A Community Coming Together to Fight Cancer

No recipe today, for there are much more important things going on.

I am so honored to be living in this community. I feel privileged to walk among spectacular people. People who serve. People who love. People who give. People who fight.

People who love these people--

We love these two people because at any given moment in time they have served, loved, gave, and fought for each of us. 

Now unfortunately in the face of tragedy, we get to give back just a fraction of what they have given us.

Jay and Susan Williams are in a battle. A battle no one wants them to be in. A couple weeks ago it was discovered that Jay had colon cancer. These two unbelievably spectacular people have had  to hear news no one wants to hear. They have had to face a surgery for Jay. They have had to sell their house. They have had to schedule treatment. They have had to plan to move so that Jay can get treatment. 

On top of all this, in order to move and pay for treatment, they are selling almost all they have... I literally mean almost all...and that will still be short of meeting a weighty deductible.

Now enter a community of people who have been loved by these two people and want to give back.

The community and the Williams' children are hosting a benefit tomorrow. 

The Jay Williams Cancer Benefit Auction

Friday, April 23 rd , 5:30-8:00 pm

Theron Drive @ Preston Trails

Parking at Diley Middle School

If you live in our community, please make an effort to come and be prepared to donate something, anything for this family.

If you do not live in our community, but would like to join a bigger community of people supporting this family, please go here

Read their words. Feel their faith. Pray for them. Help them. Donate.

I love this family. There are some people who leave an imprint on your soul. Jay and Susan are those people. My life is better for knowing them. To repay what they have done for me is impossible, but I will do anything I can to add to the serving, loving, giving, and fighting taking place in their behalf.

Today I hope my little spot in the blogosphere can help me help them.

Earth Day T-Shirt

Earth Day is this Thursday. I knew over a month ago I wanted to make this shirt for my oldest little man to wear to school. I even warned his teacher that I was going to be starting an anti-homework campaign..haha.

It was super easy to make. All you will need is:

t-shirt

freezer paper

black and white permanent fabric paint

green and brown felt

coordinating thread

phrase typed out in font of your choice, size of your choice

I traced a pattern for myself to use, but really everything is really basic and you can easily make your own pattern. My phrase was off the computer, the bracket and the tree pattern were hand drawn.

You follow similar instructions as used in the Chicks Dig Me Tee.

My little man thought it was pretty hilarious. He is already really excited to wear it to school on Thursday. He even hopes that his plea for saving the earth might result in less homework...

I mean really, who wouldn't want to save the planet for this face.

Sour Cream Crumb Cake

This is one of my go-to, never-fail desserts. It is super moist and delightful warm, at room temperature, or cold. It goes together really quick and you should have everything on hand to make this.

Sour Cream Crumb Cake

Cake:

2 cups sugar

1 cup butter, softened

2 eggs

1 cup sour cream

 2 cups flour

1 t baking powder

1/8 t salt

1/2 t vanilla or almond flavoring

Filling:

1/3 cup flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 T melted butter

1 t cinnamon

Glaze:

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1-2 T milk

1/2-1 t of vanilla or almond flavoring

Preheat oven 350. Grease 9x13 pan.

Cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs, sour cream, and vanilla. Add dry ingredients. When well mixed, spread half of the batter into the pan. Sprinkle with half of the filling mixture. Top with the remaining batter, spreading to cover the mixture, some will peek through. Sprinkle the remaining filling mixture on top evenly. 

Bake for 35-40 minutes, until lightly golden and toothpick comes out slightly crumby.

Mix the glaze ingredients together, to desired consistency. Should be the consistency to drizzle. Drizzle over the warm cake.

Let cool 10 minutes, but can eat warm. Can also eat it the next day as its leftovers are calling to you from the fridge, taunting you to eat it NOW, not even giving you the time to warm it up in the microwave. Like I said, good at any temp.

The Best Medicine

Yep. I got the bug. I am sick. Ugh. The movie theater drama lives on.

The best medicine besides my hubby staying home to take care of the little men...

is being given a little party shout on from Leigh Ann from Your Homebased Parties.




Remember this--

She highlighted this whole little carnival. 

You should go stop by today and see the great post she did. Tell her how amazing I am and how much you love me how great her site is. Then you should browse around and see the other great party ideas she has. 

PLUS she has another awesome site called Your Homebased Mom where she has tons of fun stuff AND the best part is all the recipes...

                                                         Lemon Crumb Cake

                                                         Hamburgers Teriyaki

                                                         Seasoned Potato Wedges  

                        Cowboy Calzones

             Key Lime Pie Bars

See what I mean. Good enough that I could even post their pictures in the midst of a tummy sickness. I look forward to feeling better and whipping some of these recipes up.
Now I sleep, yes and it is noon.

My Spring Wreath

                                 

I wanted to make a spring wreath that could stay up past Easter and that wouldn't look out of place if I got lazy and didn't put up another wreath until after summer. Welcome this Springy little number. While this looks all sunshiny and happiness hanging on my door, this crafting adventure was missing most of its similar sunshine and happiness.

The Wreath Making Saga: There are tons of really cute wreath ideas using beans of all shapes and sizes, acorns, and so on. I have been scouring the stores for months waiting for something to jump out at me that might be another alternative. One day I was child free at the craft store, what??? Child free! Yes it was glorious, and I came across these foam beads normally used as fillers for vases. They were tons cheaper than wooden or plastic beads. PERFECT (not really...keep reading).

I also decided to buy this straw wreath because it was TONS cheaper than the foam one (again, not smart).

I began my hot-gluing marathon. Man those beads were teeny tiny. First bit of doubt about their perfection. Man this straw wreath drops straw everywhere. First bit of doubt about the wreath choice.

Hours and hours and hours later, I still was only here...

Going SUPER crazy by this time. Plus I had lost several layers of skin...teeny tiny beads are hard to glue. Second bit of doubt about their perfection. I might also keep having to pick errant pieces of straw out of my hot glue. Second bit of doubt about the wreath choice.

What I never doubted-- 

I would get it done, even if I no longer had fingerprints! 

I was in LOVE with my fabric choice from JoAnns

I was equally in LOVE with my coordinating spray paint color, Blue Ocean Breeze

So I kept at it. In my head I saw the final product and it was lovely. That mental image kept me going as I was actually going mental. When I glued that last bead on, I collapsed on the floor. YEAH! I was done. Now the easy part. All I had to do was spray paint it.

Can you sense the foreboding?

This very next part is why instead of a tutorial there is a cry session and a crafters beware...

The spray paint ate away and pitted the teeny tiny foam beads. I am no longer doubting these things are not perfect, now I know. I will forgo telling you the boo-hoo fit I had upon seeing this. All that hard work down the drain, right? 

WRONG. I am still using the sucker. It still looks decent close up and it looks GREAT far away. The color combo still makes me happy. As we drove away from our house the other day, both of my older boys declared how beautiful it was.

ugg...see the pitting???

My ADVICE--

If you don't have a wreath, make one that will last more than just one holiday, so that if it does take a lot of work you can rest for several months!

Don't use straw unless it is Fall OR unless you are willing to vacuum/sweep 3 times a day.

Teeny tiny foam beads are not good for painting, or gluing for that matter, so when they beckon you to come pick them up and take them home, just keep walking.

Even if it isn't perfect, still hang it up. Chances are you really are the only one who notices. Don't let that hard work go to waste. This applies to every craft you do!

At the very least...

go and buy this spray paint and craft something springy

just beware of teeny tiny foam bits...haha