It's Time To Take The Fall, Y'all

It's late-September, 94 degrees and raining, and watching the Weather Channel has become a descent into hurricane madness.

We need something to save us, bakers. Something to light a light at the end of this hot, dark, wet tunnel.

No, I'm not talking about porn.

Why would you even think that?

Stop it. Stop thinking about porn.

Er... Right.

Now...

BRING ON THE PUMPKIN SPICE STUFF!!

::upbeat techno music::
::sounds of vrooming engines::

::announcer voice:: Thaaaat's right, ladies and gents, here they come! Our new pumpkin spice products of 2018!

First up, in celebration of today's socio-political climate, here's a tasty little number we call "Ominously Circling Crows Will Teach That Stupid Scarecrow A Lesson He Won't Soon Forget!"

Perfect for sending that seasonal message of warning, or grab one tonight for dinner to celebrate all things corn, crows, and frightened scarecrows!

Of course we're still dropping our flagship product, the world famous PSL:

Yes, our Pumpkin Spice Log may not be number 1 yet in the Pumpkin Spice Product market, but it's definitely #2. And we pledge to keep on pushing until our PSL is the biggest Pumpkin Spice Movement in the land!

There's nothing like the colors of dead leaves to bring new life to your flagging ennui, which is why our "Make Like A Tree, And Die" cupcake cake is PERFECT for Fall office parties.

Ahhh, you can almost taste the leaf mold.
(That's how you know the Pumpkin Spice is working!)

And when all else fails, you can't go wrong with any of our new-and-improved "Sure, Let's Call It A Pumpkin?" collection:

Please note our "Sure, Let's Call It A Pumpkin?" collection is not pumpkin flavored. To quote our marketing department, Emma, "This is more about the aesthetic, you know?"

SO EXTRA.

Thanks to Sarah T., Katelyn C., Melissa F., Linda F., Alyssa, Mary D., & Bridget O. for bringing the extra pumpkin aesthetic.

*****

P.S. Minions, I believe even questionable pumpkins deserve our support. So here's a quick shout-out to my favorite wire-free bra:

Warner's Easy Does It Seamless Wireless Bra

See what I did there? :p

I own four of these, and plan to keep buying all the colors. I love the under-arm smoothing panel - no dig or pinch! - and like most Warners, these are incredibly comfortable. Up 'til last year I ONLY wore wired bras, and it took buying-and-returning over a dozen different brands and styles before I found these gems. They average $25-30 Prime, but I watch the listing and buy any color that goes on sale. ("Toasted Almond" is on sale as of this writing, but check them all!)

Oh, and be sure to check the image gallery for a better idea of how they look on larger pumpkin patches.

Sunday Sweets Spotlight: Elena Gnut Cakes

I'm doing something a little different this week, Sweets fans:
All of today's cakes are by the same baker.

Why?

Because after ten years of searching out the best cakes the web has to offer, it takes a lot to impress me. And Elena Gnut, a culinary artist from Kaliningrad, Russia, knocks my sugar-loving socks off. Her cakes are pure art, incredibly unique, and I think you're going to love them.

Here, just look at her hot air balloon cake topped with floating butterflies:

That's all hand-painted! And her soft watercolors on the butterflies make them feel like something out of a dream.

More surreal sweetness: this leaping goldfish:

Everything here seems to defy gravity - and you KNOW those chocolate orbs are filled with something delicious.

I love the 3D sculpted wings on this fairy/angel:

And speaking of sculpting... this is cake:

WOW.

This one should be on a marble plinth in an art museum:

In fact, Elena could sell photos of this, right? I think I could stare at those textures all day.

Have you picked up on the subtle Gothic vibe to Elena's work? If so, then it probably won't surprise you that she's a big Tim Burton fan:

And can we talk about the genius of a Tim Burton-inspired Snow White and Little Mermaid?!

Most of Elena's cakes are pure whimsy, though, light and sweet:

D'awwwww. I may have squeed rather loudly over this one.

Another gravity-defyer:

Look at those feathery clouds! They must be cotton candy, but they look so much like real down feathers its messing with my brain.

This one has a kind of rose petal wind chime on top:

Again, dreamy and beautiful.

This one caught my eye since my parents are currently touring the midwest on their Harley:

I adore that soft color palette - so rustic and peaceful.

And finally, one last show-stopper (can you tell I'm binging Great British Bake-Off?) that literally made me gasp:

Absolutely stunning.

Elena is the only baker I follow on Instagram, and that's some of the highest praise I can give. Go give her follow for more eye candy like this in your feed, and be sure to browse the rest of her account, too, because dang, you guys. DANG.

Just to be clear, this post is not sponsored in any way, and Elena has no idea who I am. I just wanted to share something Sweet. :)

Happy Sunday, everyone!

*****

P.S. It's never too early to start decorating for spooky season, and these stick-on bats were my biggest hit last year:

3D Halloween Bats, Exterior Grade, 60 pc set

They're made of sturdy plastic, come in 4 different sizes, and have adhesive pads to easily stick them up anywhere in or outside your home. (I put a whole belfry of them on our front door.) (I don't know if "belfry" is right, but I'm going with it. :D) Even better, the whole 60 piece set is only $9 Prime!