Swapping Canvas for Fondant

It is all coming together. I am seeing an open door now. Don't know what I am talking about? Well, earlier this month I was wondering where do I fit in the whole scheme of things? Am I using my true God given talents? Dong!! I think I have found it...my little space some where...

On Friday/Saturday I baked a cake and decorated it in the shape of a Coach handbag for a friend's birthday party. I made so many mistakes, but I learned so much! However, while I was applying or painting the colors on the lipstick which I made from fondant (see photograph) a happy feeling came over me. It has been years since I have felt this way.

I remember feeling like this when I was a pre-teen (11-13 years old)...I was painting and was just lost in what I was doing. At that time of my life I was the young Leonardo Di Vince. Anything I saw, I painted. My dad gave me twelve different size canvas, oil paint and very good sable brushes for my birthday. I always had an artist sketch pad, so I was drawing and painting...I loved it as well as trying new recipes (those I could afford) in my mom's kitchen. So while I was painting the details on the lipstick, it was like a dong in my head and heart that this is what I love to do.

Think about this, because I have been and it seems very crazy plus I have asked myself this question: "Is it too late for a forty-something-year-old like myself to start a business of cake decorating?" Looking back at how I started in business of baking cookies, it was cakes I first started baking to sell but not cookies. Maybe this is a sign (smile).

My conclusion is, "with God all things are possible" and I want to see Him do the impossible with me.

Walk good - Jeanette (This is the final photograph of handbag)

Sharing The Gift

Sharing The Gift

Another summer adventure with my nephew Michael. Soon I'll be able to write a book if he continues.

A few weeks ago Dominic, Michael, Katherine, my nephews and niece, came with their auntie Carolyn and uncle Garry for a little bar-B-Que and a quick dip in the pool at my condo. Even though it stormed, they managed to enjoy a dip in the pool and played with their WII game they had brought to fill in "blank" time. I played a little WII too, got knocked out in boxing match by Dominic - he's a young man so I had to let him save face by allowing him to win. The games were exciting and everyone was having fun, however, I constantly heard the children telling Michael to stop messing around. You see, Michael tends to be a little talkative (Katherine will tell you smart ways to keep him quiet) and learns much of what he knows by wanting to "touch" things. In order to give the other children a break, I took Michael into my "Auntie Jeannie's Time-out room"...Yeh! The other room.

When I took him in my work-room, he got a little nervous because I believe he thought "he was in real trouble". We had a little chat as to why I brought him in the room and as I figured he was bracing for "it". Much to his surprise, I picked up some cake decorating books I had and started to show him pictures of beautifully decorated cakes. He was in awe! Suddenly Mikey said,

"Auntie Jeannie, I want to decorate a cake like this!"

He was pointing to a cake in a Martha Stewart Weddings magazine. I smiled and responded by letting him know: "Mikey, lets start with decorating cookies first." He agreed but still wanted to decorate cakes he was looking at from the magazines; Colette Peters books; and the American Cake Decorating magazines. I showed him a few dummy cakes I had, the piping bags and tips, and my personal sketch book of cakes designs I was working on. He was elated and that was when he share with me a great idea of how to share.

Over the summer at camp Michael said he saw a boy who was only 13 years old and he knew how to decorate cakes. He said the boy had the "putty thing" (I believe was fondant), which he used to cover the cakes and make beautiful things. For a moment I thought he was pulling my legs, but I was sure this 9 year old did not know that much about decorating cakes to come up with this story. I asked him how this boy knew how to do the things he was telling me about? Mikey said,

"The boy's mother taught him...she pass it down to him."

Wow! I though. Am I prepared to hear what he will say next? Nope! Sure enough he asked me, "So auntie Jeannie will you pass this down to me just like what that boy's mom did?" Then he explained to me more what "passing down means" because it seems like I did not understand. You see I was blank in my face because I could not believe he was asking that of me...to share the gift, my God-given-gift.

So walk good and I soon come again...Jeannie (otherwise, see you later).

Martha, Martha, Mary & Me

I know we are in Fall, but I just have the need to get organize. Have you ever felt like you are always falling behind in the pac? Or just can't seems to get your ideas out there? If you are knodding your head, I am doing that too. I feel like I never really got any one thing done.

What are you dreams and longings? Are you fullfilled in your career? As a wife? A mother? A memeber of the "human race" (I must give you a... well I believe it was a joke about the human race thing later)? I will be honest with you, right now I am not felling all daisy about where I am right now in my life. I just don't believe I am fullfilling my God-given call! I am this big-a-round (see photo), but on the inside I'm exploding and busting with dreams! Daily I'm asking the Lord: what am I to do Lord?!?

I admire Martha Stewart in the way she took the time spent in the "big house" and used it to create (my words) the New Martha Stewart! It's fantastic how hard times actually makes sweet rewards. Martha Stewart reminds me of another Martha I know, she loved to serve and spent alot of time in the kitchen (Luke 10: 40-42). I would love to be like Martha and Martha (have a clean house and good food to eat). The scripture says in verse 42 that Mary, Martha's sister, choosed the "good part" which is where I really want to be.

"Lord, am I there yet? Am I choosing the good part?"

Walk good - Jeanette