Recipe for the perfect birthday garden party!

Hey Ladies!
It's been a busy week here at Mandy's Heaven for many reason, the best one being that IT'S MY BIRTHDAY! I can't believe i'm 21 already... Wouldn't say I feel a day pass 20 ;) Although it is strange how my love for a good chinwag with a girlies and a cheeky glass of Prosecco (prepared by the pixies, of course) is one that feels like it's aged and grown over a longer period of time... hey ho, you're only as old as you feel, right?
Anyway, as it's been such a lovely week, I thought I should let you in on what made it such a fab birthday in all of which was topped of by the weather, this being a factor that no amount of organsation can prepare for, unfortunately.. First of all you need a good group of friends, this being the girls that I managed to peel away the girls from the Mandy's Heaven log cabin office to sit in the gorgeous sun under the patio canopy...
  1. We then grabbed the gorgeous Prosecco (unbias of course) with a dash of Bottlegreen Pomegranite and Elderflower Cordial - to give it a little sweet kick!
  2. For entertainment (besides John on the kareoke) we enjoyed rounders (girls against boys) with the fielding helped by the 2 Springer Spaniels in deep field! We also all had a go at clay pigeon shooting in the garden and became amazed that Giullia, one of our angels, managed to hit the clay in her first ever shot! I must say, second time around she wasn't so lucky!
  3. Food - We started off the evening with nibbles, this being, houmous, breadsticks with little anti pasti pieces, which undoubtedly leads to me finishing them all, despite starting the evening adament that 'I'll save myself for the main'. For main we enjoyed a mixture of meats from chicken skewers to pulled pork burgers and a gorgeous tomato and pesto encrusted salmon from The Cook Shop in Bishops Stortford! We added a Greek Feta Salad to the mix, with coleslaw, potato salad, corn on the cob and new potates! There was plenty more but the mix of Prosecco meant it became a bit blurred ;) Dessert became a gorgeous array of chocolate roulade, cheese and biscuits and a birthday cake made by one of the angels from Mandy's Heaven HQ!  
  4. Drinking Games - My sons introduced John and I to a new game; Ring of Fire (the rules are found here) of which I had never heard of before. It all includes each person picking a random card from a pack where each card has a rule that is predetermined before the game starts! My youngest, Jay, having broken many of the rules in which meant he had to drink more (whether that was by accident or not, i'm not so sure ;). 
It all became the most wonderful evening that softened the blow of becoming that 1 year older...
It wasn't until I spoke to an old friend of mine when I realised the value and comfort that actually comes with growing a year older. She first of all mentioned about how she has never felt as confident in her body as she does now (being a woman of this 'certain age' that everyone seems to mention, however uncertain I actually am of this 'certain age'!) It seems that despite after years of having a teeny tiny figure in her youth and looking amazing, she always felt the need to hold her hand over her tummy whilst in a bikini, it is now, being a few dress sizes bigger, that she feels great in herself, and you can tell as this confidence radiates through her. 
- I didn't intend for this blog to become so deep, however, it's a point I find important, in which also I feel passionate to tell you about.
If life experiences teach us to love ourselves than surely that can only mean that with wisdom, comes confidence, and age is something to flaunt and always be proud of. So, ladies, remember that, at this very moment, we are all in our prime, as your age at this very second is the oldest you have ever been! All of which inspires the Mandy's Heaven Collection entirely. This is in the belief that, with every year that we grow, so should our pride, and what better way to dress this feeling than with pieces that are designed to flaunt it! So ladies, whether you are Fuller Figure, or not, or going on holiday, or not, or prefer to cover up you arms, neck or cleavage, or not! It doesn't matter because I honestly want nothing more than for you all to feel amazing, all in celebration of AGE because its true, as Audrey Hepburn once said "the beauty of a woman, with passing years only grows!”
However, we don't tell this to the fairies at the bottom of the garden as they don't age, poor things (although it does keep the efficiency of clothes creating and prosecco making at a constant pace, so I can't complain about that)
Lots of love from Your Guardian Angel, Mandy x

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