Lemon Drop Cake

I am known as the dessert queen in Steven's family and love trying new things. I had originally just wanted to make brownie sundaes for our family dinner this past Friday, but I didn't have any brownie mix... so I resorted to what I had in the kitchen. I'd already been to the grocery and refused to go back.

Here's what I came up with:

Lemon Drop Cake 

1 Box Lemon Cake Mix (Eggs, Water and Oil as directed)
1 Cup Powdered Sugar
1/4 Cup Lemon Juice
1 Container Lemon Icing
1 Container White Icing

1. Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Line 2 (8-inch) square pans with foil, letting foil hang 2 inches over 2 opposite sides of pans. Grease bottoms and sides of foil with shortening or cooking spray.
2. Make cake mix as directed on box, using water, oil and eggs. Pour into pans. Bake 28 to 33 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes.
3. In small bowl, mix powdered sugar and lemon juice. Poke top of warm cake every 1/2 inch with long-tined fork, wiping fork occasionally to reduce sticking. Drizzle and spread lemon mixture over top of cake. Refrigerate about 2 hours or until chilled. Remove cakes from pans by lifting with foil; peel away foil.
4. In small microwavable bowl, microwave vanilla frosting uncovered on High 15 seconds. On serving plate, place 1 cake, rounded side down; trim if necessary so layer rests flat. Spread with vanilla frosting. Top with second cake, rounded side up.  Microwave lemon frosting for 25 seconds. Frost top of cake with lemon frosting. Garnish with lemon drop candies. Store loosely covered at room temperature.

Enjoy!

Wedding Photos.

I officially received some of my wedding photos... ready? Here are my faves from the ceremony and reception.

In the mean time...

I know where it is, but I just need to reunite it with my camera and laptop - tons of photos to share.

In the mean time, check out this Google Search Story video I created for the SoMeT Conference in November :) I'm on a panel discussion talking about what I do all day long.

Want.

There are so many things I want to accomplish... things I want... things I need.

I want to...
own a home.
re-paint almost every room in my home.
decorate my home and make it mine.
replace the front door.
replace the porch lights.
tear down my rusty front porch railing.
buy a new dinning room table.
put hard wood floors in the living room.
paint the fire place white.
buy a new comfortable couch.
buy an antique dresser and turn it into a tv stand.
hang all the photos, posters, etc. that have been sitting in the floor.
re-cover an old ottoman.
spray paint all of the gold light fixtures.
re-decorate the guest bathroom.
re-decorate the master bathroom.
paint the mudroom/laundry room.
make new kitchen window curtains.
tear out and remodel the kitchen.

Looks like I need a million dollars and a major vacation to accomplish this.

Atlanta.

This weekend Steven and I went to Atlanta with his mom, dad, and brother Matthew to see the Braves play.

I was so excited to jump in the car for 4+ hours with Steven to talk and sing to the radio. We are great road trippers. We met up with his family in Chattanooga and ate at the Big River Grill and then jumped back on the road. We stopped somewhere in Georgia for some Bruster's Ice Cream.

Turns out we had a reoccurring theme throughout the trip. Getting lost when following his dads directions. He'd pull the map up on his phone, but the little blue dot tracker just couldn't keep up with us and we got turned around several times.

We finally made it to our pad for the weekend. We stayed at an apartment Steven's uncle uses during the week. It was very cozy and a great free place to stay. This is the first trip we took as a married couple with family... Steven got really awkward about sleeping and his parents insisted we take the bed - and they slept on air mattresses. But they wouldn't have it any other way.

Saturday we get up and had breakfast at Ihop and then scooted on over to Ikea where I this, this, this, this and wanted to get this. Steven and I decided we'll have to road trip again to get some big stuff when our budget allows.

After shopping we made the trek to Turner field. It was a great ball game, lasting 12 innings with the Braves FINALLY winning :) (Don't mind the gross photos - it was insanely muggy and we were pretty gross)

After church on Sunday, Steven hit the road for his conference in New Orleans and the rest of us headed back home. It was a exhausting, but fabulous family weekend.

family.

I am so in love with my family.

Steven's parents and one of his brothers were out of town this weekend, so we spent the weekend with my parents... in the yard, at church, and shooting sporting clays (that's a whole different story).

Tonight, after his parents and brother came home, we all met at my parents to grill and hang out. It was SO MUCH FUN. We ate dinner and then went out in the yard and had a home run contest... minus the running and minus the baseballs. We hit tennis balls as hard as we could. The weather was perfect. My dad was in charge of the homemade ice cream. The dogs were chasing each other and the tennis balls around. And my mom and his mom sat in lawn chairs chatting and watching it all.

I wish every weekend was a 3-day weekend. Just so we could enjoy our families.