A Hero never dies

Last week was our local UTRID (Utah RID) conference. I am the secretary for the board and so was very involved with planning and carrying out all the things that come along with pulling off a 3+ day conference. I also presented a 3-hour workshop on Friday and Saturday. I would have done it for free but was paid for my time and given a gift as well - it was a book which I'd been wanting to read. The book was "The Last Lecture" by Randy Pausch and Jeffrey Zaslow. I had heard about the lecture, the book and seen a television show about Randy. (You can google his name and find more information about him but he has been given a limited time to live because of cancer.) The book is inspiring. I started reading and am halfway through. I have to stop at the end of each chapter to keep myself from sobbing at the sweetness, poignancy and clarity it has brought to my thought process this weekend.

This man, who I have never met and will never meet, is a hero. Not because he is dying and doing it with such grace and dignity. Not because he has written a best-selling book and been seen on national TV and everywhere else. He's a hero because he took the time to document some profound lessons he learned for his children. His children are very young and will not have many memories of him - he loves them so much and is taking great care to do the very best he can to leave a lasting legacy for them. His wife, Jai is a heroine. Without knowing anything about her, outside of what he's written - she is amazing. I don't know if I would have her strength of character and courage - but I hope so.

You can watch the actual lecture he gave here I found a video of a short address he gave to graduates at Carnegie-Mellon. It is sweet and profound...all the things a good address should be. Don't miss the end of the clip - it says it all.

Some Things Never Change - Part I

Better late than never (HAH!) but at least I'm still here! We took a vacation to Disneyland a couple of weeks ago and I've been wanting to blog and post about our fun! While we all physically came home on the 11th - my youngest continues to vacation there 'in spirit' every day since. She gathers her Disney stuffed animals, talks constantly of the rides, wears her Minnie ears and watches Disney movies just to keep the magic going. I can't say I blame her...it is the Magic Kingdom after all.




I've always had a love affair with Disneyland. I've never been to Walt Disney World or any of the other Disney Theme parks but Disneyland will always be near and dear to my heart. I am fortunate that my parents shared the magic with me at a young age and we went several times while growing up. Here's proof:



That's me on the left and my brother, Sean on the right. Yes, I did have to point it out just in case you zero in on the short haircuts missing the mini dress (is that a dress!?) altogether. By the date stamp on the photo it was taken June 1971. I was 4 years old and my brother would have been 3 years old. It was obviously summer - poor Sean had to wear long pants - Mom! where were the sandals and shorts for the love of all things cool!? Luckily we were in no danger of having our necks and ears covered in sweat or hair for that matter!



We are standing in front of the entrance to Disneyland park - the Mickey Mouse flower sculpture hasn't changed...still there! Mickey hasn't aged a bit - he must have a terrific skin care regime! Here's another one from the same visit:

I don't know if these '3 Little Pigs' characters still exist in the park? or anywhere else in the Disney video collections for that matter. We also met this guy...


I love this photo - looks like I'm pulling as far away from "The Big Bad Wolf" as my mom would allow me to while still remaining in the photo! But the real reason I love this photo is that it shows the Matterhorn in the background, the Skyway ride, the old booths and some nifty neat-o 70's clothes if you get a good gander.

My favorite rides at Disneyland back then were: The People Mover, Journey to Inner Space, America Sings, Peter Pan, Sleeping Beauty's Castle (walk through), Bear Country Jamboree, It's A Small World and The Tiki Room. Sadly, many of those no longer exist.

However, I found the coolest website that shows pictures of those long, forgotten rides and describes them and when they were taken out of circulation at Disneyland. Take a trip to Yesterland for a jolt to the past for those of you as old as I am and wishing for the way 'things used to be'.

I love the smells, the sights, the sounds and the magic that exists there - Walt Disney knew what he was doing. Yes, they have to be pulling down some big bucks every day but I think it's worth it - my memories were worth it for my parents and now I'm making new ones which leads me to Part II...

Swapping

One thing I enjoy quite a bit and have done for years is 'swaps'. I started doing things related to scrapbooking: paper, embellishments, yarns, ribbons, etc. I stopped for quite a while after accumulating too much stuff and also because I found that often I would get partners who didn't follow through or sent stuff that they wouldn't want to receive.

Recently I started back up again but this time it's sewing related items. Dotee Dolls and the latest was a lunch box/bag swap. Here's what I sent to my partner:

I used some tutorials found on the internet. The insulated lunch bag and water bottle carrier were quite simple and turned out quite nicely. My youngest really liked the fabric and thought they were for her and didn't want to part with them. I promised her I would make her a water bottle carrier for our vacation next week.

I received this lovely package from my swap partner:

I did not take a good picture but the bag is fully reversible and in all my favorite colors. It is nice and roomy to hold a couple of lunches and books for reading (she included a magazine to get me started!). The shape reminds me of the Trader Joe's re-usable shopping 'bucket bags' - my favorites. You can check out her blog to see better pictures and the inside: Lunch Box Swap from Pink Chicks

After my promise to make a water bottle carrier for my baby girl - I made some adjustments to the sizes in the tutorial for the bottle carrier. I needed it to fit a 'pint size' 8 oz. bottle. I also added an internal strap that Velcros over the top of the water bottle to keep it from falling out - should the little tykes start doing somersaults or cartwheels while wearing their carriers. (Oh yes and I made 6 more for friends and cousins - a total of 7 princess-themed carriers.) Here's what they turned out looking like:

I like them...they like them...we'll see if they hold up to the true test of trekking through Disneyland. I'll let you know!

Beautiful

I have been MIA the past couple of weeks - at least from the blog world but not in my real world. I had a big Enrichment activity at church, baby shower for my 3rd grader's teacher at school (I'm the room mom) and last weekend was a conference that I presented a workshop at and interpreted as well. It was a joint venture between AMPHL (Association of Medical Professionals with Hearing Losses) and UTRID (Utah Chapter of the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf). It was a really long day but as a member of the UTRID Board we had donated our interpreting time to support the conference. I was pleasantly surprised at how well the conference went and the turn out was much higher than I expected. I had a great time with my fellow 'terps' - getting to know them better as people, laughing and seeing them working. We usually only see each other at meetings and I was so impressed with their skills.

Anywhoo...during my workshop introduction I was telling the participants how long I've been interpreting (and reminding myself) - over 18 years and sometimes it startles me! I have so much to learn still and I look at other interpreters and think "I'm never going to be that good"! Being an interpreter was not a conscious career choice but more a path that was placed in front of me and like a moving sidewalk it just kept going. Here I am all these years later. It's been so rewarding and yet every assignment is a challenge. I take a big breath right before starting an assignment and internally wonder if I'll be up to the job. I guess for the most part I must be or I wouldn't still have work constantly coming my way. For that I'm grateful.

I still remain fascinated and a little starstruck at times with the Deaf community and their language. Yes, I understand it for the most part but there are still those times when I struggle. I enjoy it most when I can just sit back and watch - not interpreting for anyone. It rarely happens but when it does - wow! If you've never had a chance to check out the website for D-Pan... you should! It's amazing and here's one of their most recent artistic ventures! Whether you know sign language or not it's beautiful and if you do know ASL - prepare to have your heart strings pulled!

The Bachelor: Lehi Calling

There's a new guy in town - his name is

Charming, Prince Charming.

Some of you may remember him from his earlier work in the Disney film, "Cinderella" and he's making a comeback! In our house, we have been partakers of the Barbie frenzy trend for many years now but I must admit that very few male versions have crossed our door. I don't know why...I'm assuming it's because they're less glamorous, their wardrobe is lousy, their hair is molded or maybe they just need better PR folks working for them on the cartoon break commercials. Either way - they've been a bit scarce around here. However, last week was our youngest daughter's 3rd birthday and she's been asking for a "Daddy Barbie". So...while Ken, Beast, Prince Antonio (of Barbie Island Princess fame) and Prince Philip were all in the running - in the end Prince Charming won the spot as "MOST ELIGIBLE BACHELOR" in our household.

Here he is surrounded by his gal pals - you may recognize some of them...(don't hate them because they're beautiful!)

From left to right we have:

Erica from "The Princess and the Pauper" Barbie movie - the brunette who looked an awful lot like the blonde princess, Analiese...hmmm....uncanny? I think not! She can sing up a storm and has a button on her back to prove it! (If you've seen "The Bachelor: London Calling" recently you'll know that singing is apparently the 'in thing' this year). Go Erica/Analiese!

Belle from "Beauty and the Beast" - also a birthday gift and as you can see she is presumptuously sporting a wedding gown (the nerve!). One small thing you may, or may not, be able to notice in the pic - her head is almost twice the size as Charmings. I don't know about other parts of the U.S. but here in Lehi, that type of genetic dominance may just give her a leg up!

African American Barbie - the $4.99 variety purchased as a 'hush up and I'll buy you this' moment during an especially stressful trip to Wal-Mart. She is especially talented as her legs are permanently 'tattooed' painted purple. She has benevolently been given a gown to wear for just this occasion. What a gem!

and last but certainly not least our beloved and every perky...

BARBIE! - I do believe she was once a Princess Somebody or Other and has now been demoted to wearing the African American Barbie's tutu (minus the purple tights). She is unfailingly beautiful, can't stand on her own and can easily snap under the weight of her own upper torso - however she is prized for her lovely locks.

Whatever is a man to do???
But wait....what's this!?????

Some last minute entries purchases (our lovely birthday gal got a gift card and cash from her grandparents). As in every good reality show there's always a twist!

Ariel! The beloved Little Mermaid - fresh out of the package water and wearing only her fins and a bikini (and lovely hair that changes color when it gets soaked in cold water).

and

Barbie Mariposa! - still touring in her just released (Spring 2008) movie! She is absolutely stunning with magical 'pop-out' wings, lace-up ballerina type slipper thingies and flowers in her very long and lustrous locks (complete with pink brush). What a stunner!

Wow...this is going to be a nail biter right down to the bitter end. Stay tuned to see what becomes of our lovely ladies and the lone bachelor (who, by the way is anatomically incorrect but has six-pack abs....go figure!) This could get ugly...Who will get the rose (or lose a leg) first!? You won't want to miss this!

The Ties that Bind

February was quilting month over at one of my favorite sites: Sew, Mama, Sew. They did all sorts of tutorials and highlights of different quilt blocks and lovely finished projects. I admire the handiwork that goes into quilting and hope that someday I will have the time to be able to piece together a quilt top and do the machine or hand stitched quilting for what I consider a true 'quilt'. In the meantime...I love doing tied quilts. Here is our family's latest project:

I grew up on these kind of quilts and it's truly the only kind I know how to do with any sort of efficiency. I thought that's how it was done growing up...the quilt stands and the sound of thread being pushed and pulled through layers of fabric and batting. I would crawl underneath the quilts and grab the needles sometimes pushing them back up to the top when my grandparents couldn't reach to the middle. Some of my earliest memories are of helping tie quilts.

I still have a quilt that was made for me when I was little and my children have tied quilts I made for them when I was pregnant. So, this winter I decided it was time for them to learn how to tie a quilt. I found a flannel sheet set on sale at Target - fell in love with it's bright, bold colors and set to work. Luckily, my sister-in-law has a set of quilt stands and clamps that her mother gave her so I borrowed them. It took up the entire free space in our downstairs basement living room to set it up. After some fudging with the pillow cases to fill in the space on the fitted sheet (after removing the elastic) it was ready to be used as the backing. The Big Easy and I tacked the pieces and batting to the frame. He had never done such a thing either so it was also a learning experience for him. One of the hardest decisions was where to place the ties - the fabric had an all-over pattern so we just needed to choose which 'snowflake' to use. We settled on a red one that was easy for everyone to spot and seemed to be closest to the starting edges. I showed my two oldest (9 and 7) how to start tying and once they got the hang of it - I showed them how to chain the ties together. They were quick to pick it up! Many memories came flooding back as my youngest (2 1/2) was crawling underneath the quilt and grabbing at the yarn and shaking the frames.

It didn't take us long - the 4 of us tying at the same time. There were times of frustration when the yarn got knotted, the needles came unthreaded, the yarn wouldn't pull through the fabric or spots were missed. But overall I think everyone actually enjoyed themselves and we were working together on something and making it with our hands! We 'popped the tacks' off the edges and the quilt was tied. Lots of 'ooohs' and 'aaaahs' as we saw our pattern come to life. Later that day we headed to the fabric store together to choose the binding (yes, I know... can you imagine me at the fabric store with 3 kids and the hubster!??). Originally, I was thinking a flannel would go nicely but everyone fell in love with the feel of the minky fabrics. We picked a green that looked like it would go well. Over the next couple of days I cut the binding and sewed it on. The fabric was nice and stretchy and so, so soft!

I put the quilt upstairs for its true test....would it get some use? Since that day I can gratefully report that it is always unfolded and laid out on the couch! (I fold it back up every night before bed) Used mostly by me and often by the kids. It is warm, large enough for me and all the kids when watching a movie on the couch and a nice pillow when folded up! The best part...we all had a hand in it! I love seeing the random little knots on the back side and the few ties cut just a tad too short. The other day my son said, "Mom, aren't you glad we made this quilt?" I said, "Yes, why do you say that?" His response? "No reason...I'm just glad we did, too!" Ahhhh.....the quilt making baton has been passed.

PSA...

And now we interrupt your regularly scheduled programming for this brief public service announcement....


Just thought you should know. It's never too early to start talking to your kids about the important things. Consider yourself warned!

I'm a Laugher...Not a Lover!

Okay, I'm not a cat lover...I can admire from a distance and can totally accept that other people have them. Just not gonna have one in my own home (...cue whining, complaining, tears and fit throwing times three...ready, go!) However, this video was posted on Cute Overload and I laughed myself silly - thought you needed a good laugh today, too - Yeah YOU!!!

Have a good weekend!

Introducing.... Dotee Dolls!

I was made aware of a new craze hitting the crafting/sewing world - Dotee Dolls. They are cute, sassy, quirky and sometimes ugly! They were created by a woman named Dot who lives in Australia. She had no idea it would become such a hit and that women all over would pick up her idea and run with it. So who caught the bug??? You guessed it! ME! Here is my very first gal:

Introducing "PENNY":

And here's a close-up of her face. She has lovely blue eyes and a silver beauty mark to book! Check out that lovely head of swirled silver button hair!

One of the 'trademark' features of the Dotee Doll is the beaded 'tail' and the hanger at the top. This little lovely was made from a bunch of Valentine fabric scraps and beads I've had hanging around forever! I had such fun pulling her together and it was very cathartic! If you'd like to make your own you can find the tutorial on Dot's site. Dot also does lots of other beaded and embellished art dolls and ATC cards - lots of eye candy if you have time to check her out!

I truly did not want to let "Penny" go - but the reason I did her was for a swap. So...the next morning after her photo shoot she was packaged up for a very long trip to Malaysia! Happy landings Penny! I should be receiving my very first Dotee -to keep -shortly and will post a pic after she arrives - I believe from the UK. Aren't they cleverly cute! Feel the Dotee luv and have a Happy Monday!

Too Much Disney lately...

I think I've heard (heaven knows I don't actually see them they're just always on in the background as I go about my daily activities) too many Disney movies lately! I've got the soundtracks running through my head - especially Peter Pan and wishing on a star. I stumbled on this site and found several things that I would want to have if I could stop growing up and be a kid again (oh yeah and had all the money in the world)!

For example...Here is where I would lay my 'Lost Girl' head at night...

($2,000.00)

And I would sit here while I read stories to the other 'Lost Children':

($350.00)

And it's a toss up about what I would wear out on the island...could be this:

($80.00)

or this:

($198.00)

But would definately be accessorized with a pair of these:

($28.00)

The mermaid lagoon would welcome me - tail and all:

($48.00)

All of these lovely items are indeed for sale at Chasing Fireflies and don't you think for a second that every one of them wasn't in my shopping cart just on the off chance that I got a million dollar windfall in the mail today...or, my ship came 'toot tooting' into the harbor....or the tax return check was going to be earmarked for tons of unecessary and completely frivolous items for a spoiled little 3-year old. Of course we'd think absolutely nothing of dropping $2400+ for fantasy items like these (cough, cough)...just ask Eric! LOL

A gal can dream can't she??? That's what good ol' Walt Disney was all about - thanks Walt!

"When you're curious, you find lots of interesting things to do." - Walt Disney

Another Mile Marker - #9

Then...

...and Now (Today, to be exact!)

8 years seperate the two pictures and while some days it seems like a lifetime in many ways it seems like just hours ago. I marvel at how much you have changed physically - and never notice it on a daily basis until I stop to compare these kinds of photos or look at old videos. We used to clap as you played "Pat-A-Cake" or sang princess songs - yesterday we clapped and cheered as you ran up and down a basketball court trying to make a basketball shot! I used to read you "Goodnight Moon" now you read to me from your latest issue of American Girl magazine. You used to watch Cinderella over and over - now it's Hannah Montana, Zach and Cody, That's So Raven and I took you to see "The Spiderwick Chronicles" on Saturday night with a girl friend.

You're now ordering off the adult menu at restaurants and picking out your own clothes every morning. You will let me brush your hair - but only if I do it the way you want and it has to be 'just so' with no clips, pony's or bows. You still like to sit next to me or Dad and have us scratch your back or head. You still love to watch tv or movies until late at night and don't like going to bed until you have to! You're doing great in school and have lots of friends. Gratefully your great laugh and giggle haven't changed...just gotten a little deeper. You still love to draw and play imaginative games with your stuffed animals and dolls. "Littlest Pet Shop" toys are some of your favorites right now.

I wish I could say that I had been the perfect parent these past 9 years - I haven't but I've tried hard. I can say that I've loved you to the best of my ability and done all I can to give you opportunities to learn, grow and try new things. I miss the little baby and little bitty girl that danced around in her princess dresses. I do enjoy this new almost 'pre-teen' with her wit and sarcasm...the sass that has been there since day one! I love the things we do together - just us girls. I love your art work and the stories you bring home from school - you amuse me!

It scares me to think you're half-way to the big 18 that will bring you to leaving our nest and out into the adult world. Wow! Exciting for you and nerve racking for me! Better get started on imparting some more wisdom, nagging, cajoling, loving, cuddling, praising and enjoying every precious moment until my next 'then' moment! The "NOW"s are coming way too fast!

Happy 9th Birthday Big Girl!

Happy Valentine's Day

I found this cute page in a magazine a while back - love the picture and the quotes are good reminders that many of us have probably heard before.

Happy Hearts Day!

The Darndest Things!

Yesterday was Parent/Teacher Conferences for our oldest daughter and our son. It's always a pleasure - luckily we have great kids with good minds and hearts who love school (so far so good...we're up to 3rd grade!). Anyway - during our daughter's conference the teacher gave us a true 'gem' that she'd had her class make. It's a booklet titled "Third Grade Words of Wisdom". She used popular cliches and cut off the well known endings and had her students fill in the blanks and illustrate their new 'sayings'. Here is our daughter's sayings and illustrations. (We enjoyed the drawings as much, if not more than the words). She wanted to add a disclaimer that she didn't have enough time to color them all in. So now you know! Prepare to laugh!

If I'd only known if was the gift horse's eye I was trying to avoid all this time and not his mouth - ugh! and I'll try to remember that 'freezer trick' next time things get too hot! Out of the mouths of babes...words to live by!

Tripped and Fell!...down Memory Lane

I was reading one of my favorite blogs this morning Confessions of a Pioneer Woman and she was talking about 'morning people'. I am not truly one of them - more of a mid-morning person myself. Anywhoo...that led me to thinking about my dad waking us up with a "Good Morning Captain" straight out of the 70's show Captain Kangaroo and my reply of "Good Morning Mr. Green Jeans". Which in turn led me to a quick search on You Tube to see if by chance they had any clips of Captain Kangaroo's show. Lo and behold - the beauty of You Tube!!!!




Don't they have everything!? My youngest DD sat glued to this clip and wanted to watch it 3-4 times - it still has charm! They just don't make things like this anymore. Boy, did it bring back memories! I had a Raggedy Ann doll just like that big one and think my sister did too! I remember watching this dancing bear on Captain Kangaroo. Probably this exact episode because I loved me some Captain and loved Raggedy! A double treat! I was a total child of the 70's. In a quick 'google' search I saw that the Captain Kangaroo show continued until the 80's but I would have been in high school by then. I remember the moose, the rabbit, the ping pong balls, Mr. Green Jeans....great stuff! Anyone else love an old man in a red suit (not Santa - though loved him too!), a naughty bunny and a guy in green? Raise your hand and don't be shy about it!

Balance and Inspiration

My Dad sent me an email this morning with a video clip that brought me to tears - you can read the background and see the video here:

Extraordinary Couple Win Dance Contest!

Chinese modern dance competition. This lady has one arm and the guy has one leg. The lady, in her 30s, was a dancer and had been trained as one since she was a little girl. Later she got into some kind of accident and lost her entire left arm. She was depressed for a few years but then someone asked her to coach a children's dancing group. From that point on, she realized she could not forget dancing. She still loved to dance and she wanted to dance again. She started to do some of her old routines, but by losing an arm, she also lost her balance. It took a while before she could even make simple turns andspins without falling.

Then she heard about a guy in his 20s who had lost a leg in an accident. This guy also fell into the usual denial, depression and anger type of emotional roller coaster. She looked him up (he was from a different Province) and persuaded him to dance with her. He had never danced before and to dance with one leg? Are you joking with me? No way, he thought. But she didn't give up & finally he reluctantly agreed, saying, "I have nothing else to do anyway." She started teaching him dancing 101. He had no concept of using muscle, controlling his body, and a few other basic things about dancing. When she became frustrated and lost patience with him, he would walk out. Eventually they started training. They hired a choreographer to design routines specifically for them and their handicaps. They danced so beautifully and powerfully that they legitimately beat all the others in the competition! They truly are incredible. Now enjoy watching them...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnLVRQCjh8c

I was quite emotional watching this video clip - for a variety of reasons. I am not a trained dancer but took many years of dance lessons. I've often wondered what my life would have been like if I had 'stuck with it' - or better yet if I'd had the drive and motivation to truly make it happen in my life. I wonder what would happen if I had the drive and determination that these two people in the video clip exhibit? and applied that in different aspects of my life?

It takes incredible balance just to walk (ask me I know! as I often trip and hit my legs and arms in the house) - can't imagine dancing without a limb. But doesn't daily life take balance in many aspects? It's good to be a balanced person and it requires such a concerted effort some days to keep from tipping over and losing it all. That reminds me of one of my favorite lines from one of my favorite movie musicals: "Fiddler on the Roof"

Tevye: A fiddler on the roof. Sounds crazy, no? But here, in our little village of Anatevka, you might say every one of us is a fiddler on the roof trying to scratch out a pleasant, simple tune without breaking his neck. It isn't easy. You may ask 'Why do we stay up there if it's so dangerous?' Well, we stay because Anatevka is our home. And how do we keep our balance? That I can tell you in one word: tradition!

Ahh....Tevya! That's right! Traditions, rituals, faith, customs, habits, routines, schedules and all those little daily things that keep us going. I hope you've been inspired. I have and will be pondering it some more. Now go forth - have a day! Be inspired and make it better for someone else!

Drum Roll Please...We have an Apron Winner!

Yes, I did things the old fashioned way and cut up all the 293 comments into individual strips. I used a bowl since a knit beanie wouldn't have allowed me to show you all the lovely comments.

Yes, I allowed my almost 3 year old to pull a strip out 'randomly' - she had no clue what I was doing and I do mean that literally! "Why mommy the papers?"


And the winner is.....

Ben and April !

Congratulations! I was overwhelmed with the 293 comments I received on the giveaway! I know some people think it's just the 'gimme's' talking - but I like to feel the love! Come back again some time and I'll be posting next week some more about where the aprons come from and how you can make your very own. To those of you that asked - I don't sell them, just make them for my family and friends but would be happy to direct you on how to make your own! It was a fun carnival and now I'm spent! Ya'll come back now ya hear!

"Ben and April said... Beautiful apron!!! Thanks!"

Leave Your Winter Blahs - It's a Carnival!!!

Check it out! It's a Giveaway!

There is a Bloggy Giveaways Carnival and I have decided to participate. I spent lots of time (okay only about 30 minutes on and off while being interrupted by a 2 and 1/2 year old) trying to figure out what I would giveaway and decided to stay with my apron theme.

I will be giving away a Fabulous Friday Night Apron!

I have one already made up that is almost exactly like the one pictured above. (Check out the slide show for some of the other ones I made during the holidays.) I also have some great "Elvis" fabric and some adorable pink striped spring fabric that would look terrific made up into an apron. The winner can take their pick of the pre-made apron above or tell me what their favorite color combination or theme is and let me get to work.

I will take comments until Friday night at midnight (MST) and the winner will be drawn (from a knitted beanie) Saturday at 8am (MST) and posted shortly thereafter or as soon as we finish breakfast; whichever comes first.

Make sure to include your email address in your comment if it doesn't link directly to your blog or website so I have a way to contact the winner.

Happy contest giveaway perusing! And make sure to check out the bloggy carnival for lots more giveaways!!

It's a Keeper - Cake Mix Extender

Have you ever had this experience? Once in a while you stumble upon something that is so simple and you wish you'd found years ago? I had such an 'Aha! moment a few months ago while looking for recipes on the Internet. I've often made cakes that didn't quite fill the pan or made cupcakes that are a smidgen small. I've also wished I had 1-2 extras for hungry little ones. (my kiddos are always clamoring for cupcakes that I'm taking to school or church and sadly disappointed when they find out there's none for them.)

Here's a simple solution I found: A way to make a bigger and better cake mix. Makes a 13x9 pan come out very high and moist and makes 2-3 extra cupcakes.

Cake Mix Extender Recipe

3/4 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup oil
1 egg

Mix all together. Add to your already mixed cake mix batter. Bake per directions but may need and additional 5-10 minutes longer to become done.

For more fun tips on everything from organization and recipes to cleaning - check out a fun blog Rocks In My Dryer. It's "Works For Me Wednesday" over there and you might just find something you've been wishing you'd find for years!

Clap your hands...Tink is back!

They opened a Disney Store a couple of weeks ago at a mall near us. Guess who hadn't been until a couple of days ago? Guess who was only to happy to take their sweet little 2-year-old-princess-loving-sweetie in to check out the Disney Wonderland? Guess who got sucked into the Disney Princess Vortex? Guess who was only to happy to shell out $40+ for a brand spankin' new (albeit on clearance) 'coscume' (that's costume for those of you unfamiliar with 2-year old language) of Tinkerbell and shoes and a crown! I have to say all the sparkle, pink, Disney Musak playing in the background and the friendly customer service put me into some kind of Mickey Mouse stupor! I don't know how to act..."take me to your coscumes"! I swear I think they pipe pixie dust into the air ducts - Disney crack if you will! I tried to show my sweetie all the cute, less than $10 items she could take home but it was all about the 'coscumes'. She really wanted the Cinderella 'coscume' displayed in front but since that was full-price (heaven forbid) I was able to convince her that the Tinker Bell, frilly, green, tutu was a much better alternative. She was so happy with the purchase and hugged the bag out to the car and couldn't wait to get home and try it on. I was almost as giddy as she was waiting to see what it would look like....precious!...adorable!!!...cute!...stinkin' cute even! and then these immortal words utter forth from the mouth of my now freshly adorned and minted Tinker Bell..."Where's My Wings?"...

Ack! For $40+ couldn't the Disney powers-that-make-princesses-to-be include the wings!? Nope, obviously not! It included the tights and the fabulous Tinker Bell cameo pin and all the glitter and fairy dust on the tutu but no wings. I bought the shoes and crown but didn't think to get wings. Oh well...Not going back...you know as well as I do what will happen...we'd leave with a Cinderella 'coscume' next time!

She has continued to 'mention' to everyone who passes by and sees her costume that 'I have no wings' - sad isn't it!? I pulled some wings from a different costume but she's no dummy and while she tried them on, probably for my sake, they just didn't 'fit' and they were removed after a couple of minutes. Not the right color or size I'm sure.

The Big Easy may have had an 'eye popping' moment over the price but there was no denying the cuteness factor or her face lighting up when she wears her 'coscume' and prances around the house. It is the first thing she puts on in the morning and we have to practically peel it off of her at night. I love it! I am enjoying every minute of my baby girl being a full-fledged, card-carrying member of the prissy princess club! Dress it up baby Tinker Bell!

They're making a comeback...Apron's that is!

I made 12 of them for Christmas, that's right....12!!! Actually a few more if you count the 3 I made for the kiddos out of the IKEA Christmas kitchen towels - okay, I was a smokin' hot apron maker for the holidays. Most were made using the Vanilla House Designs "Friday Night Apron" or "Sunday Dinner Apron" patterns. Very easy to use, both of them - but I prefer the sexy, sassy look of the Friday Night one (see one lucky recipient sassin' it out in hers in the slide show). I think aprons are making a revival (nah, I KNOW they are!). I wish I had more and I wish I had some antique and retro ones that I know we played around with as girls that belonged to mom, Granny and Granny C. Who would have known!?

There is a cool site devoted to the apron and all things apron'y' (is that a word?). They are having a giveaway of a cool book about aprons. If you go to their site and make a comment you can be entered in the give away. Check it out: http://www.apronista.blogspot.com/ Hmmm...all those aprons and not one for me - there's a problem with that. I've got some sassy "Elvis print' fabric that needs to be made into an apron and picked up some adorable striped fabric on our anniversary trip. I think it's time for me to get a new Friday Night Apron. Whatcha think?