Here we go!

Not quite sure how this will go but
heyho!


Sunday 10 July 2011

What happened to June??? July and the summer holidays are on their way!!!!

Come on Hamilton!!!!
Just watching the British Grand Prix and keeping my fingers crossed for the British guys!
As my other half is there marshalling and my dad is spectating I am making the most of a quiet day - my first since May!!!
Yes I missed June's blog - I'm not even sure where June went but I'm sorry I didn't get round to it. A double dose of cakes now so there will be sooooo many photos!
I had a lie-in today until 7.45 - total bliss and then wasn't quite sure what to do!
Yesterday was completely manic - cupcakes and cookies, a year 6 barbecue and three hours of face painting!
It was fun but exhausting. I have never painted so many hearts and flowers on faces, arms and feet!
The cakes and cookies sold within half an hour and made some more money for our charity which was fab.
So back to the end of May...
Back at school now and my time seems to have completely gone. Still not much voice and there are days when I struggle like mad but I have a fabulous colleague Nabs, without whom I wouldn't have been able to go back - he has been an absolute star and is simple amazing!
Thank you so much Nabs!!!!
I had missed teaching and was so glad to go back - even to my delightful year 9s!!
Cakes took a bit of a back seat and then suddenly every evening and weekend was filled with baking and decorating.
Holy Communions were popular in May and June and the first two were for the same day.
Lots of white and silver and very elegant cakes.
I then had a lovely e-mail from a lady in Scotland asking for help with sugarpaste models. I have had lots of enquiries about the models, especially the children's ones, "In the night garden" and "Octonauts" and have been asked to send them as far away as Australia but I have always been a little nervous about our postal system!
What if they leave here ok but arrive in bits?
How disappointed would people be if they were expecting them and then it was a disaster???
Well I decided I would try and help and then experiment with packaging them up well and sending them - so thank you Yolanda, it worked!
I have sent four figures so far (although forgot to take a picture of the swimmer!) and they have all arrived in one piece -phew!


How cute are they? I love the little scottish man in his kilt!!!

For Sam's birthday I thought she deserved cupcakes with big cerise pink gerberas. very bright, very stylish and perfect for her birthday. We had a fabulous meal in a beautiful pub just outside of Seaford.

I couldn't believe that little Charlie was about to be 1 as well - where has this year gone?
Sarah asked for a cute blue and white themed cake with a rabbit and blocks. I hope the party went well!

 Next was a VERY chocolately cake for Angela's Dino. A rich chocolate sponge with chocolate fudge filling and covering, then a thin layer of sugerpaste. A chocolate lover's dream!
I had to make Dino look realistic and he loves football and is moroccan so hopefully it was perfect.

Then came a strange request from Lou. Her uncle's birthday and lots of detail: sitting in an armchair, barefeet, fake tan,  white teeth showing, Jameson whisky, i-pod with ear phones, tv remote, broadsheet newspaper, burnt slices of toast and crumbs all around!!!
Sometimes it's good to know exactly what people want. Then I don't have to think too much and come up with ideas!!!!
Apparently it was a good likeness!

Then came a bit of a challenge - a Mickey Mouse cake. Not just Mickey on the cake, an edible Mickey next to the cake. I researched the picture that they had sent me and it was from a company that charged £298 for this cake. If only I charged that - I could become a part-time teacher!
Never mind, it was certainly a challenge. It was all going well until delivery and as Mickey was so big he was a bit wobbly. I had to deliver him to Romford so with Ian's careful driving we got ther ok. The only thing was that someone else was driving the cake to the party!
When I left it it was fine and I hope it stayed that way!!!!!

Next a pink and green sparkly Tinkerbell cake for a 6th birthday. It was similar to one I had made for my gorgeous niece so it was easy to do. Delivering was another thing!
There is nowhere to park in Shoreditch and I drove through parts of east London I have never been to before. I think I went round the block three times until I found a side road to pull into.
I think I will give up delivering!
I love driving but driving so carefully with cakes in the car is nerve-wracking!!!
I need a delivery man!

 
Sue has been a brilliant friend and now a fabulous neighbour. She is my wii partner (Bring on "Dance on Broadway!""") and my ww buddy and believe me I need help doing that!!
For her birthday I thought I would surprise her with a mini chocolate cake.

Half-term I had a lovely day out in Whitstable for Lulu's birthday and took her down a box of sparkly cupcakes as a surprise.
 June saw the start of the wedding season. The first cake was for Zoe and she wanted an elegant ivory rose cake. I love this cake although after piping over 1000 dots my eyes start to go funny. I think this style (which I originally did for Belinda) has to be one of my favourites.

Very elegant and Zoe you looked amazing!
Lucia had her Holy communion too and she had the most beautiful dress and shoes to wear.


A cheeky 21st cake for Shane (who loves a drink or two!) and cupcakes for Jeff's birthday were the next two orders. That weekend was busy but Sue and I managed to have a super Sunday (as the boys were both away!) and lunch at Chapter one in Farnborough - delicious!!!
Perhaps the boys should go away on holiday more often????

Shane stayed surprisingly sober on his birthday (or maybe he was good at covering up!) but with both boys back we all had a good old boogie at the disco!!!
Our amazing librarian at school celebrated her 60th and is retiring at the end of the term. She is such a wonderful lady, an amazing librarian and a kind friend. She will really be missed at work!
It's a shame the boroughs don't recognise what a brilliant job trained and experienced librarians do. When I was growing up the library was a great place for the books, the exhibitions, the clubs in the summer and a good place to learn so many things. What a shame they are all disappearing!
Anyway Anne you are amazing and I will miss you lots and lots!!

So then came my disastrous day - making a Ruby Wedding Anniversary cake. It shouldn't have been a disaster but as usual I was trying to do too much in one day!
The cake was almost finished - roses make in advance and lettering done. just the piping to do. A quick trip to the church fete and a surprise vist from my sister and the twins was awesome but meant that when I got home I didn't have much time to clear up. I should have known then that things would go wrong...
How I hate red food colouring, particularly cochineal which I use for the red velvet cakes. NORMALLY the food colouring go in the cupboard below the work tops but in my haste I put them in the cupboard above the worktop, above the cake...
Well in just a few seconds my kitchen looked like there had been a blood bath...
Cochineal everywhere...the box landed on the roses and smashed them and well the rest is history...
After a stressful cake stripping and a few tears (and locking myself in the bathroom to cool down!) I re-did the cake and delivered it five minutes late!

That is the quickest I have re-covered, iced and decorated a cake in my life!
Thanks to Ian for helping me clear up too. You were brilliant!
I needed a lie-down after that!
Baby showers - I love them. it's exciting to celebrate the soon-to-be arrival of a little one (or two in my sister's case!) and the cakes are so cute!
Two this week - Nadine's friend and Lydia's. Very different but equally as cute!

The theme for Lydia's was "Three Little Ducks..." and Kelly did an amazing job in decorating the house and designing all the games and activities. It was the hottest day of the year and the paddling pool in the garden with the rubber ducks in was just too inviting... 
Nearly at the end of June - sorry I should do this more often!
I started to take up running with Jo - I need to get fit and healthy so I have more energy to fit everything in!
It's hard but we are getting there - I don't quite look like Cameron Diaz yet but give it a decade or so!
The 1st was also our music night at school to raise money for Cystic Fibrosis. Sam, Mo and Kim did a fabulous job in organising the event and the performers were just simply out of this world. What a great night!!!

Then a rather tall cake to celebrate a bithday and a retirement. I bought a new embosser for making brick prints, wood prints and cobbles. This came in handy for Geoff's cake!
I think Geoff looked pretty cool on top of the building - bless him!

The start of July was pretty busy too with cakes for staff on the first of the month, birthdays and celebrations and leaving do's. Two celebration cakes for lovely girls were in order and were glittery and sparkly. One a Sweet 16th and the other a pink and silver bag and shoe fest.

Induction day for Year 6s and a full week including a two hour lesson for my year 10s making French macaroons (brilliant girls! Some of them were amazing!!!) just about wiped me out but the leaving do for Anne was lovely and it was great seeing so many faces from school, past and present.
Two to go... A 60th birthday for Cara's mum had me drawing and painting playing cards with food colouring and a mortar board/scroll/stethoscope for a lady at mum's church kept me busy right up to the weekend!


So it has been a busy time and there are plenty of cakes still to do!
Only two weeks left - thank goodness - my voice needs a holiday and maybe it will come back - fingers crossed!!!
A few events this week; a staff afternoon tea, Bastille day celebrations, achievement assembly, 50th for Nathalie and a staff barbecue. my kitchen is going to be so busy!!!
Maybe I will win the lottery and buy a huge kitchen with £166 million!
Fingers crossed!!!!!!!




2 comments:

  1. Thank-you so much for Dino's Moroccan football cake it was just perfect as usual. Thank-you Jules xxxxx

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  2. Loved reading this & looking at the pics! Your cakes are beautiful Jules. They really are art - a feast for the eyes! Will definitely direct friends to your site. xx

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