Butterfly Town, U.S.A.

One of my favorite things about visiting my parents' home in Northern Virginia is sitting on their back deck and basking in the greenery that doesn't exist in New York.  (Well, outside of Central Park.)  Naturally, it was one of the things about this past weekend in Monterey that I enjoyed the most - there was so much nature I felt like I was in a National Geographic series.

My parents have an abundance of different plant life in their garden, including bushes with conical clusters of saturated blue, pink, and purple flowers.  Butterfly bushes, like the insect they're named after, are bright, colorful, irresistibly beautiful, and happen to permeate the entire city of Monterey.  In every single part of the city we visited, whether in the busiest shopping districts or the more remote parts of the Pebble Beach forest, these bright purpley blue flowers poked their heads out to remind us that yes, there's a reason Monterey is called "Butterfly Town U.S.A."

Quite simply put, I was in heaven.

It was the icing on the cake of what was already an amazing weekend:

1) My baby brother got married to an amazing woman.

2) The Mr. and I got a break from work, the crowdedness of Manhattan, and life.

3) I actually pulled off a pretty good-looking (and tasting) wedding cake!

If it were in any way possible, I would have packed bushels of bushes in my duffel bag to smuggle back to the city with me.  Alas, I think my packing skills are limited to buttercreamed cakes and fondant; for now these pictures will have to do.  (Or maybe a visit to Virginia is in order ...)

a new start

A little over ten months ago, my little brother, A., started talking about a girl that he'd become friends with, R.


Over the course of the ensuing year, it became increasingly clear that they were each other's 'other' - A. told me over the phone, when he announced their engagement, that the moment of realization actually came when they were having a heated argument.


"I'd rather be fighting with her than be with anyone else."


And so this past weekend our two families came to Monterey, California, to witness and celebrate their commitment to each other.  It has been a whirlwind weekend, filled with breathtaking rock beaches, lush seaside forests, and mild weather.


My family stayed at the hotel on the Naval base converted from an old late-19th century Art Deco resort.  Walking through the spacious halls these couple of days has given me a glimpse into California's past, and made me nostalgic for a time I haven't ever experienced - a time where peacocks roamed the lawns (yes, they still do today!) and the resort was in its prime.

More on the wedding itself later - California isn't done with me yet!

it's one a.m. and I'm still awake

I'm waiting for the layers of my giganto cake to set in the freezer.  Luckily I have someone to keep me company.

taking a short break

I'm a little stressed out right now, and I'm desperately trying to hold on to that gossamer shred of sanity that's keeping me from going over the edge.  All I really do is sit back and wallow in hummus - um, I meant snuggle on my couch.


My 23 year old brother is getting married this weekend, and I have 5 days now to finish his wedding cake.  5 days can seem like a lot of time, but when you are interrupted by that pesky little thing called work then 5 days is really not that long.  It's really just a couple of hours each night to bake the cakes (two flavors), make the fillings (vanilla custard and raspberry mousse), cut, stack, and mask each tier (all three of them) and then figure out a way to get them packed into a cooler and ready to fly across the country with me to Monterey.


Yeah, breathe ....


So today for dinner, something simple: homemade hummus with baked tortilla chips.  Not bad, eh?  Almost good enough to forget I have a busy busy week ahead of me.