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Beautiful Cakes

I heard about the White Flower Cake Shoppe in Ohio on a Food Network Challenge. They were creating Sesame Street Cakes, and they were awesome. I enjoy that show and especially like the cake competitions. It's amazing what they can do with various ingredients and techniques.

I went to White Flower's website and was browsing through their wedding cakes. They do some gorgeous work, and I wanted to share a few pictures here. They have photos of the cakes along with a short description about their inspiration.

The Jessica, based upon a bride's gown and her bouquet


The Amy, for a nautical-themed wedding


The Darcy, "inspired by bold bright colors and patterns"


Art Nouveau, inspired by artist Gustav Klimft


The Marianne, "inspired by the bride's favorite colors, patterns and designs"

So many gorgeous cakes! Each cake in the wedding gallery on their website is shown in two photos, one of which features a closer look at the detail work. They're worth checking out. I look forward to exploring the other categories in their online gallery.

I'm Such a Slacker

Okay, I have not been keeping up with posting on this blog. Obviously. I think once Rachel starts Kindergarten, I'll be able to post much more easily. But still, it's kind of sad that I haven't taken a few minutes here and there to post occasionally. I hope to improve on that, even before school starts in September. (September 3, woo! Or rather, September 4, woo! Since September 3 is a short orientation day and I'll be there, too.)

But I do have good news to report. Of the last 9 days of Body Tests on the Wii Fit, I have shown a weight loss in 8 of them. I feel like I'm actually finally starting to make a little progress, and it's inspiring me to do better with my eating, too. I'm not completely cutting out sugar or fat or doing anything particularly drastic. But I'm trying to make sure I'm eating more vegetables with my meals, and having some protein in the morning, and not going overboard with sweet treats.

I feel like I've turned a corner in my weight loss efforts, in that I'm actually taking them seriously, especially now that I've started to see progress. It's odd to me that seeing progress makes me want to try harder, when you'd think that *not* seeing progress would make me want to try harder in order to see said progress. I guess the progress itself is the motivator for me.

With that in mind, James sent me an article from Readers Digest about portion control. There are probably some tips that you've heard before, but it has some good common-sense hints. My favorite, and one I don't think I'd heard before, is to remove a portion of the food in your dishes before you sit down for the meal, saving your leftovers ahead of time. It helps cut down on the temptation to overeat since there's less food sitting before you, and you don't want to take more than your share. Plus you're ensuring that you have enough for a second meal, so it actually stretches your budget, too.

I really like that tip and think that I'll be using it when I make casseroles and other meals like that. Those are probably the ones where I'm most tempted to just put another big ol' spoonful on the plate.

The Fallout of a President Talking

Here's one of the reasons I love "Better Off Ted":

More Time

So lately this blog has been turning into a series of clips and links, and while those are fun, I don't want that to be all that's contained here. I frequently think of something to write about when I'm not at the computer or am in the middle of something else, then either forget about it or don't get around to it in a timely manner.

It just seems like there's always something else to be done. Much of that is keeping up with the housework. I'm astounded by how much time is spent just on getting all the dishes, placemats and bibs clean. There seem to be too many handwash items, but I don't think that can be avoided when you have kids. I try to keep on top of them so it doesn't build up too much in one day. Plus there's all the other regular housework, getting the kids ready for the day, meals, changing Ben's diaper, playing with them, giving baths, taking Rachel to school and picking her up, putting receipts into our budgeting program, pulling weeds, pruning bushes, watering plants and the grass, making meals, taking Rachel to dance class, choir, small group, church, young women's fellowship...there's a lot going on.

Then there are things like visiting with James' parents regularly, seeing my mom, fitting in a scrapbooking day once a month, trips to the library, meal planning and grocery-list making, grocery and household shopping, lunch with James once a week and exercise.

Wow, when I write all that down, it seems a little overwhelming. And it's certainly no surprise that I'm having trouble finding time to blog. But our lives are full in a good way. Not that I would object to hiring someone to clean our house once a week when our budget allows for it someday, but we're blessed by God with a comfortable home, family nearby, 2 beautiful (even if they're challenging at times) children, warm-hearted friends, a solidly grounded church and responsibilities that help us to feel productive. We are truly blessed beyond measure and grateful.

So now I need to carve out a few minutes here and there to occasionally write about things that are more personal or have more depth. Nothing wrong with pop culture, but I don't want this to solely be about pop culture.

Saving Chuck

If you haven't seen Chuck, you're missing out. The show is a great combination of humor, romance, adventure and drama, and last night's season (and hopefully not series) finale contained all of them in one hugely entertaining package. If you're a fan of Chuck and would like to express your support to NBC, you can click on this link, choose "Chuck" from the pulldown, and write an e-mail asking them to renew the show:

http://www.nbc.com/Footer/Contact_Us/?__status=1

Usually when a letter or e-mail is received about a show, the network figures there are dozens of other viewers represented who didn't write in, so it counts for something.

I really hope NBC keeps this show on the air and allows the storylines to continue moving forward.

The Three Day Rule

According to Barney Stinson on How I Met Your Mother, 3 days is the appropriate number a man should wait before calling a woman whose phone number he's just gotten. Why? Because of Jesus: