with as many people as possible!

Yummy!

Ingredients:

*125g margarine

*250g sugar

*2 large eggs

*300g self raising flour

*125ml milk

*1 teaspoon vanilla extract

*4 Earl Grey teabags

Method:

Preheat the oven to 175C (350F/gas mark 4 and line a 12 hole patty tin with cake cases.

Heat the milk in a saucepan over medium heat, but do not boil, add the vanilla extract and the tea leaves. Take the milk off the heat to cool. 

Cover with cling film and leave to infuse for about 30 minutes. 

Fish out and discard the teabags.

In a large mixing bowl mix the butter and sugar together until the mixture is pale and smooth. 

Add the eggs, a bit at a time, mixing for a few minutes after each addition. Fold half of the flour into the wet mixture. 

Then add the milk infused with tea, then remainder of the flour. 

Take care not to over mix. The mixture should be soft and light.

Put the mixture into the cake cases and bake for 25 minutes. 

The top should be slightly raised and golden brown. 

To check they are cooked, insert a skewer or sharp knife in the centre of one of the cakes - it should come out clean. 

Put on to a wire rack and allow to cool completely.

Lemon Butter cream Icing:

Ingredients:

*100g unsalted butter, at room temperature

*2-3 Tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice

*Grated zest of 2 lemons (you need at least 2 tsp)

*200g icing sugar, sifted.

Method:

In a large mixing bowl beat the butter, lemon juice, lemon zest and half the icing sugar until smooth. 

Gradually add the remainder of the icing sugar and beat again until smooth and creamy. Using a knife or icing bag put icing on to the tops of the cakes.

Enjoy! They are delicious!

xxVickyxx