"Dream, When the Day is Through....."

"Dream -- that's the thing to do..."

Okay, so this may sound super ridiculous - but yes, I have a cake blog... but I also have this blog, so I can still blog here about cakes. Sortof. In a way.

Wow. I just said blog a lot.

OKAY so, top secretly - when I'm bored, or feeling crafty - I will search the internet, or places I have been, for cakes. New designs I could put on a cake, or themes I could use. Or sometimes, I will see a cake, and it will be such a good idea to me - but look sad in it's attempt. You know? Well anyways, I've decided to blog about some of the cakes I dream about making one day. I can't make them at random - but every once in a while someone will fall into my lap with an idea for a cake that is exactly like one I have in my "one day cakes" folder of pictures - or, someone will fall into my lap with no idea what they want, so I can suggest something. :o)

Here, are some of my cake (hopes).

A Waterslide Cake

Because - seriously fun!! And plus, the people are so cute. How could I not want to make this cake???

A Lego Cake

Because - COOL! Duh.

A "Draped Fabric Look" Cake

Because - I think this is so neat. It's modern, but still classy and traditional.

A Diner Cake

Because - Look at the detail!!! And it's so cute, I can hardly stand it. I have to eat that tiny float.

A Baby Cradle Cake

Because - I think this could be really cool, if the whole thing was edible. And a challenge, too!

A Pizza Cake

Because - SOOO COOL. I will probably make this as a "just because" cake one day. Because it's so fun!

A Blanket/Furniture/Tiny Things Cake

Because - Maybe this ties in with the whole, draped fabric cake. I also really adore the idea of a tiny sleeping fondant baby, with a tiny fondant blanket.

A Barbie/Princess/Dress Cake

Because - I had my mama make me a few barbie cakes, and they were awesome! Now, I have my girlish dream of putting fondant in the picture as well, to really make it come alive. :oD

A Baby-in-the-Tub Baby Shower Cake

Because - How funny, to have a baby showering as the cake for a baby shower... right? Right? This could be realllllly cool, if done properly.

A Tilting Hat Box Cake

Along with a great many other cake ideas I have not put on this post - is a stacked hat box cake I found online. Coincidentally, my dear friend is having a baby - and we were talking about what she would like for a baby shower cake, and she emailed me a photo almost exactly like the picture I had of the tilting hat box cake. So I'm mentioning it, because I do really want to make it, but I'm not providing a picture, because a) I accidentally deleted it out of this post, and b) I will be making it this Saturday, so just keep your eyes peeled on my cake blog! http://trishacakes.blogspot.com

:oD

Happy CAKE-ing!!!

(And Happy, Happy FALL!)

THE GOAL

Fall is soooo my favorite season.

I'm always feeling like I could make a million plans, and get them all done.

I love wearing big fuzzy sweaters, and admiring the Halloween decorations...

I love the crunch of the autumn leaves, and the crispness of the grass after a night frost...

I love the fresh air, and the loss of bugs...

I love the colors, the new school year, and the slow of the summer madness.

I love it all!

Mind you, Spring used to be my favorite...

The start of sunny days, the burst of a million blossoms, and the vast overtake of buds and plants everywhere. But this is a season for picnics and walks (before the bugs come out), and I never feel like a hard-working person.

-- SO --

It's Fall. Maybe not officially - but nonetheless. And so I'm feeling motivated in a big way! As you have previously read - I am mucho displeased with how little time I've been spending on myself. I have gone so long without working out, or getting my hair done, or anything... I put myself on the back burner, and slowly disappeared (it felt)...

When we went home about a month ago (to Calgary) I had my hair cut and colored for the first time in approximately two years. I felt horrible - sitting in the chair, with my frizzy looking hair, and to make things worse, someone came in to have a brief conversation with my hairstylist - and rudely commented on his way out "oh I feel zo bad for you, zat is a lot of damage."... Screw you, guy!!! :op I really don't like rude people. Bottom line, at the end of my hair care session, I had a ten minute discussion with three people in the salon about my age - they all weighed in thinking I was around 16 to 17 years old. REALLY??? (I'm sitting here, thinking I must look at least 35.) Well - I used to hear about how young I looked, but that was a hundred years ago.

(Pre-kids... you know...)

After that, I came back home, and started to spend some time each day doing something that I used to love. Guitar, drawing, quilting, crafts... whatever it was, even if it was for a few minutes a day. It was a struggle, I'm not going to lie... but totally made me a happier person.

A little while later - I went out and had a pedicure with my mother-in-law, for the first time since I was pregnant with my baby girl (which was the first time since I had given birth to my son) - it was great to take care of myself!

So...

So far my plan has been top secret.

Of course, by being top secret that means I can't hear from people ("How are you doing with that whole... thing?" "Oh... that's terrible..."), and I have no one to disappoint.

But. I totally don't care anymore!

I set a goal for myself - a suuuper duper, unavoidable, totally reasonable, achieveable goal.

It is to lose 6lbs each month, from now until next July.

That's like 1.5lbs a week. (Easy peasy!)

In total... that would be 60lbs!!! And I would be back to my pre pregnancy weight. (We're talking pre-pre-pre pregnancy weight)

So

I'm 6.6% into my goal. (We do not discuss poundage) -- approximately.

I will update progress. Of course.

And how am I achieveving my goal?...

:o)

By using Wii EA Sports Active.

(I had to say it, in case it helps me use 60lbs. So I can prove that it works!)

Hey, man - it's working so far!

Quilt....... therapy?

So... I think I've discovered something about myself.

When I'm anxious about something, or when I'm excited for something, I always find myself making a quilt. Sometimes it's rushed, or sometimes I take my dear sweet time making it.

When I was pregnant with my daughter, I made a lot of quilts. A LOT.

I was excited, and part of me was excited to use all the pretty quilt prints I couldn't with my son, because my husband said they were "too girly"... :o

The closer to my due date I got, the more intricate my quilts would get. The more time was put into them. The more I was kindof getting bored with quilting. And everything else.

Now? I'm waiting this week... for Thursday. It could get here faster, if I willed it hard enough!!! :oD But alas, I must wait.

We are going home, to Calgary, to visit my mom and dad and everyone, while it's summer. Ohhh yes, summer. I haven't been home to Calgary while it's been anything but winter, since I was 16. SIXTEEN!

I am very excited. And, we all were sick last week/the beginning of this week, so I'm glad we're all getting that out of our systems in time for our vacation.

I haven't wanted to quilt in FOR-EV-ER, but this week I already had my sewing machine out... and I was looking at some squares I had cut and ready to be organized and... well... today, I made that quilt! I quilted, and now, I feel a sense of calm. LOL like it's therapy!

And so, I made the Happy Baby Girl Quilt - the fairy fabric on the back is flannel, from my mom - and the front, all the happy colors, I picked out to be a happy summer baby quilt a while ago but never got around to sewing.

Until today!

Ta-da!!!

Cake Mix Cookies!

BEST

DISCOVERY

EVER!

Cake Mix Cookies

Ingredients:

1 Cake Mix - any flavor (I used white)

1 egg

1/4 cup oil

1/4 cup water

3 chopped baker's semisweet chocolate squares, or handful of chocolate chips

Beat together cake mix, egg, oil, and water.

Stir in chocolate.

Spoon tablespoon-sized dough about 1" apart on a greased cookie sheet. (Pam with flour is my hero here.)

Bake 12 minutes @ 350 degrees.

Makes about 4 dozen.

Thin, light, delicious cookies.

Easy easy easy.

Enjoy!

Haaaaaaaay

OK So I'm not the most consistent blogger anyways, but I thought I'd mention I'm going to stop posting my cakes here, and I will from now on be keeping up-to-date with my cakes on my cake blog.

For cakes.

Cake cake cake cake cake. CAKE.

The blog: http://trishacakes.blogspot.com

ENJOY

More Cakes!

I am in dire need of a cake update.

So here it is.

"Gail's Birthday Cake" - March 4th, 2009

We all had a little get-together for Rick's mom's birthday at her house. She likes forget-me-nots, so I tried to include them on her cake in some way. These flowers mostly look like them. :o)

This is a chocolate cake with peanut butter buttercream icing.

"Great's Birthday Cake" - April 5th, 2009

We love our Great! Rick's grandmother is the sweetest lady, and she's in her 80's so we wanted to make her birthday as special as possible. She loves daisies, and one of her grandbabies (Danny) loves baking, so I had Danny over for a day and he helped me make the cake, and a few of the daisies for it. She loved it!!!

This is a white cake with buttercream frosting and royal icing decorations.

"Monique's Baby Shower Cake" - April 25th, 2009

Monique is expecting, and my friend Carin asked me to bring a cake to the baby shower. My only guidelines were to include the color blue and brown, so I had some creative fun with this one! This is a white cake, with fresh strawberries as a filling, buttercream frosting, and fondant decorations.

"Corbin's 4th Birthday Cake" - May 16th, 2009

Keeley is my best friend ever, and I have known her son since he was 9 months old. He very sincerely asked me for a Batman cake (with his big, batting brown eyes) but then later I was informed by his mother that he wanted this ferris wheel cake he saw in a magazine. The picture of it was lost, so I did my best to make the rice krispies ferris wheel from Keeley's description. And, of course, Batman had to rule the cake. (He was Corbin's favorite part.) :oD

This is a rice krispies cake, with dum dums, m&ms, candy necklace, licorice, good n' fruity, and Batman decorations, with buttercream frosting.

"The Rainbow Cake" - May 16th, 2009

Oh my gosh!!! This is my favorite cake of the cake. Just because of the insides. I will even put a picture of what it looked like cut. I mixed the batter colors to create a rainbow inside. The mom had made an outfit for her 2-year-old daughter to wear for her big special day, and she wanted a rainbow cake to match. She also said her daughter loved her stuffed penguin, so if I could put one of those on the cake too, that would be awesome. It was a big hit!

This is a white cake (colored), with buttercream frosting and a fondant decoration.

"Memorial Day Weekend Cake" - May 22nd, 2009

Rick's brother, Sean, is 14. Apparantly he had been spreading word about how "awesome" my cakes were at school, so his teacher ordered a cake from me! (She also referenced - in a way - the woman who ordered the "rainbow cake")

This cake is a yellow cake, with buttercream frosting and a raspberry pie-filling-esque filling.

"The Impromptu Chocolate Yellow Cake" - May 23rd, 2009

Well this cake was the fastest decision cake I've made yet. The afternoon I was assembling the Memorial Day Cake we had a maintenance guy come to our apartment to replace our fridge, and he saw that I was making cakes. Apparantly, a few years back, there was a lady that lived in the apartment across from us who used to make cakes regularly, and he would come by two or three times a month to buy a cake from her. He asked if he could buy a cake, and if I could have it for him tomorrow. Of course I said yes!

This is a yellow cake, with a chocolate buttercream/chocolate cream cheese frosting.

And that's all for now! (More to come!!! A wedding cake in June!)

Happy baking!

:oD

FAT

If you couldn't tell from the heading, I am having a fat moment.

Why does weight have to be a struggle? An existence? Does anyone feel like there should be a simple co-inhabitance with themselves and the food they love? Lol.


I LOVE food. LOVE it. But I don't have to live in it. I think that all things in moderation is great, unless your body can't process it for crap! Exercise is dandy, unless you have a horrible back problem (such as mine) which limits you to basically swimming. Which is not readily available everywhere!

I think that you should be able to enjoy the foods you love as you live your life. Nobody should have to starve themselves their whole life to feel comfortable in their own body. I'm at that point!

When I was younger, I wasn't really fat, or chubby, but I felt like it because other children made me feel that way! Oh the childhood poison cruelty bread that we all had a slice of and served to others in return! After peaking at my high weight in high school, I donated blood and was pretty sick afterwards. I couldn't eat anything for two days, and lost TEN pounds. Terrible - but awesome - and felt like that was a good launch point for me to start losing weight. I suddenly realized that if I didn't eat that last piece of cake, it was ok. Yes, someone else would eat it. But I was living in AMERICA. If it was a cake from Costco, I could go buy another one. Literally. Down the street.

When I started feeling like everything was always going to be readily available to me, I stopped eating everything that simply looked good, and started dropping the pounds like mad. Two months later, I decided to join the swim team at school, and partnered with my 'you-don't-have-to-eat-that' mojo, I lost 50lbs in 5 months. I had a tan, was toned, and healthy - and found a new love for apples. :o)

Now, what happened?!?!?! I'm a mom of two, my body has held onto everything through both pregnancies. Everyone makes it out like losing the weight is so easy but my old tricks don't work!!! I want cake..... and sometimes, I let myself have cake too often. But I can't just not eat bad food and watch my weight melt off anymore!!! I feel like my body gave up.

So, I'm totally frustrated. TOTALLY FRUSTRATED. And I'm not a religious Oprah watcher - sometimes... I can't do some of the shows they have topics on - but I totally feel motivated to start caring about my body, and stop giving in to foods like... yes, I should enjoy cake. Because no matter what, I'm a strong believer in enjoying your life. And I'm sorry - I don't care who you are - but you can't enjoy life if all you can eat is tofu, lettuce, and lean meat until you die. (Or whatever else your diet is)

EVERYONE NEEDS A LITTLE CHOCOLATE CAKE ONCE IN A WHILE!


Anyway.

I refuse to be this uncomfortable anymore. It's not about how it's unfair to my kids, because when they want me to do things, I'll have to go sit down, and it's not about how it's unfair to my husband, because he married a svelte hot mama and now has the aftermath to deal with, it's not about how I view those things that way, it's about ME and me being uncomfortable and tired of being uncomfortable.

I remember feeling healthy and like I could run a marathon three times in one day - the energy, the motivation... I want that back. (Just like I could build the pyramids if I have enough sleep!)

It's goal week!


Well.

It's goal day. We'll see how long I last. But I want to take better care of myself, and see if the weight comes off. And I'm going to take more time for me. (I'm looking into taking some college classes about baking and pastry art, and learning how to do all the things I dreamed about but never imagined could be real! Like blowing sugar, like they blow glass! THAT is amazing!!!!)



I'm feeling excited.



Nervous ---



But excited. Hopeful. Nauseous.



:o)

Best Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting EVER!

Today, I made a cake. (Since it is Mother's Day weekend, and I love a good chocolate cake)

Suddenly, as the cake was baking, I realized I did not have the ingredients I needed to make a good chocolate frosting.

Sigh.

WELL what I did have was a few ingredients, which when combined, made the best tasting chocolate cream cheese frosting ever. No recipe! Well, MY recipe!!!

Not only do I feel like I am, indeed, a genius, but, I feel like I have to share. To see if it's really any good.

Trisha's Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

1 8oz brick of cream cheese, softened

4 cups powdered icing sugar

2 1oz squares of unsweetened baker's chocolate, melted

Directions

1. Beat cream cheese until smooth.

2. Slowly add icing sugar, one cup at a time, beating thoroughly.

3. Add melted chocolate while mixing.

4. Ta-da!

Delicious. Also healthier than making it with a bunch of butter and crisco. Which is nice.

...<(~~)>...

Feeling down today.

Feeling defeated.

...

Now what?

Nostalgia

I'm feeling nostalgic today.

I often get this way when it's sunny, or when I'm having a super sleepy day (today I was feeling very sleepy, but I assure you the sun was not shining), because I was often content and sleepy in the Vegas sun.

Sometimes I miss being able to stroll outside and sit for a few minutes in the sun to warm up in a hurry. It sounds out of control but man... when the air conditioning chills you and you walk outside into the sun, I feel like a cat curled up in a sunbeam on the fuzzy carpet in the front entrance.

Sometimes Vegas was like a big hug. The sun, the people... there are things I miss.

And so, I'm nostalgic.

I'm not sure if I miss the people, someone in particular, sunshine, being chilly, having the tan of my life, or high school... but the overall feeling and remembrance of those old school days was hanging on me like a wet blanket today.

Soggy.

FYI - My Birthday

Just in case you were wondering, my birthday was fine. Nothing huge, family and some cake, and my husband took me shooting for the first time.

Apparantly I did well, but what do I know? I'm new at this!

I don't know how I feel about shooting a gun yet. So don't ask me.

My cake was delicious, because I didn't have to make it.

(Happy-Birthday-to-me!)

10-Step Bread (TOP SECRET!!!)

This is by far the best, easiest bread recipe I have ever come across in my life.

I.... I almost don't want to share it with you. But I feel obligated, because it's so amazing. I have to share it with you.

I also have to thank Mamie, because she is the one who gave me the recipe. Amazing I tell you. Amazing.

10-Step Bread

Ingredients
5 1/2 cups hot water
2 tbsp quick-rise yeast
1 tbsp salt
2/3 cup oil
2/3 cup honey (or sugar, or brown sugar)
12-14 cups flour (white, wheat, or part white and part wheat)

Directions
1-Put hot water in a large mixing bowl.
2-Put 7 cups of flour in the hot water.
3-Sprinkle the yeast, salt, honey, and oil over the flour.
4-Mix (beat, until well blended).
5-Keep adding flour, one cup at a time, until it's able to be kneaded.
6-Sprinkle some flour onto clean counter surface and knead for 10 minutes.
7-Grease pans. (Four big loaf pans, or six average loaf pans)
8-Separate into loaves and put in pans.
9-Turn oven on 350 let raise in pans while oven preheats. (15 minutes or so)
10-Bake for 40 minutes (or 45). (Until it sounds hollow when tapped)

Oh PLEASE - if you make this bread, let me know how it turned out. I'm wondering if it worked for me to mock all my failed breads past...

And if this is universally awesome, do share!

;o)

KNEAD, AHOY!!!

Wow.

I just realized my birthday is in five days.

That's kind of sad... I'm not excited for it.


Is this what happens when you're a mom?

THINGS THAT DRIVE ME CRAZY

Okay, so this is really just about a few things that drive me crazy, not all of them.

I don't know if I have the breath in my soul to convince you of all the things that drive me crazy...

When my husband thinks he is helping, but is actually hindering, and I can't tell him he is hindering any process because then he will never help again and that means I will forever be enduring his hindering.

People who ride the bumper of my car and flip me off, while my "Baby on Board" sign hangs in the back, and you can clearly see the toys hanging from the car seat of my infant, next to my toddler in the back.

When said bumper rider then speeds around and cuts me off, slams on brakes, ends up at the same light as me, etc etc. What I wouldn't do for a flat tire on their car!!! Kharma, anyone??

People who walk in stores like they drive - right behind you, huffing about how slow you're going, making comments like you can't hear them. People who hit you with their cart because you're going too slow for them.
People who cut you off in a merge lane or an exit lane - I'm sorry, I wasn't exiting fast enough for you?! The ramp says 30 and I'm going 40, but you HAVE to be ahead of me going 50 or 60?

People who talk about you like you can't hear - I took my son to the quarterly trip to McDonald's, and a group of teenagers sits in the area next to us, and starts talking about toddlers and babies (I'm sitting right there) and was saying how gross they are, and how they're so messy, and look at those babies over there, and blah blah.

Shut your pre-pubescent mouths, you little identity-challenged brats! (Ok, maybe I'm overreacting)

Ok, so I'm not much older than them, but still. GROW UP, or shut your mouth. Pick one.

People who let their children do anything, anywhere, even if it's in someone else's home, or going to damage someone else's belongings. This entails a trip to Walmart, where someone has let their child push the cart, and they aren't watching, and their child rams into me, or my cart. Also, when they let their child run crazy through the store and they run into me or my cart, or right in front of me and just stand there. Also, this is when someone lets their child - at church, in the store, etc - come up and take my child's snack and start eating it.
What is up with that?
Most parents are watching, and most are appalled when I remove the snack from their child's hand and tell them NO, that is his snack. I don't let my children eat out of whereever! Why would you? I also did not come to feed the neighborhood! Your kid is hungry = bring snacks.

People who let their kids play with toys in the store, all through the store - teething babies who chew on the toy, little kids who are banging it on the cart - and then they put down the toy back in the store before they leave. You are going to drool up a toy, or dirty it, or break it, buy it!!! I know it's a novel concept, but maybe you should purchase something first! I don't go into someone's home and break things because I don't have to take them out with me afterwards! I don't shoplift!

People who don't put their carts back in the cart corrals. I make my babies come with me to return the cart - rain, sleet, snow - it's going back there, and it's going to teach my children to respect and to be responsible. And to not be lazy. I won't leave them in the car, so they come with me - instead of leaving the cart close to the car, in the guy's parking spot next to me or up by the nose end of the car. It takes five seconds, and my three year old thinks it's fun. Where's the negative side here?

Bugs. All bugs everywhere, ever. They are just disgusting. I don't care if spiders get rid of other bugs, they are the worst. I don't care if they help the planet thrive. They are gross.

Mean kids. Mean, rude, inconsiderate kids. Although I more pity them, and loathe the parents.

Parents who act like their children are so much better than yours, but they have super bratty kids who are spoiled.... I hate that! I know you are proud of your child. Bless your heart. I understand. But for peter's sake, you don't need to be boasting about how awesome your child is while in the background he is pulling books off the shelf and hitting my child with them. Seriously.

Dogs who stick their nose in your private areas.

Dogs who jump on you - with dirty feet, and if they're tiny scratchy dogs. One big jump from a big, cuddly friendly dog is fine with me. And I don't really like dogs, so that's saying something.

Cats who scratch you out of nowhere. What the heck, guy, I was just petting you and now you have your claws in my arm and you're trying to sink your fangy little teeth into my knuckle. See if I touch you again. Ever.

Poop. I hate poop. You hate to admit it, but seriously your life is about poop. Everyone's is. What you're going to make into poop, how it's going to end up...

and especially as a mom, I feel like everything in my life is worry about how everyone is pooping. And what it looks like. I SO hate poop.

Dora the Explorer. I wasn't going to go there, but I have to. Children's television is going downhill, and I know there are a lot of horrible tv shows out there, and really I have to say that Dora is a lot better than a lot of shows out there, but I .... I can't bring myself to listen to her voice without wanting to hit someone. Seriously. The - most - annoying - voice - ever.

Movies about zombies. Let it die, people, let it die.

This media obsession with vampires lately - movies, books, tv shows. Caaaaalm down, people.

You on a Diet - I'm reading it, and right now I can't decide if I'm mad at it, or grateful for it. It tells me something that makes me feel guilty, then something that makes me feel educated, then something that makes me feel inspired, and then the chapter always ends with "and in this book we will teach you..." but I'm already halfway through the book. I'm pretty sure the first 90% of the book is their way of trying to encourage you, by slurring together a hodge podge of motivational bad puns and examples, a lot of cartoony art, some severely scientific evidence on how things work, and then the last chapter has to be where the "Ok seriously, just do this" is at. Because honestly people.... get to the point.
(I'll let you know how this book turns out)
In the meantime, I have managed to stave off the insanity while reading this book while eating a few handfuls of chocolate chips at the same time. That usually does the trick.

The guts in a tomato. Way to ruin the tomato, guts! Bleh bleh bleh get it off my tongue.

Burnt orange colors in sweater form. NO, that's a BAD SWEATER. BAD.

Rants about things that drive me crazy. Oh wait.

Ok that means I'm done. I really really am done. Honestly.

(The wo-mullet... seriously. Why does every woman on Cops have a mullet? The woman mullet? You know what I'm talking about. What hairstylist out there honestly gives that haircut to someone and feels good about themselves? Do you feel like you've done your job? Letting them go into public like that? Way to go. Pathetic.)

Cake, MARVELOUS Cake...

Did I mention that I love cake?!

Not eating, of course, silly...

But making it!!!!

I <3 CAKE

It is the most fun thing to do, and I can't wait until I get to make another cake. I'm already excited about teaching a cooking class next month for a Relief Society activity - although I'm a little stumped because it needs to be about a light, summery dessert, and quite frankly I - and my family - are not all about the light desserts. We have the mindset, if you're doing dessert, do it right. You're going to have cake? Have a great cake. Have a super awesome cake. Don't eat that store-bought cake that's kindof flavorless, spongey, and it's coated in frosting that's oily, generic, leaves a film in your mouth, and kindof tastes yucky. Eat a rich, delicious moist cake (flavor of your choice) with homemade, hand-whipped buttercream frosting. Filling of your choice. Not in the mood for cake? Have some chocolate mousse with meringue mushroom accents. Lol.

Doing a dessert? DO IT LIKE YOU MEAN IT!!!

That's my motto.

;oD

Oi

Sheeew.

Well I'm grateful my husband and I (who knows for how long) are still employed. I'm hearing so many horrible stories - and all the men in my husband's family have lost their jobs. Terrible! My hubby's been working from home, since their company went into bankruptcy and they booted them out of their office space, which is a blessing.......

....aaaand kindof annoying.

LOL

Seriously. I had a routine. I had my things I did, my children had routine, and now.... it's totally tossed to the wind! It doesn't help that when my husband is home I'm used to relaxing a little - I ususally do all my "duties" during the day, and when he comes home from work we do nothing together instead of him doing nothing because he's been at work all day, and me putting around and then we never see each other. But now that he's home... I found myself, for a couple of days, just ... PLLTHHTHTHBBT - sitting on the couch. Ugh. So finally, I know it's like a child, but I made myself a chore chart.

Ha ha ha - yes, yes, a chore chart.

Every day I walk over, see what I have to get done, check it off as I go, and I don't feel like "aah I'll never get all the things done I need to!!!" anymore. Instead, I get done what I have to that day, and things like sweeping get done once in a while, instead of never, because I'm never thinking about it. It's awesome - and oddly, I'm doing more than I ever have, but I don't actually work all day long at it. I'm usually done my list by noon (or later, if it's a laundry day) and then I can spend the rest of the day to my liking - crafting with Logan, scrapbooking online, taking up an old project I should have finished... OR if I'm really ambitious I'll do something off of tomorrow's "to-do" chore list. I have no regrets for having made a chore chart.

Even though it's kindof childish.
It's working.

Logan also has a chore chart.

That is not working. LOL

So part of my spare-time projects is to scan my scrapbook box into the computer, to save space. By "scrapbook box", I mean - when we first moved into this apartment, I went through allllll my craft boxes and put all the things I held onto (every picture, sticker, doo-dad, memento) into one medium-sized Home Depot moving box.

That is one big box.

But - I want to scan it (not only to remove it from next to my desk here) because I know I'll never have the time to sit down and scrapbook everything I want to. I haven't even done our wedding photos yet. Seriously. PLUS, scrapbooking the old-fashioned way is expensive!!! You have to buy the paper, the stickers, the brads and embellishments, ribbon, die cuts, maybe even the machines to cut things for you, fancy scissors, stamps, etc etc... it's exhausting!!! At the end of it, one page cost you like $30 to produce!

My solution? I started using Heritage Makers ( http://www.heritagemakers.com/347499 ) to scrapbook everything. They have a gigantor database of stickers, brads, and embellishments to add to your digital page, and you use this through their website... it's amazing. It's like scrapbooking for real, because of how free it is and what freedom you have to do what you want on the page in terms of where things go and what color you want and how you want them to lay, except you are saving a TONNNN of money on supplies, plus you have a searchable database for your embellishments instead of - oh, say - a shoebox filled with doo-dads all jumbled up together, or ribbon all tangled together. I love love love it.

Especially since you order your book, and it comes sewn and bound like a professional book, and it is such high amazing quality, and the images are superb (looks like real flowers and ribbon on your page, or like you actually have sewn a label on) and - get this... - IT LAYS FLAT!!!!! Yes! No more 15" binder for a 1" story. Ha ha ha!

I also joke to my husband that I won't have to fight myself on saving my family or saving my scrapbooks with this - because they are in the database of Heritage Makers, so if something happens to your computer or your home, the scrapbook is safe. And you can just order another one. Which is awesome.

WELL now that I'm done talking about scrapbooking! I'm going to go eat some chocolate, and concern myself with how I'm going to lose my baby weight... from my first baby... by summer.

Adios!

Sigh.

I miss my mom!

Wish I lived closer.

I'm so lucky for the woman she is, and the example she is.

She is a fighter.

An inspiration.

Creative.

Wonderful.

Magical.

Mom.

<3

MY Cakes

Since I still have yet to discover if I can create a photo album on this site, I will just post this - the pictures themselves!



"Logan's 1st Birthday" - January 9th, 2007

We did a sports theme - so I made his cake to look like a baseball, and a bigger cake for the rest of us. These cakes was chocolate, with buttercream frosting.







"My First Wedding Cake" - February 2007

I did this cake for the receptionist that worked in my husband's office! This cake was chocolate with buttercream frosting.





"7-7-7 Cake" - July 7th, 2007

I did this cake for the boss that worked in my husband's office - she wanted a poker table groomscake, and a 7 tier wedding cake. We nicknamed her wedding cake "The Dr. Seuss Cake" because of how extremely whimsical it was. The Groom's Cake is chocolate with buttercream frosting and fondant, with fondant cards and chips. The wedding cake is white with buttercream and fondant.







"Keeley & Nate Anniversary Cake" - August 2007

My best friend Keeley and her husband Nate's cake. This was a red velvet cake with buttercream and fondant, with fondant and hand painted detail.





"Bucket O' Duckies Baby Shower Cake" - October 19th, 2007

My friend Carin asked me to make a baby shower cake for her sister-in-law. This was a black forest cake, stuffed with cherry pie filling and topped with whip cream.





"The 'Big Deal' Cake" - November 3rd, 2007

I was so worried when the bride came to me and asked me to include detail, several different colored flowers, vines, ivy, a figurine, a mirrored floor, pillars and more in her cake - would it be too busy? Did I have any idea what I was doing?!? But it came together in the end. This was a red velvet cake with buttercream frosting and artificial flower and leaf detail.





"Logan's 2nd Birthday" - January 9th, 2008

Logan LOVES Spongebob. I wanted to include that in the theme for his birthday, so I made Spongebob and Patrick (with a little cake) in front of Patrick's house (a rock). He LOVED it! This was a chocolate cake with buttercream frosting and gum paste Spongebob, Patrick, and the cake.





"Madalyn's 1st Birthday" - January 10th, 2008

My best friend's daughter turned 1 a day after my son turned 2 - of course I had to make her cake too! This was a vanilla, chocolate, german chocolate, and red velvet cake with buttercream frosting.





"Rick's 30th Birthday" - January 22nd, 2008

My husband kindof got the lazy cake - this was so easy to make! Which is good because I didn't have a lot of time to put into a cake when I was busy trying to do the rest of the food for the party! This was white cake, chocolate cake, and buttercream frosting.





"Relief Society Birthday Cake" - March 20th, 2008

I made the cake for our Relief Soceity Birthday party, celebrating the creation of the Relief Society! This cake was vanilla, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, german chocolate, and red velvet with buttercream frosting and royal frosting decorations.





"Easter Cake" - March 23rd, 2008

I was in my first trimester and quite frankly some days I had no energy to brush my teeth, let alone make a cake!!! This was a big hit, but definitely not my prouder cake moment. This was chocolate cake, buttercream frosting, and various easter candies.





"The Phlebotomist Cake" - April 14th, 2008

My friend Carin finished her schooling to become a phlebotomist and wanted to thank the people in the office with a humorous cake. How could I turn this project down?!?! LOL. Red velvet and chocolate cake (of course!) with buttercream and fondant, and gum paste decorations.





"Terry's Birthday Cake" - April 18th, 2008

My husband's buddy is a wrestler - so we gave him a cake of himself in a wrestling ring! Chocolate cake, buttercream frosting, and fondant, with a gum paste figurine.





"The X-Box Cake" - April 19th, 2008

I worked with a girl who - small world - married a guy my husband went to high school with. She called me one day and asked me to make a birthday cake for her husband, who apparantly was in love with his X-Box 360. This cake was vanilla and buttercream frosting.





"The Second Phlebotomist Cake" - April 24th, 2008

Someone at church saw the first 'arm cake' I did for my friend, and just loved it. She said her son was a phlebotomist and his birthday was coming up, so it would be really funny if she sent a cake like that to her son while he was at work. It was a big hit!!! Red velvet cake, buttercream frosting, and gum paste decorations.





"The Graduation Wrigley Cake" - May 24th, 2008

I made the cake for my cousin-in-law's high school graduation party. We're a family of big Cub fans!!! The cake was a huge hit. Chocolate cake, buttercream frosting, with royal icing decorations.





"Vodka and Chicken Wings" - June 11th, 2008

My husband's boss is Russian - and loves vodka and chicken wings. The guys in the bunker wanted a hilarious cake for him for his birthday. Happy Birthday Oleg - vodka and chicken wings it is! This was a white cake, and buttercream frosting. This was probably my favorite so far, because it's hilarious.





"Second Wrigley Cake" - July 19th, 2008

Someone at the graduation party for my husband's cousin saw the cake and had to have it for their mom's birthday. I made the cake much smaller than the graduation version, but it was a huge hit all the same. Chocolate cake and buttercream frosting, with royal icing decorations.





"Christmas Cake" - December 20th, 2008

This isn't much to look at, but it's the best cake ever, because it's like three desserts in one. This is a chocolate cake, with chocolate truffle loaf filling, frosted with chocolate frosting, drenched in rich ganace. Optional: Wrap the cake in tiny stick cookies (pirouette? I think that's what they're called). Extremely rich. We call it the Christmas cake, because that's pretty much the only time we make it. If you want the recipe, I can give it to you!!!





"Logan's 3rd Birthday" - January 9th, 2009

Logan loves Spongebob, but he also loves Blues Clues. This year? A blue cake - a total Blues Clues pawprint theme, and the thinking chair. This was a chocolate cake, with a peanut butter buttercream frosting. (YES! Peanut butter!) I made the "Thinking Chair" with a hot glue gun and some fabric from a red hankie, and then fabric painted the seams black, like the one on the show. Royal icing decorations. (In hind sight, not my best choice - too fragile to stick in a cake)





"Madalyn's 2nd Birthday" - January 10th, 2009

Did the first birthday, had to do the second. This year's theme was "Tinkerbell" - so I made a garden for her fairies. The cake was vanilla, (colored green) and the frosting was buttercream (in the middle it was purple), and royal icing decorations.





"Rick's 31st Birthday" - January 22nd, 2009

Like I said, we're big cub fans. Vanilla cake, buttercream frosting.







"Rick's 31st Birthday Party Cake" - January 25th, 2009

I had to make a cake for when we had the party too! This was chocolate cake, with peanut butter frosting. BIG hit!!!





"Motorcycle Cake" - February 7th, 2009

This cake was made for the sister-in-law of a girl I worked with, for her son's 3rd birthday. Vanilla cake, fresh cut strawberries in the middle, with buttercream frosting, a little fondant on top, and hand painted image on top.





"Valentine's Day Treats" - February 10th, 2009

Ok so these aren't really cakes, they're rice krispies treats. I frosted them with buttercream frosting, and put each on a little cake board. I thought it was more fun for my visiting teachees than just a plain plate of treats. :o)





SHEW! That's everything up-to-date!!!