There ain't no rest for the wicked...

This weekend has been non-stop. I can't quite remember being this busy... ever. In a way it is great because often I feel as though we waste away weekends and that makes them go even faster.

Friday night I was of course busy making a birthday cake which I was up bright and early delivering to the little girl in time for her birthday party. After that Richard and I headed off to the Centre MK in the hope of making a start on our Summer wardrobe. We walked, and walked, and walked and I found... nothing. Not a single thing. Richard however was weighed down with bags and found everything he had set out to. Even items I had seen online with a view to trying on or buying, either weren't in sight or weren't stocked in my size.

Feeling disheartened we left and headed over to a nearby retail park that I had been tipped off about which contained shops such as Primark, New Look, Next, Dorothy Perkins, etc. Here we had a field day. Richard still bought more, spending over £40 in Primark alone. I also managed to buy some odds and ends but nothing that would make a valuable addition to my Summer wardrobe. We then decided to go into our local town's shopping centre to find Richard a pair of shoes that weren't stocked in the other shopping centres. It was here that I found some fantastic tartan items- leggings and a collared top from Quiz in Debenhams. My faith was restored! Hurrah. 

(Above- Tartan Collar Top from Quiz, Tartan Leggings from Quiz, Underwear from Primark, Foxy Socks from Primark and Black Tights from Primark).

It was after leaving that shopping centre that we realised we needed to go food shopping in order to survive and sadly we headed over to our local supermarket and did the boring weekly shop. We were exhausted but somehow managed to drag ourselves around the supermarket and eventually made it home. 

Richard was still pretty pleased with his days haul and very nearly brought these shades...

Today was another day of driving and walking, this time we were in High Wycombe to see Richard's favourite Rugby team play. I had never been to a Rugby match but after watching the Wasps game on telly last week and getting alarmingly 'into it' I was keen to see a game live. Richard impulsively purchased the tickets days before the game not realising quite how exhausting a Saturday we would have. The alarm was set for 8:45am but that was switched off and ignored for almost an hour. When we eventually pulled ourselves out of bed it was a quick change and cuppa before we were once again back in the car. 

Just as we entered High Wycombe the heavens opened and a storm hit. Neither of us were dressed for this and I was worried it would be Ashridge all over again. We managed to park close to the stadium and, armed with our faithful brolly, walked up to Adam's Park. It was heaving with fans all dressed in black and yellow. I was given a rather brilliant wasp headband and Richard was handed a flag which made up for the fact we had no money on us to buy merchandise let alone food.  We then headed to our seats and I must say I was thrilled with the view, I couldn't believe how close we were to the action.

The game got off to a brilliant start, with Wasps scoring in the first two minutes of the game and the action taking place right in front of us. The first half finished with the score at 13-10 to Wasps and we were more excited than ever. The second half however was a disappointment of poor refereeing decisions and bad moves, ending in Wasps losing 18-24. However disappointing the loss was, it was still an exhilarating game and one which I was glad to have witnessed first hand.

I may have just caught the Rugby bug...

And God said, "Let there be cake!"

So about six years ago I embarked on my first iced cake. For as long as I can remember my Mum has always made birthday cakes for us. Nothing overly ambitious, a simple sponge cake and some butter cream would keep us happy no end but it was something that always took place. For my brother's twelfth birthday however I was keen to help out with this tradition, little did I know I would in fact create a new one. 

All I needed was a set of coloured icing and I managed to create this...

Since then, for every event you can think of I have made iced cakes with various designs and characters on, each cake becoming more and more ambitious and ridiculous.

To me it was no different than using my Mum's leftover pastry to make snails for the top of the beautiful pie she had made. I loved it. I loved how fiddly it all was and how much concentration it took. I could spend hours making an elaborate piece for the top of just about anything. I am completely self taught and everything is one great big experiment to me. 

Since that first cake eight years ago I have come along way, not so much in that I am making cakes for the Queen but I have made my fair share of cakes for friends and family. However if someone had told me I would be making cakes for money I would have laughed... quite hysterically in fact. How could my bizarre past time become a money making scheme?

It does seem to be on the path to becoming just that. I remember speaking to a colleague at work about a cake business she used for her daughter's third birthday party and a simple cake had set her back over £60. I couldn't believe it. Even me with my basic maths knew that something wasn't quite right there- even taking into account ingredients and their time didn't justify that cost, especially to a young single mother. It was at that point I uttered out some words that didn't quite sink in until after I had said them -"I can make your daughter's birthday cake". And there you have it. The path to my latest cake. 

So this thrilling Friday night I have spent my time making a cake for a soon to be four year old girl while many other people my age are probably out throwing up in a bin outside of a shady nightclub by now. I was armed with a mountain of icing and cake decorating supplies and this as my guide to the cake of a young girls dreams...

This really wasn't much to go by at all but somehow I have managed to pull it off for a fraction of the price of the other business she used last year. Here is the finished result which I painstakingly put together this evening...

I don't even think these photos do it justice. The level of detail here is extraordinary, from the polka dots on her leggings, the fastenings on her shoes right down to her hair ties. It's all there. In case you (like I was at the time) are struggling to recognise who this chick is, sat on the top of a cake here is a little bit of guidance for you...

This is Doc McStuffins. She likes to fix broken toys in her backyard playhouse clinic and for some reason this makes her loved by all young children and important enough to sit on the top of my cake. I'll be honest, I had never heard of her before I had to make this cake and it took a fair bit of research to understand just what I was getting myself in for. Even working at a school with young children I hadn't got a clue who she was. Bring back the days of Rosie and Jim I say!

Anyway, awful children's characters aside I finished the cake and I think it was a great success. I am delivering the cake tomorrow ahead of the party on Sunday so fingers crossed it goes down well. I have also made some little tickets for the birthday girl to give out to anyone interested in the cake and potentially having one made. I went all out and even thought up of a name for my 'business' and made a logo and everything. I had far too much fun doing all of this...

I also gave the little girl the spare icing (there was piles of it left) so she can make little characters and cakes and wrote her a little note to say thank you.

All that's left now is the after party of the cake making. Anyone want to help clear up all the mess in the kitchen...?

A Man's Greatest Mistake...

So Richard made the catastrophic mistake of offering to pay for my Summer wardrobe on our upcoming shopping trips. There is no going back for him now and I am in major organising mode as to what I need. I am excited although I am sure Richard has no idea what he has got himself in for. 

We both agreed that we need to go clothes shopping for the Summer- neither of us have shoes that are suitable for the warm weather or that go with anything, Richard needs more shorts and I need more tops. So we've both agreed to go shopping, to our local town and the big shopping centre about half an hour away. I am quite excited because although I didn't see anything last time I really wanted, this time I actually know what I am looking for and now we have even more money to spend.

Here are some of the things I definitely want to get...

One | Two | Three | Four | Five | Six | Seven

I am a huge fan of boohoo.com and find there clothes to be great value for money and I love the styles they have online. I regularly buy from Boohoo and am always pleased with their products. Here I have found a nice skirt which would look great with sandals and can be dressed up and down. I also like this lace bodysuit which will make a nice addition to my lace wardrobe. 

I already posted these sandals in a previous post but these are definitely being purchased along with the wedges also from deichmann.com although they do have stores in both of the shopping centres we will be visiting so that saves on delivery costs. 

I also like these 'treggings' from Boohoo and they look as though they will be a good fit and hopefully wont fade like dark jeans would. I am also a big fan of these swing tops which are really popular at the minute. I desperately need to replace all of my strappy summer tops and although I like these from Boohoo I have found some even cheaper elsewhere that look identical. Finally I am going to brave trying on these chinos from New Look in the hope they will fit-my hopes have been lifted since I noticed they stock them in a Size 6.

So that's a sneak peak at some of the things that will be in my Summer wardrobe and I am excited to see what else I will find this coming weekend. I am certainly a very lucky lady to have such a generous (and stupid) boyfriend.

Ashridge Woods

So I had this idea in my head and no it wasn't anything crazy or hugely adventurous but I am one of those people who once they have something in their head they can't do anything else. 

My plan was to take a trip to Ashridge Woods, somewhere I haven't been to for years and a place I used to spend plenty of time as a child. I used to love taking a drive there and explore the woodland, maybe even stop for a picnic and take lots of exciting artefacts home such as leaves and fir cones. That really was my childhood and I have fond memories of it. But since moving house I haven't been back to see its development or take a stroll and no matter how many times I mentioned it, more and more time past without taking a trip.

So today Richard and I took that trip to Ashridge Park. Richard too has fond memories of the woods having spent many days there with his family exploring and even his Grandad's ashes are there. So it felt like a good time to go whilst we both had some time off and the weather seemed half decent... or so we thought.

The woodland is renowned for it's incredible bluebell displays that lay hidden deep in the forest and we were fortunate enough to visit at the right time of year to see these in all their glory. The park itself was heaving. There were queues to both get in and to park but we found a nice secluded spot and headed off into the wilderness, avoiding the crowds that were flocking to take part in the Easter Egg hunt that the National Trust had put on for visitors...

We headed off down a beaten track armed with our trusty frisbee, taking care not to knock the head off an innocent walker and sure to catch it before a mad dog did. You really could spend weeks exploring these woods and you could see something different each time and I don't think you could ever really see everything. We saw many beautiful patches of bluebells and spotted some spectacular views from our hike...

Richard and I rarely 'think' to take pictures when we go out, mostly relying on other people to do the job for us but looking round at the beauty of the woodland I decided it would be a crime not to...

I must admit I loved catching a break from the hassle of work and home and just getting out in the countryside. Sometimes all you need is a good long walk and a bit of hand holding to realise the couple that's hiding beneath all of the drama of every day life.

Just as we seemed furthest away from the car and thought we should probably head back, the first few spots of rain started. We played it cool but soon enough the heavens opened and we got soaked. I mean, imagine jumping in a pool with all of your clothes and shoes on- then think about being wetter than that! That is just how wet and cold we were. As if the rain wasn't bad enough the hail started and there was not a sheltered spot in sight. Neither of us were prepared for this sudden change in weather, with Richard in just a tshirt, jeans and trainers and me in a top, blazer, skinny jeans and booties. We were soaked through and the rain was so intense it made it hard to see and hard to breathe from the cold. 

We blindly managed to make it back to the car with our speed walking and it was a case of fumbling to put the heating on and hurriedly putting on our hoodies which we had wisely left in the car. Warm clothes never felt so good. If it was a battle to get into the car park, it was a war to get out, with everyone evacuating after the storm. We eventually made it back home, sopping wet and helped each other out of our shoes. Richard even had to pull of my jeans off which were stuck to my legs and refusing to budge. All that was left to do was get into our most comfiest clothes and whack everything else in the washing machine.

Next time, maybe I will suggest an activity that is a little drier or perhaps I'll just keep my mouth shut...

To find out more about Ashridge Estate or to take a trip visit the National Trust website.

Holiday Hopes

So despite our not so sunny nor romantic getaway to Wales this May, we really did have nothing on the cards in terms of a holiday, such is the way of being skint.

I remember Richard and I looking last year for a potential holiday to somewhere warm and sunny such as Spain or Italy. I myself have never really travelled to anywhere outside of the UK other than to visit my family in Holland and Malta. I never really saw the hype with anywhere further than Scotland or Cornwall. 

France? Well that is full of the French. 
Spain? Well that was full of horrible families and their bratty kids. 

The one place I have truly wanted to visit is New Zealand and that involves a lot of money and a long haul flight so that is out of the question... for now. I was actually shocked at how expensive flights and hotels cost just per person and we said goodbye to the idea of a bit of sunshine. 

However I still wanted to take a holiday, after all we did deserve it. After moving in together, working hard to keep the place, giving Murphy a new home and taking in Richard's brother, we've been through a fair lot. Safe to say we are exhausted. The last 'holiday' we took was a city break to Liverpool last February to celebrate our anniversary and Valentines Day. Besides that, it was a day trip to Kent and not an awful lot besides that. 

With this in mind I got the laptop out and did what I do best- search for things we can't afford. However I was pleasantly surprised how reasonable self catering accommodation was, particularly during the summertime. Richard and I both have our birthday's at the beginning of August, just two days apart and then a few days later it is our four year anniversary. I therefore wanted to go away around that time, particularly as it is our 21st birthdays and apparently they are 'important' and not just 'any other year'. For my 18th I was in Liverpool, for my 19th I was sat in a hospital waiting room with Richard and his broken nose and last year I sat at home with Richard declaring I didn't want a fuss made only to later realise I did want a fuss made and that doing nothing was actually quite boring. 

So this year I want to actually do something and set about looking for affordable options that wouldn't mean we couldn't eat for a month just to pay for it. I looked at staying in the UK and naturally my first thought was Edinburgh! I absolutely love this city and will never tire of visiting it. I will always remember the crash visit I did with a friend of mine for the weekend- we flew up on the Saturday morning and were back by Sunday evening yet still saw this wonderful city in all of its glory. I looked into staying in Edinburgh in August but the hotels were extortionate because of the Fringe Festival that is taking place at that time which attracts tourists from across the globe. Although it would be fantastic and I love the atmosphere at the event it just seem too much and we would have to halve our trip because of the costs involved.

I then looked at Cornwall, another place which I have had many a holiday and adore no end. I would love to spend the Summer here, exploring the beaches and watching the sunsets but the drive would be horrifically long for just the one driver. 

Disheartened I thought back to the many enjoyable family holidays we had experienced and it reminded me of Yorkshire, somewhere I hadn't visited in years. For me when I think of Yorkshire I think of the Moors, the tiny villages and well, the cold weather. I began looking at cottages to rent in Yorkshire and have struck gold with the following three...

I have fallen in love with this little cottage in Kirkby Stephen and it was one of the first places I saw in my hunt for a holiday. I love it's quirky interior which provides everything you could need for a short break. I find people expect too much from holiday accommodation. When Richard and stayed in Liverpool we spent about 90% of our time away from the hotel and therefore a simple Travelodge was ideal when really all we went there for was to sleep and wash. I also think the views are fabulous and should Yorkshire have great weather in August I think sitting outside with a drink would just be a great way to end the day.

I decided to look further into the idea of staying in a cottage in Yorkshire (despite falling in love with the other place) and stumbled across this sweet little cottage in the beautiful village of Pateley Bridge. I immediately liked this place just from the location, somewhere we visited many a time on holiday. Again this small cottage offers everything you could need and being in the middle of a village means that we would be far closer to other popular locations such as Ripon, Harrograte and Masham all of which I adore.

Lastly we have this cottage located in Bewerley which is also close to Pateley Bridge. This seems to offer more space than the previous two and has a more modern interior. It also offers plenty of local attractions and seems to be in the middle of it all.

Now it comes down to number crunching and working out what really offers us the best deal. Fingers crossed it all goes to plan and that this year I will be spending my birthday in more exciting circumstances than the last two.

Where there's leftovers, there's a way...

I am from a generation of women who despise waste. 

I have been seen to knowingly eat mouldy crumpets just so I didn't have to bin them. Just last night I ate three pieces of steak and Richard's portion of chips as well as my own meal just so I didn't waste money. 

I really am awful. I just can't help myself and when you have been brought up by a woman who is well known for using one chicken to make enough meals for a week, you can understand just where I get it from (we also like to dress the same but that's a whole other kettle of fish...)

On days like today I like to remember my Great Grandmother who was Queen of the Recyclers. She could find a use for just about anything and if not at that moment, she would certainly keep it for another day, which is something my family found out when sorting through her belongings. 

Naturally she was from a time and generation where there really could be no wastage and it was all about 'Make do and Mend', something I have total respect for and feel wouldn't go miss in this day and age. For my Mum it is all about making a little go a long way and with having five mouths to feed you can hardly blame her. As for me? Well, I am just skint.

So today on this warm Spring day I decided to make use of some of the odds and ends I had in my fridge and freezer, solely so I didn't have to throw out a carton of custard I had half consumed. Sure I could have just downed it and saved the hassle of cooking something to accompany it, but I felt as though I owed it to these fine women in my life to make something more out of it. So I looked around and found the following...

Despite going shopping yesterday my fridge really is a sorry sight. I had a box of raspberries, a block of puff pastry and some apples I had defrosted that my Mum had given to me, which had been picked by my Dad some time ago. For me nothing beats a good homemade pie, dashed with imperfections but full of flavour. All it took was a quick stir of the fruit in a bowl, a bit of muscle when rolling out the pastry, some creativity and there before me was a delicious pie.

But my job wasn't done. I had leftover pastry. A lot of leftover pastry. Such a dilemma. Throwing it away would almost be as devastating as discarding the carton of custard. Fortunately for me Mumma Rust had given me two pots of mincemeat last year and although some of it had been used for the delicious mince pies, I still had a jar left. This then created my mincemeat tart which is equally as delicious with cold custard as a slice of pie is.

I like to think I have made the women of my family proud today, although I'm sure my Great Grandma is looking down on me and thinking "I could have used that leftover flour you used for dusting to make a most excellent crumble topping". 

Well I still have a lot to learn and a lot to live up to...

Keep Calm, It's Only Summer...

I've got that summertime, summertime sadness. 

Actually I feel this way in every season. I feel lost. I feel as though I have lost my way with my wardrobe and the ability to dress myself. This is a feeling I know is shared by my mother. Every now and again, normally when we go shopping together in an excitable fashion, we become disheartened, head to a coffee shop and proceed to winge over the style choices of the season and how nothing looks right nor fits. 

I don't feel ready for Summer, the same way I wasn't prepared for Spring, Autumn or Winter and now I feel us hurtling towards the warm weather and I haven't got the foggiest idea what to leave the house in other than a brown paper bag.

The big statement in shops at the minute is prints and pastels, which is great if you can pull those off but for the rest of us who feel like a wally in anything close to those, it leaves us with a great dilemma.

Looking through my wardrobe at the minute I feel utterly confused. Sure there is a lot in there but the vast majority of it I have had for at least three years if not more and it is beginning to feel rather well worn. Anything vaguely new, seems to be pulled out time and time again to the point where I am sick to death of seeing it. I then also face the problem of finding an outfit that would look great together but feel as though a part of it is missing, like the right colour top or the right style of shoes.

This sets me out on a mission. A mission to get over my hatred of a certain type of shopping- shoes and trousers. I can't stand searching for these. Give me any other kind of shopping, even food shopping and I will be up for the challenge. But shoes and trousers. No. The simple fact is I have a complicated body shape; tall and thin with absolute no waist but such long legs that if I were to find a pair of trousers that fitted they would probably be about three inches too short. Then we move onto shoes. I also have odd feet- long and thin which like to trick me when I am in a shop into believing I have found a pair of shoes that fit only for me to get home and find that I was sadly mistaken. I have spent many years blaming the shops and their bizarre sizing but now I am beginning to wonder if it is the sad old case of "it's not me, it's you".

However these glaringly obvious problems aside, I have decided to brave the inevitable disappointment and looking into getting some sort of order to my Summer wardrobe and daring to look at things I ordinarily would avoid. Here are some of the things I have been looking at in the trousers and shoes department...

One | Two | Three

So last year I ordered a set of chinos and they didn't fit at all around the waist, you could easily have got another person in there with me. They however didn't have a belt and weren't as good quality as these ones so I am hoping it will be second time lucky, either that or I will have to head over the the children's department. I wish I could say I am kidding but genuinely I still buy some of my clothes from there just so it might actually have a chance of fitting. 

Like I said, prints are really fashionable at the minute and if you want any form of trousers you have to have some with a pattern it would seem. I really like this print and I think with so many colours in the pattern you have a great chance of finding plenty to go with them. I think I might have to order this top too.

Finally the ever so reliable linen trousers have popped up in a few stores and I must say these were quite the rage a few years back. I missed out on buying some at the time but have always been a fan. I think they would look great for work but also be casual enough to wear with sandals on a warm Summer's day. I think I would stick to the darker shades though because no one wants the hassle of finding appropriate underwear to wear with the white ones.

One | Two | Three | Four

I used to adore wearing pumps because they were comfortable and practical especially for work, but since realising I just can't trust my feet to stay the same size I now have to choose shoes that offer support and strapping. I like this pair from Forever21 because they are the closest thing for me to a pair of pumps and look really comfortable.

For the first time last year I found a pair of sandals I actually loved wearing to the extent that I felt I could show off my feet in public (I really do hate feet, particularly my own). These amazing sandals were from Forever21 and they have lasted so well given how much use I've had out of them. I am braving the prospect of buying some more and have found two pairs that I like, I think my favourite have to be the leaf ones from Deichmann. 

I am also on the look out this year for a pair of really comfortable wedges. I don't want anything too high because I would really like to wear them to work and I do so much walking I would probably kill my feet. So far I am settled on these, also from Deichmann, which would do the job nicely and look as though they have soft soles.

I think I am on my way to braving the shops to hunt down a Summer wardrobe, wish me luck!