I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream For ...

Ice cream cakes!

In case you didn't know, I work at Cold Stone Creamery. I do regular stuff there like serve ice cream and make waffles, but I also have the extra fun job of cake decorator!

I've been doing it for a few months now, and I'm by no means an expert, but I think some of my cakes are cute enough to share. So here you go - my tour de cakes.

A heart shaped cake for Mother's Day. These were really cute, and tasty too - strawberry cheesecake ice cream with red velvet cake! 

Curt's petite birthday cake. I have a love-hate relationship with the petite cakes because they always turn out adorable, but they are kind of a pain to decorate. 

This is a partially done ganache cake - no toppings yet. I've been getting better and better at ganache, and I think I like doing it better than frosting! 

This was for a lady who has had our cakes in the past, but this time she wanted a very specific cake. She brought in the invitation to her divorce party (?!) and asked for the frosting to match. It was out-of-control bright yellow! I wish I was there when she picked it up, I would have loved to see her reaction.

A Transformer cake for a sweet little boy whose mom works around the corner and comes in to get ice cream a lot. I love, love, love the way this cake turned out, I wish I could make a million more Transformer cakes! 

This was a last minute order for a family who wanted Spiderman. We didn't realize until it was too late that we didn't have a Spiderman topper (like the Transformer cake) so I had to improvise and make it look like a Spidey cake. I'm pretty pleased with the result considering the time crunch and my lack of Spiderman knowledge. 

This was a specialty blueberry cake - blueberry ice cream with graham cracker pie crust, yellow cake, and blueberry frosting. I love the little blueberries on top! 

You've already seen this cake - it was Cali's 14th birthday cake. Pretty straight forward, but delicious to eat! 

Most people are happy to order a cake that simply states "Happy Birthday" or some common variation. Then there are those who have other plans for their cakes. 

I give you the Twilight cake: 

I absolutely hate the way this cake turned out and take no pride in sharing it with you, but it was too ridiculous not to show. The lady was supposed to bring in an edible transfer of Edward, but she never showed up with it and the cake was due later that day. I was finishing up for the day, practically walking out the door when she called and changed her plan to this. I quickly wrote it, cursed Twilight, and said good riddance. As if I needed one more reason to hate Twilight. 

Last but not least, a cake I posted a few days ago for lady who gets cakes all the time. This week her office peeps wanted a cake but they didn't have an occasion, so she requested this:

I thought it was pretty cute and funny and I'm happy to do whatever Vicki wants because she's a very loyal customer! 

Next week I have a Paul Frank Julius cake to make for another loyal customer, but instead of frosting, I'm going to give homemade marshmallow fondant a try. Just for the monkey face. I think it will look really great if I can get it to work right. If not, frosting here I come. 

Pictures and tutorial to follow, I'm sure. 

Have a great weekend! 

Feeling Blue...

...And it's not just from the blue food coloring still staining my fingers from this weekend's cake decorating.

Every now & then people ask me to write random things on their cakes. Vicki orders cakes from us a lot, I think for her office. She said it's not anyone's birthday, so she asked me to write this:

That about takes the cake for strangest request (pun intended)

{what follows is a long rant full of me whining about missing my husband - read at your own discretion, and don't say I didn't warn you}

Curt left today for a week in Texas and I miss him terribly already. I hate dropping him at the airport, wishing I could join him. I never used to feel this way. I mean, I missed him and everything, but I enjoyed my time alone. Australia spoiled us - it was the longest consecutive time we've ever spent together in more than five years of dating and marriage. He's always been on the road, but never for more than a few weeks (other than Australia 2008 - that was months apart). 

When we went to Australia together this year, I was there, every night, every show - we spent only one night apart in the three months we were there. We got back to the states and I was on the road with the boys again. Since then the touring slowed down, which means I've gotten quite used to having Curt home. And now, here I am, miserable without him and it hasn't even been 24 hours. 

I had to kill a giant bug that went crawling across the floor. I have to make my own tea. Brush my teeth alone. Toss and turn in bed because it's all off balance. Take the trash out Wednesday night. Remember to eat. And said bug is no longer RIPing where I {thought I} killed it, so now I will spend the week in fear of another encounter.

And yeah, I get to stretch out in bed and watch whatever I want on TV and do my embroidery before falling asleep. But the truth is, Curt lets me do those things even when he's around, so it's not that great. And there's no one around to take my glasses off my face after I fall asleep, which leads to uncomfortable sleeping and crooked glasses.

I think it would be better if I had more friends in Nashville. I think that's why it was easier when we lived in Indiana - I had friends at work and from school who kept me company. I do have a few friends, people I've met at work and gotten close to, friends of friends, wives of Curt's music people. Curt made an effort to introduce us to new friends this weekend, but those people are also in the music business, which means they come and go. I guess that's the issue with living in Nashville. 

All I want is one or two ladies my age who also love to sew and knit and craft, watch 30 Rock and Arrested Development on DVD, enjoy independent movies and folk music, drink margaritas with salt, have a great sense of humor, are married but don't have a ton of kids, and maybe, just maybe, have a husband on the road that they miss too. 

Is that too much to ask? Consider this my personal ad - 24 yo married female seeking carbon copy to hang out with once a week for crafting, movie watching, tea drinking, or just plain chatting. 

Any takers?

Happy Four{teen}th!

Happy {belated} fourth of July! I couldn't resist a little decorating. It's a really simple to-do: I cut scrapbook paper into 2x3 pieces and then sent them through my sewing machine to create the garland.  

I sewed a piece on each side, so it looks equally cute from the back. And no need to worry about putting them in order - I just grab them as I go and try to avoid the same pattern right next to itself. 

I love the colorful greeting in our entryway and I plan on leaving it up for the whole month. Whether the boys in the house agree with that is another story.

Curt's family was in town visiting, which meant we got to celebrate Cali's 14th birthday, which also happens to be July 4. 

The cake was cake batter ice cream with graham cracker pie crust, layered with yellow cake. Bettercreme frosting and graham cracker side crumbing, all made by yours truly. It tasted pretty good, too! 

We couldn't find our birthday candles so Curt got 14 votives and Cali arranged them into the number 14. 

After cake we headed downtown Nashville for the huge celebration. We got there early, which meant reasonably good seats, right on the river. Later in the night, it was standing room only into the street. 

Yes, that boat is spraying red, white and blue water. Later it hosed down the riverfront trees to protect them from the fireworks. 

The evening music included Jaci Velasquez, Julianne Hough, and Trace Adkins, plus the Nashville Symphony Orchestra accompanying the artists and the fireworks. 

It was great to see everyone come out, considering the fact that just two months prior, the entire riverfront area was completely underwater from the flood.

After all that country music, the orchestra took over and played all the patriotic hits set in perfect time to the fireworks display. 

They launched the fireworks from across the river - inside, outside, and all around LP Field. 

Nashville claims the fireworks are one of the largest displays in the country, and I believe them. The colors, the live music, the boom from right across the river, it was all a perfect night! 

The only thing missing? A trash bag full of popcorn. I really miss that tradition, and I think next year I will definitely be bringing it back! 

The weekend also meant a little free time to start another baby quilt. Not sure who it will go to, there are lots of new babies in the family who need quilts, but I guess that just means I'll have to keep busy at the sewing machine :-) 

How was your holiday weekend?