The trip to Michigan ended up being a great one. I had lots of fun with my sister and family -- and arrived just in time for my sister's best friend's baby shower.
I've known Tonya for well over 30 years -- and it was a wee bit overwhelming to see her 8 months pregnant! The shower was great fun -- a co-ed BBQ in a great park... everyone had a good time and I got to see some wonderful folks that I hadn't seen since Tonya's wedding last year.
The trip home made me realize just how much I need to sort out a way to get home more often. I was hyper-aware of how much my parents had aged since the last time I saw them. It hurt my heart a bit.... I cannot be away for such huge chunks of time anymore. The past couple of weeks since I got back to Omaha have -- quite literally -- just been a blur. I *barely* remember last week -- I was so damn busy the days have all meshed into one.
I got to spend some good time with Stella, my favorite little girl north of Kansas City at the Feist show in Memorial Park (which, miraculously, was not rained out)...
I got to attend an impromptu BBQ with my friends Dan and Ted -- feasted on pork chops and grilled apples and slightly battered watermelon....
I made a trip to Cabela's for the first time. For those of you outside of Omaha -- Cabela's is like going to hunter's heaven... it's a hunting/camping/fishing goods store meets amusement park meets taxidermy museum kinda of mega store. I was trying to get a birthday present for someone -- a fishing rod -- so it seemed like the right place to go. I walked in and was BEYOND overwhelmed.
They have a full on aquarium in there that rivals the zoo. There's a mountain in there -- with all these stuffed animals climbing on it -- not stuffed animals like Elmo -- but stuffed animals like Bambi's mom. There must have been a thousand fishing rods in there -- so after gazing, open-mouthed at the fish in the aquarium for 10 minutes -- I got some help from the best salesman EVER -- Frelands. Frelands knew everything in the world about fishing --- which was great, because I know next to nothing. After asking five simple questions -- he helped me pick out some kick ass gear that made for a great gift. If you live in Omaha -- I think you should visit Cabela's at least once -- it's overwhelming, and a little bit scary, but it really is this strange slice of life in the midwest. If you go --- ask for Frelands. After chatting with him for five minutes, you'll wanna sell all your belongings and go fly fishing for the rest of your life....Anyways -- back to the chaos. My car suddenly started spouting oil and making a horrible rumbling sound when I braked -- so I took it to the shop and $460 later -- had new front and back brakes and a new oil thingie cap. FUN!
I gave a lecture to a group of Girl Scouts at the shop -- which, I was oddly terrified of doing... but it turned out to be the BEST time. They had so many great questions and we had a lot of fun... I have another group coming to visit next week... I think I'm gonna make them cookies....
Flipping the gallery after Seth's show was ... ummmm..... NOT the best time. It took 13 hours, three coats of primer, two coats of paint, and basically refinishing the drywall on two walls before the space was back to normal. I loved the show and the way the space looked --- but it will be a long, LONG time before I allow anyone to paint the gallery walls again. I was exhausted.
Bill Hoover's opening in the gallery last Friday was beyond amazing. A great night for the space... packed from the minute it started and it ran well past 10pm. We sold half the show -- eight pieces. It was, honestly, the best night I've had in the shop since the night I opened last year. HUGE. You can read a review of the show here.
So -- while all of that was happening... my sweetest Alessi arrived in town, as did Shane, Keri and their girls. I also had a friend in town from Detroit for a few days.... and somehow managed to see my friend, the amazing Matt Amandus, play piano at the Joslyn's Jazz on the Green concert.
The day after Bill's opening, I closed the shop for the weekend and spent the next two days baking about 200 cupcakes for Stefanie and Chris' wedding, which was on the 20th. No -- I'm not kidding. 200 cupcakes. In my kitchen. It tooks two days, 36 eggs, 25 sticks of butter and three pots of coffee -- but I got it done. Not only did I get it done, folks -- I got it done WELL!
The cupcakes were a hit at the wedding... I even got a heartfelt "Gawd DAMN!" -- I haven't baked like that, for stangers, in a LONG time and I was sOoOoOoOo insanely nervous --but they all turned out great. I made the following tasty treats:
german chocolate
lemon with blueberries
double chocolate with raspberries
pear with vanilla bean
coconut with white chocolate frosting
The caterer asked me where my shop was -- and I felt a tuggin' at my heart. Despite all the stress of baking in my tiny, ill-equipped kitchen -- I really *loved* doing it. It's something that makes me so silly happy... something that needs to be a part of my future in some way..... can you hear the wheels turning in my head from there? Sorry -- they need a bit of greasin'
Anyways --- I made the cupcakes, Stefanie's bouquet and rigged up some flowers for her hair -- all in less than 2 days. It was a great wedding -- lots of fun, despite the "melt yo' ass" heat" -- but, by 9pm, I was ready for bed............. this would be a good time for me to mention that I've also agreed to make a WEDDING CAKE (the real deal, folks!) for my friends Sara and Simon -- who are getting married in September. We'll ummmm.... chat more about that later.
Monday --- my first real day off in two weeks. I slept in... did some serious reconstruction in my kitchen and then took my ass to the zoo. I love the Henry Doorly Zoo... sometimes, I just go to visit the polar bears... which is exactly what I did on Monday.That's it -- that's what I've been up to for the past 20-somethin' days.... August is looking blissfully quiet, just the art opening to tackle -- nothing else (I ummmm.... think?!?).
No matter how crazy it felt -- this month's been amazing so far... the trip home, the opening last week, all the outta town love -- baking again... all of it's been amazing.
I'm a lucky, lucky (albeit sleep deprived) lady.
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