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Wednesday 27 June 2012

James and Hannah's Wedding

It was a lovely day filled with friends, chats, dancing and good food. 
The service was filled with Worship and God's awesome teaching.
 
For the whole day there was a great relaxed and celebratory atmosphere, exactly right for a wedding of two such welcoming and loving people.



I was so proud of my best man (I know... I have just made myself feel ill)

  Jamie and Dave were the best men and they did a great job, they had a lot of organising, guiding and herding of people (although it could have been cows as the reception was in a barn on a dairy farm) to do and they did it well!

Unfortunately I didn't get a photo of Dave, he was rushing around too much.

Dinner was great I managed to sit with some awesome people and great Friends




 James' speech was brilliantly funny and loving



As I said a lovely day!

Monday 25 June 2012

The day of Cupcakes

 All of the practising and preparing for making the cupcakes for James and Hannah's Wedding paid off. 

 It took a whole day and three people to make and ice 130 cupcakes.

The day of baking arrived and my super talented friend Abbie proved immensely helpful and lovely because she gave up a whole day to help me.

The (A) team... 


The naked cakes...
 
 Jen who I have also mentioned before (she is beautiful) came and did a stirling job of icing with me whilst Abbie whizzed up the frosting.


 Some of the finished cakes


It was an exhausting and long day, but I think it was worth it!


Thursday 21 June 2012

Oh I do like to be beside the seaside...

A few weeks ago we went on an impromptu trip to South Wold in Suffolk.
We were ment to be camping in Anglesey and it just as well we decided not to go because the weather looked really bad. 
There were floods. 
We went with Jonny because we love spending time with him.
His parents blessed us hugely by letting us stay in their little holiday cottage near the seaside.
Needless to say we were relieved to have decided to go to South Wold instead.

South Wold is a really cute seaside town with Beach huts, a pier and good restaurants. The perfect place to go for a relaxing short break.

 My British summer beach exploring outfit.
 Of course it wasn't always sunny!
I think Jamie and Jonny could be coat models...
 














Monday 18 June 2012

I have entered a photo competition (30 before 30)

Today I entered a Photography competition. 
Thankfully my 30 before 30 is not to WIN a photography competition but to enter.
So there is no pressure...

I have entered this competition -A sandstone trail photography contest

With these three Photographs. (I would like to again point out I am not expectring to win!!!)

These first two photos I have entered in to the places category.


 And this one in to the people category

I am happy to have completed another 30 before 30 challenge, I do need to get moving on them.
 I am not getting any younger!

Thursday 14 June 2012

It turns out I can wear yellow

For years I have believed that I should not wear yellow because it would clash with my skin and hair colour. 

It turns out I can - I just have to be careful with the shade.

Posing on the other hand is not my strong point, I had fun though!



Also my white top I bought from a charity shop for £5 and it is Jack Wills! 

Told you I like charity shops. 
What do you think?

Monday 11 June 2012

A Right Royal Knees Up...

Last Tuesday to celebrate our extra bank holiday and to mark the Queens Jubilee. 

We threw a Jubilicious BBQ.


I made some alternative British Isle bunting out of our old road map...



We had a lovely afternoon with good friends, good food and good times! 
We also sang a rousing version of the national anthem and toasted the Queen.




Jamie took on the role of BBQ extraordinaire.


 We also had Jelly and ice cream amongst other treats for pudding. 
A very British affair.

Wednesday 6 June 2012

The cake of many proposals...


 This post could have had many titles including: 
* The best cake I have ever made
* Once you have had this carrot cake you won't go back

I even considered "The Cake that launched a thousand ships", though it is not technically true. 
I like to think many people would travel by boat to to have a slice of "my" carrot cake.

 I adapted the recipe from the Hummingbird bakery carrot cake recipe. I made the cake for my friend from work who is on maternity leave at the moment and every time she visits I make a cake. She doesn't like cinnamon and I don't like ginger so I had to improvise the flavourings. 

I ended up replacing the flavours with nutmeg and all spice. I also left out the walnuts. I do like walnuts but I think it they ruin the texture. (Its the same reason I don't like chocolate chips in cake)


 It is a really simple recipe really but it went down an absolute storm at work. 
5 of my colleagues proposed off the back of a slice!

200g of dark brown sugar
100g of caster sugar
3 eggs
300ml of sunflower oil
300g plain flower
1 tsp Bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp of baking powder
I tsp of Nutmeg
1 tsp of all spice
1/2 tsp salt
1/2tsp vanilla extract
300g of carrots

I Mixed it all together and put it in a big round cake tin. 
The recipe suggests 3 cake tins but I seem to only have two cake tins one for cupcakes and one for big round cakes.

Bake in a preheated oven (175c gas 3) for about an hour (if using only one big tin, if you are using 3 tins 25 mins should suffice) 

When cooled slice into three and layer with cream cheese icing and then smother the whole cake with it.
 

 I don't care too much about the presentation of cake, as long as it tastes good I'm happy!


 And it tastes GOOooooD

Friday 1 June 2012

Hastings and the last girly weekend before B Day

Last weekend was one of those weekends when everything comes together to make an awesome and lovely time. 

I went to Hastings to visit my Girls and my parents. 
Hayley (below) is about to pop (theoretically speaking) with her first Baby (Hence B Day) She is having the first baby of our group of friends too! It is BIG and exciting news!

 
Hayley is the most beautiful pregnant woman I have ever seen. The baby isn't due for a couple of weeks yet, but i went down because I wanted to make sure I got to see her before Baby made her appearance. It was so lovely for us Girls to have the day together we had manicures, sat in the sun in the garden, ate cake, gave presents (I made her a baby blanket, which I will tell you about later) watched Eurovision and had a chinese take away. Sooo good!

On Sunday I spent the day with my parents. 
Dad was showing off the pergola he made mum...




My Friend Abbie will say I'm an old lady for taking photos of flowers but I love these thingies (Yes thingies is the Latin name) growing in Mum and Dads garden.

Since they have semi retired my parents garden is flourishing, the gardening thing turns out to be quite a true stereotype of those in their golden years! ( Mum is going to kill me for writing that hee hee)

I hope this weekend (whether you are a royalist or a republican, celebrating or avoiding the crowds) with all the extra days to it goes just as well for you!