Missionary Pics

I can't even tell you how much fun it was to do this photo shoot!  This young man was so excited to go on a mission for his church.  He just smiled the whole entire time.  

This was in full sun, I know...You should never take a picture in full sun.  This was kind of a "working" picture.  We live our lives in "full sun" after all.

Don't you just LOVE the wheat field!?!  I am not sure how I ended up so lucky, but I manged to find one, here in Arizona, lined with trees so we had a nice sun-free place to take pictures!!!  Super excited...and lucky. 

This is one of my favorites!!!

You wouldn't even believe how well behaved he was ;0)  I didn't have to bribe him with candy, or use my squeaker or anything!  I am going to have to do more missionary shoots, I am telling you!!!

We had to pour on a little {ChEeZe}

I am so jealous.  I LOVE St. George!  Have a great time Elder....and go eat at Judds for me ;0}

We had to get a couple with Mom.  She helped get you to this point, right!?!

Super fun.  

Over-The-Hill Cheater Cake :0)

With my fabulous friend Jennifer turning 40 and her husbands sweet request for a cake, I had been searching my crazy, mixed up brain trying to figure out just how to make a cake for Jennifer.  This wouldn't be a problem, except for the embarrassing fact that our "temporary house" we are living in right now doesn't have an oven.  Yep.  No oven.  Please don't ask me how I make dinner.  It is a moment I dread all day long, and a trauma I work all night to forget.  

We won't go there, but here is the cake I came up with.  

Costco.  They are my new best friend!

I ran on over to Costco and bought this fabulous, already torted, frosted, and boxed chocolate cake.  Frankly, it was probably cheaper to buy this cake than it would have been to buy all the ingredients and slave away in the kitchen for a whole day...and probably night ;0)

With my current lack of organization I didn't get a cake ordered, so I just grabbed a fancy floral cake, took it home, and scrapped the roses off the middle.  

Since I was going for a graveyard theme to my cake {even though I think that 40 is looking younger and younger every day} I made some dirt.  A couple crunched up oreos and a little brown sugar mixed together did the trick.

I liked the sections already on the cake.  They were fancy so they got to stay.  I just spread the cookie/dirt mixture where I wanted it.

Next I used Wilton's 233 tip to make little patches of grass.  This is NOT a well kept graveyard ;0)

It looked like this after being "seeded."  

Next I made The Coffin Candy Mold.  I picked it up from my fav, ABC Cake in Phoenix.  So if you have never done a big mold like this, don't sweat it!  It is so easy.  I opened a bag of Wilton candy melts, heated them in the microwave until they stirred smooth, then I just poured the chocolate into the mold.  Here is the only trick, make sure and tap the mold on the counter a few times so the bubbles rise to the top.  I put the chocolate filled mold into the freezer for 15 min or so {it is done when all the chocolate is firm to the touch}.  Take the finished candy out of the freezer, turn upside down and remove the candy from the mold.  You can trim any extra chocolate with kitchen scissors, just shave it off.

Fabulous!

I made a tiny mummy from white fondant to put into the coffin.  The headstones were cupcake pics purchased from the cake store.  I had some cute candles too that apparently were left out of this picture {tee-hee}.  They said "Lost Count"  Jennifer, when you read this, you will need to email me a picture ;0) so I can have a finished picture on the blog {thanks, that will be great}.

Fabulous Jennifer!  Thanks for the picture ;0)

So, the whole temporary, oven-less house thing, yeah...I will be able to explain that on Monday :0)

Have a great Weekend!

Customer Photo!!!

A little while back I posted these letters I made for a customer of mine.  Sweet Tammy is totally fabulous.  She is also VERY patient.  That is all that I am saying about that :0)

The other day she put a smile on my face when she emailed me this picture.  How cute do those letters look up on the wall above her bed!!!  And can I just say, I covet those pillowcases!

Super cute Tammy!

Thanks so much for sharing your picture with me!!!

Rolled Flower Wedding Cake

I realized the other day that I never got this fabulous Rolled Flower Wedding Cake posted on the blog.  With boxes everywhere, I chose to ignore it all and pull up the pictures tonight.  

The bride had seen my cake posted on the Big Caker Weekend and requested I do the entire wedding cake in the same ribbon style.  As I thought about what kind of flowers to put on the cake, I really wanted to try the rolled flowers, like we make with fabric, but with fondant instead.  

I found a tutorial HERE on Cake Journal.  I made the hot pink flowers with my fabulous little daisy cutters.  When all of the flowers were made, I brushed them all with this awesome stuff, 

{image source}

Pearl Glaze.  You just paint it on like...well, paint or glaze {with a food-grade paint brush of course ;0}  and then let it dry an hour or so.  It gives the fondant this gorgeous luster.  Try it if you get the chance.  I have it in a couple different colors!

So, the cake went over well.  The bride asked for Almond flavored cake and filling.  I have never made an almond cake before, so I was a little nervous, but it turned out fabulously!

It turns out, there is an almond filling available at Walmart.  

{picture source}

I just mixed it in with my yummy whipped cream frosting and then filled the cake with it.  YUMM!  That is one cake I will have to make again!

The bride and groom seemed to enjoy it...

Some more than others ;0)

But all was made right!

I love it!!!

OK, I worked all morning on some back to school printables.  I will be back with those and a whole pile of new photos.  Also, I have a little news...but you have to wait for it!

Have a great night!!!

I {Heart} Babies!

This little guy made quite an entrance into the world at a mere 28 weeks gestational age.  I got to be there in the hospital with my friend the day before she was born.  I went with a couple friends to cheer her up.  I still can't shake the feeling our laughing all night long helped the baby come sooner than later, but still baby G made his grand entrance into life and fought every day to come home to his three sisters.  I am guessing they didn't tell him he would be constantly covered with slobbery sister kisses or maybe he would have taken just a little more time ;0)

I had a lot of fun taking his pictures.  He was one of the first BOY babies I have been able to do, and a preemie at that!  We pulled out all the sports props and my new grass rug purchased at Target {in the bathroom section :0}

Just before Baby G came over I cut up a scrap board I have been hoarding in my garage and made this cute little bed.  I guess I should mention that when I was coming in from the garage after making this bed I had a little accident.  I pushed the garage door button {at our new house} to shut the garage.  The door started rolling down, then suddenly stopped and opened back up.  I was confused.  There wasn't anything that could have been in front of the door sensors.  I walked back to the front of the garage, didn't see anything but a cord that was nearby, but not near enough to catch the sensor.  I kicked the cord out of the way just to be safe, and BAMMM!  Rolled my ankle.

After picking myself up off the floor, I went back to the garage door button, pressed it, and watched the garage door fall into place as it should have the first time.  I have since learned that the door is just temperamental.  It just decides some days to roll half-way down and back up a couple times before closing...just for sport.  Long story short, I was just fine walking around til about halfway through this photo shoot.  Suddenly my foot was rather painful.  I tried to get my big body up off the floor after getting down for a close-up and discovered I could not put any weight on my foot.  I managed as best I could, but by the last shot I was in serious trouble. 

Have I mentioned that our new house is directly across the street from the old house???  Well it is, Thank Goodness!  I ended up grabbing an office chair that we had moved over to the new house, sitting on that, and scooting myself on the chair, pushing with my one good leg, out the door, down the hill-of-a-driveway, across the street, up the old driveway, and into the old house where my bed was still so I could lay down.  

I ended up going to the urgent care that night and had ex-rays and left with crutches and the diagnosis "We can't tell if it is broken or not"

Sorry Baby G.  This is what I will remember when I see your pictures ;0)

At least he was so cute!  He was worth every bit of my pain!!!

The next day, after a few hours of messing with the crutches I ditched them and just hobbled around on my foot.  Every day {of moving} my foot felt a little better until I finally forgot I hurt it at all.

There is the bed.  I simply couldn't take this little guy's pics on the other bed.  It is WAY too girly!

This darling hat was made by my good friend Mary.  You can get to her ETSY shop HERE!  She is only THE most talented knitter/crocheter I know.  She does special requests/orders so drop her a line if you need any specialty knitting!!!

These black and white are always my personal favorites though.  They are just so striking.  I just love taking pictures of babies! They are a ton of work and you spend forever waiting for them to settle and accept the poses you put them into, but it is totally worth it.  

I am totally teaching myself as I go along.  I find myself focusing on the technical side of taking pictures, getting exposure right and all that, and I see posing as a major short-fall of mine, but I am glad there are babies just falling from heaven so I have plenty of new prospects to practice on :0)

p.s. girls crafting sleepover this week so I PROMISE I will have crafts for you VERY soon!

Be back soon!

Bridal Pics

Yay!  We finally moved into our new house and have internet connection again.  Things have been more than crazy around here, but I managed to get some pictures edited.   

This cute couple got married on Valentines Day {How romantic is that!?!} but ended up having their reception in May.  The week of the wedding the groom's grandma died and they ended up driving out of state for the funeral.  The couple returned just in time for the wedding, but sadly missed out on much of the pre-wedding excitement due to the week's unexpected changes.    

I was hired to take pictures at the reception, but when I found out they didn't have any bridal shots taken, we found a shady spot in front of the church and shot a couple.

I totally love the bride's eyes.  You gotta love big beautiful eyes :0)

I have more pictures to edit, but promise to get some crafts on here soon. 

I am still trying to find the bottom of my living room with all the boxes and packing supplies strewn everywhere, but I will try and get my 4th of July crafts done {about time} and show you all.

Until then, Happy Independence Day!