Can I Get Some Fries with That Shake

Here was my fun project this weekend. I found it on bakerella and thought how cute would this be to make. She put hers together for Father's Day. I didn't think that I really should make 24 of these delightful dessert hamburgers just for us...so I was just waiting for a perfect excuse to make them. The perfect excuse came in a going away potluck for the previously mentioned Seavers.

I was going to post my step by step process of making these, but it felt a little copy cat-ish of bakerella's wonderful how-to. SO if you would like the how-to go here. I did a couple of things different that I will divulge.

First- I made my brownies in a jelly roll pan and had to use two mixes (I do not know how she did just one). I don't have a circle cutter, so I found my kids smallest sippy cup and used that to cut out my burger patties.

Second- The french fries I made pretty much the same way BUT in cutting them in half I found it easiest to do that before they cooled all the way. Give them only about 5-7 minutes out of the oven then cut with a pizza cutter. Then let them continue to cool on tray.

Third- The templates she offers for the trays/fry holder/tissue paper is awesome...BUT I don't have vellum on hand AND I especially don't have tracing paper on hand. So if you do, go for it. However if you don't then white printer paper works just dandy for the fry holder, and the whole ensemble is cute even without the tracing paper.

So there ya have it...a cute little dessert that will have everyone in awe. It really wasn't too difficult. The boys had fun watching me make them AND they couldn't wait to try one. Cole has already decided that this is what he wants to take to kindergarten for his birthday treat.

Thank You For Being A Friend

Okay, who is now singing the Golden Girls theme song in their heads (Natalie I know you are!)?

So this post is dedicated to my very good friend Amy. Well why would my friend Amy get a whole blog post shout out...I like her better than all of you...KIDDING! No, Amy gets her very own blogoshpere shout out because she left me. My friend and her family left yesterday in route to Klamath Falls, Oregon. I will miss her in more ways than she probably knows. In fact, I am pretty sure everyone will miss her in ways she will never understand.

She is truly one of the nicest people that I have ever met. She is compassionate, she is non judgemental, she is sincere, she is charitable, she is funnier than all get out, she is a hard worker, she is creative, she is patient, she is an example of a good mom, well okay she is an example of a lot of great gospel principles.

Bottom line- we were destined to be friends from the very first time I met her. True a friendship like ours can't be divided by several thousand miles...but I will miss seeing her all the time. I will miss hanging out with her family. Cole will miss Lauren (yes everyone this is the family of his future bride).

Seavers, we love you. Lauren, Cole loves you. AMY, I love you. We will miss you, you are the greatest.

Sorry Amy, hope you had some tissues with you.

Easy Picnic Basket Makeover

Finished my other Before and After yesterday. Again, there is nothing that spray paint can't enhance and cute-ify (totally a word). I got this picnic basket from my mother-in-law a couple of weeks ago and had it hanging out in the basement, when I saw two really cute posts on V & Co--one about spray painting baskets and the other about making a fabric covering for the lid.

So like I said in my last post...I morphed the two ideas and came up with a pretty little picnic basket...which I am sure my masculine hubby would love to tote around...oh well he will have to do it anyway.

So we started with this:

A cute basket, but lots of cuter potential.

Like I said I used a semi-gloss spray paint in black and covered the entire thing (in several coats). The next day I took some old material, cut it out in the shape of the lid. Next I covered the lid in batting because I didn't have any thinner padding, which was a little more difficult. I secured that with spray adhesive. Then I hot glued the fabric in place, using the hot glue underneath the lip of the basket.

And yeah...all done...well okay, I would like to sew a lining to put inside of the basket but that will be quite awhile. But for now this is how it looks...

not too shabby.
ps I don't normally picnic with porcelain plates and decorative pillows...but it makes a pretty picture.

Creative Sanity Break- A Tiny Before and After

Without creative breaks I would go insane. Now I haven't had too many of them recently due to, well funds and one more cutie patootie. Today I put my hypothetical foot down and made some time to do a couple of tiny things.

I have had a white shelf in my bathroom with only a mirror on it for way too long. I just could never find anything I liked to go on it. Then while perusing my lovely friends blog (will send you to her blog later in the post) I found a great idea using cheap ceramic birds and glorious spray paint. That was weeks ago.


I found the birds (and vase) at Michael's on clearance. All I needed was some white spray paint and a sunny day to use said paint. That was today baby!


Here is my tiny before and after:

BEFORE

AFTER

Not too shabby. I also started another project with spray paint...which is not quite ready for reveal...BUT I stole and morphed this idea and this idea from my friend Vanessa of V & Co. Are you excited...you should be.

Berry Picking--A Jammin' Good Time

This last Saturday we went strawberry picking. This is the second year we have gone. While we still got a decent amount of berries this year, last year was a lot better. Last year we could just pluck ginormous red berries right of the plants. The boys had juice dripping from their chins. This year, we barely picked enough to make jam. The berries were few and the size was mostly miniature. I think the boys only had one or two each. BUT we still had a really good time. It is quickly becoming a great family memory.

After the wonder of berry picking, comes the utter delightment (yes that is totally a word) of jam. Of course the cutting, cleaning, mashing, and making of the jam is not always delightful work, but after the trail of our labors comes the JAM. Mmmm....yummy.

So now we have our year supply of freezer jam. Now as Spencer keeps reminding me...all we need is some warm homemade bread to slather said jam on. I'll get around to it eventually.

Like Lightning I Tell Ya

I got this thing up and running pretty quick. It helps that the way I edited the HTML I didn't have to re-type in all the links...WHEW! Still might tweek it a little, but for now that'll do pig that'll do.

No if I can only figure how to format my post (pictures and spacing) how I would like...eventually.

In Progress

Not like I think everyone is keeping track of this thing minute by minute, but I am in the process of changing this blog thing up. It will take me awhile since, oh I have no time. Plus I am trying out some HTML stuff AND I have been trying to figure out our new photoshop elements (talk about feeling technologically stunted). Oh and I have to retype in all the links.

SO over the next little bit hopefully I will get this thing punched out.

Days Go By

We are surviving over here, slowly but surely I am getting the hang of this thing called a family of 5! Lots of our time is just spent on the accomplishment of staying clean, staying happy and staying alive. Errands, projects, crafts, yes even some chores, and cooking gets put off. But the important things are getting done.

The two older boys play hard outside, play hard inside, and sometimes run me into the ground. Case is consistently sleeping about 7-9 hours at night and our next goal is to get a more scheduled nap time during the day. Spencer is the man and has temporarily taken some of my couponing over so that I don't have to stress about taking the kids. He is pretty good at it...I might have created a monster. My normal clothes are making sporadic reappearances in my wardrobe.

So yes, days go by. Happy days at that. This is my new normal (thanks to Karen for the sage advice years ago) and I am pretty content with it.

Here are some pictures from this week.

Case full and happy

Jack, one of many days of missed nap, passed out

Cole, happy, handsome and tan