One last post...

I think....taking a break before I head on to the next thing on my to-do list.
Got the wedding cake done. I was really sweating this one, because I didn't have a time cushion. Three days and no time to spare.
It ended up being a three tiered white cake with strawberry/red currant puree filling in the top and bottom cakes and raspberry puree filling in the mittle cake. Regular Vanilla Italian Meringue buttercream. And... because the bride wanted "more fresh and fruity" a layer of strawberry/red currant puree on top of each cake. The fillings and the puree on top of the cake caused me some headaches. I had never done this and was feeling a bit stressed... like, what if it doesn't work? What if I don't use enough gelatin? Or... too much gelatin and it slides off the cake? Remember... no time to spare, no time for redo.






Oh, and since I was baking anyway, I also made another dozen cupcakes for the store. These were chocolate cupcakes with a chocolate raspberry buttercream and sugared red currants on top.



I also did a pan of rocky road brownies and about 6 dozen or so vanilla chocolate chip cupcakes with chocolate or vanilla icing for Trouble #1 & #2's good bye parties at school and after school care.

Somehow I think... I have had my share of baking for a few days.
Off to finish packing.... at least as far as I can, since not all laundry is done.

Have a good one.

Leaving on a jet plane...

not quite yet, but we are leaving for our vacation early Monday morning. And since I have a jam packed weekend including a finishing a three-tier wedding cake by tomorrow and lots of laundry and packing still ahead of me... I better sign off for now.

Don't know where and when I will have a chance to check in from our vacation. If all attempts fail, I guess I will post again in roughly 6 weeks.

Have a fabulous summer.

Scrapping the Music-Girls in their Summer clothes

I absolutely love, love, love this week's song over at Scrapping the Music. It is one of my favorite songs by my absolutely favorite singer, Bruce Springsteen.

So, here's my LO for this week.






PP DCWV, different fabrics, grungeboard, ranger distress crackle paint, Prima IOD tape, Martha Stewart glitter, Heidi Swapp chipboard letters and bookplate and Stampin'Up eyelets. Can't seem to do a LO these days without eyelets.

So, check out STM, it's a fun blog and message board.

As for today... it was a wonderful day. I spent it with Nat. Be sure to check out her LO for STM, too. We won't see each other for at least 6 weeks since I will be on vacation. And, I had to check out her fabulous new camera! I am telling you, I have some serious camera envy.

Have a good one.

Flohmarkt

Ich hab meinen Flohmarkt mal wieder aktualisiert....ganz viele Stampin'Up Stempelsets und viel Papier. Schaut in der Linkliste rechts unter "Liz-Art".

Have a good one.

Have I mentioned...

that Trouble #2 aspires to become a rockstar? Right after becoming a jockey and possibly a dentist, but really, she wants to be a rockstar.

So for your listening pleasure, her favorite songs right now are:

the obvious one... still....


yes... she is a little hellion....


and this one....luckily my CD version is the censored one...


and last but not least... one of my favorites...


Off to take the girls to swimming and then a birthday party.

Have a good one.

Crappy day.... did get better.... (auch deutsch)

Okay, parent/teacher conference went without major problems. Trouble #1's problems are sort of minor (now) in comparison to Trouble #2. But... I am working on a solution for both problems. The worst is, that the school thinks there is nothing wrong with how they are doing things and they completely reject any kind of criticism. The just were named 4th best school in the state, and in the top 50 (of the schools that applied) nationwide. But, anyone around here, who has a child attending, or had a child attending... or has heard of children who attended, can't help but laugh at such an "honor". The school thinks they are the cat's meow, and everyone else just shakes their head in disbelief. The concepts look fabulous on paper but with incompetent administration and faculty.... ooops, the concept isn't so great anymore.

But, like I said, I am trying to figure out a solution to our school problem.

In better news, if you ever felt like actually wanting to taste one of my cupcake creations, and you don't make a habit of hanging out with me at Ms. Nat's home, where invariably I end up bringing cupcakes, you can actually purchase my cupcakes now at "my" store, DaVini Feinkost in Rellingen. Well, that only helps if you actually live in the town of Rellingen or surrounding areas, but heck... my cupcakes are being sold in a store!

After "bribing" my coworker with lots of baked goodies, and us running out of cake yesterday, my friend and neighbor Linda asked why we weren's selling my cupcakes. So, I passed the idea on to my boss... she thought it was a fabulous idea... and this morning I made chocolate cupcakes with creamy vanilla frosting. Wish me luck that they sell. Germans can get a bit finicky about their baked goods.

Gute Nachrichten für diejenigen von euch die schon immer mal meine Cupcakes probieren wollten und nicht des öfteren bei Ms. Nat rumhängen... wo ich irgendwie doch immer wieder cupcakes mitbringe. Meine cupcakes können jetzt tatsächlich käuflich erworben werden in "meinem" Laden, DaVini Feinkost in Rellingen. Naja, wenn ihr nicht gerade in Rellingen oder umliegenden Gemeinden wohnt, hilft es nicht wirklich, aber Mensch, meine cupcakes werden in einem echten Laden verkauft.

Ich hatte meinen Kollegen schon mehrfach mit cupcakes "bestochen" und als uns Dienstag der (nicht so überzeugend gute) Kuchen ausging, schlug meine Nachbarin vor wir sollten doch Cupcakes verkaufen. Also habe ich die Chefin gefragt, und Voila! es gibt Cupcakes bei DaVini Feinkost. Mal schauen ob es funktioniert und wir ordentlich verkaufen. Unsere Kunden können sehr wählerisch sein.

Anyway, as you know, baking is relaxing for me, and making the perfectly light, airy, buttercream... perfection. My day turned out much better than anticipated.

Have a good one.

Feeling crappy...

Another parent/teacher conference, another bloodpressure raising hour....

Ughhh.

Hopefully you have a good one.

Hypothetical question....

completely unrelated to scrapping, stamping, shoes, cupcakes or anything else I usually talk about.

Let's say, hypothetically speaking, you have a very intelligent, extremely articulate, very active first grader (female), who started school a year early. She doesn't like school, complains about being bored, but on the other hand does not perform as would be expected. Now you find out, that her teachers are concerned because she is falling asleep in class, pretty much 3-4 times a week during first and second period, and by third and fourth period, she is tired and cranky and gets snippy when scolded by the teachers. Now, it is ruled out that the child doesn't sleep enough... she goes to bed around 8pm and wakes up about 6:30am.

What could possible be a reason for her falling asleep in class?

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Scrapping the Music Guest Designer

Can I tell you? I am tickled pink to be Guest Designer over at Scrapping the Music this month. And this is my first LO.


Supplies: PP-Hambly, Danyeela, lots and lots of ribbon, Luxe rub on, HS alpha chipboard, Catslifepress stamps, SU eyelets, Elsie sticker.

That's about it for now. Hope you have a great start into a new week. Only two more weeks till summer break. Yeah!

Have a good one.

Busy, busy day today....

I have to work today til 2pm and then pick up Trouble #1 & #2 to drive into the city to Nat's birthday party.

So, nothing to post today, but this is what kept me busy yesterday:







Oh, and I made two different kinds of cupcakes, too: Strawberry and Tiramisu. The frosting on the Tiramisu didn't quite turn out the way I wanted it, I will have to try again today....ughhh!




Have a good one.

Happy 4th of July!

Wishing I was there.

Have a good one.

Getting "homesick"!

You know... I miss living in the US pretty much every day but come 4th of July? It's worse than any other day. I love, love, love 4th of July. And while we will be in NY in just 18 days, summer break just doesn't come early enough for us to celebrate 4th of July in true NY fashion. Ughhh!

In good news though, I don't have to go in to work tomorrow. Which means, after slaving away in my yard today, I don't have to squeeze yardwork in tomorrow, and I can concentrate on getting a cake done for a baptism on Saturday. It will be a (hopefully) elegant, two-tiered cake, with the blessing and name on the cake, and wee bits of blue buttercream. I will post pictures when it's done.

Oh, and Ms. Nat is having a birthday this Saturday, so I am going to be making some cupcakes. She requested Strawberry... but I can't just do strawberry, right? There will have to be a twist to the traditional. Mmmmhhh, what to do, what to do....

I am off to bed, have a good one.

Happy Wednesday!

See, the week is half over and I haven't blogged. Shame on me, but I guess work does interfere with playtime.

Another full day at work today... 10 1/2 hours on my feet. Hopefully we won't be too busy at the store today, because I am working by myself. While I like the cash coming in, there is only so many customers one person can help at a time. And between fixing meals, serving ice cream, and selling deli meats/cheeses and possibly advising customers on the contents of a gift basket... OYE!

So, happy Wednesday, and have a good one.