Nemo

That's right... it's Nemo! 

When I make fondant characters for cakes, both flat and 3D, I always get questions from people about how I make them.

So this time I documented the steps to share on my blog!

First... I googled a picture of Nemo on my phone to use as a template.

Then I rolled out my orange fondant and used a toothpick (you can see it in the background) to freehand the outline and details of Nemo.  Including all of the details is important so that it will be easy to add the white and black accents!

I then used my carving tool to cut around the outside and make nice clean edges!

Then I rolled out some white fondant, nice and thin, to match the parts of Nemo that needed to make him the clown fish that he is!

Last but definitely not least, I rolled out some black fondant and carved it to match the black accents to finish out the character.

There you have it!

A fondant Nemo tutorial :)  It's pretty simple...

Happy decorating!

Who is it?

Can you tell who this is???

Straw bale gardening

When spring time rolls around I start itching to plant a vegetable garden.

The only problem in our neighborhood is that first of all our yard is microscopic and second of all if you dig down 6 inches it's all rock and gravel. I thought about a traditional raised garden but never actually did it!

Eventually I came across the idea for straw bale gardening on mckmamas blog and I've been wanting to try it since. It seemed like the perfect answer to my gardening dilemma.

So this year I bought 2 straw bales at $5 a piece. I soaked them everyday for a month until the were cured and ready. I added about an inch of organic topsoil and fertilizer to the top of the bales. Then I planted away!

One of the great things about straw bale gardens is you can plant into the sides of the bales. I took this opportunity to plant marigolds. This is not only pretty but it also keeps animals looking for a snack away because they don't like the smell.

In one bale I planted veggies: jalapeños, green peppers, green beans, and squash. In the other I planted some herbs: oregano, cilantro, rosemary, and then some snap peas. Hopefully in a couple of months they will be overflowing with veggies and herbs.

This is what they looked like right after planting.... Happy gardening!