We Made a Wedding Cake!!

We had a "little" job this weekend. It shouldn't have taken too long, but since we're not too experienced with cakes just yet, we really took our time. But it turned out just lovely & we got a taste for so many other things we want to try! Of course we make everything from scratch & always the best ingredients. This buttercream is to die for -so luxurious & not as intimidating as I had thought. All said, it was a great experience --even if we're new at something, we really take our time at it till we get it right. Can't wait to get more orders & chances to perfect this sweet artform :)

happy place!

i'm calling this new installment "happy place" --absolutely anything that is so funny, adorable or ingenius that i just have to pass it on. this video has to be the cutest kid in the universe -for real. i almost don't need to read the story, just watching her & listening is amazing ( "cro-co-dile" :) (but the story is too cool also.) ...& i think she should play audrey tautou's child double in her next film ;)               and this one just made me crack up....  aren't we lucky our kids don't remember much for the first few years...?                                                                                                                                                   

Fairie Tree

We come to this park to play all the time ...and still one day I noticed this tree for the first time. It's a beautiful tree, though seemingly average. But look closer ...           

                      Isn't this just where you'd be if you were a little critter or, say, a fairie? (At this point I do apologize that my photos don't do it justice.)      

    .....I took a watercolor class when I was 16. Nothing against the teacher, but she was very conventional in her view of what was acceptable. She was only interested in teaching the proper technique, not in  translation from the eye of the artist, & certainly not in breaking "the rules" a bit. The feeling i was left with was that watercolor was a very touchy & difficult media and that I just wasn't good enough. Isn't that a shame to feel that way about anything you're interested in? Especially when someone else has unwittingly caused you to doubt yourself? It's taken me 16 years to pick up a watercolor brush again & I'm having so much fun! I may not be very good from a conventional point of view but I'm discovering my own style. ..So please never let yourself or someone else tell you you wouldn't be good at something you'd like to try --do it for yourself & enjoy it :)           

                                                      oooooooo! DUCKS!

CALLING ALL CRAFTERS!!!

 (All sweet, generous, wonderful crafters...)

This is the wee beginnings of something that could be beautiful :)   Here's the story: My sister-in-law has a dear sweet little girl named Magnolia (she's known as Nola.) Due to severe mecomium aspiration at birth, Nola was left severely mentally & physically disabled. My sis-in-law is in her early twenties and has found herself the single mom of this dear child, now three years old. She is such an amazing mom! She sacrafices everything for that baby and her only goal in life is to make Nola happy & comfortable. But as you can imagine, after the stress & exhaustion of doing this for the last few years and without near enough financial help, this little family is in dire need of some support. So Nola's grandma, aunt & I are starting "Knitting For Nola", a community for crafters & anyone who can help in any way. Any little way you can help would be wonderful. We are mainly asking for handmade crafts of any kind that could be sold, the profits of which will go completely to Nola's care. Please read a little more here & I will be adding more soon on both blogs. I really look forward to hearing from all you out there with any thoughts & ideas. Thankyou for reading this!!! 

a little sneak peak

... at a just-for-fun project i'm working on.

Dinner Party

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                             We had a lovely little dinner party last night for some friends that just had their one year anniversary.  Three good friends & I have a business doing dessert catering (it's still in it's infancy), so we love any excuse to play & work in the kitchen & try new things.   All the food was wonderful ...I have been craving salmon mousse forever & was waiting for an excuse to try making it. This recipe was so easy & super tasty! Serve it with dill & capers & it's amazing.                Awesome mojitos my brother made- with fresh mint & sugar on the rim -yum!      These goat cheese, tomato & basil tarts on parmesan crust (once again from this yummy blog) were to die for!       Julie made tasty summer squash soup with lemon creme fraiche & garden chives...                            & Sara made this heavenly chocolate cake with caramel & rich chocolate ganache. She had to put it together in a hurry & in a hot kitchen, but did a great job. We decorated it with fresh flowers.    The cookies are my mom's secret recipe "Lottie's"' named after her grandma. They are the most addictive little almond cookies you will ever have. I get requests from my hubby & the rest of the family for these all the time!   ...Very nice evening with some family & friends  :)  

My Baby's Growing Up

My baby girl turned 5 today!! This is a hard one for me because it seems like 5 is the end of being considered a little kid. And if we weren't going to homeschool, she'd be starting kindergarten this year. Sigh ....  I know it's something parents just have to get used to; I just can already see her as a teenager in my mind & I'm freaking myself out! No really, I am working on being in the moment & taking it all in.  We don't celebrate birthdays (even though we do plenty of other fun things that make up for it!), but she had a great day because her bestest friend came over :)  

They played together so good all day. Little sweeties.

Holy Bundt Cake, Batman!

I'm in heaven at the moment...my own personal heaven; I'm pretty simple in my qualifications: 1. Kids are in bed. 2. Chocolaty Nutty Swirly SourCream Bundt Cake.

I'm on my second piece & it's 11:30 p.m... I've been thinking about it ever since I discovered her blog, but been too busy & didn't have a real reason to make a cake. But tonight I decided it was time & I didn't need a reason. And I do not regret my decision. Except that I'm a little sugar nauseous right now. But that will not stop me from getting a third piece.    

hello!

In case anyone's noticed, my last couple posts have not been so wordy... Baby Son thought our laptop was a George Foreman grill because after he pounded on the keys, he proceeded to smash his chicken into it & shut the top, for me to open & find later. He really did a number on it because the keyboard does not work at all -we can only use the mouse (I'm gettin real creative with copy & paste!) I'm using my brother's laptop right now & hopefully we'll have ours fixed soon...but in the meantime atleast I can still post pictures. ....Here's the prettiest thing I've made for dinner in a long while: Zucchini Gratin from this lovely yummy foodie blog my friend found. I've been so out of cooking mode for so long but there's a few more recipes on here I can't wait to try, so maybe it'll help pull me out of my slump...         

   ...made with zucchini, yellow squash, fennel & thyme from the garden :)