Cake tease

Imagine a room full of cake samples; whipped, butter cream, ganache and cream cheese frostings abound.  Layers of cake in chocolate, red velvet, vanilla, yellow, carrot and more.  I bet you would be happy to pay admission to sample this bliss, I know I would.  That is, unless it meant that I would have to be elbow to elbow with bridezillas and their accompanying families and wedding parties.  As you may have guessed, this potential cake bliss that I'm referring to is actually one of the many wedding planning expos that are held each year.  Suddenly that room of cake has become the unwanted,over cooked, from a can, vegetable that is staring at your 5 year old self.  If you eat the gross vegetable you can have the cake, only in this case the vegetable is also full of crazy family members and budgetary drama.  The icing on the cake (it hurt me as much to type that, as it did for you to read it) is that in addition to my passion for cake, I love event planning.  These cake tasting meccas are also chock full of anyone and everyone involved with putting together a successful event.   Really, this cake tasting opportunity is the closest I get to a BizBash experience in Madison.  What's BizBash you ask?  Oh, just a favorite magazine of mine that is dedicated to event planning on a large scale.  Just wait until I fill you in on my passion for packaging - seriously, when will the fun stop - or is that start? Back to more important things, like, cake.

During my stint as an Accidental Wedding Planner, I did attend a few wedding expos.  While the focus at that time was about each specific couple, there was certainly cake joy.  But, what if, I went to this explosion of 'I Do' with just cake in mind?  Forget getting hitched, I'm getting five layers of moist, delicate, never argue with me, full of sweetness, cake.  For better or worse, it'll stick around too.  I wonder if I could get away with wearing sunglasses, an ipod and just going for the cake samples.  Maybe bride watching to my own tunes would actually be fun.  Or maybe I should plan an unwedding.  No bride, no groom, just a big party with lots of dancing, presents, flowers and cake.  Which side of the family do you think pays for an unwedding?  Until I get that figured out you brides best look out.  I've got a lot less to loose when we find ourselves face to face, ready to fight over the last sample of dark chocolate cake with chocolate whipped cream and fresh raspberry filling, coated in dark chocolate ganache.  My family and friends would likely cheer me on and my future in-laws aren't watching.

 

When I grow up, I want to be...

I have a new answer to ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’ I want to be on vacation.  I just completed the longest stretch of vacation I have had since I became a working girl (no, I don’t mean *that* kind of working girl).  It turns out I am incredibly qualified for, and skilled at, being on vacation.  Below please find an overview of my most recent vacation submitted as my resume and application for the job of Director of Vacation. 

Vacation began with the most important indicator of a vacation day, sleeping in.  Of course I recovered from all of that exhausting sleep by watching The Price is Right.  Crappy daytime TV was well represented on my vacation including hours of game shows, talk shows and reruns of old prime time shows.  I’ve watched enough of Nate Berkus to decide I enjoy his show, it’s good to see him getting less nervous.  I’m fairly certain that some of my grey matter actually oozed out trying to escape the attack of daytime TV.

Some treats for good girls and boys

I got to visit with many friends and their kids, and I spent some quality time with my parents before their winter migration.  I went sugar elfing delivering handcrafted sweets to good girls and boys.

Picnic in the van

I went on a picnic in a friend’s new van. We dined in the back passenger seats and enjoyed butternut squash soup, spinach salad with orange, cranberries and fennel and turkey avocado sandwiches. After dinner we took a drive through the holiday light display which I hadn’t done in years, quite the fun evening. 

Those of us who were versed in ‘flick, drink (toe up), flick pass’ taught some newbies how to drink a boot at the Essenhaus. It wasn’t in the plans but when karaoke started at The Come Back Inn it was necessary to change venues.

House projects that were completed:  replaced kitchen sink sprayer, installed replacement trash drawer (thanks Mike!), complete organization of basement (only took me 4 years), printed, framed and hung several photos, hung a mirror, vacuum sealed the windows, cleaned out the freezer, and oh so much more.

Although an early dinner on New Year’s Eve consisted of more fried food than I ate during the rest of 2010, vacation also marked the official start of Operation Skinny Girl.  I’m running so I can reduce the inflated state of my body (thanks steroids!).  As a bonus for working out at a gym, today I saw proof that out of shape 40 somethings should not play shirts vs. skins. I’m sure another easy solution to differentiate between teams is available.  I was also treated to the wafts of pungent body odor that were generated by rowing guy.  Thanks rowing guy.  

Awesome tool box find

I wandered an antique store, St. Vinny’s, and the House of Thrift all the while finding entertainment in the recent juxtaposition of my reality TV show watching – American Pickers vs. Hoarders.  There’s a fine line between digging for treasure and having a bunch of junk that you consider to be treasures.  I did make some great finds including: a cake plate, candy dish, tool box, earrings, mini baskets, fabric, silk handkerchief and porcelain Christmas tree dishes.

Beef and chorizo burger with bean
 and corn salad and grill pineapple

I played host to a holiday brunch, a pre New Year’s dinner and a Packer game with nachos (mmmm nachos).    

Finally, although this could indicate a lack of commitment to the Director of Vacation position, a highlight of my time off was receiving my new business cards (Thanks Beth!), now it’s getting serious!

Please know that I am available to start as Director of Vacation immediately.  I appreciate your consideration and look forward to our partnership.