Monday, October 16, 2006

Vanilla Umbrellas, Chocolate Fountains

I'm really busy. I'm so busy, that I have a to-do list that is broken down by day.

For some reason, I have nothing to post about. This makes no sense. Maybe it's because my brain is all out-o-wack.

Tonight is installment #2 of the Beginner's Cake Decorating class I'm taking. And let me tell ya what--the class was free (I'm an employee of the school) but I spent a small fortune on the supplies. I needed about 800 icing tips, 14 boxes of powdered sugar, 62 do-hickeys and a bunch of plastic bag thingies. And I haven't even bought everything yet!

So maybe I'm exaggerating a little.

But I'm approaching the $100 mark...yeah. But it's fun. I love to bake already, so now I will have skillz (yes, I said "skillz") I can use the rest of my life. Yo.

Can you tell I'm in a goofy mood today?

In order to be ready to decorate when class starts, you bake the cake before class. So last night I baked a cake and did the bottom layer of icing. This was my first attempt at making a layered cake, and it was kind of a lot of work. Did you know it takes almost 2 pounds of confectioner's sugar to frost one 2-layer cake? Yeah, had no idea. That's a lot.

It was all going smoothly until it was time to put the top layer on. I looked at the top layer and thought, "Hmmm...this might not sit properly because the cake is higher in the middle than on the sides...maybe I should even out the top with a knife..."

And then I thought, "Nah! It'll be fine." So I flipped the top layer onto the bottom layer.

The top layer proceeded to split directly down the middle into two halves. Genius, VB. You are baker extraordinaire...thank God for the wonders of cake icing. Now I know why it was invented--someone's top layer split into two and they needed a way to hold it all together.

I will frost it tonight and try and take pictures for y'all. Cake #1 will have an umbrella on it. Why? Why not! (I'm sure the teach has a reason...)

Mmmm...vanilla umbrellas....

Anyway, this weekend was super duper. I went out with MJ and her roommate on Friday--we had some delicious BBQ Chicken pizza at Mellow Mushroom. Then MJ and I went to a bar (restaurant?) to watch a bluegrass band.

Aha--betcha didn't know I like bluegrass, did ya? I do. I like it a lot, actually. Especially this band--they were jammin'. You can't help but tap your feet. I think they are called Loch Ness Joe. It was Loch Ness Something. Anyway, I am their newest groupie. I will follow them like a puppy.

Then Saturday I went to a wedding in Charleston. It was a really nice wedding to attend, because I adore the couple to pieces. Incredibly sweet people. The kind of people where you meet them and think, "Gosh, I'm really glad you exist. The world is a better place because of people like you." So I will refer to them as The Sweethearts.



They got married at Alhambra Hall, which is right across the Ravenel Bridge (this bridge is gorgeous, btw) from Charleston. I know the pics on the link are tiny (yes, I am aware that I suck because I never take photos), but you can get an idea of what Alhambra Hall looks like.
Brunette and I were late as hell. We threw our stuff down in our hotel room, changed and made it just in time. Whew. We took our seats on the lawn. The weather was beautiful. The lawn backs up to a river, and the couple were married under the big live oak tree that is on the shore. So as you are watching the couple, they are under the tree and the river is in the background. Seriously, it was gorgeous.

Allow me a girly-girl moment here while I describe the decor (men, you might want to skip this paragraph). The bride's dress was strapless white satin and the top part was gathered in a downward swoop, held in place by long, dangling strands of crystals. Does that make sense? I don't know. But her dress was beautiful. The bridesmaids wore two-piece outfits in Tiffany blue. Complete with ivory sashes at their waists. To offset the blue, everyone carried hot pink roses. Can you say, "Beautiful wedding photos"? Charleston background? Check. Gorgeous bride? Check. Awesome bridesmaid dresses? Check. Perfectly punchy flowers? Check. Yeah. I felt like I was living a real-life version of an article from Modern Bride. Mrs. Sweetheart has the best taste.

The food was great--hello, fountain of melted liquid chocolate! Hello, delicious prime rib! Hello, raspberry-jam-filled cake! And there was karaoke after everyone was good n toasted. There were lots of tears, because the familes are so excited and so happy.

So yeah, great wedding.

The rest of my week is booked solid: a birthday, a house warming party, doggie school for Sammy, date #2 with Cop 2, work, house stuff, the gym, the state fair, cleaning the natural disaster that is my bedroom...aaaack.

Currently trying to decide on whether or not to get a home inspection. The house is new, so they have to build it to code, right? My house was not built by a major builder, but a local company with a good reputation. And I do have a 1 year warranty. But isn't it always a good idea??? I heard one horror story about a new house where the builder "forgot" to put insulation in the attic! My friends and family are split on this. Realtor says no, Czarina says no, everyone else says yes. I am inclined to say yes. I am on a time crunch, and (obviously) I don't want to spend money that I don't have to. Can anyone provide any advice???

Oh, and I want to change my hair. A lot. Maybe...red? And a little shorter--to my shoulders? Hmmm...I know all my guy friends who know what I look like will now comment with, "Nooooo!" LOL

That's it for now...

12 comments:

Stuck said...

Do not cut your hair. Ever.

If you want a home inspection, I have a friend who can probably give you a good price. If the house is under one of those builder's contract thingys, then any problems you find after moving in will have to be fixed by them anyway, though, right? So you could theoretically wait until the contract is just about up, and THEN have a home inspector check it out to give you a list to screw the builders with.

Lisa said...

Loch Ness JOHNNY!

I didn't get an inspection because I know I have one year to complain about anything and everything. Granted, there are things that you just might not realize without experience, but it's highly unlikely that this is something you wouldn't notice in a year. I agree with Stucky on this one.

Anonymous said...

I vote for getting the home inspection. We got lots of valuable information about how to maintain our house. Plus you want to be sure the builder did everything they were suppossed to and you don't know what you should be looking for. Have you heard of Angie's List? I'm not sure if they have it there, but I've been getting lots of good contractor refererrals from there. www.angieslist.com. You do have to pay, but it's been worth it for us.

Mrs. S. said...

As a stylist, I'd have to see your face, but I'm always a fan of big changes.. I want to cut mine off and I've worked on growing it out for some time. The baby pulls it alot and it's annoying...

Mrs. S. said...

I was talking about the hair thing in case no one else can follow my madness....

Anonymous said...

Lancelot and I love bluegrass, too. So toe tappin'.

I'm tempted to say yes on the home inspection just because I'd always hears it was a must.

Good luck with the cake!

Lisa said...

Get the inspection. If there's something wrong, an inspector will catch it. If its an expensive wrong, you will know and can renegotiate your offer or walk away...

Can't wait to see the cake!

Anny said...

i luv that ur in a goofy mood.

Kelli said...

Hmmm...cake...yumm..

That wedding sounds fabulous. I love those colors. I want a pretty wedding (2 second pout).

I would go with the home inspection. But yeah..you pbly dont need it..but I would have it done anyway.

Kelli said...

One more thing..I LOVE BLUEGRASS. Love it love it love it.

I will have to check out those guys.

teahouse said...

Hey, I was just in Charleston about a month ago. Beautiful city!

Virginia Belle said...

stuckey-- i knew you'd say that! knew it! my coworker's husband is in contracting, so he offered to go with me on the final walk-through. he apparently has a great eye for building construction flaws.

MJ--loch ness johnny. right. sorry. i'm w/you and stuckey on the home inspection issue. i have a year. i probably won't be living in the same house in 5 years anyway.

the goat-- yeah, i know. but i've decided to take my chances with this one.

Mrs. Boston-- thanks for your advice. i appreciate it. i have heard of angie's list. it's supposed to be great. i really need to start using it, esp. since now i will probably need to use it. but i'm not going to get one. the house has been inspected a ton already. i've had 2 real estate agents encourage me to skip it. (one was a completely unbiased friend of the family)

red-- i followed you! i need to tell you about the unsolvable problem that is my hair texture/face shape combo! i doubt there is a solution for me! i'm getting it done on saturday--i'm going w/extra lowlights since it's fall now. it will be the darker version of VB.

gypsy--thanks! yay for toe tapping bluegrass! i love you--you have all the same crazy taste i do--monty python, 1930s bunaglows, bluegrass, james bond...maybe you are my long lost gypsy twin!

lisa-- yeah....but i'm not doing it. see above. thanks for the feedback though. and thanks on the good luck cake wishes. i will need it!

anny-- i'm pretty good about keeping it under wraps on my blog, but i'm actually REALLY silly in person.

anne-- yeah, i thought about your wedding post when i was writing that! the colors really were great. and yeah, i am glad to hear you also like bluegrass. the band i listened to, loch ness johnny, has a myspace page w/some of their songs on it. check it out.

teahouse-- yes, it is pretty much heavenly. glad you got to see it. did you get some lowcountry food? it's the best. you will have to give me the scoop on where you stayed/what you ate, etc.