A Spoonful of Sugar

Green with envy

2009-06-05T11:43:00.001-07:00

A quick update on a couple of cakes I did this last month. Oddly enough both centered around the color green.

This one was a spring green cake with white satin ribbon, white scrollwork, and white draperies, with coordinating flowers. (fresh of course)

This one was a porcelein white base with green satin ribbon, and cream scrollwork, handpainted with gold luster dust for an aged look.

I really liked how they both turned out.

Well, back to life. I am shopping and doing food for the baptism tomorrow, and of course raspberries went on sale the day I had a ton to do, so the yearly stockpile of Jam is being put up today.

For anyone who is interested, the springville Reams has cases of raspberries for $10. WOW!!!

2009-06-02T06:44:00.001-07:00

Please Come!

Another month has flown by, and I have been enjoying my relatively "unplugged" status. Posts on my blog have been relatively few and far between as we have attended
orchestra concerts, piano recitals, dance festivals, carnival, and all the other exciting and busy events that herald the end of the school year.

And so here we are again. The school year is over. Desks have been cleaned out, and their contents strewn about my just-cleaned laundry room, backpacks thrown into the corner with a heavy sigh of relief, and we are all feeling a sense of exhilaration.
No more lunches to make every morning, no more tearful evenings agonizing over 4th grade homework and missing assignments. Our days can settle into a lazier succession of trips to the pool, late night movies, library trips, evenings spent outside, and warm weather picnics.

Oh, and did I forget to mention whining, Otter pop wrappers, "I'm bored", Otter Pop wrappers, chores, and oh yes, Otter Pop wrappers.

It's going to be grand.

So come on over, pull up a chair, and enjoy the relaxing sounds of summer.

Take your pick,

Crickets or Crying.

And by the way, please come to Ryders Baptism on Saturday if you can.

Can you believe he's gotten so big?

Schizophrenic Seasons

2009-03-26T18:23:00.001-07:00

If Spring were a person, it would be the mentally unstable member of the family. You know-the crazy Aunt everyone loves to have to dinner.

We woke this morning to a thin blanket of snow,

by noon it was gale force winds and rain,

and by five o clock it was sunny with blue sky!

The mercurial nature of spring is such that the golden glow of early blooming forsythia is often peeping out of snow and ice, like a cheerful sign- Hold on just a little bit longer. Warmth, green and blooming things are just around the corner!

I've often wondered if this dichotomy of spring has contributed itself to my personality. Being born in March has it's ups and downs. Minute by minute.

And like March I am constantly swayed, first one way and then another. A whole hearted devotion to the project of the moment.

Until the next.

A jack of all trades and master of none.

A bright hint of sunny yellow peering out of a blanket of gray.

Spring.

Crazy Days

2009-03-13T09:04:00.000-07:00

The last 10 days or so has been crazy at our house.

And not just ordinary, pull your hair out getting the kids to school in the morning crazy. But fill every spare minute of the day crazy.

Nothing evidenced (is that even a word?) this as well as our family home evening last week.

At Walmart.

Buying yogurt.

This of course made perfect sense at the time.

Dinner was over. Homework was done. And some items were desperately needed.

When my husband announced his intention of running out to "pick up a few things" a chorus of me too's sounded throughout our house. So there we were. 4 kids, 2 adults and a wobbly cart. And thousands of items to beg for.

(hint: never take more than 2 kids to the store at a time-or you WILL spend the whole trip replacing their "necessities on the shelves.)

It was an uplifting experience.

FHE this week was better. We learned about planting a garden. This involved much dirt spilled on the kitchen floor while the kids planted seeds in tiny egg cartons.

We also learned about animals.

Namely these.

Aren't they cute? (the chickens too!)

Just call us Farmer Joe and wife. Organic farmers extrodinaire. Self sufficiency personified.

Channing looks a little worried. (Unlike her younger sister she is very worried about the poop factor.)

So R is deep in another project- a chicken coop to house our new egg producing machines.

And meanwhile they live in the kitchen. Cheeping. Scratching. Driving the dog insane.

A true indication of the state of our lives.

Just the crazy chicken people down the street.

Create!

2009-02-27T08:39:00.003-08:00

This is for my sisters, and all the other lovely and talented women I know. You truly are amazing!

Elder Uchtdorf touched hearts at the last Womens Conference, speaking of what we as women try to do in our lives. Create homes, create relationships, create beauty!

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

How to beat the Winter Blaahhs!

2009-02-14T14:59:00.000-08:00

January is an interesting month. I love the cold, and the white winter scenes. But when white descends into grey, I always get what I like to call the Blaaahs. A state that defies explanation, although I know you all have experienced it too.

At these times a change becomes imperitive.

A new dress.

A change of scene.

Or. . .

The relationship a girl has with her hair is complex. Love it, hate it, it becomes an integral part of your identity, defining the way you choose to percieve yourself.

And it was time for a change.

(And yes, I let my husband do this. In truth I don't know if I would have dared with anyone else.)

Serious. Chic. Dare I say a little bit daring?

Thanks Lindsay, for giving me the courage to be BRAVE!

Holding the Moon and dancing in the Kitchen

2009-01-18T20:46:00.001-08:00

The moon in the Palm of his hand.

a few weeks ago we got this neat email with pictures of people and the moon. Ever since Ryder and sutton have been wanting a picture of themselves "playing with the moon".

Every time the "big" (full) moon has come up they have dragged me to their bedroom window to see it, and take their pictures.

What we found is that you have about 10 minutes to line up a shot before it is too dark. So we will keep trying.

Isn't this one great?

When the winter weather howls at the door, and the snow piles up we get a little stir crazy. So this was the scene after dinner this week.

Waltzing through life. ( I love that evie dipped ryder)

And I give Ryder 2 years before he refuses to dance with his sisters.

We made bird seed bagels and pinecones for family night. It was Ryder's turn to plan it. We got the Idea off this website, Here.

She has great ideas for things to do with your kids.

Another place I get ideas is from this blog.

She inspires me to slow down and enjoy my kids.

Here is a picture of the wedding cake I did this weekend. It was for the new rentors in our basement, and she wanted something simple and elegant, so we went with a wide red ribbon, and swiss dots, traditionally stacked, with a white grosgrain accent ribbon.

It was beautiful.

I hope you enjoyed this snapshot of the last week in our lives.

Hope you all are doing well.

Snow, Snow, Snow

2009-01-08T10:18:00.000-08:00

21 Inches of Snow.

That is how much snow we have gotten since the 1st of January.

Imagine my surprise when I found these oddly shaped tracks when I went outside to shovel.

And these cute little tootsies, padding through the snow.
5 year olds.
What can I say.

Snow Angels.

And beautiful snow laden trees.

2009-01-04T20:07:00.000-08:00

A New Year has begun, and with it a deep and dark confession.

I took not one picture of my kids over the holidays after this charming one of them sneaking down the stairs christmas morning.

Bad, Bad Mom!!!

So as the peaceful, gentle snowfalls of December fade into the frigid, icy winds of January, I though I would share some of the highlights of our year.

But first-the few pictures I did take.

Evie's Bad Elf attitude at the christmas sing

Ryder. Actually singing. Way to go!!!!

The kids at their piano recital. We Love the Sacketts!!!

Cupcakes for everyone!!!

Recycled wool christmas gifts. WooHoo!

And now, some highlights of 2008;

Evie got glasses!

Channing discovered clam chowder on fisherman's wharf,

Ryder started piano lessons,

Sutton got to ride a pony!- and is learning his alphabet!

Ryder played with spencer-a lot.

Evie read, and read, and read.....................

Channing got a guitar,

Sutton spent a LOT of time with mom,

I learned to Ice Skate,

and was terrified by a release from primary and a calling to Young Women's.

Ron got to tour Battle Mountain Nevada,

And was an incredible husband and father!

Happy New Year, and I hope everyone has as good a year in the month's to come as our family has this last year!

Gotta love SF!

Sing a song of Christmas

2008-12-21T22:50:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite things about the Christmas season is being constantly surrounded by unapologetically religious music, music that testifies of Christ, and his birth. Music that uplifts the soul with beautiful melodies, and carols of the season. Today was our choir program at church and we sang some beautiful arrangements of songs by John Rutter. For the first time the girls sang in the choir with me, as did Ron. It was a lovely way to kick off the week of christmas.

Some of the other music we have been enjoying is :

Gloria, by Michael W. Smith. (Channing is going to wear this one out!)

The new christmas album by Celtic Women,

Josh Groban-Noel,

Anything by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir,

Enya,

Sarah Brightman- A Winter Symphony

And I have enjoyed the new Casting Crowns rendition of I heard the bells on Christmas Day.

Somehow I invariably end up staying up late through the Christmas Season putting the finishing touches on handmade gifts, and I love to be able to catch all the great musical specials of the season. Tonight was one of my favorites. Promise you won't tell?

I love the Nutcracker. I know. Ballet.

It was stunning. So as I tried to finish knitting a pair of gloves I did it to the timing of the sugarplum fairies, and the Nutcracker prince.

Knit one, Purl Two, Leap and spin.

What are your favorite Christmas Songs?

Snow Days

2008-12-18T10:26:00.000-08:00

After a balmy fall, and downright warm early december winter has finally fallen. Just in time for the arrival of you know who.

We are eagerly awaiting Christmas day, (or frantically trying to finish everything, as the case may be)

And the snow does something magical to me around the christmas season.

It makes me want to put a log on the fire, bundle up and stay home.

It makes me want my children all around-however loud they are in the evening, and however many nerf bullets get aimed at the ceiling fan.

It makes me love knitting and sewing, and simple cooking like chicken soup and white beans and ham.

(Pause while I put on the beans for tonights dinner!)

I look outside and see the white blanket carpeting everything in sight-even the weeds I didn't make time to pull this fall.

I get weepy at the sight of my tall oldest daughter singing with the fifth graders, because next year she will sing with the sixth graders, and then she will be in junior high.

I want to freeze everyone and wrap them up like a picture postcard, giftwrapped with a bow on top.

So Merry Christmas everybody.
Hope to see you over the holidays, but if not you can find me snuggled on the couch with a lapfull of wiggly kids all trying to get the most lap space.

P.S.- our basement apartment is available, so if you know someone who might be interested check out the pictures here.

Ouch!

2008-12-04T08:33:00.001-08:00

Merry December Everyone!

I know we are all feeling the holiday push, gifts to buy, projects to finish, concerts and school events to attend, so I wanted to lighten things up with a quick update.

Things are busy at the Spotts house. We decorated for christmas this last weekend, and now I am officially in the Holiday mood. Despite the casualties of the weekend. (#1 being the fact that I broke my nose trying to get the christmas tree down instead of waiting patiently for my husband, who was on the roof putting up christmas lights.) No one has ever accused me of being terribly graceful!

I have gotten into recycling wool sweaters for some of my projects this year. The above picture is of Evie styling a pair of slipper socks/boot liners.

And we found this great site that the kids have loved playing with.

Ever wanted to walk on the moon?

Be on a billboard?

Grace the pages of vogue?

Just go to Photofunia.com.

One of the kids favorite things this time of year is a felt advent calendar, with toys and elves, and santa, where you put the toys in santas bag for christmas eve. Every year they fight over who is going to put the last toy in, which is one of Santa. It is funny to see the mathmatical manipulation that occurs as they figure out who has to start the calendar to achieve the desired end result.

What are some of your favorite family things this time of year?
Have a great day!

Ahoy!!

2008-11-17T22:15:00.000-08:00

Last tuesday was our Young WOmen In Excellence evening. It was great, themed as talents to treasure, with a pirate theme. The evening went great, and I made this cute cake for dessert.

Pirate ships complete with torn sails and cannonballs.

And swedish fish swimming in the icing ocean. (suttons idea.)

Just don't ask how long it took. I have made 7 layer wedding cakes in less time.

38 days!

2008-11-17T21:54:00.000-08:00

38 DAYS!! until the holiday. You know the one. The one with the decorations and the food, and the trees. The one that you look forward to for half the year, and dread for the other half. The one that just wouldn't be the same with out your kids to get excited, and ask for everything in the world.
In celebration of the upcoming holiday I am doing a few things. I am finishing projects. Yep. Don't laugh.
You know the pile of fabric in the sewing/dining room? Yeah. That one.
And the scrapbook paper in the laundry room?
And the cut out placemats on the sewing machine?
And the knitting in the baskets?( including the gloves I made for myself-all but two fingers. )why?
Because not one thing is coming into this house before organization rules.

So get out the list. Check it twice.
Put on some music.
And settle in for the long haul.

I just realized that the way my boys wrestle on the floor in an apparent attempt to squeeze the life from one another is normal.
Sutton can have wrestling matches with his stuffed animals.
And sometimes the animals win.

And by the way. Whoever replaced my children with Aliens who do not complain about practicing the piano, and actually get up at 7:30 am to do it, (instead of watching curious george)
you can keep the originals. Really.

AAAAAAHHH!

2008-11-02T22:02:00.000-08:00

It is past eleven here at my house, on Sunday night. And sunday at my house means chaos. Whomever (look at that proper grammar! ) said that Sunday was the day of rest had never been at my house on a sunday!

We attended Church, and my kids had a giggle fest. I remember this as a child. I also remember the LOOK of DEATH that would be aimed our way every time we would smother a giggle in our hands. Who knew I would have the need to master the Look of Death for myself? It was one of those Sundays when you are sure the entire congregation is staring at your pew, and heaven only knows what they are thinking! And after church we had choir, (1 hour) and meetings, (2) and visits to young women, (2) and dinner guests, (also 2), and loud children, (4) and a sick dog, (1).

So as I sit here at a little after eleven, (which is really a little after twelve, which is the way I keep time for a good two weeks after the time change. As in, we need to be there at ten, which is really like eleven, so I have plenty of time! Ha Ha.), as I sit here and the quiet breathes around me, I am reminding myself of the things I love about motherhood.

1. Fairies. Who doesn't love a good fairy now and then?

2. Princesses. See #1 above.

3. A strong hero on standby. (Just look at those muscles!!)

4. Someone who's always ready to protect you.

5. Beauty everyday.

6. People to enjoy it with.

SO goodnight. I am now going to bed, at 11:30, which is really 12:30. And when I wake up my children will politely ask me if I would like breakfast in bed, and what (matching)socks they should wear with the neatly pressed clothes I laid out for them. Daisies will bloom, and bluebirds will sing. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

Smile.

Ponies, pinatas, and pumpkins, Oh My!

2008-10-20T16:14:00.000-07:00

Sutton Turns 5!!!!!

When people ask me about our kids, I start with, :well, our oldest is 10, and the baby is almost 5", and they ask, "So you have just the two then?" And my reply,

" We have four wonderful, amazing kids. Four kids in Five years. And yes, life is nuts. And yes, I love it. " And now my "baby" is 5.

Too old to be carried around, too old to call the baby, too old to stay at home with Mom all day. But as he threw his arms around me yesterday and laid a big old smooch on my cheek I thought, definitely not too old for some snuggling in the morning, never too old for bedtime stories, and heaven help me if he ever gets too old to be my little boy!

But in celebration of this landmark event, (no more diapers at our house, Hooray!)

We threw a carnival shindig of epic proportions.

One pony, one pinata, seventeen pumpkins, 32 hot dogs, 2 cans of hot chocolate mix, 22 kids, and lots and lots of fun! Painting pumpkins, punting pinatas,
and Playing with ponies!!

Ride em cowboy!!
All the other kids got into the action, including the older "kids" of all ages in our neighborhood.
Lots of fantastic friends, and memories for when they really are all grown up!

Self Portraits al la van gogh!

2008-10-12T19:39:00.000-07:00

This is what happens when your daughter figures out that the viewfinder rotates backwards on the digital camera.
YAAAAAWWWWNNNNN!!!
Imagine my surprise when I downloaded pictures this weekend. There are about 32 of these charmers!
Is this her librarian look?

I hope you enjoyed these as much as I did.

Serendipity! (Or why gossip is BAD!)

2008-09-21T16:01:00.000-07:00

Last friday I had a wedding cake for Dawn. Dawn was a cute girl, who called me because I had done a cheesecake wedding cake for her cousin Kathy. And in conversation it came out that she was Evie's teacher's roommate until August. (Ms. Hackworth we love you.) This is one of the reason's I never gossip about anyone in Utah. EVERYONE knows someone who knows you. It is like the six degrees of Kevin Bacon, only WORSE!

Dawn had a very definite idea of what she wanted.

Hatboxes.

Now, I normally don't do hatbox wedding cakes. To me a little bit of fluff and flowery victoriana goes a LONG way. But these sounded neat.

So I sketched out three contrasting hatboxes, with antique gold accents, and cabbage roses on top.

This is how it turned out. What do you think? I love the gold braid handles. (not real fondant, I cheated and went to the fabric store. ) And the gold touched scrollwork.
And the stripes. The stripes were cool. Dawn and Jon's names were done in gold scrollwork around the top band, with brown and pink accents. It all went really nicely with her centerpieces, which were actual hatboxes, and gold runners.

Just don't ask me about the pink food.

MotherHood

2008-09-16T12:02:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I made a cake for a very good friend of Ron and I's. It was a beautiful autumn themed wedding in a backyard in Orem. It was a lovely day. and although I had to rush through some of the week to get it done, it was a beautiful cake. Four small bottom layers, a larger second layer, glass pillars and a small top layer. All were done in a dusty pink, with white crown borders, and brown ribbon accents.
The flowers were red zinnias, gerbera daisies, alstromeria, white mini zinnias, and some awesome brown, red, and green foilage I purloined from someone's overgrown shrub. (Thanks, it was just what I needed!)
It was all balanced on a plexiglass square, on four glass vases, filled with red petals. It did turn out quite well, and I was pleased. I knew I wanted to take pictures, so I took the girls with me, set up, and the boys came later to wish them well. (Congratulations Noelani!)

While I was there, in a beautiful setting, with my four kids, all reasonably mess free, camara dangling from my shoulder I thought, "hey, why don't I take some pictures of the kids?" As I look at these pictures now, I wonder why I wait for some special event to take pictures. Aren't the every day events just as special? (If a little more messy) My kids are growing up faster than I would like, and I would like to freeze them all, just an hour, and sit down. Forget cakes, and lessons, and homework, and just laugh, and treasure the little moments we have together.
"Author Anna Quindlen reminds us not to rush past the fleeting moments. She said: “The biggest mistake I made [as a parent] is the one that most of us make. . . . I did not live in the moment enough. This is particularly clear now that the moment is gone, captured only in photographs. There is one picture of [my three children] sitting in the grass on a quilt in the shadow of the swing set on a summer day, ages six, four, and one. And I wish I could remember what we ate, and what we talked about, and how they sounded, and how they looked when they slept that night. I wish I had not been in such a hurry to get on to the next thing: dinner, bath, book, bed. I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less”
So this is my goal. Play with the toys, don't just pick them up. Laugh with my kids everyday. Let them help, even if it makes a mess. Let them be themselves. Make time just for time. And hope they don't grow up too fast. I love you guys!

Birthday Party Fun!!

2008-09-12T09:54:00.000-07:00

Evie's birthday party for friends was this last weekend, and she wanted to have a fairy bash. Right now she is into anything tinkerbell.
Her birthday cake was a fairy world, with tinkerbell on the top. (she got to keep tink, of course)Her friends all came, we colored fairy pictures, had a fairy treasure hunt, and ate pizza and fairy cake. Then they decorated picture frames, which we sent home with a picture of each girl with evie. (I love digital camaras!!!)
But by far the biggest hit of the afternoon was the "wrap sutton in tiolet paper" game. By the time they were done the family room resembled a blizzard. All the tinkerbell theme was fun, and it got me thinking about disney, and how successful they have been.

Walt Disney once said that " Age old entertainment based on the classic fairy tale knows no young, no old." That is certainly true. While looking for cake ideas for the party I found these pictures, a series done by Annie Leibovitz for a disney promotion this year. The entire series can be found on the disney blog, here. But these are two I especially loved.

Beckham as Prince Charming. I mean, how cliche. But a great picture. You can just imagine the dragon just out of the frame.

And this Cinderella is fantastic. If you check out more, look at Beyonce as Alice in Wonderland.

I can tell it is just about time for another Disneyland vacation. Sutton does not remember going, (he was only 18 months old the last time we went) and he is just at the age where it is so fun to see them enjoying themselves.

On another front, check out this game. Quiddler.

It has become one of our favorites. A combination of scrabble and gin rummy, you play seven hands, trying to make words out of the letters you have been dealt. Try it, you will like it!

Skating through Life!

2008-09-05T10:06:00.000-07:00

Fall is in the air . . . the smell of leaves, the cool, crisp morning air, the sound of skates swooshing across the ice. WHAAAAAT? Skates?
Yes, I have taken up the time honored olympic sport of figure skating. As a "non-traditional" student at BYU I am mere inches away from my Bachelor's degree. The only classes I have left to take are biology, an exercise class, and my senior lecture.
SO, I signed up for . . . Ice Skating!
Yes, just like anyone raised in North Dakota I skated my way through the winters. I have regaled the kids with stories of how they used to flood the soccer field at my elementary school, and we skated for P.E.
But that was 15 years, four kids, and a few pounds ago.
Yesterday was the first day of class, and after two hours on the ice I am happy to note that unlike others in the class, I DID NOT fall down. Hooray.
Now just 14 classes to go.

What a Party!!!

2008-09-01T20:40:00.000-07:00

Today was Evie's ninth birthday. Convenient that it was Labor Day, so she got to do the thing she loves the most-SLEEP IN!!!

We had a great time today. We went to Borders, where she got to pick out a CD and book.

Her book pick was this one, about a mermaid. (just knew it was mermaids or fairies!)
And her CD was the new Cheetah Girl's One World Soundtrack.

Afterwards we went to Mamma Mia!!!! (OK, this was for me, but it's not all about you on your birthday, is it?)

If you haven't seen it, do!! Such a relief to come out of the theatre smiling and happy, singing and dancing, rather than dreary and depressing.

We had the fam over for dinner, Grandma and Grandpa Spotts, Grandma and Grandpa Baxter, Nana, Papa, Lauren, and Britt. Evie got to pick the meal, so of course it was pasta with cheese, but she has upgraded from good old kraft mac an cheese, to pasta alfredo.

Grandma Spotts made a coconut cake, and everyone else chipped in too.

Evie is determined to make her birthday last all week, so Saturday is her friends birthday party.

I better get out those balloons!

Have a great week everybody!

Back To School

2008-08-25T19:49:00.000-07:00

DO you remember the first day of school? Do you remember the nervous butterflies, the excited anticipation, the dread? Do you remember seeing old friends again, and making new ones? Packing a school lunch, and getting up an hour earlier than you needed to? Mom fixing a great breakfast, when the rest of the year you eat cold cereal?
As I watch my kids get ready to go back to school all of these old feelings come back, along with new ones. Will they be okay? Will they be loved and cherished as I can love them? Will they be permanently scarred?:) No one warned me that being a mother was so full of emotional pitfalls, or that I would be going through elementary school four more times. (like the first time wasn't bad enough) But it is an exciting time.

Channing and Evie planned their wardrobe VERY carefully. Channing and her best friend were chic in Black and white, (always one of my favorites) while Evie was stylish in Red.
Ryder was excited to see Spencer and Cassie. (of course he has played with Spencer everyday all summer long.)
And I never can get them to all smile at the same time. (thank you Evie!)

And here is a little line that made me smile. Don't forget your apple for the teacher!

School
A little girl had just finished her first week of school.
"I'm just wasting my time," she said to her mother.
"I can't read, I can't write and they won't let me talk!"
~ Author Unknown ~

Summer Fun, Over at Last.

2008-08-16T14:06:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was back to school night (??? it was at 3 in the afternoon) at the kids elementary school. We got to meet and greet all the teachers, and all of the kids are going to love their classes. They have great teachers, who I have gotten to know through the PTA, and who love the kids.

We also ran a booth for Orchestra sign ups. We have 37 students signed up so far.

There is a definite cooling trend in the air; paper, pens, and pencils are floating through our house; backpacks are packed; and lunchboxes are ready and waiting.
Until this week, the summer seemed to fly by, and I wanted it to be longer and longer, but now that we are looking forward to a new year, I am read to move on. Earlier bedtimes, schedules, and lessons. The crisp scent of fall in the air, sweaters and jackets in the closets, and time inside to sew. I love the fall.

But here is a quick view of some of the end of summer hilarity. Sutton and all of his friends in the pool, channing, Evie, and Brenna. They spent all summer in their swimsuits with hair pulled back into a ponytail. Here come the real clothes, neat hair do's, and organization. Gasp! Maybe I am not ready to go back to school!!!

All Aboard

2008-08-03T19:06:00.000-07:00

Is there anything a little boy loves more than trains? From thomas the train, to SLC's trax, my boys are fascinated with any mobile unit of transportation that travels along a track, and occasionally emits a piercing whistle, designed to rupture the eardrums. One of our favorite places to eat in northern Utah has always been the "train place" otherwise known as Dairy Keen. I have been going there since I was yea high, and it was little more than a sidewalk burger joint. But for all our love of all things "locomotive" we have never taken a ride along the heber creeper. That is the Utah equivalent of living in San Francisco and never visiting Alcatraz, or New York, and never seeing Staten Island up close.
So this week we corrected this grevious oversight. Grandma and Grandpa Spotts, Sutton, Ryder, Channing, Evie, and Ron and I boarded the Heber Creeper at 10AM sharp, bound for a round trip journey to Vivian Park. Whomever nicknamed the train the Heber Creeper did so for obvious reasons. It CREEPS! But it was a lovely morning, accompanied by birds, squirrels, a multitude of cows, and bugs in veritable locust like proportions. Halfway down the canyon it came to me. Despite summer heat, an excess of sagebrush, and sometime shortage of water, we live in a LOVELY area. Wide blue skies, green mountains, cascading waterfalls, and the slowmoving waters of the provo river accompanied our trip through Provo Canyon.
And the slow pace of a nineteenth century mode of transportation was the perfect antidote to the all encompassing, headlong pace of modern concerns. It was like a deep breath of pine scented air in a stuffy room. This is the Place!!

Stewart Falls

2008-07-30T16:01:00.001-07:00

So this summer is officially the summer of hiking.

On monday, for FHE we hiked to stewart falls. Here is a picture of Ryder showing off his hiking boots. And then one of Sutton trying to look like his big brother.
It wasn't a hard hike, and only 4 miles, but the path was covered with rocks and tree roots.(hello, nature!) So watch where you step. This added to my already graceful nature.

Here are a few pictures of the kids in front of the falls. The smell by the waterfall was amazing. Fresh pine and rushing water. Not out of a spray can.

What is it about water that is so magnetic? If there is an ounce of water around, my kids can fall in it.(on purpose of course) So sutton hiked back soaking wet.

We were all tired when we got back, but it was a lot of fun. Next, the Y.

Rock On!

2008-07-30T13:57:00.001-07:00

As promised, here are the pictures of my brother in laws birthday cake. A 4-stringed bass in black and white. (as opposed to a six string or eight? when it comes to guitars I am clueless!) It was a lot of fun, not only because it was a cool cake, but also because I got to spend time with my sisters.

One of my neighbors has a great relationship with her sister, and I have always been a little jealous when I would see her car there, knowing they were experiencing BONDING! And I as an oldest daughter had no one to bond with.

But finally my sisters are old enough to participate in that age old rite. Lindsay came over at 11:00 am, but through various interuptions, (kids, violin lessons, kids, the telephone, kids, fixing lunch, and did I mention kids?) We finally finished it at 4:00, and delivered it to his parents house, where they were partying.

Here is a close up of the pegs (tootsie rolls), and the black licorice strings. (not strung on the pegs for obvious reasons.)

Here is a pic of Britt applying black licorice fretwork. (all completely accurate I'm sure)

We had a blast!!

At long last!!

2008-07-28T13:49:00.000-07:00

So finally, at long last I have gotten a picture of my younger sisters wedding cake. ( of course, she has been married for 3 years, and now has the most adorable five month old little boy!) It was a great cake, three teirs, dusted with silver pearlescent dust, and accented with a vertical white fondant V which we laced, to match the bodice of her wedding dress. The inside was german chocolate, carrot with cream cheese, and lemon with lemon curd. It was accented with white and red roses, green cymbidium orchids, and bear grass. It was so fun to do a cake for someone who let me be really creative! Today we are making a guitar cake for her husband's birthday, if it looks good I will post it here.

Just another Saturday

2008-07-19T20:33:00.000-07:00

Today Ron accomplished another first. He hiked to the top of Mount Timpanogos, a 7.5 mile hike one way, and gaining over 4,000 feet in altitude. Sadly I did not get to go, but my goal is to be able to by the time the children are old enough. This is destined to be the summer of hiking, we also would like to get to the Y and stewart falls by the time school starts with the kids.

Apparently the flora and fauna was truly spectacular, with all the mountain wildflowers in bloom, and several waterfalls along the trail. They left at 3:30 am, (i was still snoring blissfully) and returned after lunch today.

The only injuries were a slight scraped elbow, when Ron skidded on a snowpack, and sore feet.(never wear new hiking boots!)
The kids and I entertained ourselves at home with yet another corner lemonade stand. R. would like to find a go cart, and mean parents that we are, we told him he would have to earn some of the money himself. He raised an impressive $14 today, with a little help from his sisters, and business capital donated by his mother.

Fourth of July Fun!

2008-07-16T11:16:00.000-07:00

Fun fourth of July happenings! We went to the Stadium of Fire with the kids, our very first time.

It was great! Even S. got into the music, (although R. was mostly just interested in when we would get to eat.)
The dancers were great, with horses and bicyclists crossing the field, And R. loved the sky divers.

But the girls favorite part of the day was Miley Cyrus!!

Just look at these grins!

Cave Hiking!

2008-07-16T10:40:00.001-07:00

I finally got my new computer, after the aforementioned accident with kids and lemonade. I love it! It is so fast. And just in time to update my blog.

Yesterday the fam hiked to Timpanogos Cave. It is 3.5 miles round trip, but STEEP.

E. took lots of pictures inside the caves, and of various wildlife. (a lizard and some chipmunks.)

This one was very cool. The kids favorite thing about the hike was getting by the edge, and watching mom freak out.

It was a fun day all in all. The kids were laughing about how they had done a triathlon, because they swam in the morning, and then went on an hour long bike ride when we got home.

The view from the top of the mountain was incredible, and even S. made it up with no problems.
It truly felt like we were on top of the world.

Go if you can!

Awesome Pictures

2008-07-09T20:35:00.000-07:00

This picture is for priscilla. I got this awesome pic from my sister, who is a great potographer, and it shows the detail on this cake much better than the previouos one. Don't you just love the glowing base filled with flowers?

My computer has been down due to a small incident involving a seven year old and a glass of lemonade, so It has been a while since I posted. Hopefully my new computer comes this week. I've been going through withdrawals.

Raspberry Fields

2008-06-23T21:08:00.000-07:00

The Raspberry Room
by Karin Gottstall

It was solid hedge, loops of bramble and thorny
as it had to be with its berries thick as bumblebees.
It drew blood just to get there, but I was queen
of that place, at ten, though the berries shook like fists
in the wind, daring anyone to come in. I was trying
so hard to love this world—real rooms too big and full
of worry to comfortably inhabit—but believing I was born
to live in that cloistered green bower: the raspberry patch
in the back acre of my grandparents' orchard. I was cross—
stitched and beaded by its fat, dollmaker's needles. The effort
of sliding under the heavy, spiked tangles that tore
my clothes and smeared me with juice was rewarded
with space, wholly mine, a kind of room out of
the crush of the bushes with a canopy of raspberry
dagger—leaves and a syrup of sun and birdsong.
Hours would pass in the loud buzz of it, blood
made it mine—the adventure of that red sting singing
down my calves, the place the scratches brought me to:
just space enough for a girl to lie down.

From poems, to songs, Prince's Raspberry Beret, and those famous raspberry fields. And don't forget raspberry tea, and raspberry tarts. Every year, as surely as spring follows winter, the end of school is closely followed by the advent of canning season. First comes raspberry jam. From ripe, firm berries, to full jars, glistening like jewels on my kitchen counter. There is something eminently satisfying to ending the day to rows and rows of jam that you have produced for the coming year.

Of course, then I had to make bread!

Book Envy and Mother Cover!!

2008-06-19T19:37:00.000-07:00

All this week I have been reveling with the book people at BYU's writing for Young Reader's conference. It has been great! Rick Walton, Brandon Sorensen, Claudia Mills, A.E. Cannon, and Jeannette Ingold. This is my favorite so far of Jeannette's books. Mountain Solo is about a violinist whose world is shaken when she fails at the one thing she is good at. Read it, you won't regret it.

If you love music, you have to read it!
Tomorrow is the last day of the conference, (sniff) so I'll be back to craftiness soon, but in the meantime check out this great website by my sister. She just had a baby, and needed something a little cuter than an old receiving blanket to help her be modest while nursing her sweet little boy. These nursing covers are ingenious, allowing you to see the baby, while still remaining totally covered. And they are Cute! Check it out!

Aprons Swapped

2008-06-14T09:34:00.001-07:00

Today I got a lovely surprise in the mail, this apron from the Feathered Nest Apron swap. I had seen the picture of it on the flickr photo postings, and secretly lusted after it. (sad isn't it. Secret lust after an apron) My swap partner is awesome!!
It is embellished with black velvet ribbon trim, and lovely ric rac for a vintage feel. I was actually wearing a red top and black pants when I pulled it out of the box, so I put it right on! Thanks Jen!She also sent me a copy of A is for apron. This is an incredible book. It makes the apron feel so new and trendy. I look forward to putting one on. (and suffice it to say, I need one. I am a terrible mess in the kitchen!)

Cheesecake to die for!

2008-06-11T12:02:00.000-07:00

Last week I had a wedding cake for a high school friend of my sisters.

This is not the most traditional of wedding cakes!
But in my humble opinion it is one of the best. The flavor is outstanding, and the guests cluster around the table, just waiting for the moment when the bride and groom will slice into the creamy goodness of new york cheesecake, and tart sweetness of the glazed strawberries, all surrounded by a smooth cream icing.

Cheesecake can come in many different shapes and sizes, bars, rounds, pops, wedges, but they are all good. Below is one of my favorite recipes for cheesecake bars. This recipe IS different from what I use for wedding cakes, and I wouldn't recommend it for this purpose, because it is almost TOO creamy. But it will wow your friends and neighbors at barbecues or family get togethers.

Prep Time:
15 min

Total Time:
5 hr 5 min

Makes:
16 servings, one piece each

1-1/2 cups Graham Cracker Crumbs, or pecan sandies (My Favorite)

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted

1-1/4 cups sugar, divided

4 pkg. (8 oz. each) Cream Cheese, softened

2 tsp. vanilla, divided

1 container (16 oz.) Sour Cream, divided

4 eggs

2 cups strawberries, sliced
1/2 tsp. lemon juice

PREHEAT oven to 325°F. Line 13x9-inch baking pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides of pan. Mix crumbs, butter and 2 Tbsp. of the sugar; press firmly onto bottom of prepared pan.

BEAT cream cheese, 1 cup of the remaining sugar and 1 tsp. of the vanilla and lemon juice in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add 1 cup of the sour cream; mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating on low speed after each addition just until blended. Pour over crust.

BAKE 40 min. or until center is almost set. Mix remaining sour cream, 2 Tbsp. sugar and 1 tsp. vanilla until well blended; carefully spread over cheesecake. Bake an additional 10 min. Cool. Cover; refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Lift cheesecake from pan, using foil handles. Top with strawberries just before serving. Store leftover cheesecake in refrigerator.

To make the presentation even more spectacular glaze the strawberries. Crush about 1 cup strawberries, add 1/2 c sugar. Cook over medium heat, add 2 T cornstarch dissolved in a little water. Cook until thick. Let cool, and brush over berries on cheesecake.

Enjoy!!!

Done at last!!

2008-06-09T11:45:00.000-07:00

The Apron I made for the apron swap over at a Feathered Nest is finally done. I am trying to eliminate some of my fabric stash, so here is some of what I pulled out to use.I used this super helpful tutorial, HERE.
The apron is simple, but I decided to make it more Barrista length, so I added two inches onto the length.

This is my lovely sister modeling for me. She liked the apron so much I may have to make her one. The waistband was easy, but a great step by step for it is found HERE, from lululollylegs.
Finally I added a pocket. I love ruffles, but don't want it to be too girly, so just a touch was perfect.
And here it is. Finished, ready to send out to CAT, my swap partner. I hope she likes it.

Come on In!!! Apartment for rent!

2008-06-06T21:18:00.000-07:00

Take a Tour!

Our most recent tenants are leaving, so the basement apartment is up for rent again.

Come on in and have a tour!!
This is the entrance to our basement apartment, completely separate, with two parking spaces, and their own locked mailbox. (Small dog is not included in apartment.)

This is the entryway, with a large coat closet on the left, and an included washer and dryer in the closet on the right. (Love the black and white tile)
Then you enter the family room. The light fixture has been changed since this picture was taken, to a classic chrome IKEA fixture, with multiple lights. There are full sized west facing windows that let in a lot of light. These pictures were taken at night.
Next you enter the kitchen, white wood and glass cabinets, black and white tile, fridge, stove, pantry, sink, you get the idea.

Through the kitchen you enter the bedroom. On the opposite wall there are two full sized closets that stretch the entire length of the room. It is large enough for a king sized bed, dresser, chair, ect. Down a short hall are a small desk area, (not shown) and the bathroom. Tub/shower, linen closet, ect.
The apartment is new, well taken care of, and includes satellite television, separate heat, washer/dryer, all utilities except phone, and fabulous neighbors who occasionally deliver fresh bread!:) We live in a great family neighborhood in Orem, only 10 minutes from BYU, (where my husband works). Our first renters liked the neighborhood so much they bought the house two doors down!
Hope you have enjoyed my tour. Come on. Won't you be my neighbor?
,

All Tied Up- Ribbon Wrapped Wedding Cake

2008-06-02T20:54:00.000-07:00

This was a fun, flirty wedding cake I was able to do last weekend. Tiffany blue, white and brown are very popular colors for wedding cakes this year. Very sophisticated, and elegant.The criss-crossing ribbons added a touch of whimsey and fun. A border ribbon of chocolate brown finished the edges off simple, and cleanly. The tiny bows draw the attention, almost like a well placed beauty mark.
I loved the table treatment, of interwoven ribbons over a chocolate brown base. You can do this right on the table, but if it is windy you might want to tack the edges down with a bit of thread.

This tiffany blue, ribbon wrapped wedding cake was a perfect example of bringing traditional and non traditional elements together for a surprisingly beautiful, original statement of your own wedding personality.

Flannel Blanket Tutorial

2008-06-02T19:49:00.000-07:00

After five years the principal at my kids elementary school is moving on to bigger and better things. (go Michelle) As a thank you for all the incredible things she has done the PTA decided to give her a gift, and I made a flannel rag quilt for her. I love flannel quilts, because they are soft, cuddly, easy to make, and you are not scared of using them. (I still won't use some of my pieced quilts)
*****If you can sew a straight line, you can make this quilt!!!!******
This makes a largish sized quilt, good for a bedspread, camp quilt, or just cuddling up on cold winter nights.
I used 2 yards of gold flannel, 2 yards of blue flannel, and four yards of denim for the back. (anything that frays well works. This quilt was our school colors, but use your imagination and make a funky bright baby quilt, or a pretty pastel.Applique a few of the blocks for a fun touch.)
I also used the thinnest weight bonded batting available.
Using your rotary cutter and mat cut material into ten inch squares. (Other sizes are great too, but for a quilt this big I like the bigger blocks. You can also use different sized blocks, but if you do, don't forget to figure in the seam allowances.)
Cut batting into six inch squares. Any bigger and the batting can show in the seams.

Now for the fun part. Get your kids, roommate, husband, or SO to help stack flannel sandwiches. Place a denim square right side down, then a piece of batting, then a piece of flannel, right side up. You should have a raw edged quilt block. To hold the pieces together, and give it that "quilted" look sew a large X from corner to corner on every block. Do this until you run out of fabric, or go cross eyed.
This quilt was 7 rows of seven blocks. The next step is to sew the blocks into rows. Place backs together, and make sure all raw edges face the same direction. Leave a one inch seam allowance for ample fraying. When the rows are finished, sew together, again making sure raw edges all face out.
Next take a SHARP pair of scissors, and cut into the seam allowance at 1/4 inch intervals. Be careful not to clip through the stitching line. (But if you do, just restitch. Not hard. I promise-I do it every time.) Now for the instant transformation. Wash the quilt and watch the edges make a lovely, fuzzy rag edge that you will just itch to pet.
WARNING: this is very messy. Be prepared to clean out your washer. Some people go to the laundromat, but how sad for the person who comes after you and gets a washer full of threads on their clothes. So just wipe it out with a damp paper towel. Also, a dryer sheet in the washer helps it to stay soft.
Shake the extra thread off, and enjoy.
Here is Michelle with her quilt. We will miss you.

A fabulous wedding, a paisley wedding cake!

2008-05-25T19:12:00.000-07:00

We got home from San Francisco on Wednesday, and for a solid 48 hours I went to work on two wedding cakes I had for friday. (Tight timing I know, but sometimes it can't be helped!) The best was this one, (see below) for a lovely wedding that managed to be trendy in a very F. Scott Fitzgerald-esque way. Again, an instance of old becoming new again. This is a close up of the top wedding cake layer. Who would have thought that a paisley wedding cake in brown, orange, and green could turn out so stunning? Miles away from a plain white wedding cake!
The wedding was outside, despite a torrential downpour mere hours before, and the constant threat of more rain. Nevertheless it was lovely. The tent over the buffet was lined with lantern lit chinese take out boxes in various colors. The wedding buffet was a very trendy crepe bar, complete with savory chicken, mushroom, and curry options, and a dessert bar. (Cherry crepes with whipped cream. Yummm.)
The outdoor pavilion was hung with ribbons and flower balls, and arrangements of orange gerbera daisies on every table.
I just loved the Japanese Kimono wrap hung behind the cake. It was the perfect shades of orange and green, and offset the bright orange lillies, and the paisley design on the wedding cake perfectly. The horizontal stripe around the second layer was done in chocolate fondant, and rolled very thinly. Chocolate fondant has to be rolled out on a greased solid countertop, unlike white fondant, which I roll out on corn starch. A complete how-to on chocolate fondant is forthcoming.
Paisley was surrounding me this week. This pic is off the side of a store front in China town.
In keeping with the Great Gatsby feel of the wedding the guests typed out their well wishes and greetings on parchment colored paper on an old typewriter. The Bride wore cream colored lace and silk, while the Groom was in a cream afternoon suit. Very South Hamptons!

The wedding was in a stunning new park in Orem called Nielson's Grove. It was built on the site of an old park and social hall from the early 19th century. Wisteria draped arbors, duck pond, fountains, gravel lined walks, and reflecting pools. It is our favorite new picnic spot. Gorgeous.

And I loved these flowers lining the walks. After the reception the bride and groom drove off in a 1928 Model A Roadster, completing the trendy vintage wedding feel.

Adventures on the Road

2008-05-16T21:21:00.000-07:00

So we arrived in Sacramento today, a little later than planned. The family pulled off in Battle Mountain, Nevada, to have our Glass Castles moment, (if you have not read this book, you should. You will never again complain about a dysfunctional family) We noticed that the car seemed to be driving oddly, so I looked at the tires when we got out at the rest rooms. ( a frequent stop with four kids!) Our rear tire was shredded. Luckily it had not lost any air. So an hour and a half later, and some $$$$ poorer, we were back on the road. Ah, the adventures that come our way. On the positive side we have first hand knowledge of how friendly the people in Battle Mountain are. Thanks!!!

San Francisco, Here we come!

2008-05-14T17:36:00.001-07:00

The Family is off on a much needed vacation to Northern California. We are going to San Francisco, the place where the other half and I got engaged millennia ago. Very Exciting!! Although I think I need a vacation from packing for the vacation. It doesn't help that I have a wedding cake for the day before, and 2 for the weekend we return. But still, I can't wait.
San Francisco, that mecca for hippies and yuppies, the birthplace of the Haight-Ashbury and Craigslist. A world away from the life of a suburban PTA/Sunday School SAHM.
I wonder if I can find any good yarn?

Animals at the Zoo

2008-05-11T20:54:00.001-07:00

This week we went to the Hogle Zoo with my sons class. It is not a big zoo, nothing like San Diego, which is a destination for the Family on vacation, but it was still fun. 125 first graders on a bus for 45 minutes there and back.
Heres a shot of the boys goofing around on the bus. Gotta love those smiles.
A giant turtle. Convincing the boys they couldn't lasso it with the cords off their backpacks was a chore.

Giraffe. Obviously. One of Ryders favorite animals. There was a baby, but it was photo shy. Lots of noise, wind, sun, animals, (not just the zoo ones!) and fun!!!

Trends in Fondant Wedding Cakes

2008-05-08T21:46:00.001-07:00

One of the fun new trends in Wedding Cakes is to use an aspect of the Bride's dress as a focal point in the cake. For this cake the bride had an antique, chain embroidered bodice with exquisite french knots. So I icing embroidered the cake.
Each line was a series of tiny icing loops, accented with icing french knots. This picture is a great detail shot of the embroidery. And the perfect white of the royal icing stands out beautifully against the creamy fondant base.
It was a lot of work, but very fun, and I love getting the opportunity to be creative. And wedding cakes are a great venue. After all, have you ever made a french knot out of icing? Look carefully at these embroidered fondant wedding cake pictures and see if you can figure it out.

Edible Art

2008-05-08T21:23:00.000-07:00

Fondant is one of my first loves when it comes to wedding cakes, not only for it's alabaster perfection, but also for it's versatility. These three cakes have some sort of pleated fondant used on them, all with different, but elegant effects. The one above also has rolled fondant roses.
This wedding cake has a delicate vine design with small flowers, and pleated fondant draping on the corners of a hexagon bottom layer.
The gumpaste flowers on this wedding cake are divine. Truly a work of art.

Green with Envy

2008-05-08T13:22:00.000-07:00

I finally got the pictures back from Aubreys wedding, and they turned out great. The photographer has been in Ireland on a destination shoot.See his blog here. This is a full view of the wedding cake.

In between each layer there was a crystal vase with green orchids, dark purple/black calla's. and green bamboo,
The floating plexiglass cake stand made the whole piece seem weightless. And I loved the wheat grass around the very base.
And more orchids and calla's topped it off. This was a very tall, very beautiful wedding cake. The color was a truer spring green, but it looks like the flash washed it out a little. Still, I love it. A wedding cake does not have to be white to be stunning. Thanks Aubrey, it was fun.

Black Bottom Cupcakes

2008-05-06T21:43:00.000-07:00

Yummm!

My son has recently decided that he does not like icing. (Huh?where did that come from?) This presents a problem with the traditional cupcakes for the class birthday treat, so my husband suggested I try black-bottom cupcakes, a chocolate/cream cheese confection that needs no embellishment. And, as I mixed up a batch for his class, ( and one or two for the rest of us) it occurred to me how much I like Black and White as a color combination.

I like it in cupcakes.

I like it in pictures.

I like it in wedding cakes.

(Especially this black and white china scroll pattern cake I did in December. The plexiglass stand glows!)

I like it in animals.

And I like it in decorating.

Basically it is a fabulous color combo that you just can't go wrong with.
And if you want to try these gooey, creamy, chocolatey cupcakes yourself, here is the recipe.

Black Bottom Cupcakes

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

2 1/2 cups sugar

Salt

1 large egg

6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

2 1/4 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1/3 cup plus 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Line two 12-cup muffin pans
with paper or foil baking cups. Using an electric mixer,
combine the cream cheese, 1 cup sugar and 1/8 teaspoon
salt. Add the egg and mix well. Fold in the chocolate chips
and set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, the
remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar, 3/4 teaspoon salt, the
baking soda and cocoa powder. Add 1 1/2 cups water,
the oil, vinegar and vanilla and stir until smooth.
3. Fill each baking cup two-thirds full with the cake
batter and top with 1 tablespoon of the cream cheese
mixture ( I made a little well in the middle.).
Bake until the edges are firm to the touch,
about 25 minutes.
Enjoy.

Summer Apron Swap

2008-04-23T21:54:00.000-07:00

Get ready for some fun! Head over to Abby Welker's blog, A feathered nest, and sign up for her new summer apron swap. Not only do you get a fabulous new apron, but it is an opportunity to get those creative juices flowing.
While you are there, check out all her great ideas.

Cakes I Love!!!

2008-04-23T09:49:00.000-07:00

There are so many different cake styles, and so little time. I love to go through magazines to find cakes that I love, and hope to be able to persuade a bride to use. I should have pictures of the last cake I did up soon, it was awesome, and so non-traditional, and yet perfect for the event. One of the trends I love is the new emphasis on color. wedding cakes, unlike the bride, do not have to be cloaked in white to be stunning. This cake is one of the hot new color combinations. The brown perfectly offsets the blue, and the uneven layers just go to show, you don't need military precision to achieve a sense of balance.

I love the simple flowers as well. Fresh, not gumpaste. Just the right touch.

The colors on this cake are awesome. Vivid, and unapologetic. And the gumpaste flowers are truly a work of art.

One look I like is painting directly on the cake. This next picture is of a cake I did several years ago, for a summer wedding, with a fruit theme.
Loved it. Of course I like to paint on anything.

Adventures in Orchestration

2008-04-23T09:17:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to take our school orchestra to an orchestra festival held at Northridge Elementary School in Orem. How much fun was that! There were probably 300 kids all playing together, learning, and having fun. The event was put together by Al Huish, the Northridge music teacher. Somehow, despite all the talk of music disappearing from our schools, and the problems it creates, Northridge has managed to retain a full music program that is the envy of the district.
It was a fun event, with all the kids playing a stirring military medley together, which we are going to use in our school concert, and then every school playing two or three pieces of their own. We chose an arrangement of the Harry Potter theme

song, as well as an arrangement of Star Wars. Both pieces that I was able to order were a little too difficult for our fledgling orchestra, so I rearranged them for more ease of playability. It was the first time I had ever done anything like that, and it was challenging, but very fun. To keep the essence of the piece, and the parts, and still allow it to be played by very beginning players. Pleased by this success I went on to write the accompaniment to the military medley for our pianist. Wow, something new to do on the computer, just what I needed. Now I am working on a collection of hymns for my private violin students. The kids learn so much through music, but it is wonderful to see them get all excited about playing a piece of music that they recognize, and that they can play for their family and friends. Star Wars is the most difficult piece we have played to date, with a key change, and rapid shifts between quarter and eight note lengths, and yet the students learned it in record time. Now if we can stay focused until our concert!!

Spring!!!

2008-03-25T13:53:00.001-07:00

Spring is my favorite time of year. Look at these crocuses, (crocii?) that popped up this week.
They are simply beautiful. And make me itch to get my hands in the garden.

I realized last week that Easter was very early this year, and I had not done any sewing for the girls. So I ran out and got some easter egg colored georgette at Hancock fabrics and got to work. I used Butterick fast and easy B4220 . It says one hour, and while it did take me longer than that they were surprisingly easy to make. A good thing too, because it was a busy week. Here is a pic of the kids all spruced up for Easter Sunday. It takes a minor miracle to get them all in the picture together.
Happy Easter.

Sock and Glove

2008-03-25T13:36:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I saw a late night replay of the Martha Stewart Show. It was the special knitting episode. One of my boys was still up, and just hasn't let go of the idea of making the sock and glove animals she featured. Of course, gloves were nowhere to be had, so I scoured clearance racks and came up with a couple pairs for 75 cents each. my favorite was this guy, who is made out of a mohair glove. Rabbit from rabbit. It made him beautifully fuzzy and soft. And his tail is a really cute white, from another pair of gloves. We made an entire bevy of bunnies and dogs. Some found their ways as birthday gifts, and others being carried around by the kids. One made an adorable baby gift. The only change I made in the pattern was to leave the stuffing hole in the bottom of the head, so I didn't have any problems with the knit unraveling while being stuffed.
Make a bunny today!

To drape or not to drape?

2008-03-25T13:00:00.001-07:00

One of the reasons I like fondant cake decorating so much is that it is so versatile. You can roll it, shape it, mold it, drape it, any of an endless number of options. I think this look is great on a square cake, with offset layers, and just a hint of icing lacework peeking out from beneath the draping that cascades down the corners of the layers. This first cake was done for a valentines wedding, the second was in November, hence the harvest themed flowers. I would love to do a
really awesome colored cake with contrasting draping, definitely not for the skittish bride. I found a picture I loved here. The green is the exact shade of a cake I did last week. It was an amazing event. I will post details on that event soon. Check out the awesome talents of Fleur de Lisa wedding Cakes in California. There is so much talent out there. It is inspiring to try to live up to the beauty all around us.

A Bride in Bloom

2008-03-17T20:27:00.001-07:00

This summer I had the opportunity to work with Jenn Osorio. This bride had an incredible vision, and knew just what she wanted. Unfortunately what she wanted was a cake from a past issue of the fabulous new magazine, Bride and Bloom. I had not seen it, and it was off the newstands, so we went on the hunt. I tried everyone I knew, every vendor, every florist. No luck. Finally I called the magazine, and spoke to an incredible editor, who personally went to the art archives and emailed me the desired picture. Can you imagine anyone from Brides, or Modern Bride, running from office to office to help a desperate cake decorator? I am forever a fan. Not to mention it is a stunning magazine with an emphasis on artistic vision. We made a few changes to the cake, and this is the end result. Hand formed roses and stephanotis, pleated fondant, subtle tone on tone lace work, vase shaped top layer filled with sugar flowers.

Thanks Jenn. It was great.

A Suessical Day

2008-03-17T20:07:00.001-07:00

This cake is one I did for a prenuptial wedding reception/party for some incredibly creative people. Dr. Suess is one of their favorite things, so we created a cake just for them. The bottom layer is green eggs and ham on a pale yellow background. The second layer is an orange background, with handpainted sneetches-with stars and without. Next comes the blue layer, with handpainted pictures of thing one and thing two, in red, white, and blue. Top it all off with, of course, the cat's hat. It was great, and the colors were vibrant and fun.

Books, Books, Books

2008-03-12T09:52:00.000-07:00

Last week was Literacy week at my kids elementary school. I help out, and it is a truly amazing week. Our goal 4 years ago started with trying to get a new book into the hands of every child at the school. Since then it has grown to where we can usually give out 2-3 books to every child. Every day at lunch there was a drawing for books, as well as teachers handing them out in the classroom on Friday. My hope is that every child has the opportunity to discover that magical world you can enter when you read.
All the books given out were excellent, authors I love to read. To tell the truth, I read youth oriented books more often than I read books specifically for adults. There is so much talent in the publishing world, without having to worry about language, or suggestive situations. Right now my favorite author is Shannon Hale, with Stephanie Meyers running a close second, and the classic Avi in third. But of course it changes weekly. Shannon Hales books are fairy tale based, a classic genre that harkens back to the earliest attempts at narrative, and yet they have a strangely modern feel to the emotions dealt with. Deep in the forest, beside babbling streams of astonishing clarity, with magic in the very air, Isi, the main character in Goose Girl struggles with discovering her innermost self, and emerging from the stifling expectations of a suffocating mother. And yet it is still a light and enjoyable read. Stephanie Meyers deals in shimmery vampires, overprotective werewolves, and bloody quests for vengeance, and yet at the heart of things her Bella is just a normal teenage girl, dealing with life and everything it throws at her. And Avi, well, his books deal with everything, in almost every genre, and yet almost all are a voyage of self discovery, where the hero does not have all the answers, but things work out anyway.
Pick up a book. You'll enjoy it. I promise.

Flavor of the Day

2008-03-12T09:20:00.001-07:00

I love doing wedding cakes for people I know. Not only because it lends a certain meaning to the event, but also because in general people with whom you are acquainted tend to put more trust in your artistic abilities. This cake was done for a young woman in my neighborhood, and it turned out amazing. The set up was great, the ambiance lovely, and I was able to practice my piping techniques. We chose a subtle tone on tone design that matched threadwork running through the sheer tablecloth overlays. If you look at the close up you can see the design more clearly.

I have always had a standard set of cake flavors that I offer, as well as being open to suggestions and requests, but I have finally made a list of my favorites. And no, white cake is not one of them.
Almond PoundCake
Apple Cinnamon,
Carrot Cream cheese,
Chocolate Ganache
Chocolate Cherry
Chocolate Raspberry
Chocolate Chunk
Lemon Curd and Berries
Lemon Poppyseed
Marble
Pear spice
Pecan Cinnamon Spice
Pineapple Coconut
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip
White Chocolate Raspberry

YUMMMMM!

Divine Purple

2008-03-11T17:03:00.000-07:00

One of my reasons for starting this blog was to post some of the pictures of wedding cakes and other creative things I've made. It is a really convenient way to say to someone, "hey, look at what I did!" So I will try to explain them as they are posted. This cake was done several years ago, but it is still one of my favorites. It is one of the first cakes I did where someone brought me a picture and said, " Can you do that?" and it turned out just like the picture. ( I actually like mine a little better, truth be told.) The color was perfect, and it looks, well, professional. At the time that was an accomplishment for me. Now all my cakes look this good, I hope. The light purple marbled fondant with white lace overlay went perfectly with the flowers the bride had chosen.

Yard Sales and Potato Bread

2008-03-11T13:02:00.000-07:00

Sunday evening I spent a while going through an old recipe book I found at a yard sale. It is filled with great old circa-1950's recipes, and good down home breads. I happened on one for potato bread, so , having had mashed potatoes for dinner I economized and used the leftovers for bread. Two days later it is still fresh and soft, and Sutton and I had peanut butter and raspberry jam sandwiches with of course homemade raspberry jam. Yumm. This is Sutton's everyday lunch, but today I indulged as well. The bread is great. Give it a try.
Soft Potato Sandwich bread;
3 C milk, scalded
6 T Sugar, 6 T Butter, 2 T salt, 3 medium potatoes, mashed, 3 T yeast activated in 1/2 c warm water, 10-11 C flour, Course cornmeal.
Combine all ingredients except flour and cornmeal, add 4 C flour, mix until combined. In electric(I love my Kitchenaid) mixer slowly add flour 1 C at a time until you have a soft dough. Knead 5 Min. Let rise until doubled, Knead 5 min, let rise second time. Sprinkle cormeal into loaf pans, shape bread, and let rise. Bake at 375 until golden and crunchy on the outside. Eat at least one loaf hot. Makes 4 loaves. Yumm.