the night we bought a cotton candy machine

If you're new 'round these parts, maybe you don't know this yet:

I have a deep, deep love for cotton candy. In the presence of cotton candy, I lose my mind. I'm not sure if it's the sugar...or the fluffiness...or the abundance of Red 40 and Blue 1 and all those other food colorings I normally never ingest...but something about cotton candy makes me lose my mind. In the best possible way. (Evidence)

Matt doesn't share my passion for the CC. I mean, he likes it and all, but only in a normal, adult-like way. Like if we're at an amusement park and there's CC, he may or may not want some. But it's not why he went to the park in the first place, unlike some people in our family...

But luckily I'm not alone. Matt's (identical twin except not really) brother Steve shares my passion for the fluffy pink. And pretty much any time we're together, we're plotting our future family cotton candy industry ventures. We scheme buying machines and setting up stands at farmer's markets and parties. Or just making loads of CC for ourselves. We drive the rest of the family crazy as we endlessly whine about how sad life is with no easy access to cotton candy.

Well this weekend we were no longer able to just talk about it. After deciding we probably shouldn't start out with an industrial CC maker ($500+), we pulled the trigger and started small (but mighty!) by purchasing our very first, very own cotton candy machine: 

Do you hear the angelic choirs singing?

And thus we began our first B Family Cotton Candy Night. And the funny thing is...I mean, for as much opposition, mockery, and nay-saying as we've encountered from spouses and family along the way...as soon as we actually bought the machine and started spinning cotton candy, suddenly eevvvveryone was all BFF with us and begging for some. Funny how that works, eh? I think there's a kiddie story about this. IT'S CALLED 'THE LITTLE RED HEN' PEOPLE, DID YOU LEARN NOTHING IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL? Unfortunately, Steve and I are nicer than that ol' hen and we extended mercy and kindness to our people. And cotton candy.

And now, without further adieu, may I present to you a special photo series. It is called "Erika Loses her Mind over Cotton Candy while SIL Jessica Steals Her Phone and Photographs the Entire Thing."

With my partner in sugary crime, Steve.

The Three Stages of Cotton Candy Ecstasy: Pre, Mid, and Post-Bite

Once she finished sipping her Haterade and put down my phone, Jess got in on the CC action herself.

This is blurry because it's like a dream sequence. Because eating CC is like a dream. Please excuse my blue teeth and evident delirium.

After several hours of 'cooking' (is that what it is?), devouring, and covering the entire kitchen in a fine (but sticky) layer of sugar, we commenced an evening of ridiculously sugar-fueled conversation and shenanigans. I think we reached the pinnacle of our awesomeness when Jess and I made an entire surprise photo series for Amy to discover on her dSLR. The subject:

Butts.

Well, not actually butts. Actually it's the crook of our elbows/knees...if you get really up close and take a picture, it looks like a butt. It's really funny. Especially at midnight when you're high on cotton candy. It looked a lot better on the dSLR...this is a weak phone photo, but you get the idea. So that's my big tip for what you should do next time you're really bored. Have a 'butt' photo shoot on someone else's camera/phone. 

So anyway. On Saturday I made cotton candy. So I guess you could call this weekend a success.