It's been awhile...

From the date of my last post, it's definitely time to update my blog. Where do I even begin. The last few months have been a whirlwind. From birthday parties and firestations, to book shoots and pots of gold...I've had a full schedule.

In the beginning of February, Tori and her team called to see if I was interested in designing the dessert tables for her upcoming book CelebraTori. On a whim, literally with 36 hours notice, I hopped on a plane and worked around the clock creating all kinds of dessert tables for different theme parties. The first trip was a six day event. First, a Spa party, then a Game Night theme, and after that a full on dessert table. Each party/table was very unique and the opportunity was endless. The resources available to me was like a dream. If I wanted a specific cake stand/vintage game board/old dresser drawer...anything...they would get it for me. The prop and rental houses in LA are incredible. Around here you'd have to shop on ebay, antique in Snohomish, or visit numerous estate sales in search of what you want. In LA, it's all at your fingertips. The Spa party table was gorgeous thanks to a multitude of fabulous pieces I was able to pull and use for display, and Game Night turned out to be Tori's favorite...the perfect theme for fun desserts.

Her book will have chapter entirely devoted to dessert tables so I wanted that particular table to be perfect. I made multiple cakes, cupcakes, cookies, mini desserts, packaged candies, pops, you name it. It was beautiful....after that is, the craziest day ever. The cake stands I asked for were not picked up and the tissue balls I wanted to use didn't arrive on time so I spent half of a day making tulle balls and tissue balls myself (which, if you have ever done, you will know how time consuming that is). The cameras were of course documenting all of this, so those who watch Tori & Dean Home Sweet Hollywood will get to experience the drama of the dessert table book shoot.

I came home for 3 days to see my family during which Hudson came down with croup. I had hardly slept in CA, so I was hoping I'd get caught up on some sleep when I was home. NOPE. H woke up wheezing and sounding like he couldn't breathe. He has an impressive record with catching croup so I sort of feel like a croup expert. Half asleep I rushed him outside to my freezing cold porch in attempt to calm him down. 3 minutes later I was shivering so bad I had to switch it up and try the steamy bathroom technique. When we got through to the 911 pediatrician, she listened to him and responded "How fast can you be at the ER?"

The next day I had to go back to California. This time we road tripped it to Joshua Tree out in the California desert for the Cowboys and Lace party. We stopped at every antique shop we saw along the way, so much shopping that Tori had to rent a U-Haul to get all her treasures home. The party location was a great little house in the middle of the dessert. The desserts for this theme were really unique, not my typical cupcakes and cake pops table. Cowboys and Lace was my favorite party. We antiqued again the next day, for so long that we didn't get back to Tori's until 10:45 at night. The grand opening of Tori's store was the next morning. I hadn't even started baking the desserts so it was a looong night. At 4:45am I climbed into bed, only to set my alarm for 6:30am.

Opening day of InvenTori was fun. Lots of paparazzi, craaaazy fans, a super cute shop, and, it was Valentine's Day....our wedding anniversary. After no sleep and a very full day, I flew home to see my family once again. My sweet husband Dan greeted me at the airport with two darling children and an armful of gifts and suprises. Did I mention he is the best? My house was spotless, my car was pristine, and my children were still alive. I couldn't ask for anything more.

I was home for a week and a half, during which Ally caught a wierd flu virus and I spent the night up with her moaning and suffering from an extremely high fever. Not fun. Dan had been preparing for a big real estate seminar he was putting on at the Tulalip Casino & Resort. I helped out in the dessert department. He put on a first class event and ended up with rave reviews. If you are in need of a home loan, refinance, or need to short sale your home, you're in the right place...visit http://www.mymortgageguydan.com/, he's the best at what he does!

After Dan's seminar I flew back to CA. The last party in the book was a 70's party. Not what you'd think...disco and big hair...but Kaftans and Cocktails. 70's chic. Think Nicole Richie/Rachel Zoe look. This was the most challenging party for me. I didn't live in the 70's so I had to do a little research for inspiration. I did 70's desserts with a modern twist. They rented a house in Bel-Air to host the party. It was UN-REAL. A little backyard bungalo overlooking all of LA. At one point in the night looking out at the unbelievable view, I paused for second just take it all in. Here I was at this amazing house that only belonged in the movies, with Tori Spelling and all her friends and family, taping for her reality TV show, and I was doing all the dessert tables for her new book. How did I get here? It was surreal.

I flew home for two days and thankfully this time everyone was healthy. Ally was Star of the Day at preschool one of the mornings and it didn't dawn on me until we were walking out the door. So not like me. I frantically searched my pantry for a snack that would be acceptable and also presentable, like all the other star of the day snacks where I'd made a special treat for Ally's class. Sadly, all I could find was a Costco sized box of graham crackers and an unopened bag of Valentine's Day Snickers bars. Trying to hide the look of anguish that was written all over my face, I turned to Ally and held out my findings. "How about these Ally?" She looked at me with a very confused face and said "I think we could do better." Mom:Fail.

Back to LA I went, this time for Liam's 4th birthday party. This party meant a lot to me. I had signed a deal with Tori to do the dessert tables for the book but it definitely didn't include her son's birthday party. She could have used anyone for Liam's party. Someone more established, someone well known, someone who actually lived in California. She chose me. Yes, I had been staying at their house off and on for the past two months, Yes, they had offered their shop to me, rent free to sell my desserts in, Yes, they had complimented me over and over and over, and Yes, she had asked me to move there and be her dessert table party girl... but I still felt very flattered that she was using me for Liam's party. I have seen all the episodes of Tori and Dean, in fact, I've seen some of them twice. The best episodes are always the kid's birthday parties. Over the top, insane, absolutely amazing parties. Liam's dessert table had to be flawless.

Since Tori was a kid, her mom would take her to Hanson's to pick out her birthday cake. They've kept this same tradition with their own children so I was off the hook as far as the cake went. Thankfully, because I don't love making cakes. They stress me out a little. And this particular cake would have to be impeccable. Plus, I only had half a day to bake everything. I flew in the morning before the big event, only leaving about 10 hours to bake for a party of at least 80. The theme was Ghostbusters. Again, I had to do my research. I don't remember seeing the movie but I vaguely remember the cartoon. My inital thought was green slime and marshmallows. Done. Tori micromanages EVERYTHING. The entire day before the party her crew was running around photographing everything they were working on to email to her. They then had to wait for an ok to move forward. I felt kind of honored that all she'd told me was the theme and let me just go for it.

The biggest obstacle of doing these dessert tables in a place where you don't live, is relying on someone else to get you what you need. And as someone who has a creative mind, it's hard to relay your vision to someone else. For each party I'd have to explain and try to describe what types of platters, cake plates, vessels, backdrops etc I'd need to complete each table. If they don't get what you need you have to improvise, like the tissue ball/cake plate fiasco from the book dessert table shoot. For Liam's party I was very specific, and brought as much stuff as I could possibly cram into my luggage and carry on.

They got everything on my list. The table turned out just as I had imagined, ghostbuster-y without it looking too halloween-ish. Hanson's had knocked it out of the park with a gigantic Slimer the Ghost cake but Candy Spelling of all people announced that the cake was great, but my table was the hit of the party. Again, another pinch me moment. She raved over each and every dessert and asked to take home any left overs and one of my business cards. I happily packaged up two big boxes of goodies and considered the party a success.

That evening I flew back to yet again, rainy Seattle. I am officially an airport expert. It's impressive how I can roll four suitcases and a gigantic carry on bag simultaneously. I can only imagine how entertaining it must be to other travelers. I've been back for two weeks now. In the first week I was home I threw a Bachelor Finale party, a St. Paddy's Day party, and a Bridal shower. It's safe to say I have an addiction to parties. I can't help it, it's a sickness. I can't let a single holiday get by without celebrating. It nearly killed me to pack up all the darling Valentine's Day party loot I had ready for my friends and their children because I wasn't going to be in town.

This last week was a bit more mellow. The weather was unusually beautiful so we spent a lot of time outside. Dan and I have a lot to digest and figure out, as far as where my business is headed. On one hand we have this amazing opportunity to move to California and work side by side with Tori, and on the other hand we have a whole life built here that I couldn't imagine leaving. We are praying for the answer before we make our next move.

It's been an exciting few months. So much has happened, waaaay more than I could ever tell in a single blog entry, part because it would take too long, and part because I signed a confidentiality agreement that I can't tell or post photos until the book is out and show is on.

Mark your calendars for CelebraTori out in bookstores Oct. 25th, and Tori & Dean Home Sweet Hollywood Season 6, coming this June!