Woodland themed baby shower!

Woodland themed cupcake toppers

Gingerbread bird house

Handmade raspberry and mint decorated fairy cakes

Marzipan ladybug

Handmade berry almond muffins

Wooden deer

Handmade gingerbread mushrooms, handmade chocolate squirrels, chocolate rolls and matchmakers

Chocolate muffin, caterpillar chocolate rolls, flower sugar cubes

Enormous meringue with fresh raspberries and chocolate covered toadstool biscuits

Handmade chocolate bunny cookies

Handmade gingerbread mushrooms, handmade chocolate squirrels, chocolate rolls and matchmakers

Home made butterfly cakes, chocolate covered acorn biscuits

The invitations were sent, so I got busy organizing the baby shower which was being held at the mum-to-be's house. All the guests were excited by the theme and everyone offered to bring some Woodland themed sweets!

I made a woodland themed gingerbread house for the center piece, with mushroom gingerbread cookies, petal paste ivy, berries and ladybirds to decorate my shop-bought chocolate rolls and matchmakers. I also made woodland cupcake toppers to decorate cakes and handmade chocolate squirrels.

The sweet guests brought handmade butterfly cakes, chocolate squirrel cake pops inspired by Bakerella, fresh raspberry and mint decorated fairy cakes, chocolate bunny cookies, flower sugar cubes and berry almond muffins. One guest visited three patisseries that morning where she bought the cute marzipan ladybird, the enormous meringue and red currant topped chocolate brownies. Another bought the cute caterpillar chocolate rolls and another picked up the cute toadstool biscuits and acorn biscuits from a Japanese supermarket in North London.

We set up the table and the host was over the moon by her woodland themed sweets table. Gifts were given and we spent the afternoon chatting and laughing as we made our way through the yummy goodies on the table!


Click the image above to open above in a separate window so you can print and make your own.

Have a sweet day!

White with wood

Country Living

Annabel's house

Living Etc

Living Etc

Rose Villa

Boathouse

Blossom park

As some of you may know, we are putting a new kitchen into our home. Having already decided on white cupboard drawers and fronts, I started to look at worktops.

I love how wooden worktops add warmth, and transcend both time and trends. As with all natural materials as long as they are well looked after, solid wood worktops grow more beautiful with age and nothing can equal its timeless look and natural feel. Now, what wood? Walnut, oak, or bamboo to name a few. As our kitchen leads off of our dining room through french doors the obvious choice wood be oak to match the dining room table, and flooring.

Have a sweet day!

Cath Kidston tiles

As a big fan of Cath Kidston, I was delighted to hear of her latest collaboration with Harvey Maria to create these fabulous new vinyl floor tiles. Hard-wearing and practical, they are a great flooring solution for laundry, bathroom and kids' rooms due to their durable, easy-to-clean nature. They come in the pretty rose sprig design, funky spots and a retro Cowboy print to add colour and pattern.

I love the idea of the rose sprig ones in the bathroom above but personally would love to get my hands on the spot stone ones. Oh, the possibilities!

Have a sweet day!

Delights of Spring

This week on Flickr Faves Sunday, I bring you some pretty delights of Spring with these gorgeous pics. Check back soon for some more of the most inspirational photographers on Flickr.

Some beautiful shots from my Flickr favourites (clockwise from top left):

• The gorgeous coloured macarons in Vanilla macarons by Call me cupcake
  
• The pretty flowers in Untitled by frais.orange
• The wonderful Forget-me-nots in 136/365: Don't forget to remember
  by Sophie G*
  
• The sweet tin of Vanilla macarons by Call me cupcake

Have a sweet day!

Woodland gingerbread bird house

As some of you may remember, last year I made a gingerbread bird house as a Secret Santa gift (you can read more about it here). Well my friend, who I am organizing the Woodland themed baby shower for, hinted how much she liked gingerbread so it only seemed fitting to make her a Woodland themed Gingerbread house! I also thought it would make a great centre piece for the Woodland themed dessert table.

I made my own pattern this time. Click to open separately ready to print.



Gingerbread bird house & toadstools

Ingredients
250g unsalted butter
200g dark muscovado sugar
600g plain flour
7 tbsp golden syrup
2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
4 tsp ground ginger

Cooking instructions

1. Heat oven to 180 deg C
2. Melt the butter, sugar and golden syrup in a pan.
3. Mix the flour, ground ginger and bicarbonate of soda in a bowl.
4. Slowly add the melted butter mix to the flour mix to form a dough.
5. Roll dough out to about 8mm thick on to baking paper.
6. Cut out front, then cut small circle out of front.
7. Cut out back.
8. Cut out two roofs.
9. Cut out two sides.
10. Cut out toadstools using cookie cutter.
11. Slide cut pieces still on the baking paper on to baking trays.
12. Bake in the oven for 12 minutes or until firm to the touch.
13. Leave to cool for a few minutes, then re-cut round edges to neaten.
14. Leave to completely cool.

Decorating the Bird House

Ingredients
Roll on icing (white, pale aqua, lilac)
Icing sugar (powdered sugar)
Royal icing
M&M's in pale pink, aqua
Food colouring

To decorate

1. Dust icing sugar onto a hard clean surface and roll out icing to 3mm thick.
2. Cut out house components in icing.
3. Brush water onto back of cut out icing component and place on top of corresponding gingerbread piece. Repeat until all gingerbread pieces are iced.
4. Make up royal icing as per instructions on packet, and spoon into piping bag with a small nozzle at the end.
5. To build the base, hold the front and one of the sides of the house upright together in one hand to form a corner and with the other hand pipe icing down the inside of the corner and hold together until icing starts to set. Repeat until you have formed a box. Leave to set.
6. On the back of one iced roof, pipe icing in a small line round the outside edge. Place on top of gingerbread iced box and hold until icing starts to set. Repeat with second roof piece. Leave to dry.
7. Place house onto a cake board and using a star nozzle on the end of your piping bag, pipe small star shapes around the bottom of the house between the cake board and the house.
8. Continue piping star shapes along all of the outside joins of the house, leaving the top of the roof until last so you can push M&M's into the icing along the top.
9. Pipe small stars in rows across the roof and push M&Ms into icing.

The ivy, ladybirds and berries are made of petal paste which I added food colouring to, to get the desired colours. To make the ivy I used Ivy Leaf Plunger Cutters, for the berries and ladybirds I used Bas relief moulds, bugs, small and fruit and nut. I couldn't believe how easy petal paste was to use, you just take a small piece of it and push it into the mould and then push it out of the mould and voila! you have perfectly shaped ladybugs, berries and so much more! To stick the berries bugs and ivy to the house use a small dab of royal icing.

Have a sweet day!

Whiter than white Kitchens

Alabaster house

Alabaster house

Ideal Home, September 2008

Living Etc, May 2008

Creffield Road

Beech Drive

Perryn House

Apsley House

On my hunt for kitchen ideas I came across these lovely very white kitchens. They are too white for me as I am too afraid of being able to keep them that clean!

Have a sweet day!

Pretty Spring birds

Bird candle holder

Early bird cushion

Love birds mug

Magic garden cake stand

Wire bloom decorative cable hooks

Spring has sprung! So here are some pretty bird interiors to freshen up your home!

It would seem that the trend for having our feathered friends dotted about our houses be it on cushions, wallpaper or perched on sideboards is not going away. Yipee!

I am in love with the pale blue bird candle holder in the top pic.

Have a sweet day!

Pretty Spring interiors

This week on Flickr Faves Sunday, I bring you pretty interior shots with these gorgeous pics. Check back soon for some more of the most inspirational photographers on Flickr.

Some beautiful shots from my Flickr favourites (clockwise from top left):

• The gorgeous colour of the chair in Piles of pity by Ninainvorm
  
• The pretty adorable plates (detail by Ninainvorm
• The pretty bags in Back from grocery shopping
  by Miel bakes/Madhu
  
• The gorgeous flowers in Bright, Bold, and Beautiful by Laura Trevey
  

Have a sweet day!