It's a ...

Yeah, no. Sorry to dissappoint, but this is not a baby announcement for us. However, it is kind of a baby announcement for our friends over at Young(s) and in Love.

I have been blessed and honored by many firsts with this couple. They allowed me to cultivate my inner Martha Stewart and put their utmost faith in my novice camera skills. Most recently, they asked me to be a part of HUGE moment in their lives.

I can't even begin to tell you how I felt when they asked if I would make gender reveal cupcakes for them and their family!!! I was so excited I almost pee'd my pants. I probably went home like an excited kid telling Jake about it all at a rate of 20 words a second.

So what do you think? Is it a boy or is it a girl?

It's a BOY!!!

Congratulations V and M!!! Thank you for sharing this wonderful moment with me!

You can read all about how I made them here.

February 2012

Top row: 1, 2a, 2b. Middle: 3, 4a, 4b. Bottom: 5a, 5b, 5c.

1. Potluck dinner party. I needed a) an excuse to see our friend D and M so that I could deliver a secret Valentine's Day cupcake order from D's mom, and b) guinea pigs to taste test my latest cupcake recipes. So I had our group of friends over for a last minute potluck dinner. The potluck idea was well received. Think I might try doing ressurecting a dinner club. I tried a once monthly dinner club with Jake's college friends a couple of years, but that fell apart quickly. Pictured: twinkie cupcakes with candy heart.

2. Pompeii exhibit at the Museum of Science. I became obsessed with Pompeii when I was in the second grade. While going through the exhibit, I was in awe at how well preserved some of the artifacts were. My yearning to go to Pompeii and now Herculaneum has only been strengthened. Also, I had forgotten how awesome my point-and-shoot camera does in low light! (flash photography was not allowed). Pictured: preserved fresco and resin cast skeletons.

3. Date night: sushi dinner at Oga's. Pictured: pork belly bun.

4. Pig party! Our friend P threw a pig themed party. He smoked a pork shoulder and 3 types of ribs. Guests were asked to bring sides with extra points for dishes containing some form of pig. I had left my lactaid at home and decided to throw caution to the wind. How much dairy could there be at a pig party? Well, our friend D brought bacon mac n' cheese! I couldn't help myself and just had to eat some. It was amazing; possibly the best mac n' cheese from scratch I've had. But I felt like I had been punch in the stomach over and over the days following. Remind me to NEVER do that to myself again. Pictured: piggy cake (made by another guest) and bacon mac n' cheese.

5. After handing off a very special cupcake order, we explored the main drag in Concord, MA. We had lunch at Main Streets Market and Cafe and then checked out the shops nearby. Pictured: gender reveal cupcakes, chili with butternut squash, and gravestones.

January 2012

I'm going to try something different this year. Instead of blogging in nauseating detail everything we do, I'm going to try and capture the memorable highlights for each month. I got the idea after seeing Liz over at Paisley Press share her Project Life albums. As stated on the website, "project life is a back to basics approach to memory-keeping." Basically, it is scrapbooking without all the frills and embellishments. It's getting back to the photo albums I remember from my childhood, but with more verbiage or journaling as they call it. Anyways, we will give it a try and see how things go. Hopefully, this will train me to build albums quickly in the future.



Clockwise from top left: 1, 3, 4, 5.



1. I took Jake to Vicky Lee's for brunch. If you are in the Belmont, MA area, I highly recommend this cafe. They have an extensive coffee and tea list

2. Our friends C and A surprised me by asking me to be a member of their wedding party (not pictured). We can't wait until July for their nuptials. The festivities will take place in a restored barn near their home town in Vermont. Rustic vintage, sounds gorgeous!

3. Jake jetted off to Florida for his annual golf trip with the guys while I nested by making no sew placemats.

4. We celebrated our cousin's second birthday at a petting zoo.

5. Chinese New Year celebration in Boston's Chinatown. Our friend Natalie, gets all her friends together for dim sum every year. After lunch, we walk around Chinatown following the lions as they bless each of the store fronts.