Easter cake ♥

Little soft and spongy cakes that last for days.
I have made them before and know that they are family favourites...

Someone was learning and I needed something sweet and quick to make~

You can find the recipe here...

I had some banana bread left over this week as well.....decided to make French toast with it and served it with bacon and maple syrup....a big hit with the family..and definitely  worth a try.

Something easy and fun to prepare and assemble for your Easter brunch...

go on....try it!

Bon Appetit!

Good to be in my happy place! ♥

Bon weekend!

Shel ♥

Down memory lane~

I'm delighted to find myself engrossed in my blog again...I'm playing catch up and this is just a mix match hodge podge of this and that from in and around my home~

Flowers...glorious flowers...

To be overcome by the fragrance of flowers is a delectable form of defeat. ~Beverly Nichols

I have since changed this bed into a beautiful display of roses...I seem to spend more time here than the rest of the garden...those of you who live in PE know how difficult it is to grow roses in this windy city of ours.

some prettiness at the bottom of the garden...

what joy and how wonderful to have an abundance to pick...

for a hen party...

 for the neighbourhood children...

We did not celebrate Christmas in our home as my family had something on of their own from honeymooning, celebrating their final year of varsity to celebrating a special anniversary after a very long year of celebrations.

I did however host a special charity tea and a small get together with family before we all left...

I  love beautiful tablescapes and little vignettes... I think I inherited this love from my mom..she loved to entertain,to set a beautiful table and to garden...
her garden was always somewhere I loved to be...
I remember with fondness watching her and her helper, John, daily tending the flower beds.
At the bottom of the garden was an old fig tree...magnificent specimen...but to my mom an irritation when it shed it's leaves and fruit...
We used to sit in it's shade and drink homemade milkshakes.
She was an excellent cook and used this little cookbook belonging to my gran and inherited from her mother, most weekends to shower her guests with all sorts of delights...I remember my favourite being her beef strogonoff...only to be disappointed when years later, she revealed to me her secret...a packet of Knorr Beef Strogonoff that she added to the beef and veg...I still use this recipe today :-)

I  am flattered when family and friends tell me that I have inherited my mom's love for beauty that surrounds me...I will always try to make the most out of what I have ...for this I am eternally grateful to my mom  

prettiness in a guest bathroom on an old silver tray given to us by my brother for our wedding..
that's antique!!

beauty in all it's splendour...

yet more beautiful favours have found a special place in my heart and home...

nothing beats this aroma from my kitchen to waken sleepy heads..

I had just started moving in last year and one perfect wind free evening, I was unpacking and  I "invited"  my Mr for a little celebration to watch the sunset from our bar area after a very loongg hot day!

In my entrance....some of my roses...and a beautiful old china teacup.

 An Easter and engagement affair........

celebrating a special anniversary... I love raw wood and glass in all its simplicity...

and a special evening with good friends and good wine... just for the fun...

and a practise run for the wedding~

watching the sunset.. Bellisimo!

It finally has sunk in...this is home!  My heart has arrived and I am here to stay for a while !

Shel

oh yes...and she's happy too!

Spring ❤️ and a beautiful wedding!

This must have been the best wedding I have ever attended...I'm so biased :)...but truly the bride just wanted everything to be different...understated....yet elegant with a touch of the sea!

It was a small and exclusive affair.....and I am happy to announce that I was the Mother of the groom....and so spoilt to be included in all the fun, planning  and festivities of the event....

The wedding weekend started on the Wednesday and the final ceremony was on Saturday 27 September when 2 beautiful souls were united on a glorious beach under a magnificent rainbow right here in Port Elizabeth!

I will now indulge you with a few photos taken by David Dettman, on Saturday 27 September 2014, the second ceremony,  just the perfect choice for capturing every tiny detail!

The antique engagement ring and something borrowed...my mom's engagement ring...too exquisite..

proud dad and his daughter

 Claire and her mom  ❤️

 Wes and us before leaving......

The "unofficial" wedding took place at Cape Receife Lighthouse beach with all the elements thrown into the mix....the ceremony ended with the rain Gods showering  their blessings on the beautiful couple with a magnificent display in the form of the rainbow...we all know that that was sent with  blessings from all the grandparents above.. ❤️ 

the pathway adorned with starfish ....

whilst the violinists played the most beautiful serene music with the waves crashing in front of us...

surreal...

the gorgeous Willy's jeep adorned in pink..

an everlasting candle that withstood the wind factor...

family blessings bestowed on the couple...

pretty pashminos and blankets were handed out to the guests as keepsakes....

and then the rain came down...... this is one of my favourites below and above..

even our staff added their personal touches...

The reception was held at the Isango Gate Boutique Hotel and the staff really pulled out all the stops with their food from the canapes to the dessert buffet table...

and more favours from the couple..a treasure trinket filled with sand dollars and a lotto ticket, topped with a very scrummy "sea" biscuit ...

pink macaroons...chocolate cups and chocolate shots...

The tables were set by Party Design and Claire's 2 wonderful friends, "the wedding planners" Neville and Ryan ...her no frills yet understated elegance was to be seen in the attention to detail aptly interpreting a "wedding by the sea"

my family has grown, ....

We are truly blessed to have our special daughter- in- love in our family! This was a weekend never to be forgotten...

The actual ceremony taking place in our home on the Friday night was only witnessed by parents and siblings...and a very special friend of Claire's, Neville...this was my promise to my son ❤️  ....the most nervous groom I have yet to meet...so in love with his bride...followed by the most delicious rehearsal dinner..

My home was ablaze with the colour PINK for  Claire ❤️ 

And so the sun set on yet another glorious weekend of fabulousness!

Shel