Happy 80th Birthday!

When I was in college I spent 4 months in Europe, "studying." It was beautiful and different and exciting to be in a place that seemed similar but not quite the same. Aside from eating as many little french apple tarts as I could I spent time enjoying the many old churches in all of the countries and cities I visited. Whenever I saw one I had to go inside- not because I am a religious person, but because they all have a story. Some took over two centuries to build, some were built in honor of specific people. All of them were built with a purpose. Whenever I see one I can't help but think of all the work, detail, and energy that went in to build it. In many cases (especially the intricate, older constructions in many European countries) entire communities rallied around the building of this one structure in honor of something people truly believed in. That doesn't happen anymore. There are so few things that we collectively rally behind, there are so few real community efforts and even fewer standing symbols of them. So what do we believe in anymore?

All of this brings me to 80th birthdays....80 year olds are like nice old churches. They have a story, a past, a history, something to say, something to respect. I like making 80th birthday cakes because I feel like it's my opportunity to do something nice for someone who has probably done thousands of nice things in his or her lifetime. It's my own private cathedral for someone who deserves it. 

Here is my most recent 80th birthday cake for a friend's mother-in-law. Who I heard still has friends from high school that she sees monthly! If only I could be a fly on the wall!!

As an aside- I think this is my favorite cake that I have every made of all time....

Lemon and Stars...

Recently I had the opportunity to help out the friend of a friend with her wedding in Lowell, MA. Like I said in my last post, I love weddings! I jumped at the opportunity to put together some gluten free lemon cupcakes for their big day! Lemon was a new frontier for me. I have never had much luck with lemon cake- it always felt too dense and not nearly lemony enough. After a week of testing and trying I came out with a gluten-dairy free cupcake that I am in love with.

What I am more in love with is the wedding venue that the couple chose. The Onyx Room in the Western Ave Studios in Lowell, MA. It has the feel of a cool black box theater with the lighting and flexibility of a fancy wedding venue. It's in the basement of an old converted mill which means not only do you have space for a wedding or event, you also can stroll around the mill and check out the amazing work of local artists. I met the owners, who told me that they actually work as volunteers because the profit from the venue goes to support a local charity! How cool right?! This is the link to their website...The Onyx Room.

As for the cupcakes I had two major instructions: the stars needed to be classy-not tacky- and they didn't want to chew the frosting. So I made frosting the consistency of whipped cream...here are some pictures. They are my new favorite...

I LOVE weddings...

For those of you who know me, you know that I am accidentally part of a 4 part team of exceptional party planners and event organizers. We didn't mean to get this good and we have never worked professionally...until now. My two sisters, mom, and I have developed a system for events. None of us really understand it, it's not written down, but it's lickety-split fast and we look damn good doing it. It all started when we were kids and my mom's extended family came over for holidays. Before we knew it we were helping to decorate 4 or 5 Christmas trees, making sculptures out of fruit, and mixing margaritas from behind an antique wagon. We all learned cake decorating, I learned how to arrange flowers, Heather became a photographer, Jessica amassed a collection of catering materials, and my mom (accidentally) decorated a house that was practically made for parties....This all leads us here...

I LOVE WEDDINGS

Not in an "oh, it's so sweet that they love each other" kind of way...

....not in an "Oh, I love to go dancing and get all dressed up" kind of way (for the record, I do love this)...

...but in an "I wonder how they did that, look at those flowers, let's all stay on schedule, do what you love- not the tradition" kind of way.

That is how I fell into this

This wedding was for some friends of my mom's. Everything was fall themed. My mom and I did it together. We did the cake and flowers. It was a ball! Aside from the rush of getting to go inside of a wedding venue before it is all decked out and ready to go, aside from the excitement of getting to watch the DJ set up his booth, or the peak into the kitchen when looking for a last minute knife to fix something...Orange roses are almost always perfect, I don't think I've ever met an orange rose I didn't like. They're almost always hardy and strong, just like fall mums.

(Note: Some of these pictures are KILLING me because they are so blurry but I was rushing to get everything ready on time...booooo)

Special thanks to my mom who is the best Partner in Crime a girl could ask for!