A Letter to Mum

Mum, 

I wonder if you realised just how all consuming being a mum would be before we came along. I guess for you it was a switch that turned on and never went off again. In the 35 years and 6 months I've been on this planet, you have never taken one day off from being a mum. You live and breathe us and we feel the love you have for us surround us wherever we are and whatever we are going through. If we need anything, and I mean ANYTHING you're right there with it. From sewing a few buttons on something to sorting out my entire life in one phone call, you never fail to offer sound advice, a shoulder to cry on and your absolute undivided attention. Like a hot plate, you'd drop whatever you were doing to be by our side, no questions asked. You are hands down the most kind, selfless, hard-working, positive, caring person I know and my entire life I've only ever wanted to make you proud of me. Your approval and support means everything, for you are the epitome of what a role model is. You have never pressured or coerced us to do or be anything other than who we wanted to be. Even in times of uncertainty, you knew me inside out. You know me better than I know myself. 

 I know that in my lifetime there will never be the time, nor the words to express my gratitude for everything you've ever done for me. No amount of chocolates, flowers or lunch dates could ever repay the unrelenting, unquestionable love you show us every single day. You're my adviser, my cheerleader, my accountant (yup, the job you love the most!), my devil's advocate, my confident but most importantly, my friend. There was a time when I'd think "if I could be half as good a mum as you are, I'd be delighted!". But what really matters now is that I try to be as good a friend to you as you are to me. You don't just hear me, you listen. You don't just know me, you understand and for all of it I thank you for being the best friend I've ever had. 

Love Lisa x

To my friends who are Mums,

I vigorously applaud you, in absolute awe of the daily juggling act you perform, simultaneously handling jobs, homes, kids, partners, friendships, pets and family. I see the struggle and it is real but you each approach it bravely, battling fears and the unknown with absolute grace. The tears, tantrums and endless worries that motherhood presents you face head on, never giving yourself the credit deserved for keeping your head (and your brood) above water. You're all swans. Watching you become a mum has truly been the one of the most amazing experiences of my life. Any self doubt you may have had prior to your bundle of joy arriving was, of course, completely natural but totally unfounded, as you're nailing the role, passing with flying colours. Yeah it's damn hard and there are probably moments (or entire days) where you are questioning everything and nothing seems to be going 'right' but always know that I'm over here in the corner being your biggest cheerleader. My limited knowledge and lack of experience aside, I see how awesome a mum you are (I have one so I know what that looks like!) and as your friend, I will endeavour to remind your wee ones as they grown up that they're incredibly lucky to have you as their mum....even when you're enforcing chores, limiting online time or not allowing them to go to a house party. I got your back girl! 

Each of your stories are different, from conception to birth, first words to big steps and with each milestone I've watched in amazement as you orchestrate the best life possible for your wee yins. The painful, sleep-deprived, cabin-fevered triumphs astound me-how have you not gone crazy?! The love that binds you and your child is palpable, it's oozes from you and it's a love like no other. They take you to the brink, test every fibre of your being and yet, your love never wavers (although your patience might at times). You wipe noses, bums and slates clean,  never holding a grudge,  always looking to make the day better. You are secondary, an after-thought, someone in the background but you're the glue. Remember you are the glue.

 I don't know how you are doing it. Life, that is. I've only got me to worry about. No tiny human is reliant on me turning up and answering to their every whim and yet I find this adulting thing tough. I guess you'd reply to that saying something like, 'You'd be the same. You'd be a great mum' and I'd reply with, 'Nah, I'm not so sure about that'. Truth is. I'm certain I'd try my hardest, as you've shown me it's all worth it. For all the belly-laughs, sleepyheads, high fives and sing-along car journeys you treasure and the many adventures still to come your way, I wish nothing but sheer joy for you and fabulous kids. I consider myself extremely blessed to be on this journey with you all. To share the highs and lows with you is a privilege and I thank you for inviting me in to your world and in to your family as it continues to grow. You are a marvellous mum and I'm proud to call you my friend. 

You ROCK!
Lisa x

Mother's Day, in my opinion, should be every day. All mums should be shown the love, respect and gratitude for everything they have done and continue to do for us daily. Who ever you call mum, don't wait to tell them how wonderful they are or how safe or loved they make you feel. You're a grown ass adult now (I'm assuming so if you're reading this) and you spent long enough as a kid taking her for granted, expecting her to be there at your beck and call, never showing her the thanks she deserves for the pleasure of it. Use your words and  your hugs to let her know that everything she does is a real blessing that you'll treasure forever.

Happy Mother's Day. 

Weesse x

Put A (Properly-Sized) Ring On It

Beyonce was right you know...if you like it then you should put a ring on it.

BUT it's a whole lotta useless if that ring doesn't fit!

At this time of year, when husbands, wives, girlfriends, boyfriends, mums, dads and various other friends and relatives are wracking their wee brains for gift ideas for their loved ones, anything, ANYTHING to make it easier is an absolute blessing.

So, imagine our delight when jeweler friend of ours Christina Rose Leon posted about her jewelery sizing service.

She visited Mimi, Weese and the rest of The Kennedy Cupcakes at their rehearsal at Shona Halford's Dance Studio Lanarkshire  in East Kilbride last week to demonstrate just how great an idea this is. Christina is a genuinely lovely, warm, friendly and evidently very knowledgeable when it comes to jewelery.

Christina came to the studio and gave us all a sheet on which we indicated our jewelery preferences, including: preferred metal, preferred colour of stones, preferred necklace length and preferred finger for rings. 

She then also sized us all using a contraption that looked like a set of jail keys. 

She was full of EXTREMELY useful information on how best to size, what to think about (e.g. my (Mimi's) hands are CONSTANTLY cold, therefore this makes my fingers contract) as well as advice on what metals to wear together (note: NEVER wear gold next to a hard metal like platinum..the gold will wear off super quick).

Christina then collected all of our information and compiles a wee personalised file. This information can then be emailed to your spouse, friends or family (or discreetly popped inside a potential gift-giver's coat pocket), avoiding the whole debacle around guessing sizes and jewelery preferences.

Let's face it, if you're going to spend a lot of money on a piece of jewelery, you better make sure it's RIGHT.

Christina herself has some beautiful ready to buy items available through her website. She also does bespoke items (you can find a photo of Weese's gold and ruby ring Christina made for Lisa's 30th birthday here). So not only can Christina come and measure you while taking note of preferences THEN provide you with all that information in one handy file...you can then purchase some gorgeous accessories from her or have something made just for you. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Who knows, even Cupcake baby Finlay will be buying mummy Lynne a gorgeous diamond necklace with matching ring from Christina for Christmas this year...he has no excuse now he knows her size! 

Mimi x

29 & a TEArrific Friend

Hey peeps! Weesse here!

  As a birthday treat my gorgeous mate Marie-Anne (an all-singing all-dancing drama-teaching wonder-gal) booked afternoon tea for two at 29 Private Members Club, Royal Exchange Square, Glasgow. After a few busy weeks of working non-stop, a girly catchup & munch was just the ticket.

 On arrival we were directed to the 4th floor Apartment where we were greeted by a very friendly waitress who led us to our table. The Apartment is a small,  minimalistic space, with white washed wooden cladding walls flooded by natural light from the roof windows, with a few small tables dotted throughout all dressed in white linen.

 As we hadn't seen each other in a good few months, we quickly got down to business catching up on all the goss & forgot to even check out the menu but before long we were scoffing an array of mini sandwiches & brioche rolls all beautifully crafted & displayed, whilst washing them down with yummy earl grey & coffee.

 

 The egg & cress, honey roast ham, smoked salmon & Cajun chicken fillings were all delish & the bite sized versions of each were perfect for our late lunch sitting (and this Weight Watcher!). 

 Savouries demolished, we delved in to selection of mini cakes. Marie-Anne went for the caramel shortcake slice first as did I, then as she devoured a scrummy fruit scone with jam, I went for the cute little raspberry-topped profiterole which oozed whipped cream on the first bite. We both squeezed in another ickle treat, finished our tea & coffee & continued putting the world to rights as we always do. We were offered a 'doggy bag' of the remaining cakes but we politely declined. Think I'd done enough damage to the diet already! 

 The atmosphere in the Apartment was very relaxed & chilled. The tables were generously spaced out & as we lunched a little later in the day (3.30pm) it was relatively quiet. The soft piano background music & non-intrusive manner of the staff allowed for a most enjoyable after-noon tea experience which we'd highly recommend.  

 We left & took a stroll down Buchanan St (where Marie-Anne met some of her 3rd year pupils who seemed rather excited to have bumped in to her. Clearly that's cause she's one of the cool teachers!) then did a little bit of retail therapy before heading to our cars (which I subsequently lost. 3 lift rides later, I realised which floor I'd parked in!).

 Of course I thanked Marie-Anne on the day for such a kind gift but as I told her she'd be in this blog post & as I know she'll be reading this (she'd better be!!, I'd like to than her once again for such a lovely afternoon! 

 Friends eh?! Cannae beat 'em!! 

Un beau mariage à Bordeaux avec les Cupcakes

Bonjour,

Weesse here! Mimi and myself have just returned from a magical few days in France with our fellow dancer friends Julieann and Kelly, where we celebrated (in serious style!) the wedding of Cupcake Evette and Gerry. 

    Mimi was official travel supervisor for des bonnes vacances and had booked accommodation in a neighbouring town to the wedding venue, Aubeterre. We stayed at the uber quaint, suitably French, cottage-style apartments, Chambres d'hotes Gaillardon run by the most loveliest of couples, Nina & Hanjo, accompanied by their 2 beloved dogs (a father & son duo named after two cheeses) and a daredevil kitten.  Our garden-view apartment was simply divine, with wooden shutters on the windows, vintage touches throughout, a thoroughly modern bathroom with waterfall shower, free WiFi, a bottle of wine in the fridge and a Nespresso machine. Result! 

    The garden bursting with luscious greenery and pretty flowers was postcard picturesque, surrounded by the neighbouring stone walled buildings of the tranquil town. A 3 minute downhill walk  found us in the square where we enjoyed an afternoon of omelettes, cafe noir and crepes as the sun smiled down on us. La boulangerie, le patisserrie and le tabac made for your typical french town, with a few jewellery and clothing boutiques and pottery shops dotted around to satisfy our interest. 

   

   Prior to the visit I'd chosen not to educate myself too greatly on where we would be staying, nor where Evette and Gerry had selected to host their wedding. I really wanted it all to be a surprise and in the weeks leading up to the trip I found myself day dreaming of what it would be like. I'd had a sneak peek on the website but deliberately didn't delve too deep..... and I'm so glad I'd waited to see it for myself as no photograph could do this enchanted place justice. A palace dating back over two thousand years, set in the idealic surroundings of 130 acres of rolling parkland, the chateau boosts 10 bedrooms and various reception rooms, all decadently adorned with antique furniture, paintings and artefacts. Four poster beds, lavishly tiled bathrooms, ever-flowing window drapes and tassels galore...each room was more awe-inspiring than the next. A venue like no other & a magical setting for what was to be the most perfect of wedding days.  

   We enjoyed a lazy, boozy barbecue on the lawn, pool-side on the first evening as the sun sizzled. Eva and Gerry's 50 or so guests mingled & familiarised themselves with their new weekend abode. The Bride-to-Be wore a floaty lime green maxi dress, which accented her beautifully bronzed bod from her sunny pre-wedding week in Nice with her 5 Bridesmaids. There was an abundance of brie, french bread, wine, beer and excitement, as we all geared up the next day's events. We dipped our toes in the pool, strolled around the gardens, took some poised photographs (you'll see below), played on the tree-swing and visited the horses in the field and as the sun set on Dordogne we played a few games of switch (with a pack of cards found in the games room) underneath a gazebo awash with fairy-lights on a pastel green wrought-iron garden table drinking coffee. Bliss!

  

   On the morning of the wedding we were treated to a monster breakfast courtesy of Nina and Hanjo who had kindly thought of everything you could ever want from a morning in France. Assuming we'd had a tipsy night (actually we'd drank mostly orange juice and coffee), they'd blended up a fruity smoothy to give us a vitamin boost, to go with the array of french breads, ham, cheeses and the smoked salmon and poached egg on cream cheese toast they prepared and so beautifully presented. We tucked in to the feast and enjoyed mint tea and coffee as we listened to music in the charming setting of their dining room, drenched in candlelight and interesting art and antiques.

After an early afternoon visit to the Subterranean Church of St Jean which is the largest in Europe (well worth a visit and only 5 Euros!), we lunched in the sun, purchased some little pieces of jewellery and headed back to the apartment to start the pre-wedding beauty preparations.

Kelly's R & B hits of the 90's were a perfect soundtrack to our getting-ready frenzy as the 4 of us bustled around, sharing the bathroom mirror and the electric fan that kept us from melting in to oblivion. A fave had to be 'I love your Smile' by Shanice. Chooooon! As a colleague of the Bride arrived to accompany to the wedding we made the final touches to make-up, buckled, laced and zipped up our dresses and heels and headed outside (hand-held fans tightly gripped), where Nina insisted on taking a few shots of us in our wedding attire which she subsequently printed, laminated and left 4 copies for us as a keepsake! Love her!), before whisking us off to the chateau in time for the 4.30pm ceremony. Yes, they kindly offered to drive us there and yes, we'd like to move in with these guys permanently! 

 Having already spent a glorious evening at the chateau, I can confirm that the sight of this palatial backdrop once again as we drove up to the main entrance had not wavered in it's ability to stun and excite. It has some serious wow factor that you'd never grow tired of absorbing. 

  Drinks on the lawn, poolside (yup, this is how we do) and before long we were seated at the front of the chateau looking on to the vast expanse of parkland watching a very handsome Gerry await his Bride. The two saxophonists started to play 'Oh When the Saints Go Marching in' as the 5 stunning bridesmaids (all dressed in differing long floating black gowns, carrying white rose bouquets)and Evette's niece and nephew paraded down the aisle scattering petals, closely followed by what can only be described as a vision. Evette was breathtakingly beautiful in a gown that can only be described as made for her. I can't imagine anyone looking as stunning in this dress as she did and we all gasped as we caught sight of her gliding down the aisle arm-in-arm with her wee dad.  

  A gorgeous ceremony ensued with Gerry's uncle acting as celebrant. I was honoured to deliver a  funny little reading, titled 'He Never Leaves the Seat Up' which I could have sworn had been especially written for the happy couple. They then exchanged personally written vows, smooched and sashayed down the aisle as we all applauded and congratulated them. Then it was party time!

  Canapes, lashings of champagne, an alfresco 4 course haute cuisine meal in the beautiful surroundings of the chateau gardens, an array of hilarious and heart-warming speeeches from the Father of the Bride, the groom, the Bride, the best Man and Head Bridesmaid and the pleasure of great company made for the most memorable of evenings. We laughed, we chatted, we cried (tears of joy)and we celebrated as hard we could with the two wonderful people that had brought us all together in this magical place.

  As we ate our petit fours by candlelight (still not sure what they were but can confirm they were delicious) enjoying the remaining speeches, it was soon time to get on the dance floor. Evette had promised (or warned) us that she'd booked a DJ to play until 6am so we hit the dance floor straight after the first waltz and to strut our funky stuff with the Bridesmaids and the Bride. We hadn't seen the girls since the Glasgow Hen weekend where we'd boogied real hard so it was time to ignite and perfect some those moves once again. 

  Before long we were saying our goodbyes to Eva and Gerry, thanking them profusely for the most special of weekends. We arrived back at apartment, hot the sack and 4 hours later we were saying more goodbyes, this time to Nina and Hanjo (who had prepared pain au chocolat and a quiche for our airport bus journey. Honestly, these guys ROCK!) and it was on to the bus (where I subsequently left my iPhone! Another story!) for another 1 hour snooze before the plane home.

  I think you can tell we had a blast. Firstly we visited her in Paris, then Bordeaux. 

 Here's to the next trip Eva.....where to next???

Wedding Day- What We Wore

Mimi- Gold and orange orb earrings & black and nude bones dress, both H&M. 

Weesse- White broderie anglaise dress from Uttam Boutique at House of Fraser. Rose gold watch by Michael Kors