Everything's better with Sprinkles

I bought a new book for sketching my cakes. It's adorable, and very fitting as you can see.

Well the irony is I actually bought a regular notebook for sketching them yesterday, and then today I was at the craftstore and saw this one. Lol. Oh well.

I typically will sketch a cake on any scrap paper I have near me, so I like that I'll have a little more organization with it now. Yay! :)

The funny thing is since I got it I've been sketching cakes like crazy... all kinds of different ideas. Hoping the ambition will stay strong through out the year, in my journey to make it a frosting filled year. Lol. I sketched the Super hero cake I'm planning on making for Chase's Birthday, and he saw it and has been obsessed with it. He's been carrying the book around and randomly turning to the page and looking it over. Very cute. Glad he's excited. He loves my cakes! He always wants to watch and help, and of course lick the spoons. I love being a Mom. It allows you to have dorky hobbies, like cake making. Chase is seriously my number one fan. He is always telling me my cakes are "the best cakes ever", and asking me to make him different kinds. Although he also tells me I'm the best mom ever, at least once a day, lol, so he might just like the phrase. Either way, he is such a sweetheart; so kind. And very generous too. If he has only one of something left, he'll break it in half, and give half away. I think being a kind person is possibly the best thing a person can be.

I can't wait until both Chase and Olivia are old enough where we can make cakes together. I can't wait to pop the naked cakes in front of them and let them go to town! How fun to be a kid and get to frost your own cake, all by yourself. I've got a list a mile long of all the things I can't wait to do! BUT I WILL WAIT! lol.

Speaking of things I can't wait for, I can't wait until next week, when I get to make another cake. :)

My New Nativity Scene

It is absolutely perfect! I have wanted one for such a long time, but they seemed to all be rickity, with a million little pieces. This is two solid pieces, and I am so glad I waited until I found the perfect one! It looks like it could be sitting in a Cathedral, which is very much the look I like. I found it at this little consignment shop. They had all Christmas decorations at 50% off so I decided to take a look!

I grew up seeing Nativity Scenes at Christmas, in the homes of my Parents and Grandparents. As silly as it sounds, I feel like a grown up now, having my own! And decorating for Christmas is something I look forward to all year long. But my decorations consists of Santa Claus, snowmen, and all of the corporate Christmas images. And I know in my heart that is not what Christmas is about. It feels really good to finally own my very own, beautiful Nativity Scene. It completely made my day, and I am so glad my kids will grow up seeing this at Christmas. I'm only sad I have to wait until next year to display it!

Cake-tastic-ness...

My first cake of 2011. :)

This is another one of my new goals for the New year, to make more cakes!

They are so much fun to make, even if they are a ton and a half of work. Still it totally tunes me into my creative side, and that is always a good thing! There are few things I enjoy as much as 'creating'.

This one is a Birthday cake for my Stepmom. :)

One thing that had stopped me from making cakes as often is that I am very, very hard on myself. A complete perfectionist when it comes to any form of Art that I am working on. I decided to let that go and just have fun. No need to stress, people don't expect perfection. That being said, my plan is to just try all kinds of different looks for the cakes I make. Before I would stick mostly with fondant, because in all honesty it is a lot prettier, BUT I think frosting can be pretty also. Just not as precise and neat. Creative minds are rarely tidy. :)

Either way, I had a blast making this, and look forward to making more in the upcoming year. :)

Resolutions in Pursuit

Exactly two weeks into 2011...
My resolutions, thus far have not been an epic failure.
My upcoming year is going to be a very busy, and very exciting one! Not only is my best friend getting married, therefore making me A Maid of Honor. Which means not only will I be hosting a Bridal Shower, as well as a Bachelorette Party, but I will also be standing up in front of 200 guests. Yikes. This being said, on to my very first, and most important resolution: To get in shape. To be more specific, the resolution was to eat healthier, and to workout every day. I am not going to lie, I have not been working out everyday. Much easier said than done! However I have been working out about 4 times a week, which is still a huge improvement. And I have been eating a lot healthier. Still snacking a little, but not too much.
On top of being in a wedding, Our 5th Wedding Anniversary is this March. For it, we are planning on taking a vacation, in which there will be hundreds of pictures taken. For this, I would also like to be in shape. So wish me well on this journey, please!
As for my other resolutions, currently, they have slipped my mind. Uh oh. While writing this blog, I have been mentally preparing myself to go and work out. So now that is all I can think about. I guess that's a good thing...
Farewell, and we'll get back to this! :)

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas!

and Happy New Year!
Love, the Goods

Tis the Season!

Christmas, being the happiest time of the year, tends to bring out the sap in me!

I started decorating! Not full blown, but I got my baby stuff up!

This is my "Baby Firsts" tree. These are all of the ornaments Chase and Olivia got as gifts for their first Christmases.

I slipped these off both of my babies when they were born, and made them into Christmas ornaments. If my house caught on fire, these would be among the first things i grabbed.

Both Chase and Olivia's baby booties; made them into ornaments as well. :)

I LOVE CHRISTMAS!

Halloween was the Bees Knees!

We had a WONDERFUL Halloween!

The whole Halloween Season has been great! We took the kids to a pumpkin patch, where they had a BLAST! And then came home, and painted pumpkins for the first time as a complete family. It was so much fun!

We decided to dress in a family costume. It started because I had the idea to dress Chase and Olivia in a matching type outfit. When I asked Chase what he wanted to be, he replied, "BumbleBee" (from Transformers). This got my mind turning, and I decided to dress Olivia as A bumble bee. Then, when looking for costumes for myself, with a bee idea in the back of mind, I kept seeing very cute bee costumes. I knew there was no way I could get Tony to dress up as a giant bee. Lol. So I came up with the idea for him to be our bee keeper.
I have to say, the whole thing turned out great, and I'm so glad we did it! Such a wonderful memory. :)

This was also Olivia's first year trick or treating. She loved picking candy out of dishes, and then holding it in her hand, until we got to the next house, where she would be distracted with a new candy bowl, and we could slip the other peice into her bag. There was one point where both Chase and Olivia stopped right on someone's door step, and started checking out the candy buckets. Lol. Chase could not wait to go home and eat his candy! He didn't quite understand the concept of getting more. Lol.

On Hallows Eve, Tony and I went to a party at my good friend's house. It was such a wonderful time, because so many of my great friends made appearances, which of course just makes the night.

Yes, Halloween 2010 was a great holiday for the Goods! :)