This is how you do Facebook!

I'm not a big Facebook user or social media guy.  I see their importance, I know how to use them, I DO use them...but for the most part, I just couldn't be bothered.  BUT, when something like this comes along, it changes everything.  It inspires me.

This guy is awesome.  No one knows who he is.  His identity has not been revealed yet.  But his Facebook profile pictures are amazing.  Where he gets the props, how and where he takes the shots, it's all a mystery.  But whoever he is, he's going viral.  Have a look at some of his profile pictures:

Here's the recipe that I'm realizing from watching people like this who become global sensations.  Find something that's unique and that you enjoy doing, and do it well.  Like this guy.

Out of the ordinary.

Super-creative.

Fun.

And now, viral.

Could be a good recipe for church outreaches, no?

Proud of my wife

My wife makes amazing cakes.  Seriously, they're incredible. She's an artist.  She's been doing it as a hobby since just before we got married, and I've constantly encouraged her to think about starting a small business - doing something she's really good at, and that she really enjoys.  She's always turned down the idea...until about a month ago when she was at a ladies meeting at our church.  The speaker was asking about taking on new ventures and asked for some audience participation.  My wife stood up and mentioned her cakes, and something clicked.  She felt like God was opening the doors for her to start her own cake business, and she boldly announced that in front of everyone at the meeting.

Here we are about a month later, and I'm super-proud of her.  She's done one cake already, and has two more orders for this Friday.  She's not backing down from the decision.  It wasn't a 'caught-up-in-the-emotion, spur of the moment' type of decision.  She's taking it seriously.  She has a business name (which I can't reveal as she has yet to make her big debut), is getting a logo designed, is starting a facebook page and soon a website, is buying the supplies she needs, and is getting business cards printed.  She's doing her part, and God is blessing her by opening the doors.

So if I can do a bit of promotion for her - if anyone in the Barrie area needs a cake, you know where to go!

As you admire the cakes below, allow me to note that she makes everything from scratch - the cake, the fondant, etc.  She forms/paints/creates every piece by hand.  Again, let me state that I'm not writing this for promotional purposes (although that's a nice bonus), but rather because I am just so impressed by her talent, and so proud of her initiative.  Here are a few of my favourites from the past couple of years:

She was helping at Air Raid 20 and decided to make a cake for the fun of it.  She carefully replicated the  Air Raid logo.

Christmas 2011.  A bunny threatening a snowman with a hair dryer.

Her nephew loves the New York Knicks.  This was the cake for his 12th birthday.

The cake for when Jen Melanson went on maternity leave in October 2011.  No one at the station would eat it because they felt bad destroying it.  A cake is meant to be eaten!

My family was floored when she showed up with this pumpkin shaped (and flavoured) cake for    Thanksgiving, 2011.

I told you.  She's really good at making cakes.


*on a side note, I (re)learned a lesson that sometimes you just have to wait for the right timing.  No matter how many times I encouraged her to start a business over the years, it just wasn't happening...until all of a sudden - through nothing I said or did - she decided to do it on her own, and is now ready and excited to do it.  It's a good lesson that sometimes we can't push people into something, we just have to wait.

4 years

This past Wednesday (May 22) was a very special day - my wife and I celebrated our 4th anniversary.  I have to take the opportunity to boast about how lucky I am.  My wife is a pretty spectacular person.  There are so many qualities to talk about, but I'll pick three.

1)  My wife is very thoughtful.  She always tries to think of what I like, and then does that for me.  This is just one tiny example, but case in point, remember the home-made Big Mac? (see post from April 26 if not) Feast your eyes on the home-made Crunchwrap Supreme.

I realize I should have taken a picture before I started eating it, but I couldn't wait...

2)  My wife is so creative.  She's one of those annoyingly talented people, that whatever she does, she does really well.  Drawing, painting, cooking, cleaning, baking, thinking of gifts, etc...  She outdoes me at all of it.  She leaves me uber impressed.  Regularly.

3)  5 months in, and she is an amazing mother.  She's so patient with our son, even in the middle of the night when all you want to do is sleep.  She always laughs and plays with him, and keeps him entertained. When she puts him down on his play mat, she never leaves him there by himself - she's always down there playing with him.  I love doing all that stuff too, but I get tired after a while!  She somehow, never does.

My new desktop background at work

What can I say, I'm a lucky guy.