ok, so i'm sure u've heard of Twilight by now...if not, please come out from under ur rock
even tho i'm clueless about the whole vampire scene, i had of course heard of these books/movies & was excited 2 finally get a cake order with a Twilight theme
the customer sent me pics of the book covers 2 use as inspiration, but pretty much gave me free reign with the design...here r the covers...
the only other request she had was 2 add a gray wolf...apparently, 1 of the characters turns in2 a gray wolf? & that character is the birthday girl's fav
so here's what i came up with...
the bottom tier is red velvet (blood red) & the top tier is pumpkin...it's all iced in my homemade butter cream icing
i made all the accessories out of fondant & gumpaste...& hand painted the detail on the wolf
it's all edible, with the exception of the apple...i carved a styrofoam ball in2 an apple shape & covered it in fondant
i also made these cute little cupcakes last nite...they're 4 a birthday girl who LOVES Halloween
they're yellow cake, iced in butter cream & decorated with Halloween sprinkles & little ghosts & ghouls i made from fondant
thx 4 looking!
*update - i just visited Cake Wrecks (1 of my very fav blogs) & found out that they have a Twilight post up 2day too...hopefully none of my cakes ever make it on that site! ;0)
Saturday morning began with Curtis heading off 2 work & me recovering from an all-nighter with cakes...i've discovered that i'd much rather pull 1 all-nighter, than spend several evenings/late nites working on cakes...i might lose sleep 4 that one nite, but it's better than missing out on whatever my family is doing 4 several evenings, or spending nite after nite staying up late
so anyway...after getting the kiddos some breakfast, they set up camp in front of the tv - either watching cartoons or playing video games...i crashed on the sofa for about 2 hours, then got up & started getting every1 moving...we took showers & got ready 4 the day, then went outside 2 enjoy the gorgeous weather!
Curtis got home that afternoon, just in time 4 me 2 deliver the cakes...i dropped em off at a joint bday party at Pump It Up & just as i was leaving the party, i got a phone call from Curtis' ex wife
u can imagine my excitement when i saw her name flash on my phone!
actually, 2 b honest - i don't have her number programmed in my cell under her actual name...it's in there under "crazy ass bitch"...hey, i'm just keepin it real here! ~lol~
anyway, she was calling me because Curt's phone is a piece of crap & barely works these days...he'll close it & instead of it just ending the call, it'll turn itself off & he won't even realize it...so, since the ex couldn't get in touch with him, i was the big fat winner 4 the day!
she was calling 2 say that Corey (the youngest of my 2 stepsons) was at the Walmart in town...he'd been caught stealing 2 DVDs & needed a legal guardian 2 come pick him up...she was 3hrs away (where she usually is on the weekends) & needed Curt 2 go get him
well, since i was already just outside of town & he was 20 minutes away (at home, with our 3 kiddos), i asked if i could go pick up Corey...she called Walmart, got the ok & called me back...i headed that way - ready 2 face Corey, the cops & Walmart security...not how i originally planned 2 spend my Saturday afternoon...but such is life, right?
long story short, Corey's a good kid that made a very bad choice (i've been surprised 2 find out just how many of my family & friends have also made that bad choice at least once in their lives - me included)...he was embarrassed & ashamed of what he did...he will now have some sort of community service 2 serve (luckily, he's not 18 yet!) & is also banned from Walmart...he's struggling in school right now too (which usually isn't an issue with Corey) & things at home rn't great...we had a long heart to heart in the car after i picked him up - it was a good opportunity 2 say some things that i've wanted 2 say 4 a while, but never really had the right opportunity...he thanked me several times throughout the day 4 coming 2 pick him up & apologized 2 both his dad & me...hopefully, he feels a little more comfortable about reaching out & asking 4 help when things get rough...he's a really sweet kid & he has big plans after school...Curtis & i really want 2 b there 4 him & help him make those things happen!
after getting home & giving Curt the news of all the excitement he'd missed in town, we sat & had our joint talk with Corey...then i left Curtis 2 do the fatherly thing, & grabbed the girls so we could go pick up Gabby's friend, Kaitlyn...she was coming 2 spend the day with us & stay 4 a sleepover
as soon as we got home again, the girls headed straight 4 the swings (where they came up with this interesting game)...it was soooo nice out! a little windy, but sunny & beautiful!
Curtis, Corey & Jaden were in Curt's shop working out & playing the stereo...the girls requested that daddy play 1 of their current favorite songs - the cha cha slide...my kiddos have never seen the actual video 2 this song...so their moves are completely original ;0) they've seen this commercial tho...& i must say - it's so stinkin cute!
here's their version...
the rest of our day was spent playing...inside, outside...messing around with the easy bake oven...playing board games...Corey decided 2 spend the day with us too (something neither of my stepsons want 2 do much these days - Curt Jr. is always working & Corey would rather veg out at home or hang with his friends)...we cooked dinner 2gether & enjoyed having a full table 4 our late meal...it was a really nice, chill day
on Sunday, we took things back outside so we could carve pumpkins! it was a little chillier, but still really nice out! & daddy built our very 1st campfire (at the new place) while we carved pumpkins...the nights have really been too cold (or too busy) 2 sit out by a fire - & this seemed like the perfect opportunity...it was neat having the fire right by us, keeping us warm while we worked
the kiddos had a great time getting messy...well, except 4 Jaden...ever since he was a baby, he's had issues with getting his hands messy/dirty...
he'd eat with his hands, then hold 1 out 4 me to wipe off b4 he could continue eating ~lol~
he never was a fan of finger painting or playing in the mud either...
even now, he'd much rather use a spoon than scoop out the pumpkin innards with his hands! ~lol~
here's the finished pumpkins...
& all lit up at nite (of course, Kaitlyn took her's home)...
after pumpkins, we took Kaitlyn home...then came back 4 lunch & a nap...ahhh, don't naps totally rock?! whoever invented naps is a freaking genius! i really think that if we all took more naps, the world would b a much better place! ;0)
after naps, we packed some snacks, loaded up the car & headed out 4 some leaf peeping & hiking
daddy took us 2 Massanutten mountain (where he used 2 work) & we went 2 the top 2 check out a trail there
it was sooooo nice! the leaves were all on fire with color & the setting sun made everything even more perfect...the kiddos would run ahead, then stop & sit on a random log or rock & wait 4 Curt & i...we kept having 2 remind Jaden & Gabrielle 2 stay where they could still see us...Corinn wasn't quite so brave - she'd rather fall behind & hold my hand instead ;0)
they were busy explorers - getting excited every time they'd spot a hollow log that might b a raccoons' home...or a squirrels' nest high in the trees...we'd stop & check out the view here & there, or take time 2 rub our hands on the soft moss that lined the path...
there's just something about being out in the woods & being totally surrounded by nature...
we kept having 2 remind ourselves that the sun would soon set & we couldn't stay out there all day (no matter how much we wanted 2!)...that we needed 2 get back 2 the car b4 it got dark...
it was definitely the perfect ending 2 a pretty great weekend...
Corinn falls asleep any time, anywhere! but especially in the car...5 minutes after pulling off, i can expect 2 look in the rear view & spot her snoring
this also happens on the bus almost every afternoon...last week, no1 woke her up!
it wasn't until the daycare did a roll call that they realized she was missing...Miss Ashley asked Gabby, "did Corinn go 2 school 2day?" Gab says, "yeah, she was on the bus." they quickly called the bus driver & she brought Corinn back b4 she even realized what was going on
& on the way home that evening, we talked about how from now on, every1 is 2 make sure their siblings r accounted 4 when they arrive at school/daycare every day ;0)
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Jaden has this new thing...he likes 2 use quotation marks when speaking
meaning, he'll put his fingers in the air & do the little gesture like he's putting the word he's using in quotes...he puts a lil emphasis on the word too
recently, he's asked, "so tell me, what do u do at a fall 'festival'?" or, "Ma, what exactly is a 'tack'?"
it cracks me up every time!
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Corinn is a cleaning fool!
she loves 2 help out around the house & while i was doing the dishes this past weekend, i put her 2 work sweeping the floors & wiping down the table & counters
as she was sweeping, she says, "dirt makes flowers grow Mama - cause i've got a book about it." "i'm gonna sweep it up tho - we don't want flowers growing in here!"
then, as she's wiping down the table, she says, "wow, what a messy family!"
~lol~
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last week, there were 3 nites in a row where what we had 4 dinner, wasn't exactly on Gabrielle's favorites list
chicken stir fry spaghetti (i know, she's weird!) salmon cakes
on the 3rd nite, she was fed up...asking, "when will we have a dinner that i like again?!"
i reminded her that just a year or 2 ago, she loved salmon cakes!
her response was, "well now, i'd rather drink toilet water!"
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when my mom went along with Corinn on her field trip on Monday, the mother of a little boy in Corinn's class introduced herself
she said that her son, Ethan, came home from his 1st day in kindergarten & told her, "there's a very nice girl in my class that's my new girlfriend...she has a little bit darker skin than me, but i think u'll really like her!"
too sweet!
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on the weekends, i let my girls have a cup of coffee with me ~gasp~
well, it's actually 1/2 coffee, 1/2 milk...& it's way better than if they were allowed sodas all week long (we don't keep soda in the house)
this past Saturday, the girls were having their coffee at the dining room table (Jaden is so not interested) & Corinn says, "Mama, u're an AWESOME coffee cooker!"
well dear, i do try! ;0)
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lastly, i had 2 share this...u know i've gotta do 1 every season now! & hey, in this 1, my hair actually looks pretty similar 2 what i've really got goin on right now! ~lol~
after Acro class last evening, Corinn showed me just how much her 2 front teeth had loosened up over the last few days...chomping on the forehead of a friend sure helped out too (an older girl picked Corinn up at daycare earlier this week & banged her forehead in2 Corinn's mouth)...they were loose...i mean SUPER loose!
on our ride home, i asked Corinn if she was gonna let me pull em - i told her that they were so loose, it would only take a little tug...but she wanted nothing 2 do with that! i was a little surprised...she pulled the last 1 out completely on her own - like it was nothin! i asked her about maybe chomping on an apple - would she b willing 2 do that? she said "maybe"
so after we got home, finished up homework & got ready 4 bed, i sliced her off a hunk of apple...
it was a little freaky 2 watch her eat the apple...when she'd take a bite, 1 tooth would lay down flat pointing forward, the other would lay down flat pointing back...they were both on the verge of coming out!
so i tricked her...i told her how funny it looked, & that i wanted 2 take a pic 2 show Nana...but that i couldn't get a good pic...so i kept asking her 2 take bite after bite...until finally, we heard 1 of the teeth pop
it started bleeding quite a bit & freaked her out a little...i fully expected 2 see her tooth embedded in2 the apple, but it was still hanging on by a thread...so b4 she could stop me, i simply reached in & pulled it out
she shed a few tears - not because it hurt (she said it didn't), but because it had surprised her...then i asked her if i could just yank the other tooth out too...she hesitated, & just looked at me...she didn't say yes or no, but i could tell by the look on her face that she wanted 2 b brave & get it out...she was biting down on some paper towel, so i said "hey, there's some paper towel on ur other tooth - let me wipe it off b4 u swallow it"
yeah, u know what happened next...instead, i grabbed the other little tooth (which was also barely hanging on) & popped it out too!
she laughed! ;0)
i know, i know - call me a horrible lying mother if u want! but after it was all said & done, Corinn promised she wasn't mad at me 4 tricking her...said she was actually glad i did...& within minutes, she was totally excited that not only did she have a cool gap that she could stick her tongue thru again (& that she sounded funny)...but that the tooth fairy would b working double duty that night, bringing her $2 instead of 1!!!
& the tooth fairy came thru...look at that happy (i'm $2 richer) smile!
once again, i'm loving the tooth fairy cottage i picked up off Etsy in January...it's made tooth fairy duty SOOOO much easier! not only is it a little hanging reminder on the kiddos' bedroom door, but there's no feeling around under pillows, looking 4 teeth in the dark any more...i LOVE it!
it was a make-up trip from last week when rain ruined their plans...originally, Curtis was going to be her chaperone - but because of the last minute change in days, he wasn't able to go...instead Nana (my mom) swooped in & saved the day! :0)
it looks like they had a really great time! thx Nana...4 going along AND 4 bringing back some great pics!
10yr old Mileyah is celebrating her birthday 2moro & she wanted a spooky castle 4 her Halloween themed party
it's yellow cake...iced in butter cream...i made the tombstones, pumpkins, zombie & skeleton out of fondant
the broken iron fence is royal icing, & i created the tree by making a wire form & covering it in royal icing
i hope she loves it!
