Cupcakes

"To cupcake or not to cupcake: that is the question." Can you imagine Hamlet asking this? My Shakespearean reply would have been, "Thou art a clouted clay-brained canker-blossom." Truly, anyone who has ever had their mouth full of this baked goodness would have dodged the "slings and arrows of outrageous fortune" or "taken arms against a sea of troubles" just to have a cupcake. I love what Anne Byrne said: "When you look at a cupcake, you've got to smile."

Kylie Lambert runs a posh cupcake business out of Sydney, Australia called Le Cupcake. Using top drawer ingredients, she creates designer cupcakes for weddings and various special occasions. Today, I present a tribute to her luscious delights (which can also be perused on Flickr.com.)

Seasons and Popcorn

I love this digital paper collage of the four seasons, understanding that our own seasons are certainly not limited to spring flowerbeds, falling leaves, or trees heavy with snow. My current, very tangible season involves saying good-bye to my daughter as she begins the journey of marriage. It's time to exit and enter. I'm grieving the end of one season while reaching for the next.

My heart is tuned to wedding preparations and the happy, mouse-eared couple (see previous post). My living room is brimming with gifts. I'm steadfastly trying to get things out of my head and into my task journal.

In the meantime, it is a rainy day and I have succumbed to popcorn. I tossed roasted hazelnut oil and sea salt with air popped popcorn, and oh what a treat! The aroma was intoxicating.

"The laziest man I ever met put popcorn in his pancakes so they would turn over by themselves."
-W. C. Fields

Tea for Tuesday: Countdown

Briana and Brian puttin' on the Mouse
(Taken during their Coed Shower)

My daughter's wedding is in 18 days and we are busy with details. As I'm looking for my wedding dress, my body is sulking over the extra upholstery I promised to lose and didn't. I just kept rescheduling.

The Cracker Basket Napkin Fold at the Bridal Tea.

On Saturday, my mom hosted a Bridal Tea for Briana in Los Alamitos, California. The guests consisted of Brian's family, our close family and friends, and friends that had grown up with Briana. It was a wonderful celebration and my mom did a terrific job putting it together!

Being unfamiliar with my mom's camera, I was shooting pictures with fingers crossed. The above photo depicts the Cracker Basket fold that I nested the guest favors in. I refer to it as my abracadabra fold because the finished product has been turned inside out.

The tea parlor had changed ownership after the tea was booked: something that was not properly communicated to my mom. The pots of tea were delicious; however, the service and food were below par. Most of us understand that tea sandwiches need to be protected from air to keep the bread fresh. The sandwiches felt like they had been toasted when, in actuality, they had been left uncovered. Apparently, the new owners still need to read their tea primers.

Spiritual Sundays: A Merry Heart

The Bible promises a medicinal concoction, an elixir—a secret weapon of sorts—to perpetuate the health of our bodies. It isn't sold via infomercial or over the counter. We can't overdose on it. It doesn't contain chemicals or ill side effects. We will never have to dicker with insurance companies and it's available to us 24/7.

The Great Physician prescribed this medicine without an expiration date. The positive side effects are joy and laughter: both highly contagious. Laughter releases endorphins which are neurotransmitters that help to relieve pain in the body and also induce euphoria. While some individuals turn to addictive drugs to manufacture this high, a cheerful heart is a harmless addiction.

This free medicine is the ultimate "stimulus package." It won't rob from your future and it's easily activated through humor, gratitude, love, meditating on the Word of God, and worshiping the Most High. (And, a little chocolate and exercise won't hurt either.)

Proverbs 17:22 (New King James Version)

22 A merry heart does good, like medicine,
But a broken spirit dries the bones.

Proverbs 17:22 (The Message)

22 A cheerful disposition is good for your health;
gloom and doom leave you bone-tired.

Proverbs 17:22 (Amplified Bible)

22 A happy heart is good medicine and a cheerful mind works healing, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.

Proverbs 17:22 (New International Version)

22 A cheerful heart is good medicine,
but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

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