Happy Birthday Brothers!

Happy 28th birthday to my twin brothers!!

Abstract Puppet Cupcakes

That's some more of a title?

My friend, Oh Amanda, was celebrating her daughter, Lydia's, 4th birthday with a puppet party! She and I were both on a puppet team in high school. Yes, we were that cool.

The party was so cute. Kids made several different types of puppets, watched old Muppet videos, and took home cute little finger puppets as party favors. All the kids had a blast!

I've been doing Lydia's birthday cakes since her first birthday. This year, though, proved a challenge with the puppet theme. Of course, we all know some famous puppets: Kermit, Big Bird, Elmo and all their friends. But it wasn't a Sesame Street or Muppet party...it was a puppetry party.

So, what I decided to do was take all those familiar and lovable characters that are so recognizable and use aspects of them.

See if you can figure out who these characters are:

These would the lovable Elmo. I made the texture of his fur by spreading a generous amount of icing on the cupcake and then did a sort of spackling technique by lightly slapping, for lack of a better word, the icing and then pulling it up.



These are Ernie. They are the same color stripes as he has on his shirt. Please ignore the shoddiness of my stripes.


This is Bert. Again...turn a blind eye to the stripes.



The infamous Cookie Monster!



Here's Oscar the Grouch. His garbage can lid is an Oreo wrapped in tin foil.



"Kermit the frog, here". I liked this one because the icing, batter, and cupcake liner were all green.


And last we have Big Bird. I used a leaf tip to make a feather like look. For the "feathers" on top, I melted candy melts, dyed them yellowish and put them in a ziploc bag. I cut off the corner to make a very fine point and just made the outline on wax paper.

And here's what they looked like all together at the party!

It's the time for goals, resolutions...and all that.

Last year, I was so on top of this. I had a post up on Jan. 1. This year, I thought about it, but just could never really finalize anything as far as resolutions are concerned. Last year, my resolution was to try something new each month. I think I did 11 out of the 12 months and I'm actually still working on the last one. Woops!

As Jan. 1 came and went, I was still left with...nothing. I hopped around and read lots of other bloggers' resolutions and then things started to come together.

What I realized is I'm more of a list person. I love making lists, but what I love more is crossing things off of a list!

So here it is, albeit 8 days into the new year, my New Years "To-Do" list!

• Finish reading the Bible! I started last year reading one of those "read-through-the-bible-in-a-year books and did really good up until about November. I'm still at Nov. 6 right now, but I am determined to finish it! Even if it takes me 2 years!!
• Tone up! I could probably lose about 10 pounds or so, but what I really want to do is tone up. Get rid of the jigglies! Know what I mean?!
• Organize my pantry! This pantry is what inspired me! It just doesn't get any cuter than this! I love the glass containers that hold the cupcake wrappers. Mine are shoved in the back of a cabinet. So my goal this year is to organize, complete with containers, labels, etc., my pantry. It needs a good cleaning out, too, but it sure would be nice to actually FIND stuff I was looking for!
• Go see a chiropractor! My back has seemed to have gotten worse and worse. I know I need to get it looked at, but my unusually freakish phobia of doctors has prevented me from doing so. But sometimes I feel like an 80 year old so I can't imagine what it's going to be like when I get older. I really need to take care of it now. Ugh...
• Pay off at least 1 credit card! I wish there was only 1 to pay off, but unfortunately this is not the case. I think Uncle Sam is going to help me pay off at least one. I really just need to win the lottery!
• More crafts! I've always been a crafty person, but have just kind of let fall by the wayside. And I don't like that! I have got SO much stuff (ribbons, buttons, paper, stickers, etc.) I really shouldn't have to buy much stuff. Just want to use what I have and create masterpieces! My goal is to make at least one craft a month. We'll see...
  
• Blog more! Hoping to get some inspiration in a few weeks at Blissdom! So excited to get some good ideas and spend a girls weekend with my gals! As much as I would like to blog everyday, my goal is to blog at least once a week. That's doable for me I think. Mainly because my life is about as exciting as the mating habits of wombats.

So there you have it! Should keep me busy this year!

Go to Kelly's Korner to read more.

Top Ten Tuesday

It's back to work for me today in a new year! I always love the beginning of a new year because you just never know what's in store. I'm hoping for only good things this year!

So to start this year off right, I'm going share with you the top ten things I've accomplished before the bell rings at 8:15 this morning!

1. Woke up - Being on break really messes up my schedule so the fact that I actually had to set an alarm and get up was an adjustment.

2. Pick out an outfit...a work outfit. I just know that if I could wear jeans to work everyday, I would be a better teacher! Weird as that may sound, it's so true because half my battle in the morning is finding something to wear. Yuk!

3. Check my facebook and twitter. They're blocked here at school so I can't get on. It's probably a good thing because I would tend to be a wee bit distracted!

4. Made some hot chocolate. I'm not a coffe drinker but I can drink my weight in hot chocolate!

5. Packed my snack for the day. I take my class to lunch at 10:50 so by the time 2:00 rolls around, I'm STARVING! Especially when I've been used to just rolling out of bed at 10:50 (just kidding...I can't sleep that late!)

6. Put in for a duty day. They're giving me a half day off to work on some science stuff. Can't complain about that!

7. Got a lab demonstartion set up. I'm teaching the water cycle today, so I'm starting off by doing a demonstration that shows the water cycle in action.

8. Went to the bathroom. I won't get another chance until lunch today.

9. Got my face on. Well, actually just my lipstick. I don't really know why I bother because it's off in about 10 minutes.

10. Say a quick prayer for the Lord to help me get through this day! I do love my job once I get started. It's just the getting started part that is sometimes a pain!

Year in Review

In looking back over '09, I made a New Years resolution of trying something new each month and then documenting it on my blog. Well, as all good New Years resolutions go...I didn't quite make it every month.

Sue me.

I was actually pretty impressed at how well I DID keep up with it, but what I found out was that towards the end of the month I would just look back over the month and then say "Hmmm....what did I do that I haven't done before?" Instead, I had kind of set out to actually THINK of something and then go DO it! Not just find something to squeeze into the category.

All that said, here's what I ended up with:

In January, there was Zumba.
In February, I had my kitchen tiled.
In March I was featured on Tip Junkie. That was cool!
In April I taught creationism in my 6th grade science class.
Nothing for May. Boo.
In June, I got on a budget.
In July, I had a couple of things such as going to a new cake store & trying some asian food.
In August, I made a vlog.
September's was kind of boring...I tried a new Chicken Pot Pie recipe. Contain your excitement.
In October, I was asked to write some curriculum.
In November, I attended my first book signing.
December's will unfortunately not be finished in December. I have been reading trough the bible this year and my NEW for December was supposed to be to finish the bible. I'm reading this bible:

I like it because it has you read a portion of the old testament, a portion of the new and then a Psalm & Proverb. I was doing really well...up until about my birthday. My birthday is near the end of October which seems to really kick off all the fall/winter holidays: my b-day, Halloween, my sister's b-day, Thanksgiving...and well, let's face it, after Thanksgiving, it's all down hill until January!

So needless to say, I got a little behind and just never caught up, but I AM going to finish it. Right now, I'm on November 7, so there's no way I'm gonna read a month and a half in a few hours. Just not a real big reader.

To read other blogger's reviews, go to Musings of a Housewife.

Happy New Year!

Vintage Christmas Cards

Do you have old Christmas cards stashed away in a box somewhere? Well, I do and for the longest time I've wanted to do something with them, but just couldn't figure out what! I searched all over cyberspace and no one else seemed to have any great ideas either.

Then, in a little impromptu stroll through Michael's it hit me! (Isn't that how all great ideas come about?)

Well, I don't know if this is a great idea or not, but I did think it was worth sharing. Unfortunately, it's a little too late for this year, but bookmark this for next year.

Start out with some cute, vintage Christmas cards:


Next, take a cheap, plastic stand. I found these in the frame section.


Then take a can of spray paint (spray paint made for plastics) and have at it:



Pardon the mess in the background! Pre-Christmas dinner ingredients.

Finally, add the finishing touch:





Another option, is to use a cheap frame and do the same idea. Here, I started with a frame, a piece of paper I cut out to fit in the frame to serve as a backdrop and another cute, vintage card:


How cute is this?!?!


Do you have any other cute ideas on how to showcase vintage Christmas cards?

Aggrevated

'Tis the season of giving...I know.

It seems more so at this time of year, that every check out line you go to asks if you want to donate a dollar or round up your total to benefit "fill-in-the-blank" charity.

I give faithfully every month to a non-profit that I'm involved in, Square Peg. On top of that, I give to several other charities through my work's charitable giving fund.

So when I'm asked that question, I don't really feel bad about saying, No thank you. I know I may come across as a scrooge but I don't really want to hold up the line and explain that I'm not a scrooge, I just give to other places. Normally, the cashier is very nice about it and I've never gotten the impression they thought any less of me...

...until this weekend.

I was shopping at one my favorite stores. So that this one idiotic employee doesn't ruin the image of the whole chain I won't tell you the name of this teeny-bopper store who's name is the same as a popular children's book spider web.

He was very nice and upbeat when he greeted me. He asked me if I wanted to add any accessories to my purchase because they were on sale. I politely said, "No thank you. Not this time." He was fine with that and continued being upbeat and positive.

Then came the question.

"Would you like to donate $1 to _____________________ charity?" While I know this charity does great things, I gave him my standard answer of "No thank you."

His tone IMMEDIATELY changed.

You would have thought I shot his dog, stole his ice cream cone, or told him there was no such thing as Santa! Literally, his facial expression changed, his voice dropped 15 octaves and the light in him was gone...

...all because I wouldn't give one more dollar to one more charity.

It infuriated me! Had I been bolder I would have said something to him. But I'm a chicken, so we continued with the transaction and he told me my total.

The next thing out his mouth was even more appalling.

"Would you like to round up your total?" he asked.

"For what?" I inquired.

"For [the afforementioned fill-in-the-blank charity]" he depressingly said.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME??

"No thank you. I already give to other charities" I responded.

My blood pressure was boiling at this point and it had now become a matter of principal more than the money. Yes, I could have afforded the dollar. Yes, I could have afforded the 30 cents of rounding the total...but that's NOT the point!

That guy probably thought I was the rudest, stingiest, crabbiest person because I wouldn't donate to this very worthwhile charity. But what he doesn't know is that aside from donating money I also donate my time whenever I can.

What aggrevated me the most is that his level of service immediately changed when he ASSUMED that I'm president of the scrooge fan club.

What about you? Do you normally donate? Am I out of line? I just feel like you've got to draw a line somewhere.

CD Winner

And the winner of the "Have a Fancy Yancy Christmas" is...


Ashley..whose favorite Christmas song is "Joseph's Lullaby" by Mercy Me. Well, sorry Ashley, but that song's not on this CD. There are, however, some new songs that I hope will become new favorites for you!

Thanks everyone for playing! I hope the rest of you will go buy Yancy's CD anyways. It would make a great stocking stuffer!

Hope you all have a very Merry Christmas!

Free Computer!

Does that get your attention? Kelly is giving away a free HP Touchsmart computer.

Go here to enter!