We had a busy night last night getting some BM decorations sorted...all aided by a few lovely girlfriends. Could it be they were tempted by the wine tasting going on too? Matthew came home with several bottles of white and bubbly to trial.

I don't think it was just this...they are very lovely ladies and we had lots of laughs sitting round the kitchen table making and fluffing pompoms. Not often you get the opportunity to do that, do you?!

I can't wait for them to go up in the marquee. I was inspired by seeing a virtual friend'd wedding piccies...thanks, Juliet, couldn't have done it without you!

After my new found love of making Log Cabins, my mind has been running over time on how to develop these further. This always happens to me...when I discover something new (to me) I am all consumed by it and can't think of anything else.

Consequently, even tho we are snowed under with BM plans, my mind was obsessing with log cabins and all the developments I want to do and I wasn't going to settle until I'd tried some of them out.

One of the things I have been thinking is how to incorporate log cabins with some personalising.

Again, as with the first, I got out a pile of my favourite fabrics and began to play. I use alot of hand screen-printed fabrics with my work. I love the added texture that they give and the rawness they exude. I am a big fan of the large posse of Australian designers that design and produce fantastic hand-printed fabrics and always want to use these wherever possible. They don't come cheap, but a little goes a long way, I think and in something like a log cabin you really don't need a large amount.

My starting point of part of an Auntie Cookie panel was a definite in my head before I'd even found it in my stash. It had this project written all over it. I love seeing pictures in log cabins (hence the birds on a wire in my first). I feel it adds a story to them.

Another obvious choice for this piece was from another of my favourite screen-printed fabric designers from the wonderful Lu Summers of Summersville designs. Her designs are perfect for log cabins as they tend to be small scale, so lots of detail. Lu also tends to use one colour, so again, not too clashing when using a variety of fabrics.

I haven't quite decided whether this is going to be the beginnings of an idea for a quilt, or cushions, or kept to wall-hangings. But for now I was eating into too much BM time and a little wall-hanging for Ruby was where it had to stay...despite the fact that Ruby wasn't best pleased that I had to miss the final 'h' off Shoshanah because I'd run out of room...she thought I'd spelt her name wrong!

We are just 2 weeks away from one of the biggest events in our little family's life... Sam's Bar Mitzvah is scarily close. As a Jewish Mother, I knew 13 years ago that we would one day be here. But come on, 13 years is a long time. it shouldn't be here yet, should it?

Apparently it is. On the one hand I am excited beyond belief. Sam has worked incredibly hard over the last year to learn all he needs to learn and be ready for this big coming of age ceremony. And to be at a milestone that I have watched in awe of others doing their Bar Mitzvahs, is quite mind-blowing, let me tell you.

On the other hand I am completely overwhelmed by how much has to be done. Whilst Sam has been in charge of the religious side, someone round here has had to get going on the celebrations. I've never tackled anything quite so big...Friday night dinner for the immediate family...Saturday lunch for 50 extended family...a party for 70 close friends Saturday night... oh and the big shebang of 200 on Sunday night. Whilst I personally am not cooking, there is still plenty to do.

And as we well know, I am not going to be buying any decorations or hire someone else to do it for me. What's the point in being crafty if you can't get immerse yourself in something like this? (My sister-in-law did put me in my place when I suggested making Whoopie Pies for 70 on Saturday night)

Even though I have had 13 years to get ready for this, I am just beginning to get going on all the finer details. 2 weeks? Plenty of time! I've been collecting ideas over the last few months and having found this great little tutorial for paper lanterns from here via here, I started to give them a go.

How fab are they? And what a great use of my oodles of left over Orla wallpaper. I can see them in glass bowls on the table, strewn with ribbon over EVERYWHERE and laid in rows in other places. I have grand ideas for these little babies in all sorts of different designs.

The next 2 weeks is going to be pretty full on so I may disappear for a little while. If you don't see me around much, I may well be found under a pile of papers, lists, decorations...

Last night I had a 5 minute flick through one of my crafting books, whilst waiting for the kettle to boil...as you do...and was inspired by one of the projects of a log cabin quilt.

I've flicked through this book umpteen times and seen numerous log cabin cushions and quilts. Whilst I've loved looking at them I've never considered making one. Sometimes you just have to wait for the right moment to be inspired.

It seems that this was the right moment because as soon, as I saw this particular one, I had a light-bulb moment of wanting to make one and I couldn't get to bed fast enough so that it would be morning quickly and I could get going!

I've been wanting to do some more cushions for the living room. Bigger ones this time, so this seemed perfect. For those that haven't made a log cabin before, I can not tell you how wonderful they are to do. For those that have, you know exactly what I mean. From choosing the fabrics, to cutting the strips, to piecing it all out and seeing it grow is such a joy.

Because I was loving seeing it grow so much, I couldn't stop! I got to the size of a largish cushion that I wanted, but I just couldn't stop there. So it is no longer a cushion...but a wall-hanging.

I am now buzzing with ideas for more log cabin pieces, so I think that cushion will come eventually.

I picked up the latest Sainsbury's magazine this week and if ever there was an irresistible sight, here it was on the front cover.

And then with the title...'Let's make Whoopie!', I just had to break with our birthday Malteser Cake tradition and make a batch for my big boy's birthday today.

The question was, which flavour? Personally I would have gone with the Lemon Cream. Or the Passion Fruit was mighty tempting.

But I wasn't brave enough to break from tradition altogether, so chocolate it was. They were exceedingly pleasingly received, so much so that noone muttered the M word. Think I may even get away with a lemon variety next time.

Fancy making a little whoopie yourself?

I woke up to winter this morning, which is mightily disappointing. Especially since we'd been teased with a bit of warmth yesterday and even managed to sit on the deck. Albeit momentarily, but a presence none-the-less.

I had to make my own sunshine today as a consequence and have added another colour to the peg bag range. It sure is bright and summery!

It seems to have done the trick, however, as now the sun has got it's happy little hat on. Long may it stay.

Drum roll please...time to announce the give-away winners...

The first winner and recipient of the £20 Saints and Pinners' Voucher is...

Number 48...Aimee from Live, Lush, Laugh...Congratulations Aimee!

The second winner and recipient of Scribble Mug and Wash Mitt from Illustrated Living is...

Number 16...Pauline...Congratulations Pauline!

And finally, winner of a Peg Bag by moi is...

Number 16...is Kirsty from Me Plus Molly...congratulations Molly!

Oscar-style thank yous...thank you all so much for entering and showing your support for my blog. I really do appreciate it.

An equally big thank you to Jo and Fran from Saints and Pinners and Rosie and Chris from Illustrated Living for your generous prizes.

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I just want to leave you with this...it will soon be turned into something BIG...think you know what? All will be revealed soon...