made for me... the beginning

This blog has been a work in progress for months now. One of my oldest friends, Tracy, and I have been wanting to start up blogs, but for one reason or another we never got around to it. We gave ourselves due dates and deadlines, and without fail we ignored them time and time again.

Today is the day we decided to stop talking and start doing.

So here I am, taking the first step - of many - in blogging all things me, my family, but mostly things that I'm passionate about. I work in the AR department of a reputable sporting goods company, so creativity in my line of work is minimal. I go in each day, do what's required of me, and I go home at night feeling like there's something missing...

I've always been a creative soul. I used to write, I was in Fine Arts, I feel in love with Art History... But I never went anywhere with any of those, and i slowly let my artistic side fall into the background. However, lately I've been feeling this part of me edge forward and cry out for attention. I suddenly felt the need to be artistic again and I have been slowly getting back into that state of mind.

I'm far from where I used to be. I find writing tedious and more of a chore than in the past. I don't feel the urge to pick up a pencil and sketch out what I see in front of me, and all my art history books are just collecting dust. But i still have that inner feeling wanting to come out, so I have been finding other ways to feed it; baking, painting wine glasses, making wedding accessories for my friends...

And this will be the place that I "show off" what I've been up to. I have always wanted a way to express myself for people to see, but have never really known how to go about it. So a blog is a great way for you all to stay connected with me, and keep up with the workings of my creativeness...

...amanda leigh

Baking I've done...

As long as I can remember my mother was always baking. Anyone who knows me will vouch that at Christmas time, it was like a baking version of grand central station in my house. My mother has a natural knack at making not only delicious baked goods, but her presentation skills are impeccable.

I have learned a lot form my mother, and have grown to have this certain expectations of myself along with my baking. I am at times hard on myself for not being able to achieve that level of perfection I constantly crave, but I will more often then not try anything once.

At the moment, I am in love with cupcakes - no matter how saturated this baked good has become in society - and I am constantly searching for the perfect (and forever favorite of many) chocolate chip cookie.

Here are a few of the different things I've made...

 Chocolate mint cupcakes with a mint buttercream

 Pumpkin Sugar Cookies with Cream Cheese frosting

 Chocolate Sugar Cookies

Some fondant (homemade) flowers for cupcakes and cookies

 My first attempt at Challa bread.

 Sugar Cookies with homemade coconut flavored fondant

Cinnamon Buns

Glasses I've painted...

My interest in painting glassware started many years ago, when the extent of my capabilities was making flowers out of dots and a green squiggle as the stem. I, along side a friend, painted a bunch of these glasses as Christmas presents for our friends and families.

Since then I have grown to enjoy painting all types of glassware - wine glasses, champagne flutes, mugs and more - for all type of occasions from weddings, to anniversaries, to simple designs for your everyday use...

I don't have many examples of my work just yet, but here are a few to get you started...

 

headpieces

2010 was the year of the weddings for me and my little family. We attended six weddings between August and November, along with many engagement parties, bachelorettes and bachelor parties and bridal showers galore.

Needless to say weddings began to become a constant fixture in my life, and still are - we already have 4 weddings so far this year to attend.

I have always found myself seeing things and saying 'I could do that', so I will more often then not, give it a try and either it works out in my favor, or it doesn't. So with all the excitement surrounding all the weddings, I began to try my hand at making headpieces and I am proud to say that I was able to make a birdcage veil and a fascinator for two different weddings.

Christine's fascinator:

Nadia's birdcage veil:

Details of the veil clip: