Done.

Ah the sweet relief of being done. And what ever is, is.

Let me tell you about this cake. The cake of doom. Most troublesome cake ever. (Actaully Tawna's cake was nightmarish as well but only for a short period of time )

This cake takes the cake!

Did you hear the rumor that I bought a 10 pound bar of chocolate? That was actually real. See here's a picture.


I got this for the chocolate truffle filling I was making. Did I need 10 pounds?? Well, no. But if ever you have an excuse, any excuse will do... to buy 10 pounds of chocolate I say go for it. This was my logic...

I needed 12 oz. for the filling and probably about 12 more oz. for the chocolate covered strawberries I was making as a gift for the bride and groom.

10 pounds= $39.00
12 oz = $12.00
12 oz. x 2 = 24 oz. (1.5 pounds)
24 oz = $24.00

so 1.5 pounds for $24 of 10 pounds for $39.

10 pounds = smart choice!

Isn't it beautiful?

You know about Murphy's law right.. any thing that can go wrong will. Hahaha that was this cakes motto! It lived and died by it! See these lovely flowers Natalie picked and decorated our table with...


Lovely right? I agree. and a sweet gesture as well. But theres were all these little dots on the cake. I had to make these at least 24 hours in advance with royal icing so they could harden. Have you ever had candy dots? I used to like these as a kid...


These are similar to what I was making. Except mine were purdy because I hand painted them with "antique silk" luster dust. Oh how they shimmered and shone... till Chad accidentally knocked that lovely flower arrangement over spilling water all over them! They did not survive... nor would any royal icing decoration doused in water. It just disintegrates. Don't worry I had spares but the spares were my first attempt which for some reason they were all misshapen.

I didn't get mad. I just chalked it up to it figures

You want to see the cake don't you?

What's stopping you from scrolling down to see it??

Just wondering.

here
it
is
in
black
and
white
and
maybe
a
little
purple...



I know i know it's got problems...

How could it not? I did most of the decorating after I hadn't slept for 27 hours! That right there's more to this grueling story! Ok so per my last post I am sick. Nasty cold. Before I really got started Wednesday morning i got a call from a friend inviting me to a brithday dinner for another friend (happy birthday Katie!) She suggested I take some Emergen-C. I had a few things I needed to pick up at the grocery store before I got started so I picked some of this Emergen-C stuff up.

I chugged two of these... not at the same time.

In the wee hours of Thursday morn (12:30-ish) I freaked out. Like never before. I think it was triggered by the second tier down. First of all the fondant did NOT go on nicely, but then to make it worse I was embossing the diamond shape into the fondant and realized it was not lining up correctly. Which is bad because... A) you can't un-do embossing and B) it's very notcible when doing this particular pattern if your even slightly off, and C) I didn't have enough fondant to re-do it.

So i freaked out. not like regular freak out. Like I need to be put in a mental institution freak out. I kept having this feeling of impending doom. So this is how it went...

12:30- began to freak. (got the shakes real bad and it felt like the room temp was about 50 degrees!
1:00 AM - wrote chad a note.

1:05 AM-woke poor chad up told him about the note.
1:07 AM- Showed Chad the note.
1:08 AM- Showed Chad the cake.
1:10 AM- tried to go to bed.
1:11 AM-there's no way I can sleep. Lay there shaking wide awake. Zero tired. well I take that back, my body hurt... it was definitely tired... brain wide awake!
1:12-3:38 AM- lay there shivering and worried and strangely I had to get up to pee alot. I'm talking the liquids we're completely clear. Figured I was getting dehydrated because there couldn't possibly be any more liquid in my body.
3:39 AM- got up and got a powerade in hopes of not dehydrating myself. Continued to lie awake.
3:42 AM- contemplate scenarios in which I don't show up with a cake.
4:04 AM- Got on FB in hopes there was someone i could tell all my problems too. Score! Jed was on.
4:18 AM- emailed my mom for some pity.
4:19 AM -sobbed.
4:30 AM- glad to see rhonda logged outo FB. I petitioned for more pity.
4:44 AM- went to go work on the stupid cake.
4:45 AM- Chad got up for work. Came to the kitchen. Gave me a pep talk.
5:51 AM- emailed Lori for some more pity.
5:54 AM- watched the sunrise.

and somewhere in between all that I got the fondant on all the cakes... though it did not go well and all fondant was cracking at the top edge of the cakes. I don't know why.

As you can see from the note I couldn't find my fondant smoother... I had to use a case thing that held child's math things like rulers and protractors and what not's. So annoying.

Lori was nice enough to call me when she got my email... I asked her if she would come keep me company while I finished up the decorating...

kind sister obliged.

Talked lots of nonsense. She helped me realize that my diamonds were "handmade" and "whimsical" therefore crooked was okay. I half bought it. Well I had been up for 27 hours you know. It doesn't take much to confuse me at that point.

Kind hubby came home to help me out. He painted some dots for me.

10:30 AM-ish- cake done.

10:35 AM- look at box of emergen-C and notice that it says "energy booster" on it. Things start to dawn on me. can't sleep... got the shakes... lots and lots of pee...

10:38 AM- Say prayer that childern won't poke cake whilst sleeping.
10:39 AM- sleep.

I really loved how later that day when my parents came over to help me out with cake delivery and i explain about the shakes and panic attack, my dad questioning what could possibly be in the Emergen-C that could be a booster of energy decides to read the ingredients on the Emergen-C and find one that he says the effects are similar to crystal meth...

NICE!

I've never done well with uppers. I avoid caffeine like crazy.

And also i forgot to mention that wednesday night we had dinner at 7ish... and I did not eat again till the next evening around 5:30ish. I was pretty hungry.

so it is what it is...



BTW- I don't do cakes anymore. Call someone else!

You should have seen her, she really did look beautiful.

I lay in bed contemplating my day. Eyes closed, brain wide open. All too aware of the cake patiently waiting for me in the freezer.

I stumble out of bed. my head hurts, my nose hurts, my eyes hurt. This can't be happening...

There stands Natalie at my mirror brushing away at her silky smooth hair. That same hair that just two days ago was a frizzled mess. She looks beautiful, i think.

"Natty, you feel warm, why don't you stay home today", I offer.

That's when i see it.


Oh Neti! Am I ever glad to see you today!

and all of a sudden hope fills my day again.

Not to mention there's something about seeing grandma and grandpa that makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside. It's no wonder I keep them where I can see them often.



I wonder what grandma's doing today.

i miss you guys...

i HEART vintage

One look at this kids knees and you will know for a fact that Lucy Emma Jane is...


She's totally working the shirt and soggy diaper look. It doesn't get more ghetto than that :)

Potty train you say? {BAH}





I am forever in love with vintage. It was really only a matter of time before I figured out how to get that vintage look into my photography. I just love it!

Megan... I hope you're not mad that I stole your awesome vintagy tab and modified it a little. It is just so adorable :)

BTW my amazing friends... if you haven't checked out shabby blogs yet you really should because there is tons of cute stuff on there! Notice my new background??

I leave you with this...


My little angel.

Happy Easter everyone.

Natty dear, I can C ur undies...

I don't have a whole lot to write about today. Maybe because I'm under alot of stress...


but here is some stuff I've been working on. Thought I'd share.





















all that work rounding the corners and blogger puts a black rectangle around it. *head shaking in disappointment*

NOTE: I was going to take this blogger bash comment off but instead I think I will just credit Jed with helping me get rid of it! Thanks Jed, you're neato.

flickr anyone?

Sometimes an impromptu trip to the park...


is just what you need.


Let me begin by saying that this hat is the very first thing Lu put on after her shower yesterday. So in other words the hat doesn't match her clothes...

her clothes match her hat :)


I have to tell you what happened though...

all because I just so happened to grab my camera on the way out the door for some kiddo leisure time...

A few days ago I joined flickr. I wanted to be a part of this group called "eye candy actions" headed up by one of my favorite photographers to stalk... Sheye Rosemeyer (Which I just noticed shes doing an eye candy giveaway so go enter!)

I posted this photo yesterday...


Then this morning I woke up way too early and checked my flickr... and to my utter surprise there were 2 comments on this photo and one was from Sheye herself! This is what they said...

lisa jordan photo says:
At first glance, l thought this was a bona fide Sheye. Gorgeous!


Sheye Rosemeyer says:
Wow, I totally agree. I thought it was one of mine too!!
(In a good way, I mean!.. Just that coloring I love..)
Gorgeous.
S x

Now you tell me how a girl can sleep after that!


Giddy is the word I'm gonna use to describe it!


By the way... I have absolutly zero friends on flickr so if you have a flickr and you'd like to be my flickr friend please add me. Im so lonesome on there.

Fool. Me.

Today was endless.

endless sewing.

Last week I made Kassidy a dress from Studio Tantrum's "Feliz dress" It's a German pattern and the instructions we're sketchy to say the least. I went to JoAnns for fabric because it takes ALOT of fabric and I was just so unsure if I was going to be able to pull it off.

Thank goodness I found a tutorial online.

Anyway Natalie was dying for one of these dresses, and well Easter is coming up so...

All day I sewed.

Well that and checked my email. What else am I gonna do while I rip seams and gather ruffles? (oh my gosh SO many ruffles)

And then Natalie came home from school. She wondered what jokes we could play on Kassidy or daddy.

And I brushed her off... I'm so busy sewing her a dress you know!



And so the jokes on me.

Because when I settle back into my comfy little tomato colored chair for the millionth email check something is different...

The mouse... it feels weird. Wrong.

And when I look at what I'm holding in my right hand I find that it is not my mouse, but a bar of soap.

And it makes me laugh. And I look back at Natalie, she smiles. And I smile back at her.

Very clever Natalie.

Shabb-tabulous!

Queso (K so)...

All the way back in January I got this Fab blog award that I've been so lovingly ignoring. Well not ignoring, thats not the right word...

denying?



Actually I am just ALWAYS behind on my blogging but something is happening tomorrow that brings this blog award to the front line! Yes. I don't know how or why I got the fabulous blog award but I'd like to take a moment to do it wrong!

What I am supposed to do is...

1. Pass it on to 5 other fabulous blogs in a post.
2. List 5 of your fabulous addictions in the post.
3. Copy and paste the rules and the instructions below in the post.

But instead since this probably isn't even valid anymore I'm just going to give all my linky-love back to Megan!

Why you ask?

Well Megan is the lovely wife of a good friend from High school... though thats not why. She also is majorly awesome and she's starting her own business. The goal... a shabbulous blog for you!

Check out all Megan's tricks to make your blog super super cute starting tomorrow April 1st at 10 am!

5 reasons not to miss out on this...

1. I like Megans style.

2. You'll like Megan's style.

3. You should see how cute her kids are :)

4. Just do it.

5. You. Know. You. Want. To.

P.S.~ I thought she said she was having some cool freebies so be sure to check her out here, here or even here...

{those all go to the same place, hehe}

Color Me Tomato

Well hello there darling.



welcome to the abode :)

Such a pretty sitty.

Gosh... I've been feeling super busy. It's a good busy but also a nerve racking busy. You see my amazing friends, I have been hooked into a cake once again. Due to be delivered April 16th. It shall be quite lovely if it comes out anything how I imagine it. Dots and ribbons and pretty things...

BUT ~ my oh my how it stresses me out.

Also I would like to mention that I have found the most darling patterns! They are "Oliver + S" and I am really excited to get going on them!



And I am sorry to say that even though I would love more than anything to get a little sewing group together to make some easter dresses, alas I cannot.

Cake on the brain... if you know what I mean.

But feel free to acquire some of these cute patterns and perhaps we can get something going after the cake is delivered.

I got my patterns from beebee mod . They were great! I got free shipping AND a little surprise with my order... no guarantees but mine came with a bag of remnants.

Who doesn't like surprises!

The Forgotten Post

After that long post on Disneyland I decided that perhaps i should take a shower at some point in the day, and as I did I suddenly remembered all the things I really wanted to tell you.

I think best in the shower. Also I sing best in the shower. No wait... I sing best in the car. Thats right. Second best in the shower.

Anyhow, I think I got bored writing that last post (I'm thinking later in life when I'm like 45 I will like to go back and read about it and see all the fun pictures and say, oh Chad you look so young, what happened? And how come you don't even attempt a happy look in pictures? Come on... happiest place on earth?? Perk up boy!

But with all the technical documentation of the disney happening I forgot some of the best things that shall never be forgotten.

Speaking of forgotten here's a little list of things I forgot...

toothbrush... sweatshirt... eyelid medication (I have bad lids), drivers license, which actually I lost like a week ago, but still its like I forgot because i forgot where I put it? Knee socks, shoes with proper arch support, a hair brush (got the round brush though whew!)

So of course when i spot a Target in Indio i instruct Chad to exit... buns hurts anyway... need a break.

My main focus was getting a sweatshirt because I don't love to be cold. Or even like it. Chad mentions that we have to buy sweatshirts every single time we leave town... I analyse this and find that it is indeed true. Even our last trip to Lake powell.

After arriving at lake powell late at night and finding that we were not well equipped to deal with the freezing temps we headed straight to the local Wal-Mart to stock up on long-johns, sweatshirts, and sleeping bags.

And before that it was Catalina, and before that it was camping in Colorado... Apparently cold weather doesn't often cross our desert rat minds. But i don't take full blame because that would be being really hard on myself and I try not to do that and also Chad could remind me since he's obviously aware that this is a common occurrence, and also he forgot his sweatshirt too so... HA HA.

But even after our little pit stop I still forgot to get a brush... hair brush that is, not toothbrush I did remember to get that!

Did I ever tell you that I have some amazing grandparents? No. I don't think I did. Well a while back my grandma and grandpa moved to Temecula, CA and ever since I keep hearing him say it only takes 5 hours to get from here to CA, and vice versa... well not so for us. We were doing a little head calculation on the way there with the milage and all and chad was like NO WAY. Even if he was going 90 (this is where I chime in "he goes 100") mostly just to bug Chad, but hey I don't know, he may just do that! Very possible. Well he can't argue with that because if he went 100 mph it really would only take 5 hours :) And actually I think I heard him say 4.5 once... that was when he drove 110mph??

Anyway it took us, well lets see we left around 2:30pm and arrived around 10. So 7.5 hours! Well we did stop in Indio for some stuff.

Did you know that in CA they charge you extra for bottled beverages? We also got a case of h2o and one bottle of coke, because we don't like to pay $3 for water. But on the receipt there was a deposit charge or something for $1.20 for the water case and $0.05 for the coke! What is the deal with that? LAME.

{I would now like to take a moment to explain something}

the above part of the post was written shortly after the disneyland post however, I got interrupted with what,

... I can't even remember now and am just discovering this half written post.

So let me just make along story (not even sure about that)

short

by giving you the nitty gritty of what I think was to be said...

The sweatshirt I scored from target for $10 looked like something Rocky Balboa (from Rocky 1,2,3,and possibly 4) wore thus causing me to sing "Eye of the tiger" under my breath ALL day long. Which was horrible. not my best singing, because as you know my best is in the car. Or shower. Either way...

I still can't find my drivers license. I finally gave up and ordered one a few days ago. But it was rough being at disneyland without it because my debit card is really old and worn. Keep that baby in my back pocket san wallet of course. Signature is g-o-n-e! I am pretty much a wreck walking to any cash register knowing they're probably gonna ask for I.D. that I don't have... but I do have a costco card! Still i have to tell ya, its about 50/50 on who will take a costco card for identification purposes! Actually I'm amazed anyone was willing to take it.

Every store I walked in asked for my drivers license. And at everystore i replied with, "I don't have it with me *but* I do have this nifty costco card!"

Chad found this comical.

I like to drive. I drove the whole way home. we made it in a mere 5.99 hours! Because I am a fast driver... you know when your driving like 92 mph and a cop comes up behind you really fast with a crazy look on his face that you spy from you rear view mirror, that feeling of pure dread! And your blood gets all hot and runs fast through every vein in your body. And you pull into the right lane because of course you're not in the slow lane... and he passes you and pulls that other car over that passed you going 95 a minute ago!? and then your hubby say's from the other seat..."too bad he didn't pull you over, you could have showed him your costco card"

I love Chad.

And I'm sure there was more to this post but lucky for you my memory is not good. And also lucky for you, you will probably never even see this post :)

tootles.