BACK FROM NEWTON...

... and just chillin' now!

Charles is looking into opening a facebook page for Cakes A-Go-Go and the rest of us are just lounging about, waiting for the time to pass until we set of for the Big Event.

We had a lovely walk along the beach this morning and managed to squeeze in both coffee AND lunch at the pub. Think we timed everything perfectly actually as we didn't have to wait for a table despite the place being really busy.

The girls have collapsed in an exhausted heap and are sleeping off the morning's exertions. They're going to be looked after by Uncle Bill this evening (once he's dropped us off at the SoS) - there'll be no messing with HIM girls - best behaviour please!

TODAY'S THE DAY!

Excitement building nicely now!

Lots of discussion between Helen and me about what we're going to wear, just to be sure that when Gary and the boys seek us out from the thousands of other hopefuls (Get BACK!) we're looking our best!

So that we're not past ourselves by the time it comes to set of for that Shameless Place, we're going for a drive up the coast, taking the girls and going for a leisurely lunch at Newton by the Sea.

Then, back home to get glad rags on (hopefully Christina arrives on time) and on to meet up with all the other gig-goers at James and Claire's place.

Woooooooooooohoooooooooooooooo!!!

THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT!

We've had a fab day with the kids and their partners and friends (well Matty!)- in fact I can I can't remember the last time I laughed so much!!

We've got ourselves organised for tomorrow, with Jake and Bill agreeing to taxi us there and back. What stars they are!

TAKE THAT SOUNDTRACK...

... already playing, ready for BBQ and lots of practise for gig tomorrow!!!

STILL RECOVERING...

... from lunch!

Have to say, it was a great success and Richard and Sarah loved it. If you haven't been yet - get yourselves there pronto!

However, I have certainly over eaten and am now regretting it. Won't be needing any tea today!

Just checked the forecast for tomorrow - and guess what - it's going to rain. This was inevitable I suppose, as we have about a dozen people coming for a BBQ at lunchtime. Hey ho...

STUFFED!

THAT'S ALL.

GOING TO...

... the Quayside in a while. Got a table booked for lunch at the Broad Chare and are taking Richard and Sarah for a look round the Sunday market first. Pity the weather wasn't a bit better, but never mind.

Very late night last night. It was about half past midnight when they finally got here and then we had drinks and a bit of a chat before settling down at about 1.30. The girls were most put out and whinged on for ages - but the upside is that I actually had to disturb them this morning as they were still asleep at 8am!

QUARTER PAST MIDNIGHT...

... and we're up waiting for Richard and Sarah to get back from the SoS. No doubt their arrival will be heralded by a cacophony of barking from the girls, who haven't been in bed that long as I was in two minds about keeping them up until we'd got the meet and greet out of the way, but they decided themselves that it was past their bedtime, little knowing that it was going to be a disturbed night.

TARDY OR WHAT?

Actually, not really tardy at all, as I've been on the go since 6.30 this morning.

So the checklist goes like this:

Jukebox cake - check
Rubiks Cube cake - check
Wagon cake - pretty nearly done, just minor finishing touches

Big chocolate cake for the family barbeque on Monday made and iced - check
Bakewell tarts, banoffi pies and cases for strawberry tarts - check

Puff pastry squares for white chocolate and raspberry puffs - check

Not bad for a days work, especially considering we had a shopping trip to stock up on BBQ stuff at lunchtime.

Hearing lots of great comments about last night's TT gig. Getting very excited now.

James and Claire are at the airport in Tenerife and will be back in Newcastle at about 2am. We've got Charles' brother Richard and his wife, Sarah, staying here tonight. They're at the Take That gig tonight so we won't see them much before midnight I guess.

Right - time to eat I think...

ALL WENT WELL...

... this morning. My left eye is stable at present - and Mr Figueredo himself spent time with me and was actually extremely patient and understanding. Mind you, there was a slightly awkward moment when he questioned the meds I'm on at the moment, and Charles had to remind him that it was he himself who had prescribed them!!

After that I had to call into the studio in Jesmond where the coffee shop is going to be. had an interesting chat with Kevin (he's actually the photographer who's doing James and Claire's wedding) about his plans and vision, explained my situation and that I would only want to take on something that I felt I could manage comfortably without compromise to the product and left promising to let him have samples in a fortnight.

Back home I set to work on shaping the cakes I baked yesterday. My biggest nightmare is still this Rubiks cube cake, but I now have three equal cubes and have already covered one with sugarpaste onto which I've sprayed black colouring. Looks good so far!

Now I've got to wait for the Tesco delivery as I'm out of some of the stuff I need before I can continue with the other cakes.

So, it's one down and four to go! (I'm determined to have all the base sugarpaste done today.)

WILL BE...

... setting off for the RVI in about half an hour.

Oh joy.

Can hardly wait.

Wonder if the big man will deign to see me today???

THERE'S A BABY BIRD...

... just sitting on the decking outside the patio doors. It's been there for an hour now and doesn't look too clever.

To most people this wouldn't even be worth a mention - but to me, unless Charles gets rid of it, it would be enough to keep me confined to the house as my bird phobia extends to ALL birds, baby or not, alive or dead.

CAN'T STAND THEM.

Fortunately the girls haven't noticed it yet. Once they do, all hell will break loose!

Actually, the girls amazed me last night. They had been in bed for about half an hour when someone came to the front door, which is, as you are aware, adjacent to their room. Usually they will bark like crazed things, but last night there wasn't a peep out of them, even when Charles had a lengthy chat with the visitor outside. Maybe they are growing up a bit.

RVI TOMORROW

9am appointment, so leaving here about 8.00 to battle the traffic. Hopefully won't have to wait too long this time!

After that I MAY be meting the guy who's setting up the coffee shop in Jesmond, but haven't heard anything definite about it, so it may not happen after all. Not too bothered either way to be honest.

Had a busy day in the kitchen. Made five large cakes ready for decorating over the weekend. In fact, will probably make a start on them tomorrow as they'll have settled enough to start carving them by then.

Lily and Rose have been really funny this evening. Obviously they were banned from the lounge until the carpet had dried out, but once they were allowed in they were clearly overwhelmed by the fresh shampoo scent and spent a good twenty minutes just rolling over and over on it!!

JUST HAD...

... the lounge carpet cleaned - and it looks as good as new. A bit damp still, but should be dry this evening. Really pleased!

SO...

... Charles just remembers to inform me that he'll be away for three days at the end of half term week with the kids from school.

APPARENTLY he DID tell me some time last year!!

But would it not have been a good idea to mention it again, especially as he knows fine well that I've got a manic time during those few days with cake orders.

Sometimes, I just wonder what goes on in his head.

OKAY, THAT WORKED...

... seems the blip with the blog has sorted itself out now.

Well, it's nearly 4pm and I've just take the girls out for a walk. Charles always takes them out first thing, but I try to get them out a couple of times before he gets home. He usually takes them out again before they have their tea, so they are pretty well exercised - usually.

Today I've just focused on getting all these cake toppers finished and am pleased to say that all the hard work is now done. Next week will merely be a case of making five cakes (one of the orders has three cakes in it!) and getting them all covered, then assembly should be relatively straightforward after that. I hope!

My airbrush arrived this afternoon and I've already had my first disaster - pointing the thing at myself while pressing the trigger was probably not a good idea!! Still, won't do that again, will I?

Right I'm going to see if there's any NUFC news. It would appear the club aren't offering Joey Barton a new contract...

WHAT'S GOING ON?

I'm writing stuff - and it's just disappearing!

ASH CLOUD

PLEASE, PLEASE go away before the weekend.

I DO NOT WANT James and Claire to be stranded. They've got to be back by this time next week. We've got a gig to go to.

HAVE JUST HAD...

... a phone call from Christina to say she's set up a meeting for me with someone who's setting up a coffee shop in Jesmond. Apparently this guy has sampled my cakes and would like me to supply cakes and goodies.

BUT - I'm not sure I want to go down that route.

Don't et me wrong, it's lovely of Christina to be out there promoting her Mum, but I really don't think I want to be tied into making dozens of cupcakes and traybakes every week.

I've agreed to talk to the guy, but will be very cautious about committing to anything.

HOPE THE WIND...

... eases up today.

The little Kilmarnock Willow tree in the centre of my garden is just hanging on by one or two roots - it's keeled over again after being almost uprooted in the winter and despite Charles staking it, so I really hope it survives this latest assault.

IT'S BEEN ONE OF THOSE DAYS...

... when I've worked solidly since 8am - but have very little to show for it!

I made the cake that's due to go out on Friday and then spent most of the day working on the lettering for four cakes and cutting out musical notation and instruments to go on the jukebox cake.

Then I finished up with a little figure of Leigh which will be sitting atop her rubiks cube for her eighties themed birthday party.

Oh - and I covered the cakeboard ready for tomorrow.

Doesn't sound (or look) much - but has certainly taken long enough to get through.

Better start thinking about an evening meal I suppose...

WET AND WINDY

Not a good day for going anywhere. Think I'll stay at home today!

Got a busy fortnight coming up, so I'm going to spend today getting all my sugar models completed. The jukebox and wagon are partially finished and just need the fine detail adding today.

Should have a big delivery today - cake boxes, tins and coloured sugarpaste. Then I'll have the problem of where to put everything. It doesn't matter how much storage space I have, it's never enough.

ANOTHER YEAR OLDER...

... but almost certainly not any wiser!

Have had a good day - a bit tense this afternoon even before we got to the match. We discovered that the car park where we had originally left the car was due to close at 6pm (WHY on a match day?) and we were already late for our lunch booking, so we gobbled our meal in indigestion-inducing fashion and Charles went to re-park the car, while I went up to the ground.

We managed to throw away a three goal lead somehow. Disappointing, but not the end of the world, although it's a bit galling that Sunderland AND Villa ended up above us. Now we've got all the frustrations of the transfer window to look forward to. Love it and hate it in equal amounts. Don't know why I get so focused on all the rumours that will start flying around, but I do, and I end up spending hours scouring all the NUFC sites for enticing little titbits that inevitably will come to nothing.

Spoke to James earlier. He's keeping a close eye on the developments surrounding the latest volcanic eruption in Iceland. Can't believe it's happening again. Whatever happens I really hope James and Claire get back safely and on time, BECAUSE WE'VE GOT A GIG TO GO TO NEXT TUESDAY!!

HAD A BUSY DAY...

... yesterday, but it was good to catch up with family members (not H and B) who we usually only see at funerals these days.

Lily and Rose had THE BEST TIME with their cousins Digby and Tex. Although they hadn't been to the house for months, Lily marched straight in, through the lounge, into the kitchen and right out into the garden as if she owned the place!

All four of them got on brilliantly. Charles and Bill took them for a three mile walk while we girls were over in Lancashire and when we got back there were four exhausted dogs draped around the living room in various stages of sleepiness.

I was really proud of my two today. Just goes to show we can take them most places now without having to worry.

AIRBRUSH...

... ordered!!!

Now can't wait for it to arrive. This could transform my cake decorating work.

Very excited (and impatient)

IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!!

Don't ask me how many years as I don't want to think about it, although it was painfully brought home to me at that party yesterday when Helen and I were introduced as the bridesmaids from fifty years ago!!!

Had a lovely start to the day with pressies and cards. Mind you I also had advance presents yesterday from Mum and Helen. Two fab dresses - totally different in style but both equally lovely. A gorgeous cerise linen shift from my Mum and an All Saints frock from Helen which I'm wearing right now and which is likely to become my favourite dress of all time!!

Charles gave me a bag of tops and shirts from Crew this morning - all lovely and highly suitable for summer hols - BUT and this is a big but - he's told me to go on line this morning to choose and airbrush kit for cake decorating, so I'm very excited about that!!!

Only disappointment is that I wont see Jim today as he and Claire are in Tenerife, but I've already had a birthday text from them, so they haven't forgotten!

Rather worryingly, Charles has just informed me that there's been another Icelandic Volcanic eruption = hope this doesn't cause the travel chaos we experienced last year, otherwise James will think he's jinxed. (Want them back for Take That anyway!)

Right I'm off to search for airbrush systems now...

SETING OFF...

... for Yorkshire.

Will be back later.

Probably MUCH later!

6.40PM ON A FRIDAY...

... and Charles is still not home!

Bet he's shattered when he does finally get here.

WELL...

... the Scrapbook cake has gone. Lots of appreciative noise and an order for more cakes in September, this time a birthday cake with individually designed little cakes for each of the party guests. Big job = huge price!!

Had hair done. Was greeted at the door to SAKs by a chorus of "Happy Birthday for Sunday Sue!" Clearly James had informed the girls last night when he was having his pre-holiday coiffure.

Bought a bouquet of flowers for tomorrow, found a new dress (well two actually, but obviously will only wear one for the party. Justified the second purchase as was in the sale!)

Had a bit of a chocolate crisis in the supermarket and bought multipacks of Toffee Crisps and Topics, only to discover my monthly box of chocs from the Chocolate Tasting Club waiting for me when I got home! So have had a bit of a choccyfest since getting back from Morpeth! (Feel a bit sick now)

HAIRDRESSERS...

... today.

Only a wash and blow-dry, in readiness for a strange event I'm going to tomorrow with my Mum and sister.

Fifty years ago, Helen and I were bridesmaids to my cousin Anne. She married Rodney.

Rodney died about three years ago, but Anne is still having a party to celebrate the Golden Wedding Anniversary.

This leaves us with the problem of what to buy as a gift. What is appropriate when one of the couple is no more?

Anyway, by the by, all this means is that Charles and I, along with our newly shorn girls, will be leaving for Yorkshire at the crack of sparrows tomorrow. He and Bill are going to have a very nice day together with four dogs in tow, while we go off to this weird celebration over in Lancashire. Fortunately it's a daytime, drop-in do, so we probably won't have to stay too long and can then get back to Helen's where we can all have a good chinwag - probably about the Take That gig which is only a matter of days away now!!!

James and Claire are off on their hols tomorrow. Hope you have a fab time you two! See you on bank Holiday Monday for a BBQ, then it's Take That the next day - certainly worth coming back from holiday for!

FORGOT TO MENTION...

... that I have been granted a preview of Dan Smith's new release and am so excited I can hardly contain myself.

Everyone else will have to wait till next week to read 'Dark Horizons'!

But, based on his first novel, this will be a MUST READ!

DANNYMATT!!

HOPE YOU'RE FEELING BETTER THIS MORNING!!!!

HAVE HAD TO...

... order a wall planner! yes, I know we're halfway through the year (almost) and I DO have my Cake diary and little black book, BUT things have now got to the point where, to keep my sanity, I need a very visual plan in front of me to enable me to organise myself better.

The cake orders are rolling in now, and for some of them I need to bake the cakes weeks in advance (if they're fruit cakes) or make the sugarpaste decorations far enough ahead of delivery so that they've dried out and firmed up before I plonk them atop the cake.

I tried to get a planner in Morpeth yesterday - and everyone looked at me as if I'd gone bonkers. Clearly they all thought, "Yes, she REALLY needs a planner, and if she'd got herself better organised she wouldn't be scratting around for one now."

However, although I drew a blank at the time, the very helpful staff in Allans have managed to locate one and it will arrive in store on Monday. Thank you for all your help!

Going to deliver a load of pies and quiches this morning, then the Scrapbook cake will be going this afternoon. In between I think I'll make a start on the wagon and possibly (if I can find a good enough image) the jukebox. Hey ho, no rest for the wicked, eh!!

TOO EARLY

THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY.

OH, HOW SMART ARE WE!!

The girls that is - not me, I'm not at all smart.

Lily and Rose are looking stunning after their trip to the groomers. Hair washed and cut, nails trimmed, lightly fragranced - should be going to a party!

But, they'll just have to do with a visit from James who's on his way over for dinner.

THIS IS WEIRD!

I'm on my own in the house for the first time in - well I don't know when!

Charles has picked the girls up and taken them to the groomers, which neatly is on the way to Seahouses where he is spending the afternoon doing a recce prior to taking the kids on a residential visit later in the year.

He'll pick them up on his return, leaving me with an empty and very quiet house for a few hours!!

THE GIRLS ARE...

... off to Woofcuts this afternoon for a cut and blowdry. They don't know this yet!

WE'VE DECIDED...

... that, as there's increased interest in Cakes A-Go-Go these days, it would be a good idea to make the website a blog and to have a facebook page for the business. I think this will be much better and certainly easy for me to manage. The problem with the website is keeping it up to date. At the moment Charles does it when he's got time - and despite managing my school website for years, I haven't really got to grips with this one at all.

So, one job over half term is to get this set up.

As well as the jukebox cake that came in yesterday, I also took an order late last night for a football cake - thankfully for later on in June. Getting pretty busy now!

OKAY DANNYMATT...

...after that comment I WILL indeed be making the jukebox cake! What difference can one more cake make, eh?

Also, if I play my cards right, my sister could well be around to give me a hand AND, now I come to think of it, if I remind her that I am the one in possession of the Take That tickets, I think she'll agree pretty damn quick!

So, better start researching jukeboxes then...

OH GOD...

... just got an order for a juke box cake for June 4th - same date as the Rubicks Cube and the Wagon cake.

What do I do???

SCRAPBOOK CAKE...

... DONE!

Photos will be on Facebook later on.

Just back from a trip to the park with the girls. Had a great runabout (the girls, not me) and a good roll in the newly cut grass! Two grass stained little terriers have returned home, shedding grass cuttings on my newly vacuumed floor. Glad we're having them bathed and trimmed tomorrow!!

Not sure what to do now. All up to date on the cake front.

Oh I know, I'd better think about what we're going to eat tonight!

BACK AGAIN!

Christina's been round most of the day - and she managed to hijack the laptop, so I've been pacing around waiting for her to go (not really!) so I could get onto the blog and facebook again.

In spite of Christina being here, I've still managed to get on with cake stuff. I'm pretty much ready to assemble the scrapbook cake tomorrow AND I've made a good start on the sweet peas, roses and foliage for the 80th birthday cake for next week.

Foolishly I agree last week to make a load of quiches and pies for a friend and I need to get those done on Wednesday. Could do without that really - but didn't want to let her down.

My girls have been so well behaved today. Occasionally I've caught sight of them looking a bit sorry for themselves, but they haven't made any fuss and have just let me get on with what I need to do. Thanks girls!

AM GUESSING...

... this is fake.

I've just checked my emails and found a very authentic looking message from HMRC Tax and Customs informing me I'm entitled to a rebate of a couple of hundred £s and directing me to the HMRC website.

Now, I've never known HMRC contact people by email and am afraid of following the link as I'm sure it will be bogus although it does have the 'directgov' bit in the address.

Am I doing the right thing in ignoring it?

IT WOULD APPEAR...

... that we are going to have a houseful in a fortnight as Take That mania reaches fever pitch.

Apparently Charles's brother and his wife are going to the Saturday night gig and, needing a place to stay, will be dossing down at ours. I've told them that I want absolutely NO SPOILERS as the eight of us don't go until the Tuesday!

James and Claire will just have got back from Tenerife and we're planning to have a barbeque with Helen and family on the Monday to get us all in party mood before hitting the Stadium of **ite the next day.

Am pretty excited now, so what I'll be like in a fortnight God only knows!

BUSY DAY!!

Day of rest, eh? Whoever thought of that one clearly wasn't a woman!!

HOW EXCITING...

... IS THIS SEASON'S RELEGATION BATTLE?
Now that we're safe!

DANNYMATT

I HAVE posted a reply to your comment on 'Charles is...' but it's yet again disappeared into the ether. Check out Facebook message.

COULD DO WITHOUT IT...

... but we're going to have to go into town today as I scoured Morpeth for rice paper yesterday and came up with a great big nada. As far as I recall, there were stocks of the stuff in Lakeland, so that is where we need to be today.

I need rice paper for the labels that are going to accompany each of the four photos on the photo album/scrapbook cake. Hopefully tomorrow, the person who commissioned the cake will give me some ideas for suitable captions - it's very difficult for me to attempt to guess what may or may not be appropriate when I've never met the recipients. (Yes - it is a cake for TWO people)

I'm hoping that the end result will resemble a scrapbook, with note, lists, captions and doodles alongside the photos. This may of course change when I begin to assemble the thing - but that's the plan at the moment!

CHARLES IS...

... totally engrossed by Eurovision!!

We've managed to avoid this musical travesty in the past - but decided to give it a go tonight - and he's LOVING it!!

Seriously - he's got his top five lined up already!

How sad is this?

GOOD DAY...

... to be in Manchester!!

UP IN THE LOFT!

That's no doubt where I shall be this morning.

James is on his way to clear the remains of his wardrobe (much of which is stored in the roof) in preparation for his holiday in Tenerife next week.

Actually I'm really glad this is happening, as we cannot move in the loft these days thanks to Jim, and as we're expecting a plumber to arrive in the next few days to check out the hot water tank up there, it would be good to clear a space for him to work in.

Another reason I'm pleased is that it will indeed free up a wardrobe in the spare room, so I can move some of MY stuff into there!

Other than seeing James, all we have planned for the day is a shopping trip to Morpeth. Woo hoo!! (Not really, just being sarcastic!)

AH HA - WE'RE BACK!

No I haven't been skiving off the blog. The site's been down all day and has only just come back on.

Very frustrating.

Busy day - Lynday came to pick up the Peppa Pig cake and matching cupcakes, I started two more postcard paintings - skiing and cycling this time - and am just waiting for them to dry before adding finishing touches. Made Bakewells for James as he's coming round tomorrow to sort out the wardrobe and casually asked if there would be any goodies 'lying around'!!!

Stole a few minutes to continue the John Grisham I'm engrossed in at the moment, but had to give up as I couldn't see the page through the tears!

AND JUST WHEN I THOUGHT...

... I'd finished for the day, I remembered that Charles wanted 60 little cupcakes for tomorrow.

Oh Rats!

Actually, as part of the deal (I was to make the cupcakes: that was MY part) HE was supposed to cut the grass when he got home.

He will no doubt be delighted to know that we have just had a heavy shower - and he will claim that the grass is too wet to cut.

Rats again!

LILY HASN'T...

... eaten her breakfast this morning.

Or rather, she has only PICKED at it, which is different I suppose. She can be a bit funny about eating breakfast and sometimes has to be persuaded, but even then becomes very possessive about her bowl and doesn't appreciate it when Rose attempts to investigate the contents. (Rose has absolutely NO problem with scoffing HER breakfast AND anything left in her sister's bowl IF she gets the chance and can get in there BEFORE being spotted by Lily!)

I'm sure there isn't a problem as such. Lily is certainly not a morning dog and she demolishes her tea with gusto. Maybe we're going to move towards one meal a day, although Rose will not appreciate that!

I love it when I announce that it's breakfast or tea time. Neither of the girls ever makes a fuss, but Rose will always go to the cupboard where I keep their food as if she needs to check on the day's menu. She then follows me into the kitchen and observes closely to make sure the amounts are equally shared between the two bowls. Nothing ever gets past Rose!!

SADLY...

...I appear to be posting less often on here these days.

Probably an indication of how busy I've become in the past few months.

Not that I'm giving up on the blog, but it just goes to show how things have changed since the girls arrived. In those early days I spent all my time on puppy patrol and seemed to have bags of time to sit and write lots of rubbish while they were having naps!

These days I fit it in around cakes!

SLIGHTLY MORE CAREFREE DAY TODAY!

At least I HOPE that is what it will be! Mind you I thought that about Monday, and look how that turned out.

I'm planning a shopping trip for cake ingredients as I have a few large orders coming up over the next month, so I'll get that out of the way today. Then I really MUST make a start on the pictures for this flaming photo album cake. It seemed a good idea at the time, but now I'm starting to panic a bit as I've only got a head and shoulders shot of the couple to work from and have to try to represent them in four action packed 'photos' - maybe I could just paint little splodges in the distance and say they were long distance shots!

The girls actually had to be woken up this morning. This is most unusual and probably the result of their late night hoon around the dog park with James and Charles yesterday. (May need to do this more often then!)

FIRST CHANCE...

... to sit down today, although it won't be for long as I'm in the middle of making ice cream!!

Peppa Pig is all done. Totally OTT and VERY pink - but hey - a girl's only two once so why not!

Have just realised that this is the first child's cake I've done. Hope it leads to more as I've really enjoyed it.

The girls should have been going to have their hair done today, but we've put it back until next week when things may not be quite so busy at home. Fortunately Serena (good old Shilbottle name that) didn't mind rearranging things with her other clients.

James has just rung to say he's coming round this evening and would LOVE an Indian. So - looks like I don't need to worry about a main course then. (All being well we're having strawberries and homemade vanilla ice cream for pud!)

PEPPA PIG!!

Just when I thought I'd got my week sorted...

... Peppa Pig rears her head and enters the frame.

Before 10am today I had no idea who, or what, Peppa Pig was (is) - but thanks to Lynda (the wonderful school secretary at Heddon St Andrews) I am now making a Peppa Pig cake for Leila her grandaughter's second birthday - which is on Thursday!!

I'm sure that when we worked together we planned rather more effectively than this, but after a few minutes of sheer panic I have thoroughly researched this little animated creature and have managed to produce images of said Pig AND Leila to go on top of the Madeira cake which is cooling on a rack now.

So the 'photo' paintings I was going to do will have to wait. Tomorrow is all about balloons, building blocks, bunting and...

... lots of PINK!!

MAKES YOU GLAD TO GET UP...

... when it's such a gorgeous morning!

On the agenda today: making up an order of cupcakes, going to Morpeth for boring food shopping and starting on the paintings for the photo album cake for next week.

Got the girls booked in at the doggy hairdressers tomorrow. They're certainly ready for a bit of a tidy up, although we're not going TOO extreme. Saw a couple of Westies at the weekend with those silly skirts and shaved bodies. This is NOT a good look in my opinion. It may be traditional, but to me looks like the Westie equivalent of the Mullet.

I will not be inflicting this on my girls!

THE BROAD CHARE

THIS PUB IS FAB!!

Nine of us rocked up for lunch today and we had the most amazing meal, with not one of us finding anything to complain about! The food was absolutely delicious and while some of it would have appeared on a standard pub menu, there was plenty of interest to make it just a bit different.

We ordered a whole range of 'bar snacks' as starters. These included monkfish cheeks and pigs ears, deep-fried cauliflower with a gorgeous curry mayo, the best pork pie anyone at the table had tasted, beautifully prepared scotch eggs and strips of pork crackling accompanied by apple sauce. Everyone tucked in and tried a bit of everything - a very sociable way of starting the meal.

The mains menu isn't extensive, but there are a fair number of specials, one of which was 7 hour slow cooked lamb with roasted veg - to serve five. We toyed with the idea of some of us going for this, but in the end decided to leave it for next time. There were plates of roast beef, burgers, fish and chips and calves liver - all devoured with gusto to the accompaniment of contented sighs.

A brief respite before pud - wow - these were just amazing. Rachel and I scraped our bowls of lemon puddle pudding until there wasn't a scrap remaining, while the others consumed knickerbocker glories, rhubarb crumble, chocolate mousse and syrup sponge, with lots of "You try mine, I'll try yours" going on.

In short, it was a wonderfully relaxed meal, in lovely understated surroundings. I can see this becoming a regular haunt!

WOW!!!

REAL RAIN!

Quite a novelty actually.

Woke me up in the night, it was so heavy. And we're having another downpour now, so the girls won't be going out for their early morning constitutional just yet.

TOO TIRED...

... to write anything now!!

Brilliant day though. The Spring Fair was very enjoyable. Good turnout and lots of customers. Loads of sales and great interest in the products. All excellent PR.

Landmark for lunch - still feeling full at 6.30!

Good result, but scrappy game. never mind - we're safe now.

Good day all round!

CHANGE OF PLAN!!

Still going to Newcastle - but Helen and I are going to the match instead of shopping!!
Hope she's okay with this. Not that she knew about the plan to hit the shops anyway. Maybe I'll not mention that bit!

Dannymatt - as the daughter of a Man of the Cloth myself, I too have done my share of coffee mornings and church teas. Your recollections are spot on!

The other thing I remember vividly is jumble sales. There was always the jumble sale smell - nothing else quite like it! What happened to jumble sales? (Not that I want to go to one. Just wondering!)

JUST BACK...

... from a lovely walk with the girls.

We took a completely different route today and actually went into the estate. Not very exciting, you may think, but it was the first time I've been round there in years and it was interesting to see how everything is maturing. Some of the gardens are gorgeous - sorry Charles but I may have plans for ours now!

It felt a bit fresher after the morning's rain, really pleasant in the sun.

Well, I've got everything done for tomorrow. Just waiting for Helen to get here cos we're working the stall together. Hopefully, if we can get tidied up quickly, we'll go into town with Charles and James. They'll go to the match while Helen and I do a bit of retail therapy. Can't wait!

NEARLY READY...

... for the Spring fair tomorrow. Thankfully, we're the only stall doing food, so should have the cake market cornered!

Just got another celebration cake order. This time from our local grocer, David, who wants a cake for his Mum's birthday. Now I really value all my orders, especially repeat ones, of which I now have a few, but an order from David is indeed something special. Hopefully it will lead to many more!!

Looking at the diary I seem to have orders every week until late July. This is great. So far, they are all spaced out sufficiently to allow me time to get each one just right.

I confess to having a bit of a panic about the cake that is supposed to show a couple cycling, skiing, walking, gardening AND reading, but I think I may have come up with a solution. I'm going to make the cake in the shape of a photo album and will handpaint five scenes of the couple as photos. The cake can nestle on a bed of grass and flowers as well, which will satisfy the request to include some of my flowers.


Hope it works out as well as I imagine it!!!

STRESSFUL EVENING!

Everything went wrong from the moment James rang and said he had a problem with his car and needs to borrow mine for the weekend.

Not that I mind helping out, but I had planned to go out tomorrow and can't do that now.

Then we had a frustrating daughter-related incident, Rose had poop-explosions all over the place, Charles got in a mood and I dropped a cake on the floor.

James probably wishes he hadn't bothered coming round as it certainly wasn't a relaxed atmosphere in THIS house.

Sorry Jim!

BAKEWELL TARTS...

...apple pies, chocolate biscuit cake and good old chocolate cakes all done. (James - there's half a Bakewell for you to sample later on - obviously I had to try the first half as I wouldn't want to poison you!)

This afternoon it's Victoria sponges, followed by filling and decorating the chocolate cakes. Tomorrow is all cupcakes, so that's relatively easy.

Lily and Rose are once again being incredibly obliging and are snoozing the morning away contentedly. Thanks girls!!

8.35pm

Charles is STILL putting the barbeque together.

I think he wants to get it done before James comes round for food tomorrow evening - haven't dared tell him it's going to rain!!

We still haven't eaten tonight - and I'm starving now!

BARBEQUE ARRIVED...

... IN BITS!!

Don't think we were expecting that!

Charles went straight outside to start assembling it.

He could be some time!

SHOWING OFF NOW!

Forgot to mention that when Grandma came to stay last week, she brought a new, still in the box, Kenwood Chef that she'd bought for herself but was never going to use. Would I like it? Er, oh go on then!!

So I now have two of the bad boys in my kitchen and both of them are getting a fair bit of the action. In fact I don't know how I managed with just the one!!

BUSY BAKING...

... biscuits this morning. I've decided to do shaped cookies (hearts, teddies and dresses) and I'll decorate them at some point tomorrow when I've made apple pies, bakewells and large cakes. I also need to go shopping for baking provisions some time, but am confined to the house today until the BBQ arrives - so tomorrow could be a very busy day!! (Don't want to put icing on the cookies too far in advance as they'll soften.)

It's always difficult to know how much to make for a village stall. You may recall the last disastrous experience back in November, on the first evening of the BIG SNOW! I had so much stuff left over I could have cried.

So I reckon on about four dozen biscuits, a dozen each apple pies and bakewells, four large cakes (will take orders for more of course) and about sixty cupcakes. That should do it I think.

FORGOT TO MENTION...

... the little mishap I had this morning!

It involved three workboxes full of sugar dragees, beads and glitter and a large number of books.

I have dozens of cake decorating books balanced on one of the worktops in the kitchen. My workboxes are nestled against one end of the books - or at least they were, until I pulled out one of the books, resulting in a monumental bookslide and thousands of sugar decorations bouncing around the kitchen floor. Being almost exclusively spherical, they did not respond well to the brush and dustpan! Needless to say, I spent a frustrating half hour on my hands and knees scooping the little blighters up - and I'm still finding more now, despite hoovering and mopping as well.

The workboxes are no longer acting as bookends!

A FIRST FOR ME!

Up until now I've always been reluctant to take the girls to the Dog Park on my own as I've never been convinced that they'll come back once they're off their leads. However, after going with Charles (AND the girls of course) a few times over the past weeks, it's clear that in fact they DO come when they are called, especially if treats are involved.

So this afternoon, we went together - just the three of us - and we had a lovely time. They didn't run off into the great unknown, although they DID chase each other round like mad things. They greeted two other much larger dogs politely, without barking, and had a game of chase with them AND every time I called them, they came back.

Very pleased with my girls today!

(They're fast asleep now!)

OUR NEW COFFEE MACHINE...

... is totally amazing!

The fact that we just pour a bag of coffee beans into it at the beginning of the week and then just leave it to get on with the job is brilliant. No more messing around with scoops and pods - it's SO easy. Best of all, the coffee is wonderful and the kitchen smells fab.

I'm loving it!!

CALM BEFORE THE STORM!

That's what today will be for me, as by the end of the week I've got to have all the baking done for my stall for Saturday.

Think I'll go to Morpeth and get some stuff for displaying all the goodies to best effect.

Charles has just left for work, somewhat reluctantly it has to be said!! Never mind Charles - just one more term and then you're part-time. Can't be that bad!!

SO...

Osama Bin laden is dead and buried at sea is he?

Might have been helpful to have some photographic evidence to that effect!

TA DA!!

GOT ONE!

EXPECT THE GLORIOUS WEATHER TO END LATER THIS WEEK THEN!!

OH NO...

... HE'S BEEN OUTBID!

Right - try for another Charles!

(Of course, you do realise that the minute we take delivery of a new BBQ, the weather will take a turn for the worse and will continue to be dodgy well into the Autumn!)

CHARLES IS...

... spending his morning looking for BBQs on Amazon - and Ebay of course. In fact he is busy bidding for one right now. Auction finishes in 3 minutes!!

WHAT TO DO...

... TODAY?

Bank Holidays are always weird. There's so much traffic around that it's hardly worth going anywhere just so you can sit in a queue, but you don't just want to stay at home because it feels as if you've wasted the day!

Hmmm. Not sure what to do!

OH GOD...

... this is AWFUL!

Are Newcastle even bothered about this match?

Lets hope Pardew gives them a half time rocket?

JAMES IS...

... coming round to watch the match today.

Not sure if Claire will be coming too as she's not yet been totally converted to the joys of supporting the Toon (!) but either way, it'll be good to have company whilst sitting through those stressful ninety minutes.

We've got to go to Morpeth first though. I never know what time the shops open on a Sunday - we never seem to get it right, but can never remember when we go next time - but we can always have a coffee while we wait.

AM I RIGHT IN THINKING...

... that, should we happen to win today, we would then be mathematically safe?

It would be a great feeling if that were the case!