Bug Hotel Colchester

Messy gardens with piles of junk are great for wildlife but we keep clearing them up! As we have been tidying up our garden and replanting the beds we thought we had better keep the wildlife happy too, as we want them to hang around! We want the ladybirds to eat the aphids and the bees to pollinate the plants.

So we built a 'bug hotel' from recycled materials (the junk we cleared up from the garden!). The main structure was a shelving unit we didn't need any more. We added dividers to make the compartments small (it was just two big shelves originally)
Read more about bug hotels and see the wildlife trust bug hotel at ulsterwildlifetrust - BUG HOTEL

The start of the Bug Hotel

We added wire to the back to hold in the snugly bedding



The junk we found in the garden to use in the bug hotel



We made a panel with lots of little holes that an insect just can't resist going through to a snugly bed.

To create a grid to make out holes

Drilling the holes

Stuff the section with straw, paper etc

We painted it black and screwed the panel on





We stuffed cans with moss but actually this wasn't very good as the birds pinched it for their nests, so if you use moss tuck it away where the birds can't get it.

The Bug Hotel, Colchester.

Warhorse weekend in London

Nelsons ship in a bottle is the current display on the fourth plinth in Trafalgar square. Read more: http://www.london.gov.uk/trafalgarsquare/around/4th_plinth.jsp

Ship in a Bottle at Trafalgar square

*****



Warhorse cast and goose



Warhorses



Warhorse



It is worth going to see Warhorse just to see the horses. The way they move is so natural - it really is captivating. The horses really convey emotions thanks to the actors controlling them.



Michele and Russell at The Warhorse show

The theater is really small and intimate which is very nice. You are really not far from the stage where ever you sit and the cast come in to the audience.

http://warhorselondon.nationaltheatre.org.uk/

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We also visited the British Museum while we were in London - it is not far from the Warhorse theater. The museum is vast and you really can't see much of in one visit!



The Rosetta Stone



This is fascinating - the carving alone is worth a look (so tiny and so neat) but the story to go with it makes it even more worth the trip...  http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/aes/t/the_rosetta_stone.aspx



Russell at The British Museum

Festival of needles

Michele loves her needles..

Cactus pin cushion

Read about the celebration http://stitchinfingers.ning.com/forum/topics/festival-of-needles?commentId=2105845%3AComment%3A221840

A Sunny Sunday in January...

We made the most of the first Sunny Sunday in January with a delicious Beach Brunch in West Mersea.

Russell cooked up Mini-Portobello Mushrooms with garlic and parsley in olive oil over our camp stove. 

Equipment: Chopping board, knife, tea towel, flask of hot water, camp plates, camp stove, cutlery

You need: Salt, portobello mushrooms, garlic cloves, fresh parsley and olive oil.

He then toasted a couple of slices of bread by holding them over the flames. Tipped the mushrooms and juice on the bread and it tasted like the most delicious thing I had ever eaten. It was really cold on the beach but the sun was so lovely to see and we huddled behind a bush - it didn't feel cold with the hot food to eat!

Being out in the sun is so good for your spirits!

Then for dessert!!!

You need: Chocolate sticks, flask of hot water, milk, sweet bread or pastry

Equipment: Sauce pan, cups, flask

When we went to Brussels in December we brought back some hot chocolate sticks...



(It is basically really high quality chocolate on a stick)

Russell heated some full fat Jersey milk in a pan on the camp stove, while this was heating he tipped the hot water from the flask into the cups (just to warm them up). We then tipped the water away (using it to wash the plates) and put the chocolate sticks in the cups...

Then Russell tipped the hot milk into the cups on top of the chocolate. It took a while to melt - just keep stirring...



 

..until all the chocolate melts into the milk.

We had some Pandoro which is like Brioche to go with the hot chocolate.

DELICIOUS!!!

WIN interior design on madeby-me.co.uk

WIN A 'Concept Board' worth £49.50 from

'Champagne & Roses' Online Interior Design

The Concept board is aimed to set the guidelines, with colour, styling and the perceived ambience of the room. These boards are inspirational allowing you to forge ahead. An aid to the creative process. The perfect path for times when you can't deceide which way to go. Boards when used through out a residence are created to link appropriate rooms, each with another ,whilst retaining individual inspiration and identity.

We will confer with you via email to develop an understanding of your design concept.

Boards posted within 7 days of initial consultation.We send these insirational concept boards by recorded delivery to ensure they get to you.

To be in with a chance of winning this great prize

simply send your name and address to: competitions@madeby-me.co.uk

Please mark the subject as 'concept board'

Closing date: 10th February 2011

Napkin competition winner...

CONGRATULATIONS TO 'NEIL WRAGG'
The winner of our recent competition, winning a set of hand-printed napkins from madeby-me.
Here is his entry photograph and story - we love it!

I carved this chain from a piece of Mahogany I rescued from our last house. It has three links for the three of us in our family, mum, dad and our son joined by a heart. The top and bottom links are split to represent us as husband and wife as well as father and mother.

'Neil Wragg'

Brussels Christmas Market

We had a lovely weekend in Brussels it was a Winter wonderland!

Grand place



The Atonium