What's *mash*?

A BIG thank you to *mash handmade* for inviting me to join the other indie artists in their cute little shop at 39th and Pennsylvania.

Their shop got a little cuter today after I delivered several of my handmade greeting cards and envelopes. Everything I make is made entirely from post-consumer materials (well, except for the glue). Here's a photo of one of the sets I dropped off...

And here's a photo of the *mash handmade* storefront to help you find your way there. You can also discover *mash handmade* on the web and on FaceBook. But seriously, this little shop is too cute to pass by and not stop in. Besides, who doesn't love to fondle some good indie art in person once in a while?

If you visit *mash handmade*, please tell 'em I sent you.

Shop well!

Diane

Home Again

A piece of "found poetry" I created just before leaving on vacation. Odd how much it foreshadowed the way I feel now that I am home.

It's a bit hard to come back to mid-west reality after ten days of paradise along the California Central Coast. But I am happy to see my garden still producing tomatoes, zucchini, and egg plant.

A feathered friend I met on vacation along the Central Coast of California.

Happy summer to all!

Guess who Mike likes?

Mike Savage is one wildly creative artist. And he has excellent taste in all things artistic, if I may say so myself. Thanks, Mike, for giving me such a delicious mention in your July 2010 newsletter.

Not on Mike Savage's radar? You should be:

http://sav-art.com/newsletters.php

What's that? You haven't been to Mike's gallery? You've missed one of Kansas City's finest. Stop by soon, and stop by often. Mike's work is so much fun it almost makes me forget how darn hot and humid it is.

Happy summer!

How much does a wedding cake cost?

Frequently I receive e-mail inquiries from brides about my pricing. I'm not trying to skirt the answer to questions about the costs of my cakes, but this is always a difficult questions to ball-park because there are so many variables.

Here are examples of some of the basic information I (or any other cake designer) will need, beyond number of guests, before being able to give you a comprehensive quote:

1) Do you want a buttercream iced cake or a fondant covered cake?

2) How much detail do you want on the cake? Will I be replicating a design or other detail from your wedding? Will the frosting or fondant on the cake be white or have color to it?

3) What flavor enhancements do you want? Single or multiple cake flavors and fillings?

4) Would you consider a smaller wedding cake for photography purposes and the traditional cutting of the cake, while serving the majority of guests from sheet cakes that have less design work?

5) Will you provide a topper for the cake (if you want one) or will I need to create one out of sugar or another edible material?

6) Do you imagine that your cake will have a special shape or be round?

For these reasons and many others that come up during our consultation and design sessions, I've found that it's actually best that the bride trusts me enough from the beginning to be honest about her established cake budget and her "dream cake". From there, I can either conceptualize something for her that fits both parameters or, equally honestly, inform her of what her "dream cake" would actually cost.

Batter up!

Last weekend I made this entirely edible, life-size version of a St Louis Cardinals baseball hat. The bride wanted to surprise her groom with a custom groom's cake.

A baseball hat cake brings entirely new meaning to the words, "Batter up!", don't you think?

Baking my way to Tucson

I do not by any means think that the trip I am about to embark on is a resolution, much less the only appropriate resolution to current U.S. immigration issues. I'll have to borrow someone else's words to help me explain:

"People make the mistake of regarding commitment as solely political. A writer is committed to trying to make sense of life. It's a search. So there is that commitment first of all: the commitment to the honesty and determination to go as deeply into things as possible, and to dredge up what little bit of truth you with your talent can
express." --Nadine Gordimer

I don't fancy myself a writer, but I do know that I am committed to understanding important issues experientially. I do not wish to base my understanding of important issues solely on what I read or hear through the media or from others.

As a developing human being, I am committed to putting myself in difficult, undesirable, or unpopular situations if necessary in an attempt to understand what someone else's life is like.

I am committed to understanding compassion and if there is an ethics to compassion.

I am deeply committed to speaking from a place of as much personal experience as possible, even though I know I cannot possibly know every side of an issue.

I am deeply committed to being of service to others as I make these discoveries. Sadly, there have been times when I've discovered that what I thought was "helping", wasn't. I am open to that possibility each time I start out. And even though it can lead to a sort of heartbreak, it is none-the-less a worthwhile learning experience, and the only way I know to gain even a modicum of wisdom.

My trip to Arizona, much less my bake sale, has sparked controversial comments from strangers and friends. Fortunately one of my longtime favorite quotes is, "If you are not criticized, you may not be doing much." -- Donald Rumsfeld

I suppose I could just stick to baking, but what sort of life would that be? What sort of person would it make me if I chose not to involve myself more deeply in the world around me?

To those of you who placed orders and to those of you who simply expressed an opinion: Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Baking the World Better

Please join me in "baking" the world better.

On June 3^rd I will be heading for the AZ/Mexico border for volunteer service with humanitarian aid organization, No More Deaths. For ten days I will eat, sleep, and live in the desert while carrying water, food, and emergency medical supplies to men, women, and children stranded in the harsh desert environment.

This is a humanitarian effort, not a political one. Put simply, no person should be deprived of water, food, or basic medical attention.

As a volunteer I am required to provide for my travel and food expenses. If you would like to be a part of my journey, please place a cupcake order through my on-line bake sale. Together we can “bake” the world better.

Order as few or as many cupcakes as you would like (chocolate or white). Each cupcake will be uniquely decorated in one of my signature fondant designs.

Cup cakes are $3.50 each.

All profits will be used for my airfare and food expenses only. Any profits collected over and above my travel expenses will be donated to No More Deaths.

I am accepting orders for two dates: Friday, May 21 and Friday, May 28.

You may place orders by phone or e-mail. Please be sure to indicate the pick-up date you are ordering for:

To pick-up on	Please place your order before
Friday, May 21	Monday, May 17
Friday, May 28	Monday, May 24

Order by e-mail:

dianemariemora@gmail.com

OR telephone: (913) 484-263

Thanks for helping me bake the world better!