Cakes, Pageants, and Pounds

My friend Tim invited a few people over this past weekend to watch the Miss America pageant. I was PUMPED about this because I don't think I had watched this pageant with a group of people since, oh, college. And really, some shows are meant to be enjoyed as a group, and a pageant is definitely one of those.

Anyway...I volunteered to bring a dessert for us to enjoy, and I decided upon this chocolate cake recipe that I had received in a sample cooking magazine in the mail a few days ago. Unfortunately, when I was finished with the cake, it looked like this.


But y'all. It was GOOD, cracks and all. (And it might be the reason why I gained back a little of my four pounds this week. Yikes.)

Back to the pageant...we had a great time watching. I have so many thoughts about this pageant (one contestant had "afraid of windmills" as one of the facts about her on the screen--what???), but let me just say that the greatest moment of spontaneous laughter took place when this dress appeared on screen.


Y'all, this photo does not do that bow justice. Seriously, I think I had that bow on the top of my Christmas tree in 2002. (I'm sure she is a lovely young woman, but that BOW. My word. It hardly fit on the screen.)

Anyway, we had a wonderful time. Thanks, Tim, for hosting!