Hi Sandi-  Thanks for reading!  It was great seeing you and all the family at the party - hope I wasn't too grumpy when we talked :)  I'll make up for it at Kevin's wedding.  I just sent the recipe to Ashley.  So, I do have a basic (unedited) recipe for my buttercream available: 
Buttercream

225 g sugar
½ cup egg whites
580 g room temperature butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch salt

1.  Whisk sugar and egg whites together in bottom of mixer bowl (by hand).  Set on double boiler.  Heat until warm to touch, whisking rgularly.  Use a low flame so the sugar doesn’t burn on the side of the bowl.
2.  Put bowl on mixer & use whisk attachment.  Whisk on level 8 or so until whites are big and fluffy and not warm anymore (about 10-20 minutes)
3.  Break butter into hunks and toss into mixer while it is running.  Stop and scrape down.  Continue to mix until all butter is mixed in & buttercream is fluffy.  Add salt and vanilla.  Mix again.
4.  Store in the fridge if you don’t plan to use it right away.  Warm to room temperature before piping.  You may have to whip it in the mixer with the paddle attachment before using it if it has sat around for a while.  It can be refrigerated for a couple of weeks, frozen for months or left on the counter for several days.

The secret is in the fluffy meringue that you make beforehand.  I tweak this recipe a little, but then it becomes even more complicated.  You need to have a scale to measure the ingredients.  Some day, I'll get around to converting the measurements to something more user friendly.

As for the filling, it couldn't be easier.  I have heard a lot of recipes for jellies that use a 1:1 ratio of fruit to sugar.  That seems a bit excessive to me, and I like it to retain some tartness and fruit flavor (not just sugar).  So, I do a little less.  For example, I used 8 cups frozen raspberries and 6 cups sugar for this particular batch.  Stir them all together in a big pot-- use something with a thick bottom like enameled cast iron or copper.  Start it over low heat until the fruit has defrosted.  Then, raise the heat to medium-high.  Simmer or keep at a low boil for quite a while, stirring very frequently, until it is thick.  Chill in the fridge.  That's it.  It's that easy.  You can use it in cakes or on your toast for breakfast.

Anyway, let's chat more at the wedding.  I'll be the sober fat one!  haha.