Cupcake Wars!

Hubby turned 60 years old on July 31 and our family was able to get together to celebrate
and have a fun time. We sure needed some joy in our lives because truthfully it just hasn't
been joyful since we lost precious baby Eden and believe me she was in our thoughts
the whole weekend long!
It was supposed to be a camping weekend in our yard, but the weather did not cooperate...
so we had some in the camper, some in the house and one family went to a motel!

**********************************************************

The kids have been talking about having
 CUPCAKE WARS 
for awhile and this was the perfect time.

Have you seen that show on TV? Ours was a tad different because there is no way
each family was making 1,000 cupcakes. ha!
Hubby and I were dubbed the judges! NOT fair! HA!
It was really okay and we had fun doing it.

We were blown away by our kids creativity!
I thought they would use sprinkles etc, but they took this contest very seriously.

Each contestant was judged on Presentation, Menu Design and Taste.

Thought for sure these would win just for presentation alone.

Can you believe it?

Campfire cupcakes 

They sure put a lot of thought and time in these.

Alas, they tied for 2nd place.
I think if they would have amped up that menu design they would
have given the winner a run for 1st place!

This is our daughter and her family.
Allysha, Daniel, Matt, Jon, Joshua and Amanda

Next , we had a S'mores theme complete with Minions!!

NEAT menu design!

To be fair, I really blew it because I didn't even realize there were Minions
roasting their marshmallows until the judging was all over!!

 I think I was too enthralled by everyone's creativity.
I just kept saying I could NOT believe it. Oops. Sorry guys!

Colette made the minions and they were amazing. I wish I had a shot of them from the front
because they looked exactly like them!

 Look at them roasting their marshmallows over the campfire.
TOO cute!!

Alas, they tied for 2nd place also.

Colette, Ainsley, Annika and  our son Nathan

Our oldest son and his family chose a golf theme.

What a creative menu!

 His wife came up with that and I thought she did great!

 The weather wasn't kind to the frosting on the cupcakes.

Hot and humid, but they preserved. 

The grand prize winners by three points!

Melissa, Korrah, our son Jason, Keira and Kanaan

We really had a great time and I think it should be an annual tradition.
I told them this was a "trial run" for the next one. lol.

The kids had a lot of play time together and
some of them also had fun with fake mustaches.

The

"icing on the cake"
for hubby and I was that on Sunday morning our whole family went to church with us.

That was definitely a RARE TREAT!

This pic would have been up farther, but I forgot. OOPS.

 Little sweetie Korrah was enthralled with my fountain and loved adding stones
 to it and playing in the water.

I have many more photos, but I already had to redo this whole thing once
pictures and all so I gave up. I am tired.

We are so very thankful for our family and we feel so very blessed.
It isn't about how much money is in your bank account
{God knows we would be in trouble there}
or how famous you are, but it is all about God and family.

WE ARE BLESSED...in spite of the pain of losing Eden...

and oh how we do miss her...terribly!!

Someday we will know why, but for now we must trust
in our Heavenly Father and His love for us!

Please continue to keep us all in your prayers.

Blessings~

Treats for Valentines Day

... and now abideth faith, hope and LOVE, but the greatest of these is

LOVE.

I Corinthians 13:13



Are you ready for Valentines Day?

I think I am.

This year I decided to make cupcakes for our neighbors.

I have never done this before {not for this many at once}  and I decided it was time to

spread the love!

There is so much heartache and brokenness in the world today that a little kindness

goes a long way.

 I have been making cupcakes for the last two days and enjoying every minute of it.

I packaged them up and delivered part of them last night and hubby delivered the rest today.

I always try to keep cupcake boxes on hand. The ones I purchase hold four cupcakes so it is a perfect
gift for two people. 

It is also nice to have these cupcake holders for a single person.

I don't have a specific "recipe" that I use. I just wing it.

SO...

Make your favorite chocolate cupcake and let them cool.

Then make your favorite butter-cream frosting and add in a couple tablespoons of
Smucker's Simply Fruit in seedless Red Raspberry flavor.

It makes it so yummy and  it also gives the frosting a pretty pink hue.

Next, take a chocolate candy bar and use your carrot peeler to make some
sprinkles or curls...Top with a fresh red raspberry and wa la...you are done
and you have a beautiful and delicious gift!

SO YUMMY!!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

Valentine Giveaway

I haven't done a GIVEAWAY in forever so I decided it is time for one!

You know...that holiday that is coming up soon?

I think it celebrates LOVE? 
...yep pretty sure.

Being a romantic at heart what better time to spread the love!

What is included in this giveaway you ask?

Well...

You will be getting a white cup with a pink cozy with extra strong black tea
and a tea strainer...

{I don't care for extra strong tea and really I only drink herbal tea, but it is
what came in the cup when I purchased it. lol. Pitch it if you want, but it does
 look cute in there for the photo..SMILE}

...along with a bag of Dove dark chocolates...

...and four hand/pocket warmers made by yours truly.

Now, please don't look these over too carefully because they certainly aren't perfect, but I had fun
 making them. They are filled with rice and I am told that if you nuke these for 30 seconds in the
 microwave and then put them in your pockets they will keep your hands warm...

OR...

you can always just use them for decor also. They are kinda cute, no?

Now for all the nitty gritty details:

For a chance to win just add a comment on this post.

For an additional chance share this on Facebook or Pinterest and let me know
that you did and you will get extra chances. That is all there is to it.

United States entrants only please. I would love to send overseas and feel bad
that I can't , but it is cost prohibitive, so for now I must keep it to US only.
Sorry.

I will draw a winner on February 10 so I have time to get it in the mail to the
winner before Valentines day.

Good luck to all who enter!

Blessings~

National Ice Cream Day!

In honor of

National Ice Cream Day 

{which was yesterday}

I give you:

PEANUT BUTTER CUP ICE CREAM.

YUMMY!

A local brand called Homestead.

We are hooked!

If you missed all the hoopla yesterday,  you have my permission to go out
and celebrate today. *SMILE*

{ I added the little chocolate and peanut butter candies}

Pure randomness and Etsy sale

This post is just pure randomness {is that a word??} , but some pretty images that I wanted to share.

I love this little ironstone dish above holding my stickers .

In my studio you will find, buttons, buttons and more buttons.

I have been working on book bundles and I am having a great time making them. 

A left over Easter photo...see , I told you...random!! ha!

Speaking of random...

L.O.V.E. these malt balls that I  picked up at the Harry and David
store when I was in PA visiting my sister. They were giving out free samples and they reeled
me in...hook, line and sinker! :)

I also found these fun opera glasses in PA that are marked PARIS.

up close and personal...

Speaking of PA...my car is finally done and ready to be picked up. We had to have the transmission
 rebuilt.  This car is to transfer over to be hubby's work vehicle when we get a newer one, but we
don't want to do that until late this fall or even next year. We want to drive his little 1995 Ford Ranger
until she breathes her last. We are on a mission to see just how long that will be. :)

I would rather drive an older vehicle and have no car payments , than have a new one with car
 payments. Yep...I have learned a little in my years of growing up...lol. It isn't all about how other
people perceive us or about having the latest and greatest so we will keep plugging along on our
Michigan dirt road and count our blessings!  God is good!

{I am running a sale in my Etsy store. Just enter 
spring25 
at checkout to get your 25 % discount. Lots of 
goodies in the store right now.}

Love and cupcakes

Happy Valentines day to all my friends in

blogland. Hubby and I celebrated today and it was

sure nice to get away.

First we had lunch at Olive Garden,

{I had five cheese marinara over fettucini, salad,

breadsticks and bruschetta. Yumm! I even had enough left

over to bring home for another meal...yes I am one of those

people who bring their leftovers home.lol.}

Later for dessert we went to Cake in a Cup

and purchased some of their delicious cupcakes.

Don't they look amazing??

Peanut butter chocolate

{chocolate cake frosted with fluffy peanut butter frosting and dipped in chopped reese's peanut butter cup candies}

Snickerdoodle {pink frosted}

{sweet and light in texture, this almond cake has a

cinnamon cream cheese filling and a fluffy meringue frosting}

Black bottom cupcake

{chocolate cake with a baked in chocolate-chip cheesecake

topping, a swirl of semi-sweet ganache, and a fresh raspberry

topper}

This photo is reality! I don't think I have ever

purchased cupcakes there and gotten them home

without something happening to them.

I was holding the box nicely on my lap and hubby said,

"the sun is shining on them and they are going to melt".

I didn't really think they would , but I moved the box to

the front of my legs out of the sun and guess what

happened next?? Yep...the box tipped over.

Many cupcakes went upside down and I was not

very happy because I had planned on taking pictures.

But we finally had a good laugh and his suggestion

was to tell everyone that our cupcakes can't seem to make

it home without fighting!! I thought that was pretty cute!

Sure looks like they were in a battle. lol.

I am very thankful to have a hubby that loves me.

Do we have a perfect marriage? Absolutely not...we have our good times and bad,

but I wouldn't trade him for all the tea in China...

now chocolate...possibly! just kidding.

Blessings~