MarytheKaytheBlog

Links Links, get your Hot Links Here

Happy Weekend, ya'll.  I have to say, I am vera vera glad the weekend is here.  I'm tired.  I've got to figure out this blogging a little better, lest I shall die from lack of sleep.  Amen.

So, while I am lying around being lazy all weekend long, eating bon bons and drinking my new  obsession the Mocha Frappe' from McDonald's...feel free to check out some links.

If you don't check anything else out, you HAVE to check out LoveFeast Table's post on the Unexpected LoveBomb.  It literally BLEW me away.  Get it?  Blew me away, like the bomb blew me away?  Only it's not really about a real bomb.  It's a LOVE bomb, just like the title says.  Okay, all joking aside for a millisecond...I have thought about this post all week long.  I want to be gutsy and loving like that, brave and not afraid to engage with people.  Read it and be inspired.

Okay, millisecond's up!  Time to be funny funny again.  I saw this little ditty floating around Facebook today...so sorry if you've already seen it.  But, if you haven't--it is seriously FUNNY. 

Hey--and ladies, you can get your man friends to watch these with you!!  No talking about painting toenails, making girly bulletin boards, or showing pictures of big hair and fancy tables...  Just good, old-fashioned UNISEX HUMOR.  Even the kiddies can join in on these jolly belly ticklers.

 

 

 

Okay, and because it's the weekend, I think we can make exception for TWO YouTubes, can't we?   Cause, who doesn't like to laugh on Saturdays, right?  Plus, it's a helpful video...everyone needs a little touch-up now and then on his high five etiquette. 

 

 

Well, folks, that's it for today.  Join us next week for some edge-of-your-seat entertainment, when MarytheKay will recount in detail how she spent every waking moment of her weekend!  Now, how can ya resist that?

Now, go be good and lazy, and get ya'self some good rest. 

Just in case you think I'm fancy...

I know that yesterday, I posted some long-ago (19 years, eek!) pictures of my bridal showers, and reminisced about some of the fancy traditions of old...  So, today, I thought I'd show you a few current pictures...  You know--just in case you think

I'm too fancy for my blog

Too fancy for  my dog...

Cause I've come a long way, baby. 

(Does anyone over 35--besides me--remember this ad campaign?)

 

Before I post any current, and possibly NON-fancy pics, may I just tell you two things:

1)  I married an outdoorsy, hunting kind of a guy

2)  My outdoorsy, hunting guy also likes hunting for steals at garage sales

When you add those two qualities together, what do you get?

 

Oh, yes mam, that is my garage.  And, no, Dave did not slaughter any of these poor creatures.  He HUNTED them...at GARAGE SALES!!!  When he brought them home, I had the brilliant idea to start decorating the garage with them! 

Honestly?  I kind of think the kooky animal display is kind of funny...In my GARAGE, it's funny.  There used to be a crazy-looking squirrel that Dave had displayed in that window--which is on the front of the house.  I can only imagine what people thought as they walked up to our house and saw the crazy-eyed squirrel looking out at them. 

I kind of wonder if Crazy Squirrel is gone for good?  You see, we played this little game with the little fur-challenged guy.  Every time I got tired of imagining what normal people must think when they saw Crazy Squirrel in our front window, I would toss him somewhere in the garage where I thought (hoped) Dave wouldn't find him.  And, doggone it, wouldn't you know, he'd always find him within DAYS.  But, I think he's been missing for quite a while now...And I really can't remember where I tossed him last time...  I don't know--I never know where or when Crazy Squirrel will reincarnate in the window again.  (Spooky!  I'll probably  have bad dreams about a mangy squirrel now that I have typed that!)

Okay, ready for the possibly NON-fancy picture #2?

This photo is taken right outside my van's driver-side window--right at eye-level.  In other words, this is what I see EVERY TIME I GET OUT OF MY VAN to go inside.

Oh, yes, I KNOW he's looking at you piercingly IN THE EYES.  He looks at me that way every single day!!!  But, I do sort of feel sorry for the fella--he has some dreadful dental issues.  Don't worry, he's not gonna bite.  He might gum ya, though.

Now, lest some of you city gals think we've put the head mount of our favorite kitty on our garage wall...rest assured.  It wasn't our kitty.  Remember--Dave bought it at a garage sale!  (Okay, my husband would make me tell you that it's a bobcat, not a kitty.)

Again, I must admit...The bobcat staring at me eye-level when I get out of the van makes me giggle.  Ya can't buy that kind of humor in New York City.  Nope, only here in the mountains of Missouri, and only at garage sales where the price tag says, "Cheap!"

So...have I given you enough evidence that I'm not a fancy gal, through and through?  Oh, I TRY sometimes.  I try to get dressed up and wear my high heels, paint my toenails. I try to bake fancy cakes and copy fancy craft projects that look like the real deal...

But, at the end of the day

I pull into the garage in my minivan,

And see this

 

(The "10" that Bob the Cat is resting..his..neck?...upon--Well, that is a story for another day, my dears.)

Happy Friday, friends! 

Throwback Thursday: April Showers Bring Summer Brides

I thought it would be fun to have another Throwback Thursday...where we look back and reflect upon...big hair and smaller waistlines.

Oh, how I wish I were kidding!

I know April Showers bring, you know, May flowers and all.  But, April Showers also remind me of all the young brides who must be searching for perfect dresses to wear to wedding showers, excitedly answering doors to UPS men delivering wedding presents, already frantically trying to keep up with the thank you notes.

But, honestly--do brides still wear dresses to wedding showers?  For that matter, do they even still write thank you notes?

Back in my day--a mere 19 years ago--brides did wear dresses to showers, in my case Leslie Lucks and Sharon Young.  And I certainly did write thank you notes (even if it took me a year to finish)...on ivory engraved note cards.  Are any brides still this formal?  Or, is that all in the past?  I honestly don't know...I live in a very informal town now, and wonder if some still keep the old traditions?

Here is my grandmother, my "Gram," (her name shortened from "Grammy" as we got older) at my Engagement Party, thrown by 4 of our family's oldest and dearest friends.  How fitting that it was a Mexican Fiesta--since I was marrying Dave, a true Texas boy.

 

This picture just makes me smile.  Do brides still have Engagement Open Houses on Sunday afternoons with fancy tables?   This table holds some of the typical Open House food--colorful fruit tray, cheese straws, cucumber and chicken salad finger sandwiches, little pie tarts, petit fours, a nut dish, a coffee service, and a punch bowl with a floating ice ring (not yet on the table.)  There was also a new--exotic to us--item for this party.  At the front left of the table, on the round platter are cream cheese stuffed sugar snap peas.  I remember standing in my Gram's kitchen with my sister-in-law and her mother, learning to make these delicious treats!   It's killing me that I can't place the items on the round platter at the right front end of the table...?

 

 Let the Bridal Shower season begin!  This was a Bridal Brunch held by 3 dear ladies.  This sweet lady is Miss Maples, whom we dearly loved.  We still tell a Miss Maples saying around our house...She used to say that whenever she had a cake at her house--she "stripped it till it was gone!"  Meaning--she would cut a little strip to eat at at time.  I can totally identify with that kind of guilt-free eating of cake--which is why I am a cake stripper myself!  Just one little strip isn't gonna do any harm, now is it??

Do you also see how my corsage matches my dress?  Party hostesses always called the bride's mom a week ahead to find out what she was wearing--so the corsage could match!

Smile, smile, smile.  This is my first grade teacher, who no longer lived in our town at the time, but drove the 5 hours to come to this Bridal Shower.  The students in her new school called her "Miss Bunny"--which was absolutely fitting of her.  I will have to hug her neck again in heaven someday.  Oh, if all first grade students could be loved by their teachers like this...What a kind world we would have.

(1990s fashionistas--raise your hands if you think Miss Bunny was wearing a Susan Bristol?)

 

Here is my Gram, my mom, and me in the middle sporting a very BRIGHT Sharon Young dress.  (Dallas girls of the 90s, are you getting a tear?)  Oh, how I wish you could see the peplum on this top!  And the white leather pumps on my feet.  (Yes, young girls, we called our shoes "pumps" back in the day!)  This was at my Personal Shower, which I cringe to tell you my um, you know, personal sizes were written right on the invitation!  (Thank heavens more mature moms like myself don't have personal showers!!)  Note that not only am I wearing a corsage--but my mom and grandmother are, too.  That's just how it was done!  I sure wish I could show you a picture with the hostesses of this party--one of my dearest friends and her mom.

 

This clever shower was a Basket Shower, held by 3 of my best high school friends.  I think I still have some of the baskets I received that day!  This is my little sister (note the corsage on BOTH!), and I am sure I have said something goofy that I am giggling about.  In fact, most pictures ever taken with my sisters, we are giggling about something goofy.

 

 

This little note means so much to me.  It was from Miss Walker, who had been a best friend of my great aunt's, Aunt Mae.  Aunt Mae was the dearest woman who ever lived, in my family's eyes.  Miss Walker called my mom during my season of wedding showers, and asked if we could come over for a special visit one day.  As we sat in her formal living room that morning, Miss Walker told me that since she had been a best friend of Lillie Mae's, she wanted to give me something very special in her memory.  She gave me a beautiful silver-footed dish, and this lovely note.  Honestly, the note means as much to me as the silver dish.  Doesn't it make you smile, and wish for that kind of kindred friendship that remembers and honors the other to the next generation? 

 

 

 

Finally, the season of Bridal Showers ended, and the BIG DAY was approaching.  All 7 of my bridesmaids made their way to my hometown, and we hugged, and giggled, and talked a mile a minute catching up.  That Friday, we all dressed up in our dresses, white hose, and pumps...and we hot rolled our hair, teased it like there was no tomorrow, and sprayed a cloud of White Rain like you've never seen in this decade...piled into Honda Accords and Toyota Celicas, and drove to my aunt's house.  She held the most amazing Bridesmaid Luncheon I could ever have imagined.  This is the menu from that day.  She had gotten scraps of my bridesmaid dress fabric, and had made the cutest little aprons for her daughters to wear as they served us.  She also wrote the funniest little song--and she and her daughters performed it for us that day!  We sipped our drinks out of her crystal goblets, and ate our beautiful food off her old family china.

 

It was a day--just like all of the showers before it--filled with the old traditions, fancy tables and fancy food, fresh flowers and corsages, laughter and wide smiles, and most of all--hosted by family and friends who poured out their love upon me in such indelible ways that I can never forget.

 

From that day, the baton was passed to me.  Now, it is my turn to pour out the love, to set the fancy tables, and order the fresh flowers.  Girls today usually think corsages are silly and wasteful.  So, it's up to me, to my generation, to come up with new ways to honor them, to shower them, and to give them indelible and loving traditions as we are able to hand off the batons to them.

 

 

 

 

Thank you for indulging me today in these memories.  Oh, how I WISH I could come sit in your living rooms, and flip through YOUR photo albums.  I LOVE hearing bridal shower and wedding stories.  I love seeing the throwback fashions and the big hair.

 

I would love to hear some of your stories!  When I get smart enough in this blog stuff, maybe I can throw a Throwback Linky party.  Until then--I'd love to hear your stories in the Comments!!

 

Happy Throwback Thursday, ya'll!!
 

Favorite Things: Pretty Summer Toes!

What the heck is a "Summer toe?"  Personally, I prefer YEAR-ROUND toes, myself!  How about you?

I'm all about a catchy title, you know!  What this little Public Service Announcement is all about...is helping you have the prettiest toes and feet possible as you sport around in your cute flip flops. 

If you happened to catch my Public Service Announcement about the Household Hazards of the Flip Flop, then you understand  my commitment to:  a) wearing the flip flop, and  b) your health and safety.

And, it is hazardous to your mental health and well-being to have ugly--or even worse--NUDIE toenails in aforementioned flip flops.

Here are my FAVORITE ways to help you have...you know...Pretty Summer Toes!

1.  It goes without saying, if you have the time and money--go for a PEDICURE.  And preferably a place with massage chairs.  Because I call that a two-fer.  A pedicure AND a massage for the price of one.  Even if you can get a pedicure at the beginning of the summer, just to kick start that good foot hygiene.  Get that rough, dry skin off your heels and by all means get those corns worked on.  (Oh, I cannot tell you how that tickles me to say the word "corns" in relation to feet.  I have no idea why...maybe because it sounds like such a grandmaw to refer to corns on the foot.)

2.  If you cannot afford weekly or monthly pedicures (I sure can't!), then you are going to have to school yourself on the Art of the Pedicure.  But, have no fear!  Because, boy do I have a TRICK for you.  You will be THRILLED and AMAZED at this trick--and its outcome!!!  (Scroll on down to the end of the post if you just can't wait...)

 

 

Raise your hand if you're excited!!!

 

 

Need some basic skills...Or do you want to have a little fun???

Recently, I stumbled onto a really FUN website--www.opi.com--that gives great instructions on how to paint your fingernails.  Just apply that knowledge to your toes, and you've got a good start!  But--don't forget my TRICKY TRICK!  I'm getting there, I'm getting there!   My FAVORITE part on the Opi website is the "Try on this color" tab at the top.  You can pick an Opi color on the right, and "apply" it to the (slightly creepy) hand.  You can play with skin tone color and nail length.  Go on--click on over to Opi.com--I'll be here when you return.  I betcha $10 you will try more than one color!  It's fun and it's addicting!!!  (No, I'm not really going to pay you $10, because I just bet that gambling on blogs is illegal, and I am a by the books kind of gal!)

Just for fun, click on the "Alice" set of colors, and try on "Thank you very muchness."  That one is my favorite on the site!  (and I tried on like 49 colors)  Do you think I could pull off the sparkly blue "Alice" color?  How fun is that?

Okay, but back to toenail business. 

 

 

First, go purchase the right tools.  For the Art of the Pedicure (doesn't that sound fancy?), you will need:

Fingernail clippers I don't get fancy with my clippers--just the basics, mam.  And yes, I use fingernail clippers on my toes, and toenail clippers on my fingers.  (Not really--fingernail clippers for all my clipping needs.)

Clear base coat and top coat (I use one product for both--like this one)  One product=saves $ and space...Two things I am a fan of!

Fun color nail polish(My favorites are Opi, purchased at a salon or beauty supply store, or Revlon, purchased at Wal-Mart or any drug store)  Be a little adventurous with your toenail color...your toes only live once, you know!  Right now, I am wearing Opi's Festive Fuchsia--which has a little sparkle in it...it's like a party on my toes!

A good foot cream   My current favorite is Gold Bond Foot Cream.  It tickles me a little to tell you that I found out about this product from one of my uncles (Hi, Uncle Bob!!!)  I saw this tube in the guest bedroom when he and my aunt were visiting, and I asked him about it.  Being a good outdoorsy Minnesotan, Bob knows about dry skin.  When Uncle Bob says this is good foot cream--you can take that to the bank!  (Again, I am SO TICKLED that I am mentioning Uncle Bob in a beauty post.  He is definitely a man's man!)  I like to put on this pepperminty, thick and rich foot cream right at bedtime.  In fact, I keep it in my nightstand drawer.

Okay, if you have all the supplies, and a basic knowledge of how to paint your toenails from Opi.com, then you are READY for my TRICKY TRICK!!! 

"Oh you will LOVE this trick" said in Kevin Malone's voice

This trick is called:  How to paint your toenails so that every surface is covered, and they look perfectly painted.

But first--here's my disclaimer.  Professional pedicurists are able to do this using several great tools.  I'm sure if I took the time to purchase said tools and learn how to use them, I could get the same results. 

Since I am a LAZY toenail painter, I picked up this TRICK somewhere along the path of toenail life.

Toenail Painting TRICKY TRICK: 

1.  Paint your toenails at night about an hour before bed.  Plan ahead, and watch your favorite show when painting.  That way, you paint, and then you finish watching the show while your nails dry.

2.  When you paint your nails (toe or finger, mattereth not)--paint the ENTIRE SURFACE, not worrying one bit about getting paint on the skin or cuticle.  In fact--you WANT TO GET PAINT ON THE SKIN AROUND THE NAIL.  This is the main part of the TRICK.  If the entire nail surface is painted, it not only looks better, but the polish lasts a lot longer if there are no bare edges to chip.  An entirely painted nail--covered entirely with a top coat--generally will last a month.

*This means, first paint with a clear base coat--covering entire nail, sides of nail (spilling over onto skin on both sides), and also the lateral part of the clipped part of the nail.

*Wait a few minutes, and paint same way with your color--only 1 smooth coat at a time.

*If needed (usually not needed if you get a good coat the first time--you don't want the polish to get gloppy by using too much) paint a 2nd color coat.

*Wait a few minutes, and paint a clear top coat--covering entire surface, and lateral clipped edge.

*Now, wait a good 30 minutes before going to bed.   Here's a happy part:  If your toenails do get some of the "sheet imprint" from going to bed before they are completely hardened, you can always just put on another quick clear top coat on in the morning!

As much as this PAINS me to post this...I felt I needed to show an example

3.  Now HERE is WHY you paint your toenails before bed--all that "sloppy-looking" extra paint on your skin and cuticles will COME OFF IN THE SHOWER--leaving A PERFECT-LOOKING PEDICURE!!!  I kid you not!

Now, the paint doesn't magically fall off--you do have to sort of "scratch" it off.  What I do is shower, wash my hair, shave my legs, etc, then right before getting out of the shower, reach down and lightly scratch the paint off the skin.  Because your skin and the paint have been moistened in the shower, the paint peels off easily!  Just scratch it off the skin--and carefully off the cuticles.  Be careful not to scratch the nail part because that part will chip off, too.

When you get out of the shower, you will be AMAZED at how perfect your toes look!

And I call that...Pretty Summer Toes!!!

 

Linked up with:

Sugar and Spice at Seven-Thirty-Three

Works for Me Wednesday at We are THAT Family

Penny Pinching Party at Thrifty Home 

 

I'm Lovin' It Fridays at Tidy Mom

Favorite Things Friday at A Few of My Favorite Things

 

Saturday is Crafty Day at Along for the Ride

 

The bulletin board is open for business!!!

I feel like I have been wras'lin (how we say it down South) with that dang bulletin board for weeks now...

Excuse me just a moment while I check my attitude...

Due to unforeseen circumstances outside my control, the beautiful custom Pottery Barn-inspired bulletin board project has exceeded its deadline.

(In case you missed the post where I explained how I made the bulletin board, click here.)

But, I am pleased to announce the above-mentioned bulletin board is UP, and it is OPEN FOR BUSINESS, PEOPLE!!!

Can I get an AMEN?

How 'bout a Hallelujah, pass the chicken!

So, without further adieu, I'd like to present--NOW HANGING ON THE WALL--the

 

Custom

Pottery Barn-inspired

Happy and Colorful

Bulletin board for my daughter's bedroom:

WAAAAIT!!!!  First, I need to show you the BEFORE picture.  You know--before the 10th birthday room makeover. 

And now...the AFTER!!!

 

Ahh, that just makes my heart sing a little ditty.  What a drastic difference, huh?  So--WHAT do you think of the bulletin board...finally  hanging in its rightful place?

Here's a little closer view:

Hmm...I'm not sure that is actually any closer, or just a different vantage point...

Do you see the clear vinyl desk blotter?  Note to self:  Self, call and get an estimate for a piece of glass cut the size of the desk-top.  Why didn't I do that when we bought the desk?  Already, there are a few stray Sharpie marks...  A piece of glass will protect the desk beautifully!

Oh, but back to the bulletin board area...Didn't it turn out well?  Here are a couple of fun elements on the desk closer up:

All this old, tarnished picture frame needed was a little love...and some apple green SPRAY PAINT!  Don't worry about polishing the silver, just spray it, baby!  Isn't it a cutie pie now?

 

 
Organization?  We've got organization...in the form of Mason jars!!  I love getting organized with things just lying around the house.  (I mean--these jars weren't technically "lying around my house"...they were in my kitchen cupboard.)

 

Before I say "the end," would you like to see a little PEEP of some exciting things to come???  (I'm sorry, but I prefer saying "peep."  So, I'll say "peep," okay?  Peep, peep, peep.  You might think I'm done...but then you don't really  know me, do you?  Peep, peepity peepity peep peep peep.)

 

 

 

An OLD DOOR?  At a CAR WASH?  What in the WORLD???

That handsome arm belongs to my handsome husband.  That not-so-handsome door came from my husband's family farm in South Dakota.  (Hi, Grandma and Grandpa!!!  Sure hope you don't need that door back!  Don't worry--come winter, we'll replace the cardboard with something a little more permanent...)

Actually, I DO think the door is handsome!  I can see its inner beauty--and its POTENTIAL!!!

Guess where it is going (said in a SQUEALY VOICE) when it is all cleaned up???

Remember a loooong time ago, before all the 10th birthday room makeover business, there was ANOTHER BEDROOM getting a makeover?

Well, guess who found a headboard?  That has been waiting patiently in her basement all this time???

And NOW, I'll say:

(no, not PEEP again...)

The end.  Goodnight, good people.

Linked up with:

Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch

DIY Project Parade at DIY Showoff

DIY Day at A Soft Place to Land

Toot Your Horn Tuesday at A Silly Little Sparrow 

Tip Me Tuesday at Tip Junkie 

 

Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

 

Frugalicious Friday at Finding Fabulous

Sunday Showcase Party at Under the Table and Dreaming

 
 

The Great Angel Food Cake Cookoff

Well, I'm not so sure what the "Great" is about in the title...except it makes my little experiment much more EXCITING!!! and DRAMATIC!!! doesn't it?

Last week, I needed to make a frosted angel food cake for a small gathering at my parents' house.  Just lately my mom and I have been reminiscing fondly about the frosted angel food cakes we used to order from a hometown bakery.  We remember those cakes being the BEST things we've EVER eaten--and frosted with the lightest, sweetest frosting we've ever tasted IN OUR WHOLE LIVES.

Maybe I should confess right now...if you haven't already figured it out...I can exaggerate just a little bit when it comes to yummy food.  Yeah, and I am pretty sure I come by it genetically--from my mom.

But, really, those frosted angel food cakes were TO DIE FOR!!!  (Anybody else from South Arkansas know what I am talking about?)

Because of all this fond reminiscing, I decided to try my hand at a frosted angel food cake.  Not that I have ever MADE an angel food cake, mind you!  I figured it was a good week to learn how!

I started by searching one of my favorite recipe websites--http://www.allrecipes.com.  I looked for the highest-rated recipe, and printed it off.  I figured it couldn't get much better than a Heavenly Angel Food Cake.

So, I got my dozen eggs and separated them, let them stand out to get to room temperature, and began whipping them in my beloved Kitchenaid mixer.  *cue angels singing*

 
Note that I whipped those egg whites into shape...stiff peaks.  "Come on, egg whites, you can do better than that!!  Show me what you've got!"

Verdict for the homemade Heavenly Angel Food Cake:

The first thing I noticed, was that it was shorter than I was expecting.  Some of the comments about the recipe stated the same thing.  Maybe I didn't beat those egg whites stiff enough, or maybe the weather was too humid?  Since I am a beginner angel food baker, I don't know... The second thing I noticed was the flavor was very good, but the texture was a little "off."  I am not even sure I can describe it accurately.  It felt a little "gummy" to cut.  I didn't notice the "gummy" texture when I was eating it...but it wasn't as light and fluffy as I was expecting.

This is actually a picture of two different frostings I was experimenting with.  I wanted to show you how "short" the cake turned out.   

 

Now, HERE is where my friend Janna could say, "I told you so!"  Because when I borrowed her angel food cake pan, she mentioned that she had made a homemade angel food cake once, but realized the BOX MIX was just as good--or better!

 

But, stubborn little me had to find out for myself!  So, off to the grocery store I trotted--the DAY BEFORE the finished cake was due--and purchased myself a box of Duncan Hines Angel Food Cake Mix...and also an angel food cake from the grocery bakery (just in case!)

Guess what ingredients are needed for the Duncan Hines mix??? 

WATER.   (But you know me...I cannot leave well enough alone...I did add to the mix about 1 teaspoon of almond flavoring.)

So, my dozen eggs that I had all ready to make another cake still sit sadly in my refrigerator...losing their one chance to become elegant and classy.  Now, they'll probably die one by one in boring things like tuna fish and fried eggs. 

Duncan Hines Box Mix Verdict:

I have to say, I was SHOCKED at how tall and beautiful the box cake turned out!  The texture was light and fluffy!  And the flavor was delicious!  I could taste the slight amount of almond flavoring I had added, and it was good.

So, the CLEAR WINNER of the GREAT Angel Food Cake Cook-off

(as sad as I am to say it)

Is the Duncan Hines Box Mix!!! 

Ah, doesn't that just make you SMILE?  It does me! 

 

 

Now the frosted part?  I did try 2 different frostings...but I won't bore you with ANOTHER cook-off here...I'll save it for a future post.  *suspenseful music clip here*

But, I will tell you that the frosted angel food cake got some great reviews!  And if you are one of the sweet ladies that my mom told the cake was from scratch...My mom really WAS telling the TRUTH.  I did not tell her until after the event that the cake was from a box.  I wanted to get her reaction before I revealed my dirty little secret.

So, go to the store, pick yourself up a box of Duncan Hines Angel Food Cake Mix, and bake to your little heart's content!  Serve it up with some sugared strawberries and some homemade whipped cream (because there is NO CONTEST between whipped cream and Cool Whip--puh-lease!), and you will be a rockstar at your house!!

Linked up with:

Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch

Strut Your Stuff Thursday at Somewhat Simple

 

Linky Dinks from The Denim Jumper Convention

Whew!  What a day Friday was!  My flip flop feet are ti-red, and my aching back is not happy with me for purchasing so many (heavy) books.  Just call me Grandmaw, because I was in the bed with jammies on by 9:00 pm. 

(Does in the bed with a laptop count as being in bed early?  And does it count if you plan on watching this week's Lost in a little while?)

If you read my post yesterday, you saw that I attended what I like to call The Denim Jumper Convention.  That's just my fancy name for the local homeschool convention.  It was a little disappointing, though...I only saw ONE jumper the whole day long!  I think the new uniform of choice for homeschooling moms attending conferences is blue jeans with sensible shoes. 

I did see a tattoo, which delighted me a little bit.  I have no idea why...but, it did.  I'm just being honest here.

Since my tired brain would only ramble on and on tonight, I'll just show you some of the FUN books I purchased today.  Wandering through the vendors is always a favorite activity of mine at this convention!  If you haven't been to a homeschool convention before, just imagine row after row filled with rich and colorful books.  It's always very difficult to pick which ones are my favorite...hence the 30lb. book bag after I was done shopping. 

And, hence the hunchback grandmaw, who now sort of walks in a slight circle from carrying the 30lb book bag on my left shoulder all afternoon.

Enough about me...BOOKS!!!

I bought our daughters a boxed set of these Ten Girls Who...books.   I LOVE giving our daughters books to read about REAL LIFE HEROES.  Goodness knows, they see enough pop culture junk--I want them to know about real women who were strong and dedicated and smart and talented and hard-working and responsible and outspoken...and who loved God, and who poured out their lives for others.   THESE are the kinds of stories I want to inspire our daughters. 

So, I bought the whole boxed set!  Hopefully, we will read these stories as a family, talking about each real-life hero...like Gladys Aylward, Joni Eareckson Tada, Corrie Ten Boom, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Florence Nightingale, Elisabeth Elliot, Lottie Moon, Bessie Adams, Susanna Wesley, Ruth Bell Graham, Katherine Luther, Lady Jane Gray, Susannah Spurgeon...(and others).

 
  
 

Along the lines of teaching character, I always try to pick up a new dvd for a fun family-friendly movie night.  This year I picked up the first in a series I have not seen before:

Here's the description:   Bill Collins' relaxing afternoon at Sugar Creek turns into more than he bargained for when poetry stumbles upon a disguise hidden in the swamp. Reports of a bank robber on the loose soon surface, and as the gang investigates they discover a man that leads to more than just treasure. During a campout near the hollow tree the kids must survive an encounter that leaves them wondering if a nearby cabin is really abandoned. If they can piece together the clues that confront them, mystery and adventure await the gang in their own backyard! Approx. 70 minutes. 

 

Now, I realize that many times movies like this are CHEESE-OLA.  But, you know what?  Sometimes a little cheese that teaches character beats some of the silly potty-humor movies in the mainstream. 

I believe there are 5 movies in this series.  And, who knew?  These movies are actually a series of books

Oh, and here are a couple of other fun books...

In the words of intellectual genius, and multi-generational childhood hero, our friend, Porky the Pig...

That's all, folks!

Happy weekend!

The Denim Jumper Convention

(WARNING:  If you are a sensitive soul, OR if you are experiencing PMS right now, please just skip this post.  Take my word for it--you just might be offended with the tongue-in-cheek discussion below.)

Cue the homeschool band...cause I am off to The Denim Jumper Convention this weekend!  You don't know what that is?  Ohhh, I mean the Homeschool Convention.  Silly me.

Now, brace yourselves, gentle readers, because I just might offend some of you.  But, like our pastor frequently says--I hope to offend everyone equally.  Nerdy homeschoolers, and worldly public schoolers alike.  It's equal opportunity here.

I really am heading to a homeschool convention.  And I really do call it the Denim Jumper Convention (to myself)--because that just makes me laugh.  It actually surprised me the first year, because although there were a couple of denim jumper wearers, mostly there were cute moms just like me.  Wait a minute--I said that wrong...I just mean that most of the moms looked a lot like me--moms who try to dress as hip and cute as Old Navy and The Gap will allow on a budget, and in the occasional 15-minute shopping spree.

So, what side of the argument are you on? 

Do you think homeschoolers are kind of nerdy, have lots of kids...so many that they have to buy a full-size van...make their own granola, laundry soap, and baby wipes...only watch occasional television shows (and never reality smut!) on Hulu...dress their kids in semi-matching clothes...spend their vacations creating dioramas or lapbooks of educational places they've visited like Mt. Rushmore and the nearest Civil War reenactments...

OR

Do you throw your kids to the wolves every day?...Sending them off with a Pop tart on the school bus with a quick, "Hurry along now!"...With their High School Musical lunch boxes filled with Cheetos and Little Debbies...Having to remind them daily not to repeat those words learned on the playground...and likewise, not to repeat those words Daddy says when he stubs his toe...Or Mommy, when her blog post disappears before hitting "Publish"...Feeling like a rockstar parent, as you take over the latest history project, creating a life-size clay model of Charles Darwin...

Everybody offended yet?

Because, honestly?  I find those stereotypes hilarious!  Mostly, because I see myself in BOTH stereotypes...in more ways than I care to admit, thank you very much.

We are in our 5th year of homeschooling, and that alone shocks me more than anyone else!  I guess I'm not your typical homeschool mom.  (But, since there ARE NO typical homeschool moms--we're all in it for different reasons, different seasons...I guess that means I AM typical...You all lost in my crazy line of thinking yet?)

I joined the wide wide world of homeschooling pretty much kicking and screaming.  Not always literally, but sometimes.  My husband and I both were college-trained to be teachers...public school teachers.  Both of our families have been public school teachers and administrators.  We both are products of public schools.  We live in a town with an amazing public school system.  And our plan is to teach our daughters in the beginning, and have them join the public school sometime mid-way.

Yet, here we sit at our dining room table.  Working through the Abeka math book and the Sonlight readers.  Most days, I have grown to LOVE teaching my daughters.  Seeing their eyes light up when they finally "get it."  Or seeing their pretty handwriting on something, and thinking to myself, "I did that."  Other days, I want to run out to the yellow bus driving by, screaming, "WAAAAIT!!!  I'VE GOT ONE MORE FOR YOU!!!!"

I have always loved chatting with people and hearing "their stories."  Hearing fellow homeschoolers' stories has been especially encouraging to me in this journey.  Every mom I meet has a different reason for homeschooling, and a different long-term plan.  The one thing that is the same for all of them is this:  They love their kids, and are always questioning if they are on the right path, choosing the right curriculum, selecting the right extra-curricular activities.

And guess what? 

My public school mom friends are the SAME way:  They love their kids, and are always questioning if they are on the right path, in the right class with the right teacher, and selecting the right extra-curricular activities.

I figure since we're all on the same questioning path--feeling our way along, as we do our best to raise these chilluns--we might as well laugh along the way, right?

Which is why I call it The Denim Jumper Convention.  (See, I brought it full-circle.  Kind-of proud of myself, I am) 

Tomorrow, as I am wandering around the convention hall, I will giggle to myself a few times when I do see an actual denim jumper--double points if it is appliqued.  And I will also say, "Dang!  I feel like such a goober" when I see the moms in the Seven jeans and Coach shoes and handbags.

Anyone want to join me tomorrow?  Since, technically I am going alone, I would love to take you along...in the form of Twitter.  Yes, that's right--I have entered the 21st century and signed myself up for Twitter.  I have absolutely no idea what I am doing...but I want to try it.

(Because  I "write" these little updates in my head all the time anyway...I figure it might be healthier to Twitter them.  That way I'm not having little imaginary conversations inside my head, I can have them WITH YOU.  At least that's what my therapist tells me.)

So, tomorrow during The Denim Jumper Convention, I will send little Twitter updates...little things that make me giggle, along with really great thought-provoking tidbits.  Because--all joking aside--these homeschooling conventions provide lifesaving - timesaving -sanitysaving  practical advice for ANY parent, homeschooling or not. 

Now that everyone is all good and offended, maybe I should leave you with a little giggle.  If you are the only person on the planet who has not watched comedian Tim Hawkins sing about homeschoolers, then PLEASE WATCH...and GIGGLE...You're Welcome.

 

 

Laundry and Motherhood

Tonight as I was folding clothes, I wondered how I had let the neat, folded piles get so tall?  How long has it been since I’ve really done laundry?  I know I have thrown in some jeans, and I have thrown in some underwear.  But, how long since I’ve washed it all?

 

 

Honestly?  I can’t remember.

 

 

I wonder if I am floating through motherhood the same way I seem to be floating along, doing the urgent laundry, but not the complete laundry?  Am I only covering those urgent mothering episodes—settling the fights, stopping the yelling, kissing the foreheads goodnight?

 

 

What about the complete mothering?  Am I covering those areas?  Do my girls feel secure, and peaceful?  Do they feel nurtured?  Or do they feel the frantic pace that I, myself, cannot seem to keep up?

 

 

Doing the complete laundry like tonight makes me slow down, and think.  I like to be meticulous as I shake out each piece, making sure even the hem is turned down, and smoothed.  I fold their shirts so that the sleeves are turned inward at the angle that won’t wrinkle.  I smile as I fold the tiny socks together, and think about the little feet that patter through the house and slide on the floors.

 

 

With this act of folding, I feel myself slowing down.  My brain getting quiet, and still.  I watch my hands lovingly smooth out the wrinkles in each piece.  Making stacks that are straight, and ordered.  Being thoughtful and measured with this task.

 

 

How do I transfer this thoughtful order to mothering?  How can I slow the pace, and spend time quietly smoothing out the wrinkles with my daughters?  How do I get a measured pace that is not just driving to the next thing in the van?

 

 

I long for walks with talking.  Discovering hidden creeks together.  Reading together with no agenda but pure enjoyment.  Sharing a chocolate shake.  Snuggling so close that we feel each other breathing.

 

 

I can do this.  I am going to start today.  Right now.  I’m going to climb into my daughter’s bed, pull the covers over us both, and scoot in close to her.  For a few moments, I want to breathe in her soapy scent, smooth out her long hair that’s begun to tangle on the pillow—marveling at its beautiful golden streaks--and breathe a prayer of utter thankfulness for this gift.  This precious gift of motherhood that I don’t want to lose one moment of.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you for allowing me to share these thoughts of motherhood today...this prayer for mothering I don't even know the words to pray, the nagging questions and doubts that never get answered, the daily stumbling around, running around to places that, in the end, seem unimportant...

 

 

 

 

One thing I AM certain:  Oh, how I love those girls.  Overwhelmingly.   And, OH, how I need help from above to raise them in the way they deserve.

 

 

 

How do you do it?  And what are the words of your mothering prayers?
 

WFMW: How to make cupcakes like a rockstar

Okay, so once again the title may be a little misleading...on more than one count...

First of all, I do not mean that I am going to teach you how to make cupcakes that LOOK LIKE Lady GaGa, as tempting as that sounds.  I feel her dramatic likeness would be more a project for The Cake Boss, or even Bakerella. 

Second, I do not mean to infer that Gene Simmons wears a frilly apron and bakes delightful little cupcakes for his band, and that I am here as his Cupcake Ambassador to teach you the tricks of his trade. 

No, what I REALLY  mean is that I have learned a few tricks that help my cupcakes look like Gene Simmons or Lady GaGa might order from a FANCY BAKERY.

And, just in case you are looking for a tutorial on creating skulls and crossbones or electric guitars with 6 shades of grey and black fondant, just stop right there and re-google your search.  Maybe this time you should enter the words, "Scary cupcakes that no one wants to eat."

So, maybe what my title SHOULD BE is this:  How to make good-tasting, fancy-looking cupcakes.  But, geez, what a cheesy title. 

You might be thinking that since this post really should have a cheesy title, then what business does this cheesy girl have telling me how to make cupcakes?

Besides my nunchuck skillz and bow hunting skillz, I have acquired some cupcake skillz along the way.  If you happened to read the post about my 40th birthday trip, you'll remember we had some personal instruction from the Dallas-famous Annie of Annie's Culinary Creations.  (I always have a disclaimer for you, and here it is today:  My cupcake creations PALE in comparison to Annie's...) 

Oh, and one more thing...Because I already tend to write posts that are at least 26 1/2 inches long, I'll divide this post in two parts--the part about the cake, and the part about the icing.

Since everybody's FAVORITE part is the icing, let's start with that part this week!  (If your favorite part is not the icing, then you are strange and you probably also like beets and turnip greens....No offense to the beet farmers or turnip green restaurants!)

Part 1:  Is it ICING or FROSTING?  The Age-Old Debate...

 

Behold the cupcakes!!!

(Cue rockstar guitar riffs)

From my daughter's birthday, to match her new turquoise and brown bedroom!

 
Remember the WFMW where I told you about our Flip Flop Exchange Party?  Here are some cutie pie mini cupcakes from that party!
 

So, let's get started, my little junior rock stars...

FROSTING TOTALLY RAD CUPCAKES

(Yes, I'm aware that no one has used that phrase in like 20 years.  But, it seemed to fit with my rockstar theme.)

Please, oh please, do not admit that you use frosting from a can.  Unless you are just scooping out a spoon of frosting for the occasional afternoon snack, store-bought frosting is not fittin, it's not fittin, it's jest not fittin.  Hum.  (Name that movie)

My favorite icing recipe is from The Wilton School.  It is a mixture of half vegetable shortening (Crisco sticks for me!) and butter.  I know that some purists (who gag at the thought of eating Crisco) use only butter.  But, in my experience a pure-butter frosting is a LOT softer, and more difficult to hold its shape when decorating.

Buttercream Icing (from The Wilton School)

1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening (use white Crisco sticks--very easy)

1/2 cup butter

1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract (I use dark pure vanilla)

4 cups (approx. 1 lb.) powdered sugar (I use C&H brand)

2 tablespoons milk

YIELD:  3 cups

Refrigerate leftover icing for up to 2 weeks.

Click here for detailed instructions.

My modifications: 

I use 2-3 teaspoons dark, pure vanilla 

I add 2 teaspoons almond flavoring

I add 1 teaspoon imitation butter flavoring

Because of the dark vanilla I use, my frosting is not white--it is a creamy off-white.

 

Now that you are sick to your stomach from trying just one more lick and one more lick of the frosting, let me tell you the trick that I have learned that makes decorating fabulous cupcakes EASY!

Wilton likes to call it the "1m Swirl."  I prefer calling it The Swirley Top.  If you've ever spent an hour spreading icing onto cupcakes with a table knife, spread no more--You will LOVE this technique!

Isn't this cute?  To achieve this swirley, all you need is a decorating bag, and a decorating tip.

and    

You can buy these at Wal-Mart (in the craft /scrapbook section), Hobby Lobby, Michael's, or online at www.wilton.com.

Basically, you just use the large 2D star tip, hold the bag upright over the cupcake, and outline the outside of the cupcake, then the middle, pulling up at the very center.  For Wilton's more concise, and fancified instructions, click here.

If you need just little bites of something sweet, try making the mini cupcakes!  They are the cutest thing ever on a pretty table.  I promise you--they will be the star of the table! 

Use a mini muffin pan, mini muffin cupcake papers, the small star tip, and proceed just as you would on the larger cupcakes.  (And by "proceed," I don't mean EAT.)

Now, you have pretty Swirley Top cupcakes, but DON'T STOP HERE!  We don't want baldy fernaldy cupcakes, do we?

ALWAYS top your cupcake with a little something.  Usually, for me, that just means sprinkle with a tiny bit of colored sugar.  Just a little sprinkling right in the middle adds the perfect touch.  If you only have multicolored sprinkles--use them.  Just the tiniest sprinkle in the middle adds a touch of whimsy.  If you noticed in the picture above of my daughter's birthday cupcakes, I used a teensy bit of chocolate sprinkles.

If you want to get extra-fancy, purchase some edible glitter (from the same places), and add a tiny bit of shimmer to the tops!  Remember--less is more, so don't get carried away.

One last bit of advice...PRESENTATION IS EVERYTHING!!

A cupcake is just a cupcake sitting on a paper plate...  (Heaven forbid!)

But, a set of cupcakes on a tiered platter is "WOW, where did you purchase these?"  If you don't own a tiered platter, or two cake stands (different sizes) that stack together, or even a cake stand--you should INVEST IN ONE.  You can find them anywhere, and for not very much money.  If you are going to make cupcakes, you should have a tiered stand. 

And a set of cupcakes on a tiered platter with some shimmery tulle tied on top is, "WHAT ROCKSTAR BROUGHT THESE???"

Tell me your cupcake stories, pretty please!  What are your favorite tricks?  What are the prettiest ones you've ever seen?

 

Linked up with:

(In other words, CLICK ON for some really GREAT ideas!)

Favorite Things Friday at A Few of My Favorite Things

 

Works for Me Wednesday  at We are THAT Family

Penny Pinching Party at Thrifty Home