Okay, the cutest thing at the wedding besides the bride, was this runny nosed little elf.  She was stuck to my hip from 12:30 on Sat. the 30th until 12:30 on May first. Signe' went to the after party and I kept her.  She slept between me and my sister.  She still had a cold and was quite clingy. 

It was a forced march the minute we hit the ground in St. Louis on Wednesday.  I was able to get all the dresses altered, and the groom's cakes baked and wrapped before I went to bed. There were 4 dresses that needed hemmed and taken in and then all 4 had to be sewn shut at the bust as they were a little low.  I did the busts at the wedding venue.

Thursday morning, I was able to cut the grooms cake with a paper template made by Lil sis's significant other.  I made the cake 4 layers high.  Also, frosted with raspberry jam between layers.   Then I froze cake. We worked on flowers the rest of the day as they decided to go with silk flowers, which I was glad they did.  It gave us more time and they could be kept.  It was a group effort.

Sissie's husband was there with her, and he is so dang funny.  He kept us in stitches most of the time. Cookies were wrapped and bagged for each place setting.  Sissie ironed linens for 4 hours on Thursday and I don't know how her arm stood it. Sarah (the bride) wanted a veil that she could wear down on her honeymoon and she had borrowed Braunwyn's veil (my youngest) for the ceremony.  So, someone ran and got me some tulle and I made one up for her at the last minute. 

We stayed with Lil sis's best friend, who has a huge house in the center of St. Louis by the college. An older home made of brick with huge rooms and a sunroom off our bedroom, where I did the sewing and Sissie did the pressing.  Just beautiful.  She treated us to gourmet meals, and we were so grateful.  All we had to do was concentrate on the wedding.

Thursday afternoon, I put the crumb coat on the frozen cake and put it back in the freezer and we continued on flowers.  We had 11 boutonnieres, 12 corsages, a bridal bouquet, 6 bridesmaid's bouquets and then other arrangements to do for tables and such. Finally late Thursday, I frosted the groom's cake, and it was done! Actually, I really don't know the total on some of this stuff just alot.

The groom's father and the groom were so thrilled with the cake and cookies we made.  A cookie was wrapped in cellophane and tied with a yellow ribbon and was placed at the top of each place setting as a gift to take home.  The cake by the way was delicious.  I brought my own coco, that I buy here that is a dark non alkaline coco and has a much better flavor. I was so afraid that they were going to x-ray my luggage and see this substance and then pull me over and I would have to prove that it was coco.

Finally, Friday afternoon late when as much as we could do was done Jethelyn (my, eldest) and Signe' (#2) took Kelsa to do a little shopping.  Kelsa still only wears a 1.5 in a baby shoe, which is really just above a newborn.  We went to Nordstrom and found some little leather Ugg sandals in white that would stay on her feet.  They were a 2 so room to grow and she loved them!  Refused to take them off.  The clerk had a good laugh, as she had never seen such a tiny girl become attached to shoes like that. 

Then home as we had an early morning to get to the venue by 9.  The venue was 45 minutes away.  as I don't make cakes for a living, and the groom's cake was frozen, I took it out late Friday night so it would be thawed by the Wedding which was at 12:30.  This was a mistake!!!!!  As we drove the 45 minutes to the venue the cake started to disintegrate.  As in the frosting was sliding off in sheets. and the top of the ax head was separating from the handle. It just got worse and worse.  Sissie and I were holding it and tipping is back and forth trying to keep the frosting on the board. By the time we got there it was a complete mess.  We should have taken a picture.

I took it to the kitchen and put it in a freezer and waited for the head cook to arrive.  When I showed it to her, she said no problem, just let it get good and cold and we will re frost it, by pushing the frosting back up.  I had brought a piping bag with extra frosting, and the spray and glitter with me just in case we needed a touch up, thank goodness. I was able to fix it but could not get the handle and the head to stay together.  The cook came in with those wafer cookies that come in pink, chocolate, and vanilla.  She took vanilla ones and stood then straight up on either side and then put another across the top.  This filled in the gap, and we frosted over it.  If you look closely, you can see where the frosting changes color slightly, as the rest had oxidized a little.  

The cook said they had cakes come in all the time that had tipped over or had lost a top or had a gouge out of them and this was how they fixed them.  Smashed a wafer cookie into the spot. The cookie which forms a flat surface is then spread with frosting.  Most cakes have a really heavy frosting layer.  So, the day was saved. We ran around setting up the venue.  Chair bows, napkins, cookies, flowers, then I went up to the bride's room, and started sewing bustlines together, and finishing the bride's bustle.  One bridesmaid who did not have me do her dress came in the top way too big.  So, I took hand tailored darts in the bodice, and it looked much better. Poor Lil sis was chasing people around to get corsages and boutonnieres on them, and I was trying to coral anyone who needed a flower except for myself of course.   Finally, I dressed about 12:15 and down we went for the ceremony.

It was beautiful and lasted 25 minutes.  I thought what a lot of work for 25 minutes.  Then party time until 5.  By 4:30 my feet were blistered.  And I had danced with Kelsa on my hip for several hours.  It was a joyful celebration.  I started to actually clean up about 4:30 as another wedding was coming into the venue for a 7:00 wedding.  We were out by 5 and the next group was coming in.  I know the wedding planner was happy, as we had the right to sit and do nothing until 5 and then they have to force most people out.  But we were actually able to be out upstairs by 5:15.

Bride and groom, not a great picture, with my cell phone. The groom's mom was deaf since birth, and he communicated through sign.  We had an interpreter that stood by the minister and signed all the vows. Several of the people on the groom's side were deaf and the interpreter stayed the entire wedding.  It was really interesting.  The MC said that half the room was deaf, so our half of the room was the dumb side.  That brought the house down.

Jethelyn (eldest) and I took Kelsa after the wedding, and we went to IKEA.  Jess (nickname) had never been to one.  It was fun.  Kelsa loved the kid's section. I bought a few odds, and ends for the kitchen and of course, crackers and cookies and all the Swedish things I craved.  Also, a new duvet, and sheet set for the Master bedroom.  I am going to put it away for later.

We crashed into beds on Saturday night and Sunday was just a day to recover.  People were flying out and there were trips to the airport.  But really, we just took the day to relax. Bride and groom were off on honeymoon trip to Florida, the rest of the party that stayed with us went to the Arch, I had already seen this so Jess and I took Signe' and baby to airport and then spent the day shopping and sightseeing. It was fun.

Jess flew out early Monday, and Lil sis and I folded linens and piled things that needed to go to others and what would return home with us. She flew out at about 2:30 and I flew out at 4:00. I got home last night about 11:00. 

I had so many phone calls while I was gone, mostly for prom dresses.  I told people I would open back up on Wednesday the 4th.  I gave myself a day to recover.  See I am getting smarter.  My phone has rung all morning and I am sticking to my guns. I have not even been in my shop, and I don't want to look.

By the way I am getting the babies cold, and I am so glad that Signe' did not bring her last Monday, as I would have been in the middle of it at the wedding.  As it was Signe' was quite miserable with it the first day she was there.  So, I am on day 2 or 3 of 3 days coming, three days there, three days gone of the cycle.  Oh yippee!  At least it was not at the wedding.

Also, I had a couple of really big blisters on the top of my big toes from my, sandals. I was just praying that they would not become infected, but alas I woke Monday with an infected right big toe.  It was hot, and red, and climbing.  So, I had to drain the blister, debride it, and then put alcohol on it and boy did that make me hop for a while.  Then neosporin and a couple of good bandages. It hurt to walk on the foot, but by the time I got to Denver, the pain was gone, and the infection was reduced and not spreading. These autoimmune suppressant drugs really work for arthritis but do nothing to help even the tiniest cut.  You just have to watch every little thing. I had a girlfriend go into kidney failure from a hang nail taking the drugs I take. I knew when I saw the blisters this was possibility, so I stayed on it.

Anyway, I am home, and there is so much to do with unpacking, too many eggs, laundry, putting the things I bought away, plus just general housework, and paying a few bills. I am unpacked, but there are piles of Kim droppings in every room in the house. I do have both loads of laundry washed and one is one the line, and I am going out to hang the next one.  Then I will pay a few bills, run to the post office, and continue to clean and put stuff away.  I have several dead flower arrangements to clean up and I need to go cut lilacs to enjoy while they are here.

So glad to be home, even though tomorrow is going to be crazy!  I am blessed with work!

Have a great and productive day staying positive while you are in the negative.

Kim