30 (the party)

Husband's best man and one of our closest friends has a birthday 2 days before mine. This was the scene of our joint 30th birthday party last weekend where 15 of our family and closest joint friends headed for a weekend of partying.

It was an amazing weekend. Two wonderful evening meals cooked by my husband and a team of sous-chefs, eaten with all 15 (18 with extra visitors one night) crammed round the dining table. One quieter meal on the Sunday night in the pub down the road over card games and dating apps on someone's phone. Two nights of partying until 5am. (Hence the renting of a self contained house in the middle of nowhere where as much noise can be made as needed and they welcome stag parties). A crisp but sunny walk across the surrounding fields. A laughter filled game of basketball to drive off the hangovers and an afternoon spent pottering in bath (most people drinking, me purchasing a black jumpsuit to wear for the evening party having decided that all maternity wear was too frumpy). Champagne.

An amazing weekend, which was over too quickly. All too soon, everyone else departed for London and I drove back to Somerset, collecting Delilah, us both sobbing all the way home from the cattery. I once thought the flatness after a weekend of partying was a hangover. I think it's more than that. That and pregnancy hormones.

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And, if anyone is looking for a property that sleeps up to 16 for a hen party (or any other kind of party), I can highly recommend this place. Lots of bedrooms, lots of space, 2 lounges, plenty of bathrooms and hot water, plenty of outside space, decent well equipped kitchen - 2 dishwashers! - and separate dining room with a huge table. Just outside Bath so easy to get in for shopping and the spa, just off a main road so easy access but you can't hear it from inside and parking for about 10 cars. Decent manager who makes dealing with him easy and a pleasure. Email me if you want the details.

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House photo taken by my father (we invited our parents to join us for lunch on the Sunday).

May Baby Shower

My sister-in-law's baby is due next week but s/he could be here any time soon. We celebrated the imminent arrival with an afternoon tea party back in May (just in case s/he arrived early or in case T didn't full up to hosting a house full of women much nearer to the birth). 

T and I made the invitations together one rainy weekend afternoon, which in itself was very enjoyable. I printed the wording onto plain white Smythson cards using my home printer and a font that I downloaded (creating a pdf of the cards measurements) and we then hand drew the decorations together before using watercolours to add a wash. The matching Smythson envelopes were then hand addressed and posted.

We didn't want the main focus of the baby shower to be presents, rather we wanted T to be able to have a chance to chat to all her girlfriends over the course of the afternoon. So, we served prosecco and fizzy elderflower and a spread of food including a selection of finger sandwiches (cucumber, salmon, ham), scones, coffee cake, mini sausage rolls, strawberries, blueberries and grapes. Later, we had cups of tea. Several of the guests also brought various additions including cupcakes. The food was served on a Marrimeko table cloth made by T's mother and we had grey striped straws. And somehow, in all the helping to host and serve drinks, either I didn't take any photos or they've disappeared into a photo black hole, as I can't find a record.

However, we didn't want to let the occasion pass without a present of some sort, so we gave T a present from all who came of a box of goodies including a giraffe pram toy, various Aden + Anais swaddles and muslins with giraffe and cow prints and some Burts Bees toiletries for baby including the nappy balm which I read somewhere was above and beyond the best you can buy.

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iphone snaps by me and edited (rather crudely, sorry) to disguise the party's location.