WICKED Fun!!

But first, THANK YOU to everyone for your words of praise for my final project cake!!! I really appreciate it!!

Last night was our first real “Night out in the City” and we had so much fun!! We were treated to dinner and tickets to Wicked by a man that John met while networking. He needed some help with a project (he’s an independent contractor), and John agreed to help. As compensation for John’s time, this was our treat!

First: Dinner at Fogo de Chao – a similar concept to Tucanos. A Brazilian steakhouse and they bring you all the different types of meat when your card is green side up. The service was fabulous and IT WAS SO YUMMY! Steak, and chicken, and steak, and pork, and steak, and lamb, and STEAK! And wow, that first time we had our cards green side up, it was like they all had lined up behind me to offer us lots and LOTS of meat! We both ate waaaay too much. (But are you surprised??)

*Pictures from their website HERE – the lighting wasn’t that great for pictures…and let’s be honest, we were too busy eating ;)
We were going to get dessert, but ended up running out of time, we had to catch a bus to get to the theatre. It’s probably a good thing, I was going to burst!!! But we missed our bus anyway!!! Oh well. Thankfully, the theatre really wasn’t that far away to begin with. But it had started to snow like crazy! It was only a few blocks away, but we were covered in snow by the time we got there!! Too fun :)
And you know what the BEST part was?!? We were in the FOURTH row!!! In the middle section!!! On the end of the middle section but OH MY GOODNESS!!! It was amazing. We were IN the special effects fog, there were streamers that shot out and hit the people next to us (you better believe I grabbed one during intermission!!!) and I had serious goose bumps the WHOLE time. Oh man, it was AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!! After the show we headed home!! We got home pretty late, so I hope John is surviving work this morning!!

We are SO grateful we got to have this experience!! We had such an awesome time :) Oh, and I’m totally listening to my Wicked soundtrack right now ;)

FINALS: Wedding Cake and Graduation!!!!!!!!

I DID IT!!! Yesterday I graduated from the French Pastry School of Chicago’s L’Art du Gâteau Program!!! The graduation exercises were lovely, in a WAY fancy building called the Union League Club. FANCY SCHMANCY. We had some great speakers, we got our certificates on beautiful plaques and pictures!

And my mommy was able to come out to celebrate!! My uncle James came as well!! John was not able to make the commencement exercises but was able to take a long lunch to see us for the reception (and DESSERT buffet!!!)

Sorry the pictures are a little blurry, the lighting wasn’t all that great…  The dessert buffet was AWESOME. When I graduate the pastry program, I will be helping MAKE the buffet!! AND the totally awesome showpieces!! This first one is made of BREAD!
There was SO. MUCH. FOOD. It was all so delicious. Can’t wait for next year’s!!!

And now, what you’ve all been waiting for, I know. I’ve kept you waiting far too long. The final project wedding cake!!! All our cakes were on display at the reception, but these pictures are from when I finished it. So happy with the way it turned out!!!!!!!!!! (Warning: LOTS of pictures. I was kind of obsessed. Still am, actually ;) You can click on the pictures to make them bigger. Better to see, you know? ;)
  Now, I want to say this without sounding cocky, but I love it. I totally love it. I’m so proud of myself!!! It really turned out exactly the way I imagined it and I’m really happy with it. I ended up leaving it at the school, they wanted to keep as many as possible to display at the school!! Maybe in the spring I’ll take it home, but hey, on display at the school? Sounds pretty good to me!! It took me three days to get all the roses done. I made 30. I had some left over, but still. 30. I had a really good time putting it together.

And that is the L’Art du Gâteau program!!! Can’t wait to start up again in January!!! Thanks so much to everyone for your love and support, especially John and my family!! Couldn’t have done this without you!!

FINALS: Team Sweet 16

OH MY GOODNESS!!! Finals are upon us!!! Today was the first day of the wedding cake project (eeek!) but earlier this week was our team project, a sweet 16 birthday cake. We were assigned partners and given pretty much total freedom as to what we could do with the cake. Well, apart from the size and number of tiers we had to use, and that we had to use the number 16 and write something on it. Other than that, completely our own design!!

My partner Julia and I decided on a funky 60’s-70’s big flowers/bright colors theme, topped with a VW BUG!!!!!! (My favorite part, I think :)

But enough talk, pictures!!!!!
Our funky flowers all ready to go!!

The road signs!! (My other favorite part!!! – Hey Amy, like the name choice?)

Everyone did such an amazing job!! I was blown away with the creative designs and the EXCELLENT execution. I feel so lucky to be associated with such creative and talented ladies!!

With permission, here are all of their cakes!!
Okay, these two were my favorite – Samantha and Morgan – they don’t actually wear glasses like that, they got them special for the occasion. I LOVE their nerdy cake!!

Beth and Karen

Kami and Jami 
Eva and Heather

Elizabeth and Bethanny
Chelsea and Noelle

Haley and Emily (you can check out Emily’s blog HERE) 
Lin and Sally
  
Well done ladies!! I can’t wait to see everyone’s wedding cakes!!!!