A couple of special cakes

These two cakes I have had on the books for months! It's nice to know that someone loves these people enough to think about them that far in advance.
The smiley face cake has such a sweet story. Without sharing the personal story of my client, the smiley face makes the groom smile in remembrance, so she chose that as a theme. It was a HUGE smile, 14 inches round. Then we added chocolate covered strawberries, three pints of them! I love California strawberries this time of year, they're so HUGE and sweet. There were so many I couldn't put them all on the board so I sent them with my client. She bought this cake as a gift, so I'm hoping that it went over well with the bride and groom, I love cakes with meaning.
The 2nd cake I did this weekend was inspired by a cake that the client found online. I'd love to give credit where credit is due, but I don't know who the original decorator was. Originally, I purchased a mold for the topper, but found it was WAY too small. So..I got out my handy dandy $1 knife from Pampered Chef and some fondant and went at it, and I must say, I'm pretty proud of my eagle! I used my consultant's advice and put the blue background (that would be Sarah) under the eagle to make him pop some. The name and all I honestly admit I wasn't sure about, but it's how the original cake was, and I wound up liking it. I WAS wishing Sharon was here (my buddy at SugarEd) to roll my fondant, but I was pleased with how this cake came out all together, and my client seemed to like it also. GOTTA love the airbrush for colors like this, no way could I have gotten a clean fondant job if I had kneaded all that color into my fondant.
So...on to the pictures, which is what we know you really wanted anyway right?

My smile (that made me smile):

And a retirement cake for a man who CERTAINLY deserved a cake!! Praise God for our men and women in the military,
they deserve SO much!

And..a little gripe...and warning for my caking friends. I used Pettinice for this cake. I opened a FRESH sealed package of it, to find 1/4 of it was dried out and hard and crusty. I thought I cut all of it out, but there were hard pebbles still in it that caused me NIGHTMARES, so, I'm off of Pettinice for a while if this is what it's going to do.

Some recent cakes...among other stuff

My computer has been broken for a while, so I'm not taking photos or blogging very much. As can be told by my bad typing, I'm using Jamie's laptop, bless his soul. I have done a few cakes, although they were quickies and not the best photos I've ever taken, they were all for people near to my heart, so I"m going to share them in a few. This is going to be a jumpy, confusing blog...updating everything for those who keep telling me I need to, ROFL.
Exciting things..a few of my cake friends, including my fabulous Sharon, competed in TLC Ultimate Cake Challenge, which will air in a few weeks. I can't wait to see the outcome and watch my girls on tv~
My kids are doing great. Ms Abigail will start Kindergarten this year, so I'll be without children at home...so time to get a job. I"m going to try subbing, and possibly get my para certificate, I just want to stay near my children. We've had a great summer spending time with our friends, friends and family mean so much.
Jamie has been in school, and is ALMOST done~!! He'll probably kill me for this, but I"m SO proud of him, he's doing awesome! I can't wait to throw my Paramedic a graduation party, I need cake ideas all you cake girls. Jamie is SUCH an awesome student always, but I am overwhelmed when I think of what he has done taking on this class with a family and being D. Chief at the same time. (OK, I promise to stop crowing).
I"m excited to start our new Scouting year. We'll be changing our meetings to a new location, and hopefully growing our pack. We will also be selling first aid kits as a fundraiser to send our boys to camp, so anyone interested, please let me know!! Abi will be dancing again in the fall, and I'm trying to convince Jamie to get some chickens for Sarah to show for 4h, I REALLY think she'd enjoy them. On a good news on the Sarah front, her IBS seems to be doing fairly well this summer. I'm praying for a great teacher for her, b/c her teacher's personality affects her stomach so much, and Mrs Bond was SO awesome for her last year I pray she has a great relationship with her 5th grade teacher. She's overcoming some issues at riding as well, and I pray she figures out what it is she wants from her horsey relationship, b/c sometimes I"m not sure if she really wants to ride, or just commune with her four footed friends.
Ok, on to the cakes....and maybe I can find a photo or two of the gorgeous children who live in my house and seem to grow daily.
First, a baby shower cake. The shadows make this cake look terrible, but it really was cute. I'm not A on my caking game lately though, I'll admit that wholeheartedly. I wish these parents SO much joy with their baby girl, they are going to make awesome parents! The father is a firefighter with Jamie.



For my niece, they wanted something Hannah Montanaish



And my buddy Colby, who even posed with his for me...



Ooh, I remember more things when going through my camera, I do love this camera, it's my short term memory folder. Last week we went to the sprinkler park in Mandeville, kinda fun and a good way to cool off for the kiddos. I saw the cool bird while we were there, I'm thinking it's a hawk, but I'm not sure. Then...for 4th of July my Secret Pal on Ladycakes sent us the most awesome package with fun things for the kiddos and wonderful gifts for me, and I found the picture I took of them for her and never sent her poor gal. Then..there's a riding picture of Sarah and Dibs. Dibs is wet b/c he took a trip through a mud puddle and had to be hosed before he was even saddleable (hmm...that's not a word is it).

Krista's wedding

What a beautiful bride!! I'm so proud of Blake and Krista, and may God bless their life together. This weekend, we carried a wedding cake over the meadow and through the woods (really, 150 miles) for their wedding. I have NEVER carried a wedding cake that far. GOD BLESS STRESS FREE SUPPORTS!!! Everything went off without a hitch (well, other than the "hitching" of the bride and groom) and I couldn't have been happier.
Krista chose her cake a year ago, from a cake done originally by Carlos Bakery (now famed on TLC's Cake Boss). With a few changes to bring her pink into play on the cake, we wound up with a design she and I were both happy with.

With the awesome help and guidance of my bestest cake bud Sharon, who came to help me while she was working on a really secret important cake, we got them covered in fondant and decorated for delivery fairly easily - which I NORMALLY freak out about wedding cakes (no, I didn't make her stay and decorate, just help me do the fondant). It was very cool, b/c when Sharon left, I had four nicely covered flat white pallettes to work on, and I started with the draping on the bottom tier and worked my way up, I love to watch the cake build. The cake was very basic in flavor, just white cake with almond icing for the brides cake and yellow cake with fudge filling and icing for the grooms cake.

We were in such a hurry b/c we were rushing to get dressed that I did not get very good pictures of it, but hopefully the photographer will send me one through Krista.
Thanks everyone who listened to me stress over this cake!!

Heather

A week of Scout camp, fun fun fun!!

Last week we had Cubscout camp at Five Lakes, MAN did the kids have fun!! All of my children go, and I volunteer. We had a great number of our Scouts as well as their parents there, it was awesome! My computer is down, so updating my blog is few and far between, but I'm stealing a few minutes on Jamie's computer to do this one.

The only problem all week was the heat, MAN was it hot. The heat index was over 100 each day we were there. The kids get to stay in the water alot, so that helps them stay cooled off.
Sarah swam the shark tooth challenge, a 300ft swim across the big pond, and earned a sharks tooth. Sarah and Gabe both earned their Jr Shooting badges!! They all learned wonderful things, and I can't talk enough about the wonderful job that the staff did on camp!!
Just thought I'd share some photos of the kiddos having fun!

On Friday, the little ones are allowed to go down to the beach, Abi even got to ride in a canoe. Here's a photo of her enjoying the water:



Sarah preparing to swim her "Shark Tooth"

Gabe's absolute favorite thing to do, zipline!! I am so proud of him, last year, he struggled to get his beginning swimmer band, this year, at swim test he swam "swimmer" which is the highest of the three classifications, so he got to enjoy all of the water sports fully.

At flagpole in the afternoon, my favorite scout

This photo wins funniest of the week for me, our friend and Den Leader Drew and his son Brandon show me their muscles after doing the zipline

And this face tells it all about how Gabe feels about Scouting!!! He adores scouting.

Ballet...a love story

Ever since she could talk, Abigail has asked to be in ballet. In the town nearest ours we are very lucky to have a studio that teaches JUST ballet. Classical, beautiful, artful ballet. Haller Ballet was founded 81 years ago, and is still run the the same family as founded it. Lelia Haller was a beautiful classical ballerina, and her daughter and granddaughter try to maintain that heritage.

So...when Abigail turned four, the first thing she asked was, can I have ballet lessons now? Of course we allowed her to. SUCH a different experience than when Sarah did it, she was not interested in the least. Abigail LIVES for Mondays, ballet days. She's first there, last to leave if she has her way.

For months all we've heard is about her recital, and how she was going to be a swan. Last night she had her recital, and MAN was she excited. At 5, every little girl is so adorable in a white feathery tutu, and Abigail was no exception to that rule. I don't know if she was more excited about dancing, or having big girl makeup on - which they have to wear on stage, in very vivid colors!

Luckily for me, a very nice gentleman who is a real photographer set my camera so that when I got to the front of the house from being backstage help I would be able to take pictures in the dark with no flash. I thought I'd share those.
Rehearsal that morning, learning what it was like to be on the stage:

Dancing her beautiful little heart out...she was SO in awe of it all.

And her handsome brother and gorgeous older sister, who endure an hour of ballet class a week so that she can be happy (so they keep reminding her).

Thanks for sharing our little stars moment in the spotlight!! She had the MOST wonderful time, and keeps looking at her flowers and saying "Mom, when's my next recital?"
I think we have an addict!!

Happy Late Mothers Day!

To me, moms day is about OUR Mothers....not about me, so we spent our weekend with my mom and Jamie's mom. On Saturday, we went up to see my mom, the kids had a blast swimming and Ms Sarah made a crafty project with her maw maw (they share that love, and talent, of craftiness). I brought Mom a big beautiful flower, but being there in her craftiness made me think of what we would make for my mother in law (and we'll go back and make for Mom now that I had the thought to make them). Our crafty gifts, and YES, I realize there are mispelled words, one is my fault, one the childrens.

Although I did bring my camera to Mom's, I forgot to take any pictures.
On Sunday, we headed over to my mother in law's house for a visit with Granny.



The boys and I (the boys being husband and father in law) cooked fish and the works, to go with the side dishes that my sister in law and I had already prepared. The highlight of the day was getting to see the kids...and hold our newest kiddo in our family, Miles Henry.
(this is a picture of my sister in law holding Miles, who is her nephew)



My nephew in law Mike is great at baseball, so he spent the afternoon helping the boys with their pitches and hits while the other kids played around.



My gifts for mothers day are always with me, day in and day out, and they are the type that keep on giving (even if sometimes what they give is grief). I praise God each day for them, they are wondrous gifts these children.

I hope that YOU had a great Mothers Day also....I hope you have a great EVERY day!

A couple pictures of the kiddos doing their thing...

Was just downloading the camera, and realized it's been a while since I've posted any pictures of the kiddos doing their things.
What are their things? Well....Gabe's thing right now is Baseball, that's what Spring and Summer bring to our house. Sarah's thing, morning, noon and night, day in, day out, is horses. Today, we did both!

We'll start with Gabe. He tries at baseball, he loves it, but he's not the BEST player ever. He DOES have fun though, and that's what it's all about. A proud moment for him last night, he got his first run of the season (we're only 2 games in) AND batted a fellow runner in!! I am scorekeeper for his team, but I did manage this one kinda cool shot through the fence.



Sarah, as I've said, loves her horses. Well, they're not hers for real, but in her mind they are ALL hers. She rides Dibs every week, and does well, and enjoys him, but today was up for a change. She rode Rex, who is a lovely Thoroughbred, in temperament and looks. They did beautifully together and made me right proud! They did have one snaffu, which ended Ms Sarah in the dirt, and Mr Rex checking to make sure she was ok, but she made me proud and got back on! I got a few pics of her riding him. Even Elizabeth (her riding teacher) commented how well she sits him. I guess my lifelong love of horses makes me so happy to see her love them...like we share that bond.
So..here are Sarah and Rex, and Rex's pretty face. I find him to be so friendly looking. (AND..we STILL love you Dibs!!)