Let us eat cake…

I LOVE CAKE!  Just thinking about good ole’ plain vanilla cake with butter cream icing has my mouth watering!  I couldn’t wait for this wedding task.  Mr. Gypsy was sad he was on the road with work when this vendor meeting came up.  He likes cake too!

Doing a little wedding cake research I’d been seeing everything from 9-tiered wedding cakes, cupcakes, cake balls and even candy bars standing in for the wedding cake.  I chose to go with something a little simpler for our wedding cake and I chose DC Cake Appeal  in Shawnee, Oklahoma to do it because they are who we religiously use with other events.  They are creative, professional and have never done anything but an exceptional job on anything we’ve asked them to do.

I’d been thinking about tasting the cake so much I almost forgot about what I wanted it to look like.  Ever since I saw this beautiful butterfly cake on the front of a Martha Stewart Weddings magazine I couldn’t get it out of my mind. (Although Mr. G is easy to please…he did give his thoughts on that it was a little girly and I did take it into consideration) 🙂

I knew we didn’t want something too huge or obnoxious.  I just didn’t think it would look right with our vintage-chic atmosphere and neither one of us care too much for the way fondant tastes (although it looks SO pretty) so I was leaning towards something that looked a little more like my Mam-maw had hand frosted it.

I also knew that I wanted something OUTSTANDING for my baseball umpire groom cake!!  I’m going to let them handle this one for a super secret surprise!  I did just have one request -these CUTE baseball strawberries. 🙂

BUT being as this wedding already has had quite a few nontraditional touches I’m skipping the cake topper for the wedding cake and having one made for the grooms cake instead. 

What says baseball more than custom bobble head cake toppers from custonbobbleheads.com!!!  I know right?  I couldn’t resist.  Thanks to a groupon.com I was able to get one made for a steal.  They’re eerily similar to us don’t you think?  Haha! TOO FUN!  Mr. Gypsy is going to die.    

(Just so there is no confusion…no Mr. Gypsy doesn’t play the guitar…that’s the closest umpire body I could get on custombobbleheads.com….with a little crafty-ness….I have now transformed the stand-in guitar player for my MLB umpire holding a suitcase not a guitar! WHALA!) 🙂

(I even made a little home plate and painted on a pair of cowgirl boots for my bobble head) 🙂

After meeting with Dave and Owen and looking at a couple of pictures on my IPad, they took some time to feel out my vision, and I could see their wheels spinning.  To feed about 300 people cake….turns out to be a lot of cake and also leads to lots of layers!  I really only wanted about a three tiered wedding cake.  (Which makes it really only two layers of butter creamed heaven since the tradition of the bride and groom keeping the top layer and freezing it for their first wedding anniversary is something we are going to do.)

I suggested having good ole sheet cake in the back, cutting it up and serving it for the rest of the guests to have cake….. but again DC CAKE to the rescue!  Their suggestion……..instead of 2 sheet cakes hiding in the back, they suggested 20 6 inch round cakes for a cake bar or to set around on the individual tables.  Definitely more work for them but it was going to save me money!!!  They’re brilliant and the individual cake rounds will be SO cute!  A photographers dream….CAKE BAR! YUMMY!

I settled on good ole’ plain vanilla with a butter cream frosting for the main wedding cake, hand frosted and decorated with fresh flowers and maybe one or two butterflies.  Not the whole swarm.  🙂

I chose a variety of Lemon, Red Velvet, Strawberry, Butter Pecan and Chocolate with ivory and cheese cream butter creamed frosting for the 20 individual rounds.  I’ve been busy gathering up mix-matchy cake stands to display them on.  Or maybe trying to DIY them like these found here by junebug weddings blog.  (So creative)

 

I even went as far as to find the cutest little personalized forks on etsy.com from the Wooden Hive.  I just couldn’t resist! 🙂

If marriage is as sweet as our DC Cake Appeal wedding cake treats will be……then let us all eat cake!! 🙂 

Southern Bridal Belles what’s your favorite kind of cake?  Are you going with something classic or different for your sweet treats? 

Sparkle and Spur

Miss Gypsy

The Venue (Part II)

Welcome to the venue Crossing Hearts Ranch a special place to this bride for many reasons.

A couple of snakes, spiders, critters, poison ivy, sweat, flat tires, droughts, rains, blood…but no tears YET! 🙂

I’ve been dying to share some of these yummy pictures of Oklahoma’s newest venue, Crossing Hearts Ranch.  It is taking form, taking off and getting close to completion!  It’s been nothing short of a blessing to be a part of something first-hand and watch the fruits of labor flourish with budding roses and green sod taking off – especially in this dreadful Oklahoma summer heat. 

It’s been a wonderful experience to be able to work side by side with my family and bring together the talents and trades of our friends to help us with this project.  There is no way in just ONE year we could have pulled this all off without the help of AMAZING and talented people!  But the time has come for the big reveal and I’m SO glad we took a couple of before and after pictures because I forget how far we’ve come.  This place is SO beautiful!  When do Mr. G and I get to move it? 🙂 HA!

The Bridal Suite with the Barn in the background

In one short year my family has managed to take an overgrown farm house and turn it into a magical wonderland of escape.  The yummy sunshine flows perfectly through the trimmed shade trees, the air-conditioning is all set up in the barn and the bridal house (a 60 year old farm-house that we thought we were going to have to tear down) has been refurbished and set up to accommodate a bridal party for getting ready.

Crossing Hearts Ranch Bridal Suite

Under the old blue shag carpet, 60 year old glamour hard wood floors were shined back to life.  I LOVE nothing more than being able to give something old a new life!! 🙂  A fresh coat of paint, a little elbow grease on the cabinets, granite and new fixtures never hurt any old house!

The Barn During Construction

The 4,800 square foot barn is OVER the TOP gorgeous and plenty big enough to host 300 of our family and friends to dance the night away, eat drink and be married!

It’s still a work in progress but the landscaping has helped!

Rolling Pastures

 

Back View of the Isle and Bridal Suite

Isle View Before and After

The Steps up the Isle during different stages

Unlimited parking CAN be found over the hill in the pasture and it’s so much more than I could have ever imagined it would be.           

I’m excited to be a part of something new, I’m excited to be the first couple married at my families’ new endeavor, but I am really excited to see other brides find just as much delight in the “perfect venue” as I have.  I even dream about my future generations using it.  Welcome to Crossing Hearts Ranch the venue chosen by the Gypises.  It’s the perfect place to start our Happily Ever After…….This bride is feeling overwhelmingly blessed, TOTALLY EXCITED and YES I realize that I have the BEST FAMILY EVER! 😉 This does not escape me…even in all the wedding maddess. 

BB’s…..how many more days until your wedding.  Have you found your venue yet?   

Sparkle and Spur

Miss Gypsy

The Coronation of the Gypsies!

Howdy Fellow Bridal Belles,

I’m so excited to be here and be writing this post!  I’m the new blushing bride-to-be blogger and I can’t wait to meet you all, talk weddings and see what’s going on in the Southeastern parts of Oklahoma when it comes to YOUR weddings!

I just LOVE a good wedding.  Don’t you?  They’re so touching and yes, I am going to have to admit right now, that I MAY shed a tear or two at every single one I attend.  I just can’t help it! 

So who are the Gypsies you wanna know?  Well first let me show off my Mr. Gypsy.  The tall drink of southern water that I get to say “I DO” to in late September.  Isn’t he handsome?  🙂 (OK- I’m pretty bias) and yes he’s tall….he’s 6’7”!  OVERGROWN but like I said a VERY TALL drink of southern water! 

 

I call him my little traveling gypsy because he’s a Professional baseball umpire and is gone from home about 8 months out of the year with his job.  Not ideal…but he’s totally worth it.  The moment I met him my heart LEPT and I knew I couldn’t be without him another day! 

The list that I had made up in my head of all the “things I wanted in a man”…..well that got thrown in the trash when I met Mr. Gypsy because he FAR surpassed any “list” I could have some up with! 🙂   

 

We have a rescue lab named Radar that brightens up even the loneliest of days when the umpire is away.

I mean SERIOUSLY….how can you NOT LOVE this face? 🙂 haha!

And then there is me.  Dustie….AKA…Miss. Gypsy (Soon to be MRS. Gypsy) EEEK! 🙂

 A couple little fast facts about me are I LOVE photography, I work in public relations, I travel to see my umpire whenever I get the chance, my cowgirl boots for the big day cost more than my wedding dress (ladies, holler if you hear me on this one), I LOVE a good bargain, can’t get enough Junk Gypsies on TV and the bigger the better when it comes to jewelry and hair (former Rodeo Queen) I just can’t help it. 

I grew up on a farm and love ALL animals, especially horses!!  Jordan and I have a great support system of family, friends and our baseball family on the road.  I love Miranda Lambert, red dirt music, southern hospitality never gets old to me and my favorite food is my Mam-maws chicken and dumplings.  Anything else you’d like to know feel free to ask away but enough about us for now, you’re gonna get to know us probably too well after this blog if over. 😉 

 I’d like to know more about YOU Bridal Belles and what’s on your wedding brains.

 We’re about 70 days out from our “Happily Ever After” at our outdoor, vintage, country-chic, gypsy-junk wedding with 350 of our friends and family invited to Crossing Hearts Ranch it’s sure to be a boot-scooting good time and anything BUT traditional! 😉

 How many days are left on your countdown to the big day Bridal Belles?  What’s YOUR wedding style going to be like?

Sparkle and Spur

Miss Gypsy