I love a challenge...

So, I have signed myself up for Blog Every Day in May over at Rosalilium (which, by the way you should totally be following if you are remotely interested in vintage, thrifting, beauty, fashion, lifestyle or bacon - yes, I did mean to type that.) Elizabeth is a just lovely lady and is currently selling lots of her thrifted and vintage stuff on her ebay in order to help herself out financially after a rough time - we have all been there so please do go over and show her some love!
Anyway, I digress. Elizabeth has set up a blogging challenge to blog every day in May and LOADS of blogger have signed up (yay!) There is a topic for each day but it is very non-prescriptive and can be interpreted any way you want. The topics are ready and waiting in a google calendar which is mega helpful for those of us who are going away for bank holiday - I'll be doing some of mine in advance and just hitting 'publish' whilst I am away. I don't want to be too antisocial whilst staying with other people!

So, there you have it! I wanted to let you know so if you start thinking I've gone stark blogging mad, you know why! If you fancy signing up - even if you want to stray from the topics but just want the challenge of committing to blog each day then please head over to Rosalilium and get cracking :) 

.... And Breeeeeeathe *phew!*

It has been a crazy couple of months, hence the lack of blogging action, despite having LOTS to blog about! So, here I go...
First of all, I went to my very first CCC meeting. I had a lovely evening and 2 wonderful ladies gave me lifts to and from the train station to enable me to be there. There was quite a turnout - so much so that it was nigh-on impossible to get round and meet everyone and taste all the cakes. If I am totally honest, the group was a little too big for me but I know it can vary from month to month (the previous meeting only had 7 attendees) but Dorset is a big county so I think more groups may form in the future. It was a long way to travel too, but once I am driving it won't be so much of an issue. I tried to make a giant coffee cup cake with a irish mocha ganache but it failed.... miserably.... at the very last minute! So into the oven went a coffee chocolate cake with which I could pair the rather delicious ganache that had turned out wonderfully. It went down well but - as for the lack of photo - it really wasn't worth photographing!

Secondly, I started my driving lessons (yippee!!) My wonderful husband put me on the insurance too so I am practising at every opportunity. After all, I need to get used to driving our car (which stalls irritatingly easily and, yes, my instructors car is much nicer - but also about 10 years newer.) So far,  no-one has died and I haven't had to exchange insurance details with anyone. My theory test is booked for less than 2 weeks time so I am busy studying for that.

There are some other things I have been up to, including, but not limited to:

• Hosting a Red Nose Day coffee & cake day
• Helping to decorate a venue for a swanky party
• Weaning my now 6-month old (what?!) onto solid food which has to be home made due to his dairy intolerance
• Potty training my 2-and-a-half year old (aaaaaaaaargh)
• Finally admitting to having Post-Natal Depression and accepting medical help (should have done it over 2 yrs ago!) 

I have more busy-ness coming up (decorating 2 wedding venues this coming weekend and I have a teething baby and a house to clean) so I won't ramble on any longer. I will simply leave you with a picture of my first EVER Simnel Cake (Mary Berry's recipe of course) complete with my first ever attempt at sugared flowers which I picked from my garden - it doesn't get much more spring like than this!

Simnel Cake.

Triple layer cake for Easter raffle at preschool

Sugared primroses & daffodils