PRINCESS GLOVES

  It is the time of year to make Christmas presents (again). I have a goddaughter who lives so far away, that I need to mail her present. It always adds up to the challenge of finding the perfect gift for her, in addition that kids these days have everything... Anyway, this year I figured I make her a pair of unique gloves. Just for her, suiting her princess-loving style. She is six.

As a fan of fleece, I naturally made the gloves of it. I know from experience this fabric is warm and comfortable to wear. Upper and lower sides are made of the same material.

Pink is a must to all princess wanna-bes, so I needed to include it here. I still am not capable of making the whole garment pink (I think it´s just too much cuteness =), but little pieces here and there look great. Grey is an essential color to be used in winter, and therefore was an easy choice. The combination works well.

To be honest, I had these buttons already, and did not buy them exclusively for this project, but nonetheless they complement the gloves beautifully, giving them a true feeling of royalty.

  These gloves are made for the real-world-use, so I didn´t want to go overboard with the decorating. These babies please both the eye, and the hands.
  Warm and happy days, your highness = dear goddaughter!

BABY BOOTIES

  Chilly days are here, and my baby´s little feet need to stay warm. Here is what I whipped up for her:

The booties are made of fleece, a leftover piece from another project. The instructions called for felt, but I didn´t have any. Fleece works just as well.

Tie bands are cotton lace, a small strip I had saved earlier.

All in all, this little project was quick and easy to make. And it didn´t need any special material. Going through my cabinets was enough. Handy!

  Patterns for booties can be found on the net easily, for example here.

 

GREEN DRINK

  Drinking with meals is not fashionable nowadays. I go against the grain by gulping down 1/2 liter per meal. That just suits my digestion better. I´m all for intuitive eating and eat how and what feels right.

  Plain water is not very attractive to me, unless I´m really thirsty (which is quite rarely). I have tried to learn to drink plain water with lunch, and I have made progress, but overall I want some variety. Squeezing some lemon juice in is an old trick that works. The other day I tried a new trick:

Salad greens in an easy-to-drink form; a blended green juice to go with lunch.

The recipe:

1/2 liter water
1/2 lemon, juiced
handful of greens like kale or spinach (the darker the better)
a few leaves of sage (or any fresh herb you like)

+ Throw all in a blender and process until the greens have nearly dissolved. 

  This is not in my menu every day, but at least twice a week. It much depends on what I´m eating. For example with soup I would choose plain water, because if I didn´t want to drink it all, I could give the rest to my common ivy at the end of the dining table.  =)

SUNDAY FASHION - NIVEA LOOK

  As far back as I can remember, my father has used Nivea lotion as aftershave. In the blue round container. The scent of the lotion brings back memories from my childhood. That scent has always been a part of my life.
  I don´t use the lotion myself, but Nivea has inspired me to make a relaxed outfit for Sunday chillouts. You know, the days when one doesn´t have to do anything special, can wander around only half-awake, with no need to look creative or unique.  That´s when my Nivea-look comes in handy.

Inspiration came from Nivea´s commercials of course, but once again, I went through the images in my mind, not in the advertisement itself. Dark blue is the most important part. I combined it with a basic light grey, which suits even my no-makeup face. No jewellery is needed, here a fresh and healthy face plays the biggest role.

A happy face is always beautiful!

Makeup is not necessary, but in some cases is in order.  Naturally natural, with only a touch of matte white and brown eyeshadow in the eyes, and a little pink on cheeks and lips. No foundation, only some finishing powder on the skin is enough.

  This outfit is perfect for all occasions when I want to blend in, and not make a statement with my appearance, like when going to the doctor´s. I even went to a beauty-, health-, and fashion expo wearing my Nivea look the other Sunday. Another plus is that this isn´t connected to any sabbat, and can be worn year round. The most basic of the basic.

EATING PLAN FOR SAMHAIN

  It is refreshing to change an eating plan from sabbat to sabbat. Plus it gives each sabbat more character and definition.

  During Mabon my weight still dropped slightly, and now I´m a little under my pre-baby weight. I have no desire to lose any more, but this eating plan is still healthy and I follow a mostly vegan diet. For cooking I use whatever ingredients I happen to have, and don´t go by any specific recipes. After starting to buy veggies from my neighbor, who is an organic farmer, I have just thrown in stuff he offers me, no matter what the recipes suggest. Or gone by my own instinct. My world of tastes has widened by doing so, even though I am eating more locally.

  Here is what I am eating now:

Breakfast:
1/2 liter green tea with vanilla soymilk
weekdays: oat porridge (1dl oats + 2,5dl water-soymilk mixture) with home made jam (apple, blueberry, rhubarb...)
weekend: cereal with soymilk and a banana sliced on top

Lunch:
1/2 liter water (with lemon juice occasionally)
Mon: pasta
Tue: scones
Wed: soup (or rather a stew, because I like thick soups)
Thu: tortillas (store-bought bread with home made fillings)
Fri: foccaccia (like pizza, but less fatty)
Sat: pancakes
Sun: mashed potatoes and tofu/occasional fish

Dinner:
1/2 liter green tea with vanilla soymilk
leftovers from lunch or home made bread (sweet or savoury toppings, whichever appeals)

Supper:
1/2 liter herbal infusion with vanilla soymilk
chocolate coated Digestives or home made chocolate goodies (if I have the time to make any)

Chocolate covered treats I ate for supper the other day. (Well truth be told, I ate ten, not three...)

  The recipe:

100 grams extra virgin coconut butter (the other stuff tastes like barf...)
2 Tbsp dark cocoa powder
2 tsp vanilla sugar
2 dl powdered sugar (or honey for a healthier option)
pinch of salt
5-7 dl cereal (rice cereal, Cheerios, even crushed corn flakes, anything really)
1 dl organic raisins

+  Melt the butter ove very low heat (to prevent it from tasting bad), then add the rest of the ingredients except the cereal and raisins. Stir well. Let cool in room temperature for about 10 min, then stir in the cereal and raisins. Scoop in muffin cups, cool in the fridge for 30-60 min, and eat.
  In the next batch of these treats I will add 100 grams of chopped dark vegan chocolate to make them even more rich and decadent... Other variations can be added lemon zest, peppermint oil, chili, shredded coconut...