Gingerbread!

I made this gingerbread cabin a few years ago and just found the pictures again and I was super excited so ya'all get to see them! I have been making gingerbread houses for many years, it's something that my mom and I enjoyed doing together when I was growing up. With this particular house, realistic looking was my goal. Everything on the tray is edible, from the chimney down the sugar water stream with floating "ice" chunks. Imagine that the door is broken and standing open because a bear scared away the people while they were roasting marchmallows outside because he wanted to hibernate inside....yup..that's what MUST have happened!
Now, the only question is...what kind of gingerbread creation should I do this year?

More baking!

Yet more baking adventures! I'm learning as I go along and enjoying it, even when things go a little haywire...we had a few cupcake misadventures today before the final product was captured on film..... I probably shouldn't have a favorite since I made all three but the butterfly is my favorite!

Why “Siftables” (They’re New Digital Blocks from MIT) Are Not, Not, Not Better Than Regular Blocks.

I found this article while doing "research" for a new cake idea I had and it resonated with me and the way I want my children to learn. Give children a large cardboard refrigerator box, pots and pans and some crayons and let them play! (Somewhat simplified view, as my children will have other toys, I assure you!)

Why “Siftables” (They’re New Digital Blocks from MIT) Are Not, Not, Not Better Than Regular Blocks.

More random pictures from our past!
Scott and his dad did 99% of the move when we moved into our new apartment!

Scott posing while we were in Las Vegas on our honeymoon, what a hottie!

This picture is from FHE in the singles ward where we met, right when I was starting to really like Scott! Scott is in the stripes and I'm in the blue shirt and khakis.

Also right after we met, I was unemployed and Scott found me a job as the manager of the Easter Bunny photo shoot in the mall(like the Christmas photos with Santa). When my bunny quit I had to be the bunny unexpectly. Needles to say the outfit was made for a taller, bigger person! I had hoped that Scott would come and see me because he knew I was going to be the bunny but I never saw him and was super disappointed. Then, at the end of the day my coworker gace me a bunny bouquet Scott had dropped off and I had been too distracted to notice. It was a large carrot and carnations wrapped up together. What a sweetie! Part of what attracted me to Scott was that he was unusual and thoughtful in his dating and that's a classic example!

As I have been uploading all the pictures from my camera onto the computer I decided to share a random mix of pictures from our past! Don't expect a lot of order!
This picture is from our honeymoon. One of our day trips from the house we stayed in was to Las Vegas!

This is right after we were married and moved into our first apartment!

Christmas eve my brother Jon and his wife Amy did a christmas eve dinner where you sit on the floor and eat traditional food from the "east" and read the Christmas story.

Right after my dance competition this past spring. Don't I have a handsome husband!

One long night!

Last night was a first in my life. I picked up Scott from work about 12:30 and we drove home. We worked on a few things that needed to be done before we turned in for the night and then Scott says, would you come over here and see if you smell something. So, I walked into the kitchen and it took me a minute to smell it but I could smell gasoline. The window was open and so we oepned the door and were hit with a big wave of gasoline smell. Scott got the flashlights and started to investigate. Our apartment is on the end on the building on the middle floor and the smell seemed to be coming from the fence area that separates our parking lot from the neighbors. The closer we got to the fence we heard a dripping sound. It sounded like liquid rapidly dripping onto metal. That was a little frightening combined with the smell. I DON"T WANT MY APARTMENT TO BURN DOWN!! Scott climbed onto the dumpster but couldn't see anything. So, he called the police department and they said they would send a fire truck over. Scott waited on the sidewalk for them and you could hear them coming even without the sirens. Some of the neighbors woke up but much to my disappointment our annoying downstairs neighbors slept through the experience. The firemen checked things out and were a little worried by the dripping noise and after throughly checking our side of the fence and using their cool little gadgets to check the fumes they headed around the block to check the other persons yard. Not sure what happened after that but I did the fire truck on the other side of the block. I do feel bad for the people who live across the street, where the fire truck was parked and let running with no explanation to them. I guess we'll have to wait and see if anything else comes of it.

Confessions of a closet baker!

I have always had an obsessions with baking that I tried to hide. BUT, no more! I WILL NOT HIDE MY PASSION!! I have done a lot of thinking and decided to open my own cake and cupcake business next year out of our house! I want to specialize in cut-up cakes like the ones I remember my mom making when I was growing up and cupcakes.


This snake cake was made last summer on the spur of the moment for my nephews birthday party and the boys all thought it was pretty cool. Not too bad for a beginner...

Over this past weekend my brother Jon and his wife Amy hosted a homemade root beer tasting party and so I took the opportunity to work on my cake skills.

I have to say that these cakes aren't the prettiest or the most perfect but I am pretty proud of them when I consider that I made them without any professional supplies(used sandwhich bags for piping words, table knife for frosting the cake) and no room in the freezer to freeze the cake before shaping it. There are, of course, things I would do differently next time, but overall I am pretty happy with it! I am super excited to start taking the Wilton cake classes and getting more experience and tools to improve my baking!
I have the most supportive husband who has given me the go ahead and wants to help me in any way he can, who could ask for more than that? Thanks Scott!!