I have it!! The solution to my one very challenging challenge - the MARRIAGE challenge. As I wrote in my blog last night:

"I am a bit worried about the marriage challenge, as they want me to do something with my husband that is "out of my comfort zone". (get your mind out of the gutter - it is not that type of blog!!!) I do not know if it means I should give up the comfort zone of my bed and sleep on the floor? Should I sit in an uncomfortable position when we sit together on the couch? maybe I should wear my bra backwards? Let me think about this challenge for a few days - I have been contemplating ignoring the marriage challenge, but that would defeat the purpose of the 13 challenges per week. Sigh!!"

Well, as I as driving home, it hit me. To be really out of my comfort zone I need to just do nothing tonight. Even the thought of it makes me feel uncomfortable. So yes, to be out of my zone I am not making cookies tonight (gasp!), I am not doing any other challenges except this "Comfort Zone" challenge (horror!), and I am just going to be and sit with my husband tonight.

I actually feel I can push this challenge right to the edge - so I am going to put my computer off after this. Now if that is not doing something out of my comfort zone then I do not know what is.

Goodnight
Lovies
Lizette

BBRrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr....., it is getting very cold now, and I need to prepare for the winter months. So instead of covering myself with a comfortable but unsightly layer of additional fat to keep warm, I am opting this winter to go for some home-made woolen options. Look how pretty I look in my knitted hat, and to top it all off - a knitted handbag of all things. OK, the pretty is debatable, but I made the hat myself (it took me one afternoon) and the handbag soon followed thereafter.

I read somewhere that if you are over 50 years, you have permission to wear red and purple together - so that is precisely what I am going to do. Both these patterns come from "The Art of Knitting", the bits and pieces section, numbers 2 & 3.

The cookies I made also got cold - see how they are covered by snow - so I dipped one end in melted chocolate to keep their feet warm at least. In the recipe this is an added option, but they looked so naked and bare without their little chocolate feet. They are called Almond Horns, and yet again, my creative handywork fell short of Martha's horns. But lovies says they are nie, actually, blerrie nice!!!



Guess which one is mine?

Last challenge for today was from http://www.onlinelifemakeover.com/, and involved number 2 in the series of 5 daily photo's I need to take. Today's picture had to be the contents of my handbag, and I am so sorry to disappoint you but there is nothing exciting for you to see.

I am a bit worried about the marriage challenge, as they want me to do something with my husband that is "out of my comfort zone". (get your mind out of the gutter - it is not that type of blog!!!) I do not know if it means I should give up the comfort zone of my bed and sleep on the floor? Should I sit in an uncomfortable position when we sit together on the couch? maybe I should wear my bra backwards? Let me think about this challenge for a few days - I have been contemplating ignoring the marriage challenge, but that would defeat the purpose of the 13 challenges per week. Sigh!!

MWAH
Lovies

Lizette

A new day, a new week, and new challenges - my week is going to be so very exciting!

The "Cookie Testing Station" was very busy today, with 3 samples up for the taste test, and my worst nightmare has come true - the bloody Coconut-creamcheese pinwheels got the highest score ever! So I will have to make them again for the final taste-off. I attach the link again - and this is only for brave people with lots of patience - but as everybody scored them 10/10, 12/10 and they even got a 15/10 - it really is worth it.


Now tonight's cookie from Martha Stewart is called Vanilla Madeleines, and it seems it is just a very fancy name for little sponge cakes. But what the hell, in for a penny, in for a pound, and a challenge is a challenge, so if it is to make little sponge cakes, then that is what I must do.Please find the link below.



Some key learnings:
1) I do not own a Madeleine pan - or if I do I did not know that this is what it looks like

2) Never overfill the piping bag

3) You never need to buy Bostik again, just make Madeleine batter

4) My Madeleines do not look like Martha's Madeleines

Martha's Madeleines are a work of art

My Madeleines are little round sponge cakes with some icing sugar sprikled on top

I have one challenge from http://studiocalico.typepad.com/studio_calico/ this week for scrapbooking, and I thought let me do this tonight and tick it off the list. I had to use a specific layout, i think they call it a sketch, and basically stick to that. So because I miss my sister, and she also loves scrapbooking, I used her picture in the layout. I KNOW she is going to be upset because I used this photo, but I love it  (and it was the only one that went with the paper I wanted to use - so there you have it)

Visiting her over the festive season in December is such a treat, and I miss her dearly.
This is teh sketch I had to work to, so see my effort below.

Lastly, from http://www.onlinelifemakeover.com/ I have a funny challenge this week - here it is:

"

I dare you to take a picture every day of the week and to post in on the Pretty Powerful Facebook Fan Page - with a blurp to help us "get it".

The theme for each day is listed below. 

How to do it:

Here's what you should aim for. Happy shooting!

• Monday:  My lunch"

So being on a low-carb diet, my lunch was extremely exciting and if I knew i was going to take a picture of it - i would have gone to more trouble. Instead of making a sandwich with bread, I make one with ham and cheese, using the cheese as the 2 slices of bread and putting the slice of ham in the middle - njam, njam

C U 2MORROW

Lovies

Lizette

Sunday night has arrived, and because I took a nice, long and much needed snooze this afternoon, I am now rushing to get the last 3 challenges done before the start of teh new week (and another 15 new challenges)

So cookies still in the oven, let me start with my challenge posted on http://papertakeweekly.blogspot.com/. I had to make a card that is "cute, cute, cute". First of all - i do not do cute, second of all, I have never made a card. But I promised myself I will do new things through these challenges, so here is my "cute" card. I guess some little girl somewhere will think it is nice. Please, if there are any takers, let me know and I will post the card to you so you can give it to your little girl. I am just going to throw it away. Just send me your postal address and it is done.

On http://inspiration-avenue-team.blogspot.com/ the challenge theme was hands, and since it was mother's day, I actually did a cheirology analysis of my mom's hand. I never got to do it while she was with me, but it was a very emotional and satisfying exercise for me.It just brought alive all those special characteristics of her that I either loved so much, or irritated the living daylights out of me. But what is evident in every line and every fingershape and every fingerprint is her generosity, her love for people and her sensitive emotional character.

Another knitting challenge done, and I am so happy to show you the before and after photos of the area next to my husband's side of the bed. Our latest puppie, Tiger, is now 8 months old and sleeps next to Les on a horrible towel/blanket to protect the bedroom carpet. So silly me took on the challenge to knit a carpet in our duvet colours for next to the bed. The knitting pattern comes from "The Art of Knitting", For the Home, number 2, and is suppose to be a bath mat, but I turned the project into a BIG mat. It was a lot of work, lot of wool - but it looks like Tiger is appreciating the effort. Maybe he will now stop eating all the wool he sees lying on tables and chairs.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Lastly - the episode of the Sunday cookies. NEVER, EVER bake these cookies on a Sunday night - or any other night for that matter. You need a full day to make them (not really but at least 3-4 hours). They won a prize on the Martha Stewart show, and I say - give whoever made them a big prize, they are hectic!!!!

They are called Coconut-Cream cheese Pinwheels

The second batch came out a bit better looking than the first batch, and I do hope they score low at the workplace "Cookie Testing Station" tomorrow, otherwise I will have to make them again for the final round of "Finding the Best Cookie Recipe" challenge.



I look forward to chatting to you next week when I tackle a whole bunch of new challenges.

Lovies
Lizette

Oooh, to day was a lekker day. I did just what I wanted to do, nothing more, and nothing less. I woke up feeling a bit stressed, as I am behind with my challenges for week 1, but as soon as I realised that I have a whole day to myself - I felt wonderful (it also helped that my fantastic housegirl - Loveness - was here today to help clean up and wash dirty cookie-making dishes.)

Speaking about cookies, I made Cherry-Espresso Biscotti today, and the smell of vanilla and coffee filled my house and settled into all the rooms like a soft, comfortable duvet of lusciousness. MMmmmmmmm...

Les loves them, and he is not familiar with Biscotti, so his assessment after his first cookie were as follows: "Mmm, this is nice, almost like a type of rusk. It has got sweet and bitter in it at the same time. Mmm, can I have another one?"

So c'mon boys and girls, get out those cooking tools and treat yourself and the ones you love. I know they do not look like much, but I am told that the taste is "11/10" (in the words of Edwin, the gardener) You see, I have cookie tester everywhere!!!!

One of the weekly challenges I had to complete was a photographic one, posted on http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2012/05/04/weekly-photo-challenge-unfocused/
The challenge is to take a photo that is unfocused, so here is my focused unfocusedness.Since the new, cost-efective models of digital cameras is technologically above my capabilities, I did not know how not to focus, as the bloody camera does the focussing on its own. So being resourceful and wise beyond my 50 years, I moved the camera around while pressing the little silver button - and Viola!! An unfocussed Photo.

I am loving the scrapbooking challenges, and had to make a scrapbook thingie (still do not know what to call these loose pages/cards) with 5 photos. So I was a bit limited in my choice of topic, but made one for my husband and his second love (he loves me most and then he loves Jock second most) This challenge was posted on http://studiocalico.typepad.com/studio_calico/

WARNING - IF YOU ARE A VEGETARIAN CLOSE YOUR EYES NOW

WARNING - IF YOU THINK MEAT COMES FROM PICK N PAY AND CHECKERS CLOSE YOUR EYES NOW

And then the last challenge I did today was from http://www.sewweekly.com/, and the challenges was to use an old photograph with your mother as inspiration to sew an outfit.  My sister kindly scanned in this formal portrait of our family, and my heart is so sore when I see my mom so young and healthy and beautiful, and now she is gone forever.

But alas, life goes on and sew I must. My mom, bless her heart, dressed Jacolette and me in similar outfits for a long time. NO, we are not twins. So looking at this photo taken in the early 70's, I decided to make myself a MAXI skirt. For those of you born later than the 70's, as well as those who have never worn a skirt (I do have some male followers), a maxi skirt is just another word for a long skirt. A really long skirt. Long like almost hanging to the floor. Maxi long - sure you get the picture now.

Please see me, my dog, my garden and my maxi skirt. will I wear it again - maybe to a "Little House on the Prairie" party.

Enough about me now, let me hear about you either through a comment on my blog, or on facebook.

Tomorrow I just have 3 challenges to do, then I have finished WEEK 1 with no challenges undone.

Lovies
Lizette

Friday has arrived, and I have just finished 2 challenges. I know it is a bit late, but I am so energised and enjoying my evening so much that I can go for a few more hours - definitely going to knit a bit more while watching women on TV who did not know they were pregnant  (I promise you it can happen - I only found out I was pregnant at 5 months - but that is a story for another night. I feel we should know each other a bit better before I download that drama on you - hie-hie-hie)

OK, so my cookie challenge tonight from Martha Stewart was "Black and White Cheesecake Squares" Quite an involved recipe, but the results look like they are worth it. Hubby finds it a bit too rich, and says the idea of chocolate and cheese together is wierd. I on the other hand cannot think of a better combination. As usual, I will have to rely on my work colleagues' taste buds on Monday to find out if this cookie tastes as nice as it looks and sound.

By the way - from the 3 cookies I took to work today - the winner by far was the Coconut-Pecan Cereal bars - they got a 10/10 from every single taster.
And today I finished one of the 2 challenges posed to me by http://studiocalico.typepad.com/studio_calico/. It is a website about scrapbooking so I include my second attempt. I think what excites me the most about these challenges in scrapbooking is that I get to use all the photo's I have neglected for so long.

I have also found great support in Nevi Letcher, some sort of Superwoman with secret powers in creativity.

The challenge was to get inspired and use triangles, so it was a bit abstract but I think I came up with a workable solution.

So tomorrow is going to be a very busy day for me. I need to finish my sewing challenge for the week, as well as another challenge from http://studiocalico.typepad.com/studio_calico. I would also like to finish a knitting challenge which involves knitting a carpet (I know - nothing small for me) And last but not least, there are some cookie recipes waiting for my attention.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend and that you will check up on me this weekend to see if I can finish the sprint to the finish line of WEEK 1 CHALLENGED

Lovies
Lizette

Hallo, hallo, hallo - and hope you had a happy Thursday.

My baking did not go too well today - and it was a double wammy as I made 2 recipe's tonight. They both sounded delish, but Les says teh first one taste like bubblegum - and not even my dog wants to eat it. I will take it to wok tomorrow - maybe it needs to be out of the fridge for a while before I can cut it. Please see my attempt to cut the Coconut-Pecan Cereal bars. They have marshmallows and pecans and coconut and corn flakes, but somehow when thrown together becomes a sticky, chewy, tooth-extraction mass!!

Then the second recipe is called Strawberry Shortbread, and I was very hopeful for this one. At least my dog likes them, but Les says they are just ordinary. They are pretty, so am taking a batch to work for the "Cookie Testing Station" - I cannot keep them for longer than 2 days.

Talking about my cookie-eating dog - here he is wearing the looooooooooooong scarf that goes with my BIG hat I featured last night. This was knitted on my trip to Basel Switzerland - on those cold lonely nights in the hotel room. (It's not that he needs to wear a scarf, but he thought he was getting another cookie, so he sat very still and patient for the pic)

I started the blog to journal the challenges I have signed up, so the challenge from 2 Peas in a Pod http://www.twopeasinabucket.com/cg_list.asp?t=36 this week was to do a scrapbook page in a format called a sketch. Now to let you know why this is a challenge for me, is because my name is not really Lizette, it is Mrs. Quickly. So sitting with little bits of paper, double sided tape, having to measure and cut straight and make it neat is a huge challenge for me. Maybe this process will teach me patience and precision - 2 P's not in my vocabulary

Here is my effort, at least the photo's are put to better use than just lying in a box at the bottom of my cupboard. Now this card can go in the box at the bottom of my cupboard (hie-hie-hie)

Talk to you tomorrow night (no, I do not have a life, I will be at home doing challenges and blogging)

Lovies
Lizette