Surf's Up - The Sweetest Occasion

Is it possible to fall in love with a website?  I have.  The Sweetest Occasion is great for all of you looking for inspiration with parties, handmade gifts or fashion.

This eyecatching blog is the brainchild of Cyd Converse who founded The Sweetest Occasion in 2008, bringing her lifelong passion for design, entertaining, fashion and photography to life. 

By day, Cyd can be found blogging, day dreaming, keeping company with her lovable old black lab, drinking copious amounts of coffee, and planning weekend trips to the farmer’s market. She holds an undergraduate degree in architecture and a Master of Business Administration from St. Bonaventure University. Cyd resides in Syracuse, New York where she also writes for Babble, a wildly popular parenting and lifestyle website.

I'm not surprised that she has a devoted following of readers who visit her blog  for trendsetting DIY tutorials, party inspiration, fashion finds, entertaining tips and ideas, home decor, design ideas and tasty cocktail recipes. 

You'll need to visit her website for the full DIY-tutorials, but here's a taster of what she offers ....

Valentine Day ideas

 

Easter bunny pouches
  

There are stunning images of themed and other celebratory parties that are sure to inspire ...

  

and she also provides downloads for lovely printables, perfect for Valentines, Xmas, Halloween and other special occasions.

It's no wonder that she's been featured by publications such as Better Homes & Gardens, Every Day with Rachael Ray, The Today Show, People, Country Living, BRIDES, The Huffington Post and DailyCandy, Definitely worth checking out if you're looking for entertaining and design ideas.

www.cobwebknits.co.uk

Truly Scrumptious - Rachel Findlay of The Cake Stand, SW England

We all love the traditional three tier wedding cakes and have become familiar with the trendy cupcake, but when I saw these colourful fondant fancies I fell in love with them.

Having baked beautiful cakes for friends and family for the past 20 years, Rachel Findlay established the Cake Stand in 2010, specialising in elegant and unique cakes that reflect a couple's personal style and wedding theme.

Rachel skilfully crafts delicate flowers, butterflies, hearts, swirls and pearls from sugar and bespoke cupcakes are lovingly decorated with delicious buttercream, sprinkles and sugar-paste flowers, offering an alternative to the traditional tiered wedding cake.

But as I said, it's Rachel's scrumptious fondant fancies that caught my eye and if you prefer them in soft pastel shades or vibrant colourful hues they are easily whipped up to your taste.  

All images (c) The Cake Stand

Based in Somerset, Rachel takes orders in the SW of England and London and you can find out more from her website. 

Truly Scrumptious - Betty's Tea Rooms, Harrogate

Betty’s tearoom in Harrogate (with 5 others around Yorkshire) is well worth queuing for, if you have too. This graceful, but never pompous, tearoom is not even British in origin but was set up in 1919 by a young Swiss orphan.

Betty’s cooks everything in its own kitchens and stays loyal to the county of Yorkshire, refusing to allow its products over the border to towns elsewhere.

In the tea-room, smart-suited men show people to tables and traditionally-attired waitresses scurry here and there bearing vanilla slices, fruit cakes, caramel chocolate hearts and “plump and fruity Fat Rascals, with bright cherry eyes and cheeky almond grins” on silver-plated three tier cake stands.

And of course as a Swiss chocolatier, chocolates had  to feature heavily too.  So you stretch the experience by taking away a few little treats for later.

All images (c) Betty's of Harrogate

Truly Scrumptious - Bakelicious, Tunbridge Wells, Kent

If you’re lucky enough to live near Tunbridge Wells and need cakes or cupcakes for a special occasion or just because you fancy one then check out Bakelicious.

Sally Burton is a mother of 2 primary-school children who has been baking ever since she was their age. She love designing and baking cakes and seeing how happy they make people.

She uses the best ingredients - such as Madagascan vanilla pods, organic Belgian chocolate, and zingy homemade lemon-curd - and bakes in her kitchen at home where she creates unique designs with a wide variety of flavours and fillings. Vanilla seems a popular choice and red velvet cupcakes feature too. 

And these lemon cupcakes with homemade lemon curd centres sound truly scrumptious!  The handmade edible decorations are based on a favourite book, Tumtum & Nutmeg...mice who love picnics!

You can find out more about Sally and Bakelicious on Facebook.