#5 birthday cake fun!

As my little munchkin's BIG 5th BIRTHDAY arrives - eeekkk! - I wanted to share my cute #5 cake! She and I will venture out soon for her birthday pictures, no one is surprised by this, Im sure.

Here is her surprise cake we made! Now, I am not the best cake decorator - nope - but I do love to bake and even though its not always pretty it tastes great!  I thought me and the hubs were pretty crafty with this one though.

we started with 2 loaf cakes 

and a round cake.  I got home from the store and realized that I should have gotten a bunt pan to make the circle inside - oops.  Here is what we came up with....we ran a soup can through the dishwasher and baked the cake around it - worked like a charm! 

and I even forgot to spray the soup can with baking spray but it pulled out super easy and didn't crack the cake at all! I did let it sit over night with the can in so it was super cooled down.

here we are after being all trimmed up.

and here after decorated! twislers line the sides and polka dotted with skittles!

February Mini Vaca

I took the luxury of planning out a long weekend every month till Christmas. My March one is in 2 weeks for my little big girls birthday! I think everyone needs 4-5 days off in a row once a month, don't you??

Here is a little of what went down in my house.  We didn't finish everything, but that is okay.  And I started working on some really cute props that I still have to keep under-wraps until the sessions :)

we rearragned the girls room and this big open space will be the home of their new ballet bar this week! 

of course, there was lots of playing.  

playing all together! 

the best part about this...no one told her to do it! sweet love for her bother. 

we got a timer for the kids room - this is when it went off! - and it seems to be working like a charm.  timer goes off and we clean up and go to bed.  wonderful! 

when sisters turn their backs on their brother....he eats their tutus.

then we started on painting the new studio! 

the kids like the desk moved now - it has turned into a tunnel

I always do a horrible job at taking before pictures so you can tell the difference in the afters. So here is my last minute before - the original color of our office before it went very, very white. 

going white.  Did you know it takes a lot of paint to go white??? we do now. 

does this happen to anyone else when they repaint/move/etc? everything in the entire room goes in one corner?

we can finally sit up! 

Next months mini vaca will hopefully include hours of setting up lighting equipment, refinishing furniture in the kitchen and more playing :) 

A little perspective

On Valentines Day my hubby and I decided to go out.  We normally do not celebrate, but it has been a particularliy tiring last few weeks for me and Avery's appointment the day before was exhausting, to say the least. So he called me at work and said we were going out.  Not because it was Valentines day, but because we needed a date - and that date just happened to fall on February 14th.  In the spirit of looking snazzy for my husband I got a new pair of jeans and a new top - he approved.

So we had a wonderful dinner.  Enjoyed the 45 minute wait and people watched instead of being aggravated.  I ate to my hearts content on bread, serious - I ate almost a whole loaf myself!, and pasta and pizza.  Then we decided to check out the local Christian book store to get the new, and last!, David Crowder cd.  So sad. We love DCB in this family, specifically the hymns.  On this CD he did, Because He Lives.  As we were listening, Craig said, you know, you should play this everyday on your way to work.  It should be your anthem.

How right he was.  My life is not perfect - and not always the way I want it to be.  I long for things I hope in God's time to have.  However, my life is exactly in this moment still a blessing.  I should be thankful for each and every moment He allows.  Yes, I have to work - we are able to own our beautiful home that my children will grow up in.  Yes I have trials - what a better testament to my God's strength.

Because He lives I can face tomorrow.
Because He lives all fear is gone.
Because I know He holds the future.
And life is worth the living just because He lives.

I will sing my anthem on my way to work each day and pray for God to show me ways He is using my right where I am.

STP

Check out the new look of the STP blog!  It got a little face lift and I like it! I embraced my girliness and love of pink - I think it looks more like me.  What do you think??

Blog

I want a real photographer's blog. I found one that is oh so dreamy....http://www.corinanielsen.com/shop/product.php?productid=437&cat=41&page=1.  Polka dots and dragonflys - it was made for me. Someone want to donate to the get Simone a beautiful blog fund?  You know my birthday is soon....

Superbowl fun!

GIANTS WIN!! Wohoo! Now I will have to wait till next week to see if I need to get a new jersey for next season...my loyalties lie with my quarterback!

Here is some football fun we had last night - those who are dieting, Im sorry. Disclaimer, I did not eat any of it while making, which killed me! I had to rely on the on kids "mmmmm" to know that it was all good!

cupcakes taking shape! 

yep....dinner is served.  

I think we like cheep pizza!  She was a complete mess by this point.

yep. mess....but lovin momma cooking and dancing in the kitchen! 

I didn't want my football to have holes - so I cute pieces of cupcake and stuck them inbetween. 

ready for kick off! 

ready for the game! 

:)

and yes, Ella was here this weekend, BUT...my big girl decided she didn't want to clean her room and do her chores so she didn't get to have much baking fun with us.  She did, however, redeem herself and had a great Superbowl time with her cousins  :)  

Food Friday

I actually had to look down at the clock to make sure it was still Friday! The kids are over at their Granny's house and I should be either A. sleeping or B. cleaning...but I am C. blogging and watching photoshop tutorials.....

Food Friday!! 

Raise your hand if you love cake and ice cream! Well, I did not find a carb free version of cake and ice cream...although I will search until I do!...but I do have an alternative sweet snack that I like to keep in my freezer at all times.  This handy dandy little Popsicle is awesome when I need a sweet fix at night.  They are very good and with only 30 calories, 8 carbs, and 1 gram of fiber (so 7 net carbs) I don't have to feel guilty when I eat one! 

the kids really like them too! SOOO much better than the other liquid sugar Popsicles that you get in a box of 400.  

Any one else have any healthy sweet treats??

Simone