Have your cake!

So, I'm on to the delicious stage now where I'm starting to look at a variety of wedding cake designs. My Mum has very kindly offered to make ours (saving many needed pennies!) though if I had any choice in the world I would undoubtedly choose some extravagant expensive delight!

There are so many weird and wonderful images in magazines and websites but I've chosen a few to put up here for your inspiration! Some are by unknown designers I'm afraid but the majority are by April Reed, the Little Venice Cake Company and Choccywoccydoodah!

Ideally, I'd like a four-tiered cake just because it makes such an impact though we might not get through that much! Guests always stock up on canapes and after a three-course meal, few have belly room for some rich fruit cake! My favourite flavours so far are Belgian chocolate, fruit, vanilla sponge (with raspberry jam and cream cheese filling) and the classic carrot cake! Let me know what your cake is like and how you decided on your fillings! Enjoy! (getting pretty peckish now after writing this..........)

This is one of my favourites - I just adore the pale pink and simplicity of the flowers

This is another favourite - pure, simple, elegant - I love it!

A good idea if your guests all prefer different types of cake - and a nice vintage/country feel on the logs!

Just stunning - fondant petals, must have taken hours to perfect!

Kate & Will - oh you did us proud!

I think I've looked forward to the Royal Wedding since the day Kate and Will got engaged. I recorded all the tv footage, interviews, photoshoots and documentaries and spent the next 5 months planning how I was going to get to the front to see the action. Fast forward to 28 April 2011 and I'm on a train on the way to St Pancras to do a quick walk-through around the Westminster Abbey area.


I wasn't even in the main area yet and the atmosphere was crazy. People were pushing and shoving trying to look at nothing! Someone thinks they've seen something so the message gets passed on and before you know it, a massive crowd has gathered to watch the road sweeper! 


I met two wonderful American women who had travelled to London from Jersey (I think) and dressed up as Kate in her engagement Issa dress to celebrate the nuptials. I met the first guy to camp out (with his Diana tribute t-shirt) and plenty of visitors from all over the world.


On the morning itself, we woke at 3am and were joining the crowds outside the Abbey at 4am. We were directly in front of the BBC/ITV cameras and to our left was the general press. Waiting for 7 hours is nothing short of a miracle when you consider that I had smoke being puffed in my face from the man next to me, some Brazilian clubbers who had arrived straight from Pacha (still off their faces!) in front of me and no drink/food or toilets! Needless to say, we all got to know each other very well but man, I was glad when it was over! 


When Will and Harry arrived and we saw Posh, Becks and Elton, the mood started to pick up. I think everyone really just came to see Kate's dress as the response from the crowd was one of awe. No-one really cheered too much for Charles, Anne and Carole etc but when Pips and Kate strolled up that red carpet, jaws dropped and most of the men drooled! So, I was about 3 people from the front, please forgive the photo angles but here are the best shots from the day...

 

The Real Bitchwives

I don’t know if you’ve heard but the most recent “Real Housewives Of…” programme is coming to the end soon in the UK. We’ve had Atlanta, Orange County and New York City but the Real Housewives of Beverley Hills has been my favourite by far!

I think its success comes from the characters extreme wealth (much more than any other ‘Real Housewife’) and their high profiles. For example, Camille, (aka Token Bitch ™) goes through her divorce with Kelsey Grammer (aka Frasier) on the show. For you who haven’t heard of it yet, here’s a brief rundown on the four main characters!

Kyle Richards (Queen Bee™ and Demi Moore look-a-like) – married to Realtor (that’s Estate Agent to you and I), four daughters, two marriages and hair down to her waist. Auntie of Paris and Nicky Hilton, you’ve got to watch out for this one!

Camille Grammer (Token Bitch™) – (was) married to Kelsey Grammer, has posed naked for Playboy but condemns others for the same, two children (by a surrogate to avoid those unsightly stretch marks), hideous amount of surgery on her face and general moose.

Lisa Vanderpump (Best Name Ever™) – married to Ken (and doesn’t he look like a ‘Ken’), live in boy toy ‘Cedric’, owns and runs 2 restaurants in LA, good mother, nice dresser, all round favourite and funny gal.

Adrienne Maloof (Richer Than Rich™) – married to Dr. Paul Nassif, owns hotels, basketball teams and a general empire! Mother to three boys, surgeon husband practices on her face, wears strange silver strands in her hair, general out-of-touch California gal.

You can catch TRHOBH on E! Let me know what you think of the girls and the programme - they've signed for a second season so we should be seeing more of them on our screens very soon!

Wanderlust

As a change to fashion and weddings, I thought I'd blog today about some of the places I've visited around the world. It has to be said, many of these photos were taken when I was much younger and marriage and responsibility were years off. I can just about remember that feeling of complete freedom, energy and endless possibilities! Meeting new people everyday, new cultures (good and bad) and experiencing everything life has to offer. The times captures in these images were some of the happiest and most independent of my life - going anywhere with the equivalent of £10 in my pocket was exhilarating. I've also added some photos from trips since. Enjoy these as much as I did taking them and let them inspire you. 

Napa Valley, California

Half Dome, Yosemite National Park

The Venetian, Las Vegas

Santa Cruz

Yosemite

Champs Elysees

Musee d'Orsay

Palazzo Ducale, Venice

Sinai Desert