It's Too Early To Decorate. It's Too Early To Celebrate. But It's Never Too Early To Plan for Christmas!

And heaven knows, I like to plan ahead!

Today, I went to the annual Holiday Open House at the International Sugar Art Collection. I love that place. Check it out:

Look at the cute, color-coordinated decorations!

That light fixture? How cute!

Muffin tins by the light? Genius!

And do you want to hear the best part? All these pictures were taken in one of the bathrooms. Seriously.

But I didn't spend all day in the bathroom. Here's what I saw today, my day in pictures:

Orange! Did you know they came in orange?

If anybody is going to IKEA any time soon, I need you to grab me some paper tape measures. Please?

We got a super-cool demo by THE Lauren Kitchens on how to make horizontal stripes on a cake. I can't wait to get to the shop and try it! Though I expect mine will come out looking like bacon.

Her cake does NOT look like bacon.

I've learned that some people with amazing talent are very stingy with their know-how. Some are very generous. And then there are those who are so generous, they'll let you stick junk on their cake just so you can feel it for yourself:

THAT'S generosity, y'all.

All these things are made of modeling chocolate.

 I am getting really close to overcoming my aversion to trying modeling chocolate. It's time to man up and give it another try. I mean, look what it can make:

Today is a big, big deal to me. I don't get to take classes much, and this annual event is one of the best values for cake learnin' there is. With the new shop, I don't have much time to travel to classes, and then there's this:

After the Wilton classes at Hobby Lobby, learning to make cakes can get spendy!

 After the brilliant modeling chocolate demo, we went to Mr. Scott's kitchen for some chocolate time:

This pic is here for me to remember this set up.

 OK, do you see this cutie toot gingerbread house made of graham crackers? I'm thinking about offering a Mommy and Me morning session where y'all can decorate these at the shop. Thoughts?

It's Mr. Scott!

Edible snow globes. Could you just?

The dome is plastic, but the tree inside is solid chocolate.

Look how cute this house is!

After chocolate time, we went into the BIG classroom and got to check out all this great stuff!

You know I'm a sucker for a turkey this time of year!

Chocolate sugar art. 

 I love coming here because I get to see what's possible in sugar work. I get to see what I'm working toward. I want to be this good one day, y'all.

 OK, check this out:

ISAC has the best nosh in their open houses. That punch... mmmmm... and Albert Uster chocolates! This time, there were also sixlets in their signature colors. Such a great idea!

This is Chef Lodge:

 ISAC is his place. And you want to talk about generous? He opens up his school, they arrange for all these demos full of great information twice a year, and do you know what it costs? $5. Five. Dollars. Well, $10, but you get $5 in store credit to buy whatever you want, so it's really like $5. Unreal. Everybody anywhere near Atlanta with any interest in sugar art should hit these open houses.

I get to go back on Tuesday to take a real, sit-down, hands-on class with Lauren Kitchens on ruffley cakes. Here's hoping I don't embarrass myself too much.