A Surfing Party!


Zac has always loved being in the sea, but this last year has been huge for him in terms of both surfing and also surf lifesaving. 



No surprise then, that for his 10th birthday party he chose to go surfing with his mates.


This is the second birthday cake i have made in my life, so i had to prove that i did actually do it..


 (well, actually, Steve's mum made the sponge, i just decorated it!) Can you tell that it's the sea and a beach? (Putsborough beach to be precise - check out the walnut rocks!)


 Take note of the frothy white water....am thinking of adding my name to our wedding cake makers list...what do you think?


The waves were flat at Puts so we headed to good old Croyde Bay instead. Zac (and Liza) chose their best surfing mates to come along


and we couldn't have asked for better conditions.


For October, the weather was amazing and the sea still warm.


Lots of people were out and holiday-makers still around, so in many ways it still feels like the remnants of summer. 


Loving the luminous pink wax. Zac, and his long-term friend Kieran, who has recently moved here, often go in together.


Luke was first up on the wave, showing the boys how its done.


He was riding his Dad's old board known as a 'big wave gun'...Luke's dad is a well known electrician around these parts so we will have lots of jokes now we have this ammo (ammo...get it?!)


As i watched from the beach it just looked idyllic out there.


Liza was riding a board we call 'The Pudding'. The girls were straight up...


Liza, 7 and Daisy 8, show the boys how its done..


Zac jumps up


and rides the wave


He was riding his Dad's 'Gulf-Stream fish' short-board, that Steve got from a number of friends for his 40th...the take-over didn't take long! 


Luke was riding Steve's old 'mini-mal' 


The anticipation of the next set.



Rez loving the ride on his Redwood 'grom short-board'.


Henry on a 'pop-out' board 


and then dropping off and getting sea in the eye..not so good! I am relieved to say, despite appearances, Henry was ok..it was only Zac with an injury by the end.


Kieran rides in style on his 'fluid-juice' short-board, shaped in Cornwall.



Hughie prefers fishing to surfing, but you would never know!


Riding his 'Redwood Long-board' like a pro.


Almost a barrel there Hughie!



Zac was keen for me to put up more pics of him so here you go...




I think this was just before the accident of his board smacking him above his left eye..poor Zac.


Never one to let a small thing like that get in the way, after a bit of reassurance and mopping up, he went straight back in for more.


Although Steve was in the water with them, we were reassured by the presence of the life-guards.


 I am sure they are great at their job; but Baywatch, they are not.


As the light started to change, we changed location and drove everyone over to Putsborough beach cafe.


There are not many cafe's in the world with a view like this.


Tony cooked up a wonderfully healthy tea made up mostly of nuggets, burgers and chips!


Then out came the cake. No Baker birthday is complete without a firework in there somewhere. Just a shame Steve chose to plonk it straight in the middle of my sea! Mind you with the Atlantic Array wind farm most likely on its way, it was probably a fairly accurate prediction of the future..


After tea they all formed their own games on the beach (i was pleased as they might have run off some of the stodge before the Mum's and Dad's arrived).


As we left the beach, the light changed again 


and by the time we had got on the Pickwell road, this is the scene that greeted us. 

A beautiful end to a beautiful day.

x

Tom and Hanni's wedding - Seashells, Apple Green and Handmade Treasures!


Our last wedding of the year took place at the weekend and it was a wedding full of surprises from start to finish!

The first surprise was that after 6 days of heavy rain the sun found its way back and gave Hanni and Tom a warm and blue skied day making their dream come true to get married outside with a view to the sea!

We had a new team of suppliers for this wedding with Sue and Louise from Balcony hairdressers in Fremmington, styling the girls hair into relaxed, beachy style waves. Then Louise from Toast Events provided the chair covers with sashes matched to colour perfection!

Tom has been blessed with an extremely talented family and introduced us to Annie Fowler who has now joined our recommended list as florist. Annie created some stunning displays that added so well to the apple green colours, seaside influence and young creative fun of the day.

Hanni, along with her Dad Martin and Mum Pamela, have spent the last nine months collecting treasures in the colour scheme, making all the decorations and thinking about everything you could possibly need to create a breath-taking wedding breakfast setting.

Pamela made these little boats (with hand painted spots!) and filled them with traditional seaside sweets (such as mini sticks of rock and gold coins) giving the guests a unique favour at their place setting.

Hanni saw little bird cake toppers in a magazine and took on the tough feat of making her own. I think her creation is amazing and perhaps could be a sideline business for her?!...

Hanni and her Dad Martin are not just father and daughter, but business partners and amazing friends! Martin worked extremely hard to help Hanni and Tom have a stylish, individual and personal wedding.

 I could write a huge list of all that he did; like having their initials made in metal that he sewed on to wicker hearts, hand painted and then placed throughout the garden. But there was one thing he did which really showed his love for his daughter. He managed to get hold of the letters 'H' and 'T' from a Parisian hotel sign where they had once spent a precious holiday together. (The hotel was about to be rebuilt so sign no longer needed). He gave it to Hanni and Tom during his speech as a memory for their home!

I also must not forget Tom’s hard work, who had silver hipflasks engraved for each of his grooms men with their name, and the date of the wedding.

Then to top it all off he had a glass of Gin and Tonic at the ready to help them toast the day into full swing!

Lee and Kristina Timmins our wonderful partnered caterers produced a day’s menu that tied the themes together perfectly.
On our Terrace in the lovely sunshine, guests were treated to canapé’s such as fresh smoked salmon on crisp bread and miniature scones with cream and jam and fresh strawberries.


After being seated at the gorgeous decorated tables, individual anti pasti platters with home made bread were served, followed by Sea bream served with lyonnaise potatoes and hand-tied vegetable parcels.

These individual wedding cakes, supplied by Emily Rose Cakes Shop, came in 3 different flavours and filled that sweet spot perfectly!
During the day guests were not short on things to keep them entertained... After canapés, those that were able, all went down to Putsborough beach for photo’s and a quick paddle in the sea! Croquet and giant chess were laid on the lawn for those with a competitive streak.


Michael Wells came as photographer and did a great job capturing all the aspects of the day and have given Tom and Hanni some fantastic memories to keep.

Hanni also made this gorgeous wishing tree that she covered with hearts and personal sentiments (like an angle she’d had since a child). Placed under the tree were luggage tags for guests to write their wishes and memories of Hanni and Tom.


Then came the evening along with extra local friends and more entertainment...
Lee held court outside with a huge BBQ serving freshly cooked bacon butties.

Hanni and Tom also set up a HUGE sweet station that never ran out and completed it with retro stripy bags. This was a hit with evening guests and helped fuel the energy for some very funny dancing later on!

As night fell, along came the local band TheDambuskers. They got all 140 guests in the full swing of dance with a folky rock set which saw all of the musicians enter the dance floor whilst playing; the lead singer start off some great dancing; and a good sing along with some classic covers such as brown eyed girl!

And as a brilliant way to make sure Hanni and Tom didn’t miss out on anything, they provided a Polaroid camera and fancy dress bag! – I couldn’t contain my laughter when I saw the father of the groom Richard appear on the dance floor in hotpants and full ladenhoes! Or John, Toms brother who spent the final 3 hours dressed as the pink panther!

Hanni and Tom created a perfect wedding full to the brim of personal touches, comfort for their guests and heaps of laughter and fun for all involved! The obvious love their family and friends show for them is a true testament to them as individuals and together as a beautiful couple.

Have fun in Thailand and all the best for your future together Mr and Mrs Hunnibell!
Holly x

Es and Paul's wedding- Silver Ribbons, Deep Red Roses and a Campervan or Two


Es and Paul arrived on Friday in their lovely campervan called 'Custard' (she was yellow before her recent face lift, hence the name). It was exploring this area in 'Custard' that made them fall in love with the North Devon coast. You would not believe what gorgeous things came out of the van......


Here is Paul bringing in the elegant table centre pieces.


Paul and Es had sourced these amazing silver candelabras, they placed one either side of the top table, beautifully decorated with flowers by Kelly from Offshore blooms.


They then had a smaller candelabra on each windowsill, creating a stunning effect. The arrangements and bouquets contained these amazing deep red roses called 'Black Bacara', that looked just like they were made of velvet.


Es and Paul came up to the Designer Wedding Show in London with us back in March where they met the wonderful cake maker and designer Anna Tyler from Bristol. This is her Mum who helped her deliver and put together the cake on the Friday. You can see some more photos of her cakes on our wedding show blog.


You can see how impressive it looked when it was finished and topped with flowers. The guests raved about how completely delicious the lemon cake itself tasted too.


They chose to name each table after their favourite beaches and seaside locations.


Clever table plan hey!!


All hands on deck. Es's cousin Pete gave me a lesson in Welsh name pronunciation whilst we put out the favours. I'm not sure I did very well!


Not that this particular name was very Welsh! These were the lovely favours put together by Es's Mum, well done Chris.


I thought these little boxes of table entertainment were a great idea.


Altogether it created a stunning and elegant effect.


There was attention to detail at every turn. This gorgeous wreath on the front door provided a beautiful welcome and a taste of things to come.


Saturday morning, the boys all suited and booted, headed off  to the Kings Arms pub in the village for a cheeky pint to steady Paul's nerves.


Casey, Paul and Es's gorgeous staffy joined the boys on their wedding morning outing.


The beautiful bride with her Dad. The sun shone and Es got her wish to get married outside with the view of the sea.


Es walked down the aisle to Pachelbel's Canon.


This is actually a copy of a photo that one of the guest's took (so sorry for the quality) but I thought it was such a wonderful shot and I never get to be this close to the action!


Confetti at the ready, Es's little nieces handed out cones of dried red rose petals to the guests ready for a photo opportunity.


Now onto the serious business of a celebratory Mojito. Richard and I thought we ought to double check the recipe at 9am on Saturday morning and boy was it good! However we were a bit squiffy putting the chairs out!


A nice cold beer was on offer for those not up for a cocktail, both went down a treat.


And so did the canapés which ended with yummy miniature scones. Es's bridesmaid Alisa certainly thought so.


With the guests seated, the speeches began. Es's mum and dad did a brilliant double act with hilarious comedy timing.


Es and Paul are self-confessed foodies and so chose the most exquisite menu. I only managed to photograph the starter before getting side tracked but this is what they had:

Smoked salmon and prawns topped with a leaf salad. 
Saddle of venison served with dauphinoise potatoes, hand tied fresh vegetables and a redcurrant jus.
Chocolate truffle torte served with a vanilla and raspberry sauce.

Yummy!!


After dinner, whilst guests enjoyed coffee and home made fudge on the terrace, Es and Paul nipped down to the beach in 'Custard' for a few sunset photos. I can't wait to see them.


I think 'Dougal', 'Custards' friend went too.


They cut the cake and the evening began.


Much dancing followed (although Paul insisted he couldn't dance.... I beg to differ)


Alisa made a great dancing partner instead.


During the evening the guests wrote lovely messages around this amazing photograph from the pre wedding shoot. Andy Green the photographer is a talented man and what a great memento.


The videographer also set up this twinkly area in the candle lit courtyard, where he filmed well wishers messages (even if a few were quite cheeky!).


Congratulations Paul and Es, I have so enjoyed helping you plan your wonderful weekend and what a wedding weekend it was! You really are a very special and lovely couple. Dyminiadau gore i'r dyfodol (Best wishes for the future, or at least that's what I hope it says, no laughing Tegid and Pete!!)

Jackie and Matt. Autumn, Cricket and Horses!


First thing to arrive on the Friday before Jackie and Matt's wedding, 


was Jackie's Mum, Jill, with a horse box FILLED with flowers 


of all manner of shapes and sizes.


The Ballroom smelled amazing!


It was like Mary Poppins handbag, this horse-box..


you never knew what was going to come out next!


Jill immediately got to work and started to assemble the flowers into


beautiful autumnal displays.


I'm not sure Jill could have managed it all without the help of Jackie's lovely sister Steph. 


While I was beavering around working, I suddenly noticed a little fellow watching me.


I took this friendly Robin as a sign of good things to come.


The garden started to take on a more romantic feel,



as did the windowsill in the Snug.


 Jackie and Matt had put together these boxes for each apartment. They were filled with breakfast items but also lots of little treats. With a stencil, Jackie had personally written on the side of every one.


Matt has always been a keen cricket fan, thus the mini cricket bats. Jackie sourced these, and again made the words herself.


Jackie is a qualified vet and has a big love for horses, hence the horse-shoes.


There was also a clear autumnal palette coming through in all the colour and style choices for this weekend;


 from these fab table favours which came over from the states in a bridesmaid's suitcase,


to this wonderful idea of all guests placing their fingerprints like leaves onto this tree. Check out the ink pallets..everything had been given careful thought and attention.


Ah, thats what the swans were for! These were a surprise for the bride and groom and Jill had the frames made specially.


The wedding rehearsal was the funniest I have ever been a part of. Matt (as you can see from his cheeky expression) was cracking the jokes at every opportunity. It was hilarious!


Early Saturday morning, while I was setting up, I came across some guests enjoying a cooked breakfast on the Terrace. I love seeing our guests really making the most of being here.  


The room was ready to go.


The flowers were incredible,



every possible space was filled with them,


and Jackie had hired this baby grand piano which topped the room off beautifully.


She even managed to find Richard Gere to play it!


Our Entrance Hall boasted a garland of ivy all round the staircase 


as well as a stunning flower arch to lead you into the Ballroom.


Upstairs, the girls were busy! Steph (who is not a hairdresser by trade) did an amazing job at doing everyone's hair! 


Jackie and Matt's son, Sam, looked ready to eat in his little, well, not-so-little, trousers! 


Kerri, one of the bridesmaids who flew in from the States just for the wedding, helped him into his jacket and tie. 


I noticed all the girls looking sparkly and smelling wonderful. They gave the credit for both to this Victoria Secret spray. *Top tip* for all you future bridesmaids!


Steph helped Jackie into her stunning dress. At 11 weeks pregnant, Jackie had to breathe in that little bit more than she was used to!


Don't they look gorgeous! Notice how the bridesmaids are still rocking the autumnal theme in their sash colour.


The bridesmaids bouquet's made by Jill,


and the elegant bride's bouquet.


Here is the woman herself, Jill. Pictured here on the right. You would never know from this picture that she had stayed up all night to get the flowers finished off! Lorna (Jill's sister, pictured here on the left) made the cake, but more on that later.


Going to fetch the Dad to bring him to see his daughter in her dress, is one of my favourite moments of the wedding day. Bert did not let me down. He was blown away and clearly adores his girls.


And so it begins...


The photographer was Martin Hill. It was his first time to Pickwell and he really loved it! I'll post up his pics to our Facebook page when they are published.


Deep breath....


The piano music brought a beautiful romantic feel to the house and really set the tone 


for the intimate and moving ceremony that followed.


The sun shone on the guests as they enjoyed canapés (home-smoked country chicken bound in a mustard mayonnaise on toasted bread; croque monsieur; croque madame; pea, leek and parmesan tartlets) and sparkling wine on the Terrace. 


While the guests were happy on the Terrace, we turned the Ballroom around
ready for the wedding breakfast.


I know i am biased, but i do think it looks stunning!


On the back of everyone's chair the horse-shoe theme continued, 


and here again are the fab cricket bats. This time with each guest name on. What a brilliant idea!


The overall effect felt deliciously autumnal and welcoming and best of all reflected Jackie and Matt throughout.


We moved the flower stands out into the hallway 


and brought the wedding cake into the Ballroom. Jackie's aunt Lorna made this cake. Lorna's claim to fame is that she was part of the team who made Prince Andrew's wedding cake!


The guests ate roast Exmoor beef and yorkshire pudding with hand-tied vegetables and a red wine jus, followed by Eton Mess (my favourite).


As the evening drew in, Jill suddenly jumped up and switched on some tiny lights inside her flower arrangements! Is there no end to her floral surprises!


Jackie came down the stairs wearing another stunning, floaty evening bridal gown. She looked beautiful (but you'll have to wait for the professional photos to see how beautiful. Sorry Jackie for duff iPhone pic!)


The cutting of the cake preceded the first dance,


performed by the band 'Penfold' (who drove all the way from London). They played Take That's 'Rule the World' while Matt, Jackie (and then Sam too) swayed along. 


Tom (the MC for the day) had recently flown back from Afghanistan so was wearing the full military garb for the day. At this point in the evening, Tom was being highly entertaining singing along with the band. Nothing to do with alcohol. Absolutely nothing.


The second dance included Jackie's Dad Bert and proved to be very moving for everyone watching.


The wedding cake was served as evening food (bottom tier fruit, then chocolate and raspberry, then lemon and last of all rum and raisin at the top) alongside a selection of west country cheeses 


and hot dogs, cooked to order on the bbq outside. They went down a treat.


Sparklers were a lovely touch and really enjoyed by guests of all ages.


Jill, Jackie and Sam chill out together at the end of a long and magical day.


The wedding tree is now complete. 70+ fingerprints of love and support as a memory of those you love on this special weekend. 

Congratulations Jackie and Matt, and we'll be thinking of you with baby no.2 on its way!

x



Susan and Guy - Sunshine, Butterflies and Dancing!

September has been kicked off this year with the beautiful wedding of Susan and Guy.


Their cherished family and friends had a lovely welcome with breakfast hampers in their apartments, a helpful order of the weekend and these lovely door notes on all the bedroom doors, giving a hint of the design of the day to come…


On Saturday morning, the sun was shining over Pickwell, as the house came alive to the buzz of preparing for a wedding...


Even the local wildlife came out to join in the magic of the day unfolding.


One of our recommended hair dressers, Charlotte from Tangles, arrived bright and early to create elegant hair designs for Susan and her bridesmaids.


I also had the pleasure to meet Emma White, a gorgeous girl based in London who came to do all the girls make up. Her relaxed nature added so naturally to the excited atmosphere of the morning's preparations.


Louise of Flowers By Louise created simple but gorgeous bouquets, and filled the house with delicate and elegant flower arrangements, like this simple garland which ran up the staircase bringing aspects of the house and grounds together.


Being a local couple (Susan more recently) they chose to have their ceremony at St Brannock’s Church in Braunton, and what better way to get there than in true style provided by “Parker” and his stunning classic car…


After the ceremony guests were welcomed back to a champagne and canapé reception on the terrace whilst enjoying the serene sounds of Deja Blue a lovely jazz duo. This is Becky. Becky, as well as being gorgeous, has been a brilliant right hand woman for many of our weddings here.


This gave us a great opportunity to open a bar on the terrace to allow guests to fully enjoy the Italian garden with pimms, wine or nice cold beer in hand!


Susan chose teal and butterflies as her choice of theme and she worked so hard to produce some really stunning details for the day


This engraved cake knife set was a lovely touch to the day and what a fabulous memory to keep!


The chair covers and sashes provided by Ella’sEvents gave an elegant look to the ballroom and added instant colour


I love these delicate name cards at each place and a gift of a butterfly cookie cutter for each lady were lovely creative details that helped make the day so personal


 This great cake was made by Sue at The Devon Cake Box and included Guy in his kilt and their little dog Mia!
A brilliant speech by Ali the best man brought the room together with tears of laughter and set the tone for the rest of the night to come!


The guests were truly spoilt with delights such as Smoked Salmon, Guinea Fowl and Lemon Posset, and then relaxed onto the terrace to enjoy the sunset, whilst being served tea and coffee.


 Susan and Guy found the talented Claire Lau to provide the photography for the day and she had the joy of accompanying them down to Putsborough Beach to grab these stunning shots.


 They also managed to sneak through our woods at sunset to create these romantic memories.
  

 The evening kicked off with the very talented Oggle Band who got the whole ballroom skipping, clapping and laughing with brilliant ceilidh dancing (a lovely nod to the Scottish roots of Guy’s family)
  

The whole weekend was a delight to be part of and really emphasised what a privilege it is to be involved in such a special and intimate occasion


Thank you to all the family and friends of Susan and Guy who welcomed me into the celebrations just as much as I welcomed them into Pickwell! … Can we do it all again next week?!

 Thank you also to Susan and Guy for honouring us with hosting your incredible weekend, and best wishes for all that married life has in store for you!

 Holly x

September harvest


Look what we did!!!


The absolute joys of having a garden and a poly-tunnel and relentless watering each day, are realised in September.


Here we have corn-on-the-cob (a favourite),


raspberries, beans, tomatoes and courgettes. 


We are so blessed to have an orchard of trees which produce cooking apples, eating apples, plums, and quince.  


Apple crumble we love and is easy to make, but i think


Steve's baked apples beat even a great apple crumble (i have put the recipe from 'BBC food recipes' for this at the bottom of this post).


But of all our harvest this year, this little beauty (and many more like it) caught our eye. What the heck have we grown?!


Isn't it beautiful?! It looks like a cup cake! It turns out they are from the squash family and this one is a Pattypan squash, unsurprisingly. It comes in yellow, green and white varieties


and you cook it much as you would a courgette.


I have decided i cannot cook this one, partly because i have now read they lose their flavour if they are any bigger than 3 inches (doh!) and partly because i think it will make a wonderful bonfire decoration on our tables in November.

Where is this year going? 

Ingredients

Preparation method

  1. Preheat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas 2.
  2. Place the mixed dried fruit and the brandy into a bowl and leave to soak for at least two hours, but ideally overnight.
  3. After soaking, add the sugar, allspice and butter to the brandy-soaked fruit.
  4. Spoon the fruit mixture into the holes in the cored apples, pressing in to fill well and spread some more butter over the apples.
  5. Place the stuffed apples into an ovenproof dish, cover with aluminium foil and transfer to the oven to bake for 40 minutes.
  6. Remove the foil and cook 15-20 minutes more, until the apples are soft, but not collapsing.
  7. Place onto plates and serve with a dollop of Greek yoghurt.

Enjoy!