About Us
Below is what I had written on my ‘About Me’ page for 2012:
Hello I’m Catherine, wife and mummy to 2 little ones: Bella and Will! I sort of feel like I have fallen into motherhood and being a house wife but I am now learning to enjoy working in my own home. My background is in Environmental Management so I am trying to put all my learning into living our life as sustainably as possible. I make-my-own, bake-my-own and grow-my-own with varying degrees of success and failure.
Now were are entering 2013 and I am still here blogging I feel like I should tell you a little more, I feel like I have learned an awful lot about myself in the last year and have changed, as have my two little ones, so…here we are as we stand on the eve of 2013!
Me
- I am 28, happily married, mum of two pre-schoolers who I look after in the days and work as a bar maid two evenings a week.
- I like to think that I am creative, I love to make and bake, I don’t get much time but fit bits in when I can and when I’m in a patient mood I love to get the kids involved.
- Talking of being patient, I have a rather short temper (which is possibly inherited) I am especially snappy when I’m hungry or tired, which is quite often but is easily remedied by chocolate, cake or a good cuppa tea (or a combination of all of them).
- I am a secret eco-warrier, tree-hugger but also a secret snob – totally don’t go together I know!
- I love to have friends to visit, if you are local please do pop in, if not then if you are ever over this way just let me know, there is often homemade cake or biscuits on offer.
- I really enjoy reading, when I have time.
- I am desperate to have a cat.
- I have a spare room with so much fabric in that I have no idea what to do with.
- I really enjoy gardening but am not very good at it.
- I have a strange attraction to creepy crawlies, I’ll pick up any spider and we have a jar with chrysalis living inside in the kitchen.
- I enjoy reading self-improvement books but don’t often finish them.
- And, I love to have a challenge!
Bella
- Bella is now 4!
- She is fiercely independent and always has been, wanting desperately to do things her own way even from the day she was born.
- She looks nothing like me but personality wise she is so much like I was at her age that it is scary.
- We often get to logger-heads over silly things.
- She is a daddys girl.
- She loves to do creative things, especially with me and we enjoy our time when Will naps by sticking, colouring, drawing or cooking.
- She is my first-born and my big girl, she is my teacher!
Will
- Will is 2 and a half.
- He is an entertainer and always has been, he was laughing at a week old at Isabella and is now learning the art of being funny with words.
- He does look like me but personality wise he is like his daddy, very laid back.
- He is very mischievous and I find it hard to tell him off.
- He is a mummys boy.
- He loves to sing, talk and dance and we enjoy our time when Bella is at nursery by building duplo things, playing with cars and general silliness.
- He is my second born and my little boy, he is my giggle!
If you would like to get in touch come and find me over here…..
Get in touch with me at: bellaandwill[at]hotmail.co.uk
Find me on Twitter: @BELLA_and_WILL
Hello Catherine, Welcome to the world of blogging! I’m sure you’ll have a lovely time! Look forward to reading more about your adventures. Jules X
Hi Jules, thank you for your support
Your blog looks fantastic, lots of yummy food and great photos to inspire me to keep trying new things.
For now,
Catherine
Hi Catherine, thanks for the comment, this is the book that I got the quilt design for our bed from (Sweetwater’s Simple Home by Karla Eisenach, Lisa Burnett, & Susan Kendrick), I extended it and made it a little longer so it almost reaches the floor. I do want to make another one for my sons bed, something that he can always keep with him.
I am really enjoying sewing and yesterday my 10 year od son made his first bag and really enjoyed it.
Although I’m working full time I’m really enjoying baking, cooking and growing food for the family I harvested 87 tomatoes today, I guess i’m just an old fashioned girl at heart.
Enjoy!!
Andrea
Ooh, thank you, I will see if I can get a copy of that book over here.
I am a bit of an old fashioned girl at heart too, our tomato plants are just seedlings at the moment but hopefully at the end of summer we will be able to harvest that many too.
I have made a quilt for my Isabella and am currently making one for William, I’ll put pics up soon
Catherine x
Hi, since I enjoy your site and blog posts, I have nominated you for the Versatile Blogger Award. If you’d like to read and repost the award, here’s the link: http://perisspiceladle.com/2012/05/16/the-power-of-three-liebster-award-versatile-blogger-award-and-one-lovely-blog-award/
Look forward to reading more of your posts.
Peri.
Hi Peri, what a lovely suprise to wake up to this morning, thank you very much. I will sort out tonight what I need to do.
I too enjoy reading your blog as I am always interested in new recipes to cook for my family.
Thank you again,
Catherine
You are so welcome, Catherine. I enjoy reading your posts and the award nomination is well-deserved:)
Thank you for Liking Quincy Lampshades. I too sorta fell into motherhood and being a stay-at-home-mum – it wasn’t what I had envisaged at all. Here’s to embracing the unknown! Ruth
Hello Ruth, thank you so much for your comment, I’ve been getting email updates from your blog for a while now and really love your Quincy Lampshades, one day I will have one but at the moment the kids have a tendency to ‘bash’ the lampshades they can reach (generally climbing on something they shouldn’t when I’m not looking) so daren’t get one just yet.
I’m still working at the whole stay-at-home mummy thing, desperate to maintain a ‘me’ but still trying to be an active, crafty, fun mummy in the days. It’s a balancing act but I love your phrase of ‘embracing the unknown’ think I need to apply that more
Catherine x
Hi, having googled “Herman” to find the recipe for the Herman starter (my very keen dog managed to get the bowl down off the worktop and Herman went all over the floor, dog and table) I came across your site. Thank you for the starter recipe I am now back in the world of Herman. I note you wanted a recipe for sticky ginger cake back in May. The only one I have, which was my Great Grannie’s, who hails from Canada is as follows; 10oz plain flour, 2 level teasp ground ginger, 2 level teasp cinnamon, 1 level teasp bicarbonate of soda, 6oz black treacle, 4oz margarine, 4oz soft brown sugar, 2 eggs, quarter pint boiling water, 6oz golden syrup.
Sift flour, spices, and soda together. Melt margarine, sugar, syrup and treacle gently in a pan. pour into dry ingredients. Stir in the well beaten eggs and hot water. Mix well and pour into a prepared 10inch square caketin and bake for 40-45 minutes at 180degrees celsius. This comes out as a dark sticky gingerbread which my mum always cuts into squares and it usually rises nearly 2 inches. Hope this helps. Caroline
Hi Caroline, I have visions of Herman all over your dog and kitchen, hehe! Hope your starter has worked out well, I must admit I tried to make a Herman from scratch and may have neglected him a little and he got cross at me….that’s two Hermans I’ve killed, oops
Thank you so much for the recipe, I will compare it to the one I made and make some changes and hopefully will have a better result.
Many thanks again, Catherine
Thanks for showing interest in what I put out too.
I sincerely hope you continue to find my works entertaining & pleasurable.
Be safe.
I really enjoy reading and writing poetry, thank you for sharing those that you find.
My pleasure.
You do have some wonderful piece.
Thanks for sharing them.
Thanks for following my blog. Hope you enjoy the recipes.