Last Cake Standing

Only fellow cake enthusisasts will care about this little tidbit, but I was thrilled to find out that the Food Network is taking extreme cake decorating to the next level with their competition...Last Cake Standing. I am an avid watcher of Food Network Challenge and Ace of Cakes, so you can imagine my excitement. They take traditional cakes and pump their imaginations into it until they have created a masterpiece, often under pressure and time crunches. It has the charm and intensity of Iron Chef, but not near as much melodrama.

I love baking to a certain extent, but am in no way on the level of these hardcore pastry chefs and cake designers. Nope, I am simply a spectator. Though I have a flair for artistic endeavors and would love to shadow a pastry chef for a day. Who knows? If this teaching thing ever goes sour, maybe I can go to culinary school for a second career in pastry design. To get a better idea of why I get a kick out of these amazing cakes, check out some of these links.

http://www.swankcakedesign.com/

http://www.charmcitycakes.com/

http://www.thecakegirls.com/

http://www.frostedart.com/

Glassblowing

So thanks to my the man in my life, DH, I got to make another dream come true this past week. I have fulfilled many ambitions thus far, such as becoming a mother and a teacher. However, I have trying to complete as many items on my life wish list as possible (a 'bucket list' if you will). I'm not just talking about traveling to exotic locales, but actually doing all kinds of stuff. Back in college, I went white water rafting, rock climbing, and even conquered my fear of karaoke (now I love it). Last summer, my best friend helped me cross off one at the top by swimming with dolphins. Now I'm slowing working my way through this list and am so grateful to DH for this granting this wish.

I have always been fascinated by the art of blowing glass. I love to watch the whole process from start to finish. That's one of my favorite parts of the movie Sweet Home Alabama, the fact that the romantic leads are drawn together by glass art (by lighting too I suppose)...but I digress. Anyway, we discovered this little place at the coast called The Glass Foundry that does demos and even lets everday joes blow their own glass with the guidance of an instructor.

The hardest part for me was trying to decide what to make and which colors to use. Since I like clean lines and simple colors, I opted for the glass float with aquatic swirls to represent our love of the Oregon Coast. For the fashionistas out there, you also get to wear nifty shop glasses. I lucked out with clear-colored ones, so I didn't look too goofy.

The whole experience was awesome, but really hard work. I have nothing but respect for the artists who create this stuff everyday. They certainly make it look effortless. The trick is to learn how to tolerate the heat of the furnace and develop the stamina and strength to keep your glass turning. If you stop turning your piece for even a moment when it's hot, it will drip down like thick honey and come out looking wierd. Think of a pottery wheel, if you don't keep a smooth action going while it's spinning, it will look sloppy and uneven. The coolest part of the whole process was watching the colored glass meld together into a swirl. At times, I did all the work as my instructor coached me and sometimes I just listened and learned as he made sure the piece all the little details were attended to. My instructor was very easygoing and fun to work with too.

When all was said and done, my float came out really nice. I was impressed that I didn't screw it up and the colors complimented each other. It kind of reminded me of a crystal ball. Here are some pictures that DH took and even a video to see the actual blowing of the glass. If you enjoy art at all, I highly recommend giving this a try! You'll have a lot of fun.

Trying to figure out what to make



Preparing the colored glass pieces

Getting a chunk of molten glass

Churning the glass like butter - hot stuff!

Shearing the glass

Rounding out the glass

Back and forth to the furnace

Voila!

Sideview of my glass float

Topview of my glass float

Just like blowing up a balloon

Heart of the Ocean

Okay, so I'm a little late in posting a recap of our weekend getaway. However, I was enjoying my spring break unplugged (from the internet). I am proud of myself for lasting as long I did. Hubby actually went the weekend without getting online (helped that there was no wireless at our hotel). It was a wonderful weekend and we made a lot of memories.


So anyway, we left midafternoon on Friday for the Oregon coast and beat much of the traffic. We checked into our hotel in Lincoln City and were immediately impressed with the view. What a picturesque scene to wake up to every morning! It made our hotel choice well worth it just to see that view.

After settling in, we were very hungry and headed over to the buffet. The food overall wasn't quite worth the cost, but the Indian Flatbread (tastes like a beignet) was phenomenal and prepared right in front of you. It was getting dark, but the kids and I decided to check out the beach. DH was tired from the drive, so he hung out in our room, but watched us from the window above. The kids had fun making footprints in the wet sand and looking for interesting rocks and seashells. It didn't take long for the sun to set and the wind off the Pacific to turn chilly, driving us back inside for warmth. Our first night of spring break and you'd have thought we stayed up til all hours. Instead, we were asleep by 8:30...yes we like to walk on the wild side!


By early morning, we were sick of sleeping and wanted to get going. We ate way too much breakfast at the Pig 'n Pancake. The name is so very hick, but the food is delicious. We stopped in at The Glass Foundry to make an appointment for me to make blown glass. Then we headed down the coast to Waldport to see my brother, who owns a little knife shop. We don't get to see each very often anymore, so it was good to see him. It had been two years since our last visit, so his hair had grown a bit. I told him he reminded me of Grizzly Adams, which he took as a compliment and said it was better than Charles Manson. I think we kinda made his day with our purchases. I got my first Swiss Army Knife and a compass. DH got himself a few goodies too (a hunting knife, a belt knife, and a dagger-for show).


After hanging out with my brother for a bit, we met my parents for lunch at a little retro diner. They happened to be visiting the coast that same weekend down in Yachats, so it worked out well. It was great for the kids to see their Grandma and Grandpa. After lunch, we went to the Oregon Coast Aquarium. It was the first time for DH and the kids, so it was fun experiencing it through their eyes. I hadn't been there since Keiko was housed there years earlier, so it was amazing how much it has changed since then. They put in these awesome underwater passages, complete with sharks swimming all around you. The kids enjoyed seeing all the aquatic animals and touching different the sea stars in the hands-on tidepool. They each also got a little souvenir out of it...N got a shark puppet and K wanted stuffed baby harbor seal.

Next, we drove back up the coast a bit and did a little shopping in Depoe Bay. Since it was getting a little late in the afternoon, we breezed in and out of just a few stores. We made sure we got some requisite salt water taffy and white chedder popcorn. I wish we had had more time to spend there, but the day just caught up to us. Lunch and breakfast were still weighing heavily on us, so we kept dinner fairly light. We shared a family chowder bowl at Mo's, a must-have for anyone visiting the Oregon coast. Daylight was beginning to wane, but we weren't quite ready to go back to the hotel yet. We checked out the little pier next to Mo's. The beach there was covered in driftwood and campfires, so we hung out for awhile to let the kids explore. This was the exact same place that DH found his big walking stick ten years ago (on our first trip to the coast as couple), so it held some sentimental value for us. Surrounded by sand, water, and wood...needless to say the kids had a blast.

Finally, the chill and fatigue caught up to us, so we made one final stop at the nearby Safeway (for some munchies) and returned to the hotel. It was a really long day and there wasn't much on TV, so we went to bed early...again. The next morning, we woke up early and got ready. To save money, we ate cereal and doughnuts in our hotel room. The only problem is that we were ready way too early. My appointment at The Glass Foundry wasn't until 11:00, so we didn't quite know what to do with ourselves. It was cold and blustery outside, so a walk along the beach wasn't in the cards either. We puttered around for a bit and then thought we'd just take a chance and show up a little early in hopes they'd take me.

As it turned out, I was their first appointment of the day so it was no biggie. My instructor was awesome and guided me every step of the way. I gotta tell ya, if you have never made blown glass before, you have to try it. This experience deserves it's own blog, so I will include this in a separate one. Anyhow, it was soooo much fun and somehow I managed turn out a pretty decent piece (with help from my instructor of course). DH wants to do it next time.

After blowing the glass, we ate some Gallucci's pizza for lunch and then went shopping at the outlet mall. I bought K some discounted Gymboree hair accessories. I wanted to get more, but we were trying to stay on some kind of budget for this trip. By this point, we had done almost everything we had wanted to do and we lucked out with a sunbreak, so we went hunting for seashells on the beach by our hotel. I think we were out there for over an hour. I tell ya, the fact that my kids still get a thrill out of finding an interesting rock is so endearing to me. They are easy to please and I love that about them. Then we rested up a bit before eating our last dinner out. It was a nice, quiet seafood grill that was part of the hotel. I later took the kids the hotel's arcade, where they marveled at all the games. They rode dueling motorcycles, played some air hockey, and rode a virtual rollercoaster. DH's back was hurting, so he hung back in our room. It was another early night, but we were so tired that we were all grateful for sleep.

Finally on Monday morning, we were dressed and packed pretty quickly. We ate another simple breakfast and checked out. Before leaving, we had to go pick up my glass float that had cooled overnight in foundry's kiln. They weren't quite open yet, so we killed time at the driftwood beach again that was located nearby. The only problem was that while K was climing on a log, she conked her hand on a branch that was sticking out. She got a little scrape in her hairline, but nothing too bad. She continued to complain that it hurt throughout the day, so it did give us a scare. After consulting an advice nurse and monitoring her, it turned out to be nothing, thankfully so.

Overall, it was really relaxing vacation and I loved just being with my family. After the craziness of the last few months, we truly needed this. We hope to make this an annual event. I have some wonderful memories of doing this with my family growing up and want that for my kids. It's been a great spring break.

Spring has sprung!

So I'm taking advantage of the fact that I was inspired to write a blog tonight. It's been tough to find anything worth writing about other than idle chatter (as you can see in some previous posts). We are finally past that nasty bug that has been knocking people down like dominoes. It pretty much shut down our household for almost a month and that was on the heels of all the other stuff that we dealt with. I knew it would be a marathon from Christmas break to summer, but I am so very glad there is that lovely little pitstop we call spring break. Just need to recharge my batteries to make it til June.

There are a ton of school activities on the horizon both at work and for the kids in the coming months, so life will continue to be very busy. I've made a lot positive changes in recent weeks to make home and work run a bit more smoothly. It is has caused some stress, but I am learning how to quiet my mind. We are also getting out of dodge at long last. This weekend we'll leave for a few days at the coast and I can't wait for that! This will be the first time we've ever gone away (just our little family) on vacation. We usually go visit relatives or friends, but we are beginning our quest to travel to different destinations. This year we are starting out in familiar territory, but will hopefully tackle Disneyland or The Redwoods next year.

The other thing I am looking forward to is the return of sunshine and warmer temperatures. After a long winter hiatus, the kids get to do more activities outside and I get my second wind!

A Little Too Real

So I love a good reality show as much as the next person, however, I draw the line whenever possible. I tend to favor shows like Dancing with the Stars and American Idol as opposed to Tool Academy. There is one show that has taken viewers on a rollercoaster of highs and lows this year. As many of you know, I am a fan of Jon & Kate Plus 8. Sadly, I have been disturbed by some of the things that have happened in recent months. There are articles and blogs all over the internet that are just simply tearing this show apart, most of it aimed at Kate. Some of it is very vicious. She can be neurotic, controlling, abrasive, and blunt. She can also be creative, loving, sentimental, and extremely organized (a necessity in that household). Kate does not shy away from admitting her flaws or Jon's.


When you are under the glare of the spotlight and cameras catch every imperfection of your life, things are bound to implode at some point. I do love watching the kiddos and appreciate the realness the J & K bring with their banter, yet a show like this has to have a short shelf life for the family's sake.




I haven't watched many episodes lately as I've gotten sucked into some other shows, but I try to catch a little here and there. I am saddened by the teaser for the next week's season finale. They are lifting the veil of secrecy on how challenging things have become and are letting us be privy to what has to be a terrible time for their marriage. I fear this episode will be as uncomfortable to watch as the trainwreck that was the finale of The Bachelor: After the Final Rose when that gal got dumped on national tv.


As much as they have changed over the last few years, I still root for them to make it. Maybe this will be the thing that finally inspires them to take a break for a while to gain some perspective again. I would miss the show and welcome them back after a hiatus, but they need to take some time as a family...without America dissecting their every move. I'm all for giving the kids life experiences, but J & K need to nurture but each other too.

Fireproof

After all these years, Kirk Cameron's still got it! He was the first famous guy that I ever put on my wall. I talked my folks into getting me a subscription to Bop! teen magazine just for the pinups of this hottie. I once wrote him a quirky fan letter too, but never heard back. Not surprising though as he probably received thousands a week. Anyhow, he has led an extraordinary life in the years since his heyday on Growing Pains.

Tonight I had the good fortune to finally watch Fireproof with a close friend. I'd been wanting to see it for months, but had no access to it. It was truly a heartwarming movie and really makes you think about your life a lot. In a nutshell, it's about a couple on the verge of divorce. Kirk plays a fire chief struggling to figure out which path to take, when he is handed an inspiring book that dares him to go on a 40 day journey that leads him to what he had missing and ultimately changes his life. It requires him to take on many tasks that challenge him to the core. but teach him how to truly love another. I've been reading some of the helpful information offered by the movie's website and highly encourage anyone to check it out at http://www.fireproofyourmarriage.com/. I plan to look into this journey and see what it entails. If you haven't seen this movie, it's definitely worth your time.