Cakes

Happy New Year Lovelies! I realized I have been the absolute worst blogger ever in 2009, so I promised myself I would write more this year. More in my book, more in my blog, more on twitter... I love words. I want to write them down. In addition to writing and the other random stuff I do, I enjoy making birthday cakes for those closest to me. I'm not great at it, but I enjoy doing it, when not getting angry or screaming at the frosting to just not do what I want.

Anyway, I thought I'd share some pictures of cakes I made, or had made for me. First up is the Twilight Saga cake I made for my mom's birthday in October of 2009. The Twilight journals had only been out a few days, so she was really surprised. I actually placed the cake platter on top of the books, all 4 plus my Eclipse Special Edition since I needed a bigger surface to work with.

Here's another shot:

This is the cake I made for my best friend Jess's birthday which was on Christmas:

Not the greatest lettering at the bottom, but overall I was happy with it. The Spaceship, I think it's the Enterprise lol, lit up, so I thought I got bonus points for that. I mean come on, it lit up! I did the different colored cupcakes based on the shirts they wear, thanks to a suggestion from our friend Cassie.

Last year I made Jess a Repo the Genetic Opera cake. While it did not light up, I think it was appreciated. If you have not seen Repo! go see it now. Seriously. Find a friend, netflix it, phone home, I don't care how you see it, just see it.

Finally, my birthday cake from November 2009, made by the one who started me on cakes so many years ago, my mom. She did a beautiful job.

Closeup with a bit more detail with come soon. Her cakes are ridiculously detailed. I hope I can make a cake half as good as hers one day.

Mmm, I am craving, you guessed it, cake now. Perhaps I shall go dig around for some leftover cake from my dad's birthday.

21 Minutes and Counting

Well, my decorations have been up for a month, I've eaten and repurchased candy three times, and I'm on my second costume. It's officially Halloween. I don't care if the countdown says 20 minutes to go, I've been ready for this for months.

I actually took pictures of my Halloween decorations this year, and I plan on posting them after the holiday settles down a little. I've been out doing all kinds of Halloweeny events this year, and tomorrow night (aka The Night) is no different. I can't wait and I'm looking forward to having a really good night.

I'm also super excited about Nov. 1 for two reasons: first the clearance sales. I'm completely broke but I've managed to scrounge a little bit together to see if I can find any good deals. I really need a blucky for next year. Secondly it's the start of NaNoWriMo (this is how my friend Jess abbreviated it to me- it seems very complicated).

I've never done it, but I've thought about it. Basically you write a novel in one month. They consider a novel 50,000 words. It is around 1,700 words per day. That is a lot of words for someone like me who usually does around 600 or so on a good day. But you know what? I'm going to try it and see what happens.

I got an idea for a book the other day and I've hardly thought at all about plot, or character development, or any of those things, but I think it's sort of exciting to dive in and have absolutely no clue where I'm heading. Will I succeed? Probably not (pessimistic, I know) but I hope to have some fun in the process. Putting aside my current number one project scares me a little bit, but maybe I can juggle both writing projects at once. With 1,700 words needed every day, I kind of doubt it. I'm lazy.

Wow, it's only 15 minutes to go now and I'm very excited. I'm in a spooky shirt (no really, it's one of those old lady shirts that has sequins and shiny things and it literally spells out SPOOKY) and pumpkin slippers. I have bat earrings on and I'm getting ready to read a Sookie book to ring in All Hallows Eve.

Happy 14 minutes until Halloween lovelies.

Coffin Building

I had to steal the wood (or rather ask nicely and took from my dad's work), piece it all together because each piece was too small, and use a saw that wasn't big enough (our table saw broke 2 weeks ago), but finally it's finished. Fortunately I had wood stain (mahogany) left over from a previous project and the only thing I had to purchase was screws, so my new favorite thing hardly cost me anything (except a lot of time). Note to self: don't build props in the garage when it's this hot out. I'm sure it wouldn't have taken me so long if I hadn't dreaded going outside.

Adios Summer

My grandma was in the hospital for a blood clot so I've not been able to be online much. Thankfully she's back home safe and sound, but I'm going to be helping out after work, so free time and summer lazy days are gone. Oh well, with summer going, fall is approaching. And fall=Halloween, hip hip hooray!

To keep it Halloweeny, I've become obsessed with finding these appetizer plates made by Department 56. They've been spotted at Ross and thus far I've found one of four. Between work and my grandma's tomorrow I'm going to head into at least one Ross. I swear the hunt for Halloween is keeping me sane.

How-To Pretend Halloween

I think it's hilarious when seriously non-spooky people try and talk about Halloween. See if you can learn anything from this video. I didn't, but it was amusing nonetheless.

How-To Make Halloween Snacks on Howcast

To Grandmother's House We Go

After a strenuous day at my grandparent's, I decided I needed to head to Home Goods and see what new Halloween had arrived since I'd been there (only a week ago!). I've attempted to put a slide show of the pictures here, but as I'm extremely technologically challenged, I don't think it worked. I believe you can just go to www.photobucket.com/bellelostdrake if that is easier. I really ought to just take away the area I tried to put the slide show in, but the swirling white circles going round and round are strangely hypnotic. Don't get lost in them!

Also I made some homemade peanut butter brownies, and I must say they turned out delicious! I needed them after a failed attempt at making some Halloween necklaces out of wine charms. Oh well, I'll find something to do with them, I'm sure.

Death Before Disco

Today I spent several hours driving around Southern California on the hunt for more Halloween items. Sadly, I'd either already seen everything that was out, or purchased it already. I'm itching for when the sun goes down earlier, I can wear a coat out, and Halloween is more readily available. I don't even like candy corn, and I've been craving it. I think I shall try to make some pumpkin muffins to squelch the candy corn pangs.

"Death Before Disco" by My Chemical Romance premiered at the aforementioned Roxy shows. Here is a clip of not the greatest quality, but at this point, I'd take anything from them.



Isn't it funny that today is friendship day? I've had my phone off, attempting to shut out the world. Not feeling very friendly, but perhaps those pumpkin muffins shall put me in a better mood, if it isn't too hot to turn on the oven, that is.

I think my time may be better spent working on my paper mache pumpkins that I've recently started. Like all good ideas, they've been thrown out in the back yard and forgotten. Time to resurrect them? Perhaps.

Pumpkin Crazy... or Just Crazy

It's scary the amount of Halloween purchases I've been making this week. I may have a bit of the "shop to feel better" disorder. Honestly, who doesn't in some way? .:: ROSS ::. has Halloween out and they've been selling these adorable Department 56 pumpkins at $6.99 each. On ebay they sell for about $70 so I figure it's a huge steal. However, I now own 5 of them. Did I need 5? No. But did I need 5? Absolutely. I have a hard time saying no to Halloween.

Tonight I will be missing another My Chemical Romance show and instead heading off to a friend's birthday. I've just arrived home from work and have no idea what to wear, so of course I have clothes all over the floor now. I'll probably just wear a black dress (my usual color) and hope I can get myself in a better mood before tonight. Sadly, no one understands my concert turmoil, because to most people, my closest friends included, it's just another show and another band. If only anyone got that this is a life or death matter.

Okay, sounding waaay emo there but I am pretty emotional today. Staring at the MCR tattoo on my wrist isn't helping and I wish it wasn't so hot or I'd wear long sleeves and cover it. Here's hoping tonight involves lots of drinking and perhaps some peanut butter cheesecake.