EEK!!! IT'S DRUNK MICE!!!

I have told all of you about my sister's new job with a local caterer and bakery. Well, this is very exciting for her and our family, however, it does cut into our own personal baking needs. My Stepmother needed a cake baked for a friend's birthday, but my sis will be in Atlantic City at a baking conference. She decided to recommend me for the baking job. Now...keep in mind...I AM NOT A BAKER!! I can cook like nobodies business, but put a cake pan in front of me and I become a blithering idiot!!! I have helped her in the past with decorating, I do enjoy that aspect of the business...so I told her I would do the figures for the cakes if she would bake the cake and ice it...DEAL!!! So...here are the figures I made for the cake, they are made of fondant..It seems they have had a little too much to drink...or maybe it was me...I don't know, but by the end of the day..me and the mice were feeling gooooodddd!!! I'll post pics when the cake is completed...until then...Cheers!!!!

Cricut and Cakes....whoot, whoot!!!!

Hello all...I am so excited...my sister has been hired with a catering company here locally and is now going to show the world how great she is at cake decorating. We are all so elated at her new opportunity. I have bragged on her before, but now she is actually going to get the recognition she deserves. You should definitely check her out at Iced and Sliced. So when she called me yesterday and told she was going to attend a Bakery Expo in Atlantic City, I was beside myself. We started looking around at some of the exhibitors that would be there and some of the classes she could attend...and something caught my eye. I will tell you that I spied the word Cricut and about went through the roof. Are you aware that you can use your Cricut Expression to make gorgeous cake designs??? I KNOW!!!!!! Maybe I am just behind on the times, but I had never heard of this and wanted to know more. So, of course, we signed her up for that class, but I also researched it on the old computer...Here is the article written by the lady that is giving the class....her name is Jennifer Atwood...and I can't wait to get all the juicy details....her web address is CuttingEdgeCakeArt.com, or you can just click on the address....It always amazes me when people think of things that make you go...."DUH??? WHY DIDN'T I THINK OF THAT???? Well, after reading the article, I realized that yes you can use your Expression to decorate, but it may not be hygenic, however, they are manufacturing a Cricut Cake Machine that will do the job. So....I guess I will wait and see if my sister invests in this new fangled crafting machine...It would be great to have access to something you that would make me a better baker...Anyway, I hope my sister learns alot so she can come home and share her wealth of knowledge. I will let everyone know if she finds out any juicy nuggets that aren't on the fabulous Ms. Atwood's website....

Mary Poppins Birthday Party...Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!!!

Since I am using my old laptop that I fondly call "The Dinosaur" (I am still waiting on my new adapter for my other LP to come in)...I have been looking through the old photos still in the memory. I ran across Seli's third birthday party...She LOVED, LOVED, LOVED Mary Poppins. We watched it everyday. So it only made sense that she have her own Mary Poppins tea party for her birthday. It was a great party and she had the best time. I want to share the pics...be sure to check out the cake, my sister made it. She is at Iced and Sliced, you should check her out on her blog. I also painted her outfit for her, it truly broke my heart when I tried to put it on her this year and it was way too small...The party was Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!!!!

Back online...with a little luck o' the Irish

Oh people...if I could tell you what last week held for me...you wouldn't believe it. First off, both my children had strep throat. Secondly, my computer adapter quit working...so I have had no access to my working laptop...but, on the bright side, I did get to spend some time with my girls and we even did a craft for St. Patrick's day, compliments of Under the Table & Dreaming ...they turned out so cute, and the girls truly loved it. All you need is white coffee filters, blue and green markers, spray water bottle, button and card stock or decorative paper for the background. Color your filters with the blue and green marker...spray them with water and allow the colors to run together. Lay them out to dry....when dry, fold them in half, then fold again so you end up with a triangle. Trim the ends into a a rounded heart shape, such as a shamrock. Staple them onto card stock and add a button in the center and a stem made out of colored paper. Super simple and a great idea.



Sami's project...we did add a little wording at the bottom with my Cricut



Seli's shamrock....it held her attention...can you believe it.



My shamrock....I think my girls are more talented...


I hope you try this project with your children, we really enjoyed it. Now I'm off to find a 12x12 photo frame for all our handmade clovers. I am also waiting on a new adapter so I can quit using this old laptop that is missing the shift key and won't stay on without jiggling and holding it's cord...pain in my rear I tell ya!!! Happy Monday ya'll!!!

I have "cloche" envy....

I've been lurking around the blog world the last few days and have been seeing these incredible cloches. There are so many talented people out there and I am so seriously jealous...So decided I would purchase one and try it myself...guess what..those little bell shaped boogers are "spensive"....so, I looked around the house and found a few things that I thought I could make work, (I had actually been to the thrift store last week and found alot of glass vases that I thought I could use for a candy buffet, I bought 10 of them for under $5)....I used one of the vases a and tealight holder...hmmm...I could stack this on that and it looked pretty cute....




I then thought to myself that it need something on top...well my pack-ratism paid off...At Christmas I had purchased some fragrance reeds and the bottles were really neat, but I especially loved the tops and I saved them in case I ever had a need...woohoo...check this out....











I used my favorite E-6000 glue and put it all together...by the way, I had to use canned air to make the glue dry a little to make it stiff enough to hold the top finial...







At Wally World they had clearanced these nests and eggs, they were each $1....and I put it inside...it's so cute. But once I got started I couldn't stop...I had some vases from Christmas...I stacked one on top of the other and I liked it too...I added one of my McCarty bunnies underneath and a candle on top...tied a yellow ribbon. I loved it. I played with the Easter grass...first blue, then green...I think I'm sticking with the green...It brings out the green in my Gail Pittman rabbits. I think I have finally settled on vase on top of vase and handmade cloche standing alone.






I couldn't decide if I should put the new handmade cloche on top of the inverted vase...it was really cute that way too..








What do you think..The total project cost me $3...I love it...It might be a little much, but I tend to go overboard with everything. I believe this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship...






The end result...The 2010 Gundlach Easter Mantel!!!! Streaky mirror and all!!!

Creamy Ham Turnovers

Here's another recipe that got a thumbs up with my peeps...We have tried quite a few recipes from my new cookbook... Taste of Home Guilt Free Cooking....356 home style recipes for healthier living...and so far none of them have let us down...


4 ounces reduced fat-free cream cheese, softened ( I used fat free..it's what I had on hand)
2 Tablespoons fat-free milk
1 teaspoon dill weed
1 cup cubed fully cooked lean ham
2 Tablespoons diced onion
1 celery rib
2 Tablespoons diced pimiento
1 tube refrigerated pizza crust
1 egg white, beaten ( I did not do this step, I didn't feel like messing with an egg)

1. In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, milk and dill until blended. Stir in the ham, onion, celery and pimientos. Roll out pizza dough into a 12-in. x 10-in. rectangle; cut in half lengthwise and widthwise. Place the rectangles on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray.

2. Divide ham mixture evenly between the four rectangles. Fold opposite corners over ham mixture; pinch to seal. Brush with egg white. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.


Prep/Total time
30 min.
Yield
4 servings

One serving equals:
308 calories
9g fat
4g saturated fat
27 mg cholesterol
967 mg sodium
37g carbohydrates
1g fiber
17g protein

Happy Birthday to my Sister!!!

They say that when you have a sister you always have a friend. As I get older I have started to believe that the old adages are true. You know the one's that they put on greeting cards and hokey pillows and throws. Here are a few.. "A sister is a little bit of childhood that can never be lost"; "Big sisters are the crab grass in the lawn of life" (I don't know if I care for that one); "More than Santa Claus, your sister knows when you've been bad and good"; "Sisters are different flowers from the same garden"... My sister Jacque turns 37 today...she quickly contradicted me last night when I wished her a happy 38th...I will be 40 this year, so my only excuse for the the faux pas is old age. I have always been the typical big sister...bossy, protective and jealous of the baby. When we were kids there was always fighting and arguing going on and it felt like we could never agree on anything. We were completely different...I was a little bit country and she was a little bit rock n roll, if you know what I mean. I was rebellious and always got in trouble, she was sweet and quiet and although she did as much as I did, she never got caught..I like to say she was sneakier...When we were kids I tormented her by telling her she was adopted and she belonged to the maid...She would believe me and cry, but what a goofball...we didn't have a maid...She wore glasses and was skinny and awkward...I was always heavier and terrible in sports; she has dark skin and dark hair, I have blond hair and the palest complexion you've ever seen..I like to say "I'm opaque"...She was always sunny and positive, I was doom and gloom...She has a tongue as sharp as a razor, I am more tactful and worry more about how someone will take what I say...The differences are so numerous I would be here until next week listing them all. However, as many differences as there are, there are twice as many similarities. There is no denying that she is my oldest friend, my confidant, and my alter ego. She has been there through every moment in my life, the good, bad and ugly. She will be the one I will turn to when I'm old and gray and my children hate me because I smother them. As we age and life moves on, she will continue to be the anchor to my past. The one person who has known me her entire life and the person who whether she likes it or not will always be connected to me by the hand of God. As I watch my girls grow up I can see the two of us in them. Sami is strong, to the point and as bossy as Lucy VanPelt. Secilia is willful, funny and has the coordination of a gold medal gymnast. They fight like a pack of dogs and if one says black, the other will say white. But when the dust has settled they love each other unconditionally. The sight of them hugging and holding hands makes my heart leap with joy to know they will always have each other. Hopefully they have the relationship that Jacque and I share. We may not always agree, but when the dust settles we love each other unconditionally. So to the Godmother of my girls, the baker extraordinaire, the fastest drink slinger in the South, the biggest pain in my rear end for 37 years...here's to you!!! I love you and I look forward to seeing you with chin hair, cellulite, jowls, and corny bunion feet at the age of 101....but that would make me 103, so there's a possibility I might miss it....Love you and my favorite corny, mushy sister quote.."Sisters is probably the most competitive relationship within the family, but once the sisters are grown, it becomes the strongest relationship." Happy Birthday!!!

High School Musical Birthday Party...by an "ape" !!!

I've been putting some older pictures on my computer onto disc the last few weeks and I have been reminiscing on some of the girls different birthday parties. I have posted Sami's most recent birthday party but I thought I would post a few from Secilia's most recent party....It really turned out quite well, now keep in mind, I am an ape...I can copy anything, so some of the decorating ideas were from different ideas I got online. If I could remember the sites I would give them credit, but I truly don't remember. Besides, what do they say??? Imitation is the greatest form of flattery!!!



Check out this great cake made by Iced and Sliced

Ladies and gentleman turn your attention to the center ring!!!

Turquoise circus tent ring from Old Gold Boutique. via michi girl

How fantastic is this ring??? I really want one...what little girl didn't want to run off and join the circus...oh...only me? Hmmmm...oh well, I was a weird kid, alas, my dream will never come true...SOLD OUT!!!

Here comes Peter Cottontail!!!

Can you believe Easter is right around the corner...I'm telling you, I had no idea it was so early this year. I don't know why this surprises me, I am Catholic. I know when Lent starts you have approximately 40 days to go before Easter...All I can say is my brain is hiatus!!! Anyway, I decided today would be a great day to start decorating my front porch for the upcoming holiday. The little one and I went to Big Lots, which I have to tell you is one of my favorite places to shop for holiday crafts. I decided not to use the mesh ribbon I have used for the last couple of holidays, mainly because I don't have time to order it, but, I also wanted something different. I found some of the most precious baskets. They were slanted and a fun fuschia color. I think they might be for periodicals or magazines or something, but I loved the color and they didn't have a handle, which is what I was looking for. They (Big Lots) had some fake tulips in a pot wrapped in bright yellow paper. They aren't the best looking faux flowers I have seen, but they will work for $4...I bought two pots..oh..and the baskets were also $4...I purchased one bunch of unpotted pink tulips for $4, then cut them and planted them into the pot with the yellow flowers. Then $1 for green basket grass and some precious little pin wheels to put in the back of the arrangement....I did have to cut the wooden dowel on the pinwheels to shorten them up a bit, but after I did that, they were perfect. I picked up a very cute kitchen mat for $5, however, I will use it for a front door mat. Phew!!!My work for the day is finally done....I really love the way it turned out. As soon as the weather cooperates, I will find some nice ferns or something to put around the porch and maybe some pink and yellow throw pillows for the white wicker chairs and couch to add some color...I LOVE SPRING!!! It can't come soon enough, well maybe a few more weeks of winter so I can take some of this weight off before boating season...but that's another story...enjoy my pics and let me know what you think.



Precious welcome mat $5





Basket with tulip pot, added pink tulips, grass filler and pinwheel..$13












Total for all decorations from Big Lots....$30