"Detour"

If I may… I am going to take a detour today.  Yes, today's entry is BASED on a wedding related issue, but the back story is not.

To set the stage, the story I'm about to relate occurred when the family looked like this.  KK, 16, Maggie, 13, Tess 7, Julia 4.  It was Christmas 2005.  Not pictured is our beloved dachshund, Schulz.

We were traveling from New England to California to spend the holidays with the family.  Kenny was going to meet us there, as he was traveling for work, and could not get away till the weekend.  (Bad mother that I was, I was taking the kids out of school a few days early).

Being the dad and father, that HE was, Kenny arranged for a car service to take us to the airport so I wouldn't have to suffer with the parking, four kids, a dog and all the luggage.  Yep, he's that kinda guy…

4:40 AM, the car arrives.  It's a town car that seats…5, and this includes the front seat.  Let me refresh you, five Karnes, a dog, AND a driver.

I was not happy.  I like to get to the airport REALLY early, have to check everyone in, pay for the dog - can't do that in advance -- why you ask ---- I DON'T KNOW!!!

I really hated to wait around for the new car to get to the house.

"I'm sorry, ma'am,"

MA'AM!  Now the driver really WAS in trouble!

"But we have no other cars.  It's Christmas, you know!"  Yes…I knew…

I won't bore you with all the details, but the kids and luggage were loaded and I drove to the airport.

Complaints were made, a credit issued, and a free ride to the airport promised.

Fast forward NINE years.  Now WHY I called the SAME limo company for the wedding transportation as the one mentioned above, I DON'T KNOW.  But I did.

I ordered the limo, and then was advised it would be more cost effective if I had a separate town car drive the bride and groom 'away from the reception' - can't say where they're going…

Ding ding.  Bells went off.  "Well…I have the funniest story," I said to the registration agent.  OK, I know it's too late to make this story short, but to make it a little shorter… I got the town car for free after I told her, that "Yes, of course I kept the NINE year old apology e-mail from the limo service…."

Sometimes, it's the little things.
http://my.bookbaby.com/book/simply-the-best

"Shower Gift - Round Two"

******  SPOILER ALERT!!!******

Once again, I am stuck. What to give Maggie for a shower gift, hosted by Rob's generous relatives?

  I thought back to my own bridal shower gifts. One of my favorites was a frame in which my wedding invitation was placed.

 I'm on my way today to pick up the framed "Doily" at Michaels  (if you remember, another shower gift for Maggie- I'm framing a lovely doily my grandmother crocheted).

If pictures are included below, that means I was successful on two counts, the Doily looks GREAT, and I found an invitation frame. - Off I go - I'm sure a Starbucks run is in order…

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So, yes, I was successful.  To the lower right is my creation. When I received a my own framed wedding invitation 30 + years ago, I, in my ignorance, thought it was a "kit" or something.  Now I realize that the gift giver very probably made the needlepoint frame.  I honestly can't remember who gave it to me, but I can tell you one thing, I'm going to go look it up in my memory book - a very good idea for situations just like this…  There is no "Kit" to frame wedding invitations.  You CAN, however, go on-line and special order one.  I just purchased a frame which I thought complimented the invitation colors, and some "fancy"" card stock" to "float" the invitation on -- I got a little help at Michaels... note my new lingo...


To the lower left, is my grandmother's "Special Order" framed doily.  Did I mention that she won FIRST PLACE in the CALIFORNIA STATE FAIR for an afghan she crocheted?!?  And California is a BIG state.

"Vendor Revisit - Florist"

We chose our florist six months ago, made the deposit, and I sort of forgot about her.  Maggie didn't.  Even though she had selected her color scheme, Maggie thought it would be a good idea to touch base and make sure her initial choices were still on track.

She booked an appointment.

"Let's take the bridesmaids' dress, and make sure the shade is right with our flower color," Maggie suggested.

"Huh?!?" I said.

Genius, it turns out.

Apparently, all shades of a hue are not the same.  We completely changed our rose color to better complement the bridesmaids' dresses.  The original color would not have worked.  Who knew?!?

Truly, I DO know, this is a little obsessive…but still...

We also learned a few pertinent facts.  If we chose peonies, the weather can play a big part in how the flower arrangements look.  If closed peonies are included in the bouquets, they may open prematurely is the weather is unseasonably hot.  This can affect the overall look of the bouquets/arrangements.  Food for thought…
http://my.bookbaby.com/book/simply-the-best

"Your Signature Wedding Cocktail"

I have chosen four cocktails from the website, www.theknot.com,  that are beautiful "Signature Wedding Cocktails."  Photo number one is titled, "Blue Hawaiian."  Photo number two, "White Cosmopolitan," photo number three, "Honeydew Ginger Gin Fizz," number four, "Tangerine"

So what is the purpose of the "Ultimate Signature Wedding Cocktail"?  From what I can discern, two things - to add a bit of flair in either your theme or wedding color scheme, or - to save cost on your bar tab.  Maybe both...

It can be more economical to have a beer, wine and "signature cocktail" bar vs. a full bar. If you have only beer, wine, and  signature cocktails, the host only has to buy alcohol for three drinks, vs. having to stock a full bar.  This is provided the host is buying his own alcohol - a cost effective choice.

We do not have a signature cocktail - but if we are going to choose one, we better do it soon.  The wedding is next month!  Although I'm not sure there is a matching cocktail for Maggie's color scheme…

http://my.bookbaby.com/book/simply-the-best

"The Top Layer of Your Wedding Cake, and Storing it"

The tradition of eating the top layer of your wedding cake on your first anniversary is at least as old as my great-grandparents.  Some bakers now offer a "free" separate top layer to save.  You must store it the right way, however, or it will NOT be a delicious experience.  We must have done a decent job of storing our top layer, as I know we ate it, and I don't remember it being awful…  Luck must have been involved as much as expertise.  Please enjoy the article I copied from www.yumsugar.com





Photo, Susannah Chen

It's de rigueur for newlyweds to save the top tier of their wedding cake to enjoy on the first anniversary. The idea behind this tradition, which dates back as far as the late 19th century, is for couples to savor the cake once again — as well as the memories of the big day and the first year of marriage.

Enjoying a well-preserved piece of wedding cake should be a pleasant reminder of your big day, so make sure it isn't ruined by a dry, smelly cake wrought with freezer burn. Learn how to properly store the top layer of cake when you read more.

To store the cake:

1. Designate a person to save the top tier once the cake cutting begins.
2. Set aside any fragile and large ornaments or decorations, such as the cake topper.
3. To avoid a stale cardboard taste, ensure the cake sits on wrapped cake board. A cardboard cake board should be wrapped with foil.
4. Place the cake in a freezer until the icing becomes firm, 20 minutes to three hours, depending on the icing.
5. Cover all of the cake's surface area with a generous amount of plastic wrap, avoiding air pockets.
6. Follow plastic wrap with two layers of aluminum foil.
7. Place wrapped cake in an airtight storage container and freeze for a year.

To enjoy the cake:

1. One day before your first anniversary, begin defrosting the cake: transfer it from the freezer to the refrigerator.
2. After two hours, remove the cake from its wrapping. Continue to defrost in the refrigerator.
3. Bring the cake to room temperature before consuming.
4. Serve and enjoy.

If you know you'll be moving within your first year, lack the freezer space, or simply don't want to bother with the process of freezing your wedding cake, order a small, six-inch anniversary cake from the same bakery. Ask for similar cake flavors and fillings and have it adorned like your wedding cake (you can even save your cake topper to be placed on it). Use the cake knife and serving set from your wedding, and enjoy the memories of the special day with fresh cake.

Did you celebrate your first anniversary with the top tier of your wedding cake? What are your cake-preserving tips?

Susannah Chen www.yumsugar.com

"A Little Known Factoid..."

A little known fact... Kenny and I have been married ... Twice.

Before we got married , Kenny - the Roman Catholic, and I - the Protestant, talked about our religious future. We decided we would get married in my hometown of Ojai, CA in my Presbyterian church. THEN I would convert to Roman Catholicism. I was happy with that. My dad had grown up a Catholic, and I felt an affinity to the religion.

It took me 18 months - the length of the program determined by individual parishes - I truly don't know of any other program that took that long - then or now. But boy, did I learn a lot. I think I'm a better informed Catholic than Kenny... And he went to Catholic school!

Although the church recognized my Protestant baptism, they didn't recognized our marriage - I believe this has changed...  Remember, this was over 30 years ago!

So... We were married again, in a Roman Catholic Church... by a priest.

Please see below a pictures of my hometown church where we were married the first time.

http://my.bookbaby.com/book/simply-the-best

"Cute Bridal Shower Ideas - Not My Own!"

If you haven't caught my hints by now, I will remind you…I am not a creative, crafty- type person.  But my daughter, KK, is.  Lucky for me, lucky for Maggie.  As Maid of Honor, KK will host a bridal shower for Maggie.  Not only is she creative, there is such a thing called… Pinterest.com - I'm joking.  I know you all know about it and could search, "Bridal Shower" and find these items, but I have done it for you!  :-)  This is about as far as my creative instinct will take me…

But check out these pictures… number one above, "Ask bridal shower guests to bring an antique cup for the bride to start an eclectic collection", 2) to the left -- pastel peppermint patty candies for the candy bar

3)  Below, "nail polish" cookies - how cool are these?!?

4) Not the best picture, but a GREAT idea, freeze edible flowers for beautiful ice cubes!

5) My favorite, caviar "Gems" atop cracker rings - per Martha Stewart

and 6) A very cute shower activity --- "make your own jewelry"

Check back tomorrow, and I just may have some of my own ideas...   http://my.bookbaby.com/book/simply-the-best