I suddenly want to start baking

I absolutely love to cook; it's almost therapeutic.

Baking, however... is another story. Everything I make either gets burned or falls apart.

Yesterday I simply could not stop watching Paula Deen. She was baking this awesome plum cake with caramel syrup. Yes. I was actually considering baking one.

In the quest to find this recipe, I stumbled upon a ton of awesome cakes I though I'd share!

Get free recipes @ foodnetwork.com.

15 Minutes of Fame (And More)

I am incredibly excited!

A colleague of mine, Jennifer Bagley from Aflac, introduced me to News4Women.org. After contacting the Chief Visionary Officer, an extremely awesome woman named Carol Arnott, within days I was featured in the limelight! Check it out!




News4Women: Success can be defined in many ways. How do you define success?
teakettica: I don’t ask myself if I’m successful; I ask if I’m happy. It makes everything less complicated.

News4Women: If you could have a conversation with a particular individual, living or dead, who would it be and why?
teakettica: Definitely Queen Elizabeth the First. She was born out of the greatest scandal of the 16th century and still managed to preside over England's Golden Age while not even taking a husband for support. She's my hero!

News4Women: Tell us about your favorite book or author.
teakettica: One of my favorites is a poetry book written by Susan Minot: Poems 4 A.M. It's falling apart and the pages are out of order — that's how good it is.

News4Women: What is something readers of NEWS4Women would be surprised to learn about you?
teakettica: I have a degree in professional photography.

News4Women: Confess a guilty pleasure- come on, we all have them!
teakettica: I love video games — MMOs especially. I'm a total nerd.

News4Women: If you were given $10,000 to make a difference in your community how would you spend it?
teakettica: Teenagers need safe places to hangout besides fast food restaurants or the movie theater. I would look to invest the $10,000 into creating a local internet cafe, arcade, sports, or music facility.

A Day at the Spa

Feeling stressed? A colleague of mine, John Cattermole of John Cattermole Jewelry Design, is giving away a certificate for a treatment at the spa. Check it out!

I have never found spas relaxing. Instead, the colors, smells, and modern furnishings leave me wanting to remodel my bathroom or redecorate a room with the inspiring colors of pale blue and green.

Hope you find these pictures just as uplifting…

Just Creative Design by Jacob Cass

I am really digging the Just Creative Design blog of Jacob Cass. He also has a project called Logo of the Day which I find not only incredibly inspiring, but keeps me on my toes.

Jacob has an article called Why Logo Design Does Not Cost $5.00.

In summary, he explains everything that goes behind a professional logo design vs. a $5 logo.

1. The Design Brief: questionnaire or interview with the client


2. Research: research focused on the industry, history, and competitors


3. Reference: research into successful logo designs in the above industry
   
4. Sketching & Conceptualising: developing the logo design around the brief and research. They use creativity and know how to design a logo.
   
5. Reflection: They take breaks throughout their design process. This lets their ideas mature and lets them get renewed enthusiasm and receive feedback.
   
6. Presentation: They then choose whether to present only a select few logos to the client or a whole collection.


7. Celebration: They then drink beer or eat chocolate or sleep or start on next logo design. Or a combination.

These are just a few points why you should invest more than the lowest bid. I highly recommend taking a look at Jacob Cass' blog. It's loaded with awesome tips and information.

David J Nightingale

One of the best photographers I've seen since Roman Loranc, David J. Nighingale has completely blown me away.

I stumbled upon this little beauty while searching for fireworks...

David J. Nightingale © 2003-09 • all rights reserved

Check out his iblog here. His texures are just incredible.