Cupcakes and roses

The sun went on its holidays yesterday and left us feeling grey. Mr Ragged Roses had been busy up a ladder in the garden and had picked some apples from our tree. The apples sat there in the bowl calling to be used.



It started with a recipe - delicious Apple Bread from the equally delicious "Apples for Jam" book - and ended in a tea party.



The girls got cooking - look at that grip on that fork. You can see just how much Little Sister was concentrating. Never has the creaming of butter and sugar been taken so seriously.



Flowers from the garden were picked for our table. Roses, lavender, geraniums and poppies - that'll do. Pretty and sweet smelling, a reminder that it was still summer.



All sorts of china was chosen. Florals and pink reigned supreme.



Linen was ironed (it was a special occasion indeed) and names were beautifully written on pieces of card just so the four of us would know where to sit.



Cupcakes were baked, the icing had to pink of course. A delicate shade of sugar coated almond pink that matched the rosebuds on the plates. Garnished with scented geranium leaves and flowers.



Strawberries were washed and dusted with icing sugar just before eating.



Pride of place went to the Jammie Dodgers, of course!



There was lashings of elderflower cordial in a pretty pink jug served in floral cups and saucers.



The table was set in the garden and it was such a pretty picture, everything looked good enough to eat.



We put on our pretty dresses, we waited for a friend to arrive. We sat down, the clouds burst and the oh so pretty icing ran from the oh so pretty cupcakes.


We grabbed the crockery and cakes, ran indoors and resumed our tea party. No soggy jammie dodgers for us.
If I told you how much we all ate that might spoil the picture, but remember it was a very grey day indeed (but decidedly pink in the kitchen).