Spring is here!

I just love the smell of spring after a dark winter. Every spring I want to plant something but either I don´t make time or I forget to water the plants I do have. So this spring I decided to give it a try and really make sure that I water the plants!

Since Easter is almost here I bought a little pot with 5 tulips and planted them in an old ceramic pot and a new tin pot. I read a little about the best way to plant tulips in pots and it says that you have to make sure the compost is free from any air pockets, that means pack it tight and around the bulb of the tulip. Make sure you have spaced the bulbs enough, about one bulb size apart, and that there is compost over the entire bulb. When you are finished you want to place the tulips in a sunny area and water them often to keep the compost moist (I HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT)

I cannot wait to see these bloom, hopefully in time for Easter :) And then I will perhaps plant more flowers towards summer :)

Transform your wedding gown!

This was a project I decided on as soon as I was pregnant with my little girl. The use of a wedding gown besides the big day is to take up space in the closet never to be worn again. How about transforming it into something that can be used. I decided to sew a christening gown that can go from generation to generation.

Hope this is inspiring for you to find a better use for your wedding gown.

The dress on my big day with a long cathedral veil

The front. Did not have a better picture of just the dress then this, but you get the idea :)

I opened all the seams and cut out and designed a christening gown and bonnet to match. 

Making cards

I really enjoy scrapping, most of the times scrapping photo albums, but once in a while if needed I scrap a card for the occasion. Every time I am going to scrap a card I take a little look into Merethes kreative blogg for inspiration, talk about creative this girl!

Here are some of my cards the last months:

 Birthday card

 Made three of these thank you cards

Wonderful way to make a fun gift. You hang the card over a wine bottle!

Mocca yogurt dessert-phase 1 South beach diet

I do enjoy desserts, but trying to loose weight they really are a no go for me. The South Beach diet I really enjoy because even though on the first to fazes you are somewhat limited to certain food groups you can still enjoy a good dessert. The Mocca yogurt dessert recipe is my own variation of the Mocca ricotta cheese dessert. The reason being that ricotta cheese is hard to find here in Sweden and so low fat plain yogurt is substituted. The five chocolate chips the recipe calls for I have substituted for 86% grated dark chocolate. Give this one a go and I will promise you will enjoy it!

(recipe makes 2 servings)

2 dl low fat plain yogurt

1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder

1 1/2 tablespoons white sugar substitute

1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla powder

1 teaspoon grated dark chocolate (86%)

Blend yogurt, cocoa, espresso, sugar and vanilla in a bowl and poor over into two serving bowls. Grate the dark chocolate and sprinkle over 1 teaspoon on each yogurt serving. Can be placed in refrigerator up to 4 days with plastic over or in airtight container.

I like to make this one before I make dinner, then after dinner it is ready to serve or later that evening when your cravings get to you. Remember, The South Beach Diet incurages having desserts after lunch and dinner. Read more here if you are interested. 

 Bon appetit!!

50´s inspired circle summer dress

I rarely sew anything to fit myself anymore. Perhaps because it is difficult to get just the right fit. I started looking for a easy way to make a full skirt to a dress I had in mind and stumbled over a few websites. Ruffles and roses crafts was a huge help in creating this dress as the measurements and the simple pattern fit perfectly to my measurements.

The South Beach diet

Well I have decided to start South Beach phase 1 again. I have learned so much the years I have done this diet, better yet lets call it a lifestyle change. Even though i haven´t been totally faithful to it since my daughter was born I do however enjoy the wonderful recipes (especially dinner) from my South Beach cookbook. This taught me to enjoy food without cutting out any major food groups and still loose weight!

Most wonderful book that explains every phase and how it really works!

Phase 1 however is the strict detox phase and is somewhat limited. This phase is to be followed for 2 weeks only, it kickstarts your weight loss. It is definitely worth it to get rid of your cravings for those refined and processed foods and focuses back on stabilizing your blood sugar levels.

Phase 2 you start introducing carbs back into your diet, however there are still some restrictions and as this is the weight loss program you keep to this phase until you get to your desired weight.

Phase 3 is the phase that gives you the change to maintain the life style and your desired weight. I have never gotten to this phase because I become "bad" after a while on phase 2, so my goal in 2012 is to loose the weight and the ultimate goal is to get to phase 3!

In my South Beach cookbook I have seen the most delicious recipes for phase 3. Some I have even tried at dinnertime as I have ever since the first time I tried South Beach, kept our dinners quite healthy.

So since I have started this again you might see some recipes from my South Beach cookbook or perhaps some inspired by what is allowed on this diet. I already have some great ones in the blog, so my plan is to clean up and make the blog a bit easier to surf through. From now on South Beach will be called S.B. on my blog, just to shorten it a bit ;)

Hope you guys enjoy following me on this, and I will update how my weight loss is going.