Warm And Fuzzy

It’s that indescribable feeling. You don’t feel it coming on, it just hits you like a great big, fluffy pillow. I find warmth and fuzziness in lots of things. In a melt in the middle pudding. In fresh, snuggly sheets. In a Sunday morning. And in that cosy smell of toasting marshmallows.

I’m not sure what’s up with my word flow recently, it’s less flowy, more slowly. As in I’m ever so slowly trying to find bloggy types of things. I was so desperate for even a little inspiration earlier today. I looked for some in my favourite read (The Chocolate Run), I tried to spot it in one of those billion cakes I baked and during my workout all I could think about … was how uninspired I felt.

And then tonight, like the total babe she is, my mum came home after Slimming World, having hit 7 stone. And now I’m the warmest, fuzziest daughter around. This time a year and a half ago my mum was so poorly. She was fighting breast cancer like a true trooper. And even when things were awful, she was just her. Always selfless, ever hopeful and utterly full of love. Last year I saw courage like I’ve never seen it before. And this year I see an ever bigger (albeit lighter!) superstar.

Inspiration comes in all kinds of forms, but my very favourite kind is the Katie West kind. And once you’ve got it, it stays with you always. Just like her.

Congratulations bestie, I’m so happy for you I could burst…

But I’d better not just yet, as it seems I’ve just found my way with words again. Earlier on I managed to snap away at The Cake Room. For those of you who are unsure, The Cake Room is where the cake happens, where the magic is made, where all your sugary dreams can come true.

I wanted to capture it’s cluttered corners and pretty, little spaces in hope that you might find a little inspiration somewhere too…

Bridie x

My mum put up this little sign last year and I just love it...

Because every cake maker needs a gold, vintage trolley .... right? This is from ebay and I keep all of my go to bits and bobs on it. Dowels, edible sparkles, rolling pins, sugar flowers, you get the idea. The genius part of this, is it's on wheels and I can move it around as and when I feel like it.

A totally gorgeous dresser filled to the brim with only the finest cake clutter. Can you spot my ribbon dispenser? And my new Tanya Bakes book (which by the way is fabulous)? There's a dough hook for my mixer, a pot filled with candles, a pack of blue plasters and not forgetting my mini kitchen aid timer, courtesy of my bestie Rachel.

This is my chill out spot. If your work is something creative, like any other kinda work, it can be totally draining. It's essential to have some space you can come to when it's all kinda fleurghurhebjfoi. You know what I mean right? It's important to separate work from the loveliness of home. And that's my Peggy Porschen book right there.

This darling, white shelf is from Tk Maxx and it's perfect for all the clutter I actually can't fit anywhere else. I try to have some kind of stacking system. The top one is sticking stuff and tools. The next one down is edibles like isomalt and candy melts. Oh and piping bags. The bottom one is filled with edible lustre dusts and my blue spray gun. Most bad ass cake making thing I own.

I'm up there with some of the biggest pom pom fans around. Paper ones, fluffy ones, ones on shoes ... they're all fabulous to me. I honestly think you work better when you like your surroundings and self employment means I can make sure I actually feel this way.

If I was setting up at an event and I'd forgotten something, I would probably call mum and say "it's on that little round cake stand where I put all my bits" and I'm 99% sure she'd know exactly what I mean. This little round cake stand holds my most essential bits and bobs. My corn flour shaker, my double sided sticky tape, my favourite confetti sprinkles, my funnel (to warn off favourite sprinkles wastage). There's also cocktail sticks and edible glue and my watch will be in there somewhere too, as I pop it on top once I've started working.

The cakes are freshly baked. The bunting is homemade by Katie West and I'm so bloody lucky to have this space.

This is actually upstairs. My desk. Which is mostly, always messy.

I hope you've enjoyed seeing some of what's inside The Cake Room. I started baking when I left school and that was some time ago. It's taken me time to be kinda organised and have almost everything I need. Save and Work and Save and Work and Repeat that over and over again. Happy Caking cuties...