time goes quickly when you are having fun




I baked fairy cakes yesterday and as I removed them from the oven and their warm, sweet scent filled my senses, I was whisked back to my Grandmother's kitchen. My memories of Nana are strongly linked to those fairy cakes, she always made us fairy cakes and apple pies. The little cakes were never iced for she was a country woman and it was 1974, icing would have seemed frivolous but she sometimes mixed in sultanas, or my very favourite treat - shining, artificially coloured, bright glacé cherries. The memory came so strong, something I hadn't thought of for years but suddenly crisp in my mind, the excitement of visiting Nana, her kitchen filled with the smell of these cakes and me going into her little glass lean-to room to eat them. Sitting on the floor, surrounded by geranium cuttings, playing with the basket of shells and eating cakes. For a few moments I was four years old all over again.

These fairy cakes are destined for Tilly's school, each class takes turns to sell cakes on the last Friday of the month and she insisted that our contribution would be fairy cakes, but iced of course, iced by Tilly.



Before packing them into their tupperware I thought it would be rather fitting if I arranged them for a blog photograph. You see, it seems somewhat unbelievable but it was four years ago today that I wrote my very first blog post.




The longer I blog the more it becomes about the pleasure of writing and photographing the posts, the satisfaction of feeding the blog rather than just a place to record crafting pursuits. I enjoy the way this space exercises a part of my brain that I have little call for these days.

My voice has changed I think, I am surprised to read those early posts and see how stilted I sound, now the words flow easily, my confidence has grown and I post freely on whatever takes my fancy.




And I think I can thank all of you for that. For helping me find my voice, responding to my words.So of course, in the true tradition of the craft blog, there must be a give-away. I am not going to reveal what will be in the parcel (because in the true tradition of the last minute crafter I haven't finished it yet) so by entering you are taking a risk, it could be hideous! But go on, live dangerously.




To throw your name in the hat just leave a comment on this post before Friday 2nd April.

Comments

Jen said…
Nice cupcakes! What's the icing recipe? And congratulations on 4 years of blogging--you're doing a great job.
Rose Red said…
What a lovely memory of your nana - I wish I had similar memories of mine (not that she was awful, I just didn't have that sort of quality time).

I love the idea of you "feeding" your blog, I think I feel the same now, that my blog is a living thing that thrives through what I put into it but what those who read and comment also put into it.

Happy blogthday!
Cornflower said…
Congratulations on your four years and counting, Rebecca! Poshyarns is such a lovely place to visit, and your posts give a great deal of pleasure, interest and inspiration.
blue hands said…
Happy blogaversary! I always get a little lift of the heart when I see that you've posted because I know that the writing will be cool and elegant and the pictures filled with a beautiful stillness. xxx
Unknown said…
Four years! Well I have enjoyed reading you for a large majority of that time. I will tell you that yours was one of the first blogs I started reading, and your lovely writing hooked me!
Shelley in SC said…
Yes, please enter me! There's nothing like a little dangerous living to spice up my day : )!!

I agree, I've always found your writing style to be engaging and refreshing. It doesn't matter what you're writing about!
Maxine said…
Four years! well done, and may there be many more years to come. xx
dottycookie said…
Now, this may or may not please you, but we are blog twins - well, sort of. My first post was three years ago today - thank you for reminding me to check as I had forgotten!

Congrats on four years! Hope there are many more!
kristina said…
Happy blog anniversary! Tilly did a lovely job with the decorations!

And I can't imagine you sounding stilted. Your entries are always so beautifully written.

K x
Alice said…
Congratulations. Thanks for bringing a little bit of serenity to us whenever you post.

My Grandma's kitchen always smelt of baking, too. I still can't figure out why; she never baked anything, though she was a dab-hand at roast dinners! Your Nana's home sounds so cosy.

Beautiful cakes, Tilly!
cathleen said…
Rebecca, you do have a way with words. I always find your writings to be interesting and restful. A delight to the soul, so to speak. Love your little story about your Nana. Hope my granddaughters have lovely memories such as this. Four years of blogging! Congrats!
Alison said…
Happy bloggiversary! :) I've observed that 'development of voice' on a lot of the blogs I've read, and it's a wonderful thing to see.

Your blog is one of my favourites; never verbose, always conversational, and with some of the best photos out there. Thakn you!
rachel said…
Four years! Pretty good going!

Those little cakes remind me of what we made as children - Viota Cakes; yes, from a packet - our mother wasn't a baker. The strange, super-sticky green and red "chellies" that went on top had to be so carefully cut up and fairly distributed; kept us occupied for ages.

Tilly is pretty good at icing, I think.
Ali said…
Feeding the blog - what a thought provoking phrase. But I think I understand you.

It's four years for mine too next week and there is much less craft, but much more of me in mine these days as well.
mrspao said…
Congratulations on four years. I love the smell of fairy cakes.
Arianwen said…
Congratulations on 4 years. I love reading your blog. your photo's are beautiful and your words profound. Plus your day always seems more serene than my own. Keep it up and save me a fairy cake:)
Flurina said…
i would never miss this opportunity and am not afraid of danger ;-) hug, flurina
Anonymous said…
Thank you for sharing - a great place to visit

Barb
Kat said…
Congratulations on four years of blogging! The fairy cakes look delicious.
anne smith said…
happy blog birthday! how funny, i am in france and also made buns with raisins!!!! it was my mum's recipe, and is granny's recipe to my girls!!
i made bread too!! i know i am supposed to be on holiday but the temptation of that lovely smell in the kitchen meant we had a lovely domestic type day!
anne
alltangledup said…
congrats on #4! lovely fairy cakes.. i wager that they would make the perfect prize!
Thimbleanna said…
Happy Blog Birthday to your very lovely blog! I'm thinking your prize package should include lovely fairy cakes! ;-)
Thimbleanna said…
Happy Blog Birthday to your very lovely blog! I'm thinking your prize package should include lovely fairy cakes! ;-)
yvette said…
4 Years, congratulations, your fairy cakes look fantastic, well done :0)
Elizabeth said…
Congratulations on your four year blogiversary!
Jo's Corner said…
Rebecca,
Beautiful fairy cakes. Tilly must be so excited to bring them to school today. As far as the give-away, nothing you make is hideous, whatever the gift is I am sure it will be something to treasure.

PS - your blog helped to inspire me to take the leap.
So glad to hear your 'voice' as it's grown stronger over the years and to see through your photographic 'eye' as it's grown more vibrant! Many congratulations to you on your blogging milestone!

While my own voice has faded to less than a whisper, I'm still quite gratified when I read your posts! Here's to many more...
Leamonteach said…
From one Rebecca to another: congrats on four years--and some lovely looking cupcakes!
Charity said…
Four years! What an exciting accomplishment!
Nicola said…
Happy blog birthday! Four years is impressive :)
The fairy cakes look lovely, you inspired me to bake today too (although since I discovered a random lemon, I made lemon drizzle cake instead. Yum!)
walter and me said…
Four blogging years is quite an achievement. Well done! I can remember first finding your blog, and having the pleasure of reading back through your archives.
Congrats! Reading your blog has been fun for me, so thanks for sharing!
My daughter loves to bake fairy cakes too and we love to eat them :)
alice c said…
It has been such a pleasure to meet you through your blog and to see your world through your photographs and words. I can remember the delight that I felt when I first found Poshyarns and I still feel it when I see that there is a new post. Thank you!
I think yours was the very first blog I became addicted to - and that was at least two years ago, because I didn't have any children then, and now I have two! Finlay (we had an email chat about how you were going to name Dylan Finlay which has stuck in my mind) and now Edie, who is 4 months. How time flies. Thanks for all the lovely posts, i always look forward to your name popping up in my blog reader (no pressure intended there!!). Congratulations on 4 years.x
Ăśhltje said…
Congratulations on four years.
Everybody seems to be into cooking and baking nowadays. Do crafters also seek out to be creative with their foods I wonder?
Gina said…
Gosh... four years! Congratulations.
Lyn Wymer said…
Childhood memories are so precious, reading about yours reminded me about mine!

I am now in the lucky position of being able to help create childhood memories for my three lovely granddaughters, and delighted to discover that it is a two-way process, as I am actually creating more memories of my own :)
Sadie said…
Happy Blogiversary! And those cakes look gorgeous - I can almost smell them through the screen.
kim said…
I love the name of these delightful little cakes. How sweet that each one looks like its own work of art. The voice you have found has inspired and soothed me from the very start. I love reading your words and glimpsing your life. Thank you for sharing with us.
Linda said…
Beautiful cakes and beautifully written post as ever. As someone previously said your voice here is calming abd soothing.
I still feel stilted even after blogging for nearly 4 years now. Maybe I need to just have a visual blog!

http://leafgreenknits.wordpress.com/
rebecca! congrats on 4 years!!
i am so on board with you about how your blog exercises a part of your brain that you wouldn't use. your words are ALWAYS so lovely... as well as your photographs. and the world is definitely a better place because of you!

(love the sweet story about your grandmother)
Coo you had a good Nana! My Nana was lovely and especially delightful as she lived in Margate so the seaside and Dreamland made her top of the granparent pops! But, but, but I say sadly shaking my head, cooking was not her 'thang'. She did however, have a funny old fridge which was able to freeze crystals into her speciality Angel Delight!
Anonymous said…
Mmmmm fairy cakes. I seem to be baking more for the football terraces than anything else at the moment, but I'm sure that some non-iced fairy cakes would soften the blow of impending relegation! Thank you for your lovely photos.
Nina
+marzipan+ said…
Congratulations and thank you for 4 years of your lovely blog!
And your delicious fairy cakes ~ do you cut the tops off before you ice them? x
silverpebble said…
Four years? Good grief - that's yonks! Many many congratulations, I so enjoy my visits here. I hope you don't mind putting me in the hat.
Kirstie said…
Congratulations of four years of a great blog. I had almost exactly the same evocative memory this week when I baked a coffee and walnut cake. The smell brought back cherished memories of my Granny teaching me to bake.
Anonymous said…
Happy Blogiversary. Hope you continue for another 4 year at least - I always enjoy the few minutes spent visiting your blog, it's so calm, peaceful and beautiful to look at.
Brenda said…
You have a beautiful "blogging voice". I love reading your blog and seeing your lovely photos.
Andrea said…
Congratulations on 4 years of blogging!

I have similar memories of baking with my nan, we made so many things and sampled them warm from the oven and sometimes even ate the raw gingerbread dough. (which I have now taught my daughters to do!) We have a lot to thank our nan's for, I know I miss mine so very much.

Andrea x
Krawuggl said…
I loved how you wrote that your voice has changed. Because this is what I also thought, remembering your first posts or your first year. I love your blog from the first time I found it, but the more I love how you more and more expressed yourself, found your very own and individual voice, the subjects to talk about, the real and very intimate sharing of what whirls and swirls through your mind. Your posts always again surprises me, even if there is baking to see as so many times before, your words are always new, always catching my interest and always so very true. Hope you will keep your voice and your blog for many many 4 future years!
Unknown said…
My Nanny taught me to knit, bake and generally enjoy life she is now 97 and still with us. She doesn't teach me so much now but she loves the things I have made and the cakes/biscuits that I take her. Congratulations on your blog anniversary - it's great.
Lucie said…
i do enjoy visiting your blog and the four years has just swept by.

great fairy cakes.
Donatella said…
Happy Anniversary! I'm a recent follower of your blog. I wish I'd found it earlier! I have wonderful memories of my grandmother baking wonderful desserts for us. Thanks for the fairy cakes.
Else said…
Just popping in to say happy bloggy birthday - I'm yet another of those who reads avidly but never bothers to say thank you... Well done, keep posting!
Lynn Reed said…
Four blogging years is quite an achievement. Well done! I can remember first finding your blog, and having the pleasure of reading back through your archives.

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