Wilton: Course 1 Final and some other Randomness

Yeah, so I just realized I never showed you my other 2 cakes for my Wilton course. I just get so busy and I forget what is important in this life!

So, cake #2 was nice... but it got to D's work way before I was able to take a picture... I was told it was tasty... but I never got to taste it myself. It was a strawberry cake and it was a pretty basic decorating job... some big polka dots on the sides and nothing on top... I got lazy.

Anyway, cake #3 was my final for the course. We had to work on those damned Wilton Roses. They weren't as hard to make as I thought they'd be.... but my frosting was always either too thick or too warm to work properly (thank you, Arizona)... so my roses look a bit like carnations... but I think they are beautiful. I've always had an eye for finding the beauty in a bit of sugary goodness.
















The best thing about this cake... it was a banana cake... tasted like banana bread with frosting... delish! It would have been perfect with a bit of vanilla ice cream, a few walnuts... maybe some caramel... yum....

Ok... I am getting lost in the world of desserts... a place I am trying to avoid! I've decided that the one thing I'd love more than another mouthwatering confection is to be able to fit in my old clothes again! D and I signed up at the local gym to get our fannies into tip top shape! I've only been in once... and it was to use the eliptical for 20 minutes, and then I did the stationary bike for 15 minutes. I learned that girls don't really shower at the gym... but I refused to head over to a birthday party smelling like gym funk... so I braved them... and it wasn't so bad... but I wish there was a shelf so I didn't have to put my pomegranite martini body wash on the ground... that really annoys me more than showering in public... those grounds are nasty! But I digress...

Hopefully those pounds will start dropping off soon... I don't have too much to lose to get back into my old clothes... but I have about 20 to drop to be comfortable... and 30 to my goal weight! Not to mention these nursing boobs are out of control... but that's something I refuse to make go away... so I'm gonna deal with my double's until they sag to the floor I guess... anyone know of an awesome bra?? I am going to be lucky if I can just keep a tiny smidge of their current perkiness.

I am hoping Wednesday will reveil a loss... that's my normal weigh in day, and the scale and I aren't usually friends. However, if it shows me that I have lost anything... maybe I'll make it a cake!

So, can I just cry for a moment? I have reached my end. I mentioned a few weeks ago my inability to do everything... and how I would just stop. Well, once again, my obvious pitfalls were pointed out to me, and I realized that I am not appreciated, no matter what I do. I also mentioned at one point in time that I loved staying at home, watching my little boy grow. I guess watching a little boy blossom into a man is more along the lines of watching soaps than watching water boil... They both seem the same at the surface (pointless)... but at least one of them will actually amount to something useful later.

I have come to another enlightenment... I make a lot of mistakes. I am sure you all could have guessed that one, without me even having to say it. But when I make mistakes, I have a plethora of people around me that relish in that fact... and they have to point it out to me numerous times. I mentioned today that we needed to leave for church for a 10:30 service, only to have it shouted from the rooftops that the service was really at 11:00. After the shouting ended... the nudging began... yep... I was nudged during the church service to be shown the bulletin that had clearly printed on it "Service Times: 9:00 & 11:00". Thank you for this gentle reminder.

If there were a scarlet letter for my position in life, it'd probably be a M... I am a mom... a maid... and a moron for staying where I am.

Everything I needed to know about life...

I learned in the first 7 months of motherhood...
...If you don't come into a situation the way you planned, roll with the punches... it was likely not easy for others either.
...Simplify... you don't need more, and although the easiest way may cut corners, at least things get done!
...Enjoy each night of sleep as though it were your last! You don't know what tomorrow may deal you, and you may be up all night because of it!
...No matter what you think, someone else has been there, and is willing to make your life easier if you are willing to listen to their story!
...It won't break if your actions are full of love.
...Always see the world through the eyes of a child, especially when it comes to safety!
...Nothing beats a good nap.
...The best things in life come in tiny packages, trimmed with daddy's nose and momma's toes!

They have a pill for everything...

I have a teething infant... and everyone who ever had that one, or can pretend that they know what that is like, knows that it's not fun. Ryan is constantly biting my hands, fingers, arms... you name it... and he's not picky, he'll chew on yours, too, if you offer!

Well, one thing that has been recommened to me is Hylan's Teething Tablets. They are homeopathic little tiny tablets that dissolve almost instantly and use natural herbs or magic to make little mouths hurt less... or maybe they drug him... I am not quite sure... but they do work!

I was out of them, so I stopped at Basha's to pick up more. They are in the organic/homeopathic medicine aisle. I always feel like that is the witchcraft aisle... full of potions that do amazing things... but everyone is too afraid to actually use them because they aren't FDA approved. Eh... but what does the government know anyway.

Anyway... while I was reaching for my lifesaving bottle... I noticed something to the right....

I found it interesting... and I started to wonder how these things even worked... I mean, do they turn urine into jello so that kids can't pee?? They sure as heck can't relax them... that can only cause more problems...

Eh... I don't know.. what do you think?

Wilton: Course 1, Class 2

Anyone who knows me knows that I love to bake. I am mostly self taught... I love to read everything on the internet or in a book... and then test out my skills. I have done buttercream transfers, fun basketweaves, fancy stuff and fun stuff. Some of my claims to fame are Barbie cakes with real Barbies in it (none of those doll pick things) and a few classic transfers like a Chino cake! :oP

So, I was thinking it would be awesome if I could teach classes at the local craft store. I called up Wilton, and they told me that it didn't matter if I knew how to do the techniques... I have to take and pass all 4 of their classes! I am sure that it's just for profit... but whatever.

Anyway... I am getting started... and this past Tuesday was Course 1, Class 2. I didn't tell you about Class 1 because it wasn't interesting... just how to make frosting and putting it onto the cake. Boring, in my opinion... but Class 2 was much more fun.

Before I went to the class, I had to do a lot of work. I had to make 2 batches of frosting (one to frost, one to decorate) and color it. I also had to bake a cake and frost it smoothly. It wasn't too bad... but then I had to pack it all up to take to my class, as well as a bath towel, an apron, and all my tools.

The instructor went over how to make the beginning of the Wilton Rose, and we practiced writing and piping little balls. Then we got to actually decorate the cake. It was a rainbow cake... and I took a cue from another blogger and decided to write something cleaver... but then I remember that I had to take pictures of the cakes to send to Wilton with my instructor application and that the cake was going to be headed into work with Dustin the next day... so writing "Celebrate Diversity" was out...

Here's the final product...

Point of Reference

It's true that every person has some point of reference that they track their lifes events against. For some, it's "Since we got married"... or "Since Baby was born"... it might even be "Since we moved to Lalaland" or "Since I got my money making idea" or even "Since I met my best friend".

My point of reference isn't so hot, so glamorous... but it's still monumental to me.

It's the day I snapped.

Now, snapping is definetly not a pleasant thing to do... I mean it's not at all like the Snap Cup ala Elle Woods in Congress... for me, it's snapping like a tree branch would do when it's had too much pressure against it. It first tries to bend... swaying as much as it can... trying to seem graceful and used to such pressures. But then... it all becomes to much and *snap*... and the even sadder part is that the branch.. the part that actually does the snap... it needs to go because it's no longer a part of the tree. And it takes a lot for that little tree to grow a new branch and be able to sustain the same pressures again.

I am a stay at home mom who loves to stay busy. I try to keep myself involved in as many things as I can... be productive if you will... but the one thing I hate is when people assume that since I stay at home... then I must be caught up with Days of our Lives and have 5 boxes of bonbons ready to go.

No... nobody called me for the cliff's notes of last weeks episode or stopped by for bonbons...

But, I have been called on a moments notice to do things. And not "run to the store and pick up a bag of ice for me" things... the "I need 24 copies of a photo montage (that I haven't made yet) made for my class. It's their end of the year present. Oh... I also don't have any pictures really... so can you take 24 rolls of film to be developed... I don't know what's on them... but can you develop them in the 1 hour... sort them... scan them into your computer... make a montage.. buy the songs to put it too... buy the DVD's to burn... burn a copy for each student... and label them 'My 5th Grade Class'?? I'll pick them up tomorrow morning." kind of things.

Yes... that was a real request.... and I had to bring cupcakes, too.

Well... this weekend was the end of it for me. I had been stretched to the limit. I couldn't take one more little request... no more wedding venue shopping. No more picking up my brother from wherever he tended to be. No more searching for new auto insurance. No more laundry. No more grocery shopping. No more middle of the night feedings... nothing. I had snapped... and to top it off... I even heard the most dreaded words that someone who is overcommitted ever hears...

"You don't do anything anyway. There. I said it."

So... from now until something major changes... I am only doing things for me. I am finding who I am and what I want to do. I am taking a few classes at the local craft store, I am getting caught up on my favorite TV shows. I am enjoying Ryan. That's it.

Ok... and I may go buy a box of bonbons.

And he's mobile!

Yeah... I know that I was just posting about how Ryan wants to be mobile... but now he is... he's officially crawling. I wish I was more excited about this... but its actually much more work for me, and he absolutely detests me holding him now. Unless he's hungry. In which case, he totally is all over me, and there is nothing in the world better than me... Dustin wants me to make him a shirt that says, "I'm hungry, show me your boobs." But, I digress.

So, here's the video of the monster in action... yeah, his middle name isn't Grace, but he just likes making a big presentation of the warm-up so you really appreciate the main show!



In other news, I am doing a bit of home remodeling (ok, I am really just turning my closet into my craftroom/office because Dustin is too big to share) and some more life changes (I started going green a few months ago... now watch me get healthy!

So long as I don't bore you... I'll put more pictures up of before/after stuff... and actually might embarrass myself with how bad the before's are... :o)