I'm on a cake rant...

Okay, so here of late all I seem to be blogging about is cakes. I promise to change that trend here soon, but not at this particular moment.

My last blog mentioned that I was on a quest to find some birthday cake ideas. What I ended up finding was more wedding cake ideas. I've since gone back on my search for birthday cake ideas and have come away with the following two examples.

First off I have to say, I've been making a LOT of chocolate cakes here lately. It's okay, I don't mind chocolate cakes I was just anxious to do something a little different. So, when I asked the birthday girl what she wanted, I have to admit I was a little disappointed to hear chocolate cake. That's when I said to myself, if I have to make another chocolate cake I'm going to make the most stellar chocolate cake I can...something a little more demanding than the simple cakes I've been making here lately.

This first photo is the cake I would like to attempt. The only problem with this cake is that it's incredibly time consuming. That's all sugar paste you see covering that cake. It would take me atleast a good two to three days to accomplish that cake. Since I'm way too busy to give up significant portions of two to three days this weekend I need to go with a simpler cake design.

That brings me to this next photo. Instead of using all sugar paste to complete there is a combination of frosting and chocolate clay/plastic (it's edible - tastes like tooties rolls) covering this creation. I've been working with with chocolate plastic here of late, but not the techiniques that this cake will require. I'm looking forward to the challenge.

I've also decided to make my cake the size of the one pictured here, which for the size of the party I'm hosting will probably be a bit of an overkill. The birthday girl is one of the teens who has moved into the new Sandal House, and I want I would like her party to be somewhat special. Atleast the cake will be memoriable.

Of course there should be plenty of leftovers. Anyone want some cake???

More Wedding Cakes

Okay, I was supposed to be online looking for birthday cake ideas, but I found myself doing searches for wedding cakes AGAIN. Here's just my three new favorites (adding them to the two I previously blogged about).

This first photo is a rather clever (time consuming, not to mention expensive) idea. Each wedding guest would get their own minuature wedding cup-cake. Talk about special!! I love the idea, but I can't imagine ever being able to do something like this.

Okay, so I'm a big chocolate lover, and I don't doubt that I'll manage to get something chocolate into any wedding cake I might ever have (I have to put that last remark because I don't want you all think I'm planning a wedding here - it's more just an interest in cake design).

I love this cake next cake with it's beautiful chocolate piping, and talk about the roses, GORGEOUS!This next cake is simple, and in it's simplicity it becomes rather beautiful. I think it would make the perfect outdoor country wedding cake. What do you think?

As always I'm curious as to what you think of these cakes. Don't be afraid to leave comments.

Sandal House

Look...it's SANDAL HOUSE!! This is the new teen mother home in Harrisonburg, VA. And yours truly is the new house mother.

I thought you all might like to see some pictures of the house before all the teens and their infants move and it starts to look a little more cluttered.

This photo is of the lovely porch, with two white rocker chairs.

The Upstairs Bathroom
Each of the girl's rooms has their rocker glider chair...oh yeah...and a T.V.

The girl's rooms each have their own twin bed and crib

This is the upstairs sitting area.

The downstairs foyer

My Room

The Living Room

The Dining Room

The Kitchen

The other day I was on Facebook catching up on some photos my friends had posted. As I looked I came across photos my good friend Olivia had posted on a picnic of the African Refugees of Salt Lake City.

When I lived in Salt Lake City I volunteered some with tutoring the African Refugee children, so I was excited to see the photos. Olivia's photos also had pictured many of my good friends who also volunteered their time with the refugees.

As I was flipping through the photos I came across the following of Stacie Heffield and her daughter Alyssa. I commented out loud to myself, "Oh look, there is Stacie and Alyssa, and look it's Brendan in the background."

Then I flipped to the next photo. After a few seconds a thought came to me, "Brendan?" My Virginia friend Brendan, in the background of a photo of my Salt Lake City friends.

The first time I had flipped through the picture as if there was nothing amiss with Brendan being in the background of the photo. After flipping back to the photo I remembered that Brendan had recently made a trip out to Salt Lake City for work and I had him meet with my friends the evening of the picnic. I had completely forgotten that he had been there.

It's strange having my two worlds collide, but I love it!!

The following photo was also taken by Olivia. It's of two of my favorite guy friends, Brendan and Jake. Again, I love that my two worlds have collided. I think so much of all my family and friends, so it's great when they are able to meet one another.

By the way, for all you ladies out there, these two handsome men are single :) Just email if you're interested. Jake and Brendan, you two can thank me later.

Wedding Cakes...

Okay, I'm not getting married anytime soon, atleast not that I know of, so don't get all anxious about the title.

The reason I'm focusing on wedding cakes today, is simply for the fact that I love them. Almost always wedding cakes are the most beautiful cakes you will ever see.

Whenever I'm thinking of a cake I want to make I'll go trolling the internet for photos of beautiful wedding cakes, and then I begin to think of the techniques involved with making that cake.

Someday if I do happen to marry I hope to make my own wedding cake (I know call me crazy but I think it's a great idea). In my searches online I've found two cakes in particular that I absolutely love, and so far they are my own wedding cake examples.

I thought I'd take a poll and have you all tell me which one I should go with.

Cake #1

OR

Cake #2

You tell me which one you like best!

This Old House...

The Basement - where I use to rollerblade as a child

The Family height chart on the door of the basement.

The master bedroom - which was once my old room before my parents added onto the house and took over the larger space.


The upstairs hallway - I have great memories of standing right where this picture was taken and trying to sneak past my parent's bedroom door (which was the first door on the right). By the way, those old wood floors creak, but I know every spot in which they do. It's quite a dance walking down the hallway without making the floors creak.

The room we always called the company room growing up. Guess where all the company visited? ;)

The old living room/computer area.

The eating area.

The utility room.

Stating the obvious here...but here is the kitchen.

The dining room.

View of the house from the road.

View of the house from the back.

...well that's my old house.

Since most likely only my good friends are reading this blog (only my good friends would have the patience to wait out my long absenses from blogging), you are probably aware my parents have moved out of the house I grew up in. That's right they've sold the farm and the house went with it.

Shortly before they turned over the keys, and after all the furniture was gone, I went through the house taking pictures. Boy, did I ever take photos!! I wanted to capture that house at every possible angle so I would always remember the different views I grew up with.

I thought for the curious amoung you I would post a few of those photos for your enjoyment.

Good Intentions

Last night I had a long conversation with Jake, and at some point he mentioned having read my blog recently. Oh YEAH, I have a blog. One would think I had forgotten that with my lack of posts for the last month.

Still, I'd like to think I'm doing better than Jake with the whole "blog thing", you should really check out his blog (of course jake I added this line for your benefit - gives you a little added incentive to blog - i'm a good friend that way).

Of course as always I have good intentions of keeping my blog up and alive, but we'll see.