Happy Monday - that just might be an oxymoron.

Picture of Sydney, as promised.

We just realized that we have 6 blueberry trees in the backyard! I am so excited. We also have some raspberry bushes too. They are super tart though. Hopefully the blueberries will ripen to perfection. The proof:

I have seen a lot of these "cake balls" around the internet. One of my favorite baking sites, Bakerella, makes these cupcake shaped cake balls that are just too cute. My sister-in-law, Karen, sent me this article from the Dallas Morning News too. So I was ready to make some of my own. They are pretty easy to make and are really tasty. I just made a cake, crumbled it up and mixed it with frosting. I made the balls and stuck them in the freezer for a little while. After they are cold, I dip them in melted chocolate and add the sprinkles. I place them back in the freezer for just a minute and then they all done.

I love the round sprinkles. They add the perfect crunch.

Here's the inside - so you get the idea. Yummy!

Random Nothingness

I know, I know...it's been awhile since I last posted. I just really haven't had anything to post about. I've been super busy with custom orders. I'm really excited to say I have another big order going to the Chicago Children's Museum again for their 2009 Block Party Exhibit.

Whoo-hoo!

This past weekend, we went back to the east coast of Florida to visit our friends there. We was a wonderful trip and we loved being able to see everyone. Thanks everyone! I really didn't take any pictures...crazy, I know! There are no excuses. I should have made more of an effort.

*Important Military Deal*

I went to Old Navy today and they just started a new thing where military gets 10% on the first day of each month. So the next one will be May 1st. How wonderful is that!? You can thank me later. : )

I bought this new peanut butter at the commissary (that means it's cheaper than the listed price) yesterday. Oh my, it's so yummy! Perfect on graham crackers.

Alright, I guess that's it for now. I promise I won't wait so long for the next post and maybe it will have more important substance in it too. You know, like pictures of Sydney (instead of peanut butter). haha.

Happy Easter!

I hope everyone had a great Easter. I just love Easter as it's the foundation of Christian faith proving Jesus was exactly who He said He was - God in the flesh and our Savior.

In celebration, we had busy weekend. Yesterday, we took Sydney the base Easter Egg Hunt. They really did a great job putting everything together. Unfortunately, the pony rides were a no show. They had character mascots walking around (see picture below) and lots of free stuff for the kids. I was hoping this Easter would be Sydney's year to enjoy really appreciate a holiday. That proved not the case. We were in line waiting for the horn to sound so the kids could run the field and pick up eggs, Sydney got a little overwhelmed and had a mini-meltdown when the horn sounded. Needless to say, she missed out on a few eggs because of it. The thousands of eggs were gone in a matter of seconds - no joke. It was craziness. Anyway, we did a little egg hunt at the park today and she had way more fun doing it with just one other friend.

Just some of the goodies acquired during the fesitivites. : ) She is also wearing a bracelet and ring (stuff that you can't see in the picture).

Saturday also included a baby shower for a friend and tennis & dinner in the evening for our date night. Today, we went to church and then to the park for a few minutes before eating brunch with a large group of church friends. We had a lot of fun. Thankfully, the afternoon led to family nap time. Now we are just enjoying our evening.

Hope everyone had a great Easter!

Bib Necklaces

If you are a guy, you can stop reading now. You will not find this interesting. If you continue to read...well, I just warned you but (on the positive side) you will be up to date with fashion accessories. : )

Who would ever think as an adult we would be wearing bibs again!? The things we do for fashion, I swear. : ) So, I guess the new thing is these big, chunky necklaces that are referred to as bib necklaces. Here's are a few I found:

Gardenia Bib Necklace from Anthropologie

Anik Beaded Necklace by Lee Angel Jewelry

Colorful Bib Necklace by Urban Outfitters

The one I have made is based off of some bib necklaces I've seen on Etsy. Here's mine:

I made it white so it would coordinate with any shirt. I really like it. It's a little big, but not as big as the ones linked/listed earlier. There is a picture of me wearing it in a earlier post. So now, I am on to making some new ones - like a red one! Thankfully, they are inexpensive to make but take a lot of time.

Now, I have seen the Windflower Necklace from the new Anthropologie catalog that I feel like I can make and sport around town. It's perfect for the spring! I'll let you know how it turns out when I get around to it.

Just another "I can make that!" moment.

On another note, I am so excited for Easter. Sydney is at the perfect age now to really appreciate the festivities (not so much the religious aspect though - maybe next year). This weekend is going to be a lot fun. I can't wait to share all the pictures I plan on taking.

My First Quilt

Here is my first quilt ever. I'm sure my mom would be proud as she was a quilter. I sure know my mother-in-law and sister-in-law are very proud too. : ) Just made of scraps and I appliqued the birds on. It was quilted by Karen's Quilting Service. I have one more quilt to bind. It was the quilt that I showed a little sneak peak before. Hopefully, it will get done this week. Anyway, it's a perfect napping blanket and currently resides in the newly decorated guest room. Thanks for looking.

Weekend

I was so happy this weekend because my best friend, Lauren, came into town - with Jason & Riley (of course)! It rained, okay stormed, on Thursday so we just kinda hung around and let the girls play. On Friday, Matt took the day off and we all went to the zoo and the beach. We ate at a really yummy restaurant on the water and had a really great time together.

Lauren and I decided to go the Melting Pot for their dessert fondue. Wow, was it good! Here we are with our goodies. They had marshmallows, bananas, strawberries, cheesecake, pound cake, brownies, rice krispie treats - you get the idea. All that was dipped into chocolate! Wow, I'm going to have to go for an extra long run tomorrow to make up for it. But gosh, it was worth it! : )

This Weekend

First off - you guys are so funny about Facebook! : ) Within a few minutes of signing up, I had about 20 friends. I never realized how many people are on and how often everyone comes to comment.

Question: Is it weird to look up kids you use to regularly babysit for? I did. It's neat to see their pictures and where they are attending high school and college. But how creepy would it be to get a friend offer with the message "Hi, I use to babysit you and change your diapers! Remember me?" Creepy? Yes, yes it is. : ) So no worries, I won't do it.

Anyway, on to our weekend. On Saturday, it was no work and all play. In the morning, we took Sydney bowling for the first time. The cutest thing was that they had her size bowling shoe! She used the ramp to push her ball down the lane. I think she got about a score of 70. Pretty good. Yes, there were bumpers for her. I won't tell you my score...

In the afternoon, the rain stopped and the sun came out. Yea! To the beach we went.

Sydney just loves the beach. Matt and Sydney run up the beach...

and down the beach...

over and over again. Needless to say, she slept well. That night was our date night so we went out to eat some Thai food. For dessert, we went for some gelato. Yummy. Sunday, was the usual - church, out with friends, trip to the new Kohls in our area, nap time, grocery shop. You know, the usual. : )

On another random note. I really enjoy Greek pizza. It's toppings consist of spinach, tomatoes, and feta cheese. Since we don't live near Sweet Tomatoes anymore, I decided to make one of my own. And take a picture of it. You should have seen Matt's face when I brought out the camera! He's such a good sport.

It was good but the spinach needed some salt (which I hardly add to anything) and the pizza sauce needed more spices. Oh darn, I'll just have to make it again. : )

FaceBook

So I obviously can't stand up to peer pressure very well because I joined Facebook. : ) I can't even tell you how many times it has came up this week with friends - I guess one too many. Anyway, so I guess you know where to find me...

No worries, I definitely like blogging much better!

Sonia - I can't find you on Facebook either!

Babycake Cupcakes

This recipe is found in the April Issue of Family Circle or Here. I first saw it on The Food Network's Ultimate Recipe Showdown. The recipe won and it's now being served at TGIFridays. Anyway, they are mini cupcakes and taste like a really good spice cake. The frosting recipe calls for sweetened condensed milk (which I've never used for a frosting before) rather than regular milk. I'd say the cake is really good and the frosting just okay. Next time, I'll try regular milk in the frosting and see if that helps.

I made them for our last lesson of Beth Moore's Patriarch Bible Study. I just love her studies. What I liked best in this one is that she made Abraham, Isaac, & Joseph people and not just characters. They were real people, real struggles, real feelings. It so easy just to read through the Bible and forget that these were real people, like you and me. Real people God uses to accomplish His plans and purposes. Very refreshing.

Mobile, Alabama

Whew! We had a busy weekend but it was a lot of fun. Matt took Friday off and we went to Mobile, Alabama (said it your best southern accent) for the night. We went their children's science museum, the Exploreum, first thing in the morning. They had a couple of neat exhibits and thankfully it wasn't crowded. Next, we went to Bellingrath Gardens. Holy smokes, the best garden/arboretum I've been too! It didn't hurt that it was one of the best days to go. The weather was perfect and with spring here the flowers were in full bloom. We just did a lot of walking and enjoyed the beautiful day. Here's some of our pictures. I spared you from all of my flower pictures (I took a lot) but I did share a few of my favorites.

On Saturday morning, we headed out to the battleship USS Alabama. It was interesting to see the ship. It made me really appreciate not ever having to work on one! They also had a submarine you could tour on. You couldn't pay me any amount of money to work on one of those either! Anybody bigger than Sydney-size is too big for a submarine. Here is Matt and Syd in front of the guns.

Here's where our personalities and interests differ. Matt at the guns:

Me in the kitchen:

Look at these professional, industrial mixer! Think of all the cupcakes you could beat at once! : ) They did have to feed 2500 men on board.

Then we went straight from the battleship back to our college friend's house to watch A&M lose to UConn. And when I say lose, I mean lose bad. Next, I dropped Matt and Syd at home and went to a Mom's night out with some friends from church. It's always nice to get out and about with friends.

Sunday was church, lunch with friends, family nap time (much needed!), grocery shopping, yard work, and excerising . Exhausting! We really had a great weekend though!

Quick Pics

Honest Sewing

Before we get the to sewing portion of today's post, I thought I could put in a couple pictures of Sydney. You know, to prove it's a "Matt & Sydney" blog too. : )

Sydney is adamant about pigtails these days. No ponytail, no hair down, only pigtails. I have no idea why but thankfully it's quick and easy.

Now, onto sewing. I just wanted to keep it real and show that not every design comes together on the first attempt. I wanted to design a pattern for a small ruffled pouch and the it came to a bit more work then I was expecting. Here's the process and bags that didn't make the cut.

So once I finally figured out the right pattern, I couldn't stop making them.

A side note: So I went to Goodwill to repurpose some shirts and skirts for their fabric for these bags. I just bought a few shirts and a skirt and it came to $35! When did Goodwill get so expensive!? I'm better going to the fabric store and buying new fabric, it would be a lot cheaper. I just couldn't believe it and wanted to share my dismay.

For the finished bags the one on the left is "regular" fabric and the 3 on the right are from the expensive repurposed fabric.

Each one is lined too. Now I just need to decide which one to keep! : )

Another Zoo Post

Happy Friday to everyone. Just stopping by to share some pictures of our time at the zoo yesterday.

Sydney actually took this first picture. She was so adamant that I get behind this thing while she took a picture. Geez, the things we do for motherhood! I think I'm going to get her a toddler camera for her birthday as she is always wants to use mine. I'm sure that will make for some good posts - everything at toddler level!

Have you ever seen a white peacock? Me neither (well, until yesterday)! I didn't even know they existed. It was stunningly more beautiful in person.

Oops, might have squeezed her too tight for this picture! : )

A little bit better. What can you do when it's a "stick your arm out and snap the shot" picture?

The otter was quite playful yesterday.

These next shots are amusing to me. He really looks like he's trying to decide what Pepsi product to buy. Talk about an endorsement.

Now, I think he picked and is waiting for the drink to dispense.

Maybe it's just funny to me. Maybe I've been cooped up in the house too long. Thankfully, warmer days are ahead. Have a great weekend.

Quilts

So I've never been much of a quilter. Really there is no need for me to be! My mother-in-law and sister-in-law are avid quilters. We are thankful to have our linen closet filled with warm, snugly, handmade quilts. At the beginning of the year, I got a couple quilt ideas in my head that I wanted to make. Looking at Crazy Mom Quilts with Crystal really got my head-a-spinnin' and away I went! I have made 2 quilts and they are away at my quilter. : ) Here's just a sneak peak of one I put together before mailing it off to be quilted.

Now, for those of you who do quilt...don't get too excited. I don't think it's going to be a regular habit. I'm more enticed by making real food into something inedible!

Thursday

Today's shirt was brought to you by Amy Butler's Anna Tunic Pattern. The fabric is Amy's too - thanks to Jen who gave me the fabric! I like it a lot and can't wait to wear it when it's just a bit warmer (and the grass is a bit greener). Again, Amy's patterns are very easy to follow. The serger makes it even easier, faster, and more professional looking. Do you like my model pose?! haha.

The weather is beautiful today. Syd and I went to the beach this morning to enjoy the warmth. It was still a bit windy but it didn't bother us.

Chasing the seagull.

Our beach here is covered with sand dollars. Unfortunately, they are all broken. Even still they are huge pieces. This broken sand dollar is probably 6" in diameter.

Here is Sydney's little hands holding a sand dollar she found.

Playing.

Butterfly Messenger Bag

Ooh, I can hardly contain my excitement about this bag! Sydney needed a new bag for carrying all her stuff to church. Thankfully I made a good pattern that carries everything she needs. The messenger bag is made of canvas and the butterflies are made of (what else?) felt. It's also lined with a cotton pin-stripe fabric. I hope the butterflies hold up through the wear and tear. I saw this butterfly-type pattern in a paper design from a French craft magazine I receive. And I used all that calculus I learned in college to come up with my equation:

butterfly design + messenger bag =

Okay, so my equation isn't really calculus but just basic addition but I like to think that all those engineering classes are not receding to the deep, dark places of my brain covered in cobwebs! Well, here's hoping! : )

Anyway, back to the bag. My favorite is how the butterflies just look like have landed and are still fluttering since the wings aren't sewn down.

Okay, off to make lunch for me and Syd. I'll have more craftiness tomorrow.

"Olive You"

I did a custom order for a customer that included making green olives. She is giving them to a loved one with the message of "Olive You" (said just like "I love you."). Get it? Anyway, I thought it was cute.