Happy 1st Birthday Sweet Bentley!

Dumdum Sucker Cupcake Centerpiece

Items needed to make this adorable, edible centerpiece:

*bag of dumdum suckers

*sixlet candy for filler (to look like sprinkles)

*round foam floral ball

*terracotta flower pot

*candle

*ribbon and scrapbook paper to decorate pot

*double stick tape

This arrangment is super easy to make. Start with decorating the pot. Cut decorative paper to fit around the flower pot to look like a cupcake liner. Secure with double stick tape and ribbon. Then take the floral ball and start from the top pushing the sucker stick into ball until the desired height. Continue until you have a nice cupcake top. When complete, rest the cupcake top onto the flower pot. Add the sixlet candy packs inbetween the suckers to resemble sprinkles. Last, top the cupcake with a tall candle. I had to break off a few inches from the bottom of my candle to get a desired ht. No need to poke a hole for the candle...the suckers will hold it into place. Now it's party time. Light the candle, or choose to eat up! Enjoy!

Enjoying a Fun, Fun Snowy Day!

Let the kid in you shine! Make the most of a snowy day! We are always excited to welcome a snow day!!! It's a fun time to for sharing traditions and memories!

Chocolate Cherry Cake Balls

Thanks to Mckmama's blog for the recent post on snow pops, I got the idea to experiment with cake balls/pops for my mother's birthday. With her favorite sweet treat in mind, chocolate covered cherries, I came up with a plan. They turned out really great and delish! I hope she likes them as much as I do! Here is the recipe that I threw together. 1 box Devil's food cake mix (prepare as directed- minus 1/4 cup of water), Add 1/4cup maraschino cherry juice (in place of the subtracted water), 1/2cup quartered maraschino cherries, and 1tsp almond extract. Bake and allow to cool. Crumble cake in large mixing bowl, add enough of your favorite cream cheese icing to combine cake. Form cake mixture into balls and cool. After cooling, dip in melted white chocolate bark. I also took some whole maraschino cherries with stem attached and wrapped the cake mixture around the cherry. Then used the stem to dip the cake covered cherry into the white chocolate. Yummm!!! Enjoy.

Surprise!!

What? Yesterday we enjoyed 60 degree weather. This morning I woke up to a snow covered yard! We were hoping to spend a fun day outside playing in the warm beautiful sunshine, but mother nature had her own plans in store for us. We love playing out in the snow, but it is just not the same when you have Spring fever! So, when life brings you snow, make snow-cream!!! -A family tradition we love!

Maybe I shouldn't have ?!?!

Obviously, my favorite website for toddler fashion is http://www.etsy.com/. Now that I'm getting the hang of sewing (my new found hobby). I decided to re-create a cute little shirt for my sweet "lil toot." After all, this plain tee was only $3.50 at Walmart. What did I have to loose by adding a few pieces of scrap fabric? The photo does not do this shirt justice! However, I think it is a simply adorable idea. I'm just afraid that making my 17month old son wear this shirt, it will be one of those embarrassing moments for him to recall in about 15yrs. lol...

I've been tagged.

1. What are you wearing right now? PJ's and house slippers. I love snow days!

2. What is the last thing I read/ are currently reading? Old Mac Donald to Cade before his nap.

3. Do you nap a lot? I like to nap with Cade, but rarely do, because it is my "me time." It is often the only time I have to myself in a day.

4. Who was the last person you hugged? Little Cade

5. What is your current obsession/addiction? Myspace. lol... Looking for fun things to enjoy with my son.

6. What is the last thing you said out loud? "E-I-E-I-O..." before Cade fell asleep. lol.

7. What websites do you always visit when you go online? Myspace, & ETSY-my fav.

8. What is the last item you bought? Cade's antibiotics, diapers, finger paint, 2 elmo books.

9. What is your most challenging goal?Not procrastinating. I've learned in nursing, "Never put off the things you can do now, because you never know what will come through the door in the next few minutes." However, when I'm not at work, nothing gets finished on time.

10. If you could have a house totally paid for, fully furnished- anywhere in the world, where would it be? It the same area that we live in now, b/c both Ray's family and mine live near us.

11. Favorite vacation spot? On a cruise ship anywhere! Ray and I love to cruise!!!

12. Say something to the last person who tagged you: I finally opened up my own blog! Yay! I still haven't figured out how it all works yet. Posting pictures, etc... I'm also not sure why I would decide to start blogging... doesn't mommies have enough to do already! Thanks for helping me get started! I love to read blogs! It can be so inspiring.

13. Name one thing you just can't resist no matter how bad it is for you: Iced tea from Pals, Red pig, McDonald's, or my mom's. I cannot make tea very well. However, things always taste better when someone else makes it.

14. What is your favorite item of clothing? Express blue jeans. I love jeans!

15. Favorite pair of shoes that you keep going back to over and over?
My house shoes that my mom got me for Christmas. They are so comfy.

16. Name one thing you can't live without:My family

17. Has a celebrity's hairstyle ever influenced you on your own style? Currently, I'm loving the Gretchen hair style on the TV series "The Real Housewives: Orange County." It's not going to happen though, I just cut my hair off. Living life as a "soccer mom" for now.

18. What is your favorite hobby? Baking! Oh I love to bake sweets. New hobby: I asked for a sewing machine for Christmas and also got an embroidery machine too. I need some serious lessons. I've never sewn a button on in my life. I'll keep you posted on this one in the near future! Ha