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Quick and Easy Project::A Succulent Table Garden

2012-02-18T11:50:00.000-06:00

"It is a violation of federal law to use this product in a manner inconsistent with its labeling."

"Please Do Not Remove Label Under Penalty of Law"

When I read these warnings I get the urge to defy them. I want to mix chemicals just to see if they'll create poisonous gases or cause an explosion. I want to wander the aisles of a home textiles store and rip the tag off of every pillow. I've always been up for a challenge. I love defying the odds. I've never really set out to break the law, but I do think creatively. I visit a flea market, garage sale, or Goodwill store and my wheels spin into overdrive with the possibilities.

Recently, I decided that I wanted to plant a succulent dish garden. I've always appreciated the variety of textures and colors of these hardy, water-retaining plants that are cousins to cacti. Hmmm...water retaining...maybe I feel a kinship...Anyway, I decided to pick up a few little succulent gems at Home Depot. They had a modest selection and each plant cost a little under $4. But when it came to choosing a dish, I wasn't so lucky. I wasn't sure where my little garden would be placed so I wanted a neutral container...but I didn't want terra cotta. The other containers were too deep and they were plastic. Ewwww!!! I picked up a small bag of potting soil while I was there, which completed my purchases. Yes, I know, spending less than $50 at Home Depot sounds crazy, but I did it!

My plant selection

I then headed next door to Walmart for a few groceries and decided to peruse the aisles for just the right dish. And lo and behold, I found it in the aisle with the party platters and serving trays. Anchor Hocking makes a 13", shallow glass dish, which they call a serving tray. It was just the right size. I know Anchor Hocking did not manufacture this dish with the intention of it being used as a table top garden. But I didn't see any warning labels on it telling me not to, so I went for it! I already had bags of aquarium gravel at home, so I made my way to the checkout lanes.

I often do things a little backwards, and this was no exception. After purchasing my plants, I did some Googling on how to plant them properly. I learned that I should have bought cactus mix potting soil or some pumice to add to my soil. Succulents don't like wet feet, so you need to draw moisture away from them rather than hold it close. Good drainage is key.

Sooo...Here's what I did. First I decided on how I wanted to arrange them in the dish. Then I poured a nice layer of gravel in my dish. Next, I poured a layer of potting soil. I removed each plant from its pot and positioned it in the soil. I sketched the arrangement on paper, numbered each plant, and noted the name by each. There's was no way I would remember what each one was. I wiggled each planting so that the roots were kind of in the gravel. I anchored the plants in place with more potting soil, then topped it with gravel to hide the soil. During the planting process, soil and gravel spilled into the leaves of the plants so I used an old paint brush to clean them off. I removed gravel from deep in the leaves using tweezers. I watered slightly and I was done.

Succulents only need to be watered about once a week, and sparingly at that. Watering in the morning is best. They like morning light, so I placed my dish in the window of my bedroom. My original intention was to bring the dish garden to work, but from everything I read I don't think they would thrive.

Here's my finished, succulent dish garden. I'm very happy with it.

Here's an overhead shot and plant identification. Some have very cute names.

1. Climbing Aloe - aloe ciliaris
2. Graptoveria 'Debbie'
3. 'Alpenglow' 'Vera Higgins' - Graptosedum
4. Aloe Pinto
5. Rainbow Bush or Elephant Bush - Portulacaria afra 'Variegata'
6. Golden Sedum - Sedum adolphii
7. String of Buttons - Crassula perforata
8. Peperomia - Peperomia ferreyrae

Succulents will grow in just about any kind of container, as long as they have good drainage. Here are some more clever ideas for growing your own.

A living succulent wreath for year-round color by Julie Martens. Project instructions from Better Homes & Gardens.

Do you enjoy hunting for tea cups at the flea market? You can use them to showcase succulents in a sunny window.

Barbara Jordan Dettweiler works succulents into her interior design in clever ways, like these vintage silver champagne glasses. You can read about it on her blog, Haus Design.

Succulent turtle topiary available from Simply Succulents

Do you prefer glowing rather than growing? Here are some beautiful succulent candles from Tavalu.com.

How about sewing instead of growing? This cushion's design was inspired by the Euchavaria succulent. It's by Ronel Jordaan and can be found on amagugu.com.

The simple elegance of succulents can be adapted to any decorating style and their drought tolerance means you don't have a green thumb to grow them. I'm sure you'll see them in future posts as I find new ways to work them into my own home.

Do you Tangerine Tango?

2012-02-16T19:16:00.000-06:00

I have a thing for bright colors in the coral family - brilliant coral reds, fiery coral oranges, and vibrant coral pinks. My wardrobe has reflected this through the years. And when it comes to flowers, especially roses, make them a bright shade of coral. I was so excited when Pantone announced their 2012 Color of the Year: Pantone 17-1463 Tangerine Tango. It's a bright, reddish orange that reminds me of a highly polished coral cabochon gem. We will not dwell on the fact that it is also reminiscent of the burnt orange color so popular in 1970's interior design. I mean, what child of the 70's doesn't remember the Brady Bunch kitchen?

I question their choice to include the word "tangerine" in the name. I mean, I like tangerines and "tangerine tango" is a really cool name, but I've never seen a tangerine this color. If they would have asked me what I thought the name should be, I would have named it something like "Coral Captivation". But they didn't ask me and now they've made the big announcement, so there's no turning back at this point.

I was so inspired by this bold and energetic color that I decided to feature it in the color palette for this blog. The blog had originally been created to showcase my photography, so I kept it dark, avoiding color so as not to detract from the photos. But now that I've switched directions, I decided it needed a fresh new look with cheerful and vibrant colors. I combined the vibrant orange with a pale blue since, in this case, opposites really do attract! Now I just need to decide whether to keep the dark gray body color, or change it to something lighter and brighter. What do you think?

This fiery orange-red color also reminds me of some of the most beautiful sunsets that I have been lucky enough to photograph at Lake Martin-Cypress Island Preserve in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, just a few minutes from my home. This is one of my favorites. If you like sunsets, or just nature photography in general, I have an entire Lake Martin, Cypress Island Preserve set on Flickr.

"Glow" by kim dever thibodeaux

Check out Out of Curiosity::Is Orange for You? a post by Kristi Linauer on her blog, Addicted 2 Decorating. She's just a state over in Waco, Texas. Her blog inspired me to revive this blog. Her talent and bravado have resulted in some amazing makeovers. She has the job I dream of!

Here are some inspirational photos of designs that feature colors similar to Tangerine Tango and, in some cases, have been paired with blues similar to my selection.

This next one really evokes the feeling I'm striving for in my Master Bedroom Makeover.

Morgan Harrison Home featured on DecorPad.com.

So tell me now...Do you Tangerine Tango?

Master Bedroom Makeover : : Walls are Painted

2012-02-12T23:57:00.001-06:00

"The best laid schemes of mice and men, often go awry." - John Steinbeck

It was Kasey's birthday Saturday, so I didn't get started until late Saturday afternoon. Done properly, prepping walls takes longer than actually painting them, so I had a lot of work to do. Then, when I thought I was ready to begin painting the trim, I discovered I had bought oil-based paint. Sooo...I switched gears and began painting walls instead. The light coming into the room was very bright and it didn't take long to realize that the Barely Jade color we had chosen was hardly jade, it looked powder blue...Sean's least favorite color in the whole wide world. (Click here to see the before photos.)

Sunday morning, I drove to Home Depot and exchanged the oil paint for BEHR Premium Plus Ultra Pure White High-Gloss Enamel, an acrylic enamel. If you've never used an acrylic enamel, it takes a bit of getting used to. It has a thick consistency. You have to put it on kind of thick, but not so thick as to run. And once you get it on the woodwork, leave it alone. Don't try to re-brush it because it sets quickly and you'll make a mess. If you leave it alone, it will blend back into itself leaving a smooth finish.

Once I got the trim painted, I re-painted the wall next to the trim to create a nice, clean edge, then I applied a second coat of paint to the walls. I still have a few spots to touch up, but I'm pleased with the outcome. Sean and I both struggled with the fact that our room was a pale blue color, but as the sun went down and the incandescent lights were turned on, it was the pale greenish color we expected. I think once we install white crown molding and get the dark brown floors in and bring some more accents into the room, the wall color will take on a supporting role instead of playing the lead.

Now I'm exploring options for all the finishing touches in the room, starting with new lamps. Since I plan on going white with the bed linens, I think bringing in lamps with bold, graphic design could be interesting. This Lights Up! Kimono Shade from Lamps Plus is bold in its simplicity.

There are some great fabrics on the market, so maybe I'll create my own custom drum shades to top the bright red, glass lamps we already own. I'm in LOVE with this print I found on Fabric.com It's called Wrenly Wren Gypsy White by Valori Wells. I not only love all the colors and the retro feel of the design, but it features the cutest little birds. And best of all, Sean likes it! I like Michael Miller's Mini Mikes Slender Stripe Retro as a coordinating design. I've attempted to show them to scale. I could use them to create the cushion and accent pillows for the window seat we're going to build.

Or maybe we could go all white, like this turned lamp from West Elm

or the Zing lamp from Crate & Barrel, continuing the minimal theme. Have I mentioned that I love Crate & Barrel?

We're also looking at options for the built in bookshelves. Sean can build them, but if we can buy some at an affordable price, that would be ideal.

The Victorian ceiling fan needs to be replaced with something more sleek like this contemporary Hunter 52 in. from Home Depot. I know interior design experts poo-poo ceiling fans, but we live in South Louisiana and I'm almost 45 years old. I need a ceiling fan. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. Case closed.

Add our new bed and an area rug and it will be a wonderful place to retire to after a long day at work. If I only had a magic wand...but I don't. So we'll just continue doing a little at a time and I'll post our progress here.

Have a great week!

Master Bedroom Makeover : : Let the Games Begin!

2012-02-09T23:24:00.000-06:00

Since Winter has abandoned South Louisiana, we started spring-cleaning early. Not your average, run-of-the-mill cleaning. Oh no. We're talking major . Like carpeting. Yep, ripping it out. Our home was built circa 1997, but we bought it in 2005. And it's time to make it "ours". So, if we're ripping out the carpeting, what better time to paint, right? And what about that archway between the living room and the dining area? Let's get rid of that, too! Oh,and the big plate glass mirrors in the bathrooms. Let's frame them. And what about...You can see what kind of year this is going to be.

I've decided to chronicle our adventures as Weekend Warriors so that maybe I can inspire others to do the same. After all, it's other people's blogs (and years of HGTV) that have given me the confidence that we can do it ourselves.

Our to-do list is long, so we have come up with a strategy. We've never installed wood floors, so we're going to start in our bedroom, then work our way out to the living room and then into the dining area. The plan is to know what we're doing by the time we're finished with the bedroom. Pretty smart, huh?

So here's our room, ready for the carpet-ectomy.

...and here it is with a section of carpet gone.

...and finally, bare concrete.

There's so much to do in this room. I can't wait!

First, the walls are going from the mustard gold color to a calming, watery blueish-green. It's going to look so nice with glossy white trim (yep, it's getting repainted, too). We agreed on Glidden's Duo Paint & Primer Barely Jade in a flat finish, which we picked up from Home Depot. It won't be long before we're on a first name basis with their employees. We go to the Broussard location and have had great customer service.

Our furniture has a dark coffee finish that is just going to pop against the color. I think the watery color on the walls combined with the dark woods gives it a spa-like feeling.

I painted a small portion of the wall and staged a nightstand in front of it for effect. I should note that the paint went on nicely and I got one-coat coverage, which I hadn't expected given how dark the wall color is.

For the floors, we selected Virginia Mill Works Engineered Handscraped 1/2" x 5" Potomac Plank. The hand-scraping gives it a wavy, worn surface and the satin finish will stand up to the dogs. We purchased the flooring from Lumber Liquidators in Broussard, Louisiana. They are open late until 7:00 p.m. on Thursdays and the staff is very friendly and helpful. We thought we would have to settle for laminate flooring but learned that we could actually afford real wood plank flooring. Best of all, we got 18 months interest-free financing!

I staged a nightstand with a few planks to get an idea of what it will look like. The color is a bit off in this photo since I shot it with my phone. The LED flash is cool so the nightstand looks purple. I just don't feel like color correcting it. Don't judge.

Once we get the walls painted and the flooring installed, Sean is going to construct built-in bookcases with cabinets at the bottom and a window seat along the front wall. We'll give it a nice coat of white paint so that it becomes an architectural detail in the room. Then we'll finish off the room with white crown molding - a detail that is missing throughout our entire home.

I'm going to re-frame the girls' portraits and my wedding portrait in sleek wood frames and relocate them. Over the bed, I'm going to hang three individual matted, framed prints created from this one photo. I'm sure that project will warrant its own blog entry.

When the room is complete, we're going to reward ourselves by finally purchasing the bed that matches our dresser and nightstands. I don't particularly care for matched furniture, but my husband is a stickler about matching furniture and symmetry and that's OK, too. If there's a secret to being married for 22 years as we have, it's learning how to compromise. Here's what the bed looks like. It's part of Crate and Barrel's Brighton Collection.

To keep that spa-like feeling, I think I'll top it off with crisp, classic white linens like these from Sferra, but mine will probably come from Ross. You can't beat their prices. I mean, you could pay more, but why? I love how fresh white bedding looks and with our dogs we need something that can be laundered often and still look great. If they're good enough for the finest hotels, they're good enough for our new master retreat!

So there you have it, our initiation into the Weekend Warrior Club. This is going to be so much fun! Are you feeling it?

Geek Stuff

2010-11-16T20:40:00.000-06:00

My colleagues and I have been discussing QR codes and how they can enhance a corporation's customer relationship management efforts. I created this QR code, which is linked to my Flickr Photostream. I'll be using it for demos in future discussions. I might even have it printed on business cards.

If you aren't familiar with what a QR code is, here is a snippet of what Wikipedia has to say:
"A QR Code is a matrix barcode (or two-dimensional code), readable by QR scanners, mobile phones with a camera, and smartphones. The code consists of black modules arranged in a square pattern on white background. The information encoded can be text, URL or other data...Although initially used for tracking parts in vehicle manufacturing, QR Codes are now used in a much broader context, including both commercial tracking applications and convenience-oriented applications aimed at mobile phone users (known as mobile tagging). QR Codes can be used to display text to the user, to add a vCard contact to the user's device, to open a URI or to compose a text message or email. Users can also generate and print their own QR Code for others to scan and use by visiting one of several free QR Code generating sites.

QR Codes storing addresses and URLs may appear in magazines, on signs, buses, business cards, or on just about any object about which users might need information. Users with a camera phone equipped with the correct reader application can scan the image of the QR Code to display text, contact information, connect to a wireless network, or open a web page in the phone's browser. This act of linking from physical world objects is known as a hardlink or physical world hyperlinks."

Scan the code below with your camera phone app and you'll be brought directly to my Flickr Photostream.

Pretty cool, huh?

Gallery Slideshow

2010-08-07T14:42:00.000-05:00

These are some of my favorite photographs that I have made. My complete photography collection can be seen on Flickr. You can click on one of these images at any time to go to that photo page for more information about it.

Lake Martin Misty Morning

2009-12-13T22:35:00.006-06:00

The fog this morning was as thick as a good roux. I have been wanting to try my hand at photographing isolated oak trees in morning fog, so I jumped in the car and headed out. I wasn't having much luck finding the right trees in the right setting and I didn't want to drive too far away from home, so I headed to Lake Martin, naturally. I walked to the end of the point and stared into nothingness. I could not tell where the water ended and the air and fog began. It was a very weird feeling. To the left of me were the trees that dot the shoreline. The air was very still so the water was smooth as glass and the trees' reflections were unbroken. The effect was that of a Rorschach inkblot test. I think my favorite shot of the morning was of the little tree that lives at the point (shown above).

The stillness of the air was broken only by the flapping of birds' wings and splashing of fish and fowl. I always enjoy witnessing daybreak at the lake. I left the launch area and headed down the road toward the boardwalk. I stopped across the street from the farmhouse with the cows and wandered over to the water's edge. A great egret was stalking its breakfast and had no problem with me being there. In fact he moved a bit closer during his pursuit.

I keep my camera in my car with my "everyday lens", which would work for landscapes. I didn't take my 500mm lens with me because it was with the rest of my equipment in my bedroom and I had wanted to sneak out without waking my husband. So of course, I had plenty of photo ops with a mere 28-135 lens! Not only could I have gotten some great closeups of this egret, but while I was standing there a beautiful red-bellied woodpecker decided to play around in the tree above me. I still don't get why it's called a red-bellied woodpecker when the head is red, not the belly! Then I saw a little bluish-gray, finch-like bird land in the duck potato plants growing in the water directly in front of me. He flitted around for quite some time, obviously aware that he was taunting me. Tonight I saw that a fellow photographer took some shots of the same kind of bird and identified it as a blue-gray gnat-catcher. I'll have to go back and get some shots of my own.

I hated to leave, but I knew that I had to. I could have spent all day there. It was in direct contrast to the craziness I had experienced Saturday at the mall when I attempted to do some Christmas shopping. I'll take the lake over the mall anytime!

What a wonderful way to start my day!

If you like these photos, you can click here to see more photos taken at Lake Martin, part of the Cypress Island Preserve in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana.

DON'T FEED THE ALLIGATORS!

2009-08-23T22:14:00.005-05:00

Alligators are supposed to be afraid of us. But visitors to Lake Martin have been feeding them marshmallows and wieners and now they associate people with food instead of fear.

This is not good.

Once an alligator loses its fear of humans, it is a danger to humans. When this happens to gators at Lake Martin they must be removed and relocated or, even worse, put to death.

Ironically the alligators that are being fed hang out within INCHES of a sign telling people not to feed them. The people who choose to ignore this warning are going to be the first to try to file a lawsuit when they are injured by an alligator.

This is a slideshow I made from still shots I took of a one of the larger gators at the lake. It was just hanging out by the roadside (probably waiting for someone to throw it a marshmallow). I was taking pictures of it when it started to move toward the bank. (Yes, I was in my vehicle). Then it came out of the water and picked up a plastic shopping bag in its mouth then retreated back to the water and spit the bag out. Then it came up again. And THAT'S when I discovered that it was coming back for marshmallows that someone had left there!

At first I was really upset that people had been feeding it. Then I was amazed that it came up out of the water to retrieve a marshmallow - something so small and sweet! Gators are carnivores known for eating rotting carcasses. Not marshmallows!

OK. I'll stop now, because if I don't I'm going to get on the subject of all the LITTER from people throwing stuff at the gators!

"DON'T Feed the Alligators!"

Create a free slideshow with Picnik!

Click on the picture below for a larger view.

Mist-ical Mardi Gras Morning

2009-02-24T11:00:00.002-06:00

View Large On Black

It's February 24, 2009, Mardi Gras. No work. No school. I awaken early, dress in the dark, grab my gear and dash out of the house headed for the lake - careful not to wake my sleeping husband and children. I thrilled to learn that it's 37° outside. If I'm right, the water in Lake Martin is warmer than the air and a nice steamy mist will be rising from the surface.

As I drive away, the sun is just appearing over the horizon. It's burning bright on the winter morning. I've never driven to the lake in the early morning, so I am excited at the prospect of what I will find.

I arrive at the lake and out of my side window I immediately notice a blue heron standing still as a statue in the water, waiting for breakfast to swim into view. Then, I notice the mist. Just has I suspected, its dreamy tendrils are rising from the lake. I am giddy with anticipation. Within minutes, the golden sun breaks through the trees and beams of light streak across the lake, illuminating the mist.

From where I am standing, a tree-lined peninsula separates the lake so that the water on the other side of it glows like an ethereal cauldron. I carefully compose my photos and fire away, knowing that something wonderful awaits on my memory card.

The air is soon filled with the noises of lake activities. The cries of birds beginning their day. The rumbling of boat engines starting up and racing off to find that perfect fishing spot. I continue to shoot on foot, then I return to my car and tour the lake road, enjoying the morning as it unfolds.

I have witnessed the birth of another beautiful day in South Louisiana.

Louisiana has some of the best sunsets on Earth.

2009-02-23T23:28:00.000-06:00

This is another beautiful Louisiana sunset as it unfolded tonight at Lake Martin.

5:51 p.m.

6:02 p.m.

6:09 p.m.

6:12 p.m.

A Day Comes to an End and New Friendships Begin...

2009-02-22T23:58:00.000-06:00

After picking up my daughter at a friend's house, we made a quick trip to the lake since we both had our cameras with us. No clouds to be seen, but we could still get some sunset pics. When we arrived at the lake, I was excited to see a few clouds just above the horizon, reflecting the golden glow of the setting sun.

But, before I was out of the car - surprise! John sees me through the window and recognizes me! Beth wasn't far behind. Then I find out D and C are there, too! It turned out to be a surprise Lake Martin Flickr Group meet and greet. A quite chilly one, I might add.

After setting up my tripod and mounting my camera, I turned it on only to discover I had left my CF card in my computer at home. Luckily, I had some smaller cards on me for backup. While my daughter ran back to the car for the backups, I used her point and shoot to get in some shots.

It didn't take long for me to figure out what a fun group of friends I have made. In fact, after a couple of minutes it was like we had known each other forever. We've corresponded through Flickr, but I had never met them in person. We had fun taking pics of the sunset and a few birds and enjoying a few good laughs. It was nice to know that I'm not the only one trying to figure out which settings to use for what. Since Tuesday is Mardi Gras and most of us will have the day off, we talked about meeting up on Tuesday.

On the way home my daughter asked if I was going to the lake Tuesday and if she could come with me. It looks like photography is becoming more than just a creative outlet for me. It's helping me to make some wonderful new friends and creating some great memories for me and my girls.

I wasn't very focused (pardon the pun) on what I was doing, so my shots were pretty unremarkable. In honor of Mardi Gras, I took some liberties with this photograph and gave it a purple cast to complement the gold.

Photo taken at Lake Martin, Cypress Island Preserve, Breaux Bridge, Louisiana

Happy Birthday, Korey!

2009-02-22T23:57:00.003-06:00

Korey turned 10 on February 17th. She wanted her party decorations to be pink and brown. For her cake, she wanted chocolate with pink polka dots and a "K" in the middle, just like the one I put on Kasey's cake.

I baked three 8" layers of Devil's Food pound cake and used Bavarian cream filling between the layers. I frosted the cake with homemade chocolate frosting then decorated it with bright pink fondant polka dots. I finished it off with light pink pearls and a circular plaque with a large, bright pink "K" in the center.

Just as for Kasey's party, I displayed the cake on a glass cake pedestal rimmed in silver. It's the same one that was used for our cakes when we were kids, so it holds a special meaning to me.

She loved her cake and her friends were amazed. Now they all want me to make their next birthday cake.

Happy Birthday, Kasey!

2009-02-22T23:18:00.004-06:00

Kasey turned 12 on February 11th. She requested a cake decorated in "her" colors - aqua blue, lime green, and purple. She wanted the concentric dots like I had done for her daddy's birthday cake last August.

I baked three 9" layers of French Vanilla cake using the White Almond Sour Cream recipe. I separated the batter into two equal parts and tinted one aqua blue and one purple. Then I dropped alternating scoops of batter on top of each other. The result was a purple and blue striated cake when you sliced it. I used Bavarian cream filling between the layers. Frosted the cake with butter cream frosting and then covered it with fondant and then the fondant appliques. I finished it off with a large "K".

I displayed the cake on a glass cake pedestal rimmed in silver. It's the same one that was used for our cakes when we were kids, so it holds a special meaning to me.

She loved her cake and her friends were amazed. Now they all want me to make their next birthday cake.

Sunsets Are Like Snowflakes

2009-02-22T21:48:00.005-06:00

Sunsets are like snowflakes - no two are the same. You could set up a camera in the same spot and shoot the sunset for 365 days in a row and never see the same thing twice. On a clear day with no clouds in the sky, you'll see a huge, glowing ball of fire. Throw in a few clouds and that's where you'll find the best action. It's like looking through a kaleidescope, the image is never the same. Sometimes the colors are magnificent; sometimes they are muted. Reds, yellows, oranges, pinks, purples, blues...and an infinite combination of them all. Some days the clouds glow golden like spun gold.

My favorite place to photograph the sunset is at Lake Martin in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana. It's a large body of water so you get a large, unobstructed view of the sky, a tree line in the distance. You can include trees in the foreground of your photos, which will give you some wonderful silhouettes, which can create dramatic effects. Best of all, it's only five minutes or so from my home. I've been known to jump into the car and rush off at the end of the day because I just know the sunset at Lake Martin is going to be beautiful and I have to get some photos of it.

Not only do I like a beautiful sunset, but I love the golden light created by a setting sun. I often take photos of objects basking in the glow of the setting sun. The warmth of the light is very complimentary to everything it shines upon.

Here are some of my favorite sunsets and objects glowing in the sun.

Still Standing

2009-02-22T21:03:00.006-06:00

My grandfather's barn. December 2008, Sulphur, Louisiana.

I've always enjoyed photos of old structures that have fallen into extreme disrepair, but still exhibit the character and workmanship that are rare in today's modern world. Here in South Louisiana, cypress was the lumber of choice because it resistant to insects and rot. Because of its durability, you can find many old structures that have stood the test of time...and hurricanes.

Now that I'm exploring the world of photography I have learned that old, abandoned structures in rural areas are often referred as "rural decay", especially if you visit the Flickr photo-sharing website. (If the structure is located in a city or metropolitan area, it is referred to as "urban decay").

Here are my recent contributions to the rural decay photography populous.

Red Sky at Night, Sailor's Delight

2009-02-16T06:47:00.000-06:00

It takes about an hour for us to drive to work each morning and then home again. My husband drives and I usually observe all the stuff I'd love to stop and photograph. But, alas, I'm not the driver. Probably a good thing, because I may never make it to work in the morning or home in the evening. Before you know it, you'd see my face on milk cartons.

Today, I noticed some wonderful clouds in the sky. As the sun started its decent I knew we were in for a beautiful sunset. And I was right. I watched it unfold through my window and the sideview mirror. I could feel my anxiety build. I hadn't been to the lake since January 30th. Of course I had my camera with me and my tripod was in the car, too. Maybe we could make a quick trip to the lake tonight.

As we neared the sitter's house, I could see the magnificent fireball building in the sky. Layers of clouds looked like spun gold...and I was missing it. So, I asked if maybe we could make a quick trip to the lake after picking up the kids...Nope. Not happening. Too tire...No problem, as soon as we get home I'll drive out...and I did...I was racing against the clock once again to beat the sun to its final destination...my five minute drive seemed to stretch on forever...my chances for catching today's magical sunset were fading as was that spectacular glow...eventually I drove down the lake road, parked at the launch, grabbed all my gear, got my camera mounted on the tripod head (my first time, I might add) and snapped away as quickly as I could. Time was of the essence.

By the time I got this picture, the brilliance had faded... and along with it the stresses of a Monday in the corporate world. This photograph won't win any awards, but photography has won my heart.

This is what it's all about. Feeling that moment of peace and tranquility. And capturing that moment to share it with others.

Photo taken at Lake Martin, Cypress Island Preserve, Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, on February 16, 2008.

Fire Crackers

2009-02-12T23:11:00.000-06:00

These are so addictive they should be called CRACK Crackers! They are wonderful served with cream cheese and pepper jelly, or with soup or chili. They are so good and flavorful that they make a great snack that can be eaten alone.

Recipe:

4 sleeves of saltines
1 packet Hidden Valley Original Ranch Dressing mix
1 or 2 tablespoons red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 cup vegetable oil

Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl with oil and whisk together.

Put crackers in a 2 gallon resealable bag. Drizzle oil & seasoning mixture over the crackers. Seal bag. Gently toss crackers so that they become coated with mixture. Lay bag flat and let it sit for 10 minutes. Then toss crackers around some more and lay the bag on the opposite side for another 10 minutes.

Remove crackers from bag and place in an airtight container such as a large glass or plastic canister with a tight-fitting lid.

Feeling Hot! Hot! Hot!

2009-02-11T23:03:00.000-06:00

Having fun trying out some macro photography. Although according to some purists, this isn't a true macro shot. Just a really close, close-up.

Anyway, since Valentine's Day was right around the corner, I placed a heart-shaped cookie cutter on a black tray. Sprinkled some red pepper flakes in the cutter, then gently removed the cutter. Took some close up shots using my camera's macro setting. And this is what I got.

Night Photography Rocks!

2009-02-09T22:35:00.000-06:00

Sean and I attended a Tesla concert at the House of Blues in Houston on Sunday, February 8. No cameras allowed. Boo. Hiss.

So after the concert, we returned to the car. I got my camera out and had Sean drive me back to the H.O.B. and drop me off so that I could get some shots of the neon signs while he drove around the block. I had never shot photos after dark, so I winged it hoping things worked out. I also shot some pics of the front doors since the door pulls create the H.O.B. flaming heart logo and it was February, after all. You know...Valentine's Day.

When we got back to the hotel room, I decided to try out the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 lens I had bought the day before at the Houston Camera Exchange - a wonderful place for all things photography. Anyway, I laid my jeans on the coffee table and stuck the tickets in one of the back pockets.

When we returned home I was pleased to learn that my neon sign shots were terrific and the tickets pics were exactly what I wanted. I selected my favorite ticket pic and tweaked it with Picnik so that the colors were bright and glow-y like the neon signs. Then I combined the tickets pic and two neon sign pics to create a collage as a remembrance of a wonderful weekend with my husband.

Here are some more photos I shot that weekend.

No, We're Not in Kansas

2009-01-29T22:18:00.000-06:00

For me, some things beg to be photographed. Like this tree.

It was late afternoon and my daughters and I were headed to Lake Martin to take a few pics before the sun went down. Late afternoon is my favorite time of day because of the beautiful glow that the sun casts on everything as it makes its way down to the horizon.

As we drove by a field that we have driven by numerous times, I noticed this tree. Perhaps it stood out because it is apparently dead, as opposed to those trees around it. All I know is that it seemed to reach out to me, like those trees that come to life in the Wizard of Oz. So I pulled off the highway as much as possible, turned on the safety flashers, and got out of the car. I took what photos I could without getting run over by oncoming traffic. My adventure was cut short when the puppy that lived across the highway decided to come after me. I was afraid he would enter the highway and get hit by a car, so I got him home safely, got back into the car and headed for the lake.

I've processed the photo a bit to give the tree the prominence it deserves. Judging by the vines that cover it, it may be host to wisteria or trumpet vines in the Spring. I'll definitely be visiting it again.

Polka Dot Baby Shower Cake

2009-01-22T22:28:00.021-06:00

I was asked to make a cake to match the shower invitations, which were light blue with a polka dot border in blue, green, yellow, and white. My plans were to frost the cake then add circle fondant appliqués. But I've learned that simple graphic design means the slightest imperfections are magnified. So, rather than struggle to achieve a perfect coat of frosting, I frosted the cake as smoothly as I could and I covered it in pale blue fondant. I then mixed the other colors to match the dots on the card. I cut the dots using a cookie cutter. They looked perfect...until I tried picking them up. They kept stretching out of shape. So I let them sit a while until they stiffened a bit, then I gently lifted them and placed them on the cake.

I intended to create concentric rows of dots, but the diminishing circumference meant that the dots didn't align properly. So I went with a single row around the top of the cake. I cut a large circle of white fondant for the center plaque and mixed some frosting and piping gel with blue color to pipe the personalized message.

The cake itself was three 10-inch rounds made using the white almond sour cream recipe, but instead of using white cake mix, I used French vanilla. It tasted wonderful. I filled the layers with Bavarian cream filling. I frosted the cake with white butter cream frosting. The fondant was vanilla flavored.

I was told that everyone thought the cake looked great and was delicious.

Fish gotta swim, birds gotta fly...

2009-01-17T20:58:00.000-06:00

Fish gotta swim, birds gotta fly,
I gotta love one man 'til I die,
So I can't help lovin' dat man of mine.

Excerpt from the song "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man" by Jerome Kearn; lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein, from the 1927 musical Show Boat!.
___________________________________________________________

When visiting Lake Martin and surrounding areas, it's apparent that Mother Nature is always busy at work, even during the winter months. There's always something to be seen at the lake. Even on the coldest of days, fish gotta swim and birds gotta fly.

Here are some my favorite photographs taken during January, 2009.

Facebook Photo Shootout #1

2009-01-13T23:35:00.000-06:00

I joined the Photo Shootout group on Facebook.

It's a group that Keith Thibodeaux started. Basically it's a friendly photo competition that works kind of like Iron Chef. On the scheduled date and time a "secret ingredient" will be announced. You then have 24 hours to shoot photos that somehow incorporate that secret ingredient.

The premier event began today at 7:00 a.m. CST. The secret ingredient was "reflection". It was fun to look around the house and think of ways to capture the reflection theme.

These are the four pictures I posted.

Self-Reflection

Dieting Can Be Fun!

Verboten. South Beach Diet: Phase One.

Dieting makes me grumpy.

Self-Portraits

2009-01-10T00:15:00.002-06:00

Learning to use a new camera can be daunting. I've found that the person who is the most patient and willing to sit still while I fidget with different settings is....me!

I also enjoy experimenting with Picnik's post-processing techniques. So I shot a few pics of myself in the mirror and had some fun.

January One With Nature

2009-01-01T22:23:00.012-06:00

January 1, 2009. The first day of the new year. I decided to spend it being one with nature.

I arrived at Lake Martin at around 1:00. Since it's a new year, I wanted to try something new - see the lake on foot. So I parked my car at the boat launch and headed down the road, traveling counterclockwise around the lake.

For those of you not familiar with the lake, you should know that you can drive around part of the lake, but much of the lake is off limits to motorized vehicles. But you can walk around the entire lake since it is surrounded by a levee, topped by a footpath. I walked it in a little under four hours. You can probably walk it in much less time if you walk fast and don't stop to enjoy the wildlife along the way.

At first, it was quite sunny. Saw a few turtles out sunning. Of course there were great white herons and anhingas out and about, as well as lots of beautiful cardinals and tiny, little yellow bellied birds that suffer from severe ADHD so I couldn't get any pics. A terrific flock of wood ducks was surveying the scene before landing in the lake not far from me. Saw a little blue heron at a distance. Oh, and a green-headed mallard took flight. Wish I had seen him before he took off.

Met up with a few people along the way, including someone I worked with about 10 years ago. Visited a bit with a friend who actually lives on Rookery Road. The day became overcast around 3:00 so by the time I reached the area where I usually see gators, there were none to be found. And, unfortunately, no pretty sunset to speak of.

I have to say that this was one of the most relaxing and enjoyable days that I've had in my life. Sometimes it's good to be alone.

Happy New Year!

Map of the Lake

Santa brought me a new camera!

2008-12-28T23:50:00.005-06:00

My previous camera, a Minolta DiMAGE 5, decided to retire. It made a few sputtering noises, then a loud *POP*, then it emitted the telltale aroma of burnt electronics. It still takes pictures, but the flash no longer works. And, every once in a while that lovely burnt smell accompanies a shot or two.

So, I shopped around, consulted photography friends, and decided I wanted a Canon 400D, also known as the Canon Digital Rebel XTi. I found a really great deal and placed it in my husband's Amazon.com shopping cart. I told him this just in case he decided to surprise me with a new camera for Christmas. He said he would like to but Christmas shopping had taken its toll on our funds, so it probably wasn't going to happen.

But then, lo and behold, he came through! He picked me up from work and told me about it on the way home. I cried, which kind of freaked him out because I don't usually cry...at all. I told him I was crying because there were other things that we could have spent the money on and we didn't need a camera. But on the other hand, I really enjoy my photography and I needed a camera for Christmas pictures of the kids. Then we had a good laugh.

He had it expedited so that it would arrive on Friday, December 19th. UPS, however, had other plans. They decided it should take a detour first so it went to Jeanerette, then back to the Lake Charles hub before finally arriving in New Iberia and put on a truck for delivery.

I met the truck at the road. The driver and his co-pilot are not regulars to our neighborhood, and I think my waving and jumping up and down kind of scared them. I rushed to the door on the passenger side and he looked a little apprehensive. But, nonetheless, he verified my address and handed my package over to me.

I took pictures the night it was delivered and of course I brought it to work with me the next day and took pics of my coworkers. It worked perfectly for Christmas Eve and Christmas morning shots. I took a ride out to Lake Martin the day after Christmas to test my new zoom lens. It was overcast and windy, but it was 77 degrees outside, so there was wildlife to be found. I was quite pleased with the pics I got considering that I really hadn't had time to acquaint myself with all the features and settings. I also got some good shots when we went to visit my grandfather in Sulphur, Louisiana.

Here are some of my favorite shots that I've taken so far.

Christmas Cookies 2008

2008-12-18T22:09:00.003-06:00

Kasey and her friend Callie wanted to enter the 4-H Christmas Cookie Competition so included my younger daughter, Korey, and we made a day of it.

We made the dough from scratch. They each selected cookie cutters and helped cut the cookie dough. Once the cookies were baked and cooled, we made the icing. They decided on a color palette and I mixed the colors for them.

I demonstrated to them how to use a piping bag to outline the cookies and then how to flood them using squeeze bottles and toothpicks. They had a lot of fun and the cookies turned out really cute.

Kasey got the blue ribbon and her friend, Callie, got second place!

Click on the frame below then click on the right-arrow at the bottom left corner of the frame to play the slide show.

How to Photograph a Cake (without expensive equipment)

2008-11-21T23:50:00.007-06:00

While I always enjoy compliments on my cakes and cookies, I've recently begun to get many compliments on may cake and cookie photography. Being a practical and frugal person (interpreted as "cheap"), I'm always looking for creative solutions.

After completing my most recent cake, I decided to try something new when it came time to photograph it. I recently installed full spectrum bulbs in the fluorescent ceiling fixture in my kitchen, which has improved my ability to shoot without a flash. Throw in an empty butter tub and a $2.00 scrap of fabric and voila, I've got some really nice photos. Read more about my Fuchsia Gerbera Daisy Cake.

Fuchsia Gerbera Daisy Cake

2008-11-21T23:15:00.003-06:00

This is another version of the cake I fell in love with on www.pinkcakebox.com. You can click here to see the first one I did, which was also my first fondant cake and featured peachy-pink flowers. This is my fourth try at covering a cake in fondant, but I'm still not sold on it. I guess I just need more practice before I can be comfortable with the whole process.

The cake is three, 1-inch layers of German chocolate cake. I made a traditional cooked filling with coconut and pecans. The outside of the cake was frosted with chocolate frosting I made from Ghirardelli sweetened chocolate powder, then it was covered in vanilla fondant.

The "pearls" around the border and the green stems are both made of hand-rolled fondant. The flowers are gum paste. The fondant for the stems was colored with Americolor Electric Green. I used a little bit of Americolor Fuchsia to color the fondant that covers the cake. I added a little more color for the lighter flowers and then added a bit more for the darker flowers.

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions about the techniques I used to make this cake.

Our 19th Wedding Anniversary

2008-11-12T06:28:00.003-06:00

"...what thwarts us and demands of us the greatest effort is also what can teach us most." --- Matthew Arnold

Yesterday, November 11th, was our 19th wedding anniversary. I have to admit that it hasn't always been easy, but I have learned a lot along the way. On this year's anniversary I learned that my husband can still surprise me because I did not expect to receive flowers on my anniversary, yet I did. I received the most beautiful bouquet of 19 perfect red roses. Roses that were so perfect they didn't look real. The card read, "So far, so good. Love, Me".

Grandpa is 93 years young!

2008-11-11T19:54:00.008-06:00

My paternal grandfather, Harvey Dever, turned 93 on November 4th. We got together at his house the following Sunday to celebrate.

Since he loves banana cake, I took the opportunity to try my maternal grandmother's banana cake recipe for the first time. And, oh my! Why did I wait so long? It was delicious. Basically, it's a white cake with mashed bananas and ground pecans added to it. The filling consists of well-sugared, sliced bananas. Then you frost it with a simple buttercream frosting to which you add a mashed banana. I then coated it with toasted pecans. Yum!

Of course I brought my scratch-baked carrot cake, because it is always a hit. I decorated it with flowers in autumn-inspired tones.
But, not to leave the kids out, I made dirt cupcakes with gummy worms. They were filled with a mousse made from chocolate pudding, cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and Cool Whip. They were enjoyed by kids and grown-ups alike! In fact, I made so much filling that I served it up in a big bowl. Grandpa ate two heaping servings as seen in the slideshow below.

Happy Birthday, Grandpa!

Baptism Cake for Baby Boy

2008-11-02T21:28:00.010-06:00

A friend asked me to make her baby's baptism cake. She left the design up to me. I searched for ideas, but nothing really caught my eye.

In the meantime, I attended the Louisiana ICES Day of Sharing. The theme for the day was Glitz & Glamor. We saw several demonstrations, but I was most interested in the one presented by The Two Sweet Sisters from St. Martinville, Louisiana. They showed us how to create a pattern on fondant using a diamond-shaped cutter. They then piped small, royal icing pearls at the intersections of the lines and painted the pearls using super pearl dust. They also showed us how to create strands of pearls using silicone molds. I was so intrigued by what they did that I ordered the supplies a couple of days later.

As the date drew near for me to make the cake, I decided that the cake definitely needed to be covered in fondant since it was traveling to New Orleans. I decided I would try my luck at recreating the beautiful quilted pattern embellished with royal icing pearls. I knew I wanted the cake to be a light blue. But I wasn't sure what was going to go on top of the cake.

The flavor of cake was easy to decide. I baked three, 9" white almond sour cream cakes. When the time came to assemble them, I torted them into six separate layers. I filled them with bavarian cream filling. I covered the cake with a smooth coat of buttercream frosting.

I used Americolor Sky Blue to color the fondant. I immediately knew that I had chosen the wrong color to achieve a pale blue effect. Instead, what I got was a blue that was close to the color of a Tiffany gift box. Pretty, but was it too feminine? Too late to turn back now.

This was my third time covering a cake in fondant. It took me longer than it should have, but I was relatively pleased with the outcome. I then began pressing the diamond cutter into the sides of the cake to create the diamond pattern. The fondant had already begun to set up so I had to press harder than expected to get the cutter to leave a good impression, which caused the buttercream to ooze out. This also cause the fondant to extend lower than the cake board so that I had to trim it a second time. OK. Fine. Lesson learned.

Once I had the pattern all the way around the cake, I placed the cake on the foil-covered cake board. I then piped royal icing pearls using a #2 tip. I piped a section at a time, stopping to go back and flatten the dots into round balls using a dampened paint brush. I then brushed super pearl dust into the pearl strand mold and pressed white fondant into the mold. The result was strands of pre-dusted pearls. The strands tended to break apart, but that wasn't a problem. I held the pearls in place with a bit of royal icing on the cake board.

Then I had to decide what to do on the top of the cake. I decided to cut a circle of white fondant and pipe the baby's initials on it, then surround the plaque with pearls. This proved to be a little challenging, but it was easier than trying to write on the cake.

For the finishing touch, I used lemon extract mixed with super pearl dust to paint all the piped pearls as well as the plaque.

My friend arrived shortly after I had finished my usual post-decorating photo shoot. She was very pleased with the cake. I made her husband promise to drive safely so that the cake wouldn't be destroyed on the way. We had a good laugh and agreed that even if it got smashed, it would still taste good!

Happy Boo-lated Birthday, Happy Halloween & Happy Fall Y'all

2008-10-31T01:33:00.009-05:00

Three more cakes in autumn and Halloween themes.

First is Brook's Boo-lated Birthday Cake. We were going to Brook & Sam's annual Halloween party so I offered to bring a cake, of course. Brook had just had a birthday, but didn't get to celebrate it so Sam asked me to make a birthday cake. Lemon is Brook's favorite so I baked a lemon pound cake with lemon filling and lemon buttercream frosting. I went with a Halloween design and I can't say I was happy with the final outcome. I was, however, happy with the custom cake stand that I made. But they enjoyed the cake with family the next day and said it was really good.

I also made this dirt cake, which I adorned with gummy worms and insects. I modified the filling recipe and added a bottom layer made of devil's food cake. It was actually delicious. The filling ended up being more of a chocolatey-cream cheese mousse! There was extra filling left over and we enjoyed it for several nights!

And finally, this is a dessert cake that I'm bringing to work for food day on Friday, which is also Halloween. It's an 8-inch devil's food cake with six layers of cake and chocolate bavarian cream filling. I frosted it with Ghirardelli chocolate frosting and then pourced Ghirardelli chocolate ganache over the entire cake. The decorations are buttercream and cream cheese frostings. Yummy!

Autumn-Inspired Birthday Cake

2008-10-22T20:07:00.010-05:00

This is another cake that I made for a coworker's birthday. Gum paste is a new medium for me, so I wanted to try something new.

I used a cookie cutter for the small oak leaf. The other leaves were hand cut from a template. I found the clip art from Microsoft Office Online. (I love free stuff!) To make the leaves dry in a natural looking state, I crumpled up several foil sheets and layed them on a cookie sheet to create a very uneven surface. I cut out the leaves, used a ball tool to thin the edges on a foam sheet, then used a veining tool to create the veins. Then I creased them down the center and kind of folded the leaves along the veins then layed them in various positions on the foil hills and valleys. When they were dry enough to handle, I used a dry paintbrush to add gold and bronze lustre dusts to them. The leaves actually started out as vibrant shades of red, red-orange, and yellow. The lustre dusts softened the colors.

The cake is a 9", triple layer carrot cake, baked from scratch; filled and iced with an old fashioned, homemade cream cheese frosting - lots of buttah! Paula Deen would be proud. Based on techniques I've seen in Serious_Cakes' videos on YouTube, I used a #104 tip to stripe the sides and then I used a #18 star tip to create a seashell and C-scroll border around the bottom. I used the reverse shell technique (kind of) to form the border around the top of the cake.

I wasn't at work Monday because I was attending the local ICES Day of Sharing, which means I wasn't there when the cake was cut. But there was a little bit left Tuesday morning, so we enjoyed it for breakfast! Yummy in my tummy!

Purple Roses & Pink Fondant Cake

2008-10-15T00:03:00.007-05:00

This is my second attempt at covering a cake in fondant. My first attempt at making gumpaste roses. This is definitely going to take some practice!

Thanks to my Wilton instructor, Geneva Breaux, for being such a patient and knowledgeable teacher.

2009 Black Pot Cook-off - First Place Pork!

2008-10-09T20:36:00.013-05:00

The Black Pot Cook-off fundraiser was held at Angelle Park in Cecilia on October 4. Our friends, Brook and Sam, asked if we'd participate and Sean agreed. He is not a competition cooker, but thought it would be fun and besides, it was for a good cause.

They hauled both our Cajun Grill and our Dixie Backwoods Smoker to the park on Friday night. We got there around 8:30 Saturday morning and lit the fires. Sam said she would register the team, but she needed a name. Sean quickly answered, "Team Grosse Affair"! We started cooking at 9:00. It was a beautiful day, not too warm with a nice breeze, perfect for barbecuing and hanging out with friends.

Sean had marinated ten racks of pork spare ribs, which is what he was entering in the competition. He had also marinated some beef short ribs, which he had never cooked before and wanted to try. While he was putting the pork ribs in the smoker and the beef ribs on the grill, I started on the side dishes. First I gave him some thick cut bacon to crisp on the grill. Then I mixed up a large batch of my baked beans. I put them in a disposable pan and placed them on the grill to slow cook. Sean season the rice dressing mix and I cooked it down for a couple of hours or so, then I mixed it in with a big batch of rice.

I had baked four dozen cupcakes, which I iced with buttercream in green and yellow, Cecilia's school colors. I donated them to be sold at the concession stand.

When they started to announce the winners I wanted to walk over to the main pavilion, but Sean wanted to hang back because he really didn't think they would call our team. Brook headed over there and before we knew what was happening he was calling across the field for Sean to join him. Team Grosse Affair had placed first in the pork category! So I grabbed my camera and we all headed over there.

The first place winners in each category were awarded an oblong black pot and lid, a small round black pot and lid, and various seasonings and mixes. After several pics were taken by family and friends, we headed back to the campsite. We were joined by several people who were there as spectators and others who had also participated in the cook off. Everyone wanted to get some of those award winning ribs. And, they had to check out his smoker, too. At the end of the night, when all was said and done, there wasn't a rib to be found!

Everyone should be as lucky as I am to have a husband who cooks award winning food for them. It has gotten to the point that dining out for me is second to eating in.

Everything Sean cooks, especially his ribeyes and pork ribs, always takes first place with me!

Baby's First Birthday - My First Fondant Covered Cake!

2008-10-09T00:33:00.011-05:00

My friend and co-worker, Belit, asked me to bake a cake for her daughter Bella's first birthday. She gave me creative license and I knew I wanted to make something special. As luck would have it I had a Wilton class the night before I had to bring her cake to her. In that class, we learned to cover a cake in fondant.

So, I decided on a design, which was actually inspired by a cake I found on Flickr. It was a cake made for a wedding shower by Pink Cake Box, of which Anne Heap is the founder. She is a graduate of the Pastry Arts Program at the French Culinary Institute in New York City and completed an apprenticeship with Ron Ben-Israel Cakes in New York City (OMG!). She is a spectacular cake artist. You can click here to see the cake that inspired me.

I covered my cake in class with fondant colored a very pale shade of pink. But, instead of adding all the other stuff that was included in the class curriculum, I waited until I got home to decorate it.

I colored gumpaste in a shade slightly darker than the fondant on the cake, then I made an even darker color, adding a little orange to it so that it was sort of a shrimp color. I used a daisy cutter to make gerbera daisies and then rolled bright green stems and tendrils. I used a darker shade of green to make the centers of teh flowers. Then I used a small round cutter to cut circles from white fondant. I rolled two circles together to form a pearl and did this until I had surrounded the entire cake. I then brushed the pearls with pearl white shimmer dust for a finishing touch.

Since fondant isn't "mushy" I decided Bella needed a "smash cake" that she could dig into. So I cut a small circle out of cardboard and covered it in silver paper. Then I used a biscuit cutter to cut the center out of an extra cake. I frosted it in pink buttercream and covered the entire cake in pink sugar crystals. I finished it with a gerbera daisy on top.

Belit was ecstatic when she saw the cake and I was thrilled that I could deliver two cakes to her that I was quite proud of.

This was Bella's little smash cake.

Chocolate Ganache Birthday Cake

2008-10-09T00:29:00.006-05:00

This cake was baked for the son of my friend, Tally, to celebrate his 14th birthday. It's a six-layer, devil's food cake with bavarian cream filling. I covered it with Ghirardelli chocolate frosting then poured chocolate ganache on top.

Yum!

Bright Birthday Cake

2008-10-09T00:26:00.004-05:00

I baked this cake for the daughter of my friend and co-worker, Toni. She wanted a cake to match the party invitations.

It's an 11" x 15" single layer "cinnamon toast" cake. I used a recipe from Cupcakes by the Cake Doctor by Anne Byrne. Delicious! I coated the cake in buttercream frosting and decorated it with fondant appliques.

Stormy Weather

2008-10-09T00:21:00.003-05:00

I took these pictures on my birthday, September 8th. The sun was setting as storm clouds were building. I thought the scene was quite beautiful and a great ending to a great day.

Happy Birthday to Me!

2008-10-09T00:17:00.005-05:00

My birthday was September 8th so of course I baked myself a birthday cake. I wanted to try something new and I definitely wanted buttercream frosting. I recently discovered Cupcake Cafe a wonderful, all-buttercream cake shop that does amazing cakes. I turned to them for inspiration and found a lovely wedding cake covered in lilacs (see tiered cake below).

I thought I would do my interpretation of that cake in a single tier, so I made a four-layer, french vanilla cake with red raspberry filling. I mixed a (too dark) shade of ivory buttercream and two shades of purple, some brown for stems and green for leaves. I wasn't sure how to actually make the flowers, so I experimented with a few tips and ended up with something completely different!

I don't think they are actually lilacs. Some people thought they were wisteria and others thought they were hydrangeas. (My kids thought they were grapes). But everyone thought the cake was beautiful and tasted great. In fact, it was pretty much devoured in one sitting.

All in all, I enjoyed my birthday celebration with family and friends. And I got the birthday cake I wanted because I baked it myself!

A New Business Venture

2008-10-09T00:04:00.006-05:00

My son, Nick, has decided that he wants to run a plant nursery. My paternal grandfather, Nick's great-grandfather had one, my dad's brother, Joe, now has one, and my dad has a degree in horticulture. So, my dad decided it was a good idea and the project was born.

My grandfather, who will be 94 years old this November has been supervising while Nick, my dad, my grandfather, my dad's brother, Mark, my dad's friend, Bill, and others are working to build the structure.

I'm going to try to document the progress in photos, provided I can find the time. They plan to have it open for Spring of 2009.

Hurricane Gustav Comes to Town

2008-10-08T23:10:00.015-05:00

After much preparation and anticipation, hurricane Gustav headed straight for us. Of course I made the usual preparations: cleaned house and ensured all the laundry was clean in case we were without electricity for days, bought food that needed little or no preparation, charged all the batteries for the flashlights and portable TV, put all of our family photos and important documents in Ziploc bags and plastic totes for easy transportation, packed overnight bags, fueled up the cars, and made sure we had enough junk food to keep us happy. Oh, and Sporty - The Dog that Adopted Us, followed me into the house at one point, made herself comfortable on the couch and it was obvious that she was here to ride the storm out.

Sunday night when I had completed preparations, Sean asked if I had happened to pick up ingredients for chocolate chip cookies while I was out shopping. I told him that it just so happened that I had. He asked if I could bake some cookies because that would really make it a less stressful situation. So...I baked eight dozen cookies Sunday night and cleaned the kitchen all over again!

Monday morning we awoke to clear skies but it didn't take long for the first bands to appear. Then came the strong breezes, then came the wind and the rain. We lost power around 11:30 a.m. Sean and I watched the events unfold through the storm door in the family room. The worst of the storm hit from around 3:00 - 3:30 pm and we had the girls "camp out" in our walk in closet with lots of pillows, blankets, a flashlight and their Nintendo DS games.

The winds were incredible. At one point they made a deep, rumbling noise that we could feel in our bones. It was like a caravan of 18-wheeles was passing through. It was awesome and scary at the same time. The rain seemed to take the form of sheets in the wind, billowing horizontally. The water rose quickly but as soon as the eye passed over us and the rains stopped, the water drained just as quickly. Luckily the southern wall of the eye had collapsed so we didn't get the second round of strong storms that you would usually expect.

We were lucky - didn't lose a single shingle off our roof. Some of our neighbors weren't as luckily, but still faired well. Quite a few large trees fell, but for the most part missed homes and structures - sometimes by inches.

We are very thankful that we didn't get a stronger storm and that we made it through safe and sound.

To see the description for a slideshow image, click on it.

This video shows the winds picking up as Gustav approaches.

This video was shot from the back door. It shows the rain blowing horizontally.

Pink Petals Birthday Cake

2008-08-24T23:12:00.023-05:00

This is a carrot cake that a friend ordered for her own birthday. It's a triple-layer carrot cake filled and frosted with cream cheese frosting. I was free to decorate it as I wished, so I took the opportunity to try something new. I found this Lilly Pulitzer-style cake created by Laurie Lucov Wedding Cakes . I liked the pink and green combination and the whimsical design. I thought I could interpret it in a single layer cake.

But...the fates had a different idea. The chocolate transfers turned out horrible and my latticework looked even worse...I had to scrape off the latticework and re-smooth the cream cheese frosting...hence the marbled sides. I made a batch of royal icing and made the flowers, let them dry until they could be handled and arranged them on the cake. Once the cake was finished I thought something was missing, so I brushed it with shimmer dust.

Most importantly - Tallie loved it! Happy Birthday, Tallie!

The World Around Me

2008-08-24T20:21:00.005-05:00

I carry my camera with me everywhere. I enjoy taking pictures of my children and my confections. But I also find beauty and interest in the ordinary and the mundane. I don't know if I can define my style of photography, other than "random".

Click to play the slideshow below or visit my photostream on Flickr.com to see all of my photography.

Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder

2008-08-18T22:58:00.002-05:00

Recently I discovered Picnik, a free web-based application that lets you do cool things with pictures, without using PhotoShop. I found a Flickr group calle Picnikers and joined.

Each week a "homework assignment" is posted. You have to take a picture of a subject relevant to the assignment, enhance it using Picnik and then post it in a comment under the homework thread.

These pictures were taken for the assignment titled "Shopping". I decided I could kill two birds with one stone by heading to WalMart early Saturday morning to take a few pictures and get my grocery shopping done.

The shelves of merchandise suddenly looked quite different when viewed from a subject matter point of view. I photographed bath towels in a rainbow of colors, an Herbal Essence end cap, and Sterilite tubs all in a row. A long-time employee insisted on tidying the shelves of towels before I took pictures.

So often WalMart is considered a dirty topic. But these pictures prove that beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder.

Happy birthday, Hubby!

2008-08-17T20:17:00.009-05:00

Today is my husband's birthday so I made a cake just for him. It's an 8-inch, three layer, french vanilla cake. One layer of banana filling and one layer of red raspberry. He requested Duncan Hines Classic Chocolate frosting, so I obliged. One must choose their battles!

I hadn't worked with fondant before today, so I decided I would try it out. Since he is a barbecue fanatic, I mean "enthusiast", I was going to cut out flames. But I decided to keep it simple, so I figured I could try out my new set of circle cutters. I chose a white stoneware cake pedestal so I figured there needed to be some white on the cake to tie it all together.

Working with the fondant wasn't so difficult once I realized that I needed a little Crisco to keep the fondant pliable and prevent it from sticking to everything. I could have cleaned up the edges of the cutouts a bit better, but in the end I thought it turned out OK.

When I showed it to him, he laughed and asked if I had made it to coordinate with our comforter. And that's when I realized that the two were quite similar! And then he said that it wasn't really a birthday cake, it was a project cake. I told him it was indeed a birthday cake, but I had taken some creative license.

Most importantly, he said the cake was absolutely delicious and I could bake another one whenever I wanted to.

Hmmm...gotta start thinking about what design to try next!

Oh, and here's what our comforter looks like, if you were wondering. We got it from Overstock.com.

My new KitchenAid Pro600 6 Quart Bowl-lift Stand Mixer...argh argh argh argh

2008-08-15T11:32:00.010-05:00

Cake baking and cookie making have been elevated to a new level! This mixer can handle anything you throw at it.

And, I have to give kudos to KitchenAid for their customer service. Shortly after I received the mixer they shipped to me in June, I noticed a knocking noise in the motor. I was going to just ignore until I heard from others that it could be a gear problem. So I called KitchenAid and they shipped me a brand new one! They had me pack the old one in the new box and FedEx is going to contact me to pick it up. WOW! Now that's service!

So I used this one to make some Toll House cookie batter, which is very thick and has been responsible for burning up hand held mixers in the past. Not only did the paddle glide through the batter, the motor seemed to run quieter than the previous mixer.

My new mixer energizes me so much that I named her Black Molly, which is slang for amphetamine or speed! (No, I've never taken speed.)

Now all I want to do is bake cakes and cookies, 24/7!

Testing the Boundaries of Friendship, or Teaching a Friend How to Decorate Cookies

2008-08-08T07:28:00.013-05:00

Want to learn more about someone? Try to teach them something.

My girlfriend Sandi was telling me about a baby shower she was going to host. The color scheme was going to be pink, brown, and white. Fun!

She tells me all about her ideas for decorating the venue. And, since I'm always looking for an excuse to try new cookie designs, I thought this was a great opportunity, so I offered to bake some cookies. We were discussing this on a Wednesday, or so, and the shower was the coming Sunday so I told her I couldn't make any promises, but I would try to get them made by Saturday evening.

But Sandi had a better idea. "How about if I come over and help you?"

Uhm..."OK. Yeah. That could be fun. Maybe you could help me."

Now I'm an easy-going, patient person, but there are some things that I am particular about. The words "bossy" and "control freak" have been used lightheartedly by friends and coworkers. And I'll admit that I have my quirks. But, I know that whenever Sandi and I get together, we always have fun. The cookies were just for practice and no one was actually paying me for them, so I figured, what the heck? Let's do it. We agreed to get together Saturday since her son and my daughters had been invited to sleepovers, so we would be kid-free for the evening.

Sandy arrived at my house at 5:30 Saturday afternoon, with enthusiasm and excitement, ready to take on the world of cookie decorating.

Long story short. I am a very patient person. Sandi is not.

I have rules when it comes to some things. Sandi does not.

But we pressed on. We agreed that I would outline and Sandi would flood. And she did pretty well for it being her first time. Once the flood icing had crusted, we began to apply the detail outlines to the cookies, which brought them to life.

By the end of the evening, make that 3:00 Sunday morning, Sandi made it very clear that I was a much more patient person than she was. I, in turn, made it clear to Sandi that if the day ever came that I was baking and decorating cookies for a living, we probably wouldn't be working side by side. We had a good laugh.

In the end, the cookies were very cute. Well, most of them were. If you didn't look at them up close.

I asked Sandi how the shower went and she said that everyone loved the cookies but when she said that she and a friend had made them, everyone looked at her suspiciously...

On a serious note, we did have fun. Sandi learned something new and I got to spend an evening with a dear friend. Something that doesn't happen often because while we are not only friends, but coworkers, we don't spend much time together at work or otherwise.

I think the next time we get together it will be to sit on the patio and drink adult beverages while my husband does the cooking!

Cookie Notes: I own cutters for the onesies, baby buggy, and baby bottle. The shoes were inspired by Susan Caliendo's shoe cookies found on her website, Rolling Pin Productions. They were handcut from a template drawn on cardstock. The striped onesie is also inspired by one of Susan's designs.

My sugar cookies were baked using the cookie dough recipe found on page 120 of The Flour Pot Cookie Book by Margie and Abbey Greenberg. Not only does it perform well, but it tastes great, too, which is very important to me.

I use royal icing to decorate my cookies and the recipe I prefer is known on Cake Central as Antonia74 Royal Icing. You can visit her website, Marmalade Cake Company.

Golden Anniversary German Chocolate Cake

2008-07-27T01:36:00.010-05:00

Our friends were celebrating their parents' 50th wedding anniversary. They had already ordered a small scale replica of the original wedding cake, but when additional guests were added to the party at the last minute, they felt more cake was needed. So they asked me to bake a German chocolate "groom's cake". They provided me with an edible image and left the design up to me.

I had a general idea of what I wanted to do and I knew that the top would have to be iced with buttercream in order to apply the image. I baked two 9" x 13" German chocolate cakes and torted into four layers. I actually only used three layers, and it's a good thing because I cooked a single batch of coconut and pecan filling and had to scrape the bowl. Anyway, I layered the cakes and filling then iced the top of the cake with a vanilla/coconut buttercream, smoothed the top with a Viva paper towel and applied the image before it crusted. Then I applied the filling to the sides of the cake. It wasn't a thick filling so I had to add additional coconut flakes to get it to stick and not slide down.

Then, I mixed a batch of regular Hershey's Unsweetened cocoa frosting and used it to pipe the border around the image and the trim around the top and bottom of the cake. Then I piped their names and wedding date, but the cake was still too plain. So I decided to try my hand at roses. I don't think I've made roses since taking a Wilton class months ago. So I added more powdered sugar and some meringue powder to the frosting to stiffen it up and used a flower nail to make some roses. The frosting was still kind of soft so the petals kind of melted into each other, but they dried rather quickly, which minimized the problem. My friends had provided the gold 50 Years plaque, which I mounted in a rose cluster.

Once the chocolate frosting had crusted somewhat, I used a dry brush to apply gold luster dust to the rose petals and the piping that framed the image.

Although I'm never truly satisfied with anything I create, I thought it turned out quite nice. And they were pleased, so I guess it was a Mission Accomplished!

Grandmommy's Carrot Cake Meets the 21st Century

2008-07-07T00:21:00.007-05:00

My friend, Toni, loves carrot cake with cream cheese frosting, especially when I make the cake and frosting from scratch using a recipe from my maternal grandmother, Edwina Crowder Hebert. Toni's birthday is July 8th so I decided to bake a cake for her. I usually decorate carrot cakes with, you guessed it, CARROTS! So today I thought I'd try something different. I mixed up some bright, cheery colors and made it up as I went.

The result was a basketweave-trimmed cake with bright, happy flowers. I had also baked some carrot cake cupcakes, so I decorated them to match.

My grandmother passed away in 1976 when I was only eight years old, but her recipes and my memories of her live on. Here are some pictures of Grandmommy, along with some pics of my cake and cupcakes. You can view more pics of my grandmother and several others of my ancestors on Flickr! as well as many more pics of these cakes and others.

New Sugar Cookie and Rolled Chocolate Cookie Recipes

2008-07-03T21:59:00.010-05:00

I tried two new recipes. I wanted a tastier sugar cookie so I tried the recipe found in The Flour Pot Cookie Book by Margie Greenberg. And, oh my goodness! They are delicious. I rolled them 1/8 inch thick (used paint stirrers for my levelers). Iced them with the Antonia 74 royal icing recipe posted on Cake Central. This is definitely the royal icing recipe I will use until someone can convince me otherwise!

I also wanted a chocolate cookie for a dark background. I used the dark chocolate rolled sugar cookie recipe, also found on Cake Central. I didn't have any espresso powder. I used Hershey's Special Dark cocoa. They tasted AWESOME! I also rolled these 1/8 inch thick. They baked up nice and firm on the outside, but slightly soft on the inside.

I found the Cherry Blossom tree cookie on Flickr! posted by Nancy's Fancy. These were simple and fun to do, but no where nearly as perfect as Nancy's!

The birthday cookies were for my 8-year-old neighbor, Emma, whose favorite colors are purple and blue. I hand cut the cake cookie. It measures 7 1/2" x 5 1/2".

The round cookies were just for fun!

You can view more shots of these cookies and others in my C is for Cookie! set on Flickr!

My first royal icing decorated sugar cookies!

2008-06-15T22:34:00.009-05:00

After two months of research, I finally felt confident enough to try my hand at decorating sugar cookies. I owe a big Thank You to CakeCentral.com for all the inspiration I found while reading user posts and viewing the image gallery. I also checked out lots of websites like www.nancysfancycookies.com , www.rollingpinproductions.com , and www.alissweettreats.com , and read several cake and cookie decorating books.

For these cookies, I used the No Fail Sugar Cookie recipe and Antonia74 royal icing recipe found on CakeCentral.com

You can click here to view additional photos.

Ooh La La! Fleur de Lis Cake

2008-05-07T21:56:00.009-05:00

Finished this cake tonight. It's a birthday cake for a coworker who likes fleur de lis.

It's a double layer, 9-inch devil's food filled with chocolate Bavarian cream. I frosted it with chocolate frosting made from the recipe found on the Ghirardelli powdered chocolate can. Very yummy! The fleur de lis appliques are made from colorflow, which I painted with gold luster dust. There are eight, 2-inch tall fleur de lis around the side of the cake.

The base of the cake is decorated with chocolate sprinkles. I chose not to embellish the top rim of the cake because I thought it would have detracted from the simplicity of the design.

View the entire Fleur de Lis set on Flickr!

Glorious Ganache

2008-05-03T16:08:00.005-05:00

This cake was very simple to make. It's a five layer yellow cake with Bavarian cream filling. It is covered in buttercream frosting and drizzled with chocolate ganache.

Ganache with Panache: Sandi's Birthday Cake

2008-05-03T15:51:00.006-05:00

I surprised my friend, Sandi, with a chocolate cake for her birthday. She loves chocolate and chocolate covered strawberries, so I pulled out all the stops and invented a cake just for her.

It was a devil's food cake with chocolate Bavarian cream filling. I bought a can of Ghirardelli chocolate powder and made chocolate frosting using the recipe found on the label. It tasted fabulous! I then poured chocolate ganache over the entire cake. It was supposed to flow over the cake and drip down the sides but I learned an important lesson. Don't try this on a cake you have just removed from the refrigerator! The chocolate cools quickly and doesn't flow.

Then, I dipped fresh strawberries in the ganache and clustered them on top of the cake and placed them around the base of the cake. I drizzled them with melted white chocolate. Then I tried writing on the cake with the melted white chocolate. This didn't exactly work, as you can see.

But...the cake TASTED fantastic! One person said that each chocolate area was a little adventure. An adventure in chocolate. Sandi has named it her official birthday cake and said I must deliver one to her for her birthday every year.

Peeps Cupcakes

2008-05-03T15:21:00.006-05:00

In addition to making the Sunflower Cake for Easter, I wanted to make cupcakes for the kids. I frosted some in white buttercream and others in chocolate. I piped green buttercream grass and the girls helped me place Peeps marshmallows bunnies on top. Click here to see more pictures.

Sunflower Cakes & Cupcakes

2008-05-03T14:51:00.015-05:00

I wanted to bake a cake for Easter, but I wanted it to be something unexpected - no bunnies or eggs. I decided sunflowers would be very spring like. A quick Google search found Debbie Weaver's instructions for making sunflowers for decorating cupcakes or cakes. I baked an 8" three-layer yellow pound cake, filled with Bavarian cream. I frosted it with buttercream and followed her instructions and this was the final product. I used dark chocolate cocoa powder to help achieve the dark brown color of the seeds. The great thing was that it tasted as good as it looked. Once I convinced everyone it was OK to cut it, they devoured it! You can click here to view all of my sunflower cake and cupcake photos.

A friend of mine, Robin, saw my first sunflower cake pictures and asked if I would decorate a cake for her mother's birthday party. She brought me two 9" round lemon-flavored cakes. I torted them and filled them with lemon curd. I frosted them in a lemon-cream cheese frosting. I used buttercream for the flowers. You can click here to see all the photos.

Robin's sister-in-law, Sam, loves sunflowers. I had to bake some cakes the following Sunday, one of which was a sunflower cake for a friend and co-worker, Debbie. So I used the extra cake batter to make cupcakes for Sam. Debbie's cake was a square lemon cake. I filled it and frosted it with lemon buttercream frosting. It was a belated Administration Professionals Appreciation day cake.

Wilton Cake Decorating: Course 2

2008-05-03T14:40:00.006-05:00

In this course we learned to make birds using the colorflow technique and we made flowers using royal icing. In the first three classes, we made flowers that we brought home to dry. For the final class, we brought a cake crumb coated in buttercream and frosted on top.

We learned to cover the sides with the basketweave technique. This is actually quite easy once you get into a rhythm. Then we trimmed the bottom using the rope technique. I trimmed the top edge with reverse shells. Then we arranged all the flowers and the birds we made in the previous classes.

My flowers were brighter than I would have liked, but I was still happy with the final product. I would like to try making a chocolate cake with chocolate basketweave around the sides. I think I'd like to decorate the top with chocolate molded leaves and chocolate covered strawberries!

Wilton Cake Decorating: Course 1

2008-05-03T14:15:00.015-05:00

I recently took Wilton courses 1 & 2 in cake decorating. We learned to decorate cakes using buttercream icing, royal icing, and colorflow.

Our first assignment was to bake a cake using a character pan and a star tip. I chose a purse because I wanted something with as few colors possible. This technique is easy, but it causes my hand to cramp.

Our second assignment was to learn how to make a shell border, write freehand, and pipe characters from icing. We had to make clowns. I'm not a fan of clowns so I wasn't thrilled about the assignment. Basically, the trunks, arms, and legs of the clowns were thickly piped frosting with no structural support. The heads were plastic picks.

The frosting was still wet when we left class and I had a pretty long drive home. I think I hit every pothole along the way and knew there was no way the two sitting clowns would still be upright.
When I got home we all had a good laugh because the sitting clowns had fallen down. They looked drunk. The third clown looked like he just didn't have the strength to climb to the top of the cake! I dubbed it my "Drunk Ass Clowns Cake" and everyone who sees it, loves it.

Our final class had us decorate a cake with basic buttercream roses. Making a good rose is quite a challenge, but I think I did OK.