chasing my tail...

Oh my goodness! How long has it been?!?! I seriously can't believe its been so so long since I last posted on my blog! Life just seems unforgivably busy! (And I've been a little lazy too perhaps!)

Anyway now to get caught up on what's been going on and get back into the blogging spirit!

So you remember I was talking about making a special jubilee cake a while back. Want to see what I made?! Go on then!

I've got to admit it didn't quite work out exactly as I would have liked but I'm quite a perfectionist. Seeing as this was my first attempt at cutting and piecing a cake and using fondant icing I think it turned out not too bad! 

I baked 4 loaf tins of cake - 2 blue and 2 red which were then cut up and pieced together with buttercream icing. I used my mum's homemade rasberry jam for the thin red diagonal lines. I covered the cake in fondant icing and piped on a few simple decorations. I would have done more and spent more time on it but I just simply ran out of time! 

So what do you think to it? Impressive enough?! 

Apart from baking cakes and general life I've had a couple weddings keeping me busy! Both are next April, would you believe it they're both on the same day! I somehow feel come next March/April I am going to be flat out and VERY stressed out!?! Well, I hope not but there's always lots of last minute things.

So first wedding I have made all the day and evening wedding invitations, made all the thank you cards, cut and embossed all the favours ready to assemble nearer the time. I've got the table numbers all done, all the table plan bits I can do at the moment done and the front of the menu cards completed. Feeling so prepared and so very very much enjoying it! 

Now I have 1 wedding all sorted its on to start on the next wedding. The bride and I have sorted out the design and stuff so I'm just waiting on my supplies to arrive so I can start on her invitations etc. Very exciting stuff!

When the weddings are all over I'll share photos of all the gorgeous stationary I've been making! 

For anyone who knows me they're gonna laugh/be shocked at my next statement. I have taken up running! Woah! I NEVER thought I'd voluntarily take up running and even more shocking, enjoy it - to some degree at least!

I've been on a loose weight battle since the beginning of the year, I've put on loads of weight since getting married and so the battle has begun. Stuart has come up with a brilliant incentive for me - for every pound I loose I get "panda miles" when I get to my goal weight and have earnt enough "panda miles" he is going to take me to see my favourite animal - PANDAS - at Edinburgh zoo! I am so excited! I've lost almost 2 stone already which gets me somewhere between Sheffield and Leeds! 

Anyway this past month I've stepped up my loose weight thing to a new level and started training for C25K (Couch to 5 K). My first week is going really well so far - I'm doing a lot better than I expected to do! Yes its tough but I haven't given up yet. Hopefully it'll get me fitter for hiking in the Smoky Mountains in NC next month too! Here's hoping anyway! 

Wow I've really babbled! Right, come back tomorrow for some crafty creations! 

Happy Stampin',

Amanda xx