Lovely Weekend

There's a lot to be said about taking time "to smell the roses."  Between work and baking, I've been so busy lately that it was necessary to consciously stop to enjoy life a little bit.  This past Friday night some of my highschool classmates and other friends met for a "mini-reunion" at the Seven Horse Pub in Saratoga Springs.  I hadn't been in that building since it was home to Mother Goldsmith's, a place where my parents used to enjoy a New York-style deli sandwich back in the 1970s.  With all the baking orders I had pending for this weekend, I thought that I didn't really have time to join my friends, but realized that it was important to make the time, to deliberately carve out part of the weekend to reconnect, to enjoy familiar company, and once again to remember why we are periodically drawn to spend time with each other at least once every year or so.  With social media as a catalyst, spurred by fellow classmate Cindy Kahn Kansky, the ball was rolling by word-of-mouth (or I should say "word-of-facebook") and there were more than twenty of us gathered in the upstairs dining room of the pub for a few hours Friday night.

SSHS '72ers at Seven Horse Pub

Terry Valentine McCue and
Nancy Hinckley Stevens, SSHS '72!

After enjoying that little break, I woke very early Saturday morning to begin baking again.  There was a graduation cake for Abby (I've been baking her birthday cakes since she was a little girl), and bridal shower cupcakes for my "honorary" neice Teresa Loviza.  While we're not blood-related, my family and the Lovizas have been friends for years and our children grew up together.  Teresa and my daughter Tricia were great friends as little girls, and it's lovely to see what beautiful women they've become.  Teresa is marrying Nick Rauscher in August, and Tricia will be married to Jeff Ayers in September of 2012.  It's an exciting time for all our families. 

Lovely bride-to-be Teresa Loviza

Carrot cupcake
with cream cheese frosting

Teresa's bridal shower was hosted by her family and friends at the home of her sister, Tina Rosato.  Tina has a future in either catering, food design, or interior decorating.  She is an artist in the way she creates a beautiful atmosphere for celebration.  Her home is a reflection of her talent, a joyful and visually beautiful place, and an intimate setting for hosting a shower for her only sister.  My contribution to the shower was carrot cupcakes with cream cheese frosting, decorated with fondant flowers, displayed on my trusty custom-made cupcake stand (one of the best investments I've ever made!). 

I came home to a little more baking which I took care of while Russ was off playing nine holes of golf at Brookhaven.  I spent a little time with my boys, Hank and Pete, and later Russ and I enjoyed dinner at Winslow's in Wilton.  It was a lovely first-half of the weekend.  Today finds me with no baking to do at all, and time to reflect on the weekend still left to smell the roses!

Pete, now 8 months cute!

Henry the builder