Project Status: Complete!

Remember that old Rudolph clay-mation movie? It used to be my favorite Christmas movie--who knows why. I had terrible taste as a child. Remember the Island of Misfit Toys? I command a similar such place, except I am Queen of the Purgatory of Unfinished Projects. I am, naturally, an exiled ruler from this land. My subjects have no love for me (until I promote them into the real world by completing them).

Since New Year's, there have been more than one promotion! With much help from my mom, I finally finished a shoulder bag that I began before Thanksgiving. It was quite the ordeal, as the pattern was much more elaborate than expected, and this was my first serious sewing project. We had to do some ad-libbing and plan-changing, but it is done!

Ta-da!

This weekend, I had the pleasure of making a cake for my boss's daughter. I baked the cake Thursday evening, and the whole house smelled amazing. This is the chocolate cake by which I judge all other chocolate cakes. And not many come close. Seriously.

I spent all of yesterday morning making batches of buttercream and punishing my hand through various stages of cramping for about two hours--from all the color-mixing and then the tedious piping. Her little girl is turning nine, so I decided on something simple and girly.

I'm never quite satisfied with the icing-version of my handwriting; it seems less smooth and flowing. I'm still learning. I do like my swirly flower, and I'm so proud of that shell border. I hate shell borders, and I was so pleased with how this one turned out.

While showing my mom something on the table, I gestured too exuberantly, and knocked about three shells into icing-mush. They were saved by careful removal and replacement. Whew!

I piped those little flowers around the whole cake, and made the grass with an awesome grass/hair icing tip.

Those flowers gave my hand serious pains, and they don't look as neat as I'd like, but I think they're kind of cute. I love how the grass just flops everywhere, like real grass.

Maybe one day I'll be really good. For now, it's fun to know I can make something pretty, even if it's not perfect.