Mice love

Whenever the urge to leave the city for the suburbs comes, I think about my neighbors who live in my building. Its an instant community of like-minded parents and creative people. I think about drinking wine with them watching the Presidential debates. Or the Bastille day party with Moroccan food in the backyard. Or the sardine grilling on the stoop. Or the movies projected on the wall of the park down the street, and the kids dancing on top of the jungle gym.

Sarah and Jamie, my ground floor neighbors, got married this afternoon. Sarah who is French, met Jamie in Berlin and took a chance at love, leaving everything behind to start a new life here. She is an amazing baker and makes jams, preserves, and chutneys that we conspire to sell. Her French sensibility is refreshing in the way she bakes, most things are less sweet, more complex, less familiar.

When Sarah and Jamie planned a wedding, I was excited to bake their cake.

All was going well until Ruby had to be rushed to the hospital with a respiratory virus, throwing my elaborate Passover Seder plans and dreams of fancy wedding cake to the gutter.

After two days in the hospital, she is now back home and healing, and my mind can think again about cake.

With such little time before the afternoon wedding, I decided to go simple and sweet, and to make little mice toppers of the couple as the focus of the cake. My first attempt ended up looking like greasy rats, perhaps a bit too realistic for city life.

greasy rats, not good for the cake


Plan B, a bit more delicate, Sarah had shown me her dress which was a vintage kimono of Jamie's mother, in a pale gold.


I replicated the dress for the mouse, along with some colored circles.




Jamie's two daughters from a previous marriage deserved mice of their own, with matching dresses and red shoes.



the girls and their mice interpretation



The wedding, so touching and sweet at a small bar called Pete's Candy Store, where there is an old stage that makes a soft glow on every one's faces like they are back in time to the 40's. Ruby danced with Sarah before the wedding got started.



Ruby feeling well enough to dance

Clyde playing camera shy

We had to leave before the cake was cut; tired children who needed their dinners and rest. But my wishes of love and happiness to my wonderful city "family". xoxo