Bits and Baubles

I am finally back in the blogging world! I was out for a while due to school, but now that school is out tomorrow, I am free to start blogging again for the summer!

There are a few things that I wanted to share with you that have happened over the course of the time that I've been away.

For one, I turned 17 on May 7. And it was the best birthday ever.

Firstly, I got this honey bear from my little brother: 

In addition to him, I received Mary Poppins on DVD, Snow White pjs, and 

Disneyland Tickets

Disneyland here we come! My family and I and my best friend are all coming along! That means I must get busy! I have a 6-hour playlist of Disney songs for the drive up to compose!

I also received an iPhone.

I could not believe it. My reaction was probably priceless. We have it on video.

I have not asked for iPhone or even remotely considered the possibility that I might receive one.

For 3 years I had lived with my dinky little phone with its limited capabilities, and that phone was about to end its life span. But I always thought that I would just get a small something to replace it, not an iPHONE!

Already I cannot imagine myself without it--pathetic and sad, but true. How did I survive all that time with my simple non-smart phone Pantech???

Beats me.

Also, we went to Universal Studios and the Hard Rock Cafe in a limo for my cousins' graduation. 

That chandelier below is made out of saxophones, and since my brother plays the saxophone, I had to take a picture of it.

It was wonderful :)) 

Can't wait for the Mad Tea Party, either! I have such major plans for that event, I cannot even tell you. My best friend and I will be planning it out together and throwing it at her house, because she has a perfect backyard for the event. I simply cannot wait! We have been discussing this since Christmas! If it doesn't live up to our expectations, I am going to be so disappointed.

Here's a little idea of what I think it should look like, on a miniature scale. (I actually had to set up this setting for a photography project called Mini Me, in which you had to use Photoshop to shrink yourself down to size to fit multiple times in the setting of the photo. I made myself walk across the teacups, hang from the clock hand, get trapped in a jar, and hold a key whilst balancing atop the Mad Hatter hat.) 

Do you have anything good planned for the Mad Tea Party? Do tell!!!

Until next time, ma poupées!

P.S. I have been really obsessed with Marie Antoinette fashion lately. That is what inspired the banner of my blog (the picture inside is one that I took. I'm going to try and only post pictures that I take from now on, instead of ones from the Internet.) 

P.S.S. Here is a pic of the knapsack I'm going to bring to Disneyland!

You had best resign yourself to much Disney chatter over the next couple of weeks.

  

BE PREPAAAAAAAAARED!!!!

Mad Tea Party 2013 {An Invitation}

The time has come for the Mad Tea Party, 2013! 

The event will be hosted on July 13 by Vanessa of A Fanciful Twist.

I am so excited to participate this year, and can't wait to see what all of you come up with!

Here's the invitation:

Click on the image above to visit A Fanciful Twist for more information on participating in this mad and wild event :) It is sure to be a blast!

In unrelated news, I AM GOING TO DISNEYLAND THIS SUMMER!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I couldn't wait to share that information because I am just so excited! There are no words to express my excitement. Simply no words! We're going for 3 days and I will be sure to share tons and tons of pictures!

Have a great day!

Sleeping Beauty Cake

The day that my friend and I watched Sleeping Beauty, I knew I just had to do it.

I needed to make Fauna's fail cake.

The one she attempts to bake for Aurora's birthday, but completely collapses in a mound of unbaked batter and frosting and candles.

Remember?

So I started out with three four inch round classic vanilla cakes and a blue tinted cream cheese frosting. (You can use any type of cake you want, but the one Fauna attempted to make in the movie was vanilla, so I used that.)

I would recommend, when you make this cake (because I KNOW you will) that you make a runny frosting. My cream cheese frosting that I whipped up without a recipe (yes, I am just that good) was delicious, but a little too think for it to run down the sides of the cake like Fauna's.

(Mickey Mouse tribute!)

Anyway, the great thing about making this cake is that you can't fail because it IS a fail cake! There is no way in the world you can mess this up! If your cake exploded in the oven, you could just claim that it was all part of the plan. If it completely fell, that's good! If it crumbles to pieces, well...even better!

The only possible way to fail is to make an extremely pristine, perfectly baked, perfectly frosted cake. (And even then you could claim that was part of the plan....so I guess it's not failing?)

PARADOX!!!!

Here we go.

Fauna made 16 layers, but I went for three because we didn't have enough cake pans....(Believe me, I would have done it if I could!)

I stacked the cakes up and allowed the blue frosting to ooze out of the sides.

It's really quite genius, this cake.

I can still hear Fauna's innocent little voice: "One tsp..."

MERRYWEATHER: "One teaspoon."

FAUNA: "Oh one teaspoon, of course!" **giggle giggle**

Gotta love Fauna!

Next I piled on the frosting with wild abandon.

Just imagine a crazed person's face filled with the joy of not having to worry about messing up, and you've got a clear image of me.

(The frosting looks greenish above but it's actually pale blue).

Now, you can either leave it like this,

Or spread around the frosting.

It's leaning, it's sloppily frosted, it's covered in sprinkles....can this get any better? (I mean...worse?)

There you have it! One Sleeping Beauty cake, coming up!

Sprinkles make everything better :)

Hope you enjoy, and let me know how your fail cake turns out! (Because you WILL make one. How can you resist not being able to fail? Fauna, you're a genius!)

Treasure Hunting

Searching for treasures, in this world or the next....

What will this key unlock?

And all the while wondering about the next adventure.

Will it be sad or sweet? Or maybe both?

Sailing away, to find the treasure.

Sorry, but my mind is in Fearless right now, by Cornelia Funke. Terribly beautiful.

It is strange how there are so many facets of my person that I discover through books.

I love Entwined--probably my favorite book besides Harry Potter--which is more of a light and whimsical story. But I also love Strands of Bronze and Gold, a retelling of the Bluebeard fairy tale, which takes a dark turn indeed.

And then I love Reckless and Fearless, partner books that drag me into their crystal spun webs like a spider luring in its prey. Whimsical.......and dark.

Which is the real me?

Which image do I see when I look in the mirror? 

Only time will tell.

In a way, perhaps I'm treasure hunting for myself.

My true self.

Redirecting...

I'd like to redirect you to my brand new blog, Windchimes.

I know I've been going a bit crazy with the blogs lately, but I just had to find another place for my creative outlet. This is just the place :)

Plus, it only has my very own pictures instead of images from the web, which I've been posting on this blog.

Anyway, check it out right here.

Windchimes

(Wait, no, click on me!!!)

(No, me!!)

Any of the links above will take you to Windchimes.

Check it out!

Tea Time ♥

There is something magical about 4:00.

That time of day when you can indulge in some tea, and a treat or two. 

Gather your things and head on out to the greenhouse, friends....

We shall have to set the table with our tea things.

What do you think?

Or, if you'd prefer, we can dine in the parlor?

Everything is so lovely, sipping tea with a stack of books...

Let's gather everyone round, for a lovely party, I say!

Hurry, pick out a teacup!

This one?

That one?

I think I'll have a candy cane in mine :)

And here, you must fill this up with tea :)

Tea with a book, what a splendid idea! 

Loving this.

I fancy this one.

Can't say no to little roses....

What about tea for two?

Either way, I'm having this:

Pass this one down, please :)

And then we shall all have some rose tea!

The only thing missing is....well, the biscuits.

What is tea without a treat?

A caramel apple hits the spot :)

And let's not forget the cherry cake!

Rose cupcakes must not be overlooked, either.

Or ruffle cake.

Fancy a macaroon?

I just want to say thanks to the Brits for inventing this tradition and, as I sip my tea, I think:

♥

P.S. What do you do for teatime?

P.S.S. Just for giggles:

Photo credit