Life Is A Banquet

The Royal Wedding... Keep Calm

2011-04-26T21:13:00.027-07:00

I have a serious obsession with....

The man always teases me about it. Give me a movie that is a costume drama with English accents and I'M ALL IN. With the royal wedding within mere hours, I can't think about anything else. I couldn't even teach today. I threw on some movie today about the human genome project and just started making my lists of things to do to get ready for the wedding of the century. As I was helping my daughter with her spelling words today, every sentence had something to do with the royals or the wedding. She finally looked and me and said, "Please. STOP."

I have been scouring the web all week for ideas and here are some cute ideas that I have come across:

The invitations:

I saw these on THIS CUTE WEBSITE and knew I had to do something like this.... here are some others I found too:

This one perhaps is my favorite:

(So true... I actually think he is the cuter one of the two!)

I found some really cute downloads for wedding bunting at this website:

There are also some really cute ideas for a wedding party so check it out!

I thought this would be a really cute table cloth and spread:

There is a cute tutorial at this website on how to make it!

There are some really cute printables here:

and here:

For the food, I found some really cute wedding recipes on Pillsbury, like this Union Jack Fruit Pizza:

People magazine (click here) also published a great article on wedding recipes that I think we are going to try!

Cheerio!

A beautiful day...

2011-04-09T12:15:00.011-07:00

I woke up this morning to this at our cabin...

It's not often in Arizona that we get snow in April and it was so nice to actually be cold again.

It's been such a crazy few months with work and family stuff, it was so nice to sit outside and do nothing except catch snowflakes. Made me think of this...

"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practise resignation, unless it was quite necessary. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put to rout all that was not life, to cut a broad swath and shave close, to drive life into a corner, and reduce it to its lowest terms, and, if it proved to be mean, why then to get the whole and genuine meanness of it, and publish its meanness to the world; or if it were sublime, to know it by experience, and be able to give a true account of it in my next excursion."
— Henry David Thoreau

Kids Thanksgiving Table Ideas

2010-11-14T09:58:00.016-07:00

I miss working at PBK especially around the Holidays since it was part of my job to do all the setting and decorating with my other team members. It just fed my little neurotic tendencies so much! I asked my mom if I could be in charge of the kids table again this year and I'm trying to decide what exactly to do.

I know I'm pretty sold on this:

I saw this on my SIL blog last week and I think it's about the cutest thing I've seen!

In the past, I've done this:

This was a fun little turkey kabob and it ended up being a huge hit with the kids (and parents!) We are having a smaller Thanksgiving though because my brother's family (sniff, sniff) won't be able to come so this might be too much for a few kids to eat. Maybe I could scale it down and make a mini one though.

I've decorated with the felt food which is so fun for the kids to play with but I'm hoping to do something different.

Martha has some cute ideas like this:

Disney Family Fun always has really cute stuff too like this:

and seriously, how do you beat this from PBK:

If anyone has cute ideas, email me!

Graveyard Cupcakes

2010-10-19T17:07:00.001-07:00

I wanted to make some cupcakes for my family and I saw this cute idea HERE and HERE and HERE and HERE

So I took out the Gourmet pens and some Halloween marshmallows...

Used the Target sprinkles again...

Crumbled up some Oreos for the "dirt", made some yellow cake cupcakes and frosted them with chocolate and then used the Milanos for the tombstone....

and thoroughly enjoyed eating them with the girls and watching the chocolate go all over their faces!

Frankenstein Pops

2010-10-17T21:38:00.014-07:00

My MIL asked us to bring over a "spooky" dessert and Weezy was all too excited so we decided to do these Betty Crocker Frankenstein pops! I have to say that they were pretty easy to make but we did make some substitutions...

Click HERE for the Betty Crocker recipe:

We found these Halloween sprinkles at Target and decided to use these for the eyes instead of the chocolate icing.

I couldn't find almond bark at the grocery store so we made a substitution with Toll House White Morsels and just double boiled it. We added about 12 drops of green food coloring.

We went to "Sweet Factory" at Scottsdale Mall and picked out a bunch of green "Mike & Ikes" for the bolts on the side of the head...

Here's how they turned out... Weezy was so proud! I wish you could have seen her face when she showed everyone what she did!

Fall Update

2010-10-17T21:14:00.009-07:00

Wow, it's been a while since I blogged! I know it's supposed to be Fall here in Arizona but there is no sign of it anywhere. It's still so hot and I miss seeing the leaves change color... Here's what we have been up to...

Trying to spend as much time as possible at the cabin since it is usually 20-30 degrees cooler! Weezy caught her first fish this summer at Black Canyon Lake!

I started back at work at the same school but we moved campuses so I've been constantly unpacking microscopes, test tubes, beakers, flasks, models, etc... The fam came to see me at open house and the girls were completely taken by the microscopes!

We snuck a visit to Disneyland last week before the October Break and had a great time! This is me and the girls in the Tiki Room trying to get warm inside! Weezy told me this is her new favorite "ride"... go figure.

We have been in election mode for the past few months and I'm happy to say that "the man" won his primary election so we are so excited about that! This was taken on the primary election day which happened to be the hottest day on record!

Weezy started 1st grade and is loving it!

Knocky started all day pre-K at a Montessori school and is also loving it!

Hope all is well with you!
E

Playing Hookie...

2010-05-25T22:33:00.021-07:00

It's that time of the year when the teachers get "Senioritis" just as bad as the students--I've caught a real bad case. Almost there...I can't believe it's almost time for summer.

In the meantime, I've managed to play hookie a few days and weekends:

Went to Las Vegas with my sisters and my mom for a spa & skin convention--Thank you Stef for the facial product HOOK UP!

Ate way too much at Serendipity's!! This might be my new favorite restaurant--I have always tried to go in New York but the wait has always been way too long--now I know why!

This is a horrible pic but we caught the Beatles LOVE show and LOVED IT--been listening to the Beatles constantly the past few weeks!

Couldn't resist one more trip to Disneyland before the hot summer!

The girls loved swimming and playing around the hotel.

The MOST SINCERE try I have ever seen! I think someone at school told her something amazing would happen if she could pull the sword from the stone!

Second most sincere try-- (mainly to try to one up the big sister!)

Is there anything better than a tigger tail? I tried to be a "good mom" and only let her eat a little bit, but no such luck... There was no way she was going to give it up.

Nothing better than hearing her laugh on her favorite ride!

Other than that we've had fun going to museums...

Ran Pat's Run with my dad, brother-in-law, and the girls...

Had Dad's 60th Birthday party, including a race and picnic in his honor!

Before his birthday, I spent Easter weekend cutting and bonding all of these...

Meanwhile, attempting to teach Knocky how to put the egg in the dye without getting it everywhere (yep, that didn't work out)...

Took a break from sewing to play out in the last of the snow at the cabin...

Eventually, I put it all together to make this quilt with my dad's favorite races for his birthday. Forgot to take a picture of the final project but I was a little cross-eyed by then. This quilt was a little more challenging that I thought it was going to be...but all worth it in the end!

Did I mention school is almost over???? Is it Friday yet?

I could write a book...

2010-03-06T17:14:00.003-07:00

Well, I'm well into a month of teaching high school again and I swear I am constantly picking up my jaw from the ground. I cannot believe some of the things I hear and see with these students. Nothing like I have ever experienced. It's amazing what a difference 6 years makes. I haven't taught for 6 years and it is so different from before. These high school kids are a completely different breed from before. The good news is is that I have a break coming up where I can just chill with the family. I'm needing that so badly although I feel like I'm finally getting into the swing of things.

Today was Weezy's fairy party! SO FUN! I'll have to post pictures in the next few days...

I realized today too that Easter is less than a month away so I need to bust those Spring decorations out...hmmm... maybe next weekend!

A New Journey...

2010-01-24T21:44:00.006-07:00

Tomorrow I start a new journey.. I am going back to teaching high school. An emergency position came up and I got a call last week. Luckily, the school is nearby and I will be teaching Biology half the day and Anatomy and Physiology the other half. I haven't worked full-time out of the home since my oldest daughter was born and I'm not quite sure how to feel about it yet. I feel like this is what I'm meant to do, so I take comfort in that.

I will miss...

Our breakfast dates.

Taking and picking you up from school everyday and our little talks in the car.

Spending all day with you and our little naps while we watch "UP".

I LOVE YOU!

Well, here goes nothin'....

Felt Playhouses

2010-01-07T18:18:00.012-07:00

Ever blogstalk and find something incredible and think, "Wow, I wish I was that creative!" Happens to me all the time...

I was minding my own business and I'm not even sure how I stumbled across this blog, Homemade by Jill, but I'm so glad I did so I could see this amazing playhouse she made for her son:

Isn't that incredible? If that wasn't enough then I found this one on Shannon Makes Stuff:

If that isn't enough, I came across this Etsy store that sells all kinds of them like this:

Look at the other sides of this--to die for!

Cutest cafe!

I would love to make these for my girls for Christmas next year! So fun!

A Few Of My Favorite Things

2010-01-04T08:01:00.000-07:00

Happy New Year! Wow, the holidays went by so fast as they always do!

We had a great holiday season and here are some of my favorite moments...

Family pictures downtown--Thanks JENNA!! (FOR A FABULOUS PHOTOGRAPHER CLICK HERE!)

Sledding with the kids in the driveway in Heber

Making rolls for the neighborhood

My little candy canes!!

Christmas Eve excitement!!

Christmas Morning

Playing with the girls new puppet theater Grandma X made for them!

Hope everyone's holidays were the best ever!

The 10 Minute Christmas Dress!

2009-12-17T09:54:00.004-07:00

I wanted to do this last minute project for so long and today was the perfect opportunity!

YES, THIS SERIOUSLY TAKES 10 MINUTES!

This is from the cutest blog called Trey & Lucy and click here for the instructions!

You can find these dish towels in the $1 bins at Target right now and all you need is ribbon and you're set!

Yes, yet another picture of Knocky with a lollipop in her hand!

Christmas Bella Skirt

2009-12-09T20:55:00.007-07:00

I have been so excited about this sewing project I've been working on and it all paid off seeing my girls (Weezy and her cousin) wearing it on Friday! I got this pattern on You Can Make This and the pattern is called the Bella Twirl Skirt. I found a long sleeve pink shirt right now at Target for $5 and added the applique present. All of the fabric is from the Michael Miller holiday collections.

Best friends! I can't stand how cute they are together--LORIE PLEASE DON'T MOVE!!!

Here are some more possibilities to do with this pattern:

Is this still working?

2009-12-08T22:23:00.006-07:00

Wow, I can't believe how much time flies! I can't stand it!

I hope everyone is having a good holiday season!
This is a long overdue Thanksgiving post but I wanted to make sure I remembered this for next year!

We were in charge of decorating the kiddie table and we decided to make this appetizer for the kiddos! You can get the instructions here from Family Fun! The kids (and adults) ate it all up and Weezy had so much fun making the kabobs.

The other thing I promised my mom I would write down is how I made the candy corn jell-o I have made the past couple of years. I wish I had a better picture but I forgot to take one before we went to my moms. It's basically 3 layers of jell-0 that are orange, yellow, and white to mimic a candy corn. This would also be fun to make for Halloween.

Note for next year: Put the yellow layer on the bottom with the yogurt, then orange so it looks more like a candy corn and the yellow shows up better.

Ingredients:

2 small packages of Orange flavor (or 1 large) Jello
2 small packages of Pineapple flavor (or 1 large) of Jello
1 8 oz yogurt
Whip cream

Directions:
Make pineapple flavor according to directions but instead of adding 2 cups of cold water, add 1 cup of cold water and 1 cup of yogurt and mix. (This year I did orange jello with orange cream yoplait on the bottom, but next year I think I will do the pineapple with lemon yogurt or vanilla first.) Let this set for at least 6 hours. Then mix the orange jello according to directions and carefully (and slowly!) pour on top of pineapple yogurt layer. Let set for another 6 hours. Right before serving, spread whip cream over the top! SO YUMMY! Adults loved this too!

My Two Favorite Hero's

2009-11-11T15:39:00.004-07:00

To my two favorite veterans on the planet--

You are the greatest heroes and I thank you both for your service to our country!

Grandpa A-- World War II--Bomber Tail Gunner

Daddy-- Vietnam--Helicopter pilot, Pointman

I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!

Note to self...

2009-10-27T21:12:00.005-07:00

Note to self: When you plan a trick-or-treating vacation to Disneyland
and have stayed up late many nights making costumes for your girls...

and are exhausted before you even get to Disneyland
and you get to Disneyland late at night for the trick-or-treat party...

Even though your girls are the cutest things on the planet--
and it starts out OK, even though your youngest won't wear half her costume...

Murphy's law will work against you---
and within 10 minutes your kids will sour
and refuse to get out of the stroller and trick-or-treat...

Thank goodness for teacups the next day--it makes up for everything!!!

Halloween Decor 2009

2009-10-20T13:42:00.007-07:00

It's been a while since my last post. October has flown by so fast!

I didn't do much different this year than I did last year (click here to see!)

But, I did finally get around to framing my Disneyland Haunted Mansion stretch portraits!!!!

I hung them in my dinning room and I want to leave them up all year now!

My sister Annie gave me this ghost to add to my collection:

The ghost reminds me of my little Knocky Knock...

Then my Halloween canisters from my new favorite store, Tai Pan:

I had all these ideas to post and now October is more than half over--oh well--there's always next year!!!

HELP!

2009-10-01T18:13:00.005-07:00

I'm probably never going to totally forgive my brother and sister-in-law for moving to Texas, but I do want her to have a new washer and dryer for their new house...

SO, do me a favor and post a comment on this post (click here) of her blog! LEAVE AS MANY AS YOU WANT just make sure they are not anonymous! The contest ends tomorrow (Friday 10/2/09) at midnight so you have plenty of time to leave 600 comments!!!

The Shirt Dress-- Free Tutorial!

2009-09-21T22:19:00.007-07:00

HOW CUTE IS THIS???!!!

If you have one of these...

You can make this dress by cutting like this...

And ending up with this cute dress!

I came across a really cute blog today called MADE and I'll have to add this dress to the list of what I want to make. You can get this free tutorial by clicking here!

Chocolate Orange Bundt Cake

2009-09-15T09:02:00.024-07:00

This past weekend, we celebrated my Mom's birthday. We had a great time playing bunco and playing the Beatles Rockband! I was the biggest loser in the bunco game and I couldn't have asked for a better prize:

My own "Office" white board. Priceless.

My mom said she wanted a chocolate orange cake and I found this recipe from one of my new favorite blogs, Joy The Baker, and the icing/glaze from FatFree Vegan Kitchen. It is soooooo good!

Chocolate Orange Bundt Cake

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups cake flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (1/2 pound) unsalted butter at room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, left at room temperature for 30 minutes
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups sour cream
1/2 teaspoon orange extract
zest of 1 large orange
4 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Icing Ingredients:

Chocolate Icing:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon cocoa
2 teaspoons orange juice
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract (or 1/8 tsp. if double strength)
--plus extra orange juice as needed

Orange Icing:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon orange juice
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract (or 1/8 tsp. if double strength)
--plus extra orange juice as needed

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 12 cup Bundt pan and set aside.

Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and set aside.

Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add half of flour mixture, and mix until just blended. Add sour cream, mixing until just combined, then add remaining flour mixture and mix until smooth.

Divide the batter evenly into two bowls. In one bowl add the orange zest and orange extract and stir to combine. In the other bowl add sifted cocoa powder and chocolate chips and stir to combine.

First pour the orange batter into the buttered Bundt pan, spreading it evenly around the bottom of the pan.

Next, simply add the chocolate batter on top of the orange to cover. No swirling is necessary, although you can swirl the batters together if you like.

Bake until cake is springy to the touch and a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Remove from oven and cool cake in the pan for 30 minutes. Invert onto a cooling rack and cool completely.

When the cake is cool, make the icings. For each icing, mix the ingredients in separate small bowls. One half teaspoon at a time, stir in enough extra orange juice to make a drizzling consistency.

Drizzle the chocolate icing over the cake, wait a few minutes for it to set, and then drizzle the orange icing.

Here's what the cake looks like on the inside...

I garnished the inside of the cake with orange slices that people could squeeze onto their slices if they wanted more of an orange flavor.

Enjoy!

The Office

2009-09-14T15:45:00.003-07:00

What did I spend the weekend doing? Watching this:

Although hard to determine my favorite clip from this season of Dwight, this one is one of the top 3.

As always, if you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up. Do yourself the favor and watch the blooper reel too!

Chicken Alfredo Pot Pie

2009-09-11T10:37:00.006-07:00

I saw this recipe for Mini Chicken Alfredo Pot Pies in a Pillsbury cookbook that just came out and it looked way too good to pass up! This is a great and EASY recipe to throw together for dinner and my kids LOVED it too!

Ingredients:
4 cups chopped cooked chicken
4 cups Green Giant Valley Fresh Steamers (from two 12 oz. bags)
1 jar (16 oz) Alfredo pasta sauce
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury refrigerated garlic butter crescent rolls

Directions:
In a large saucepan, heat cooked chicken, thawed vegetables, pasta sauce and milk over medium heat. Stir occasionally until thoroughly heated. Pour into a 9 X 13 Pyrex and cover the top with crescent triangles and then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake at 400 degrees F for 10-12 minutes or until rolls are golden brown.

ENJOY!

Edith Twirl Skirt

2009-08-27T06:12:00.008-07:00

I decided to just go for it and try sewing my first "twirl skirt"!

I found it on the You Can Make This website and I can't wait to make another one! I found this material from my new favorite quilting store in Phoenix called "3 Dudes Quilting". The fabric was 40% off and it was the Moda "Pack Your Bags" line.

To buy and download the instructions, click here. This was a great and easy pattern to follow!

OK, I think it's time to start paying attention to my family and home again. I may be taking this sewing thing a little too far.

Disney Princess Clippies

2009-08-24T16:59:00.004-07:00

SERIOUSLY! Why didn't anyone tell me about these!! There I was minding my business looking at fabric online when I somehow (luckily) came across these! HOW STINKING CUTE ARE THESE??!! To order the ebook on how to make these (going to right now!) click here!

Martha Stewart for Grandin Road!

2009-08-22T07:58:00.012-07:00

The Grandin Road catalog showed up yesterday and I just got so excited thinking of busting out my Halloween decor soon! Martha Stewart has a whole line of Halloween products she is selling through Grandin Road this year! So if you don't have the time to make all of her Halloween projects, you can buy them now!

Here's some of her line for sale in Gradin Road:

These silhouettes are for sale for over $200!!!

I was able to make mine for about $20! You can get the directions again here to make these!

Is it time to decorate yet?

Coconut M&M Krispie Oatmeal Cookies

2009-08-19T11:05:00.005-07:00

I'm at the grocery store last week ready to check-out when out of the corner of my eye I spot these:

HAVE YOU TRIED THESE YET??? WOW! They are awesome!

I decided to make one of my favorite crunchy cookies with them and they are SINFULLY delish!

Coconut M&M Krispie Oatmeal Cookies

1 1/2 c. flour
1 t. bakiing powder
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
1/2 c. butter (1 stick)
1/2 c. shortening
1 c. sugar
1 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla
2 c. oatmeal
2 c. rice krispies
1 bag of Coconut M&M's

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Measure dry ingredients and set aside. Beat butter, shortening and sugars in large bowl. Add eggs, one at a time, then vanilla. Gradually add flour mixture. Stir in oats, rice krispies, and M&Ms. Form balls with 2 T. of dough. Bake 10 mins. Makes 4 1/2 dozen. You could also add the M&M's once you take them out of the oven!

Notice the tiny hands in the background waiting for me to look away for a moment...

ENJOY!

First Day!

2009-08-14T07:00:00.002-07:00

Weezy had her first day of Kindergarten this week!

Yes, I bawled all day...

One last break...

2009-08-07T15:03:00.008-07:00

School starts next week for us which is so depressing, I can't even tell you. I have my first child going into kindergarten and I'm already bawling just thinking about it. Yes, I will be one of those parents the first day of school.

The Man and I decided to take one last break and took a RV to San Diego to just beach it. We had the best time doing nothing.

Nothing better than...

Putting your feet in the ocean for the first time and playing in the sand.

Flying a kite.

Building a sandcastle with your sister.

Eating a ring pop and getting a snowcone at Mission Beach.

Trying to catch bubbles.

Trying to dodge bubbles.

I'm ready to go back!

Sew Adorable!

2009-08-04T17:02:00.004-07:00

I have developed another addiction. This one is worse than Berry Berry (Heroin) Kix. Way worse. The past few weeks I cannot stop sewing. I'm completely addicted. My husband says he doesn't know who I am anymore and that I've morphed into some alien.

The problems are:

1. I don't want to be cured from my addiction. No interventions please.

2. I can't stop buying fabric.

3. I can't afford to keep buying fabric.

4. I've discovered the Moda Bake Shop website (click here).

BE AWARE-- THIS IS FAIR WARNING. If you suffer from any slight symptom of sewing, it will be over for you. Once you go to this website, there is no turning back.

Here is the latest project that I MUST DO! I just ordered my layer cake and honeybun fabric in "Spring Magic" to complete it!

Take this material...

Sew the honeybun strips together and sew on your little "pea"! Well, there are a few more steps but you get the picture!

The best part is that you can get a complete tutorial here with instructions and detailed photos!

Does it get any better than this?
Happy Sewing!

Polka Dot Birthday Party

2009-07-20T16:28:00.006-07:00

My little niece,"NuNu's", turned 1 last week and my sister gave her the cutest birthday party! Check out this cute cake by her friend Mandy!! She is amazing! Check out her blog here!

I made a polka dot dress for NuNu's to go with her polka dot birthday... Isn't she the cutest!! Go to my sister's blog here to see all of her cute polka dot ideas!

I want a polka dot party...

Pillowcase Dresses

2009-07-03T16:42:00.007-07:00

I'm so excited for the 4th tomorrow! I have been busy the past week or so making some cute 4th of July dresses for my two girls. These are the first two pillowcase dresses I have ever made and I found the pattern on Etsy. The pattern is called the "Caroline" dress and it's by Froglegs and Ponytails (click here).

I have to say that I'm not a great sewer by any means but these pattern was so easy to follow and so detailed. I'm so excited for the girls to wear them tomorrow! To go to the Etsy shop for Froglegs and Ponytails click here!

Check out her new pattern for a crayon tote! It's so adorable!

Happy 4th to everyone!

Stars and Stripes Brownies

2009-06-28T18:19:00.006-07:00

In preparation for the 4th of July, I saw these cute brownies from Betty Crocker!

Ingredients:

1 box (1 lb 6.5 oz) Betty Crocker® Original Supreme brownie mix (with chocolate syrup pouch)
Water, vegetable oil and eggs called for on brownie mix box
1 container (12 oz) Betty Crocker® Whipped fluffy white frosting
1 tube (0.68 oz) Betty Crocker® red decorating gel
1 tube (0.68 oz) Betty Crocker® blue decorating gel
1 tube (0.68 oz) Betty Crocker® white decorator icing
Betty Crocker® Decorating Decors stars

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Line 13x9-inch pan with foil so foil extends about 2 inches over sides of pan. Spray foil with cooking spray. Make and bake brownies as directed on box for 13x9-inch pan, using water, oil and eggs. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
2. Remove brownies from pan by lifting foil; peel foil from sides of brownies. Continue as desired with options below.

Flag Brownies: Frost brownies. Using red decorating gel, pipe stripes onto frosted brownie. Add decors in upper left corner of brownie. 24 brownies

Firecracker Brownies: Using 1-inch round cookie cutter, cut out brownie rounds. Stack 2 brownie rounds together, spreading frosting between rounds and on top. Garnish with decors. 48 brownies

Star Brownies: Using 2 1/2-inch star-shaped cookie cutter, cut brownies. Place frosting in resealable food-storage bag; cut off one bottom corner of bag. Pipe frosting on star-shaped brownies. Sprinkle with decors. 13 brownies

Childhood

2009-06-27T10:05:00.002-07:00

It all started with this...

Not to get all blubbery on you, but I remember watching this as a 6 year-old with my brother and just being so amazed. We probably watched it 100 times in a row. So much of my childhood has memories wrapped around his music. Getting a white glove and glueing rhinestones to it, walking to the bus stop pretending the sidewalk was lighting up, getting out of school to watch "Thriller"...

He really was a true genius.

We have a problem here...

2009-06-02T22:19:00.008-07:00

I find it much easier to blame problems on others so I am blaming one of my sister-in-laws for this one. Last week we were shopping at Target together and I saw her put a bunch of cereal in her cart that I had never seen before. Before I knew it, I was talked into getting a box of my own...

This is the problem. Berry Berry Kix. It should be called Berry Berry Heroin. Yes, It's that addicting. I brought this stuff home and before I knew it, it was being devoured. I found myself making bowls of it throughout the day and even found THE MAN sneaking it. Yesterday, I couldn't find the box and could feel a core melt down coming on. I ran down the hall and said to THE MAN, "Where's the KIX???" He got this smirk on his face and then a look of fear and said, "It's gone." NOT FUNNY.

So tonight we went to Target...

Yes, we bought 4 boxes of it. No one in the family, including the girls even questioned why we would need 4 boxes of it. We just know.

If you're asking yourself if there is any nutritional value in them, NO, of course not. That's not the point. The point is, Target is a dangerous place and you can only find these at Target round these parts. Don't say I didn't warn you, but if you have the means, I highly recommend picking one (or four) up.

I said it before and I'll say it again...

2009-05-29T16:19:00.006-07:00

I LOVE MICHAEL MILLER FABRICS! Last year I posted (here) about his fabrics and I came across a blog yesterday of his fabrics! It's called Making It Fun.

I found the cutest sewing project there for a little child's apron and chef's hat.

How cute is this for girls! I love this fabric! It also comes on a pink background.

Or boys...

For a tutorial to make the apron, click here.

For a tutorial to make the chef's hat, click here.

Happy sewing!

Chocolate Toffee Banana Ice Cream Sandwich

2009-05-10T16:26:00.003-07:00

First of all, it's dangerous to watch the Today show when Giada is on--especially if you haven't eaten breakfast yet. There I was at 7:00 in the morning on Saturday minding my own business when Giada had some last minute Mother's Day brunch ideas. I saw her make these on the show and immediately went to the store! Yes, they are that good!

Here are the ingredients you need:

1 pound chocolate chip cookie dough (recommended: Nestle Toll House)
• 1 1/2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
• 1 teaspoon peanut or vegetable oil
• 2 (1 1/2 ounces) chocolate-toffee candy bars (such as Skor), chopped into 1/4-inch pieces
• 2 medium bananas, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
• 1 pint vanilla or banana ice cream, softened

Form the dough into 8 equal shaped balls and bake the cookie dough as directed. Let them cool thoroughly.

Place the cookies flat-side-up and arrange the banana slices in a single layer.

In a small bowl, toss together the chocolate chips and oil. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Place the cookie flat side up into the melted chocolate.

Sprinkle the chocolate-toffee candy pieces on top of the melted chocolate.Freeze all the cookies for 45 to 60 minutes until the chocolate has set and the banana slices are frozen.

When ready to serve, place a scoop of banana or vanilla ice cream in the middle.

Smash down and enjoy!

Happy Mother's Day to all!

Cake Mix Butterscotch-Oatmeal Cookies

2009-04-27T15:59:00.004-07:00

First of all, if you haven't picked up this Betty Crocker magazine yet....

you should! It has some great cake, cookie, cupcake, dessert, etc. ideas! I just made the butterscotch-oatmeal cookies this weekend and I'm ashamed to say, they are already GONE. This is a great recipe especially when you are pinched for time. THEY ARE FAB!

Cake Mix Butterscotch-Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 teas. cinnamon
1 egg
1 box Betty Crocker Supermoist Yellow Cake Mix
2 cups quick-cooking oatmeal
1 cup butterscotch chips

Directions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, beat butter,sugar, cinnamon, and egg with electric mixer on medium speed until creamy. Stir in cake mix and oats until blended. Stir in butterscotch chips. Place on cookie sheet about 2 inches apart and bake 10 to 12 minutes or until light brown.

Pat's Run 2009

2009-04-20T14:34:00.007-07:00

Here in Arizona, we have a big hero in Pat Tillman. He played football for Arizona State and then went on to play professionally for the Arizona Cardinals and gave up his pro career to enlist in the Army following the 9/11 attacks. After numerous tours of duty, he was killed in Afghanistan in April 2004 by "friendly fire." Every year, there is a running race here in Tempe, AZ to celebrate his life and the money from the race is donated to his scholarship foundation. His football number at Arizona State was #42 so the race is a 4.2 miler and the kids run is a .42 miler. The race ends on the 42 yard line inside Sun Devil Stadium. It is a great race and I'm so glad I ran it this year. It was just this past Saturday and my dad and I ran the 4.2 race. My dad has ran it all 5 years and it was so fun to run it with him. We both then ran the kids race with my "Weezy".

I was completely overwhelmed with how many people showed up (about 20,000) to honor Pat. There was definitely a feeling of USA pride everywhere! All of the ASU & Cardinal players were there shaking hands and giving high fives as well as Army soldiers as you crossed the finish line. I will never miss this race again! SO GREAT!

Me & Weezy warming up for the big kids race!

Dad, me & Weezy ready to go!

Weezy and Dad making their way into Sun Devil Stadium to finish the race!

The three of us at the finish inside Sun Devil Stadium! WE LOVE YOU PAT!

Why we love and hate scissors...

2009-04-14T23:11:00.004-07:00

It is most likely that scissors were invented in 1500 BC in ancient Egypt. The earliest known scissors appeared in the Middle East 3,000 or 4,000 years ago. These were of the 'spring scissor' type comprising two bronze blades connected at the handles by a thin, curved strip of bronze. This strip served to bring the blades together when squeezed and to pull them apart when released. Probably one of the greatest inventions of all time...

Some of the reasons we love scissors:

SEWING!

SCRAPBOOKING!

COOKING!

Why we hate scissors...

5 year-old self haircut the night before Easter. Need I say more? Do I need to point out that she cut it all the way to her scalp all across the front? Do I need to mention that there was no way to hide this for Easter pictures? Do I need to mention that this child's hair grows at a snails pace and it has taken 5 years to get it at the length it is now? Do I need to mention that I absolutely DIED when I saw what she had done! I figure by Christmas, her bangs might be halfway down her forehead. Maybe...

These will change your life... Easter Rice Krispie Treats

2009-04-06T15:33:00.006-07:00

My sister-in-law Lorie has frequently changed my life on many occasions. If you haven't visited her blog--you must! This woman has the best ideas on the planet. Last year she introduced my husband and I to the Reeses Pieces Easter eggs and our lives have never been the same since. So basically what I'm saying is, "If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up." Bonus points to whoever can name what movie that is from... Annie--this is way to easy for you so you don't count...

This past weekend our family was away and thought one night, "We need something sweet to eat." Weezy loves Rice Krispie treats and so we thought--WHY NOT COMBINE THE TWO?? The results--FANTASTIC!

I mean seriously, look at that peanut butter!! Oh my....

So if you are looking to have your life changed for the better this Easter, make a batch of these. You can thank me anytime.

Easter Rice Krispie Treats

1/4 cup butter
10.5 oz marshmallows
6 cups Rice Krispie cereal
2-3 boxes of Reeces Pieces pastel eggs

Melt butter in pan. Add marshmallows and stir until melted. Remove pan from heat. Add Rice Krispie cereal and mix well. Once cooled a bit, add candy (wait just a little minute so the chocolate doesn't melt and the candy stays in tact) and put in a greased 7X11 pan. Enjoy!

Spring Butterfly cookies

2009-03-30T15:04:00.004-07:00

Weezy and I were looking for something to do today and we saw on the back of our peanut M&M's bag a cute butterfly cupcake recipe from the Mars company and their "Bright Ideas" website.

We decided not to do cupcakes, but try it with sugar cookies. It didn't turn out quite like the pictures but we had so much fun doing it today (and eating all the M&Ms!)

Weezy was so good at putting the right colors together and eating all the frosting!

Spring! Spring! Spring!

2009-03-25T16:19:00.003-07:00

Ok ,so I have finally started pulling out the Easter stuff ( I know it's in basically 3 weeks) but better late than never. Or not. I'm having a tough time decorating. I can't seem to pull it off. I love the egg candles from Pottery Barn this year and I've put them in votives with jelly beans but I haven't figured out what to do with the rest of the table... more to put out later but I'm proud of getting this far today! I'm sure I'll be tweaking it for the next 3 weeks.

Some more Easter decor...

2009-03-12T21:49:00.002-07:00

I am hoping to get Spring/Easter up this weekend and I was looking around for some ideas. I went on Martha's site and here's what I dug up! I love the idea of an easter banner and I have seen some cute ones around! If you know of some cute banners, post a link for me!

Easter Decor

2009-02-25T19:58:00.002-07:00

I just came across these Easter decorations on the Pottery Barn website. I'm not sure if it's still too early for Easter but I can't help but want to get ready for Spring! LOVE IT!!

Easter Brownie Pops

2009-02-19T23:09:00.001-07:00

Is it too early to think of Easter?

I just saw these today on the Williams-Sonoma website (click here) and thought--"I could do that!" They remind me of the Bakerella cupcake pops!

I must be hungry right now because then I saw these cupcakes and instantly wanted to go make the chocolate one! I thought these were a really cute idea as well! I'm guessing you could just do fondant flowers for the top! I'm going to have to start looking around on how to make fondant flowers...

Anyone know a good site for how to make fondant flowers?

Strawberry Spinach Salad

2009-02-15T19:29:00.003-07:00

I came across this recipe this weekend that I had forgotten about. It's one of my favorite salads on the planet! I wish I could remember where I got it but nonetheless, it's great, especially for Sunday dinner!

Salad:
1/2 red onion
10 ounces fresh baby spinach
1 quart sliced strawberries
1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted
8 pieces of bacon
Crumbled blue cheese, to taste

Dressing:
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup basalmic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

I toast my almonds in butter in a skillet until they are golden brown. I also mix the dressing about an hour ahead of time and don't put it on the salad until it's ready to be served so the spinach stays better. Enjoy!

Remembering Valentines...

2009-02-15T19:10:00.005-07:00

This post is really for my sister-in-law Lorie...

I didn't have time to go all out for Valentines this year, but I did stop to remember to use my heart cut-outs as I promised Lorie I would.

My in-laws brought over Valentine doughnuts for the kiddos in the morning and I loved watching Knocky just tear through them in pure bliss. Although this was hard for me to do, every so often you gotta just break the sugar in the morning rules.

For lunch, we had tomato soup and heart-shaped grilled cheese!

For dessert afterwards, the girls had mini heart cakes...

Ok, so I cheated on this one!

You know these?

This idea is courtesy of Bakerella...saves lots of baking time! YEAH!!!

Hope everyone had a great Valentines!

Valentine Entertaining

2009-02-13T21:45:00.004-07:00

I'M DONE!!

With school that is... YEAH! It's over! I have missed blogging and I can't wait to catch-up on everyones' blogs.

I can't believe it's already Valentines day!

So, if I had had more time, this is what I would have loved to do...

Oh well, there's always next year, right?

Valentines Container

2009-02-12T20:32:00.007-07:00

Weezy had a school Valentines party today and came home with the cutest Valentine container. So easy, cheap and cute!!

If any of you are looking for something to keep the kiddos busy tomorrow, this would definitely do the trick and get them excited for Valentines Day!

Take a #10 can and glue a strip of Valentine's fabric over the top to create a handle....

...Then wrap the outside with some white paper and cute out some hearts and decorate the paper.Print out some Valentine "conversations"...and voila, you're done!

Happy Valentines Day!!

Go Cards!

2009-01-18T08:11:00.004-07:00

I hate to be one of those people who jump on the bandwagon when their hometown team starts doing well in sports so I'm not going to.... officially. However, it is pretty exciting to think that the Cardinals have a shot at the Super Bowl coming up! Who would have thought??? Certainly not me! So here's to a shot at the Super Bowl!

A Few of my favorite things...PB & PBK Spring 2009

2009-01-07T18:20:00.017-07:00

I've been working all week setting up at the store which shall remain nameless but I have seen some product that I am really liking so far. Here is my list of favorite things from Pottery Barn and Pottery Barn Kids:

PBK Teapot base

PBK Teacup base--There are already backorders for this base! It is SOOO CUTE!

Elmhurst branch shelves--Can I have the mural too?

PB Eclectic Shaped Wooden Pinboard--such a cute idea!

PB Voyager trunk

PB Pounded Silver Mirror

PB Organic Crewel-Embroidered Duvet Cover & Sham--This is so feminine and would be ruined in my house in a week but I still love it!!

Beginning a new (& hopefully cleaner) year...

2009-01-02T20:21:00.006-07:00

So here we are already 2 days into January and I'm still trying to recover from the holidays. One of my new goals is to do a major clean of the house...but, first things first: LAUNDRY!!!

Anyone else trying to tame the laundry beast from the holidays? Me too!

I am finding little chocolate stains all over our clothes (hmmm I wonder why) and I came across this stain remover checklist from Martha Stewart which has become a lifesaver.

Good luck and happy washing!

Holiday Wreath Hors d'œuvre

2008-12-22T07:05:00.009-07:00

Here is a yummy recipe from Pampered Chef that I just love. It's great to bring to a holiday party and really simple to make. Enjoy!

Ingredients

2 pkgs. refrigerated crescent rolls--8 oz.
1/2 c red bell peppers--chopped
1/2 c fresh broccoli--chopped
1/4 c water chestnuts--drained and chopped
2 tsp onion--chopped
1 c Co-Jack shredded cheese
1 can chunk chicken--drained and flaked
2/3 c canned condensed cream of chicken soup

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Unroll crescent dough; separate into triangles. Arrange triangles in circle on greased 14-inch pizza pan with wide ends overlapping in center and points toward the outside.

In large bowl, combine bell pepper, broccoli, water chestnuts, onion, cheese, chicken and soup. Scoop mixture evenly onto widest end of each triangle. Bring outside points of triangles down over filling and tuck under wide ends of dough at center. (Filling will not be completely covered.) Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Polar Express Party

2008-12-18T08:11:00.002-07:00

I wanted to post some pictures of a Christmas party I was in charge of last weekend. It was a huge success and a lot of fun! We had a family party at my church and the theme was the "Polar Express!"

We covered the tables with white butcher paper and traced big trains for the kids to color as they came in.

The best part was that a neighbor of mine made a huge train out of PVC pipe and cardboard! It was so fun! He put a fog machine on the top so it looked like steam coming out and it even had a working spotlight! We would play train sound effects and with the steam it made it look real!

We covered the walls in black butcher paper and then we splatter painted silver stars on it to look like the night sky. We had both sides of the room covered with Christmas trees so it looked like we were in the forest.

We had a gentleman from our church be the Conductor and he walked around with his pocket watch and train whistle calling people all aboard and calling out when the train was going to depart! It was so cute! We had given gold tickets to the kids the week before in church and they would bring them up to him and he would punch holes in them!

I put together a 10 minute slide show of the Polar Express using the audio track of Liam Neeson reading it to clips of the movie. We put down to huge 8X10 carpets for the kids to sit on to watch.

When the slideshow was over, we had the kids sing Christmas Carols and when they sang "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town," Santa came through the train and surprised the kids!

The kids (who we told to come dressed in their PJs) came up and had their picture taken with Santa and each received a bell. I had ribbon made that said "Polar Express 2008" tied to each bell.

While the kids waited for Santa, we had reindeer crafts for them to do! Click here to download the directions for the craft.

For refreshments, we just served cookies and had a hot chocolate bar (that I forgot to get a picture of!) The whole night was so fun and magical! I loved watching the kids have so much fun!

I used a lot of templates for posters, tickets, and games from this website.

Ok, now that that's over, maybe I could decorate my tree today? We'll see...

I hate school right now...

2008-12-04T08:50:00.002-07:00

I checked my google reader this morning and there was over 1000 posts I still haven't read that I'm trying to get to. Did I mention I hate school right now? Plus I'm getting comments from my sister saying "What are you too good to comment now?" I'm trying to get it all in!!! I have had one thing after another and I have a huge party I'm throwing Saturday night, plus school, plus family, plus I went to the doctor yesterday and I have an ear, nose, and throat infection.

Ok, I've vented. I feel better now.

I did manage to change my blog to a more "holiday" look which makes me feel more in the mood. I can't believe it's already the 4th.

Does anyone else have a half decorated, no tree up house like I do?

A Thanksgiving's best friend...

2008-11-29T12:00:00.006-07:00

A Potato Ricer. It is an ingenious tool and a must have for Thanksgiving and any other time you are making mashed potatoes. Once you boil your potatoes of choice, you place them in the hopper and press down on the handle. It reminds me a little of the Play Dough factory. Anyway, this makes the process of mashing potatoes go much faster because it's efficient and you barely have to whip the little potato rice pieces together. These are great when you are working with Russet potatoes and you don't want to over whip the potatoes.

You can purchase these at Williams Sonoma for $32. I know it's a little pricey but it's well worth the investment!

Last Minute Thanksgiving Place Cards

2008-11-25T15:29:00.000-07:00

Wow! I can't believe where the time has gone! The past couple of weeks have been crazy for me with some online courses I'm taking to renew my teaching certificate. I feel so out of the blogging loop!!! I've missed seeing and reading about everyone's fantastic and creative ideas! I can't wait to have some time this weekend to catch-up on everyone!

In case you are looking for some last minute Thanksgiving place cards (like me!), it's Martha once again to the rescue! Here is a link for her Thanksgiving clip-arts and templates! Just print and place!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Erin

November=Potatoes & Cheese

2008-11-19T18:00:00.000-07:00

When it's cold in November, I love having these two recipes! These aren't the most low-fat recipes for your diet but they are so COMFORTING!

Cheesy Potato Soup
Ingredients:
1 1/2 Cans Chicken Broth
1/2 Cup Water
5 Tablespoons Butter, melted
5 Tablespoons Flour
1 Tablespoon Minced Onion
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
2 Cups Half and Half
1/8 Teaspoon Oregano
4 Cups Cubed Potatoes with/without skins
1/2 Teaspoon Pepper
1/8 Teaspoon Parsley

Garnishments:
Sliced Green Onions
Cheddar Cheese
Crisp Cooked Bacon Bits

Directions:
In large pan, mix chicken broth, water, minced onions, oregano, and parsley. Bring to a boil, then simmer 5 minutes then add melted butter. Stir in flour slowly. Add salt and pepper. Add half and half.

Cook until bubbly. Add potatoes. Cook until done over low to medium heat, stirring occasionally. If cooked too fast, the soup will burn before potatoes cook thoroughly.

Garnish each bowl with the chopped onion, crisp cooked bacon, and grated cheese.

********************************************************************************************************************************

A couple of years ago, I went to a cooking class at Williams Sonoma and this is one of the recipes they shared with us. The secret to this is to ONLY use Yukon potatoes and be sure to use fresh chives! It makes such a difference.

Cheddar-Chive Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients:
4 lb. large Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and
quartered
Kosher salt, to taste
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
8 Tbs. (1 stick) unsalted butter
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1/4 cup snipped fresh chives
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions:
Put the potatoes in a large stockpot, add water to cover by 2 inches and generously salt the water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the potatoes are tender when pierced, 20 to 30 minutes. Drain well in a colander and let stand for 5 minutes. Set a potato ricer over a large bowl and pass the potatoes through in batches.

Preheat an oven to 450°F. Butter a 2-quart baking dish.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, warm the half-and-half and butter until the butter melts and small bubbles appear along the edges of the pan. Remove from the heat.

Add the half-and-half mixture to the potatoes and stir until just combined. Add 1 cup of the cheese and 3 Tbs. of the chives and stir until just combined. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon the potatoes into the prepared baking dish and spread evenly. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup cheese.

Bake until the cheese is melted and lightly browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes, then sprinkle with the remaining 1 Tbs. chives. Serve immediately. Serves 10 to 12.

(Williams Sonoma)

Thanksgiving Kids Table

2008-11-18T00:48:00.001-07:00

My family is already making plans and assignments for Thanksgiving night. One of my assignments is the kids' table. Here's how I decorated kids table last year..

I've been trying to find some more things for the kids to do at their table so they don't get so bored and familyfun.com has some really great ideas! To find the kids Thanksgiving stuff click here!

Marshmallow Pilgrim Hats

2008-11-12T18:02:00.022-07:00

I've been wanting to post these for a couple of days, but my kids have had THE FLU! AHHH! My sister-in-law already beat me to the punch on these but they are so cute, I think they are worth the extra mention! (Besides, great minds think alike!) This idea is from Family Fun Magazine.

Marshmallow Pilgrim Hats:

INGREDIENTS:
24 chocolate-striped shortbread cookies
12-ounce package of chocolate chips
24 marshmallows
tube of yellow decorators' frosting

DIRECTIONS:

Set the chocolate-striped cookies stripes down on a wax-paper-covered tray, spacing them well apart.

Melt the chocolate chips in a microwave or double boiler.

One at a time, stick a wooden toothpick into a marshmallow, dip the marshmallow into the melted chocolate, and promptly center it atop a cookie.

Using a second toothpick to lightly hold down the marshmallow, carefully pull out the first toothpick.

Chill the hats until the chocolate sets, then pipe a yellow decorators' frosting buckle on the front of each hat.

(all pictures from familyfun.go.com)

What could be better than a chocolate marshmallow combo? I think kids will love this!

Candy Corn Molasses Cookies

2008-11-10T18:00:00.002-07:00

Have some left-over candy corns still?

I remember being dragged to my sisters' elementary Fall Festivals and the only reason it wasn't a total waste is that they served molasses cookies with candy corn. I know it sounds a little weird, but they were SO good. I've searched high and low for the best molasses recipe. My favorite is still from the old Joys of Cooking book. Here it is:

Molasses Cookies with Candy Corn

Ingredients:
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground ginger
1 large egg
1/4 c molasses
1 tsp baking soda
granulated sugar
candy corns

Directions:
Beat butter and brown sugar in large bowl until light and fluffy. Add remaining ingredients (except for granulated sugar and candy corns), and beat until well blended. The dough will be soft so refrigerate until firm enough to handle, at least 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. Shape dough into 1-inch balls and roll in granulated sugar. Place on cookies sheets 2 inches apart. Bake 1 sheet at a time, until firm, about 9 minutes total. Halfway through the baking time (around 5 minutes), pull sheet out of the oven and place your candy corns on the cookies. Return immediately to the oven and cook the remaining 4 minutes or so. Let stand briefly then remove to a rack to cool. ENJOY!!!

Thanksgiving Silhouettes

2008-11-08T19:54:00.001-07:00

Everywhere I look, I see silhouettes everywhere! Maybe it's because I'm always looking for them... but, I came across these today at Martha Stewart. I'm trying to figure out where I can incorporate these:

To download the templates click here!

Look how cute it is for this Thanksgiving kids table!

Thanksgiving Countdown Calendar

2008-11-07T22:36:00.003-07:00

One of my favorite decorations for Thanksgiving is my countdown calendar. This is from the Pottery Barn Kids line last year. I have to admit, I am not a fan of the one this year.

Instead of stuffing it with candy, we do thankful cards each day. At breakfast every morning, Weezy tells me something she is thankful for. Here is one she did a couple of days ago:

On the night of Thanksgiving, I'm going to pull them all out and we'll read them all together as a family. Just an idea for you--I'd love to hear any Thanksgiving traditions you do!

Thanksgiving Decorating

2008-11-06T21:19:00.002-07:00

I have been rearranging and tweaking everything in my house. Nothing ever stays the same. Anyone else have this problem? Anyway, I'm really just enjoying the Thanksgiving season. It's such a beautiful holiday and there is nothing better than being with your family, eating great food, and reflecting on everything you are grateful for.

It's so hard not to start thinking about Christmas but I really just want to step away and focus on Thanksgiving. Here's what I have been working on:

I'm sure it will all change tomorrow! Happy Fall!

So hard to say good-bye...

2008-11-05T21:03:00.004-07:00

Why is it so had to put my daughter's Halloween decorations away? She saw me decorating for Halloween last month and asked if she could decorate her playroom. I said ABSOLUTELY and she worked all day on it and was SO EXCITED to show me when she was all done. It was the cutest thing I have ever seen, especially her balled up cobwebs!

I hope she wants to do this every year! Who knew an egg carton spider could make you so happy! I think I'll keep it up just one more day!

VOTE 2008

2008-11-04T16:47:00.003-07:00

No matter who or what you voted for, I'm so proud today! Record number of voters, voters waiting in long lines, and voters fighting the weather! YEAH AMERICA! Even my little girl got to "vote" today and was so excited about it! I can't wait to see how it all turns out tonight!

4-4 Tag!

2008-11-03T20:15:00.002-07:00

I've been tagged again, this time by Whitney over here.

Here were the rules: The way to play this game of tag is to go to your picture files and look in the fourth folder and find the fourth picture. Then display and explain.

So I went back deep into the vaults and found the 4th and 4th and here's what it was:

What young pups! This was taken 12/31/01 in New York City. The MAN and I, for our first anniversary, went to New York to celebrate New Years in Time Square. Right behind us is where the Twin Towers once stood. This was taken just 3 months after 9/11 and you can't make out too much behind us but I can tell you there were just massive cranes and wreckage everywhere still and people working non-stop. It was just incredible to witness first hand. I will never forget what I saw.

The Circus That Was Halloween

2008-11-02T15:52:00.026-07:00

I don't know what happened to the last week of October... does anyone else?

It started out like this-- We went to Trick-or-Treating at Disneyland with Dorothy & Tinker Bell:

This is my new favorite picture and it was the most magical part of it all... Weezy found a scarecrow perched in the Bug's Life part and she kept asking him if he was going to come down. He was really cute with her and they had a conversation about Oz for a few minutes! She was just in awe! It was the best!

Then we got home on Wednesday and hosted a huge Halloween Block party on our cul de sac. Over 300 people showed up!

Then Weezy had preschool Halloween parties Thursday...

Before I knew it, it was Friday night.

Halloween Night--Knocky Knock cried through most of the pictures! We could not get her to look at us! She hated her Tinker Bell costume so we took it off so we could drive out to my sisters house to see my family without her crying the whole way.

Just before we arrived at my sister's house, I said to my husband, "Where is Knocky Knock's costume?" He gave me a totally blank stare. WE HAD LEFT IT AT HOME!! I said, "We've got to go back! She can't go trick-or-treating without a costume (she was just in her tights and shoes!)" But I knew we couldn't because everyone was waiting for us. I was SO SAD! How could I FORGET her costume? WHAT KIND OF MOTHER AM I? A crazy one, I guess.

When we got there, my husband disappeared with Knocky Knock and I told everyone how sad I was that I had forgotten Knocky's costume! Then out of nowhere, I hear screams of laughter and this is what I saw...

My husband had found a sharpie and had drawn a "costume" on her! We all died when we saw her! We nicknamed her the "Sharpie Harpy."

I learned a great lesson that night...When things don't go the way you want them too, just draw a sharpie bikini!

Hope everyone had a great Halloween...until next year!!!

Craft Day Take 2--"PROCRAFTINATORS"

2008-10-30T23:07:00.025-07:00

My family has recently decided to start "craft days" every so often. They consist of basically showing up at my mom's house, mooching off her food, giggling, and never finishing the craft. We all have small children that come with us and it's like herding cats all day as you can imagine.

Our first craft that I told you about was this:

2 months later... I finally finished it!

I started out with this fabric. Long story short, we cut the pattern wrong and I got the new pink fabric and ordered the toile fabric again in hopes of doing another apron. Hasn't happened yet.

So this earlier this month, we decided to have another craft day and make something like this:

This craft is basically using MDF, scrapbook paper and MDF letters. The BOO is the front and the JOY is the back or vice versa. You get two crafts out of one and you can use it twice a year.

None of us could figure places where we would want to hang it vertically so we decided to make them go horizontally on easels. Well,we started two weeks ago and just yesterday, we finished. YEAH, Halloween is today. This craft is not hard, we are just craft "procraftinators!" HELP!

Basically, here's what you can do:
--Go to Home Depot and get 5/8 inch MDF board and have them cut 12X12 squares for you.

--Use craft paint of your choice to paint the edges (we found that spray paint soaked in to much).

--Get some MDF letters--we got ours from Hobby Lobby.

--Spray paint your letters the color of your choice. We found that your spray paint doesn't have to be perfect if you are covering it with glitter! We used black paint for the BOO side and American Accents Garnet Red for the JOY

--Once the paint is dry, use spray adhesive on your letters and dust with glitter. We used black Hobby Lobby sugar coat glitter and red wagon Scrapbook shimmer I got from my sister-in-law.

--While your glitter drys, spray each 12X12 block individually and place your 3 Halloween 12X12 papers on the front and your 3 Christmas 12X12 papers on the back. I would say the paper was the hardest part because people could NOT decide WHAT PAPER TO USE! Hello, 2 hours at the scrapbook store! The spray adhesive worked great but make sure you spray the corners really well. We did try modge podge as well but it made the paper bubble so I wouldn't use it.

--Once you get your paper and letters dry, hot glue the letters and voila! You are done! You can either hang them from ribbon, place them on easels, or if you want to use chipboard and chipboard letters you could frame them with 12X12 Album frames from Michaels.
Some of my sisters didn't use glitter and sanded the edges to give it a distressed look and antiqued the edges with a stamp. The thing is, there are many possibilities with these! Add jewels, add ribbon, buttons, flower, whatever!

Here's just some different paper we used:

Here's my cute mother-in-laws:

Halloween Party Ideas

2008-10-30T06:43:00.028-07:00

Here's some last minute ideas for your Halloween parties/dinners. My family usually gathers together for dinner on Halloween night and since we all live practically on top of each other, there's usually a crowd!

Witches Brew (which is usually root beer with dry ice) and for the kids we made Ghost Milk. The ghost face is an idea I got from Martha Stewart! The kids loved it! For the directions, click here.

For the main course, we make Spooky Shepherd's pie! For the recipe click here.

Witches Fingers are always a hit with the kids. I've seen a couple of variations this year with this, but here is the recipe we use is basically the Pillsbury bread sticks, spread some Parmesan cheese on the top, stick a slivered almond at the top for the fingernail and use the baking directions on the Pillsbury bread stick can.

Ghostly Greens is a fun and easy salad to do especially if you're short on time. I make my favorite green salad and I make the croutons by using mini halloween cookie cutters that I found at Target. I have also seen them at Crate and Barrel and Marshalls. Take some white bread, cut out the shape you want with your cutter (I love doing ghosts, bats, and cats) and brush olive oil and butter over the top with seasoning like garlic salt and pepper and then bake @ 275 until golden brown (usually 5-10 minutes). You can make these a day ahead of time and just store them in a ziplock and just toss together and the last minute.

On a cold Autumn night, I love having a hot dip and this is SO yummy! Take some Sheepherder's bread and hollow it out. For the bread that gets cut out, chop or tear it into chunks for dipping. Keep the top part of the bread to keep it warm and make it look more like a brain. Here is the recipe I use for the inside: click here.

For the guys, we have bat (chicken) wings and swamp dip. This is always a last minute thing for me to do, so I usually cheat by going to Costco and getting their wings and then usually some kind of BBQ sauce from Williams Sonoma. (THEY NEVER KNOW THE DIFFERENCE.)

Bugs on a log are always a kid favorite which is basically celery stalks with peanut butter and raisins. If you have a Trader Joe's around you, try their brand peanut butter--IT IS THE BEST ON THE PLANET!

Mummy Toes are also fun and fast to make and adults and kids love them too. Besides you can use the slivered almonds that you already had for the witches fingers! You basically make mini pigs in a blanket and stick a slivered almond at the end for the toe nail! With some ketchup it looks so spooky!

Everyone in my family LOVES salsa and chips, so we call it Dracula Salsa and vampire teeth. Use your favorite salsa recipe and triangular tortilla chips for a great appetizer! I wish I could give you my dad's salsa recipe because it is truly the best, but he'd kill me.

If you need more appetizers for a crowd and are running short on prep time, I get a cheese ball and some veggies and call it Mold and Mildew dip. It's easy and I usually don't hear anyone complaining about some good ol' standards.

I hope you have a fun Halloween tomorrow night!

PBK 75% off Halloween

2008-10-29T10:00:00.000-07:00

So I was doing floor set this morning for the store which shall remain nameless, and we got word to mark down Halloween stuff to 75% off. This includes decor and costumes!

Being a Recessionista, I began to do the math in my head and realized that a costume that was $120 was now $30 (that is high quality hand stitching no less) and halloween plates that were $5 were now $1.25, tumblers that were $3.50 were now 87 cents, runners that were $35 were now $6.25, and so on...

I figure I have a nice Halloween costume for Knocky Knock next year or a fun dress-up dress. These are also cute gifts for neighbors (maybe fill up the tumbler with candy and wrap it in cello? Plate of cookies for neighbors on the spider plate?) I believe they are also offering this deal online if you don't have a store near you! Good Luck!

To check out more decor, go to: www.potterybarnkids.com

RECESSIONISTA!

2008-10-28T14:26:00.007-07:00

I was reading my current US Weekly mag last night catching up on Madonna & Guy, Brad & Angelina, Zac and Vanessa, when I came across a term that made me just laugh: Recessionista.

Re.ces.sion.is.ta [re-ses-shun-ee-stah]--noun
Definition: A-list tastes but a B-list budget

Origin: US Weekly November 3, 2008

Since the economy is... well I don't think I need to explain any further.

Doesn't it just sound better to say "I'm a Recessionista!" rather than "I'm a budget-shopper!" It gives it way more appeal and sophistication don't you think?

So from here on out I'm a Recessionista! Who's with me?

TAG!

2008-10-28T13:46:00.005-07:00

I have been tagged! I wasn't sure what that meant at first...I am kinda blonde when it comes to blogging (no harm meant--I am a blonde). Erin, my blogging buddy over at Shades of Color tagged me last week and I'm ashamed to say it has taken me this long to respond! I was on vacation WITH NO WIRELESS! I wanted to pull my hair out!

So here are the rules she gave to me:
Link to the person who tagged you, and post the rules in your post
Share 7 random/weird facts about yourself
Tag 7 random people at the end of your blog and link to their blogs
Let each person know they've been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog

7 random things about myself...holy smokes, I hope I can come up with 7!

#1 - I have webbed toes. Did I loose you yet? Only two of them however, so I'm not a total mutant. Just remember when we have "Waterworld" going on, I can save you because my toes make me a great swimmer.

#2 - I collect money from all over the world and keep it hidden in a spot in my house that no one knows about. My dad travels all over world and brings me money back. I've been collecting it since I was a little girl.

#3 - I am a movie JUNKIE. I am one of those weird people that loves the "Bonus Material" disc that comes with your DVD. I am more interested in how the movie was made than the actual movie. I'd rather listen to the commentary rather than the dialogue.

#4 - I LOVE musical/dance movies! LOVE THEM! I have to watch them alone in my house because my husband gets so annoyed! I just took my 4 year old to High School Musical telling everyone how much SHE wanted to see it when it was really me that wanted to see it!

#5 - I am a fan of music. I listen to everything from rap/hip hop to country and I love listening to music LOUD.

#6 - Most people find it random that I have a degree in Biology since it's pretty far from the work I do now. But, I do love biology and my favorite subject was genetics.

#7 - I am, what my family refers to as, a "bedding whore." I am obsessed with buying bedding. I change my bedding with the seasons and if at all possible more often than that.

Ok, so there are 7 random/weird things about me. I'm sure those close to me could come up with more than that, but this is all I am willing to admit to.

So I tag:

Annie @ But I Just Don't Want To

This is all I am going to do because I promise her responses will be worth 7 people!
Go ANNIE!

Autumn Corn Munch

2008-10-27T16:47:00.008-07:00

Just in time for Halloween! Here's a little last minute munch to add to your festivities that I got from Taste Of Home magazine. I tried it out on my family this past weekend and it was gone in no time!

Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons butter
3 cups Corn Chex
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups cheese popcorn
1 package (14 oz.) Halloween colored M&Ms
2 packages (4 ounces each) corn nuts
6 ounces Cracker Jack
Optional:
(1 package (18 oz.) candy corn)
(1 cup raisins)

Directions:
in a large skillet, melt butter; add Corn Chex and toss to coat. Cook and stir on medium heat until cereal is lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and set aside to cool. In a large bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Add Corn Chex and toss!

**When I made this I didn't have candy corn with me so I didn't add it and my family said, " NO RAISINS!" so I didn't add those either, but I bet it would be good with it! If anyone tries it with the candy corns & raisins, let me know how it worked out!

Happy Munching!

Christmas Decor Arrowhead Style

2008-10-26T19:01:00.006-07:00

We just got back from our vacation and I am already dreading this upcoming week trying to catch-up! This weekend we were in one of my favorite places on the planet which is Lake Arrowhead in California. My favorite decor store is there which we refer to in my family as "Liar Bob's" but it's real name is Timberline In the Glen. For all of you that have a glitter addiction like I do, this is the place for you!

I wish I had brought a better lens with me but here's just a taste of their holiday stuff they had out. THESE PICS DO NOT DO IT JUSTICE but it's still fun to look at and get some ideas for winter decor!

Pumpkin Centerpiece

2008-10-24T09:16:00.009-07:00

More fun at Aunt Jane's house...

Jane is the most fabulous decorator! Like I said before, when you leave her house you are somewhere in between slightly depressed and envious because you wish your house looked like hers.

Here is the latest of what I wish I could do for a fall centerpiece.

I thought the idea of having a bunch of different size, shape, color, & texture pumpkins was fabulous!

I wish I had a better picture of the chandelier but it was so cute with the spiders!

Gone Trick or Treating

2008-10-22T16:56:00.002-07:00

I'm so excited because tonight we are going Trick-or-Treating at Disneyland! I'll be back soon!

Driving By Porches

2008-10-20T19:35:00.018-07:00

Melissa over the The Inspired Room is hosting Porches on Parade today! It's one of my favorite blogs so go on and check it out!

Here are a few porches I drove by today that I love...

I love how inviting this is...

I LOVE the doors on this house!

My neighbors house...her daughter Jami just "threw this together one day." How do you do that? Click here to see her blog. She's fabulous!

Finally, my aunt's house which is always my favorite! Her house is the kind of house where you leave slightly depressed/envious because you wish your house looked like this.

Love this...

and especially this!

Here's my porch. I love pulling in at night and hearing "Weezy" say, "Oh Mommy, it's soooo spooky!"

But I Just Don't Want To

2008-10-19T21:10:00.003-07:00

My sister Annie just started blogging and I'm so glad she FINALLY did--she is the funniest person I know. She's having a GREAT giveaway right now...head over there and check it out! I promise you won't be disappointed! Click here!

Hershey Pumpkin Kiss Recipe

2008-10-16T21:31:00.009-07:00

I went to Target this morning and I beheld something I had never seen before. Maybe I'm the last one on the boat for this but Hershey's Chocolate come out with Pumpkin Spice Kisses!!

a.k.a. Manna From Heaven

My mind began racing with the cooking possibilities of this wonderful new gift I had in my hands. My favorite cookies on the planet are the peanut butter blossom cookies with the chocolate Hershey kiss in the center, so I decided to, in the words of Joey Tribbiani "PUT YOUR HANDS TOGETHER..." (5 bonus points to whoever gets that joke, another 10 points for whoever names that Friends episode). Here's my new concoction for the day...

Pumpkin Blossoms

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened
1 cup LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Sanding sugar (optional)
Bag of Hershey pumpkin spice kisses

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease baking sheets.

Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in medium bowl. Beat sugar and butter in large mixer bowl until well blended. Beat in pumpkin, egg and vanilla extract until smooth. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto prepared baking sheets. Optional--sprinkle with sanding sugar.

Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until edges are firm. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Once the pumpkin cookies have cooled stick the pumpkin kiss in the middle. I find it's best to refrigerate the kisses so they don't melt once you place them in the cookie.

Now if you really want to go for the GUSTO, glaze the cookies and then stick the pumpkin kisses in the center! Wow--that is even better!!

For glaze:
Combine 2 cups sifted powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons milk, 1 tablespoon melted butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in small bowl until smooth. Drizzle over cookies.

Ok, I think I'm sick now from eating all the pumpkin kisses...

Perfect Autumn Mix

2008-10-15T21:56:00.009-07:00

I'm really new to this blogging thing...not sure I really understand it all yet, BUT I did finally figure out tonight how to put a playlist on the bottom of my blog. I'm kinda excited still that I did it by myself! It got me thinking...

What is the perfect mix for Autumn songs?

Here is my list of songs so far:

1.Autumn--Paolo Nutini
2. Great Pumpkin Waltz--Vince Guaraldi
3. Autumn Leaves--Nat King Cole
4. Autumn to May--Peter, Paul, and Mary
5. October--U2
6. September Song--Sarah Vaughan
7. Woods--George Winston
8. September In the Rain--Doris Day
9. Autumn in New York--Frank Sinatra
10. October Road--James Taylor
11. Harvest Hymn--BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
12. Early Autumn--King Sisters (Love you Glamma!)
13. Autumn (Live)--Andy Williams
14. October--Evanescence

I feel like I'm not thinking of some...what are your favorite Autumn tunes?

The Secret is in the Sauce Blogathon!

2008-10-13T23:00:00.008-07:00

It's a SAUCY lovefest today!

What is this blog you ask? It’s a place to be introduced to a bunch of cool blogs! I am pretty new to blogging and I really had no idea how it worked when I started (not sure I really do now), but it was great to read all these different blogs from around the world and see what everyone was talking about. Case in point, here are 5 blogs I think are fantastic that I found through SITS (in no particular order):

--Live.Love.Eat: Adorable gal with the most interesting recipes! I love her list of things she still wants to make!

--An American In Norway: A hilarious and honest blog about her everyday life! I enjoy her perspective on being a mom!

--Thrify Décor Chic: Great ideas for home décor on a budget! Wait till you see her latest window treatment! So inspiring!

--Pennies In My Pocket: In an economy like this, thank goodness there are gals out there like Melody who are looking out for the deals and teaching us how to budget!

--A Soft Place To Land: This is one of the cutest blogs out there! I love her home décor and how to’s on décor! Check out her fall décor!

and ( I know this is the 6th one)...

--Be Different…Act Normal: Ok, so this is my sister-in-law and I knew about her before SITS, but she is SAUCY! Her blog is stuffed FULL of great ideas on just about EVERYTHING! She is adorable and so is her blog. CHECK IT OUT!!!

There are so many more wonderful blogs out there that I'm still being introduced to! The community is growing so fast! Today would be a good day to head over to SITS! They are giving away huge amounts of prizes today! Thank you to Heather and Tiffany for putting this all together!

Candy Corn Dessert

2008-10-12T16:56:00.011-07:00

Here is a really easy and yummy dessert for Autumn!

Ingredients:
Instant butterscotch pudding
Instant banana cream pudding
Milk
Heavy whipping cream
Sugar
Vanilla extract
Plastic cups
Candy corns

Instructions:
For the bottom layer, mix and follow the directions for the butterscotch pudding and pour immediately into your cups. It should set up within 5 minutes.

While the butterscotch is setting up, mix the banana cream pudding.

Once the first layer is set, pour the banana mix over it.

Now mix your whipping cream. I always start with 1 cup cream, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. It also helps to freeze your bowl and whisk for a few hours ahead of time that you will be using to mix your cream. I'm a BIG believer in using REAL whip cream! NO COOL WHIP!!! I personally don't like the taste of Cool Whip and I can't use it even if I'm in a bind for time! (Well I guess there goes that future endorsement deal.)

Scoop and spread your whip cream over the banana for your top layer.

Garnish the top with some candy corns...

Refrigerate until ready to serve!

Halloween Treat Bags

2008-10-12T06:51:00.006-07:00

A cute and inexpensive way to make treat bags for a Halloween party are these! I made these for a party last year and put a bunch of stickers, pencils, games, and candy in them to hand out to the kids at the end of the monster bash! You can find directions on how to make them here!

Dear Martha Stewart...

2008-10-09T23:16:00.019-07:00

Dear Martha--

Three years ago, this magazine showed up in my mailbox and it sent a Halloween chill up my spine. I thought I MUST DO THIS!

However, I was in the middle of moving at the time==never happened. The following year (2006), major pregnant==never happened. October 2007, my sweet Dad made me my witch as a surprise and I absolutely died over it. We thought we'd have time to make the cats a week before Halloween, but as you all know how time goes==never happened. October 2008, determined more than ever==MADE IT HAPPEN!

I know it's not quite as glamorous as yours Martha, but it is my favorite decoration for Halloween. Thank you for inspiring us all to the point we KILL ourselves over holidays, but that's what living life to the fullest is all about right?

Your devout servant and fan,
Erin

In all seriousness, these aren't too hard, but they do take TIME. Here's what you'll need:

The templates and directions:

For the witch, click here.

For the cats, click here.

Tip: In her directions, she tells you to use latex paint, which is good for the weather, but I did my final coat with a flat base spray paint so it wasn't so shinny. Also, I used wooden stakes instead of the conduit. I think the conduit would have been better to use because it's stronger which would make it easier to hammer into the ground.

Thank you to THE MAN for helping me MAKE IT HAPPEN!

Decorating for Halloween

2008-10-07T13:12:00.015-07:00

I am finally getting done decorating for Fall/Halloween. I really love decorating for Halloween because my 4 year-old loves it so much! Here's what I have been working on...

Fall media cabinet...check.

Entryway...check. (This is my ode to my Uncle Bob Clarke who was a great "B-list" monster movie star. The magazine cover is him dressed up as "The Hideous Sun Demon" and the picture is of him next to Borris Karloff in the movie "Bedlam")

Kitchen movie poster...check.

Fall Bedding... check.

Dinning Room table...check.

Pictures in frames changed to Fall...check. (Yes, that's right folks, my pictures change with the season. I am teased about this but it keeps it interesting, right! LIVE LIVE LIVE people!)

Halloween countdown calendar...check.

Foyer...check. (I just finished getting my Disneyland Haunted Mansion portrait framed and I must admit--I love it and it may be one of my favorite Halloween pieces.)

Remember my Hobby Lobby candy jars I bought for $1.99? Here's what I did with them. Just some scrapbook paper and my $1 Halloween stickers from Target and viola--I am planning on just changing the fronts for the different holidays.

The Mysteries of Harris Burdick

2008-10-06T12:53:00.006-07:00

A great book for Halloween is the Chris Van Allsburg, "The Mysteries of Harris Burdick". Even if you're not a fan of Chris (have your head checked if you aren't) the illustrations are absolutely stunning. I don't want to give too much away about the book, but you need to get it and read the preface first before you look at all the illustrations. It's a great book for adults and kids. I love asking my daughter to fill in the blanks about what happened in each picture and to listen to her imagination! Here are just some of the illustrations you'll find...

JUST DESERT

______________

She lowered the knife and

it grew even brighter.

THE HARP

__________

So it's true he thought, it's really true.

MR. LINDEN'S LIBRARY

___________________

He had warned her about the book.

Now it was too late.

SITS Giveaway: Photoshop Elements!

2008-10-06T12:51:00.000-07:00

I don't know anyone who wouldn't want this... sign up if you haven't already at the Secret Is In the Sauce website and you could win Photoshop Elements for Mac or PC. Thank you to the SITS girls for remember us Mac girls!

The Secret is in the Sauce: October Giveaway: Photoshop Elements!

Matthew Mead Halloween Icons

2008-10-03T15:46:00.002-07:00

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Matthew Mead! If you haven't purchased these magazines, you need to run out and do so NOW:

In Country Home this month, he has a cute idea for candy tins that I think would work perfectly for the Hobby Lobby jars I bought. He has a free download right now for these letters and icons. Click here.

In the Matthew Mead Halloween Tricks and Treats he also has some downloads that spell WICKED or GHOSTS that can also be used for mugs, jar, candy tins, etc. Click here for the templates.

While you are visiting the Matthew Mead website, be sure to click on "Free Halloween Templates"

Here is a preview of what you will find:

Halloween at Target

2008-10-03T15:42:00.005-07:00

Right now at Target in the $1 area, you can find really cute scrapbooking stickers for Halloween!

Pumpkin Bars

2008-09-28T15:49:00.004-07:00

One of my favorite things to eat to get me in the "Autumnal" mood is pumpkin bars. Here is a recipe from a neighbor of mine when I lived in Kentucky. You're the best Miss Tina!!!

Pumpkin Bars
4 eggs
1 and 2/3 cups sugar
1 cup oil
15-16 oz. pumpkin
2 cups flour
2 tsp. flour
2 tsp. cinnanmon
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt

Frosting:
8 oz cream cheese
1/2 stick of butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
milk, if needed

In a large bowl, combine eggs, sugar, oil, and pumpkin; mix well. Add flour, cinnamon, baking powder,baking soda, and salt; mix well. Pour into a 15X10X1 (or larger) pan. Bake at 350 F for about 25 minutes. Cool and add frosting.

Quick, Cheap, and Spooky!

2008-09-25T14:53:00.011-07:00

This year, I am decorating on a budget. Here's a quick Halloween project that is quick, cheap, and spooky! I got the idea from Joys Of Home. I had three different sized candlesticks and three little white pumpkins from the year before. One trip to the dollar store, some black spray paint, and a printer and you are all set to go!

Since I don't have a way to do vinyl lettering I just printed out the letters B O O using Blackletter font on Word and cut them out. Take some spray adhesive and spray the front of your individual pumpkins and attach the letters carefully. Try not to spray too much or get it on your fingers.

I went to the dollar store and found these little $1 holly wreaths

Take some black spray paint and spray them down! I kinda like it with some of the read showing, but you perfectionists out there--make it all black!

Once the paint has dried (10-20 minutes), place the holly underneath the pumpkins and arrange it how you like!

The Secret is in the Sauce: September is SAUCY- Cricut Expressions!

2008-09-25T07:21:00.002-07:00

The Secret is in the Sauce: September is SAUCY- Cricut Expressions!

CRICUT!! CRICUT!! Secret Is In The Sauce Giveaway! Only a few days left to enter, but definitely worth the try! Check out their blog-- click here!

Do these magazines make me look fat?

2008-09-24T16:26:00.008-07:00

I have a problem. Catalogs & Magazines

Step 1: Admit you have a problem.

So far in this blogspot diary we have identified 2 problems: fake flowers and catalogs. Even my sister-in-law says I have a problem (click here). .

I got up this morning and thought, " I'm ready to decorate for Halloween" so early this morning, I started pulling everything out. I got out my Fall & Halloween catalogs/magazines upstairs and had them sprawled out on the floor and thought, "HOLY...." so I got out the camera and snapped the picture above. What's even worse, after I took the picture I thought, "WAIT I FORGOT ALL THE MAGAZINES DOWNSTAIRS!" (yes there are more than what are pictured!)

So I sent out an email to my family today with the above picture and asked "Do I have a problem?" which is kinda like asking your family, "Do these pants make me look fat?" Of course, none of them said I do which is the polite thing to say, but I know better-- Yes, those magazines make you look fat.

Sharing the Love

2008-09-24T06:52:00.008-07:00

So I said before I'm loving Michael Miller fabrics. I went on Etsy last night to get some ideas and here are some things I found using the MM Christmas fabrics...

So in love...

2008-09-22T15:37:00.007-07:00

I'm in love-- and it's a fabric designer. Michael Miller has the cutest fabrics (I used his toile to make my apron). To see it click here. Anyway, he has a new line out called "Christmas With A Twist" and I absolutely LOVE IT! I'm trying to narrow down things I can make with the fabric...

New Projects

2008-09-19T13:52:00.013-07:00

I finally have a Hobby Lobby (aka "Michaels On Crack") by my house now so I finally had some time to go today for my first visit with my Mom and Lorie. It was a little overwhelming and I know I didn't take it all in but I was very impressed. I found these little candy jars for $1.99 and I have some ideas cooking around in my brain for these but I haven't decided exactly what I'm doing.

The other thing is that I just got the new Martha Stewart Living today with all her Halloween stuff and I loved this project below. I did find hurricanes for cheap ($3.99) at Hobby Lobby as well. We'll see how it turns out!

PUMPKIN LANTERNS

(Sugar pumpkins are small and have only the slightest ribbing. Those with flat bases are best.)

Tools and Materials

Sugar pumpkin
Miniature saw
Hurricane glass
Wax pencil
Fleshing tool
Floral frog
Taper candle

1. Using miniature saw, shave pumpkin's bottom to create a flat, stable base if needed.

2. Place hurricane glass over stem, and trace with wax pencil.

3. Using miniature saw, cut a hole in top of pumpkin, following pencil line.

4. Clean the inside of pumpkin with fleshing tool, removing seeds, pulp, and fibers.

5. Place frog inside pumpkin. Insert candle to test height; trim candle base if needed so that the wick is in line with wide portion of hurricane glass.

Secure candle in frog, and slip glass over candle and into pumpkin (make sure it fits snugly inside hole).

Summer Lovin' Happened So Fast...

2008-09-18T11:44:00.009-07:00

I feel like I can officially kiss summer good-bye. I drove to work this morning without the air on and with the windows down. It was so wonderful! In the spirit of Fall, I thought I'd share what I did over the summer or better known as "My Favorite Picks of Summer" (in no particular order):

Trips to the Cabin

ASU Preschool Summer Camp

Knox & Vivienne

Swimming with the girls

Office Re-runs

Opening Ceremonies

Indiana Jones
Oh wait, my husband forgot to take me like he promised

Disneyland Date w/ Weezy

So You Think You Can Dance

Phelpsy

Shawn-John

Summer Song--Free Fallin'

Goodbye Summer...

Fairy Tale Room

2008-09-15T22:02:00.006-07:00

I'm in the midst of brainstorming how to decorate Weezy's room to go with her new fairy tale bedding. Of course, in my dreams her room would look something like this....

But that's not going to happen.

I have seen some cute ideas online, but nothing I'm crazy about. I did see this vinyl lettering today from Uppercase Living and I definitely want to use this somewhere in her room, maybe above the bed...

You can also buy little wall jewels with it which I think is adorable. Click here to visit Uppercase Living.

If anyone has any ideas, PLEASE let me know!!

Family Fun Magazine Recipes

2008-09-13T22:58:00.011-07:00

One of my favorite magazines is Family Fun! Their newest magazine showed up yesterday and they have some great Halloween ideas. Here is one I think is easy and adorable:

Mini Pumpkins

RECIPE INGREDIENTS:
Circus peanuts
Green gumdrops
Granulated sugar
Skewer or toothpick

For each pumpkin, cut one circus peanut in half. Cut a small piece from a green gumdrop and trim away the sugar coating so you have a dot of the sticky inside. Use this piece as glue to stick the two halves of the peanut together, bottom to bottom.

Roll the pumpkin in the palms of your hands to make it round. Press lightly; you don't want to compress the candy too much.

Use a skewer or toothpick to poke a hole in the top of the pumpkin and draw lines down the sides. Cut another small piece from the green gumdrop and roll it in granulated sugar, molding it into a slightly conical stem shape with your fingers. Insert the stem into the hole on the top of the pumpkin.

Here is another recipe for Fall that was in last months Family Fun magazine:

Mini Carmel Apples

RECIPE INGREDIENTS:
4-inch lollipop sticks
Melon baller
Granny Smith apples (one apple makes about 8 mini apples)
Butterscotch or peanut butter chips
Chopped nuts, nonpareils, sprinkles, shredded coconut (optional)
Small paper candy cups

First, cut the lollipop sticks in half at an angle (the pointy end will go into the apple pieces easier). With the melon baller, scoop little balls out of the apple. Each ball should have a section of apple peel. Push half of a lollipop stick into the peel of each ball. Pat the apple pieces dry.

Melt the chips according to the package directions. Dip and swirl the mini apples in the melted chips, then roll the apples in nuts, sprinkles, nonpareils, or coconut, if desired. Place the mini apples in paper candy cups to set.