Lil Sister

These two itty bitty lil sisters are just the cutest thing ever!

Painter 11

Fabric - Smeary Flat, Square Chalk

Hair - Bristle Oils

Skin - Smeary Round, Square Chalk, Grainy Blender

Canon XTI, Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Lens, 

Aperture Priority, 

Aperture f /3.50,
Shutter Speed 1/60 sec, 

ISO 400

Autumn Flowers

Painter 11

Bristle Oils Cloner

Opacity = Varied

Resat = 3%

Bleed = 61%

Feature = 2.5

Canon XTI, Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Lens, 

Aperture Priority, 

Aperture f /10,
Shutter Speed 1/500 sec, 

ISO 400

Whoa Cake

Re-dubbed  "Whoa Cake" (a.k.a. Champagne Cake). It's deceptively delicious! I say deceptively cuz, let's face it, it doesn't look all that decadent. No fancy frosting here, but man o' man that first bite makes people go: WHOA! Printed in the Fuquay-Varina Middle School recipe book by Marie Cunningham and brought to me by my good friend Susan.

Oops, forgot to include the butter but you know what that looks like. ;-)

I don't know if it makes a lick of difference but I like to mix the dry and wet separately then pour the wet into the dry ingredients.

And now the most difficult part of the whole recipe.......waiting.

Cake:

1 box yellow cake mix

1 (3oz) instant vanilla pudding

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup white sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

3/4 cups water

3/4 cups oil

1/2 cup white wine or champagne

4 eggs

Glaze:

1/2 stick of butter

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup champagne or white wine

Directions:

1-Mix all cake ingredients till well blended (about 3 minutes).

2-Pour it into a non-stick bundt pan and bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour. 

3-Let cool and invert on plate.
Now for the glaze....

4-Bring ingredients to a boil. Pour over cake while it is still warm. 
*I'm told it freezes well but I've never made it to the freezer.

Heavenly Mini Pancake Bites

OH.MY.GOSH these are sooooo good! The recipe idea came courtesy of Gwaltney Foods.

Mix Bisquick and sausage crumbles in a bowl.

Spray mini muffin tins with Pam.

Bake @ 350 for 13 minutes.

Drizzle with maple syrup.

Heavenly, I tell you - HEAVENLY.

Fancy Schmancy Earring Organizer

I saw this on a blog a long time ago, long before there was a Pinterest. I've seen similar ones lately with just chicken wire but I think the tapestry in back of the floral wire gives it a more finished look.  The earrings hang on chicken wire (or as in this case floral wire from AC Moore less than $3.00). First I stapled the wire to the back of the frame then stapled the tapestry over that. Now I just have to figure out a way to hang other stuff.

 

Still The One

"You're Still The One"

(When I first saw you, I saw love.
And the first time you touched me, I felt love.
And after
all this time, you're still the one I love.)
Looks like we made it
Look how far we've come my baby
We mighta took the long way
We knew we'd get there someday

They said, "I bet they'll never make it"
But just look at us holding on
We're still together still going strong

(You're still the one)
You're still the one I run to
The one that I belong to
You're still the one I want for life
(You're still the one)
You're still the one that I love
The only one I dream of
You're still the one I kiss good night

Ain't nothin' better
We beat the odds together
I'm glad we didn't listen
Look at what we would be missin'

They said, "I bet they'll never make it"
But just look at us holding on
We're still together still going strong

(You're still the one)
You're still the one I run to
The one that I belong to
You're still the one I want for life
(You're still the one)
You're still the one that I love
The only one I dream of
You're still the one I kiss good night

(You're still the one)
You're still the one I run to
The one that I belong to
You're still the one I want for life
(You're still the one)
You're still the one that I love
The only one I dream of
You're still the one I kiss good night 

Color Me Pink

What's that?

For me?

.

Hmmm, pink.... it must be good...

Okay I'm not going to lie it's not the prettiest cake I ever saw but...

Pink is DEELISH!

 

What's Next?

Three looks for the same room is just eleven years, four if you count the original builder's plain tan walls. Is that too much? Nah.

Animal prints and bold colors gave way to a more sophisticated decor....

Stay tuned, I'm going through a blue phase......

Invictus

 Her favorite poem...

Invictus

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll.
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

~William Ernest Henley

A Mother's Love

A Mother's Love
There are times when only a mother's love
Can understand our tears,
Can soothe our disappoints
And calm all of our fears.

There are times when only a mother's love
Can share the joy we feel
When something we've dreamed about 

Quite suddenly is real.

There are times when only a mother's faith
Can help us on life's way
And inspire in us the confidence
We need from day to day.

For a mother's heart and a mother's faith
And a mother's steadfast love
Were fashioned by the angels
And sent from God above.

--Author Unknown

Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance

Clean slate and a lifetime of choices to make.......Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance

"I Hope You Dance"

I hope you never lose your sense of wonder,
You get your fill to eat but always keep that hunger,
May you never take one single breath for granted,
GOD forbid love ever leave you empty handed,
I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean,
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens,
Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.

I hope you dance....I hope you dance.

I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance,
Never settle for the path of least resistance
Livin' might mean takin' chances but they're worth takin',
Lovin' might be a mistake but it's worth makin',
Don't let some hell bent heart leave you bitter,
When you come close to sellin' out reconsider,
Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.

I hope you dance....I hope you dance.
I hope you dance....I hope you dance.
(Time is a wheel in constant motion always rolling us along,
Tell me who wants to look back on their years and wonder where those years have gone.)

I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean,
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens,
Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.

Dance....I hope you dance.
I hope you dance....I hope you dance.
I hope you dance....I hope you dance..
(Time is a wheel in constant motion always rolling us along
Tell me who wants to look back on their years and wonder where those years have gone)

Ukulele in BuJu

Dorsey

He is Risen

But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. Acts 2:24

La Mas Seria

 

Post processed with Photoshop Elements 6

Enlarge to 16 by 24 resolution 300

Levels adjusted

Boost brightness by 25%

Dupe background layer

Unsharp mask - Amount 450 Radius 2.9 Threshold 0

Hue/Sat layer to change background layer

Smudge brush - skin at 20 strength dress at 70

Dodge/burn and add highlights

Quejandose

 

A certain little somebody was awfully cranky during this photo shoot.