The James Family....Our Story in the Making

The last 5 months

2011-06-02T19:55:00.000-07:00

Wow, has it really been 5 months since my last post? Actually now that I think about this year...5 months is sounding about right. I will start this post off by saying that although I was a little sad to fall off the blogging train, it's been good for me. To not worry about posting, and just plug into my family. So here's a little bit about what we've been up to. December 29th Ned was honorably discharged from the Navy. I was overwhelmed with a lot of emotions. I was so happy that he was never going to deploy again. I had done so much on my own the last few years that I had almost forgotten what it would be like to have my husband home for Christmas and other special occasions. But the other side of me was terrified!! I had no idea what lied ahead for us and after 7 years of the comfort of Navy life, I wasn't sure how things would work now that Ned and I got to make decisions! But here is what we have come up with so far...

I have mostly taken a break from cake. Oh, how I love cake. I really do. The last cake I made that I spent a ton of time on was this one:

I made this cake in Indiana in honor of my wonderful Grandmother, Dorothy Neilson. Every year for YEARS AND YEARS she would make homemade Christmas cards. I decided to re-create the cards and make them out of fondant to decorate a cake and her Christmas Tea Party. Ah, my family is fabulous. I really have the most fabulous Aunts who are so creative and amazing. It was a great event. I have made a cake or two here and there since but I just simply don't have the time that I used to have. I love going back through my cake pictures and look at the cakes I created. But for some reason, I just feel that this isn't the time right now to keep pursuing cake. It just seems a bit off to me, and that's ok. To everything there is a season. Which brings me to my next update...my JOB!

I am working for CHG in the CompHealth Locum Tenens division. And, by the way...I LOVE IT and it's amazing! I was so fortunate to get the job. I emailed an old friend/roomate when I was driving to Utah and she told me about a position on her team. I immedietly submitted my resume and sure enough...I had a job a week later. I assist the credentialing process for the largest Locums company on the planet. It is my dream job, really. I absolutely love it. It has been an adjustment leaving my babies during the day but I am really comforted knowing that they have Mom and Dad home right now and that is worth a lot, too. Oh, and did I mention....Ned got a job at CompHealth too?? He works getting our Doctors hospital privalages and he LOVES it there, too. We commute into work together, take our lunches together, call each other a ton during the day and of course...give each other a hard time. I absolutely love it. My friend pointed out something...she said "don't you think it's crazy that you and Ned once worked oceans apart from one another. Now you're 100 feet. I love it, love it, love it.

oh and for the fun part....We bought our very first house!!!!! This is a picture of a couple of my favorite rooms...

We love living in our own house. It's such a blessing. We are so grateful to have gotten a fair price, low interest and are enjoying the benefits of a VA loan. (NO mortgage insurance!) So to wrap up this post, I guess I would just say that life is really what happens to you while you're busy making other plans. But if you can find the strength and the faith to just go with it, amazing things are in your future. I love where we live and already have such amazing friends at work and in my new neighborhood. Of course, I still love and cherish my Washington Penn Cove ladies. But it's different now. I feel like I am progressing. In the Navy I felt so trapped by the next deployment. The next PRT. The next eval. I don't know, I just think we got to the point that we were done with that chapter. I am so grateful to have had that experience. I will NEVER forget or regret the time we spent dedicated to our Country. Truly a blessing. I guess I'm just grateful for second chances and for new begginings. It works for me. The kids are doing so good. I fall in love with them a little more each day. Tatum is going into first grade....strange! Carson...is still a charector. And my sweet Raegan is growing and becoming independant. Well this is me signing off for now. I love you all and will try to be better about posting. I have felt like a break was needed from trying to portray my life as an interesting story. Now that we've kind of settled into our identity here a new chapter has started. I will do better and sharing it. Love to you all. Kerstin

A bloggable life...

2010-12-13T17:07:00.000-08:00

I have been blogging for almost 4 years now. I love to blog and capture moments and memories. I used to be "teased" by a few people saying that my blog portrayed a "magical life". Ha ha!! I always laughed. Anyway, obviously I have fallen a bit off of the blogging train and I regret that. I need to do better. I often visit my blog to check others' sites but have been remiss in updating mine. Perhaps, there was a bit of truth to what others would say about my blog. It seems that the past few months have seemed less than magical and maybe that's why I haven't wanted to post and parade all of our life drama for the whole world to see. So here I am, with a recap of the past month or two (or 6!)

I'm sure many of you already know, but Ned is separating from the US Navy December 31st. It's been a long time coming and we are ready for this change. However, that doesn't make it any less scary. It will be different not having "the Navy" decided everything. At first we thought we would settle in Ft Wayne, IN near my parents. Ned drove me and the kids out here and returned to WA to tie up loose ends at home. A week or so into our Indiana adventure, we both felt that this was not the right thing for our family. And so after some thought we have decided that Salt Lake City, UT will be a better fit for us. We are hoping that some good job leads will pan out, and Ned will also be attending the University of Utah.

Another point of news is that my Grandfather (Mom's Dad) passed away Saturday evening. It was sudden but the family had a few days' notice and my Mom was even able to get out in enough time to say goodbye. He was a great man and will truly be missed.

The kids are growing and getting bigger everyday. Tatum is in all day kindergarten and to say it's an adjustment is an understatement. It's hard for me to put her on the bus at 7:15 am and not see her until 3:30. I know it's the best thing for her. It's just with all of these changes, and the recent passing of my Grandpa, I am really realizing how fleeting life is. It seemed like just yesterday Ned had joined the Navy and I was expecting Tatum. And now, in the blink of an eye our whole lifestyle is changing. Tatum is a big sister to two other James babies now and each one of them is growing and learning to live in a world much bigger than any of us can comprehend. It shouldn't be that hard for me to say to myself just STOP and enjoy this. They won't be little forever. I feel like for the most part I do. However, there are hours in the day where I have 3 voices vying for my attention and not enough of me to go around. Hopefully each day will get a bit easier than the next. I hope you all are enjoying your holiday season and I will hopefully be a bit better at blogging our not-so-magical but still wonderful life.

Way Way Way Way tooooooo long...

2010-11-03T21:33:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I haven't posted in over 5 weeks. Shame on ME!!!! The past month or two has been nothing short of a whirlwhind. I have always done so well posting on my blog, this has definately been the longest in between posts for me in almost 4 years. The past couple of months have been a lot of changes for our family but I really don't feel like posting about it all on the blog. Nothing is wrong or anything, just a lot of stuff happening. I think I have started shying away from posting everything about our life on the blog, and maybe that's why I haven't posted. It's easier to say nothing than to pick and choose I suppose. I'm an all or nothing kind of gal. But the kids are doing really well. Raegan is growing, growing, growing. Carson is my handsome man and Tatum is learning to read and as always our princess. We had a great halloween and the kids enjoyed the trunk-or-treating and it was tons of fun. To be honest, I am just feeling overwhelmed. All of my family, church and cake commitments have left me absolutely exhausted. I have had only a handful of nights in 3 months where I've had "off" and doing whatever I wanted to do. Busy is good, but I think it was getting to the point of too much. I'm trying to know my limits and trying to learn to say "no" once in a while. It's hard for me. But I will try and do better posting from now on. : )

Pumpkins

2010-11-03T21:32:00.000-07:00

We picked our pumpkins and it was awesome to have all 3 of our kidds excited and aware. Last year, Rae Rae was just itty bitty and slept out in her carseat. She is such a blessing in our lives. Carson and Tatum LOVED finding the perfect pumpkin, which they carved mostly by themselves!

September/October Continued...

2010-11-03T21:29:00.000-07:00

Here are a few random pics ( stole them from my friend, Cassia...) of us. The cupcake topiary I did for my friend's daughter and I thought it turned out so fun. The cake, I made for Cassia and Brandon's sealing. It was an amazing day, followed by a fun open house. Love Oak Harbor!!!

I'm still here...

2010-09-26T23:49:00.001-07:00

Hello all. Yes, I am still here. Sorry for the spurratic posts lately. Things are just busy, busy, busy. The biggest event around here lately is that our dear friends Brandon and Cassia went to the Temple to be sealed with thier 3 sweet girls. It was an absolutely amazing experience. I will never, ever forget it. Of course, I had to commemerate this occasion with a sealing cake. : ) Tatum is loving Kindergarten. She loves to learn, and color, and her favorite part of school is music time and of course... "hot lunch". Carson is doing great and we've really had a calm week with him after increasing his asthma meds. Raegan....wow, that girl is crazy and busy. But we love her sooo much. I am taking baby Rae to Indiana this week to see Great Grandma Neilson. I am looking forward to having a couple of days in Indiana and seeing some family and friends. I will try to be better about posting.

2010-09-09T08:50:00.000-07:00

Too cute...

2010-08-26T22:17:00.000-07:00

Aside from taking a one year old to church...one is my favorite age. Raegan is at that perfect age where she's still a "baby" but yet such a big girl at the same time. She is loving to climb up on things and explore. She loves to take things apart and it is so neat to see her actually learning about her surroundings. I love to stop with her and let her feel leaves, and moss, and grass. She is so amazed by it all!! At the grocery store it is so cool to just take an extra 2 minutes and let babies feel a pineapple or a kiwi. The expression on her face is so worth it! Raegan so far is my climber. She climbs on everything. Tatum and Carson were NOT like this. They were both very timid and afraid of the unknown. Not our baby Rae. She is all about new things and loves it. We love you, Raegan...thanks for being so darn cute!!

2010-08-25T20:18:00.000-07:00

When did life become so crazy that the very thought of logging in to my blog and posting some pictures became "too much". Shame on me! I need to do better. I know it's only been a couple of weeks since my last post, but in earlier years and months I would post a few times a week. So things have been busy around here. And a little crazy. I applied for a TLC Cake competition show with Cake Boss. And was denied. But that's ok. Wow, it was such a great experience applying and putting together my submission. The kids have been keeping me busy and Raegan is climbing everywhere! Here are some recent pics from the past week!

Kiddos and some cake...

2010-08-01T09:39:00.000-07:00

Yes, I'm still here. I realized that I haven't been as diligent in my blog lately. I feel bad about that. I keep a blog for the kids. I want to get blog books printed for each one of them and copied into a pdf. I have been so busy the last month. It hasn't really made the time go fast or anything but at least I'm not bored. I am excited for things to slow down in August and spend more time just hanging out with the kids. And maybe folding laundry. Maybe.

Damask...

2010-08-01T09:37:00.001-07:00

I have been wanting to do a damask style wdding cake for a long time now. I finally got my chance! It was much harder and time consuming than I thought. But I'm happy with the end result. It looked so nice set up at the venue with the topper and flowers. Thanks Cricut Cake for the nice monograms!!!

Retired...

2010-08-01T09:34:00.000-07:00

This was a cute little retirement cake I did for a nice lady who served 20 years in the Navy. I love that it is both patriotic and feminine.

Luau!

2010-08-01T09:31:00.000-07:00

I recently did this Luau cake and I love love LOVE it! So much fun to do... I love telling a story through cake. : )

Tatum!

2010-07-26T09:31:00.000-07:00

Have I mentioned before I have fabulously talented friends? My friend Cassia took some pictures of my babies and I thought they turned out great. I am often intrigued by family photos. They are what I refer to as a "Red Carpet Moment". You know, everyone is dressed nice, and matching. Everyone seems happy and problems are few and far between. Sometimes I wonder what family pictures would look like if they captured a glimpse of everyday life for us. The kids dressed in the outfit they insisted on wearing. The kitchen strewn with cake stuff and fondant....me looking tired and rocking out my favorite apron while chasing around Raegan who is now into everything. That probably wouldn't match my living room furniture, so instead we got all dressed up and for an hour....pretended that we always match and have our hair fixed. But either way, my kids and my family keep me going to continue to do my best...even I may not always look my best. : ) Love you guys. You are Mommy's sweeties.

My Carson

2010-07-26T09:29:00.000-07:00

Rae Rae

2010-07-26T09:26:00.000-07:00

2010-07-18T07:22:00.000-07:00

You can't have it all...

2010-07-14T07:35:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking a lot lately on priorities and the price that you pay for wanting to (forgive the phrase...) have your cake and eat it, too. Most of my days I often catch myself saying that there aren't enough hours in the day. Especially this past year, sleep has taken a back burner in my life. I've been up all hours of the night with a baby and making cakes for virtually no pay at all. So what's the pay-off for all of this? Love. Love of my children. Love of what I like to do and want to be. I have wrestled with this internal struggle of wanting a career in the cake industry. Would I be doing my children a dis-service? Would I be gone from them? What sacrifices would our family have to make. When Tatum was little I "just wanted to be a mom. Nothing else". But as I've grown a little bit within motherhood, I've realized what a mother is. A mother is a nurturer. A mother cares. A mother loves. A mother teaches by example. What kind of an example would I be to my children if I preached all day to follow their dreams and reach for the stars. And then do nothing for myself? What kind of a teacher would I be to tell my kids they can be whatever they want...but then the minute you have kids...it's over. Children aren't little forever. This is a time to savor thier innocense. But it's also a time to prepare. The stay at home mom thing for me is fulfilling, but I know in my heart that I want to not just teach my kids balance...but SHOW them. So I will continue to press forward. I will continue to love being a mommy and love cake design. I always thought I had to choose. But I'm slowly realizing that I can be 3 people. A wife, a mother, and myself. As long as the 3 compliment each other, it's a nice balance. I may not be able to have or do it all. But I can do what I can...and do it well. I hope that my kids are proud of me. I hope they realize that I value myself and that I'm important, too. To demonstrate otherwise would be really sad, because afterall...I was once taught that I can reach for the stars, too.

Something's fishy...

2010-07-12T09:33:00.000-07:00

Cake catch-up

2010-07-12T09:30:00.000-07:00

This was my first topsy turvy cake. I thought it was cute. I had a harder time being whimsical with this one. I love whimsey, don't get me wrong. But like with the green pearls and made them all different sizes where my style is more clean lines, and even. But either way, I thought it was cute.

Fun in the Whidbey Island Sun

2010-07-12T09:28:00.000-07:00

Strawberries!

2010-07-12T09:26:00.001-07:00

Happy 4th!

2010-07-04T23:27:00.000-07:00

Lame as it was, we didn't really do anything for the 4th of July....but we had a great afternoon hanging out. Here are some pics of the kiddos. This first picture is a birthday cake I made for a missionary in our ward whose birthday is the 5th. He asked if I would make him a cake...I thought it would be a fun idea to do a shirt cake.

Cake: Take "1"

2010-06-22T20:21:00.000-07:00

Guess who is turning 1?!? Our little sweet Raegan. One of the four greatest miracles in my life. I have been so excited to make a cake for her and finally the day came. Raegan, we love you and you are a huge joy in our lives. You light up the room with your smile and your laugh. We can't imagine our lives without you. You are busy and sweet....just like your cake!!

Cake: Take 2

2010-06-22T20:19:00.000-07:00

I am the activities chair for our church and planned an Italian Restaurant night. I made cakes that looked like pizzas and spaghetti and meatball cupcakes for the kids. I thought they turned out cute...

Cake: Take 3

2010-06-22T20:16:00.000-07:00

Alice in Wonderland...

Cake: Take 4

2010-06-22T20:14:00.000-07:00

This was a cute Hello Kitty project I did...

Children's Museum

2010-06-22T20:12:00.000-07:00

We took the kids to the Seattle Children's Museum and had a great day in the City. It was fun to see Tatum and Carson playing and learning together. Raegan had a good time, too...exploring!!

The Cutest Baby Rae There Ever Was and Ever Will Be...

2010-06-22T20:10:00.000-07:00

Fun With Fruit

2010-06-22T20:08:00.000-07:00

At Joe's wedding last month I helped arrange a fruit tree. The kids have been begging me to make one for them and we did a few weeks ago. They had a blast eating all the yummy fruit and the dipping sauces. Super fun stuff!

Primary Activity

2010-06-07T18:46:00.001-07:00

Here are a couple of pictures from the Primary Activity this past Saturday. As you can tell by the photo below...Raegan is NOT a fan of the grass.

Friday Night Fun

2010-06-04T19:47:00.000-07:00

We took the kids bowling tonight and they had such a great time! Tatum is an excellent bowler! She scores usually around 100! Today was 90. This is without that thing that little kids use to roll the ball with. Raegan was mostly interested in crawling/walking away and heading towards the lanes. She was briefly intrigued by the balls rolling back but was mad because we were hovering over her to ensure she didn't get her fingers in the way. This little lady is so independent. It's crazy! Carson had fun, too and he is such a good sport being with two sisters. : ) Afterwards we played at the little fun zone in the bowling alley. It was a good day.

Hi, it's me.

2010-05-24T03:11:00.000-07:00

Hey there. Kerstin checking in from cake land. Yes, cake land. Things have gone from busy to CRAZY! Last weekend I did 7 cakes. That's right, 7! 3 of which were for a city comedy event sponsored by the OH Chamber of Commerce. It was a lot of fun and I made some great contacts and networked all night. I was in cake heaven. But as I scroll through my blog lately all I see is cake and not so much of the kiddos. So I thought I'd catch everyone up on what we've been doing. Tatum had her last day of preschool Friday. I can't believe two years is already over from her time there. What a positive experience ECEAP has been for her. Carson is excited because now it's HIS turn to go in the fall. He is thrilled to be able to be a big kid and attend school. Tatum is all signed up for Kindergarten and I'm wondering where the heck time has gone. It seems like just yesterday that I was bringing home my first brand new baby Tatum. She has certainly blossomed into quite the little lady lately and I am so blessed to get to know her. Baby Raegan is doing really well and growing! I am waiting for the day she starts to walk. She already takes a step here and there but hasn't quite figured out how to keep going. Sleep is still an issue with her. I am wondering how life would be with a solid night's sleep. But she does go down early and completes a few really good stretches without waking so I guess all is not lost. Life is just crazy here but I'm so glad that my kiddos are patient and so darn sweet. Tatum and Carson are really growing up and I'm realizing that they won't be little for long. This is bittersweet for me. I am glad that they are coming into their own, but it's hard for me to see my little babies getting big. When we went to my brother-in-law's wedding last week I was reminded of the importance of families and eternal commitments. It was a great experience and I'm so glad to be sharing my life with the such sweet people.

2010-05-17T06:02:00.001-07:00

When I Grow Up...

2010-05-12T10:43:00.000-07:00

Introducing....my new logo designed by my friend who is a graphic designer. I LOVE IT!!! When I was a kid I wanted to be the following: A principal. A teacher. A News Anchor. A speech writer. A massage therapist. A dental assistant. A waitress in England. Seriously this was my list people. Kind of all over the place. I think that's why the whole college thing was kind of a bust for me. NOTHING and I mean NOTHING interested me when it came to school. I am actually kind of nervous for Tatum to start school because I H-A-T-E-D school. As I became an adult and a mom I admit I kind of coasted on Ned's career and not having to worry about what it was that truly made me happy. But like a lot of things in life we find answers when we really aren't even looking. One cake, let to another. Which led to some cupcakes. Which led to my ridiculous mint frosting to go on said cupcakes. And now things have grown and I've finally found my passion. The thing that I could spend 12 hours a day everyday doing and never grow tired from it. I am so glad that finally....pushing 30 years old...I can finally say what I want to do when I grow up. Better late then never...and the wait was so worth it! I'm pretty sure I would have made a horrible speech writer anyway.

Mickey Cake

2010-05-04T15:57:00.000-07:00

Who's Hungry?

2010-04-22T07:31:00.001-07:00

Yum. Just had to share.

Tulip Festival

2010-04-20T11:03:00.000-07:00

Well it only took us 3 years, but we finally made it to the Tulip Festival. This area is famous for tulips and every years it's a big deal when they are in bloom. We literally got to the festival hours before harvesting the last field. But we are so glad we did. The flowers were amazing and the pictures posted were just a tiny piece of what we saw. Enjoy!

The flowers

2010-04-20T10:57:00.000-07:00

Fine Feathered Friends

2010-04-16T18:16:00.000-07:00

As if I hadn't made enough cupcakes this week...what's 75 more? I did a Navy retirement cake and 75 cupcakes for some friends today. I was tired. Enough said...but it was a lot of fun and I LOVE this stuff! Also it was their 1st wedding anniversary and I had to commemorate the occasion with....cake!

Diploma Barbie

2010-04-16T18:11:00.000-07:00

Have I mentioned that my friend, Cassia is seriously the FUNNIEST person? She calls everything "Barbie". Cop-out Barbie. Cruise director Barbie. Social buffer Barbie. Anyway the list goes on. It's just kind of a funny way of making fun of life and not taking things too seriously. Well Cassia graduated from College last week and her hubby thought it would be fun to throw her a party. I COULD NOT AGREE MORE! So we conspired against her for a week or so and threw her a "diploma Barbie" graduation party. Complete with a Barbie cake and cupcakes. I did the old star tip decorating on the Barbie cake to give it a "vintage" feel. Congrats, Cassia...we are all proud of you!

Baptisms and Such

2010-04-16T18:08:00.000-07:00

Last weekend our good friends celebrated the baptism of their daughter. It was a great day for our family to witness such a sweet experience. And speaking of sweet...these are the cupcakes I did for the refreshments.

Command Egg Hunt

2010-04-07T21:22:00.000-07:00

We did things a little different this year and attended a command Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday. I really liked not having one at the house on Sunday. I have nothing against eggs hunts but it was nice to just keep the kid stuff on Saturday. Sunday we dyed a few eggs but kept it low key. All in all, the kids had a great time and we enjoyed the weekend as a family!

Dying Eggs

2010-04-07T21:21:00.000-07:00

Beach Time

2010-04-07T21:17:00.000-07:00

Easter evening the kids were restless so we took a nice walk along one of the beaches near our home. It was so peaceful and serene being by the water and hearing the waves crash against the rocks and driftwood. It was a nice end to a special day and the kids could spend all day throwing rocks into the water. I have always loved the water and its vastness reminds me of our Creator! A perfect end to an Easter Sunday.

High Chair Happiness

2010-04-07T21:15:00.000-07:00

Smile of the Day

2010-03-27T10:48:00.000-07:00

If this sweet face doesn't make you smile...I don't know what will!!

Strawberry Shortcake

2010-03-27T08:24:00.000-07:00

This was a really fun project for me to do. I replicated a new color called celedon. It is my new favorite color. (the greenish one) I LOVE IT!

Park Time

2010-03-17T10:34:00.000-07:00

The weather cooperated enough the other day to spend some time at the park. I feel bad that because of the wind and rain the kiddos can't play outside as much as they would like. So it's a big treat when we can all go. I've noticed a similarity between Tatum and Raegan. Both ladies are so serious! Carson is our silly-man. But the girls are always so intense and serious about everything. This is how Tatum was as a baby, too. When I was a kid a lot of my friends used to tease me that I was "born 30". So it's probably no surprise where they get it...

A little lady...a lot of bug!

2010-03-13T14:13:00.000-08:00

These are some pictures from a birthday cake-scape I did today. I had so much fun with it. With every project I do...I become more convinced that this is what I want to do..."when I grow up". I feel such creative energy when creating!

Just Another Thursday Night...

2010-03-04T22:18:00.000-08:00

Check out this cute Elmo cake I did tonight!! I am in love with it. It was by far the hardest birthday cake I've done. It took some planning-like that Elmo I made a month ago and it's been drying and waiting. But I'm happy with it and I hope the birthday girl will be, too!

8 is Great!

2010-03-03T18:06:00.001-08:00

That's right...Team Nedward has hit the big 8 year mark! A lot of my friends asked if I was planning on doing an anniversary cake for Ned as a gift. I realized it was probably more of a gift if I DIDN'T do a cake. I did, however, have some leftover cupcakes lying around and thought I'd make a couple for my sweetie.

Is it REALLY time for an anniversary post already? It is amazing how fast time is flying by. Not too long ago, I felt like a newlywed. Now here we are eight years later and as Ned likes to say "old news". I actually like being old news. I like the comfort and security of having my marriage become a little more deeply rooted with each passing year. I am one of those lucky ladies to have found an awesome husband. Ned has always been my best friend and biggest supporter since the day I met him. Of course, we are not without our stresses! But I appreciate his willingness to share the ride with me. Thanks Ned for all that you do. For your service to your country and your family. For putting up with all of my cupcakes, all of my fondant and powdered sugar. For understanding when the to-do list doesn't always get done. Thanks for laughing with me and being a shoulder to cry on. Thank you for all of your silly jokes and your crazy voices you talk in. (Except ARCI....I really can't stand that voice...) I appreciate you listening and caring about all that is important to me. Thanks for the many doors you have opened for me and the many small acts of service that you do that may or may not go noticed. And of course, thank you for giving me the 3 most beautiful children!

Tatum gets her sweetness from Ned

Carson got Ned's silliness and neverending smile

And Rae Rae is just un-imaginabley adorable. Again...from the Nedster.

I'm one lucky lady!!!

Seattle Stay-cation

2010-03-03T17:53:00.000-08:00

With life so crazy...we decided to forgo the expense of a big trip and do a little stay-cation in Seattle this past weekend. We took the ferry into the city and stayed at a really fun hotel. We rode the mono-rail and ate at a couple of fun places. Hopefully the kids will remember it and they seemed to have a good time.

This is our baby Rae at the top of the Space Needle. We took the kids to eat in the restaurants that revolves around in a circle. While the kids seemed at times more interested in their crayons, they enjoyed the views of the city.

Raegan especially liked the crayons.

We went to Pike Place Market and hung out. The kids loved watching the fish mongers throw the fish to each other.

We also ate at the melting pot. Ned and I had been there before and loved it. This wasn't the best call to come here...because the kids didn't have the patience to sit and leisurely cook their food. But we did have a great time together.

HOW CUTE IS THIS BABY?!?!?!?!?!

Sorry about the negative space here on this post. I hate it when this happens...there is a fun post below so keep scrolling...

Dr Seuss Day

2010-03-03T17:49:00.000-08:00

In celebration of Dr Seuss, I made Seussical cupcakes for my first cupcake club event. It was a bit of an undertaking and while I was happy with the end result...I'm thinking it wasn't quite worth all the effort. It may be a month or so before I can read our favorite Dr Seuss stories...
Horton Hears a Who Yertle the Turtle

Green Eggs and Ham

Thing 1 and Thing 2

The Cat in the Hat

Sooooooooo cute!

2010-02-26T08:06:00.000-08:00

I had made these little banana monkey cupcake toppers for my super awesome friend, Kalie! I just saw that she posted these pics of the cupcakes in action and I had to share. Cupcakes are awesome! And so is my friend...you will make a great Mommy, Kalie! Congrats!!

Ice cream cupcake

2010-02-26T07:14:00.000-08:00

I was asked to do a fun cupcake tutorial at our church's youth group for girls yesterday. It was so fun and I had a blast doing it. I came up with this idea to do a cupcake ice cream sundae. I used my recipe for homemade marshmallow fondant and just thought I'd share the recipe.

For the fondant:

8 oz marshmallows

1 Tb water

2-4 cups powdered sugar

shortening

flavor/coloring if desired

All you do is melt the marshmallows in a bowl with the water. Grease a mixing bowl (a kitchen aid with the dough hook is ideal, but anything will work) and also the beater with the shortening. This prevents sticking. Once the marshmallows are in the bowl you can add your color and or extracts to flavor it. It also tastes fine by itself. Slowly incorporate the powdered sugar and beat and mix until it pulls completely away from the sides of the bowl. Cover in an airtight container or wrap with plastic wrap.

To make Chocolate fondant, follow the same instructions except with the melted marshmallows add 1 oz melted unsweetened chocolate and 1 TB cocoa powder.

To make this cupcake, just frost a cupcake with butter cream frosting. Then roll out the pink fondant on a surface lightly dusted with cornstarch or powdered sugar. Cut out a circle with a kitchen glass and cover the cupcake. Smooth it on there and trip any excess with a knife of kitchen shears. Roll out your chocolate and find a flower cut out shape and put on top of the pink fondant. You might need to put a dab of butter cream to make it stick. Take your butter cream used for frosting and pipe a cute "whipped cream swirl" on top of the chocolate. Add sprinkles or chopped nuts to it. Then if you want, take some additional fondant and dye it red and make a ball for the cherry. Poke a little hole in the top if you want to add the stem, then roll out some chocolate for a stem and add it. By the end, you will have a cute little ice cream cupcake sundae. So cute for birthday parties or a family night. Tasty! Good luck and enjoy!

The James Ladies

2010-02-18T20:05:00.000-08:00

My girls a sweet and silly. What fun!

Birthday Cuteness!

2010-02-18T20:02:00.000-08:00

Here is some cake cuteness from today. : ) The Elmo is a fondant topper for a cake coming up in a couple of weeks.

The Babies!!

2010-02-14T20:15:00.000-08:00

Boy do I have myself some cute kids!! They were all smiles this evening which hasn't been the case the last week. Between teething, and an ear infection for Carson there have been some tears. Valentine's weekend was INSANE and I did a ton of cupcake orders for my friends. It was seriously so much fun. The kids had a good time being my little sou chefs. I am so lucky to have such sweet babies in my life. Love you guys!

So serious!

The simple joys of socks.

Owl love you forever

2010-02-14T20:11:00.000-08:00

For Valentine's Day this year, I thought I'd do a fun play on conversation hearts. Using that color palette and the cuteness factor. Of course, I threw in a couple tradition items as well and those are fun, too! I did SO MANY cupcakes this weekend. These pics are only small portions of what I did. But many of the orders were the same...so...you see one owl and you've seen them all.

Be Mine

2010-02-14T20:10:00.000-08:00

Cute as a button

2010-02-14T20:00:00.000-08:00

Choco-halic

2010-02-14T19:59:00.000-08:00

True Love

2010-02-14T19:57:00.000-08:00

Hint...

2010-02-03T12:25:00.003-08:00

Here's a hint for my valentine cupcakes I'm doing...

Owl love you forever!

The Primary Activity

2010-01-30T23:29:00.000-08:00

Today was a church Primary activity about Creation and Ned was asked to do balloon animals for it. He made these cute hats and had the kids wearing them. Carson finally got to go to his first Primary activity! He was so thrilled. Unfortunately, his asthma was REALLY acting up from his cold he's had and he had a few meltdowns throughout the activity. But we are so proud of him and happy that he is now a big Primary boy. Tatum had a great time and Raegan napped in her car seat and enjoyed watching all the kiddos when she woke up. All in all, a great Saturday!

Treats for Trina

2010-01-30T23:25:00.000-08:00

I think the only thing better than a good cupcake...is a great friend to give them to! I decided to be spontaneous this morning and make some fun flower cupcakes for my lovely friend, Trina. I just had to try this chocolate recipe again to make sure it wasn't a fluke! I think we found a winner, folks!!

You know you want one...

2010-01-28T08:24:00.000-08:00

I have recently decided to abolish cake mixes in my house. I figured since I'm soon getting paid for most of my stuff....the customer deserves a little better than a mix. This was intimidating seeing as how the two times I have attempted a homemade cake from scratch were not tasty. I did some research and decided to try a recipe. All I can say is....W-O-W. Sadly, I cannot divulge said recipe. Because if I did...than why would you need me to make you cupcakes?? However, if you live far away and are out of cupcake range...I will consider sharing it. : ) But joking aside...these cupcakes were AWESOME. So super moist. So chocolatey without being too overpowering. I made a mint buttercream and I felt it complimented it nicely. And yes...don't worry...I shared them. I only eat like one cupcake when I make them. The rest I had to find good homes for. Don't worry. They were well taken care of.

Zookeeper for the Day

2010-01-26T23:46:00.000-08:00

Ned's been brushing up on his balloon animal skills for a church activity this week. The kids love it when Ned's home to do balloon animals. The kids made this cute little zoo and took care of their animals for the better part of the morning!

2010-01-26T23:44:00.000-08:00

How did I ever get so lucky to have the 3 most precious and sweet babies?!?

The Little Princess

2010-01-26T23:40:00.000-08:00

So Raegan has had the worst cold EVER this past week. It's been tougher than other colds...I don't know why. But today, she seems to be on the mend. Yay for babies who can breathe!

Hanging Out

2010-01-26T23:37:00.000-08:00

Just another Sunday afternoon at the James house! My kids have learned to take sprinkles VERY seriously.

Date with Destiny

2010-01-24T19:30:00.000-08:00

Last week Cassia watched Tatum and Carson for us so we could go on a date! Some friends of ours needed a ride to the airport, so since we were down that way we did a fun date night is Seattle/Bellevue. I have been DYING to go to New York Cupcakes...a cute little cupcakery that is just a couple minutes away from the Seattle Temple. The shop was seriously the tiniest slice of heaven. Everything was pink and happy. Ned humored me by getting a 6 pack of over priced but delicious cupcakes! Here are pictures of two that we purchased. I also got Milky Way, Mint, and of course Red Velvet.

New Camera!!

2010-01-23T09:50:00.000-08:00

Why is my husband sooooo good to me? I am a lucky lady, indeed. We celebrated Christmas last week and MUCH to my surprise Ned got me a new camera. It has come in handy to support my blogging/food journal. I spent like WAY TOO MUCH TIME trying to get a "magical" Christmas ornament picture. This was the best shot. LOL I'm sure all the pro photographers out there are going...seriously...this is the best you could come up with? But hey, I will continue to work on it. In the meantime, here are some shots from the past week at the James House.

Baby Hungry

2010-01-23T09:46:00.000-08:00

I did some cute little fondant cupcake toppers for a friend's baby shower and I thought I'd go a little wild....litterally. What better place for a baby monkey to sleep than inside a banana, right? If only I'd stopped there... Banana Babies

Hot Mama's

Cabbage Cutie

The cuties of the house

2010-01-23T09:44:00.000-08:00

Teething bites!

2010-01-23T09:41:00.000-08:00

I think this picture about says it all. It's been a fun week or so around here as our baby Raegan has been getting a top tooth. But she's still adorable!

Welcome Home!

2010-01-17T20:51:00.000-08:00

Well Ned is finally home! YAY! I know...he was only gone a couple of months this time. But wow, what a year or so we've had. He's been gone most of the past 15 months and during that time, I've moved, dealt with a pregnancy, had a baby and "recovered" from said baby all by myself. I'm tired and I'm just GLAD to have Ned all to myself for a little while. We picked him up on Wednesday, and celebrated our Christmas on Friday. The kids had a great time. I will post pictures of our festivities tomorrow. But for now, the only pictures I have on my computer is from Ned's welcome home cake. There's nothing that shouts home like a white picket fence and a vegetable garden, right? The back of the cake had a tree (yes, those are apples on the tree...) with our initials carved into the trunk. Because still I get butterflies when I see Ned...it's true what they say. Absence makes the heart grow fonder. And it doesn't hurt that he's so good lookin'.

My New Home!

2010-01-12T17:52:00.000-08:00

Ok folks...some big news over here! A couple of week ago, I had stopped into this adorable candy store in Oak Harbor to get some chocolate rocks for a cake I was doing. The owner was so nice and sad that she would call me when they came in. When she called me the other day...I put myself out there and asked her if I could show her my work with cakes and cupcakes. I stopped by today and guess what? I am now going to be under contract for Popsies with cakes. I get my very own display in the store and we are both hoping that our businesses will cross promote each other. I have never been so excited and terrified at the same time! I'm sure business will be slow, but it's a start and a great one at that! I feel so excited to be "under contract". For the stay at home Mommy, that is pretty darn exciting!! And as hokey as it may sound...this is a little bit of a dream come true. Commercial space and a great venue for creativity! I can't wait to get started!!

Bacon makes everything better

2010-01-08T20:20:00.000-08:00

WARNING: The following post contains a completely unorthodox use of bacon. Reader discretion advised as this may cause an intense need to break the rules!!! So last week I came across this idea to put bacon in a cinnamon roll. I had been craving them for a while and decided to treat myself since it was Friday night. All you do is cook up some bacon to your liking. Don't overcook it, leave a little cook time for when it's inside the cinnamon roll. Then take any canned cinnamon roll ( I used the Cinnabon grands from Pilsbury) and then unroll each individual pastry. Lay the bacon down onto the strips and roll it back up. Put it in a lightly greased baking sheet and in about 20 minutes...the rest is history. Definitely not an everyday thing...but sooooo good!

Taste tested by tough critics, too!

Rae Rae's new Bumbo

2010-01-06T18:29:00.000-08:00

I found a great deal on this cute Bumbo chair for Raegan!! I was so excited...only paid $10 for it. I have always really wanted one, but I couldn't justify spending $40. Raegan loves it and loves to play with Tatum and Carson. She is fitting right in with the older two. Being a mommy to small kids is the hardest thing in the world but also the best. I love seeing these three giggle together!

Do you see my teeth coming in? Please pardon my mom's stained hands from food coloring.

Classy with some Sassy

2010-01-05T23:03:00.000-08:00

Ok everyone. I am addicted to cupcakes. I think it's time I stage my own intervention. HOWEVER, I blame Cassia for not only taking amazing pictures...but tonight she GAVE me a box of butter cream mix. I mean seriously...she was asking for it. She's such an enabler.

Matt's Wedding

2010-01-04T18:24:00.000-08:00

My Father-in-law just sent me this pictures tonight from Matt's wedding. What a fun day and a great reminder of eternal families. Also, it was the day Raegan was blessed...so a lot of memories.

Sweet Sliders

2009-12-31T22:31:00.000-08:00

I know I know...it's probably time for me to get off the crazy cupcake train. But I can't help myself...it's too much fun! Here are some cupcake hamburgers I made for our New Year's Eve festivities. The cheese and the lettuce were made out of fondant, with a brownie for the middle part and frosting for the mustard and ketchup. Yum!

Sdrawkcab Ytarp (Backwards Party)

2009-12-31T22:25:00.001-08:00

I decided to throw a little "backwards party" for the kids for New Year's Eve. I thought it would be fun to do dinner foods that looked like dessert and then a dessert that looked like dinner. You can see our table set with meatloaf and mashed potatoes "sundaes" tomato soup "shakes" and roll "cupcakes" with easy cheese frosting. I thought everyone had a great time.

Mambo Italiano

2009-12-28T23:46:00.000-08:00

I found a pasta maker at a very successful trip to our thrift store! It's a great quality metal one with all the attachments and I paid only 6 bucks for it! I have wonderful memories as a child making pasta with my mom. So I got the kids involved with making spaghetti. Tatum loved cranking it through the machine.

Here's our spaghetti. It was so delicious!

This is Tatum posing before going to church yesterday. What a doll!

Tatum and Carson are helping me make popcorn cupcakes. (See post below) I am raising quite the little pasty chefs. They just love this stuff too!

Popcorn Extravaganza!

2009-12-28T23:42:00.000-08:00

I found these adorable popcorn containers at the thrift store last week for 49 cents and had to get them! I got 7 all together. My kids LOVE popcorn, but I thought it would be fun to make popcorn cupcakes. The "popcorn" is actually marshmallows that I cut in quarters and then painted yellow piping gel for the "butter". I even did some sparkles for the salt. It was soooo fun. I served them as a treat for our family home evening...any guesses as to what the closing song was?

I looked out the window and what did I see?

Christmas Eve

2009-12-25T09:00:00.000-08:00

Well, here we are for the second year in a row with Ned gone for Christmas. I think I do a pretty good job of staying positive about things. However, I'm allowed to miss Ned and wish he was home. We spent the day with Cassia and her girls and got together for dinner. We had cupcakes for dessert and to keep the mood light, we kind of got silly with them.

Holiday sweets

2009-12-25T08:55:00.000-08:00

My Christmas Eve was filled with some goodies that I made. Aren't these mini cheesecakes just adorable? They are red velvet with a whipped cream icing on top and a chocolate crust. They were amazing! Yum. My cupcakes below I did some fun whimsical ones for the kids. I used my pearl spray that I cover my cakes with for them, too. And lastly, the birthday cake all polished and finished. It was great delivering it on Christmas Eve and was a reminder to me that Christmas is the season of service.

Ah, to be 12

2009-12-22T18:56:00.000-08:00

This is a birthday cake I made for a friend's daughter who is turning 12. I hope she likes it and embraces growing up! Happy Birthday!

2009-12-18T08:41:00.000-08:00

I am starting a new cake blog. That way my cake stuff isn't clogging up too much of my family blog. The site address is http://www.spoonfullofsugar27.blogspot.com/ I am really excited about it. I have high hopes of really getting this cake thing going in the new year. Eventually, I want to do this as a full time career in whatever avenue I can. So please...if you want a cake...ask me! I love new oppurtunities!

Remember this guy?

2009-12-18T07:31:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple pictures that have been posted on facebook from Ned's crew. We miss you Ned! Be safe!

Suprise...it's another cake!

2009-12-16T19:21:00.000-08:00

I have a cake I'm doing next week. But I will give you a clue...
I can't wait to get started. Plus, I know Tatum will love love LOVE making tiny fondant shoes...

Christmas Party

2009-12-16T11:42:00.000-08:00

Here are some snapshots from our church Christmas party. The kids had a great time. I made the MOST amazing lemon cream cake trifle for it. I wish I had taken a picture of it. I guess I'll just have to make it again!

High Tea

2009-12-12T00:27:00.000-08:00

Last week I threw Tatum and her friends a fancy tea party. It was so fun and it was wonderful to share it with awesome friends. Tea parties are awesome...and thanks again to Cassia...your photos are amazing!

Happy Birthday Carson

2009-12-10T22:32:00.000-08:00

So yesterday was Carson's 3rd birthday. We had a party for him last month and told him it was his birthday so Ned could be home to see him excited for his big day. But still yesterday I found myself remembering the sweet little baby boy that joined our family just 3 short years ago. The past couple of months I've grown a little tired of Carson's mischief and I haven't been as patient as I should. It was a great day and reminded me that childhood goes so quickly...I'm going to try and do better to not sweat the small stuff. Happy Birthday, Carson...we love you!

Breakfast with Santa

2009-12-06T20:21:00.000-08:00

I can't believe that 5 years ago, I had one little 2 month old baby girl. If you had told me that in 5 Christmas' I would have 3 kids...I would have laughed. But wow...life comes at you fast sometimes. Anyway the Primary at church had a breakfast with Santa activity and Tatum was so excited. Carson was hesitant but eventually went over to Santa for a photo op. And Raegan...well...she's just adorable. Just wish that Ned was here to share it with us.

Some smiles from the week

2009-12-06T20:19:00.000-08:00

The warm glow of satisfaction

2009-12-03T22:37:00.001-08:00

I am all done with the poinsettia project. I am so happy with how they turned out. I also love this cake stand and thank you Neddie for surprising me with it a few months ago. It has allowed me to be really creative! Also, I have to give my good friend Cassia a shout out. She is an amazing photographer. I am in awe of her talent. She took my sweet pea cupcake pics and I asked her to do the photos for this project as well. She came with me to set up and help arrange and her photos are amazing!!!

Don't laugh...but this picture makes me happy. I'm actually going to use it as our Christmas card. Speaking of which...if you'd like a card from us, please email or facebook me your address.

The perfect cupcake! All in all, it was a wonderful day. As a stay at home mom, sometimes there is very little tangible evidence that you do anything. I love creating something from nothing! And now...what to do next...any ideas??

Halfway there

2009-12-03T11:41:00.000-08:00

I think I can safely say I'm over poinsettia's. After 2 weeks of making poinsettia's, looking at poinsettia's, FIXING BROKEN poinsettia's...I've had my fill. Tonight I'm assembling the cupcake tree but I made a round cake to adorn the top of the tree. I think it turned out cute...I especially love the fondant pine cones. It was fun to play around and figure out a way to make them. I love it! I love the idea that everything on cakes is edible, even though I can't imagine anyone coming up to get a slice of cake and saying "I'll take the pine cone, please..." More pictures to follow for the finished product.