A slice of cake, er, life.

This is the cake I made for my birthday. Note the expansive use of butter cream frosting. Shut up, it was my birthday, I can have cake with double frosting if I wanna.

Check out this vintage wrapping paper my Mom sent! It was a very vintage day, as you see that my boys got me the Little House cookbook (we have been reading the series together). My mom-in-love got me a beautiful galvanized watering can and wash basin and antique serving dish. And I'm actually rather vintage too, or as the unrefined refer to me-- old as dirt.

Inside the paper was an exquisite crocheted doily made by my Mom! I heart doilies, especially pastel ones made lovingly and elaborately.

Just had to don the doily.

Wolf looks over a bunch of fireworks from Grandpa Jay.

Hot fire pit acion!

Fireworks! Actual size!

Ultimate shot! Looks like fire is going through him!

Vlad loves mixing media. Here he is working with taditional legos and hero factory. He calls it "Nex mini-fig". This kid builds all day!
Yesterday, Olivia was beating him up, and he says to Jas, "Jassy, you borned a savage baby!"

Christmas in July...

 Around these parts, it sure feels like Christmas every July as most of us celebrate birthdays.  My family usually gets together around the fourth to throw our "Birthday Bonanza", where we celebrate all our summer birthdays. This year it was actually on the fourth so we had fireworks too!  This year's  display was ridiculous!  The Grand finale was utterly insane, I don't think they can ever top it.

    For years I have wanted to put bunting up on my porch for summer.  I cringe every time I price them out and never end up buying them.  This year I decided to make something instead.  I came up with a pennant style bunting made from bandanas (I tea-stained the white ones).  Not as good as traditional bunting, but it made me feel festive.

    I also went ahead and tried Martha's firework cookies out.  They looked great, but my royal frosting would not dry! I didn't care for the taste of the icing either, but the cookie was good.  Next time, I will use my usual recipe for royal icing, given to me 20 years ago by my friend Reva.

     We also made Wolfie's birthday cake! His favorite animal at the zoo is a yellow dotted stingray, so the cake is featuring a dotted ray.

 Olivia seemed to like her first parade and fireworks. She was really enjoying herself!

We all enjoyed having my brothers in town, but Wolf and Vlad REALLY enjoyed it!

Hope you all had a wonderful 4th of July!