athena in the middle

blast from the past.

2012-01-27T13:48:00.001-05:00

I need to lighten this place up a bit.
It's been a bit dark.

Here goes...

We had some friends visit us over NYE!

We love our buds from home.

Josh and I have known one another since 9th grade.

I love his wife and they are welcoming their first child, Grayson, on my birthday!

We saw some bands, we drank a lot, we ate like foodies and laughed our butts off.

♥

At one of the Gov't Mule shows, we ran into our good friend, Ross and the only person missing was Leigh!!!!

it's poetic. music to my ears.

2012-01-25T01:50:00.000-05:00

[via]

Then I heard your voice as clear as day,
And you told me I should concentrate,
It was all so strange,
And so surreal,
That a ghost should be so practical.

Only if for a night
And the only solution was to stand and fight,
And my body was bruised and
I was set alight,
But you came over me like some holy rite,
And although I was burning,
You're the only light
Only if for a night
-- Florence + The Machine

words. they can heal. and these are just a few.

ds they can help you live again.

your loneliness fades and you understand you're not the only one.

add a sweet but haunting tune, close your eyes and sing it to the world.

so, i decided to write some words of my own.

i was quite poetic a long time ago, maybe no more but this is more for me than anyone else.

it's my release. my therapy. it's filled with emotion. be warned . . .

once again i am afraid to fall into a slumber,

my mind will wander off into the darkness.

and i will try to find my way back to the light but it will only flicker a little then go out completely.

and then i am stuck in the black, like his lungs which have in turn become my heart.

i now unwillingly breathe in the smoke that took him away.

and then i feel a knife in my back;

my past haunting, stabbing me

and i cannot protect the innocent from the pain.

a life was once stolen but then found. you won't cast your spells or work your voodoo this time.

keep your evil to yourself. we have something big in our corner now. you can no longer hurt us.

so turn around and head back into the blackness, the deep.

let it swallow you whole. don't grab ahold as we did. we will only cut you down, down, down.

we once whispered loudly but now we scream in silence for all to hear.

-- Summer Athena B.

[via]

broken . . .

2012-01-24T22:16:00.000-05:00

i found out that someone i love dearly, {my heart and my blood}, has been hurt and hurt badly.

i cannot air my dirty laundry because an investigation is under way, but this is no laughing matter.

i have been staring at a wall since i was told by this sweet person, that was afraid to tell me b/c she thought i would hate her. hate her? how could i ever. this wasn't her fault. it is never anyone's fault.

i have never been at such a loss for air, for words, for ways to take this pain away.

and i want to call my daddy. i want to hear what he has to say.

i want him to make it all better like daddies do but he can't.

i am not sure i will have a heart that loves after this.

how could i?

my family has been through enough.

just pray for my family, please.

Oooooh, that smell

2012-01-24T00:17:00.001-05:00

Reducing raspberry vinegar and black pepper down is a smelly process!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

If I build it, will it come?

2012-01-19T23:09:00.000-05:00

The last six months of my life have been busy.

I have barely had a break -- going to school and working FT.

However, January/February are very slow months in the food industry and I have had a little more time on my hands.

And honestly, I have no clue what to do with it.

My life has been work, work, work. Study, study, study.

Clock in, clock out.

Mise this, mix that and bake it!

Since I have this newfound time on my hands, all I do is think.

I think about the present, the future and yes, the past.

I think about the goals I have set for myself and check into see if I am right on track.

I feel things are missing even though pastry makes my heart skip a beat.

I am still longing for a child (of my own).

There, I said it.

Yes, we are trying to adopt and having a rough go of it and if it works out, it will be magical but I still long for a baby that would be created out of love with my husband.

And the pregnancy announcements are everywhere. I feel everyone I know is due this Summer.

And I am happy for them. The ones that got pregnant easily, the ones that didn't and the ones that are making their family bigger. But, my heart still aches for my husband and myself and my family.

But aren't I a hypocrite?

I put the baby making on hold after Daddy died and the unexpected pregnancy turned into another loss.

I decided to do something I could control and that was to live my dream of becoming a pastry chef.

So temping, trying, etc. have been put on hold for a year now.

A year and in May, I will be 35.

My chances of conceiving keep going down, so why did I wait?

I waited because I was not in a good place after loss after loss after loss.

I decided to live my life and be in the moment.

However, part of being in the moment means there are good and bad things.

I am constantly learning and growing.

I am proud of this.

But still sad.

I get disappointed when I realize that we started trying in March 2008 and it is almost March 2012 and my Father and Grandfather will never meet my future kids. If kids are even meant for me.

Who knows.

For those that don't know what it is like to be challenged in the baby making department (for no apparent reason other than bad timing and shitastic luck), I hope you never know.

I hope you never know what it is like to yearn for something that seems so simple for others and just get teased time and time again.

Yes, I can conceive on my own because I have.

Yes, we can adopt but it's a tough and expensive process.

It just seems like it may never happen and I think I may have to wrap my mind around this, for reals.

You told me to run with my thoughts.

This is not to garner sympathy but to express my true feelings.

This blog has been missing that for a bit.

But don't you worry, I am always hopeful that I find my . . .

photos via

PS - I tweet (a lot) and instagram too.

@bontempsathena -- Twitter handle

@summerathena -- Instagram, yo.

thoughts on any given day.

2012-01-19T14:08:00.002-05:00

I have been thinking about how to come back to the blog.

Do I write light-hearted posts?

Just show photos?

But then I decided that this blog is for me.

It's what I want to write and I can write it when I want to.

So, here goes:

I've been thinking a lot about when I bring up my Dad to friends.

People usually tense up immediately or I get a lot of nods.

But when I speak about the miscarriages, people are more open to listening.

I get folks are uncomfortable talking about death or pain and people that have not lost a parent, really don't get it. I never did.

My life changed the minute my Daddy got sick and then it changed again when he passed on.

I struggle each day trying to find the old Summer in my smile.

I struggle hiding just how much pain I am in with losing Daddy.

And, friends, this is where I am today. Every day, really.

Trying to walk the line between happiness and sadness, teeter-tottering through with a smile on my face and a tear in my eye.

Love,

faces of the B's

2012-01-17T15:43:00.003-05:00

Hello friends.

It's been a long time, hasn't it?

I am not really sure where to start.

Do I talk about school, work, married life, family, health, babies?

Maybe I should start off easy???

With some photos right after we rang in the New Year?

Love,

A and S

A year or two in review...

2012-01-02T14:30:00.000-05:00

Happy 2012.

*inspired by the card from the Barkuizen-Hechels.

It's called a giveaway. A Milk Bar Giveaway, that is.

2011-12-12T10:58:00.000-05:00

Hey gang.

It's present giving time, so I decided to give you all a chance to win a little gifty gift gift.

As you all know, I am a pasty cook at Milk Bar and love it, so I decided to purchase a few goodies to give to you all so you can love it too.

Oh and guess what? My boss and Pastry Chef, Christina Tosi autographed it for you!
Pretty damn cool, right?

To Enter:

3 SEPARATE COMMENTS, please!

(1) Please be a loyal reader of Athena in the Middle.

(2) Blog or Tweet the giveaway -- link back to me in the comment box or via Twitter (@bontempsathena).

(3) Tell me about your favorite holiday tradition.

LAST DAY TO ENTER IS JANUARY 8th!!!

GOOD LUCK!

♥,

Summer Athena

Saving stamps this year. Enjoy!

2011-12-08T20:40:00.001-05:00

because we have hope in our hearts.

2011-12-07T23:35:00.001-05:00

The other night while searching through the Union Square Holiday Market for a cool tee for my husband's upcoming birthday, I stumbled upon this cute booth filled with woodland friends.

The name of the shop was Hazel Village.

Clearly from the photograph above, I purchased a new friend, Mr. Max Raccoon and a toadstool rattle. These gifts are not for a friend or niece or goddaughter but for our very own future Baby Brownie.

Most of you know the losses we have encountered over the last few years and from time to time, I buy a little something to keep our lost babies' memories alive and as gifts for future siblings.

I know that sounds funny to read -- siblings, but those losses never leave you. So I have to hope.

Even though we are strong and have moved on and created new and exciting things in our lives,

the hurt and emptiness never departs your heart, especially with so many pregnancy announcements during this time.

Last year, we found ourselves unexpectedly and happily pregnant a month after my Father's death.

We were thrilled and then at 9+ weeks, we found out our little boy's heartbeat stopped.

This ended up being a blessing in the end because we were able to test this baby and see what was going on. We found out it had nothing to do with us or our genetics.

This has given us some solace, knowing that one day a healthy baby will come into our lives.

Some solace.

And one day. Some day. Maybe?

Until then, we will continue to hope while focusing our energies on our own happiness, careers, family/friends, health and adoption.

All my love,

Summer Athena B.

Bon Bon Bon Bon Bon Blue Dog

2011-12-06T20:30:00.000-05:00

We learned to make bon bons in class and got the opportunity to create our own fillings.

I decided to do something different because I love flavors.

Some people like texture. I love flavors.

And my flavor was . . .

. . . Elderflower Pistachio topped with crushed pink peppercorns.

Sounds kinda strange but they were amazing.

I have to do this filling again for a cake or maybe make it into a brownie?

DELISH!

And what perfect timing than the holidays to know how to make bon bons!?

♥

Oh and here is another chocolate project -- the NOLA Blue Dog recreated in memory of my dog in college passing away last week.

And speaking of the holidays, I took a photo of the Christmas tree down near us at South Street Seaport. Apparently it changes colors each hour on the hour to music. Festive!!!

And we put up our tree.

See the sneak peek?

I love our tree.

I have to admit that I was not really into holidays this season but now I kinda am.

ARE YOU FEELING THE HOLIDAY SEASON???

Love,

Summer Athena

Geaux Geaux Geaux.

2011-12-05T22:07:00.001-05:00

Hello!

I rarely ever get a chance to watch a game but I had friends in from home, so I ~~ran~~ subway'ed from work to Legends in Midtown to meet up with them and I am soooo glad I did.

We had a great time and we won!

BTW, I am super competitive when it comes to Louisiana sports. Just thought you should know. ;)

I have come across a lot of people (mostly folks in school or at work) that could care less about football.

Is it mostly a Southern thing to love it so much?

I know it's important to me because it was something Daddy and I always did together.

We went to tons of Saints games when I was growing up and

I was his personal cheerleader as he watched on the TV.

So, it's in my blood.

And always will be.

Love,

Summer Athena

Turkey Day -- Our Way.

2011-11-28T15:04:00.001-05:00

Hi all!

I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving weekend with their loved ones or solo or vacationing on some exotic island. :)

We spent it with our friends Rachael and Chris and their two daughters, Delilah and Noelle.

Rach outdid herself. The food was fabulous and my husband is STILL talking about her bird!

Such a good time and the kids were amazing.

Too bad I was TOOOO tired to really be myself.

Sweet Noelle.

Delilah helping Mom.

♥♥♥

My contribution to Turkey Day was a Grapple Pie.

And it was good but tasted more like rhubarb than grapes and apples.

This was my first time I tried this recipe and I was happy with it and kinda love making pie crusts.

DELISH.

We also had a Leftover Potluck Party aka an excuse to drink and eat with friends on Saturday.

The only photo I got all night was of this guy:

Cutest pup ever!

So . . .

What did you make this year???

Love,

Sums

today

2011-11-23T12:37:00.001-05:00

today i noticed his picture. and my heart dropped.

it happened all over again. the realization he is gone.

his hugs, his smile, his smell. forever.

i heard words to a song. it hit home.

they are on repeat in my head.

it's been a year and almost a month.

i am thankful for memories. but angry i cannot make more.

i am now sobbing and cannot stop. this is not drama, this is life.

this is my life now. the life where you are not in it.

the life that cancer stole from me.

stole you -- the greatest man i've ever known.

and although this life is filled with great things, the sadness i have

in my heart prevents me from really breathing it all in.

today i let the wall down a little and i let the emotions run in.

i am not sure i like letting the pain back in but realize it's apart of the healing

process. a process that will be ongoing until i meet you again.

and seeing you on that day, will be magical, like a movie.

i promise to try and remember the words. i promise to sing along and move my feet.
then i will try to feel the beat.
starting with my heart.

i love you, dad.

your baby girl,

summer athena

Who You Gonna Call?

2011-11-22T01:49:00.001-05:00

Below is my pastillage cake stand.

The theme we picked was -- movies.

I choose Ghostbusters because I thought it would be a fun theme to work with.

Much harder than expected but I finished on time and I was pretty happy with the end result.

Pastillage is a sugar that dries within minutes and can hold a 6 inch cake on top.

Pretty fantastic.

The small boxes in the front are cake favor boxes.

What do you think?

WHO YOU GONNA CALL??

Love,

Summer Athena

Flowers you can eat?

2011-11-21T14:17:00.001-05:00

HELLO!

Below are the sugar paste flowers that I made when Ron Ben-Israel visited our classroom at the French Culinary Institute.

So beautiful!

I cannot wait to do a cake and add these to the top!

Love,

Summer Athena

Let's talk about friends.

2011-11-18T10:29:00.001-05:00

(Friendship Bracelets from Honestly WTF)

Important note: this post is sincere and not calling anyone out. I love you all and feel sad that I don't have the time to be there right now.

****

I have been thinking a lot about my friendships as of late.

Some are as old as I, some started and ended faster than you could finish saying . . .

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, others were fast and furious and then died down when our interests changed, some were husband's friends, some came from the workplace or school and some you don't speak to on a daily basis but you know when you come back together that it will be like you never parted.

In the last few months, I have lost and gained friends.

Not 'lost' in a negative way, we just have lost touch -- a lot of it.

Some have moved onto others with common interests. Some have moved away.

Some have been with me every day and we share the exhaustion of trying to become something in the world of pastry. Some were TTC friends and now have babies. Some have latched on and won't let go. Some feel like sisters. Some got jealous and ugly and I am glad they went away. Some came through other friends and became family. Some are from childhood and will always be in my life. Some were my flesh and blood and the memory of them lives on in my heart.

I guess what I am getting at is, I miss my old friends that I don't speak to much anymore.

It takes two to make it work and I get that and with my schedule, who would want to be my friend? I am never around or available or awake enough to be there for anyone. Not even my husband. I am lucky if I see him for 3 hours a week.

Life happens and things change but sometimes I miss the old days where I visited, ate and drank, chatted, texted, emailed, snail mailed so many of you and my IRL friends.

Come March 12th, 2012 -- my graduation date, things will change and get back to normal for me.

I will be back and you better be ready.

What are your thoughts on this subject?

Love,

Summer Athena B.

Meeting the Sweet Genius, while opening up my heart and this post to questions.

2011-11-17T00:13:00.001-05:00

HELLO!

I had a dear reader ask me to update my blog on my life, not just through photos but with words.

I guess I haven't done this in awhile due to a severe lack of time and because I don't want to show my vulnerability. That's pretty funny since that's what I've always done.

You see, I'm very happy with my new life but there are sad moments.

Too many, actually. It's all so bittersweet.

The life I'm living now is exciting, challenging, filled with creativity but at the same time, I'm physically and mentally exhausted. The food industry isn't for the weak. You have to on your game, ready to learn, ready to work, ready for the door that could open. I will get rest when school ends in March and that is fine with me.

For those that have followed me from the beginning and helped me through the 1st miscarriage that almost took my life and the 2nd after Daddy died, you know how vocal I used to be and I can understand why you are wondering why I no longer write about those personal things. I mean, I documented six failed IVFs? And now I only write about baking and school and NYC.

♥♥♥

So, here goes nothing:

I have a wall up.

My Father's death changed me in good and bad ways.

There are times I wonder if I am even meant to be a Mother.

I have not wanted to try for a baby since the last miscarriage and we haven't.

I still hurt when I hear pregnancy announcements, but can get over it easier than I used to.

I cannot watch LSU or the Saints play because I spoke to Daddy before, during and after.

Over the last year, I have fallen in and out of love.

I push forward and try hard to make something out of myself because the other choices are not good for me.

I am putting myself first. Finally.

I want another tattoo.

I miss my friends but keep everyone at arm's length because I am afraid to get close because I cannot handle losing someone else.

I miss home and want to move back and work as a Southern pastry chef.

The only thing(s) that makes me super unhappy about working to become a pastry chef are 1) my arches are always in pain and I lose circulation in my legs 2) carpal tunnel in my hands -- waking up and being unable to feel or move them.

Other than those things, I LOVE baking and creating and challenging myself with school projects and working in production for a company/restaurant that is nothing but amazing!

Okay, I think that is enough openness for now.

I think I am gonna open this post up to questions. Ask me anything and I will answer.

And now, I will leave you with this:

Hugging Chef Ron after he taught us how to create beautiful sugar paste flowers.

He gets an A+ for AWESOME!

Cheers,

Summer Athena

My life, as of late.

2011-11-11T12:31:00.001-05:00

HELLO!

My life, in photos, as of late:

For a client --

CUPCAKES

Girly ones

Marathon medals!

Thank you, Lynde (and Meredith)!!!

♥♥♥

PLATED DESSERTS

♥♥♥

And because I attend one of the best culinary schools in the world, I got to meet the master,

Chef John Besh of New Orleans!

Oh, how happy do I look???

Miss you all a ton and cannot wait to get back to reading about your lives.

Cheers,

Summer Athena

plate me, please.

2011-11-02T12:55:00.002-04:00

Hi gang.

We began Plating 101 in class.

Not sure how I feel about it.

Not sure it's "my" thing.

Not sure what "my" thing is just yet in the world of sweets.

What is your favorite part of a plated dessert?

Do you even know?

I never did before I began this class.

Much love,

Summer B.

I've been MILKED!

2011-10-28T14:05:00.001-04:00

Momofuku Milk Bar Cookbook Release Party 2011

I live the good life when I am surrounded by sweet eats and sweet peeps.

Sums

*photos by bkbooth and by adrian fussell for guestofaguest

the day has come. too quickly a reminder of what is gone and what has been gained.

2011-10-24T13:30:00.002-04:00

‎

God saw you getting tired

and a cure was not to be.

So he put his arms around you

and whispered, "Come to Me".

With tearful eyes we watched you

and saw you pass away.

And although we love you dearly,

we could not make you stay.

A golden heart stopped beating,

hard working hands at rest.

God broke our hearts to prove to us,

He only takes the best.

****

You have seen the below videos before but please re-watch to help keep Daddy Butch's memory alive.

This video is special to me because it was one of the last times I got to surprise my Daddy and see such joy on his face. I can NEVER keep a secret when it comes to surprises and I had to do my best for this one. The whole family was in on it and it worked like a charm.

He was the happiest man on his last Father's Day here on Earth.

♥♥♥

This video was taken when we realized that I was not just home to help Daddy get well again.

We were slowly facing the fact that things were going downhill and the fact that he could no longer speak to us was heart-breaking, so I did my best to get him to speak through his beautiful smile, which I now carry around for him.

And lastly . . .

Dear Daddy,
I picture you singing this to me on a daily basis,
knowing how lost I have been since you passed away, but knowing
that I am who I am because of you and Mom, and that I will be okay and dealing with your loss
will get easier.

(Eve Cassidy singing Cyndi Lauper's classic -- Time After Time)

Love,
Sums

Simply cruising!

2011-10-18T12:41:00.000-04:00

hello friends.

thank you for the love after reading yesterday's post.

i felt the need to be honest. that is all.

love,

sums

♥♥♥

And now moving onto happier things,

I would like to introduce you to my new friend.

Please give a warm welcome to the newest member of the B-B family -- my new cruiser.

(Business in the front. See the woodgrain peeking through?)

(Party in the back and a peek at part of my Halloween costume)

She will be helping me get to and fro work instead of dealing with the MTA, because they think that no one works on weekends. Jerks. Shuttle buses that take hours? No. Thank. You.

So, some of you might think I am nuts, being I am 34 years old and all, but I used to skate a lot a looooooong time ago, so I am not a newbie, just bringing it back. ;)

XO,

Sums

Almost a year later . . .

2011-10-17T09:54:00.000-04:00

As the 'anniversary' of my Father's passing quickly approaches, I find myself thinking a bit about how losing him has affected my life in good and bad ways.

The good being my new career in pastry, doing something I love each and every day and learning to live life to its fullest at all times.

The bad being I find myself detaching from people I love because I think it may be easier if I lose them as well. I avoid looking at photographs or listening to songs that spark certain memories because I only get angry or sad. I often feel cheated and lonely so I try to fill the void with things that may not be good for me in the end.

Re-reading the good and bad sound a bit contradicting, don't they? My thoughts usually are, actually.

I have tried so hard to keep moving forward, to make everyone proud, to find my inner smile and keep it bright but many a times, when I stop, I realize that I am filled with a ton of pain. Pain that has been hidden.

Folks, I keep my mind and body busy. I work hard and play hard. But at the end of the day, it's all done to try and keep the pain that is in my heart at bay. I cannot face it right now. The truth is, a year later, I still don't know how to cope with the loss of Daddy Butch. And the question is, will I ever know how?

All my love,

Summer

Hop(s) without the scotch!

2011-10-14T14:19:00.001-04:00

Milk Bar took a field trip to the famous Brooklyn Brewery.

Talk about neat-o mosquito.

We brought them cookies and sweets and they gave us beer, beer and more beer.

It was like being in a Willy Wonka factory but filled with yeast and hops!

(a peek inside the magic beer making machine)

(all of the different types of beers we tried)

(shiny, happy, ~~people~~ machines brewing)

(specialty bottles waiting to be shipped out)

(sweet message for us on their to-do list)

Happy weekend, folks.

Miss you, all.

I will be working tomorrow and Sunday but back to say hello on Monday.

Love,

Summer Athena

sweets

2011-10-12T13:40:00.002-04:00

Just two creations . . .

fondant flowers and bows

chocolate leaves

Love,

Sums

just . . .

2011-10-07T08:48:00.000-04:00

. . . me with upside down rainbows and being a squirrel trying to get a nut.

yule love it!

2011-10-06T08:23:00.000-04:00

Just a little creation that I made at school.

Do you see the lil' shrooms?

;)

fam in nyc!

2011-10-05T08:26:00.000-04:00

My MawMaw, Aunt Deby and Uncle Neil came to visit us for a few days and it was amazing to have family here. I miss my loves so much!

Isn't she the cutest?

Brunch at The Park NYC after I dropped off some bourbon truffles for a wedding.

Being silly in the Meatpacking District.

My whole family loves sweets that they even eat them off the wall!

About to see Anything Goes and we got to see Bobby C. perform!

Mama and DeNiro = Yummy.

Mama wanted to take him home.

Aren't they a cute couple?

Love,

Summer Athena B.

Mascara, anyone? Everyone? Yeah, you right!

2011-10-04T07:50:00.001-04:00

{SIDE-NOTE: If you need a prompt to enter, tell me WHY you love mascara!}

I am a woman.

I love pretty things.

I love accessories.

But there is one accessory that I know some of you don't have.

Confidence.

Yup, more women need it.

I did not always have it and sometimes it fades.

It's one of those things you constantly have to work on.

Kinda like your favorite ring. You have to shine it up when it tarnishes or fix the clasp when it breaks.

You get my drift, right?

And there is always that one thing (maybe two) that helps us feel our very best, right?

There are two things that help me feel confident:

A good hair day and mascara.

I have short hair and do not leave the apartment without it being fixed. And I never ever leave home without mascara. If I had to choose one make-up product for the rest of my life, it would be mascara. And trust me when I say that I have tried them all.

So, when Blogher contacted me about Cover-girl's "Facing the World with Confidence" asking me to share my story, I was thrilled because it was a way to spread confidence to other women and talk about mascara!

My story is a little different. You see, I just switched careers. I went from a corporate job to becoming a pastry cook. Now, I know what you are thinking...pastry cooks need to feel confident? Of course they do. We make other people's special days even better, so we always need to love what we do. And boy, do I! I am a new person now that I am doing something I am passionate about. I am more confident than ever before.

And how does this tie into COVERGIRL LashPerfection™? Because it was the only thing I wore to do my first trail at the bakery. And now that I have the job, it is the only thing I wear on my face. It makes me feel and look bright eyed working long hours. And to top things off, it shows off my best feature -- my eyes.

I truly love Lash Perfection Mascara and may have already bought a tube to carry around with me wherever I go. And while we’re on the subject of make-up and looking great, you might want to check out the “Looking Your Best” posts in Life Well Lived section for Blogher. There are some great application tips and ideas for switching up your look for fall!

I know. I know. This has been all about me. You want to know what is in it for you, don't cha? Well, how about $50 gift card to drugstore.com to maybe, perhaps, buy some mascara for yourself????

Awesome, right???

What are you waiting for? ENTER!

Rules:

No duplicate comments.

You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post

b) Tweet about this promotion and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post

c) Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post

d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older.

Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail.

You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.

The Official Rules are available here.

It runs from 10/4-11/4!!! HURRY AND ENTER!

Be sure to check out BlogHer's Promotions & Prizes page!

I'm on a truck: food, that is.

2011-10-03T08:20:00.000-04:00

Celebrating the awesome Chef Christina with All-Clad.

Me with a fellow pastry cook and FCI alumni, Micaela.

Truffle demo!

We gave everything out in an hour flat!

People love their Milk Bar truffles.

PS -- I met one of the guys behind KorillaBBQ.

Super nice and awesome and they are selling one of their trucks for $50K.

Anyone interested in going in on it with me?

I wish!!!!

Love,

Summer Athena

60 years . . . almost

2011-09-21T11:59:00.000-04:00

happy birthday, daddy butch.

i miss you more than ever.

i am trying to keep the memories alive and let the pain die.

Love,

Your baby-girl

"ketching" up . . . literally.

2011-09-20T21:42:00.001-04:00

Stopping into say hello to my old and new blog friends.

You have no clue how much I miss you all.

Life is fantastic.

I am living my dream.

I am still exhausted and working non-stop but love every second of it.

EVERY.

SECOND.

Oh and since you love me but I have no time to catch up on blogs or tweets, wanna tell me how you are???

Yes? Please? What is new? Leave me a link to your latest post where you show your baby bump or new house or vacation pics or new hair-do??????

PLEASE!

Below are a few photos to let you know I do still exist. ;)

My sweet lil sister and partner this unit, Diana.

♥

visiting the san gennaro festival with some friends i miss.

♥

san gennaro artwork or fancy alien abduction spaceship?

♥

just the best ketchup ever when brunching at PEELS with a few of my ladies.

♥

mr. T got a much needed haircut. poor guy was matting bad bad.

♥

sparklers to celebrate sweet jesica turning 30 on a very bittersweet day.

♥

just a little bbq beer at a work party.

♥

our tray of petit fours = delish.

♥

my good friend and classmate kareem and i studying while routing on the Saints.

i multi-task well, guys.

♥

Love,

Summer Athena

FNO

2011-09-11T20:42:00.000-04:00

Fashion Night Out

was

hit.

(via)

Thank you Lenovo, Saks Fifth Avenue and Kristina!

XO,

Summer Athena

chew it.

2011-09-04T20:32:00.000-04:00

(via)

. . . that is what I did and it is amazing.

As of late, I have been learning a lot of life's lessons.

Some are hard to swallow, while other's go down like yummy soft serve.

I've been let down by a few, but lifted high by most.

But through it all, I am finding myself and it's a beautiful struggle.

That's it for now, folks.

I miss you like whoa.

XO,

Sum

I hate to iron but I love Simone.

2011-08-25T06:38:00.000-04:00

Guys?

I am a day late and a dollar short because I was guest posting over at Simone's beautiful blog, The Bottom of the Ironing Basket yesterday.

Could you go over and take a peek?

Could you maybe tell her how wonderful she is?

Simone is a lady -- to the T!

She is generous, lovely, giving, magnificent. Um, I could go on and on.

Just google the word - fabulous and you will see her face smiling back at cha.

She reached out to me in a way that I am not sure I could ever find the way to properly thank her.

She loved my Daddy Butch.

She routed for him to survive.

I know she still thinks of him and speaks to him.

And I know he loves her too.

hello!

2011-08-23T20:32:00.001-04:00

(via)

hi gang.

man, i am busy but it's because i am happy.

good, right?

so, i am no longer working in an office in corporate america.

i am now working as an extern/pastry cook for one of my favorite places of all time.

this is a place that i have loved for years and have always admired and looked up to the creators of it all!

remember when i wrote about Ms. Christina Tosi graduating from FCI?

she rocks.

so does David Chang.

oh, you wanna know where i am working?

just the best place in the world . . .

in Brooklyn.

i am living my dream and loving every second of it.

as you can only imagine, my schedule is hectic between work, school and other life things going on and i know i sound so repetitive but i LOVE it.

love it all.

i love the people, the place, the eats, everything.

everything.

(via)

a few things here and there.

2011-08-17T12:29:00.000-04:00

I've been MIA because there are some things happening in my life that are exciting, scary, frustrating, but all in all great and wonderful!

I miss you all and will have a life update for you soon.

Fingers crossed.

Much love,

Me.

(via)

happy friday - literally.

2011-08-12T12:01:00.002-04:00

(via oh joy)

My day started off on a bad note.

I dreamed my Daddy was in NYC and I was geting ready to meet up with him and hug him so tightly, then my alarm went off and I was thrown into a world of grief.

Normally when I dream of Daddy, I feel warm and fuzzy that he came to visit me.

However, this time felt so real. I was expecting to see him when I opened my eyes.

But I saw nothing. And reality set in.

I cried all the way to work. Sunglasses hiding the tears and red eyes.

Grief overcame me.

But then I got to work and remembered moments of the week . . .

♥ helping a lady after seeing her get hit by a van, getting a call from her that she is okay and planning a tea date to meet up. ♥

♥ a classmate telling me that he enjoys being around me because I light up a room. ♥

♥ being told by someone special that they like it that i twirl when i am excited ♥

♥ seeing my mommy and mother-in-law ♥

And because we are in control of our emotions and we can get ourselves to snap out of things, I decided today, that I would post the happy photos I was sent after I got a few emails back after I posted 'true happiness' and I was so excited and honored that you shared your happy moments with me, that I needed to share them with the world.

Eyes really are the windows to our soul.

You can see so much in them.

From Dee of Dee's Adventures

♥

From Berna:

"I was on a mini-Vacation with my husband celebrating our 8 wedding Anniversary! - Everytime I see this picture it remind me of how Happy I was on that moment and it make forget for a moment all the stress that I might be going thru".

♥

From Marcy of Marcy's Mazin' Moments:

"HAPPYFREAKNTASTICNESS"

♥

From Jackie:

"Happiest Moments in My Life"

♥

From Iris of i-zilla the terrible:

"Wizarding World of Harry Potter + Butter Beer + Ravenclaw scarf + best friend + no work for a week =

best day of my life!"
love you!
xoxo Iris

♥

From Becky of The Branches:

"This picture makes me happy every time I see it! I miss my sister so much!"

♥

From Spanky:

"It's a pic of me and Melissa C. at the NC State/ECU game last fall. ECU was the underdog (as usual) and we beat our in-state rival in OT. It was one of the few really really good days I'd had in a long time. Oh and here's the link to the final moments of the game when we won. It may seem silly, but whenever I'm having a bad day I watch it. Always makes me smile!"

-Spanky

http://youtu.be/mPBLdZb52Fc

♥

From Sydney of Sunshine in the City

♥

Chubby.

2011-08-11T16:20:00.004-04:00

My dear friend and soul sister, Suzanne said goodbye to her best friend today.

I hurt with her.

Pets add so much to our lives and when they leave, we are left a bit empty.

I love you, SSSS. More than you will ever know.

Readers and friends,
please leave Suzanne a few, sweet words to help her through this difficult time.
Thank you.

*all photos taken from SS.

licking my lips.

2011-08-11T12:52:00.003-04:00

♥

It's very hard to keep up in class sometimes, to really retain all we are learning.

Sometimes I am disappointed at how much we rush through and when I see my final product.

However, I need to realize, I have NEVER made these things before and I am doing a darn good job.

But sometimes, you do have mistakes.

For example, my ladyfinger cake fell apart.

Instead of being sad about it, I throw it in saran wrap and made . . .

. . . CAKE IN A BAG!

(yes, we may have made a song up to the beat of D in a Box)

Love,
Summer Athena

*photos are from the iphone app - labelbox

thanks leidy!

true happiness

2011-08-09T12:10:00.002-04:00

As of late, there have been certain things and people that have brought me down quite a bit.

More than I will ever let on.

I can handle constructive criticism, but when you come out and insult me on a regular basis, it begins to break my soul a bit.

I started to become anger and walk around with a cloud above my head, but I realized that

instead of being sad and putting the walls back up, I needed to focus on what makes me feel truly happy.

That "happy" that just makes you beam and you can be spotted from space shining brightly.

You see, I won't be around forever but while I am, I need to live each moment to its fullest.

I don't mean I won't have any more sad ones but I will embrace them and allow them to teach me things.

I cannot change everything and I have big decisions to make but until then, I just want to be me. I want to be the me that people seem to love and adore and really appreciate.

And to those folks that don't, your loss.

Seriously.
Grrr.

♥

To end on a positive note, I have a challenge for you:

Find a photo of yourself when you felt true happiness and send it to me!

summerathena@gmail.com

And in the meantime, you can look at a few of mine . . .

~ laughing ~

~ carefree in Vienna ~

~ being in paradise ~

~ when saints won the Superbowl ~

~ sleeping with kitty boys ~

♥

...and music makes me happy...

My fave band at the moment!

LOVE,
Me.

weekend in review.

2011-08-08T15:57:00.000-04:00

Friday:

( Marjolaine)

♥

Saturday:

♥ Brunch at Harry's ♥

(Summer and Rachael)

(Me)

(Mom and I)

(Rach and Noelle)

(Sweetness)

♥

Sunday:

(Longest wait ever to see the Alexander McQueen Exhibit)

(I sneaked a photograph)

The End, until next time.

Love,
Summer Athena

my daddio (in ink).

2011-08-04T10:48:00.002-04:00

Daddy is here!

♥ i love it ♥

♥ yes, it hurt ♥

♥ it will stay gray and black with maybe a little more shading ♥

♥ the hat does say LSU but the S looks like a C in this photo ♥

♥ it is still healing and scabbed over a bit, so it will look sharper later on ♥
♥ it's on my inner arm and good i gained a little weight so he could fit, but as I lose it, he will shrink. ha! ♥
♥ he was drawn by Dowdy Studio ♥

(peeking out)

I know some of you are not fans of ink and I understand that. This is something that I needed to do to help me grieve the loss of my best friend. I needed him close to my heart (in a visual way). Ironically, he did not like tats on ladies and had none himself so he may be shaking his head up in Heaven but he most certainly feels the love b/c I felt the pain. :)

XO,
Summer Athena

a little taste of ...

2011-08-03T15:40:00.002-04:00

...MerDad!

Since, my Momma has seen it (she does not completely approve and thinks tattoos look dirty but she understands I like them and they mean something to me but asked that I refrain from putting them anywhere near my face and neck), I can now show you all!

Or sorta show you.

I am such a tease, aren't I?

♥

Summer
(my circles are not THAT dark. dumb shadows)

chocolatte

2011-08-02T12:29:00.000-04:00

Genoise Au Chocolat Glacee

(Chocolate Ganache Cake)

This cake looks much easier to make than it really is.

So many steps to make this little guy.

And you definitely need to like dark, rich chocolate to even try a bite.

I had fun making it but last night, we had so much going on.

Whipping the eggs over heat and then adding sugar and whipping those by hand -- oh boy.

That was a workout.

Like a "bring on the sweat" work-out.

Then we make dacquoise. More to come on that later.

I honestly have no clue what we are doing with it.

I ended up over-sleeping this am. Chef talked a lot last night, so we were running around frantically trying to finish everything and get out at a decent hour. Home at midnight? Not fun. Trying the angel food cake we made = heaven.

Love,

i used to write. here and there.

2011-08-01T15:30:00.001-04:00

When I was at the acting conservatory, I kept a journal.

I would write anything and everything down.

I was a bit of a dreamer and a lover.

My smaller stories started turning into larger ones and

eventually, I started to write a play.

Well, I was cleaning my closet out the other day and found that journal.

♥

Below is a real life incident I wrote about:

(via Missed Connections)

The other day, I "met" a boy.

He was on the wrong side of the subway platform.

We both caught each other looking at the other and our gaze never wandered.

He smiled a smile I will never forget.

I returned one back.

My train came. Then his.
We watched each other while the doors closed on us.
He zoomed away and I was left smiling brightly.

It was a moment like no other.
Strange and romantic.
Curious and fun.

A few days later, I saw him.

He sells scones at the Farmer's Market.

He was in the booth.
He smiled that smile.
My heart sank.

I walked up and asked for something that tasted of vanilla.
My hands were shaking and of course I was sweating.
You said I looked familiar.
I told you about the train we took, but in different directions.
Your eyes brightened.
You knew.

We spoke about nonsensical things and smiled a lot, but I decided to say goodbye without any exchange of a name or number. I said I would see you around. You said, you would like that. And ended it with a 'please'.

These are the moments that make me feel alive.
I walked away because I wanted it to end just like that.
I did not want the real world coming in and messing it all up with it's pain and anger.

I just wanted to be. And I did just that . . .

Meet Tripp

2011-08-01T13:58:00.002-04:00

My heart goes out to this Louisiana family.
My prayers and love are being sent to their beautiful baby boy, Tripp.

If you don't know his story, please head over now.

Love,
Summer Athena

Genoise

2011-08-01T11:13:00.000-04:00

Genoise = foundation cake that is used as a building block in assembling various gateaux.

ButterCream I = delicious.

I needed a little help with this cake.

I have never made a whole egg foam cake before.

I had a bit of an issue with over-folding but seemed to turn things around in the end.

It was one of the tastiest cakes I've ever tried.

XO,
Summer Athena

*ric rac via pugly pixel

come alive.

2011-07-29T10:53:00.001-04:00

(via)

It took me many of years to find out what I wanted to be when I grew up and I have to say it has been worth the wait. I am more exhausted than I have ever been -- working FT, going to night school FT and volunteering with chefs when I have ANY free time. However, I would not change it for anything.

I made a lot of mistakes and took a few wrong turns along the way.

Do I regret those? Not at all. I learned from each and everyone.

Plus if you never try, how will you ever know what you are good at?

I love, love, love school;

love my fellow chefs-to-be.

I have already cultivated some super close and special relationships with these folks, who will later become my colleagues.

You see? Being a Chef can become a competitive game, but we all really care about one another and want to create something good and succeed at it.

It's a nice feeling.

(via)

Last night, I volunteered to help with a chocolate making class and learned a lot from a few pastry students that will be graduating in 2 weeks.

They were super cool and we really liked them a lot.

They also told us that we will get some Chefs that are easier to learn from.

That is all I will say about that.

Oh and a perk of going to a culinary school is being fed by the culinary students.

Last night, we indulged in a huge buffet with some of the best food I have ever tasted.

We all had our plates piled high.

I felt like a Queen.

Delish!

(via)

So, the weekend is now upon us. I have class til 11PM and then some classmates heading over to hang and chill on my rooftop.

Then MOMMY arrives Tuesday night!

I cannot wait to see her.

And after Mom leaves, my MIL arrives.

Then we get a week free and up come my Aunt and MawMaw!

FAMILY ROCKS!

I hope you all have a lovely weekend.

I plan on it.

And a question before I go:

Are you living your life to the fullest????

Love,

Summer Athena.

(via)

Little Miss Baker Bee

2011-07-28T11:40:00.001-04:00

Beehive

Apricot Brioche

Pannetone and Pan de Mie

Breads are coming to a close for now.

We are starting on cakes.

You would assume I am feeling confident going into cakes since I have the most experience in it but I am actually feeling quite the opposite.

I am self-taught so a lot of my caking skills are not the best to have and I will be learning more and I am open to that. I just don't want to get too stressed with timing and doubt my ability. That seems to happen a bit in class.

We shall see. I am excited and scared at the same time!

;)

Cheers,

Summer Athena

shoes shoes shoes & do we have a winner????

2011-07-27T10:55:00.001-04:00

I have always loved Rachel Roy's shoe designs.
They are fun and affordable.
I was reading a post by Sweet Caroline this am and saw she loves Ms. RR too.
So, I had to show you my faves from her line.

And since we are on the subject of shoes, I would like to speak about

Tory Burch.

You see, I own her flats in lime green, her flip flops and a pair of sandals.

And I have to admit that I have been unhappy with each pair.

TB Flats -- The back elastic cuts into my heel and causes mucho pain.

I feel like the side of my foot is gonna fall out most of the time.

After awhile, they stretched out and no longer hurt my heel but flip flop off.

TB Flip Flops -- The only pair of flip flops that have ever given me a blister where the thong is (and a bad one at that). So bad that I had to see a doctor for it. Nothing more needs to be said.

TB sandals -- So pretty. Black and gold. After 3 months, the bottom part of the shoe came off and I brought it to the shoemaker to fix. It broke again a month later. Also, the thong hurt!!!!

Here are the deets:

I wear a size 8.5 M. Kinda average, right?

I do walk in my shoes because I live in NYC, but shoes are supposed to be walked in.

I am not running marathons here, people.

Is it just me or have others had this same issue?

PS -- i do love her clothes and bags. No issues there.

♥

♥

And last but not least....

Winner of the IROCKSOWHAT Header Giveaway is . . .

ELISA

from

Congrats, lady!!!
♥
One more thing:

Enter April's Giveaway but let me win!

Love,Summer Athena

time for tea?

2011-07-26T15:03:00.000-04:00

♥ scones, croissants and stollen ♥

all delicious things, which lead me to tell you how difficult it is to try and lose weight when studying pastry arts. it is a skill to have just one bite and find the time to work out when you work a 40 hour a week job and go to class 3 nights a week for 5+ hours at a time.
and also deal with all the crap that life is throwing at us and try not to eat our emotions.

i am desperate to get some of this weight off.
i just want to fit into my old clothes.
please.

help me. someone. please.

The Elvis

2011-07-25T10:53:00.000-04:00

Weekend in Review

Saturday:

I worked the Serious Eats All-Star Sandwich Festival with Kareem (my FCI classmate) and even in the 125 degree heat, we had a blast.

We worked for Peanut Butter & Co. and had the pleasure of making the Elvis - peanut butter, banana, honey and bacon.

I was in charge of prepping the sandwich, while Kareem grilled them in massive amounts of butter.

{KC doing his signature pose}

{Sandwich maker extraordinaire}

{Worst photo of me ever.
It was so hot and we were both the sweatiest we'd ever been.}

♥

Sunday:

After I slept the night away, I met up with my friends at Barbounia for brunch.

Good times. Good food. Good friends.

My cousin was in town visiting another friend so she stopped in to see me.

It was so nice to catch up with her.

Photos to come later.

How was your weekend?

Love,
Me

my soul shines and dims at the same time.

2011-07-23T23:39:00.004-04:00

i've come to realize that i wanted to become

an actress because i have a passion in me that is pretty special.

i feel more than most.

i allow my heart to open in ways that others' won't.

i feel each and every emotion as it might be my last.

i feel a connection with people, nature, animals, the planet, everything.

some might see me as a bit kooky but i am me and that is the best person i can be.

i have a heart that hurts deeply, that loves with everything i have.

that is confused and surprised.

that beats and flutters.

that skips beats and laughs when i smile.

someone recently told me that they could read me like a book.

i don't completely agree with that.

i have my secrets. i have special things i keep to myself.

i hide my hurt or my happiness well when i need to.

i'll admit that i often think back to the past and wonder if i took the right path,

if i followed the one for me.

and i find myself never finding the right answer.

but there is a door with a light shining through that i still need to open.

one that will allow me to figure it all out.

people come into your life for a reason.

those reasons are good and bad.

some vanish in body but never leave your soul.

they can either haunt you, guilt you, make you regret or

they whisper to your heart and remind you to just be.

to be happy, to be sad, to be angry, to be indifferent.

i think back on my life.

all the way to childhood and it really does seem like a movie.

an indie film that is small and unknown and then explodes and the whole world

relates. they get it. they get me.

i am older and wiser and sillier and sadder and happier than i have ever been.

are there things that are still missing from my life?

my goodness -- yes.

so much. and i just try to either not think about it or wholeheartedly experience the emotions attached.

i want to get better at getting my small desires met but without force.

i like it all being organic.

i want more of my life to be that way,

because i see that i have been forcing some things.

forcing myself to feel passion in another way.

forcing something that maybe is not right, because i am searching.

i want to feel beautiful on the inside.

i want to radiate sunshine.

i want to show my clouds shed rainbow colored tears.

that i can feel the happiest i've ever been making peanut butter and bacon sandwiches on the hottest day of the year, because i am doing something i love.

something that saved me from destroying myself.

i still have dreams that i want to see come true.

i still have things i need to do.

not just for me but to make a difference.

and when i know what it is, i'll tell ya or

you will just feel my rays shining down on your shoulders and know.

that is all.

~ me

Serious Eats!

2011-07-22T10:40:00.001-04:00

Tomorrow, I am volunteering through FCI to work the Serious Eats All-Star Sandwich Festival on Governor's Island and I am super excited. If you don't read this blog, you need to.

There are plenty of volunteers but we are culinary and will be assigned to a chef.

This is a super cool way to network and put our skills into action.

It's gonna be a long day but so fun and man, I love what I do!

Lots of photos to come!

Have a happy weekend!

From top, clockwise: Locanda Verde's lamb meatball sliders, Taim's falafel, Banh Mi Zon's banh mi.

*all photos taken from SE blog

holla, challah.

2011-07-21T11:15:00.004-04:00

(via)

This has been one, hectic week.

Husband is away (taking care of his Pops), so

one of my gal pals from school is staying with me.

She had a bit of a bed bug problem at her place.

And honestly, I am having a blast.

She is helping me forget about my adult-life drama.

KC, L-Dog and I chilled on the roof after class.

We chatted it up.

Put our feet up and laughed our asses off.

Envision this:

Two girls on a deflating air-mattress with no one to help them out, while eating the Challah bread we made, which resembled a male body part.

OOPS.

Had to be there hysterical.

Man, laughter really is the.best.medicine.

♥

Love,
Summer
Athena
B.

so me.

2011-07-20T15:33:00.000-04:00

From FREE PEOPLE:

I am absolutely in ♥ with this look.

I ♥ graphic tees.

I ♥ florals.

I ♥ skirts.

Tomorrow + Me = a glorious shopping day.

Love,
Summer

B is for Bread.

2011-07-20T10:16:00.002-04:00

HOLA.

I was recently asked to do a little interview over at B for Bel and of course, I said yepper.

She does this awesome series called, "Never Worked a Day in Your Life" and my interview was about working to become a Pastry Chef.

I don't think I am cool enough for interviews but I did my best.

Head on over and tell me what you think.

And speaking of work as in my paying, day job -- no comment.

I am in a mood that needs to pass quickly or it will cause me to get an ulcer.

And of course, I shall leave you with something else we baked . . .

Orange Swirl Cinnamon Bread

I have to admit something.

I am sure people will be in shock.

not

like

cinnamon.

EEEEEK!

Love,

Summer Athena

hola.

2011-07-19T10:57:00.001-04:00

Hello all.

Been extremely busy and a little stressed as of late.

Welcome to my new readers and thanks for all the compliments on my header.

Jess is awesome. I sent her a inspiration board and she worked her magic.

I am so happy with it and love that I simplified my background/layout too.

♥ Visit with Sister ♥

{Crif Dog, Meatball Shop, LES, Chinatown, Little Italy}

♥♥♥

We have officially moved onto breads and I am really digging it.

I have more photos to post but wanted to tease you with the above. ;)

I am not partnered up with my sweet friend, Lauren and she is my roomie for the week while Adam is away in Cali taking care of his Father (below).

My father in law, Lou.

♥♥♥

And I have a little surprise for you all.

Here is a sneak peek - - sorta.

Doughnut Plant

♥♥♥

PS - - Enter to win a header from IROCKSOWHAT here.

Love,

Summer

Like! Dislike? Enter.

2011-07-17T14:11:00.000-04:00

See something new here?

Like the place?

I had a bit of help re-decorating from Jess of

She is super talented,

quite inspiring,

a great mama to a cute little boy

and a damn good artist.

And because I love my new banner, I am giving you a chance to get one too.

Well, not MY banner, but you can have Jess do one up for you.

You just need to enter to win.

I suggest you do these things to enter:

1 entry:

Check out Jess at IROCKSOWHAT and say hi.

2 entries:

I would like it if you are a reader.

So, just let me know if you are and what you enjoy reading over here.

3 entries:

Tweet or Blog about this here, little giveaway.

♥

I've had a tough weekend, folks.

Really tough.

I decided to do a little giveaway to make everyone else happy.

So, enter and good luck.

Love,

Summer

friday hearts

2011-07-15T10:12:00.000-04:00

Words to live by:

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Even though we keep ourselves busy and occupied, we are always hoping and praying for the child meant for us.

We don't care how, we just want to love and raise up a beautiful soul and give it all it needs and more.

Y'all know I have tons of love to give and I often find myself picturing me holding the baby and kissing the baby and running next to a bike knowing our child will keep going and not fall and if they do, we will bandage em up and have a dance party.

So, here are things that I like in the "child" area of my heart.

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♥

And here are some of my faves this season:

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And of course, I cannot leave out the desserts.

I love making pastries and look forward to breads but cannot wait for cakes.

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Happy weekending, all.

My sister and her husband are here and it has been so nice.

Cannot wait to be done with class tonight to run home and hang some more.

Much love,

baking

2011-07-14T10:11:00.001-04:00

♥

This will be the last of the puff pastries, friends.

The unit ends with our written and practical exams this Friday.

I am saving as much as I can to share with my sister and her husband (they arrive today)!

Regarding the exams:

I am a bit nervous about my puff pastries.
We covered a lot of ground in this unit.
Could the baked Gods help me?

XO
Summer Athena

you never know...

2011-07-13T16:06:00.001-04:00

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Re-reading my below post after this article surfaced makes me feel so selfish and ungrateful.

I love my life. I do. I am grateful for the good and one day, the bad, because I chose to learn from the mistakes and heartache.

This story is horrible.
This young, soul went missing yesterday and every NY'er wanted him found - safe and sound.

However, that was not the case.

It was worse than we could have imagined.

I cannot even fathom what his parents are going through during this tragic time in their lives.

May God send them strength in their darkest hour.

Hold your loved ones close and tightly.