Doggy Delights...

Angus has changed so much since we got him at 8 weeks old... not only is he a totally different colour, and size (of course!), we have watched his lovely little personality grown and change, too. He's beginning to be a grumpy teenager on occasion these days and loves to challenge us on every little thing if he wakes up on the wrong side of bed... but you can never stay cross at him for long (if even for seconds) - he is just too cute, and, pretty much an angel for us overall...always quick with a kiss and some snuggles.

He will be ONE in October... so, when my mum sent me the link today to The Stylish Dog Company - I pretty much knew exactly where I will be going to get him some pressies... here are some of the things that caught my eye!

I love the hand-thrown ceramics (the tapered bowl for pooches with long ears is genius!), he will certainly need a nice woolly jumper if we have another winter as cold as last, perhaps even a new bed to snuggle in to (though we might make him an a*r one, as he loves our fabric so much!), and possibly a new life-long lead, too?

So much choice! One of the best online pup shops I have come across! Check them out and pamper your pup today... :)

Abigail @ abigail*ryan

All images courtesy of The Stylish Dog Company...

A different point of view...

A few nights ago, Abigail and I were having fun playing around with different shapes cut from our fabric to come up with new and exciting patterns for our (soon to be launched!) Patchwork cushions.

It was great, but we only had time to sew up a few before we had to dismantle the kitchen to have our new floor laid, so we quickly snapped some pics of our favourites to make sure we could replicate them. On taking the photos a strange thing happened...this block, which we both saw as a star as it lay on the table, suddenly became a very definite cross! It seemed so strange, and so interesting, that changing how we viewed the block, completely changed how we saw it... Have you ever had any experiences like this? We'd love to hear about them :)

The funny thing is we like it even better as a cross and it's been very inspirational. Now i'm really looking forward to taking the time to play around with our fabric shapes to come up with the perfect representation of a "nought" for a "Noughts and Crosses" or, even better, a "Hugs and Kisses" quilt!

I'll make sure to keep you all posted on how it turns out :)

ryan@abigail*ryan

You never know...

...when inspiration will strike!

We've been gradually working through our house, renovating a little at a time, and yesterday was the turn of the kitchen and dining room floor. We love our new floor, and even had a lovely surprise when we lifted the old one- some gorgeously patterned vinyl underneath. It was only the tiniest bit, and too well stuck for us to lift, but a few photos means we can add to our inspiration file. You really never know when something will inspire you! :)

ryan@abigail*ryan

p.s. Hope you like the little sneaky peek of one of our heirloom quilts on top of our new floor- they're coming soon, and we really can't wait to show them off!

Worth Waiting For!

To celebrate the imminent restocking of our incredibly popular Rhododendron Tea-Towel we have added a new feature to our website: Wait List.

Order any item on Wait List and your name will be added to a list that makes absolutely sure you will be amongst the first to receive the item. In addition and, even more exciting, as a thank you for waiting, you will get the item delivered to your door, in our beautiful gift-able packaging, for FREE!! That's right, not only are you guaranteed to be one of the first to receive your item, but you get FREE P&P, too!

Currently both Rhododendron colourways are available on Wait List, so get them now to make sure you get yours!

ryan@abigail*ryan

Rocking Friday Night...

Friday night for a lot of people equals drinks out, fancy dinner maybe... celebrating the week behind you, and beginning the weekend with a bang. What are we doing, you may ask...?

Quilting! Oh yeah, baby, that's right ... working late on a Friday night is just how we roll... ;)

Bowls of wheetabix with banana, the pup on the floor at our feet (of course, finding something to snuggle on he shouldn't... but doesn't he have great taste!) and making a jolly-good mess on the kitchen table designing some new patchwork blocks...

I know you're thinking: is that an angel-fish I can see!?

Why yes, it is...!! Awesome to the max, right? ;)

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend to come. Hope you're having as a nice a Friday night as us, however you happen to be spending it!

x A@a*r

Happy Birthday Jacki!!

It seems like only yesterday we were posting about my mum's 50th birthday celebrations so it was almost shocking to find ourselves singing "Happy Birthday" to her again just a few days ago!

We had a lovely lunch on sunday at Oregano and then, like the queen, my mum had her second birthday a couple of days later. Another lovely lunch, this one prepared by Abigail and myself, of sandwiches, cake, pie, crisps, and other proper party food- even Angus got in to the spirit of things :)

Abigail had spotted this new range by Le Creuset, and as my mum had just painted her kitchen bright pink, it seemed like perfect timing for us to treat her to a couple of pieces as birthday gifts- the adorable jam pot (sorry, no link- it's sold out!), and the beautifully proportioned tea-pot (the photos don't do it justice- it's a really lovely, curvy shape),both of which raise money for Breast Cancer Care.

We also surprised her with this vintage milk jug from Pedlars- as she's worked for P&O for the past decade, it was irresistible! In fact, she loved it so much, she's already ordered (and received) the matching sugar bowl!

ryan@abigail*ryan

There's a mousse, loose, about this hoose!

The latest recipe from our laboratory kitchen (well...it's just are plain old kitchen, but we get to wear white coats and lab glasses...) is a pretty fantastic, dairy free, Chocolate and Coconut Mousse.

This stuff is incredibly rich, but, luckily, also incredibly good...so keep your servings small and share it with more of your friends. They'll suddenly become *best* friends after a taste of this!

100g good quality dark chocolate (dairy free and, at least, 60% cocoa solids)

200g (a bag) of marshmallows

1 can full fat coconut milk*

3 Organic Free Range eggs, separated

1 pinch salt

*make sure you've bought your coconut milk a few days before you want to make this.

First, prepare your coconut milk. If you've left your can undisturbed for a few days, the contents will have separated- this is what you want! Gently turn the can upside down, and open what was the bottom. Pour away all the thick, clear liquid until you're left with only the thick, white coconut cream.

Pour and scrape this cream into a pot over a medium heat along with the chocolate and marshmallows. Mix together and stir constantly to ensure the chocolate doesn't scorch. Once all have melted together into a coconut scented, pillowy, gorgeousness, take off the heat.

Separate your eggs. Whisk the 3 whites with a pinch of salt until they have reached the firm peak stage.

With a hand-whisk, whisk the chocolate mixture for a minute or two to ensure it has cooled slightly, then whip in the 3 egg yolks. The mixture will thicken slightly.

Now, loosen the chocolate mixture by stirring in 1 large spoonful of the beaten egg whites, before folding in the rest of them. Try to be careful here, as you want to keep in as much air as possible- more bubbles= more fun! A metal spoon is a great way to cut through the mix without knocking out too much air...

Divide the mixture between 4-6 dishes (use whatever pretty little things you have lying around) and place in the fridge. In a couple of hours the mousse will be set and you can dive right in!

Serve with nothing more than a knowing grin.

ryan@abigail*ryan

p.s. As this mousse contains very lightly cooked eggs you might want to avoid giving this to pregnant ladies and very young children if you feel it would be unwise...