Wedding Cake Ideas

My sister-in-law is getting married and I have volunteered to make her wedding cake. (The same weekend that I plan on holding my daughter's science birthday party) Am I a little overzealous or is this just how life happens? Both have seemed to sneak up on me…

Here are a few ideas that I came across in my search for the "perfect" cake.  She likes polka dots and apparently this is one of the newer trends...I do believe I found all these pictures on Pinterest.

(My Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/netshappyplace/pins/ )

I just really like this one…;)

A different version of the polkadot. I think this one is more elegant. Quite charming.

I found a really great website for a new frosting that I have never tried before plus I have in one of my books, a great Devils' Food Cake recipe. Once I have tried these myself I will post them for you.

New Scriptures

I also am super excited about my new scriptures that are coming in the mail. My scriptures have been used to the max. I got them when I was baptized, 20 years ago. The pages are worn out and some even torn from babies trying to "feast" on the scriptures. We ordered online and voila! Sooo cute! (As our son says though, "It's not what they look like on the outside that matters, it's what's inside that counts." So true, however, reading these cuties will put a smile on my face before I even open them!)

Another Great Book

I finished another book I had on the go. This one is very easy to read, but you may find you (as we learned in elementary years ago) -"Stop, Look and Listen" (which quote I am paraphrasing from another book I am working on)…taking the time to really think about what you just read and how you may apply it in your own life. An interesting and insightful read.

The Peacegiver

Okay everyone, Let's be successful on being happy in our journey!

Making Bread

Wow! My bread worked out awesome thanks to Terilyn at afoodystaysfit.com .The only thing I would suggest (since learning this at the Bosch store - do not remove dough from the Bosch mixer, just leave smallest lid resting on top while bread rises.) Fantastic!

Here is our bread from yesterday…

I made 3 loaves due to the fact that I have small loaf pans.  Terilyn's (Mom's) original recipe is double this.  

It was a fight to keep sticky fingers from eating all loaves in one sitting!

Have fun with your bread making.

Valentine Themed Birthday Party

Ok, I figured I'd better get this out quick, who knows who may need it for a last minute Valentine Day birthday party?

I love flowers at girl's parties. So fresh. And tulips are not too expensive. I later filled this sundae dish with candies and a clue...

These were the gift bag goodies. A mini jam canning container with Jelly Belly's, some left over quilt fabric from a quilt I made my niece, and some pretty ribbon.

(I had to take a picture of these at night. Our windows are so full of light during the day that they wouldn't show up)

A cute little happy birthday sign I made. (Somewhat like one a friend made - she has great ideas)

Using cute glittered card stock and the cricket I made many different sized hearts and tied them to string with different ribbons.

These are the clues we used for a scavenger hunt in the house. (Still snowing and cold here where we live).

Some yummy Tim Horton doughnuts to add variety and colour.

Pink cupcakes and pink icing. (My sister in law reminded me to add a regular sized package of pudding  mix- in this case vanilla - with an extra egg and make the rest of the cake mix as normal.) Your cake will be moist and super good!

A little table decor...

Add some candies instead of confetti. (See the first scavenger hunt clue in the sundae dish?)

Lick and stick! My daughter found this (and most of her birthday wishes) online. We added the licking bit. Have the kids build a tower. Use a timer if you wish. Tallest one that lasts the longest wins.

We ate pink heart shaped pancakes with these cute little fruit kabobs. (with help from Grandma R and hubby Kev)

Some of the scavenger hunt ideas we used are below…thanks to our son who found the links…

www.ehow.com/scavenger-hunt-fun.com

www.berengarten.com

1.  (laundry chute) - When clothes are dirty, down we go, to be washed in the room below.

2. (mirror) - each time I grin, so does she, cuz she just happens to be me.

3. (soap) You use it between your head and toes. The more it works, the thinner it grows

4. (piano) - I have a dozen keys but none open the door - What am I?

5. (bed) - What has 4 legs and a head but doesn't walk?

6. (book) Stiff is my spine, my body is pale, but I'm always ready to tell a tale.

7.(clock) - This thing runs but cannot walk. Sometimes sings but never talks. Lacks arms, but has hands. Lacks a head but has a face.

8.(towel) - What gets wetter the more it dries?

9. (washer) - I rumble and tumble and stains disappear. I swish and i rinse and clean things appear.

10.(garage) - When couples are organized they park their cars in here. Otherwise, it's full of junk and not one inch is clear.

11. (lazy Susan) -Some people call me lazy, but my name is Susan.

12. (Island) Of land I'm made of dry ground. A ring of water all around. 

Creative Grief

I know many of my friends and loved ones are experiencing grief. Some of you view my blog just for the how to's, others for the pictures, some for the books I choose, others for curiosity's sake and still some view it just because they love me. Well, this entry is to help those who grieve. I have seen death hit far too many friends and family in the last five years. I hope this helps who it may.

I was skimming a book a friend had lent me, "Grieving. The Pain and the Promise." by Deanna Edwards. In it she speaks about creative grief:

Grieving. The Pain and the Promise.

"Creative grief and recovery involve taking the pain and making something of positive, lasting value with it. It doesn't need to be something monumental. A display in your home, a journal entry, or a new flower garden can be meaningful. If your creativity accomplishes nothing more than an outlet for you and a better understanding about life, it has served it's purpose. This process provides therapy for the person who is grieving. It also increases awareness of and respect for others who have the courage to open their hearts and minds in order to learn form their own pain.

Grief means something good only if it changes us for the better and strengthens us. The added dimension of creative grief is that as we use it to clarify and define our feelings, we gain an increased awareness of others. The unbearable becomes more bearable when it is shared. It is that refiner's fire that challenges us to call upon the divine within ourselves and to invite the comfort and presence of the Holy Spirit when we need it most. Creativity is the essence of life and the evidence of immortality!"

She goes on to say that pain can be a tool to create something better instead of a weapon to hurt or punish us.

I knew that I was going strong, overboard, crazy busy with my creativeness but this makes me understand why. When Brian's Dad just passed, and with hearing that my friend's daughter was dying of cancer, I got busy. I didn't want to think about anything. Especially not the pain. What kind, human being likes pain? No thanks.

I hope you are enjoying what my blog has to offer in the sense of how to's. Not only the how to's of home improvements, but on self improvements as well. It's okay to mourn our loved ones. I do everyday. In fact, I was reading an LDS church magazine - the Ensign, and I quote the writer, Stephen Havertz who said about feeling pain all the time- in the article entitled "Lifting the Hands which Hang Down"

"People who want to help should be very careful about placing a time limit on someone's grief. Some believe that people should be finished grieving after a year and a half…I have learn that the pangs of grief can recur years latter without warning. This type of grief doesn't mean that I'm depressed or inconsolable, but rather it suggests that I still miss the people I love."*

"I have found that the most helpful conversations occur when people share their favourite memories of my wife and daughter with me; it's also helpful when they are willing to listen to my favourite memories. I often cry during these conversations, but that doesn't mean my day is ruined. These interactions actually brighten my day. You don't have to help people who are grieving to stop crying. It may seem counterintuitive to cause more pain, but I have found with my own grief that I'm in pain anyway, and these conversations provide a chance for me to release my feelings."*

* (highlighted quotes) My sentiments exactly.

Girls Bedroom Make-over

I had a busy week with trying to finish up a bedroom that I had started earlier as well as holding a Valentine themed birthday party.

I gave some how-to's on painting stripes under my post "Oiler's Room". This is more of the chair rail detail.

I did use both blue and frog (green) tape on my project, and they were both great. (Better than my last tape, which was meant for protecting moulding from being painted) I would suggest getting to your painting the same day as you tape.The tape I put on the day before left me with some major touch ups due to peeling off my original base coat paint.

Measure your wall and find the centre. (including the wall above your doors). My stripe lines were 5" wide, so, after finding centre, I measured 2 1/2" on either side and made my mark. Work out from the centre. But begin your project in the farthest corner and work around the room.  (That way you can hide a mistake if one occurs) Using a pencil, mark which colour goes in each stripe. You will find your stripes will not be equal in the corners, I just left mine as they were. This made my pattern work all around the room.

Use your level. I bought a plastic one with a ruler mark on top. This resulted in no markings on the wall as I measured, and made marking of 5" spaces easy. With the help of Kevin, my hubby, we made a level line around the room for our chair rail. I used this for my guide: where to start my lines and stop painting.

A couple of days later we installed the chair rail, followed by the prefabricated faux wainscoting or shadow boxes. I found these at Home Depot for about $11 each.

Measure the perimeter of your room. I believe most moulding is sold in 8 feet pieces. Divide your perimeter inches by 8. That will determine how much chair moulding you'll need. Our daughter's room was 9' high. We did not follow the 32-40" chair rail guide or the 1/3 of the wall rule. I saw where her chair would hit the wall and made my mark! Plus, because her ceilings were so high, with the stripes going aallll the way up, a "proper" chair rail would have made the ceilings look way too tall and would have been too much stripe.

Using our saw, we cut our pieces at 45' angles for the corners. (Sometimes this angle had to be tweaked as the walls weren't exactly square).  Along the wall, when the piece wasn't long enough, cut both the end finishing and the end beginning in the same direction. Like this: \

Be prepared to purchase clear paintable caulking to caulk "inside, outside, upside down" your mouldings. (Quoting Berenstain Bears here…)

Measure from the longest part of your rail when marking. Find your line and gently ease your saw. When it matches up. Cut.

Me making this cut.

Our 45' angle.

Mark your studs so you'll know where to use the nail gun.

I used No Nails glue for the back of my moulding. With help, Kevin and I placed the moulding along our previously marked line on the wall. (Which was perfect because the line was already straight.)

Then the fun part- the nail gun. 

along the straight line…

Then the wainscoting. 

And finally, the (almost) finished room. (I still have some more nails to tap in, fill and touch up with paint.)

(This bright chandelier is a great addition to  this room)

Pictures at night don't do it any justice. It is so cozy and full of warmth. 

Good luck with your project!