valentine's day Are You Ready To Celebrate?! SEA and NYC Parties Next Tuesday

valentine's day

We are so excited to celebrate our sixth anniversary of Cupcakes Take The Cake with parties in both Seattle and New York City next Tuesday. It is our first time partying bicoastal with Betsy Eves from Java Cupcake hosting the Seattle Party and the New York editors and columnists (Rachel, Stacie and Melissa and Me) partying here in Brooklyn. Get your tickets today. Tell a friend.  It's your chance to eat lots of cupcakes and have a fun time!

valentine's day

valentine's day PARTY!!!!

valentine's day Wouldn't you just love to be the party goers that get to walk up this path? I recently got to "meet", via this wonderful blog world of ours, Kate Todd, the voice of the Party Resources blog. Kate is the daughter of renowned party planner Ann Perry Todd, a.k.a. "Dixie".

As luck would have it, Kate invited me to be a guest on her blog and throw out a few of my favorite party ideas. I was very flattered and more than happy to oblige! I hope you have a chance to hop over and take a peek! Kate has been quite busy collecting great party ideas for all of us to try out ourselves. AND while you are at it....you will want to take a look at Dixie Todd's website. So many spectacular parties! As we all know, it is no small feat to put together a party as beautifully as those shown on Party Resources. My party hat is off to Dixie and Kate!!!

valentine's day TONIGHT is the NIGHT

valentine's day

Its Superbowl Baby...this is what we've been playing for all year long. It should be a good game...

Go COLTS!!!

valentine's day Pug Friday - Superbowl Edition

valentine's day

Its a big weekend at the Jetplanes household. Colts in the Superbowl baby...Colts in the Superbowl.

Hopefully the bad weather holds off, the Jetplanes are hosting a Superbowl party. Turns out Mr. Jetplane invited his whole class over for the party, depending on the flight schedule for Monday morning, we might have quite a showing.

Happy Pug Friday everyone....

GO COLTS!!

valentine's day Work is really getting in the way...

Of MY LIFE!!!

There I said it.


I'm back from Chicago and had a WONDERFUL time. However, I do feel like I seriously gained 10 lbs. I haven't ate a 'real meal' since I got there. I'm in a bad way, and I have a wedding on Saturday that I need to look 'good' at. Well, 'good' is a variable term, but still... don't want to look like a fat ass.

Anyway, I'm crazy busy today and hope to blog about the trip some more this evening.

But one thing that had to be blogged about this morning, was the term that my girlfriends and I coined over the weekend... We started saying...."He's having a Massengill moment!" and/or "He's a Massengill!"

You see...what makes it even funnier is that guys don't even know what Massengill is... they think that name sounds familiar, they think they know 'who' Massengill is... but totally don't know its a brand name for a douche. Ha Ha!!! No idea that we're calling you a douche bag or that you're acting like a douche bag... OMG so funny... or at least we thought it was. Well, all day of drinking does make us some pretty funny ladies... if we do say so ourselves.

OMG... I'm pretty sure my body is going through grease/fat withdraws...

Happy Monday
XOXO

valentine's day Neighbors and Daughters

valentine's day

Dining Table at our house Last Saturday

I feel regretful that I didn't capture all of the wonderful moments I had this last weekend. I was just too busy enjoying to pick up the camera. But I will try to regale you with description. For those of you who are tightening their belts this year, like we are, I wanted to let you in on an idea that is perfect in so many ways. Let me count them:

1)You get to meet neighbors previously not met, and actually get to know them beyond the distant wave across the street.

2) You get to see into your neighbors houses without peeking in the windows...you are actually invited in!

3) You get to eat a five course meal and share it with 20-30 people without paying for more than dessert.

4) You get to drink lots of wine...lots...and only contribute one bottle yourself. Unless the evening goes really well and then you can always break out more.

My husband and I participated in a Progressive Dinner Party last Saturday which was just a blast. The organizer of the event, Mark, referred to it as barely controlled chaos, but it went off without a hitch. There were about 12 couples organized into teams of two to three couples. One couple prepared the meal, one couple provided the wine, the last couple hosted the course (at least that is what our team did).

We started at one house for appetizers. My favorite had to have been a caramelized onion and dried cherry Crostini concoction that was out of this world! Can you just imagine my excitement to be eating fabulous food prepared by a bunch of foodies AND get to see their homes as well? My little bit of heaven.

At the next house we had a soup "tasting". It began with a green tomato and mango ( I think) gazpacho, then a lobster bisque, then a butternut squash soup topped with sage and a french bread crouton, and ending with a red pepper and tomato soup. All you could hear were sipping noises and mmmm,mmmm against the sounds of Adele's Chasing Pavement in the background. Music was generously provided by Steve, who made CD's for all with his favorite songs from 2008. Steve and I are simpatico on the music front! Could you just kill me for forgetting my camera?

The salad course was at a house which has been one of my long-time favorites in the neighborhood. A dutch colonial style, it has out buildings that have been added over the years, and we were lucky to get to see the "playroom" above furniture making studio of the multitalented woman who lives there. The space is a large open room with a huge fireplace that has a hammered copper hood. The exposed wood ceiling has trusses with custom craftsman style lanterns hanging from them. The owners had set up tables with white linen table cloths with bunches of carnations in silver Derby cups. Salads: romaine and Mandarin oranges, and spinach with walnuts and dried cherries. Mmmm.

On to the next house for the main course of angle hair pasta with Chicken Marsala. This house was so pretty, but the main attraction for me (cuz I love cats and can't have one since Tim is allergic) was the two cats that were the life of the party. Most cats would high-tail it out of a mass of people, but these two were the comic relief. Hanging from their kitty-condo, they commanded the room. Fantastic meal here too!

Then on to our house for dessert....I might be biased, but I think we had the best team. C'mon guys! Admit it....the desserts were amazing! A perfect lemon tart, and a chocolate tart with sea salt and pistachio brittle...and the chocolate cake with raspberry sauce and whipped cream....and the strawberries with brown sugar. Oh, and don't forget the Port! Dessert is my favorite food group. Thank you Joe and Mike for the delicious tarts, and Rocky and Janet for the decadent cake! You are welcome at my house house anytime (as is everyone else!).

The only picture I caught was a bit of the Dining Room Table above, but I received alot more than that. I have made new friends and strengthened other neighborhood ties. I am so lucky to be in a place where this kind of thing happens more often than not. Thank you to all!

This is a recession proof way to entertain, and develop a system of support right next door. I urge you all to try it.

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I also have some pretty amazing talent in my own kitchen. I had to take a picture of a dessert made by my oldest daughter, with a bit of help from the younger. This is what we had for dessert on Friday night:

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From the latest In Style Magazine,February 2009, Orange and Bourbon Chocolate Cake from the Spotted Pig in NYC. Amazing.....just like my girls.

valentine's day Mom's and Birthday Presents

valentine's day

Sunflowers, Ornamental Peppers and Rosemary from the Sacramento Farmer's Market

Is it a dilemma for any of you to pick a birthday present for your mother? When a person is trying to rid themselves of the clutter that accumulates after many years on the planet, what do you give that doesn't add to the problem? My Mom is one of the most interesting people I know. She has lived in California: Pasadena, Venice Beach, Malibu Canyon, Napa and Healdsburg and Petaluma. She lived near Santa Fe New Mexico in a village called Galesteo and also in Taos. She lived on Vashon Island in Puget Sound. She lived in Hawaii for a period of time as well. Along the way, she gathered beautiful things and mementos from all of the friends that she has acquired.

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This Country Beidermeier armoire has traveled from Pasadena in the home where I grew up, to Galesteo New Mexico, to Vashon, to Healdsburg, Petaluma, and now to Sacramento. The marble topped table has traveled the same path. There is a crow from an artist, John Cannell, in New Mexico sitting on the armoire with two large metal finials that I think came along in Headlsburg. Then, there is the large handcrafted tin framed mirror that was purchased from an artisan friend by the name of Robert Stanfeld from Santa Fe, New Mexico.

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There is this Folk Art man standing next to a carnivorous plant, which is so beautifully cool I think! I mean, who's mom chooses a plant like this?. The man is from a New Mexico Folk artist as well. And the Lamp is from Mom's antique Dealer days in Healdsburg. It used to be a beverage dispenser.

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TV/Sitting Room

My mother collects ironstone, and has one of the most interesting collections I have seen A few of the pieces are atop just a portion her overflowing bookcases. (Now you know where I got my book fetish......and my ironstone interest.) The small hexagonal table is Victorian, picked up from an antiques dealer in Napa. And on top is an Indian Basket from my Father's side of the family (a few generations ago) filled with very old American Indian pottery shards gleaned from a forgotten New Mexico dumping site. The green Art Deco lamp is by Weller one of a pair and is from Mom's Healdsburg days. The glass pedestal the lamp is sitting on is an old Gas Pump cylinder.

So what does one give when a person doesn't want or need anything else?

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We brought books to read, flowers to enjoy, goodies to eat, and wine to drink.

valentine's day

We brought our very favorite cake: a Pims Cake from Freeport Bakery, our favorite bakery. (It is a rich almond cake topped with orange marmalade and chunks of chocolate fudge, modeled after the Pims English Tea Cookie).

But most importantly we brought ourselves, our time, and too much love to fit in any sort of wrapped up package. And the undying promise of more.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!