Summer Mud

Have you noticed I haven't been around here much? Or maybe you haven't noticed? Well, I'm sure you have better things to do than to check up on me.

With summer here, the kids are home all day. All day. Did I mention that the kids are home all day? Well, with summer here and the kids at home all day, there isn't much time for blogging. Not that I don't have a ton of super fun projects and stuff to share about. There just are not enough hours in the day to tell you about them.

Here is just one fun thing - Adventure Playground. I am a big proponent of age appropriate activities that help your child to gain self esteem and common sense. Letting your daughter play in the mud, build a fort and steer a raft across a pond can take care of all of those things in one fell swoop. Now, these are still carefully chaperoned activities, but, at least she is out of the padded playground.

my daughter and her best friend Jake

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GIVEAWAY: Delightfully Lovely

When I first found out about Danielle, I think my jaw may have dropped. Really. I mean just look at these creative and original cupcake trees and cake stands. They are made of wood! Not having met Danielle, I asked her to write a little something so that we could all get to know her a little better...

Hello Lovelies! Danielle here from Delightfully Lovely, I've have been at this little business for about a year now and it's a dream come true. I'm constantly thinking of new ideas and gaining inspiration from everyone and everything around me. One day I will have my own store front where I can promote other local artists but until then it's just me and my three puppies making pretty things in my shop all day long.

Danielle has been generous enough to offer one of her gorgeous cake stands, the "Jamie". Isn't it pretty? AND you can order it in the color of your choice. But of course, what is a cake stand without a party to go with it? A $50 shop credit to Paper & Cake is yours too - that is, if you win.

To win these prizes worth almost $100, leave your comment on this post telling me which of Danielle's items is your favorite!

You can also get up to two extra entries by:
1} Reposting our giveaway on your Facebook page (use @paperandcake to tag us). Leave a second comment letting us know you did so.

2} Tweet, Blog or share on a message board about our fab giveaway, and leave a 3rd comment letting us know.

You have until Friday, July 15h at 5pm (PST) when one lucky winner will be announced.

This giveaway is open to US residents only. Please be sure to link your name, email or blog to your comment. 

The winner will be determined by random.org.

UPDATE: Congrats to our Winner... Linda of Beautifully Embellished Cakes!

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Why I Walk

If you are new around here, you haven't heard me go on and on about Multiple Sclerosis. You haven't heard me talk endlessly about a cure, and that they better find one - soon. For the past seven years, I have participated in the Southern California 50 Mile MS Challenge Walk. I walk for and with my oldest and dearest friend Rita - we met in 7th grade, and she is the reason I met my husband.

So this September 23, 24 and 25, 2011, I will walk 50 more miles in support of Multiple Sclerosis. I will also recognize the number ten.

Ten years ago, my dear friend Rita was diagnosed with MS. Ten years ago marks the inaugural 50 Mile MS Challenge Walk. Ten years ago, Rita and I decided to make a difference.

In signing up for the walk again this year, it was not only because Rita asked me to, it is in celebration of my friendship with her, her never ending energy, and her commitment to making a difference. It is not the first time Rita has asked me to join her in this Walk, and I am almost certain it will not be the last.

On this 10 year anniversary of the Walk, I know I will see that MS is not a limitation, it is not negativity, it cannot stifle enthusiasm, it does not diminish an adventurous spirit and it will provide me with some of the greatest memories of my life.

On September 23, 2011, I will join others in taking thousands of steps from Carlsbad to San Diego, each of us making a difference, each of us walking to support research efforts in ending Multiple Sclerosis.

This year in celebration of the anniversary of meeting up with my Walk friends, Paper & Cake will match your donations. That's right, if you feel so inclined to donate - I will write a check along with you.

Please give if you are moved to do so, and thank you for your generosity.

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Post-Weekend Update

My cute husband had the day off on Friday, so he took me on a super ultra romantic day trip to downtown Los Angeles. We are on a mission to find something ANYTHING to use to recover our family room couch. We have a family friend who works down near the textile district, and offered to guide us through in hopes of finding the perfect upholstery fabric.

Because Friday traffic around Southern California is always ridiculous, we decided to take the metro. The Blue Line is a direct link between Long Beach, and downtown - it goes straight through Compton and Watts, right past the Staples Center and ultimately meets up with our Red Line, the LA Subway (all 15 miles of it).

We met up with Audrey, of The Bella Bambino, at the COOLEST place I have been to in a very long time - work wise. It is a Co-working office called Indie Desk. I'm sure many of you have heard of this phenomenon - sharing a work space - but it sure was news to me, and if lived anywhere near it I would totally sign up! But I am not taking the metro. Not through Compton. And not to downtown. ick.

So there we were, total tourists looking up, with cameras. Making our way through the fashion district to where they sell - fabrics. Lots of fabrics.

Now, we didn't find everything we need, but I am HOOKED on this particular upholstery, and I'm thinking it will look super cute in our family room. I promise to take pictures of the final product - hopefully before the spills and grubby little fingerprints begin.

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Summer Projects

With summer well underway, and not a camp in sight, what's a mom to do but call in reinforcements? My reinforcement is named "Aunt Janet" - or shall I call her "Super Aunt Janet"?

This is my mom's younger sister, a woman who taught middle school art for 25 years. She taught me how to sew when I was in kindergarten - and has been teaching my daughter the same skills since she was four.

I seriously could go on and on - about the quilts that she helped me make for raffle at my annual 50 Mile MS Walk, about how she actually spends her free time traveling around the world, about what a supportive and involved aunt she has been to me - but it might be time to go back to school before I'm finished.

So when she emailed last week that she had purchased a cute little dress pattern, and that we should come over to swim and sew, we jumped at the chance.

My daughter was able to cut all the pieces, and begin the stitching before we had to swim and have ice cream - it was so hot out! I'll be sure to keep you updated on her progress. Thank goodness for Aunt Janet.

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Post post-Weekend Update

I am still exhausted from the big 4th of July weekend. Was it all the swimming and biking and barbequing and partying? Maybe. Was it making the cake pops? mmm, more than likely.

We had two parties to attend on Monday, a small gathering at our neighbor's house across the street, and then the big block party - I signed up to bring dessert to both.

Both centerpieces were made using 3 flavors of cake, chocolate, lemon and carrot, covered with regular old vanilla candy melts. The containers were from Ikea - the white one is a ceramic planter and the BIG one is 3 different sized galvanized plant pots. I stuffed them with green floral foam pieces and covered that up with rice. Just a little bit (completely) over the top, don't you think?

What did you bring?

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Found: Mini Cupcake Stand

You never know what you will find when you go into our favorite neighborhood gift shop, Aunt Fanny's. An eclectic mixture of hand made, vintage and reproduction, this tiny mom and pop shop is crammed with treasures. I was surprised when I found this little jewel yesterday, mostly because I was preventing my 6 year old from touching/knocking over the entire inventory of china teacups at the same time. Cute, right?

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