Here we go!

Not quite sure how this will go but
heyho!


Saturday 7 May 2011

Royal Wedding, Twins and Mayday celebrations!!!

What an amazing month for celebrations!!!

A fabulous Royal wedding and the twins were born!!!
Congratulations sis!!!!

So another busy month and again sorry I haven't written for a long time (thank you to those of you for reminding me!!!).
Well the beginning of April seems a long time away and I started by making the monthly cupcakes for staff at school. As I hadn't been there I wasn't sure what was going on but thought that they all deserved an early easter treat so for the beginning of the month I made Easter cupcakes. Chocolate, coffee and walnut, vanilla and raspberry and vanilla - yum!

Then it was back to an old favourite for Sam's birthday with Thomas the Tank Engine. I haven't made Thomas for years but it's still great to do and I had lots of fun with all the coals and the fiddly bits. Children's cakes are always so much fun to do - they are brightly coloured and have lots of detail!

April is full of birthdays and it was great making so many different styles of cake. The next one I love. it was for a 30th birthday and the lady loves shoes, leopard skin and skull and crossbones so I tried to incorporate them all on the cake.

I've never painted leopard-skin before and the small square rug that she is sitting on took me over an hour and a half to hand-paint. I couldn't even find anything remotely leopard-skin in my wardrobe to copy and needed the lovely Verity back as I know she is partial to a bit of the print!! 
Still it was good fun and all the shoes were fun to do, even the Uggs.

The best day came on the 10th April when my sister gave birth to beautiful twins!!!
Although it was early and they were quite small, they are gorgeous and I can't wait to be able to give them a cuddle!
Congratulations sis and Ross!
I am sure we will have loads of celebrations when they both come home from hospital. The staff at the Royal Sussex Hospital were great and looked after my sister so well that I took down some cupcakes to say "Thank You!".

Ian's mum celebrated her birthday as well and we all went to Cafe Rouge. It would have been a lovely dinner if they had remembered to bring mine out!
Still we had a nice evening with the family and then some delicious cakes made by Ian's sister. They were scrummy!!!
I made a few cupcakes as well as a treat.

Now a real celebration...
Having made one of these cakes (or similar) before, I started work on making lots more flower pots and a watering can and lots of flowers for a really special 90th birthday cake. With a new garlic crusher just for icing I had to make sure that Ian didn't use it when he was cooking up one of his specialities! (I think I have a chicken and banana dish tonight although it's a bit of a secret and a surprise - a scandinavian speciality?????)
It's ideal for making grass and hair and is a lot easier than piping!
I've seen the video of the lovely lady receiving the cake from her family and she looked thrilled!


 More cupcakes to come for lots of different mums birthdays. very pink, very girly and very pretty.

Cupcakes again for a special 40th Birthday - This time, the girls as cupcakes and holiday bits to match!

Now one large cupcake for a 13th birthday but in pastel colours. It was fun as I was friends with her mum when I was just a bit older than her daughter is now and it's mad to think how fast time flies!!!!

It has been hard this month as I still have very little voice and have not been at work - I have missed it so much. You wouldn't think that hormonally challenged girls with stroppy attitudes who think they know best would be at the top of my list for things I miss!!!
Well not all of them are like that - I have some gorgeous, hard-working students as well!!!
I have missed staff loads and funnily enough all the marking and target setting - ask me again in a month and I may well be saying something different!!!!
So a good colleague of mine celebrated her 60th and her daughter organised a surprise cake. She certainly doesn't look 60!!

Easter came and went in a flash and after a visit to see the twins (they are sooooo cute!) I started to enjoy the sunshine. It really makes people smile, a bank holiday, the sun and lots of yummy things to eat and drink.

 Our new neighbours moved in and I am looking forward to having lots of dinner parties with them as Sue is a fabulous cook!!!
Ian cooked for them last week and it was a great evening.

On Saint George's day we had a fabulous time at the rugby at Twickenham - the match was great (apart from Wasps being thrashed!!), the sun was out all day and the atmosphere was amazing!
A red and white "Where's Wally" cake and cupcakes seemed appropriate on this very red and white day for a little boy's 6th birthday. The stripes did make my eyes go funny for a while but that's nothing!

I got a bit carried away doing "research" and actually spent ages looking for Wally in the books and on the internet. I didn't realise how many different stories/pictures there were! Still it kept me busy for a while!
With the weather so lovely I was hoping for it to continue right through for the Royal Wedding. Am a sucker for weddings and anything slightly romantic!
I love the film 27 dresses where the actress has been a bridesmaid 27 times but never a bride - that's me but making the cakes for all the weddings!!!!

At very short notice (the day before!!!) we organised a Royal Wedding Garden Party!
It was fabulous!!!
Good on the Prime Minister for saying that everyone should have street parties as all the neighbours came, all ages from the very young (gorgeous Daisy almost one) to the more experienced at 89!
We started with a bubbly breakfast in the garden whilst watching the tv there too and that is where we stayed until dark, singing (well everyone except me!), celebrating and having a ball!
We had a fabulous buffet and everyone had an amazing time watching the most beautiful wedding ever!
Kate looked fabulous and we all were quite emotional (and busy looking out for gorgeous Paul in amongst the guests at the Abbey - you jammy so and so!!!)
Royal wedding cupcakes in red, white and blue and more for Nadine's brownies' celebrations!

I couldn't wait to see the Royal Wedding cake and it didn't disappoint. It wasn't quite what I was expecting but Fiona Cairns and her team did a very good job. Personally I would have favoured the chocolate and rich tea biscuit cake that was also made by McVities!!!!!

Beautiful!!!
On the same day as the wedding a couple celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversary and I made an elegant rose-covered cake that was dusted with gold powder so it shimmered in the light. A Golden Wedding Anniversary - amazing!!!

Still on the "princess" theme, Aimee's 9th birthday cake was also sparkly and very pink!!!
A princess castle for a princess!
So finally I went back to work this week - Hooray!!!!
To say it has been a bit of a roller-coaster is an understatement and have I enjoyed it?
Well I suppose it's early days. It has been great seeing everyone and the girls have been wonderful - how I have missed them. Still not much voice though and I am beginning to wonder if this is it?
I really hope not and hope to wake up one day back to normal!
It has been quite trying and I have been trying to adapt to losing my voice by 1pm (not good!!!) and there is nowhere to turn. The doctors seem to have conflicting advice, the teaching union has been less than helpful and am not sure where to turn to or what to do. Still, on the positive side, I am back at work albeit in a different role and I still have my friends, my family and my cakes!!!
This morning little Daisy turned one and is hopefully tucking into her lion cake!

So bring back the sun, am looking forward to enjoying the weekend and  to seeing the twins soon!!!