Trying New Things

I seem to be trying new things a lot lately! I have an older widowed friend at our church who makes cakes as part of her income. I was trying on hats at her house one evening and she and my mom where chatting while she prepared some decorations for a wedding cake she was working on. She encouraged me to try my hand at making a few small simple tiered cakes and that seemed like a pretty good idea :-)

My mom and I have a favorite lemon cake recipe from Betty Crocker called a Lemonade Party Cake. You can find the recipe for it here. It is AWESOME!! Very tart... and sweet... just like me... ROFL

I have recently seen several lemon cakes with a raspberry filling and knew I wanted to give this combination a try. My mom already owns several small specialty round and square cake pans so I was able to start experimenting with this new adventure without two much out of pocket expenses: a few cake mixes, frosting containers, and a jar of jam and I was set!

The trick to stacking the cakes (and trust me when I say I tried several different ways!!!!!) is to freeze your cooled cakes and then frost the bottom layer completely first. Next, add a layer of raspberry jam to the bottom of the top tier and GENTLY place it on top of the already frosted bottom layer. Then, frost your top layer to blend the two layers together. This keeps all the jam nicely hidden and the tiers remain in their proper place without sliding all over the place!!

I will warn you that this cake was very rich. I think perhaps the next time I make it, I will use a fluffy white frosting instead of lemon, and I probably will not use the lemonade concentrate... or at least not as much. It WAS very good. But not everyone may like lemons as much as I do ;-)

-- A Victorian Cowgirl

Dancing is Awesome... via Emma :-)

I recently watched the newest version of Emma online at PBS Masterpiece theatre. Funnily enough, I watched it with a friend of mine, Justin, and we commented back and forth on a very long thread on Facebook about it...more than 60 comments...lol. It was probably one of the most interesting "movie nights" I have ever had! If you have never watched a movie with a friend this way, you simply must :-D


This dance sequence is one of my favorite parts of the movie and I wanted to share it on my blog. Many thanks to Justin for providing me with the screen stills! He has promised to do a review of the movie on his blog soon. Maybe this post will be the prodding he needs to get to it ;-)

-- A Victorian Cowgirl

A Victorian Cowgirl Goes Shopping!

I went shopping with my mom yesterday and today, and finally was able to buy a few of the items I have been needing and also a few I have wanted to buy for a while now. You see here a new cream turtle neck sweater, a pair of white ballet flats, and white stockings for a Ball in June, and a cute little home decor birdie that I was finally able to get my hands on!! :-D

--A Victorian Cowgirl

"I haven't had my coffee yet, DON'T make me kill you!!"

Vicky & her favorite GREEN coffee mug :-)

--A Victorian Cowgirl

What to do, what to do?! Life is great!

Hi Hi Hi All. :-) I am busy cleaning, and buying things I probably don't need but want because they look good on me so I will look good :-P I am just sooooo excited that I am having company coming and so I am now in that rush zone, where you are trying really hard to make sure everything that needs to get done gets done, and everyplace that I need to get ready to go to, I am ready for and getting gone :-) I can't wait!! This is gonna be fun. YAY.

I get to go to the rifle range this weekend and then to Tryon Palace here in NC, and spend some time with a friend. And, I have been invited to go to a Baptist Men's Mission Conference by the Wilber's so I am excited to go out then and learn some more, and have a fabulous time at dinner. And, I got my hair cut, and bought a new shirt, and a new sweater (those things I was talking about spending unnecessary money on LOL). And, I am having fun cleaning, and hanging out with my family, eating amazing food, and getting to be the dorky, laid back, southern girl that I am, and always have been.

God Bless y'all,

--A Victorian Cowgirl

Many different faces...

Liberty Park in Jersey...

A bit of rest...

Stilts... not as though I need the hight

I love, love, love HATS!!

My Daddy & Me

Pride & Prejudice anyone?
That's what mom says this one reminds her of anyways...

And the ever present cowgirl in me...


-- A Victorian Cowgirl ;-)

Major Fan of ...

Just a few little things about me.... again :-P

Since I am new, as I said previously, I know people don't know a whole lot about me. So, I thought I'd post the "short story". (Which may not in fact end up being very short!!)

I love fashion! (Always just been sort-of a DUH! factor with me, LOL.) A few favorite stores/designers have always been Ann Taylor LOFT (http://www.anntaylorloft.com/home.jsp), A. Byer, Bebe (http://www.bebe.com/?extid=af_k150006Zenex%20Marketing), White/Black (http://www.whitehouseblackmarket.com/store/home.jsp?CMP=KNC-GOOG_NB), Modcloth (http://www.modcloth.com/), Funky Frum (http://www.funkyfrum.com/), etc. I alter/make my own clothes when I have the time, but for the most part I just stick to altering them :-) I try to dress modestly, and so, I am sure you will most likely find modesty posts & modest outfit posts often in the future! My favorite MODESTY magazine is Eliza (http://elizamagazine.com/blog/).

I also have this dream of running my own dress/skirt shoppe (from home) with my family, AFTER of course, I find and marry God's best. :-) I currently have 3-4 notebooks full of vintage style modest designs. I, of course, will not set any of this into motion without the full permission and support of my future husband (another topic you will be sure to find me posting about). :-)

Speaking about designing!! LOL I also hold great interest in interior design. I am constantly and forever experimenting on my room here at home, at work in the office, and by helping my mom when she asks for ideas (not that she doesn't have plenty of her own... which I suppose is where I get it from). Another sort of thing I LOVE to post about, for sure!! I can find ideas of what I like and mix them all together at http://www.houzz.com/, one of my favorite home decor ideas sites!

In closing I will say this, I love my cowgirl boots (these are the pair I would like to get to replace the ones I am rapidly growing out of : http://www.sheplers.com/promo/womens_159_boots/031313.html) and Jane Austen (favorite is P&P: http://www.familyvideo.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=220257) hence the name...

-- A Victorian Cowgirl ;-)