a place for a cake.

I have always loved cake. the whole concept of a cake is full of good feelings and unlimited creative possibilities. I think most of us have a cake memory as one of our very first memories.

Moms, Dads, Grandmas and Big Siblings made cakes with us, letting us stir the batter, lick the beaters and maybe help with the frosting.

We are presented at every big moment of our life with a cake. Remember, putting your whole face in the cake when you turned one? Smashing cake into the face of your newly wed spouse? Eating that crappy grocery store cake in a conference room on your last day at a job you wish you had never started, or eating that crappy cake looking around at the people in the conference room and realizing that you actually care about these people and are really going to miss each of them and this stuffy room?

In college the phrase was coined, "Make any excuse to eat cake" This seems to sum up our relationship with cake. Do we celebrate with cake or have a celebration so we can eat cake?

If you know me you know I love ritual and intentional celebrations. I love it when people care enough about the people around them and the event happening to do a little more, make it a bit more memorable. To me bringing out an embroidered table cloth to cover the picnic table can make all the difference.

This week I finally found a real, classic, cake stand. Check it out. The photos are a bit dark. The sun wasn't cooperating.





I am so happy. Looking at it fills my head with visions of fancy cakes and future celebrations. Putting the next birthday cake on this stand will give it a slight elevation into the realm of history making cakes. Not the larger history of the world but the history of my family and friends. Lifting the cover to reveal a sweet smell and closer look will be a new ritual....well maybe not a ritual but at least I can determine the exact timing of my child's nose dive into the frosting when they turn one.


I looked around and found a few lovely cake stands if you would like to get one for yourself.

I really like this concept even though it is a bit cheesy.
available here



dots are wonderful.
available at Pottery Barn

This one would look fabulous with a German chocolate cake sitting on it.
available at Target



Luigi Bormioli

find it here



Oh, cupcakes! This is a beauty. I like the recessed circles for the cupcakes to sit. Horchow

I just found the following two via The Hostess with the Mostess's June post. Thanks!

boats and pinkshirts

i just made two very lovely discoveries.

pink shirts and car wrecks is a wonderful design/inspiration/personal blog. check it out. from this blog i learned of an artist Ann Wood. All I can say is wow! Here is her blog and her website.

tube fighting

Ha! I love this. There is a group of people getting together to have cardboard tube fights. They are called The Cardboard Tube Fighting League It just makes me giggle. I might have to join them at the next fight.


more photos

ice cream cone cup cakes

Oh my goodness! i was just brought back to a very happy time. see this? this is a classic ice cream cone filled with cupcake. my mom used to make these for my birthday. she would top them with ice cream not frosting like you see here.


thanks for the memory Cup Cake Blog

My mother was the best maker of birthday parties. she attended to every detail and made sure there was something to make you go "Wow!" or "oooooohhh." Most years she would help me and my sisters hand make a pinata that she would decorate with tissue paper. She would bring it to my school so my class could help me celebrate. This was always a total hit and made me out as a very cool little girl.

i will have to tell you about our amazing handmade costumes when the season comes around.

thanks for giving me the entertaining gene momma.

canon baby

I found my new camera and it should arrive tomorrow! Watch out blog readers you are in for some awesome photos.

Canon Powershot SD800

multi-culti cutie

my dear friend is pregnant and out there seeking all things cute for baby. she found this great shop today.
i wish i would have had one these shirts as a little girl. for a few years when we lived in Texas everyone thought i was Mexican. i was even assigned to the bilingual bus! this was great for my culture diversity. development but hard on my sense of identity.

pin cushions & etsy

Last Christmas I made a bunch of really lovely felt pin cushions. iIcame across a couple pictures of them so I thought I would share. (not the best photos but you get the picture)



I kept one for myself and it is just the best pin cushion I have ever used. I think I'll make some more and put them up on my etsy shop.

I'm so excited to start selling on etsy. I'm going to start with a random mix of vintage items and handmade items. It's going to be pretty eclectic at first. I'm most interested in doing it so I can connect with other people and get feed back on my designs and finds.

I've been spending a bit of time browsing shops for inspiration. Check out these lovely ladies.

Trixiedelicious. this was a featured shop today. I'm so into pretty vintage ceramics lately and i love the attitude of all her pieces.


thejunkinmytrunk. oh my goodness I love these. I just need to decide which to order then I'm going attach it to a very cute little cardigan sweater.


belleandboo. her illustrations are so tender and sweet. and how wonderful to find illustrations with brown curly haired girls like me!

summer in seattle

i would like to draw your attention to the Seattlest Flickr photo pool. Lots of great shots from my home town live here. It's also a nice place to browse Seattle photographers.

Here is a super recognizable Seattle activity. Sliding down the hill at Gasworks Park. I wish summer would never end....

by Slightlynorth

I've almost decided on a camera. Then I totally plan on contributing to the pool which I should have been doing for some time.

my camera broke

life is so interesting. just as i was really starting to do something that my camera is completely necessary for (setting up and etsy shop, returning to blogging) it just died.

so i have to buy another. a friend had recently done some research on inexpensive cameras and decided on this one.

i really like it. it has the what i need, including image stabilization with helps you take better photos in low-light. my current camera does a great job in natural light but inside it is not so good. this camera is also super cute, which is a bonus. i'm going to look around a bit but i think i might go with this one.

oooh baby, nice shoes

i finally bought these shoes this weekend.
i first fell in love with them about 2 months ago, but i talked myself out of buying them due to finances. but i kept thinking about them so i decided i had to have them or regret it forever.

they are so so comfy and i love the handmadeness, environmentally conscienceness of them.

"Named for the paradise forests of Papua New Guinea, this 2" raised-heel shoe creates style all the while remaining earth-conscious. Pergamino leather upper is tanned from vegetable extracts, tree bark & river stones, in an all-natural process. Leather is treated with olive oil, which gives a smooth finish and protection from water, dirt, wear and tear. Thick & sturdy hand-stitched accents and buckles present a distinct feature in every style. Anatomically-correct insole made from recycled cork allows breathability & shoe hygiene. Footbed is contoured to the natural shape of the foot for lasting comfort. Recycled, high-quality rubber is used for these unique outsoles."

Oh, and the color looks fabulous on my tan legs:) i picked them up at the really great shoe store in here in Seattle but you can find them at Planet Shoes