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

Saturday Morning Cartoons

k

Saturday Morning

Cartoons

“CAT”toons

Bill ….. “Don’t you just love Saturday.”

Sally…………..…………………”I know~right”

Thank You Thursday

via marta writes

Embraceable You

Hope's duet with Nelson Mills III  from Monday's nights Jazz Concert,

"Embraceable You"

Taylor High School Jazz Band

The Taylor Jazz Band concert was last night.

Thank you to everybody that was able to come and support Hope.

She had quite a fan club!

Marci got Mr. Melville introducing Hope and  Hope's solo, "The Look of Love" on tape for us.

Thank you to John for suggesting the idea and a big thanks to Debbie for helping make it happen!

The band was amazing!  They had a guest trumpeter and vocalist,

Nelson Mills III  there last night. Hope got to sing a duet with him.

I will try to post some other numbers soon!

Giving Thanks

free printable via
Classy Clutter

I really can't believe it is November.  
Like never before I feel excited to celebrate this month of "Thanksgiving".  

Last month I did THIS post

“EveryDay Thanksgiving”

… where I shared some of my favorite talks and quotes on gratitude.

I also mentioned this book that I had just finished reading.

You can find it  HERE.

This is the trailer:

We started a tradition  in our family with a

“Thankful Tree”.

During the month we write things we are thankful for on little leaves and then hang them on a wire tree.  It is so fun to watch the progression as the tree fills up with blessings! 
Even more rewarding is the realization of so many gifts from heaven.

I hope this month, so perfectly timed before celebrating the birth of our Savior,

we can all do something in our lives and in our homes that will encourage

Intentional Gratitude. 

Happy Month of 

Thanksgiving !

Beautiful Heartbreak

A little over three years ago I shared a POST about Stephanie Nielson.  Then there was this one on the POWER of HOPE .... and this inspirational video on FAITH.

via Pinterest

The amazing "Beautiful Heartbreak" 

that Stephanie has so graciously shared with the world is a testimony that indeed…

 "We can do all things through Christ which strentheneth us." ~Phillipians 4:13

Although I don’t have the time to follow my favorite blogs as consistently as I’d like, I do love to when I can find the extra few minutes here and there.  So I just recently did just that over at “Nie Nie’s Dialogs”  where Stephanie mentions this amazing video that she got to take part in.  

Hilary Weeks new song: "Beautiful Heartbreak".

I was so touched by this song.  I think the two biggest things I took away from it are:

~Although sometime in our lives everyone will face heartbreak of some kind or another , we can still choose to make it beautiful because of the grace of our Savior and

~that if we all wrote our signs and were truly able to read everyone else’s, we would all be a little kinder to one another.

I couldn’t find all the lyrics but the Chorus was posted in the comments on YouTube. 

via Pinterest

(Chorus)

Every fear, every doubt, all the pain I went through

Was the price that I paid to see this view

And now that I'm here I would never trade

The grace that I feel and the face that I find

Through the bittersweet tears and the sleepless nights

I used to pray He'd take it all away

But instead it became a beautiful heartbreak.

Zombie Pumpkins

Zombie Pumpkins

via Martha Stewart

Don’t you Just love these guys!

How to Make the Zombie Pumpkins