Birthday Madness

Please allow me to introduce myself...I am the Ace of Fakes.

This is what happens when you spend way too much time watching Food Network.  You actually believe that you know what you're doing with fondant.  It looks simple enough - roll it out like pie crust and cut it with cookie cutters.

Then make your cake and slap some icing on it.  If you're really feeling like an over-acheiver, make it a three layer cake.  Just because.

Then wait until you have a room full of giggly teenage girls who are all hyped up on Mountain Dew and sushi.  Give each of them a fondant star and an edible frosting pen - let them go to town.  It's fun to watch.

When everyone has smeared written their names, arrange the fondant stars on top of the cake.  Martha would be proud - not.

After delicately arranging the stars, realize that you have neglected to leave room for 15 candles.  Very quickly poke five candles into the surface of the cake.  Cross your fingers that nobody notices.

Stand back and let the frenzy begin!

And be sure to give your scraps to cute brown dogs wearing rugby shirts.

 

 

Have a wonderful weekend!  

Clearing Out The Cobwebs

source 

What's the old saying, the road to h*ll is paved with good intentions?

 

I had a few really good posts prepared (at least in my head).  They're still there, rolling around in the cobwebs and waiting to see the light of day.  The time change really did a number on me this year.  I find that most nights it's all I can do to get dinner made before passing out on the couch at 9:00.  I've had little energy to do anything other than the most basic of tasks. 

 

Yesterday Jay and I celebrated our 20th anniversary,  and today the Princess turns 15.  She had a party this past weekend with several of her friends, and let's just say that 9 teenage girls plus soda, chicken wings, pizza, and sushi equals more giggling and goofiness than you can shake a stick at.  Photos of the insanity to follow soon.

A bright spot on the horizon is Thanksgiving.  I'm very thankful that we are going to Ray and Debra's house this year, and my culinary contribution will be cookies, dessert, and drinks.  I'm hoping we take the "back" way instead of the interstate, so I can look at the trees.  

See you tomorrow!

 

Not Wireless...

But at least I'm here :-)

No cable or internet for days on end really makes you feel like you're cut off from the outside world.  But somehow we all seemed to find plenty to do that didn't involve the 'net or the TV.

Our new home phone line was hooked up last Monday.  It's been years since we've had a land-line and we actually had to go out and buy a phone!  It was cheaper to do a "bundle" and have a landline, internet, and DirecTV than it was to pay for cable alone, and our new internet is also considerably cheaper than Mediacrime.

So what did I do with all my free time?

For starters, I put a chalkboard on my refrigerator and got a little carried away with a paint marker.  Take an old chalkboard that was sitting unloved in the laundry room, add some of Marie's copper acrylic paint and one of Jay's paint markers, and you end up with this:

I attached it to the freezer with four Command strips, and not, as Jay feared, with sheet metal screws.  The look on his face when I told him my plan was priceless!

I'll be back tomorrow night with a burlap pillow and a family treasure - a child-sized rocking chair that Frank's step-father gave me for the Princess.

I'm Baaack!

Sort of.

The internet is up and running, but unfortunately the wireless router isn't. There's always a catch, isn't there?

We were able to get the laptop online last night, but it has to hook up directly to the modem. Jay has a few ideas up his sleeve involving wires and splitters and who knows what, so keep your fingers crossed!

Wired or wireless, I hope to be back tonight with some posts.

:)

The Woe of Mediacom

We have decided to part ways with our current internet provider. Our internet has been on and off (mostly off) for several days and we've reached the conclusion that enough is enough. Especially considering the ridiculous amount of money the cable company wants to charge just for the privilege of using their system for internet only.

All being well, I hope to be back online towards the end of the week.

Technology...it's a beautiful thing.

When it works...