I haven't gotten to make any cakes in over a year because I've been too busy with school and everything else. The last one I made stressed me out way too much because I had homework and other stuff due at the same time that my client wanted the cake, and after about three emotional meltdowns, I decided that I better put off cake decorating until I get out of school. But here are some of my favorite cakes that I have made in the past.
I made this cake for my cousin's 17th birthday. I was really proud of the way the John Deere logo turned out on this one.
This cake was for a baby shower at church. The mother had decorated the nursery with puppy dogs, so I used that for the cake. I love the way it turned out.
A special little girl at my church requested this Barbie Horse Adventures cake for her birthday. She told her mother that I could draw anything (I love her confidence!) and said she wanted a picture of Barbie and her horse on her cake. I was pretty happy with the way it turned out, and most importantly, Ady loved it.
My little brother is a huge Red Sox fan, so I made him this 3D replica of Fenway Park for his 13th birthday. It was definitely a labor of love. I was still learning how to use fondant and this was the most ambitious cake I ever attempted. It doesn't look like the ones they make on TV, but Joe Paul approved of it and I was pretty proud of it.
This polka dot cake was for a bridal shower. I thought it turned out cute.
The Youth Group at church asked me to make a cake for their teacher, who loves to fish. I thought this one looked really good. He sent me a text after the party and said that the cake looked good, but that I should have made sure to make it a more realistic size so that it was like the fish he usually catches. I told him that next time, I would decorate a cupcake. :)
Little Mermaid Cake for Allee's Birthday
A friend wanted this cake for her sister, who collects mouse figurines. I thought the little mouse turned out really cute, although my mother had issues with having a mouse in her kitchen (even a cute little fondant one).
This cake was for a lady's 60th birthday. It was probably the biggest cake I have ever made. Each layer was a different flavor and it was so big that I had to haul it in three pieces and build it on-site, which always makes me a little nervous. I love the colors, though, and I think it turned out looking good.
My friend Joseph is an incredibly talented piano player, so there was no question about what he wanted his birthday cake to be for his 16th birthday. He and his father are also very particular, so I was stressed about making sure I got the piano keys all correct. I counted a piano keyboard at least three times before I formed these keys out of fondant and buttercream.
This one was for a softball and football coach's 40th birthday. I love the way it turned out.
My little buddy, Jackson, used to LOVE Thomas the Tank Engine. I carved this cake and pieced it together from a a loaf pan sized cake and a 9x13 sheet cake. It took me forever to build it, but it turned out looking really good. Jackson was happy, which is all that matters.
I love Scooby Doo, so I was excited to get to make this cake! I think it took me forever to draw Scooby and the Mystery Machine.
This is one of my most requested cakes. I have made this square, zebra layer cake for bridal showers, graduations, and ladies conferences. I love putting the pink trim on it, and I've also made it with red trim.
I am destined to be around weddings, apparently. I have worked as a Bridal Registry Consultant, a cake decorator/caterer's assistant, and a floral designer's assistant. I have seen weddings from every angle, except from the perspective of a bride. Still, I have learned a lot from the brides that I have worked with in the past few years. Between that and the joy of Pinterest (I spend WAY too much time looking at Pinterest!), I have managed to plan a pretty fantastic wedding. Here are my top ten things that I MUST have at my wedding. Future husband, be prepared!
1. A lace dress
I have a total obsession with lace. I love it. And when I get married, I will be taking advantage of the opportunity to wear lace from head to toe.
2. Casual elegance
I've always wanted a simple ceremony where people feel welcomed and comfortable. I don't want a super stuffy or extremely elegant atmosphere.
3. An amazing (but simple) wedding cake
I'm a little picky when it comes to cakes, mostly because I have designed and made cakes for years. I want my cake to be amazing, and most importantly, TASTE amazing!
4. A themed groom's cake/table
My cake will be simple. His needs to be amazing. I want a cake that really shows who my groom is, but I also want to make sure that his table is what he wants. I had a friend get married who wanted Pineapple Upside Down cake for his groom's cake because it was his favorite, but his bride wouldn't let him have it because it wasn't pretty enough. It's his table, and whatever he wants, he's gonna get.
5. Live music
I love live music. I don't know if I want live music for the reception, when people are dancing, but I know I want a great little string quartet or something for the ceremony. Maybe the Lamb Family? They played at a friend's wedding a few years ago and were amazing.
6. An amazing photographer
The biggest part of my budget for my wedding will be spent on a photographer. This is the most important part for me. Future husband, even if you don't like having your picture made, you're going to be in thousands of pictures on this day. Be prepared.
7. Burlap and lace
I love the casual elegance of this look.
8. Something blue
Duh. You have to have something old (I have a little white New Testament that is supposed to go in my bouquet that I was given when I was born), something new (my groom will be responsible for this one), something borrowed (maybe my mother's veil?), and something blue (like my wedding date sewn into the hem of my dress). I love blue. It will be one of the colors of my wedding (unless something MAJORLY changes).
9. Homemade favors
I want every guest at my wedding to feel special, so I'm planning to have lots of homemade goodies that they can take home. Something like this...
10. No family helpers
Lots of people in my family do weddings all the time. My grandmother and my aunt both make wedding cakes, cater and have directed weddings before. My uncle is a florist. They are great at what they do, but I don't want this day to be stressful for anyone, so I am planning to have as few family workers as possible. I have worked with bridezillas before, and I do not want to become one, so I am planning to have everything done ahead of time and have my family be as stress free as possible so they can enjoy my special day with me.
One of the first things most people say when they learn that I am an English major is, "You must really like to read." I do love to read, and I am of the opinion that people who say they don't like to read are either lying, incredibly happy being ignorant, or have just not found the right material to read yet.
One thing I love about English and literature is that there really is something out there for everyone. I have friends who believe that Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice is the epitome of what great literature is supposed to be, while I struggled through the first two chapters and used SparkNotes and watched the movie to see what happened because I just hated it. Have you ever read that book? There is absolutely NO action in it at all. Nobody moves. It was the most boring thing I have ever tried to read. And I really tried to like it. I really did. But I just didn't. That doesn't mean that I'm not a good English student. I can appreciate Austen's work, and I can learn from it, but I don't enjoy it. And that's fine. Because there are tons of other books out there that I do enjoy.
Here are my top 10 favorite books.
1. A Time to Kill by John Grisham
2. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
3. The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway
4. Wrapped in Rain by Charles Martin
5. The Giver by Lois Lowry
6. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
7. The Call of the Wild by Jack London
8. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
First of all, I want to point out that all-nighters are not highly recommended and it is essential that you don't pull multiple all-nighters in one week unless you enjoy feeling and looking like crap. With that said, sometimes an all-nighter is absolutely necessary.
College life is about so much more than just reading and writing papers. There are events to go to, workouts to squeeze in, dinners with friends, visits with family, jobs and all kinds of other responsibilities on top of your course load. So when you're taking a full load (12 hours or more) and trying to fit everything else in, sometimes you're going to be down to the last minute and there's just no other way to get it done than to stay up all night working away. (Yes, you should learn good time management skills while in college, but even the most well-meaning, organized person can end up too close to a deadline sometimes.) And it is totally common to get overwhelmed (maybe you have 3 big assignments all due in the same week). Sometimes, you have to let the rough end drag, as my grandfather would say.
So, if you absolutely have to pull an all-nighter (which I have done many times in my college career), here are my suggestions.
First, determine if an all-nighter is REALLY necessary.
If you have a huge paper due TOMORROW and you haven't even started reading the book the paper is supposed to be about, then you need to pull an all-nighter. If you have a big test tomorrow and have been in class for most of the meetings and have taken decent notes, DO NOT stay up all night cramming. That is the worst thing you can do for yourself. You'll be stressed and ill when you go to take the exam, and cramming rarely helps your grade. The best thing you can do in that situation is read over your notes a few times, make a few note cards or a "cheat-sheet" to study the next day between your other classes, and make sure to get a good night's sleep. Trust me, you will do much better on a few hours of studying and 6 to 8 hours of sleep than 6 to 8 hours of studying and no sleep.
IF an all-nighter is necessary (because you put off a paper until the last minute and you HAVE to turn it in TOMORROW), then make sure that you get the most out of your time by remembering a few simple tips:
Find a quiet and comfortable place to work.
You need a few hours of intense focus, so you need to be somewhere quiet. You're going to be there for awhile, so you need to be comfortable (but not TOO comfortable! You don't want to fall asleep!). I have pulled most of my all-nighters at the kitchen table after my family has gone to bed. Just make sure that you are in a place where you can work without being disturbed or disturbing others (so if you live in a dorm and your roommate is not joining you for an all night study session, don't keep him or her awake).
Avoid trying to pull an all-nighter in your bed. Sitting there with your laptop might be okay for studying or doing homework sometimes, but for something like this, the temptation to just take a quick nap will be too strong and you'll probably end up falling asleep and not getting your work done.
Make sure you have enough space to spread out the materials you will need.
Sometimes all you need is a little cubicle and your laptop. Other times, you might be doing a lot of research and need a whole tabletop to spread out your stuff. Make sure you have the room that you need. My space in the kitchen often looks something like this:
Make sure you have the right materials before you get started.
There is nothing worse than sitting down and getting settled in and realizing that you forgot a book that you need. Or worse than that, getting done with your paper at three in the morning and finding out that you don't have any paper or ink for the printer. During my freshman year, I was pulling one of my first all-nighters when
I realized that I didn't have any ink for my printer. The only place
that I could go in the middle of the night to get some was WalMart.
Visiting WalMart at 2:00 am is not pleasant (I was afraid for my life
multiple times during that trip to get ink). So take the time to prepare and gather the materials that you know you will need in advance. It will save you a lot of time and stress.
Have some snacks on hand.
You can see my snacks (Skittles and sweet tea) in my photo above. I almost always have something when I'm going to be studying for long periods of time to help keep my energy up. When I study late at night, I usually have a Diet Coke or Dr. Pepper nearby for the caffeine (I don't do coffee). I know it isn't the most healthy thing, but this is something you should really only be doing a couple times a semester anyway. And if you're really concerned about calories, you can nosh on baby carrots or fruit instead of candy and chips. If you're working at a library on campus, you might not be allowed to bring food and drinks inside, but make sure you have something on hand just in case you get hungry. You can always step outside for a quick break and that will be better than having to walk all over campus to find a store or snack machine that's working late at night.
Start as early as possible.
This is just common sense. If you can start studying at 8 instead of waiting until midnight, you might actually get finished and be able to get some sleep before your class in the morning. I'm bad about waiting until my family all goes to bed, and you may want to do that if you live at home or with roommates who are going to be using the area where you study, but the earlier you start, the earlier you can finish.
Take advantage of all your resources.
I am an English major and a future educator, so many of my colleagues will balk at what I am about to say, but SOMETIMES it is okay to rely on SparkNotes and short-cuts if you have to. You're busy. Trust me, I know that sometimes you just don't have time to sit down and read 20 pages of The Canterbury Tales without being interrupted. So take advantage of resources. There are all sorts of websites (many available through universities) that offer tutoring or have information on different topics. You can find videos of people talking about different topics that will help you if you need to skip on some reading for time's sake. Sometimes, you can even find audio files of your textbooks so that you can listen to the chapters while you're working out or commuting to and from school. Also, make sure to pay attention when your professor posts something online or gives out a link for you to check out. Those usually have great study guides and can help you focus on the material that is really important.
Take breaks as you need them.
This is not permission to surf Facebook for 15 minutes every hour. You really should log out of Facebook and Twitter and stay logged out of them until you are done. I'm talking about getting up and walking around or taking a few minutes to stretch and get something to eat or drink or just close your eyes and breathe for a few minutes. It will help keep you as relaxed as possible and improve your focus.
Like I said, all-nighters are not something you should do all the time. They should be used in emergencies only (and yes, getting last minute tickets to the football game on Saturday and cancelling your plans to go study at the library is an emergency and does constitute an all-nighter on Sunday to get that paper turned in on Monday morning). College is about learning to prioritize and manage your time. Sometimes you will feel like you're doing a great job with that. Other times, you'll be completely overwhelmed. Just remember that YOU CAN DO IT! Don't get discouraged. We all have to take classes that are extremely hard (Hello? Spanish 3 and 4? I'm an ENGLISH major!), but you will get through it!
I have a love/hate relationship with clothes. I love to look at the newest fashion trends and see cute outfits (which is evidenced by my huge fashion and style board on Pinterest), but when it comes to actually wearing those cute clothes? I don't do so well.
For one thing, the models that wear them on websites and in magazines are a fraction of my size. Another, I like to be comfortable. I'm not saying that I head to school wearing my pajamas or workout clothes everyday, but sometimes I'm tempted to. The most important thing to me is that I can wear an outfit and still be able to move around freely and be comfortable while I'm spending a busy day on campus. That means that flats are usually necessary (although I love high heels, there is no way I am walking around campus in those things). It also means that layers are important because my university (like most) has major temperature control issues. One room will feel like a furnace and the next feels like a freezer. Then you have to consider the weather in north Mississippi. It's hot and humid and sticky and rain can come out of nowhere. So you have to be prepared for that (and don't even get me started on what that does to my hair).
All of these factors make looking cute hard, but with a few essentials, it is possible (even on those days where you skip shaving your legs and don't have time to wash your hair). Every college girl needs to have these basic pieces in her wardrobe...
1. A great pair of jeans.
Finding the right pair of jeans is like finding the right man. It is hard work and it takes time. You may have to try LOTS of them before you find "the one." And once you do, you better take care of them, because having a pair that fits perfectly is rare.
Lots of people on campus are wearing Miss Me jeans lately. They are really cute, but they also cost over $100 a pair. I do not have that kind of cash lying around, so I stick to Old Navy and T.J. Maxx to find my jeans because I can usually get them for around $30.
I am currently in love with Old Navy's Sweetheart Boot Cut Jeans.
2. A cute dress that can transition from season to season.
Every girl needs a dress that can be worn from one season to the next. Something like this, with 3/4 sleeves, is lightweight enough to wear in the spring and summer, but can also be layered with a denim jacket and leggings for fall and winter. It's a great staple to have in your wardrobe.
I love this dress from The Mint Julep Boutique. It goes great with flats or sandals in the summer, or you can wear it with boots in the fall.
3. A great denim jacket.
I have an American Eagle denim jacket that I love! It is the perfect weight and I can wear it all throughout the year. In the spring and fall, I roll the sleeves up to my elbows to make it a little cooler. A denim jacket can go with almost anything. You can wear it with dresses and skirts or even yoga pants and a tank to look a little more put together when you're on your way to or from a workout class. It is an essential layering piece for every wardrobe.
4. A button front shirt.
This is another great layering piece because it can be worn in so many different ways. You can use it as a layering piece under a sweater (see picture above), wear it as a jacket with a dress or skirt and tank, or just wear it by itself with jeans and Sperry's for a preppy look. These come in all sorts of colors. Find one or two that you like and that go with a lot of your other clothes so you have options for how to wear it. Also, make sure if you buy this that you know how to iron (or be willing to shell out the cash to get it ironed). Wearing one of these that's totally wrinkled is NOT a good look. Old Navy is a great place to get staple items like this a good price.
5. At least one outfit you could wear to a job interview.
We all have plenty of t-shirts and shorts and it is totally fine to wear those to class, but there are going to be times in college where you need to look professional. Make sure you have at least one outfit in your wardrobe that you can wear for those occasions (job interviews, special presentations in class, meeting with future employers at department luncheons at your school or at career days, etc.). Something like a nice pair of black pants or black skirt and a dressy blouse will be fine. You don't necessarily have to have a business suit, but you do want to make sure that you can present yourself as a professional when it is necessary. Your clothes say a lot about your attitude and can mean a lot when you go into an interview, so make sure that you're prepared for that.
Stores like New York & Company are great for finding business clothes, and these items are things that you can keep in your wardrobe for years.
I am a big fan of Twitter (if you are on Twitter and want to follow me, click here). A trend that I have noticed a lot on my TL is #TipsforGuys.
There are tons of these tips. They range from basic things to extremely specific (and sometimes ridiculous) plans for dates and ways to make your girl swoon. Some I agree with and some I don't. I don't expect a guy to be totally whipped. In fact, I don't find that attractive at all.
It's important for girls to remember that real guys are not going to act like the ones we see in romantic comedies. And thank goodness that they don't, because if all guys were as perfect as Matthew McConaughey and Ryan Gossling, I wouldn't have a chance at getting one. Guys are going to be guys. They are going to be annoying and oblivious sometimes. They are going to be sweaty and smelly and fart. They are going to forget your anniversary and Valentine's Day every once in a while (and buy you something really, really nice to make up for it).
Don't expect for them to be perfect. Because you won't find one who is. But you're not perfect either, so cut your guy some slack. With all that said, here are some of my Tips for Guys...
1. Be confident, but not cocky.
Confidence is attractive. The way you present yourself when meeting people is important. Stand your ground, don't back down just because people disagree with your opinions, and don't second guess yourself. If you're good at something, own it. But don't be cocky. Don't act like you are better than everyone else. In other words, be like AJ, not like Johnny.
2. Open the door for her.
This is always nice. For bonus points, walk around to her side of the car and open the car door for her. It's not something that is necessary, but it is such a sweet gesture. It makes her feel special. Trust me.
3. Try to get along with her family.
There are no guarantees that you and her family are going to get along, but you should do your best to try to make it work. Be respectful. She'll be stressed about you meeting them for the first time already, so don't make it worse by going into it with a chip on your shoulder. Just be nice.
4. Give her some space.
We love hanging out with you. We really do. And we want to feel wanted and needed. But sometimes, we want to hang out with our girl friends. Sometimes, we need to focus on school work or other stuff besides you. And sometimes, we just need some alone time and feel like this...
The absolute worst thing you can do is try to control your girl's every move. She doesn't have to report to you about where she is and what she's doing every minute of every day. You've got to trust each other and be able to function when you aren't together. So give her some breathing room.
5. Encourage her to follow her dreams.
I met a guy on campus when I was a freshman in college. He and I both had some time to kill before our 1:00 political science class, and usually I'd just grab a sandwich or something and eat lunch on the quad. He did the same thing, so we got to be kind of friendly and would sit together and talk. He asked for my number and wanted to go on a date, but I never gave it to him and I never went. Want to know why? Because when he asked me what I was majoring in and I told him that I had decided to major in Creative Writing, he laughed at me. "Creative writing? Why would anybody major in that? Are you gonna work at McDonald's for the rest of your life?" Those few words were enough for me to know that this guy was absolutely not the one for me. He was nice. He was funny. He was even attractive. But I just couldn't be with somebody who was going to ridicule what I wanted to do with my future.
Another guy that I sort of dated was actually interested in my writing. He asked to see my stories and he would always ask me what I was working on at the time. One night, we went to get ice cream and walked around campus for a while and he listened to me talk about writing for at least an hour. I'm sure he probably tuned out at some point, but for the most part, he seemed interested. And he always encouraged me to write and to do something with my writing. It felt good to know that he believed in me.
Girls tend to be pretty insecure. So encourage your girl and let her know that you believe in her.
6. Never wear skinny jeans. Crocs are also off limits. And flip-flops should only be worn when you are at the pool or the beach.
7. Learn about the things she likes.
Quick - what is your girl's favorite soft drink? Candy? Magazine? Perfume? Restaurant? Store? Sports team? If you can't name those things, you have some homework to do.
8. Do things that she enjoys.
This one is all about give and take. Girls do a lot of things for guys. We go to Buffalo Wild Wings to watch ballgames that we really don't care about. We watch you play video games. We let you have poker night with the guys. (If your girl doesn't do those things, I'm sorry. She should.) So it would be nice for you to do a few things that you don't necessarily enjoy just because it makes us happy. If your girl loves art, take her to a museum or go to a painting class together. Take her to see her favorite band or a favorite play even if you don't enjoy that kind of thing. Go shopping with her (I know, shopping sucks, but you don't have to go every single time). Just spend some time doing what she wants to do every once in a while.
9. Don't talk down to her.
When you're trying to explain sports or how to change a tire or give directions to a place she has never been or some other "guy" thing, do not talk to your girl like she's stupid. I can't tell you how many guys do this, especially when they are talking about sports (and I actually happen to know a good bit about sports). Girls aren't stupid. We just have different skills and different life experiences than you do. I might not know every single rule of football or how to change the oil in my car, but I guarantee there is stuff that I know how to do that you don't (like how to get a grease stain out of a shirt and how to make the perfect cup of hot chocolate). This is something that girls struggle with, too, so make sure to call your girl out on it if she does it. I commented to a guy once that he was annoying me because he was talking down to me and he told me that I did the same thing to him when we would talk about politics or religion. And you know what? He was right. (I hate it when that happens.) So we both needed an attitude adjustment.
10. LISTEN.
When your girl has a problem and wants to talk about it, just listen to her. Don't immediately start trying to solve her problem. Sometimes we just need to vent. Watch this video and pay really close attention to what the girl is saying. Every girl in the world has felt this way at least once...
11. Have a sense of humor.
If a guy can't make me laugh, he is not going to get very far. In fact, he probably won't even get a first date. A sense of humor is super important and extremely attractive. It is especially great when you have inside jokes with just you and your girl.
12. Pray for her and with her.
I have never been on a date where a guy offered to pray when our meal came. That's one thing that I am looking for in a guy. I want someone who is bold in his faith. Pray for your girlfriend and even more importantly, pray with her. Praying together as a couple creates an amazing bond between two people, and it is a special time with God when you can go to Him together.
