Pimp my sofa

This is the lovely sofabed that has served us and our guests well for the last 4 years. That's why eventhough the duck down back cushions are not holding shape anymore, we're not going to give it up just yet (and that would be so wasteful!). It's getting a bit annoying though, the feathers in the custhions shift all the time so I have to puff and reposition them everytime I want to sit down. Luckily, I trawled through the web and found this upholstery method called "Mock Tufting". (Initially I wanted a button tufted look but soon realised that it's not easy to achieve without paying someone to professionally upholster them - qouted at £30 per cushion in case anyone fancy getting theirs done).

Voilà! It took me about 2 hours to mock tuft the cushions and they look much neater now, don't they? I am quite pleased with the finishing products, especially when it means I don't have to fiddle with the cushions everytime I want to sit down now!

You will need some upholstery needles and thick thread - I used an 8 inches long needle with threads we used to make friendship bracelets with. Also measure and mark the cushions where you want to sew in the "tuft". For this task, lazyniss doesn't pay well as I learn the long way (thought after measuring and doing my first cushion I can "feel" my way around the second one. But the tufts didn't align and had to take them out and re-start the damn thing) :p

Next, the futon inside the sofabed needs changing, it's sagging a bit and you can feel the mesh underneath holding it all together. But a cheap double futon on ebay is at least £100, I wonder if there's another trick that I can find to sort out the old one instead...?

Are you dog friendly?

We have been looking after Oscar (the family dog, a tiny Jack Russell) on and off for the last couple of years. Normally we leave him at home when we need to do some shopping, as it's sad to have him tied up all alone outside windging. So when I took him to Wickes yesterday it felt like a mission. There wasn't any signs outside saying dogs aren't allowed (do "dogs are allowed" signs exist anyway?), but still I was whispering to him when we were in. I think he got the idea and was on his best behaviour. Even the cashier guy seemed to be impress with my ability to get Oscar to sit and wait while rummaging through my purse. The Chinese foods shop and my local pharmaist however weren't so fond of Oscar, but that's another post.

Other than shops, another big problem is of course finding dog friendly pubs and restaurants. We have yet to find a restuarant but here are the pubs we tried and liked:
1. The Lion and Lobster (near the seafront) with two beer gardens, three (or is it four? five?) floors of bars and mixed sunday roast (must add them to my list of best sunday roasts in Brighton).
2. The shakespeares head  (7 dials) and their self claimed best bloody mary in Brighton.
3. Park View (Preston Park) with a big terrace seating area
4. The Farm (Tavern) (Hove) they even have a log fire in the winter
5. The windmill with its cool art work and I just realised that they have a facebook page.
6. The Hampton (Arms) with a beer garden and sunday roast (photos)

(Of course most venues on the seafront let you sit outside with doggies but you'll have to brave either the wind or the tourists).

Just saw that the latest Edible (issue 4) magazine has a page on dog friendly pubs & restaurants. We should be able to venture out to just the above then, the search for Oscar's favourite venue continues, watch this space.

Moist lemon chiffon cake (Baking Fridays)

Found some sorry looking shrinking lemons in the fridge, what's better than turning them into a yummy dessert. I have tried this receipe twice and it seems to be consistently delicious, would think it works with limes as well, so enjoy!

Ingredients:
Lemon cake:
125g/4oz butter cubes (softened in room temperature)
175g/6oz caster sugar
175g/6oz self raising flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking powder)
2 large eggs
1-2 lemons
65ml milk
Lemon sauce:
3 tbsp caster sugar
Juice from lemons 

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven 180 degrees - mine is a fan oven.
2. Grease (with a butter wrapper) and line a loaf tin with grease proof paper.
3. Sift the self raising flour - love my new Habitat sift for lazy people.

4. Combine butter cubes and caster sugar in a large bowl - as you can tell I don't like getting my fingers greasy, so I used a whisk for this but carefull not to get it everywhere.
4. Add the other cake ingredients to the butter sugar mix and whisk until smooth - it'll be quite runny.
5. Pour mixture into the prepared tin and bake in the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes. You can tell that the cake is cooked by poking it with a mental/wooden stick, it should come out clean without any dough stuck to it.
6. Make the lemon sauce by dissolving the lemon juice with the caster sugar.
7. When the cake is cooked, don't remove the tin. Slice the top and pour on the lemon sauce to add flavour. 

8. Cool the cake in the tin to keep the moisture in.

This is your life (typographic)

Holstee Manifesto Poster by Holstee - found on HOLSTEE

Gajamay - For Good

As teenages we idolised uniqueness, everything has to be cool and wicked. Growing up in a boarding school meant we had to learn quickly, master interpersonal skills early and treasure each other's company. We made up secret languages, turned some insignificant streets into regular hang outs, made up code names and abbreviations. One day, someone said that "gajamay" is a word used in Africa for "we are friends", of course we adopted it straightaway, only close friends had the honour to be greeted with gajamay. I never found out the truth about the word but ten years on, when these close friends are now all scattered around the world. Keeping gajamay helps to remind me of this closeness we once had.

Wicked - For Good

I'm limited

Just look at me - I'm limited

And just look at you

You can do all I couldn't do, Glinda

So now it's up to you

For both of us - now it's up to you...

I've heard it said

That people come into our lives for a reason

Bringing something we must learn

And we are led

To those who help us most to grow

If we let them

And we help them in return

Well, I don't know if I believe that's true

But I know I'm who I am today

Because I knew you...

Like a comet pulled from orbit

As it passes a sun

Like a stream that meets a boulder

Halfway through the wood

Who can say if I've been changed for the better?

But because I knew you

I have been changed for good

It well may be

That we will never meet again

In this lifetime

So let me say before we part

So much of me

Is made of what I learned from you

You'll be with me

Like a handprint on my heart

And now whatever way our stories end

I know you have re-written mine

By being my friend...

Like a ship blown from its mooring

By a wind off the sea

Like a seed dropped by a skybird

In a distant wood

Who can say if I've been changed for the better?

But because I knew you

Because I knew you

I have been changed for good

And just to clear the air

I ask forgiveness

For the things I've done you blame me for

But then, I guess we know

There's blame to share

And none of it seems to matter anymore

Like a comet pulled from orbit (Like a ship blown from its mooring)

As it passes a sun (By a wind off the sea)

Like a stream that meets a boulder (Like a seed dropped by a skybird)

Halfway through the wood (In a distant wood)

Who can say if I've been

Changed for the better?

I do believe I have been

Changed for the better

And because I knew you...

Because I knew you...

Because I knew you...

I have been changed for good...