Went back and read all the posts and WOW! We are an interesting bunch, aren't we. Briansbaker can just trot right over to my house. If you love dusting you'll fall head over heels with my place. I have 300 whiskey water pitchers, over 1000 M & M collectibles, all the Avon steins, all the Budweiser holiday steins plus others, a shot glass collection of about 200, over 500 Pillsbury Doughboy items, a antique iron collection, Avon Cape Cod collection, more sports stuff than I can name and then all my regular household items to dust. I never get them all done at the same time as I have a lung condition and have to work a little at a time and rest.

For those of you who said they needed to quit smoking, please give it your best shot. I have been dragging an oxygen bottle around with me for 3 years and it is no fun. 40 plus years of smoking on top of chemicals in a factory and working in smoke filled restaurants and bars will do it to you. I still sneak around and smoke & swear with every one that it's my last. I have been on steroids off and on for over 3 years and the weight just keeps coming on so quitting smoking doesn't help that either. Feel like I'm in a viscious circle.

My daughter tells me everyday that I have OCD. I used to obsess about keeping a clean house until my grandkids came along. I figured out then what my mom had been trying to tell me for years. She said I needed to put a glass dome over my house so it wouldn't get dirty. She'd tell me to let those kids have fun but I'd make them play only in their rooms. Now the grandkids play just about any where they want to! If people don't like my dust, they can move on down the road!!

My Xmas tree goes up Thanksgiving Weekend but comes down Xmas night. It's done in M & M's and I have one done in Pillsbury that stays up year round. My kids think the tree should be like my mom's was which was anything and everything. First time I did a tree with a theme, I thought my daughter was going to leave home to live with Grandma. Now they can do whatever with their trees and I'll have mine!!!

O.k. I have been reading these post off and on for two days and hurray I have finally finished and now I feel like I have a room full of new friends. This is a great thread.

Now for my sharing time here we go...
1. My husband and I were high school sweethearts. The funny thing is we started talking to each other because I was "in love" with his best friend and he liked mine. We spent hours on the phone talking about our friends and then we would go out the four of us. We went out the four of us for a long time and then we started going out the two of us and we spent a lot less time talking about our friends. It took me forever to figure out if we were dating or not. Until one night while watching a movie he finally kissed me and from then on I sort of forgot about his friend. I used to find every reason in the world to go to the grocery store (that's where he worked) I used to ask him if he kissed all the girls after he loaded there groceries into the car. He's a wonderful man and we have been married for 11 1/2 years. He's actually the reason I became so cake obsessed! He gave me cake classes for Christmas last year and he created a monster!!

2. I am the proud stay at home mom of two beautiful girls. My 11 year old Kady and my 3 year old Kinsey. My oldest daughter Kady has special needs. She is delayed and has a very rare genetic disorder. She is the light in our family. She has a never ending smile and is very laid back and easy going. My younger daughter is the energy of our family her mind goes 100 miles an hour and her body is never far behind. She is extremely imaginative and creative. I only have my two girls but my house is usually full with 5 girls I keep my sisters twin two year old daughters and also her 6 year old. My house is rarely ever quiet and I can really relate to whoever it was that said mowing was the only thing she could do that wasn't undone as soon as she did it.

3. This coming December I will turn 29 for the third time. I have a shirt that says forever 29 and I really like the idea of staying 29. I am still searching for what I want to do with my life. Prior to having my second daughter I taught pre-school. I love children and being in a room full of four year olds is one of my favorite places in the world. I love teaching children and watching their faces as they master new skills BUT I despise all the junk that goes along with teaching. There is so much paperwork and meetings which are so not me! Like many of you my dream right now is running my own business. I am extremely crafty and love to create things. I really would love to have a cake shop and possibly combine a few of my other intrest into a bussiness. My older daughter will be out of school in 6 years and will more than likely not be able to care for herself. So I would love a job where she could be with me through the day. Right now I am just praying for God's direction for my life and exploring the possibilities of my own shop.

Oh and in case you couldn't tell by my post I like to talk. Sometimes a little to much for my own good.

#3 - I would like to have kids right freakin' now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! About 1 1/2 years ago, I was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, and was told I most likely would not be able to have children. Instead of going into depression like I wanted to, I started thinking...."you know, maybe God has a different plan for me! There are so many kids out there that are just waiting to be taken to a good home." Unfortunately, I am not in a place where I can have kids brought into my house. I have moved back home to save up money, but that is my ultimate goal. I would love to have 1 child that was taken in from birth, and then others either that same thing, or children that get shuffled through the system.[/quote]

I have a very good friend that is gay. He is my hair stylist and I love him dearly. He can give one of the best haircuts ever and I have to go see him soon because I have the major flops.

My friend has polycystic ovary syndrome too. She and I struggled with having our second children because I have stage IV Endometriosis. I have had surgery and treatment after treatment with no relief. I considering a partial hysterectomy the first of the year. The only downfall is that I can stop that monthly cycle because that is when I have so much pain but I cannot stop the endo growth due to the estrogen that I will still be producing.

It is absolutely amazing how estrogen is your worst enemy!

Nice to meet you...........

Hi Everyone,

I'm new to decorating ... was asked to make a wedding cake this summer ... I love to bake but have not decorated ... started searching the web and found cake central! The bride and groom were happy with the cake - so I guess it was a success. I'm so addicted to CC... as soon as I get home from work I have to read all the new posts! I hope to take cake decorating classes soon.

I'm 36, married 14 years and have a son that turned 10 yesterday and a spunky little girl that is 8.

Besides being addicted to this forum ... we are involved in little league football and cheerleading.

Angelcakes4u
Elizabethton is in the upper end of East Tennesse. I live about 25 miles from the North Carolina State Line,(most of my family lives in NC and I go to church there) and probably that far from Virginia state line. Im about 2 hours from Knoxville.

4cakefiends-
I went to chesterton high school for a while, but ultimately ended up graduating from griffith, my dad and stepmom still live there, my mom and stepdad live in valparaiso. i have family in portage, crown point, hobart...I guess it really is a small world. My hubby and I live in greenwood, he was born/raised in indy(beech grove) is a Roncalli alum. Imust say, I know broad ripple well. I actually met my husband at the Vogue, Situation Gray was playing that night. If there's anyone out there who went to I.U. in the 1990's, you probably know who situation gray is!

cristiethomas You did a great job on that wedding cake

Good for you- great to have you here with us on CC

everyone is talking about their Christmas trees, I want to tell about mine. I put my tree up the day after Thanksgiving and it takes me a week to get all my decorations up. I love Christmas decorations and I buy them year around at garage sales. I do not do a theme just what ever the kids make at school and each of us buys a new ornament every year and then I make and paint ornaments every year. I love the different colored lights and I love for them to blink. I have over 900 white lights that I lay across my yard to look like snow since we are in TX and it is most of the time a little warm on Christmas day. I love Christmas!

Thank you mvigil!

When we had an artifical tree they(three of them) were put up the week after thanksgiving. Now because of my youngest son we have a live tree every year. We put it up the 21st of December then it usually comes down 3 days after christmas. (The reason it doesnt stay up long is I have life threatening asthma if it stays up any longer I will have to be hospitalized) I just take more medication during that time. It makes my son happy. We love christmas the other favoite holiday is Halloween.

had to get in on the christmas tree. I also put my tree up the day after thanksgiving, but I start the outside the first week on nov. It takes that long for me to put everything out. My entire yard is full of deceorations along with around 10,000 lights. You dont want my electric bill for that month.

Mpitrelli, I don't even want my electric bill any month and I can't imagine what yours would be. I do love to drive around and look at everyone's lights, though. I used to put some up but now just around the deck for the grandkids and I'm lucky if I can get that done. I love to decorate for Xmas but when it comes time to take it down, I swear that next year going to be different.......wrong. I end up getting all the cute little knicky knacky things out again!!! I've been thinking about calling on Briansbaker to come dust them all when I get them out..................

All the people with real trees would just be absolutely ashamed of me!!! We have an artificial tree that you have to assemble, and have had the same tree for as long as I can remember. It goes up Thanksgiving weekend, and comes down whenever I feel like it. I have sworn every year since I started working, that I am gonna get a new tree, but every year, the same on gets dragged out. I'm so bad that last 2 years, I just drug out the little 2 foot tall tree that is pre-decorated and pre-lit. Maybe this year....new tree!!

Ginajuarez, I wouldn't be ashamed of you for using the same tree. I used to think artificial trees were the worst thing in the world until I bought my first one. My theory is why chop down a tree to use for one month not to mention the falling pine needles and the fire hazard. If I had anywhere to store mine besides in a big garbage can, I'd leave it decorated and wrap it with sheets so I could just set it out next year. I seriously know people who do that. My mother thought a real tree was a must just like she did real diapers until we finally got her to see the light. I think she had truly accepted the trees but still sorta felt like you weren't being a good mom unless you scrubbed dirty diapers and sterilized bottles in an old fashion sterilizer. If she were still alive she'd be worried about the time I spend on this computer. I could just imagine trying to explain talking in this forum. LOL She wouldn't even try to play solitaire. Kept her deck of cards right on the kitchen table next to her coffee until the day she died. Can't remember who said they liked Nicholas Sparks and VC Andrews but so do I. I think Andrews was the most warped author I ever read, but I couldn't pass up one of her books. I have them all even the ones after she died. I also looooooooooove Danielle Steel. Pretty partial to John Grisham and John Jakes also. Hard to do any cakes when you like to read and email!!!!!!!!!

lol OK i have to put in my $.02 on the whole christmas tree thing. I try to be really good and wait until the day *after* Thanksgiving, but i usually take everything out that night, so i say to myself, " Eh, what the heck, lets do it NOW!!!!" I have a artifcial tree that i bought at Wal-mart 7 years ago and its in great condition, no complaints yets. its 8' tall and altho i want a taller tree, the cieling is telling me "NO". I also have a 3 foot old fashioned silver tree that i decorate and its in my kitchen. I searched hi gh and low for one of those for YEARS until DB found one lord knows where and got it for me Since im an 80s kid, I search ebay all year round to rebuy all those cool "Tacky-cute" lights that my family ahd back then. Remember those? The ones with the little flowers, tulips, tinsel around the little bulb or the prickly diamond ones that if u stepped on it barefoot it hurt like nothing else! I love those! (so if anyone has some old ones and doesnt want them anymore, PM me!!! ) and if that wasnt enough, my real name is NOEL. Just like the chirstmas carol. WHen i was a kid, i hated my name around christmas time. it irritated me when ppl would ask me, " Are u the first Noel?" i swear i wanted to pop them one. But as i got older i realized that its a cool name and not too many ppl have it. ALso, i have tons of x-mas stuff with my name on it, from pillows to candles to ornaments, to you name it. Funny thing is, is that its all been given to me and ive never had to buy it myself. hehe.
Awwww, now i cant wait for Thanksgiving to get here, thanks everyone!

Bluelamp1 ( NOT the 1st NOEL)

Yeah, yeah.....I know I already had my turn..but now you are talking about CHRISTMAS! We are the Christmas crazy people in our town...as a matter of fact our house made a program sponsored by a radio station here called the "Tacky Tinsel Tour"....lmao. We were on their site last year and made top 10 in the state! Which as they hastened to assure us.."tacky" is just a little joke ...we have some of the most awesome decorations out there.If I can find the link or photos I will post em. Our Christmas stuff begins going up the day after Halloween..Nov. 1st. It takes that long to get a start on it and get it up in time to enjoy it all for the holidays.

We are sometimes still putting it up the week b4 Christmas. We have probably a dozen 8-10 ft. inflatables. A 9ft. tree in the livingroom and a 6ft starwars tree for DH. A 2 ft tree in the kitchen and a 3 ft fiber optic one in the foyer and another one at the top of the stairs. One 4 ft. tree in the garage turned rec-room and I will let it go at that for now. However I am thinking I will have to get those pictures on here..! I am looking forward to starting the decorations now!

I read each and every word of every post and I must say "WOW" "You are an interesting group"
I think just about every case senerio was covered.
I haven't posted until now because compaired to you all I'm boring!

OK I will try this.. 3 things....
1 Had a huge crush on my next door neighbor, so what is the logical thing to do..I let my dog out to go to the bathroom at the same time he came home from work everynight so I would have an excuse to start a conversation with him. You know "Oh I am so sorry, he just loves you" It worked! We have been married for 5 years!

2 Met my now husband in July 98, engaged July 99, married July 00, moved to Ohio July 01, first child July 02, moved back home to WV July o4.
I love the month of July!

3 You all are talking about Christmas, and it is OK, but I LOVE Easter! I blow out and decorate eggs with the hot melted wax from crayons. You can make the most beautiful designs and keep them forever. I make about a dozen each year and store them with the rest. It is fun each year to get them out and display them.

Hmmm, 3 things sort of...
1) Been married since '92, have two cake and computer obsessed kids (4-1/2, 2-1/2) who look like each other but not like either of us.
2) Born in MO, moved to WV at 9, moved to CO during sophomore year of college (go 'eers & buffs - both football teams were good back then) and I really miss pepperoni rolls.
3) DH secretly likes to decorate too - we did the kids' cakes together and he picked up BC roses darn fast! His are way better than mine, lol.
Take care everyone.

Yes! I really missed pepperoni rolls when I was away in Ohio too. You just can't get anybetter than a good pepperoni roll cut open and filled with sauce, peppers, and cheese. Rolled up in foil and bake until browned just right......
(Sorry) I know its just a WV thing!


Cakebox where did you live in WV?

More about me - my other post was pretty random

I was born in London Ontario to Canadian dad & US mom, they divorced when I was 2 and moved around a bunch when my mom was single. Both remarried & I now have 1 full sister, 2 half sis & 2 half bro on mom's side, 2 half sis on dad's side.

When I say DH, I don't technically mean it. We met while I was visiting Austin from Colorado - I was planning on moving later that year. Dated a while, split up, found out I was (OOPS!) pregnant and I moved to Houston to be closer to my family. He visited frequently and was my labor coach, and eventually decided that he loved me and missed me too much, so here we are. DD is now almost 2 1/2 and we're happier than ever. Since we're common law there's no need for a ceremony, but we'll still have one when we're ready to leave DD with Nana for a week, cuz I want a honeymoon!

I had my 9lb4oz daughter completely natural - doc asked mid-delivery if I wanted a little help. I told her YES! then realized she was talking about episiotomy and quickly reversed my position. All the nurses were amazed that I had such a big baby w/o drugs.

In my previous life, I have mostly been an exec. asst, but hated it. Worked in a lab for AIDS clinical trials at Univ. of Colorado. Also waited tables and managed a Mexican restaurant.

Now I'm a SAHM, planning on going back & finishing my degree in education soon.

I also like the TP over, not under. Just said under to start a little trouble.

Mac - 2 things - 1) I wish I could watch CSI but DH ruins it, and Crossing Jordan, or pretty much anything with forensics as a main theme. He's a Pathologist's Assistant and did a rotation in forensic pathology when he was getting his master's. He cuts body parts up so he jokes that he could get rid of me easy peasy!
2) What the heck was KISS doing in Terrell? My goodness that seems like it's way off the beaten track! I mean Tyler is one thing, but Terrell?

Peanut2-I'm not in Niagara but my half sister is in a show in Niagara on the Lakes at the Shaw Festival.

I set my tree up the weekend after Thanksgiving, but we may start putting up outside lights earlier. DH says it's too much of a pain, despite the fact that he bought boxes & boxes of lights, so I put most of them up!

I love to read anything mystery or romantic comedy, but if I start a book, you can guarantee I will be up as long as necessary to read it. If that means 6am, I'm in trouble.

Would love to add more, but must go finish dinner dishes that have been neglected due to this incredibly long and interesting thread!

Elkins - was probably only 13K population at the time. Then up at WVU for a bit. That was lots of fun. I tried making my own pepperoni rolls, but they're just not the same - so I eat cake.

Okay I have to get on this one. Enjoyed reading about everyone....

1. Been married to high school sweetheart for 9 yrs. Have two girls 9 and 7...Had oldest while dh and I were seniors in high school...

2. Lived in Ca all my life with the exception of two years in SD and loved it there, hopefully I will find myself back there (SD) some day.

3. I lost 60 lbs. last year with Weight Watchers and Curves. Need to get back on the program before I gain it all back.. I love sweets and can't resist Donuts or ice cream. At least now I don't have to eat a dozen or a half gallon to be satisfied...

Great Thread....

Cakebox, where were you born in MO? I was born and raised in California but ended up in MO for my senior year of high school. Moved to a small town where my dad was born. I tell everyone that he eventually died and left us here and we never found enough money to get out. Used to be a good joke but gets truer everyday! Wouldn't leave if someone paid me to, actually. Been here for almost 40 years in this hick town and not only does everyone in town know what everyone is doing, we all help each other when the need arises. I developed COPD 3 years ago and became disabled. No insurance, couldn't work, the whole nine yards. Next thing I knew everyone had a benefit pie supper and auction together and made over $6000 to tide me over. Spaghetti supper, bluegrass music, and pies and crafts galore to auction off. Things like that don't happen in the big City.

Been up since 3 A.M. Couldn't sleep for the dust bunnies fighting under my bed. Still waiting on Briansbaker to erradicate them. My Red Hat Society friends were over last night and always compliment me on my collections and how nice they look. I just snicker and keep the lights down low so they don't see the dust.

lionladydi,
Keeping the dustbunnies in the dark is a good idea - they seem to multiply in daylight! LOL. I was born in Columbia, MO - my dad taught at Mizzou when I was really little. I have fond memories of catching fireflies on late summer evenings and picnics with family friends at the neighborhood parks. There was always plenty of cake at those gatherings. My dh doesn't particularly like cake and neither does much of his family. But I'm converting him over to the dark side, since pie takes longer for me to make.

3 random facts about me:

1) i initially applied for another job at the organization i work for but they never called me, but they kept my resume on file as they were intrigued by former work experience as a baker/cake decorator. they called me a couple of months later for another position and i've been here for almost 3 years. when my boss introduced me at my first staff meeting, she said nothing about my prior administrative experience or my degree in Linguistics, but rather, "she makes cake".

2) i'm allergic to cats. and i love them. i have a 15 pound somali name Mr. Buddy Chou (like the pastry), pictured below.

3) i like to sing jazz and big band type stuff, though i'm losing my voice as a result of new asthma medication. my favourite singers are Anita O'Day, Dean Martin, Dinah Washington, Jackie Wilson, and Jimmy Scott.

bonus random fact: if you google my last name, Lupchansky, you will find items related only to me; apparently, nobody else in North America, and possibly the world, has the same last name with that spelling.

Hey Cakebox. Are you still a Mizzou fan? My veternarian is a Mizzou alumni and big Mizzou fan. He got me enthused also. I live in Willow Springs which is between Springfield and the Arkansas line on Hwy 63. When I used to vacation here from Calif. as a youngster, we would catch fireflies to take home with us because no one would believe us when we would tell them about them. Needless to say, none lived long enough for us to prove anything other than we carried dead bugs in a Mason jar with grass. Life in the Ozarks is surely different than anywhere else. Sometimes bad and most times good. We see the crime rate going up every day. Wish we could scrape all the meth users and makers off the planet. It's like the meth capital of the US in the Ozarks. I not only remember lots of cakes at those gatherings but mostly remember the homemade hand cranked ice cream. Could never understand how that salt made the water melt yet made it colder. I'm like you cakes are much easier than pies. My mom only liked two kinds of pie--hot and cold. I miss hearing her say that.

This is a great topic! Okay, my life in a nutshell:

*I have green eyes, too! They're a very light sea green. My daughter thinks they're creepy and people always assume that I wear green contacts - nope, 20/20 vision.

*I married my college sweetheart after five years of dating only to divorce nine years later. It was the best decision I ever made! We spent years struggling to stay together for the sake of our child but finally realized that we would all be much happier apart. Life is way too short to waste being miserable.

*I'll turn 36 next month and have an eleven-year old daughter named Hayley.

*I have degrees in biology and biochemistry and work full-time doing cancer research. Our focus is on figuring out how to detect cancer in it's earliest stages by basically using a drop of blood to detect changes in the proteins.

*I live in the middle of nowhere in a log cabin on five acres and have a huge vegetable garden that serves as my own form of therapy. For me there is nothing like playing in the dirt to make all of life's problems go away!

*I love animals - we have:
Stoli - Siberian Husky
Juliet - Rott/German Shepard mix
Claudia Marie & Sophia Louise - cats
Helen, Dolores, Mildred, Agnes, Blanche & Imogene - chickens!
I plan on getting some pygmy goats in the spring to add to the menagerie.

*I met the love of my life on Match.com! We truly are soul mates. No plans to ever marry....been there, done that. Like my Gram used to say, "Never let the same dog bite you twice" meaning don't keep making the same mistakes! I know marriage isn't for me regardless of the man, but I now know that you don't need a marriage certificate to make you happy. All you need is someone that loves and respects you for who you are.

*I have a rare birth defect called Arnold Chiari Malformation. My cerebellum (hind part of the brain) is herniated into my spinal column. I had surgery four years ago to decompress the area. I walk around every day without the base of my skull and parts of my C1 and C2 vertebrae! I have migraines and dizzyness alot, but hey, I'm alive!

*I was raised by my grandmother and her sister - both have passed on. The only family I have is my daughter.

*I love to bake and cook - I have close to ninety cookbooks!

Thanks for reading about me!

hey ya'll can i play 2??

here goes.....

1.. im 31(arghh) and i've been with my husband since i was 14/ we have 4 great kids!!!3 girls-1boy

2..aside from cake central... i am an anne rice and jk rowling fanatic!!!harry and lestat are THE best!!


3..i can move my ears with out touching them and fold my ear lobes into my ears!!(is that to wierd??)hahaha

Yes I am still reading this thread

mjw15618 -kids are very silly arn't they my youngest son also tells me that my eyes are scary!!

I enjoy reading this thread keep it growing!!