second time around.

There it is. Our bright pink wedding cake. Thank you, Tina Bass, for capturing not only this picture, but all the rest of our beautiful wedding photos.

Yeah I know, our cake was definitely not classic-looking, but it was bright, bold, and most importantly - deliciously yummy!

As tradition goes, we saved the top of our wedding cake and ate it on our anniversary. Shockingly, it was really really good. We both took a bite at the same time (in case something crazy happened) I mean, it was a year old. And who expects something frozen that long to taste like anything other than nasty freezer burn? Well, our pink cake, the second time around, was mmmm-mmm good! Compliments to the chef's, Tasty Pasty Bakery - another family owned awesome Tallahassee business.

For those of you who are observant and attentive to detail - yes, my slice of cake is sitting on a Pottery Barn catalog. The catalog was on the coffee table because it's my guilty pleasure - flipping through the pages, that is. I don't ever buy anything, I just flip through the pages of beautifully simple style and design, and dream of being a homeowner so I can have my own blank canvas to fill with all things pretty and homey. One day.

We also broke out our fine china for this wedding cake revival event. Early on in our marriage, we said we would use the fine china for all special occasions: birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, and anything else exciting and celebratory. Well, I used to have an exceptional memory, then I came down with a condition most refer to as "mommy-brain," and let's just say my memory is not as sharp as it used to be. So, thanks to my awesome husband, he remembered this tradition and served our pink cake on our fine china plates. Totally my better-half and don't ever let him tell you otherwise.

And because I've never mentioned that baby Belle's my little writing companion, here's her napping on mommy, as I type away.

sweet shakes.

A few shout outs..

1. Sweet local businesses
2. Firm manly handshakes
3. Customer-oriented business skills
4. Yummy desserts

My wonderful and beautiful mother just brought me a cookie ~per my request~ and although Pepperidge Farm "Chesapeake" cookies are great, I automatically recalled my last cookie encounter...except Pepperidge Farm was not involved.

Last week, while in the hospital, my mom and Joseph were craving something other than hospital food...shocker. So, Joseph drove down the street to the local family owned, Uptown Cafe. While there, the owner asked Joseph how his day had been and Joseph expressed his excitement about becoming a new dad. What was the owner's initial response? A handshake. PERFECT. Proof of moments in life where actions speak MUCH louder than words. Then, men from behind the counter came around to also shake Joseph's hand. As if one handshake wasn't amazing enough! Man to man, father to father. What a beautiful thing! Ahh, great man moments. Patriot, Braveheart, or Remember the Titans anyone? Well, the story gets better as the owner gave Joseph a bunch of yummy desserts to go with lunch. 

Then, this past weekend, my dad went to pick up lunch from Uptown Cafe and the owner was there once again. Making conversation with my dad, the owner put 2 and 2 together, and realized Pop was the proud grandfather. So, what awaited Pop? A strong handshake and a box of cookies for dessert.

In our rough economy, local businesses everywhere are struggling to survive. But I have no fear for small home-town businesses like Uptown Cafe who have heart, character, and class. They are business people who prioritize their service with customer care and truly aim to satisfy their customers. All-around, I was considerably impressed and I wasn't even there.

So here's to local businesses, manliness, people skills, and yummy-ness...and thanks to Marabelle now being in my arms, I'll toast with something a little more exciting then my watered-down gatorade. I need something fancy to go with my corn beef and cabbage anyway.

Happy St. Patty's Day!

:: victoria marie