It has been a week since my last blog and I must say I have totally slacked in the craft department! After my interview (which I STILL have not heard back form the company!) I ended up getting sick with some sort of stomach virus and now I have a sinus infection so aside from working I have been sleeping pretty much all day! I am going through craft withdrawl. The closest I have gotten to crafting this week is sketching out a few designs for my best friend's baby shower cake I will be making. I have so many ideas it will be hard to pick the perfect cake for her!
On that note I am so tired I feel like I am going to pass out so no more blogging for me today! But on my agenda for next week is another leotard, and making a shadow box for my Daughter's competition leotard.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Wish Me Luck!
In about 5 minutes I am off to my interview! I already have butterflies in my stomach! I know I shouldn't be nervous, I just can't help it! To break the ice a little bit I printed photo of my cakes I have already made and I also took a little time to make a little elephant out of fondant to bring with me just in case we don't work with fondant at the interview today!
Here he is, my good luck elephant. What should I name him?
Here he is, my good luck elephant. What should I name him?
Monday, February 16, 2009
Going On An Interview! ... and I'm kinda feakin out!!
So as if I didn't have enough going on in my life already I decided I needed to weigh myself down more! I sent a local bakery some photos of my cakes and asked if they would be interested in a part time decorator. I love to decorate but doing so in my home can be stressful. You know with the dogs that I have to lock in the kennel for hours so they don't get in the kitchen, the kids coming in wanting to see the progress or taste the icing, the husband wanting all the cake tops I shave off to level the cake and of course the endless amount of time I have to get out and put away supplies because of other things I have to do in the kitchen, like make meals and feed my family something other than cake scraps.
With that being said the bakery promptly gave me a call saying that they were impressed with my work and would like me to come in for an interview. They know I have a full time job already and a family yet they still seem willing to give me the opportunity to try and work out some sort of part time thing that could benefit us both.
So now I sit here, with an interview scheduled for Thursday afternoon, wondering ..... "what did I just get myself into?" Between the morning school routine, morning work shift, afternoon school routine, making dinners, shuttling to and from after school activities, evening work shift and billions of OTHER crafts I want to dig my hands into ... oh and the leotards that the moms from my daughter's gym are asking me to make that they will PAY me for .... I go and get an interview to be a decorator at a bakery. Am I insane? Wait don't answer that!
On the up side, IF I decide that the schedule will somehow work out for me, I will be PAID to craft! How freakin awesome is that. and MY house won't be the house getting messy while I craft.
So keep your fingers crossed for me! I have not been on a real job interview in quite some time, and definitely never been on one where I have to put on an apron and play with frosting for my potential boss. It will be a test of skills I am sure ... you know .... to make sure those cakes I emailed them were indeed made by me. I could either end up loving the fact that I finally have a reason to get out of the house and not feel guilty about not being here to take care of my motherly and household duties or I could add so much more responsibility and stress to my life that I have a mental breakdown ...... Only time will tell.
With that being said the bakery promptly gave me a call saying that they were impressed with my work and would like me to come in for an interview. They know I have a full time job already and a family yet they still seem willing to give me the opportunity to try and work out some sort of part time thing that could benefit us both.
So now I sit here, with an interview scheduled for Thursday afternoon, wondering ..... "what did I just get myself into?" Between the morning school routine, morning work shift, afternoon school routine, making dinners, shuttling to and from after school activities, evening work shift and billions of OTHER crafts I want to dig my hands into ... oh and the leotards that the moms from my daughter's gym are asking me to make that they will PAY me for .... I go and get an interview to be a decorator at a bakery. Am I insane? Wait don't answer that!
On the up side, IF I decide that the schedule will somehow work out for me, I will be PAID to craft! How freakin awesome is that. and MY house won't be the house getting messy while I craft.
So keep your fingers crossed for me! I have not been on a real job interview in quite some time, and definitely never been on one where I have to put on an apron and play with frosting for my potential boss. It will be a test of skills I am sure ... you know .... to make sure those cakes I emailed them were indeed made by me. I could either end up loving the fact that I finally have a reason to get out of the house and not feel guilty about not being here to take care of my motherly and household duties or I could add so much more responsibility and stress to my life that I have a mental breakdown ...... Only time will tell.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
PhotoShop Is My Friend!
Did you ever wonder how all those models look so perfect! with the help of a good makeup artist and a great photo editing software ANYONE can look great! I by no means am perfect or even have a great complexion. After having kids I have struggled with adult acne. I find that the camera often is not my friend. I have tried very hard to become friends with my little pocket size image capturing device but it seems that no matter how much makeup I pack onto my face (and I HATE makeup) that little device seems to pick up on every flaw!
That is when I realized that I too can look like I have a flawless complexion. I often get those comments from people wanting to know what kind of makeup I use because my skin looks great in my photos. My response "photoshop" lol. I am not to proud to admit that I am digitally enhanced in about 75% of the photos I post on the internet. After all, I am the crafting queen! I want everything else in my life to look all cute and pretty, why wouldn't I want my own photos to look that way too? Who wants to open up a photo book 50 years from now and look back with the grandkids about all the fun stuff you did with their mommy or daddy when THEY were kids and all they can see is that big red dot on your nose? All of you with kids who what I am talking about when I say kids are brutally honest! "eew mom, what happened to your forehead?? there is a big red bump on it!" I don't like hearing it now I definitely don't want to hear it when I am 70 years old and going through my memories with a brand new generation of munchkins who are full of uncensored questions.
So since most people don't get to see my before photos I figure I will post one today.
BEFORE PHOTOSHOP
AFTER PHOTOSHOP
AFTER MORE PHOTOSHOP
That is when I realized that I too can look like I have a flawless complexion. I often get those comments from people wanting to know what kind of makeup I use because my skin looks great in my photos. My response "photoshop" lol. I am not to proud to admit that I am digitally enhanced in about 75% of the photos I post on the internet. After all, I am the crafting queen! I want everything else in my life to look all cute and pretty, why wouldn't I want my own photos to look that way too? Who wants to open up a photo book 50 years from now and look back with the grandkids about all the fun stuff you did with their mommy or daddy when THEY were kids and all they can see is that big red dot on your nose? All of you with kids who what I am talking about when I say kids are brutally honest! "eew mom, what happened to your forehead?? there is a big red bump on it!" I don't like hearing it now I definitely don't want to hear it when I am 70 years old and going through my memories with a brand new generation of munchkins who are full of uncensored questions.
So since most people don't get to see my before photos I figure I will post one today.
BEFORE PHOTOSHOP
AFTER PHOTOSHOP
AFTER MORE PHOTOSHOP
Saturday, February 14, 2009
A Very Valentine Sleepover.
Tonight is Valentine's night. We traded in a romantic evening with steak, candle light, flowers and a movie for a house full of screaming, giggling and down right crazy 6 year olds! Kylie has a reward sleepover for trying her hardest and making a couple of required elements for her gymnastics that she has has a rough time with. Along with my 3 kids we had 3 MORE 6 year old girls over. And what is a Valentine sleepover without a Valentine craft!
Tonight was filled with building tents for a living room camp out, heart shaped personal pizzas and chocolate and fruit fondue! It is now 9:30 and Horton hears a who just ended. We are one down already! While 3 of the hyperactive munchkins dance around to the movie credits one of the rugrats lays on the floor fast asleep! Pizza and chocolate obviously has different effects on different people. It puts some to sleeps, hypes others up and puts others on the toilet for hours (ok that last one only applies to a certain family member ... some of you know who I am talking about!)
And what is another blog post without more photos.
Tonight was filled with building tents for a living room camp out, heart shaped personal pizzas and chocolate and fruit fondue! It is now 9:30 and Horton hears a who just ended. We are one down already! While 3 of the hyperactive munchkins dance around to the movie credits one of the rugrats lays on the floor fast asleep! Pizza and chocolate obviously has different effects on different people. It puts some to sleeps, hypes others up and puts others on the toilet for hours (ok that last one only applies to a certain family member ... some of you know who I am talking about!)
And what is another blog post without more photos.
Bumble Bee Leotard
So I tried my hand at not only sewing another leotard (and using my brand new serger YAY!!!!) but I also decided to design the leotard myself too! up until now I have been using patterns but I wanted Kylie to have one of those cool strappy leotards and I am not going to pay $45 for it! So the next best option is to MAKE ONE! After choosing the colors I get to sewing and pretty much winging it! and to my surprise .... it worked! and I didn't even have to rip out seams and start over which I thought for sure I would have to! The leo was a HUGE hit when she went to practice and I really think that I could make a business of this! All her friends want their one custom leotards and want to be able to pick the colors and design them, and the parents offered to PAY me to make it! How awesome is that? I get to craft and get paid for it! Since I cannot legally sell my cakes (you have to have a licensed home kitchen which would cost a lot of money in renovations) which would be my first choice for a "crafting job" my second choice would be sewing and I think I found it!
So here it is. Kylie new leotard. I think she looks like a little bumble bee, so cute!!
So here it is. Kylie new leotard. I think she looks like a little bumble bee, so cute!!
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Late Night Cookie Decorating.
With Valentine's Day just around the corner all the kids classes are having parties. That means decorating boxes, making Valentine's cards for classmates and endless amounts of goodies for the kids.
I signed up to Make cookies for my 4 year old's preschool class and offered to put their name's on the cookies so that each child could have their own cookie. That was ass fine and good until my 6 year old came home Wednesday (the day before their Valentine's party) and told me that she told the teacher that I would make cookies for their class party! Being the "town baker" has its perks (like everyone wanting to be your friend so they can be my new recipe testers) but it also has it's downfalls, like being expected to bring in goodies for EVERY SINGLE FUNCTION under the sun (and some of these obviously last minute requests ... or rather demands lol)
So because I was a slacker this week I didn't even make the cookie dough until 4pm had to make dinner and let the dough chill then work my REAL job from 7pm to midnight! On my break making the fondant to decorate those cookies! At midnight I promptly signed off work turned on my oven and got to baking the cookies. baking finished by 1am and by 2am I had successfully baked and decorated 17 large heart cookies for my sons class and about 36 small heart cookies for my daughter's class. Had I not been such a slacker they would have been WAY cuter ... but at 1:30am all I could think about was getting that fondant on those suckers and crashing in my bed!
So here they are .... the finished product from my late night (or early morning) cookie session. they are sugar cookie cutouts colored red and decorated with home made fondant. The small cookies are dusted with edible shimmer powder (in the world of cake decorating it is called luster dust)
I signed up to Make cookies for my 4 year old's preschool class and offered to put their name's on the cookies so that each child could have their own cookie. That was ass fine and good until my 6 year old came home Wednesday (the day before their Valentine's party) and told me that she told the teacher that I would make cookies for their class party! Being the "town baker" has its perks (like everyone wanting to be your friend so they can be my new recipe testers) but it also has it's downfalls, like being expected to bring in goodies for EVERY SINGLE FUNCTION under the sun (and some of these obviously last minute requests ... or rather demands lol)
So because I was a slacker this week I didn't even make the cookie dough until 4pm had to make dinner and let the dough chill then work my REAL job from 7pm to midnight! On my break making the fondant to decorate those cookies! At midnight I promptly signed off work turned on my oven and got to baking the cookies. baking finished by 1am and by 2am I had successfully baked and decorated 17 large heart cookies for my sons class and about 36 small heart cookies for my daughter's class. Had I not been such a slacker they would have been WAY cuter ... but at 1:30am all I could think about was getting that fondant on those suckers and crashing in my bed!
So here they are .... the finished product from my late night (or early morning) cookie session. they are sugar cookie cutouts colored red and decorated with home made fondant. The small cookies are dusted with edible shimmer powder (in the world of cake decorating it is called luster dust)
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Nobody Should Be Without One.
A GLUE GUN OF COURSE! I truly believe that the answer to all the worlds problems is a hot glue gun! As you can see my glue gun is not pretty, and it doesn't have to be, though they do make them in pretty pinks and blues and greens now! Based on the amount of use this baby gets it wouldn't stay pretty very long anyway! If your glue gun does not look like the above photo then you are not using it enough!
Below is the super cool valentine's hair bow made with my glue gun! not only is it cute but will last forever because once that glue dries ... good luck getting it off!
What else can you do with a glue gun????
glue back those broken toys our kids cried for weeks over.
add non slip bottom to any item under the sun
make hair bows
quick hem job for those who are needle challenged
school solar system projects
sole coming off your shoe ???? glue it back on!
and the list goes on .....
If you use your glue gun for anything fun/funky/creative then reply to this and let me know!
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
A crafter's Dream ..... Or Maybe Just Mine.
All my friends are doing blogs so WHY NOT ME? Right? But thinking long and hard ... what could I possibly blog about? I love to bake cakes. But right now don't get to make enough to actually hold down a decent blog. I also do cupcakes and cookies and stuffed strawberries and just about any decorative, pretty or YUMMY foods. Again still not enough to hold down a decent blog. Then I think, I like to sew ... no ... I LOVE to sew! but once again, not enough to hold down a decent blog.
Then it hit me! I am not a baker, or a seamstress, or a painter ........ I am a crafter .... no .... I am a CRAFT-A-HOLIC! If it can be created, I will create it! So why not blog about crafts. Aside from my kids it really is my love!
Today after much anticipation and waiting I received my serger! Now whenever I tell my friends that I am getting a serger they look at me like I have a third eye growing in the middle of my forehead! That is when I realize that my craftyness has hit a new level, when I have a contraption that is unknown to the general public. But that has been my whole life! Always being the one to be different, and try new things and start a movement! And that is just the way I like it!
So for those of you who may be wondering just what is this crazy serging thingy-ma-bobber. It is just a fancy sewing machine that gives you a more professional finish. and this is what it looks like ...
And this is what I am hoping to make with the serger!
That, would be the leotard I made my daughter! Now to the naked eye it looks great, but it was done with a sewing machine. The serger will allow me to not only shave an hour off sewing time, but just make it more professional overall. Hopefully allowing me to sell some of these babies to pay for that fancy new serger I just bought!
Enough about sewing and more about my other crafts. Since this is my first post I will attach a few photos of my recent cake works. (wow that was hard to pick just a few to attach, I have become quite proud of all my yummy goodies I made!! and yes the following photos are of 100% edible goodness!) MORE CRAFTYNESS TO COME LATER .... PROMISE!!!!
Then it hit me! I am not a baker, or a seamstress, or a painter ........ I am a crafter .... no .... I am a CRAFT-A-HOLIC! If it can be created, I will create it! So why not blog about crafts. Aside from my kids it really is my love!
Today after much anticipation and waiting I received my serger! Now whenever I tell my friends that I am getting a serger they look at me like I have a third eye growing in the middle of my forehead! That is when I realize that my craftyness has hit a new level, when I have a contraption that is unknown to the general public. But that has been my whole life! Always being the one to be different, and try new things and start a movement! And that is just the way I like it!
So for those of you who may be wondering just what is this crazy serging thingy-ma-bobber. It is just a fancy sewing machine that gives you a more professional finish. and this is what it looks like ...
And this is what I am hoping to make with the serger!
That, would be the leotard I made my daughter! Now to the naked eye it looks great, but it was done with a sewing machine. The serger will allow me to not only shave an hour off sewing time, but just make it more professional overall. Hopefully allowing me to sell some of these babies to pay for that fancy new serger I just bought!
Enough about sewing and more about my other crafts. Since this is my first post I will attach a few photos of my recent cake works. (wow that was hard to pick just a few to attach, I have become quite proud of all my yummy goodies I made!! and yes the following photos are of 100% edible goodness!) MORE CRAFTYNESS TO COME LATER .... PROMISE!!!!
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