VDAY, BDAYs and BYOB

TGIF!!! I have been waiting for this day all week! How is everyone doing? I am my usual Friday self... tired but glad the weekend is here. I don't have any plans this weekend, but I've had a busy week... a sick daughter, work overload, Valentine's Day, more work, baking, living, work, loving, more work! It's just been a lot of work this week and I'm glad it is FINALLY FRIDAY. I guess it's been a little while since I've posted anything, so maybe I have a few updates...

the brownies!
with leftover frosting from Jules's bday cake

For Valentine's Day, I tried to show the people in my house just how much they mean to me and how much I love them. I baked a few desserts, took some time to cut out red paper hearts and posted them all over their bathroom mirror. Idk where the idea came from, but I'm glad it came to me because they LOVED IT! Matter of fact, they don't even want to take it down! :) 10 points Tam! I took off Monday this week , to stay home and take care of my ailing daughter but it also made for great baking time! I made red velvet heart cake and cupcakes and the most DELICIOUS brownies I've ever had... all of which were heart shaped in honor of Valentine's Day! Here a few pics from the day:



my girls' bathroom mirror

 

 Yummy, right? lol. This week was also my amazing sister's birthday!!! She is so awesome... there are no words! For her birthday (I think I told you about this...), she asked for a super, major birthday cake. It's called the "All-the-Stops" Chocolate cake , I didn't think I was going to be able to pull it off. I am so proud of my finished product and I had so much fun making it happen. I woke up at the crack of the morning (especially for a Saturday), drove to McDonald's to get the cup of coffee the cake called for, came back home and got to work! It took me all of about 3 hours + (would have been less, but it took forever for the icing to reach the right consistency), but here is my finished product:

...chocolatey deliciousness!!!

Grant it, it doesn't look exactly like the pic on bettycrocker.com, but it was delightful and I am proud of it. It is the first cake I've made as an adult... and the first, from scratch cake I've made EVER! I'm telling you, you wish you had a piece of this!!! :)

I know what I do need to accomplish this weekend... the library! One, Kai has a project. Two, I need to get my mind right and pick up a copy of the BYOB club book, The Five Languages of Apology. I am slippin' forreals!!! I feel like I am way behind schedule on starting the book. I was inspired to read this after I read The Five Love Languages, that book was super helpful and effective. And now, I am hoping to continue the effectiveness of that book and read the next one on apologies. If I am honest, I initially wanted to read this book to discover what my own apology language was so that I could effectively express to someone else how I hear and fully accept an apology... how selfish, right? But now, I really do want to be able to understand how others may need to be apologized to in order for them to fully acknowledge my apology and recognize it as genuine and valuable. I hope you all join me in reading this and even take the time to convene and discuss it over with me for BYOB (Bring Your Own Book, THEE book club). The date to discuss this read has not yet been decided, but I'm looking at dates in early to mid March, hope to see you there!

What else? Working out has been a serious fail! Hello? what happened to all my accountability partners??? It's not you guys' fault though, life just gets kinda hectic, I've been lazy, busy, sleepy... all excuses! I just have not been in the mood. First, it was because I purposefully took a week off since I had my hair straightened. I was NOT about to let that $$ go to waste, then Kai got sick, then I was just so out of the habit... it's probably been 2 weeks now. I should be ashamed! I really thought the idea of being a thin, sexy bride would have been motivation enough. Well... clearly, it isn't! I plan to back on track. I still have time to knock some pounds off, right? Hopefully. While I'm on this topic... I was listening to the radio this week. (Steve Harvey show, 96.3) And Nicole Ari Parker, from Soul Food the TV show was on promoting her new product. The Save Your Do  gymwrap, it's a bandanna/headband made for black women that's supposed to maintain our hairstyles while we work out! Imagine that! the answers to all my problems... so I'm going to try this "magic" product out and let you all know if, in fact, it really works. I am not hopeful, but i figure it's worth a try for a mere $29.99 plus s&h!!! They are trying to get over on us! Highway robbery, but maybe it really works and then it'd be priceless. The answers to all black women's problems...

I just wanted to update you guys on a few things... still in wedding planning mode, you can track me and my Wedding Ideas by following me on Pinterest. Other than that, I don't have very much wedding plans to update you on. According to my awesomely amazing Aunt Lisa, the wedding is a go! We'll see how it goes... look for your invitations in the mail, hahahaha.

That's my peace! Love, Tam

this is just a sneak peak into Tam World because I love you guys... my Vday present to the J!
He has a fascination with red shoes.
I am usually anti-red, but I think red may be my color for a minute! :)