Sonnenberg Gardens

On day two of our anniversary celebration, we took a drive to Sonnenberg Gardens & Mansion State Historic Park, in Canandaigua, NY. The weather was perfect and the scenery was absolutely gorgeous. As soon as we arrived, I wondered if I had enough free space on my camera. Everywhere I turned, there was a different flower, garden, pond or path, just begging to have it's picture taken. So, that's what I did. For those of you who prefer picture books, feast your eyes. When we crossed the entrance, we were greeted by these sunny black-eyed susan.

Our first stop happened to be the hydrangea house, which should have been called hydrangea heaven. One of my absolute favorites! There was row after row of amazing colors and blossoms. I wanted to take them all home with me. I felt like Agnes, from Despicable Me - "It's so FLUFFY!"

Just look at the delicate little buds on this one. Waiting to burst into full petals.

Next, we walked through a tropical greenhouse. I felt like I was in Florida for a moment.

My Love, standing next to some cascading ferns and foliage.
 

There was a cactus (cacti?) greenhouse, full of exquisite shapes, sizes and prickly things. Reminded me of Arizona. So many unique species!

These ones growing out of the ground were huge! Dad, what are they called? I forget.

I would hate to accidentally run into one of these things in the dark. Ouch!

Orchids! What extraordinary flowers. 

I have never seen ones with a zebra pattern like this. Simply Beautiful.

We were taken by surprise when we rounded the corner to find a pond full of coy. Love their colors too!

They even had bouganvilla, another one of my favorites. These trailing beauties remind me of India.

Outside, we headed to the Japanese Garden. Wish we could have gone inside this little tea house.

Here we are, standing on the bridge overlooking some water lilies.

Why are lily pads so fascinating to me? Such pretty floating flowers too.

A beautiful little waterfall on the other side of a gazebo above.

A very cool looking fountain.

Then there was the rose garden. Aisles and aisles of roses. In every color. I have never seen so many in one place. (Pay no attention to the ladder and scaffolding in the background - ha! We didn't realize a few things would be under construction)

This is one of my favorite photos of the day. I love how open these roses are as they hang loosely against a wooden post.

 

What time was it? A little after 3pm I think. We were there for over 2 hours, enjoying the beautiful grounds and touring the mansion.

My handsome prince ascending a staircase up the stone tower. Like something right out of a fairy tale!

On our way out, we paused to admire the peaceful pond.

A truly beautiful way to spend an afternoon. Especially with the one you love. 

Anniversary Mini Wedding Cake Replica

In honor of our 5th wedding anniversary, I decided to test my skills at baking and decorating a mini replica of our wedding cake. I got the idea from Buddy Valastro, owner of Carlo's Bakery, better known as the Cake Boss. I am in love with the idea of working in a bakery at some point in my life. Pastries, cookies, cannoli, cakes, pasticiotti...

This is what our actual wedding cake looked like. I loved the simplicity of 3 white round tiers with decorative piping, topped off and with different colored gerbera daisies, my favorite flower. There was a layer of raspberry filling in the middle. Delish.

I started with 1 white cake mix, and baked according to the directions, in two 9 inch round cake pans.

After the cakes cooled, I placed one onto a serving dish. Using a large serrated knife, I shaved a little off of the rounded top to level it out and make a flatter surface for the top tiers to rest on.

I used TWO cans of vanilla frosting for the entire cake. Duncan Hines creamy home-style classic vanilla frosting is perfect because it sets up a little bit and stays in place once it dries. I frosted and smoothed the first layer of cake. I "dirty iced it," as Buddy would say. I highly recommend using one of these frosting spreaders. I got it at a cake party years ago, and it makes frosting anything a dream. However, I cannot do it blindfolded. Yet.

Place the second cake round onto a piece of wax paper on your work surface. Use a bowl as a guide to cut out a smaller circle, right in the middle. Cut it out with a knife. 

Take the small cake circle out and set aside. Using the small circle as a guide, begin to build another layer of cake in the shape of a circle on top, by cutting shapes out of the remaining cake ring. 

I managed to put together this quartered circle-like sectional, and added a piece to fill the middle. It's like building with foam, except it's cake. And you can eat the scraps.

Here is a look at how it stacks up with the mini round. Shave a little off the top if it looks too rounded. The sectioned cake circle will be the base of the second tier.

Start positioning the sectional pieces on top of the frosted base, in the center. Be sure to add frosting between each piece, to hold it in place.

Frost the sectioned round. Don't be bashful. It's easier to put a lot of frosting on, then remove the excess. Place the circular mini round on top. 

This is where smoothing the frosting is important. Cover the entire cake, smoothing and evening it out as much as possible. If there's a bump or an uneven spot, add more frosting or cut a little off. Frosting solves all. Fill a cake decorating bag with the remaining 1/3 - 1/2 can of frosting for the detailing.

I only have a couple of cake decorating tips, so I used a floral one. I wish I had a simple round tip. It would have been easier to draw lines and more true to the original cake, but it did the job. Fill in the borders with decorative edging, draw shapes and jazz it up. Keep in mind though, less is more. It is very easy to get carried away with the decorating bag. Ask my husband why his birthday cake was covered with flowers two years - Oops.

Now it's time to add these beauties. I trimmed the stems to about 1 1/2 inches, ran them under water, then wrapped them with plastic wrap. I stuck two blossoms right on top and tucked one on the side. How cute is that?

It came out better than I thought it would! The only thing missing was the raspberry filling. I think Buddy would be proud of my first attempt. Maybe next time I'll attempt to use fondant and incorporate cereal treats. My sweetie was impressed and it tasted great. Mission accomplished! You could even make a cake similar for a bridal or baby shower, with your flower of choice.

Here's a look back at the original.

And a look at two young kids cutting into it, in 2005.

And us now, in 2010.

Let them eat cake!

Five Years and Counting

Five years ago today, Andrew and I said "I do," promising to spend the rest of our lives together. It still feels like it just yesterday that I was about to walk down the aisle, on the happiest day of my life. I absolutely love being married, to my best friend, and I look forward to every day that we spend together. Five years doesn't seem like a long time, especially when it's gone by so quickly. It's like I blinked, and here we are.

I couldn't have asked for a better life with the man I love. We have a home together (that he lets me decorate), with a big back yard that we both enjoy. Simple things, like a walk at the park, riding our bikes, watching a movie, getting ice cream, laughing at silly jokes - everything is better with him by my side. I know that God brought us together, in a way that only He could. A simple meeting in our college cafeteria, almost 7 years ago, started it all.

I'm still learning what it means to truly love someone, unconditionally. Andrew has been the greatest example of that to me. Never have I felt so loved, so accepted, so complete. Of course we have our "moments" like every couple does, and not every day is a magical. But the glue that keeps us together is knowing that we have God on our side. He is our real life example of true love in action.

I am amazed by the ways we compliment each other. From our personalities to our skill sets. The things that I am not good at, Andrew is. The tasks he doesn't like to do, I don't mind doing. The chores I don't like, he does for me. He encourages me in my creative pursuits. He teaches me about the wonderful world of sports. I like to cook and he likes to eat (ok, we both like to eat!). I think of more projects to do around the house and he helps me. He makes messes and I clean them up (kidding! Ok, not kidding). It works out pretty nicely.

Honestly though, marriage, though it takes commitment and work is such a learning ground. I have learned more about myself, who I am and who I want to be, by loving him and being in a relationship 'till death do us part. I know God is teaching both of us through each other. I'm so glad I get to walk this life with Andrew. Did I mention how handsome my husband is? Yeah, I am one lucky girl! Those baby blues get me every time. I pray that at least one of our future children has his eyes.

It has been an amazing first five years. We have taken trips together, visited family, spent time with great friends, got our first house (and a couple of cats), and too many wonderful memories and moments to recount. I say, bring on the next 5, 10, 50+ years!

Happy Anniversary Love. xoxo 

Lemon Blender Pie

This recipe is easy as...well, pie. Literally. When my Mom told me how to make it, it sounded too easy not to try it. I usually don't prefer lemon desserts, but this one was perfectly refreshing, especially on a hot 4th of July afternoon. You can definitely taste the lemon zest.

Ingredients:
1 Whole Lemon, seeds removed, cut into very small pieces, skin and all (make sure to catch the juice)
4 eggs
1 stick of butter or margarine, softened/melted
1 1/2 cups of sugar
Tub of whipped topping
1 deep dish pie crust

Directions:
1. Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Really smooth. You may want to use a food processor instead of a blender.
2. Pour into a deep dish frozen pie crust, such as Marie Calendar, Pillsbury or other brand (must be deep dish).
3. Bake 35-40 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool.
4. Refrigerate for a couple hours or overnight.
5. Spread top with 3/4 tub (or all) whipped topping and serve. 


Get ready for lemony deliciousness. The only thing I would do differently the next time I make it, is to cut the lemon skin into tinier pieces. The pie will contain small bits of lemon - that's what makes it homemade! However, I got a few bites of skin that were a bit too much for me. So blend, blend, blend.

Enjoy!

Grateful for Independence

Happy July 4th (yesterday) to everyone in the U.S. We are truly blessed. A "thank you" goes out to my Mom and Dad for our flag, which we proudly display. I enjoyed celebrating with some of my favorite people. We spent the afternoon basking in beautiful weather, sunshine, grilling, good food and lots of backyard fun...like this! My niece and nephew (and husband and brother-in-law) had a blast in our blow-up pool, that has lasted a 3rd summer, much to our amazement.

A little before 10pm, Andrew and I rode our bikes down the street to the sports park, which was hosting the annual Spirit of America fireworks celebration. It has become a tradition since we moved into our house. The display was spectacular as usual. But I forgot to bring my camera! We like being able to zip past the lines of cars streaming into the park, find a nice spot on the grass to watch the show, then back on our bikes and home again in no time.

My heart is full. So grateful for so much.

Bugs, Blooms 'n Elphs

Let's play a game. See if you can find the bug in each photo.

I love taking photos, and I love my little Canon Power Shot Digital Elph camera. It's only 8.0 mega pixels (I know, 8 mega pixels is soooo 2008), but it does have my favorite setting: macro. I like using this setting to take close-up photos of flowers. The macro icon is even a flower. This is by no means a "professional" camera, but in my opinion, it does a really great job for being a pocket-size point and shoot. This is actually my second Canon. I have compared similar models in Sony and Kodak, and this one still takes the cake. They are up to 12+ mega pixels now and have even more snazzy features. I would recommend this one. The only thing I would add is a larger zoom lens.

Back to the game. There were a number of bugs enjoying my garden, so I challenged myself to capture a few. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to photography a bee? In flight?

Click each photo to enlarge. I got some decent detail, in my amateur opinion. I took a couple photography classes in college. I like to think I have some basic photography knowledge. Shoo fly.

Meet Ant Rose. Pun. Intended.

The best for last. Do you see it?

Here is a clearer view of a rather large dragon fly resting on a drainpipe.

Buzzzzz.

The perfect size to put in your jacket pocket or purse. Or to sneak up on bugs with.

DIY Shower Curtain

Some of you wonderful readers have been asking how to make a shower curtain. I'm delighted to share my do-it-yourself guide, because I love you guys. I really do. Get your supply lists and creative juices ready.

After shopping around for a shower curtain, I came to the conclusion that I didn't like any of them enough. Especially since it would be a focal point in my new bathroom. I was thinking about making one.

One day, while perusing the aisles of Marshalls (oh, how I love thee),  I stopped in my tracks when I saw this tablecloth. It was exactly what I was looking for! Unique pattern and the right colors. For $20, I knew I could make it work.

You will need some grommets, also known as eyelets. Joann Fabrics sells these little kits that come with little tools that you will need. I used extra-large rings. Just make sure they will fit over your shower curtain rings/hooks. Available in brass or silver, the kit comes with 10 grommets, but of course you need 12, so you will need to buy an extra pack of just grommets.

You will also need a hammer and a cement surface. No joke. I had to pound them together on my basement floor. 

Some type of medium weight interfacing and an iron.

I used these great dual shower curtain hooks that my Mom gave me from JCPenny. They are also available at Bed Bath and Beyond.

Make sure you have a shower curtain liner, which will act as your template. I found a white hotel style fabric shower curtain liner, also at Marshalls, for $6 (is there no end to your bountifulness Marshalls?). I don't know why I didn't think of a fabric liner years ago. Those plastic ones get so gross. Who wants to scrub that? I even tried those "Guaranteed to resist mildew" curtails. Fail. I'm giving this fabric one a chance, and when it needs cleaning, I'll throw it in the laundry and report back.

Start by selecting a piece of fabric that will be large enough to make a shower curtain. Standard size is 70 inches wide by 72 inches high. It can be a tablecloth, duvet cover, sheet, window curtain, whatever your little heart desires or finds in the clearance aisle.

Using the shower curtain liner as a guide, make sure it is the same length and height of your fabric. Hem the edges and adjust the size if needed. My tablecloth was too wide, so I had to shorten it and create a seam. Luckily, the border pattern made it appear seamless.

Cut a strip of interfacing, about two inches wide and as long as your curtain. Iron the interfacing strip to the BACK side of your soon-to-be-curtain at the very TOP. This will provide reinforcement for your grommets. (Don't you love my palm tree ironing board cover?)

I apologize, I didn't photograph this step. Clip your liner and fabric together temporarily with clothespins (or other clips), with the liner on top. Using a pencil, trace each hole onto the interfacing of your curtain fabric. Make sure top and sides are lined up. Mark all 12 holes.

Using an x-acto knife or sharp pair of scissors, cut out a small hole where you made each mark on your fabric. Don't cut it too big. Use the tube part of the grommet as a sizing guide. You want the grommet to fit SNUG. Even if you have to wedge the grommet into the fabric a little bit, it should be fine.  If the hole you cut is bigger than the grommet, it won't work.

Follow the directions on the back of the grommet kit for assembling the grommets. It takes some layering coordination. First, put the round little pedestal down on the cement floor. Then stack on top of it the grommet that has the tube. Then slip your fabric with pre-cut hole onto the grommet tube. Then put the flat grommet ring on top (make sure it is good side up). Then insert the long tool that came with the kit (short end in). Keeping everything centered and level, hold the tool in place and pound away with your hammer. This is where some elbow grease comes in. I would say try 15 to 20 drives with the hammer, then check to see if the ring has enclosed together. If not, hammer a couple more times. The tool may get stuck, but it can be wiggled out. If my directions sound confusing, the back of the box should help.

Repeat for all 12 rings. 
When you're done, it should look something like this.

You're ready to hang up your new shower curtain!

I am so happy with how this project turned out. It's not too difficult, right? If you decide to make one, I would love to see the results. Let me know if there's any part of the process that you have questions about.

Happy shower curtain making!