Thursday 28 January 2010

Why so grey? because i have colourful ideas!

The reason for the title is...
... I'm so fed up with this grey weather that i felt i needed some colour in my life, so I've put together a few of my favourite photos and placed them all in this one post.










I hope I've injected some colour into your days. Is it just grey here? or everywhere!

I mean i like grey don't get wrong, it's one of my fave colours to wear but enough's enough of it outside I need sun, even if it's just for a while.

Roll on Spring, pretty please x
With love,

Monday 18 January 2010

Just keep thinking this...


This picture is especially for Jade my oldest cupcake. She's been doing her GCSE's all last week and has the last 2 today and on Wednesday. A very stressful time for her. We saw a real difference in her this weekend, she looked thinner, paler and sleeper (if a teenager can look any sleeper lol). I took her and Daisy out on Saturday to the shops for a little break. (miss Molly was out partying with school friends and Mr cup).
I think the break did her some good, as she got stuck in to the books again on the Sunday.
Good my lovely girl, just give it your best that is all we ask of you. Ben and i are very proud of all your hard work.
And just remember the words above KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON.
My thoughts are with any other parents on here with teenagers going through the same thing. I know i wouldn't want to go back to school now for all the tea in China.
I must admit i didn't do well in my G's but it's never stopped me doing anything in life. And now i run my own business and work for myself. I hope i give you the confidence to just do your best. There is so much more stress put on own youngster's, i dread to think what it's going to be like for Molly and Daisy when they get to their teens. But we're support them in everything they choose.
This weekend coming Jade and you can have a rest and enjoy yourself with Tom (that's her boyfriend wink!). And just relax knowing that part is all done with.
With love,

Monday 11 January 2010

All this snow is making me still feel all Christmasy.

Is it just me or does it still feel alot like Christmas? i know all the decorations have been packed away and the last of the cake eaten but all the snow makes me feel magic is still in the air. Or maybe i just don't want to let go of that lovely feeling and let grey old January in. This is a photo taken by me while out walking with Mr cupcakes and the little cups. Our wood at the end of the road, it's full of wild life and my favourite feathered friends blue tits, they wouldn't stay still long enough to get a photo of them. Our own Winter wonderland and i thought I'd share a little bit of it with you x


Holding on to the last of the Christmasy ness, here's a funny poem by the lovely Jacqui at Pearl & Earl. Check out their website. Lots of fabulous present ideas.

gaudy baubles, fairy lights and lots of holly wreaths,... amaryllis, mistletoe and snogging underneath,... crackers, snowballs, advocat and grandma in a tizz,... mum always in the kitchen cooking, she really is a whizz,... pine needles getting everywhere, the hoover just packed in,... bowls of stale dates, a bag of nuts and a big quality street tin,... turkey with all the trimmings, and of course our yearly dose of sprouts,... dad says that they make him fart, and complains about his gout,... bond films, people dying on a soap and don’t forget the Queen,.. morecombe and wise season special with an appearance from barry sheen,... smells of cinnamon from the mulled wine remind us of the past,... but please don’t cringe, remind yourself Christmas really is a laugh...x
With love x

Saturday 9 January 2010

Brrr! it's brass monkey's out there.

Saturday morning saw the cupcake house all wrapped up in lots of layers, hats, gloves, scarfs and coats. And setting off to the woodland walk up the road. We found a hill and set about sledging down it lol
First came Miss Molly in her leopard wellies, pom pom scarf and liquorice allsorts hat.
Followed closely by Miss Daisy, sporting her new pom pom bear hat and Stanley wellies.

After seeing how much fun it looked Mr cakes thought he'd have a go lol
Big kid LOL I'm sure he's not been the only Daddy to do this. Any excuse for a play hehe!
Back home and hot water botty for Daisy little feet, some chocolate buttons to make her feel better and snuggles under the eiderdown for Molly. Hot coffee and tea for me and Mr cupcakes.
And stood and watched the poor feathered friends in our garden. I'd spread the last of the left over goose fat on the end of the bread, filled an enamel plate with water for them too. They really need water to drink in this weather as well as fatty treats.
Our trees in the garden give them some shelter from the cold and snow.
Here is our favourite little fella, Mr Robin. He's made our garden his and his Mrs joins him the feed sometimes too. There is also a little family if blue tits, my favourite bird of all but they are safely tucked up somewhere in side a tree. I can't blame them really, as i type this there is a blizzard out there.
Thomas our cat isn't silly he knows the warmest place to sleep lol doesn't look the most comfortable of places though, crazy cat. His belly just about fits on.
He's keeping his paws crossed that this weather doesn't go on for much longer, it's far too cold out there to put his bottom down anywhere for a pee LOL
It's the funnest thing to see. A quick dash out, find a spot, wee and run for your life back indoors again. Our other cat Megan has to be carried out because she'd fight you all the way before she'd go on her own. They're now both fast asleep on the chair in our bedroom, next to the radiator. Not silly!
Wheres the post? is it me or have we not had any for over 3 days now! now i know it's bad weather but our fabulous milkman still gets here everyday with his delivery of much needed milk for our breakfast, tea and coffee's. And we thank him fromthe bottom of our hearts, so why can't the postman do the same. Sigh!
I sent out loads of cards this Christmas and haven't had hardly any post back and now nothing at all for 3 days, so I'm really not liked or is it all sitting around at the depot waiting to be sorted or lost in the magic postal world that is Royal mail. I hate to moan but when you run a business and rely on them, it really makes you think about finding someone else. I truly hope that all my Christmas cards and customer orders have got to you all. Maybe next year it would be easier to walk and post them all myself LOL
Keep warm and safe.
From a toastie cupcake house lots of love x


Thursday 7 January 2010

I'd like to go into hibernation now the snows here Brrrr!

So the Christmas cakes are eaten and the decorations are packed away for another year.
Well nearly all packed away, I've kept a few all year round ones. Like our reindeer. I thought with all the sow she'd feel right at home still looking out at it all. And Mr squirrel is all warm and toastie inside. Thanks Tracy, Ben loves him and it made him laugh when i gave him as a present. He'd seen them on your blog. And thought how cute they are.
Visit Cupcakes at home for more of Tracy's fabulous items.

A home can never have enough toadstool's i say. I plan to paint the little wooden one, but it won't be for sale though sorry ladies. It's just to nice and i got it before we went to the farm last year, from Butterfly world.

I've kept my red bunting up in the conservatory, it makes me smile but there's been no working out there it's so cold it would freeze the brass monkey's off LOL
Our Christmas tree still looks pretty a fair few less needles than when Mr cupcakes bought it home but it's full of snow now and looks a picture. We'll compost it up the lottie later when the weather gets better (if it gets better sigh!).

Molly's school is closed today and it's Daisy's day off from playgroup, so this means lots of indoor activity's planed for the day.

The tub of felts come out and thank you letters are being drawn and written.


While the snow carries on falling outside we're all snug and toastie. Keeping busy. I think some well earned films later on and hot chocolates and biscuits too.
I'll leave you with a couple of snowier photo's, this is what we can see from our bedroom window.
And this one from across the road. The graveyard looks like a picture postcard and ever so less spooky than before.


Stay safe and warm everyone, don't go out if you don't have to and if you do wrap up warm, take a flask of something hot and pack a blanket in the car.
With love,

Monday 4 January 2010

It's all over so fast, but we had a good time. Thanks Santa x

In the early hours (well not too early lol) of the morning. The cupcakes woke to find Santa had been and left them gifts in their stockings as well as under the Christmas tree.




And once our teenager joined us from her sleepy bed hehe! the opening of Santa gifts took place. Look what miss Molly got, just what she'd asked him for. And a pink scooter too. You must of been a very good girl last year. You can just spy Mr cupcakes in the back ground putting together miss Daisy's gift from Santa.
Yes a Ben 10 scooter lol our young Daisy is the biggest tomboy ever. All the boys at playgroup and Molly's school love her lol Poor Daddy cupcakes is going get more and more grey hairs by day. There will be no hope by the time she's a teenager LOL I don't think we should be worried though, I've heard lots of people say that their boys love to play with dolls, our Daisy is just into boys stuff. I must add that we've bought their beautiful dresses for our wedding (a bargain in the kids Monsoon sale hehe!) and Daisy just loves her pretty very pink girlie dress lol so she has a real mix of boy/girl in her. LOL And we wouldn't have it any other way.


Now as Christmas days go ours was a nice family one, with just Mr cupcakes, me, the cupcakes and Jade. There was some wearing of silly hats and bad jokes in the crackers. Q: Why did the strawberry get a lawyer? A: Because it was in a jam. sigh!
There was some stuffing of the bird (oi! cheeky lol) Thanks Mr cupcakes for one of the best Christmas dinners ever. Everything was yummy. I'm a lucky lady because i sort out the rest of Christmas, ie: cards, presents, posting them, wrapping them, decorations, Christmas cakes etc, etc... so this means that Mr cupcakes cooks Christmas day dinner. This year he even cooked my favourite gammon, with my yummy topping for me because i had a cold. Awww what a sweetie. Thanks baby. X


Before and while the bird was cooking we had a nice winter walk to work up an appetite and to build our strength for opening the rest of the presents. We both can't stand it that most Christmas days are over so fast, with a free for all of tearing wrapping paper off and it all being over in 5 mins flat, so in our house we just open stockings and Santa gifts first and save the rest for later. The cupcakes don't seem to mind because they don't know any different. And it makes the day last for them and us. What funny things or ways do you do on Christmas day?
We also saved the cake until Boxing day. This one anyway lol i made 2 so Mr cupcake could have some with his tea in the afternoons before the big day.
The famous Granny cupcakes came for the day on Boxing day and we spent it chatting, playing games, opening more presents she'd brought with her (naughty lady), watching films, eating cheese, crackers, cold meats and pickles, more cake, wearing silly hats again and just spending some good old fashion family time together. Thank you cupcake family for making it a lovely one. And to mine and Mr cupcakes family that couldn't be with us, you where on our minds. And we missed having you here. X


So the cupcakes go back tomorrow to school and playgroup, and the house will be a quite once again until 3.30ish when we all get home again. I'm getting stuck into some new projects for Spring and did i mention our wedding in May lol well there is the matter of that to take in hand. The biggest one for me is what the hell am i going to wear? Getting down to my ideal weight of 9 stone needs to happen first before any dress trying on takes place lol no more cakes, crisps or sweets for me. Lots of fruit and veg, oh god new year resolutions! yes losing weight is at the top of mine. I don't need to lose loads but just some to make me feel better in myself.
And living by this wonderful piece of advice written below, which i found on another blog ( I'm so sorry but i can't remember who's blog it was).
The first part of it is very important to me this year and i want to try my very best to carry these words in my head, if certain people try and invade my life.
I strongly feel that the second part of it is true and i have been living by the everything happens for a reason line for over 6 years now. I wouldn't be where i am or who i am now if i didn't. I have truly gone back to being the person my Mummy cupcake brought in to the world all those years ago. And stopped turning into someone I'm not and didn't want to be anymore. I am that bird set free to fly and grow into the real me. Thanks Ben.
Life is to short to wake up in the morning with regrets.
So, love the people who treat you right and forget about the one's who don't.
And believe that everything happens for a reason...
If you get a chance - take it;
If it changes your life - let it.
Nobody said it would be easy...
They just promised it would be worth it.
Happy new year everyone, back soon more things to say.
With love,