Monday, February 22, 2010

Gimme a break...

HEY!

I'm taking a little break to re-focus.

I'm juggling a lot right now 
(and I don't even have kids yet!  YIKES!) 
and important things are kind of  
slipping to the wayside.
 
SO, 
[in an effort to re-prioritize and run things smoothly]
I'm putting some stuff on hold 
[like, um... blogging
until I can figure out my  
NEW GROOVE.
 
In the  meantime, though, I'll still be checking out your blogs and seeing what's up.
And besides, if you really miss me, you can always reach me

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

The Fame... It's Going to My Head...

Um, so I know I'm no celebrity, but there's something about being asked for advice that makes me feel super important.  

Like I'm some sort of ZENITH of knowledge.

A wealth of information.

A source of all there is to know.

The end-all be-all of ---
OK, do you get the point yet?   
Can I let my big head deflate now?

Last week, Amber of Amber's Life sent me an email asking me if I had a good recipe for red velvet cupcakes.

Do I have a good recipe for red velvet cupcakes?

Uh...

Does Gertie Rock?  Does doing taxes stink?  Are Reality TV shows overrated?
 [answers: yes, yes, and double yes]

You get my point.

 So yes, I had a recipe to share with her as well as my own recipe for cream cheese frosting.

Here's what she came up with:
Look at these little beauties!  
Look how RICH and RED they are!!

Ohhhhh... that's what a red velvet should look like...

Here they are iced:
Mmmm... word on the streets is that these suckers didn't last long...

Check out the sweet little sprinkles she found to put on top:
Awwww...

Thanks for petting my ego making my day, Amber!! 

(And hey, if any of you get a chance, go check out her blog Designs by Amber, too.  She's so talented!)

Monday, February 15, 2010

I'm Really Loving It.

 It's Monday night, I'm watching Cake Boss, and I'm thinking over and over again how happy I am about my new job.

In case you haven't heard, I finally got a job and --as if that weren't great enough-- it's AT A BAKERY.

DOES IT GET ANY BETTER THAN THIS!?

It's a sweet, family-run bakery where the owners are really invested in the  
happiness
of not only their customers but their employees, too.

Everyone works together as a team.

Everyone's having fun.

It can get really busy
(as was evidenced by the trial-by-fire I experienced this past Valentine's week)
but there's just something about helping people find
exactly what they're looking for
that makes for a really satisfying feeling.

Tomorrow begins Week 2.
I'll let you know how it goes!

Mustache Monday - Puss in 'Stache

Meet Gertie.
Gertie is a cat.

Gertie is Lauren's cat.

Good cat, Gertie.

See Gertie.

See Gertie play.
Play, Gertie, play!

Gertie is tired.

See Gertie snuggle.
 Snuggle, Gertie, snuggle!

Gertie has style.

Gertie sports a 'stache.
Sport that 'stache, Gertie, sport that 'stache.

Gertie rocks.

Thursday, February 11, 2010

This Kinda Love

In light of Valentine's Day coming up, 
I've been thinking a lot about LOVE


When we talk about love,
we're typically talking about the
{love between two people}

Between parent and child,

between siblings,

between husband and wife,

between friends...

But how often do we stop to think of the love that our furry friends have for us?

Look how happy this dog is that his master is home!

What a beautiful thing :)



Wouldn't you like to share
THIS KINDA LOVE?

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

I might actually have a future after all.

 I am SO tired.
But I am so happy.

I had such a great first day of work.

I think I found it, guys.

I think I found  
where I belong.

[[My dream job]]

I am so happy.

And just to think...
a mere two weeks ago,
this was me:


Me + Bakery =

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

My Valentine's Day Blind Date


BAM.

Aside from munching on See's chocolates and snuggling with my honey, THIS is what I'm doing for Valentine's Day.

Yep, a Valentine's Day Gift Exchange!  
Thanks to Holly Noelle (the Domestic Dork)'s  amazing matching abilities, I got paired with Lauren of The Little Goat.  Lauren's this spunky, fun, eclectic blogger from NorCal who's got all sorts of fun stuff going on on her blog.

For example:

♥  She just got engaged...
  She has an Etsy shop...
[and]
  Every now and then, if you're lucky, you'll get to read a post by her fiance, Mick

Since I had only just met Lauren and didn't know much about her, I set out to reading some of her posts to get a better idea about who she is.

First, I found this post that she wrote about her new-found love of houndstooth.

"Hmm..." I thought, "That hat up there has a little heart on it... Would that make a good Valentine's Day gift...?"

"Nah."
It just wasn't quite right.

So I read on.

And I checked out her store.

And I saw this. 

"QUE????" I asked myself, before quickly reminding myself that I don't speak Spanish.

She likes mustaches??  This is awesome!  This is great!  I like her already!!
But then I couldn't find anything with mustaches on it that seemed appropriate for Valentine's Day.

:-/

I had to keep reminding myself that this wasn't supposed to be just a regular shmegular present.

Blah.

So I went back to her blog.  And I read further.  And then...

...then, my friends...

I found this (on this post here):


Isn't it GLORIOUS!?  
Oh it's so fantastic I can't help myself -- I want it for ME!  
ME ME ME!!

But sadly thankfully I had someone else to buy it for.  So I did.  I bought it for her.
HER HER HER!!

And I hope she likes it.

And I think she will.

And I think you should go check her out, because, well, she's pretty neat.

She might even be worthy of a mustache ;)

No promises, though!

Monday, February 8, 2010

FINALLY!!

"Let's Eat Out" - Gil Elvgren, 1967
 
I am so, SO happy to be able to write this because this is something that  
I've wanted for so long...

I,  
[[Miss Dot]]
have a job...  
AT A BAKERY!!

Ever since I was a little girl, I dreamed about working in a bakery.

When people get a baked treat, it's always something special.

That's why it's called a TREAT, silly!

To be a part of that [[something special]] seemed SO FANTASTIC to me.

Whether it be something as simple as the eclair that a lady decided to treat herself to at the end of a long workweek or the cookies a mom promised her kids in return for good behavior, being a part of the treat chain (as I like to call it) has long been something I've wanted to do.

It even goes further, though;
to get the chance to be part of someone's special day...
to help take the order for a birthday cake,
an anniversary cake,
a wedding cake...

I mean, think about it:  
When customers order from us, they have chosen (and entrusted!) this bakery (and, in essence, chosen me) for the task of ensuring that their celebration is perfect.  And what a task to be given!  I am just so excited to start and learn and begin helping people make their celebrations amazing.

I want to be that key piece that helps put everything together.

I want to hand them their cake and have them say:
"THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I WANTED"

or, even better:
"THIS IS PERFECT."

I know there will be rough days and unsatisfied/unruly customers, but hopefully those will be few and far between and the pros will outweigh the cons.

Keep me in mind come Wednesday (my first day!) and I'll let you know how it goes :)

[]

Lisa Leonard Designs Giveaway! 

Also, if you're in the Valentine's Day mood (either for yourself or a loved one), check out this giveaway hosted by one of my favorite bloggers, Jenn of Living the Simple Life.

After checking out all of the beautiful jewelry on Lisa Leonard's site, I have to say that this is my favorite piece -- that is, if I have to choose just one.  She has such a unique style -- so clean, crisp, and classy!
Illuminate Necklace

What would YOU choose? 
Hurry, you only have until midnight Tuesday to enter!

Sunday, February 7, 2010

Mustache Monday - All in the Family

I have been asked 
(on more than one occasion):
WHAT'S WITH THE MUSTACHES?

What's with the mustaches,  you ask?

Well, it's simple.

Like John Marcum's silver dollars
mustaches are my 
calling cards.

But let's just get one thing straight:
[[NOT EVERYONE GETS A 'STACHE]]

The mustache ain't for everyone, folks.

Firstly,
It's a symbol of my appreciation.
It means that I think you're pretty neat.

Secondly,
It's a symbol of our friendship. 
 It means that you're counted among the people I call friends.

Lastly,
It's a symbol that you're worthy.
It means that I have chosen you as someone who is COOL enough to understand 
the awesomeness of the 'stache.

Basically, it means I like you.


Just like I like my sister Katie
Especially on her birthday.
[That's my sister on the left with her friend Catherine on the right]

And just like I like Megan
who chose some of her own friends to share the  
[[awesomeness of the 'stache]]
with on her birthday.
[There's Megan on the left with her worthy friends on the right]

That's right, people.  Not everyone is worthy of the 'stache.  But if I have deemed you cool enough, fun enough, and just downright awesome enough to sport the mustache, then you too might find yourself with a random mustache or two in your next batch of cupcakes.

The 'stache has spoken.

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Burgers for Dinner: Catch and Release

If you can't tell by the little pitiful sick-looking troll doll duck dust bunny wad of grass creature in the post below, I've been kind of  
{OUT OF IT} 
this week.

[Quick thanks to Mr. Dot for hopping online Sunday night and posting that for me so no one thought I drowned in cupcake batter]
•••
[Another quick moment to think about how awesome it would be to drown in cupcake batter]

Death by Cupcake.

Bring it on.

Sunday, though, did not feel like "Death by Cupcake."  Sunday just felt like death.

Thanks to a [poorly cooked?] hamburger eaten the night before at a local joint down the street, I spent over 17 hours hugging the porcelain throne [of death].

Dramatization:
Gracias, Altered Barbie

Though at the time I found nothing especially enlightening about the whole situation, now that I have regained my sea land-legs, I am trying to gain a fresh perspective.

Therefore, I'm actually thankful for the tainted  
||BURGER-of-DOOM||
because:

•  I lost 4 pounds (which I may or may not have gained back since I've begun eating again) 
(read: since I've been able to keep more than a single Wheat Thin in my stomach)
•  I gained a personal, one-on-one relationship with the floor just under the sink ledge that I did not have before
(and have subsequently Swiffered, sprayed, and washed every inch of it thoroughly)
•  I am no longer tempted by the thought of eating burgers or fries
(at least, for the time being...)

For a while there, in fact, I actually considered that perhaps the  
VSTADAEOOWT Diet 
["Vomit-Seven-Times-A-Day-And-Eat-Only-One-Wheat-Thin" Diet]
 was going to be the diet for me, but then I remembered one key thing:

I like food going down better than coming back up.

Ah well, can't win 'em all.

[]

In the meantime, though -- keep your fingers crossed and do that praying thing again.  I had a second interview at a bakery down the street (not this cupcake place, though -- they're still not open!  Dunno what's going on there...) that I'm so excited about.  I've been trying to get my resume in there since we first moved up here and all of a sudden they started hiring just a couple weeks ago so the timing was perfect.  I should hear back sometime tomorrow or Saturday.

GAH!!