Birthday treats

Today is Olive’s first birthday. I had every intention of baking and decorating cupcakes myself but (what with a weekend of illness befalling the Dousts, and friends for lunch) scrapped the idea in favour of buying in the very best to my knowledge.

The Cupcake Room specialises in these divine, bite-size beauties that look so good it seems a travesty to eat them. But (unlike so many cupcakes) these do not disappoint: the tiny cakes beneath the elaborate decoration are just as good – if not better – than the icing. Hard to believe but 100% true.

Our guests Sophie and baby India just left with these four below, and the two above are hoping to survive until tonight’s dessert. I won’t tell you how many more we packed away.

Olive received several gorgeous gifts but here’s one to share with fellow crafters: Jemima is hand-knitted from head to toe and is from her much-loved Auntie Maggie & Uncle Derek. Those are sheep adorning her blue bubble skirt (Maggie, you are very clever) and her blank face is deliberate, so Olive can imagine what she’s thinking. Yes, she does look a bit homesick. Her reticence might have something to do with the lock of hair I caught Olive gnawing on.