Egg Free Sweet Tooth

I love cakes...and cookies... and things with sugar. LOTS of sugar! And I love to bake them myself or have a reason to buy one that is beautifully decorated and I didn't have to take the time to make :)

Living in Baltimore we were quite spoiled with Charm City Cakes.  Chef Duff was just getting started in his cake world when we lived there.  The company I worked for was celebrating their 10 year anniversary and Anitra and I were in charge of the celebration - we immediately called and spent a Saturday afternoon on Remington Avenue with Chef Duff and ordered a masterpiece.  While our experience wasn't quite what you see on TV, I was still in awe of the other cakes they make.

When we moved back to Lexington, I found a neat little bakery that ladies I worked with told me about, and I picked up a few cupcakes and ordered our house warming cake and one of Pat's birthday cakes from there. Their cakes were pretty, but not different enough, like a Charm City Cakes. 

And THEN, I was introduced to Confused Confections.

It started out so innocently.  Jennifer was hosting a baby shower for me, and saw a picture of a baby carriage cake.  She went to the creator and asked them to make one for my shower in Bowling Green.
We indulged.

AND THEN, we just had to have one again.  So for Father's Day we ordered this popcorn cake.  My dad is obsessed with popcorn, and so it was very fitting for the occasion.

AND THEN it was time for Jacob's baptism at church. and I needed a cake. So I took in some pictures and brought home this beautiful creation!

And next thing you knew, it was time for Jacob's birthday.  A few weeks before he was turning one we found out about Jacob's egg allergy, and I knew that I wouldn't be able to tackle cakes for him - maybe cupcakes, but not big cakes. I called up Confused Confections, and wouldn't you know - it was no big deal to make an egg free cake! They had three flavors to choose from, and had NO PROBLEMS accommodating Jacob's food allergy. Other bakeries in town either couldn't accommodate it or acted as if it was a huge problem and would need to charge me an arm and a leg to make an egg free cake - as if I needed any reason to never go to another bakery - we were hooked! And they've been WONDERFUL to work with ever since!!

Jacob needed several "smash" cakes for his birthday. One for his one year pictures...

And then one to match his big cake at his party.  His party was a week after his actual birthday, so he also had a small cake on his actual birthDAY.  Confused Confections made three smash cakes, a big cake and the cupcakes we took to school to celebrate.

Two days later, my parents were not ones to leave out a birthday celebration, so I got a seahorse cake.

For Pat's birthday we wanted something fun! It was the big 3-0.  So, what do you get the man who has a bar instead of a coat closet in his living room? A bucket of beer of course! If you look close you'll notice they changed some of the beer labeling around to say Patrick, and 30 years :)

Jennifer wanted her own cake too. I forgot to take a picture - she picked out a keylime cake.  Hers looked just like the one below, only with green zebra instead of black.

And often when I do my first Kelly's Kids open house of the season I stop by to get cupcakes that coordinate with one of the clothing patterns.  This spring they made some great cupcakes to go with the Tropical Turq line.

We've used them for multiple events and can not say enough wonderful things about this bakery! They have been so accommodating to the food allergy we have in our home - and I am quite thankful! 

I've already ordered Jacob's 2nd birthday cake and cupcakes for his class - I CAN NOT WAIT! It's going to be a Thomas the Train topsy turvy cake.  SO EXCITED!!

Motivated

To say we've been motivated to do some spring cleaning, might be an understatement.

Our activities began Thursday night with some outdoor planting.  I had found some hydrangeas {my favorite plant!} at Sam's for cheap-o.  Pat enlisted the help of a little guy to dig and plant the hydrangeas {and a few other small flowers} in the back yard.



Jacob kept trying to chase me and give me a hug with his dirty hands and dirty mouth. Apparently, boys do eat dirt.


Friday night we set out to pick up a mattress for Jacob and then moved all the furniture out of Jacob's room to clean the carpets.  He was upgraded from a nursery this weekend to a toddler room.  Complete with twin mattress and a toy wall.  Saturday morning our work began.  Before Jacob and I woke up Pat went to Lowe's and picked up some mulch and two trees.  They were in the ground and the lawn was mulched before our eyes opened.   As soon as Jacob woke up we began the transformation of his room.

First the mattress came in, and then the crib went out.  Jacob supervised Pat's progress.

Then we began to put together the new unit for Jacob's toys, books and puzzles.  When we were almost done I decided that the dresser in the guest room would be better in Jacob's room, so we had to preform a minor switch-a-roo.  After a quick drop off at Goodwill and trip to Target, we were headed back home for Jacob's first night in his new room.

We've got the basics done.  Most wall items remained and Pat wasn't about to tackle the stripes he painted so patiently 2 1/2 years ago, so they stayed.  A few other items had to be moved, because once Jacob got onto his new bed, he realized that he could reach items that were previously out of reach.

Saturday night was Jacob's first night in a big boy bed, and he did great! I, on the other hand, stayed up all night checking on him.  I had purchased a video monitor a few weeks ago in anticipation of this move.  I was convinced that Jacob would get up and run around - but I wanted to be able and let him have the opportunity to get back in the bed on his own, without us barging in all the time to redirect him. So, all Saturday night I would roll over and turn the monitor on and make sure he was doing okay. And of course, he was, and he never got up.

Sunday morning we were up with the sun and ready to go! After a big family breakfast Pat used the carpet cleaner machine to deep clean our slick floors (LONG story) and the chair and a half in our room, all before church! After church we came home for a quick change and a quick quick nap and then headed to Keeneland.  Jacob's nap went more like I had anticipated when I purchased the video monitor.  We were checking to see if Jacob was still asleep and he was NOT in his bed.  While we were checking the monitor a little blond hair boy ran from the opposite side of the room towards his bed - he. was. awake.  :) Knowing we had big plans for the afternoon we went right on in and got Jacob ready for Keeneland.

Jacob loved Keeneland! We arrived in time to really enjoy most of the very windy but super sunny afternoon.  Jacob got to see tons and tons of horses, which thrilled him! He was such a joy to be around and was laughing every time he saw a horse.  He loved every minute of our afternoon and zonked out as soon as we hit the car.

What a weekend!  I'm motivated to keep moving and cleaning out. WATCH OUT! My next room is the TV room - I'm trying to figure out how to switch the main TV to the complete opposite wall... wish me luck!

LaLa Tuesday's

We have been very fortunate to get to spend some special time with my friend Laura the past few months. Her new job has brought her to Frankfort every Wednesday since March 9 and also for the entire first week of March.  Instead of camping out at a hotel, she has been coming to stay at our house on Tuesday nights, and WE. LOVE. IT!
So much so, that when we pull into the garage after I pick up Jacob from school each day, he starts repeating - LaLa LaLa LaLa
He affectionately knows our guest room to be LaLa's room, and shuts the door when she's not there occupying it. Wednesday mornings have become quite funny - he wakes up with a smile on his face and then holds on tight to the crib rails as he bounces up and down yelling and laughing "LaLa! LaLa! LaLa!" And last week, he got LaLa to come in and get him out of his crib right when he woke up.



Clearly I need an updated picture of these two!

 So today is Tuesday, and I'm looking forward to getting Jacob out of the car when we get home and turning him loose as soon as he gets inside the garage door - because when we get home - LaLa will be there waiting with big hugs and kisses for Jacob.

In 2 Short Months

Jacob will  be TWO! Two months from today!
AHH!
Deep breath... exhale...deep breath....exhale...

How did this happen? How did he get so old? This time last year I was very excited, already had his birthday party planned and details were being ironed out. This year Pat and I are not prepared for a celebration in the least and have pondered just taking the little guy to Chuck E. Cheese for some pizza and basketball playing - maybe let a friend or two know when we'll be there if they would like to join us.



Although, he does love his basketball.

Wow.  Time really does fly!

More UK Fun

I origianlly posted this video the night of the 2010 Midnight Madness here.
But felt that since we are SO DANG EXCITED to be going to the Final Four - I should repost!

Houston 2011

Jacob is very excited he gets to continue to cheer for the Big Blue for another week!




Proud to be a Wildcat Fan!!

5 years ago...

 March 25th marks 5 years of marriage for Pat and I, and it's been over 10 years of “togetherness”. Those ten years have been filled with so many memories, so many character building moments that have tested us, bonded us, built a friendship and deepened our love for each other.

Pat and I met when I was a senior in high school. I came to visit Western on a college visit. The girl from home I was visiting with had a boyfriend in the same fraternity as Pat. Now, let the record state: I met MANY people the weekend I met Pat... but Pat's roommates and I developed a friendship that weekend that we still laugh about now. Had someone asked me that weekend if Pat and I would be together now I probably woud have said "not in a million years." Probably something to do with his shaved head...

We all kept in touch until I moved into my dorm in August. I called Pat to let he and his roommates know I had lugged all my stuff into my teeny tiny dorm room, my parents had left, my roommate wouldn't be there for a few more days and I was bored - what were they up to? Turns out Pat had just gone through his initiation and they were headed out to dinner to celebrate. I was invited to come along. Pat and a few of his friends showed up shortly there after and we all went out to dinner - at Puertos {shocking, I know}

A few weeks later, I was a Kappa Delta pledge and was looking for a date to our infamous Barn Dance. EVERY guy I knew wanted to go to Barn Dance, except Pat. He had absolutely no interest, whatsoever, in going. We had been hanging out constantly, but he didn't want to go to this dance with me. So I asked someone else. Poor Brandon. Brandon {Pat's little brother in Phi Delt} spent the night of Barn Dance outside Pat's house, talking to Pat - while he sat up in a tree. Apparently, it was that night that Pat figured out he liked me, and I probably wasn't going to wait around on him to figure it out. He was right. My date that night was CUTE! And he kept calling me long after Barn Dance...

But, I'm glad Brandon talked some sense into Pat that night. Shortly there after we went out on of first "official" date. To Applebees and to see American Pie {the first movie - sad to say I picked the movie}. I can’t imagine the last 10 years or any of the future without him. When we're apart I realize even more how much we work well together, depend on one another, round the other out and generally enjoy each other's company. There's no place else I'd rather be. As Laura so kindly told Pat in her maid of honor speech at our wedding, "Pat, it's always been you."

 We jointly took on the college years, me as a "grandma" and Pat as the ultimate party host.

We were together as each of us finished our college degrees.

We’ve seen each other through several job titles in our decade together which have included some times of unemployment, job searches, job frustrations, job anxiety, job excitement and plenty of satisfaction.

We weathered a long distance relationship through my senior year of college. 8 hours apart.

We’ve been by each other’s side in times of stress, fear and sadness and luckily in many more times of joy and celebration.

We survived the wedding planning! Maybe I should say he survived.

We've taken each other to the hospital and spent a few all nighters in ERs.

He's helped me move more times than we can count. And we've experienced breaking leases, buying two homes, living with parents again and putting a house up for sale and moving out in 5 weeks.

We've survived a flooded basement, 4 days before we were closing on our home!

We’ve traveled to New York City, Fort Myers, D.C., Aruba, Barbados, St. John, St. Thomas, BVI, Puerto Rico, Dominica and in a few months – New Orleans!!

We lived together in Baltimore, Maryland for two years and in Lexington, Kentucky for three.

We adopted two puppies together and both of those puppies have different homes now... We almost adopted a third, but luckily I made arrangements for a "trial period" first {that lasted 24 hours}. We've learned that I'm not so much a pet person.

We've been together as we've lost family members and welcomed new ones.

And my favorite...We've been parents for almost 2 years to a beautifully rambunctious blond hair blue eyed little boy.

 

 

Hopefully we will have many, many, many new and exciting memories to make and stories to tell.

5 years ago at 4:30pm I walked down the aisle at The Presbyterian Church in Bowling Green, KY and said "I Do" to Mr. Patrick Michael McKew.  It was a gorgeous day. I vivdly remember the videographer telling me there were blue skies with white puffy clouds outside, a little cold - but my dress was hot, so that didn't bother me a bit. 

Happy Anniversary!