Way to Be!

Didn't these signs turn out cute!  They are at the top of the stairs so the kids will see them every day.  And me to for that matter.  (Who doesn't need a good reminder?)

Cute and Crafty

A month or so ago I bought some signs for my wall with the 6 B's.  (Click the link if you want to know what those are).  Liz made them for me and they are so cool.  I will post pictures tomorrow because I still need to hang them.  

I just checked out her Etsy shop and thought this sign was so cute.   I have seen her work room and it is amazing.  She is so talented at making beautiful things out of old stuff people would throw away.  

There really is no excuse for me not hanging them already.  I will do it tomorrow.  Yup!  And post a picture too.  Yup - I will.

Confessions and Farewells

Confession:  I am addicted to checking my blog comments.  No really - I am.  I waste valuable time stopping to log on and see if anyone commented on my latest post.  I am ashamed to admit it, but there you have it.  

Farewell:  I will no longer allow comments on my blog.  I hate to do this because I love all the positive feed back.  (I know, pathetic isn't it).  But it's time to cut the cord.

Family and friends all have my email, so if you are so inclined to comment, you know where to find me.

Thanks to those who have left their positive and well thought out comments - even if you didn't agree with me; it has been a pleasure.  

I am ready to stand on my own two feet now. So, come Monday morning,  I am kicking my habit and will continue to blog - comment free.

Pink 'n Roses

This is a birthday cake I finished last night for someone's mother who loves the color pink and roses.

What will they think of next?

Something is definitely wrong with this picture.

Cookie Fundamentals

I have had countless people asking me questions about cookie decorating.  I have debated on whether or not to devote a blog post to this or not.  The truth is, if I were to give detailed step by step instructions, this would turn into a book.  But if I don't give step by step instructions, your cookies won't turn out very cute.

So instead I am going to turn you to where I started - books.  This Martha Stewart Cookie Decorating book  (it's more like a magazine) is the first one I grabbed back when I started.   I has great detailed instructions with helpful, pretty pictures.  

This is a great place to start if you are really interested in cookie decorating!   You can find it by clicking the link or at your local craft store.  I found mine at Michaels.

The Golden Moments of Motherhood

Recently my son has been insisting that we cut his hair in a mohawk.  He has been coming home from school with his hair all gooped up in mohawk fashion - the best he could manage with his short hair cut.  

When I combed his hair before school he started arguing with me that he wanted it mohawk style.  What the heck!!  I thought that arguing about hair was limited to my daughters only!  I stand corrected.

So I recently volunteered in my sons class at school and discovered that several boys in his grade had their hair cut full blown mohawk style.  Oh dear.  This is not going to be easy to talk my son out of this one.

But the good Lord was with me one morning.  As I was combing my sons hair before school, and the old argument came up again - I took a deep breath. 

"Son, have you ever seen people who dress really different or strange before?  Have you seen people who have their bodies pierced in weird and painful places?"  "Yes" he replied.  

"Remember the guy we saw with the really BIG mohawk, walking by us once?" 

"Yes"

"Well, what did you think when you saw those people?"

"That guy had a really BIG mohawk mom!"

"Yes, you noticed the mohawk and the way they were dressed first.  Son, I am afraid that if you styled your hair in a big mohawk, people might miss the real you."

I continued to tell him that I was afraid if he made a big statement with his looks that people would say, "hey, there's the kid with the mohawk"  instead of  "hey, there's the guy that is really nice or smart or funny". I told him that God doesn't want him to get attention that way, that He wants people to notice him for him and not his hair.

And then my friends - the moment happened.  That connection! - when you see the light bulb turn on in those big blue eyes.  HE GOT IT!  "Okay mom" was his reply as he shrugged his shoulders and off he went.  

He has never asked for a mohawk since.

I am sure it won't always be this easy.  But for now, I will celebrate the little successes as I try to help this little boy become a man.

The Day After Halloween

Does anyone else feel like this?

Tipping the Scale

I have been thinking a lot about our upcoming election.  I have tried very hard to study each candidate, and nudge my way through all the fluff.  It is difficult when there is so much muck being thrown around about both candidates. 

I have read "The Audacity of Hope" by Barrack Obama.  I will admit that I haven't read any books on John McCain - (mostly because I was to cheap to buy one and someone gave me the book on Obama).  But I have tried to stay current and learn about the man what I could.

There are countless arguments for both sides and each one makes great promises.  So I started to think about what was important to me and how did each candidate measure up.  

The War.  Support it or not, the fact is we are at war.  Looking at both of these men, who do I feel will do what is right for our country and our soldiers.  I, unlike most people, do not support a cut in our military defenses.  I will never forget how I felt on September 11, and I feel better knowing our country has the best military defenses in the world.   I want someone who, along with his party, has a history of supporting funds for our military and supporting what needs to be done to protect our country.

The economy.  I am just as scared as the rest of America.  Believe me, my hubbies in the banking industry.  But any candidate who promotes a "redistribution of wealth"  and higher taxes for the rich, scares me to death.  It's a concept that is dripping with socialism.  I have always believed in free enterprise and capitalism.  Oh how I wish there was a flat tax.  I cannot support the idea of taking from the rich to equal everyone out.  Again, it's a socialistic concept that I don't embrace.

The "A" word.  Yes, abortion.  I am not in favor of it.  I don't feel the need to argue the topic of abortion, because then this blog post would be the size of a book.  Several - and I mean several - of my friends have been so blessed because of these unwanted babies through adoption.  How can I go along with a candidate who supports this - early or late term.

The list goes on and on. And so could this blog post.  I have found that I disagree with both candidates on several points. Both have shady things in their past and some associations that I cannot ignore.   But to not vote would be irresponsible.  I must decide.  

(Now many will say there is so much more to the discussion, and believe me I know this is true.  But for the sake of not making this so long, I just touched on a couple of things).

My sister-in-law (you know I still love you) made a comment the other day that has really bothered me.  She said she loved the idea of a black president.  If you think about it, that is a very narrow minded comment.  The color of ones skin is irrelevant as is their gender.  I love the idea of voting for someone who shares my beliefs.  That is all.

And so my friends, on November 4th, John McCain will be getting my vote.  And no matter who wins this election, I feel I did my best to make an educated decision.  I feel I voted for the candidate that adhered most to my beliefs.

This is just one girls opinion.

Cassie's Wedding Cake

Here's my first wedding cake!!!   I made it just how the bride wanted it and it went really well with her fall themed wedding.  You can't see it in the picture, but there is decorative piping in the same color as the base of the cake.  It had more detail than you can see. I love the funky flowers - so cool. (It even tastes good too!)    

In the "Quack" of Time

I had less than 24 hours to come up with a cake for my nephews birthday.  Here's the finished product.  You can't tell in the picture but the bubbles are shiny and there is a towel with soap on the top and a bottle of bubbles.  I can't believe I pulled this one off. I was still decorating it 5 minutes before the party started!  Shew!

Waiting...

Just waiting on some pictures so I can show you the cakes I made this weekend.  (I forgot to take pictures, so I am waiting to have them emailed to me.)

Wasn't the Mindy Gledhill concert awesome?   

The real me

A lot of my friends have been asking me why so many people have been leaving me such unkind comments on my blog recently.  It is because I posted my political views on the side bar, and because I posted about having housekeeping clean up my sons throw up at our hotel.

I have always had a small readership, but because of a link posted on Cjanes blog to my blog,  I got a lot of traffic the other day from people I didn't know.

People said some really nasty things to me. Really nasty.  I will admit that it hurt.  I was judged very harshly from people who don't know me or anything about me.  Because of my political views and my "politically incorrect" sense of humor, they assumed the worst and sure let me know it.

I am a pretty fun loving, nice person.  I strive everyday to be the best wife and mother; my family is everything.  I am kind to all my neighbors, no matter their color. I am active in my community and my church.  I volunteer in the schools.  When I read others blogs, I encounter numerous things that I don't agree with.  Sometimes I even think they are lying.  Then I simply click the mouse and off I go, onto a new blog or website.   It is not my place to play policeman of the blog world and make sure everyone is being politically correct or posting only things that I agree with.

That's the beauty of the blog.  It's my voice.  Mine.  I was told - "Shame on me" and because of my connection to the Nie Nie blog, I should be more careful with what I say.  I love my cousin Christian and  his wife Stephanie.  But I was blogging long before their accident, and hope to be blogging long after.  I don't owe anything to anyone in the blogging community.  This is my place to share a part of me.  And like it or not - this is me in all my imperfect glory.

To leave nasty comments is silly.  It's not anyones job to put me in my place.  The blog is out there for you to read - agree or not - and if you like what you see, come back again. Obviously, if you don't, then don't.

Here's the bottom line.  This is my place to post new recipes that are yummy,  to post little tidbits about my family life and vacations, to post pictures of my latest cookie and cake creations, and yes, to even post my opinions.  It could be said that it is your right to leave a comment with yours, and I guess that is so.  But it will always be my right to delete them when they are unkind or nasty.  

I am a lover not a fighter and don't enjoy the controversy or arguing.   Come. Read. Enjoy.  If not, no hard feelings.

Cookie Tricks!

Everyone has been asking me, "How do you make the silhouettes on the cookies?"   Alright - here's my secret.  I pipe them first, and when they are dry I just pick them up, and place them onto the frosted cookie.  We cranked out another hundred of those babies today.  Hope you're hungry!

Sneak Peek!

My sister and I finished the silhouette cookies of Christian and Stephanie to be sold at the Mindy Gledhill concert.  All the profits will be donated.  Don't you want to buy a yummy cookie?  (Come on, please buy one!  I hand piped those with LOVE!)