It occurred to me that I have been slacking in the most offensive way here. I went to a fabulous restaurant and I didn’t tell you what I ate. I went to a bad-ass taco dinner night with friends who I love and don’t see enough and you didn’t even know it. I bought what I need to make my own wine this year and you are the last to know. Did you know I baked the most awesome pink princess birthday party cake? I bet you didn’t. And somewhere in there I went camping at a beautiful reservoir where we encountered a bear! Maybe I told you that part…

But don’t worry. I haven’t even been spreading the love by telephone to those who’s numbers I have.

So let me start with the most recent: The pink princess birthday party cake. Well Pink Princess Birthday Party Cake and coordinating cuppycakes. (Her icing top was deftly removed by a four year old boy. The inappropriate humor that ensued is too much for me to repeat.)

You know what makes me feel so good about this cake? Is that this special little three year old pulled her step stool up to the side of the table to get a better look at her michellemade birthday cake. Something melts when a little girl tells you she thinks you made her something beautiful. You might also melt when you see another little girl eating her little cuppycake.

And, as a side note, there was a pink princess jumpy house. Which the adults TOTALLY used once most of the kids were gone. But this little guy hung with us even when we were jumping like maniacs.

Kid’s birthday parties. Nothing takes you back to your inner kid. God it felt good!

I think I might have a problem. Since I have turned my dissertation in, I have made 4 loaves of french bread, lasagna with homemade noodles and ricotta cheese, and dough for foccacia. Today I am baking the focaccia (I figured I would spell it several different ways in order to encompass all of my dumb-ass-i-tude), one giant graduation cake, and two little teeny tiramisus.

I think I am crazy.

Well lately I have been trying to get as much crafting done as humanly possible. I don’t know what it is, but this time of year I want to be in full swing of making stuff. But then again, this time THIS year I need to be in the full swing of writing. I swear it is going to be done soon. I have to make a time line and make sure all of my approvers will be available to do some editing.

Anyone want to make some quick money and finish my dissertation?

It dawned on me today that I would much rather be writing a fiction novel than writing all of this science.

And I want to be learning how to design things on the web so that I can give my little site a make-over and I can get the spell checker fixed, but honestly, aren’t we all sick of looking at posts with huge typos and non-sense-making sentences?

Seriously.

But as soon as I can, I will post pictures of my crafts, because if they go up here and I haven’t already slated them as presents to people, they will be up on Etsy for sale.

This holiday season I only made a few gifts. Porter got a pair of red wool leg warmers, my mom, sister and grandma all got homemade bracelets, and my mom got a knitted felt purse. The purse was a big deal as I have been knitting it for over two years. It turned out smaller than I would havel liked (I underestimated the power of felting!) but it is still one of the coolest things I think I have ever made. I hope that she uses it.

(click image to make giant)

As soon as I get my dissertation finished I am going to end up going head first into crafting again. My poor Etsy site (see sidebar link) is dying as is my creativity.