The Campbell's Soup

Celebrating Grandpa

2010-11-20T23:01:00.001-05:00

Grandpa had another birthday and we wanted to celebrate with him so we did. I made a simple cake and we snag to him and we enjoyed each others company. It was a bit sad that we didn't have any candles for his cake but he pretended like a champ and we had a lot of fun. So Happy Birthday Grandpa - we'll do a better job celebrating next year!

Thanksgiving Lunch

2010-11-18T22:52:00.000-05:00

When I was a kid, I loved the cafeteria Thanksgiving lunch and begged my mom to let me buy it every year. The other great thing is that parents are encouraged to have lunch with their kids on this special lunchtime. Lorne and I were so excited to go and have lunch with Jasmine on her special Thanksgiving lunch day. Now, I guess I had a different palate as a kid - the food wasn't the worst ever but it certainly wasn't as good as I remembered it. But our daughter in her pilgrim hat? Gorgeous!

Violin Update

2010-11-17T22:34:00.001-05:00

Jasmine has pretty much mastered her twinkles and in a group class she volunteered to do a little performance for the class. I was so proud of her. She has come a long way and I am excited about her learning new songs now!

Lindsay's Baby Shower

2010-11-13T17:32:00.000-05:00

While we are on the subject of amazing good friends, let me tell you about Lindsay's baby shower. Lindsay and I became friends about a year and a half ago and she also became my employee for a time (we miss her at OC) and since we became so close I offered to throw her a baby shower. You all know I love any excuse to party! It is the Latina in me I suppose.
It was a lot of fun and it was great for Lindsay to get out of her house as she had been home bound trying to reduce contractions and let baby Luke cook in her belly a little longer before coming out to meet us.
I chose a Giraffe theme and it was so cute! The food was yummy ( a big thank you to my husband for making the quiches for us) and the cake was cute too!We played a couple of games. The first one entailed drinking apple juice out of a baby bottle for two minutes and whoever drank the most won. It was so fun to watch them play and the winner (Lindsay's friend Jaime) drunk a lot of juice! I was impressed!The second one was to create a baby out of playdoh to look like what you thought baby Luke would look like. It was really funny and the ladies were super creative. Jeanene won this task with her very shall we say detailed version of a baby boy.Lindsay then cut the cake and opened presents. I had a lot of fun and hope everyone else did too. I just love celebrating babies and new life and friends...it brings me great joy to see people so happy.

National Harbor and Goodbye

2010-11-08T17:18:00.001-05:00

It was Monday and that afternoon Jeff & Jill would be flying home back to their kids and away from us. We decided that one more adventure would be fun so we headed to National Harbor to walk around and show Jeff & Jill what it was all about since it was not finished being built when they moved away.
We walked around to all the shops and down by the water to the Awakening and then finally into the Peeps store - which is always a big hit with the girls.It was then time to say goodbye and it was hard to do but we knew that we would be seeing them again as soon as we could and that our friendship can survive anything.

Temple Time

2010-11-07T17:10:00.000-05:00

Sunday after church, we decided to go up to the temple to really bring the spirit into our Sabbath day. We went up and watched the Joseph Smith movie and walked around the Visitor's Center. It was so peaceful and we could see they were beginning to put up their Christmas trees for the holiday season.It was so nice to share this time with Jeff & Jill and to think about how through the Savior our families can be forever and our friendships eternal as well.

Jeff & Jill Come for a Visit!

2010-11-06T14:57:00.000-04:00

We have been missing Jeff & Jill since they moved. We wished them well when they left and secretly (or not so secretly) hoped they would return here someday after Jeff's studies were completed. This hope was not to be realized. Jeff took a job in Utah after he completed his MBA and now the cute family has a lovely home and roots they are planting too far away from us.
That being said, we vowed to keep our friendship strong and do everything we can to get together at least once a year.
This time it was their turn to come to us and we were glad to have them for the weekend. First order of business was to have fun and we decided to go to Montpelier to visit the home of James Madison.They were having a steeple chase horse race on the grounds that day so we would hear the crowds cheering and the steeple chase call and it really set the mood.
We took a tour of the house and realized that they were still in the process of restoring this landmark and consequently much of the house wasn't furnished yet. That didn't matter, it was still interesting and the grounds of the house were fabulous.We strolled the gardens and took lots of pictures and took in the lovely scenery that is the countryside in Virginia.On our way back, we stopped in Manassas to have dinner at The City Square Cafe (somehow in all the years we had been friends Jeff had never been to my Uncle and Aunt's restaurant) and enjoyed the company of our friends.

Halloween 2010

2010-10-31T14:43:00.003-04:00

Halloween fell on a Sunday this year. Normally I am not sure if scouting for candy while dressed in fun costumes is a Sunday activity but since we were doing it as a family, I decided it was OK and God would be fine with it.
I dressed the girls in the cute costumes again and I decided that I would dress up too - I had forgotten that a couple of years ago, I had gotten a costume at Target after Halloween for really cheap and I found it in the closet and decided to wear it. Thus I became a snow queen for the night. The girls were thrilled that Mommy joined in the fun with them.Lorne stayed at home to give candy to those who came to our door and we headed out for a couple of hours and the girls got tons of candy. Everyone raved about how cute they were and I got a couple of compliments too!After we got home, I let the girls eat their fill of candy and changed them into their oh so cute Halloween PJs. It was a nice night and we had fun.

Pumpkin Carving

2010-10-30T14:28:00.000-04:00

For the last 9 years, we have had a Pumpkin Carving party with our friends and family and always have a great turnout and lots of fun. It seems that this year everyone had something better to do and no one came to our party except for my parents. We decided we would have fun anyway and hope that people will come next year.We decorated the house and ordered pizza for dinner and got ready to carve our pumpkins. It was a lot of fun. Everyone except Ava carved a pumpkin and Abuela helped Jasmine with hers.
Our pumpkins came out great and it was fun to light them up and line them up outside and see the fruits of our labors.

Natalia's Pirate Paaaaaarrrrrty

2010-10-29T12:56:00.000-04:00

See Natalia turn 30. See Natalia get diagnosed with Eye Cancer. See Natalia fight the cancer through treatments. See Natalia beat the cancer. See Natalia turn 31 and celebrate Pirate Style.
Earlier this year my cousin Natalia was diagnosed and treated for a rare form of cancer - eye cancer. It was shocking and scary but she hung in there and is now in remission. She told us all that if she got through it she would celebrate her 31st birthday pirate style (get it? eye patch?)
She had a great party in DC that we were invited to and she asked that we all dress as pirates. It was super fun and I had fun being able to have a fun night with my husband sans kids.Natalia was super happy and she glowed. It was awesome to be there to celebrate her and her life. She is one of the most vibrant and happy people I know and I am in awe of her.
As a special gift to her, I designed and made her a cake that fit the occasion. She loved it and everyone at the bar was asking where it came from. Some people thought it came from Duff's shop. I laughed and was happy to have been able to do that for her.It was also fun to be there with my uncle and aunt and cousin Fernando. When we showed up we realized that my uncle and aunt had bought the same costumes as Lorne and myself. It was hilarious!All in all, it was a fun night to celebrate Natalia!

Ward Trunk or Treat

2010-10-29T12:39:00.000-04:00

We attended the ward trunk or treat and this was the first time the girls got to put on their Halloween costumes. Goodness gracious how cute they were! They were excited for round one of candy gathering and they made many rounds in the church parking lot. All the kids looked great and we were dressed up because we would be attending the cousin's pirate party later that evening (more on that in a separate post). Lorne looked amazing in his Pirate costume - he rarely dresses up so the girls thought it was great!

Kindergarten Fall Party

2010-10-29T12:30:00.000-04:00

I love to go and help in Jasmine's class at school and I am grateful for a flexible work schedule that allows me to do that. We were asked to plan and execute a fall party with the class and my assignment was to help the kids decorate cookies. It was fun - the kids had a blast and at the end I was exhausted. I do not think I could ever be a kindergarten teacher and have to do that day in and day out - I am so thankful that Jasmine has such a nice and patient teacher!

Girl's Scrapbooking Weekend

2010-10-22T12:27:00.000-04:00

Twice a year as you all know I get to spend a weekend scrapbooking with Cindy. We work hard, eat snacks and enjoy each others company. Lately we have been going to Annapolis and this was our third time at this hotel. We had fun and got a lot done. Looking forward to our next one in February!

More Fall Fun - Belvedere Plantation

2010-10-16T11:55:00.000-04:00

I am a sucker for those fall farm festivals and I drag the family with me to any fun and interesting one I can find. Thankfully, they seem not to mind! Belvedere is one that we go almost every year and we love it because we get to ride out into the pumpkin patch and pick our own pumpkins.They also have a lot of activities and thing to do with the kids that they can enjoy. My favorite thing there is the apple cider slushies they make. I look forward to drinking one every year and this year I got greedy and drank two!The girls had a great time and we tried to do as many things as possible. It was warm for October and so being outside was nice.On our way home from all the fun, we took the scenic route - this is also something I love doing. I prefer to see more stuff when we take a nice long drive and if we have the time I always ask to take the long and scenic rout. This time on our way home, we passed by a sign for George Washington's birthplace. It was late in the day and it was closed but we decided we will have to come and check it out next time.

Fall Fun - Cox Farms

2010-10-09T21:53:00.008-04:00

We love to find fun places to have family fun in the fall. Even though the weather had been very warm and not very autumnal, we still wanted to get into the spirit so we took some time and went to a new place for us called Cox Farms. It wasn't that far from the house, only about 45 minutes which is not too bad of a drive with the girls.

There were a lot of people there when we arrived but it didn't stop us from having a good time. We played on bales of hay, saw lots of farm animals and rode down a lot of slides. Jasmine even got brave and tried out a rope swing for the first time.
One of my favorite parts was the goat petting area. Ava must have tried to pet every goat there. She was fearless and just giggles every time she caught up with a goat and patted him. Jasmine too was unafraid but I expected that since she is older.
We went on a hayride that was OK. I was disappointed that this farm didn't have pumpkin fields and that our hayride wouldn't be taking us to a field for pumpkin picking. To make up for it, they had made these painted wooden displays to keep our interest in the hayride. I didn't see many as I was holding Ava and the visibility wasn't good with all the other people on the wagon.
After some more slide riding (Lorne and I took turns going down with Jasmine), petting a horse, taking a few fun pictures and getting a small pumpkin to take home, we were done with our visit to Cox Farm and decided to call it a day. You can imagine both girls were asleep within five minutes of getting in the car!
On our way home, we stopped by and visited my parents and Ava played with Moto. I couldn't resist taking these cute pictures as she would get on Moto's bed and try to lay with her and sleep with her. Moto was so patient and didn't mind that Ava was bothering her.

Roy Rogers Bowl

2010-10-08T09:30:00.001-04:00

I was excited to participate in the first Annual Roy Rogers bowl. One of our good friends, Jeff Todd, owns three Roy Rogers in our area and he decided to sponsor the Mount Vernon vs. Hayfield football game and call it the Roy Rogers bowl and in addition he let me participate as well.I hosted a cupcake eating contest at halftime that turned out to be a big success. Check out the video!

The girls and Lorne were there with me and it was a fun time. I broke out my Edison letter jacket to be in the mood for high school football. I think we will attend this event every year!

Fall Frolic

2010-10-07T12:06:00.000-04:00

They have a fall frolic at the school sponsored by the PTA and I signed up to volunteer. I helped with the cake walk and it was very fun. There were lots of fun events and food and Jasmine had a great time. I am glad we participated and even though I didn't get a lot of photos, here a few to give you an idea.

Back to School Night

2010-10-04T11:56:00.000-04:00

My first back to school night as the Mommy of a Kindergartner! I was so excited. I was excited to see what they had been working on and how things were going in the classroom. I have been very lucky that Jasmine shares so much of what she does on a daily basis but it is exciting for me to actually go in and see for myself.
Ms. Certo, her teacher did a great presentation explaining to us what they had been doing during the first month of school and I got to see some of Jasmine's artwork and sit in her seat. I love being part of the real school club though it does remind me that Jasmine is getting bigger and growing up which is hard for me to deal with sometimes.

Taste of GW - Goerge Washington University Alumni Weekend

2010-10-02T11:43:00.001-04:00

I decided to participate in another taste event - this time at my alma mater - The George Washington University. They were having Alumni weekend and had this great event to showcase restaurants and food establishments owned and operated by GW alum.I was excited to participate and also try other GW alums food as well. They did the event on the university grounds in a big tent and it was very lovely and the weather that day was perfect.
Warren Brown of CakeLove was there as he is a GW graduate from the law school. He is very famous and has been on TV and is a published author. I got to meet him and he was super nice. He has 6 locations in the DC metro area. I was happy to have my product in the same place as his so people could get a side by side comparison.Many people told me that our cupcakes were better than his and that made me super happy! It was a huge success and we didn't have any cupcakes to take home with us when it was over.
The family was there and they had a great time tasting and participating in the fun event.

IBIE Day 4 - Last Day

2010-09-29T11:25:00.000-04:00

I took my second four hour class on the last day and it was an Airbrushing class with Marsha and Roland Winbeckler. The Winbecklers are a married cake artist team that have been doing cakes for ages and have made some amazing cakes - go on and Google them.Roland is a whiz at airbrushing and he taught us four hours worth of techniques and we got to practice as well. It really made me feel more confident about using my airbrush and wanting to buy a new one (the one we used in class). Check out some of the stuff I learned how to do. I learned that having control with the airbrush is very important and we did worksheets to help us with that. He also taught us how to make stencils and how to use other tools to help in airbrushing. It was totally a worthwhile class and I am glad I took it.I spent the rest of my day finalizing a deal with Somerset about a new fondant sheeter and watching a SugarVeil Demo done by Julie Bashore (got a pic with her). I also tried to get one more look at as many booths as I could even though they started packing up to leave early. I guess not as many people stay the whole 4 days. It was totally worth it to me. It was an amazing experience. I did miss my girls though and was excited to go home to them.

IBIE Day 3

2010-09-28T10:49:00.000-04:00

I started Day 3 in a couple more morning seminars. Theme Based Merchandising which I don't do a lot of and after listening to the lady talk about it, I don't know if I am going to do more - it seems like a lot of work and very expensive - and the second seminar was Sculpted Cake - Pricing and Marketing Strategy. In listening to these cake artists talk about how they price their works of art, I realized that there are multiple ways of doing it and there is no wrong way. It all goes back to a basic economic principle - something is worth what someone else is willing to pay for it. Obviously, time factors in as well - the longer it takes me to make you a cake, the more expensive it will be.Day 3 was when I really go to spend a lot of time exploring the vendor and exhibit halls. It was massive. The pictures do not do it justice. I walked for miles and saw so much stuff and ate so many sweets of all kinds and breads. I never needed to buy lunch, there was always something to nibble on. I ate a fresh donut everyday, panna cotta from another vendor, cakes, chocolates, breads, you name it. Even Gelato.They had a cake competition going for the full four day event and it was fascinating to watch these cake artists do their thing while hundreds of people watched and they had to do cakes in many different categories.That evening, I decided to go to the Chef Rubber open house since I had a rental car and I could get these easy. It was fun - there was more ice cream and chocolates to taste and I bought a couple of tools I needed.
The night was young and I was in Vegas so I decided to spend some time on the strip. I found parking, walked around for a bit, did a little slot machine gambling (spent all of $2) in New York New York, drank a free juice while playing the slots and then called it a night and went home. I know what you are thinking - I am a crazy animal!

IBIE Day 2

2010-09-27T10:27:00.000-04:00

On the second day of IBIE, I sat in seminars all morning. One was called Baking Healthy - Using Alternative Ingredients and while it was very interesting, it didn't really apply to what I do. The stuff that makes my product taste good is real butter and sugar, not substitutes. Plus, I can't change some of my ingredients because as a decorator, I need my product to be stable in a certain way so I can decorate it.The next one I sat in was called Wedding Cakes - Sales, Production and Delivery and that was a panel of three well known cake artists who answered questions about these types of issues for an hour and a half. It was very interesting because listening to the questions and answers helped me know I am doing all the right things in my business. The panelists explained a lot of things they do in their business and as I listened, I thought, "Hey! I do that too!". That made me feel good that I doing the right stuff.I spent more time in the afternoon in one the four huge exhibit halls and met Courtney Clark - another famous cake artist. She was searching for packaging for cake truffles and I happened to be doing the same thing. I met her at the Callebut Chocolate Booth (which is the fine Belgium Chocolate I use).In addition to classes, seminars and vendor booths, they also had various competitions going on during this expo and the pastry chefs making bread sculptures was amazing. I took the time and got a couple of pics.When exhausting Day 2 was done, I was in the mood to go out and get an In and Out burger so I convinced the Hopkinsons to go with me and we did and I ate, conquered and enjoyed. The double animal style burger was amazing.

Viva Las Vegas!

2010-09-26T10:02:00.000-04:00

Somehow I managed to convince the President of 3C Corp (Lorne Campbell) that I should go on my first business trip to Las Vegas for the IBIE (International Baking Industry Exposition) which is an extremely large Conference and Expo that is only done every 3 years and encompasses all things baking and pastry.
There were to be classes and seminars that I was interested in and also I wanted to spend time in the expo halls checking out vendors and seeing what kinds of products would be beneficial to our business now that we are thinking of expansion.I signed up to take two classes and my first class was the first thing I did on the first day which was a cake sculpting class with Bronwen Weber who is a famous cake artist in the industry. It was a four hour class and she was an excellent teacher. We sculpted a Vegas showgirl cake but I think mine ended up looking like Carol Burnett as a fortune teller.Later I spent time in the exhibit hall and watched Ashley Vicos give a demo on easy sculpted cakes. I liked her demo because she tries to use as much cake as possible by baking different shapes and trying to carve less thereby wasting less cake. Brilliant - she too is very well known and has been on TV and graciously let me have my photo taken with her and we spent a lot of time talking. I could totally see me being her friend.After the day was over and I had consumed enough sugar to last me a lifetime - I went back to the Hopkinson's house - I got to stay with them to cut costs and also because I missed them and wanted to spend some time with them. Chloe and I made a craft together and I let them cut and eat the cake I had made.

The Taste of Mount Vernon at Woodlawn

2010-09-22T09:41:00.000-04:00

Having been a member of the local Chamber of Commerce for the past two years and being quite active in it, they asked me to be the chairperson of the Taste of Mount Vernon event which I participated in last year.
This year, the event was held at Woodlawn Plantation which is conveniently located across the street from my shop. We secured about 15 local vendors and sold a fair amount of tickets. We did a drawing at the shop and gave out a few sets of tickets as well.It was a very warm evening and the tent had a lot of people in it. It was a hugely successful event and I was happy that it all went so well. The food was good and the people were all in a happy mood.Our table was run by Mod and we did well and got lots of great feedback on our cupcakes as well. I do love participating in this event and hope it will continue to draw more and more people so we can boost local business sales.

O-H I-O!

2010-09-11T14:29:00.000-04:00

My dear friend Amy called me and told me she was going through a difficult time so we decided to drop what we were doing and go up to see her. It was also a good excuse to meet her new baby Daniel and watch some Buckeye football.
I got the family Ohio State shirts so we could be festive and we got some gifts for baby Daniel as well. It was so nice to see Amy and meet little Daniel who is about 5 months old. He is a cutie and a good little baby. I got to hold him a lot and I loved that.Jasmine had fun playing and we had fun hanging out and relaxing and watching the game which I am happy to report the Bucks won! I can think of no better way to spend an afternoon than being with people you love, watching a good Buckeye football game and eating Graeter's Ice Cream. Go Bucks!

My Rockstar

2010-09-08T14:27:00.000-04:00

On the second day of school Jasmine wanted to sport a more Rockstar look so we did just that. She looked so darling I couldn't help but take a couple of pictures. Enjoy!

Presents from Tia Laura

2010-09-07T14:19:00.000-04:00

When Jasmine got home from her first day of Kindy, she had a package waiting for her. She opened it up and it was gifts from Tia Laura for her first day of school. Jasmine was so excited when she saw the books - she loves books and immediately asked me to read them to her. I obliged and it was fun. She asked to call her Tia Laura to thank her so we did and Jasmine told her all about the first day of school.
The two books she got were - The Berenstein Bears Go to School and My Senator and Me, which was written by Senator Edward Kennedy whom Laura had worked for on the Hill.We love Tia Laura and we are so touched that she always remembers us and is good to our little girls. Thank you so much!

First Day of School

2010-09-07T13:46:00.000-04:00

It was finally here - the first day of school. When I walked into Jasmine's room I announced loudly, "First Day of School!" and she giggled with joy. She was so very excited. I got her dressed and did her hair and then it was time for breakfast. All her school supplies were ready to go in her backpack and I packed her lunch while she ate her breakfast.
We took the obligatory pictures and then off to school we went. We were allowed to walk Jasmine to her classroom for the first week and then we had to cut the cord.
We took a few pictures inside the classroom, kissed her goodbye and left. It was a very bittersweet moment. My baby is looking so grown up. We stopped into the library for an informational PTA meeting for new parents and Ava had a blast being a distraction and checking out all the books.
After school, when I picked Jasmine up she was a bubble of happy energy. She told me that her first day was fantastic and that she had made new friends and told me all about what they had done. She decided she loved school and was excited to go the next day. I was so happy because I always loved school and hoped that Jasmine would too.

Labor Day BBQ

2010-09-06T12:09:00.000-04:00

My brother and sister in law invited us over to their house for a Labor Day BBQ and we were excited to go. Jasmine always has a blast with her cousin Roman. The kids also got to play with the new puppies Millie and Baloo.We had a great time with the family and the food was yummy too. We brought an apple and a peach pie that we made from the apples and peaches we had picked. They were a big hit too.
My favorite part was watching the kids play together. They had so much fun and I am so glad that we live close enough so that Roman, Jasmine and Ava can grow up together.I am so blessed that we have so much family so close by. What would make it perfect would be all of our Australian family living close as well.

WMES Open House

2010-09-02T11:11:00.003-04:00

The Thursday before school starts, Jasmine's elementary school has an open house and they post the teacher lists so you can come and meet the teacher and see the classroom. We were so excited to go since this is Jasmine's first year in elementary school. We can't believe she is in kindergarten! Lorne tried to tell me that it isn't real school and I tried to explain that it was real school. From what I understand, they learn in kindergarten what I learned in first grade.When we got into the school, we went to the cafeteria where we picked up Jasmine's school supplies. Since I get so busy, I ordered them from the PTA and they were boxed and ready to go. I loved the convenience and plus it is a fundraiser for the school.
We found out that Jasmine got Ms. Certo and we were so excited because that was the teacher we wanted for her. Our neighbor Kelleen had a daughter in her class and highly recommended her.We walked down to the classroom and met Ms. Certo and when Lorne looked around the room and read the paperwork he leaned into me and said, "Oh my gosh - this is real school." I laughed and agreed that it is indeed real school and our firstborn is fast growing up.
Ava had fun pottering around the classroom and as I watched her I knew it wouldn't be long until she was joining her sister in real school...sigh.

The Gym is SCREAMING for me!

2010-08-31T23:13:00.000-04:00

The day after the delicious freezer jam, I decided to do something else with the delicious blackberries. This time I made a blackberry peach crisp with a brown sugar homemade ice cream. Can I just tell you - why I am not a master dessert chef I do not know. But I killed this dessert - it was so delicious. I put a lot of care into the whole thing and I think you could taste it. I took a few pics of the process. With all the sugar and dessert I am eating I have got to get back into the gym...my next project is a caramel apple strussel pie...yum.

Blackberry Freezer Jam

2010-08-30T23:08:00.000-04:00

My friend Lindsay turned me onto the idea of making freezer jam. I liked it because it seemed easy and didn't require the whole canning process that I am wary of trying. I took half of the blackberries that we picked oh so lovingly and made them into freezer jam. I will tell you that it turned out amazingly delicious - we had 2 of Lorne's biscuits left and so we ate the jam on those - total heaven.

Monkey in Mama's Shoes!

2010-08-30T23:01:00.000-04:00

Ava is such a little monkey and a joy to have around. Her little personality is really showing and it is a very mischievous, funny and demanding personality. She gets into everything and she really pays attention to what is going on. She also will only do things if she wants to - not because I ask here - she is no performing puppy.
Even though she only says a few words, she is learning a lot and I couldn't help but take a picture when she put on my shoes the other day. It was so stinkin' cute and she had a huge grin on her face. Who wouldn't want to hug and kiss that face?

An Apple a Day

2010-08-30T10:01:00.000-04:00

I was inspired to go pick fresh local produce by a friend and so I decided to take the girls on Monday on my day off. I thought they would enjoy it and we would get some yummy fresh fruit that I could make different things out of for the winter.
We drove out to Winchester - about an hour and 50 minutes to go to Marker Miller Orchard since they had the fruits that I was looking for. My goal was to pick peaches, blackberries and apples.Jasmine was super excited when we got there and I was happy to see that the trees were low to the ground so that Jasmine could very easily get the fruit off of the trees. Even Ava picked some fruit on her own. I would highly recommend this orchard for picking.We picked apples first and Ava seemed happy and curious about what was going on and she had fun playing with the apples and even tried to put one into her mouth. Jasmine filled much of the half bushel bag that we got on her own. She was fast!
We loaded the apples and Ava into the wagon and went off to find the peaches, which were on the other side of the orchard so it was a bit of a hike. It was hot and the sun was beating down on us so by the time we reached the peach orchard, Ava had had enough and began her tantrum to let us know she was through.
I left her in the wagon and Jasmine and I picked the peaches. Jasmine was so well behaved and worried over her sister but I told her not to worry, Ava was going to scream no matter what we did. Then Ava began to take it out on the fruit, thrashing her little arms towards our beautiful bags filled with apples and peaches. I had to try and stop her but she remained hysterical.Lastly, we picked blackberries while Ava screamed and eventually made herself throw up a couple of times. We filled almost 2 quarts of blackberries which was a challenge because the vines had been picked through but I had a strong desire to make blackberry jam so we kept hunting.Once we went back to the market, and we were inside, Ava calmed down. Seems she didn't like being in the sun and she was quite pleasant after that. We left Marker Miller Orchards with a half bushel of Empire apples, 2 peck bags of peaches, 2 quarts of blackberries, 6 ears of fresh corn, 1 gallon of Cherry Apple Cider, 1 gallon of Apple Cider, a bag full of Squash and Zucchini and a very tired Ava. It was a productive afternoon!

Do You Know the Muffin Man?

2010-08-29T23:00:00.000-04:00

Lorne makes the best biscuits...and if he hasn't made them for you, demand it! They are to die for!

Bubble Trouble!

2010-08-29T17:33:00.000-04:00

My husband has many talents - one of which is blowing bubbles with Bazooka Bubble Gum. Jasmine and Ava get a kick out of him blowing bubbles as big as his head. I get a kick out of it popping and watching him get it off his face. So the other day he was blowing bubbles and Ava was on his lap - here is what happened...

Shen Yun

2010-08-25T16:36:00.000-04:00

My mom, my grandma and I got together for a family girl's night and wen to the Kennedy Center to see Shen Yun - a Classical Chinese Dance company. It was a really great show with a strong religious and political message. The costumes were fantastic and modest - I love how they didn't feel they had to show their whole bodies to be beautiful and stunning. The music was great and the whole evening was very enjoyable. I forgot how much I love going to the theater - since I don't have a lot of time to go these days.

Bye Bye Jan!

2010-08-22T16:27:00.000-04:00

We were very sad to have to drive Jan to the airport so he could fly to Germany and go home. We had such a great summer with him and the girls really love him and were taken care of so well by him. He was such a help and brought a peace and calm to the house. He helped us organize things and keep thing clean and helped me at the gym.
Jasmine was felling very distraught to have him leave and is hoping he will return. We hope so too!

The Cutest Girl I ever Saw

2010-08-21T16:11:00.000-04:00

was sipping water through a straw!

Cake Post

2010-08-10T16:00:00.000-04:00

I know I haven't done a post in a while with the cakes I have made so here are a few I've done this month. Just a couple.

Occasionally Cake Hosts a Birthday Party

2010-08-09T18:16:00.002-04:00

We were asked to host a birthday party for a client and friend of ours and so we decided to give it a try and see how it went. We did a cake decorating class where each kid got to decorate their own 6 inch cake and take it home and then they got to eat cupcakes and chips and have soda. I think it went really well. The kids were very respectful and did a good job decorating. I think we would definitely do it again. Did I mention the birthday package came with an apron for everyone? They were super cute!

Mary Mary Married Lady!

2010-08-07T15:25:00.000-04:00

It was an extremely warm morning - I waited patiently at 9 AM at the temple for the bride and groom to show up so I could photograph them (I was the photographer for the day). It was sunny and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. It was Mary & Jeff's wedding day.
We spent about an hour taking pictures on the grounds and Mary looked beautiful in her non traditional wedding dress and handmade yellow bolero. Jeff looked very handsome in his suit with his button corsage. We were all dressed in our best and we took many combinations of pictures of family and friends.
When we got into the temple, I got to go with Mary to the bride's room and help her get ready for the ceremony. She was so excited and I got a little teary seeing her dressed in white and ready to be married for time and all eternity like I had done 8 years ago in the same temple.
The ceremony was very nice and they looked in love and happy. It was the right thing, in the right place at the right time. It made my heart happy.
Afterward, they exchanged rings on the temple grounds and we took a couple of group shots. Jeff and Mary then got ready to leave for their honeymoon to Puerto Rico. We went out to eat - as we were starving to Cheesecake Factory and celebrated their union in our own way! :)

Mary Goes to the Temple

2010-08-06T23:10:00.000-04:00

Honored cannot even begin to describe how I felt to be Mary's escort going through the temple for the first time. She and I have had a great relationship for the past two years and we have been through a lot together and I was so happy for her that she had found happiness with Jeff and that they were choosing to marry in the temple.So many funny things happened that I can't talk about here but one of the things that happened was one of the sisters in the temple asked me if I was Mary's mom! I almost choked! Do I look old enough? She was so embarrassed when I explained I was only a year older than Mary and she quickly took it back but it was a funny thing I will never forget.The day before we wedding, Mary had to go through for herself and so we all went up (all meaning Mary, Jeff and all of Jeff's family and a friend of Jeff's) and had a wonderful time at the temple and feeling so happy. There was so much love and I almost felt like an intruder at times. We took a few pictures after and Mary just glowed - just like I knew she would.

Mary A's Bridal Shower

2010-08-04T22:55:00.000-04:00

We had a little bridal shower for Mary at Rosa's Mexican Restaurant at National Harbor a few days before her wedding. It was super fun. The food was amazing and it was fun to meet all of Jeff's sisters and his mother was there as well. In fact, I felt special because I was the only non-related person there! Mary didn't count because she was about to marry in...She got some great gifts and I was so excited when she opened mine - because guess what I got her? Lingerie! Yes - that is what I always get brides because they need a little something for the honeymoon. She laughed so hard and did her nervous laugh which in turn made the rest of us crack up. Even the people at the other tables were looking - it was classic!

Organizing my side of the Office

2010-08-03T22:50:00.000-04:00

Those of you who have been in our office - to my dismay - know what a mess it is most of the time. Stuff on the floor, things piled on desks, etc. I took an entire day - from 9 AM until very late at night - close to midnight to really clean my desk and surrounding area. I am so happy with the way it looks. I feel like I can sit at my desk and focus!

SAP Company Picnic - Harry Potter Extravaganza!

2010-07-31T22:23:00.000-04:00

Lorne was invited to the US SAP Headquarters office company picnic and we hopped in the car and drove to Philly for it. It was totally worth it.The party was held outside and had a Harry Potter theme. It was amazing all that they had to offer. They had people dressed as the Harry Potter characters, they had a scavenger hunt for kids to win prizes, food galore, quidditch for older children to play, karaoke, huge chess game, magic show and the list went on...bounce castles, rides, pony rides, funnel cake...Jasmine was sorted when we arrived - she was sorted into Gryffindor! I had a great time singing and I became very popular. I even did a song with Jasmine although she chose a song she didn't know well so she only sung the chorus.We had a great time and I can't wait for next year's picnic.

Day 6 of Vacation and Celebrating our Anniversary

2010-07-27T21:26:00.000-04:00

It was our last day of vacation and we were sad about it - but we had a great day planned. We went to the Castle in the Clouds (formerly called Lucknow) - the home of Thomas Plant (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Gustave_Plant) who made his fortune manufacturing shoes in the early 1900's.The home was built in 1914-1915 in the by millionaire shoe manufacturer Thomas Gustave Plant (1859-1941) for his second wife, Olive Cornelia Dewey. Its nickname "Lucknow" may have been a play on words on the city of Lucknow in India. The property was assembled from the private Ossippee Mountain Park, an observation area called the Crow's Nest, and a variety of other lodges and buildings. On this property he built the mansion, a stable/garage, gatehouses, a greenhouse, farm buildings, and a golf course. The property eventually extended to 6,300 acres.The house included many innovations which were rare at the time, including a circular shower, interlocking kitchen tiles, and a central vacuum system.After Plant lost his money in a series of bad investments, the house and its contents were auctioned off in 1941-1942 to pay his creditors who allowed him to stay in the mansion until his death, but the furnishings remained with the house. The property was purchased by Fred C. Tobey family and opened as a tourist attraction in 1956.
I found it fascinating and I love this kind of stuff. Before we got up to the house, there were a couple of stops. The first was at a very nice waterfall - though to be honest, as pretty as it was it is hard to impress me since I have been to Washington State and seen some amazing waterfalls.The second stop was a scenic view of Lake Winnipesaukee and the Ossippee Mountains. The pictures just do not do it justice.At the last stop, we boarded the trolley bus to take us up to the house for the tour. It was super cute that they shuttle people that way.The house has a breathtaking view that would be a dream to wake up and see everyday. I really liked it and it transported me back to life in the 1920s. The pictures do a fair job of showing what we saw but I highly recommend seeing it for yourselves if you ever get the chance.After a great day at Lucknow, we went home and got ready for dinner. We had reservations at the Woodshed - just my love and I to celebrate our anniversary. We chose this restaurant because it came highly recommended by Laura and her family and it is Laura's favorite restaurant. The food was delicious and we had a very nice time. I am so blessed to be married to such a wonderful man who loves me enormously.

Day 5 of Vacation - Our Anniversary

2010-07-26T18:19:00.000-04:00

We were supposed to celebrate our 8th year of marriage on our 5th day of vacation but we postponed our celebration until day 6 because Lorne had to work and couldn't get away. That's OK - we decided to go to the Science Center and have a look.
We left Ava at home because it was time for her to nap and we didn't want to wait for her to get up. She did look super cute though - check it out!Jan, Jasmine and I went and had a great time learning about all kinds of animals and playing with the interactive displays.We watched a presentation on the Great Horn Rimmed Owl - who was quite cute. The only sad thing was that we didn't get to see the bears because the electricity went out and they took them in since the electric fence they use to keep them in wasn't working. I did score three free passes to come back which is great because half of our experience was not as good considering there wasn't electricity.Later on we did some more swimming and had a yummy dinner and stayed in for the night.

Day 4 of Vacation - Church & Smores

2010-07-25T12:38:00.000-04:00

We were happy to go to church on our fourth day of vacation to make sure we did our duty to God. As we pulled up to the little branch building about 30 minutes away from where we were staying, Lorne looks over at another family getting out of a sweet convertible and said, "Oh my - that's Mitt Romney!" Indeed it was and we soon found ourselves saying hello to him and Lorne even got a picture with him. When we went inside, we also found Bill Marriott and his family. Looks like we found where the prominent Mormons go to play in the summer.That afternoon after church, we went to a little country store that has every knick knack you can think of stuffed on its shelves. It is always fun looking around that store.We cooked out that night and had some delicious burgers and then decided making smores would be fun. We had found these massive marshmallows at the grocery store and wanted to make good use of them. Jan had never had smores and we felt it was a good American experience to have so we made them.They were delicious and as you can see, we all enjoyed them. It was a great evening and so relaxing.

Day 3 of Vacation - New Hampshire Life

2010-07-24T12:00:00.004-04:00

The Richters have a most beautiful home in New Hampshire and we felt so blessed to be able to use it for a few days. They have a little dock that is on Lake Kanasatka in the Lakes region of New Hampshire. It is a small lake that is calm and beautiful.
We were lucky enough that the water was fantastic for swimming in. It was bathtub temperature and Jasmine was excited to swim and so was Ava - who am I kidding? We were all excited to swim and relax.Jan took Jasmine out on a canoe ride and she enjoyed it a lot. We really didn't do much but swim and relax and eat - all good vacation things to do and it was a most perfect day.

Day 2 of Vacation - Lorne turns 38 and we tour Boston!

2010-07-23T10:45:00.000-04:00

We drove up to Boston after picking Lorne up from his business meeting (after we went to the Crayola Factory) so that we could spend the night at the Richter home and spend a day touring around Boston. It also happened to be Lorne's birthday so we wanted to celebrate that too!We went to the heart of downtown Boston and had lunch at Cheers - where everybody knows your name! It was really good. We ordered him a massive Boston Cream Pie for dessert - when in Boston...and it was delicious and festive.We then took a bus tour of Boston - we felt it would be the best and fastest way to see as much of Boston as possible in one day. We had been there before but we wanted Jan to see the city. We got off at one stop and walked for a bit.One of my favorite gardens is in Boston - Public Garden. It has the statues of the ducks and also it is featured in a beautiful scene in the original Parent Trap and I have always wanted to have a picnic there on a spring day - one day this may happen but today it was rainy and we didn't have time to linger too long.Our bus drove us past the State house at the end of the tour and that is where our Tia Laura works. I showed Jasmine and she seemed impressed.We had dinner at a very delicious and nice Chinese restaurant and then we drove a couple of hours up to New Hampshire and settled everyone in for the night.

Getting out of Town

2010-07-22T22:14:00.006-04:00

After all the stress of getting cupcake day done, I decided it was time for the family to hit the road and have a little vacation. We are so blessed to have Laura as our friend and she and her parents graciously offered their house in New Hampshire for us to use for a week. We were so excited.
Lorne had to be in Philadelphia for an all day meeting the day after Occasionally Cake Cupcake Day so we decided to go up with him. While he was in training, we found something fun to do.
I have always wanted to take Jasmine to the Crayola Factory and it was only an hour from where Lorne had his meeting so we dropped him off and then we went to the Factory.It was super fun and they had all things artsy there. We got to play with all kinds of crayon stuff and we got a few freebies too.They did a cool little demo on how they make the crayons and I thought it was super interesting. Jasmine and Ava had a blast. Ava got into the sidewalk chalk and the modeling clay. She even did a little coloring.Jasmine did it all and then some! She was so so happy to try everything and she got to bring home some fun art projects.I think even Jan enjoyed it. For me, the best part was seeing my kids happy and spending time with them - there is nothing else better in the whole entire world.

Little Miss Bling Bling

2010-07-21T22:07:00.000-04:00

I was so grateful to have Jan this summer - especially on Occasionally Cake's first birthday so I didn't have to try and manage the girls at the bakery. He took Jasmine to Nita's birthday party which had a makeover theme and the girls got to put on make-up, jewelry and such and they got to eat cupcakes and cake truffles. Lucky girls! Jan took a couple of pictures and I especially loved this one -Lorne told me that when Jasmine got home from the birthday party she was excited to show him the make-up and so Lorne asked her if there was anyone there to help put on the make-up since she had it smeared all over her face. She brightened up and said, "Oh yes Daddy, there was someone to help but I didn't need any help, I did it all by myself!" What a fantastic moment. I wish I could have been the one there to take her.

Occasionally Cake turns 1!

2010-07-21T21:44:00.005-04:00

To celebrate one year in business we decided to do a Free Cupcake day where everyone who came in the store got one free cupcake and we asked for donations to donate to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children which is a charity we really believe in and have donated to personally.
We really weren't sure what to expect. We put out a press release to some newspaper media and it was picked up by a few local papers and also the Washington Post - that was super exciting. We also put out some signs in strategic locations around town. In addition to all that, we took out an ad in a local paper to make sure we reached as many people who lived locally as possible.
We usually go through a couple hundred cupcakes a day so we made 600 cupcakes thinking that might be enough. Boy were we ever wrong. The minute we opened the door at 10 AM, we had a line out the door and it stayed like that all day until we closed the doors at 7:30 PM - which is a half hour after we normally close. I would say it was a HUGE success.We had a great set-up to highlight the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children - we gave out DVDs to the first 25 people who came in. It was a DVD about internet safety for kids aimed at kids and it was excellent. We also gave out child ID kits, pencils, magnets, summer safety tips and a representative was on hand to talk to everyone.Through donations and giving a percentage of our proceeds that day we were able to raise $1435 for them. I thought that was pretty great! We also managed to go through over 1500 cupcakes! So many people would get their free one and then buy a bunch. Mod was constantly baking all day and Marcia iced cupcakes all day.My brother Rory came in to say hi and quickly found himself running out to go buy more cupcake liners and ingredients because we ran out. It was insane! Lorne was also called in a couple of times. It was an insane crazy amazing day. We learned a lot and will make sure we open the store with 1500 cupcakes next year!

Mary & Jeff's Engagement Party

2010-07-17T15:22:00.000-04:00

I offered to throw Mary & Jeff an engagement party since they weren't having a reception and I love to throw parties. I have a great contact up at Woodlawn Plantation so I asked her if we could have the party there and she gave me a great deal. She also provided docents to be there and give tours of the first floor of the plantation during the party. I was so excited.
For those of you who don't know, Woodlawn Plantation was a gift George Washington gave to his nephew when he married Nellie Custis. It is a gorgeous place and I highly recommend taking a tour if you are in the area. It is also convenient since it is across the street from my shop.We got there early to set up. I decided that I wanted to throw an elegant dessert party and made up a great menu. We had a chocolate fountain, mini chocolate mousse cups, cream puffs (made by Lorne), Oreo cheesecake bites, fruit tarts, candy and a four tiered wedding cake. Lorne and Jan tirelessly helped me with everything and I couldn't have done it without them.I loved how the room looked and I was super excited for the party to start and to see how Mary & Jeff liked everything. Did I mention that Woodlawn has a great collection of silver serving platters and they let me use them? I was so excited!There were tons of guests - I think 80 people said they were coming and the room was full at all times. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves and I was trying to make sure things were filled and everyone had whatever they needed. Did I mention I also played photographer?Their cake really showed their relationship - they met for the fist time face to face at the Cherry Blossoms and so we had that represented on the side of the cake and then for the topper we made a Pirates Chest with an engagement ring inside because Jeff proposed at the water park Pirates Cove.I think it was a very successful night and I think that everyone who came had fun too. I made way too much dessert though - I will be eating it for the next two months.

Movies on the Potomac

2010-07-11T15:17:00.000-04:00

We have long been fans of watching free movies outside on a nice summer evening. We found out that National Harbor has them every Sunday night all summer long through the end of September. They have a theme every month and so we went for our first time when they were showing Goonies, which as you all know, is a classic.We had great seats and they had a great kettle corn stand where you could get some popcorn. It was super enjoyable and nice to be watching a movie for free on a big screen outside.

Roman turns 3 years old!

2010-07-10T15:04:00.001-04:00

Roman is getting big - I can't believe he is 3 years old. We went to my mom's house to have lunch and cupcakes and have Roman open his gifts. He is so cute and so fun to watch. I have best nephew in the world! I wish all the cousins lived close but at least we have one to play with! Did I mention, we also watched Uruguay play Germany for third place in the World Cup Final? It was a tense time but Uruguay played fiercely.

Didn't I tell you?

2010-07-07T14:57:00.000-04:00

Didn't I tell you we were having a heat wave? It has been like this for much of the summer and it is killing me. The AC at the bakery can't keep up since the unit is on the roof and gets beat down by the sun and I can't stand being outside. Yuck - bring on the Fall!

Luray Caverns

2010-07-05T13:49:00.000-04:00

The day after the fourth we decided to go to Luray Caverns since it was a day off for Lorne and we love family time. I had never been and it is only 2 hours away from the house.It is in a lovely area of Virginia and it is amazing to think what is below the surface of the Earth. They have everything there very well organized and we arrived a perfect time when we could just literally walk right in without having to wait in line. When we came out of the caverns, there was a very very long line.The caverns themselves were amazing - the formations and the way it was lit was just spectacular. We got to listen to an audio tour and learn all about the caverns - if you have never been, when you come to visit, ask us to take you and you can hear all about it. It is nice and cool down there - about 50 degrees and so it was a welcome break from the intense heat and sun.
They had a cool stalactite organ and we got to hear it play a song. Jasmine really enjoyed listening to the child tour and she was great at pointing out the formations they would tell her about on the recording.I loved Dream Lake - where the water was so still it perfectly reflected the formations and it was a total eye and mind trick. I also loved the Wishing well - the water is naturally that color and they take the money people throw in and donate it to charity each year.After the caverns, we had lunch at the cafe and then took a tour of the car museum they had. They had some amazing cars and transportation vehicles from a long time ago. I enjoyed looking at them more than I thought I would.They had one more museum on site that we got to tour - that was a historical Luray museum. It was nice and they had some interesting contraptions - like a dog run butter churn.
We had a really great time in Luray and recommend it for anyone looking for something fun to do that is easy with kids.

Abuela Meme's Birthday and the Fourth of July

2010-07-04T11:51:00.000-04:00

We went to my mom's house to celebrate Abuela Meme's Birthday and also the fourth of July. Since it was a Sunday afternoon this year w didn't plan anything wild or out of the ordinary but had dinner at my mom's house and cake and Abuela opened presents.Ryan was there with Roman and we missed Rory as he was in South America on his adventure of a lifetime. The kids had a blast playing together - I love that they are close enough in age to play together and the adults had fun hanging out.The funniest part was when it was time for the cake - in honor of how well Uruguay was doing in the World Cup, I made her a Uruguay inspired cake. My mom didn't have any candles - she never does...and so Abuela had to blow out a match. Oh well, as long as you have something to wish on...We tried to leave in enough time to catch some fireworks and we felt a bit like the firework chasers that night because we saw them here and there but didn't get to see whole show from start to finish. No biggie, we'll plan better next year!

Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness

2010-07-03T11:34:00.000-04:00

It's been a big year for the Trauger family - a lot of good things have happened and they also both turned 40 years old. They decided to have a party the day before the 4th of July and we were happy to celebrate with them. Kelleen ordered a patriotic cake to fit the theme which was Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.The party was very fun - there were a lot of people there and the food was good too. You know I always have to talk about the food! The girls looked cute and had fun playing with the other kids too.

Heading Home

2010-06-29T01:28:00.004-04:00

We stayed a half day at the beach on our last day so Lorne could do a few work calls and such and we headed off to the amusement park on the boardwalk again. Ava stayed behind to nap. Jasmine had a ball on the rides and she is so brave. She rode the sea dragon and super enjoyed it.As we headed home, we saw this amazing looking produce market and so we stopped. They had amazing wooden structures for kids to play on so we let Jasmine run around while we looked at the produce. We bought some beautiful corn that later when we roasted it up, was some of the most amazing tasting corn I had ever had.

A Day at the Beach

2010-06-28T00:48:00.000-04:00

The day after Travis and Mary's wedding, we decided we were going to spend some time on the beach. Lorne had to work for part of the day so in the morning after breakfast, we headed off to the beach to give him some peace and quiet.We have been having quite the heat wave here on the East coast and it was a super hot day. It was nice enough to swim in Atlantic waters - and that is rare this far north.
We rented a beach umbrella and played for a while. Jasmine was terrified of the water even when we promised to keep her safe. She wouldn't put more than her feet in the water. Ava on the other hand, was fearless. She loved having the waves wash up on her legs and she giggled every time a wave came.After a few hours, we headed back to the hotel and ate lunch and waited for Lorne to be able to come out and play. He came out with us again to the beach that afternoon and we had a great time.Unfortunately, after an hour of beach play, a storm rolled in and they cleared the beach because there was lightning. We decided to stroll the boardwalk and see what there was to see. We found some amazing gelato, a great candy store stocked with delicious fudge and a little amusement park.We let the girls ride a few rides and we played a few games and by that time it was time to find dinner. We found a restaurant called the Rusty Rudder so we ate there - in keeping with the whole beach theme!

Mary & Travis Get Married! Rehoboth Beach

2010-06-27T00:03:00.000-04:00

After many many years, it was finally the day when Mary & Travis were going to make it official and get married! We were so excited to go to the wedding and we also took the opportunity to make it a three day vacation together since we had to travel to Rehoboth beach.
Our first stop was to go to the hotel to deliver the cake - I was so honored that they wanted me to make the cake. I love how it turned out and I think they were happy too.Later, after getting changed and ready, we went out onto the beach for the ceremony. It was very beautiful and the weather was nice. Mary looked amazing and Travis looked very dapper. The waves were a bit loud and I didn't hear much of the ceremony but it still looked beautiful.Then, it was time to party! They had their reception on the top floor restaurant (Salero) of the Henelopen Hotel right on the beach so the view of the beach was incredible and the place was very nice.They named all of their tables beach names so when we found our place card, we were assigned to a beach. We were seated at Long Beach Island. I must also add that Mary made all of the vases at the tables and they were given away at the end of the night through a game I was super disappointed that I didn't win one.Jasmine had a great time and even fell asleep at the end of the night. Ava did fairly well but got fussy at the end. It was a long day but so worth it to see our good friends get married. Congratulations Mary & Travis!

My 32nd Birthday

2010-06-26T18:05:00.001-04:00

Man - I am getting old. I am not a huge fan. I like to be young and vibrant and these days I have knee pain and crow's feet. Oh well, I guess it is a fact of life. I have been so busy that I didn't really plan anything elaborate for my birthday and that is how I wanted it. I wanted to have a relaxing night with friends and watch a movie and eat some pizza and cake and that is exactly what I got!It was so fun to have my friends and family around me. We watched Alice in Wonderland - it was an OK movie - I got some great gifts too! I got a system upgrade for my computer, a magic mouse for my iMac, a shirt, some chocolates, a movie, screen protectors for my phone and my husband promised to buy me an iPhone 4! I am so excited! It really was a fabulous birthday and it is nice to know that even though I am getting old, people still love me!

Jasmine's Dance Recital

2010-06-25T17:51:00.000-04:00

The day of the dance recital was finally here and we were excited to see Jasmine on the stage. She did fantastic. We were so proud of her and it is too bad that we weren't allowed to take photos of the performance or video because it was the best she had ever done it.We did get to take pictures backstage and also with the family when it was all over. Everyone gave Jasmine flowers, which she proudly displayed in her room and she knew she was loved that night. We hope there are many more dance recitals to come in the future.

Mary & Jeff - Engagement Photo Shoot

2010-06-22T17:38:00.000-04:00

Mary and I have been friends for a couple of years and she is pretty great. She and Jeff recently got engaged and planned a quick wedding. They asked me if I would take engagement photos for them and of course I said yes. I am not a professional photographer but I do love to take pictures and I was happy with the way these turned out - just a few of my favorites.

Dance Recital Dress Rehearsal

2010-06-21T16:23:00.001-04:00

Jasmine just loves her dance class and she is doing very well. This year, her dance studio put on Beauty and the Beast and Jasmine's class did a dance called Boogie Woogie Piggy. They had the dress rehearsal 4 days before the performance day and this is when we are allowed to take our own video and pictures as they don't allow it on performance day.
Jasmine looked super cute in her costume and so stinkin' grown up. Where has my baby gone? I only catch glimpses of that baby when she is sleeping.She did really well and had the most energy and sang the loudest on stage. You can see it in the pictures! She was in the second row but that didn't matter - she still did great! I am so excited to watch her talents grow and to see her learn more and more. She shines when she is onstage and that is where she loves to be. I'll post a video as soon as I import it onto the computer.

More Responsibility

2010-06-21T16:18:00.000-04:00

I have been asked by the powers that be at the Mount Vernon Le Chamber of Commerce to be the Chairperson of The Taste of Mount Vernon and Lee to take place at Woodlawn Plantation on September 22nd. This seems to be a monumental task and I think I am up to the challenge. We had a meeting to check out Woodlawn and it is such a great venue. I hope I can round up enough vendors for the event and that I can make it successful - we shall see. Stay tuned.

Father's Day 2010

2010-06-20T15:53:00.000-04:00

The daddy around here is very important. He is a wonderful daddy and we were so excited to celebrate him on his special day. Jasmine sang to him at church with the primary and that was great - all the dads at church were given a piece of apple pie as a gift.Later that afternoon, we met my family at a restaurant close to my mom's house for a nice dinner. It was an Italian restaurant that was supposed to be good. Too bad much of the food was salty. It's OK - we still had a great time together celebrating all the dads. I was lucky to have a great dad who loved us and was always there for us and still is. My brother is an excellent dad to his son Roman and it is so fun to see.After dinner, we went back to my parents house for presents and then when we got home, Lorne got to open his gifts from his girls and from me. It was a great day and I think Lorne enjoyed it and felt special.

More Corporate Research

2010-06-19T15:43:00.000-04:00

I found out recently that Godiva ships cupcakes. Why they make cupcakes or any other baked good for that matter when they are a chocolates company is a whole other story that I don't understand. I was curious - in fact, we all were about how they could manage to ship a fully frosted cupcake and have it arrive intact. There was only one way to find out. We ordered some.
When the box came, it was huge, especially considering there were only 6 cupcakes inside. After we opened the box, we found out why. Seems Godiva freezes the cupcakes, then wraps the whole box in plastic, then puts that box in a cooler with ice packs and dry ice. This is how it arrives. Not only that, but the ice packs are all branded with the Godiva logo.I cannot imagine how much that packaging costs - I know it would cost me an arm and a leg to package my cupcakes and ship them like that.
How did they taste you ask? I wasn't a huge fan - they were very dense and rich and had a bit of a chemical aftertaste to them. Not worth the money you spend on them - stick to making chocolates Godiva! Those are worth every penny.