Not sure quite how my part time job metamorphosed into working 8 days out of 10, but that does at least explain my absence from these parts of late and my current level of shatteredness. The lead up to summer holidays seems almost as frantic as Advent - perhaps it's a cunning plan. If we are all really stressed and over-extended now, we will appreciate the change of pace of the school holidays and be blissed out at the thought of a quiet day or two at home. Wonder if the same will be true for the offspring?
I had really been looking forward to the Children's Food Festival, both as a punter and because Mostly Books were doing book signings with all the celebrity chefs. This meant a large amount of book ordering, book unpacking, book re-packing, book counting, panicking about books that weren't in the right place and humping of boxes full of books. A lot. But it did also mean that I got to decorate a 'Princess Baking' themed table for some Annabel Karmel stock.
It's a well known fact that I am always up for a bit of 'pink and sparkly', given that my house abounds with testosterone, so I had fun with pink tablecloths, decorated with raggy ribbon flowers (this one loosely based on my beautiful peonies - now long dead)
And a farmyard full of piggy cupcakes
To go with a dozen eggs worth of meringues and a batch of tiara, gown and high heeled iced biscuits.
I have to confess, a third of the meringues didn't see active display (and it wasn't just that the helpers were scoffing them). I thought we'd go for a soft pastel meringue palette - pink (fine), pistachio green (fine, if a little lurid), lilac (hmmm). What was an appealing lavender shade mixture, somehow transformed itself into dingy underwear grey coloured during the course of baking. Not a good food look.
And I am sad to say, I didn't take my camera on Saturday, so there are no pictures. But there are a few celebrity signers in evidence on the shop blog. And I did manage to have it with me on Sunday, when I braved the whole thing again, with my own offspring. They had a ball making ice cream sundaes and doing plenty of sampling in the Chocolate Tent.
Getting back to the farm, pricking out seedlings and climbing on tractors, watching sheepdogs and making and tasting butter.
But in a bizarre turn of events, the most popular bit of fun was the Dyson airblade tent. Where you could wash your hands and dry them! In a tent in a field. What will they think of next?
you never can guess what will capture children's attention the most. No 3 is totally terrified by those air blades thingy. I think they're fab, but you'd never get him to dry his hands in them again.
nice to see you back.
Posted by: monica | 30 June 2009 at 18:32
Your pink peony is beautiful.
I can't believe the children have such a short time until the summer break, hope the weather holds for us all.
Lisa
Posted by: Lisa | 30 June 2009 at 19:46
AHHH! The piggy cupcakes are absolutely fantastic!!
Posted by: Jessica | 30 June 2009 at 19:51
I love those piggy cupcakes and the peony if gorgeous! Well worth all those extra hours of work.
I'm with the kids on the airblades - except I hate the way they make the skin on my saggy old hands ripple so unnattractively!
xxx
Posted by: Lesley | 30 June 2009 at 20:45
That high-tech hand-washing facility is in a tent in a field??!!
Love the cupcakes too.
Posted by: Dragonfly | 30 June 2009 at 21:39
What a faboulous sounding festival. Your piggy cupcakes are wonderful!
Posted by: Gina | 30 June 2009 at 22:26
Your first paragraph is almost word for word what I have been thinking lately! Part time work = fairly full on time at the moment and 3 x end-of-school-year = mega stressfull!
Never seen an airblade hand-dryer thingy though and am now intrigued!
Lucy xx
Posted by: Lucy Locket-Pocket | 30 June 2009 at 22:43
My boys would be playing in the air-tent-thingy too!
Are you getting to relax a *little* more this week?
Posted by: Karen J | 30 June 2009 at 22:56
Mmmm, underwear grey meringues. Can't think why you didn't put them out.
Busy, busy days for you, Mrs Ali.
Posted by: Megan | 30 June 2009 at 22:59
Oh yes, part time work is never quite as easy as it sounds is it? Those Dyson hand dryers scared me to death in terminal 5 when we flew back to the uk at Christmas when my skin was virtually sucked off my hands...!
Lovely peony, had to look twice to spot that one!
Posted by: lina | 01 July 2009 at 01:17
i love the peonies and piggies!
everything looks like so much fun!
Posted by: babybug | 01 July 2009 at 03:36
looks like a great weekend!
The miss piggy's look gorgeous- and time consuming to make!
Posted by: janet clare | 01 July 2009 at 07:52
You do the best party decorations! The pink peony is absolutely gorgeous. And love the cupcakes. Hope you're feeling a bit less stressed now. K x
Posted by: kristina | 01 July 2009 at 08:39
Hope work calms down for you so you can enjoy the peace of the summer hols...ha ha! I mean brilliant days with the boys of course! If this sunshine lasts my oldest two will spend 6 weeks in the garden, which is handy as I can lock the door when they are arguing and leave them out there.
Love the peony, bet the Princess Baking party was the best.
Posted by: French Knots | 01 July 2009 at 09:45
Ah Dyson hand driers are always a winner.Can you believe how powerful they are?!
Posted by: Kristy | 01 July 2009 at 11:21
I don’t see how you have the time to blog, working long hours and with two boys at home, too! But thank you for taking the time to let us have a peek into your life. I love how you share the wins and the misses (and the unexpected miracles like your amaryllis in a previous post). Thanks!
Posted by: Kari | 01 July 2009 at 12:50
8 days out of 10, and you still managed to do all that? You are a super mum!
Posted by: rhubarb | 01 July 2009 at 13:38
I have been looking at pictures on flickr in the Pink and Green pool all week to try and find the right shade to paint my new bedside cabinet. Needn't have bothered. I shall just hold the Dulux shadecard up next to the grass on your peony pic
Posted by: The Coffee Lady | 01 July 2009 at 14:30
I love the air blades though the effect of my rippling hand flesh is a little disturbing ...
Hang in there till the summer hols. We'll be there sooner than we know it.
Posted by: dottycookie | 01 July 2009 at 21:08
This doesn't surprise me at all - if we ever are somewhere they have airblade dryers mine always have to wash their hands twice. or more. I'm sure the novelty will wear off eventually...
Posted by: Kate | 01 July 2009 at 22:00
Hahaha -- now maybe kids the world over will be happy to wash their hands! Those piggy cupcakes are sooo cute and your fabric flower looks like the real thing!
Posted by: Thimbleanna | 02 July 2009 at 00:56
"This doesn't surprise me at all - if we ever are somewhere they have airblade dryers mine always have to wash their hands twice. or more."
Mmm. Which kind of torpedoes their big claim about energy efficiency :-)
Posted by: Mark Thornton | 02 July 2009 at 10:24
The piggy cupcakes have really cheered me up! I must have a go at making some. Thank you for the inspiration! x
Posted by: simone | 02 July 2009 at 14:05
We've seen those dyson dryers at the V & A so cool and very clever!!
Posted by: Jane Weston | 02 July 2009 at 14:46
Your fabric peony is perfect! The cupcakes are cute, too. And I love those Dyson dryers...you don't have to wait forever for them to work!
Posted by: Leslie | 04 July 2009 at 15:03
The Dyson Airblade tent was an absolute winner with us too. Juliet washed her hands about half a dozen times over the two hours we were there. We made the mistake of getting there near lunchtime which was too late to sign up for many activities (unless you were planning to stay til the end). There weren't enough places to eat lunch either - it was meant to be a FOOD festival for goodness sake! Was going to say hello to you, but you were very busy selling Raymond Blanc books.
Posted by: Annabel | 04 July 2009 at 20:44
Those piggy cakes are the best little cakes I have ever, ever, EVER seen. Want one right now please!
Posted by: Michaela | 05 July 2009 at 13:11