All Things Wedding Related Guide ~ Issue #1 ~ CAKES

Welcome to my début issue of "All Things Wedding Related Guide" I hope you enjoy the information. Please be sure to read the contents of the issue thoroughly as I will be having a GiveAway at the end of each issue.

Since this is my début issue, I will be offering not one, but two GiveAways!!!

It's only fitting that I kick off my new Blog Feature with the Topic: "All things CAKE related"!! Being a Cake Decorator myself is a very rewarding experience! I feel very much at ease when being creative in this sense. I enjoy re-creating what the Bride has envisioned and asked for; it brings great joy when they see it for the first time!!!

For several years now, brides to be have been tossing out the idea of having a traditional wedding cake and opting for the new rage ~ CUPCAKES ~ However, said rage has slowly but surely been fading out.

Here is a list of some recurring themes that was provided by Bakery Crafts, as identified as the "Trends" this year:

•Opulence •Black & White •Color •Silhouettes •Destination •Eco-Friendly •Lace

Opulence ~ Sophisticated simplicity will begin to give way to ornate extravagance.

The word itself sounds “rich”. The French imperial style connotes brocade fabrics, beaded gowns, powdered wigs, and an abundance of precious stones like emeralds, rubies, and, of course, diamonds.

The opulent wedding trend incorporates all of the above except the powdered wigs! Look for extravagant floral centerpieces along with gilded place settings, seven course meals, and dessert displays.

The opulent wedding cake will mimic the accents of a 17th Century royal gown with scrolls, embroidery-like textures and lots of pearls.

Black & White ~ Add a splash of color and elegance abounds!

There’s a certain level of elegance to which no other color combination compares. Perfect for both formal events and more casual gatherings, black and white themes are sophisticated and elegant.

From bridesmaids’ dresses to invitations, floral arrangements and cake decorations, black and white is, and will continue to be, among the hottest trends. Black and White is a perfect canvas for accent colors to explode. Pair this classic duo with one of today's fashion colors like soft pink, “Tiffany Blue”, Chartreuse or true red to create your unique theme.

Color ~ Couples will embrace the use of bold color schemes as they step out of their traditional way of doing things.

Strong, saturated colors say,”Here I am. Look at me!” Use tropical colors to add a “Destination Flair” to the event by focusing on greenish blues and lemon yellows. Continue the color scheme throughout the affair with coördinated or blending colors for the bridesmaids, party favors, floral arrangements, and invitation design.

Watch for pumpkin orange color schemes coming back in vogue along with statement-making shades of pink and sparkling finishes such as pearlescence. 2009 will be about making a personalized statement with your choice. Opt for confidence with a “bounty of color” wedding cake!

Silhouettes ~ Silhouettes can reflect the theme, location or season of the wedding.

Getting its start from the engraved wedding invitation, the Silhouette trend now includes home decor and wedding cake architecture. Carved silhouettes are as hot as they can be. Brides are marrying black and white cake with these classic, romantic elements.

Using a silhouette personalizes the wedding cake to the couple's taste. Choose a topper that accents the personalization. Silhouettes add flair to any style wedding. Look for lace and vintage influences to compliment this contemporary element.

Destinations ~ Destination weddings continue to be a huge hit with Echo Boomers. *(My favorite)*

The Destination Wedding is a growing trend, and its popularity is predicted to increase in 2009. Just 10 years ago, the term 'destination wedding' was virtually unknown. Baby Boomers began exploring non-traditional ways of doing things. It makes sense that their children (Echo Boomers) would continue the exploration by having unconventional ceremonies - the Destination Wedding.

Some bridal retailers say as many as 30% of their weddings are now Destination Weddings. A Destination Wedding is defined as 200 or more miles away from where the bride and groom live (including non-US locations) and having at least 80% of guests requiring overnight accommodations.

For many couples, this is a second wedding. They have had the elaborate affair and are opting for a fuss-free wedding.

Eco-Friendly ~ Going green is a hot trend in almost every area of life and is spilling over into the wedding scene as well.

Couples embracing the green wedding trend are doing what they can to help the environment by hosting a ‘green celebration’. Today, “green” refers to more than a color; it denotes a philosophy. Having an Eco-friendly Wedding is both environmentally conscious and an expression of one’s personal lifestyle.

Brides are trying to make their wedding more environmentally thoughtful by choosing organic fabrics, pesticide-free flowers for cake accessories and centerpieces, along with invitations made from recycled paper. Menus, including the wedding cake, feature locally grown and organic foods, while caterers are asked to use biodegradable place settings and donate leftover food to a homeless shelter. Cake designs are inspired by nature and natural elements which are depicted in color palette and design choices.

Lace ~ Traditional views have been replaced by artistic designs that redefine the way we look at lace.

With opulent weddings being all the rage for 2009, what says opulent romance better than intricate hand-embroidered details? Brides are choosing dresses with more lace, tulle, and other embellishments. This trend extends to other areas of the wedding such as floral arrangements, invitations, place settings, and, of course, cakes.

This trend is pulled right from the fashion runways. The use of lace is part of the vintage and feminine styles displayed in dresses as cap sleeves, antique lace, satin ribbons ruffles, and tea-length gowns. Echo intricate accents of your gown into the wedding cake by incorporating appliqués and embroidery looks.

Use lace to add glamour and sophistication to any wedding theme.

There are various other "Top Trends" for the year and these opinions vary from regions world-wide.

Here are some other inspirational photos of what others chose as their "vision":

Sometimes the only thing that matters to some Brides to be is the appearance of the cake. I am truly AMAZED that they wouldn't even consider the taste factor! To me, that's the most important aspect of any wedding cake. Yes, the way the cake is decorated is an important aspect, however in my opinion, every Bride should always keep the taste of the cake their number one priority when choosing their wedding cake!

In my Cakes 4 Fun business, I've had many unique cake flavor / filling combination requests in the past, however the most popular combination is generally the White cake with Fresh Strawberries.

Recently, an acquaintance of mine began making her very own Dip's. She has several "Sweet" flavors, including Chocolate Malt, Butterscotch Sprinkle, and Lemonade. She also has awesome other flavors, including Taco, Garlic, Onion, Loaded Tater and Bacon. All of these make WONDERFUL dips!!!! I experimented one day using the Chocolate Malt flavored dip ~ made a Chocolate flavored filling and paired it with a Milk Chocolate flavored cake and the result was D.E.L.I.C.I.O.U.S. !!!! I've done the same with the Butterscotch Sprinkle dip, paired with regular Yellow cake and it was good as well!! Please browse through her Website and check out all the different Dips she has to offer, along with a ton of tips as to how you can use these dips in different ways in your recipes!! http://www.devildips.weebly.com

Finally, on a more personal note, most of you know that I am engaged and will be getting married in early Spring of the coming year. (April to be exact) A number of people and/or clients always ask me "Are you going to be making your own wedding cake?" I always have the same answer. "Absolutely not!" However, boy does the nit picky perfectionist in me come out and I know in the back of my mind that "Yes, I'll probably make my cakes myself!!" I think I would be LESS STRESSED if I did because I'd be way too critical of the end result!! I'd like to share with you guys what I'm leaning towards as far as my wedding is concerned! Keep in mind that we're having a Destination Wedding (going on a cruise and getting married on the beach in one of our ports we stop at); and we're having not one, but two AHR's (at home receptions) upon our return....one in California and one in Minnesota! So, I'm going for EASY versus OVER THE TOP GEORGOUS.

Mini Cupcakes in a Martini Glass! Classic for me!!! :)

THE “GIVEAWAY”

GiveAway #1) Cupcakes 'N More® 24 Count Mini Dessert Stand

GiveAway #2) A Gift Basket containing a variety of Devilishly Delicious Dips!!

THERE WILL BE TWO WINNERS for the Gift Basket of Devilishly Delicious Dips GiveAway!!!

HOW YOU CAN WIN IT!

Mandatory Entries:

** Become a Follower of this WordPress Blog by Subscribing through E-Mail utilizing the “Email Subscription” button on the right hand SideBar ~ This is worth three (3) entries. Leave three separate comments on this post indicating that you’ve subscribed to this Blog. Be sure to include your email address so I may verify your subscription.

** Visit the following Blog: http://cakes4fun.wordpress.com ~ Browse the “Photos” page, come back to this post and leave a comment as to which photo you liked the best ~ This is worth two (2) entries.

** Visit the following website: http://www.devildips.weebly.com ~ Browse the website, come back to this post and leave a comment telling me which flavors you'd like to try ~ This is worth two (2) entries.

** Leave a comment telling me what are the 7 Wedding Cake Trends that was discussed in this Issue ~ This is worth two (2) entries.

Extra Entries:

** Post about this GiveAway on your Blog, being sure to leave your Blog URL when you leave your comment that you’ve Blogged this ~ This is worth one (1) entry per day.

** Share one DIY Wedding Related Project that you did or are going to do for your wedding that you’re most proud of ~ This is worth one (1) entry.

** Since the topic is CAKE, share your favorite Cake / Filling combination (For instance, I absolutely love French Vanilla Cake with Fresh Strawberries) ~ This is worth one (1) entry.

There is a total of 3 Mandatory Entries which you’re able to gain a total of 9 entries!! And an opportunity for 9 extra entries!

This GiveAway opportunity will end on Tuesday, December 22nd @ midnight Pacific Standard Time. The winner(s) will be selected and announced on Wednesday, December 23rd.

All new "All Things Wedding Guide"

I am pleased to share with all of my readers that beginning tomorrow (Wednesday) I will be debuting my All things Wedding Guide! This will be a new feature for my Blog as I've had a couple of requests from readers and fellow DW Brides for certain information with regard to wedding planning.

My All things Wedding Guide will feature different aspects and/or topics which are all wedding related. I will compile information on that specific topic and share them here with my readers!! Please feel free to leave any comments regarding any future topics you'd like me to feature!!

With each Topic in the Wedding Guide, I will be offering a "GiveAway". However, please note that I do my give aways a little differently than most other bloggers. So, please be sure to read the Give Away rules for that specific topic!!!!

Let me share with you a little sneak peek at what I'll be offering as my first GiveAway:

Christmas Wish of a 13 Year Old ~ Wedding Updates

So, when asking what my 13 year old daughter wants for Christmas, all she says is: "Um... I don't really want anything". Hmmm.... how do I take that?!? When I call the infamous ex hubby to see what he's got in store for her so we don't duplicate anything he replies that he's getting her a desktop computer and and iPod Touch. SERIOUSLY? For a 13 year old?!? A $750 desktop and a $195 iPod Touch? Okay...fine... it's your money, spoil her all you want. I guess it's safe to say that we definitely won't be duplicating any gifts for sure!!!
Knowing full well that I'm NOT spending hundreds and hundreds of dollars on one of my three children individually, I feel like how can I even compete with him? I sit and ponder this for a couple of days...then I finally tell myself I don't need to! Christmas isn't about who can buy the better or most expensive gift! And certainly, my daughter knows the true meaning of Christmas. All of my children do! I raised them better than that!

So, when speaking to E about what it is she would like to have for Christmas, she finally shares with me that she would really love a new Flat Iron. She even shares with me a link to a website where she's found one that she says is "absolutely perfect".

This particular Flat Iron retails for $139 but is on sale for $79 and I can get free shipping! I think this is a reasonable gift for her and the $$ is not too bad at all as well. I have a few days to make the purchase in order to receive it in time for Christmas ~ however I saw one at Bed Bath & Beyond that was very similar to this one and I'd have it in hand for sure wrapped and under the tree in time for the big day!!!

Who else do we have on our list to buy for?!? Brian's got 5 grandchildren ~ we have one left to buy for. Little K. K will be two in February and I'm just at odds at what to purchase!! He's got two older brothers. One is 6 years old and the other will be 5 this coming Sunday! What do two year olds like?!? We have cruised the aisles of toy stores and have come up with absolutely nothing!!! We even thought of books. We're just not seeing anything "jump out" at us! You know, this gift has to be "perfect" according to Grandpa!!! :)

All things Wedding Related:

I've accomplished absolutely NOTHING in the last couple of weeks!! Seriously! Here we are, 17 weeks out and I'm acting like I've got all the time in the world! What is with me?!? I think I posted a list of wedding related tasks and/or projects that I needed to do. Well, I can honestly share with you all that I've completed absolutely NOTHING on that list. NOT A THING. I need to get my little behind in gear!!

My top priority is to find, locate and order our flowers for the Bridal Party! Yes, my bouquet, 4 "bridesmaids" bouquets and 5 boutineres. AND, since I'm not able to take real flowers on board the ship, they have to be real touch (silk) flowers. So, I've got my hands full in that department! So, can someone please give me that swift kick in the arse that I so desperately need?!? I thought I had it all figured out until the whole BM Dress delima happened!! Now that we've got all the dresses in hand, I have to find a different bouquet for the girls since the color of the dress is now more of a Turquoise / Teal color! Any suggestions?!?

My second priority is to find Ceremony Music! Brian's niece will be playing the flute for our ceremony and she's been on us for days to let her know what our song choices are so she can get the sheet music and practice before April! You would think this would have been done months ago, and I agree that it should have.....however..... my lovely fiance has been changing his mind as to what songs he likes. So, I'm giving him unitl the end of the week to get me his choices. Come Sunday, I will be emailing his niece with our choices. With or without his input, I'm sending her something!!! :)

Here's to hoping you all have a wonderful Tuesday!!

Seventeen ~ 128

Seventeen Mondays remaining until the Wedding Cruise. ~ 128 days until THE day. There are days like this when I wake up thinking OMG, "how in the world is everything going to get done in time". We decided on a Cruise because we felt it would be less stressful and way easier to "coordinate". We originally thought that we'd have MAYBE 10 others joining us; however, as of today, we have 16 Cabins booked ~ 32 people!!! Yikes! I love it!!! We also have approximately 6 more individuals who have every intention on joining us but have to wait until after the Holidays to book their cabins, which is totally understandable!!

We have yet to get our Message in a Bottle Invitations out to all of our "local" guests! We've had these for months now and though most of them have booked, we still have some whom we have given Save the Dates to and we need to follow up with the Invite! Here's a peek at what the MIB's came out like:

I think for me, DIY'ing the ceremony isn't as hard as I anticipated, however having two receptions in two different states is the tricky part!!! I want to do a Candy Buffet at both of the receptions, and have the Apothecary Jars and Bowls that I need, but my delima is do I ship them to Minnesota after the California reception? Or do I pack them up and fly it with me? Or do I just spend the $$ and buy them when I get there? (Which by the way would be way expensive to do).

Here are a couple of "inspirational" photos of my vision! :)

On non-wedding related issues, I'm very pleased to share that I met with another client (Bride to Be) and have contracted with her to do her wedding cake! Although it's not a big, fancy cake, it's another client on the books nonetheless! I seem to be getting more and more clients as the fall season ends and I'm hoping to get more right after the Holidays. I mean, don't people get engaged during Christmas?!? And if not then, then Valentine's Day?!?

I remember two years ago, I was booked solid for the months of May, June, and July with Weddings, Quincenera's, Confirmations & Baptisms!!! Of course, there were a few Birthdays thrown in there as well! I am hoping to be just as busy this coming year ~ but with the wedding in April, receptions in May and June, I don't see being quite as booked!! :) All for good reasons!!

Today hopefully I'll be getting our Holiday Letters mailed out, along with a Birthday Package to one of Brian's grandsons; lots of laundry to catch up on and then doing a little shopping. :)

Hope you all have an AMAZING Monday! :)

Football Sunday!!

Yes, it's Football Sunday for all of you football fans!! Although my STEELER'S lost this past Thursday night, I'm so excited to watch the games today! Of course, the Minnesota game is our top priority for the day!! (I have to be devoted to Brian's team!!)

We meet with a group of football buddies every Sunday and I provide the baked goodies! This morning I made homemade Cinnamon Rolls! Yummy ~ I used an Almond Extract in the glaze and it was TASTY!! I'll post pictures probably tomorrow so you all can see!!

Last night we went to some very good friends of ours for a "ThankMas" dinner. We had Turkey with all the fixings and boy was it goooood!!! After dinner, we did a little craft with the kiddo's ~ Gum Drop Christmas Trees. Here's a picture of the one I did:

Ha! I used hot glue, while the little ones used toothpicks! :) I had fun doing this and it reminded me of when I was younger and we used to do all sorts of crafty things during the Christmas Holidays!!

Hope everyone had an awesome Sunday!!!!

T - Minus 130

Hi Blogger World!! Please visit me at my new Blog Site!!!

http://shellilynn.wordpress.com


I love Saturdays!! Although come Holiday Time, it's a little lonely on my Saturdays! Brian has to work every Saturday usually starting the beginning of November right through the new year. Boo!! Beginning in January, I have three of the four Saturdays for the month booked with Wedding Cakes so I'm glad I'll have my helper available!! ha!

I have to say.... please bear with me and this new Blog. I'm trying to 'spruce' it up a bit and seem to be having problems with my Google Friends Connect Button. For some reason, my HTML code is not working, but fear not... I will figure it out!!! It'll make it a lot easier for those who have Blogger to follow me (which is the majority of the bloggers out there in the blogging world)!!

Today my agenda is to get some wedding related tasks out of the way!! I know I say that now, but I'm hoping that I get at least two things WR crossed off my list. We'll see though ~ it's such a gloomy, wet and rainy day here that I would much rather just curl up in bed and read a book!! However, with 130 days left until the big day, I'm thinking I should get my behind in gear!!! And soon!!

As pictured above... these are our Invites we're going to use for both AHR's (At Home Reception). Despite the fact that the California Reception is about 5 months out and the Minnesota Reception is 6 months out, (so we'll say 3 months and 4 months out due to RSVP dates) I still have to print approximately 100 - 125 sets for each reception...so that's a total of about 250 sets. 250 times 3 Boarding Passes per invites totals 750. 750 Boarding Passes to print, individually cut out and round the corners. 750 That is a huge amount!!! So, I suppose if I work on a few each week I'll be able to get them done and out at least two months prior to the event date so as to allow everyone to receive them and RSVP approximately 3 weeks ahead of time. I think 3 weeks prior to the event is a good RSVP date right?!?

Here's a list of Wedding Related items that I need to accomplish in the next week:

* Finalize Ceremony Wording
* Choose & Order Bridal party flowers (VERY IMPORTANT)
* Choose Ceremony Music
* Work on both California Reception Menu & Minnesota Reception Menu
* Get both Wedding & TTD Dress altered :)

Yes, that is just a smidgen of what I have to get done at some point this week. I can honestly say that I may very well get some of those things crossed off my list. I only have to bake two days this week so I'll be able to tackle some of my DIY projects I still have left as well. Here's a list of those:

* Cruise Cabin Door Hangers
* Welcome Letter / Brochure
* Tags for Welcome Bags
* Tags and/or Labels for Goodies/Snack bags

And I know for a fact that I have about 124 other things that I can add to that list!! Not wedding related, I HAVE TO get our Holiday Letter mailed out! :) Nothing like waiting 'til the last minute huh?!?!?

Well, hope you all have a WONDERFUL and safe Saturday!!! :)

Yummy Cupcakes & Awesome Christmas Gift

Have to share a picture of my Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes! They were so much fun to make!! I love Bailey's Irish Creme to begin with, so naturally I knew I'd enjoy them!!

These cupcakes are made from scratch and have Guiness Stout beer in them! The filling is a Chocolate Ganache that has a hint of Bailey's Irish Creme in it. Mmm... and finally, it's topped with an amazing Bailey's flavored Buttercream! It's amazingly good!!!

I don't eat too many sweets and/or cakes, but since my downfall is Bailey's Irish Creme, I HAD to taste test these personally. Let me tell you, these were to die for!! For a chocolate cake that is made from scracth, they were very moist on the inside!

Also, I participated in several ornament / gift exchanges this year.... the majority of them were with people whom I've never met in real life! I've "met" some amazing group of ladies from The Knot, who are getting married soon, or who have recently gotten married. In one of these groups, our exchange had to be something that was 'home made'. Nothing store bought and/or manufactured per say. We did our opening as a group this evening and look at what I got!!

Isn't it awesome?!?! I absolutely love it!!! I know I will definitely use it in the future ~ say maybe April or so! :)

For those of you who are interested in this as a gift at any point in time, here is the link to the Etsy Seller who sells these!!!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/lilafrances

She does awesome stuff!!! Of course, she's not able to take any orders for Christmas as it's too close already!!! But hey, Valentines day is coming up!!!

Here's to hoping everyone had an amazing Friday!!!

Finally Friday!!!

Whew!!! Am I ever so glad that this week is over!!! Football season makes my weeks very long!! For most of you that know me, I am a TOTAL football fanatic!!! Yes, I am a DIE HARD Steeler fan!! And yes, they didn't make it to the play offs this year. Boo!! But I am faithful and will still root them on for the rest of the season!!

During Football Season, we spend the majority of our time at our local Cool Hand Lukes! There's a wonderful group of people that meet every.single. Sunday at 10 a.m.! We're also there on Mondays if there's a "good" game on, or if any of our teams are playing, and on Thursdays....well, we go to a different establishment for the Thursday night games! Who can beat $1.50 Margaritas???? So, needless to say, the past 14 weeks have been consumed with good 'ole Football! :)

Also, with Christmas right around the corner, it's been a little hectic as well. We've had a couple of birthdays thrown in the mix there as well, and Mr. Brian doesn't necessarily like going shopping unless he knows for sure what it is he needs. He's one of those who goes in, gets what he needs, and then is out of there. No browsing around, nothing. UNLESS we're at Target. We'll 'walk the perimeter' to check out what they got on clearance. And boy do we come out with some awesome bargains!!

For instance, last year, we found Cannon Printers that prints, scans, prints pictures from your memory card and doesn't even need to be hooked up to a computer whatsoever! They were originally $100 something and we got them for $24. We bought three of them! :) We also found Portable DVD players ~ 8 inch screens, for $30. I think we bought two of them. We figured we could use them as birthday gifts through out the year! OH.... we also bought over $300 worth of camping equipment for under $150, so that was a savings of just about 50%! We got two sleeping bags (the good ones), a camping stove, lanterns, and other 'necessities'. We didn't have the opportunity to go camping this year, but we will definitely make use of it this coming year for sure!!!

Wednesday evening we had few friends over for dinner. It was wonderful! I made Spinach Dip, Deviled Eggs, Stuffed Mushrooms; Brian BBQ Rib Eye Steaks and Potatos on the grill; and I put a Salmon Filet on the George Foreman Grill. Yummy!! For dessert we had Graham Cracker Cream Pie. Soooo delicious! :)

On the agenda for today is: Baking brownies & cookies, making more Tiger Butter, and making a wonderful dinner for two! :) Chicken Fried Steak and whatever I can come up with!!

Very Constructive Morning ~ and it's just about 9 a.m.

Today was a very productive morning! I actually switched my Cakes 4 Fun business website over to a WordPress Blog! I had been thinking of switching over awhile ago but didn't want to go through the hassle! Well, since it's soooo cold outside and I've been up since about 5:30 a.m., I decided to sit my little behind on the computer and go for it! :) So glad I did! I have linked my Cakes 4 Fun blog to this site, so just click on the link to the right of this blog and viola! You're there!

This evening we're having a couple of friends over for a Steak dinner. Actually, one of the guys (Randy) lost a football bet to me, so he has to cook me a Bone In Rib Eye Steak with all the fixings! We also invited another one of our friends, Phil, to join us! So, I'll be making stuffed mushrooms and deviled eggs to go along with my dinner!!! Supposedly, Randy will be whipping up some rice and broccoli along with the Rib Eye, so I thought I'd at least do the appetizers! :)

I have a ton of friends and Brian's family that live in the Mid-West, and/or on the East Coast ~ I can't believe how horrible the weather is out there!! I suppose it's the norm for them, but sheesh.....just reading about all the updates on FaceBook, I'm sooo glad I'm in Sunny California!!! Here I am complaining about the 28 degree weather and they're just as bad if not worse and have to deal with the wind chill factor and the horrible winds!!! I hope everyone stays warm and safe!!! We don't have rain yet, but the forecast does call for it rolling in early tomorrow morning! Booo!!!

I didn't quite get all the baking I wanted to get done yesterday... okay... yes, I was a lazy bum and layed around the house snuggling and reading. Currently, I'm reading "The Blind Side" by Michael Lewis. It's an awesome book and I'm learning SOOO many statistics and facts about the NFL and some of the great players/coaches!!! The book is about Michael Oher ~ who is currently playing with the Baltimore Ravens right now! Yes, the movie "The Blind Side" prompted me to read the book. The movie, however, is more geared on the live of Michael Oher whereas the book does focus on Michael, it also focuses on the NFL and it's history dating back to the early '60s. It's a very interesting read!!!

AND.... yesterday, I did manage to get all of the wedding related items that I started to sort out in the living room back into the den. I also straightened up the den so it didn't look so 'clustered' per say. So I was productive to some extent yesterday! :)

Anyway, I'm going to finish baking my Chocolate Chip Cookies and hopefully get to the Brownies for sure as well. I'll be sure to post some pictures of the goodies here a little later!!

~ Moving the Blog ~

I'm sorry to say that I'm going to be switching to WordPress for my Blog! :) Please follow along with me there!! :) You can suscribe to follow my blog once you log in!

I will be having a Photo of the Week, along with a Receipe of the Week there! I'm trying not to focus my blog on everything Wedding Related, but.....until April, May and June come and go, I will no doubt be blogging about Wedding Related issues!!!! :)

Hope to see you there!!!

http://shellilynn.wordpress.com

More Ornaments in the Mail!! Yipee!!!

Aren't these just soooo cute?!? I received these from a group of gals

on The Knot who are all getting married in April 2010.

They are the best group of young ladies ~ it really means so much to me that they

all thought highly of me to get these for me!!

Thanks guys!!!

I've also been pretty busy making Chocolate candies! I made White Chocolate Peanut Clusters, Milk Chocolate Peanut Clusters, Tiger Butter, and a variety of other baked goods!! Today I'm going to make Chocolate Chip Cookies and some Brownies!

Also, I've made some home made heating pads!! They're actually called "Rice Socks", however, I didn't use socks for mine. I actually make them from fabric!! I made several different ones yesterday ~ long ones you can drape around you neck or wrap around you knees; rectangular ones you can use for your back and/or stomach.

You pop these babies in the microwave oven for about 2 - 3 minutes and viola!!
They stay HOT for a long time!!! You can even add some Aromatherapy Oils in the rice before sewing it up and it smells wonderful!!!
I have been using one of these since Saturday night when a friend of mine let me use hers!! I remember when I was younger my mom made one using a tube sock! They've come a long way since then!!!

Well, I'm off to continue baking for the day!

Christmas Ornament

I'm participating in several Ornament Exchanges with gals I've met who are getting married either in April 2010, or who are having a Destination Wedding! I'm also participating in a gift exchange with a group of gals whom I met on-line in a "secret" forum. :) I received an ornament in the mail today, but don't know who it's from!!! I absolutely love it and if it's you that sent it to me, please let me know so I can thank you PERSONALLY! :)


I also received another ornament from an April 2010 bride to be and I love it too! I don't have a picture of it right now, but once I get it, I'll definitely post it here on this blog! :) It's an Angel and it says "Michele ~ a Knottie Angel" I love it!!!

The next three pictures of a little girl who celebrated her 2nd birthday this past weekend! I made her cake again this year ~ and I enjoy doing it!!! Her parents are great friends of Brian and I and we get together at least once a month at either our place or theirs. Elise is a very cute little girl!

Here she is blowing out her candles! Too Cute!!

In this photo, I was just trying to get her to smile at me so I can take one picture!!!!

This last photo, below, is sooo adorable!! I love this picture of her. Her face is soooo innocent looking as she is amazed by the candles!!

It was a pretty busy weekend and I'm glad it's over!! I now will be indulging in trying to get birthday presents/cards bought, along with Christmas gifts bought and sent off as well.

This year, Brian and I decided we would not buy for each other. With the wedding coming up this next year, we are going to concentrate on the kids and grandchildren instead of each other. I guess maybe we'll just concentrate on Stocking Stuffers for ourselves this year.

Hey.....good things come in small packages huh?!?

T-Minus 136

Polka dots & Stripes for a Birthday Girl turning 2 years old!!! I was so honored to make her first birthday cake last year that I had to make her cake again this year!!! It was made with Marshmallow Fondant...yummy! :)

This past week actually flew by! I haven't done much wedding related or anything else. Been doing a lot of baking though. I have another week of relatively keeping busy baking and/or making christmas candies, and also Christmas / Birthday shopping!

For the most part, wedding related tasks are coming to a bit of a halt until the Holidays are over... but me being me, I hope to squeeze something, anything, wedding related DIY projects in the mix!!!

Today marks 18 weeks.... 18 weeks until we're off on the Carnival Elation with close to 35 friends and family members! I am thoroughly excited and can not wait for it to come already!!! It seems like such a long time away, when in reality it's actually right around the corner!!! Can you believe that the wedding date is only 136 days away. Wow. I remember when it was in the late two hundreds.... and now it's in the early one hundreds..... almost to double digits. HOLY FREAKING OUT!!!!

I'm so very glad that one of my best friends who moved away to Arizona is going on the cruise! We became such close friends really quick, worked together at a Law Firm and also at a local Karaoke Bar! :) Had fun times together for years!!! We kinda went our separate ways several years ago, but then re-connected and have been keeping in touch over the last year or so! :) So very happy she'll be joining us on our cruise!!! Yipee!!!

Horray for the Mail Man!!

I love it when the mail man delivers great big huge packages!!! Actually I went to pick this particular one up. :) But look what I got!!!! My TTD Dress! I absolutely LOVE it!!! I am so excited! It is very similar to my dress I'm wearing for the wedding and it's georgeous!!!

And also, I ordered a lot of free stuff from Vista Print for my business: business cards, brochures, postcards, flyers, car magnet, etc. I also took advantage of the free shirts offer as well. This is what I got......... I got two of them...one for Brian and one for me! :)

I'm not sure what day of the cruise we'll be wearing these, but I like 'em!

Now, I believe I'm going to take advantage of their free offers even more and order shirts for the bridal party! The guys...and the girls... Well, we'll see about that actually. They only offer one freebie at a time so...

Since I haven't posted since Thanksgiving morning, I suppose I need to catch you all up on my Black Friday shopping experience!!

This was the first year I've ever shopped on Black Friday. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be really!!! Since Brian had to be in at 3 a.m., I decided to tag along with him. I brought two books and thought I'd be able to read them while waiting for the doors to open. When we got there at about 2:45 a.m., there were maybe 25 people already there! The ones in the front of the line had a tent and looked like they had been camping out since the night before (and they had been!!!)

The two hours in line actually flew by~ chatting with the people in front of me made it so much more bearable than standing there by yourself.

As soon as the doors opened, it wasn't as much of a "mad dash" as I expected it would be. I headed straight back to Electronics to get my grubby little hands on the Tom Tom!

And I got one! Shoot, the regular price was $249 and they were only $97.

Heck yes, I wanted one! That was the only thing I really wanted. However, I shopped for about an hour or so. Along with the Tom Tom, I bought a Dirt Devil vaccuum cleaner, a 1.5 qt. Crock pot for $3, towels for $1.50 ~ I think I had like 12 bath sized towels, 4 hand towels and 2 wash cloths for a total of $27 ~ Not bad huh????

On Saturday, we drove to Stockton and met my Aunt & her boyfriend for dinner.

On our way home, we stopped at three different Targets looking for the $88 Nikon Camera for my Aunt! She was wanting it for a Christmas Gift so we went on the hunt. We finally found one at the Lodi store. They had 136 on hand!!! Ha! All those people who stood in line for the "door buster" of a deal would probably be mad if they knew that they had hundreds of them on hand!!!!

Ohhhh. I also bought my very own copy of Jillian Michael's 30 day Shred. Yep, I'm going to start shredding again! In fact, today is day one for me! I'm not letting up this time either!!

I am going to be faithful & diciplined in Shredding on a daily basis! I need to lose not just some lbs. here, but the pooch!!!

So, without further adieu, I will sign off for now!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Today I am thankful for all of my family and friends ~ and even those who have touched my life in any way, shape or form. My life wouldn't be what it is today without any of you in my life! So, thank you! :)

On a Wedding related note ~ can I just say that I'm on a roll with this Michael's 40% off coupon!! I've purchased another two Apothecary Jars which brings my collection up to a total of 4. Yes, I am ahead of schedule, but I had the coupons, and how can you pass up 40% off of one jar?!?

Our local Michaels is out of the HUGE ginormous Apothecary jar that I am wanting (the one that ended up breaking ~ see prior post) so I think I'm going to check out another Michaels tomorrow on Black Friday! Maybe even later this evening since Michaels is open from 5 to 9 tonight AND I have a couple of special coupons I do believe. :)

After this Holiday weekend, I am determined to get more wedding related tasks done on a daily basis. It was crazy just with Thanksgiving thrown in there, and with Christmas and the New Year approaching, it's going to get even worse!! So...time to get serious and really get things done!!

In between my cake orders, coordinating of a couple of Spring/Summer weddings, not to mention our wedding and TWO AHR's, I have my plate full!!! But....I know that I can handle it all ~ no sweat. I'm not saying that I won't get stressed out at times however I know that I can do it!!!

Have a WONDERFUL THANKSGIVING everyone!!!