September Wedding

September was quite eventful to say the least. For some reason, it was a month full of birthdays, baptisms, and weddings. Many credit this to the fact that there's a lot of lovin' going on during the holidays that result in babies being born in September. Whatever the reason behind it, I got a truckload of orders from clients for macaron cakes and towers. 

One of them was a wedding cake from BJ and Tin who were tying the knot on the 25th. We met a couple of times to discuss the details of their wedding cake, and I could easily tell they were a sweet and fun couple, very easygoing and not at all overly stressed about their big day. 

{dream clients!}

BJ, the dutiful groom that he was, gave Tin all the leeway regarding the wedding cake, and Tin wanted it to have macarons, be three feet high, and not so stiff and formal. Blue, pink, purple, and green made up their wedding's color scheme. 

She specifically wanted the word "Love" on the cake, which I thought was so romantic. Not only, of course, was their wedding a symbol of their love, but it's also what they call each other.

{sweetness.}

Tin came up with a 5-tier design with a fully edible cake at the base. This was going to be one of the biggest cakes I'd ever done. She also wanted macaron hearts to be included in the design. The flavors she chose were hazelnut (purple), pistachio (green), chocolate (pink), and caramel (blue). The cake was a banana chocolate chip cake.

I don't know why, but everytime I deliver a major project, rains seem to follow. This was what I saw heading towards Edsa Shangri-La Hotel! 

After a few last minute touches and adding macarons to the middle layer at the venue, the cake was setup in the ballroom.

I love stepping back and looking at macaron cakes. They are always so fulfilling to make, and yummy to eat! 

"Hi Georgia, the cake was cute and beautiful. Thank you very much!" 

~ BJ and Tin ~

Incidentally, I gave birth to my second child, a boy, a week after finishing this project. Maybe there is some truth to why so many people are born in September :p

Another Macaron Tower Post

Just need to put this up somewhere.

I know I just did a macaron tower story a few posts back, but this I just need to share. I "met" Raissa via email when she sent me a message inquiring about my macaron tower for her wedding in October. I didn't hear from her after my reply, but about a week later, her fiance, Rich, contacted me. I think he was assigned to take care of the cake, because he, too, met with me to finalize the tower they wanted for their wedding.

Pewter. Salmon. Cream. Pink. 3 feet. 300 macarons. Edible cake base. Wow.

The couple's color peg.

This was going to be my biggest tower to date. I've done modest-sized towers for weddings in the past, usually as an addition to the dessert buffet, but this one was the wedding cake. The center of attention. Immediately after meeting with Rich, I went into working on the materials. Unlike traditional wedding cakes, I assemble my macaron towers no more than 24 hours before the event, otherwise, the macarons would be crumbly, dry, tasteless, yucky. 

Satin-covered pedestal

Tower topper.

The week of the wedding was probably the worst/best of my year. It was G's birthday, and he hadn't hung out with his friends since forever so I decided to invite a bunch of them the night before the wedding 

{So, of course, when you have a bunch of guys at the house and they see the half-made tower at the breakfast table, they cannot help but pretend to ruin it/eat it/slice it. I almost got a heart attack.}

Two days before that, my mom wanted to celebrate his and my sister's birthday at her house in Paranaque, then the day after the wedding was the celebration with his side of the family! That meant I needed to prepare 3 celebrations. I.Wanted.To.Die.

So the afternoon the day before the wedding, I started assembling the tower. I decided to complete half the tower at home, then finish it off at the venue which happened to be in Tagaytay. During the whole 2 hour transit from Quezon City to Highlands, I was in constant prayer that everything would hold together. When we got there, this greeted me.

Gale-force winds, baby. Courtesy of "Pedring".

I finished the tower and held my breath hoping the typhoon wouldn't topple it. Ah, it was a sight to behold, though!

Personally, I loved the couple's pewter motif. I wanted that in my wedding, but back then, I was such a pushover that I caved when my coordinator suggested brown (!!). Damn. 

What also caught my eye were these silver shells with blossoms you'll see at the bottom of this photo. I am liking the flowers a lot.

Anyway, back to the tower. Here it is!

Eat it and weep.

Macaron Towers

I’ve been making macaron towers for 3 years now, but until this month, all I offered to clients was the classic cone-shaped tower with 120 mouth-watering macarons in 3 flavors. 

I’ve come to realize though, that with only one tower to offer, my clients are limited to what I have. Some have asked for a bigger tower, others a smaller one, many have inquired about different shapes, and others want a different spin on the traditional wedding cake.

After finding lots of inspiration on the internet, and being most especially smitten by Laduree’s cube of macarons, I finally mustered up my courage to try something new with my tower.

It took a few days to prepare all the materials I needed and conceptualize the shoot. Thanks to this blog, I’ve gotten the hang of using G’s camera, and I don’t have to pull him out of his man cave/workshop on weekends when I want something photographed.

The best part about this shoot was having to go to Laong Laan (or Dangwa, as some would call it). It’s a short drive from where I live and is where flowers from Baguio are dropped off (or so they say. I don’t know who “they” are, though). I love this place! The flowers are so beautifully cheap. I found a bunch of hydrangeas (take that, Madonna!) and fuschia carnations at a bargain. 

On the way back home, I stopped by the supermarket to look for pretty candy, and found these white chocolate-covered almonds.

{which I promptly ate after the shoot.}

This bronze vase and candy holder are both from my grandmother. According to my mom, the candy holder is made from the material they used to make vintage bombs! My grandfather was in the Air Force, which explains why we have such things in our possession. The large silver “vase” is a champagne chiller, and the fern are from the garden. G does not understand why I use it as a vase, but I think it’s so Shabby Chic, and we never use it for chilling anything anyway.

Presenting the Cube and the Tiered Towers!

This Tiered Tower holds about 80 macarons, the perfect size for a small gathering. This will be a great addition to the bridal/baby shower buffet, or a centerpiece in a fab Christmas party with friends.

As soon as I placed the final piece on this Cube Tower, it immediately took my breath away. I mean, I know it isn’t in good taste to brag, but I really didn’t expect it to look so wonderfully lovely.

To know more, please visit my Empire site www.empiremacaron.com

My Mom's Chess Set

This is so pretty:

How can such gorgeousness come out of a bad place right? Like an old family legend, it has been told that my mom purchased this beautiful opal chess set after a fight with my dad. Now, I don't really know what they fought about, it happened way before I was even born, but what I do know is that buying this set was a pretty good emotional purchase. 

Not Too Shabby...Shabby Chic

Oh, gosh, I used to be sooo obsessed with Rachel Ashwell's Shabby Chic. I can still hear her crackly voice talking about the beauty of an old, weathered bookend or how a lace table runner can change an entire room. It's every girl's dream and my husband's worst nightmare: overstuffed bedding, heirloom cutlery, cracked paint, French country interiors, crystal chandeliers, and slipcovers for everything.

Me: "But, G, it's shabby chic!"

Husband: "Whut the hell is shabby chic?!"

Children's Bathroom

Our architect was right. We didn't need to tile our whole bathroom. Unlike many houses built pre-millenium, he suggested not to tile the walls from top to bottom since, outside of the shower enclosure, water won't really splatter on them, and it would save a lot on the budget. But what we did end up with were boring white walls. During my nesting period in my 3rd trimester, G was also going through the same, and was inspired by the talented artists behind WeWillDoodle to create his own graffiti on what would be A's bathroom.

I suggested the "Under the Sea" theme so he wouldn't run out of creatures and details to include in his artwork (he had three walls to cover!), and we could teach A about different sea animals as she grew older.

Isn't it so cute?

About G (& G)

Hello, my name is Georgia, I'm 29, a wife, and a new mother of one. I've always dreamt of being a full-time housewife--cooking for my family, spending time with my daughter--it's easy to say that my dream has come true. I have a home-based baking and catering business that's been running for three years now, and I also write a column for a fitness magazine on the side. In between those and my household duties, I partner with my husband (the other "G") in whatever project he has for his line of work...or I go shopping...or I go online.

I put up this blog/selling site because I love to shop for my house. Unfortunately, not everything that catches my fancy actually matches or fits our modern mediterranean abode and lifestyle. Goodbye kitschy accessories, so long shabby chic lace tablecloths, and farewell funny stainless steel hook that only works as a banana hanger. As much as I want all this stuff in my house, in my real world, I don't have the budget or counter space. Or a husband who will appreciate them.

As you will see, I have a few pieces that have been collecting dust in our bodega since I married, never seeing the light of day that they obviously deserve. These items I have loved very much and, although difficult to part with, I must let go to make room for the walker my daughter has outgrown or the crib she never sleeps in. Others are wonderful items I find while on my shopping trips, and cannot go home without that I want to share with you.

Thank you for dropping by and hope you enjoy shopping with me.

Love, G.