Sweetie Table at Maidens Barn

When I was working as a Registrar, I spent a lot of Saturdays and Sundays at the beautiful www.maidensbarn.com conducting weddings.  So this weekend it was great to set up a sweetie table there for Clare and Gaven Brace's wedding. It's funny seeing a venue from a different perspective and I actually found it even more beautiful.  Before, my colleague and I would come in the side door, spend about an hour in the ceremony room then leave. But on Saturday I pulled up in the courtyard, smelled the heady aroma of climbing roses and really appreciated how beautiful Maidens Barn really is.  I took my daughter with me to help set up the table and on the way pointed out all the village pubs that we'd stop at between weddings - aah it was a great job!  There are always stories attached to various weddings at the venues we'd travel to, the Maidens Barn memory was when we were conducting a wedding outdoors and there was a wandering pheasant behind me.  Trust me, it took all of my concentration to focus on the job whilst being terrified of the feathery terror behind me!  I know, I'm such a wimp but I just have an irrational fear of birds.

Anyway, back to the sweetie table - this wedding turned out to be a colaberation with my favourite wedding professionals.  Hayley at www.hayleyruthphotography.co.uk was the photographer, Jo at www.daiseyley.co.uk made some very cute bunting to match the table for me and Emma at www.abespokedesign.co.uk was the artistic genius behind the invitations and table seating plan. And of course Katherine who owns and organises weddings at the fabulous www.MaidensBarn.com .  So lovely to work with you all again! xx

Our sweetie trees are getting so much attention we thought we'd go one further and introduce "Sweetie Tree Making Parties".  For parties of up to 10 children we'll give them 2 hours private access to the Sweet Shop where we'll teach them how to make a mini sweetie tree of their own, and each child gets to take home their own sweetie tree creation!  It's already gone down a treat (get it) and we love the excitement and the fun the kids have when they are making their trees.  Book your own party (and you don't have to be a child, how about a girlie get together party and bring a few bottles of wine too) - give us a call on 0754 532 9047 to book your ultimate Sweet Shop experience. xxxx

Saffron Walden Rock

I don't know about you, but my childhood summer holidays beside the sea (Cornwall in my family's case) were only complete once I had been to "the rock shop" where I bought various sticks of rock for my friends at school back in sunny Saffron Walden.  So imagine my excitement when the specially commissioned "Saffron Walden" rock arrived in The Sweet Shop!   Yes, that's right, we may not be anywhere near the seaside but that doesn't mean that Saffron Walden can't have its very own stick of the sticky stuff.  We are the only shop in Saffron Walden that sells the rock but we've also just arranged with the award winning Saffron Walden Tourist Information Centre that they will sell it too.  Wherever you buy it, I'm sure you'll love it - just close your eyes and imagine the cry of the seagulls and the lap of the waves...........

Sweetie Trees

It's been a week of "tree talk" at The Sweet Shop this week, with an order for 60 large marshmallow trees for a very exciting event in Saffron Walden in July.

I was also making a birthday tree for a customer on Friday - and the great thing about having a small shop is that customers can see us in action when we're making these great trees - and we ended up taking orders for 3 more of the same that afternoon.  We all love making these trees and our customers constantly give us the inspiration for another creation.  Friday's trees were all for birthday boys and all had a jelly snake theme.  I want to do some girlie ones this week, so I'm thinking candy necklaces and lots of pink................ let see what happens!

Travelling Sweets

My sweets and hire items have been borrowed, begged and stolen for all sorts of things (well not quite but you know what I mean).  This time it was a very exciting photo shoot styled by the uber talented Kate Fletcher.  Kate met with the winner of last year's Masterchef, Dr Tim Kinnaird  for this stunning shoot.  Tim gave up medicine and now has his own patisserie making the most wonderful macarons. I think you'll agree that they look amazing and judging by the goodies on display it was a good move! Photographer for the day was Charlotte Griffiths and I think the images are truly stunning. And Kate, you are, as ever, my styling guru xx

The New Website !

I am SO excited!  The Sweet Shop now has it's very own bright and colourful website - and special thanks for this have to go to Debbie Fogg at http://www.picantewebdesign.co.uk/ for putting up with me for so long and being so patient with me!

SO, here it is http://www.thesweetshopsaffronwalden.co.uk I've still got some tweaking to do but we are basically there.

I hope you like it, I do!

Auntie Doro's Bunnies

Easter has officially arrived in our little shop.  Bunnies galore and so much gorgeous chocolate.  We've dressed the window with some old bunnies, the male bunnies in their hunting gear and the lady bunnies in their flowery dresses holding their babies.  We've arranged them as if they are having a tea party and one of them is taking a photo with my Dad's old box brownie camera.  These bunnies were made by my Auntie Doro about 40 years ago, she was really my great aunt, lived in Cornwall and had an amazing history of nursing and missionary work that I really only discovered when I was much older and a long time after she passed away.  As a family we always went to Cornwall for our summer holidays so would spend many hours at her house helping her make waffles by the dozen which would then be eaten warm with her homemade lemon cheese (like lemon curd but so much creamier).  She was a kind lady who was so loving to her sister (my grandmother) who was unwell and lived with her, and to her mother (my great grandmother) who also lived with her.  I'd forgotten all about these bunnies that she used to make until my Mum dug them out of a cupboard recently.  They've certainly created a lot of interest in the shop window and after Easter when it's Royal Wedding week we'll just turn their little scene into a wedding party instead, with lots of mini union jack bunting.

Water Lake Wedding Show

I chose a pink, white and black theme for the latest wedding show at Water Lake in Clavering, and I was really pleased with how it looked.  It was a (tiring but) good day, had lots of interest in the Sweetie Tables and the Sweetie Trees and made some lovely new friends.  It was also good to see Kate and Jo (VintageHire & Daisyley), and not just because you bought the wine!

Pictures of the Shop

I had the pleasure of first meeting Hayley http://www.hayleyruthphotography.co.uk/ when she came into the shop looking for some colourful lollies for a photoshoot. She then invited me to be a part of the shoot and on that day I also met some other great new friends. Kate http://www.vintagestylehire.co.uk/ and Jo http://www.daisleyboxes.co.uk/ who have since styled my shop window for Mothers Day. Such a talented bunch and these ladies constantly inspire me.

Carnival Theme Sweetie Table

Just a little sneaky peak from our Carnival Theme Sweetie Table - more pics from my favourite wedding photographer http://www.hayleyruthphotography.co.uk/ to follow soon!  Although the weather was a bit breezy, we managed to set up the table up outside and nothing blew away.  The theme was "A Carnival" and we had brightly coloured sweets, a gumball machine, enormous paper decorations and labels to match.  It looked fabulous and I can't wait to show you more..........