Fatteningly Fancy

Looks like people are trimming the Fancy from their budgets these days.  I haven't had much work in recent weeks, so my mind has been left to wander and think about things like redecorating Camryn's room when she moves into a big girl bed in a few months, and what kind of birthday party we'll have for her when she turns 2 in August.  The latter was kind of a no-brainer...the girl wakes up in the morning asking for a "bah-bop" (translation:  lollipop), so naturally we'll give her a bah-bop themed birthday party!  

Although the date, place, time, and guest list have yet to be determined, dessert has been decided.  CAKE POPS!  I've never had a cake pop I didn't get weak in the knees eating, and I've been dying to make them myself but never had a valid enough excuse.  Thank you, Camryn!!!  Since I didn't think it would be prudent to have Camryn's party be my first attempt at making these little fellas, I just had to do a test run a few weeks ahead of time so I'd have time to perfect my cute little concoctions.  Here's how it went down (many thanks to my model and assistant, big sister Brynn):

Step 1:  Gather ingredients and hire the help (help was paid in chocolate milk).

Step 2:  Bake cake following directions on box.  Let cake cool.  (I apologize for this and any further gaps in my photojournalism.)

Step 3:  Tear apart cake using a fork until it's nothing but a big bowl of delicious crumbs.

The assistant needed some assistance with this step, and yes, that's iced coffee all over her shirt.

Step 4:  Add frosting to cake crumbs and combine using your hands until it has a play-dohish consistency.

Step 5:  Grab a handful and roll into a ball.

Step 6:  Perform quality control (very important).

Step 7:  Arrange cake balls in a pan or on a cookie sheet.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Step 8:  Melt candies according to directions on package.

Step 9:  Dip the tip of the lollipop stick in the melted candies before inserting into the flat end of the cake ball.  This will help the cake ball stay on the stick.

Step 10:  Dip cake ball in melted candies, using a spoon to help get it completely covered.  Tap off excess candy coating, dip in toppings (I just happened to have pink and purple sugar in the pantry, so that's what we used), and stand upright to harden.  I forgot to get a block of floral foam to use as a stand when I was out earlier in the day, so I made good use of what I had at home:

Step 11:  Refrigerate for at least 1 hour to let candy shell harden.  I need to figure out how to thin the candy melts a little for a smoother, more even coating.

Step 12:  Stick a finished cake pop on top of a Tim cake (optional).

Step 13:  Enjoy!

This time around, I used funfetti cake mix, cream cheese frosting, and white candy melts with flecks of bright colors.  Up next, CHOCOLATE!  These pops were not at all as time consuming as I thought they would be to make, and I can imagine I'll only get more efficient the more I make them.  However, if I continue to eat them for breakfast, I will most likely not be making them often.  Better wrap some up and share with the neighbors!

Project 52: Week 26

Week 26?!  I can't believe we're halfway through this year already!  Time it is a-flyin, and nothing makes you realize this more than having a birthday.  I don't know how I became a thirty-something...I certainly don't feel like one.  The modern marvel of Facebook has made birthdays feel like a walk down memory lane.  With all of the "Happy Birthday!" wall posts I received yesterday, I was reminded of all of the places I've been and people I've met throughout my entire lifetime.  Every stage of my education and every job I've ever had was represented right there on my Facebook wall.  Throw in the first boy I ever kissed along with some long lost cousins, and all I needed was a cheesy song like "Through the Years" to complete my birthday montage.  

Being reminded of the past makes me even more grateful for the present.  I spent most of my birthday with friends and family, and even got some time to be all by myself for a little while.  I ended the day in my happy place...at home with my loves, big and small.  Another year, off to a great start.

If you'd like to participate in your own Project 52:  Glimpse Into Motherhood, click on the link below:

Project 52: Week 25

I typically babysit one handsome little dude every Wednesday, but now that school is out, I watch his two older sisters on occasion as well.  Having five children under five years of age in my house at one time has really got me thinking that two might be a good number for me afterall!

Coming from a family with three kids, I kind of always thought I would have three kids of my own.  After having two girls, my husband swore up and down that we were done.  People would ask, "Don't you want to try for a boy?"  His reply was, "Heck no!  What if it turned out to be another girl?!?!"  To be honest, I'm not sure I could handle three girls either!

However yesterday, I was able to survive not three, but four girls AND one boy.  My white shirt, however, did not.

If you'd like to participate in your own Project 52:  Glimpse Into Motherhood, click on the link below:

Feelin' the love

The vast majority of my orders come from friends and family, but this week I got Fancy for a woman who saw my link on My Active Child's Facebook page:

Getting positive feedback and orders from the general public makes me seriously consider putting my work on Etsy, but I'm just not sure I'm ready to bite the bullet yet.  So for now, I continue to rely on word of mouth and referrals from others.  Thanks to My Active Child and Macaroni Kid Virginia Beach for sharing my link with their fans...it's good to feel the love!  

Project 52: Week 24

I made the suggestion to go to Charleston to visit some friends for a long weekend.  I worked out the weekend's plans with said friends.  I washed everyone's clothes, towels, and sheets.  I packed said items away in suitcases (minus Ryan's, but all he packs is a bathing suit, so let's not give him too much credit!).  I bought all of the food for meals and snacks for the car ride.  I packed books, coloring items, toys, and games and strategically placed them in the backseat for the long drive.  I buckled the girls in their car seats.  Now tell me, don't I deserve a better seat than this?!?!

Yup, that's where I sat for 7 1/2 hours down and 9 hours back, squished between two tiny tyrants and beneath two surfboards, while Daddy enjoyed listening to music all by himself at the wheel.  I didn't even get the luxury of air conditioning back there, but don't get me started on that topic!  I see where I rank in this family.  

Regardless of my discomfort, I greatly enjoyed the fruits of my labor, and we all had a great time on our little trip.  We got in some time at the beach, as well as some sight-seeing, and Camryn experienced her first surf session with Daddy and her first boat ride as well.  Brynn stood up on a wave with Daddy's help, and I can't even describe how proud I was watching my 4 year old daughter do something I've never done myself.  What a great way to kick off the summer!

My little wahinis

If you'd like to participate in your own Project 52:  Glimpse Into Motherhood, click on the link below:

Sporty little swine

I love my job!  With all of the glorious beach weather we've had lately, I've been dragging my heels when it comes to getting my Fancy work done.  With a Tuesday deadline approaching, I knew I had to really buckle down and get to work on Monday.  Thankfully, I sat on the couch to see what was on tv Monday night and hit the jackpot.  Real Housewives of New Jersey!!!  Poured a glass of wine and got piggy with it.  The outcome:  my nephew Brayden's birthday present, inspired by Pottery Barn Kids' Junior Varsity quilt set pictured below:

Large piggy banks like Brayden's can be purchased for $25, while medium banks are available for $15.  Take advantage of Fancy Fonts' June Special - get 25% off a personalized plate and bowl set when you buy a large piggy bank.  Offer ends June 30th.  Email me at karen.psimas@yahoo.com or message me on Facebook to place your order.

Project 52: Week 23

 If you read last week's Project 52 post, you will know there is little I dread more than grocery shopping with my two sidekicks. It's hard to focus, it takes forever, and we rarely make it out of the store without tears being shed.  Not the most pleasant way to spend a morning (because it usually takes the entire morning).  Until today.

They say necessity is the mother of invention.  It is quite necessary for me to maintain my sanity, therefore I "invented" what I will from this day forward affectionately refer to as "Supermarket Swap."  My neighbor dropped her son off at my house this morning and left to tackle her grocery list.  Since the kids were able to amuse themselves, I was able to get some laundry and tidying up done with fewer interruptions had Ayden not been with us.  Korrin returned from the store and put her groceries away in peace before I dropped the three musketeers off at her house so she could return the favor.  Brilliant, no?  The moms accomplished more in a morning than they usually can in an entire weekend, and the kids got some playtime at two different houses in the meantime.  

The lollipop guild

The icing on the cake...after leisurely reading a gossip magazine while waiting in the checkout line, I got carded buying my big ol' bottle of wine.  Felt strange leaving Walmart with a smile on my face!

If you'd like to participate in your own Project 52:  Glimpse Into Motherhood, click on the link below:

Happy Birthday to me

"Whoever says I'm hard to shop for maybe doesn't know where to buy beer." - brilliant birthday card I saw once

In honor of my own birthday this month, I've decided to celebrate with a sale!  Through the month of June, get 25% off a toddler plate and bowl set when you buy a large piggy bank.  How Fancy is that?

Email me at karen.psimas@yahoo.com or message me on Facebook to place your order.

Project 52: Week 22

[Insert DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince here] Summer, summer, summertime!  Ahhhh, Memorial Day weekend in this beach resort town means one thing...tourists.  I call it the Canadian invasion, as so many of VB's tourists hail from Quebec and Ontario.  Lovely people, those Canadians, and without them and the other tourists from Pennsylvania, Ohio, and beyond, I'm not really sure what would happen to this city's economy.  

However, their presence makes me dread going grocery shopping even more than I did before the unofficial start of summer.  My children are like a ticking time bomb, and I prefer to get out of the store before detonation.  But people on vacation don't blow through Walmart on a mission the way I do...they meander.  They dawdle.  They seriously test my patience.  

So when Brynn tells me mid-shop she has to go to the bathroom, my blood pressure rises a bit.  The gigantic cart I'm pushing that lets the two kids sit side by side is too massive to maneuver through the maze-like entrance to the ladies room, so I have to get not one but both children out of the cart, along with my purse, and get on with it.  While Brynn is doing her thing, another woman goes into the stall next to us and proceeds to make all sorts of horrendous flatulent noises, with a few grunts thrown in for good measure.  I try to get Brynn washed up and out of there before the woman emerges from her stall, but had no such luck.  This lovely old lady takes one look at my girls and tells me how beautiful they are, and before I could politely thank her, Camryn looks her dead in the eye and says, "POOPY!"  Welcome to our city.  Enjoy your stay.

This kid's a piece of work!

If you'd like to participate in your own Project 52:  Glimpse Into Motherhood, click on the link below: