Wednesday 25 May 2011

Only 4 Months To Go!!!!


*Hair piece from Etsy Shop Daughters Vintage*

          Slowly but surely Edward and I have marked things off our "wedding to do" list.  I have found the dress, the cake, the place, and other goodies.  I think our next thing (possibly next week's post) will be registering!  I feel like I am moving into some of the more fun areas of having a wedding.  However, there is still tons and tons to do!  Today marks the four months until our wedding.  It feels surreal to have waited so long for something, and it finally coming to reality.  

Here are a few things we still need to do:

~Decide the Menu
~Find Centerpieces 
~Pick out Grooms/Groomsmen Outfits
~Order Wedding Bands
~Order My Hair piece (reference photo above)
~Many many craft projects.

        Stay posted!

Wednesday 18 May 2011

Something Borrowed Book to Movie Review


         A few weeks ago, I downloaded and read Something Borrowed on my Nook.  This makes my fifth book in my eBook Challenge.  I have avoided reading it because the plot is about the maid of honor cheating with her best friend's groom.  Every list I have looked up for popular "chick lit" has Something Borrowed as a top pick.  Really reading it makes me realize it is a solid example of the genre in its modern state.  The first chapter jump starts the book with a wild drunk fling between the relatable main character Rachel and the hunky Dex.  The rest of the book is a lot of self-reflection, memories of Rachel's friendship, and the cat/mouse game.  It was a quick fun read with a layer of predictability suitable for chick lit.

         Now the movie......

       With my Maid of Honor, I caught the five dollar movie of Something Borrowed on Tuesday.  I enjoyed the movie for a fun girly movie.  As far as my rating for the the book to movie conversion, it is quiet low.  They kept the integrity of the story for the most part.  Shifts were made in the roles of the characters, and their personalities that I felt were unnecessary.  They also added plot elements that came from nowhere.  I wonder how many producers nowadays even care about the initial validity of the book.    I would suggest for everyone out there to read the book, watch the movie, and draw your own conclusion.  Has anyone else already done that and have their own ideas to share?
        

Saturday 14 May 2011

Sex and the City + Cupcakes= The Happy Baker by Erin Bolger


        My last Amazon haul included The Happy Baker: A Girl's Guide to Emotional Baking by Erin Bolger.  Erin is a Canadian make-up artist turned foodie. Throughout the book she alternates between funny stories about her dating life, and yummy baking recipes.  Erin does not discriminate when it comes to baked goods.  Her recipes include bars, cakes, cupcakes, bakes, and even biscotti! I enjoy the recipes with simple direction, and less than ten ingredients.  I feel like it will be a good quick guide when I need to whip something together with only items already in my pantry.  The stories in The Happy Baker are cute, but not  racy.  (I am sorry, but i think Chelsea Handler has ruined me for tales of female misadventures.)  Five stars are given for some of the recipe names.

Here are my favorites:
  1. My Mom Didn't Like You Anyway, Cupcake
  2. I Forgot to Mention I Was married, Blueberry Cheesecake
  3. Tall, Dark and Caramel Cookies
      Last night I tested the recipe "Maybe It's Destiny Dream Bars" from page 98.   The result was tasty with a nice crumbly brownie.  However, I think I may have put too much condensed milk on top because it sank straight to the bottom of the pan and caramelized a little too much.  Here are a few pics.


*My grandmother would've been so proud with the condensed milk, peanut butter, and chocolate chip topping*

*Yummy destiny bar*

Wednesday 11 May 2011

Invitations Samples!

           This week in order to keep my mind sound, I ordered samples of some invitations.  The prices were so reasonable that I had to make sure it was not too good to be true.  I found them at My Gatsby, which is a "build your own invite" type of website.  You can pick the color, font, wording, and paper for the invitations.  They also have blank kits and envelopes if you are that ambitious.  All in all I find them to be a nice quality of paper and ink.  Although they are not super fancy, I do believe they fit my event.  Here are the goodies I got in the mail  






       Here are all the color samples available, and obviously any of the above invites will use one of the great blue hues.

Wednesday 4 May 2011

Buzzin' Bee Cake Tasting


*Cupcakes of our possible wedding cake!*
         
           Edward and I went to a cake tasting last Thursday for Buzzin' Bee Cakes in Ocean Springs, Mississippi.  They have a store front around the corner from Ocean Springs Middle School.  For a few months, I contemplated possible bakers for my wedding cake.  Obviously, being the Baking Bunny that I am has made me take the cake selection very seriously.  Several friends had recommended these ladies.  However, it was not until I tried some of their mini-cakes at the Peter Anderson Festival did I think they may be the right match for me.  Having a delicious cake is my priority, not an abstract work of art.

            Our appointment was very easy going and fun!  We chatted about the details while we got a copy of everything we discussed right there.  We chose to try three different types of cakes.

  1. Italian Cream Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
  2. Traditional Wedding Cake (Almond flavored) with Strawberry Filling 
  3. Traditional Wedding Cake (Almond flavored) with Pineapple Filling

*Digging into the first cupcake*

      All three were delicious.  I was surprised to find the Italian Cream Cake had coconut and nuts baked in the cake.  I have had a different type of cake called Italian Cream without nuts.  The consistency of the traditional cake was almost like a angel cake.  (YUM!)  I am excited about the combination we came up with which I am going to leave as a surprise for all those out there.  Cake tasting may be the best aspect of wedding planning.  


*The End*


Monday 2 May 2011

"Boredom is Death"~ Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice



"People who cease to believe in God or
 goodness altogether still believe in the devil. 
 I don't know why. No, I do indeed know why.  
Evil is always possible. 
And goodness is eternally difficult."
~Anne Rice Interview with the Vampire



*Lafayette Cemetery in the Garden District of New Orleans*

        I am ashamed to admit that I read Twilight before I read Interview with the Vampire.  Seriously, how could I have missed this in my "read everything supernatural" phase in high school?  My Edinburgh Book Club decided on our trip to NOLA last month that we all should experience the book together.  Although I liked what I read, I did not realize how different it really would be from what I expected.

        Anne Rice is part of the triumvirate of famous local authors in the Gulf Coast area.  (Another noteworthy example is John Grisham.)  Her first big novel was Interview with the Vampire published in the 1970s.  It begins with Louis's (the main vampire) story as he tells it to a random young man.  Anne Rice then begins a story of self-discovery of a immortal.  Her writing style is reminiscent of the great Gothic writers such as Mary Shelley or Elizabeth Gaskell.  Something a little dark, but very thoughtful.  Imagine the possibilities if mortal life never ended?  


         Anne Rice does use Interview as a springboard into her own struggle with religion, mortality, materialism, and love.  Years later she wrote Called Out of the Darkness about her own religious journey from atheism to Christianity.  I have really wanted to read it, but I am glad that I started with Interview before reading her autobiography or anymore of her supernatural novels.