Great Gifts 2 Go

Anyone who knows me knows that I am most at home in my kitchen baking and coming up with yummy desserts. My friends and family spoil me and as an Easter gift I received a cake pan shape like a lamb. After thinking it through, I knew I did not want to do a traditional cake with this pan. My mom had requested that I bring my no sugar added Hawaiian cake for Easter dinner so I thought, hey why not bake it in the shape of a lamb? The Hawaiian cake itself is super simple to make, the only problem was that the whipped topping and vanilla pudding "icing" was a little difficult to shape. Everyone raved about the cuteness and deliciousness of this cake so I thought I would share photos of it...

First Chocolate Bunny When I was browsing through JoAnn's Craft Store I found the most interesting chocolate molds. Having worked with other cute molds in the past, I jumped on these for only $1.99. I bought two sets and then put them aside until it was closer to Easter. I knew I wanted to do something cute with them, I just did not quite know what. After sending out the invitations to Easter dinner and looking at my tables and what decor I would use, I pulled out these chocolate molds. They would be perfect as name tags for each table setting! I molded my first chocolate bunny and then went to work trying to figure out how to put a name on them. I did not want to do a real boiled egg or one of the cheap looking plastic eggs. I then found craft eggs at Wal-Mart that I could paint and decorate. I was able to put the person's name on the egg and then set it in the chocolate bunny's basket. Craft Eggs I used Wilton's candy melts (light cocoa) to form the bunni...

Anybody who knows me knows that I am most at home in second-hand shops or flea markets. It is so much fun to spend hours scouring shelves and tables laden with broken down and somewhat dilapidated items. I had my daughter, Freedom, with me on one outing and she found a rather sad looking horse statue that was in need of a lot of love. After begging me to get it so it could have a place to call home, I relented and spent a total of $0.99 on this decrepit looking statue. The "Ugly Duckling" Horse Statue After sitting it on my desk and staring at it day after day for over a month, I finally became inspired. Freedom kept bugging me about starting on it and I kept balking. I could not figure out what exactly to do with it. Then I saw a photo of a lovely grey horse that Freedom’s friend, Sprite, had with her when they went bowling. Once finished, Freedom absolutely loves it and it now sits in a place of honor on her shelves in her bedroom. The finished p...

Having six inches of snow dumped through the afternoon yesterday and then throughout the night was no fun. I am the type of person who likes to see photos of snow, but not necessarily have to walk or drive in the white stuff. This winter has not been horrible in regards to the white stuff here in St. Louis, but it looks like winter is finally here. Freedom was so happy to wake up to a lot of snow, but then once she got out in it to play she decided it was not so much fun! My little four pound Japanese Chin baby did not realize that the snow was so deep. She jumped off the step and face planted right into the stuff. She was so upset that she just sat there and cried! I felt so bad for laughing at her and I wish I had thought to grab the camera!! She is still a little upset with me and is not speaking to me! I did snap some photos of the snow here and caught my collie baby out in the snow... The front yard! Another angle of the front yard! A tree stump in the backyard! ...

The beauty and sweetness of the Japanese Chin dog always makes me smile. The Chin is the most cat-like of all the canines. They are very loyal and lovable creatures! Just look at the sweetness of the classic Japanese Chin expression. Here is a photo of my little guy...he is quickly becoming the love of my life!

The Finished Glass Have I mentioned lately how in love I am with Mod Podge? This wonderful DIY crafting glue/sealant has made me step outside my comfort zone and give a little dazzle to many things. My latest foray has been into adding some glitz to glass and I found this basic margarita glass at my favorite store, Dollar Tree. So, for just a dollar I was able to experiment more with Mod Podge. I took red glitter, Mod Podge and a margarita glass and made a sparkling conversation piece! Now that I have done one, I am working on a set of 6 that a friend of mine is purchasing to give as a wedding gift. Here is what I did: Cleaned the margarita glass and dried thoroughly. Then I applied a thin layer of Mod Podge along the base, stem and halfway up the glass. I let the Mod Podge sit for about 2 minutes before sprinkling on the red glitter. Before the Glam I let that layer of glitter dry for about 4 hours, then I applied a thicker coat of Mod Podge over the glitter...

Freedom's Puppy This is the Kit! Freedom was given a DIY craft kit and book by Klutz on how to make pom pom puppies. We finally had sat down and actually attempted to make these cute little puffs of yarn. I admit it, I am  intimidated by yarn. So, when Freedom got this kit I was not overly thrilled with the prospect of having to play with yarn to make cute puppies. Freedom's 1st PomPom Puppy! My first attempt was not even photographed because it was such an utter disaster. Freedom's first attempt, however, turned out very cute and she is in love with making these little bundles of yarn. Hers doesn't look exactly like the book, but it is pretty darn good for a 9 year old! I highly recommend this kit for the crafty kid that you know. It is a great way to pass the time!