Oh my feet!!!

I am thankful that today, I am not preggers..
My back and feet already hurt, imagine what it would be like with that other factor in my equation!
Ouch...
Here's why..Bridal Shower, tomorrow..
Cookies for tomorrow..

I wanted to try a new technique, an idea I got from some inspiration.. gotta give credit where credit is due! (Thanks Brooke for the reference!)
But what about the ever so delicious buttercreme frosting?!
To buttercreme or not to buttercreme.. THAT is the question...
The Royal Icing is the way to go, this time.. it looks so pretty and elegant. The biggest pro is how it dries, makes these babies stackable. Perfect for our favors.

Over 150 cookies.
42 bigguns..
Over 100 bitties..

My hand hurts!
All that were baked did not survive the rigorous taste testing session(s).. and there will be yet another one this evening once Merrill gets home. :)
Can you tell that our theme is BUTTERFLIES? ;D

Confections..

Made a couple of cakes..
Will be creating more sweets the next couple of days! :)
This is one created for a new 2 year old after the likes of this one..




And this one is for mom, who happens to love daisies.. this was as close as I could get!


I am so glad I took pics before, the drive wasn't very friendly to it. :)

Another look..

Here's another peek..


Still not finished..
This will be another part of the room.


You'll have to be patient with the after.. consider it my contribution to "Thrifty Thursday". :)
Can't wait to get some more digi scrappin' done!!

Zwei..

I am super-smelly after a jam-packed day that ended with a softball game that we played quite decently..
What does that mean anyway? I, personally don't "pack" jam.. I spoon it into my jars...
Anywhoo.. onto the reason I am posting..
Could it be that Peyton is just SO excited, she just can't find sleep?
She's up, right now, honking my nose.
Poking at a zit that is trying to heal.
Darn hormones..
Can you read my tiredness?
I am rambling..
Zwei is German for two.
I am finished with my second paint color..


On to number three!

A peek..

Here's your sneak peek at what's been going on around here...
ONE of the paint colors going up..


I am trying Home Deaf-o's new Behr with the primer in it.. I'll let ya know how that goes. So far I am up to four coats, but I think the pink stripes have something to do with that digit.
A bridal shower that we are planning for Merrill's little brother's soon to be bride..


Our aim for this shower is to make people say, "Really? All this for a shower?!"
Because that's what we do best. :)
I knew I had to post a pic of the invite when Merrill said he "happened to see one laying around at the hotel" and he thought "they were amazing!".. that speaks volumes. :)
And a little boy has learned the art of going potty.


So it's "Potty Time!" instead of "Party Time"..
A cake was in order for the grand celebration.


The blue and brown theme just kinda came together.. I dreamed up the toilet paper trail one night during one of my insomnia bouts. I am thinking of adding a mangled and molded tootsie roll to it. I am fearful if that would lead to only me eating the cake..


I am still trying to decide if that is a bad idea. ;)

Ello!

I am in household project mode..
Again..
Peyton will soon have a "big girl" room.
Cribs are for the birds when it comes to children this age in our house.
While I am waiting for paint to dry, thought I could get one in!
I do have a post a-brewin' as far as digi scrappin', resources and fun stuff.. I have had a few e-mails with questions. :)
I used a template on this one from Chrissy W. at Elemental Scraps.
I also used a kit by the same artist..
The rest of the makings are from things I have collected, already.. because it is so totally addicting!! ;)

Sweet 16..

I do love digi scrapping, but I think this little late-night crop has more to do with the feeling of fullness that remains after a late-night visit to Village Inn and the strawberry crepes that were introduced to the inside of stomach.
Yum.
(The crepes were delicious too! ;D)

A lot has been going on here...

A lot of scrapping that is..
Two Easters, now all caught up on that fun springtime event!
Oh.. and there's one in there about my garden.. it's a re-do, after Christie introduced me to templates, and saved me and quite literally my sanity..


Easter 2008:

Easter 2009:


That puts me at 18, just for this post! That's not counting the printings of the digi ones.. that would be 18 more. :)
36 ain't too shabby!
WooHoo!!!

Hooray for Headbands!!

I have used this pattern a lot over the last year.
The other day, I got Peyton ready, and her ensemble.. it was just missing something..
A headband.


Merrill had to laugh at me when he called from work to see what we were up to.
"Making a headband for Pey."
"What for?"
"The outfit she's wearing today.."
"You're cooky.."
Yup, I am.
That is why I can be caught making bows and bracelets last minute..
Because I am cooky.
But Peyton seems to be the only one now who lets me doll her up. :(
The headband served it's purpose the first part of the day, but after a nap and lots of playing, it just didn't look quite the same..

loving the templates!!

i do have a few traditional ones in the works (need titles and journaling done..) and some digi ones too.. darn me for burning the pics to CDs and not keeping them on the old computer to digi scrap them.. now i gotta re-load them..

Hey, I'm not the only one..

This is what happens when big sis enjoys one of the treats, leaves the remnants on the table, but baby sis climbs up to polish it off.
Various places in my house are blue now as well.

Air Show...

Thanks to my best friend Christie, I learned and now appreciate, the template.
These are awesome!! Ctrl G my friends.. Ctrl G..
Guess what I will be doing the rest of tonight..
Downloading templates.
I think I have come to the conclusion, if I make a layout, and it goes into 4 albums (family, Lynn's, Ashley's, and Peyton's..) then I get to count it as 4 layouts... that's how it would work doing this the paper and glue way.
Good plan, eh?
I will be caught up in no time!! ;)

I have a blue tongue.. (Recipe for Sugar Cookies)

I do indeed..
It all started with a tradition of sorts. Brooke and I started it the summer of MiKell's first cheer camp, making sugar cookies themed around the cheer sport and school colors.
We just keep on going with it because MiKell keeps going on cheering!
I also found a new use for my fabric cutting guide (a.k.a. clear ruler)..


Perfect for cutting square sugar cookies without wasting dough, and, well, because I don't have a square cutter! :)
Pizza cutters are awesome as well..
See how the lines make everything perfectly square?


Like the BHS cheerleaders will measure these babies before munching them.. make sure they are square. Ha!
I used a flooding technique for the frosting.
Brooke introduced me to a new blog that is mighty inspirational!


My first idea (plan A) to do the lettering didn't quite work out, so I had to move on to a different idea (plan 2 :D) and form the letters, each one, individually, by hand, one at a time..
Am I getting across the point that this was more time intensive than I thought?
Ah, they turned out cute.


The cheerleaders (or cheater-leaders as my girls like to call them) loved them.

The recipe comes from Merrill side of the family, by far THE BEST sugar cookie recipe my mouth has ever drooled over, and on..
I will share:
Because I am nice that way ;)

1 cup softened butter (I use margarine and it works too..)
1 cup shortening
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
4 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. soda
1 tsp. cream of tartar

Cream the butter, shortening, and granulated sugar. After it's nice and creamy, add the powdered sugar, vanilla and eggs. Sift together the remaining ingredients, and add slowly.
Roll to desired thickness on a loured surface (our house likes between 1/4 inch and 1/2 inch). Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet at 375 for 7 1/2 to 8 minutes. Cool and then frost!

Oh, here's the proof of the blue tongue.. and the fact that I ate too much frosting, too late last night..