tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26697962024-03-13T17:11:23.866-04:00Writings on the Wallfortuitous faeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17782289070632326072noreply@blogger.comBlogger1430125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669796.post-24514158018288060802013-09-12T00:34:00.000-04:002013-09-12T00:34:13.705-04:00Rincon, Tostones and a Little Infatuation<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="userContent">They say Travel is like falling in love.
Strangers at first. A glance turns into a stare, and then you're
entranced. The stare becomes a longing gaze. You realize that you, the
tourist, become the one conquered by a once-unfamiliar location. And
that's how I fell in love with the sunset at Rincon. Specifically at "El Faro," or the lighthouse in Rincon. The rays of the setting sun shimmering over the waters were a mesmerizing sight. It was God's postcard meant to be enjoyed by our naked eyes. Sounds cliche, <i>yo se</i> (I know).</span></div>
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<span class="userContent">It's my second time in "<i>La Isla del Encanto</i>," and it has enchanted me a second time. We celebrated my niece's birthday with her abuelos there as well as Labor Day Weekend.</span></div>
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<span class="userContent">Up in the western boondocks of Aguada, we ate at a neighborhood restaurant which served chicken, "<i>tostones</i>" (smashed plantains then fried--Puerto Rican fries), burgers using Puerto Rican beef, and ribs. </span></div>
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Puerto Rico feels like going to a province in the Philippines, because the houses are painted in the same bright colors, and the heat is similar. Except people spoke Spanish. Although a U.S. territory, people especially in the rural areas mostly spoke Spanish. In the more touristy locations such as San Juan, Puerto Ricans are bilingual. This trip meant that I could practice my still struggling <i>Español</i>. But I loved being able to do it even just to order or pay for things. I even delighted in asking a Walgreens clerk to look up my rewards card with my phone number. (<i>Puede buscar con mi telefono?</i>)<br />
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At that little food shack up in the boondocks, I watched a man inside prepare our order. He must have been chopping the <i>pollos</i> to perfection. But I couldn't stop staring at his face through the small order window, so much so that I zoomed in my camera to take one photo.<br />
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At least the sight of him made my <i>pollos con tostones</i> much more <i>sabroso</i>.</div>
fortuitous faeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17782289070632326072noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669796.post-84220983965648317482013-07-13T01:06:00.001-04:002013-07-13T01:17:24.164-04:00Hola!<div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtyiNAxn7IVDdPwhIVrNhIc3pZuHJOtYjddYH10_uEzBFj-MUqY4MjEcf2N97jegKZLREfZsTz5mCw-SpQTAC56HHcQr3-Ds0a4lFwgvvXs5ia7UzD0KeGSVXCpPcYrZE4BYpgjw/s640/blogger-image-815309496.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtyiNAxn7IVDdPwhIVrNhIc3pZuHJOtYjddYH10_uEzBFj-MUqY4MjEcf2N97jegKZLREfZsTz5mCw-SpQTAC56HHcQr3-Ds0a4lFwgvvXs5ia7UzD0KeGSVXCpPcYrZE4BYpgjw/s640/blogger-image-815309496.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Why hello there! I'm back! If I didn't know Blogger had an iPad app already, I would probably still neglect my poor blog! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Anyway, I just installed Rosetta Stone Spanish on my desktop PC because I've been meaning to learn <span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); "><i>Espanol</i> for the longest time....especially since I'll be flying to Puerto Rico for the second time next month! Sure, we learned Spanish in college for a semester, but it was a forced kind of thing that your brain didn't want to retain...and we weren't really encouraged to converse or compose complex phrases on our own. It was just textbook Spanish....the kind that will probably get you by if you need to look for the bathroom in a Hispanic country.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I want to speak like a native...and this will help me a great deal when I travel to South America and Spain. And Spanish happens to be a widely spoken foreign language in the United States. It might even take over English in the future!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">So I took the Rosetta Stone plunge because I found a 60% off discount thanks to Live Mocha, an online language learning community where you help others with your native language while learning a new one! Pay it forward! You earn points by teaching others which you can use to move forward with your own language course. This site was recommended by a dear friend in Ireland, Odette!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">The coolest thing is that the Rosetta Stone course comes with a headset so you can listen and pronounce the words and phrases, and they let you know if you're saying it right!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Well, I hope to be fluent by the end of August! Wish me <i>buena suerte, amigos!</i></div>fortuitous faeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17782289070632326072noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669796.post-6441325024120728652012-07-31T18:42:00.002-04:002012-07-31T18:42:38.444-04:00Boy Oh Boy!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Dear Neglected Blog,
<br>Hi, how are you? So sorry I haven't updated you in a while. Well, a baby shower cake was the last cake I made this month before I lost my sense of humerus a second time. Translation: I redislocated my shoulder. I am sorry it took me an injury to remember your existence. Isn't it ironic?<br />But check out the tic-tac-toe tiled icing on the sides:<br>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/c0nniechiwa/7686431592/" title="Tiled icing by conniechiwa, on Flickr"><img alt="Tiled icing" height="374" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7278/7686431592_08ab1dd9ed.jpg" width="500" /></a>
<br />I went to the Philippines last month for a two-week vacation, right smack when the rainy season started there. I got to stay in the Eastwood area the first week. It seemed I ate somewhere everyday, but it also meant meeting family and friends again...including two who were pregnant. I tell ya, 'tis the season to be having baby boys!<br>I purchased an iPad and I've been wifi-hunting with it wherever I go. This is actually my first blog post using my iPad which is quite challenging, especially photo-editing on flickr with Aviary (it used to be Picnik, but they've closed basket...I mean, shop.). <br>The doctor wants me to remain sling-bound for another two weeks. I look forward to be able to dance again, and bake again. And get a healthy dose of *his* smile again.
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</div>fortuitous faeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17782289070632326072noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669796.post-48296349802591073382012-03-11T11:17:00.001-04:002012-03-11T11:18:51.742-04:00Dancing with Barbie Dolls<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/c0nniechiwa/6793846026/" title="#DWTS Barbie dolls! Paso Doble & Waltz! $34.99 each! at Target! by conniechiwa, on Flickr"><img alt="#DWTS Barbie dolls! Paso Doble & Waltz! $34.99 each! at Target!" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7185/6793846026_7bdd1a183a.jpg" width="375" /></a></div></div><br />
<i>"Oooh I wanna dance with somebody...I wanna feel the heat with somebody!"</i> sings Whitney Houston. <br />
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Even Barbie is feeling the urge to dance...in the ballroom, no less! Spotted these special edition Barbie dolls at Target tied in with my favorite celebrity dance show "Dancing with the Stars."<br />
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Only serious Barbiephiles can afford to collect these at $34.99 each.<br />
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I would pick the Paso Doble Barbie if I had to choose between these two. The All-New Season of Dancing with the Stars returns on March 19th and I can't wait! Ballroom glitz and glamour as they descend on the spiral stairs! Who will I root for this season? I have a feeling they'll dance to at least one Adele song. </div>fortuitous faeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17782289070632326072noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669796.post-81373538482741434542012-03-06T22:54:00.000-05:002012-03-06T22:54:31.333-05:00Fortuitous Flowers<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/c0nniechiwa/6960630869/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="fortuitousflowers by conniechiwa, on Flickr"><img alt="fortuitousflowers" height="334" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7056/6960630869_b50281b548.jpg" width="500" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I bought myself flowers sometime last week. It was on Leap Day Eve. It was a day when my heart grew a hundred times the size of <a href="http://www.srixon.com/golf-balls.html" target="_blank">golf balls</a>. I think it's the first time I treated myself to a bouquet of blooms, that which isn't bought for someone else or for the prayer altar at home.</div><br />
I purposefully picked pink. Because I had felt tickled pink. Well, not immediately. Stunned at first, then the color saturated my being as soon as the fortuitous event sunk in. I wouldn’t compare my heart to <a href="http://www.srixon.com/z-star-tour-yellow__z_star_tour_yellow__viewBall_tour_balls.html" target="_blank">yellow golf balls</a>, so pink flowers it was.<br />
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The late great Whitney Houston (God bless her Divine Diva soul) echoes my sentiments with uncanny accuracy in her 80’s song “How Will I Know.” But am I brave enough, bold enough, to really want to know? </div>fortuitous faeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17782289070632326072noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669796.post-86881321158749056572012-02-26T05:08:00.000-05:002012-02-26T05:08:12.320-05:00Cake Pops!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/c0nniechiwa/6784780096/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="nakedcakepops by conniechiwa, on Flickr"><img alt="nakedcakepops" height="335" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7190/6784780096_ec9158e5b0.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />
On Valentine's Eve, I stayed up until 3am to make cake pops for the first time. I originally wanted to make cupcakes, but someone else at work already planned on baking red velvet cupcakes so I decided to do something else.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/c0nniechiwa/6930901609/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="bananapops by conniechiwa, on Flickr"><img alt="bananapops" height="335" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7208/6930901609_363506e65a.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />
I didn't have everything I needed, but I worked with what I did have, such as only one bag of Wilton candy melts instead of two. I also didn't have styrofoam to dry the coated cake pops on, so I used a banana instead. No candy pop sticks which would have been sturdier, so I had used our colored coffee stirrers instead.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/c0nniechiwa/6784786706/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="closeuppops by conniechiwa, on Flickr"><img alt="closeuppops" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7063/6784786706_ffc71e9a78.jpg" width="335" /></a></div><br />
They're not as smooth and evenly coated as I had hoped, but they were gone by the end of the day! I brought about 20 pieces to work. They loved it!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/c0nniechiwa/6930897253/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="cakepops by conniechiwa, on Flickr"><img alt="cakepops" height="335" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7197/6930897253_fcd4434810.jpg" width="500" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I guess the treat for me was when three people asked me how I made them, including someone I was secretly hoping would sample them. He did, and he came bursting through our office to inquire about the cake pops' creation. I calmly explained the method employed while this unexpected attention was secretly enjoyed. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Some weeks back, I had imagined bringing something to work on Valentine's Day and offering him to try it, but that day I didn't even have to do it and it still happened on his own initiative. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Oh, and the funny thing was, he had called them "Cake Balls," which I promptly corrected. </div></div>fortuitous faeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17782289070632326072noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669796.post-44365510552283747382012-02-24T02:15:00.000-05:002012-02-24T02:15:24.212-05:00A Car That's 2Strong<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/c0nniechiwa/6924995193/" title="2strng by conniechiwa, on Flickr"><img alt="2strng" height="334" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7184/6924995193_0d85681161.jpg" width="500" /></a></div></div><br />
It took two toll booths and a total of $18.50 to get to Woodside in Queens, New York to satisfy a Jollibee craving on President’s Day Weekend. It was really a request from our Canadian guests who came to visit us, and it was either that or freeze while queueing for the ferry boat to the Statue of Liberty (which they’ve been wanting to see up close). The red bee won, especially since we were all hungry and it was already lunch time.<br />
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Thankfully, parking was a breeze on a sidestreet near the one and only Jollibee branch in the entire East Coast. Right in front of our spot was this car with a heroic trunk and matching message on the license plate. Someone is obviously a huge (pun intended) fan of The Hulk! And that reminds me, the new Avengers movie is coming up! Hopefully it lives up to the hype!<br />
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I wonder if the owner of this car was dining in the jampacked fastfood shrine we were visiting, or perhaps lives in the apartment building right next to its spot. This is what I love about New York: it never ceases to amaze, surprise and amuse. If this were a car sighting in California, though, it can be a cool ride to do <a href="http://www.gogobot.com/san_francisco" target="_blank">San Francisco hotel reviews</a> in. <br />
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Ideally, Bruce Banner would do this in a mild manner.</div>fortuitous faeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17782289070632326072noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669796.post-14753445919018697492012-02-23T02:21:00.001-05:002012-02-23T02:31:35.881-05:00Gift Guru-ness<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDGMqZukbE8aOF4Q6wkhhB9atyKXJA9wD4uALQe1JKHT1saAyqKRhJDG1tFdS5xKZ-knG9O1pFpFoI8c5wrC_1ipYBQFnLuX9bGCmzr4tUMRNSMZ4vzyEweLVTp7h53ukXx0owvw/s1600/vdaytreats.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDGMqZukbE8aOF4Q6wkhhB9atyKXJA9wD4uALQe1JKHT1saAyqKRhJDG1tFdS5xKZ-knG9O1pFpFoI8c5wrC_1ipYBQFnLuX9bGCmzr4tUMRNSMZ4vzyEweLVTp7h53ukXx0owvw/s400/vdaytreats.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Some say Valentine’s Day is a holiday spawned by Hallmark and chocolate-makers. It’s a day when singles feel most singled out, but I enjoy the card-giving tradition that goes with it. It’s also an excuse to eat more chocolate, especially ones that come in some heart-associated, usually red packaging.<br />
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There is bliss in sending Valentine cheer, amplified when it is received from thoughtful friends from across the miles. These mailed goodies from <a href="http://princessody.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Ody</a> and Pavinee are just a few heartwarming examples. Love can come with a postage stamp!<br />
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For my cousins, there were the ubiquitous chocolates which I paired with movie certificates I had purchased at a wonderful discount. In gift-giving, a good rule of thumb to follow is that when in doubt, get them gift cards/ <a href="http://www.giftrocket.com/">gift certificates</a>. It helps to know where they love to shop/dine! Pick a store they adore and let them do the picking of what they really want. You will never go wrong! Gift cards are also a time and sanity-saving shopping device especially for those who do not want to linger at the mall mulling over what to get someone. Plus, you don’t have to wrap it.<br />
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So are you a Gift Guru?</div>fortuitous faeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17782289070632326072noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669796.post-47037565219540731392012-02-13T08:17:00.000-05:002012-02-13T08:17:29.530-05:00Cupid's Candy Heart Cupcakes<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/c0nniechiwa/6867646735/" title="cupcakelove by conniechiwa, on Flickr"><img alt="cupcakelove" height="335" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7187/6867646735_7aa5914f14.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">Cinderella couldn't go to the ball, so she made cupcakes instead.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Happy Valentine's Day, Y'all! Or as I call it, a day to indulge in chocolate packaged in many different ways heart-shaped or -hued.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Here are some lemon cupcakes I recently baked with pink frosting, red sprinkles and candy hearts for a Filipino religious celebration (Ati-Atihan Fiesta) in a jolly place called Jersey City. The pink cupcake wrappers were extra ones from my baby niece's first birthday party last year.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I had fun sorting out the cute messages on the candy hearts from this big bag I bought. "Tweet Me" is so social network-modern! I could have lined up the ones that said "Call Me," "Text Me" and "Tweet Me" to show the evolution of candy-fied sweet nothings. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">My personal favorite, simply, is the one that says "Smile." ♥</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Dear Lord, just realized this is my first ever blog for 2012! #Twitterkilledblogging!</div></div></div>fortuitous faeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17782289070632326072noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669796.post-37132937234295925992011-12-27T21:29:00.002-05:002011-12-27T21:38:15.503-05:00"Para El Amor Que Se Baila"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/2n8DO3JxSUs" width="420"></iframe></div></div><br />
Have you ever been consumed by a desire to do something? And not just anything, but something so spectacular and challenging and something you've never done before. <br />
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I don't know why, but I am mesmerized by the Argentine Tango. Perhaps it was seeing Ricki Lake do it on the recent season of Dancing With the Stars with her amazing partner, Derek Hough, that inspired me to learn this sexy dance. <br />
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This particular song by a group called <a href="http://www.otrosaires.com/">"Otros Aires"</a> was something I stumbled upon on Youtube. The song title translates to "For The Love of Dance." The couple in the video is entangled in a quick and complicated choreography with lifts and leg wraps that make their limbs look like Swiss Army knives on fire, like legs fueled by a <a href="http://www.cw-usa.com/equipment-bunn.html">Bunn coffee maker</a>. I love the added touch of theatricality by the dancers, the flirty use of the hat.<br />
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The day after Christmas, my family and I went to Rockefeller Center just to see the Christmas Tree. It was my baby niece's first time. We had parked in a facility close to the Argentine Consulate which I thought was some sort of sign. If Ricki Lake can do it, so can I! <br />
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I should have asked Santa for Tango-ready, lithe legs. And since it takes TWO to Tango, a dance partner also. </div>fortuitous faeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17782289070632326072noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669796.post-16679472138464603472011-11-29T02:06:00.000-05:002011-11-29T02:06:04.714-05:00Thanksgiving Cake<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/c0nniechiwa/6423422591/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="thankscake by conniechiwa, on Flickr"><img alt="thankscake" height="335" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7165/6423422591_9bee359170.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />
Wow, my blog posts are becoming spasmic and far in between. I apologize, but I am still here. Mostly on Twitter nowadays, shamelessly exposing my love-sick lamentations and some random rhymes.<br />
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However, I present to you my latest cake creation for the recent Thanksgiving celebration!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/c0nniechiwa/6423439277/" title="pumpkins by conniechiwa, on Flickr"><img alt="pumpkins" height="335" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7170/6423439277_a660495839.jpg" width="500" /></a></div></div><br />
I really wanted to sculpt a turkey figure out of fondant, but I was pressed for time since I was also doing the turkey stuffing and spaghetti for the Thanksgiving dinner. I ended up making mini pumpkins instead.<br />
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Some of the things I'm grateful for this year:<br />
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The gift of cake craft--and the means to afford it; for the sweet smiles I get whenever I bake it. For the gift of travel: the chance to see the world unravel! For the gift of dance, the chance to get on the floor; for all the wonderful reasons that make me love life more! But most importantly, for the love of family and friends...the real icing on the cake!</div>fortuitous faeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17782289070632326072noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669796.post-46514307417049571312011-10-26T22:25:00.000-04:002011-10-26T22:25:45.112-04:00Foot LOSE!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/c0nniechiwa/6280821836/" title="My injured foot wrapped in gauze for cushion. Self-applied. by conniechiwa, on Flickr"><img alt="My injured foot wrapped in gauze for cushion. Self-applied." height="500" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6042/6280821836_79dcf9784e.jpg" width="375" /></a></div></div><br />
A day after I danced my heart and hips out for my father's 60th birthday party, my bare foot landed on a belt buckle on the floor at home, right smack in the middle.The pointy thing was sticking upward, like it was just patiently waiting for that freak accident to happen, and it did. <br />
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The darned metal penetrated my skin. It meant having to get a tetanus shot, and two days later my shoulder still hurts from the vaccine; meanwhile, I'm limping at work and propping my leg up on the recycling bin in the office. It's not the sexiest sight.<br />
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What's sexy, then? A smile that's meant for you. Because really, it starts with a smile. Hello only comes second. The rest is Cheese-tory.</div>fortuitous faeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17782289070632326072noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669796.post-48301206091689987722011-10-15T09:40:00.000-04:002011-10-15T09:40:22.141-04:00Ladybug Fondant Birthday Cake<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/c0nniechiwa/6245250034/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="fondantcake by conniechiwa, on Flickr"><img alt="fondantcake" height="334" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6171/6245250034_f499821174.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />
Here you have it, folks: the end result of all those Wilton Cake Decorating classes I took during Spring. The reason why I even took them in the first place--to create my baby niece's First Birthday Cake!<br />
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I went with a Pink Ladybug theme, because she is our little ladybug! The top tier of the cake is strawberry and the bottom layer is dark chocolate. We had her party by the lake on the last holiday of the summer: Labor Day Weekend.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/c0nniechiwa/6246444682/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="gumpasteflowers by conniechiwa, on Flickr"><img alt="gumpasteflowers" height="334" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6031/6246444682_3b73f1fa9f.jpg" width="500" /></a></div></div><br />
I must say that the Wilton Color Mist food color spray was a real time-saver on the base fondant! I didn't have to knead the yellow color into the fondant! I just sprayed away!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/c0nniechiwa/6102254062/" title="Egg tray lids are great holders for gumpaste flowers! by conniechiwa, on Flickr"><img alt="Egg tray lids are great holders for gumpaste flowers!" height="500" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6090/6102254062_762d0b38a5.jpg" width="375" /></a></div></div><br />
I made the gumpaste flowers a few days before the cake itself, as they need time to harden. I discovered that I could use the clear lid on our egg trays from Costco to hold the flowers in!<br />
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Now what should I learn next? Should I <a href="http://www.jamplay.com/">learn guitar</a>? Wait, maybe ballroom dance? Ballroom dance to pop songs like they do in "Dancing With The Stars!"</div></div>fortuitous faeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17782289070632326072noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669796.post-10019582920359848762011-09-16T21:21:00.003-04:002011-09-16T21:38:56.783-04:00Quebec: Je Me Souviens!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgihZUK8t0116hRacC64ts-0AnxMX5hPE-fzDNi0K4lckYNVIzEO_bHRNsL9TOWvPP5ltWhxT7BE4T7JVCRFMBecmoAABYewCcG1QzXiWsNFZdUZytQIM52D0KDy-dqG2sO-TVg3Q/s1600/quebec.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgihZUK8t0116hRacC64ts-0AnxMX5hPE-fzDNi0K4lckYNVIzEO_bHRNsL9TOWvPP5ltWhxT7BE4T7JVCRFMBecmoAABYewCcG1QzXiWsNFZdUZytQIM52D0KDy-dqG2sO-TVg3Q/s400/quebec.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
I was in Quebec last weekend for a cousin's wedding in the charming, "UNESCO World Heritage Site" City of Quebec, or <i>Vieux-Quebec</i> (Old Quebec). We drove 9 hours to get to that French-Canadian region. It's my second time to be in Quebec, but it would be my first time to actually step inside the famous <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chateau_Frontenac">Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac</a>, as seen on the right side of this postcard which I mailed to myself. The hotel was where the wedding guests had cocktails and a dinner reception after the simple ceremony at nearby Notre Dame de Quebec Basilica.<br />
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It was like stepping into the setting of an old movie. I half-expected for my surroundings to turn <i>noir et blanc</i> (black & white), or at least sepia.<br />
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There were <i>hors d'ouvres</i> served on spoons and shot glasses. <i>Tres</i> fancy! (<i>Fancois</i>?) There was live music as we enjoyed the breeze from the St. Lawrence River just beyond the Terrasse Dufferin.<br />
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The after-party drinking session with the newly-weds, however, felt like a Quebecois version of the "Jersey Shore," the way most of them got <i>risque</i> from being too drunk. And when they found out that we were from Jersey, they kept chanting "Fist Pump!!!"<br />
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<i>Pardonnez-moi</i>, but I'm not Snooki. And I hardly watch "Jersey Shore" on our <a href="http://www.thesource.ca/estore/category.aspx?language=en-CA&catalog=Online&category=home-theater-systems">Panasonic home theater system</a>.<br />
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<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a border="0" href="http://thebestheartsarecrunchy.blogspot.com/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img height="120px" src="http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/ll163/waztootie/pffhtml.jpg" width="200px" /></a></div></div></div>fortuitous faeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17782289070632326072noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669796.post-62862946020512157752011-08-21T00:01:00.004-04:002011-08-21T23:52:58.322-04:00Cake Contest Runners-Up<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/c0nniechiwa/6062385989/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="contest by conniechiwa, on Flickr"><img alt="contest" height="334" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6210/6062385989_f6f8864cf4.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><div closure_uid_q8ybyo="391"></div><div closure_uid_q8ybyo="392"><div closure_uid_q8ybyo="411">Back in June, my friend and I boldly decided to join our first cake decorating contest. It was hosted by our local <a href="http://www.michaels.com/">Michaels</a> store, where we had met at the Wilton Cake Decorating classes.</div></div><div closure_uid_q8ybyo="392"><br />
</div><div closure_uid_q8ybyo="392"><div closure_uid_q8ybyo="410">The theme for the contest was revealed only two days prior to the actual contest day. It was "Four Seasons." We brainstormed and agreed that we would cover our cake with fondant, then stick with a simple design that would show the four seasons in four tree branches spread out evenly around the cake.</div><div closure_uid_q8ybyo="410"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" closure_uid_q8ybyo="393" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/c0nniechiwa/6062352117/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="cake by conniechiwa, on Flickr"><img alt="cake" height="500" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6205/6062352117_f91e3a3dd5.jpg" width="334" /></a></div><div closure_uid_q8ybyo="394"></div><div closure_uid_q8ybyo="395"></div><div closure_uid_q8ybyo="395"><div closure_uid_q8ybyo="450">The rules said we could have 25% of our final decorations pre-made at home, so my friend started making the cherry blossoms out of gumpaste which she dusted with pink shimmer dust. Edible, of course. We had 3 hours to work on our cake. The teams were scattered throughout the store so that nobody could spy on each other's work.</div><div closure_uid_q8ybyo="450"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/c0nniechiwa/6062364205/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="cherryblossoms by conniechiwa, on Flickr"><img alt="cherryblossoms" height="334" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6193/6062364205_2d67a299f0.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><div closure_uid_q8ybyo="396"></div>I rolled out the branches from fondant and shaped the summer and autumn leaves. The autumn leaves were cut and shaped by hand, not by a leaf-shaper. Hand-painted with icing color, as well. <br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/c0nniechiwa/6062920330/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="winter by conniechiwa, on Flickr"><img alt="winter" height="500" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6077/6062920330_7831b2204c.jpg" width="334" /></a></div><div closure_uid_q8ybyo="398"></div><div closure_uid_q8ybyo="399"><div closure_uid_q8ybyo="407">I handpiped the winter snowflakes with royal icing. My friend molded a snowman with a scarf as a topper for the winter part of the cake.</div><div closure_uid_q8ybyo="407"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" closure_uid_q8ybyo="403" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/c0nniechiwa/6062905830/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="competition by conniechiwa, on Flickr"><img alt="competition" height="334" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6197/6062905830_713cc4da6e.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><div closure_uid_q8ybyo="400"></div><div closure_uid_q8ybyo="404"><div closure_uid_q8ybyo="408">There were four teams altogether, and the cake on the right won first place. The intricate icing work earned them the most points. The cake to the left won 2nd place. Ours was the smallest cake compared to the rest that it looks like it might stand perfectly on a <a href="http://www.electricfireplacesdirect.com/electric-fireplace-mantel-packages">fireplace mantel</a>. Turns out we were supposed to make a three-tier cake, but our copy of the rules never said that. </div><div closure_uid_q8ybyo="408"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" closure_uid_q8ybyo="401" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/c0nniechiwa/6062378867/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="consolation by conniechiwa, on Flickr"><img alt="consolation" height="500" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6089/6062378867_b198e74065.jpg" width="334" /></a></div><div closure_uid_q8ybyo="402"><div closure_uid_q8ybyo="409">We were First Runners-Up, which essentially meant last place, but the experience itself made us winners in our right. And hey, my friend and I each got this cool fondant-cutting tool set from Wilton as consolation prize.</div><div closure_uid_q8ybyo="409"><br />
</div></div><div closure_uid_q8ybyo="402"></div><div closure_uid_q8ybyo="402"><div closure_uid_q8ybyo="451">My teammate who's a mother of two reportedly had her son tell her before leaving for the contest that if we win, he will hug her. And if we didn't, he will give her a BIGGER hug. </div><div closure_uid_q8ybyo="451"><br />
</div></div><div closure_uid_q8ybyo="402"></div><div closure_uid_q8ybyo="402">When she went home that night and told him the news, her son gave her a really big hug.<br />
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And it was the sweetest thing. </div></div>fortuitous faeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17782289070632326072noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669796.post-30596511044916683912011-08-20T12:06:00.001-04:002011-08-20T12:09:09.938-04:00Presto, It's Kresto!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/c0nniechiwa/6062471532/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="kresto by conniechiwa, on Flickr"><img alt="kresto" height="334" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6070/6062471532_5c67f79e40.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />
I love grocery-shopping when in a different location. I like to see what local products are available, what brands the locals love to consume. Being a chocolate person, I brought home a small can of this Puerto Rican powdered chocolate called "Kresto."<br />
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Wish I was able to prop it on some <a href="http://www.logfurnitureplace.com/p2874/HMI-Rustic-Star-Rug/product_info.html">rustic star furniture</a> for a cuter photo, though.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/c0nniechiwa/6062480944/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="krestokids by conniechiwa, on Flickr"><img alt="krestokids" height="334" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6065/6062480944_c109db9d47.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><div closure_uid_1k7px2="257"><br />
</div>I love the vintage cartoons on the label. It sure looks like Puerto Rican children have been enjoying this chocolate drink since the 70's, judging from the art.<br />
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</div><div closure_uid_1k7px2="216"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/c0nniechiwa/6062475784/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="basketballboys by conniechiwa, on Flickr"><img alt="basketballboys" height="334" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6079/6062475784_8d6e7b1c0c.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><div closure_uid_1k7px2="230"><br />
</div><div closure_uid_1k7px2="230">Flavor verdict? <em>Delicioso!</em> It's akin to my own Ovaltine childhood, minus the granule-y texture. </div></div><div closure_uid_1k7px2="225"><br />
</div>What edible souvenir have you brought home from a trip which became your favorite?</div>fortuitous faeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17782289070632326072noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669796.post-70563198736775897162011-08-15T22:32:00.001-04:002011-08-21T00:18:02.936-04:00Sandcastle Cake!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/c0nniechiwa/6047621313/" title="sandcastlecake by conniechiwa, on Flickr"><img alt="sandcastlecake" height="335" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6184/6047621313_4f13911fef.jpg" width="500" /></a></div></div><br />
My baby niece turned 11 months old recently and I decided to do something summery for her monthly cake photo shoot: a sandcastle cake with fondant starfish and flags! Can you tell that I wear my heart on my....<b>windows</b>?! <br />
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Later this month, she'll be turning a year old! How time really flies. And every month since her first month, I've managed to bake something for her! I hope I don't disappoint with the first birthday cake!<br />
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We have mailed out <a href="http://www.invitationbox.com/baby-shower-invitations.html">baby invitations</a> for her first birthday party, and we are planning a ladybug-themed event (because she is our lovely little ladybug!). </div>fortuitous faeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17782289070632326072noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669796.post-22566212049126727302011-08-12T19:48:00.000-04:002011-08-12T19:48:07.594-04:00Beautiful Belem<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" closure_uid_zx61a="222" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://s3.amazonaws.com/static2.postcrossing.com/postcard/medium/7056cf68a22b7bb545bcbaccd0980dcf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="500px" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/static2.postcrossing.com/postcard/medium/7056cf68a22b7bb545bcbaccd0980dcf.jpg" width="340px" /></a></div><br />
<div closure_uid_zx61a="193">I am enchanted by this postcard of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bel%C3%A9m_Tower">Belem Tower</a> from Lisbon, Portugal. I received this from Postcrossing last year. It's a UNESCO World Heritage Site, but to me it looks like a chunk of castle right on the river--in an "Inception" kind of way. </div><div closure_uid_zx61a="193"><br />
</div><div closure_uid_zx61a="193">When I first saw it, I thought it was really sitting on the sea with all those swimmers just close by. This is one of my favorite postcards which I like to occasionally include in my ever-changing <a href="http://www.siegeldisplay.com/catalog.aspx?catid=tabletoptradeshowdisplays">tabletop displays</a> at home.</div><div closure_uid_zx61a="193"><br />
</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a border="0" href="http://thebestheartsarecrunchy.blogspot.com/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img height="120px" src="http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/ll163/waztootie/pffhtml.jpg" width="200px" /></a></div></div></div>fortuitous faeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17782289070632326072noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669796.post-41650477652809213422011-08-11T00:10:00.000-04:002011-08-11T00:10:00.969-04:00Waterpark in the Boondocks<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/c0nniechiwa/5994690275/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Chair lift ride at Camelback Mountain Resort, PA. by conniechiwa, on Flickr"><img alt="Chair lift ride at Camelback Mountain Resort, PA." height="500" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6024/5994690275_05bdca7bc3.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Pardon my unpedicured feet, but I just wanted to show how they dangled from my first-ever mountain lift ride at <a href="http://www.camelbeach.com/">Camel Beach Mountain Waterpark</a> in Tannersville, Pennsylvania recently.<br />
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Yes, it's a waterpark right on Camelback Mountain in the Poconos! In the winter, this becomes a ski resort, so the lift would really be for skiers wanting to reach the slopes.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/c0nniechiwa/6031190606/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="bikinilift by conniechiwa, on Flickr"><img alt="bikinilift" height="334" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6063/6031190606_0befb42b6f.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />
It was exhilarating to be "flying" while sitting. As I soared above the Poconos, I wondered if they have <a href="http://www.goodsameaplus.com/benefits.aspx">air ambulance service</a> for places like this. The covered slides were like multicolored snakes below!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/c0nniechiwa/6031177746/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="slitheringslides by conniechiwa, on Flickr"><img alt="slitheringslides" height="334" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6199/6031177746_c4d416a79e.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />
Aside from the breath-taking greenery viewed from above, it was also a good vantage point for checking out the queue status on most attractions. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/c0nniechiwa/6030637011/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="tubequeue by conniechiwa, on Flickr"><img alt="tubequeue" height="334" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6131/6030637011_6a9e9f7227.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />
This resort offers a picnic area conveniently covered with tents, available for rent for just $12 a table and can sit up to 8 people. Best of all, people can bring their own food and beverages with them at the picnic area (subject to inspection, alcohol forbidden) so you don't have to worry about buying expensive food unlike in most other water parks.</div><br />
We got our money's worth that day, but forced to leave 45 minutes earlier than the scheduled closing time because of an afternoon thunderstorm warning. Wouldn't mind going back, as it's only about an hour's drive from our place!</div>fortuitous faeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17782289070632326072noreply@blogger.com2Tannersville, PA, USA41.04 -75.3061109999999878.5463175 -135.071736 73.5336825 -15.540485999999987tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669796.post-29083056883531723852011-08-10T21:56:00.004-04:002011-08-21T00:21:35.964-04:00Litratong Pinoy #101: Wala na (Gone)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/c0nniechiwa/6030507469/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="cadets_cake by conniechiwa, on Flickr"><img alt="cadets_cake" height="334" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6144/6030507469_c40052f7d1.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />
A family friend whose son plays in the prestigious <a href="http://www.yea.org/site/PageServer?pagename=Cadets">Cadets Marching Band</a> requested that I bake a cake for him for when he performed at the New Meadowlands Stadium in Secaucus, New Jersey last Sunday night (August 7th). <br />
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They have such a huge following that fans of all ages and types, even perhaps those on <a href="http://www.allsup.com/about-ssdi/ssdi-overview.aspx">social security disability</a>, were there to watch and cheer and marvel at their musical coordination and choreography on the field.<br />
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Their official colors are maroon and gold, so I set out to use those colors for the cake. The most challenging part was making the maroon color, as the burgundy icing color that I have looked fuschia at first. That meant adding more amounts of the color to the icing and the fondant. The stripes on the cake and the centerpiece marching band hat with angel and demon wings are the only fondant elements, the rest is icing. This is what burgundy did to my hands:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/c0nniechiwa/6018075847/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Caught Burgundy-handed! by conniechiwa, on Flickr"><img alt="Caught Burgundy-handed!" height="500" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6020/6018075847_34a0f23bf4.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><br />
Like I massaged a maroon Oompa Loompa!<br />
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In their "Tour of the Champions" performance, their theme was "Between Angels and Demons," hence the angel and demon wings on the cake. Sadly, I didn't get to watch their show myself, but the cake did reach the intended Cadet. After their awesome performance, the maroon icing has melted throughout the night, but made it happily into several stomachs. It was all GONE! An apocalyptic disappearance!</div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.litratongpinoy.com/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://www.litratongpinoy.com/images/button80.jpg" /> </a></div></div><i>Natunaw man sa kakahintay ng kakain sa kanya, naubos din daw agad yung cake na ginawa ko para sa marching band na Cadets. Yun nga lang, konti lang silang naki-share dahil maliit lang ito. Pero, pinagpuyatan ko ang paggawa nito! </i></div>fortuitous faeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17782289070632326072noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669796.post-17165044783028200512011-07-28T22:49:00.001-04:002011-08-21T00:22:40.267-04:00Build-A-Bake<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/c0nniechiwa/5969387409/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="My two-tier graduation fondant cake with star imprints. No sleep! by conniechiwa, on Flickr"><img alt="My two-tier graduation fondant cake with star imprints. No sleep!" height="500" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6140/5969387409_1a5866ecbe.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><br />
I am proud to present to you my first fondant cake which I built and designed all by myself!<br />
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This was a Graduation Cake I made for my cousins who graduated from high school and middle school. I stayed up ALL NIGHT to finish this cake! Rolling out the fondant and imprinting it with stars were the trickiest parts, while kneading the fondant and tinting it with colors were the most time-consuming.<br />
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But the result was definitely worth the trouble and received a lot of praises from potential future cake clients!<br />
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It all started from the chocolate cake base which I leveled and cut in half to put icing in the middle. This is a 10-inch cake which serves as the bottom tier. The top tier is an 8-inch cake of the same flavor. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/c0nniechiwa/5968490433/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Stacking the bottom layer of the hopefully 2-tier choco cake. by conniechiwa, on Flickr"><img alt="Stacking the bottom layer of the hopefully 2-tier choco cake." height="500" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6027/5968490433_e603fc2774.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><br />
Next, I covered the entire cake with icing which would also serve as the "glue" for the fondant.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/c0nniechiwa/5968535225/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="New Message by conniechiwa, on Flickr"><img alt="New Message" height="500" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6022/5968535225_dc28da40fe.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><br />
I used ready-made Wilton fondant which I laboriously kneaded and rolled flat with the <a href="http://fairywinkle.blogspot.com/2011/07/rolling-pin-and-cookie-cutter-container.html">new plastic rolling pin</a> I got. Kneading fondant was like massaging a giant stress ball that sticks to your hands. I would rub vegetable shortening on my hands and mat to keep it from sticking to the surface.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/c0nniechiwa/5968781669/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Let's roll! by conniechiwa, on Flickr"><img alt="Let's roll!" height="500" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6128/5968781669_8a415cee19.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><br />
The star imprint was magical! Like applying tattoo to your cake!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/c0nniechiwa/5969616994/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Took forever to get the star imprint on the fondant just right. by conniechiwa, on Flickr"><img alt="Took forever to get the star imprint on the fondant just right." height="500" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6129/5969616994_cdf146fa2b.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><br />
With cakes, it's all about the details. Hence, I madea little diploma with ribbon out of fondant, too.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/c0nniechiwa/5969172957/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="My little fondant diploma! by conniechiwa, on Flickr"><img alt="My little fondant diploma!" height="500" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6146/5969172957_07a6c4d809.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><br />
I used corn cob skewers as wooden dowels to support the cake tier. What's fabulous about fondant is that it gives your cake a clean, polished look and it doesn't smear or smudge in case you touch it, unlike regular icing.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/c0nniechiwa/5969766242/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Stacked the two tiers together! Finishing touches next! by conniechiwa, on Flickr"><img alt="Stacked the two tiers together! Finishing touches next!" height="500" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6146/5969766242_b4fde1fcc4.jpg" width="375" /></a></div></div>I had the sudden urge to talk to my friend via <a href="http://www.zipconferencing.com/conference-call-services.php">conference call services</a> when I finished the cake, but it was already 7AM and I haven't slept a wink! </div>fortuitous faeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17782289070632326072noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669796.post-41729283038936519752011-07-22T21:28:00.000-04:002011-07-22T21:28:57.556-04:00Rolling Pin-and-Cookie Cutter Container-in-One!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/c0nniechiwa/5965777800/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Plastic rolling pin with 9 cookie cutters inside! Just $7.99 @TJMaxx! by conniechiwa, on Flickr"><img alt="Plastic rolling pin with 9 cookie cutters inside! Just $7.99 @TJMaxx!" height="500" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6128/5965777800_2926ab6110.jpg" width="375" /></a></div></div>Have you ever experienced finding exactly what you're looking for at the exact time you need it? That's what happened to me tonight while browsing at one of my favorite stores, TJ Maxx. See, I'm about to make my first Graduation Cake for my cousins' Graduation Party this Sunday and I want to buy a big rolling pin for the fondant. I ALSO need to buy star-shaped cookie cutters as I want to incorporate star shapes on their cake.<br />
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And this was the amazing product I serendipitously found! It's exactly what I need AND THEN SOME! A big rolling pin with 9 cookie cutters inside...one of them being a star shape! Wow! Thank you so much, Dear Universe! You read my mind and blew it away at the same time! (Only a fellow baking geek would understand how I feel.)<br />
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If there were <a href="http://www.thesource.ca/estore/category.aspx?language=en-CA&catalog=Online&category=Video+Security">wireless security cameras</a> in that store, they would probably have seen me do my secret happy dance. It was only $7.99! And I was actually planning on getting an expensive Wilton-brand rolling pin and a start-shaped cookie cutter. This fabulous find saved me money, time and gas! </div>fortuitous faeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17782289070632326072noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669796.post-72143273512197132492011-07-10T19:56:00.001-04:002011-07-10T20:03:15.218-04:00Love is an Explosion of Emotion<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/c0nniechiwa/5924267348/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="heart1 by conniechiwa, on Flickr"><img alt="heart1" height="335" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6020/5924267348_dc1736e133.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>It was my first time to watch Fourth of July fireworks this close, at a baseball field in another town's high school campus. <br />
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We were so close, we could feel the remnants raining down on our heads. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/c0nniechiwa/5924273120/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="heart2 by conniechiwa, on Flickr"><img alt="heart2" height="335" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6140/5924273120_f11ddcbd76.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>They also had heart-shaped fireworks. I heard last year, they had smiley-faced ones.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/c0nniechiwa/5924280658/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="heart3 by conniechiwa, on Flickr"><img alt="heart3" height="335" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6143/5924280658_4c90c44647.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>Now if only I had <a href="http://fatburners.com/">fat burners</a> that would detonate my love handles like Fourth of July fireworks.fortuitous faeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17782289070632326072noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669796.post-79918962498189296932011-07-03T21:50:00.003-04:002011-08-21T00:30:42.560-04:00Patriotic Pugs (Plus a Cake!)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/c0nniechiwa/5899554572/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="patriotic_pugs by conniechiwa, on Flickr"><img alt="patriotic_pugs" height="334" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5274/5899554572_374b778f2a.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />
Wishing my fellow Americans a Safe, Spectaculiar and Special Fourth of July! These patriotic pugs were a scene-stealer in our town's Memorial Day parade last May, so I photographed them! How can one ignore these cute costumed canines? <br />
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And this is why I'm sharing this favorite photo to celebrate <a href="http://calrat.blogspot.com/2011/07/5-years-of-blogging.html">Photo Cache's 5th Blogoversary</a> as well!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/c0nniechiwa/5899576458/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="fireworks_cake by conniechiwa, on Flickr"><img alt="fireworks_cake" height="334" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5078/5899576458_9f23b343ba.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />
And in my efforts to continue the self-invented tradition of baking a cake each time my baby niece turned a month older, I humbly present my star-shaped red, white, and blue cake for her tenth month! This was hurriedly iced and decorated in about 30 minutes, and I was grateful for the Hershey's Kisses wrapped in blue foil that we had a bag of! I sprinkled blue and red over the white icing and drew random "fireworks" with the red icing (which I wished was redder).<br />
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Yup, my niece is a 10-month old Baby Firework! </div></div>fortuitous faeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17782289070632326072noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669796.post-53582717234117547352011-07-02T00:00:00.002-04:002011-07-02T00:00:07.188-04:00Dark of the Room<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/c0nniechiwa/5892378911/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="office by conniechiwa, on Flickr"><img alt="office" height="140" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5152/5892378911_4ccfd483c4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
I am swept off my feet by the Panoramic Sweep feature of the Sony Cybershot DSC-W510 12.1-megapixel camera I recently bought for my mom. I wanted to get her a simple point-and-shoot digital camera for her week-long solo trip to Los Angeles on Sunday so she can easily take pictures and tote it in her purse. This was my pick as it already came with a 4GB Sony SDHC card. <br />
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I am a little behind with technology, (I don't use an Android phone) so you may already be beyond bewilderment by this photographic function. It's like having built-in 180-degree <a href="http://www.opticsale.com/">scopes</a> in your digital camera!<br />
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Another thing that surprised me with this Sony Cybershot camera is that it doesn't use the exclusive Sony memory stick (MMC) as was the norm in its previous Cybershot models. (I was a loyal Sony Cybershot user) Those memory sticks cost a lot more! It's nice that they finally jumped in the SDHC format bandwagon for mass appeal. We have other expensive things to worry about, like say, gas prices!<br />
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So here is my first test shot of the Panoramic Sweep feature: a partial view of our little <strike>dungeon</strike> office from where I usually sit. The left corner is my co-worker's station, in front of her is a small window where people would stop by to chat or bug us with stuff. The fax machine and printer are to the right side. <br />
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Why didn't I get this before flying to Puerto Rico? (As if I needed another camera to the five I already had at the time!)</div>fortuitous faeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17782289070632326072noreply@blogger.com2