Wardrobe malfunctions and mishaps... and a knitted hat pattern!

Yesterday I got ready for work in the usual way, after running my ensemble through a few points of criteria.*

1.  Cleanliness: What is clean?
2.  Thickness:  What did I eat the night/day before?
3.  Season: What is the technical season?
4.  Temperature:  Uh... temperature.  Average temperature.
5.  Whimsy:  How creative do I want to be?
6.  Wild card:  Do I have anything new; have I put on some committal makeup?

And this is how I answered these questions...

1.  I just did laundry.  Everything is clean.  Information overload.
2.  Despite finishing P90x, I gained about 5 lbs. this summer.  And no, it was not muscle weight.  It was rear-not-fitting-into-pants weight.  I have lost half of it, so I am feeling OK there.
3.  It is technically fall.  No white pants, strappy sandals, etc.
4.  It felt like summer.  Not hot summer, but summer.
5.  I was feeling moderately whimsical, but not brave.  Maybe a necklace or funky shoes.
6.  Yes!  I have a skirt a friend gave me, and I need to wear it before it gets too cold.

So the winner was a white v-neck t-shirt tucked into said skirt, a necklace with a large ribbon charm, and some cute Irregular Choice shoes.  Nothing too weird, but typical for a Wednesday at work.

*This process doesn't take me more than the average 3-5 minutes, depending on trial and error.

I work at a salon in Martinez, GA, and have for just over a year.  Yesterday was no unusual day, and I had the pleasure of doing my very favorite friend's hair.

And as she was sitting in this middle chair...

...I turned around quickly to mix up some toner for her blonde.

And my cute little shoes meeting the shiny laminate caused me to not just fall, but fall hard.

I fell on my butt like a toddler.  A big, fat toddler without a diapered butt.  As I lie on the floor, my friend came over and asked, "What can I do??"

"Uh, could you erase the mental picture you have of me falling on my rear permanently from your brain??"

I have a feeling she cannot.  And even now she is snickering to herself, although she is way to good a friend to do it in the moment.

Despite legs full of varicosities, I have never possessed too much common sense about shoes.  I am not a complete idiot, as I would never wear stilettos to work- but you will never find this girl under the age of 50 wearing Clarks or Danskos.

Sorry.  But this was not my only fashion blunder yesterday.  Uh, it got cold.  And as the wind licked at my legs, flipping my insubstantial skirt every-which-way, I thought of the child I put in shorts that morning.  Ugh... what a parent!

So as we are going into colder seasons, I thought that you all might like a simple hat pattern that requires NO circular needles, just simple knitting and perling.  And heck, you really don't even need to perl.  Just grab some good wool, cotton, or bamboo (only natural fibers, please!), some 10's and get to knitting!

Easy Hat (adapted from Stitch and Bitch Patterns)


1 skein Debbie Bliss Full of Sheep
US 14 knitting needles
Yarn needle for stitching up the sides

Cast on 38 (50, 54, 58) sts.*
Work 22 (29, 32, 35) rows in stockinette (or however you would like).

Shape crown:
Row 1: K2tog, K2; repeat to end
Row 2: P2tog, P1; repeat to end
Row 3: Knit to end.
Row 4: Perl to end.
Row 5: K2tog to end.
Row 6: P2tog to end.

Break off the yarn with a 15"-20" tail.  Thread through a yarn needle.  Thread the needle through the remaining live stitches and pull them tight, and then stitch the two sides of the hat together.  I like to do this with my work inside out (perl side facing me).  When you are at the bottom, secure the end so that it doesn't unravel.  Thread the loose yarn into the hat.

Yeah!  You are done.
*The first measurement is for a large 3 year old.  The other are more adult in size.

So, as one can tell, I have adjusted my elements for dressing a wee bit; but I still can't make a reasonable enough argument for a #7: Practicality.

Rachel Bee.

Spice Cupcakes with Maple Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting

My blog.  It is definitely not at the top of the totem pole right now, obviously.

I have been busy:  four weddings in three weeks, my church's annual women's retreat, and then another wedding.  What is the deal with October?  I love all we are doing, but I really wish we could spread a little love onto September.  It was just plain awful!

As I mentioned in my last post, I went to New York last weekend, and it was wonderful. I didn't write about it last week, as I felt like a girl who met a really hot boy for the first time and was completely and irrationally gaga over him.  Because I was (irrationally gaga over my time there).  And I sounded pretty ridiculous in my brain.  For a lover of film, travelling to New York for the first time is like finally meeting a pen pal who you know so well and yet have never met face to face.  I was sad that it was a wee bit chilly the day of our outing into the city.  I had the perfect outfit planned which was in turn covered up with a bulky sweater. Would anyone would notice me?  Of course not. I just sensed that the eyes of one of the most fashionable cities in the world would look down on me from the heights of impossibly colossal buildings and spew my South Carolina swagger straight out.

Those Yankees can sniff out a drawl faster than you can say... well, something stereotypically southern.  And how I hate to stand out when I travel!

My two hours in the city were however trumped by my 2.5 days at West Point, preparing for the wedding of one of the most generous and kind girls in the world.  I will say more about it another time, when I can show you in pictures.

I have been back to my normal life for over a week now, baking and again knitting misshapen hats, doing a lot of hair and makeup, and loving on a family I left for 4 days and 3 whole nights.  Wow.

So as it has been awhile since I have tempted you with sweet treats, here is what has been smelling up my kitchen recently...

Spice Cupcakes with Maple Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting.

And they were heavenly.  And in the words of a young woman who ate one, "they taste like October."

And I would have to agree.

Spice Cake

So here you go.  A recipe:

Spice Cake with Maple Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting
2 cups cake flour
3/4 cups sugar
3/4 cups brown sugar
3/4 t baking soda
1.5 t cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg
1/2 t cloves
2 Tbsp. ground ginger
3/4 t kosher salt
3/4 c sour cream
1 stick of butter, completely softened
1 t vanilla extract
2 eggs

Preheat the oven to 350.  Prepare 2 cupcake tins with liners.
Whisk together all of the dry ingredients (including sugars).  Add the sour cream and butter and beat on medium until they are fully incorporated. Add the eggs together and beat on medium until they are incorporated, and beat another 20 seconds or so.

Spoon batter into cups until they are somewhere between 1/2 and 2/3 full.  Bake at 350 for 18-22 minutes.  Pull out of tins immediately and cool on a rack.

Maple Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting
2 sticks butter softened, but still cool
1 block name-brand cream cheese, softened but still cool
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 t pure maple flavoring (or 1 T real maple syrup)
1 t vanilla extract or paste
3.5 cups powdered sugar, sifted

Beat the butter, cream cheese, and brown sugar on medium high for 3 minutes.  Scrape down the sides.  Add the powdered sugar and mix until incorporated, and then beat on medium high for another 2 minutes.  Add the extracts and mix until incorporated.

I sometimes add a bit of good ol' pancake syrup to this, as few Americans know how real maple tastes.  Just be sure you use a syrup made without high fructose corn syrup:)

Fall is here, despite our 88 degree weather.  Wedding stress aside, make some of these and bring some comforting warmth to your high-strung self.

Rachel Bee

Tips on growing out your hair...

There is nothing easy about growing out hair, which is rather absurd when I think about it.  What could be more easy than doing nothing?

I find it very easy to leave a dish or two in the sink.

Spending an entire day on the sofa watching a Law & Order marathon takes little effort at all, and I really would enjoy it.

So what's the big deal about growing hair out?  What's the deal?!?

I have mentioned before that nearly 2.5 years ago I had the worst hair experience of my life, and that is saying a lot for me.  I had rather short hair, but longer on top and in the front.  My salon owner wanted to color my hair "salmon," and somehow that sounded like a good idea to me.

As you may or may not know, in order to tint hair with a vibrant temporary color, one must extract all of the existing color from the hair.  Think of it this way- imagine you have a handful of bright crayons, and you have a choice of brown, yellow, or white paper to decorate.  On which piece of paper would you get the best result?  The white one!  The same concept applies to hair color.  In order to achieve a vibrant salmon, my stylist needed to pull out all of the color from my hair (aka "bleach").

I do not blame my stylist entirely for the blunder, as I know my hair's capabilities when it comes to bleach; but I never expected to be able to mush off large chunks of it a half inch from the root.  That day I received my last pixy, and that was that.  I was growing my nasty, half-inch long hair out.

That was in March of 2009.  Here is a picture of me in September of that year, 6 months later.

Yikes.  At an average of 1/2 inch a month, that is 3 inches of growth.  Wow!

And this is in late October, a month later, pulling a Friar Tuck...

This hair-do came straight out of Robinhood...

And this is in January of the following year, and it is finally in a bob configuration...

And in the summer of that year...

And from here, I had to just let it grow.  Here it is last week, 2.5 years after the original offense.

Success!  My goal is another 3-4 inches, and then I'll hang out there until... whenever.

So here are some practical tips on growing out one's hair, with very few awkward moments.  It is not easy, but you really can do it.  I did, and that is really unbelievable, believe me!

1.  If you have cut your hair in a pixy or near-pixy (over the ear, nearly every piece the same short length), the goal is to grow out the very top and front first.  Find a stylist you can trust.  See her no less than every 4 weeks for the first few months, and get her to taper in your neck (from the occipital bone down) for the first 5 months, or until the hair at the highest point above the ears is down to your jaw line (an average of 3 inches).

2.  In month 6, get a good 1/2 inch trim all over.  It has been 6 months since you received a good haircut,  and your hair is tore-up.

3.  Month 7, your hair could be in a bob configuration ( the weight line is straight from jaw around to the back hairline).  If it is not, continue to have it tapered in the back until it is in a bob.  Why am I so hung up about the bob?  I am trying to get you to avoid the awkward mullet stage.  This is important for your self esteem, and for the person who has to sit behind you in church.

4.  Once it is in a bob, do not get monthly trims.  Really.  This pulls from my pocket, but you can't keep getting hair cut off if you want to achieve length.  I would suggest that you schedule cuts for every 3 months, and only get a half an inch off at those times (if you even get that).  Again, find a stylist you can trust.  You should be able to partner with your stylist to achieve your length.

The above is the ideal situation, and there is really only one variable: chemicals.

Are you chemically dependant?  Do you crave color change every 3 months like I did?  I hate to say it, but your color-craving is only going to hold back or even halt your growth.  Here are a few suggestions...

1.  Opt for a shade that is 2-3 shades (max) away from your natural level.  If you are naturally dark brown, do not dream of pale blonde and expect to keep it healthy.  The farther you are away from your natural shade, the stronger the chemicals we get to use, and the more often you will feel compelled to visit us.

2.  Steer clear of foil.  Sure, a few foils can make a huge difference in solid drab hair, and they are great for subtle change if you can stay there.  But in most cases, blondes here in Augusta achieve their flaxen status through regular highlights, and I have to say that if you are growing your hair out foiling is not the way to go.  The idea in any hair-color maintenance is for the stylist to not overlap previous work, but when it comes to foiling, this is nearly impossible to do.  Nearly.  "Overlapping" is the act of spreading product (bleach in this case) over hair that has already been lightened (compromised in regard to hair health).  I am not saying that you are killing your hair by foiling, but you are making it more prone to breakage, which makes it harder to grow out.

3.  Stick with root color.  Sure, all over color change is fun, but I would say that you leave those ends alone.  If your stylist cannot accomplish your desires with either a simple touch-up or a ammonia-free demi-permanent color, you are not helping yourself.

Obviously, "touching up" implies that you have done an all-over color before.  Color is fine.  Color is awesome.  I love color.  All I am saying is that if you are growing your hair out, you need to lighten up on the frequency of chemical treatments.

As for maintenance, all I can say is take care of those ends.  They are old.  If your hair is one foot long, your ends came out of your head almost 2 years ago.  They need some love.

1.  Shampoo every other day.   This is not a necessity, but rather a suggestion.  Buy some dry shampoo, pull it back in a cute pony, and give it a rest.  Letting the natural oils sit on your hair for a day is soooo good for your hair.  C'mon.  Just try it.

2.  Focus on the blow-dry.  Instead of manipulating your hair every which way with an iron, do most of the smoothing work during the blow-dry.  Get a good round brush, a good dryer, and go for it.  And if you do find it absolutely necessary to smooth your hair with an iron afterward, do this right after you blow it dry.  Your cuticle is wide open, and your hair wants to be manipulated.  It will take you no time at all, and it will be more likely to last.

3.  Avoid tight ponytails.  It is so sad to me when I see a perfectly healthy and gorgeous head of hair with a halo of breakage, right where a pony tail would be.  Especially avoid doubling up your pony, as then there is a tight band right at the ends of your hair.

So the reality of the situation is that growing hair is out is not about doing nothing.  You have to work at it.  You have to maintain.  The desired result can't just be long, but also swingable, touchable, and worth the effort.  You can do it.  I promise.

Love to you all,

Rachel Bee

House keeping + cakes with a slice missing...

I have some house keeping to do.

First of all, here is a link to a video tutorial for those fabric roses I showed you last week.  I have tried to do a tutorial as still life, but a video is necessary I think.  So there you go.

Also, some of you have noticed that I have removed my "Purchase a Cake" page in the last two weeks.  That is for a few reasons.

1.  We need some fall cakes.
2.  And a slight price adjustment
3.  I was so stinking busy at the time, I couldn't make any cakes outside of what I was already doing.

So here is the deal for all of you semi-locals (Augusta, GA and anywhere within a 30-minute radius):  I need consistent pictures of the following cakes...

Beatty's Chocolate Cake + Fudgey Frosting

Vanilla Party Cake + Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Apple Spice Cake + Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting

Pumpkin Cake + Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

Chocolate Cake + Peanut Butter Frosting

Coconut Cake + Marshmallow Frosting

Chocolate Cake + Peppermint White Chocolate Buttercream

I will need to make all of these cakes (6" 2-layer cakes) in the next 2-3 weeks.  I will remove one slice to photograph, but then the rest of the cake will need a home.  A cake like this is normally $27, but as a slice will be missing, I am asking $12.  Obviously, it is not something you will bring to a birthday party- just something special for your family.

If you are crazy enough to buy a cake with a slice missing, comment either on this blog or on the Facebook post.  I am only making ONE of each of the cakes listed above.  A 6" two-layer cake will feed 6-8 people (unless you are really hungry).

First come, first serve.  Help a sister out.

Have a great one!

Rachel Bee

An apple green wedding cake...

Good morning, everyone!  We are up and at 'em at the Bee home this morning- sipping coffee and eating things like grapefruit and yogurt.

Blah...

It was a very busy weekend in our house, starting Friday evening and pulling straight through to Sunday night.  Friday brought a mere two hours of sleep as I made sense of 125 cupcakes, a cake for cutting, and a groom's cake for a Saturday wedding.

I read a Facebook post requesting an "inexpensive bakery" in Augusta, and with no thought I replied something like, "Well, right now it's my kitchen."  After a day's banter she decided to let me do it, and everything went very smoothly from that moment.

Yeah.

Right.

All of the ordering went very smoothly, the baking went well, but on Friday night I sat down for a moment to relax with a Diet Coke.  Langston approached me to ask for some of my "juice," and saying "no" was just not acceptable to him.  He stuck his finger in the opening of the can, and ever so slightly slit it open (his finger, not the can).  Langston has not seen blood in over a year, and as P went to find a bandage, Langston began to fuh-reak.

"Red, Red, RED!!!!!!  RED!!!!"

The bandage bothered him even more than the blood, and the only thing that soothed him was mommy's hands (both of them) covering the "owee" up.  For an hour or more.

Although I began a few hours late, I finished everything on time and made it to Washington, GA without a single tragedy (Oh, come on.  Twas nothing but a flesh wound).

P came with me to help me piece together the "Cupcake Tree."  OK.  And to take a few pictures.  And because he smells good.

Ribbon Cake, Cupcake Tree

Apple Green Wedding Cake

The cake topper the bride used had been used for generations of weddings.  How romantic!

The groom was the drummer for the band the "Dead Confederates" for a decade, so the bride asked that the groom's cake resemble a drum.

Drum cake

Dead Confederates Drum Cake

Pardon my ignorance, but those little silvery screwy things- well, I intended to make 6 of them, but I then got so caught up in symmetry that I ended up with four.  I could have made 8, but that didn't seem like a very good idea at 3:30 AM.  I think it still looks like a drum.

All in all, I am really pleased with the way everything turned out, although it was a bit stressful at times.  All throughout the making of these cakes, and while setting them up- I prayed for my friend and her (now) husband.  I prayed for so many years of togetherness, unity, and love.

I did.  I prayed for you, "K!"

So now that that's over, we are on to other things... like hair and makeup for four other weddings in the next three weeks.  And maybe some knitting.  And (squeal) a trip to New York.

May your day be beautiful.

Rachel Bee

I really have been doing stuff, I promise...

I am busy.  Oh, so very busy.

I am busy with home, with work, church, friends, crafting, and baking (of course).

I would love to inspire you right now, but I simply must start in the kitchen before my son gets up.  My son.  What a beautiful declaration!

I went into his room this morning to see if he was under covers, and naturally he was not.  His thick pink thighs were curled up against his body, with pieces of the "Memory Game" pinched between his snug little joints (yes, he wanted to sleep with it last night).  His rosebud lips were gently open and somewhat smashed against his pillow, with a generous pool of drool gathering under their fullness.  As I watch him, I think (oops, he heard me talking about him- he's up) of so many of my friends who are currently pregnant- some of them expecting 3rd and 4th babies.  I look my child's curls falling over his face; I think of his excited eyes as he recites his ABC's and counts to fifteen- and I understand.  I understand why parents want more, even though we can just barely keep up with the ones we have.

He is exquisite.  Bless the friends he will choose to have.  Bless the wife he will call his own.  God, help me to be worthy of him.

And here is what I have been doing these past few weeks...

Thomas the Tank Engine Cake

This is my attempt at a Thomas Cake.  After making my Phineas and Ferb Cake, a friend asked me to make her son Thomas Cake and I agreed; and shortly afterward declared that I would not ever do another character cake.  And we'll leave it at that.

Ruffle Cakes

This is a typically bad photo from my phone of my first attempt at a ruffle cake, and I was so pleased with it.  I made it along with 60 cupcakes for a good friend's 40th birthday party.

Cakes in Augusta, GA

This is a Double Chocolate Crunch Cake, one of three cakes I sent to the Limited's corporate offices 3 weeks ago.  By the grace of God they arrived safe and sound, and I was beyond relieved.  But given the experience, I am not going into shipping cakes as habit for now.  Sorry, my far away friends.

Cakes in Augusta, GA

This is a two tier Humming Bird Cake I made for a first birthday party.  I made this and another smaller one for the little girl to dig into.  I think I actually have a decent picture of that one somewhere...

I know you love the nice, greasy cake board...

Oh, dear... this is an engagement cake for a good friend of mine.  It was lemon-scented cake full of lemon curd and covered in lemony cream cheese frosting.  It was heavenly.

Bird Cake 

Bird Cake

And there has never been a boy so excited to marry a girl.  She is lovely, and he is well-aware.

Fondant Roses

And this is a Chocolate Cake frosted with Cream Cheese Frosting.  It was for a 13th birthday party.

Pink Cake

Please forgive the countertop.  It is all sugar and it is somewhat clean now.  I say "somewhat" as I am currently baking for a wedding on Saturday, so my kitchen is covered in a haze of powdered sugar and flour.

So there you have it.  I have also been making more headbands, and I will put together a tutorial on those shortly.  Oh, and it is way past time to pull out the knitting...

Have a wonderful day.

Rachel Bee

Cute and girly headbands...

"Melancholy/Phlegmatic," and boy am I feeling it today.

Perhaps it is my song choice.

Perhaps it is a sea of chlorine-free beige cupcake wrappers filled with deep chocolate brown calories.

Perhaps it is the dreary weather; the rush of thick humid air absent from my evenings.

Perhaps I am not sleeping enough, and I am sure I hear everyone shout an "Amen."

I can say that I am feeling very deep, slightly anti-social, politically irritated, and not really wanting to share anything with anyone.

Well, sort of.

Anyway, I have been a bit obsessed with an Etsy store which sells coiled rose-studded headbands and clips.  This girl appears to have made thousands of these things, so by the power of reasoning I figured that it really couldn't be that difficult.

And I was right.  I made three of these little beauties, and the process took nearly 15 minutes apiece.

Oh, well... I forgot about the button.  Maybe 20 minutes.  But really, not very long at all.

Typical "Rachel Style," skinny jeans, embellished shirt, and dumb ol' shoes.  I have had these since 2001.  And they smell like it.

Even Langston came in to play.

Here is one of the others...

Ok.  I really need to put the nose ring back in.

Aren't they cute?

Doesn't reading the word, "cute" make you feel better about my mental state??

:)

:o)

;) and a wink for good measure.

I plan to show a tutorial on how to make one of these next week, but I could also send you one if you want.  Email at beconfectionate@gmail.com, and I'll make it happen.

Have a great weekend!

Rachel Bee

Caramel nut cupcakes

Happy Tuesday- I hope you are having one.

I plan to have a good one, and given my day- it is possible, but it is also possible for it to go tragically wrong.  But isn't that any day, really?

I have done my praying, and I have also done hours of practical research and planning.  In my freezer are 3 cakes, all dressed up and ready for shipping halfway across the country.  And I am mortified.

What?  Wouldn't you be?

I stress enough about taking a sharp left-hand turn when I have a cold cake sitting securely in the floor of my car for 20 minutes.  The UPS delivery person I am certain will not take such care.  I am certain that no matter how I dress up these cake boxes, they will be tossed around like they are full of tube socks or bow-tie pasta.

Perhaps I should write more than "this way up."  Perhaps I should write something like...

"Cursed be the man who doesn't handle this care."

Or, "Do you have any idea how much these people are paying for these cakes?"

Or "Deliver me first, I am cake, after all!"

The reality is that come 10AM, it will be out of my hands, and I am quite certain I will think of nothing else until I know my precious little cakes are safe in someone's belly.

In the meantime, lets look at some other cakes- cupcakes, really.

These are Caramel Nut Cupcakes, and they are entirely too amazing.

I made these first in the end of July for a women's event at my church.  I only made about 20 of them, as I knew that there would be a ton of delicious food there made by others.  As I sat with my plate full of broccoli salad and 4 different chip-and-dip combinations, I watched as the girls at my table threw down forks, and some of them running to grab one of these little guys before they were reduced to crumbs.

Oh, my ego.

Just kidding.

I have a girlfriend who loved caramel sundaes from McDonalds almost as much as I did, and we were both mortified when the company discontinued this sweet and salty treat.  Ever since this event, I have had a desire to make my own caramel- but I am a bit terrified of hot sugar.

I am way too clumsy.

I searched for recipes, and after much deliberation, I found this one.  I started with my sugar in a dry pot as directed, and I sat and stared.  Nothing.  Nothing.  And nothing.  I watched the edges very closely, gently swishing the top of the sugar back ad forth with my spatula.  After what seemed like an eternity, my husband asked me if he could jump in the shower.  "Sure.  I think I am going to still be here staring at this pot when you get out.

The door closed to the bathroom, and I looked down at my pot and noticed what appeared to be a bubble in the middle of the white granulated sugar.  I pressed my spatula into the middle of it, and out oozed a deep amber goo.  What the?  Crap.  I tried to gently fold the white sugar into the melted sugar, but it really never came together, and the caramel was getting darker and darker.

The heck with it.  I added the heavy cream, and once incorporated I poured the chunky mess through a sieve.  True, half of the caramel went into the garbage, but the other half was a perfect amount for these cupcakes.

And they were delicious, and so reminiscent of my glorious McDonalds sundae.

Caramel Nut Cupcakes
One batch caramel.  I omitted the vanilla bean, but added a teaspoon of vanilla.

1 cup toasted nuts of choice.

1 batch vanilla cupcakes (the link is for vanilla cake.  Pour batter into lined cupcake tins until 2/3 full, and bake at 350 for 16-18 minutes)

1 batch Caramel Frosting

Fluffy Caramel Frosting
3 sticks of butter, softened but still cool
1/4 C Caramel
3 C powdered sugar, sifted
1 t vanilla
1/4 t kosher salt

Cream the 3 sticks of butter together for about 3 minutes.  Add the caramel and beat for an additional minute.  Add the sugar and salt, and cream for 5 minutes.  Mix in the vanilla until incorporated.  Use immediately.

Assembly:  With a small offset spatula, spread frosting onto the cupcakes.  You are looking for @1" of frosting on top, but nearly flat on the tops and sides.  Place a teaspoon of caramel in the center of each cupcake (yes, right on top of the frosting).  With a skewer, swirl it through and around the frosting, until you are satisfied with your swirl pattern.  Repeat until finished.

Place the cupcakes in the fridge for about 15 minutes.  Put the chopped toasted nuts in a shallow dish.  Either roll the sides of the cupcakes in the nuts, or place some nuts in the palm of your hands, and gently swipe them across the sides of the cupcakes.  I prefer the second method, especially if your frosting is a bit loose.

Eat, and forget about everything that could go wrong with your day (Prov. 3:5-6)

Rachel Bee

Mascara= the dead giveaway.

"Are you planning on crying today?" I asked.

"Um... not really?" she replied.

"So regular mascara is OK?" I grinned.

The above is my signature joke when I apply makeup.  It isn't very funny, but it always eases a girl's nerves as my quivering hands angle a long, pointed wand toward her cornea.

I love mascara, and I would say that it is without a doubt my favorite item in my makeup bag.  Although there are so many colors and varieties, I stick with the blackest black voluminizing types.  The ultimate in accomplishing big, beautiful lashes without flaking or clumping that I have found is Lancome Hypnose Drama.  It runs about $25 per tube, which although is sort of pricey for the average girl, does exactly what it claims to do.  Curl your lashes and apply Lancome Cils Booster XL beforehand, and they will be the envy of all of your girlfriends, guaranteed.

I love mascara.

But lets say a girl walks out of the house with 2 pounds of black shellac on her eyes, and something happens.  Although this world can be beautiful, sometimes tears unexpectantly find us, especially when we are Kleenex-less, hankie-less, and of course now covered in water-soluble black sludge.  And looking in the mirror afterward, one might say "I hate mascara."

Mascara= the dead giveaway.

If you are a regular reader of my blog, you have figured out that I am a lover of my Bible, and a lover of the God it so beautifully portrays.  1 John 4:10 says that love is not that I love God, but that He first loved me; and the Bible is full of gorgeous examples of this love.  Strength, encouragement, power, endurance, and always comfort- the Bible paints the most beautiful landscape of our love story.  And in despair, when a flood of tears have completely wrecked my flawless made-up face, I think of Psalm 56:8, when the writer paints a picture of God catching our tears in a bottle.  Or perhaps I think of Psalm 139:13-14, when the writer reveals that our God thinks of us on more occasions than there are grains of sand.

How beautiful.  What a God I serve!

It is all so infinitely hard to understand- that there are so many humans on the earth- and God can keep up with us all so intimately.  But if God was a being I could wrap my mind around- if He was in anyway quantifiable, would I count Him as God?  My father said yesterday, "Well, you know what they say?  In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth, and in the end man returned the favor."

We have all tried to create a picture of God in our brains.  He is male, he is female, he cares about our favorite sports teams, he doesn't care at all, he wants us to do good, he wants us to have money, he wants us to be poor, he accepts us just the way we are, he doesn't accept us at all- we have all given him traits to help our finite brains understand who He could be.  I study the Bible, which portrays him as infinite.  He is infinitely powerful, and also infinitely able to care about me enough to number my hairs (Luke 12:7).

And I am his poem (Ephesians 2:10).

And he is the lifter of my head (Ps. 3:3)

And he catches those tears that have wrecked my makeup.

And I love him.  But only because he loved me first.

Rachel Bee

Craving fall and cinnamon.

It is 72 degrees out, and all I want to do is run.

And that's not the truth.  All I want to do is bake something with pumpkin.

Or slip on some tall boots over leggings, or perhaps pair them with a belted shirt dress and a cardigan.

And a scarf, which I will knit myself.

I would like to feel cool, crisp air pass through my nostrils, and worry about Christmas presents and what day to spend with which relative this holiday season.

But alas, the temperature will soar to the mid 90's today, and I will (in truth) eek out all the use I can get out of my white cotton dress and strappy sandals.  I will purchase one of the city's last juicy watermelons and completely stuff myself.  I will run this evening in the 92-degree heat, and I will choke on every thick and dank breath.  This is my reality.

Yes, most of us are all over summer.  Although here in my corner of the South we are still wearing shorts at Thanksgiving, I believe relief from the 90's and above is in order.  And I believe the smell of cinnamon sugar, maple cream cheese frosting, and warm cranberry would do my soul (if not so much my figure) some good.

So in homage to eminent cooler days, I will share with you some Snickerdoodles.

The Snickerdoodle has never been my favorite cookie.  It is simple, and laying next to its chocolatey cousin, my hand gravitates toward the gooey warmth of Nestle Tollhouse Morsels.  Just saying.

But this is not a cookie to discount.  It is dense, chewy, and has just the right amount of warmth to aid in that afternoon that might need a cinnamon-y hug.  It would pair very nicely with an earthy Indonesian coffee, or even next to a cup of English Breakfast.

It packs a pre-winter punch- not heavy enough to really coat your bones, but so intensely reminiscent of sleigh bells, holly, and everything we love about that time of year.

Snickerdoodles 
   from Land o' Lakes
1.5 cups sugar
1 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
2 3/4 cups AP flour
2 t cream of tartar
1 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1 t vanilla
1.5 t cinnamon
3 tbsp sugar

preheat oven to 375.  Cream together the sugar and butter.  Add the vanilla and eggs and mix until incorporated.  Whisk together the dry ingredients except the sugar and cinnamon.  Stir into the butter mixture, just until incorporated.  Place the mixture in the fridge for around 30 minutes.

Mix together the cinnamon and sugar.  Roll the dough into 1-inch balls, and roll in the cinnamon sugar.

Place the balls onto a cookie sheet, and gently press down to flatten some.  Put into the oven for 8-10 minutes.  Place on a rack to cool.

So embrace what is to come, or linger at the table as the last few strawberries filter through the markets.  Or, perhaps put some lemon zest and blueberries in the Snickerdoodle dough.  Then you have both seasons covered.

Rachel Bee

Wedding pictures.

As most of you know, my littlest brother became a husband nearly a month ago, and the wedding was a full-fledged family effort.

I did hair and makeup, as well as bake cakes for the event.

Here I am trying to make sense of the front of her hair.

And here I am airbrushing her makeup.  I L-O-V-E my Sparmax airbrush.

So many people have never seen an airbrush used for makeup.  There was a continuous crowd building outside!

For whatever reason, I always make this face when I do pictures next to a client.  Scary.

And while we are at it, how about a picture of my brothers?

The AC went out in the house where we had the wedding.  The weather was mild that weekend, but there was so much cooking going on that it was so very warm inside.

Warm temps + makeup & cream cheese frosting = no good.

The front cake is a fluffy vanilla cake with cherry preserves and sugared cherries on top.  It was incredible.

The leaning tower of layers behind it is lemon poppy seed with lemon cream cheese frosting.  

I know.  Yum.

There was also a Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake, which is always everyone's favorite.

There really couldn't be a more beautiful couple.  Despite the warm temperatures, the day was so low-key and unpretentious.  When I asked the bride how she was feeling before I did her makeup, she said "I'm great.  I'm going to go get married and then eat some tacos.  What could be better than that?"

Congratulations, the two of you.  Love you both.

Rachel Bee