Ace of Cakes

Ok so, we've learned a lot from our first cake making experience. We are not as talented as the people on Ace of Cakes but we did pretty well for our first try.


Here is the beginning of our project, three cake recipes worth of cakes:


Next is the "dirty icing" stage, as Sarah discovered off of one of her cooking shows she loves.



More layers, more dirty icing:




And now for some detail work (mostly to hide the messy frosting) hehe. And for decoration:






Then I took apart the new bouquet I bought (for this specific purpose) and set to embellishments:



The top was a little rounded but since this is a rough draft, we're ok :) :




View from the back:




And it won't be on an old cookie sheet for the wedding haha.

But I think we didn't do too shabby for the first try. What do you think?

My mom

My mom is engaged! This is a big deal for my family and I. She's been divorced for 13 years now, and it hasn't been an easy time for her. We are so happy that she has found someone to share the rest of her life with her :)

As for my sisters and I... it's WEDDING TIME! We are all planning/coordinating everything for the wedding {due to my mother's current state of shock and "I can't even think about colors and flowers right now" freakout} and for the reception to follow.

Phase one begins today with a practice run of making, baking, decorating, and tasting one of the two cakes that we are going to have for the reception.

Pictures to follow :)

Fossil Springs

This past weekend we decided at about 8:30 on Friday night to drive up to Fossil Springs and camp with some friends for the night.
Saturday morning, we hiked over to the waterfall and swam and had lots of fun.
It's such a beautiful place! It was a fun weekend.

Sad day

I wanted to post a good blog but today I feel so heavy and sad. I feel kind of stupid since I'm not really involved but I can't help but feel like this when so many sad things happen.

When I used to dance, I had made a lot of friends and connections and hung out with them almost every day. One of the people I had met and hung out with a few times ended up taking his own life this Sunday morning. I didn't know him well but I had danced and talked with him a few times. I even hung out at the pool on Friday night with a friend and he was there.
I know that I wasn't close to him but I just feel so sad that he felt so alone that he abandoned his life.

On top of that, they found the body of that poor Yale student that was supposed to get married on Sunday.

And Patrick Swayze passed away.

It seems silly for this to get to me. But I can find no other explanation for my feelings.

Tomorrow will be better but I am going to remember them all today.

Mortified, to say the least

So I was able to snag a yoga/pilates class this semester and am now using it as my weekly dose of "zen". In order to completely immerse myself in my zen-ness, I went and bought some stretchy black leggings for 5$ at Target along with a new tank. I was all cute in my black leggings and new tank top and zen-d out for class.

I typically stand with my mat in the first row at the front of the class, with the remainder of the class in my row or in subsequent rows behind me (Which consequently magnifies my mortification into oblivion). So whilst stretching on my mat at the end of class I notice that my leggings are virtually see-through in the knees when i bend and stretch them. Not so bad, I think to myself. That's why these are my workout leggings and not ones that I wear all the time. So I get in the car and start that long drive home...

As I'm in the car I'm thinking, hm, these leggings are see through when stretched....and yoga does a lot of stretching all the way down to the ground.... hopefully they aren't too bad in the back......
Suddenly, I can't get home fast enough to be able to bend over in front of a mirror and check things out for myself.

Lo and behold, the stretchy pants are indeed see-through when stretched in the back.

4 things that made this whole situation worse:
1- I've worn them twice to class now, doubling the amount of flashing I have done.
2- As I said before, I stand in the front row, with everyone behind me.
3- With most stretchy things, like spandex, one typically does not wear chonies along with them.
4- In case anyone in my class failed to notice my scandal, today my instructor used me to demonstrate the proper way of holding a pose. I'm still unsure as to whether this pose was an offensive one all things considered, but it was still stretching a bit. And now, anyone who didn't get a look now had the opportunity.

There are only a few ideas that I am clinging to in order to make me feel better about my embarrassment...
Hopefully, everyone was as involved in their own breathing and stretching that they were unable to really take a look at my derriere. Also, I did find out NOW rather than at the end of the semester so considering I've only committed the offense twice, I'm pretty lucky.

Still horrified, I am now vowing to wear my sweatpants from this week onward, in an attempt to redeem myself. {cringe}

Afters

Before of trunk:

After of trunk {although I still need to line the inside}:

Before of rolltop:

After of rolltop:

I may do a different color... maybe brown, I'm not sure. Hardware:

That's all the afters I have for now :)

Ode to a short-sleeved turtle neck.

The time has come for me to say good-bye to my favorite blouse:

This is the Christmas that I first set eyes on it. My mom knows me so well. Only she could have given me such a blouse.

It looked fantastic, all of the time. It was my "go-to" blouse whenever I needed comfort or familiarity.

It went with everything.

And I wore it everywhere.

At one point, my sister made me take it off and sewed it up for me, just so that she would no longer have to witness the holy-ness it contained.

As all favorite blouses go, it has been worn for years, mended and re-mended, and has finally succumbed to the inevitable staining, stretching, and holy-ness. I therefore, must rid myself of it once and for all.

Goodbye mustard yellow. Goodbye slightly puffed sleeves. Goodbye old friend.