Don’t you just love starting the week of with a good surprise?! Well surprise! It has been a long five months of anticipation, and a true labor of love, but I couldn’t be more thrilled to welcome you to the new Waiting On Martha.
So what’s new? Besides the obvious look and feel, we’ve worked for months adding new enhancements and features, all to make the reader experience easier and more intuitive. For example, along with the classic way you’ve always read our stories, you’ll notice links to view full galleries. By clicking on this box, you’ll be taken to a new page where you can view, Pin and share additional images from that day’s story. We found we had too many great photos that weren’t making the cut and our photographers work too hard to not have their work shared. We’ve also added a slideshow feature as an easier way to read through specific posts. When you see view slideshow, all you’ll need to do is click and scroll right or left.
Along the top navigation bar, you’ll find two new features; Shop Our Instagram and Shop Our Stories. We were getting an insane amount of emails asking us about where to find specific items either from our stories or our Instagram, so we’ve rounded it all up in one convenient place for you. Speaking of convenience, our new “contact us” form makes it a breeze to get in touch with myself or my team. Simply type in what you’re hoping to chat about; collaboration, e-design, social media consulting, etc., and send away.
Lastly, because we have so much more to say, we’ll be moving to sharing stories seven days a week. And you’ll not only be hearing from me, but also from Kat, our Editor and Social Media Director, and our Creative Partners. What is a Creative Partner? Creative Partners are some beyond-talented individuals WOM taps on a monthly basis to help us out with a project or share a project they’re working on. You can read more about them on our new team page, (bios and more CP’s will be added soon, so stay tuned).
While this is all beyond exciting, (we’ve been working on this since October), it is all very new. I ask that you bear with us as we work within our new platform, I’m sure there will be a few kinks to work out, Rome wasn’t built in a day!
Big thanks to everyone who worked tirelessly to make this happen; Designer Cassie Pyle, Coder Brandi Bernoskie, and our very own Kat Neunaber. I couldn’t have made this dream a reality without you. So welcome to the new Waiting On Martha, now excuse me while I dive into this funfetti cake and pop some bubbly! Truly, MKR
P.S. As if this wasn’t amazing enough we also have a new portfolio site to share, Mandy Kellogg Rye, and next week The Shop will be re-launching as well. Ch-ch-changes!
- ...For the Cake
- 1 cup milk
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup butter, room temperature
- 2 cups sugar
- 3 cups cake flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 5 egg whites
- Rainbow Jimmies (ie. sprinkles)
- Chocolate sauce (optional)
- ...For the Frosting
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 (32-oz.) package powdered sugar
- 7 Tbsp. milk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- Rainbow Jimmies (ie. sprinkles)
- ...For the cake
- Preheat oven to 350°. Liberally grease 3 (8-inch) round cake pans.
- In a small mixing bowl stir together milk and vanilla.
- In a large electric mixing bowl beat room temperature butter at medium speed until creamy; gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy.
- In a separate mixing bowl sift together flour and baking powder; add to butter mixture alternately with milk mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
- At a low speed slowly add in desired amount of jimmies and mix just until blended.
- just until blended.
- Beat or whisk egg whites until stiff peaks form; gently fold into batter. Pour batter into prepared pans.
- Bake at 350° for 20 to 23 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks and let rest until completely cool.
- ...For the frosting
- Beat butter and salt at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy.
- Gradually add powdered sugar alternately with 7 Tbsp. milk, beating at low speed until blended and smooth after each addition.
- Stir in vanilla and desired amount of Jimmies, beat until frosting reaches preferred consistency. *When frosting layered, tall, cakes I prefer my frosting on the lighter side to not weigh down the cake.
- When completely cooled cut off tops of cakes to create a completely even, flat surface. Spread Vanilla Buttercream Frosting between layers (about 3/4 cup per layer) and on top and sides of cake.
- Top with chocolate sauce (optional).
- To achieve a messy frosting look take a small spatula or butter knife and gently press down circling the entire cake creating "rings."
