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I thought I’d try out my new camera and take some photos of some things that caught my eye on my way home from dropping the boys off at school this morning. The blue hollyhocks grow over the fence just behind the school and since Monday I’ve been meaning to bring my camera to photograph these beauties but I kept forgetting. Yesterday I remembered, but alas, the hollyhocks began wilting and weren’t as prolific as they were a few days ago. Instead, I opted to take a few close ups of them to show how pretty they were.

Look at this. It’s beautiful, don’t you agree? See that frosting, it’s perfectly smooth, and the color just delicious. The yellow cake is perfectly contained inside the cupcake wrapper. It’s perfection.

Yes, I am watching my weight with the anticipation of losing some pounds, but honestly, what is life about if you can’t enjoy one of these beauties once in a while? Not only do these taste delicious, but they are equally as beautiful to behold as they are to eat.

While in NYC a year or so ago, I went to some of the city’s trendiest cupcake bakeries. What a fabulous idea for a business! Ever since I got back, the idea of opening a cupcake bakery here in my town has been knawing at me. I don’t have the funds nor the business experience to open one, but I know if someone wanted to and had the know how and the greenbacks, they could make a killing if they opened one by the Metra train station in Tinley. There is only one cupcake eatery in Chicago. There is a need for one here in the Chicagoland suburbs.

Here’s an example of how much I heard the Magnolia Bakery in NYC pulls in on a monthly basis. They sell approximately 25,000 cupcakes a month at a price of $2.50 each. That doesn’t even include any other types of cakes or specialty items they sell in additon to the cupcakes. Now you do the math. This could be a real money maker. Situating a cupcake cafe right across from the train station could be a brilliant move.

I swear, if some joe ends up opening a cupcake bakery in the vacant shop directly across from my Oak Park Ave. train station, I’m going to kick myself in the tushie.

So much for trying to cash in on my seriously guilty pleasure.

My idea of the perfect spot for my dream cupcake bakery-right across from the Metra station near my house.

I’m so excited! Last Sunday, I went to the house of a new friend named Regina and she is a very talented knitter. She was so sweet to offer to teach me some of the things I’ve always wanted to learn but couldn’t find out how. She is from Lithuania, and she has a difficult time reading English patterns, but she has all this in her head, so she is teaching me. I learned how to cable knit! I can do it from memory, but I haven’t tried to apply my newly adapted skills to reading a pattern yet.

Check out my groovy Bloggy Juke Box! I have loaded 55 songs on there for your listening enjoyment…I’ve got everything from Dean Martin to Led Zepplin. Enjoy!

P.S. There’s even an Elton John song called ”Emily” that I just couldn’t resist! It makes my juke box so personalized.

To activate the music click on the green arrow in the center of the box. To choose songs, just hold your mouse over the right side of the square…click till you find a tune you’ll enjoy.

On Monday, I was on my way home from my friend Cindy’s house and I passed by a large mall on the way home. I noticed the Steve & Barry’s store and pulled in, knowing Sarah Jessica Parker’s new clothing line BITTEN is sold there. I just wanted to go in for a peek to see what the clothes looked like. I was a little excited, and since I’ve never been in this store before it was more of an adventure.

When I walked in, I noticed a small display of tops set up to grab new shoppers and the rest of the collection was in two other larger sections of the store. I browsed through all three places and I can not believe how disappointing these clothes are. They are so simple, boring, and very Old Navy-ish, but not with the fun feeling you get from wearing the clothes from Old Navy. I mean this stuff was ugly! Not to mention, the sizes go up to Women’s size 22, which I wear on the bottom, and the tops in the XXL were very small in size. I didn’t try them on, but they didn’t pass the ‘arm stretch test’ which is a reliable method for me to determine if I will get a blouse or top over my rib cage. They would not have fit me. This was very disappointing, because as a plus size woman, being able to find a line of clothing in larger sizes is always a thrill, but can be a bigger let down when the sizes don’t run true to size.

I was really disappointed in SJP’s clothing line. I expected more fun patterns, colors and designs and for the stuff to just be ‘hipper’. Honestly, the clothes I saw reminded me of the clothes I bought in the late 70’s when I started high school, but very plain and bland. I don’t recommend her clothes at all. I also noticed the fabric wasn’t the greatest quality, either. Don’t get me wrong, I love Sarah as an actress, I adore her in Sex and the City, and her cologne, Lovely is all I wear. In my opinion her attempt at clothing design is a bust. But please, don’t let me sway you. Go check out her clothes for yourself and maybe you’ll like what you see.

Sarah, if you Googled BITTEN to see what kind of opinions are flittering around out on the internet and you are reading this, can I give you some advise? When you design next season’s line, please use happy colors, florals, and bright mod prints. And for God’s sake (and for the sake of larger women everywhere), please make the size 22 large enough for us curvey gals to fit into!