Chocolate Coated Ice Cream Castle

It's  birthday time at the Picket Fence house. In a fit of "whimsy", Miss Picket Fence declared she wanted a castle cake. In a fit of "Not really thinking about the consequences and nodding Uh Huh", I agreed. This resulted in me purchasing the red silicone mold she passed me with twinkling eyes....  Note to self...10 year old girls have blind faith.





















This red silicone mold stimulated much discussion with my loyal and patient friends. Advice was put forward, worried nods and comforting words were exchanged  and multiple referrals to web pages occurred  (Thank heavens for cooking savvy web friendship !!)

A plan took shape.

Melted milk chocolate .

Painted onto the mold interior and set in the freezer for 5 minutes.

 Softened ice-cream packed into the chocolate covered mold and layered with drizzled choc fudge sauce.

Frozen for 24 hours ( Cover the edge with the exposed ice cream with cling wrap to prevent bloom on the chocolate)

Peel off the mold just prior to serving. Stand there and declare how clever you are, to all that will listen :)  

I made some bunting out of scrap paper and little self adhesive letters.

 Rolled gluten free ice-cream cones in melted chocolate.

Then sprinkles

Assembled, the cake looked like this. Sorry about the poorly photo-shopped  name on the bunting but Miss Picket Fence prefers to be known as Miss PF :) Also....apologies for the wax dripped cup cakes holding the candles. The candle spikes wouldn't go in the chocolate !

Anyway...there you have it . A chocolate coated ice cream castle ...easy to make and enjoy. Let me know if you have a go at this. I'd love to hear. We loved it. Happy Birthday Miss Picket Fence 10. You make me build castles, and for this , I adore you xx

A Wheeled Industrial Toy Box

 I wonder how many of you are like me ?  I have a million unfinished projects ....or to put it more positively "Works in progress" I see something I could make or do or have a go at and I get this uncontrollable itch to have a go. I get depressed if I'm not planning, doing or near completing a project. It's lovely when it's finished but I really much prefer  that feeling just before it's finished.... When you can nearly see the end but not quite. I spend far too much time looking for new ideas..my brain is bursting (with ideas , not with intellect !)
I have always been this way but I've suddenly realised not everyone is the same. Sometimes I forget that I have four children and a real life job when I plan big projects like major interior colour changes ( I'm still painting) or ripping out a wall. It gets a bit crazy.  Fortunately my children love the feeling of "Flux" when projects are happening. They have of course,  grown up around this kind of chaos. I hope they look back on it with love.

Anyway.  Here is a box I've had squirrelled away .... No real plans for it but too lovely to leave at a garage sale.

Four casters I rescued off a lounge by the side of the road at council clean up. I am an embarrassment to my children at that time of year :) Yes I do carry a screw driver in my handbag.

Bam , that old box looks like it has a function. Project completed !!

Too easy

It now holds Master Picket Fence's farm animals....in any room he chooses.

A boy needs wheels :)

Note my sons paint stained play clothes. That's us all class ;) I told you I get distracted .

February Photo A Day Part 2

 Welcome back to my photos from Fat Mum Slim's "February Photo A Day". Here we go with the second instalment :)

Day 12 "Inside Your Closet"
My clothes closet is pretty ordinary. I tend to spend more money and time picking antiques and vintage bits and bobs than I do clothes. (I am my mothers only daughter...Such a disappointment ! ) This is a section of my linen closet. A tidy section.

Day 13 "Blue"
 It had to be Master Picket Fence's treasure. I waited a long time to buy blue :) Humour me.

 Day 14 " Heart"
On my Lounge room wall (I do love a pretty Dust Collector)

Day 15 " Phone"

 Day 16 "Something new"
As I mentioned. I bought a quilt.....

And here it is again. You can get one from Lazybones in Australia or Anthropologie in the USA

Day 17 "Time"
That's 0245hrs and I was at work..... sigh.

 Day 18 "Drink"
Chocolate milkshake in an old cream bottle. Tastes better this way.

 Day 19 "Something you hate to do"
I need a working dishwasher.
So thats it .....another little peek into my world. This list is good because it makes me photograph things that I'd  never think twice about. Next post will feature another simple project that  I finished this week. Always a triumph to finish something , no matter how small. I have a life long stock pile of projects. Do you ? Or are you more organised than me ? I'd love to hear xx

It might even look like this.

How to Hang a Mason Jar and Look Super Tricky

 If you haven't found Pinterest yet, then I'd have to demand you whizz down and have a look. It's a virtual pinboard...where you pin ideas and pictures that inspire you. If I have spare on line time, this is where I like to spend it. If you want an invite, then please email me... I'll happily send one out to you. You can also check out my boards by clicking on the Pinterest link on my sidebar  xx It was on Pinterest, that I saw the idea above....Its from The Created Home

O. K
A Mason Jar.
     Not tricky ....

 A Curtain Bracket....2 self tapping screws and a near 3 year old assistant.
Still not tricky :)

Extra wire ( because I'm fussy )
 And... just like that.... "Pow" .....you have a hanging Mason vase.
Which looks ....
tricky :)

Even decidedly tragic supermarket Tulips take on a new air here.....
 I love to look Tricky :)

 Maybe with a vase or too hanging around Mr Picket Fence might pick me some daisies ? Or, if you're  like me, you will pick them yourself :) Life's too short to wait for someone to bring you flowers. Go on, Check out Pinterest.....you need to do this ;) Soul therapy xx

Because I didn't get flowers, I bought a quilt....Sometimes love is made from Jersey cotton and comes delivered  ;)

February Photo A Day

 OK in case you weren't bored enough with January. I'm sharing my Photo a Day instagram shots for February.  Have you tried instagram ? It's seriously the most addictive little iPhone  app ever. It comes with amazing filters and is complete with its own community of photo crazy users ...some of whose photo's are seriously amazing.  Check it out. To find me ....look up @Picketfencefancy . If you don't have an iPhone,you can find me by clicking my followgram button ( under my twitter button on the sidebar ). I'd love to have you join me xx

Day 1 " Your view today"
 My town :)

Day 2 "Words"
This photo is part of an original bus destination roll given to me as a "friendship necklace"... My dear friend has half the roll and I have the other half. I treasure her friendship even more than the roll and boy do it treasure this piece of black and white industrial gorgeousness  ( feel free to tell me that there is no such word....the sentiment's there )

Day 3 "Hands" 

These are the hands of my colleagues in my "Not so Picket Fence job" I spend hours a week with these hands and I value them more than I sometimes tell them. I guess I do have a "Picket Fence kind of job" after all ! 

Day 4 " A stranger" 

Oh I found this so hard. I felt like a complete stalker. I will never be any kind of paparazzi :)

Day 5 "10am "

Another part of my precious town. 

Day 6 "Dinner"
I'd like to pretend I was cooler than this.
But....
I'm not .

 Day 7 "Button"
I do love my buttons.

Day 8 " Sun"
And right on cue...
It rained ;)

 Day 9 " Front Door"
This is my huge lead light front door.  to cut a long story short...I have to thank Mr Picket Fence for his patience here. I bought it as a bargain and a soul choice. The head choice should have probably jumped in because it was much bigger than our original door and we had to seriously renovate the entrance to make it fit. It was worth it. I love you Mr PF xx

 Day 10 " Self Portrait"
You know how I feel about these....I nearly drew one instead. I am less artistic than I am shy.... I am  horribly shy and as artistic as a house brick ...hence you get a photo.

Day 11 " Makes You happy"

Living here makes me happy :) Oh yes sir indeed,  I know how lucky I am ... I pinch myself every day.

Well it's the weekend . I hope you have a wonderful time. In a moment of madness I agreed to go with Mr Picket Fence and the children to the Speedway this Sunday....ahem.... so not me... however a girl's got to do what a girl's got to do. Mr PF used to be a racing car driver, so this is kind of his thing, in a big way  ...think of me and send me car appreciation vibes xx

Wondering why this photo  is here? I love my iPhone but was feeling DSLR guilt . Master Picket Fence and I spent a morning playing with my Canon EOS. ( It's like having two boyfriends...camera love, spoilt for choice)