life on the prairies

Just seeing if I even remember how to make a post anymore. I have developed a passion for baking cakes and cupcakes over the last year and a half.I love designing them,baking them and sharing them with my friends and family.

The last 2 years were filled with good stuff and bad but alot of stress and just didn't feel like blogging.I am happy to say I have made some great changes and I am so much happier now.

This cake was inspired by the vintage earrings I bought my dear friend for her birthday.

I have been friends with these 2 for 28 years but haven't been able to get together in person with all 3 of us for almost 20 years,so what a special day this was.

Those are the earrings I gave her,I love jewellry on cake.It was cleaned and I never attach them to a part of the cake that someone will be eating.

I made the bow out of gumpaste and fondant and let it dry for a day or so propped up on a pan covered in saran wrap and stuck parchment paper in bow loops so it could hold it's shape until it dried.I draped the rest of the ribbons over the pans I planned on using for the cake so they dried in the shape I wanted.

The little ribbon roses are spread here and there all around the cake.I attached all the fondant on to the fondant wrapped cake with water,works great.

There was 1 more photo but I can't see where it went.My plan was to start a new blog for my cake passion but just thought I would test the waters with the old blog here...I mean this is my life on the prairies still,it is just different now.

I feel like I need to start every post on this blog with an apology for being absent so much of the time.I want to say how much I appreciate and enjoy your comments because I really do.My intentions are always good but sometimes life is just so busy that I can't fit everything I want to do into the day.I guess it gets like that for everyone from time to time and I'm sure you understand what I mean.
I wanted to share my Easter with you,I know I'm a little late but to be honest,I was just happy I got it done in time even if I was too slow to show you before the holiday.It's the first time that I did so much in advance and it was sure worth it,I was very happy with the result. When I first started looking at your tablescapes I thought,well how do they do that? I'm not sure how you do it but the only way I could manage was to start days in advance.

I am in awe of you tablescapers who do this every week,I don't think I will ever be in that group.It was alot of work and I think that I will always be in the "only for a holiday" category.I have sure learnt alot from all of you though and I thank you for that as well.

Thanks to santamaker http://santamakersjourney.blogspot.com/ I learnt how to grow the wheat for the table.I was a little slow but luckily it grew just in time,it was only one week old when I took these pictures. I didn't know exactly what I was going to do with it but in the end I was very happy with the containers I chose,worked out great.

I did take alot of pictures,I'm always so impressed when I have the time to look at the tablescapes that so many of you do every week.Besides beautiful tables,many of you seem like professional photographers too.I like to blame my camera but I'm sure my photography skills(or lack of) are part of the problem.

I loved the pier one bunnies and I had to get some.I had fun moving them around from place to place before Easter.I admit it was the first time I've went to that store,the bunnies were about the only thing I could afford in there but it is a nice store for those who can afford it.I did get a few other things from a clearance table.

That is Shady's ear in the picture,the peninsula is his table.

I got those pink balls from wal mart,I thought they looked "springy".

It's been almost a year since our renovations and it's starting to feel like my place now.I'm glad I kept the main colors neutral because I am enjoying being able to change my accessory colors when I feel the need for change.I love pink and happy I can still use it. I don't know if you can see the eggs very good in this picture but I had a little fun decorating them.I used the plastic eggs that you can open up and fill.I used a craft spray glue on them and then used white glitter on them.They looked like they were sugar coated,cute,easy and cheap!

I found these purple bunnies at the thrift store for only 50 cents each,I thought the children would like them.The extra plastic eggs were thrown into that pink opaque vase.That one vase the bunny is sitting on always reminded me of an Easter egg when it was upside down.

Yes,there are spots on the wine glasses.Wouldn't you know it that someone would have to open the dishwasher before the drying cycle was done.I had to wash them again....big sigh,as if there wasn't enough to do.

This was the first holiday dinner with my new table I got from Ashely's just after Christmas this year.I didn't want to cover the beautiful dark wood with a tablecloth so I decided to just buy 2 runners.This was just with one leaf in the table,still have another one if we need it.The room is not that big,so I'm not sure if we will ever use it.It is really long with the leaf in but because of the centrepiece it was not even noticeable that I had to use two runners.

I cut little pieces of the extra ribbon and tossed them amongst the Easter eggs.I used green glass dessert bowls for the small containers of wheat.Another thrift store find for a buck or two.

I loved the idea of using the colored eggs around my silver tray that I bought for only a dollar and between the containers of wheat down the table.

I realized I only had 4 silver charger plates so I spray painted 4 red ones. I have noticed how some of you have used ribbons since they are so cheap from the dollar store,I decided to add them too for that little extra. I only own white plates and I love how they go with any accessory color I choose.I really don't have room to have more than that anyway. I guess next year I better spray another charger plate because this little bunny will want to be sitting at the big table I bet.

I can't remember what I found first,the runner or this little dress but they matched perfectly.Isn't she adorable??? She just loves walking around this table eating these little puff things she can't seem to get enough of.

This looked pretty good but then Hannah came and colored some eggs.

I decided to add them to the centrepiece too.I thought it looked even better and it made it special because she made them.

<

I'm sure next year Hannah will have an extra helper hunting for eggs instead of just being a curious observer.

Well,it's all over now but I'm not parting with my wheat until it all flops down.It's been such a long winter.The bright green is a welcome change to my eyes.

Monday, March 23, 2009

let them be little

A week ago we had the privilege of having our little granddaughters stay with us for the whole weekend.It was the first time we were brave enough to have our little Summer,who is 10 months old now,stay with us for that long.We had the best time ever.It wasn't so much what we did, but just having the two of them all to ourselves for two whole days was special enough.Hannah and I made cookies, she loves baking with me. We all went to the pool(it was Summer's first time) and visited their great-grandmas.Summer has two teeth now,crawls and walks around the coffee table.

I know that many of you are grandparents and understand the joy that these little ones bring to us.Just two years ago we hadn't even met Hannah,now we have her and Summer in our lives and can't imagine it without them. I feel so lucky,so blessed,so happy and you will see by the pictures that grandpa Gord feels the same way.What an absolute joy they are.I think that I appreciate little kids even more now that I'm a Grandma. Everything just seems so precious.Does that make sense to you? Is it because they aren't with us everyday or is it that we are older now? I don't know but I just love it.

On the way taking these sweet little ones home,we talked and decided that as long as it is possible we want to have a weekend like this once a month for as long as they want to come.Expect many updates!