Up to: 8/16/07

Unpacking:
Wedgewood Sterling Dinnerware
After almost 3 years, I am finally unboxing and putting away our wedding china. My bets are on another 3 years before we actually use it!


Playing with:
New ribbons for The Creative Cupcake
They arrived on Monday and I can't keep my hands off them!


Planning for:
Austin
Visit Austin
The Mr. and I are headed down late next week. I can't believe it took us almost a year to finally visit.


Relaxing with:
Late Nights at the Dallas Museum of Art
Tomorrow night we'll be keeping cool with the free air conditioning and even free-er Starbucks, all while finally checking out the "From the Ashes of Vesuvius" installation.

New ribbons!!

Next week I'm going to be adding 25 new ribbons to our choices! Among them are 6 completely new designs (aren't they fabulous?!) and some new sizes for existing design favorites.

This means I have to come up with 6 new names, inspired by some favorite preppy locations. Leave your suggestions in the comments and if I choose to use your name by 8/15, I'll send you a Preppy Ribbon Headband in that style. If that style is not available in the Medium size, I reserve the right to substitute an appropriate item in the same style. You can check out what we're already using here: Ribbon Swatches.

Hello and Welcome to Moviefone

We finally went to see The Simpsons Movie the other night. It wasn't exactly the Worst. Movie. Ever., though it didn't touch our Top 5 for this summer. In a word: Eh....

The Mr. and I were never really hardcore movie goers, but since moving to a place where we don't know many people, trying to have a "social life" takes on a whole new meaning. Apparently that means we go to the movies a lot (generally a matinée, because I'm frugal like that) and have been lucky to go to a lot of pre-screenings. We are indie movie and documentary fans, and love that there are so many smaller indie-friendly theaters here in Dallas. With that said, here are some of my favorites, in Must See order:

1. Death at a Funeral
I don't think I've laughed so hard or so loud at a movie in ages. It helps if you enjoy a somewhat drier, British sense of humor but there are so many outrageously hysterical scenes to enjoy. Peter Dinklage totally steals the movie. I honestly and truly woke up the morning after the screening and my abs ached to high heaven from laughing so hard. Plus, you HAVE to love a movie that has a tag line like: "From director Frank Oz comes the story of a family that puts the F U in funeral."

2. Introducing the Dwights
How could you not fall in love with an aging cabaret singer & comedianne like Jeanie Dwight? I think this only fell into my solid number 2 slot since the actress that played Jill (Emma Booth) annoyed me in a way that was partly because of the way her character was written and partly because she just looked tarty. The underlying theme of letting go of your children was really well done without being overly Movie of the Week-ish. Younger brother Mark (Richard Wilson) was absolutely priceless and had some of the best one-liners in the film.

3. Ocean's Thirteen
George Clooney. Brad Pitt. Matt Damon. Andy Don't-Stare-Directly-At-Me-Or-Your-Eyes-May-Melt-From-My-Hotness Garcia. Sure, it's getting over-done, but it seems like they all had a blast making the movie and it comes across on screen. And did I mention: George Clooney. Brad...... Plus, I am in mad lust with Ellen Barkin's hair.

Up to: 8/9/07

Buying:
Pink bakery boxes
Yummy new gift boxes coming to the site soon, just in time for holiday shopping.


Listening to:
Maroon 5: It Won't Be Soon Before Long
It's become a staple when I'm driving around and running errands.


Blog Reading:
Clutter Control Freak Blog
10 months since our move and we still have unpacked boxes to deal with!


Shopping for:
Rococo Fabric Tote Boxes
What a pretty way to deal with said unpacked stuff.

Haiku for You

(photo and bad hair circa Sept. 2003 in Long Beach Island, NJ)

hundred and fifteen:
wonderful and loving
months have passed us by.

young and full of life:
we met, we laughed, we explored
we loved together.

we joke about it:
how old and gray we've become
well, at least you have.

here's to many more:
laughs, memories, travel, fun
life shared together.

Up to

Inspired by Megan at Not Martha's blog, here is what I'm up to:

Reading:
Generation Debt by Anya Kamenetz
Basically... we're screwed!

Flipping through:
Martha Stewart Living - August 07
Mr. Cupcake is always a fan of food on a stick (kebab recipes).

Watching:
Shop Around the Corner
You've Got Mail has nothing on the original.

Craving:
Le Creuset Caribbean Blue Dutch Oven
My 5 1/2 quart white one needs a colorful friend.

Updates shmupdates

The past few weeks have managed to simultaneously be full of exciting things and dreadfully dull. The combination of lots of studio time and being under the weather for the better part of July have put me on the fast track to burnout. No official vacation time planned, though we're taking a short business-related trip to Austin later this month, which should help a bit.

I'm working out my Fall & Holiday show plans. Since we'd just moved to Dallas during the prime show dates, I missed out on some of the bigger (and better shows), so I don't have any firsthand knowledge of which the truly good ones area. I've chosen shows in towns that have either been good shows before or I happen to have a lot of customers from. Fingers crossed that it'll work and we'll have a more successful 4th Quarter than last year! I'll have official dates and locations posted as soon as I get confirmations.

I'll probably put up a separate post about it, but Minneapolis was wonderful. Such a fun and artsy city -- not at all how we'd perceived it to be. In fact, we're planning a trip back when we have more time to explore and spend time in St. Paul and the outskirts. The only real downer of the trip was that we found out a day too late that Erasure (whom we absolutely love seeing Live) was playing a venue that was literally next to our hotel... Hearing about the bridge collapse was a little unsettling since we were, literally, right there just a few days before it happened.

More shopping info and a sneak peek at what items will be in the Bake Sale coming this week...