A SILLY CELEBRATION CAKE AND MY BIG HOT MESS....

Received Abbie's grades from her spring semester in Paris the other day, and then decided to make my girl a cake to celebrate, because that child up and earned herself all A's and maybe one little B+ on her report card. Which is impressive enough....but lest we forget,...her classes were all taught in French!

I would have flunked out, day ONE. Just sayin'............

Our celebration cake, fancifully called the "Parisian Peppermint Cake" was really just a white cake (from a--gasp!--box!) with some peppermint extract, and homemade buttercream frosting. I found these little cupcake decorations while wandering the streets of Paris last spring, just itching to spend my money on souvenirs.....(note: I did not see even one primped Poodle in Paris)....

Most people spend their money on postcards and t-shirts and such when they travel.....not me! I always seem to come home from wherever we've been with something for the kitchen....

By the way, the inside of this cake? Well, I tried a trendy little food coloring technique my daughter calls "Ombre", or something like that....it's just graduated layers of color....really pretty, I think!............

So pretty, I had to eat a huge slab.

You'd best believe that I fell into a deep sugar coma after eating this last night. And then proceeded to punish myself extra hard on the eliptical this a.m......

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By the way, I'm feeling pretty darned good in my own skin these days; Finally reached my "goal" healthy weight, and have been maintaining it by religiously binging, then purging.

Not really...just eating VERY healthily (is that even a word?), watching portions and working out as my energy allows.

Because if I've learned one thing in this life, it's that diets NEVER work....and lifestyle changes do. I'm never going to allow myself to fall into that dieting insanity trap again ...just trying to remember to eat when I'm hungry, and to stop when I'm full.

I'll let you know how this all works out, 5 years from now when I'm 350 lbs.

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When you pack for a trip, does the floor of your bedroom or office look like this?

Like a bomb blew up in your closet?

I always, always bring waaaayy too many clothes, every time I travel. And this time, I fear, shall be no exception.

I mean HEY...how is a girl supposed to go from the foggy coast, up to the dry and hot mountains, and then back to the coast and NOT bring layers and options, options, options?

We're talking HUGE temperature changes here, folks.

Not to mention the fact that we are doing all of THIS:  getting pretty dressed up for my parent's 50th Wedding Anniversary party, and then hopefully doing some hiking in the Sierras with my brother. And maybe going berry picking with my mom, and then moving our daughter into her new senior year digs, and then maybe going wine tasting in Napa and/or shopping for pillows and rugs in Marin with my Aunt Jan, and then getting some Mexican food in Palo Alto with my cousin. And Chinese food in Berkeley with my Uncle Joe. And eating at Tyler Florence's new Mill Valley restaurant with my in-laws.

Like I could do all of that with just a carry on bag.

Did you take note of how much we'll be eating on this trip?

Maybe elastic-waist sweat pants are in order for my trip home.

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One more little thing.

Day after tomorrow, August the 15th, is Wink and my 25th Wedding Anniversary. Yup, this is a big year for my fambly...50th for my folks, 25th for us.

We've got the whole happy marriage thing DOWN!

Let's get the champagne a' flowing!

Happy Anniversary, Wink! And remember, we'll always have Paris!....

See you all in a few weeks!

Leslie

XXX000