Nayu's Craft Post #193 Fudge time!

Wish it was sunny with blue sky today! Picture source.

This week is a quiet one, thanks to my body reacting to the colder weather. I'm managing a fair amount of craft in which is fun, although there's less progress because the blanket is getting bigger, so it takes longer to finish a row. I should be able to show you my progress in my next post! 

I'm making some fudge at lunch today - the usual microwave fudge which is done within 15 minutes (from start to finish including weighing the chocolate and prepping the tin the fudge goes in). Super quick & super yummy!

It should look like fudge I've made previously, only darker as I'm using milk chocolate ^o^

My family have finally seen Bob the slug! (Bob's previous mentions include this post). He was spotted on the drive, not in the garage, and I saw Doris once again which was a nice encounter. 

I wish Bob was as cute as this bunnified version of a sea slug!

I don't mind being weird for enjoying these encounters, I think it saves me freaking out over them as I generally dislike legless creatures. 

Nayu's Craft Time #192 Bob returns! + Pineapple Palace Review

A bunny themed sea-slug

I'm so happy! My family not only met Bob the slug (mentioned in a previous post) on the drive but I then found both him and Doris (the smaller slug) in the garage last night! I thought they may have died since I hadn't seen them for a few nights, but they are most definitely alive! Go Bob! Go Doris! 

Ahem. Who knew slugs would make me happy? Anyway, on Friday I ventured off into the unknown to seek out a pineapple. 

Yum to juicy pineapple!

No, that's not quite right. I sought out a new to my family cafe & shabby chic/vintage shop, The Pineapple Palace, Lower Way Farm, Thatcham, Berkshire, Lower Way Farm, RG193TL, England.

Image from Pineapple Palace Facebook page

My family had gone there earlier in the week and highly recommended it, so I went to check it out. It was easy to find, there's ample parking by the shop/cafe. The staff are super friendly, were pleased I'd found it through a recommendation. The shop and cafe are fairly small, but in a nice way, if that makes sense. There was all sorts of crafts by local artists, cards, figurines, woodwork, plaques, blankets, metal work, jewellery and much more. 

Picture from Pineapple Palace Facebook page

I overheard staff saying that normally they are busy around lunch - I was almost the only person there at one point. I nabbed a delicious hot chocolate and a milk pudding which is apparently like a custard pudding. 

So very yum! Picture taken by me ^o^

I adore custard puddings and this milk pudding was divine! You can't really see it but I loved that a cake fork was given instead of a normal fork - I have a thing for cake forks, they are really nifty and make cutting into sweet treats simple. Look at the perfect swirled dome of cream! I liked the fact the hot chocolate tasted real - I mean I couldn't tell if it was made from a powder or a syrup. I've been let down in the past by powdered hot choolate when out and about, making this a real treat. I also liked the mismatch of saucers and cups - it fitted the feel of the place. 

Minor disclosure which in no way is affecting my review (it was a super place) - I am going to see whether in the future I may be able to sell some of my work there. Not all my pieces fit in, but a few of the newer ones do. I'm only mentioning this so I can't be accused of favouring a place should I eventually sell my stuff there. This review is genuine.

I was so relaxed I lost track of time while gaming and sipping my hot chocolate that I ended up doing my groceries during prime lunch hour - something I really dislike! Definitely a place to go to if I need a break and have the energy to go out somewhere. Do check out it, it's one of my local towns! The website is down but they are on Facebook

Today I'm doing blog work, so possibly no crochet but I don't know for definite yet. Will see how well my laptop behaves, and my body ^o^ 

Nayu's Craft Time #180 8pm Duel

This leaf (well, a leaf, not this exact leaf) is important so pay attention!

I wrote this post on Sunday, but I squiffy internet connection, so I wrote it but couldn't publish it then. Yesterday I needed a rest day, but today I can finally post it! 

As you can see today's title is a bit mysterious. I want to talk of a time about a week ago when I went in the garage before bed to grab my yogurt and frozen fruit (fridge is iin the garage, the indoor fridge door is a bit too heavy for me to handle regularly so it's the garage fridge for me). I was by the fridge, looked down and saw a mottled leaf. I gently kicked the leaf to move it aside – and boy was I glad not to pick the leaf because it was a gigantic slug! *places hands in exaggerated length* 

I was a little freaked as it was unexpected, so from then on I put the garage light on whenever I got my bedtime snack. That wasn't the end of the issue. The next day there was not 1 but 2 slugs. I was a bit braver now it wasn't an unexpected sight, I looked at the closely and realised that they are kind of cool. They have cute antenna, and move so much faster than I thought they good. They aren't what you'd call speedy, but they can sure move. Anyway, the funny thing was they were on opposite ends of the garage, almost with a straight line between them (or would you call that being parallel?), which made them look like they were two cowboys ready to duel. Cowslugs? Imagine if you crossed a slug with a cow...or maybe not. Hopefully I'm not giving you nightmares. Just found a sea bunny toy which I think is based on a sea slug - it's so cute!

This sea bunny was based on a sea slug!

Anyway, the night after that I switched on the light and said hello to the 3^rd slug – the other two weren't there, and it was a different size to the previous 2 which is why it's #3. No duels that night.

The next night there were no slugs on the garage floor. There was one on the bottom of the fridge, so I got my family to come and remove it (while the rest wondered how a slug got in the fridge)...only this time it was a real leaf, not a slug. How am I to tell the difference when I'm sleepy, especially when I first mistook a slug for a leaf? 

If this was bigger it would make a perfect fridge for me - pink, flowery & Hello Kitty!

Sadly that was the last night of my slug sightings. I haven't seen any since. Instead of putting on the garage light, I keep the door open so the security light can help me check my first few steps, then I carefully open the fridge, using its light to check the fridge area for slugs. I'm too scared of stepping on one, even if I can handle being in the same vicinity (the same can't be said for worms which get bashed with whatever heavy object I can lay my hands on while being a tad hysterical). 

That's been the drama of the week. I reacted to the flu jab at the start, then had the 24 hour thing one of my family had only it lasted 72 hours (which I think is 3 days, I'm not good at maths), and now I'm talking about my slug duel. 

How was your week? 

While looking for a cute wellies pic I discovered some people use them for planting flowers - pretty nifty! Just make sure these aren't the ones you need to use.

Footnote: I've managed some exciting craft which I really was going to show you in the next post (so this one), but I've been shopping and not got the energy to take photos, so the crochet creation will be in the next post (hopefully).