Wedding Cake Part 2

Last week, I wrote about my one and only wedding cake. The sweet bride sent me a few pics of the cake and cake pops at the venue.  I was so excited to see them, as I miss that part most of the time! 

Christmas 2012

I finally downloaded all of our pictures from Christmas!  Christmas is our favorite time of the year.  Proof of this exists in the fact that we put up our tree the day after Halloween and JUST TOOK IT DOWN.

Christmas evokes such a warm feeling and brings back so many precious memories.  I can remember as a child waking up in the middle of the night and running to the living room to lay on the couch and just look at the tree.  Decorating for Christmas was a huge affair.  We put santas, stockings, manger scenes, and tinsel everywhere!  I honestly remember decorating and baking more that I do the gifts.  At Mummy's house every year, the grandkids put on a Christmas play. We took turns being Mary, Joseph, the angels, and wise men. Then the whole family would gather around the piano while Mummy played Christmas carols.

One of my favorite traditions is receiving an ornament each year from my parents.  The hubby and I have continued that tradition and give each other an ornament every Christmas that represents the past year to us.  It's already so much fun to look back at the ornaments and remember those times.  We don't have a tree that is one color scheme or theme, we have a tree full of unique ornaments from our childhoods, vacations, and our years as a couple.  I even have a few angels from my mother's Christmas tree when she was a child and a giraffe that hung in my baby mobile! I took a few pictures of some of our favorites.

I decided this year to host two of my dearest friends and their husbands for an old-fashioned Christmas dinner and gift swap.  My sweet mom came up a few days before the party to help plan the menu, decorate, and shop.  Have I told you how much I love her?

The dinner menu included cornbread dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn casserole, biscuits, green bean casserole, and ham.  For dessert we had homemade pecan pies and gingerbread bundt cakes.  When we were stuffed and happy, we played a fun game of "Dirty Santa."  Martina cheated and brought gifts that only Nicole and I could get, but we loved them!!

I've talked about moving here and God providing such amazing new friends, but I honestly don't know what I would do without them.  More than friends, we are spirit sisters.  I can cry, laugh, and vent with them, and I know they are always there.  More importantly, they encourage and mentor me in my walk with Christ.  So blessed!

The next weekend, we headed out of town to celebrate Christmas with my family.  There is never a dull moment when we are all home, but I wouldn't have it any other way!  Of course, the best part was spending lots of time with my nephews and niece.  They are growing up so fast, so I try to cherish every second with them!

Christmas left my heart full and thankful.  While we were sad to finally put away our decorations, I can't wait to see what God has for us in 2013!

More Than Cupcakes

I took a break from Facebook recently. Honestly, I thought I would die without checking it 50 times a day. The amazing result…I haven’t. I’ve barely missed it. The only time I have is when my friends are laughing over a recent post or photo that I haven’t seen. I’ve had so many people look at me like I’m crazy when I tell them I’ve stopped the habit. They immediately want to know why! Among other reasons like wasting hours each day and giving something up for 21 Days of Prayer, the hard truth is, I was struggling at times when comparing my imperfect life with other people's perfect highlights. Oh, I’m aware that I’m guilty of it too! I even do it on this blog. We rarely want people to see the real struggles that living in this fallen world can sometimes cause. My husband and I have been walking through some tough medical issues (more about that in a later post) and I’ve contemplated writing about it a million times. But I haven’t. Why is it that we only want people to see the good stuff? As Christians, aren’t we called to use our trials to minister to others? Why are we so scared of being vulnerable, of opening up our lives and revealing our struggles? Don’t get me wrong, I have a pretty great life! It's full of wonderful family and amazing friends. I’m a blessed girl. But I’m also a sinner who needed a Savior, and is reminded of God’s amazing grace and mercy every single day. Part of living this life as a Christian is knowing that there will be tough seasons and circumstances, and we are called to use those times of trial and growth to minister to and bless others. I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately, and one of my goals this year is to start being more transparent in this blog. The cakes and cupcakes are great, but I know I’m called to more than that. I love writing. It’s why I started a blog in the first place. And I’ve been missing it.

A Sweet Wedding Cake

I have a strict no wedding cake policy, but when my friend Racheal asked me to make a small cake for her family wedding, I knew there would be no pressure!  We had such a fun time talking about her special day and planning this sweet cake!

Featured on Hammers and High Heels!

I was beyond excited to see that Hammers and High Heels featured my wreath tutorial last week!  If you haven't checked out the blog, please take a look! You will love it. Thanks Carla!

In celebration, it's time for another giveaway!  Just leave a comment telling me what celebration you would use a dozen fondant cupcake toppers for.  A winner will be selected randomly this Friday, and will win those toppers!

Pinterest Project - Silver Tray Wreath

With a little help from some sweet family members, my first big Pinterest project is complete!  A couple of months ago, I found this picture on a fabulous blog called Hammers and High Heels.

Love.  

But there was no tutorial.  So I did what I always do when I need home decor help and called my big sister. She is the queen of decorating on a budget! I sent her the picture and gave her my small budget and she hit the thrift stores to find silver trays. We started working on it while we were home for Thanksgiving. I tried to take pictures of each step, in case anyone else wants to take this project on! Here she is with a few of the trays she found and her helper, my sweet niece.

Once you've gathered your trays, lay them out to get an idea of the best placement . We focused on two sizes, small and medium.  Medium ones in the back, and smaller ones on top.  Once I was happy with the design, I took a picture on my cell phone so I could recall the order when attaching them to the frame.  Lay out the bottom layer of trays on your wood so you can decide how big your wood base needs to be.  

I don't have much experience with power tools, so I had to call in the big guns to help with the cutting.  My sweet Dad and brother-in-law stepped in to cute the base.  We cut a wood ring about 4 inches wide.

Once the frame is cut, attach the wire for hanging.  You can get these kits at your local hardware store. While you are there, be sure to get several tubes of a liquid nail product.  It's amazing!  And perfect for this project.  I placed all of my trays out on the wood base first to make sure it matched the picture I took earlier. Once you are happy with the placement, begin attaching your bottom layer with the liquid nails.  We used bricks to weigh them down as they were drying!

Once the first layer is set, lay out your smaller wreaths on top and attach.  That's it!  We let it dry more than a day before moving it.  I can't wait for a few of the trays to start to tarnish like the inspiration photo.  I have mine hanging on my dining room wall and love it.  I think it would make a fabulous focal point in any room!