Busy, Busy, Busy- Project photo round-up

I haven’t been around to blog in quite a while.  In my grand old fashion I’ve been as busy as ever with cookies, cakes, cupcakes, and costumes (that’s a lot of C’s). Usually when I get to the end of the day I’m just so tired I never make it to the blog. I would promise to be more consistent but well, I am not the type to break promises. I will however say that I will attempt to get some new DIY’s up here soon. I know I love a good project and they certainly seem to be popular on Pinterest. I would love some great DIY ideas for Christmas gifts so if you know of any please feel free to make suggestions.  Until next time I will leave you with some fresh photos!

Bridal Shower Cookies

Teacher Cookies

Hand painted headstones

Hand made Sofia the First Costume

Handmade Doc McStuffins Costume

Stay at home Mom

So yeah, I know.  There are thousands of blog entries floating through cyber space written by thousands of stay at home moms like myself, who are doing just what I feel the need to do, justify our job.  I’m not claiming today’s subject matter is new but gosh, it really will feel much better for me to just get it out there.

Today, a stranger said to me, “At least you’re home with your kids so you have plenty of time to get things done.” Those words, uttered so innocently, made me cringe as I struggled to keep a smile and remain polite. You see I have been on both ends of the deal.  I’ve been a working mom and a stay at home mom. I have nothing but respect for the moms I know who have careers and I realize it is tough stuff.  You spend a lot of time away from your children, often worrying that others are taking your place as the parent. I totally get it.  When I had a job I missed my babies and it was rough to keep things in order at home. A lot of the time I felt that the best of me was going to work and the rest of me was walking in the door at the end of the day. I struggled to find balance, something that seems impossible to achieve when your routine is far from routine. I have now been a stay at home mom for exactly 2 years.  I of course have my cakes, cookies, and painting projects but I make my own schedule and that kind of works for me. Amazingly enough though, even after 2 years, I have not figured out how to be any less busy. 

Tonight, as I sit and blog, I am so exhausted my body feels as if it is tingling. When I finally stop moving at the end of the day I feel like a bag full of bricks. I am completely drained.  The words from this morning’s stranger are replaying in my head like a broken record and I feel even more frustrated at my exhaustion. If I have so much time then why is there never enough?

The day begins so early.  I wake before the kids so I can get a shower, and never finish before they are up.  I get the troops ready, make breakfast, do the dishes and make my trip to the school.  Then comes the errands and the grocery shopping and the appointments and the laundry and the bill paying. Before I know it, it is time for the little one and I to have lunch.  More cooking, more dishes, and then school pick up.  The kids are together again at home, the messes and fighting begin almost instantly.  If there are no activities to run off to we are home for the afternoon and sitting down to do homework. When we are finally finished it is time to start preparing dinner. I cook, everyone eats, I do dishes. Bath time. I have girls; they have hair. Lot’s of hair. After what seems like forever they are braided and curled and put into pajamas. They have a story and they are off to bed (if they will sleep. Don’t even get me started on the great battle of bedtime.) After the kids are sleeping I clean up the house from the 5,000 messes that have been made in the course of 10 hours, get myself ready for bed, sit down, and feel as if I’m going to die.  At this point I might sleep, I might work on projects or cake orders.  If I try to go to sleep early I can pretty much guarantee that someone is going to wake up thirsty, hungry, having to potty, or there is a monster in the closet. My little one loves to get up at 2 am, turn on all the lights in the house, and declare it is playtime.  Like I said, the day begins so early.

You know, I know that there are many, many, many other people out there who have it rough and many who have obstacles that I could never even begin to understand.  There are all sorts of things I have to be thankful for and trust me, I am beyond grateful for my blessings. But I urge you, every single one of you, to understand that each and every one of us must live within our own realities. My struggles are not yours or anyone else’s.  They are mine, in my world.  Being home with children is the toughest job I have even taken on.  The requests and the “mommying” never end and children are all about what they want.  Teaching them to be aware of the feelings of others is so difficult and some never learn.  We know this because there are many adults out there who still cannot seem to grasp the concept. 

I promise I will not judge you for your parenting style and choices so please hold the judgment about me being a mom without a “job.”  I know saying that as a stay at home mom “I have plenty of time” is not a big deal.  I know it is a harmless statement and yet it only made me feel more minimized in this new world.  A world where saying you are a stay home mom evokes this response: “but what do you do?”

I am a mom, a mom who is there for my family.  I am the glue that holds us together, the rock that can always be found in the ever-changing scenery. I am there, every moment of the day and night, standing by, always standing by, and it’s more than a job, it’s a calling. I am in it for life and I couldn’t be more proud of what I do.

Piece of cake?

I’m coming to find out that getting into the cake business is not a piece of cake.  There are a lot of artists such as myself, doing the same types of things as I am.  There certainly is a demand for cakes and cupcakes, especially amongst the crowd getting married, having babies, or those who have small children. Yet, there are more than enough bakers to accommodate those in demand and the creativity amongst my fellow decorators sometimes blows me away.

At times it can be overwhelming to research and learn all the new techniques. You no longer just frost a cake and plop some roses on. Now there are fondants, fillings, luster dust, gum paste, marzipan, sanding sugar, gel pastes, powdered colors, butter cream, royal icing, the list goes on and on. And with all of these mediums you can sculpt, dust, paint, frost, mold, emboss, etc, etc, etc.  I haven’t even learned how to do half of it and by the time I think I know how to do everything, there will be more. Still, I’m not the sort of person to look at a challenge and shy away. I enjoy pushing myself to improve my craft and I feel accomplished when I learn something new.

Last week I had an order for some cupcakes. The client wanted 4 dozen cupcakes all in a Disney theme.  I was not limited to one character (as she wanted several different ones) but that definitely presented a challenge.  How was I going to make 4 dozen cupcakes from all different Disney movies, with all different and non-related characters, while still making them look classy, unique, detailed and cohesive? It was difficult but after spending some time thinking I decided that each cupcake topper would be hand-sculpted pieces that served as a classic representation of each character rather than literal faces. And now the photos of the final outcome!

I had a blast doing these and I love when my clients give me an idea that I can run with! I will be doing some more DIY tutorials very soon so if you have anything you are interested in learning to do, please let me know!

Happy crafting!

Kindergarten

It is absolutely amazing, my Sweet Pea starting Kindergarten.  I’m blown away just thinking that she will be in school now until she is an adult.  The milestones of childhood (motherhood too) come as if no time has passed between them. And yet here I am, another year older and not feeling too much wiser. In some ways, I still feel like a kid.

As I walked my daughter into her kindergarten class this morning, memories of my own childhood flooded my mind and I felt nostalgia that I didn’t quite expect.  The smell of crayons, the nametag on her little cubby, the colorful pictures adorning every wall, and the tiny desks and chairs.  I vividly remember my first day of school and today I relived that through the eyes of my child.

I met one of my very best friends (we are still friends today) the day I started school. This morning, Sweet Pea walked into her class and immediately she and another little girl became friends. In seconds they were sitting next to each other, chatting away. They were amazed that they were both 5. I chucked and tears almost came to my eyes.  As they walked about the room together, making sure they each had a chance to do all the activities, I remembered my lasting friendship and I smiled. For the first time I thought to myself "she will be ok.  She is going to do just fine."

It’s so strange, the things that come to your mind as a parent.  I find myself thinking, “Will she know to ask to go to the potty? Will she line up when the teacher says to do so? Is she going to understand the way we behave in school?” and on, and on, and on.  We went to school; we somehow learned what to do. I need to give her more credit.  She will find her way.

The day your child is born, you are in control. Your baby is handed to you in a little bundle and you are sent on your merry way.  You venture out into the unknown and begin raising them.  No instruction manual, no technical support.  They learn, you learn. They make mistakes and so do you. You both fall and you both get back up again.  You begin teaching them how to live life, how to be the best version of themselves, and how to be independent. As that independence begins to grow, you realize that means you must start giving up control.  Today that was the hardest part.  I know this is just the beginning and that she is still my little girl.  I know there are so many more milestones and there will be many more days like today. Days where I have to let go so she can be who she is. And I know she will be fine because really, SHE is teaching me how to live, SHE is helping me to be the best version of myself, and SHE is showing me how to be independent. If she can do at that at 5 years old, she is off to do great things.

Happy first day of school my little girl! Mommy knows you are going to be great!

Cupcake Creations- Zebra Stripes

You can’t take the stripes off a zebra but you can certainly put them on.

I have received quite a few cupcake orders this month and it all started with this one.  A very sweet lady, who knew very little about me or my work, not only took a big chance on me but also gave me creative license to pretty much do whatever I wanted.  The request was Zebra, purple, turquoise, and “whatever I could come up with.” I really enjoyed doing this order. The design is quite simple but really cute at the same time. These were particularly fun because I was able to use my love of painting in a cake decorating application.

I started by cutting out round pieces of white fondant for the bases of the cupcake toppers. I then mixed black gel paste food coloring with a small amount of water, just enough to make it the consistency of paint.  After allowing the rounds to harden just a bit I painted on the zebra stripes.

Next, I cut out 2 different sizes of flowers in 2 different colors, shaped them, stacked them, and added a small piece of white fondant to create the 3d blossom. Using pearl dust mixed with little bit of lemon extract I painted the shimmer on the edges of the petals.

Left-with pearl dust, Right-without pearl dust

After letting them sit overnight, I put the toppers on my fresh buttercream cupcakes with a few sprinkles. Seeing as I had 2 dozen cupcakes to make, I did another flower topper but switched up the color order, adding the zebra stripes to the flower rather than the round piece.

I was very happy with how they turned out and now the wonderful lady who took a chance on me has become a friend.

Many more cakes and cupcakes are to come.  August is going to be a busy month but I cannot think of a sweeter way to spend it. 

Rainbow party!

I cannot believe that my little Butter Bean is 3.  When you have the pitter patter of little feet echoing about your home, it can feel like time is passing slowly.  So many meals to cook, so many messes to clean up, boo boos to kiss, feelings to patch up, lessons to teach, and lessons to learn.  As time seems to be standing still, it passes at an alarming rate of speed.  I feel as if I just learned I was going to be a mommy and now I have 2 children, who are growing and changing so quickly that I can hardly catch my breath.

Yesterday was our big Rainbow Party for Butter Bean and we had a great time. Here are some photos of some of the DIY's I did and of course our colorful birthday shindig!

Balloon Bowls for centerpieces

Paper umbrella decorations

Rainbow pillowcase dresses

Coloring page and portrait cookies

Cookie pop centerpieces

Rainbow fruit tray

Butter Bean and Sweet Pea

Art Table

Fun to color

More fun to eat!

Bead necklaces

I am looking for my next tutorial.  If there is anything you have seen in this entry that you would like to know how to make, please comment.  It might end up in my next photo tutorial!

If you like what you see, remember to click follow and pass it along to a friend!