Getting Spooked

I'm busily planning a party for Halloween. It's only a small do for the kids on our road but I love the planning bit so they'll be lots going on in the next couple of weeks.

Most of it will be DIY stuff...bin bag spider webs, using an old tailor's dummy as a spooky figure in the garden, glow sticks for games in the dark, bowls full of gooey homemade body parts...you get the picture!

The boys are very excited and have planned their outfits. Alfie wants to be the Grim Reaper this year after two years of being a zomblie.

 

Charlie decided to ditch the pumpkin & spider outfit and this year wants to be a.....BANANA. Yes. A banana.

 

We have frighteningly good ideas for the food too (see what I did there...) Hot dog fingers, meringue ghosts, worm jelly...not sure I have the stomach for cat litter tray brownies though.

I've yet to decide on my outfit for this year...maybe just getting up and not putting on my make up will do the trick!

If you're looking for Halloween party ideas, I have a whole board of spookily brilliant ideas on Pinterest HERE

Olive & Edna at Bea's Vintage Extravaganza

I run a small vintage business with my lovely Mum, Jenny and we named it Olive & Edna after my Grandmothers. We sell vintage homewares, reloved jewellery, some vintage clothing, decorative items and sewing ephemera.

Back in May, we exhibited locally at Bea's Vintage Extravaganza held at Grantham College.

There was a vintage tea room and beauty parlour, vintage ice cream van and food trucks, singers and bands to entertain and lots of wonderful stalls selling memorabilia, homewares, jewellery, hats and vintage clothing from the 1940s to the 1980s.

We had a fabulous day on our stall and met some really lovely fellow stallholders and customers.

Mum (right) with Julie from Knits and Kitsch

Tomorrow, we're doing it all again!

Bea's Vintage Extravaganza is returning to Grantham college from 10am - 4pm at Grantham College, Stonebridge Road, Grantham.

This time along with all the aforementioned vintage loveliness, there will be classic cars and caravans and even a vintage style Dog Show taking place with categories including the waggiest tail! Bring your lovely pooch along to register and you could win a prize!

The Makey Cake Off...our own wedding day bake off competition!

Planning our wedding was brilliant fun but there was one element we really wanted to feature on our Big Day. Being Great British Bake Off fans in our family, we wanted our own wedding bake off for our guests!

It's a great way to add fun to the day and to fill your dessert table with all manner of fabulous makes and bakes when you're on a budget.
Our guests loved it and got fully behind the idea...they all got very competitive in the lead up to the wedding day!!

We decided that if our guests were putting in so much effort, we should have prizes for our 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners.

1st place prize was a beautiful personalised enamel baking tin from Delightful Living, a Seasalt apron, a Makey Cake Off spoon from Auntie Mims and a rosette...yes, by my amazing Mum yet again! 2nd and 3rd place also got runner-up spoons and rosettes too.

There was also a very special card inside the tin. I had managed to contact Mary Berry's agent and asked very nicely if it would be possible for Mary to write a card for our winner...and she DID!!!
THE Mary Berry! How brilliant was that!!

Thanks to winner Han for this photo!

We were totally overwhelmed by the entries - everyone had outdone themselves!! I totally panicked when it was time for judging...we really couldn't decide because they were all outstanding!
In the end we picked one cake, one 'something different' and one dessert.

We entered the hall to the Bake Off theme in Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood masks and presented our winners with village-fete style cards and their prizes.

1st Place to my cousin Han with her 'Seaside Special' cake. The sponge was red and blue and filled with red and blue m&ms that spilled out when we cut into the cake!

2nd Place to the Sugden Sisters with their holiday scene

3rd Place to 'Auntie' Joan with her magnificent Bakewell