Speaking of bloody things...

I promised you all Zombies, so i'm giving you all zombies!

I've always been in love with all things undead! I *love* the creep factor, and the way someone can take things like paint, gelatin, toilet paper, and Vaseline, and make some freakin' sweet zombie gore that looks real as hell!

That was me a few years ago for Halloween... the shirt was so shiny it looked like my bra was showing through in this picture, lmfao. Mum helped me with my makeup and it was awesome. Also sticky. Any arm hairs i had, were gone by the time that scar on my right arm was removed, lol. Everything there was made with homemade materials! it was awesome. (also, i don't have any pictures of it, but my pantlegs were torn and ripped all to hell and i was wearing awesome creepy hiking boots all bloodied up!

Honestly, if it were up to me, i'd have an entirely zombie wedding. One of the reasons i love Jim so much, is that we share a love for bloody, gory, brain-nomming creatures. (and the same distaste for "fast-zombies"!!!) So instead of having a bloodied up wedding dress, and exposed grey matter for a veil, we're having the wedding as close to our favorite holiday as possible.

I have seen people *DO* zombie weddings... (just go to offbeatbride.com and search for "zombie" you'll find some pretty freakin' sweet stuff! like this and this!)

But since my family would brain me -- haha i made a pun! -- for even THINKING about having a zombie wedding... (and as much as i love my horror and gore, i'm totally suckered into the idea of a white traditional wedding. with kilts and pumpkins... lmfao) i'll just have to settle for sweet zombie gear.

I give you,

My Zombie Goodies Wish List!

First off, is the most amazing pair of high heels i've ever seen.


From Ironfist Clothing, comes the sweetest pair of feet-torture-devices ever! Open toe heels with zombie teeth, eyeballs, all kinds of gory goodness!! I'm a sucker for the delicate little bow on the back, haha. waaaaaay too cute!

Price: $45.00

(p.s. i wear a size 11...)

(P.p.s... it also comes in a bikini, flats, clutch, and flip-flops!)
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I never understood how the symbol of the heart (two bumpy things that come to a point at the bottom...) were meant to symbolize the actual organ... i mean, there are some similarities... i suppose... but it's still weird. This shirt though? this shirt captures everything i love about zombies, and my confusion to this heart conundrum!

Ah, sweet sweet confusion. If you're not a black-shirt type of person, there's also a nifty white version. but because white shows blood -- er... dirt easier, i only like the black.

Cost: $14.99

(Pst.... i wear a 3x!)

If you're not a t-shirt person, or want to show your zombie pride while at work, (and work doesn't allow you to wear awesome t-shirts...) then you can at *least* show it on a coffee mug! (The TRUE American way! :-D)

Find it here for $13.00

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Jim refuses to put bumper stickers on his precious car. Me? As soon as i inherit the stranger danger mobile I'm slappin' stickers all over it. I'm going to cover every. damn. inch. of that thing. To accompany my favorite stickers declaring something about believing in dragons, faeries, good men and other such fantasy creatures, i'm adding this one to the mix.

Though i love the acid green of the car, i doubt my van would look that cool that green. The response team sticker though makes me giggle like a teeny pink mad scientist who probably has hello-kitty beakers and test-tubes. (brownie points to anybody who sends me a link of a hello-kitty science kit... lmfao)

Cost: $7.99

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Have you ever traversed the aisles of your local costume shop or party store and seen those ridiculously expensive hand/face/brain molds for jello or ice? they're like, 20 dollars and made of flimsy one-time-use plastic. Y-eah..... i never bought one either. I used the old Martha Stewart version of "Fill a rubber glove with jello and tie it shut" method. Although for brains... that didn't work too easy. She had a method for doing faces too that was pretty cheap... but damnit i want brains in my punch!

Intro: brain ice cube mold...



"Brain Freeze" -- ahaha puns! For almost 8 bucks these are completely affordable, and being that they're silicone, they'll last for like, freaking EVER. (and if they break, they're affordable enough to be replaced...)

Cost: $7.99

But they're not quite big enough to float in the punch... i mean, yes they ARE brains... and they ARE ice-cubes... but they're just not big enough to be a human brain...



THAT is big enough. Though a bit more pricey, and a bit less resilient, they're definitely the right size! (i'm loving the gummy worms!)

Cost: $9.99

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The cupcake-instead-of-a-huge-tiered-cake wedding trend has taken the world by storm! Why have those prissy little lasercut fancy lace cupcake liners when you could have NOMSKULLS!


Silicone skull molds are too cute! though if you wanted them for a wedding you'd have to buy an awful lot... but hey! they could be part of the favors! But seriously, how cool are these!? the pink icing on the top is (literally...) the icing on the cake.

cost: $12.00

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I'm not sure what the whole fascination about Haiku's has been lately, but it's kind of neat. heck, even WoWhead.com had a world of warcraft-themed haiku contest! (which i totally didn't enter a total of 40 times and didn't get posted once... damn!) but i've come to love the sudden influx of 5,7,5 syllables that's invaded my friend's facebook status's. (Or is that 'Stati' ??)

Well, either way, there's actually a zombie haiku book. Want? Of course!


Cost: $8.99

(Pst! This would look great next to my zombie survivor guide!)

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Mmmm.... zombie goodness.

WoW stuff tomorrow ;-)

-Cake42

My fingers! they will bleeeeed!

Things around here have been (as i said before) too laid back. It's summer, it's hot, the fleas have claimed by bedroom in the name of their sadistic queen, and in turn held captive hubby's torchwood dvd's...

So instead of sitting in my room and playing facebook games until my eyeballs rot and fall out, i've done something productive, Crocheting! (which i always read as "Crotch. et. ting." every time i write it, lol)

I've been a busy little granny bee lately, and have gotten the hang of crocheting things that are pretty simple: i.e: scarves, hats, socks, etc. etc. etc.

(please excuse the crappy camera photos. my lighting was HORRIBLE o.o)

This was my first ever dye project! i was SO excited with how it turned out! It's a 70% Wool/30% Acrylic blend, and the color was originally "cream" but it turned out gorgeous. It's been microwave-dyed with grape kool-aid/cheery kool-aid/berry kool-aid, and orange kool-aid. And i must say, it's quite fruity smelling now.

It took me about a week to figure out what on earth to make with my lovely new "halloween" yarn (as i'd dubbed it...). Eventually i realized it wasn't enough to make socks. I also didn't want to make a scarf. (although i'm OBSESSED with scarves... i didn't want to make something i'd only wear once, and then hang off my lamp stand..) So i practiced my rounds, and made myself the coolest freaking hat i've ever owned...

BEHOLD



THE SELF-STRIPING HALLOWEEN BEANIE OF AWESOMENESS!

or something like that, lol.

But more projects just seemed to crawl out of my skeins! What's this? ANOTHER hat?? done in a single night!? MUAHAHAHAHA! (cough cough)

However, this one wasn't meant to be a mere beanie. NO! it's destined to have adorable little kitty ears with pink insides attached! It's also destined to be the first item on my Etsy shop i'm hoping to start by the end of next month! :-D

These -- though not crocheted, they were loomed on the KK blue loom -- are the most comfortable freaking socks EVAR. a little loose i suppose, but they're soooooo comfy! They're made of self-striping blue yarn in random shades of blue. Versions of these too, will also be put up onto Etsy as soon as i figure out how to make them bigger and smaller... (hopefully my new adjustable sock loom will help with that ;-) )

Last but not least... is the scarf. The "Pumpkin Spice" Scarf i fell in love with while i was making it. It was self-striping (I'm seeing a pattern here... no puns intended) Something-and-ochre cotton yarn. When i bought it, i had thought it would be perfect for autumn socks. so soft! it was in the pile with all the acrylic "with aloe" that were amazing on the skin. When i got home however, i discovered it was "i love cotton!" brand cotton. No! my socks... never to be realized! (As i've been told that cotton is not very stretchy when it comes to making socks... but after making the scarf, i may just go back and buy another skein or two of this and try it out anyways.) The scarf is soft, and wide, the colors are amazing! The sun was even in *just the right* position to let me take a worthwhile photo that wasn't on the kitchen table or a bedspread at 3 in the morning!!

But there's one thing wrong with it...

It's too short.

The skein i had bought was this teensy thing in a pile of other teensy skeins labeled as "sock skeins" from a discount part of hobby lobby. Of course finding out it was cotton dampened my spirits. so a scarf it was to be! But being a "sock skein" i didn't have enough to finish the scarf. It's 2/3'rds of the way finished, but my mom loves it just the way it is. She calls it the "neck warmer" and boasts how it's not as long and bulky as the other scarves. It's now HER new "neck warmer" as i can't find anything else to do with it, and don't have the heart to rip it apart, lol.

--and that's about it for my crocheting adventures. I *do* have a pair of "Freddy Kruger" socks to make for the hubby (dark green and red, as he requested.), another cat hat, and probably a fox hat or two because i have a crapload of orange and nothing to do with it, and i need to get something up on etsy soon!

Why? why am i infatuated with selling things on etsy all of a sudden? well... because of a few things...

Jim and I got to IM'ing a day or so ago and decided we're going to start saving up for our first place. We're sick of living with our parents, sick of having to eat their food, be around their second hand smoke, and have to live by their rules with their satellite TV, or lack thereof... tired of being yelled at or told that while we're living under "their" roof, we live by "their" rules. no matter how much money they do or don't donate to the rent.

Though we decided we're moving in together a long time ago, nothing ever felt so official.

"Spring" he said. he wants to be out of here by spring. it's almost officially Autumn here, so that leaves us 7 or 8 months to save up.

but he wants a second job! Something easy like cashiering! something simple so he's not working like a dog all day long...

but i'm still worried about him. I'm worried about his heart and how he passed out more than once because of stress. I'm worried about his head and how it's going to be pounding when he comes home from work and only have a few hours to sleep, and then go straight to school...

So with all that, i've decided i'm going to help out. I'm going to crochet until my fingers bleed, and then crochet some more. I'm selling it ALL on Etsy and every last bit of that money is going towards that apartment. Whether we use it for furniture money, or rent money, i don't care. but more than half of the money's going for this house. a small portion is going for more yarn... lol.

As i mentioned in the last post, i promise you all zombie goodness... and possibly some wow-ness.

but yeah.

Thanks for listening to the rant my lovelies!

-Cake42

The light! it burnses!

Apologies for the length between posts... it's been a little *too* laid back lately.. lol.

So the hubbs came and spent pretty much a week with us (or at least what felt like it) for his birthday on the 8th. My amazing sexy man turned 25! (and for a few months, is 5 years older than me... lol)

and no baby, you're not getting a sneak-peek into your totally late present, that the website was out-of-stock on! :-P

I have however, been really busy with my crocheting! The first front panel, and the back panel of the dinosaur hoodie is done! But i'm completely out of green yarn now... good thing it's acrylic so i don't have to try and match dye lots! (and when i'm not feeling lazy, i'll post pictures. but i'm tooooooootally feeling lazy right now... lol)

i am however, in a totally zombie mood. I shall update with bloody undead goodness soon. along with some WoW-ness.

So i guess you could take this as a warning post? yeah. we'll call it that. lol.

-Cake42

I sooooo hope this works...

For those of you unaware, i'm informing you now... Jim and I love zombies.

Like, freaking love zombies. we have yet to come up with a solid plan about surviving one, but since i no longer live within walking distance of a graveyard or a chemical plant (like the last house o.O) i can say my odds are getting better. Also this house has a wicked basement and freaking CORNFIELDS EVERYWHERE.

but anyways, (and i'm really hoping this html works...) i found this.

It's a "Zombietrak 3000!" and it tells you where your nearest zombie outbreak has happened. (Basically, wherever somebody bought a t-shirt from them at their local Walmart, it puts it up on the web and tells people it's an "outbreak" or a "sighting" but it's still cuter than hell... XD)

Now chances are, it'll show *your* area when you look at this. It showed Indiana to me, lol. For being surrounded by rednecks, chemical plants, and indian burial grounds, i'm surprised our number isn't higher. oh well!

Welcome Home Boys!

So Monday night, for the first time in a whole year i got to see my best friends again. Mitch and Jack both came home from their respective countries (Germany and Japan) where they had spent an entire year being thrown into a nearly unfamiliar culture and language with (in some cases) nobody they knew to accompany them. In some ways, I envied them.

Mitchell was able to explore Europe and in-turn, got to see some of the most amazing and awe-inspiring sights.

Like this gorgeous spot, in what i think was Cork?

And this amazingly grand cathedral!

He was able to celebrate his 21'st birthday over there, experiencing wines, beers, and probably a lot of other high-proof beverages.

(This was with his family in Amsterdam, and probably nowhere near his birthday... lol)

He made new friends who we all can't wait to meet someday!

(D'aww...)

Jack was able to traverse through Japan and all it's wonder.


and again made awesome new friends.

But in the end, we all missed them dearly. Some of us, (Erika, Lauren, and Rachel) were able to go to Europe and meet Mitch, traveling for a week (or was it two?) and take in all the wonder that is England and Ireland.

According to Facebook, it was amazing.
(Hanging in castles and Abbey's...)

(Climbing on Thick cut bacon...)

(Defeating Inflatable Daleks!)

(Taking Album-cover-worthy Photos of feet and cliffs...)

(And of course just relaxing at a pub somewhere!)

The anticipation to see them all again was almost overwhelming so i just about squealed with joy when Jim told me he could drive me out to Riley and see them all.

Well... apparently Jim's cell never got the text/calls, and we didn't have internet to check facebook ... but we arrived like an hour and a half early (their plane was delayed a LOT so the party was at 10:30 instead of 9:00...) with Jack and his amazingly awesome girlfriend Karel (who kind of reminds me of Amy Pond) So we were at least able to hang out and catch up (and hear some crazy stories about orange-skinned Japanese girls with claws, goth guys with spiked purses, and giant agry alleycats hiding in shadows reminiscent to horror movies.)

All-in-all it turned out alright after a couple of phonecalls, and a trip to the local coffee shop the party was finally on.

Where things like that happened.

and this...
and a whole lot of this.

Oh, and i FINALLY made a batch of Rainbow Cupcakes that had eggs in them. They were amazing and delicious.


-Cake42

The trouble with Trebles!

So you all know my man introduced me into looming -- and i've had my fair share of disastrous projects. However, as time went on, i began getting a little savvy with my looms. I've managed to master socks, bought my own adjustable loom, and even whipped up some pretty fancy (i.e: completely boring) handwarmers of matching yarn. I felt proud, and confident! I COULD MAKE ANYTHING! .... as long as it was square-ish or completely round in shape and didn't require any grafting onto other pieces... lmao.

So what does hubby do? Now that his Dr. Who scarf is nearing it's halfway point? He buys us both "I taught myself to crochet!" books. (the ones with the cheesy kids on the front making it look like "zomg! this is so easy your 6 year old NIECE could do it! why can't you!?"). So filled with confidence, i popped open that plastic package and ripped out my shiny new Boye needles, a bunch of plastic tag thingies (that i was informed can be used for stitch markers on thick/bulky/super-bulky yarn, or to hold strands together when using multiple threads... who knew!?) some round stitch markers, a REALLY LONG afghan needle, and of course, the book.

With fingers trembling, i open up the book and begin reading the instructions like some hidden message from the yarn gods!

Unfortunately, this endeavor ends the same exact way every other "i taught myself" book has before. in horrible fiery disaster, with women and children running for cover as i get closer and closer to chucking my needles across the room in frustration.

Fortunately for me, i was able to dig out a youtube video on how to begin crocheting.

This woman is amazing. (and totally sounds like my friend Katie's mom...) She does things slow enough for beginners to get the hang of it, and repeats it over and over in case you didn't catch it. Before you know it, you'll be crocheting in singles, half-doubles, doubles, trebles, and even in the round!

Hell, i was feeling so confident in my newly aquired skills by the time i finished watching her videos, i went out and found a pattern for an octopus. Why? because octopus rock, that's why. And the instructions seemed easy enough to follow! (unless you're like me, get completely overconfident, and decide that you can just "wing it" when it comes to making the head shape...) In the end, i created "Steve" the octopus.

He's not gorgeous mind you, but he's not a mangled mess of yarn either. (and he still needs eyes... i just haven't found the right buttons yet!)

So after reviewing the videos a couple more times, i decided to try something ambitious. Something that's (hopefully) going to be used. The pattern? A wee jacket! No litterally, it's called "A wee Jacket" and it's a free pattern from "Lionbrand yarn" (who has an AMAZING array of patterns btw... although i still think Ravelry is better.) It's comprised mostly of HDC stitches, and you crochet panels at a time like you would if you were to cut out the fabric and sew it together with a machine. The only difference, is that this hoodie is going to have awesome buttons on it, and freaking dinosaur spikes on the hood. Because Dinosaurs on babies are freaking adorable. muahaha.

It's also like, the 4th rendition of this hoodie for the most adorable munchkin ever. But this one? this one's going to be final.

This poor hoodie has started out as an e-wrapped disaster that barely fits one of my old babydolls, to a rediculous mess where i tried to loom the whole thing at once instead of in parts, to another flimsy, scratchy, horror that i was afraid would cause that poor babe a rash. So finally... i've ripped all the yarn out, and decided once and for all to crochet this thing! So far? it's completely soft, not too thick, but not too thin, tight enough his fingers won't get caught in it, but loose enough so it's not too stiff.

I've also decided to create a list with a list of projects i'd like to complete (in due time of course). There might be 10, there might be 1,000 -- but they're all crafts i'd like to make at some point in time. (If you have any suggestions, feel free to send them in either in e-mail, or in the comments and i'll check them out! :-D)

*= knitting

1. Apple Tawashi Dishcloths
2. Saartje's Bootees*
3. Easy Handspun Mitts*
4. Crochet to go: Party Dress
5. Garter Stitch Baby Kimono*
6. Amigurumi Teacup Pincushion
7. Cuddly Crochet Koala
8. Camden Throw
9. Kitten Hook Holder (squee! too freaking cute!)
10. Pencil Scarf
11. Stash basket
12. Baroque Tabard Tunic
13. Sweater Jacket (for my niece!)
14. Charizard Plushie!
15. Firecracker Gloves
16. Owl Eye Mask
17. Valentine Sleeping Mask
18. -tba
    

More patterns will be added as i go! :-D

(Also, yes i know i don't know how to knit yet. I plan on learning though!)

-Cake42

Adventures in Egg(less)land!

Ooooooooh goodness. o.O When the urge to go a-baking hits me.. it hits hard.

This past month i've seriously baked some of my bests, and some of my worsts. I figured i would share some with you today. (Mostly because i'm proud of my cupcakes, and because i want to rant about how much i hate my mom's camera... XD) Unfortunately, i've had to do most of my baking without eggs... because not only do i get strong cravings for vanilla cake with creamy icing... i also get cravings for eggs. Scrambled, poached, fried, baked, etc... point is, i'm lovin' me some eggs. So in the end, when i get those sweet cravings for chocolatey goodness, i end up having to use egg substitutes. (and not the nifty ones where it's powdered or comes in a carton. i mean literally, NO EGGS.)

Firstly, my family has managed to gather quite a collection of Jello boxes. (Church Christmas baskets, sudden urges, sales at Krogers, etc. etc. etc....) and those who know me well, know i despise jello. I get grossed out over the fact that it's made from bones (Abes Oddworld much?) yet i'm completely fine with eating Chicken periods... go figure, lol.

But i am a sucker for creamy desserts with pudding-like textures. (except for flan... blech.) So after some deep soul searching, (i.e: Intarwebz lurking) i came across this wonderful recipe from JustJenn for "Ice Cream Jello".

(picture courtesy of "JustJenn")

Isn't hers lovely? It's so perfectly square, and gorgeous, and looks like it had no problems freeing itself from it's glass prison.

(Picture courtesy of my mother's blurry camera)

Isn't mine hideous? Yeah... well, it's not what's on the outside that counts, it's how it tastes in my mouth.

And God was it good!

[Try your luck at her awesomely good recipe here!]

Second on my list (and ironically made in the same day as the Jello, because i was impatient and hungry...) is my "Pumpkin Pudding Pie". This was the lovechild of late-night hunger, rifling through the cabinets and the fridge, and 'moar intarwebz lurking'.

(Picture Courtesy of my mum's blurry camera...)

Looks neat and tidy doesn't it? I was rather proud of that teeny pie. Made it all by myself, mixed it by hand, baked it with no help from the momma, nothing.

weeeeeell.....except for one thing. Once again, we were out of eggs. So with some help from the 'great minds' on yahoo answers (and i use that term loosely...) i found that "2 tbsp of cornstarch works the same as one egg in pies!". LIES. LIES I TELL YOU! D:
You know what cornstarch does? It draws moisture out of things. You know what eggs do? They give moisture to things, and make them taste eggy, and hold together better... Somewhere in my sleep deprived mind i thought using 6 tbsp of cornstarch was a good idea. Yes, i said six freaking tablespoons of cornstarch. I give you full permission to smack me. i deserve this.

Either way, the pie turned out alright. Yes, it was tasty, and yes it was pumpkiny... it was also somewhat chewy and rather awkward texture that i shall never be recreating ever again.

If you'd like you try your luck at this recipe and actually follow the directions and use eggs then you can find it [Here].

This next recipe actually DID have eggs! :-D I found it while oogling over the fantastic pictures on Foodgawker (somewhere you'll never see my blurry bits of yech) when i came across these Blondies.

Now, i've only had blondies twice. The first time, was made by one of my friend's amazing mum's late one night at like, 2:00 in the morning when we were all craving something sweet, but were poor high school kids. Mrs. Dewitt baked them up and i was completely sold. heck, at the time i'd never even heard of Blondies! So a year or so later i tried my hand at them, and baked up a batch (untasted mind you... baaaaaad idea for bakers and chefs everywhere!) and brought them to a family get-together where they sat untouched (because the hubbs has to bake like, 80 things for every gathering, lol). By the time anybody got to try them, they were safely sitting at home on the counter where my mum proceeded to take a huge bite... and realised i forgot to put sugar in them.... go me. lol.

But this year?? This year i was prepared. I had peanut butter. I'd been on a baking streak. I was 'learned up' on all this and knew what i was doing! and it totally showed.

(Photo Courtesy of my mum's blurry camera...)

Unfortunately, the picture doesn't do it justice, but these blondies were fan freaking tastic. They were literally gone from the pan in less than one night. (I give half this credit to the fact that i had eggs. If they were eggless? they would have sucked. big time).

Want to find out how i made these gorgeous bits of Peanut-buttery chocolatey heaven? Click [Here].

Last but not least, I give you my craving of the day.

Vanilla Cupcakes with some kind of icing! But once again, i was hit with the egglessness that is my fridge. The Good news? i didn't use cornstarch. the bad news? instead of sucking it up and asking my neighbors for one egg (yes, one single freaking egg!) I once again decided to trust yahoo answers and use some bizarre concoction... (1tbsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 2tbsp flour, and 3 tbsp water). What did this give me?

(Another photo courtesy of the blurrycam!)

Well, they are pretty... but they taste a LOT like baking soda... with a distinct lack of egg.

(And another!)

It did give me a chance to practice my piping skills though. (Which i am rather proud of tyvm... lol) I didn't get to make the frosting though. I've never had a good experience with making my own frosting... so i skipped it and bought a tub of Duncan Heinz Hershey's Chocolate.

(Recipe adapted from "How to eat a cupcake"'s version [Here])

Have I learned my lesson about egg substitutes? Definitely. Will i continue to bake things without them when i'm desparate for sweet things? eh, probably. But at least i know the importance of eggs.


Mmmm... Chicken period.

-Cake42

Venues and Piggies!

I live in a strange relationship with my husband-to-be.

We've been together for a little over 5 years now and things have changed a lot since we first met in German class. For starters, we're not so embarrassed to kiss in public anymore... (although grabbing of asses is still frowned upon.) and the special visits to the "couples store" down south, would have left us both speechless and nervous a couple years ago.

However, the only thing that hasn't really changed, is our visiting schedule... I get to see him maybe once to twice a month... and while this has grown from dates to the movie theatre and Wendy's for lunch -- to spending the night at one's house for a couple of nights, it still becomes a little emotionally tiring when you haven't seen your man in almost a month, and the only times you can "talk", is when he's not too exhausted to sneak onto Yahoo after working from 11 at night to seven in the morning.

This last "weekend" (it's not really a weekend, it's just what i refer our 'visits' to...) was definitely emotional in a lot of different ways, but for the most part, it was worth it. Though we have yet to iron out our sleeping schedules, it was nice to be able to have the house to ourselves while his dad was away for some Navy-stuff. It was like living together -- a goal we've been working on for the past few months.

After three nights of knitting, reading my new books (1, 2, & 3), watching several movies (okay, probably like 100...) and countless chicken meals (mmmm... cheeeekin! -- and yes, that's the hubb's blog!) we managed to have a day to ourselves and get out of the house, letting him spoil me all to hell at our local hobby store (and guilty pleasure...), leaving with 4 new colors of yarn for socks (one looks like pumpkin pie, and one's made of wool so i can do some kool-aid dying! booyah!!!) a new loom, some piping tips, and a sigh of relief.

Ah, but our day was not yet done!


Meet Kaya, the newest addition to our clan... er... family.
She is -- by far -- the cutest 30 dollars he's ever spent. lol. A long-haired calico guinea pig who's only a month or so old, she's the younger sister (or possible mate o.O) to our older piggy Kurumi. (he's a short-haired brown hamster with pepper-like flecks. He totally looks like a groundhog... lol) She's super tiny compared to Kuri, and she's the calmest little thing i've ever seen! she'll snuggle and cuddle and even purr! (i've never seen a guinea pig purr, but she does!)


So we needed a name that would fit... right? Well... all of Jim's pets have Japanese (or Asian) names... "Kurumi, Ichigo, Renji" (yes the last two are from Bleach, but that's besides the point.. lol) so we didn't feel right naming her "Isabelle" or "Julia"... so after some internet-time, we came up with the name "Kaya" meaning "Restful Place" (because, you know... naming your guinea pig after a grave is totally awesome.. haha) but it's her. She's the calmest and most chill pig we've ever seen!

Okay okay... enough squealing over fluffy new babes... on to the wedding bits....

After taking Kaya home and getting her situated in the air-conditioning, we grabbed some Pizza (Papa Johns, thou art truly a god!) and breadsticks, and made our way to our possible venue to take some pictures and enlighten friends and family as to our Celticy, pumpkiny plans.

(Unfortunately, we couldn't get pictures of the shelter yet, since there was a family using it to have a rather-large picnic... so we'll come back next week maybe and grab some then...) But in the meantime...

Park porn!

Firstly, one of our main concerns is where to have the ceremony... the walking down the aisle, the vows, all that good stuff that's kind of the whole reason you're having the wedding... So since we wanted this outside, we had to find somewhere out of the sun, and yet not in a shelter...

[underneath that tree over there, is where
we'd set up the arch and the chairs...]

It's close to the shelter with a stone fireplace, for the reception (left, but not pictured) and a playground for the kiddies.... (below)

There's a huge field separating the two... but not too huge so that the older family members wouldn't be able to make the trek. Those family members who are used to our covered bridge festivals and pioneer days, should be used to parking and should know how to get to the wedding without wearing out their feet.

"Covered bridge?"
Yes. Covered bridge. Indiana has a ton of them... this one in particular has been moved from Riley Indiana over here to Fowler Park to bridge the gap between a creek, and the lake.


Around October and November (The amazing autumn months when this park glows with fiery goodness and geese, and indian corn, and all that amazing stuff that makes autumn my favorite season...), our little city -- which for the most part is boring as hell...-- holds two festivals. (often they overlap eachother, which is fine by me!)

[Some of the bricks on the bottom of this picture are
actually stamped with names. Some of them are
"in memory" of, some of them are company names]

The "Covered Bridge Festival" where we celebrate the history of covered bridges, (since there aren't that many left). This usually involves a lot of kitschy items (think those country yard ornaments with the woman bent over, or the cowboy sihlouette) for sale, along with homemade fudges, brownies, candies, and etc. with lemonade stands, kettle corn, and other yummy things crowd the streets. Lots of live music, lots of things for sale. it's a lot of fun, and something we actually look forward to every year. (i'm going to be looking this year for some yarn or fibers! maybe actually learn to spin... mmm... homemade goodies!)

[Blurry pioneer village is blurry...]

"Pioneer Days" is a Terre Haute tradition, where our locals dress up like Indians and Pioneers, hang out in pioneer villages and tee-pees, craft homemade candles the old fashioned way, tan hides the old fashioned way, play games the old fashioned way, and generally do stuff they would have done back then... with totally modern stalls set up everywhere selling goods of every shape and kind, usually related to Pioneers, Indians, country kitsch, and food. (kebabs, lemon shake-ups, and elephant ears? count me in!) It's often held at the same time as the covered bridge festival at Fowler, and honestly? half the people there couldn't tell the difference anyhow.

[Working church and schoolhouse! The little white
paper by the door is actually advertisting a
church sermon happening last Sunday]

We had fun taking pictures and goofing around at the park, and it was definately something we needed... to take a breath and re-evaluate the day and make me remember why i fell in love with him in the first place.


The pictures he kept taking of me every time i turned around though made me want to tackle him and tie him to a witch-burnin' pole though. ;-) (love you Liebe!)

But despite my personal paparazzi, the insane heat, and the inconvenient family picnic going on at the shelter, the park did provide one really neat feature...

Now if i could just figure out how to fit one of those into the bedroom... ;-)

-Cake42

David, David, David... *sigh*

I know before, i praised David Tutera and his girly little show like there was no tomorrow... and yes, it is my little obsession....

but I've come to an understanding...

I don't watch the show because the man "is a genius" ... rather, i watch it for the things the brides do!

Watching his recent episode of the "cowgirl bride" actually made me want to punch him.

Why?

I'm a huge follower of "Offbeatbride.com" -- which was introduced to me by the most offbeat couple i know (whom i love, you know who you are m'dears) and they're all about being who you are on your wedding day. Want to wear flip flops, jean cutoff shorts and a tie-dye tanktop for your wedding? do it! don't worry about stressing out over the perfect dress... DIY everything, and have fun... don't stick to the rules, etc!

It's come to my attention that David is the complete opposite...

He was absolutely APPALLED at the fact that this little Texas bride wanted to wear worn cowboy boots (with purple accents) on her wedding day... so what!? He looked like he was about to shit himself at the idea! Hell personally? I'm dying to buy a pair of Ruby slippers for my own wedding... and i see nothing wrong with it. I plan on adorning my bridesmaids in faerie wings, and wreaths of flowers... If someone dares to call my wedding a costume party, then I'll remember it as the best damn costume party i've ever been to! and they can proceed to smooch my lardy white behind!

It's basically just made me realize how much i appreciate the offbeat community and how extremely supportive they are for each other and any new members! There are quite a few websites that are easily accessible that offer a huge array of projects for the DIY bride and her DIY reception and/or Ceremony!

When i first began watching "My Fair Wedding", i used to have this vision of perfection... of having every little thing just perfect, and how i'd squeal with delight if he showed up and made my medieval/Renaissance wedding a reality.... but the more i tune in, the more i realize... he hates everything i love!

The color green? hates it. DIY things? hates it. Non-Couture gowns? If you look like crap, he'll change it. if you look gorgeous, he'll make you change into something for the reception... If you go completely "offbeat" and do something crazy (I.e: swamp bride, Texas bride, etc.) he "spiffs" everything up and takes it way out of what my own comfort zone would have been!

(And i swear to god if i see those pink/blue/purple lights in ONE MORE design of his, I'm jabbing a brooch through his temple, so help me!)

Well, anyways... this whole post (as scatterbrained as it is) was meant to be me simply conveying my thoughts on the whole "i wanna be a DIY bride" bit, but turned out more as a "Let's bash David" post o.O oops....

point being, I'm leaving couture behind. (not that i ever followed it anyways... ha!) and fully embracing my DIY-ness.

I'll take some online instructions, blurry pictures, and an electric drill over etiquette and posh any day!

-Cake42

Foodgawker, thou hast corrupteth me...

I have *seriously* been craving me some cake lately....

I even went so far as to figure "well... since i'm on a diet.... I'll just make something a little healthier!" and concocted some rather amazing oatmeal cream pies (lowfat, etc etc...). They were gone by day 2. But it still didn't fill the void that a delicious vanilla cake, with dreamy vanilla icing would fill.

So what do i do?

I hop onto my little laptop and surf foodgawker until my stomach is to the point where if i don't bake something containing chocolate chips, vanilla, and brown sugar, it's going to start WWIII.

Well, now that it's settled that i'm going to be breaking out the cooking spray and the cake pans, i have to figure out what to make... well? having borderline pregnancy cravings (not meaning I AM pregger, just meaning my cravings for food are as BAD as a pregnant woman's... just not as wierd!)

well, my stomach and i have come up with (with the assistance of my mother over my shoulder!) a list of desserts i will eventually get around to making.

||====================||

1. Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Blondies -- courtesy of "Handle the Heat"
2. Molten Chocolate Cakes -- Courtesy of "Martha Stewart"
3. Chocolate Velvet Fudge Cake -- Courtesy of "Mrs Multitasker"
4. Heaven and Hell Cake -- Courtesy of "Whisk Kid"
5. Garlic Hasselback Potatoes -- Courtesy of "Momofuku for 2"
6. Spicy Hawaiian Burgers -- Courtesy of "Homemade by Holman"
7. Fleur de Sel Caramels -- Courtesy of "Not so Humble Pie"
8. Carrot Cake Sandwich Cookies -- Courtesy of "Picky Cook"
9. Rocky Road No-Bake Cookies -- Courtesy of "Recipe Girl"
10. Homemade Custom Feux-reos -- Courtesy of "JustJENN"

||====================||

So there's TONS more of course, but these are in the top 10! Yes yes i know, a couple of them are totally non-sweet and completely oh-so-savory, but they were too good looking to pass up, so i had to add them in.

How does this pertain to weddings? it doesn't. i just needed to update something and i'm hungry.

Enjoy.
-Cake42

Cupcakes and Diamonds

I've been finding myself craving cupcakes lately. Not just any cupcakes mind you, Vanilla cupcakes. Any icing would suffice, just it has to be Vanilla cupcakes, and preferably yellow. Maybe it's because I'm eager to redeem myself after the Fourth-of-July red dye disaster*, maybe it's because my body requires certain levels of butter cream consumption... maybe it's because I'm pregnant with the second Christ-child (Ha!) -- but whatever the reason, I'm craving these little babies and it's inspiring me in all the right ways!

**(These cupcakes were created using food dye to color the white cake mix Red and Blue to make some patriotic desserts for the annual family picnic. They were based after the rainbow cupcakes i had executed about a month prior without a hitch. However... the cupcakes for this particular holiday, lacked enough Red food coloring to actually make them Red... So instead of using my standby of liquid food dye, i added a half a teaspoon of GEL dye (Wilson's Christmas Red to be exact). It had completely slipped my mind that red food coloring leaves an icky disgusting taste if used innacurately... GEL dye was like concentrated Red flavor! (Which i found out is caused by iodine used in the dye... lovely huh?) Thus resulting in pretty -- but practically inedible -- cupcakes. Good note? I got to use my awesome new piping bag and tip! They turned out to be gorgeous little heartburn-infested morsels of iodine-y goodness.)

I've come to the conclusion, that -- after my camera is repaired -- I'm going to start a second blog. (Titled: Cupcake for two) This second blog will be not only a Julie & Julia style setup where i cook my way through a set amount of recipes... but will also be a way Jim and I are going to narrow down the flavors of cake for the wedding. (Two years and 3 months should suffice i think?) However, not only cupcakes are going to be baked at the blog. Casseroles, Doughnuts, Pasta, Frozen treats, Soups, and other miscellaneous sweets are also sure to grab the spotlight here and there because, Hey... I love to cook. So while Cake for Two is aimed at all things wedding, Cupcake for Two shall not. (I might also sneak some crafts in there to help promote the Etsy shop i'm going to start! Whoopee!)

Jim and I have also discussed the possibility of beginning our own bakery. (Though not quite like the lucky and extremely talented lady at How to eat a cupcake) Perhaps starting off -- much like most bakeries had -- as a home-based business. Begin with catering cupcakes and celebration cakes (mostly gourmet, not those fancy carved cakes like Food Network boasts) and possibly rake in some extra cash for that dream house! However owning our own building and hiring staff is probably somewhere in the extremely distant future, it's still something i'd love to do after our future children are grown a little and things aren't so tight.

Well, getting back to what this particular blog is about, i happened to catch up on my overflowing DVR list of bridal shows. (I.e: My Fair wedding, Say Yes to the Dress, Girl Meets Gown, and of course -- Don't Tell the Bride). The last of which i began to ponder something...

In one of the episodes of "Don't Tell the Bride" (A witty little show on the BBC where a couple is given 12,000 pounds to finance their wedding. The catch? The groom has to do all the planning, while the bride can't know a single detail until the day of the wedding!) the groom had completely forgotten to get the wedding bands until the very last minute!! He ended up getting them in the end, but it got my wheels turning...

I have yet to find a suitable wedding ring...

Actually to be honest, i don't even have an engagement ring! (No, i'm not one of those "he hasn't proposed yet i just feel like planning the wedding anyway" brides... >.>) We've been dating for 5 years now. Five freaking wonderful, amazing, astounding years. (That i wouldn't trade for anything else in the world!) but around our 3rd or 4th year together, we had come to the same conclusion, that we both wanted to get married someday...

One creepy Jamaican guy at a convention and 20 bucks later, i ended up with a super-simple braided silver band with no diamonds or stones, or anything on it. Just a simple. silver. band. Practically a wedding band! But Jimmy had never truly proposed. He's never gotten down on one knee and asked me to be his wife, nor has he gone out and purchased a ring all by himself for me (or at least to my knowledge he hasn't!). We've both been planning this wedding though in full expectations of going through with it... However it feels just a little strange without a "true" engagement ring...

Part of me feels like i don't need one. I'm happy with the "promise" ring i have (that i bartered for and ended up buying...) and i honestly go ballistic when i lose it (read: left on the edge of the sink during a shower) -- but it doesn't feel like an engagement ring to be. But -- and this is the big part -- my other half is saying i don't need a ring, and that even if i did, we can't even afford one right now! I would truthfully be thrilled to get a ring from the pawn shop for all i care... but that's not the point. We're trying so hard right now to move out and start our lives, that it's impossible for us to afford a flashy piece of jewelry just to tell people i belong to someone.

Lets say just for a moment, that we had the money... there lies another problem waiting to strike.

I'm picky as hell.

I absolutely abhor certain pieces of jewelry. Yellow gold, Diamonds, "Swarovski crystals", Cubic Zirconium, all that super flashy "bling" that every girl dreams of... and of course the "Bigger is better" rule, that can honestly go throw itself out the window...

I have a horrible horrible habit of playing with my rings... especially if they have jewels on the top like a normal Diamond engagement ring. I twirl it around and around my finger until my digits are sore and raw. OCD? probably. So when it comes to rings i can actually wear i tend to buy simple bands... (I.e: the "promise" ring i'm currently wearing)

Oh, one last thing -- I'm horribly allergic to numerous metals. Copper? Yep. Pewter? You Betcha. Any kind of steel (besides surgical)? Mmm hmm! Lovely huh? So unless my jewelry (Piercings especially!) are pure silver, gold, or platinum, I'm pretty much destined to break into nasty rashes and sores.

"Mindy, will you marry me?"
"Of course! Oh it's gorgeous!"
"You like it?"
"Yes! It's so -- .... itchy! Get-it-off! Get-it-off!"
*frantic screams ensue*

okay so the rashes don't exactly happen that quick... but you get my point! For a ring that's supposed to stay on your finger for an eternity, you don't exactly want to be allergic to it! So even if Jim really did want to buy an engagement ring for me, he's stuck with spending a buttload of cash on a real metal ring -- limited to nothing but bands, very few diamonds, and silver colors.

Have fun!

I figured in the spirit of the blog (and my love for all things shiny...) i'd spend a little while browsing the interwebz and maybe make his imaginary trek for the "perfect ring" a little easier. (Ha!)

Tiara Diamond and Sapphire ring in 18k White Gold

Firstly (because that's totally a word, so says i) I stumbled across this lovely band from Brilliant Earth. (B.E offers diamonds and gems that are cruelty free, meaning they don't obtain their diamonds from the slave mines in Africa)

What i love about it: Semi-Precious stones are -- to me -- more precious than diamonds. Each one is made of gorgeous deep colors and anymore, are more rare than diamonds themselves. Sapphires however are just the perfect blue to me, and i don't mind the diamonds in this one, because they only enhance the sapphires. Being a band is a huge plus also, considering i hate playing with giant jewels hanging off my ring, and since the pattern isn't completely around the ring, it saves your palm from random bejeweled massacres when you least expect it!

Cost: $800.00
Link: Here

Esther's Garden and Blue Zircon and Diamond Ring

This ring was googled up from Etsy.com, and has completely taken my breath away! The teeny tiny diamonds on this ring are just miniscule enough for me to tolerate, while the Blue Zircon seems to glimmer right off the page! I can almost see the green and blue light dancing inside of it. Too pretty!

Whate i like about it: Coming from Etsy means a lot to me. I enjoy seeing people getting paid for their hard work, rather than seeing it go to giant companies who mass produce mediocre crap, or for those "haute couture" people who spend thousands on something rediculous. (Like 40,000 on a dress you'll only wear once!?). The Blue in that Zircon makes me drool... way too gorgeous! The silver band it's all daintily placed on is also intricate enough for my tastes, without being gaudy costume jewelry. I adore this ring!

Price: $1,120.00
Link: Here

Celtic Garden 14k Yellow Gold and Emerald Ring

Yes, yes i know... i said i hated yellow gold. and it's true, i think this ring would be much better in silver, but if i were given this ring today i would wear it without complaint. The gold itself actually makes the emerald look absolutely stunning, and although i could live without the diamonds, at least they're small enough to be tolerable, and not the main feature of the ring.

What i like about it: I love love LOVE celtic knots, and the one on this band is done perfectly! Not too overstated to the point where it looks like an Irish tombstone, but still delicate enough to fit into a ring without being gaudy and be recognized as a celtic knot. The Emerald is my mother's birthstone and is actually the first jeweled ring i ever owned. (it's my grandmothers, but it's way too small to wear anymore and the diamonds are missing, leaving huge face-ripping craters on either side of the gem now.) Also? it's by the same shop as the last ring! (Kudos!)

Price: $1,650
Link: Here

Sapphire Set Elegantly in 14k White Gold

Oh sweet sapphire... thou art truly magnificent! Framed in twisty turvy ivy with teeny tiny diamonds dotting each leaf.

What i like about it: The deep dark blue of this Sapphire reminds me of that necklace from Titanic -- Oceanic almost! The white gold is just stunning, giving it that silver shine.

Price: $2,200
Link: Here

Bespoke Ceylon Sapphire Celtic Engagement Ring in Yellow Gold

I have to admit with this one... i hate the gold on it. I would definately have to get this one in silver or white gold!

What i like about it: The pointed shape to the ring is totally unique and very elven (to me at least...) while that tiny little sapphire dots the tip with understated elegance. The twisted pattern on the band itself could be more intricate, but on the whole it's a gorgeous ring. except for that damn gold!

Price: £341.00
Link: Here


Next are a few wedding bands themselves... because hey, i need to find those too!

Remember how i mentioned that i'm allergic to all different kinds of metal? well... a similar problem appeared with Jimmy. See, he's also allergic to most metals (except pure metals and surgical steel, etc.) with the exception of Silver... go figure. My favorite metal and he has to be allergic to it! Well, with my hatred of yellow gold, his allergy to silver, our combined allergies to most metals and my general distaste of platinum, it leaves us with really only one of two choices: Separate rings, or white gold.

18k White Gold Leaves and Buds Diamond Ring

Now, wedding bands -- in my opinion -- should be simple. No super fancy jewels everywhere, no "bling" so to speak... just a simple decorated band. But the band doesn't have to be a boring tube of metal, it can be a band and still be enchanting!

What i like about it: First off, white gold! yay! Second? Though i generally dislike jewels in my bands, i like these teeny diamonds. (I'm finding them rather hard to escape though which is starting to tick me off!) And the leaves pattern is just fab, very reminiscent of celtic knots!

Price: $900.00
Link: Here

Men's Celtic Eternity Knot Ring in 18K White Gold

The first Men's ring on the entire post! Woot! (Also, is it just me, or does the little stamp on the inside look like an alien's head with japanese writing?)

What i like about it: Another white gold ring -- Brilliant Earth really knows how to make me squeal with glee! -- and this time with celtic knots on it. Jim's not much on wearing jewelry in the first place... but when he does wear it, i know he wants it to be something worth wearing. Whether that applies to his philosophy on wedding rings is yet to be seen... but if I were the one to pick them out, he'd be getting this one for sure!

Price: $1,150.00
Link: Here

Burnished Platinum Emerald Eternity Ring

I'm finding it rather hard to find a wedding band that doesn't involve creepy disembodied hands holding hearts with crowns on them, or diamonds...

What i like about it: Even though the gems on this ring go all the way around they're inset so that you can't dislocate your finger if you smack it on something by accident. The Emeralds are brilliant, and the Platinum doesn't look too bad. not my ideal white gold, but still pretty. The only thing i don't like, is that it's the same for the male as it is the female, and to me, these are too girly for a guy to wear on a daily basis!

Price: $1375.00 -- $2475.00 (depends on size, thickness, and metal finish)
Link: Here


Well, that's it for now on rings... There are literally thousands out there to choose from, but i guess i'm just too picky for my own good!

Will i ever get a proper proposal with ring? Beats me. If i do, i'll be thrilled for sure. If i don't? I still get to spend the rest of my life with the most amazing guy in the world. So what if i don't get proposed to like a normal girl? I didn't go to Prom either! (I know, Blaspehmy!)

Enjoy your sparklies my lovelies,
-Cake42