Sculpting and Cake Decorating with Natalie Madison

There was a time a few years ago that I traveled the country in promoting our silver cake plateaus at ICES cake trade shows and meeting professional artisans with their passion for beautiful cakes. From Sylvia Weinstock in New York to the Le Cordon Blue College of Culinary Arts in Austin, Texas, I shared my wares and was amazed at the talent behind cakes that were truly works of art. At the Cake Shows, cakes were judged and just looked too real to be cake! 

(Yes, these "leather" shoes and purse are cake!)

Marj Jenkins of Icing on the Cake, Art you can Eat

I think that is what I love about what we do now, is that I still stay amazed at the world class talent right in our own home town of Little Rock. Recently Natalie Madison of Natalie Madison Artisan Cakes, has shared her talent with my brides. Natalie not only makes works of art but also teaches sculpting and cake decorating at Pulaski Tech Culinary Institute from time to time.  After 18 years of baking and decorating for others, Natalie finally opened Natalie Madison's Artisan Cakes, a studio bakery in Little Rock, AR, January of 2013.  As a graduate from the University of Arkansas with a bachelor's Degree in Art, her medium is now cake!

For our couple who got engaged in New Orleans, the bride surprised the groom with this New Orleans inspired chocolate cake! Doesn't that corn look real?...it's not, it is cake!

Here Natalie puts the finishing touches on a wedding cake in the Big Red Barn.

From simple and elegant, "Love Birds" was the theme 
to this wedding.

A Bass Grooms Cake by Natalie

Rose Petals and Pearls

Look closely, the rose petals are edible art!

What groom would go crazy over a baseball glove of chocolate!

For the deer hunter, a sculpted dear head...all edible!

 

of course Natalie knows how to sculpt the perfect Razorback.

Not only is she extremely talented, she is a delightful charming Southern sweet lady, I am honored to call friend. To contact Natalie, 

501-240-6102

 natalievmadison@gmail.com

www.nmartisancakes.com and www.nmartisancakes.net

As Natalie says,

"It's not just cake...it's edible art!"says Natalie

 

A Trade Secret - Handmade Flower Girl Dresses

Pearls for the flower girl and matching headpiece

I’ve made some really special friends through my years of hosting weddings and one of them is Karen Ellis (no relation, although I would love to claim her!) who designs and hand makes the cutest Flower Girl dresses. A couple of years ago, her daughter Hannah was married here at Magnolia Hill. You know how you just "click" with some people, and become instant friends? I think that is what I love about what we do, is that I become friends for sharing in a lifetime event of a wedding.

Mother of the Bride, Karen Ellis looks like she could have been a bridesmaid!

 

Since the wedding, I kept up with Karen and stay amazed at her design talents. She is a kindred entrepreneur spirit and I thought I would share some of her work....Everyone was talking about the cute "Fluff Ball" dress that the Flower Girls wore. The Mother of the Bride designed and made them, including a matching headpiece.

Our banner carrier says "Oh Happy Day" in a Karen Ellis designed dress.

 And for a Rustic Barn wedding...how cute is this?

or this...

A Denim top and cowboy boots complete the outfit for a Rustic Barn Wedding.

And so I am saving my favorite for last....I am crushing on these colors !

 

It was no secret I loved the classic vintage style Hannah and her mother, Karen chose for their wedding. I am so excited to share with all my brides the handmade element of these darling children's dresses...or Fluff Balls as I call them! 

 To contact Karen....

ellisoriginals501@gmail.com 

Or they can FB message me @ Karen Ellis or Ellis Originals 

Or 

can text Karen @ 501-951-2986

Enjoy!

A Tribute to the Fathers

 

My sister and I were very blessed to have the most wonderful father. One of my all time favorite parties was a Birthday Tea on a Sunday afternoon in honor of my father for his 92^nd birthday.  The hardest part was compiling the guest list, comprised of his nine decades of friendships. My sister and I worked for weeks on the guest list to try to think of voices from the past that Daddy would enjoy hearing.  He had fought in a war, taught Sunday School, but most of his life was spent as a carpenter building houses, remodeling kitchens, and genuinely building friendships through the years.

 Our birthday party day was a cold March rainy afternoon but that did not stop guests from driving for miles and filtering in out of the cold.  On this gray damp day we had a cheery warm fire roaring in the living room and Daddy seated in a big wing back chair. He had a new suit on, and a pink rose boutonnière pinned to the lapel of his jacket. Some guests were friends and family that we had not seen in years, some were from church and some were from the hardware store that he still saw on a regular basis. 

The day was full of emotion, and he was brought to tears as all of us were from the joy of the day… especially when he asked to read a poem.  My mother had been gone for several years, and I am sure he missed her deeply still and was wishing she could be beside him on this day.  This sweet man had a crumpled up piece of paper in his Bible that he wanted to read and share the lyrics of a song that mother had saved. Perfect for a Birthday Tea, our 92-year-old father read…

DRINKING FROM MY SAUCER

I've never made a fortune

and it's probably too late now.

But I don't worry about that much,

I'm happy anyhow.

And as I go along life's way,

I'm reaping better than I sowed.

I'm drinking from my saucer,

'Cause my cup has overflowed.

I haven't got a lot of riches,

and sometimes the going's tough.

But I've got loved ones around me,

and that makes me rich enough.

I thank God for his blessings,

and the mercies He's bestowed.

I'm drinking from my saucer,

'cause my cup has overflowed.

I remember times when things went wrong,

My faith wore somewhat thin.

But all at once the dark clouds broke,

and the sun peeped through again.

So God, help me not to gripe about

the tough rows that I've hoed.

I'm drinking from my saucer,

'Cause my cup has overflowed.

If God gives me strength and courage,

when the way grows steep and rough.

I'll not ask for other blessings,

I'm already blessed enough.

And may I never be too busy,

to help others bear their loads.

Then I'll keep drinking from my saucer,

'Cause my cup has overflowed.

- Recorded by Jimmy Dean, 

Author unknown

Here at Magnolia Hill, with weddings every week, I have had the honor of meeting some very special fathers. Wedding day, and with a full heart, Daddy is on the porch waiting for his beloved daughter to walk out the door, hold tight to his arm and begin a walk down the aisle. Here are just a few of our very special dads, and memorable wedding moments....

Dad waiting on the porch

A kiss from Dad

Getting ready to step into the carriage

 

A little help from Dad, stepping into the carriage.

On the way to the altar

Bagpipes lead the way

Just before the doors open

Best Man Dad, and tears of joy

Remembering Dad, a piece of his shirt

A special reception chair for dad

Father - Daughter Dance

So dear to our hearts....fathers.

Magnolia Hill Wedding Cookies

I don't have time too much anymore to make cookies, but this is one that I like to make because it is quick and easy.  These delicious wedding cookies are a blend of several recipes that have come through my door here at Magnolia Hill. They are a classic, and beautifully presented simply on a silver tray.  (I'll share my scone recipe with you soon too...it is quick and easy...but SO delicious)



Magnolia Hill Wedding Cookies
2 sticks butter, softened
1/2-cup confectioner’s sugar
1/2-teaspoon vanilla
1-teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups all purpose flour
1/8-teaspoon salt
2 cups finely chopped pecans
2 cups confectioners sugar for rolling
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. With electric mixer, beat butter and sugar.
Add vanilla. Combine flour, salt and nuts; stir into sugar mixture. Roll
dough in one-inch balls. Place on air bake cookie sheet. Bake 12- 15 minutes
until lightly browned. While they are still hot, roll in confectioner’s sugar.
Cool on a rack, the roll again to heavily coat in sugar.

“And a Sixpence in Her Shoe”

In the past, you have probably heard the saying a time or two: “ Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, and a silver sixpence in her shoe.”  The poetic rhyme from the English and quoted in Victorian times seemed to catch on and is still often repeated today. Each item is usually applied to the wedding outfit rather than décor…something the bride would wear. The items serve as good luck tokens to a bride on her wedding day making her attire personal and sentimental.    

The “Something Old” symbolizes the bride’s family. Perhaps a strand of pearls or grandmothers broach fastened onto a hand held bouquet. It does not have to be from a female side…maybe a button from one of the brides fathers suits sewn into the hem of the gown.  

Megan wears her mothers and grandmothers pearls

A “Something New” symbolizes hope for an optimistic future with the marriage. The gown, the veil or even the rings, may be the “New”. “Something Borrowed” needs to come from a happily married woman thereby lending some of her own marital happiness and the item must be returned! The item reminds a bride that she can depend on that friend or family member. A “Something Blue” represents a symbol of faithfulness, love, purity and loyalty. It can be the bride’s garter or simply blue shoes underneath the gown. Christianity has long dressed the Virgin Mary in blue, so purity was associated with the color as well.

A sixpence was a coin used in the British Empire beginning in 1551. One sixpence represented six pennies and was last used in 1967. People used to be very superstitious in the middle ages and it was a good omen as a lucky charm. During the early 1600’s it was traditional for the Lord of the Manor to give his bride a piece of silver as a wedding gift. Worn in the left shoe, the tradition of the sixpence as a symbol of good luck continues today. Some families have passed down the same sixpence through the generations to continue the hope for good luck to future brides. It's also nice to seek out a sixpence minted in the year of your parents or grandparents wedding. If not a sixpence then a coin with a meaningful date should do!

Carlea lost her mother at a very young age. Here she wears her mother's wedding dress as she holds a picture of her mother wearing it on her wedding day.

Brides have been honoring the tradition of wearing an old, a new, a borrowed and a blue item during their wedding for centuries. The wearing of these items is supposed to share good luck but most important they express admiration for a few special people on a very special day. 

Pickles in the Pantry- A Mother's Day Tribute

For as long as I can remember, my mother canned pickles.  Sweet pickles, bread-and-butter pickles, dill pickles  - rarely was a meal ever served at our house that didn't include a Mason jar of Mother's homemade pickles.


Not even the smallest step was forgotten when my mother made pickles.  Each jar was properly scalded and readied.  The cucumbers were grown from Mother's beloved kitchen garden, and after they had soaked adequately in the brine that filled an army of crocks and dishpans, they could be packed in jars one by one with Mother's careful hands and tightly sealed.  Each jar truly represented a labor of love.

One particular summer evening Mother and I were together in the kitchen, having just finished washing and drying the dinner dishes.  She was lifting the corner of a neatly placed dishtowel to take another peek at the dozen or so pickle jars cooling on the stove.   Her labor evidenced by a Band-Aid wrapped around a burned finger and an aggravating splinter stubbornly stuck in her hand, she awkwardly carried on her tasks.   At the same moment Mother was raising the dishtowel, the young man who had stolen my heart was sitting nervously in our living room, asking my daddy if he could marry me.

With Daddy's "yes" secured, a fall wedding was planned and the preparation began.  Mother spent endless hours sewing.  Bridal showers were given and thank-you notes written. my future in-laws invited us over for a celebration dinner where of course, Mother brought a prize jar of her pickles for the grand occasion. 

Over the years, my husband taught me to appreciate Mother's treat that I had so long taken for granted.  The homemade pickles were of a bygone era, and I never seemed to find the time or desire to make them myself.  But tuna fish sandwiches tasted better with Mama's pickles, my husband's grilled hamburgers weren't complete without them, and a proper Christmas dinner always included a crystal dish of the homemade pickles.

Right now I have a jar of Mother's pickles displayed in my pantry. I don't know when- or if- I will ever open them.  For every time I look at them, my saddened heart aches for my mother's company.  I think of the wonderful influence she had on my two sons when they were small, and how she wholeheartedly shared my joys and my sorrows.  I'd always felt comfort in knowing that I could pick up the telephone any time to ask her opinion on any subject, and she often kindly just listened to me as I rambled on.  She was dear friend, and I miss the gifts of time and energy she so generously gave.

My childhood gifts to her- a lopsided plaster hand print plate, a dimestore-bought bird figurine, a red rose vase- unfailing assumed a place of honor in Mother's living room.  She owned much nicer keepsakes to display and I never could quite understand why she insisted on displaying my clumsy gifts instead.  But I have a feeling that years from now, even as my mother is long gone, Mother will understand why a blue Mason jar of her homemade pickles still sits proudly in my pantry.