slacking in the blog department

I have really wanted to update, but I have been so darn busy. I started working at the new D&W Fresh Market in town as a cake decorator. I was only supposed to be part time, but one girl quit and I've been working full time. That on top of taking two accelerated courses, and squeezing in as much knitting and sewing as I can muster, has left me blog postless.


My sister's first baby shower was last week and I made her a quilt, and a tiered cake to match.

This is my first quilt ever. I bought a walking foot for my sewing machine and I really enjoyed working with it. I wanted to do a pieced quilt for her, but there was no time and this animal print was irresistible! I used cotton batting and a white flannel backing.

One thing I need to work on in the future is making my binding neater. It was my first time though, and I should have not rushed so much.

This cake was not my first tiered (see below), but it was my first tiered cake using the pillars. It was a joy to re-create the little animals on the cake. I especially like the little birds! :)

A few recent cakes to share..

This cake was my first tiered cake, which I made at work, for another baby shower. I was really nervous to assemble it, but turned out to be no big deal. A piece of cake, if you will ;) And as far as the decorating, I could make roses in my sleep.

This little guy was modeled after a giant cake that was made for the grand opening of the store. Another first for me, using cake and frosting to make a figure. I love using the airbrush also, so this was a fun cake for me! I would really like to get an airbrush for home in the near future.

In other fun news.. I've just ordered a Kindle from Amazon.
It's an electronic reading device. I have wanted one for a while. I am a huge fan of books, like actual books, but right now I have too much stuff. My room and the spare room are full of yarn. My sewing things and fabric takes up half the basement. And my book shelf in my room is overflowing. I have a full shelf in the basement with cook books and baking books, and a basket full of knitting books. I feel the Kindle will be a helpful device in the space department. I should be getting it at the beginning of next week so I'll let you know how it is!

Happy knitting!

sew obsessed

A week ago today, I went over to Larri's house and she graciously showed me how to sew on her sewing machine. You see, I knit a purse last summer and it needed to be lined and given some handles so that it may be used. I was a little scared to use a sewing machine, because all my recollections of sewing from my childhood consist of me somehow tangling the thread and calling for my grandma to fix my mistakes.

I was adamant that I should sew the lining because, after all, I knit the purse. I was determined and with that attitude, I plunged forward despite my fear. I cannot take 100% of the credit for the purse, because Larri helped sew the lining I made to the bag. After hours of cutting, pressing and sewing, I was still a little scared of sewing my knitting on the machine. One step at a time!

A couple evenings later, I made this little cutie at my neighbor's house....

Bernadette, who is a dear friend and the most generous person I know, was going to give me one of her six (yes, SIX) sewing machines. As it turned out, however, all but one (the one she uses now) did not work. But never fear..


My new sewing machine should arrive tomorrow. I have a bit of an addiction to crafts and I won't apologize for it. I just love them. If I could do them for a living, I would. Who knows, maybe I will.


This little blue pouch makes my world a little brighter.

cupcakes.

I made cupcakes for my grandpa's funeral.
He always loved when I baked,
so in his memory I made some good stuff.

First up, spice cake with cream cheese icing.
The icing was quite a hit. I'll surely be making it again.

The next, white cake with pastry cream filling and buttercream icing.
This was the first time I made pastry cream and have to say it was delicious.
I think I'd like to make some Napoleons with it next. Perhaps over break.

I was really happy with how these turned out.
I can't wait to get home to do some more baking.

in loving memory

H. Michael Hahn

where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

love you Grandpa.

launching...

I am thrilled to announce that I just started a website for my cakes!

And I mean just.


There is not much on it at this point, so I'd stay it is "Under Construction" until further notice. I know the look I'm going for.. but I'm not computer savvy enough for things to go Poof! "Ta-Da! Look what I just came up with!" with a ::snap:: of my fingers.

The link is here: CakesByJewleigh


I would like to give a big thanks to Larri for misspelling my name all those years ago. CakesbyJulie is already taken obviously. (No, don't go looking at that one! It's not me!) And after all the searching and all the ideas, taken or not, CakesbyJewleigh was still my favorite :) :)

So I hope to get things rolling a bit this weekend. I think I might have to buy one of those books "Building Awesome Websites for Dummies" or something of that nature. I am super excited!! (I rarely say 'super' in real life, so this is really meaningful.)

Off I go.. to dream of ideas and cakes.

Note: The cake is Chocolate Spike cake (BEST chocolate ever.) and the cookies are Maple Oatmeal, which were good straight out of the oven, but just okay otherwise. Kyle picked them!

i am

the worst blogger in all of Blogland.

I had a lot of fun with Christmas knitting. (I still have a few presents to finish up and send home. Oops!) It was very rewarding to give handmade gifts.

I am going to try to start early this year. Of course, there is quite a lot going on (in a way that has created a longer queue for me) and after just giving gifts, it is difficult to think of new one's to give 11 months from now.

P.S. My AaaaaaAaaaaaaAAAAA button is acting up. I disagree (1) with it.

bite me.

This beauty will be mine in a few days' time.
Oh yeah baby.

X-mas Counts
Queued - 1 hat, 1 pair of mitts (Possibly 4 dishcloths)
WIP's - 1 hat, 1 pair of mittens
Finished - 5 hats, 2 dishcloths, 1 pair of mittens, 1 bag, 1 scarf

Down to the wire as is my custom. Last year when I began knitting, I posted in a forum on Ravelry inquiring about when people usually began their Christmas knitting. The overwhelming majority said December 26, the day after Christmas or, more sensibly, January (for the next Christmas). I think I'll give myself a bit of a break for not listening, seeing as I had just started knitting at the time. I needed this year to gain some knowledge and I have done that. My skills have improved 100-fold.

Now I know better and have the ability to start my Christmas knitting months in advance. That will not, however, stop me from procrastinating. Mark my words, I'll be doing the same thing next year. You have to love it though. The pressure of a deadline. It's kind of exciting in a twisted sort of way. [I'm trying to justify my lack of planning ahead here.]

Anyway, boo MSU for only giving me one week off before Christmas. I swear I had 2 weeks last year. MSU, you are not more important than Christmas cookies and woolly goodness. Sorry.