It's Beginning to Feel a Lot Like...

Ha! - and you thought my Halloween post was early! :)

I know, it's ridiculously early, but I honestly LOVE everything about the Christmas season, and I am so excited to feel it beginning!!  It's in the air, don't you think?!  The fact that when you wake up at 5:30am it's already light, and you're in your summer pj's because it's even getting hot at dawn now....wanting to jump in the pool...shopping for togs... feeling like ice cream instead of hot chocolates... uni winding down for James :)  It's my birthday this week, and I feel like I kind of 'kick off' the Christmas season.  It's around the time that all the decorations start appearing in the stores, and I don't know about everyone else, but I am excited and tingly walking through all the new Christmas displays!!! :)  I want to go to the shops, all the time!

This year especially, I've been trying to get a lot of Christmas stuff planned early, because we've got a lot on around Christmas time - James is graduating (yay!!!) and our little baby #3 is due in January, along with James and Maggie's birthdays.  In fact, my first thought upon seeing Christmas displays in the shops was that I could finally buy cute Christmas gift wrap to wrap up some of the presents I've already made for some of our family.  I would really, really love to share the idea with you - but it would ruin Christmas for half the family, so I'll let you know before next year ;)  

Anyway, here's some of the stuff I'm getting REALLY excited about for Christmas this year :)

• Going to look at some Christmas lights!!! :)  There is a cul-de-sac about a 20 minute drive from our place, where every single house goes crazy with Christmas lights!!  The picture up the top is one I took from there last year or the year before, and here are a couple of others...

There are a few interactive displays as well - a Santa who's a chair so you can get your photo taken with Santa, a couple of Santas who dance, along with some of the watching children, and one house even sets up a big toy area for the children, right on their driveway!!  You can even get your photo taken some years with the snow queen!! (Who is apparently visiting from one of the poles, and is well out of her comfort climate! :))

Most of the displays are more Santa-centred, but I was excited to see the wise men chilling out on somebody's roof :)

• Going into Brisbane City to see what there's to see!!  Let's face it:  There's actually not a great deal to see, but there's the giant Christmas Tree in King George Square: 

And the Myer Centre Christmas Window Displays!!  The first year we went, it was the Nutcracker, and last year it was about Santa coming to town :)  Maggie stood in front of them and danced for ages, much to the delight of the little crowd.  Hopefully this time Ana is awake for and excited by all this too!! :)

• Decorating...!!!  Yay!!!! :)  And let's face it, all this stuff is about a MILLION times more fun due to the fact that the girls are now at ages where it's actually exciting and they can remember things and understand them enough to look forward to them and enjoy them!! :)   

• Wrapping and giving gifts with the girls.  Last year, Maggie was beginning to be a little more excited about giving things to people: 

But this year she understands so much better, and Ana will be in on the fun more too!!  I plan on saving a bunch of gifts for close family to wrap, until a day or two beforehand, so that we can wrap them with the girls and they'll be super excited to give them to people the next day :)  So much fun!!!

• I guess when you're first married, most of Christmas is divided between your two families, but as you grow your own more traditions start to pop up!  One we've had going for a few years now is a special little Christmas breakfast: 

And we're hoping to start having a great deal of fun together on Christmas Eve as well - acting out the Nativity together with the children and having a nice dinner together maybe??  While we wrap some presents??  Sing some carols together?!  Does anyone have any other ideas for us?!!  I am so excited to start fun, new traditions!! :)

• Visiting our family on Christmas as well of course!! :)   There's nothing like going home for Christmas, and my family 'do' Christmas in a big way - it's so much fun now seeing the next generation enjoying it all together and spending time together!!! :)  Last year we went to NSW to spend Christmas Day with James' extended family, so we had 'fake' Christmas a week early with my family.  This year James' parents are going overseas for Christmas, so we're having an early 'fake' Christmas with them! :)  (the more the merrier!!! :))

• Setting up the nativity!!  I know, you may think this belongs with 'decorate', but this was my very favourite part growing up.  This is the family nativity set I grew up with at my parents' house: 

I used to play with them like a doll set - acting out the nativity over and over, with the shepherds, wise men and Mary and Joseph interacting however I imagined they would!  They used to look as wooden as they are, but one year Mum decorated them using gold leaf - they're gorgeous, and I want them.  Mum and Dad did buy us a gorgeous Willow Tree nativity set a couple of years ago for Christmas though that I also love.  I think I could be happy with 25 different nativity sets around my house one day - I love them so much!!  And they are what Christmas is all about!!  I hope our children love them too :)

• The food.  James thinks our family is a little food crazy - we seem to have special food associated with every special occasion.  I love it :)  Last year we branched out, and Dad made a turkey for the very first time: 

Doesn't it look incredible?!  Especially for a first time effort! - it was fabulous :)   And we always go a bit overboard with desserts:

A couple of very healthy looking yummy salads there, along with a couple of other bits and pieces... :)

• Christmas music!!!  Today I was watching an old episode of The West Wing.  It was a Christmas episode, and a group of male a Capella singers called 'The Whiffenpoofs' were singing so incredibly beautifully, I actually found myself Googling 'Whiffenpoofs'.  I found them.  They're a Yale singing group who've been around forEVER (I'm assuming they get new members as the old ones graduate) AND they have a Christmas CD!!! :)  You can find it here.  I don't know whether to buy it now, or in a month or two.  I think it will be gorgeous.  I also notice Olivia Newton John & John Travolta are releasing a new one, and so are Lady Antebellum.  Choices, choices! - I'm so excited!! And I love all the albums I already have!! I love Christmas songs!! And I love that the girls love singing so much, and I can't wait to teach them Christmas songs!!!!  When do you think it's too early to start?  I mean, they have to first learn them, and then be able to sing them throughout the season!!!
• Ward Christmas Parties!!!
• Baking Christmas treats with the girls!!!
• Gingerbread houses!!!
• The beach!
• Walking through shops that are overcrowded, because EVERYBODY is trying to buy EVERYBODY fun presents!!! :)
• Boxing Day!! (does it get any better?!!)
• Candles
• Everybody getting time off work and hanging out together! :)
• The musical Christmas program at church the Sunday before Christmas!!!  (yay!!!)
• Everything.

So is anyone else out there 'feeling it'?!!  Or were you rolling your eyes when you walked past all the commercial displays that have been popping up?!!  Do you have any fun traditions that you think I should adopt?! (I'm pretty open!)  Christmas present ideas?!  

I'm pretty excited, bring it all on!!! :)

Why I love TripAdvisor.com.au

I semi-regularly find myself visiting another part of Australia for a brief period (usually for work, occasionally for a holiday) and finding that I have a little extra time to spend there.  I love to get out and try new things and see new places, but when you don't have a lot of time, it can be hard to know what's 'worth' doing.   And though I like to think of myself as a salt-of-the-earth girl, I must admit I'm a little bit of an accommodation snob, which means that I also hate paying money (or using company money) to book accommodation that looked good on the internet only to find when I arrive that it's a horrible place to stay (heart-wrenching sob! .... although, yes, I know in the great scheme of things that this is really not as big a problem as, say, world hunger).

BUT after a 3-4 years of some hits and some misses, I've finally discovered a website that I absolutely LOVE and that has ensured that the last 1-2 years has had only 'hits'. 

The website is..... drum roll please.... (actually, this isn't so exciting, since I already revealed the name of the website in this title.... but come with me anyway....) drummmmmmmmm-rrooooooolllllllllllll:

TripAdvisor.com.au

So many people (I'm not sure where they find the time, but I'm very grateful that they do) take time to do short write ups on everything from accommodation to activities.  And everything listed on the site ends up with a ranking. People also give you really great tips about very specific things. For example they might say 'this hotel is half way through it's renovations, make sure you book a room on floors 8-12 as they're the ones that have been renovated'.  Or they'll tell you that the breakfasts are overpriced, so arrange something else but otherwise it's great, or that they got stung on the parking fees, etc. etc.

Since crosschecking everything on tripadvisor before booking hotels, I've had lovely experiences.  Or at the very least, I've expected anything that I didn't like and have gone with it anyway, so I'm not disappointed.

BUT the thing that's been really fun to discover, is the activities!  For example, a while back I was in Hobart for a weekend inbetween filming days on a Friday and Monday, so Dad came down to spend the time with me (hotel was already paid for) and we had a lovely couple of days.  The number 1 rated activity on TripAdvisor in Hobart was something called 'Lousia's Walk', which was a kind of walking theatre we probably wouldn't have looked twice at except that it had such raving rave reviews.  So after a little pushing from mum (who had also consulted tripadvisor) We went and did it (only about $25 each I think), and we LOVED it. So much better than we'd expected.  Now we rave about it!

Louisa's Walk

Last week (as you'll know if you're a keen follower of Wednesday posts... I love you guys) I was in Sydney, and had some spare time on the Tuesday with a couple of girlfriends, so I looked up the activities list for Sydney, and saw that one of the highest rated activities was something called the 'Coogee Beach to Bondi Beach Coastal Walk'.  It's free - just a 2.5 hour walk from one back to the other along the coast, with stunning stunning views.  I read lots of reviews, used them to determine all sorts of useful things like how hard the walk was, how to get back between them, what were the highlights etc., and then convinced my friends Tara and Anna to come with me.

Long story short:  We had such a gorgeous day!  Enjoyed it so much that we decided to walk back again rather than catch the bus.  So about 4.5 hours of walking all up, but along some of the most spectacular coast line I've ever seen.  I may be slightly sunburned on my nose, but I'm still grinning about the outing.

I'll leave you with a few photos (which don't even begin to do this walk justice) and a recommendation to consult TripAdvisor before you go anywhere.

Happy travels!

Loved all these steps leading down into the water at a cove near the start of the walk

Beautiful blue sea from the top of a rocky outcrop

Loved this Bowls Club on what has to be some of the most expensive real eastate in the area!

Gorgeous views and sea breezes for those buried in this huge old cemetary

Such a beautiful day! And it was all much bigger than it looks in the photos. The wave were smashing gloriously against all the rocks.

Sunny Beach weather in Australia

We made Anna pose for this photo - such a pretty spot



Me enjoying some sun and surf (How nautical do I look in my navy and white stripes?!)

Tara & Anna near the end of the walk.  That's Bondi beach down there in the background.

Ellen's Top Five Photography Tips - Guest Post

I recently came across a Blog by Ellen Arthur that I have been enjoying, called, aptly enough: The Arthurs.  Ellen likes to take photos, and I think she is good at it!  Already I feel like I can recognize her signature in some of my favourite photographs from her Blog.  Although Ellen's is a family-style Blog, she is interested in taking photographs professionally, so if you are interested in hiring a budding photographer who lives in Sydney, she might be perfect for you :)  

Ellen has kindly agreed to write a guest post for today, entitled:

Ellen's Top Five Photography Tips

I am a mother of two gorgeous kids and a wife to one hunky man. I am a stay at home Mum and more recently I have become an avid photographer, especially in the last few months, and I’ve been asked by the lovely Sandra to share my top 5 tips on photography with you today.

As the surge of popularity in photography has skyrocketed, so has the amount of information on Pinterest or Google. Type in photography into either of these sites and there is an endless supply of information about how to use DSLR cameras which I have found very useful but I have also learnt many things through taking a day course, asking around and most of all by simply doing it.

Now I want to preface that I am still new to the process, I still have a relatively basic DSLR camera with a basic lens but I continue to stumble my way along in the process and I feel like I have been able to capture some beautiful photos of weddings and family moments.

Here are 5 steps to better photos with your DSLR:

     1.     A lens’ F stops matter. This may totally boggle you like it did me. I remember buying my camera and lens and sending out a myriad of questions out into the World Wide Web. When you purchase a DSLR for taking great shots of your family the best advice I could give you is to not buy the kit lenses. Ok, you can buy the kit lenses but they will often lead to average photos. I bought a 50 mm F1.8 lens which is just over a hundred dollars and this is the ONLY lens I have ever used (so far until I can buy fancy ones). The lower the F stop number, the better your images will be. Have you seen those photos where the subject is in focus and everything in front or behind is out of focus? That is because they had a low F stop number (below 2.0 is best). This will also allow more light into the image in lower light settings.

    2.     Learn to use your manual settings. This will change your photos to light years better. I promise! I know this is daunting, but like I said, there are so many tutorials on how to do this on YouTube and Google. There are also DVDs out there and courses done by really great photographers or places like TAFE. Whatever you do, only do courses and take advice from those photographers whose work you admire. I have googled tutorials in the past only to find that their work isn't to my taste.

    3.     Practice, practice, practice!! I cannot stress this enough. Take photos every day, practice in different lighting situations. Don’t be afraid to do mini photo shoots with your family and friends. Play around with the many settings on your camera and learn how to take great photos before you start relying on post edit software. Don’t get me wrong, editing software can be an amazing tool but it is too often used in excess and I find that when I have not had to post edit the images I find a lot of self-satisfaction in that.

    4.     Research different styles and angles to use. Don’t be afraid to try different things or copy another photographer’s poses. If the image isn’t that great then delete it but please (and I really can’t stress this enough) do not compare yourself to other photographers or even other amateurs. There have been way too many times where I have found myself on an emotional roller coaster because I feel great about my images one moment and then I dip into a well of self doubt and feelings of wanting to give up because I will never be as good or as talented as others. We are all on a journey and whether you are taking photos of your little ones or hoping to make it into a career, allow yourself to take that journey from beginner to wherever you want to be without hating yourself for imperfections along the way. After having conversations with professional photogs, they tell me that sometimes they have to stop reading other blogs as they are comparing themselves too much and these are people who are producing really amazing images.

    5.     Lastly, have fun! This can be a really fulfilling and fun hobby for you but I also say this as when you are having fun then whoever it is that you are snapping will have fun and be at ease too. If you take it too seriously then people can close up and feel like they have to perform. I love lifestyle photography which is really candid shots of magical moments in a family’s life that can l often seem mundane to the natural eye. You will only get these images if you are happy and relaxed and do not give too much complex direction (especially to children). Plus they usually won’t take any direction haha.

I hope that this helps you and gives you the confidence to pick up that camera and get the stunning images that you want.

Do you like the photos?  I especially like the way Ellen uses light and dark, and captures moments that feel real..

   

Thank you Ellen!

Don't forget you can see more from Ellen here :)  

Monday Musings - Smile :)

When I was studying psychiatric nursing I came across this story:

Dr. Jerome Motto had a patient who committed suicide by jumping from the Golden Gate Bridge.  "I went to this guy's apartment afterward with the assistant medical examiner," he later recounted to a journalist.  "The guy was in his thirties, lived alone, pretty bare apartment.  He'd written a note and left it on his bureau.  It said, 'I'm going to walk to the bridge.  If one person smiles at me on the way, I will not jump."

urban-gardening1.blogspot.com

I've always remembered that.  A simple smile can mean so much, and it does cost nothing.  When our lives are richly padded with smiles, we can under-appreciate how necessary an occasional smile can be to each one of us.  Especially when our lives are rich with smiles, it's good to remember that we should share generously with those about us.

They may not need me,

But they might.

I’ll let my head be just in sight.

A smile as small as mine may be

Precisely their necessity.

Emily Dickinson

My Philosophy of House Cleaning

'I have a point, I promise'

1.   I haven't read, 'How Green Was My Valley' for many years now, but there is a scene from the book that has always stayed with me.  My copy is packed away with my books at present, but I remember the scene as something like this:

A Welsh mother in a small mining village began her day's housework.  Her daughter commented to her that every other house in their village is virtually identical to the other, and wonders why some women take all day to accomplish their house cleaning, while others finish much more quickly and are able to relax more?  The girl's mother, kneeling in readiness to clean her hearth, asks her daughter to take note as she sweeps the ashes and cleans the grate, before again leaning back on her heels.
"Look at the hearth.  Is it clean?"  she asks.
"It is," answers her child.  (Except that both of them speak in a much more Welsh-sounding way :)  The mother then leaned forward and spent several more moments cleaning the hearth more thoroughly.
"What about now?" asks her mother.   The daughter's eyes widen and she understands that there is a difference between wiping something over, and actually cleaning it.
(Ta Da!  That's when my eyes metaphorically widened too.)

(Home Bright Hearth Light, by Louise Jopling)

2.   When I studied Psychology we learned about 'selective attention'.  This is the name, (if I've remembered it correctly), given to the process whereby we all selectively discard or filter out almost all of the information collected for our brain by our senses, in order for us to function without a sensory overload, and more effectively focus on a particular task at any one time. The information we selectively reject may never find its way to our conscious thoughts, but it does nonetheless inform our conscious understanding of the world around us, and thereby fashion our perceptions.  (ie  Imagine yourself walking into a room.  Your eyes scan the area, but what you are looking for is your car keys.  Although your eyes inevitably capture every detail of the room, your brain helpfully filters out almost everything it considers non-important in order for you to focus on finding your keys.  Hypnosis is occasionally used to bring these unconscious observations to the fore.)

(This is another kind of selective attention!)    heligirl.com

3.   I was in a car accident on a dirt road many years ago, in which the car spun out and I was thrown out onto the road.  I don't remember hitting my head on the way out of the car, or hitting the gravel when I landed.  What I do remember is flying through the air. I can still see, quite clearly in memory, my hands out in front of me, while red specks of dirt from the road swirled ever-so-slowly in the air around me.  It seemed that I could take note of every tiny, individual speck of dirt and follow its time-slowed dance. Then I hit the road and was temporarily unconscious.   (This experience helped me to understand point 2. above - to believe that my eyes actually do observe a lot more than I usually consciously process.)

(The Milkmaid, by Vermeer)

Put these three together and you have the basis of my philosophy of house cleaning.  You're excited right about now, yes?

This is it:  I believe that we, (and, I'm sorry to say, everyone else),  really can see every little speck of dirt in every corner of our houses; that we can smell the faint whiff of cauliflower from last night's dinner; that we do notice the dirty windows - even though most of the time we are not conscious of all this information.  The house can actually feel clean or dirty.

And the point of this?  I think of it often as I clean my house.  Even when my sweet husband may feel that a lot of my cleaning is unnecessary, this helps me to feel that, even if nobody does seem to notice, I think that they really do and that it makes the house more pleasant for our family and friends when I put in a good effort - that my efforts are valuable and worthwhile :)

What do you think?  :)

(Disclaimer:  Perfection in house cleaning is more a goal than an achievement for almost all of us, most of the time.  And, a touch of kindness and some common sense would tell you not to ever look at anyone else's house cleaning too closely! This thought is for me to use in my house, not for me to use in yours, ok?  A clean house is nice, but it's not the most important thing in life  :)

(Special house-cleaning shoes - uncredited in Pinterest)

An Imaginary Friend

Over the past few days we've had a little, tiny guest in our home.  Here he is:

Isn't he cute?!! :)  Maggie (my 2 year old) is carefully holding him between her finger and thumb.  His name is 'Gumby', inspired (I'm guessing) by the old clay animation show.  And just in case you're wondering, I can't see him either!

Last Saturday morning we were at the shops with my mum, and Maggie started talking about him, and suddenly he was on her shoulder!  Since then he's been a bit of a fixture at our house, especially when Ana (Maggie's little sister) is asleep.  When we're eating breakfast, Maggie carefully puts Gumby down on her high chair tray, and pinches her other little hand to pass him 'an apple' for breakfast.  Gumby loves apples, as far as I can work out, that's all he eats!! No wonder I can't see him! :)  When it's bath time, I hear Maggie telling Gumby "It's time for our bath now Gumby, isn't that exciting?!!", and when it's nap time, she carefully places him on her little pillow, and covers him up with her blankets.  Yesterday it was really hot when she was going down for her nap, and she had her big doona covering her.  I asked her if she was too hot and if she would prefer a lighter blanket, but she whispered to me that Gumby was cold.  On Monday night after Family Home Evening with the girls, James and I were playing a game in the family room, and we could hear Maggie chatting non-stop to little Gumby.  I finally had to go in and warn Maggie and Gumby that if they didn't stop talking and go to sleep, I would have to take Gumby out to sleep somewhere else.  After that there was silence, and they both went straight to sleep.  Sometimes Maggie brings Gumby to me for a little cuddle, or to hold him while she's doing something tricky.  He's really become one of the family.

James is a little worried about Gumby.  He seems to think it's totally weird that Maggie seems to have invented a tiny person/thing(?) to be her friend.  So far he has at least eaten Gumby, and squashed him flat.  Fortunately, Maggie - Gumby's little defender - has no patience with that kind of behaviour, and ordered Daddy with small hands on hips to "Spit Gumby out, right now!" - and Gumby seems not to have suffered too much, except that Daddy made him 'very dirty' so we had to give him a little rinse.  Since then James has received stern warnings about attempting to damage little Gumby.

I on the other hand am kind of delighted with Gumby :)  I'm not crazy either - I know I remember from studying early childhood development that imagination is important, even if I can't be bothered dusting off any textbooks to give it to James in writing.  Albert Einstein himself said, that imagination is more important than knowledge.  How else do you make plans and hopes and dreams, aspire to your goals as you get older?!  You have to be creative.

So tell me, imaginary friends are okay, right?!  Imagination is a big tick in the 'important for development' box, and doesn't need to be curbed, right?!  Your children do this too...?!  ... I'm not crazy.....?!

Great Cake Decorating Technique

Favourite Cake Decorating Technique

Hi! I’m Rani from www.interruptedramblings.blogspot.com . I’m so excited to be a guest blogger on this site!

I’ve decided to share with you something fun, easy, and you can be as glamorous or as simple with it as you would like. I’m talking about cake decorating!

My all-time favourite decorating technique is using Moulding Paste. It is a form of fondant, or Plastic Icing, however this is not an icing to be spread over the entire cake. Moulding Paste is a hard-setting decoration paste that sets into any shape you make. You know those adorable bride and groom figurines on the top of wedding cakes? Moulding paste. Or those amazingly gorgeous bows and flowers that look so real you’re afraid to cut it? Moulding paste. It’s edible, easy to use, and has the texture of plasticine. You can buy it at any good cake decorating store and the price, compared to buying individual flowers and cake decorations, is very affordable.

Once you have iced your cake, whether with frosting, ganache, or fondant, the fun part begins -- The decorating!

But how?? I have three examples to show you.

Example no. 1:

I made this cute little guy for my niece’s 1^st birthday party. It was my first attempt using this technique. You can read all about it here, but for now I’ll give you the cliff’s notes version J

To create this effect I free-hand copied an image of Jess the Cat, including all of his facial features and made it large enough to fit on the tin. This became my template. I cut around the outside line of the cat and rolled out the moulding paste (black colour), set the template on top of it, and proceeded to trace and cut it out using an arrow-head cutting tool, but you can also use a sharp knife. I then rolled out the next required colour (white) and using the same paper cut-out, traced and cut the fluffy ‘mane’, followed by the green eyes, then white mouth. I added the back eyeball cut-outs, etc, and stuck them all on using egg white and a paint brush one piece at a time until the face came together. The process was very quick and simple, even I was surprised! The whiskers are just wire coloured with permanent marker, which were the best items to use to get the perfect straight stick look (liquorice did not work! ;) So simple, soooo cute. This technique can also be used with fondant for larger templates like this cat, but a firming agent powder may be required to assist in it not being too ‘floppy’. Also, you can use your own smaller templates to stand up on a cake after they have set hard, (as shown in example 3 below).

Example no. 2:

 

I made this four-tier cake for an engagement party. It was a huge project, but the individual components of it were actually very simple. It is a perfect example of simple WOW techniques that anyone can do:

1)     Cookie Cut-Outs. By rolling out moulding paste and using your run-of-the-mill cookie cutter, you can create a great looking cake. The third tier on this cake is just plain round circles, but it really makes the tier pop. Likewise when using stars, flowers, or any choice of shape, it’s just a matter of roll, cut, and place. I like to use a (new) small paintbrush and egg-white as my sticking agent. Just a dot on the back is all you need. It’s clear and will make anything stick perfectly. You don’t even have to wait for the paste to set.

2)     Flowers. There are endless varieties of sugar flowers on the market ranging from 40c all the way up to bouquets selling for $35.00+ but why not have a go yourself using flower cutters? There are small flower cutters especially for cake decorating, and all you have to do is roll, cut and place. If you want to give the effect I used on this cake, you can use your finger or a flower moulding ball tool to shape the petals to look a little more realistic. Then, just add a small ball of coloured paste in the middle and you have a perfect little flower that cost you nowhere near 40c to make!

3)     Wire. I kid you not, cake decorating shops will charge you up to $2.20 for ONE piece of wire with a love-heart or a star stuck on the end of it. Why pay that when you can make it yourself, and as many as you would like? As with the other techniques, simply roll and cut, but then cut your wire down to size (allow for extra length to stick it into the cake) gently push it into the end of your shape, and wait for it to dry. And keep in mind you can also use letters, numbers, or even balloons, like in the pic down below! It looks great, and makes a real impact for any event!

Example no. 3:

    

Cutting, drying and then sticking-in are easy ways to make numbers or letters of any shape or size. Just be sure to cut the bottom of your template extra-long (around 2cm or so) to allow for you to push the decoration into the cake to make it stand. For larger pieces, inserting wire may be required for added strength. I recommend using a sharp knife to create a slit in the cake in which to push the decoration for easy insertion.

I know that looking at a picture of a completed cake can look overwhelming, tricky, and time consuming, but I assure you these techniques are simple and definitely worth a try. When a friend of mine showed me how to put fondant on a cake for the first time, it was all I needed to let my imagination run wild with new ideas. You too might just find a hidden talent or even just a fun hobby with a pack of moulding paste!

Good luck with your future cake endeavours, and if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to leave a message on my blog. Happy decorating! J

Thank you so much Rani!

You can read more from Rani at Interrupted Ramblings and over at We're the Montes Family.

Monday Musings - An Angel To Watch Over Me

                     An Angel To Watch Over Me


Most mothers feel lousy about themselves at times - as hard as most of us are trying to do our best.  This song by Sally Deford describes so beautifully the spirit of what most of us are trying to achieve.  If you click the link you can listen to this special tribute to mothers.  (If you follow this link it will take you to the Sally DeFord page, where there are other listening versions.) 

        

Lyrics

She watched by my cradle through long, sleepless nights

She taught me to pray as she knelt by my side 
She guarded my childhood, and all through the years  
She echoed my laughter, she counted my tears  
In the arms of my mother, I came to believe  
That God sent an angel to watch over me                                                                                                  

She taught me the meaning of courage and faith

She taught me to live with the Lord as my strength

She taught me to follow the pathway he marked

She guided my steps when the journey grew dark

And I know there were dangers that I could not see

But God sent an angel to watch over me

She taught me to serve with a spirit that sings

She taught me to seek after heavenly things

And because of her love and her kindness and care

Because of the place that I hold in her prayers

And because of her goodness, I still believe

That God sent an angel to watch over me

About this piece of music, Sally wrote: 'Make a list of all the things mothers do and you'll run out of paper. Make a list of all the things mothers do that are poetic--things you can sing about--and the list becomes much more manageable.

One doesn't sing about casseroles or clean sheets. There is very little poetry in diapers or parent-teacher conferences. As I wrote this song about the gentler, more poetic contributions that mothers make to our happiness, I'll admit to entertaining a few errant lines that didn't make the final draft. (There's not much that rhymes with "carpool." Perhaps that's fortunate.)

These lyrics are based on the singable list, but the less poetic list, for which I am also grateful, is hovering there in the background.