Home Again

I feel like I can't blog unless I post a photo, too. I don't have any idea whaere that comes from, but it is some odd self imposed rule I tend to follow. I haven't created anything new lately...at least not in the last 48 ours. So, I am posting an "old" photo, from way back in last week when I made my name tag for my weekend excursion. What you can't se are the pop dots under my moose and heart tag, giving them great depth and dimension. Just believe me, it's stinkin' cute. It is also prettier than the ones we wear at church. I'd wear this to church, but nobody likes a show off, especially in the Lord's House.

I went to get some cupcakes and ice cream cups to share with Seth's class tomorrow for his birthday.(The little booger will be nine!) I have been to Target, Walmart, the grocery, the knit store, Michaels and Sam's. Even had lunch with a friend. I have to start dinner and then run the kids to karate and maybe make a cake. I might bake tomorrow, I do better baking when the kids are not underfoot.

I enjoyed my time away this weekend. The dog enjoyed me being gone, too. When no one was looking she ate all of the candy Seth had collected at the neighborhood easter egg hunt. She ate it, wrappers and all, and seems no worse for wear.

Wicked Tired

If you come here for cards, you are disappointed once again. What can I say? I woke up this morning so tired I would not have gotten myself or Seth out of bed except for the fact that he is trying to get a perfect attendance award for the year at school. So, the pressure is on and I can't blow this for him.

I did finish a scarf the other day. I'd love to tell you what I knit it with, but the yarn name is foreign and I cannot remember it. It is a lovely color scheme of lime green, blue and purple. I took my photo outside in full sun, but still no luck in showing how gorgeous it is in real life.

I am going to Michigan for the weekend, levaing bright and early Friday morning, so you likely won't her from me again until Monday. I am off to a card/papercraft weekend. Sadly, no vendors will be there so I have to take all I ned along with me. That won't be easy because I don't want to check a bag, if I do, I have to pay $15.00 each way for the first bag. I'll be carrying it all on, but can't carry on my scissors, etc...so I have to pack carefully.

The Pokey Blogger

I know my posts have been few and far between, but HEY, I have been sick. And all the cooking I did for the Bake Sale totally wore me out. How did the bake sale go, you wonder? The bake sale is NEXT WEEK!! I totally cooked a week ahead of time. S%#@! And no, I didn't freeze it, I ate it and passed it out to neighbors, so I have to do it all over again.

I didn't even play in totday's challenge despite feeling much better. I did make a sympathy card for a family at church. I love the rbbon I used, it is 3/8 inch satin ribbon and I decided to run over to Michaels and look for some. The ribbon on the card is from Hanna Stamps and I wanted more RIGHT NOW. Alas, Michaels has all kinds of decorative ribbon but no satin ribbon except for the really thin stuff they have had forever. Who buys all that junk? How hard can it be to sell a few classic staples? Thankfully I will be with Kristi of Hanna Stamps this weekend so I can get more ribbon.

Tonight is 24 night and Dancing With the Stars so I have hope they can take my mind of the lack of ribbon in my life.

My True Love

I enjoy baking much more than cooking. My cooking seems to only involve complaints from my children when they have to eat it. It can kill any sense of pleasure I might have had in skillfully preparing and presenting nutrtious food to the hungry masses. So, when Bakerella.com wrote about cake balls, I knew I had found love. True Love. I beg you to go to her site to visit the cuteness. My post pales in comparison.

First you make a cake mix and bak it in a 9x13 inch pan. When it cools you crumble it up and add almost a can of frosting. You can add the whole can if you like, but I find it gooey-er that way and a bit more sticky. You take the crumbled cake/frosting mixture and roll it into balls. My photo is of my favorite, Red Velvet cake.

Then you use a candy mold shaped like a Reece's peanut butter cup and fill it half way with melted chocolate/candy flavors. The brand we have around here is Wilton's Candy Melts but you can use Almond Bark too. You put acake ball into each candy mold so the chocolate comes up to the top of the mold and then I refrigerate it till firm. Once firm, remove them from the mold and dip the top into more melted chocolate/candy. Top with a red M&M and some sprinkles.

I made strawberry ones and lemon ones as well. My family is going to a church retreat this weekend so this will be the snack I take along to share. Our school is also having a bake sell so I am making and plating a few dozen for that, too. In order to not get them mixed up, the strawberry one shave a pink to and the lemon ones have yellow on top.

I have not yet finished the last batch of Red Velvet, but they will get an assigned color, too, and will have a brown chocolate base. The red color is beautiful to bite into and the chocolate taste is to die for. Sadly, not everyone I know enjoys chocolate, which explains the variety of flavors.

I have had a cold for about a week now. I went to the doctor yesteday hoping I really had developed a sinus infection. Why? At least a sinus infection is treatable. Instead, it is a cold/sinus problem. I did get some meds to help kill the pain but I am still sick and tired. My day will bring me a long nap in bed and a trip to school to deliver my treats. You know I don't feel well when I am too ill to play in the card challenges online.

Certifiably Crazy

The color challenge on Tuesdays is always posted later than I would like. So, I went looking in the gallery at SCS and found the challenge posted under the keywords, (CC210)CC for Color Challenge and 210 for the week. Last week was CC209, so I know this week will be CC210. I saw the colors and made my card and was all happy. Until I realized the date of the possting was wrong and someone had used the same keywords for a different challenge in January So instead of being Baja Blue, Not Quite navy and Kraft, I needed to use Red Riding Hood, Summer Sun, Kraft, and the optional color of black. Darn!

So I ended up making two cards and only posting one. It works out well as I have a father and father-in-law. Generally I don't like buttons on my creations and do not EVER use them. But they seemed fitting for a masculine card where girly frills and flowers won't work. Also, I absolutely hate buttons that are not tied or sewn. Due to a lack of available string in my house I just stuck them on and went with it. Do I love it? No. Do I care? Not really. Art does not have to be perfect, just handmade.

I used the set Bowling Hanna by Hanna Stamps for my cards.

Today is a beautiful day and I look forward to picking up Noah after school and drinking milkshakes from Steak and Shake on the way home. They have half price shakes from 2-4 and they are calling my name today!

The Vintage Pearl

My friend Steph and I had lunch this week at Taco Bell. Don't you just love a place where the food is so cheap you can shake the change out of your piggy bank to pay for it and still leave full? Steph was telling me that she found a gorgeous store on Etsy called The Vintage Pearl and she was really digging the hand stamped silver jewelry. I commented that I had some silver stamping tools but I had not dug them out in a while.

So, I went home and got out all the silver pieces and hammers and blocks and what not and made her this little necklace with her children's names on it. She was nearly speechless, words were not coming from her mouth, but squeals of joy were. The necklace looks better without my shaky camera angles, and I like it enough that I think I will make one for myself.

If you are here for the bog hop, scroll down to leave a comment. the winners will be drawn at noon Monday EST.

Good Friday Blog Hop

If you have found me today, most likely you are following the Hanna Stamps Blog Hop. Thanks for following the links this far. I cannot resist the Moose stamps so I chose to feature Bikini Sophie today. I followed the diamond theme by making my own background and changing the square nestabilities to my own desire for a diamond shape. I love what can be made with little more than paper, scissors, stamp and ribbon. Okay, I did add bling. Who doesn't need a little bling to brighten their day? ( I had to add belly button bling for Sophie!) The tag punch is from the Martha Stewart line at Michaels and the words Thank You are from the Hanna Stamps Sentiment set.

Don't forget to leave a comment as everyone will be entered into a drawing for a surprise goodie from Kristi at Hanna Stamps. Hanna Stamps is also having a sale this month and offering 10% off your purchase. Don't forget to shop while the sale is still Hot.

Thanks for stopping by today, please go and see what Ilina Crouse has created.