Measuring Up

Cupcakes, meet my friends.  Friends, meet my cupcakes.

Today I made that very sweet introduction at a birthday party I hosted for one of my best gal pals in the world.  I must admit, I felt a wee bit anxious about the whole thing.  After all, this was an important evaluation of my baking skills.  No one would realize the weight of their opinion which hopefully meant they'd tell the truth. 

I awakened early in the morning to bake the cupcakes fresh.  The mere smell of them emanating through the house made me smile.  I whipped up my Vanilla Buttercream Frosting together with my Buttercream Fondant - two of the most succulent flavors you'll ever taste.  Then came the fun part...the decorating!  I kept it simple.  A spatula full of Frosting blanketed with a rounded layer of blue-colored Fondant.  A girlfriend of mine was kind enough to substitute her breakfast with a cupcake so I'd have a preliminary critique before the crowd arrived.  Whew!  She loved it and raved about how moist it was inside.  One critic down, a dozen or so more to go!  I set them out as the centerpiece and hoped for the best.

As friends rolled in, the kind words followed.  I felt like a little kid, so eager for approval.  Some of them asked about my penchant for pastries and so I divulged my secret dream.  It was wonderful.  Each one of them either was in the process of or hoping to one day pursue a dream of their own.  Our conversation was like food for the soul.  Each of us hungry for something else... something that truly brings us joy.  It dawned on me that this was about much more than me just following a dream, it was about realizing that all of us has a dreamer living inside.  Beneath all the layers and labels, deep down at the core...no one is without a secret wish of their own.  The question was...why don't we actualize them?  Why do we get stuck in the every day and the Status Quo?  

I was so incredibly inspired by the kindred spirits around me.  I hope and pray that I helped to inspire them too.

The cupcake kudos were just the icing for me.  I was at peace and happy.  I pushed my sweets like an Italian mom pushes pasta.  And thank goodness, the feedback was delish!

Sweet Dreams, 

Me

"Dream lofty dreams, and as you dream, so shall you become.  Your vision is the promise of what you shall at last unveil." - John Ruskin