Easter Saturday round these parts is a big day for our little village. We have a market that shuts down the town and it’s the one day of the year that our teeny tiny little small school (that has just 40 kids in it) can raise some coin for the P&C. This means one thing: HOMEMADE COUNTRY CAKE STALL.
This year I had the great duty of running that stall for the 9am-1pm shift. This is a KEY shift as you would appreciate. This is the peak time that the punters are around, as the stall is one of the first as you head down the main street. It looks this busy (thank you for the photo that I stole from your blog A year in my Garden):
People everywhere! The weather was also quite perfect this year – cooler than the previous two years but no rain and everything looking autumnal (LOVE that word) and pretty. I had my wrangled my Mum and sister to also help me out for the 4 hour shift. We were focused! AND READY!
The old school cake stall can be filled with all kinds of treats. Especially in a small country town you would expect the goods to be home made. We had the regular standards there: banana bread, loaves, muffins, cupcakes, the occasional full carrot cake, scones, biscuits, lolly bags. Each family bakes a few odds and ends and we try and flog them for as much as we can to the passing city folk spending their Easter weekend in the Highlands. Now I went in hard with FOUR (award winning) date loaves. And you can imagine just how shy I was in telling everybody that they were award winning! It took all my strength not to drape my blue ribbons over them!! Mum made me 3 banana breads and I also cheated and made a whole heap of small lolly bags with some cute ribbon tied around them for just 50c each. Bargain! The loaves went early (OF COURSE THEY DID) people do love something they can take home whole and spread some butter on. The sticky date puddings that someone made with a little pot of caramel sauce was a winner. We had some small potted colour pots for sale from one of the Dad’s who runs a nursery. A policeman came over in search of a toffee (our bad for forgetting that one). The gluten free options were low (key learning for next year). The box of chokos donated from someone’s garden were a quick seller. My best customer was an 18 month old who came in and took the smarties off about 4 cupcakes (bang on her eye level) which meant her Mum had to buy the lot! I even got my Bose speaker out to get some tunes cranking and take the cake stall to a whole new level. THE PLACE WAS BUZZING I TELL YOU!
And then. From across the stall. I saw them. The Kidman/Urban crew.
Standing watching some of the kids from School do a dance routine to Happy (thank GOODNESS for my speaker at this stage of the morning) doing some busking. Their cute kids (SUNDAY ROSE IN THE SAME TARGET CARDI AS HARPER might I add) dancing away. Little Keith! Standing there looking all Keith like and cute! And statuesque Nicole! Standing right there. I mean this wasn’t some kind of Home & Away celeb sighting this was OUR NICOLE. Legit celebrity. Mum Lucy and I were quite beside ourselves…trying to look at her engagement ring, her shoes, her jeans, ALL OF KEITH.
And then she walked in.
Smiled and looked around at the cakes on offer. She wanted to get out of there and why wouldn’t she? She grabbed a few biscuits, some cupcakes. She paid with them with a fifty (OF COURSE SHE DID). I looked at her. And said…
“It’s so nice to have you at the P&C cake stall (PAUSE FOR DRAMATIC EFFECT) Nicole Kidman.”
Because apparently she doesn’t know what her name is?! But it felt like I needed to say Her Majesty….or the like. The pause was what surprised me the most. A comma? A semi colon? I’m not sure why I left a long pause. But I did. And she smiled and thought to herself let’s get the hell out of here. NOW. Mum took her money, gave her change. Lucy stood and smiled. I was basically curtseying to her. But we got a sale!
And then they left because: WEIRDO MUM TELLING ME MY OWN NAME.
The stall went on, we sold as much as we could. We talked to the peeps. We did the shift change over at 1pm and we were stuffed. Next year we’ll know to up the Gluten free options. Ensure we have chestnuts like we did in previous years. Also the bags of biscuits for dogs that we forgot that are always winners. And I’ll remember to, you know, act a little cooler in front of celebrities. And that of Target is good enough for Sunday Rose, it’s good enough for ALL of us!
Have you ever met a celebrity and told them you carried a watermelon?
What’s a cake stall favourite that we missed out on?
Wow! How exciting. I am sure she gets treated in awe most of the time. But lucky you. Vx
It was pretty cool Vicki!
Omg I love it!!!! You had me laughing out loud. Totally acted the way we all would, I don’t know if I could of spoken at all. Probably would have stood grinning like an idiot. I adore country markets they are the bees knees. The atmosphere, the goods, all of it. Sounds like a super Saturday to me.
It was a great day! Lots of hard work but worth it Amanda 🙂
I love this! I saw her in the toilets at ‘Annie’ with some microphoned-up minder peeking in every 2.3 secs to make sure us mere mortals didn’t you know rub her or something. I wish I had said “Nice to see you in the toilets………. Nicole Kidman!” bahahaha. 🙂
Make sure you get that pause right….!
I was once trying to exit a Geelong might club (ok so this was 15 years + ago) and there were a group of men who were blocking everyone’s way and refused to budge-despite being politely tapped on the shoulder with an excuse me…I started to get exceedingly frustrated and I’m a little embarrassed to say I gave the ol hip and shoulder so that I could pass through and knocked one of them over in the process. As I apologised to the gentleman I realised it was Shane Crawford….oops.
Will you kill me that I have NO idea who Shane Crawford is? Hang on let me google…Oooh Hawthorn player? Apologies! Is that him?
Yup. That’s him!!
Bless! Love this. As much for discovering another lover of the word AUTUMNAL as for your great Nicole/Keith sighting & actual human interaction story….. Baby Mac Beth (strongly veering into Bev territory)
Ha!
Awesome story….I love that your Mum and Sis were there with you when it happened. Up where I come from sponge cakes are de rigueur – it’s basically a chance for the Mothers to show off their baking prowess as to who can make the best. My Mum use to buy store ones and decorate the s**t out of them and they would always sell out the first!!
I love it when anyone does the SHIT out of something!!
I raise you your 40 kid small school and give you 7 kid small school. We don’t have awesome cake stalls though with random Nicole and Keith (oh my!!) sightings or cake buying!!
Wow…7! That is small. They can be hard work but so rewarding don’t you think?
oh for sure, we LOVE it. Our big fundraiser is catering at the local race day (by catering I mean sangers and cake!) and we also – the three mums in the P and C – clean the local public toilets twice a week for the council. Fortunately we do have a well resourced school.
We once saw that very tiny musical singer lady (Rachel something or other? husband was on Sea Patrol) when we were on holidays at Mission Beach. Didn’t speak to her as her child was throwing the most godalmighty tantrum you’ve ever seen…. Just goes to show it doesn’t matter if you’re hugely talented and famous, if your child is being a little brat you are just the same as the rest of us 😀
Stop it!! That is hilarious!! When I saw Hugh Jackman in the park I thought the best thing was to stare straight through him like he didn’t exist… He looked at me like I was crazy as well. I didn’t even point him out to my friends – I thought that was the best thing to do. When he left he told me to “try and have a nice day”. I think he thought I was cranky rather than acting cool.
No THAT is hilarious!!!
Ha ha ha ha, I love this post, very you! The toffee’s were always a cake stall favourite of mine, lasted forever. I love that you bragged about your “Award Winning Date Loaves”, you show pony – you definitely should have had the ribbons draped over them. You are too funny.
I knew you’d like this x
Is it weird if I say I think I’ve spotted myself in that top image.
It was such good markets. My first time, and I’ll definitely go back next year… despite the 40 minute line of traffic to park. Maybe I’ll just have to camp out 😉
I’ll have to make sure I go and see the cake stall next time!
Wow! Small world Melanie 🙂
Were there any butterfly cupcakes? I love those. And I love how you take the cake stall to a new level with the music, made me laugh. And that you told Nicole her full name, not just her first name. Because she might have forgotten who she was, what with all those acting roles.
In 1989 I offered Mick Jagger a white plastic outdoor chair at Darling Harbour. He said no 🙁
There were no butterfly cakes Edie. I do love them…miss them too!
Ha ha…I have had a few celebrity sightings in my day but thankfully have never had to actually speak to any of them!
My m.o. in NYC whenever a celeb was around was just talk really loudly…so they would hear my super awesome conversation and want to come over and join in.
My sister has met JT a few times…I can’t even think about meeting JT…just contemplating it makes me feel awkward all over!
I remember the stories of your sister and JT!!!
see, I could say the same about you m’lady, I saw you at the markets and felt too shy to come and say hello. you are indeed a celebrity in my little world!
My only claim to fame is that I kinda know a certain lead singer of a now defunct brisbane band. It’s not like I can say we are friends or anything like that, but after years of going to gigs etc, I got to know him and we would talk now and then before/after gigs. When he was last on tour with his now solo stuff I sent him an email asking if he wanted to catch up for a beer (BOLD!) and so I went backstage after the gig for a few bevvies. This is after HE RANG ME ON MY PHONE AND HAD A 10 MINUTE CONVERSATION and invited me, my hubby and brother. That was pretty cool. I still have his number saved, but I would never ever EVER ring him. EVERRRRR!
Love it Deb! And also: you need to raise your celeb bar if I’m in your list!!
What a great story! I have served celebrities when I worked in a supermarket during summer many moons ago, and have looked after famous people’s children in childcare and babysat them but NEVER had an ‘I carried a watermelon’ moment, until last year. (It appears I was much more cool, calm and collected in my early twenties.) I was in my local supermarket, it was early evening and quite empty. I spied a man who I thought looked a lot like Tony Briggs, down one of the aisles, and knowing that he used to live in the area, I suspected it was probably him. I ventured closer, pretending to look at items on the shelves, and then when I was in uncomfortably close distance to him and there was no turning back, I approached him and asked if him if he was Tony Briggs, to which he nodded, and then I VOMITED VERBAL DIARRHOEA all over him, gushing about how I was a fan, how I loved the film The Sapphires, how I’d seen him in Redfern Now; I probably was bright pink, flustered and still continued rambling like a lunatic. He smiled at me politely the entire time, I don’t think he spoke, I didn’t give him a chance! I then backed away and fled home, going over the whole bumbling mess of a speech I had flung at him and vowed never to be so star struck ever again! Poor man will probably steer clear of that supermarket now. Good thing I’ve moved towns.
That’s so great Reen – thank you for sharing!
Beth I met Princess Mary and Prince Fredrick last year my daughters presented flowers to them and I had been asked to present to them … I normally have no trouble with words or public speaking but I literally couldn’t get my words out. They were awesome at putting me at ease and asking about twin pregnancies and having an in joke with me about parenting twins!!! It was an amazing experience! Then they posed. For a picture with me and Prince Fred and Princess Mary put their arms around my waist so I followed their lead and did the same back!!!! I’m sure that breaks all protocols lol!!!!
That’s FAB! Catherine well done!!!
Years ago my hubby was working at qantas when Hugh Jackman and John Travolta were arriving all the blokes stood around they walked along and shook hands with everyone! One guy got on his mobile to his wife and handed it to both guys and they both said hi to Dave’s wife I’m john or I’m Hugh apparently the guys wife was speechless they were awesome and let everyone take heaps of photos!!!
That’s so cool!
Literally laughing out loud at the carried a watermelon line. Both the dogs are looking through the front window to make sure I’m okay and thinking I’ve finally lost I’m the plot. I’m in sleepy little Perth – and way up in the hills at that – so nope, no celebrity interaction here.
You never know who will be round the corner Mandi!
You are just too cool Beth I hope she bought some blue ribbon date loaf I think my jaw would be left hanging open looking at Keith and what sort of jeans does she wear and what is her ring like??? xx
Her jeans quite a normal cord really. Ring? MASSIVE. Of course!
I met Johnnie Young a while back. I shook his hand and said “You’re Johnnie Young!” He looked at me like I was dog poo. Fair call Johnnie… Fair call.
Fair call!
How flippin cool!!! I love a good cake stall. Mainly I like baking for them & running them, not the buying. I’m always trying to convince the P&C to have cake stalls 😉
P&C cake stalls are money spinners!!! Get onto it people at Reannon’s school!!!
Johnny Farnham, I got to meet him at Luna Park when I was 9 yo, and I was speechless. You should see the pic, it is so funny, I look so shy. I used to bump into Steve Kilby (from The Church) when I used to live in Balmain, and I always gave the ‘I’m cool ‘ look. I was speechless in the presence of Wendy Mathews once when I was taken backstage by a friend of hers, so in my books you did pretty good! At least you managed to get something out……that is so funny, loved it!
Can’t believe you didn’t have the gluten free’s happening, we usually have too many at our school. Don’t you also have the egg free dairy free nut free thing happening?
We’re a bit behind on the allergy situation here it would appear!!
Obviously! Too much star gazing going on. Ha!
I served Geoffrey Rush at my parent’s restaurant on the Mornington Peninsula. He was charming and polite and even got extra points for saying “Michaela – what a lovely name”
Well played Geoffrey!
I was working at a polling booth on Election Day when a guy who looked vaguely familiar came to my desk to be crossed off the roll. I looked straight into his face and said “Name?” and he said “Shane Warne”. I kind of chuckled a bit and said “Ha! That’s a bit of a thing, isn’t it, to have the same name as….. Oh. OK.” And then I crawled under the desk and hoped the floor would open up underneath because of course it was Shane Warne.
That is BRILLIANT.
Pissing. Myself. Laughing. I can picture the exchange so clearly!
I shall repeat it for you at Problogger…the pause is the BEST BIT.
I will hold you to that!
Best giggle of the day, thanks for that. You are a classic!
You’re welcome!
Last year James Blunt played at the InterCon Hotel in Doha. As he was coming out of the lift and I was walking in I was in pure shock that he was standing there right in front of me. So I said “Oh….it’s you!!!!” In a high pitched squeaky voice and he just smiled and said “See you down there” I relive that moment over and over again thinking of all the things I could have said or you know not have said anything at all! Having worked for years in publicity and meeting my fair share of celebs you’d think I would have had it down pat but no…made a complete tit of myself!
I love the high pitched voice!! Fabulous Sarah – thank you for sharing x
Met William Mcinnes at Tullamarine airport last June.
Now, I adore this man and have since his Seachange days. So when I saw him, I (23 weeks pregnant, mind you) felt compelled to stop and address him as “Sir Mcinnes.” I’M NOT EFFING KIDDING.
He was most amused. But ever the gentleman, asking me about myself, where I was from, (he knows the central coast! Squeeeee!) as I stood there, a twittering, moronic mess. The funniest part was his teenage son, who stood there rolling his eyes at the pregnant chick mooning over his father. And scoffed when I asked him to take a photo.
Best day EVAH.
Ha! Love it Steph!
I have my own Kidman story! I currently live in Singapore and was at my local Cold Storage (Woolies equivalent) doing a grocery shop. After checking out, I headed out the door and a woman was walking towards me who I recognized. It was one of those ‘I know I know you, but no idea where from??’ moments, so I just said “Hello! How are you?” super brightly and kept walking…. About 10 seconds I realised it was Antonia Kidman, and that she didn’t know me from a bar of soap. Oh well, at least I was (overly) friendly!
Love it Barb!
A few years ago I was at a Keith Urban concert in Anaheim, Calif., and our seats were right next to the sound board. After the concert started we looked over and there she was…..you forgot to mention how gorgeous her skin is in person…porcelain and her eyes are sooo blue, and she’s tiny. Tall, but tiny. The same year I had a Meet & Greet and got to meet Keith. All of us KU fans (Yes, I’m in the fan club…lol…10 years running.) say two things: He smells wonderful and he’s so pretty in person. I opened my mouth and something stupid came out as well, so you are not alone!
You are so right – tiny but tall and amazing skin! Although she had a cap and sunnies on.
Can I name drop too……my dear friend invited my husband for tea a few years ago to her 15century cow shed ( renovated of course!) in a fabulous village near us in Buckinghamshire U.K..In we went and was aware that 2 SMALL men were sitting in the lounge, ” This is Bob & Al” said Beryl, they are staying with us for awhile…WTF it was Robert DeNiro & Al Pacino!!!! Beryl’s husband owns a very discreet security business and they were staying with them whilst filming Heat. I couldn’t speak properly!!!
Well of course you couldn’t….goodness!! Good story Debora
I can just see you there with your cheeky grin, sychophanting the beejeezus out of the Urban Kidman clan. Maybe she’s snapping up a local pile now that she’s offloading the South Coast retreat? Maybe you’ll be neighbours? Maybe one day you’ll see her and she’ll say, “It’s so nice to see you, Beth Macdonald” and you’ll say, “Likewise, Nicole Kidman”. certainly Over The Back Fence would never be the same again! x
I would LOVE to be her Neighbour…unless we move somewhere REALLY fancy soon, it isn’t likely to happen! I was a complete dick, you would have loved it! x
About 15 years ago I was leaving the foyer of the Sheraton on the Park and thought how lovely it was that 2 men in dark suits were holding open the doors for me. Walking tall and thinking I was hot shit, I barged through the doors and pretty much dropped a shoulder into Gough Whitlam, the actual recipient of the door opening, arriving with his wife. And dont I relive it every time someone opens a door for me.
Classic!
Ok, I need to ask, just how little is “little Keith”? T
Quite little…short! And just all round tiny!