How on earth is it already the end of 2014? It’s been a pretty mixed year. Started a bit low but had some real highlights. Including (but not limited to) taking my friends to Mull for the first time, my sister getting married, Chicago, Groezrock & moving to London (at last). It’s been pretty damn busy to say the least. I’ve made a lot of new friends, and got closer to old ones. I saw my sister walk down the aisle and was her new husband’s groomsmen. I baked a serious amount of cake. Averaging more than once a week.

Below are some visual highlights from a year in the life of a beard.

Above image by Rob Booker Photography – www.robbooker.co.uk

And now I’m going to do a few year top 5’s.

My favourite first time bakes:

1. Oven Baked Cinnamon Donuts (recipe to come)
2. Triple Chocolate Brownies

3. Strawberry Drizzle Cake
4. Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes
5. Sticky Ginger Loaf w/ Dark Rum Drizzle and Lime Buttercream

Albums of the year:

1. The Hotelier – Home, like Noplace is there
2. Cayetana – Nervous Like Me
3. PUP – PUP
4. Modern Baseball – You’re Gonna Miss it All
5. The Lion & The Wolf – Symptoms</li>

Songs of the year:

1. The Hotelier – Your Deep Rest
2. The Menzingers – I Don’t Wanna Be An Arsehole Anymore
3. Die Antwoord – Happy Go Sucky Fucky
4. The Smith Street Band – Throw Me In The River
5. Cayetana – Scott Get the Van, I’m Moving

I’m going to end it there and stop myself from moving on to things you really don’t care about. I could easily go on to list stuff like my top 5 burgers, top 5 wrestling moments and things along those lines. But the majority of you are only here for cake, so even the music was probably a bit far.

Bring on 2015! I’ll be seeing it in on Mull with some friends, what are you doing? And tell me some of your best moments from 2014.