Bakedagoods!!!!

So I love to cook. Most people don't know this about me. And I love to bake, I'm just not very good at it. (seirously) but I still love to do it. And I love cupcakes. They are such happy little things. And they're fun to eat. Celeste knows this and she got me a cook book for Christmas called the 101 gourmet cupcakes in 10 minutes. This book has some amazing recipes! Well we finally worked out our schedules to see each other and yesterday she gave me my gift. I was way pleased and so I decided to try out one of the recipes.

So I saw this recipe and I decided I HAD to try it:

And here are the supplies I got: I decided to go with the chocolate frosting instead of the whip cream frosting. And oh my word I'm glad I did.

Now the batter was so thick my beaters couldn't even handle it, so I added an extra 1.5 TBS of milk and a half a tablespoon of vegetable oil. It was still thick and heavy, but it was more manageable.

The cupcakes were really heavy, adn kinda sunk. I was wondering if it would have worked better if I'd beaten the egg whites first, so they had a little air in them. But they still tasted sooooo good. I baked them a little too long. So about 16 minutes is fine. And if you try to eat them while they're hot, they tend to dry out so I would let them cool in the cupcake papers which traps some of the moisture.

 But they were SOO GOOD! I definitely say try this recipe!

My Photography

For those who don't know, I do a lot of photography and i"m trying to get a business going for it. Anyway, I started a blog with my photography, and I wanted to share it with you.

http://photosbymandee.blogspot.com/

I have a new post! Thanks for your support in all I do

Mandee

New Years Resolutions

Every year I refuse to Make new years resolutions. I don't like them, I can't keep them, it seems like no one can. But here I am. Writing a blog on New Years Resolutions.

2009 was a major rollercoaster. I face anxiety depression for the first time. I had some amazing stage experiences. I lived in another country. I moved back home. I gave up and got over one of the biggest loves of my life. I had friends come. I had friends go. I learned to be with myself. I learned to quilt. I got paid for photography. I visited my favorite place in the world. I went through the temple for the first time. I pulled off a thanksgiving dinner for 150 people. And SOOO much more! So 2010 is going to be another year of opportunities that I will be so grateful for and grow from. I've been asked to direct curious savage! I am writing and hopefully directing a murder mystery dinner theater at the restaurant this summer. I have a few weddings and senior pictures lined up for my photography. I plan to have my new camera by the end of February. 

So Here are my New years Resolutions

1- Lost 30 pounds. Right now i have 27.7 to go. If you would like to know more about my goals with losing weight check out this blog: http://www.bryceandmandee.blogspot.com/ It is all about minimizing my weight at stuff. Bryce and Kristi have joined me in my efforts to lose weight! 

2- Get a regular practice of Yoga again. It helps me so much and I need to get it back in my life.

3- Get out of Debt. I'm honestly not sure if I can do this only in a year, but I really would like to. I am very in debt (i don't think anyone under the age of 30 should be allowed to have credit cards) and it is a horrible smothering place to be. I either need to work more at the restaurant or find a better job, but find one that works with my theater schedule. I need to stop spending. No more few things here, few things there. No more shoes unless I need them. (And really need them. not need them or I'll die need them.)

4- Have my savings starting to build up. My new goal is to move to Rome. I want to move to Rome so much it hurts! So I decided to start saving up for that. When Kristi and I went to Rome this May, I fell so deeply in love with that City I couldn't believe it. My bedroom now is a theme of Italy and Rome. My photography of Rome is hanging up everywhere. And I'm going to start learning Italian. I'm looking for places that might have classes. When I move to Rome I want to live there for a few months, take Italian, and study the art and architecture. Let's see if I can convince Russell to do the same. :)

There are a lot of other things I want to do this year, but they're more goals, not resolutions...hmmm...Yeah. So I guess i'll keep you updated on how all of this is going!

Lovely Little Locks

So I was at Jacki's watching America's Next Top Model and I saw this hair cut and Fell in love.

And I've been saying for a while I was going to cut my hair super short, but I haven't really had the guts. But I love love loved this hair cut. Jacki told me to go for it. And I got really really brave. So I said on my status on facebook I was thinking of chopping my hair off and everyone told me NOT TO DO IT! But I was determined. It was almost like people telling me NOT to do it made me want to do it more!

So I made an appointment to see my friend Jen, from Germany. So today I drove down to Salt Lake to the Lunatic Fringe Salon and this was the Result:

 

So Now my hair is super short and i LOVE it. I feel like it shows off my personality so well and it makes me look like a cute slightly edgy costume designer/photographer. I can't belive it's this short!!!! But I love lvoe love love it! And it always grows back! And At first I was in complete shock and couldn't believe what I'd done. But the more I look at it the more i LOOOVE IT!

And I got to spend the day with Jen who I LOVE and helped her find her perfect wedding dress. Then i got to see Shawn and take pics of Laurie's very prego belly.

It was a VERY good day!

Bye Bye Birdie, another possible path?

I was recently part of a great production of "Bye, Bye Birdie." This was an interesting experience for me, because it didn't involve even once that I perform on stage. My very close friend, Melanie, is the teacher at Box Elder High School and about a month ago asked if I could do some photography and design her posters for their musical. So I went in and took pics of the girls and came up with what turned out to be an incredibly adorable poster. Which I can say...actually even shocked me at how well it turned out. I love when I shock myself with what I am able to do.

As the show went on, I was spending more and more time at the school helping Melanie out. I designed their t-shirts, I designed some buttons the girls would wear saying, "The future Mrs. Conrad Birdie." We also decided on the set to look a certain way. Then we decided to use some of my photography on it. I also designed some phenomenal hanging posters in the auditorium that were 12'x4' and looked phenomenal! I helped with the costumes, I helped McKenzie with her hair and make up and loved every moment of it!

One of my favorite things about this experience was watching this kids put on their play. I've always loved putting on a show and there's nothing like an opening night, but to watch these kids put on THEIR show, was...touching. I understand why Melanie does what she does and I understand why she loved us and loves all her kids so much. There were kids in that show that didn't have any other outlet in their life. And being on that stage meant the world to them. They glowed and smiled and loved every second of being in that show. Melanie doesn't turn down one student when they audition for a show. Everyone gets a chance. You don't see any coaches doing that. And you don't actually see a lot of teachers do that either.

When those kids had their big first opening number on opening night, I got a little emotional. I was SO proud of them! I had watched them work so hard and give SO much. The seniors were doing their final musical and they were performing in the middle school, because their auditorium was being renovated. They had rehearsed in the blazing heat and the freezing cold. They hadn't complained once! If that had been MY senior year, we all would have been whining like crazy. We were whining because we had to do Joseph.

Anyway, so here are some of my photography from the show. I hope you enjoy the pictures as I had fun working with these kids and thinking that possibly...I should go to school to become a drama teacher.

Jordan was the adorable Conrad Birdie. Had to work with this kid to get him to understand he was a star that girls were in love with, but by opening night his "honestly sincere" was so phenomenal I couldn't help but cheer louder than anyone!

These are the banners I designed to hang in the auditorium! They were adorable, set the best mood as audience members walked in. They loved them and kept asking where Mel got them.

Kinda gives you an idea of how huge they were! Completely larger than life. And they looked so awesome!

We used my photography on the set! I came up with the idea for the grid with the "mod" squares. And like any Melanie production the set was Platforms and blocks. There were also adorable panels that would roll on and be used for background or telephone booths.

And here are some of my favorite photos we took to put on the set, plus a few more. This show was amazing and fun. I wish I could use words to express how wonderful it was to be apart of it! I am now designing for Midsummer's Night. And I it's going to be wonderful! I can't wait.

It was just amazing to get to work with Mel on a different level. I've always been one of her students, one of her cast members, her costume designer, etc. But to help her put so much into this show was so fantastic. I really learned to love it so much and I learned to love the kids in this show. There were kids in this show that this was the greatest thing they had ever done in their lives!

How does your garden grow?

Mary Mary Quite Contrary! How does your garden grow? With silver bells and cockel shells. And pretty maids all in a row!

I never claimed to be a great gardener. I just love flowers. LOVE flowers. And our little garden areas in front of our house have been showing a sad need for some tender lovins. They've become a beautiful green lush WEED garden. Ugh. And I knew that if I wanted flowers in the spring I had to do something about it. So I dug up the gardening area in front of our porch and then the area in between the window wells in front of our house. removed all the crap and seperated the tulip bulbs I planted forever ago.

I've been so busy though I haven't had any time to do it. But it was supposed to snow this week, so I thought...um, I'd better do this or come spring we're going to have a beautiful healthy garden of ugly weeds again!

Shawn drove up from Salt Lake to help me. We spent all afternoon digging up the flower bed, getting rid of the rocky soil and the weeds and breaking up the dirt. We then bought bulbs, plotted out how we were going to display them. At this point it was dark outside, so we got my dad's work lamps and kept digging.

The next morning, I still wanted some bulbs in the other part of the yard, so I woke up really early just to try to beat the rain and snow. (for it was the day so the forecasters said!)

Mom bought me dirt and I continued to break up the wonderful soil we have in our weedy gardens! As I was finishing up, finally, the rain started to fall. I literally barely made it. Also, my bulbs were half off, because it was so late in the season. I love when my procrastination pays off! :)

This is after I pulled out the weeds, turned the soil and removed tons of rocks. This area was completely over run by weeds and crab looking grass and leaves.

Alright! Much better, soil turned in, bulbs planted, and watered! Bring it on!

Once again, this part of the garden was over run by weeds! Gross weeds! And lots of spiders. But we got it all dug up, added new bulbs, new soil, and topped it with peet moss (not shown.) Now I just have to wait for summer for some of these:

Got tons of tulips! Red! Yellow giants! Red and orange! Pink! Deep purple! I got lots of different kinds, but my favorite are the "impressionistic tulips." Which look like what you'd find in Monet's painting of the tulips! They're just so gorgeous!

And some of these:

Above are Narcissi! They are planted for me and Chad! (If you don't know why that's funny, read here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narcissus_(mythology)

And some of these! THEY ARE SO GORGEOUS! And these! I can't wait for spring! I'll definitely take pictures when everything is in bloom! Mom says there's no end to my creative genius. I say jack of all trades, master of none! I just love to dabble in everything!

Can't wait to see what spring brings in our pretty little garden.

Oh and it still hasn't snowed. Maybe I'll have time to add some in the backyard...hmmm...

And the rest of the costume!

I posted pics of my hat for Halloween, So Here is the rest of my costume! I had fun at the party at Bella's even if I was really sick! :( First picture is at Bella's. I'm looking for Waldo. But I wore the hat to work in but Only wore a black shirt and jeans, because I wasn't going ot attempt to work in my big dress.

So this is the final product. I love how it turned out. I was really worried it wouldn't turn out as well as I wanted, but I ended up being really pleased. The only party I got invited to was at Bella's, and even though I was sick, I HAD to go so I could wear my costume at least once!

Me with Cottam women. I Love this picture of me!

We did a fear factor. I'll eat anything, but keeping it down is the real problem. My gag reflex is NOT as tough as I thought it would be.

AAAHh! THIS IS SO GROSS! I CAN"T DO IT!

Am I going to lose it? Am i? (I just like this pic becaue you can see my cool gloves.)

Me and Alicia, the hippie!

Anita the dark woman, Me, the witch, and Maree, zorro's woman.

Erica and Aaron had a fantastic costume! They were cave people and Ammon was a monkey, but here's a full length pic of my dress.

Me and Maree! We're awesome.

Anyway, HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

I'm already excited about next year. I already know what I'm going to be. But it's a secret!