Spreading the Love (and Chocolate)

Another hugely busy week, full of baking, painting and making. It occurred to me earlier that my life could easily be described as a life of hobbies...especially this week, as I've been thoroughly bitten by the baking bug, and have used it to get me through the endless hours of arts and crafts involved in making my brother's wedding invitations. 

But more of that later! Let's recap with the latest news from the Stepps Nazi bunker...

It's been another prep week mostly for me - the biggest jobs are still priming areas, artexing, and 'shuttering' concrete (adding some artex lines to the walls) I've got mixed feelings about these kinds of jobs. On the one hand, sometimes there's no better feeling than that your work is cut out for you, and you've everything you need to be kept going all day - it was a it like that for me with the pipes, and it's same with artexing. It's a low-pressure job where you can lose yourself in the work for a bit, allow your mind to wander, and I can sometimes find some peace of mind during these times. However, there is the obvious down side that it can be tedious after a length of time, and a problem perhaps more specific to this job, but staying still for too long can result in painfully numb extremities. 

But on Thursday I got a bit of a break from all that to go do a wee cheeky bit of finishing! :D I was really excited to get my teeth into something which required a bit more thought, and I was able to be fussy about what I was doing because it was the finished piece. I was, however, surprised when I got a tiny touch of 'the fear'! That moment when you suddenly become doubtful of everything about you and your abilities, and you've no idea why you're in that position of responsibility, because really you're quite daft, untalented, inexperienced and generally unpleasant. 

It passed. I carried on. 

What's life without a little panic?

One of the reasons I love scenic art is because I can usually find a lot of joy in simple parts of the job. Like how whenever I dipped my brush into this wash, a few minutes later when I glanced back, the most incredible, beautiful shapes would be slowly swirling in the bucket...

Looking at our tea breaks this week, you'd think we'd been breeding. Our scenic team went from four to ten, including some first years from the RSAMD, and my fellow scenic major 3rd year, blogger and general banter chum, JoAnne. She came for a few days to help Gary carve out a giant mine shaft, which was at the end of our tunnel of love where many hours of shuttering, and manoeuvring heaters for 'light' was had.

It was a good week. I've become a it in awe of the professional carpenters, probably because it's something which I will never be able to do. It's hard to believe that next week is my 4th...it's flown by. 

Considering the fact that I am out the flat for 11 hours a day, an amazing amount has happened in my personal life this week! The most exciting being the additions to our little family...that's right, congratulations are in order - we have two baby dwarf hamsters! 

Introducing B-Bop

and Rock Steady

A life-long dream of Iansy's and I like them too. :) I know there are a lot of cynics...but these two little creatures are really different and loads of fun! B-Bop is mental - he likes to nibble anything he comes into contact with, even his house and he enjoy gymnastics in his spare time...

Rock Steady is a bit more mellow, and a lot more skittish. He's still a bit scared of us, but we'll win him over. We like narrating their life for them :)

They're only two weeks old, and Iansy's new favourite thing in the whole world. They will be well loved and adored. 

This week I also embarked on a new baking adventure, inspired by Lorraine Pascale a la 'Baking Made Easy'   and her AMAZING looking brownies. I decided I would make some for my brother's birthday as he's a choc fiend. The recipe is perfection, easy as promised and they look as fantastic as they taste...

Nothing like ig chunks of Oreos to make you go 'OOFT'

Highly recommended to anybody with a gooey chocolatey sweet tooth...they've gone down a treat. And honestly, very easy to make, although if you want my advice I would make sure you get a good dark chocolate as it makes all the difference with brownies. Recipe! Enjoy :)

My week's also been filled with finishing the invites for my brother's and future sister-in-law's wedding. I've been working on them on and off for weeks, but this weekend I ploughed through and got them mostly finished. It's been many hours of double-sided sticky tape, ribbon, and scrapbook mish-mash invites...I think they're looking quite nice - and though I do enjoy this sort of thing, I'll be glad when they're out of my hands and I can check that one massive job well and truly off my to-do list. 

Other highlights of the weekend include a visit doon to Hamilton to see some of the Cocozza clan, and give the gift of chocolate brownies to brother Cocozza, and spend a bit of time with my newest nephew Cocozza :)

Franco with his daddy

Franco blue eyes <3

So sad to be watching football

Biscuits make it all better :)

We love a Friday night mud mask

Shall endeavour to blog at least once more before the weekend - it'll save from these mammoth posts every Saturday or Sunday :D

Up this week: back to the Academy for an Albert Herring paint call on Wednesday, and my super elite team of 2nd years come for some bunker action. 

Stay tuned :)

Xx

"Cos without love, life is like the seasons with no summer. Without love, life is rock and roll without a drummer. Darling, I'll be yours forever cos I never want to be without love. So darling, never set me free."

- Hairspray