Valentine

♥Happy ♥ Heart ♥  Day♥

via the macs

…… a few of my Favorite ♥ Quotes:

♥Where there is love there is life. ~ Mohandas Gandhi

♥You are what happened when I wished upon a star.          

♥If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day so I never have to live without you.  ~ A. A. Milne

                                

♥To love abundantly is to live abundantly, and to love forever is to live forever. ~ Henry Drummond

                          

♥Nobody has ever measured, not even poets, how much the heart can hold. ~Zelda Fitzgerald

                 

♥Once in awhile in the middle of a normal life, Love gives us a fairytale.

♥Always remember there was nothing worth sharing like the love that let us share our name. ~ The Avett Brothers

                                   

♥Love is the magician that pulls man out of his own hat. ~ Ben Hecht

                                   

♥Life is better with your best friend.  That’s why I married mine.

♥Love is what you've been through with somebody. ~ James Thurber

              

♥ In Family Relationships LOVE is really spelled TIME. ~ Dieter F. Uchtdorf

                                  

♥I thought I knew happy but you taught me Happiness.

♥Where there is great love, there are always wishes. ~Willa Cather

                               

♥Loved you yesterday, love you still, always have, always will♥

Have a Happy Valentine’s Day!

A Repeat Offender

{a perfect Valentine Cake too!}

Triple Chocolate Fudge Cake

so Delicious & Easy 

Last Year's Yummy Cake

Kayley wanted a "Chocolately" cake last year for her birthday. Heather is my GO TO GIRL when I need a fabulous recipe. Once again,she came through again with shining colors! 

Tripe Chocolate Fudge Cake

Ingredients:

1 chocolate cake mix (with pudding in the mix!)

1 large box chocolate pudding

1/2 c vegetable oil

1/2 c warm water

4 eggs

1 c sour cream

1 12oz package chocolate chips

Directions:

Grease and flour a 12 cup bunt pan and preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine cake mix and pudding mix. Blend in oil, water, eggs, sour cream. 

Stir in chocolate chips. Pour into pan.

Bake 45 min-1 hour.

Cool 10 min, then slide knife around edges of pan and invert.

Cool completely and glaze.

Glaze:

Melt 1/3 c margarine and stir in 2 cups powdered sugar. Blend in 1/2 t. vanilla.

*my mom's friend sometimes just heats up a tub of frosting from the store and pours over the top instead.

Kayley didn't hesitate when asked what kind of cake or dessert she would like for her birthday.

Since it was the second year in a row I decided to add a festive banner with her birthday number on it. She's turned the big Two Five this year (which makes me age four when I had her, my story is getting harder and harder to believe)!

I found the cute printable number banner 

HERE

Hope all those wishes come true LeeLee!

 {all photos by Marci}

Valentine Twinkies

Valentine Twinkies

Here is a last minute idea for Valentine's Day dessert! 

Quick and easy strawberry shortcake ala heart shaped twinkies.

via Crazy Domestic

Simply cut your twinkies diagonally, and place them together in a heart shape! They topped theirs with strawberry jam (diluted with water-about 3 parts jam, 1 part water) and then garnished it with fresh strawberries!

You could even drizzle hot fudge or chocolate sauce over the top! 

Thank You Thursday

via doodle graphics

Addie Cat

Miss Addie Cat is 5 !

Marci took these sweet pictures of Addie 

in the little dress I made for her.

So cute how much she loves SweetHeart.

Valentine Chex Mix

Valentine Chex Mix

via Betty Crocker

·        9    cups Rice Chex® cereal (gluten free)

·        1    cup white vanilla baking chips

·        ½   cup peanut butter

·        ¼   cup butter or margarine

·        ¾   cup powdered sugar

·        ½   cup red, white and pink candy-coated chocolate candies

·        ¼   cup red or pink jimmies sprinkles

♥Step 1

     In large bowl, place cereal. In small microwavable bowl, microwave baking chips, peanut butter and butter uncovered on High 1 minute to 1 minute 30 seconds, stirring every 30 seconds, until melted and smooth. Pour peanut butter mixture over cereal, stirring until evenly coated.

♥Step 2

     Place 1/2 of the cereal mixture in 1-gallon food-storage plastic bag. Add powdered sugar. Seal bag; shake until well coated. Spread on waxed paper or foil to cool, about 15 minutes.

♥Step 3

     Meanwhile, stir candies and sprinkles into remaining cereal mixture. Spread on waxed paper or foil to cool, about 15 minutes.

♥Step 4

 In serving bowl, mix both cereal mixtures. Store in airtight container.

Super Easy, Delicious & Gluten Free!

Valentine Treat

Feeling the need to make these!

Brown Sugar Blondies for Valentine’s Day

image & recipe via Baked Perfection

Brown Sugar Blondies
adapted from Allrecipes.com

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup to 1 1/3 cup M&M's

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).

Mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside. Melt 1/3 cup butter. Add 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar and mix well. Cool slightly. Add egg (beaten) and vanilla and blend well. Add flour mixture, a little at a time, mixing well. Mix in 2/3 cup M&M's. Spread in 9 x 9 x 2 inch pan. Sprinkle 1/3 to 2/3 cup M&M's on top. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Store in airtight container at room temperature.

Valentine’s Marshmallow Pops

Easy peasy quick treat for Valentine’s Day:

Valentine’s Marshmallow Pops

via Glorious Treats

All you need...

One bag of Strawberry Marshmallows

Chocolate

Sprinkles

Lollipop sticks

Small cellophane bags (if you want to wrap them up)

1.      ~ Directions ~  Push a lollipop stick into each marshmallow.

2.    Melt some chocolate (chocolate chips are not recommended)  I usually use Ghirardelli chocolate (found in the baking aisle).  You will probably need 4-8 oz. of chocolate, depending on how many marshmallows you dip.

3.    Dip one marshmallow at a time into the chocolate.

4.    Allow excess chocolate to drip off, then sprinkle your choice of sprinkles onto the chocolate.

5.     Set the marshmallow pop (stick down) in a mug to allow the chocolate to set (you can put the mug of pops in the fridge or freezer for a few minutes)

6.    Once the chocolate is set, if desired, wrap each pop in a small cellophane bag.

7.     Share with friends =)

 

FROM A SWEATER ....TO A CAT

Sweet Heart.... The Sweater Cat

Awhile ago I did this post of all these fun ideas for 

repurposing sweaters.

This is one of those sweaters I decided to hang on to.

Out of the Goodwill box and into the Repurpose box it went.

I love the variegated yarn!

What to do with it?

I know ....

a cat for Addie!

The sweater had a rolled hem.  

It was perfect for the Sweater Cat’s tail!

meet

Sweet Heart

(Lovingly named by Addie)

Thank You Thursday-2012

via dzine

So many things to say ….. where should I start!

Well first, THANK YOU to everyone for sending so many wonderful wishes for my birthday!  I love my birthday now.  The thing is, I have had a Love/Hate relationship with the day for quite a while.

When I was growing up I loved that my birthday was on New Year’s Eve.  It was the perfect night for a slumber party.  My family endured many of those.  I loved the excitement of waiting for the midnight hour to ring in the New Year!  

Shirley Temple via Movie Dream Book

We would run up and down the street banging pots and pans.  Oh the thrill!  My mom was always the best at making birthdays special. As a matter of fact, she did such a good job I actually thought ALL of the New Year’s festivities were about “me”!   I know, but I did.  It’s true.

Now that was the one hand.  On the other hand, Aunts and Uncles often sent me a Christmas/Birthday present.  When you are 7 years old that can be devastating.   

via favim

 My birthday was during the Christmas break so some of my best friends that went out of town every year for the holidays couldn’t be there. 

Later on  it seemed like everyone got a new calendar for Christmas and excitedly hung it up filling in their schedules for the New Year.  “Hey, there are a few more days .  Wait!” 

And the worst .... I got all my new clothes all at once... so tragic.

via a cottage industry

These days I really do love everything about my birthday and I hope I get to have many more!  I love turning a year older right at the start of the New Year. It is the perfect way to end one year and begin the next.

via sarahearn

  Mark and I  recently saw the movie New Year’s Eve.  We loved it.  

It’s a “feel  good”  movie similar to the Movie Valentine’s Day.  I saw it with my girls ♥ after my infamous toe surgery .

In the movie New Year's Eve, Hilary Swank plays Claire Morgan the producer of the Times Square New Year’s Eve ball drop.  When there is a malfunction and everyone is waiting for the drop she gives this impromptu speech from the heart.

Referring to the ball, she says,

"It's suspended there to remind us before we pop the champagne and celebrate the New Year, to stop and reflect on the year that has gone by.  
To remember both our triumphs and our missteps - our promises made, and broken.  The times we opened ourselves up to great adventures - or closed ourselves down, for fear of getting hurt.  
Because that's what New Year's is all about: getting another chance. A chance to forgive, to do better, to do more, to give more, to love more. And stop worrying about 'what if' and start embracing what would be. 
So when that ball drops at midnight - and it will drop - let's remember to be nice to each other,  kind to each other. And not just tonight but all year long."

It's a NEW Happy Year!

via Nesting Place

via citified blog

Wishing a

via etsy

to you!

via Pulsar Media