cupcake cakepop day!

Hello all! Today I went on a rather jolly course courtesey of groupon where I got to learn some good tips and techniques on how to decorate cupcakes and make cake pops :)

Last year as an idea to give me and my friend helen hope through depression, I decided we should open a cake business together as we both love baking and playing around with icing hehe!

Helens cakes are always so yummy and I think of myself as a very capable baker :) my only issue has been learning how to decorate my goodies after I've cooked them!



These were my attempts and to be fair the buttercream ones looked lovely at first, but sadly the room was very warm and there was no fridge space so by the time I thought to take a picture the peaks had collapsed!
Also The fondant iced cakes could have done with some more consideration but to be honest I just wanted to have a go on all of the different moulds and cutters! :p



Next I got to make cake pops :) although as it was only a short 2 hour class we actually made biscuit pops!

These were essentually exactly the same as cake pops only instead of using sponge cake crumbs with buttercream for the ball you use biscuits mixed with buttercream. We used custard creams and they were delicious!



I had alot of fun making cake pop versions of me and matt! And I can't wait to whip up another batch to decorate!

After my very failed attempt at making cake pops last year I feel like I have learned some brilliant tips and am now very excited to make them again, maybe I'll make some using oreos! Nomnomnom =^.^=

if the shoe fits....

buy a pair in every colour! Well the same certainly goes for dresses too :D
I popped into Matalan the other day to pick up some jogging bottoms (it's some effort towards dieting right?) and I happened to spot a really beautiful dress.



It drew me towards it like I was under a spell, everything about it was beautiful, the fabric, the cut, the lining, the inbuilt underskirt and the price! I picked it up and folded it over my arm and turned around when I saw another stunning dress, once again great lining, great cut and beautiful fabric.

It turned out to be the same dress in another material and at £25 each I really couldn't say no!!

I did venture to Matalan last week aswell where I purchased a pair of lovely light blue skinny jeans. This was a great suprise to me as I have been blessed with two of the largest thighs EVER and skinny jeans are always a no-go-zone but these ones actually look rather lovely :).

I also spotted lots of gorgeous shoes, mostly the same style but with different colour variations :) I've shown my favourite ones but sadly none of these came home with me as I was trying to be good!

I will try and get some pics of me actually in these so you can see the cut of the dress a little better :)
Hope you all love them as much as I do :D

xxx Ness xxx

P.S I also thought I'd share a rather beautiful song on the lovely mumford and sons album Mr S brought for me for christmas. If you haven't heard any of mumford and sons work then you are certainly missing out :) This one is my favourite!

lack of pictures

Hello all!
I have to ask if anybody knows if there's any way I can copy image url's from pictures online anymore?
I've been unable to copy image urls directly from an image (right clicking) since updating my laptop and have had no luck on the work PC at all!
This is most pants as I now have internet access at work and would love to spend my time blogging but without pretty pictures it just seems so plain!
Oh I also have a big update once I take photo's of some beautiful things I have aquired over the past few months :)
Nessie-noodle! xx

the cutest critters ever

Hey everyone! Those who haven't already, head on over to the lovely annie's blog for a chance to win a pattern to make the CUTEST little mice ever!
I hope you all lose so I win though!:P hehehehe xxx

a good cause

This is just a quick little post until I get around to doing something a little more in depth :)
I have been watching an episode of Russel Howard's Good News and found a clip about a rather wonderful organisation called postpals.
This is a wonderful idea set up by a really special young lady named Vikki, a sufferer of M.E who decided to come up with a website where people could send letters and gifts to ill children to help brighten their days :)
It's been a while since I've made anything crafty but I feel impelled to make a little friend for one of these brave little children.
I've gone through the website and I have to admit I would love to make a little something for all of the children :) and I think it would be so lovely if any of you wonderful crafty ladies would like to take part and send a little bit of happiness and good wishes to such brave little soldiers.

A slow and steady return

Hello to all of you lovely lovely people.
It's been a long time since I've posted on here, or indeed done anything particularly social.
As you'll all know I had a pretty rough 2011 and had a fair few breakdowns, the last one being after losing my little guy jinxy.
I wanted to say a huge thank you to all of the wonderful ladies who have given me such lovely comments and support, and a massive apology to all of the ladies who sent me gifts for last years birthday swaps which I didn't send back to!
I've saved all the addresses of who I missed out and recieved from and will be sending a special little something out to you all :)

The last few months have been absolute hell for me, we've had mounting financial issues, terrible stress at work and subsequently serious strains on mine and Mr S's relationship.
Fortunately in December I recieved some fantastic news which has been the ultimate turning point for my depression, and that was that I had a new job!
I handed my notice in and recieved confirmation from my manager that I would be able to leave after 3 weeks notice, allowing me to go to the staff christmas party and say goodbye to everybody :)
Sadly my manager lied to me and during my final week at dwell I was informed I no longer had permission to leave a week early and was also uninvited to the christmas party.
After a year and a half of hard work, stress, and helping colleagues I thought to be friends I left without so much as a card and was brought down into a very low state.
Fortunately my new job at Bathstore is fantastic, everybody I work with and after going on a 1 week training course I found that everyone is absolutely fantastic :D
My new role is so stress free and allows me to use CAD software, so I'm encouraged to be creative every day :) to the point where after nearly 2 years of not drawing anything I'm finally starting to doodle again.
But that's not all!

Say hello to the latest addition to our family :) the lovely Milly.
I rehomed her in october after feeling particularly lonely without jinx around. Naturally after three tragedies with our cats I was put off the idea of having another, so I found Milly :)
She's 9 months old now and we're her 3rd home, but definately her last! She's such a bundle of energy and has made sure I get up and go out for a walk rather than sitting around and sulking :) which has definately been a huge help!

That and who could feel sad looking at that face :P

I am going to start making a steady return back in to blogging in between work and walks! I look forward to catching up with all of you again :)
xxx Ness xxx

back to square one

On Saturday morning on my way to work I recieved a phone call that my little jinxy had been found dead in a neighbours garden. This is now the third cat we have lost in 3 years and appears to be another case of poisening.
Unfortunately this has been a major set back in my recovery from depression and I feel just as bad as I did several months ago.
Rest in peace my little angel