Sunday, September 25, 2011

Lessons From Cupcakes

Hey there bloggies!

It's been a little while.  I have been super busy this past week.  My little brother aka Zacky Poo got married yesterday to the oh so beautiful Georgia.  Now known as Aunt G...ok maybe we'll call her Aunt Georgia.  We'll see what happens.  We'll probably have to come up with something that sounds along the lines of Zacky Poo and the only think of one name and I probably won't go with that one.  Anyways...for this lovely wedding I made 120 cupcakes for the guests to enjoy.  I learned a lot in my cupcake venture and decided I would share.


1. 120 cupcakes is in fact a lot of cupcakes to bake...in theory it doesn't sound like that many.  If using box mix for the actually cupcake base that's like 4-5 boxes.  However, when you get to baking 120 cupcakes you realize that is a heck of a lot of cupcakes.

2. You may think you will have some down time while those cuppy cakes are baking...you my friend are wrong.

3. Just because one batch of cupcakes is made with all of the exact same ingredients as your next batch, you should in no way assume that they will turn out exactly the same. 

4. Black icing, while pretty, is a very very difficult thing to accomplish.  It may have required 3 oz of black food coloring to make it happen.

5. The above mentioned icing, may or may not have colored a wedding guest's teeth a blackish color.  May or may not, I am not admitting to anything. 

6. 120 cupcakes is a lot to transport if you aren't the Cake Boss....

7. Wedding guests don't eat all of those cupcakes and when you are a family member baking them, somehow they become your responsibility to take home.  What to do with all of those cupcakes.

8.  You really can't make less than the number of attendees expected because once  you do that everyone will want two cupcakes.

9. It's ok to feel like you might cry in the process of baking them and icing them...it's a lot of work and a lot of sugar to consume if you are tasting what you are making.  It eventually wears off and that crash is pretty rough.

10. Finally it's fun to bake and decorate. I'd do it again...I would plan a little better though, but I would do it again. 

A wedding post will come soon!

Have a great week!

Friday, September 16, 2011

DIY Christmas Tradition

Hello there,

Since the weather is starting cool down and things are beginning to look a lot like fall, I have been thinking about Christmas.  I know, I am jumping way ahead.  It just happened.  I think it's from years of stores putting out things way too early.  I am pretty sure Hobby Lobby is already marking their Christmas decor and setting up for St. Patrick's Day. 

Anyways, last year while making nifty ornaments during craft time with Mary, I had an idea.  Maybe we, as a family, could make new ornaments for our tree every year. Yes lots of work, but what a fun tradition. Then we could donate the ornaments the next year.  I figured I could set a couple back from the bunches each year for Arabelle and Lincoln.  Then by the time they move out on their own they will have a good set of ornaments to decorate their first trees with.  What do you think?? 

Since I am seriously addicted to Pinterest right now, I have been looking at loads of crafty fun projects.  This is by no means limited to Christmas, but here are some super fun items I have found.

Like this sweet wreath, I mean how cute and you could so do this for just about any season:
Two Junk Chix
How about this cute tree idea I found on Pinterest:

And how precious is this?
   
Craft Rookie
I know not many ornament ideas, but I am still in the planning stages here folks.  Well I have to get up early for a track meet.  Yep, I am running in a track meet.  Have I mentioned I am 28 and not some amazing professional or Olympic athlete. I mean sometimes when I am dreaming I am...sometimes.  Nope my work participates in this Corporate Challenge thing every year.  Pretty fun actually.  So I am off to rest up so I am good and speedy in the morning. 

Wish me luck bloggies!

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Victory!!

I am going to go ahead and say it...step out in faith and declare a victory.  A little over two weeks ago Ryan and I declared a war against our toddler.  We decided to reclaim captured territory and take back what is our God given right.  Ok that may be a bit much and I am not sure it's a God given right, however we took back our bedroom, we took back the night!

Ready for war!

A year ago when we sold our condo we hadn't closed on our house yet, so we moved in with family.  While our families were super gracious and we are super thankful for the opening of their homes once again to us, it threw our little girly's schedule into a serious tailspin.  I should really say there was an overall lack of schedule and that was the problem.  We were all, but Lincoln, in the same room and basically rising and going to sleep at the same time.  Once we settled into our own home, where Arabelle has a wonderfully purple room, she refused to sleep there.  It was as if World War III had broken out on nights that we tried to make her sleep in there.  And thus in our weakness we just continued to let her sleep in our room on the floor as an act of avoidance.  It was our peace treaty.

Then a couple of weeks ago we decided we wanted our own time.  I mean we should have that right?  Just an hour or two with no kiddos asking questions.  Some time to talk or not to talk to each other.  So we just buckled down and prepared ourselves for the oncoming war.  But you know what??  It wasn't so bad.  She maybe had one night where she was upset and we were upset and it seemed hope was lost...maybe not lost...just fading...or hiding in the midst of the toddler tantrum. She has overall done amazing!  She is sleeping in there every night and doesn't scream or cry when it's time.  Granted getting her to sleep in there has a long list of requirements ranging from a fan blowing on her face, to a cup of water in her play kitchen, to lastly but certainly not least having the Glee soundtrack playing.  (She likes the Glee soundtrack and who am I to argue?)  An added bonus of her sleeping in there is that for four consecutive nights she has slept all the way through the night and hasn't tried to come back into our room at some crazy hour when everyone should be sleeping.  This is definitely a bonus because we had resigned ourselves to her coming in between 12 and 3 in the morning and that would just be the way it was for a while.

I am so proud of my girl.  She is growing up and learning to be just a little more independent.  I don't want her to be too independent...I still like to snuggle with her and hold her little hand as much as I can.  I love that girl!  She is a gift from God and is teaching us every day what it means to be a parent.  She may do things with a little more spunk and a little more fight, but that is just how God intended her to be.  I think it will serve her well one day.

I am also very proud of us. We stood our ground and made it happen.  We took back our time together and we are loving it.  We are actually getting to read books and talk about our days and catch up on TV shows that can't be watched when there is a four year old roaming around.  We get to be a husband and wife again and not just parents....we get us time. We love it!

Stand strong today bloggies, in whatever it is that you have been avoiding facing.  Stand strong!

Monday, September 12, 2011

Addicted...

I just became addicted to Pinterest....and before that Goodreads.  I am absorbed and lost in fun things and books.  If you don't hear from me for a while track me down there.  I am sure you will find me....lost in pinning multitudes of things I love to virtual boards or lost making lists of books I long to read.

If you are a reader you should totally join Goodreads...you won't regret it....I am 
there.

Have a happy Monday bloggies!

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Ten Years

This weekend we remember the events that took place ten years ago on September 11, 2001.  Like many I find myself reflecting on these tragedies and where we are.  We stop and remember where we were, what we were doing and how we felt.  I am sure for many who are older than I am, you have these same sentiments over other major events....John Kennedy's assassination, Martin Luther King Jr's death or even Pearl Harbor....well really depending on your age for that. 

For my life and my age, I am only 28, this has really been one of the biggest things I have ever experienced.  And especially at an age that I was aware of what was going on and the potential ramifications for my life. 

Ten years ago I was living in an apartment on Lincoln Street with Angie and Erin.  I was a freshman in college up getting ready for class.  Erin called me out to the living room to see what was happening.  If I remember correctly I got out there and realized what was happening just in time for the second plane to hit.  It was a scary and uncertain day.  I remember wondering exactly what this meant for us as a country.  I cried for the people who lost their lives; I cried for their families.

Ten years later looking at pictures, I still cry.  I remember it like it was yesterday.  Yet it wasn't.  It was ten years.  In ten years, I started dating Ryan, we got married, I got pregnant and had Arabelle, survived having my first newborn, got pregnant again and had Lincoln.  So much has changed and so much time has passed.  I look at those images and wonder how I can explain 9/11 to my children.  I think what has saved us from having to figure this out this year is that we don't have cable or satellite.  We have Netflix and that's it.  So no September 11th specials in our house, not this year anyways. If we did, I am confident we would be searching for the words to explain to Arabelle what happened.  Trying to find the good in a horrible situation, reminding  her of God's love and protection.  For now though I think we are good for another year.  She can remain innocent of some of life's horrors for a little while longer. 

In the meantime, I pray she and Lincoln never face a day like September 11th.  I pray they never face that uncertainty.  Mostly though when I am realistic, I pray that they will turn to God in that time that will inevitably come.  I pray they place their hope in God and seek him above all else, even when it seems the world has suddenly stopped turning for a moment. 

Love you bloggies, be comforted today.


Thursday, September 8, 2011

Is it Fall??

Wow, I can't believe it's already September.  Fall is starting to creep up on us.  Actually if you live in Southern Indiana it's more than creeping, it's sprinting towards us.  We went from 100 degrees outside on Saturday to the 60's on Sunday.  Now we are just kind of riding it out.

I love summer.  I love warm weather and walking outside and the sun shining on my face.  I love to just look up and let the sun shine down on me.  It's fun to see that Arabelle does the same thing.  I guess she probably picked it up from someone she knows.  :-)


However as I began to get fall teasers, I remember how much I love fall.  I love all of the activities and things that come along with fall.  Apple cider, hot apple cider, apples in general, pumpkins and everything to do with pumpkins, fires, long sleeve shirts, snuggling....Granted most of these things happen to exist year round, they are just more tempting and fitting this time of the year.  This will be our first fall in our new house.  I am loving watching our trees change color and watching how the looks of everything change once the seasons change.  I can't wait to rake up leaves into piles for the kiddos to throw themselves into. 

Oh I just can't wait to get pumpkins and carve them!  I am wondering if we can use the pumpkin pulp in smoothies??  Hmm....

Now if only fall didn't mean winter was right around the corner.

Have a wonderful Thursday bloggies!