initiation...

so, i've been placed on the back of the winged god of ovens and been taken for a soaring ride...straight into the fiery mouth of baked-good-culture.

...and ya know what?

i like being nestled in the belly of the baking beast...there's something cozy about it...almost like knitting...though much less convenient to do in the subway or on an airplane.

i've decided that it's time...

i've reached that point in my life where i need a stress-relieving hobby. i've realized up until now that most of my hobbies have been stress-inducing (illustrations have to be perfect, photographs have to be exactly what i want, graphic designs need to be accurate down to the pixel).

so, i've discovered baking through my dear friend, amit, and we have been giving it a spin as a duo. so far, we've had 2 successful cupcake rounds, 1 successful brownie round and 2 failed frostings. it's all very exciting.

i even purchased a 9-speed handmixer.

9 speeds!...i haven't even tried the 9th level yet...but i've never been able to beat egg whites into peaks so fast in my life...

in a way, i feel like i'm trying to carry on my mother's legacy...one she let go of decades ago.

her lemon-poppyseed cake, baumkuchen, and cream puffs were epic.

...and this reminds me, i need to learn to make those baked goods, stat!

my co-workers won't know what hit 'em.

excitement abounds!

in other good news, the website re-haul is finally complete.

now i can tick that off my new years resolution list. the joys.