Natural Beauty: Purple/Black Tulips

Rocket & Roses HQ Play List:

Depeche Mode ~ Master and servant
Chely Wright ~ Not As In Love
Meredith Brooks ~ Stop
Bing Crosby ~ The Day You Came Along
Chris Cornell ~ Thank You (Live)
Dinah Shore ~ My Funny Valentine
P!nk ~ U & Ur Hand
Dixie Chicks ~ You Were Mine
Nickelback ~ Lullaby
Santana ~ Wishing It Was
Texas ~ When We Are Together
Joan Jett ~ Baby Blue
Sensible Pets ~ Backstabber
VAST ~ She Visits Me

I think summer has decided to take a holiday. Well the sun is doing it's best to warm our cold bodies but the temperatures are still chilly. People are still burning their coal fires in the evenings and others are clicking on their central heating. So as I type this I'm looking out at blinding sunshine...but sat almost shivering. English weather...

However, some things are beginning to give us hope that some warmth is on its way. ML has been working some long hours lately and has been down in London for meetings...and took the photo below for me..these beauties were outside Parliament house.

Natural beauty growing amongst the muck that is
our government!

Now I know there are two camps of opinion for this beautiful flower...some insist it's purple and others black. To be honest I don't really care. Its nature and its glorious. So whilst they battle it out I shall take the time to sit and enjoy the flowers. lol.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope your Thursday is a great one....

~Red~

Flowers: Halloween Flowers...but what is it?...

Rocket & Roses Car Play List:

Sting ~ Dream of the Blue Turtles Album

I escaped the house yesterday for a few hours...much needed hours. I was suffering a real case of cabin fever and bitch stir craziness. I needed out of this house...so bad. In fact I really can't put adequately into words,  just how much I needed out...lol.

So when ML came home from work...drove me nuts..put oil in the car and finished answering work emails..we got in the car and headed out. Now I really didn't care where we went as long as it was out of the house. As it was Friday night and everywhere was going to be busy we kept it simple and just did the simple things like...grocery shopping. lol. Yep..exciting eh? But to me it was heaven..lol

I took my time in the fresh fruits and veggies aisles and spent ages in the World food aisles checking out all the potential ingredients. I even salivated over the new styles of boots in the winter collections...although I would never buy any of them because they are so not vegan but the heeled boots call out to me every time...demon siren boots. lol.

However, it was this little beauty that caught my eye...walking through the plant and salad aisle (I know..lol) I was drawn to this stand of Halloween plants.

,

Halloween Plant..helpful, eh? lol. Any ideas???

I was captivated by the deep orange colour and the unusual petals...but when we looked for a plant name..it was being sold as Halloween Plant. O...K! Thanks for helping. So..I ask..do any of your know what this little beauty is called any other time of the year...lol. It really was a thing of beauty.

Oh...ok..ok..I give in...but please remember these aren't vegan..and I only admired them from afar. But as you have been asking so nicely...lol..here is a sneaky photo of the demon heeled boots...

Beware: Demon Siren Boots!!!!!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope your Saturday is a splendid one...

~R~

So far..So good..lol

Birthday Play List:

Thunder Play List on iPod

My birthday morning started by having breakfast in bed..cooked by My Love. And it was delicious and filling! lol. Chickpea Pancakes with Broccoli & Vegan Chorizo filled mine and My Love had a Cabbage & Fennel filling.

Chickpea Pancakes with Broccoli & Vegan Chorizo Filling

I didn't try My Love's pancake but I was told it was very tasty...It looked it..

Chickpea Pancakes with Cabbage & Fennel Filling

Then it was card and prezzie time...I am so happy..I have Nickelback tickets!!! They are touring England and I am going to see them in October...Wehoooo! lol. Very excited and it gives me plenty of time to feel better. I also got a lovely shooting star ring and books by my favourite authors..and a calligraphy set...never done that before so it should be fun trying it out. lol

Then it was cupcake time...My Love spent yesterday baking Isa & Terry's Low Fat Vanilla Cupcakes and made then lower sugar too by using half & half sugar. Then it was over to me this morning to top them. I chose three toppings...Raspberry as suggested in Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World, Strawberry and originally it was going to be Blueberry but we couldn't find any so it ended up being Blackberry..not a hardship eh? lol. I used Reduced Sugar Jams to top and instead of a pool of icing on top, I did a swirl to give the contrast for the berries and then topped them. I think they look just lovely and I am very happy with them.

Low Fat, Lower Sugar Raspberry topped Vanilla Cupcakes

Whilst I was topping them my friend J called in to bring me a very cheeky card and share a cuppa with me as he and his partner can't make it tonight. It was a real treat to see him and hear about his life at the moment..and now have a plan to go to the theatre in a couple of weeks to see his partner D in a play where he is playing a Camp Air Steward and a Drag Queen..lol. J's card made me howl as the picture of a very old lady holding a gun saying
"If you put one more candle on that cake...." lol. Great.

Low Fat, Lower Sugar Strawberry topped Vanilla Cupcakes

I received a lovely card in the post from M and she willed be missed tonight. Didn't get one from my Dad but I guess if he can't get the right date in 40 years he won't start now, eh? Anyway..

Low Fat, Lower Sugar Blackberry topped Vanilla Cupcakes

And one final gratuitous cupcake shot...lol

A birds eye view if you were a very lucky bird..lol

As I was finishing up the final cupcakes there was a hammering on our front door. My Love went to answer and was greeted by a strange man holding a massive box..which was brought through to me and we both did that whole...looking at the box suspiciously, wondering who it was from...you know?..instead of actually opening it?? lol But when I did open it..it was a fantastic surprise from my cousin H, her partner J, my Aunt J and cousin J...a massive arrangement of Gerberras. H & J can't make it tonight so had sent these instead. Beautiful.

Sadly my photo doesn't do them justice..but trust me..they are awesome.

So it's coming up to 1pm and so far becoming 40 has been quite easy..even my pals who have been texting and using 40 in every way they can in the messages, have been kind. lol. But come 4.30 when the do is said start I'm expecting merciless teasing from everyone..so wish me luck..

Now I am away to try and make myself look alive as opposed to grey and corpse like..lol. Where's that trowel??? lol.

Thanks for stopping by...and I hope your Saturday is a fantastic one...

~R~ the *cou-40-gh* year old...Nope still not there yet? ;o) xx

Freesias for Friendship!

Do you have a friend who is unwell..feeling a little blue...and maybe isolating herself from everyone? You do? Huh. Want to make her day? Want to put a smile on her face? Really? You do? Huh. lol. 

Well I do have one suggestion...turn up at her front door wearing your lovely sunny smile...give her a lovely bunch of white freesias and a huge hug...make a cuppa and stay for awhile and have a good old natter. When you leave she will feel blessed to have a good pal like you in her life, stimulated from having someone to talk to for a few hours and she will feel a little less URGH! lol. 

Freesias for Friendship....beautiful to look at and divine scent too!

You see, I know this works because it's exactly what my pal D did for me yesterday. The flowers she brought me where lovely and the freesias my sister had given me where still going strong so all I had to do was trim them and slot them in amongst them. Marvelous. 

I have been thoroughly spoilt with flowers this week and they are a joy to look at as I am still resting so they are right there with me all day. And now I have a fantastic waft of Freesia every now and then too. I know some people don't like cut flowers..prefering wild and garden grown flowers...I like them too! But when you are feeling low there is nothing like the reminder that your love...your sister..and your lovely pal...are there and cared enough to 'say it with flowers'. And I like to share these with you so if you are having a bad day they may just make you smile too....

So I have two slow cookers/crockpots cooking in the kitchen right now. My Love is away this weekend so we decided to slow cook a couple of recipes so I have something to eat and some food to blog about! So I shall be sharing these recipes with you over the next couple of days...so stay with me...food blogs are imminent! Promise...lol. 

Happy Friday all...
~R~ 

My Red Gerberra and Sunflower Bouquet

A lighter posting today folks...lol 

My bright and beautiful bouquet..lol

My Love came home from a very long day at work yesterday and was tired and completely brain weary after back to back meetings. But despite this, still managed to stop of a flower shop and buy me a beautiful bouquet of Red Gerberra's and Sunflowers...two of my favourite flowers. (I know they weren't the cheap garage flowers because of the wrappings *wink*lol) I have been having a rough time with my health of late and feeling a little sad so the flowers were to say...Hang in there and I love you. My Loves a keeper, eh? lol. 

A slightly different angle

And another...lol

They made me smile so much and are so beautiful that I wanted to share them with you. So if they make you smile even just for a second it was worth the post. 

A perfectly beautiful Red Gerberra...

Aren't they splendid? lol Hope you enjoyed them too? 

A camera shy sunflower bud hiding behind a gerberra..lol There are five sunflower buds in the bouquet.

Ah well...off to the doctors again I go...lol
~R~ 

Freesia Surprise

'Resting Up' Play List:   So many hours of IPod shuffle
                                               Hours of Cello classics 
                                               Hours of 'relaxing' Rain CD
                                               Hours and hours and hours....
                                               ...thank goodness for music! lol

The colour of these Freesias are so beautiful...firey but delicate..and they make me smile..

Hello there folks..I'm still on 'rest' (Oh don't for one second think that is fun...lol. Frustrating and down right annoying is the truth!) But I am managing to keep a sunny disposition..honest! lol. 

As for cooking...well..I'm thinking about it a lot. My Love has had to take over the cooking for a little while but hopefully after a docs appt on Wednesday this week I will be off 'resting' and be able to start light duties in there again...Please keep everything crossed for me? And I would to say a lovely thank you to LisainCT for her lovely comment she left for me. 


My lovely sister and my nieces N & L came to visit me on Tuesday and with them they brought me some beautiful Freesias. I absolutely love flowers and even as my niece N started shouting for me to "Close your eyes...Auntie Red...Close your eyes now...Close em!" as soon as she burst through the front door...and was so excited to 'surprise' me with them that she tripped on the carpet and she ended up wacking me with them...they were a very welcome gift and completely stunning. I love the colours in this bunch and to me they look like little flames and as a typical fire sign...they were perfect. And today is Sunday and they still look lovely. 


N helped me cut them and put them in a vase whilst I stayed sat in my chair...which was an interesting experience..lol. We also found that we had a lot of little stalks of Freesia buds so we cut them short and have placed them in a bud vase with the hope that that they will bloom. My Love is doubtful they will but we are all watching them carefully. You never know...right? 

Our little vase of 'Hopeful' buds

So I hope you are well? And thank you for staying with me. I promise as soon as I am able I will be back with you. Believe me..it can't come to soon..lol. 


I will posting a recipe and photos for Crunchy Peanut Butter Cookies either later today or tomorrow as My Love made some for a celebration..on my behalf. And as My Love is blog shy..lol...It will be my words but My Loves hard work! lol. 


Hope you are enjoying your weekend? 
~R~