My favorite nephew

For today's blog (which is long overdue), I am going to write about a special little man that I miss dearly.  I have previously written about this little guy but it was before he came into the world so as much as I loved him then, it changed when I got to meet him.  I am talking about my friend Kristen's little boy, Mason.
Last September, some very kind ladies in my Charlotte group of friends, threw a Sip and See shower for Kristen and baby Mason.  If you aren't familiar with what a Sip and See is, it is a baby shower AFTER the baby is born so that everyone can give the new mom some gifts that she needs, meet the new baby and give the new mom's arms a rest because, lets face it, a room full of girls and one baby...fights will ensue over who holds him next. 
Anyway, the shower was lovely and hosts did a wonderful job but the main focus that day was on Kristen's little guy who is sweet as a button.  I have a laundry list of reasons why I adore him but I think, for me, the absolute best thing about him is his laugh.  It is hard, now that I live in Colorado, to get to be the one to make him laugh but I love when we are on facetime because Kristen or Matt (his dad) will get him to laugh and then you just sit back and watch because he will go at it for the next ten minutes.  It was my favorite thing!! My husband, Bryant, says that babies are the only ones that laugh at me so I have to take it every chance I can get.  He is just such a happy, smiling baby!!  I thank god every day for technology because it would really stink to not get to hear that laugh every once in a while. 

So, for this little munkin, I made the Sip and See cupcakes with a little baby booty on them that, I hope, gives you a little laugh (or atleast a smile) today.

Raised by a village

It has been forever since I have posted and this particular post is long over due but here is a post for my friend Alyson, her husband, Chris and their newest addition Walker David.

I want to start this post with a story dated to Christmas of last year when I had a lunch date with Alyson and our friend Laura.  At this lunch we talked about married life and our futures and most importantly, the possibly of babies in the near future.  At that time, Alyson said that she thought that she and her husband would wait just a little while longer before starting a family.  Then....three months later, my good friend Alyson called me to tell me that she was 3 months pregnant.  I was so very excited for them. 
Alyson expressed to me one time a worry about being prepared to be a mother but I must say that I have no worries at all.  Alyson will be such an amazing mom because she has some very great qualities that anyone would be lucky to inherit.  Over the years, Alyson and I have gone through phases when we didn't talk as much and other times when we talked a lot but she is one of those people that I know I could go 10 years without talking to and feel as though the conversation never ended when we were together again.  She is one of the most honest individuals that I have ever met but still sweet.  She is easy to talk to which will be such a great thing for her new little man.   She is also very openminded and good.  I know that good is such a weird adjective to use and perhaps pure would be better but it isn't hard to understand what I mean by good if you know her.  She has the most pure of intentions and there is not a cynical bone in her body.  I hope that Walker inherits that quality from her.  But the best quality about Alyson is her loyalty and devotion to family.  She and her husband are both so very close to family and it is really such an amazing thing to see.  The day of her baby shower, I was astounded at the number of family members that came from near and far to share in Alyson and Chris' special news.  I love being around their family because you get a real sense of how Walker will be raised by the "whole village."  I felt very fortunate to be apart of that village on that day.  He is certainly one very special little person.  I very much look forward to meeting him.  So without further ado, here is my present to Walker David Clark, born September 18, 2011 at 6 lbs 15 oz.

This cake was a hole in one

So for today's blog, I am going to introduce you to some very special people in my life.  And how fitting that I am posting this blog on Father's day because this tale is about my best friend and her husband who are about to be new parents. 
I have known Kristen since our freshman year in college and we have really been great friends since the very first moment that we have met.  In the nine years that we have been friends, I can not recall a single fight or disagreement between us.  Now that isn't to say that we did not get under each other's skin every once in a while but our friendship has been one of the easier things in life.  In the past nine years, we have been through break ups and make ups, countless road trips, weddings and funerals and even a few cocktails every once in a while.  But from the very moment that I met her, I knew that she was going to make the most incredible mother.  In fact, she was often my surrogate mother in college or maybe more accurately, she was my Jiminy Cricket.  She is kind and happy and fun and she has the most amazing heart so when I found out that she was pregnant, everything inside of me knew that her child would be supremely loved.  I know that she and her husband had been trying for a little while and it was breaking my heart to see that two people so deserving were not getting the one thing that they most wanted so when she told me about baby G in November, I could not help but well up with tears for these two special people.  And Matt, who I do not often compliment(we don't want his head to get too big), is going to be an amazing father.  He has time and time again shown how great he is with other people's children that I can not imagine how wonderful he will be with his own. 
With all of this being said, yesterday was Kristen's baby shower and it was such a great day!!  She is very blessed with some amazing people in her life that came and shared the day with us and other's that could not, sent along some wonderful gifts for baby G.  She was absolutely glowing with joy over this precious gift that she has been given and as her other 1/3, I couldn't help but feel so happy for her and her new family.  Now, just to fill you in on my back story, Kristen would leave me notes in college telling me to have a great day and would sign them "Love, your other 1/2"  which may sound strange but we were pretty inseperable in college and it was a little joke between us.  Then, when she got married, in my toast to her, I gave my other 1/2 title to Matt but then Kristen informed me that I would just become her other 1/3.  Well, in about 5 weeks, I will be turning my title over again but I will give away my title as the other 1/3 with all the happiness and joy in the world because I know that I will be giving it away to someone much more special than me...the title of other 1/3 will go to baby G.

So, on this special father's day, may I present a cake dedicated to Kristen, Baby G and especially Matt.  This cake was meant for a little boy who will grow up to be the best darn golfer in our group!

the Mommy-to-be

Picture is worth a thousand words

So I just realized that there are quite a few cakes that I have not shared with you.  Some will forever remain a secret because they aren't really worth showing but some are pretty fun so I want to share them with you.  I have been pleasantly surprised with the number of people who have contacted me recently about my cakes.  Everyone has been so incredibly kind and I am really thrilled every time someone says something to me.  Tonight was the icing on the cake when my roommate from college, Caroline, complimented me on my "talent."  I say quote, unquote talent because I don't really consider it a talent.  I am by no means the best and actually feel as though there is much room for improvement but I do love when people call it my "talent."  So, with the risk of sounding arrogant, I just thought that I would share my "talent" with all of you.  Thank you all so much for encouraging me to keep baking!  It really does mean a lot!

Kristen's baby cake...the next baby cake will be for Kristen's little guy!

Ma Duke's birthday cake...I took her to the beach!

Part 1 of Kristen's Cravings birthday cake

Part 2 of Kristen's Cravings Birthday cake

Dr. Seuss Christmas cake

No Quarter

Interesting title for tonight's blog.  For those of you that are not ECU fans, No Quarter is a commonly used term among pirates (haha) meaning the vicor gives no mercy (or no quarter) to their enemies.  Not totally uncommon in the terms of marriage.  Just kidding but it does sort of segue into the blog for this evening, in two respects.  First, the cake relates to marriage because the cake is a groom's cake for my friend Heather and her fiance Grahm.  Second, the cake relates to pirates because, well, it is a pirate. 
This beautiful cake was for a beautiful couple, who just so happen to be fellow pirates.  For tonight's blog, I want to do something a little bit different.  I have already written a little bit about Heather in a previous blog so for this blog, I want to wish my friend the best life possible and maybe give a little advice.
First, the well wishes.  Where to start?!  Well, first, I have to say that Heather may not always realize this herself but she is really truly a fabulous and special kind of friend. I want her to have the most wonderful life.  I know that Grahm will be a wonderful husband.  I have seen him with her and they really are best friends.  I know that this is something that you are suppose to say but I'm not just saying it, I really do mean it.  So, I wish you happiness, playfulness and a little bit of sass for the next 80 years.  So, now for some advice.

• Now, I know that weddings are stressful and exhausting but I also know that honeymoons are relaxing and rejuvenating.  So, my first piece of advice, even though you will get this after your wedding, is to enjoy the wedding but really REALLY enjoy the honeymoon. 
• Second piece of advice (because I am such an expert after 9 months) is to be happy every day, Even when he sucks (because I also know, after 9 months, that the wife NEVER sucks) because honestly, being married to your best friend is about as good as it gets.  This is actually the hard one to realize.
• Last piece of advice- Call me when its time for your anniversary cake OR baby shower cake. :)

So, now that I have provided you with my infinite wisdom, I will display the cake that I made for my amazing, beautiful, fun, road rage driver friend and her soon to be husband.

The cake

The inspriation

A Berry Happy Couple

Sooo...it is time again to display a cake and this one is so super special.  If you have been keeping up with my blog, you know that I made my first large wedding cake with Christina Garrou.  Well, this past weekend, I had the pleasure of making Christina's wedding cake and it was really such a great day.
Trey and Christina have been such an inspiration to me, as a cake decorator, because they are so extremely talented and have been kind enough to give me tips along my path in learning to bake.  I am absolutely excited for this wonderful couple.
This couple is a true example at love at first "night."  I say this because they were in love from the first night that they met and are really an example of a perfect couple.  They compliment each other very well and are so similar that it is scary.  Christina is one of the kindest, happiest people that I have ever met.  She drove all the way to Charlotte to decorate my first wedding cake with me just because I asked her to.  And Trey was the first of all of Bryant's first to really make me feel like part of their group.  I really think the most of this couple and so this cake was really important to me.  I swear, on their wedding day, I seemed more nervous than Christina OR Trey.  The cake was a design sent to me by Christina, and although mine is not as beautiful as the one in the picture, Trey and Christina made me feel so great about my first real wedding cake.
Best thing about the cake was the taste.  I did a butter pound cake with a butter sauce soaked in and vanilla bean buttercream with strawberry filling between each layer.  It was the most amazing cake that I have ever baked and I cake truly say that I put more heart and soul into this cake than any cake that I have made this year.  So, without further adue, allow me to introduce Mr. and Mrs. Trey Prescott and their wedding Cake.

I love this!!!

a little lean with it...

this is the design idea

Something Borrowed...Something Blue

I had the pleasure of making a cake this past weekend for two of Bryant's friends from Law School.  These were the same friends that hosted a shower for us when we were getting married and they are the ones that took care of Bryant at school.  Sort of his Law School wives.  Well now one of them, LeAnn, is getting married and the other one, Hilary, is having a baby boy...Thus the title of today's blog-Something Borrowed and Something Blue.  Since they were so thoughtful to throw us a shower, Bryant and I, as well as our friends, Corey and Elizabeth, threw them a shower.  The cake was a nice touch to a wonderful evening with friends.  I only have one picture to post right now but I will post more later.  In case you are wondering what is on top of the cake, it is a wedding dress and baby booty.  Also, under the picture is the recipe for the vanilla pound cake and the buttercream recipe is in a previous post.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup butter
1 tbsp. vanilla
3/4 tsp. salt
6 lg. eggs
3 cup flour

Directions:          
Preheat to 350 degrees
Beat sugar & butter
add vanilla & salt
add eggs, one at a time
gradually add flour

Bake for 30-45 minutes

Added Bonus: Nutrition Facts
13.8 g   fat
43.8g    carbs
5g         protein
6g         fiber