My best friend's little sister is getting hitched and we celebrated her with a shower this weekend. If it were for anyone else I would have stayed in Charlottesville and braved Foxfield, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to spend the weekend with some of my best girlfriends. After 25 years, we pick up right where we left off, no matter how long it's been since we last saw each other. Cheers Katie and Robin!



Cake decorating continues to bring me joy and relaxation. Here are some of my latest creations. The first is a "Thank You" cake for our clinical instructor Linda who will be leaving us this summer:-( The second is a birthday cake for one of the girls in the house. In a spurt of brilliance, I decided that I would make up for all the missed birthdays and pre-cake decorating birthdays with individualized cupcakes later this week. Stay tuned.

"Chaperoning" DG events is one of the many privileges of being a house mom. I don't ever remember asking my mom to come to prom or go on dates with me, but these girls just can't get enough of this mom all up in their business. Last weekend was the last social function of the year so I got dressed up, interrogated a few young gentlemen friends of my girls and even let some of them take me for a spin around the dance floor. That last part proved to be tragic for anyone watching. I am in the midst of planning an end of the year party for the girls who live in the house and it is making me quit tearful to tell the truth. I have grown to love these girls to pieces and cannot imagine the emptiness that will fill my heart when they move out this summer. I'll surely be a wreck until the fall when my new class moves in and this class returns to wreak havoc on this town for one more year.

Drip drip. Wipe the tears. Here are the pictures from formal last weekend.

I'm generally not very vocal about my stance on any of the major political issues, but this video tugs on my heart and needs to be shared. I'm definitely not trying to impose my opinions on anyone...just sharing a bit of humanity.



"Fidelity": Don't Divorce... from Courage Campaign on Vimeo.

I made a quick trip home for Easter and Mom's birthday last week. Here's the proof.

"Now that's a good looking family."
-Brad

Me and my "little" brother

Mom's birthday cake! Made with love.

Charlottesville Ten Miler Pictures!

Salty

I've been dabbling in cake decorating over the last few weeks, trying my hand at this delicious art form. I'm actually taking a class to help guide my creative genius and develop actual skills. As you can see, I am improving slowly but surely. Here are my cakes in chronological order.

These first two are "pre-class" cakes. I was just a bit giddy about starting and tried my amateur hand at decorating. Clearly, I needed help.

Now I've learned the star tip and shell border. This is my "Kroger-style" cake

Evan came over to the house for "Family Dinner" during UNC's road to the final four. He is a big Tarheel fan so I made him a special cake. Now let's get them to the championship!

This is one of Wilton's signature designs: the rainbow. It just so happened that my cake decorating class fell a day before Emily & Freddi's birthday so I made the cake for them. This may have been a poor decision on my part...now I'm obligated to make cakes for all my girls' birthdays!

So for Caryn's birthday, I stepped up my game and demonstrated the swirl flower technique. At this point, I can also make roses which you will see on Mom's birthday cake. But I have to say, so far, this is my favorite.

This last cake I made for one of the L&D nurse's daugther who is turning 5 this weekend. I've reached a new domain: cake decorating with candy!