Birthday Treats!

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the anniversary of my birth last week, my Sweetcakes of a friend made me these delectable treats! 

Morning Shower! For a Baby that is...

This morning my two co-workers and I hosted a small baby shower for one of the teachers with whom we work.  The three of us were some how over looked when the school shower was held.  Thanks to Sweetcakes planning smarts, the three of us were able to have something more personal and sweet!  We all pitched in to bring bagels, fruit, decorations and Sweetcakes even made this beautiful, tasty chocolate and raspberry mini-cake.  Our friend was very surprised when she arrived at our meeting this morning!  

The piece de resistance.

Flowers for the table.  

My present for the baby-to-be.  

All three of us party throwers are crafting souls.  I made the above and below baby bid.  Sweetcakes made come adorable burp cloths and matching receiving blankets.  Our third friend has found her niche in knitting.  She made the cutest booties, hat, bib and matching wash cloths.  I really need to encourage our third friend to start a blog.  Her homemade treasures are eye candy too!  

Changes.....

As you can tell, I am playing.  :)  

Welcome Spring! And a Birth Day Anniversary!

Last night I clipped these daffodils, cotoneasters, weeping cherry, forsythia and other greens from my yard.  

Bad boy, Jack, is up on the table taking in a bit of the outdoor smells.  

And, here's the backside of my birthday card envelope I received today from my brother and his family.  

About three years ago, when my brother reached the ripe old age of 40 I started this fun by decorating his envelope with lots of "over the hill," etc stuff.  I like the creativity this evokes.  I like the fact that my niece and nephew get into the act too!  

Can you guess how old I am today?  That's right!  I am celebrating the 16th anniversary of my 29th birthday!  :)  

I Think...

...I need to update the photos on this blog!

...I need to expand what I write about. 

...I need to take more chances.

I'll be taking next week off to refresh my soul.  

Check back after the 22nd.  :)

W.T.M.I.!!!

Several weeks back I decided to actually give Facebook a try.  

I've had an account for about a year.  It was one of those things I needed to get some info about a summer camp program.  It seemed good at the time and it was helpful.  

This time I actually decided to see if I could re-connect with some old friends via this social networking site.  I did!  In fact, that was a good thing.  I have reconnected with a few girl friends I knew when we were all much, much younger - before grade school for two of them!  I find it fascinating to see the adults they have grown into.  I have fond memories of all these ladies.  

But, I also have a few people I said okay to being "friends" with that I really need to un-friend/de-friend.  How does one go about that? And what is the correct term I am looking for? I really don't need to know the details of their lives they seem to think everyone needs to know.  And, I don't want to share-all with them either.  Am I wrong to say, "oops sorry, don't want to be your friend anymore?"  They are kind enough souls, I just really don't want to know every little thing.  

I have all ready blocked one person's status updates.  If absolutely nothing else is happening with any of my "other" friends, then I will get that update.  Even then, I don't need it!  More importantly, I DON'T WANT IT!  Way To Much Information!  

I feel guilty for even partially blocking these updates.  I find myself not even checking into the Facebook site that much anymore.  Maybe that's the best option.  

Last week I decided to try Twitter.  After about 10 minutes, I had enough of that.  I don't want to "follow" others!  

I think I am getting older...starting to show my age!  I don't quite feel with the times right now.  

A Friday Funny...

***A True Story***

Getting married involves a lot of generational and family blending.  My daughter was asked, a long time ago, to be the flower girl in her aunts wedding.  Going to a wedding requires a special, the perfect, dress; usually a task best accomplished on ones own.  Being a flower girl requires a lot of opinions on THE dress.  

What I recall mostly about the day my daughter and I met my mom, sister and grandmother at the bridal shop was that I felt like I was bringing the toy with which they were going to play dress-up.  I was there to pay the bill too, but mostly I was the toy bringer.  

My daughter was a bit old to be a true flower girl but she was too young to be a junior bridesmaid.  Flower girl sounded like a star role and who doesn't like to be a star for a day?  

After many opinions were voiced, and hours of trying on dresses, tiaras and long gloves, THE dress was decided upon.   It was a beautiful sleeveless, long white, pearl covered, mini-bride dress...perfect!  Long gloves would be worn to adorn the illusion of a little princess.  The bill footer vetoed the tiara...it was a $300 dollar non-essential item.  The hundred dollar dress and twenty dollar gloves were plenty. 

After the dress search, the searchers decided we needed a reward.  One thing we could all agree upon was ice cream!  

The boys who were with us that day, but not part of the perfect flower girl dress search, wisely had gone to shop "guy stuff" but joined us for this treat.  Cold Stone Creamery is one of those ice cream places that mix in chunks of favorite goodies: chocolate chips, nuts, smashed cookies, candies, etc.  

The future flower girl decided to have gummy bears mixed into her chocolate ice cream reward.  

The eight of us sat down together to chat about what we had accomplished that day, what still needed to be done and just generally how we all were doing.  A normal family get together: lots of chatting, not much paying attention to others eating habits.  Grandma, who was sitting near my husband, reached her hand out to nibble on one of her favorite treats...gummy bears.  

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," my husband voiced.  

"I can do what I want," quipped my defiant 80 year old, diabetic grandmother.  

She was sure my husband was chastising her and monitoring her diet.  

"Okay, "said my husband, "suit yourself."  

On our travels home that day, my husband and children told me what had been happening at the other end of the table.  My future flower girl had decided upon a treat that was really too big for her belly.  Her father kindly finished her treat, but he's not a gummy bear fan.  As he took a bite, he would suck the ice cream off each bear and leave it on a napkin near by. 

My children and future brother-in-law watched in awe as their great-grandmother/grandmother-in-law-to-be ate every single gummy bear that their father/future brother-in-law had sucked clean of ice cream.  Eeew!  

Not a single soul told Grams what she did that day...ever!  

A dress by any other name...

While looking for a photo of THE dress I came across these old memories too precious not to share as well!  

THE dress, recycled, nine months after the wedding...

***NOTE: This is NOT the tiara from the bridal store, it is a rhinestone head piece from the mother of the flower girl's former baton twirling days, circa 1969-70.  For the record, I have two!

At a birthday party, long, long ago, Link and his friends needed to save Princess Zelda.  With handmade shields and swords, our warriors set off...

Through the streets of Callery...

...arriving at the castle where Princess Zelda was held.  Our brave warriors defeated their water balloon welding evil nemesis.  

Another great part of this birthday was that these "costumes" were recycled yet again into Halloween costumes a few months later.  

What Time is it in Indiana?

Just when my kids were starting to get a little day light for their walk to the school bus in the morning...Spring ahead time.  

This weekend it will be time to change our clocks.  

In March, I don't mind the extra hour of evening daylight, but in June, I think having the sun up until almost 10pm is a bit much.  

Thank goodness for cell phones.  They are a wonderful source to keep one current on what time it is wherever one goes.