I'm a Winner!

Yay! I won a $25.00 Gift Certificate with E.A.D. Designs through one of my favorite places, Tip Junkie!

I'm so exicted!

I love Tip Junkie. I have Pineapple Hill Designs listed in their Mom-Prenuers Shop-a-thon

Check out all the fun shops!

To My Pumpkin Friend

Tomorrow I'm going Visiting Teaching and I wanted to bring a little something.

A friend gave me some Pumpkin Candy Corns with a little verse a few years ago and I think it is so cute!

This is the Verse:

To My Pumpkin Friend

Being a Christian is like being a pumpkin. God picks you from the patch, brings you in, and washes all the dirt off of you. Then He opens you up and scoops out all the yucky stuff. He removes the seeds of doubt, hate, greed, etc. Then He carves you a new smiling face and puts His light inside of you to shine for all the world to see.

p.s. I l ove candy corn!

A give away from Blessed by 3 Miracles

I came across this blog today, what an adorable family!

Katie from Blessed by 3 Miracles is having a "Give-Away" ... she is giving this cute Birdy.

Don't you just love it. Click HERE to enter for the drawing.

Good Luck!

I love Halloween!

Just some cute ideas to make this Halloween fun!

Brownie Goblins

Prepare brownie mix as label directs but bake in 15 1/2" by 10 1/2" jelly-roll pan only 15 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool brownie in pan. When cool, cut out brownie using ghost-shaped cookie cutter.
To decorate, melt white candy coating as above; use to pipe outline on top of ghost cutout. When outline is set, fill in interior with additional melted candy. When set, pipe on brown eyes and mouth. Let set.

Download some fun Family Night goodies.

Family Fright Night Halloween Recipes

Yummy Mummy Dogs

More Halloween Recipes

Carve out a pumpkin to Chill Beverages!

(I can't remember when I saw this picture for the life of me and have searched everywhere to find it again. Sorry.)

Click HERE for some fun Halloween LabelsLike These!

via Love Manor

More great labels HERE

Lots of Great Halloween Recipes and ideas!

Who Do You Think You Are?

Take the Quiz and Share Your Results

This is what the quiz says about me:

You are thoughtful and care very deeply for your family. A loving home is of great
importance to you and you always try to make people feel welcome. Although you have a great capacity to love, you also have a great capacity to hurt, so at times you can be
sensitive. You're firm when you need to be, but people trust your judgment and
appreciate the kind way you always handle things.

Take the quiz and let me know who you are........

I Adore It!

I was so fortunate to have just happened to check in on Marci's sister-in-law's fun blog, The Life of Chrissy the other day and what perfect timing! Would you believe I was even the first to comment. I've been so excited to see what she'd send me. It came in the mail with a sweet note, "I hope you like it."

Chrissy, I ADORE it! Thank you SO much. I can't wait to put it on my charm bracelet. So . . .What do you think, would you like to receive a fun little surprise?
Here's the Deal: The PAY IT FORWARD exchange focuses on doing an act of kindness without expecting anything in return.The recipient will, in their turn, pass the kindness along and "pay it forward".
Here are the Rules: I agree to send along some goodies to the first three people who post a comment on this entry. In turn, those three people post this information and "Pay It Forward" to the first three people who comment on their post.

You must promise to mention this on your blog, link to me, and send off your goods to those three people so that this continues. As soon as I have my three lucky bloggers, I will email you a request for your shipping address.

Hmmm...what will be coming your way? ~ That's all part of the fun!

Oh Where, Oh Where

.... is Nana's Wallet?

Today Marci and Addie stopped by while Ella was at pre-school. Marci and I were upstairs in my sewing/craft room. Addie was being Addie...CUTE, of course. She was talking to the cats, singing and entertaining herself as usual. She had been up and down the stairs several times and would peek her cute little blonde head in the room and say something funny every now and again.

When it was time to leave Addie was downstairs and Marci started calling to her, "time to go Addie Girl". As Marci and I walked down the stairs we saw my bag that I'd left on the dining room chair (unzipped and inviting) was on the floor and Addie had rearranged everything in my checkbook and card case. We put it all away, no harm done and I kissed them both good bye.

Not 10 minutes later Mark (my #1 thing I can't live without) needed something that I had in my wallet. I went back to my bag on the dining room chair and began digging through things and my wallet was not there. I thought surely it's in the bottom of this bag and took everything out.
Nope, no wallet. I called Marci to ask her if she'd seen it when we found the other things and she said "no, but it could be anywhere". Well I looked EVERYWHERE. You know that is one of my gifts, I'm a really good "finder" .... usually.

I started worrying (another thing I'm really good at). What if it wasn't in my bag when Addie discovered it unzipped on the chair. Yesterday, I went to the Temple. I remembered having my bag and specifically my wallet as we were driving home because we were thinking of stopping for lunch. Then I went to the bank. I didn't even get out of the car though. I went through the drive thru. What if I dropped it somehow????? Poor Nana, now I was moving past worrying and going to my next step "fretting".

I called Marci and she tried to think of some possibilities and assured me that she was sure Addie must have put it somewhere. She told me about some recent "hidings" Addie has done and put me at ease, that yes indeed, my wallet had to be somewhere in the house.

I decided to go about by business and tidy up a bit, of course, all the while looking in every possible place as I scurried about. No wallet....

I went to put something away in Hope's room. Her door was closed, as usual. When I opened her door the first thing I saw was, you guessed it, none other than MY WALLET on Hope's bed of all places. Who would have thunk it! What a relief! I'll have to be a little more on guard when Addie comes to visit. She's a sly little cute one. Hope's bed is pretty popular. When I can't find the cats, that's where they are. They love her room! Aren't they sweet guys!

2 Cutie Pies

Ella and Addie wore their new little outfits today.

Could these sweet girls possibly be any cuter

...I DON'T THINK SO! "cute sisters"

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

"Ella Bella"

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

"Miss Addie"

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

"the perfect shoes"

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

" farewell cuties"

P.S. Marci has some great pictures on her blog.

A Little Witchy

Don't you just LOVE these "Little Witch Cupcakes"!These great-tasting, ghoulish-looking cupcakes are a wickedly easy treat for a Halloween party! Our trick: Keep kids antsy for the festivities happily busy by letting them help with the simple decorations.
Martha Stewart

Witch Cupcakes

Makes 12

Ingredients:

• 24 brown mini M&Ms plus , more for filling (optional)
• Hershey's Chocolate Cupcakes
• Dirty Green Simple Buttercream
• 12 chocolate sugar cones
• 1 pound black licorice laces, cut into 1/4-inch, 1/2-inch and 2-inch lengths
• 12 candy corns
  

Directions: 

1. Using a melon baller, scoop out the center of each cupcake, and fill with mini M&Ms, if desired.
2. Cover the tops of each cupcake with a generous mound (about 1/3 cup) of buttercream. Insert one candy corn into each cupcake to form a nose. Using brown mini M&Ms, insert two into each cupcake to form eyes. Place two short lengths of licorice above the eyes to form eyebrows for the witch. Place the shorter licorice lengths above the eyebrows to form bangs. Place an inverted cone on top of bangs, pressing gently into buttercream to adhere. Place the longer licorice lengths under the cone hat to form the hair.

Note: Best made the day of the party. These cupcakes don't keep too long because the Sugar Cone Hat turns soft especially in humid climates like Houston.

Taste of Home

Wicked Witch Cupcakes

Makes 12

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup baking cocoa
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1-1/4 cups milk
• 1 can (16 ounces) vanilla frosting
• Green food coloring

  WITCH HATS:

• 1 can (16 ounces) vanilla frosting
• 2 teaspoons milk
• Assorted food coloring of your choice
• 12 to 16 ice cream sugar cones
• Fruit Roll-Ups, licorice and assorted candies of your choice

Directions: In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk. Beat just until combined. Fill paper- or foil-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 350° for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Tint frosting green; frost cupcakes. For hats, combine frosting and milk; tint with food coloring. Frost ice cream cones. Using small cookie cutters, cut out shapes from Fruit Roll-Ups; arrange on hats. Add licorice for hair and candies for faces. Place a hat on each witch.

Find even more fun cupcake ideas

click
HERE

Yummy Mummy

Yummy Mummy Treat Cups

What you'll need:

• Plastic or paper cups, bathroom sized
• An old white t-shirt
• Medium wiggle eyes
• Felt, any Halloween color
• Scissors
• Glue stick
• White craft glue
  
  

How to make it:

• 1-Cut a small section from the t-shirt, depending on how many treat cups you will be making. Start with a section about 6” x 6”.
• 2-Cut that section into strips.
• 3- the bottom of the cup, wrap around and press in place. Repeat until entire cup is covered.
• 4-Cut a simple bow from felt. For a “boy” cup, use white craft glue to attach the bow tie to the bottom of the cup. For a “girl” cup, glue the bow to the top of the cup.
• 5-Use white craft glue to attach wiggle eyes. Fill with fun treats!

Tips:
Save old t-shirts, blue jeans and even boxer shorts for use in craft projects such as these. Wiggle eyes are available in a large variety of sizes from your local craft supply or discount department store. Due to cottons stretchy nature, strips will cut jagged not straight. This gives your mummy character! thanks Sharon - so cute...

P.S.

P.S. I tag Hope.

I was tagged by AnneMarie to list 10 things I can't live without.
My 10 Things

Thanks for sharing yours Kayley, Christina & Chrissy !

... Hoperrific, TAG - you're it!

Beauty Is From Within

Beauty is within the soul and shows through by calmness, kindness and peace.

— Gillian Laub, Photographer

Mack sent these links to us a couple of days ago. He got them from Cheryl's Facebook page.

"Campaign for Real Beauty" by Dove

EVOLUTION

AMY

ONSLAUGHT

Young teens are constantly being told they're growing up, adding pressures of new responsibilities, certain rights and advantages, and expected behaviors they may not be ready for..... READ ON
Raising kids' esteem: Healthy dose of self-worth is critical
By Janie Magruder

Free Handbags!

Free Purses

Miss Kayley heard about this fun site from her friend Stacie .

Handbag Planet is giving away free purses!

Click Here to Register

The Cutie Pie's Skirts

Ella and Addie's little outfits are ready! This has been such a fun project. I couldn't remember how to do the blanket stitch for the life of me, but found this great place for help Here and Here!

They would have be ready sooner but I've been preoccupied with for some strange reason.....

I can't wait to see the cutie pies in their outfits!

10 things I can't live without...

I was tagged by AnneMarie, my sweet friend, to list 10 things I can't live without. I've tried to narrow it down ... Currently, these are the

Top 10
#1
My Best Friend and Hubby

X0X0
thanks for 29 wonderful years Mark

#2 - MY FAMILY

#3 - Cell Phonecan't leave home without it

#4 - Watch

a definite necessity for me

#5 - My Computer

especially now that I'm a 'blogging addict'

#6 - Sewing Machine

she's humble, but gets the job done

#7 - Kitchen Aid

my family's favorite

#8 - Kettle Corn Popcorn

so delicious!

#9 - Ribbon

i love, love, love it

#10- My Relief Society Binder

we're attached at the hip

Let's see ...I tag Kayley, Christina & Chrissy

a total goner

Usually every Monday afternoon Mark drives Hope to her Bassoon lesson. Here's a video if you've never seen or heard a Bassoon before. (I hadn't until Hope decided she wanted to play it.)



Well not last Monday, I begged to take her so I would have an excuse to sit and read instead of cook, clean, catch up on calls.... just sit and read none other than, you guessed it "Twilight". I do enjoy listening also. Her teacher, Marilyn Chappell, is amazing. Sometimes Marilyn will accompany her on the piano or play a duet with her. I love it. Well, just as Hope's lesson ended, I finished it. Perfect. Only I couldn't wait to get my hands on the next book. "New Moon". I was starting to panic because I thought Hope still had a copy of it . She had already returned it to her friend. Oh no! This couldn't be! Marci bailed me out and borrowed her friend, McKell's copy. (Well, that's the least she could do, since she got me started on this crazy addiction) Thanks McKell!
So I'm back in business or ... a goner.... depending on how you see it.

Help, I'm Drowning!

I know, I know, I must be the last person in America to start the Twilight Series by Stephenie Meyer.
Marci loaned me the first book in the series and has been so adamant that I read it! Well, now I'm hooked...like I have time to be addicted to a book on top of all my other "things"!

a little peek

Addie's Skirt

I have the little skirts finished except for the elastic in the waistbands. I need their cute mom to get me their tummy measurements.

Ella's Skirt Would you believe she only has a yardstick or ruler, no measuring tape! She got the skirt length for me but it was a bit difficult to measure around their waists! I really need to get that girl a measuring tape ...

In the meantime, I've been thinking about what to do on their little t-shirts. I love Heather Bailey 's bird

that was featured in Mary Englebreit's Home Companion, my all time favorite magazine.I used this pattern. Party Chicks™
So this is the plan.....

I love doing these little projects, so I've had to pace myself. Today I'm supposed to be cleaning, so I'll go scour a bathroom and reward myself with time in the sewing room. I have also been told by a certain someone that I have to read at least 3 chapters in Twilight...or else. AND it's General Conference weekend which I absolutely LOVE. We're recording it. The things we can do now-a-days! Tomorrow after the afternoon session we're having "Partridge" tacos at my parents. My mom wants to go around the table and let everyone tell their favorite talk and why. I thought that was such a great idea, thanks Mom!