speaking of cupcakes...

...last week Hello, Cupcake, a bakery in D.C., turned 1 and gave away free cupcakes to celebrate the occasion. Naturally, Reese and I went...I mean, we hardly EVER turn down a cupcake, especially when they are free! We went downtown with Ashley, Jack and Myla and when we pulled up to the bakery, the line was already around the block! Not deterred by the apparent wait, Reese and I got out of the car to wait in line while Ashley parked the car. The line actually moved very fast and within about 20 minutes, we were inside.

The rules were these: one cupcake per person, no cupcakes for sale, and when they ran out, the party was over. Since there were four of us, we chose four different cupcakes to sample:

Root Beer Float with Cream Cheese frosting (with a straw and everything!)

Chocolate with Vanilla Buttercream

Princess (vanilla cake with strawberry buttercream)

Peanut Butter Blossom

They were all pretty delicious, but my favorite was the delicious chocolate cake with the vanilla buttercream...it happens to be my favorite cupcake combo!

Reese and I enjoying the vanilla cake with strawberry buttercream...while very moist, the cake itself didn't have much flavor to it. But the buttercream was V. sweet and tasted of yummy strawberries!

Jack loved the straw in the root beer float cupcake and tried desperately to get some root beer out of that cupcake! It tasted just like root beer, with an even stronger root beer finish. wow!

The kiddies holding hands in the car on the way home. They did this all on their own, with no encouragement from the mothers in the front seat.

T Cakes is OPEN for business!

Lauren told me I better not post any blogs without at least one picture of Reese.

Here is a yet another picture of Reese enjoying a delicious cupcake (if I do say so myself). Where would my little business be without Reese...my best taste-tester? Wait, back up--business, you say? That's right! T Cakes Bakery is open for business. We had our first paid gig this week and it went swimmingly. I was a little nervous at first to take on the project, knowing that I wouldn't have one of my favorite assistants (mom and Tessa) in town to help me. But I was also really excited to prove to myself that I could do it on my own. With a little planning, a lot of time management, and a couple of Elmo videos, I was able to make a dozen sunflower cupcakes for the tablescape at the wedding reception and six dozen mini sunflower cupcakes to be served. I had SO much fun and the cupcakes were a hit (again, if I do say so myself)!

Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to take pictures of the plated cupcakes at the reception, but you get the idea.

How to Create a Relaxing Bedroom

My sister Lauren was so popular when she debuted on Studio 5 that they could not wait to have her back! Check out her second segment on how to create a relaxing bedroom. (And don't miss Reese's cameo!)
http://studio5.ksl.com/index.php?sid=7534612&nid=59

B-17 Bomber

My camera was on the fritz for a few weeks this summer, which was inconveniently during our trip to Montana. But, I finally got all the pictures from all the cameras on this trip and wanted to post one of the most fun things we got to do on our trip!

While we were in Kalispell, a B-17 Bomber plane from World War II was at the Glacier Park International Airport for people to come and see. $5 to walk around the plane, and a little bit more to be taken up in the air. Well, my dad loves planes and thought taking a ride in the B-17 would be an experience that we would not get to have again, and we shouldn't pass it up. And he was right, it was an incredible experience!

Before we took off, the pilot and engineers gave us a brief safety tutorial--"do not touch this, watch your head when you walk around, don't pull on these, it is normal to see smoke when the propellers get going, etc." Lauren, Ben and I got to sit in the cargo seats in the back of the plane for takeoff and it was crazy! There was an engineer sitting with us who had to monitor the engines and propellers from the windows on each side of the back of the plane.

After we were up in the air we had the chance to roam around the plane. I admit, I got a teeny bit airsick at one point--the plane was not pressurized and there were some interesting smells and smoke during the flight. We flew over the Flathead Valley down to Lake Blaine and back. It was the most incredible view from the air and we had such a blast!

Lauren is sending coded messages to the troops on the ground.
As we were up in the air, and I am looking out the window, holding the machine gun, I honestly could not believe I was getting to do this! I could not stop smiling! Can you tell?


My dad and Tessa got to sit in the two seats in the very front for takeoff and Duffy and I got the seats for the landing! The view was unbelievable...just some plexiglass separating us from the outside...and there was a small circular window open, so we could feel the wind as we landed. It seriously felt like I was flying...I mean, by myself, with my own wings.



Reese got a peak on the plane before she an MommaCat watched us from the ground. Thank you, MommaCat!

princess swimsuit

Just a few extra pictures of Reese at the Lake. Reese wasn't quite sure about this bathing suit when she saw it on the cardboard hanger. I don't blame her...I wasn't quite sure about it myself. But once we got to the lake and that was the only bathing suit that made it in the bag, she warmed up to it pretty quickly.

Beep, beep!

(don't worry, the tube is just on the dock, no need to get sweaty palms)

I guess it's one of those things that is much cuter on.

surfs up

Reese loves the water. Always has. She loves to sit down in the shallow end of the baby pool and stand up all by herself (with no hands!), she loves to "blow bubbles", which turns into her swallowing mouthfuls of water, and she LOVES to splash! Last Saturday, she invited Jack to come to the pool with her and they had the best time....sharing snacks...eating Italian ice...playing ring around the rosey...and surfing!

Are we having fun yet?!

We have really been enjoying our last few Saturdays with Daddy before school starts later this month. He taught Reese how to surf in the pool and she was hooked!