Life is a Vacation

Can life just be one big vacation?  I know everyone loves a good vacation, but I think it is as necessary as sleep, water, and a roof over your head.  When I plan my next vacation, my days are more vibrant and I have something to look forward to.  It breaks up the monotony of the daily grind and provides a much needed excuse to relax and indulge.

What do I love about vacations?  Lots of picture taking and plenty of new places to appreciate and enjoy.  This is from the Madrid metro.

Family time and smiles.  I don't get to see my family very often, and vacations are usually planned around who we will see and when.  

I love trying new food and people watching.  This little cafe in Madrid is well known for hot chocolate and churros.  It was great, but we actually had some for my sister in laws bridal shower that knocked my socks off!  

Did I mention castles, museums, and things you just don't have at home?

I am already dreaming up my next vacation.  This has been a good year so far.  

January: my girlfriend came to visit and it was like a mini vacation for me -we went sledding on Mt. Lemmon, hung out giggling, and caught up on good times

March: my mom came to visit - we had a fabric shop hop, ate fantastic food, and went on a great hike!

May: my husband and I went to Maine for a wedding and a relaxing vacation

July: I went to Germany and Spain for my brother's wedding and a great family vacation!  I got to spend a lot of time with my parents and my grandparents.  What a treat.  Who can say they have traveled Europe with each set of grandparents more than once??  ME!  

Next UP!  September-  Sedona???  :)  

I love planning vacation!

Wedding Cake for the

I was so happy to be able to make the wedding cake for my brother and his wife for their recent wedding in Spain.  It was a challenge baking in an unknown oven, with different ingredients, and in a short period of time.  I had a lot of fun and I think their cake turned out beautifully and fit with their theme really well.

Raspberry Buttercream filling and a Swiss Buttercream icing.

Each tier had 4 layers of cake and 3 layers of filling.

The Raspberry Swiss Buttercream filling was a huge hit.  The bride's mother made macerated raspberries with cinnamon sugar before I arrived and I mixed them into the buttercream for a fruity twist.  I also soaked the cake in the macerated raspberries to ensure it was extra moist and flavorful.

They had a garden themed wedding with their reception in her mother's huge backyard.  The garden was strung with lights and full of flowers, and this cake blended right into the setting.

The bride and groom requested a simple piping design with olive branches.

They had awesome cake toppers designed on Etsy, they were created to look just like them.  

The olive branches and the white frosting compliment each other nicely and draw on the simplicity and elegance of a garden wedding.

Congratulations Zach and Sara!  I was honored to make your cake for you and your guests.

To many years to come!

Back to Blogging and a WEDDING in Spain!

I have been away from the blog for a while, taking a break to refresh and renew.  A lot has happened since I have been gone. I went to Spain and Germany for a vacation and a wedding and I got a puppy! My brother got married in Spain and it was a beautiful ceremony full of family and fun times.  Our new pup is 10 months old this week.  A German Short Haired Pointer.  (plenty of pics to come soon!)

Lots of eating olives in Spain and cafes.

Tons of tasty bottles of wine.

A beautiful bride.

What a beautiful ceremony, exchange of books instead of rings...

More to come on the wedding festivities and vacation fun.

Portland, Maine

Last week, I went on a fabulous vacation to Portland, Maine for a family wedding.  I have never been to the East Coast and it was beautiful!  The coastline was rugged and rocky, the atmosphere in Portland - artsy and young, and it was so nice to get out of town!

We took a boat tour and got to see lots of the area that you couldn't get to by car.  These sea birds were basking in the sun and I loved the sight of it!

Lobster, Lobster, Lobster!  Isn't that a Maine staple?  The little bay cruise we took told us they used to serve lobster to the inmates because it was so cheap and plentiful.  Poor man's food, oh how the tables have turned!

Shopping in Portland was in no shortage.  The original Stonewall Kitchen, tons of boutiques, and a massive kitchen store.

Did I eat ice cream a few times on vacation?  You bet I did.  I love this vintage style sign in the window.  Sold, you got me.

There was even a shop that sold only popcorn.  Imagine that huh?

My mother in law and niece have a little heart to heart at the rehearsal dinner.

Le PAUVRE!  Lobster bake.

Beautiful lighthouses were plentiful on the coast.  We drove to this one and looked out at the ocean.

This little one never stops eating.  SO cute.

Rich in history and sights to see.  More photos to come!  What a great trip to get away from the heat of Arizona.

Petal Cake

I had the day off today and made a few cakes.  I made a petal cake and a cake for my husband.  I have been wanting to try this cake style for a while, and it was so easy and cute!

I love blue: light blue, robins egg blue, aqua...  I could go on.

I wanted to do an ombre effect so I made 3 different shades of blue.  My favorite is the middle one.

The petal technique is so easy.  Just pipe a dot, then drag it with a spatula.  Continue around the cake, piping dots about 1/4 of an inch apart.

Then I piped a little flower on the top in a creamy bluish white.  

Creamy swiss buttercream, oh my.

Petals and flowers, blue and white, can't wait to dig in.

Small Project Sew Along with Crazy Mom Quilts

I am doing the sew along with crazy mom quilts for small projects.  Here is my list of small projects that I am going to slowly chug away at.  I can't wait to start crossing things off!

1. patchwork square pouch
2. potholders
3. log cabin pillow case
4. fabric boxes
5. trash can for car
6. headbands
7. gnome paper pieced blog
8. oilcloth zippered pouch
9. pillows for my craft room
10. pillow case set for couch
11. bowl cover
12. purse


That is all for now.  If you want to sew along too, follow this link! http://www.crazymomquilts.blogspot.com/2012/05/small-projects-sew-along.html

White Sox Spring Training 2012 Glendale, Arizona

My husband is a huge baseball fan.  Like, watch hours and hours of ball type of  fan.  Quote announcers, shows me highlights, listens to the games on the radio... fan.  You get it.  He is a nut.  Spring Training is in Phoenix, so we went for a weekend and went to a few games.

We love baseball!

The Spring Training games are awesome because they are inexpensive, great family fun, and there is still the big league atmosphere.

We sat right behind home plate and had a great view of the players and the game.

My husband was really crazy about the scouts that were in front of us.  There were 3 solid rows of scouts just  a few rows down.  They all had guns like this, and they were all doing the same thing... head up, shoot, head down, write, head up, shoot, head down, write.  and so on.  It was actually pretty cool to see the crazy speed of those pitchers!

It was an awesome time, and we got to see some great baseball.

Sledding on Mt. Lemmon

My girlfriend Nat came to visit this winter and we took a day and went sledding on Mt. Lemmon.  It was cold, sunny, and super FUN!  We made our own snow pants out of plastic bags and got a few sleds.  FANTASTICO.

The drive up to Mt. Lemmon is beautiful.

Mountains for miles.

Our first victim, I mean sledding hill.

Still excited to be outside after at least an hour of play.  Ready for the next hill.

We were so proud of our snow pants.  They worked really well and didn't tear.  Duct tape and plastic bags.

We left the handles on the bags to have something to tighten them with.  Then reinforced the pant with a thick shopping bag with a handle to help pull them up and keep them from tearing.

Somehow Tucson and the desert truly are beautiful.

ROCK ON!  I was totally digging the spills, but trying not to really wipe out. 

Nat, getting wild and crazy.

Thanks for the good times.  If you are looking for sledding in Tucson next winter, drive up to Mt. Lemmon.  Take your sled, warm clothes, snacks, and a smile.  You can't go wrong.