summer for the weekend

It was 70 degrees and sunny in Chicago this weekend, which is certainly rare in early March.  Pancake breakfasts, backyard champagne, motorcycle rides, sangria, bonfires, and pizza on the grill...it was a damn good sample of what is sure to be a magnificent summer.

my dream dress arrives!

The second I decided on a Marie Antoinette inspired birthday party, I knew exactly what I would wear. This dress, designed by Katie Louise for Audrey Grace, has been on my mind since I saw it back in December. The sheer organza, the full skirt, and that enormous bow...it was the birthday dress of my dreams! 

When the dress arrived today, I got so excited for my party that I drove straight to the craft store for supplies. I picked up a ton of bright feathers and birds for my hair, and some sparkly materials to make party invitations this weekend.

I also picked up a ton of 3D cardboard letters for a cake-themed display behind the bar. I can't wait until April, when I can finally start decorating!

one new bookshelf, one less piece of Ikea furniture

I've wanted to replace our janky Ikea bookshelf for a few years now, so I finally drew up a plan this weekend for a new set of shelves that would fit our space a bit better. We found some great reclaimed lumber at a nearby salvage warehouse, and built the support structure from plumbing pipe.

 We wanted the shelves to be 14" apart to house our vinyl collection, so between each shelf we had to use a combination of 12" pipe, a coupler, a closed thread, and a T-joint. The T-joint was connected to a perpendicular 12"pipe, secured to the wall with a flange. 

Our sound system runs through the bookshelf, so I tried to conceal the audio equipment as much as possible. I liked the contrast of stacking this small speaker on top of a vintage radio, so it almost seems like the sound is coming from the radio.

In the far corner of the bookshelf, we set up our Kindle Fire and the volume control for the speaker system. Both items are small enough, they aren't even noticeable on the shelf.

The open sides of the bookshelf presented an issue for displaying all our records. I found three of these wine crates at the salvage warehouse and was thrilled to discover they were the perfect height to hold vinyl!

All in all, it took Adam and I about four hours (and four Home Depot trips!) to complete this bookcase. I can't believe I put off building it for so long!

finally- a birthday party theme!

My birthday isn't until mid April, but I've already been agonizing over a theme for this year's party. I love parties (obviously), so I tend to go totally over the top when throwing one for myself. I was determined to decide on a theme by March so I would have time to prepare the decorations, invitations, and pastry menu. After looking through all the party inspiration files on my computer, I immediately realized what kind of party it would be...

That's right. I am having a completely chaotic and decadent Marie Antoinette-style bacchanal for my birthday. Champagne will spill, plates will break, and cake will get everywhere, as usual. Except this time it will add to the decor.  I need to start stocking up on pastel tulle, silk, and lace immediately. 

lemon meringue tarts

This is a pretty busy time of year for me at work, so I haven't been doing much in my free time other than baking to unwind when I get home. Even though winter was pretty mild this year, I'm ready to transition into motorcycling, biking, and general outdoor playing season. There aren't even any holidays coming up, so I have no parties to plan! 

 These lemon meringue tarts were my Wednesday night post-work baking project. A slightly sweet and tangy lemon cream is probably my favorite filling of all time, and when its combined with a sugar cookie crust and a stiff meringue, I can't get enough. I brought these into work so I didn't have to personally eat them all, which I certainly would have.

cake on the move

Baking for work often presents several traveling and serving dilemmas. When I find myself transporting a dozen or more cupcakes, I buy empty Crave Case boxes from White Castle for $5. They are the perfect size to hold fifteen cupcakes, the top is high enough to protect the frosting, and the boxes are durable enough to last many trips. I did not have time to buy any boxes today, so I decided to make cake jars using some small canning jars I had lying around.

I had strawberries left over from a weekend breakfast, so I sliced and layered them between two layers of semi-sweet chocolate frosting.

To turn a cupcake recipe into a simple cake jar, bake two 9" layers using your favorite cake recipe and slice off the tops to even the layers. Cut rounds of cake, the exact size of the jars, using a round cookie cutter or the rim of the jar.

Ease the cake into the bottom of the jar, spread a thin layer of chocolate frosting, and add a layer of strawberries.

Pipe a layer of chocolate frosting over the strawberries, screw on the top of the jar, and transport with ease!