Baby Shower Cupcakes

I have this friend Brie. We have been friends since we were 12. We were the BEST of friends when we were in jr. high and into high school. As high school went on we drifted apart for one reason or another but we always knew that we would have each other's backs when needed. It was unspoken but well known. After high school we went years without talking to each other. I would wonder from time to time how she was doing hoping that she was well. And then came Facebook. After years of not talking to people you can find almost anyone on there. I don't remember who found who and it doesn't really matter. What matters is we found each other. We got together to catch up and even though we were catching up on almost 6 years of events it felt like we had just been apart a little while. After a few meetings of lunches or breakfast she asked me to come over to tell me something. I do not know why but the thought came into my head that OMG she's pregnant. So I went over and that is what she told me. She didn't know what to do or what she wanted. Her head seemed to be spinning but she has always been very smart and she explored all her options knowing some might be right and some never would be. I knew I would support her no matter what her decision was. Well after lots of research and time to think and tears cried she came to the decision that she was going to keep and raise her baby. She then got engaged to her baby's father, found out it's a girl, had a falling out with him (he doesn't deserve her anyway), and is about to give birth to a baby girl in just a few weeks (after 2 on a Thursday Brie :-) ...thanks). So being that she has had a very rough pregnancy, put on bed rest multiple times, it finally came time for her baby shower. She texted me asking me for my address so she could send me an invite. I gave it to her asking if there was anything they needed. And I sincerely meant the offer. I am so glad they took me up on it. I was able to make cupcakes. She needed a lot of them so I knew it would be quite the undertaking. But I was up to the challenge. Besides it's what I love to do. I am so happy with how they turned out too. They are my favorite cupcakes that I have ever made. Now if I remember correctly Brie is allergic to chocolate...either that or she doesn't like it so I knew not chocolate but I thought ok not ONLY chocolate so I did three different flavors so that some could have chocolate if they wanted. I also made the three flavors look different from the top so that if you just walked up and grabbed a cupcake you would know which you were grabbing. I didn't want someone to bring Brie a chocolate cupcake! I also knew that she wasn't the person that would just want a cupcake with a rattle on top or something babyish on it. Yes it was a baby shower but it was also for Brie and since she was getting gifts for the baby, the cupcakes were for Brie!

So here are the cupcakes:

These are the lemon cupcakes (they are really just white cake with a hint of lemon flavor)

These are the Strawberry Cupcakes


And these are the Chocolate Cupcakes

Thank you Brie for letting me do this. I had so much fun making them, fun eating them and the most fun at your shower! Congrats to you and I can't wait to meet Melodie Elise Ard!

Frustrations and New Beginnings

It seems that no one is ever completely happy. Even the richest people in the world have to want something or have to deal with heartache and sorrow from time to time. When I look at my life I see so many wonderful things, I am so blessed so you would think that I would be completely happy. But I am not. Please don't get me wrong I know that I have a very blessed and fortunate life. I have a wonderful family, fantastic friends, a goal that I am driven to achieve, great health and all the support I could ask for. So why is it that I am not totally happy? The little frustrations in life.

I hate that I get so hung up on certain things and I let that ruin my day. I was having a great weekend. I had a great last day at The Little Gym, one of my dearest friends baby showers was so much fun and very beautiful, the cupcakes I made for it were a big hit and I was very happy with how they turned out (I will blog about them later), I FINALLY got to catch up on some much needed sleep and one of my best friends had finally come home from a 3 week long trip. Sounds good so far right? Well then I get frustrated with the fact that I am called by someone at work (my new bakery job) and told that because we are so slow right now that she needs to cut back a few people's hours and because I am the newest and the least trained my hours for Tuesday and Thursday are completely cut. Well I only work those days, so now what am I going to do? No money...and my thoughts go to how am I going to afford this and that? Then the plans that are made with a friend that I haven't seen in soooooo long were canceled. I can't help feeling very disappointed about this. I let him know and he gets upset and then I feel really bad about being honest. I do completely understand why the plans were canceled and in a way I am glad they are (please do the things you need to do) but I cannot lie and pretend I am not disappointed. But I am not mad...just another thing to make my day kinda a bummer. Then someone else gets really pissy and yells at the people around me. Not at me but the other two that I was with and it really upset both of them. It was very awkward and I didn't know what to do. Because of this everyone went in to separate rooms and I was left by myself. Awesome. One thing after another to make my great weekend crummy. And I hate that I let one bad night leave a bitter taste in my mouth for the whole weekend.

So I have decided that even though it isn't New Years anymore that I am going to still make a resolution. I am going to try and find the good in EVERY situation. I like to think of myself as a positive person. I try to think glass half full but as I look back I feel bad about a situation that I could have handled better, a situation that I could have just said oh ok instead of a smart ass response and for those I am sorry. It's time to stop doing the things I have to be sorry about and to start that I need to look at how everything has a little good no matter how bad it seems.
So this weekend was great. I had fun and even though it was my last day at The Little Gym it was a very good day there. And I got to leave right after my classes were over instead of sitting in the lobby bored and freezing. I had been up until almost 4:30 making cupcakes for my friends baby shower. I showed up to the shower a little early to drop off the cupcakes and help with the finishing touches on decor. The shower was great and I knew that the host and mother to be were exhausted so I helped clean up and put presents in the car. Then I helped unload the gifts at their home. Then today I got to have lunch with my sister, her bf, and my parents. It was a nice lunch and that's when I got the phone call about work. So the good in that is that I have more time to spend on my school work this week and hopefully getting to go see my pregnant friend and my friend who just got home...speaking of which... The good in not seeing him tonight was that he was getting his school work done. And as much as it sucked to see the text ":-( I don't think I am going to make it tonight" I can only just hope that I will get to see him soon and that when we are FINALLY reunited that it will be a very fun time. Now the good in the pissy friend is that I got to see another side of one of my friends...good or bad it's always good to know...and I got to write this blog sitting by myself.

These may seem like little things now but I feel if I look at all the little good things going on instead of dwelling on the bigger bad things than come the end of the year I will look back and think wow...2010 was a good year. Maybe some bad things did happen and I had to deal with them, but I also had a lot of happy things happen and even in the darkest times there was a little light.

Panda-Date!

Happy #3:

Panda-Dates!

One of my best friends Karina and I call each other Panda. It's a LONG story but that is our nickname for each other. It started during Fantasmic! and the other Fan! cast members call us the Pandas. It's just known that's who we are with our friends and family. Whenever we go out just the two of us we ask for a Panda-Date. It's our little dates with just each other. Tonight we went to see Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel. Karina and I did Chip and Dale together in Fantasmic! for years...so we are the chipmunks. So we went to see the first one together and now this one. Dinner at Corner Bakery, the Chipmunks and my Panda! It's always a good night when I have a Panda-Date! ♥

This is Karina and I at the Halloween Bash! ♥

Skype

Happiness #2:

Talking to Argentina!!!

So one of my best friends is in Argentina. He left on the 1st and is gone for 3 WEEKS!!! That's right 3! Not ok! Actually it's a little more than that. It's only the 6th here and I already miss him. We have been able to chat online a little on Skype which makes me smile. But today was the best when I was actually in the middle of writing him an email and he surprised me and "called" me on Skype to video chat. I love seeing his pictures but it was the best to get to actually talk to him and see him. It totally made a crummy day spin around to a great day!

I hope you are having a blast! But I miss you and I can't wait for your safe return! Loves you! haha xoxo

And if you don't have skype...get it! It's the best! It's a great way to chat with people besides the phone. It's free to video chat and it's better than the phone...you get to actually see their face! ♥

Happy #1 of 2010!!!

A new year means new things to be happy about.

So Happy #1 for 2010 is New Beginnings. I have been lucky enough to spend two years running around teaching gymnastics to children at three different gyms. My favorite by far was in San Clemente but it isn't the same as it used to be. I loved this job but it is time for me to say goodbye. I have been given the opportunity at a bakery by my house. It's called The Cupcake Store. The owners just took over a bakery by me and they will be renovating and reopening in February. We are currently taking orders and still stocking the kiosk that is open at Downtown Disney. So as much as I have loved The Little Gym and I will miss it...I get to start doing what I want to do. And I am very happy and excited about this new beginning! ♥

2010!!! ♥

Bye 2009!!!
Here are some of my favorite moments of 2009 that I was lucky enough to catch on camera!



2010! I can't believe it's already 2010! I was not a huge fan of 2009 because a bunch of bad things happened. But I try to think of myself as a positive person and to think back on 2009 in a positive way. So with that I think back on some of the best things that happened.

I got closer with my sister. I got to visit Haylie a few times. I started hanging out with Wendy, Brian and GT. I started culinary school. And I had some of the most fun and best laughs I have ever had.

So I think that is the way I am going to think back on 2009. So far 2010 has been a great year. Yes it's only the 3rd but it's been a good 3 days. Last new years eve I spent alone on my couch. Not a big deal but I was a little sad from a breakup and didn't feel like going out. This year I had plans and to me they were big plans. I was very excited to go hang out with my sister, Brian and Wendy who have become my new group to hang out with. I love them dearly and knew that no matter what we would have fun. At the end of the night we all ended up at the Huntington Beach apartment with our friend GT. It was a very fun night. A GREAT way to start 2010. Since then I have been vegging for a few days. It has been great. The only thing I am bummed about is that GT left for Argentina on new years day. He has become one of my best friends in the past 6 months and I don't like not being able to text him whenever like I do the rest of my best friends. He is gone for 3 weeks and I hope that it goes fast. Other than that there is not much going on.

School is....well at an interesting state right now. Because I got very sick last semester and missed too much class I was dropped out of all my classes. Because it was all my classes I was dropped out of the school. Which makes it very difficult to get back into. I have been trying for weeks to figure things out. My mom and I were talking today and decided that since school starts in a week and I may not be able to get into the classes I need that if I have to put it off for a quarter it wont be the worst thing in the world. It will suck but worse things have happened and I will be ok as long as I know I still have to support of my friends and family. I am very excited to make a birthday cake for my cousin in a few weeks. I already have so many ideas!

So here is to a fantastic 2010!

Quick Update

It's been a long time! I have been so busy with school, work, friends and family that I haven't taken the time update my blog. For that I am sorry. Usually when I am slacking I have Marie asking me to update but I think she has been too busy to bug me haha. So since it is almost 1am I will just say a quick thing.

School: I love it. I had my practical finals this week and I have the written exams and the deep cleaning of the kitchens next week. I will post pictures and an update of how the quarter went soon.

Work: I hate the new gym I work at. I miss San Clemente, I miss the kids, I miss my co-workers. I am a little bitter of how I am being treated and I am about ready to just be done with the whole thing. I should be starting back at San Clemente a few days a week in a few weeks. I am still waiting to hear from the new owner.

Friends: You are all amazing. I have been so busy that I am very sorry if any of your think I am ignoring you or anything! I love you all so much. Hopefully after next week I can hang out a little before I start next quarter.

Family: I had so much fun with all of you guys here. The golf tournament went great (I will do a post about that), Disneyland was a blast (another post for that will come) and just seeing everyone was great. I can't wait to go up north next week for Kylie's 2nd birthday! YAY!!! My sister and I did a photo shoot a few weeks back and here are two photos from that:


Well that's it for now! Hopefully I will get time to put the rest up! Love you all!!!