Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Whidbey.

Barely an hour north of Seattle, including the ferry ride, is a beautiful little island, with charming towns and breathtaking views of the Cascade mountain range.

We stayed in Langley, at the eponymous Inn, and had a wonderfully relaxing couple of days. The chef was sick, but his stand-in for the nightly single-seating dinner was talented and personable. We had local oysters, scallops and mussels, all prepared with interesting seasonal vegetables and herbs, many from outside the front door. And the town is bursting with artists, reflected in everything from the unique public benches to these fun planters found outside a book shop:

Each wooden planter was faced with these vertical strips of wood, all painted and hand printed with different fonts to resemble a bookshelf. It was really creative and makes me want to do something similar. In the garden that I still haven't gotten a chance to weed...

I'm a book person, as my clients can attest, and have enjoyed the chance to create a few cakes that resemble books. Here's the fairy tale book for my godchild and his sister's joint birthday party:

And more recently a stack of antique gilt titles:

Not a traditional wedding cake, to be sure, but one that clearly reflected the interest and passion of the bridal couple, which is way more fun and meaningful for their guests.