The World of Siân

One fine Sunday afternoon at the end of November my great friend Ms James and I went to the secret supper club vintage afternoon tea and Christmas tree decoration making. We found the venue and were greeted by some lovely people who run the secret supper club. We were shown through to the room where it was being held and met by lovely bunting surrounding us and the table all set with lovely vintage china tea cups and saucers, along with lovely tea pots and accessories. Once all the guests arrived we got down to the workshop on making our own Christmas tree decorations. This was great fun, choosing the shape we wanted in the right colour felt and then what we were going to use to decorate it. From buttons of all shapes, sizes and colours to an array of sequins in a rainbow of colours. We were shown the best way to sew these on, then stitch around the felt adding a hanging hook and then leaving a gap to stuff with wadding and finally stitching it all together. In the middle of

It was one of my close friend’s birthdays and I wanted to do something special and different for her. I decided to make her a birthday cake. I wasn’t sure what to choose at first, then it hit me there was only one thing I could do that she would love… the worm from labyrinth!!! We were having a little girlie get together for her birthday with lots of food and drink and to watch the Labyrinth film, not only because it’s an absolute classic and one of her favourites but this month marks the 25th Anniversary of the films release. Also one of her favourite characters in the film is the worm. Here is what he looks like if you’re not sure: So the task was underway to construct this cake. First it was to think of the extra bits that would be used to decorate it. I ordered some blue sparkly edible glitter to sprinkle on him but was getting no where with cake decorating shops for the other bits. I was wracking my brains. Then on a quick visit to Cardiff one morning I happened to vi

I was trying to come up with inspiration for my friends Halloween party. I wanted to make something ghoulish and savoury to take. I stumbled upon a ladies website which showed you how to make intestines. Fantastic and brilliant, saved my aching brain. I must say this is so easy to make, the only thing I need to perfect is what filling to go in it. The lady said Guacamole but I thought that this might be a bit bland and I went for Brie and Cranberry. Unfortunately (although still very nice) I put in too much cranberry sauce and not enough brie and so it turned out to be sweet rather than the desired savoury. I could even try putting in a stronger cheese which might help. You could also do these with maybe cheese and ham or even sausage meat but this party there were mainly vegetarians and so I went for the no meat option. All you need is one pack of ready made puff pastry made into a long strip; add the filling of your choice, leaving enough space around the edges to pinch th

Last Friday there was still hope of Wales being in the final for the World Cup in the Rugby and the weather was warm enough to walk around in t-shirts. This Friday we’re in the 3rd place play offs for the Rugby World Cup and I had to scrape ice off my car this morning!!! What a difference a week can make. Anyway, back to last Friday. I took a flexi day leave (one thing the government hasn’t taken from us poor Public Sector workers yet) and spent it with my superb friend Ms James . We had a late morning start catching the train to Cardiff Bay where we took a little stroll around enjoying the sun and popping into some boutiques. We then decided to go for a cocktail before heading for our champagne cream tea. Mimosa’s was our place of choice and we settled down for a lovely Manhattan whilst taking in the view of the lovely barman with gorgeous blue eyes, ensuring we will have to return there. All too quickly we had to finish our cocktails and head off to find the place we were h

24th September 2011 saw the Great British Cheese Festival come around once more to the great landscape of Cardiff Castle . What a spectacular venue for a glorious event. My mum, sister and I tend to go to this magnificent festival at least every other year, sometimes every year. This year we also decided to take my wonderful niece and nephew. Luckily we arrived early, just as the big wooden doors opened revealing the wondrous sight of peaks rising up from all the tents, the colours and aromas from the flower and herb stall and the magical sounds of the music being played on the bandstand. We headed straight for the main market hall tent, luckily it was fairly quiet which allowed us a preliminary walk around before we selected our purchases. The twins enjoyed trying the cheese my niece enjoying them slightly more than my nephew, taking a great liking to a hard goat’s cheese. I purchased a Boksburg Blue and three Snowdonia Cheese , the black bomber, amber mist, and green thun

What a wonderful way to start my flexi day off watching one of the Rugby World Cup matches. With this lovely relaxing start the day was looking good. Soon it was off to Swansea to meet my friend Taggers for a spot of lunch at the first stop of our tour. Oystermouth Castle has been newly reopened with accessible walk ways and interpretation panel. They have done a fine job of making this castle agreeable to the public for a miniscule entrance fee which is well worth the price. You can even walk around some of the battlements taking in the spectacular views of the Swansea coastline. There was some scaffolding in place in certain areas of the castle when we visited which looks like they are doing further works either to just make it safe or to increase the amount which is accessible to the public. Either way, it’s a lovely castle, in a great location near fab coffee shops and the best place to get fresh cockles. From here we went to Swansea Castle in time for our scheduled t

For my 30th birthday my fabulous friend who I have known for 12 years bought me a voucher for afternoon tea for two at a location of my choosing. Unfortunately as me and said friend live quite far apart I was unable to take her with me, so took my other fabulous friend Fordy. On arriving in Stratford after many a detour around the M5 thanks to having too much fun in the car and not concentrating on directions (also I refuse to use Satnav it makes me even more of a road rage victim) we found the hotel we had booked the afternoon tea in and parked up. Brilliant, as we were using the hotel’s facilities and having afternoon tea there we could park for free and it was a two minute walk from the shopping centre. It was a glorious day, a lot hotter than we had anticipated but not that we were complaining. We donned our sunglasses and headed for a look around the shops. I just had to stop for a drink and chose a gorgeous Strawberry milkshake that was quite filling really. We he

My fantastic friend Ms James (blogger of 1001 fun things to do in Aberystwyth , Cocktails at Dawn and Fat Ninja Girl ) organised a surprise weekend for me the other week. I was to be at her house for 7pm Friday evening when all would be revealed; all I was told was bring an overnight bag, dress smart casual with fairly smart but comfortable shoes and a pair of dresser shoes to change into. Full of excitement that Friday work couldn’t pass quick enough and when 3 o’clock eventually ticked its way around I was ready to sprint out the door and whiz home. Not knowing what to expect I was a bit perplexed as to what to pack. I decided to have a shower and mull it over. With bags then packed and shoes at the ready I headed over to Ms James abode. On arrival I was greeted with an envelope which inside contained the details of the wonderous weekend ahead. It began that evening with drinks in our local as it was a gorgeous warm evening then back to Ms James’ for delightful little munchies,

Is it wrong to judge a book by its cover? I think in the literally sense maybe when talking obviously about a book. However, even then I have seldom chosen a bad book based on its cover. When taking into consideration the cover of a book you have to remember to look at it in its entirety and that this would include the blurb on the back cover as well. When looking at this principle where people are concerned I have never been wrong when judging them by their covers or how I find them from a first impression (remember to look them up and down now!!) I do of course try and give them the benefit of the doubt that I am taking them as I see them from a first impression, but I am always proved right with my gut instinct. Maybe this could be put down to women’s intuition, but I can spot a person who is out for themselves from the off and I am rarely wrong. Lol talk about blowing my own trumpet. These people always show their true colours even if it takes some people longer to catch on th

Thursday 12th May was not only Mass observation day which I took part in but also a fantastic beer launch hosted by Gwdihŵ café bar in Cardiff. Gwdihŵ café bar is a quaint little bar which has a unique boho chic feel about it, the bar area itself is small but adequate and the staff are friendly, generally young and fairly trendy looking, it’s all very comfy and the DJ booth is fab and well placed. There is a lovely beer garden, consisting of what look like old sofas and chairs, along with mini barrels to be used as stools or side tables. Part of the beer garden is undercover as well and quite sheltered giving it a lovely homely feel. The evening started with my fabulous friend Erika getting us free tickets to the event entitling us to a free sample of the beer Kozel . Kozel is the Czech word for goat and of course is a Czech beer; Gwdihŵ is one of the first places to be serving it. Kozel is what I would call a Lager Beer, a bit like Budweiser but slightly more refreshing and a bit

Well April has been a busy time and not much of it spent in work. I was off at the beginning of April at Bluestone in Pembrokeshire with my friend Fordy and then there is time off for Easter and the Royal Wedding, which I was sick of hearing about from the moment they announced it. Let me tell you about Bluestone. This wonderful place is located in Pembrokeshire right by Oakwood and Folly Farm. I would say generally it’s a place for families. However, my friend Fordy and I went off peak and stayed in one of their two bedroom cottages. It was lovely modern and fresh, generally it was clean but not really to my standard. There were some cobwebs in some of the corners and lightshades, the kitchen blind had dead flies on it and there were dead flies in the lightshade of the second bedroom. The cottage had all the things we could need and was a lovely place to relax. We didn’t do much on getting there on Monday, we arrived about 2 if not before, got checked in and headed over for th

Well, I have started to try and be healthier, mainly with making my portions smaller and doing some exercise. I now try and go for a run once a week (to start with) and my sister and I now attend Aquafit every Thursday. The other evening when I went to one of my fantastic friend’s house I noticed these delicious looking healthy snacks on her table, brimming with flavour and healthy goodness. I just had to ask her about them. They come from a company called Graze, which is online. You can order boxes from them (a snack box or a nutrition box) which will be delivered straight to you either weekly or every other week, for a small cost (cheaper than buying it all from a supermarket for sure). The box is small enough to fit through your letter box as well, so you don’t have to worry if you’re in or not. Also you can tell them when you’re going to be on holiday so they won’t send you a box during that time. These boxes are filled to the brim with goodness, and contain things like nuts,

Friday I hit my lowest low A place I never thought I’d go I was hoping I would find you there Waiting in your threaded chair With outstretched arms in front of you A kind face to help me through. Instead I found the silence and the cold Tired of being brave and bold Shivering in a messy heap Scared to take the final leap And so I must soldier on Face each day until I’m done.

The beginning of the month I went to a Burlesque taster session with my Bessie mate Fordy. We met after work for some tea and went to an old favourite the Rummer Tavern in Cardiff opposite the castle. When we both worked in Cardiff this was our favourite haunt for having lunch. We decided to have the BBQ chicken which is one of our favourites and it didn’t disappoint. Sizzling hot, enrobed in BBQ sauce and smothered in glorious melted cheese we were in heaven. The time came to head over to the venue, which was luckily just down the road in Revolutions bar. We waited anxiously and not knowing entirely what to expect. Two ladies sat down next to us in their 50’s who were also waiting for the lesson to start as well and were full of dutch courage. They had come from Bristol and it would seem spent the whole afternoon building their confidence. Quickly Fordy and I began to realise we had only been drinking soft drinks and maybe it would have been a good idea to have something a lit

OMG!!!! Where has January gone? One minute we’re celebrating the start of a new year and the next the first month of it has gone already!!! Well there are things to plan and parties to go to. Starting this weekend it’s my grandparent’s birthdays. My Grampy will be 81 on Saturday and my Nan 80 on Monday, and they’re doing great. Then the week after is my brilliant boyfriend’s birthday and we’re having some great people joining us to celebrate. We’re going with a Chinese theme as its Chinese New Year. We’re having a Chinese banquet with fortune cookies of course and also Chinese paper lanterns to set off into the night sky. In the day we’re taking our friend to the National History Museum St. Fagans as they haven’t been and it definitely is a must. Check it out for yourself at http://www.museumwales.ac.uk/en/stfagans/ As it is P.O.E.T.S day I have left work early today to enjoy a Friday and hopefully a relaxing on at that. Although I will get home and no doubt find something t

Well another year over a new one just begun. I would have liked to have posted over crimbo but lo and behold Christmas day after coming home from my grandparents and then my sisters the electrics went in most of the house, so we have been functioning on limited electricity with it only being available in the extension. Fine for my mum as she’s still able to watch tv and listen to music etc. I on the other hand have not been so fortunate, I can’t watch tv, listen to music, watch dvd’s or play on my wii (of which I had a new game for Christmas). I shouldn’t grumble too much, we have got the main house lights working and the appliances in the kitchen so that’s the main thing. Luckily I am with my man and have been able to go to his to watch some tv (of his choice mainly of course) and a few films. I have missed out on most of the Crimbo tv though, I am sure it was the same as last year more or less though so not missed much. I also wanted to start my new blog for New Year, this has be