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Showing posts with label events. Show all posts
Showing posts with label events. Show all posts

Faces to Love

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    Here's a face I love...

    ...my next-door neighbor and friend, Kristen from We are THAT Family.  Do you know she has a book? {I might have mentioned it....and if you're a mom, I think you might need it. It's GOOOOOOD.}

    Kristen had her first book signing this weekend and I was so happy to be able to go...and so happy to call her a friend.  Y'all, she's just as funny and sweet and good in person as she is on her blog and in her book. 

    {I brought cookies.}

    Now, Kristen doesn't need a photoshop makeover, but her neighbor (me) does.

    Have you heard of the I Heart Faces:  
    Faces to Love, Blogger Makeover Project?

    I Heart Faces is a photography website with weekly photo challenges for all levels of photographers. Co-Founders, Amy & Angie make sure you'll find great photo editing tutorials, camera tutorials, photography tips and giveaways each week.
    Well, at the Blissdom conference, I knew Angie and Amy, the founders of I Heart Faces, were up to something, but they wouldn't spill the beans.

    Here's the deal... Amy & Angie took photos of bloggers to use as their profile image! The are calling it Faces to Love - Blogger Makeover Project. To make it even more fun... they want to give one of you and one of their readers a photo makeover as well!

    My picture was taken by the fabulous Angie (if you live in Ohio, seriously look into Angie taking your family photos...she's amazing!):
     
    {Look ma, no wrinkles!}

    One lucky Bake at 350 reader will get themselves made over photoshop style! Amy & Angie will work their magic on a photo you provide them. They will then send you several images to use on your blog, Facebook profile or Twitter Avatar, or whatever.  Hmm....can I take this to the DMV?

    To be entered to win a make-over for your photo. Just leave a comment below! 

    To be entered for more chances to win:
    •  Visit I Heart Faces and leave a comment on their site. 
     •  For even more chances to win, visit the other two bloggers' sites (Cheryl & Rachel) featured on I Heart Faces today as well...and leave a comment on their blogs.

    Winner chosen and notified. Congrats to The Perfect Trio!


    This contest ends on Wed. April. 13th at 10 pm. Good luck!
    Source URL: http://soniceview.blogspot.com/search/label/events
    Visit So Nice View for daily updated images of art collection

For Japan, with love

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    I won't be in Austin this weekend, but my cookies will be.  Kathryn of The Austin Gastronomist has put together an incredible bake sale this Saturday (4-2-11) called Austin Bakes for Japan. There are going to be 5, yes FIVE, locations for the bake sale all throughout Austin, so if you live there, or in the area, please stop by.  (Here is the list of locations.)
    To say that the images and stories coming out if Japan are heart-breaking is such an understatement, but I can't think of a better way to descibe it.  My mind keeps going back to those children waiting for days at their school for their parents to pick them up.  And it goes to the mothers who must lie awake at night worrying about the impact radiation will have on their children, and their food, and their country.

    This may sound silly, but I remember getting my issue of Martha Stewart Living after September 11th.  (Yes, I looked to Martha for comfort.)  She had been in Japan during the attacks and her letter from the editor described that day there.  It touched me so deeply...I saved that letter.  Here's an excerpt:

    "As we walked somberly toward the temple, the bells in the bell tower....pealed the melody of Parke W. Hewins's 'America the Beautiful.'  How wonderful, how inspiring and how utterly devastating."
    ~Martha Stewart, 2001

    The people of Japan grieved with us, and now we grieve with them.


    I hope if you're in the area, you'll come by the bake sale. Sweet and lovely Nina from Salt: a baking journal is transporting my cookies to Austin from Houston.  Thank you, Nina....such a pleasure to meet you!

    My heart is in Japan, my cookies are in Austin...and I'll be sweating it out in Houston at kiddo's track meet.  Wish I could be there to help with the sale!

    ***update: The bake sale was a huge success!  To date, over $11,000 dollars was raised and donations are still coming in...yay!***Source URL: http://soniceview.blogspot.com/search/label/events
    Visit So Nice View for daily updated images of art collection

Blogging Buddies . . . Works For Me Wednesday

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    If you have a blog, have you ever met another blogger in real life?   I'm lucky enough to live next-door to a real-life blogger (and host of Works for Me Wednesday...Hi, Kristen!).  And sweet Mr. E sent me to visit Cheryl (TidyMom) this summer. And, then there was Ree. :)

    If you ever get a chance to meet a blogger you love, DO IT!  Believe me, it's nice to talk to someone about blogging and not have the person look at you, tilt their head to the side and say, "huh?" 

    Last week, I attended my first ever blog conference. 
    {And I'm still recovering.}

    Thanks to my friends at Blog2Print (you know, the company that will print your blog for you as a book), I was in Nashville at Blissdom.


    The opening and closing keynotes were amazing (thank you Brene Brown & Scott Stratten...I cannot express how much I loved them BOTH).

    The parties were fun...and the music incredible (yes, Michelle Branch, Mat Kearney, Chris Mann & Crystal Bowersox).  {And here's a sign you're old....you have to google all of those people, other than Crystal who you voted for on American Idol.}
     
    {Here's Cheryl with Chris Mann.  Aren't they both adorable?!?}

    But the best part?  The highlight of the conference?  Meeting all of the lovely ladies that I've admired from afar.  The craft bloggers, the photography bloggers, the home bloggers, the mommy bloggers....

    ....and yes, some FABULOUS foodie bloggers.  Here are my homegirls:
     
    Kristan of Confessions of a Cookbook Queen
    Amy of She Wears Many Hats
    Shaina of Food for My Family
    Kristen of Dine and Dish (one of the very 1st food blogs I ever read!)
    Aimee of Simple Bites
    and, my roomie, Cheryl of TidyMom

    works for me wednesday at we are that family
    Meeting other bloggers?  Works for me!!!  Thank you so much, Blog2Print!!!

    {Have you ever met another blogger or attended a blog conference?}

    Source URL: http://soniceview.blogspot.com/search/label/events
    Visit So Nice View for daily updated images of art collection

New York, part 2 . . . and a *secret* about Kelly Ripa !

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    I wouldn't say I'm lucky, but I have won a few things in my life...

    • When I was 6, I won a coloring contest at our local Baskin-Robbins. The prize? 31 FREE scoops of ice cream!!! Is there anything more exciting than free ice cream to a 6-year-old (or a 40-year-old, for that matter)?
    • As a sophomore in high school, I won tickets from a radio station to the Cyndi Lauper concert. Second row from the top of the auditorium, total nosebleed seats, but I WON!!!

      {Unfortunately, I bought SHE BOP earrings at the concert and wore them....to school! Do you know that "she bop" doesn't have anything to do with dancing? Yeah, me neither...until the *dreamy* senior who sat behind me in Spanish class filled me in. I still wasn't *quite sure* what he was talking about, but I knew it was bad. Google it.}
    • And, then, Foodbuzz sent out an email asking if any of its featured publishers would like to apply to go to Kelly's Cake Off. I applied hoping I'd get lucky (and not in the She Bop way) and be chosen. I was!!! Yay!
    Thanks to you and Electrolux, these cakes have raised over $20,000 for the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund. You know all about that, though. Let me show you a little bit more of the trip...

    First, I got to meet 14 fabulous food bloggers!!! (You can see a list here.)


    {Here I am with the brilliant Jessie of CakeSpy.}


    Before the festivities even started, Jen of My Kitchen Addiction & I met with Gail of the ultra-amazing One Tough Cookie. (Go, see for yourself. She's a cookie genius!) Gail treated us to cappuccinos at Pastis and I felt very hip & New York.

    Then, we all went to the Gastropub (I'm not sure what that means, but trust me, it's good) The Spotted Pig. We were ushered to a private kitchen and given a cooking demo (& dinner) by Chef April Bloomfield.


    You guys...it was phenomenal.

    {It was my very first time to eat duck and I'm looking at those duckies in the pond down the street in a whole new light.}


    After that, we headed up to the rooftop bar at our hotel for a drink and a gift exchange with the other bloggers.

    That morning, we were up at the crack of dawn to go to a taping of Live! with Regis & Kelly. Here's what I loved:
    1. a car service....seriously, being picked up and driven around town is something I could get used to,
    2. Kelly & Regis came over and talked to the audience between segments. I was most impressed by that.
    3. Regis threw candy into the audience. I didn't get any, but I still love Regis for it.


    Here's the secret about Kelly Ripa.....ready?

    She....
    ....
    ....
    ....
    ....
    ....
    EATS! Really! She does! Between segments, she ate right from a bag of All-Bran cereal...and joked that she might have to make a quick exit...AND before the cooking segment, she snacked on the nuts and chocolate. (I know you all are probably as shocked as I was.)


    Oh, and she's tee-nine-y! (That's tiny.) I thought about sticking her in my purse and bringing her home to Texas. Look at me, y'all, in that picture. I'm freaking Julia Child towering over everyone. I'm even hunching.

    Then, it was time for the Cake Off. You all know about that (or if you don't, click here).

    I just have to add how nice everyone was to us...the people from Electrolux and Foodbuzz and the PR people handling the event. Kelly Ripa was beautiful and fun and really quick-witted!


    {Did I mention the swag?!?!?}


    Buddy, Frankie, Remy and the gang from Cake Boss were so fabulous! They were *the sweetest* guys and stayed as long as we needed to help with the cakes, sign autographs, take pictures...and then they had to CLEAN up all of the cake paraphernalia. Oh, and Buddy's cakes taste every bit as delicious as they look!

    Overall, I was lucky! It was a fabulous trip, for a great cause, and I feel blessed to have been a part of it.
    vote for me

    Today is the LAST DAY (2-19) to vote on a cake. Remember, for every vote, Electrolux donates $1 to the OCRF. What an easy way to make a difference. (And you can still send a virtual cake through March.)



    Thank you, thank you for supporting this cause (and me)! ♥


    My participation with Kelly's Cake Off for a Cause was sponsored by Electrolux and Foodbuzz who provided me with travel arrangements to and accommodations in New York to participate.
    Source URL: http://soniceview.blogspot.com/search/label/events
    Visit So Nice View for daily updated images of art collection

Kelly's Cake Off . . . cake decorating for a cause

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    OK...are you ready for a looooong post with lots of pictures? I hope so! Keep reading to see how you can help and there's a chance for you to WIN a few things (even cookies)!


    Ten years ago this month, we lost my mom to cancer. She was 54 years old. Just a year before, her doctor told her that she had cancer, but it was the "good kind"....slow-growing, very treatable. She had endometrial cancer. Fast forward to a week to two later, we found out the cancer had spread, quite a bit and quickly. I'll never forget...her doctor said she had endometrial cancer "acting as ovarian cancer."

    Ovarian cancer is currently one of those cancers that is difficult to detect and spreads quickly. It's scary. I'm so glad that the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund is here. This organization funds research to find a method of early detection and, ultimately, a cure for ovarian cancer. I am honored that I can be involved in raising money for the fund.

    Over the last month, I've heard from several of you. You've lost your mothers, sisters, aunts, friends to this disease. You know people currently fighting the good fight. This is for them. This is for Mom. Let me tell you how you can help.


    Electrolux and Foodbuzz sponsored 15 food bloggers to New York to decorate cakes along with Kelly Ripa and Buddy Valastro & Team from TLC's Cake Boss. We were divided up into teams of 3 and given our cake theme and an example to go by.


    Our team's theme was Take a Bow!
    {I was lucky enough to be on a team with Jen of My Kitchen Addiction & Diana of A Little Bit of Spain in Iowa, both had worked with fondant before! Yay! }


    Buddy and his crew gave us tips and continually walked from table to table, helping us and giving advice. They couldn't have been nicer!


    {You can even click here to see tips from Buddy for making the Cake Off cakes.}


    {Do Jen & I look a a little guilty digging in the bucket of chocolate fondant? It smelled SO delicious!}


    {Our team even had a VIDEO!!! Talk about nerve wracking!!!}




    Here's where you come in:
    • Visit Kelly Confidential and VOTE for your favorite (may I suggest the Take a Bow cake?).


    • Every vote = $1 Electrolux will donate to the OCRF.
    • You can vote once per day.
    • Although you do have to register, to keep the voting to 1 per day, it is free to vote.
    • ***Voting is open through February 19th.***
    AND....if you'd like the chance to win one of these beautiful Induction Ranges, just send a "virtual cake" to a friend or two. You'll be automatically entered. Oh, and if you'd like to BUY an Induction Range, Electrolux will donate $100 to OCRF for every range sold during February.

    {I got to play around with this one....I wish you could feel those Luxury-Glide Oven Racks; they ARE luxurious!!! And how pretty is that BLUE interior!}


    OK...one more thing...every time you vote, please come here and leave a comment. (And if you voted yesterday, tell me that, too.) From all of your comments, one person will receive a dozen cookies....from me! :)

    Thank you, thank you to FoodBuzz and Electrolux for the amazing opportunity to have fun and raise money for a cause near and dear to my heart!

    My participation with Kelly's Cake Off for a Cause was sponsored by Electrolux and Foodbuzz who provided me with travel arrangements to and accommodations in New York to participate.Source URL: http://soniceview.blogspot.com/search/label/events
    Visit So Nice View for daily updated images of art collection

New York: A preview

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I want to wake up in the city that never sleeps . . .

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New York City, here I come!

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Drop In & Decorate reminder

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    Are you participating in the Bake at 350 virtual Drop In & Decorate? If so, please email me with the details of your event (where the cookies were donated, how many, who participated, pictures). If you've already posted about it on your blog, you can just email the link. (Click the contact button above.)

    I'll be posting about the donated cookies next week. So, please shoot me an email by Sunday evening at the latest. Want to get involved? Here's the original post with all the details.

    Thank you so much! I know there have been several hundred cookies donated already!!!
    Source URL: http://soniceview.blogspot.com/search/label/events
    Visit So Nice View for daily updated images of art collection
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