Life Update + Our New Abode

September 23, 2017 Halee Edwards

It's been awhile hasn't it?! Life has definitely been a little crazy for us these last two months with new jobs, a new apartment and generally everything new around us! We've been trying to navigate our way through SF, especially our new 'hood, to become familiar with our surroundings.

Paul and I finally have our favorite grocery stores we like to go to; Trader Joe's for weekend trips when we need a lot of things, Le Beau Market for quality and specialty items (fruit and veggies etc.), Belcampo for meat, and Flatiron for wine. We have SO many good restaurants around us, but we try to cook at home at least 4 times a week, leaving us a few times to eat out (can you blame us?)

My job was located in the Mission, but we just recently moved offices closer to our apartment. Before, I was leaving our apartment at 7:45 a.m. every morning to get to work by 9 a.m. I would get off at 5:30 p.m and wouldn't get home until 6:30 p.m. My commute included about nearly an hour of walking every day and an hour of bus every day (2 hours total commute everyday). Now, it should only take me 20 minutes to walk to work, which really excites me! It takes Paul about 20-30 minutes to walk to work as well, so hopefully him and I have extraordinary calves, butts, and/or abs in the near future.

Paul and I just recently joined a co-ed soccer team too! We have already played a couple of games, and let me tell you, the weather for soccer here compared to Texas is really incomparable. I do not miss that Texas heat (but I do miss other things including queso, bbq, and a handful of people).

We have been living in our apartment for a month now (crazy!) and we finally feel like it has come together. We still need a few things, and still want to update some pieces of furniture in the future, but overall it feels like home. Here are some photos of our place for your viewing pleasure - I will also link some of our items so you know where we purchased them.

Freestanding Wood Coat Stand from Wayfair

Golden Gate to the left (even though I didn't get it in the picture)

And that's a wrap! Thanks for reading and scrolling through. I can't tell you what my next post will be, but it will have something to do with baking, traveling, or more updates on life in SF.

-Halee

News, Photoshoot & Pop-Up

May 22, 2017 Halee Edwards

Last week was CRAZY busy and I just wanted to share some images, words, and my gratitude for those who support what I do.

The beginning of my weeks are usually low key-catching up on trash tv, cleaning, prepping for my weekend of baking, and just taking it semi-easy. Last week's craziness started off with being on Kens5 with Anthony from Lick Ice Creams on Thursday (May 18th). We were invited to be on the news to talk about the pop-up were having that Saturday at Lick. I obviously get super nervous and weird with these types of things, and I end up psyching myself out when there is no need to. It didn't help that we needed to be there almost 2 hours before we actually went on. It ended up being completely fine and I really enjoyed the experience of being on tv again (this was my 3rd time!), especially with Anthony by my side. If you haven't seen the clip, you can watch it here (below).

Great Day SA segment

The following day (Friday May 19th) I had a lot of orders to get through, including 2 cakes. After my donut orders were picked up, Jessica Giesey came over to shoot some shots and videos of me doing my thang. For the record, I just want to say that she is truly something special. She's not only good at what she does but we totally click and get along-so it makes things really easy when we work together. I couldn't believe the pictures when I saw them. They really are breathtaking.

And this video ^^^^

Saturday May 20th was the day I had been waiting for for so long. It started off suuuuuuper early in the morning (midnight to be exact), with me cutting out donuts and getting them into the freezer as soon as possible so that I could stay on schedule. My mom arrived at 3am ready to help me glaze, package, and clean up once we were done. When we arrived, I was thinking I'd be ready to glaze in 30 minutes, which made me think I was way ahead of schedule. We didn't start glazing until almost 5am and didnt finish until 6:30. We needed to leave no later than 7:15am and I still needed to box up the donuts and clean the kitchen. I definitely wasn't ahead of schedule anymore. After a lot of hustle, we ended up leaving on time. We arrived at Lick at about 7:35 and brought all the boxes inside. I set up and we talked logistics. The media group arrived at 8am and then shortly after people started lining up. It was the weirdest feeling, to see people line up waiting for your donuts (and Lick ice cream). I was trying not to think about it because I knew I'd get nervous or overwhelmed. The doors opened at 8:30 to the public and everyone started coming in. I couldn't help but smile as I talked to people while my insides were filled with butterflies. Loads of people asked for the maximum amount (6 donuts), and before I knew it we were sold out after 35 minutes (there's a debate on how long but I've heard 27, 30, 35, and 40 minutes ha!). I really couldn't believe it. To me, it felt like much longer. I can't thank the people who came out, everyone who helped me, and especially Lick for making this all happen and for wanting to collab with me. Here's some images and a video from the pop-up for your viewing pleasure :)

Overall, this weekend was such a blast and super rewarding. I feel like I accomplished so much in just a few days, and I got to work alongside some REALLY amazing people. I have a couple days worth of work this week (lots of donuts to be made), and then we are off to California for a week. At the end of every tunnel, there is light. California is my light. Be on the look out for some more blog posts after our vacay-and follow along on IG! (theginger_snap).

Thanks for reading, see y'all again soon!

-Halee

Modkat Review

April 26, 2017 Halee Edwards

I recently had the opportunity to collaborate with Modkat, who create modern cat litter boxes. I know, it sounds kind of odd, but I must say that these things are beautiful. The reason I was even considering switching Regina to a different box in the first place was because she started displaying signs that were abnormal to her everyday behavior. For instance she started kicking litter everywhere OUTSIDE of her box and that's when I started to do my research. A few sites had recommended Modkat (and another brand I forget the name of), who have litter boxes that are top-entry, meaning the cat has to get into the box through the top. After heading to their site and having a look around, reading their story, and taking a look at theor products, I knew I had to have one. At first, I was skeptical, and I wasn't sure if this was going to fix or help the problem, but it was worth a shot. We have been using the Modkat for only 4 days and she uses it as if it was her old one. She also doesn't leave nearly as much litter behind as she used to.

As they say on their site, "the top entry-lid allows for a fully enclosed base, keeping the mess inside no matter how vigorously they dig or where they aim." Regina doesn't like to be watched when she is doing her business, so sometimes when I need to be in the same area, she scurries out in a hurry. Before with her old box, the litter would get EVERYWHERE, but now, it relatively stays on top of the box or inside. I also haven't seen her actually kick piles of litter outside of the box like she used to. I think a lot of that comes from the way it is made. It would almost impossible for her to do that because of how tall it is and how she has to get in to do her thing. The dimensions of the Modkat are 16" L x 16" W x 15" H. It comes with a reusable tarp liner that you can wash and use time and time again until it's on its last leg. It also comes with a scoop, that elegantly hangs on the side of the box. Right now it comes in 5 colors, but maybe they'll add more in the future :) Another thing that I really love about it, is you can technically put it anywhere, especially if you live in a smaller apartment or studio. It is actually nice to look at and it reduces odors, so you and your guests may not even know it's there.

Overall, I am super happy to have collaborated with this brand. Even though it has only been 4 days, I have already seen signs of improvement, which was ultimately my goal in the first place. If you'd like to take a look at Modkat's site, read about how they got started, and/or look at some of their products, the website is https://modkat.com/.

Thanks for reading! See you guys soon.