embrace your inner princess.

one of my birthday treats that i make sure i don't go without is the wonderfully delicious swedish princess cake (know as prinsesstarta in swedish).

traditionally the cake is comprised of three layers of genoise (italian sponge cake), filled with raspberry or strawberry, with a hint of a custard layer and generously topped with whipped cream. it is then it is wrapped in a pale green marzipan that protects the cake that is quite delicate, and topped with a marzipan rose in the center. not exactly sure what the story is behind the color of choice, but supposedly the cake was made for the four daughter of the king of sweden to compensate that none of them were going to be heirs to the throne.

though i'm not sure if it would distract me from the fact that i wouldn't become queen, it sure tickles my fancy on my birthday! and thank you KM for making sure i got one!

found on whale's belly.

this year my cake from the historic victoria pastry co. in north beach. though, while in my hometown of sonoma we use scandia bakery. (which i feel very lucky to be able to find princess cake in a town of only 9,000!)

cruisin'

for my 25th (!!!) birthday on tuesday, my dad and stepmom are sending CP and me on a cruise! we're thinking eastern caribbean. anywho. this is pretty much what we're planning on looking like for 9 days:

p.s. i'm sorry i'm a bad blogger. i'm so ashamed. i'm REALLY going to try and work on it.

hard to argue.

life is too short to NOT be nice.

and it does not cost a penny.

a good ol' fashioned recession pick-me-up if you will.

ode to hair.

for awhile now i have been sans hair (working on nearly 9 months...), though i often feel the way that amputees are said to feel -- that there is a phantom limb, or in my case hair, that is still there. i find myself brushing "hair" off my neck, attempting to bundle together enough hair to tie it up into a ponytail before i heard to bed, or to pull it down before hopping in the shower, and even gracefully pulling my hair over one shoulder from time to time.

i know, it's odd. and though i know i shouldn't even be comparing it to losing a limb, i haven't really heard anything that even sounds similar to what i've been experiencing since losing my hair.

i can deal with it. i tend to wear a hat well, and that has worked to my advantage. clips, styling wax and a little bit of confidence from my family and friends has also helped immensely. every once in awhile, i see a picture, or an occasional commercial, and i really miss my hair. i know, i know, it'll grow back, but it is taking a lot of patience, and i'm not the most patient person in the world.

well, here it is, some of the photos that cause my phantom flowing blond locks to ache.