i don't do scratch cakes much, not much of a baker, but i would like to try more. when they say beat til "light and fluffy" for the sugar and butter, how long is that, and does anyone have a better description. i generally use my hand mixer for the cakes, and i'm not sure if part of my problems with scratch cakes is that i don 't beat this long enough. thanks

Just until it's blended completely and its uniform is what I do.

Okay, words from my cook book Essentials of Baking...
Creaming together butter and sugar creates a light, airy mixture that helps leaven the baked item and creates a more tender texture. The butter should be at cool room temp: too cold and it is difficult to cream and aerate: too warm and the mixture will be dense and greasy.
Put the butter and sugar in a bowl. With the mixer on medium speed, or using firm strokes with a spoon, cream the butter and sugar. The mixture should be pale yellow and fluffy, and the sugar should be dissolved. This takes several minutes. Put the mixture between your fingers and rub, the sugar should be dissolved.

Check out this link with step-by-step and pictures, it might be useful to see what the mixture actually looks like when it is fully creamed.
Hugs Squirrelly
http://www.baking911.com/howto/cream.htm