Locally Grown

I think I’ve mentioned before that Nate is currently an accounting zombie. 

It’s really awesome having a birthday during a month when you’re husband is a zombie.  Zombies aren’t very good at buying birthday gifts.  And I’m one of those people who thinks their birthday celebration should last the entire month.  Can you tell?

I took matters into my own hands this year.  Along with increased cardio, I purchased my own birthday present. 

Do you like?

Because I love.  So much.

I fell in love with the sign when I saw it in Jen's living room during her holiday home tour…seen here! (I also want to move into Jen’s house.  Is that weird? Of course not.)  I needed to have that sign.  Happy Birthday to me!

I have Nate has such good taste.

Would you like a sign of your very own?  Head on over to Onion Grove Mercantile and check out Jen’s other lovely paintings.  Jen is a local Iowa girl so that automatically won her points in my book but her paintings definitely speak for themselves. Very unique..and awesome. She does custom orders (Think your very own state….shipped to you if you aren’t lucky enough to live in Iowa.). I wanted my sign in greens and that was no problem!

Anyone else buy their own birthday gifts?  What’s the favorite thing you purchased yourself for your birthday?

***I was in no way compensated for this post.  I bet Jen is laughing hysterically now.  I just love my precious sign so much that I had to share!***

Rainbow Birthday Cake

I did it.  I turned 30.  I was seriously dreading it.  Thirty.  So old.

My 30th birthday was actually quite fabulous.  I think I like being thirty.  Or at least that’s what I keep telling my old self.  Isn’t that would old people do?  Convince themselves that being older is actually better.

Rainbow birthday cake definitely helped the transition from being a twenty-something to a thirty something…

I’m honestly not sure I could have done it without the cake.

Want to make your own cake to ease into being another year older?  Of course you do.

Gather your ingredients.  Two boxes of white cake mix and gel food coloring. (The drops won’t work.)  Sprinkles are optional.  Wait.  Who am I kidding?  Sprinkles are never optional.

Mix the cake mixes according to the directions on the box.

Divide the batter into 6 bowls (~1 1/2 cups in each).  Add ~1 teaspoon of gel food coloring to each.

I was quite giddy at this point.  Look at how pretty that mess is!  And then I realized someone would need to wash all of those dishes.  Giddy fail.

Now it’s time to bake.  I only have 2 round cake pans so this was definitely a  time consuming cake.  Bake ~15 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. 

Words of wisdom from the ancient one:  Grease your pans VERY well…or this cake becomes a mess. (See purple and blue layer below.)  Use a knife to loosen the edges.  Let cool until you can touch the pan.  CAREFULLY flip onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Next it’s time for the frosting!  We used Nate’s mom’s secret frosting recipe.  Nate thinks I married him for his charming good looks and sense of humor.  It was actually for the frosting recipe.

Alternate cake and frosting.  Don’t worry if it doesn’t look super pretty.  It will still turn out just fine. 

It helps to have a supervisor.

Nate applied a skim coat of frosting to the outside and then let it sit in the fridge while we went out for a fancy supper at Noodles.  We returned and Nate applied the final layer…and sprinkles.

And then we cut into it.

Magical.

Ike, of course, got in on the birthday action.  He was really more interested in eating the cake than having his picture taken.  He keeps mumbling something about an agent.

I think thirty is going to be pretty awesome!

7 Very Important Topics

1.  I turn 30 on Sunday.  Thirty.  That hurts.  I know it really doesn’t matter but I like to worry about things that I have no control over.  It’s my thing. 

2. The lovely sisters over at Paisley Print Shoes shared some fun jewelry storage ideas…including mine.  Head on over and check that out post here!  I enjoy their blog so much.  Two sisters with different tastes coming together to write a blog.  I should start one with my brother.  Oh, that’d be a good one.

3.  I have the day off.  Our birthday is a holiday at my place of employment.  I really do like my job.  Especially when I have the day off.  Ike loves days off too.

4.  I want to make myself a rainbow birthday cake with sprinkles.  Is that weird for a 30 year old? Don’t answer that.

                                via Whatever

5. I am obsessed with this tote.  Obsessed.  Someone find me a less expensive alternative…that looks just like it.

via Madewell

6.  Nate and I are going to Costa Rica in a couple of months.  I want to go now.  I'm a very patient person in my old age.  Have you been to Costa Rica?  If so, give me the scoop!  I can’t tell if I’m more excited to see the rainforests, black volcanic sand beaches, or monkeys.  Who am I kidding?  It’s the monkeys.

via Riu Guanacaste

7.  Happy Week-end!

What are your very important topics this Friday?  Trips. Want list. Recipes. Monkeys.  Tell me all about it.