confession

I am sooooooo very excited for tonight!! Glee is back!! When it started last year--I avoided watching it. I try to limit my tv watching so I just ignored it. But then I saw a few pieces here and there, and I couldn't deny my love for musicals anymore. I caught up with all the episodes last fall on Hulu (maybe in one night....), and I have been counting down the days until it returned ever since!!

If only I could break into song and have all my problems disappear....

are you watching?

post edit: speaking of tv watching....I recently read that the average person watches 151 hours of tv a month. WHAT??? Turn your tv off people!! But it did make me curious.....I added a poll to the left sidebar to see how you all are doing--be honest!!

on display

I LOVE being a tourist. Browsing shops, sampling food, sifting through cheesy gift shops, and taking pictures is my favorite thing! We loved the time we spent in San Diego!

I love how different shops display their goods...here are a few of my favorites.

the end.

over the weekend

the end.

spring fever

I have it....do you?

And it's baaaaaaaaaaad.

I'll be taking the next few days off....just a teensy weensy little break--we'll be playing and soaking up the sun....and I hope you'll be doing the same!!

Just a few of my favorite blogs to keep you entertained for the next few days:

need to bake something yummy? honey and jam

beautiful words and beautiful-er photos? mocking bird

really pretty things that you will want to buy? you are my fav

beautiful and simple photos? abbey try again

amazing amazing photos? from me to you

pretty vintage finds? bricolage life

yummy food and yummier photos? smitten kitchen

and that should keep you busy for a little bit (I'll be tweeting if you really miss me:)

Be back soon!!!

the weekend, part three: Easter

Dinner:

roasted chicken with lemon and rosemary

broccoli gratin

garlicky mashed potatoes with parmesan

this salad

mom's fruit salad

mom's rolls.

Dessert

Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Buttercream and Coconut Nests

Cupcakes:

3/4 c unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 c butter
1 c sugar
3 eggs
1/2 c (or a couple good globs:) of mayonnaise. yup. get over it.
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Mix together: 1 cup boiling water and cocoa. Set aside.
Mix flour, soda, and salt together, set aside.
Cream together in large bowl: butter, sugar. Add eggs one at a time and mix well. mix in mayo.
Add vanilla.
Add the cocoa/hot water mixture and beat for 2 minutes.
Add the dry ingredients, and stir just until mixed.

Pour into cupcake liners. Bake at 350° for 13-15 minutes

Frosting:

1 stick (1/2 c) butter

4 cups powdered sugar

4-5 TBS milk

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

seeds of 1/2 a vanilla bean

cream together.

Nests: (adapted from Martha's macaroon recipe)

2 1/2 c sweetened shredded coconut

2 egg whites

1 tsp vanilla extract

pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, combine coconut, egg whites, vanilla, and salt. Using your hands, mix well, completely combining ingredients.
Dampen hands with cold water. Form small spoonfuls into nest shapes. Place on prepared baking sheet, spacing about 1 inch apart.
Bake until golden brown, 16 to 17 minutes, rotating halfway through. Let cool on a wire rack.

Frost cupcakes once cooled, and top with nests and cadbury eggs.

enjoy!

Hope you had a Happy Easter!

the weekend, part two: the party

A party for a 5 year old:

-lots of balloons

-party hats

-a number "5" shirt

Party where HE wants to party: the bowling alley (2nd year in a row!)

Eat where HE wants to eat : Cafe Rio (score! kids quesadillas are FREE!)

Make whatever cake he wants: R2D2

I used THIS cake recipe,(found via Cara) and give it two thumbs up!

For R2D2:

-bake your cake in one rectangle pan, and one round

-slice round in half

-frost together

-roll out blue fondant (I just bought it at the party store, and we didn't eat it....I think it's nasty)

-cut out R2D2 shapes off of five year olds drawings because you have never seen Star Wars and are still confused.

-hope that said five year old likes it because he has watched Ace of Cakes, and this was far from Duff's work.

End day with a very happy 5 year old.

the weekend, part one: eggs

I LOVE colored eggs. Why do we only do this once a year?

five

It's all you've talked about for the last few days.

"I'm going to be FIVE!!"

"I'll be big when I am 5!!!"

"Tomorrow I'll be 5!"

"I'M FIVE!!!!"

"I am SO big, because I am five"

"Hey mommy guess what.......I am FIVE!"

"Yesterday I turned 5, and today, I'm STILL 5!"

So..... you get it, but I still don't.

Five?! How?

As I checked on you last night, kissed your little cheek as you snored, I remembered our first night together.

I didn't want them to take you out of our room--they said I wouldn't get much sleep, but I was ok with that. I wanted you right next to me, so I could look at you whenever I wanted to. And I did....all night. I watched the air move in and out of your teeny little chest. Watched your every wiggle. I couldn't believe that you were finally here, and that you were all mine. I couldn't stop watching.

And as I sat last night on your bed, I can't help but feel as though I blinked--and here we are five years later. Five years...it all goes by so quickly.

You are growing....and there is nothing I can do about it (no really, I've looked into it:)

But even after five years, you continue to amaze me! I learn something new every day. I watch you play. I watch you learn. I watch you laugh so hard--you are so silly!

And I still can't believe that you are mine. All mine.

I will still check on you every night, and every now and then I know I'll have little glimpses of that first night you were here with us. Because no matter how big you get--no matter if you are "so big and giant because [you] are five", YOU, are still my baby.

forever.

happy birthday.

HAPPY WEEKEND!!

I am so excited for this weekend!!

-my baby boy is turning 5....FIVE!!!! how??!

-Easter!

-my parents are coming!

-sister is coming! (we'll miss you brother)

-we get to spend time together and watch our church's General Conference

-cake AND cupcakes!

-(and I'm doing it all PICC line free!!!)

I love this message, and hope that you can take a break from your crunchy yellow-eyed easter bunnies this weekend, and remember why we celebrate Easter!

Happy Easter!

pompom garland

3 posts today. what has gotten in to me??

I forgot that I hadn't blogged this yet...and thought that I'd better in case you needed to whip up something quick so your house looks semi-festive and springy for the weekend.
You can find the original Martha Stewart pom-pom tutorial HERE.

Here is my take on it...

What you need:
-tissue paper
-floral wire
-string (for your garland)
fishing line (to attach pompoms)

1. stack 8 -4x5" sheets of tissue paper

2. make an accordion style fold, like you are making a fan.

3. when you finish with the folds, secure middle of "fan" with a small piece of floral wire
4. trim ends (round or pointy)
5. tie a piece of fishing line to the wire, so you can later attach the pompom to your garland.

6. Unfold fan (not pictured...I only have so many hands) and peel out each layer one at a time, until your pompom is done!
(see here if you need to)

7. attach to string.

8. admire from afar.
9. hope kids don't pull it down trying to "smell" it.

the end.

"happy april fools day"...

...laughed mother nature.