pieces of me

Tiered Cake Construction

2011-07-08T13:54:00.000-04:00

Mel... this post is for you!!! I will try to give you a step by step break down of how to make a tiered cake, but if you have any questions.... CALL ME or send me an email!

After you have baked and cooled all your cakes, tort them for filling. Before I start filling the, I use toothpicks to mark reference points so that all the layers line up and give me a level cake.

OH... make sure you place EACH cake on it's own regular, plain cake board... as if you were going to just make it all own it's own. This allows for easy movement of the cake, AND when they cake is cut, the person cutting the cake doesn't have to worry about cutting into the lower tiers!!!! ALSO the weight of the cakes will be supported by wooden dowels from underneath... and you need the cake boards to do this.

Next I crumb coat them all and put them in the fridge so that the buttercream hardens a bit. If you are making a multi tiered BUTTERCREAM cake, let the tiers chill for at least 15-30 minutes. This will allow the buttercream to stiffen so that you can manipulate the cakes without destroying the frosting.

For FONDANT covered cakes, I like to chill the crumb coated cakes before I put the fondant on them. I do this only because I have found that after smoothing the fondant with my hands, the icing will tend to ooze out from the bottom of the fondant or move around under the fondant. So this helps in preventing that.

For multi tiered cakes, I like to use FOAM CORE BOARDS as a base. I get them at Michael's in the framing dept, they are usually on a shelf with other boards of different thicknesses. I prefer to use Elmer's Foam Board 20 x 30 x 1/2 inch. I like them because I can cut them to any size and shape with an Exacto knife, and they will support the weight of the multi-tiered cakes. Next I use some of Wilton's decorative paper to cover the board and make it look pretty. I often get ribbon to match the color theme of the cake and them either glue it or use straight pins to cover the edge of the cake board. I just think that it "finishes" the board and adds to the cuteness.

Start with your bottom tier, and cover it with your fondant, add any fondant decorations that may end up under your next tier. I know this sound silly, BUT if you'd be suprised how many times I didn't think of that when I made my first couple of cakes!

Once you have your bottom tier covered in fondant and ready for placement. Take a little buttercream and smear it on the cake board where you want to place your cake. Place your bottom tier and then get some wooden dowels (I use Wilton's) and measure them against the tier. Cut them so that they are either level to the height of the tier or a little (I'm talking a smidge) over. I then get a pencil sharpener (I have one solely for my cakes) and I sharpen one end. I then place 4 wooden dowels into the cake in a square into the tier. These will then support the weight of the next tier. Your dowels should end up level to the top of the cake, or just a bit above. If they stick out too much you will end up with a gap between the tiers. This is ok, if you will be placing gumpaste flowers or fresh flowers inbetween the tiers.

You now have your bottom tier ready and done.

Now you can start working on your second tier. Now you just repeat what you did for the bottom tier on all the following tiers you have to make for your cake.

The only thing you won't need to do is putting buttercream inbetween the tiers, your cakes will stay put because you will be placing one long dowel down the center of your cake once all the tiers are in place.

I unfortunately did not take a picture of the center dowel, but all you do is take one regular dowel, I have found that these will generally be long enough to stake the cake, or you can get a longer one from the modelling section of Michaels. Then you just take it, hold it against the height of the cake, mark it off like if you did when cutting them for the lower tiers. You will want this one to be slightly shorter than the actual height of the cake, because once you drive it in, you can not pull it out to cut down. (I've done this before and it sucks!!!) Now that you have your center dowel cut to size, use your pencil sharpener to sharpen one end, like you did with the other dowels, and drive the pointed end into the center of the cake. By sharpening the end you will be able to drive the tip through the cake boards and anchor it into the foam core board!

This center dowel will keep the tiers from sliding around or shifting.

THIS IS CRITICAL IN KEEPING YOUR CAKE STABLE FOR TRANSPORTATION!!!!

I forgot to place the center dowel in a two tier cake once and the top tier SLID OFF THE CAKE as I transported the cake for delivery.

So there you have it... how to make a multi-tiered cake step by step.

:O)

Product update: Motts for Tots

2011-07-06T18:44:00.000-04:00

Did you know that Mott's for Tots® has 40% less sugar than 100% apple juice and a great taste kids love—it's an easy and healthy way to spoil 'em.

It's true!!! My kids love this juice... and not just the tot!!! It's delicious and you can taste the difference 100% real fruit juice makes! It also contains vitamins A, C, and E to help support a healthy immune system

and with calcium and vitamin D to help support healthy bones... and who doesn't want that for their kids!

Available in five yummy flavors: Apple, Apple White Grape, NEW Immune Support Fruit Punch, NEW Bone Health Grape, and NEW Mixed Berry!

AND what's best, it also comes in convenient juice boxes for small hands and when you are on the go!

www.vocalpoint.com/mottsfortots

O' summer weather... how I love thee....

2011-05-26T13:33:00.000-04:00

FINALLY, it seems that Mother Nature has had enough fun laughing at us northerners and has decided to bless us with sun and warmth... and DO I NEED IT!!! I am by no means winter person, I do not really like the cold, I do not like the snow for more than a month and God knows I need my fair share of sunshine to keep me happy.

So imagine my unbridled joy when I saw in the forecast 80's for the next week!!! WOOO-HOOOO!!!! As soon as my kids got home Tuesday, I said let's get out butts to the park!! and off we went.

Haaa, haaa, haaa... I absolutely love this sequence of pictures! Especially Sebastians face on the last picture! I think he thought Isabel was going to let him go!!

My baby... well... not so much anymore, but she is quite the flexible one!

Tyler went right for the twisty slide... this is my monkey!

I still find it hard to believe that Sebastian will be 2 years old in two months!!!

Isabel is a great big sister, and was being SUPER protective of Sebastian... funny because he just wanted to run by himself.

Here she is again playing with her little baby....

Isn't he so big!!!

Too funny, because he has a hard time with stairs... never mind the cargo ropes!!!

So here are the pics from our park outing... I would have gotten more but I couldn't them to stand still for more than two seconds at a time!

:O) TTFN

Where have I been???

2011-05-25T09:59:00.000-04:00

OMG... I just realized that my last post was AUGUST 24th!!!! I seriously thought I had posted after that, but maybe it was just that I had all the INTENTIONS of posting and never got around to it!

Well... I'm going to try to sum up the ongoings in my happy home over the last nine months and get us all up to speed!

First of all, my cake business has taken off!!! I am soooooo happy and BUSY! I absolutely love it!! It started off slow... such that I was worried that it was just going to stay a hobby. But lo and behold, I have had cake orders every weekend for the last two months! And not just one, I'm talking a minimum of two orders per weekend, up to four that I had to make for last weekend!

I love it... my skills have improved so much over these months, and I am so much more confident with what I can do, and if I can't or haven't done it... I have no doubts I can do it!!!

Chao Baby!!! :O)

This is my first ever wedding cake....

Sorry to bombard you with pics... but this is a collage of my work over the last five months!!

I bet you thought that this whole post was going to be pictures of cakes!!! ;oP

So as you can see, I've been busy!!! I'm not going to complain, I love that I can make some money at what I REALLY enjoy doing!

Now the other reason I have been MIA.... Isabel has been trying my patience! This girl, I love her to pieces... but DEAR LORD she's gonna kill me! This school year has been the absolute worst ever!!! Not only has she had awful grades, but she is failing Math. I have met more times with her teachers this year than I have in her entire educational career ! I have lost all confidence in the public school system here. I finally have a meeting with her teachers and the SPED tomorrow to see if MAYBE there is something that they can do to help her not fall behind.... Ummmmmm yeah... there is a month of school left and she has a D average in everything. I think you're a bit late on the helping her not fall behind!!!! But at least it's a start and we can get her started on the right path for next year. At least that is my goal!

Tyler has started cubscouts this year and he ABSOLUTELY loves it! Tyler is one very social boy... and he likes to excel at all he does, so this has been an really great learning experience for him. He did great in his first ever Raingutter Regatta in the fall... He placed 2nd in his den (they are only 3!!) but he was really proud of himself, which to me is the best reward. He has a great team player attitude and didn't get too upset when he didn't win. What more can a mother ask for!

Isn't he handsome???

Tyler also did AWESOME in his first ever Pinewood Derby... placing 4th amongst all the participants in his pack! He went to the council finals, but didn't do as great, yet he enjoyed it and never said a bad word about not winning. I would love to post pics but his dad took him and I forgot to send Isabel with my camera... so no pics.

Isabel has been doing EXCELLENT in dance this year, with a full schedule of Ballet, Jazz, Tap and HipHop... it's a full week for us. Not to mention that she also partook in Girl Scouts all year too!

I can't snap pics of her in dance, mostly because Sebastian won't sit still when I go to watch her... BUT I will habe pics in a few weeks as her end of the year recital will be on June 17-18!!! I am so excited and can't wait to see her perform. Every year she brings tears to my eyes when I see her on stage, it's absolutely amazing to see how much she has learned and how graceful she has become on stage.

Sebastian is now 22 months old... I have no idea where the time has gone! He is such a smart boy... he now speaks a handful of words in both spanish and english! He is a clown, he loves to make faces and run around and jump and dance. Although he is a tv tyrant! He loves to take control of the living room tv and watch "Oh Toodles" which is Mickey Mouse Clubhouse all day... or Monsters Inc., Finding Nemo, The Amazing Mr. Fox, and Alice In Wonderland (the Johnny Depp version)! I bought the kids all 3 Toy Story movies for Easter this year, and those are now all their favorite!!!

Oh, did I mention that I am also going to school too? Yup, since I have been unemployed for just shy of two years, I went back to school a year ago and have been working on a Paralegal degree with a Business Administration degree. Good thing I'm not busy!!!

The hubs and I are both working hard on his car sales... which has been going well. We aren't getting rich, but we atleast have enough to pay our bills!

So there you go.... a rather loooooong summary of where I have been and why I've been missing! Now that I posted, I'm sure you will hear more from me on a regular basis!

:O)

Wordless Wednesday- Mamia's Birthday surprise....

2010-08-25T14:47:00.000-04:00

Are you playing this week? Link up here at Wordless Wednesday and check out some fellow wednesdayers....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAMIA!!!!

All in all... the cake was a hit (and delicious as well!)

Love you Mamia!!! I hope you enjoyed your party and that God blesses you with many, many more years filled with love, happiness and family!

:oP

Happy Birthdays

2010-08-24T18:12:00.000-04:00

Today is both my Mother's and my daughter's birthday!!! I want to wish them both the most wonderful day ever and that God bless them with another year of life filled with love and happiness!

Isabel's birthday party will be this saturday... thankfully giving me a few more days to get her cake going.

My mom is getting a surprise dinner tonight!

So I made her cake... my sister and I decided that we needed something that would match her personality. LOUD AND VIVACIOUS... so that being said, this is what we decided on....

It is a white cake with strawberry shortcake filling (homemade whipped cream with chopped strawberries) covered with fondant. I like the gift box look so that is what we decided on.

What do you think???

Let me tell you that I can not wait to take a bite of this one!!!

Check in a bit later for pics of the party!

:OP

I Need some help....

2010-08-23T12:44:00.000-04:00

I posted this the other day, but for those of you that did not read the post I'll refresh your memories! I am trying to start my own cake baking business. I love to bake and try new recipes, and I'm actually pretty good at cake decorating. but mostly I want to do something I can do from home. I've been looking for jobs in my field, but right now they don't pay much and I would end up working strictly to pay for daycare. Ummmm not really my idea of making the best use of my money!

My friend had me make a bridal shower cake for a mutual friend, and apparently it went over really well. I have some business cards, but I want to be able to get my cakes "out there". I have an album on Facebook that I have made public so all can see, but unless you know I make cakes I can't imagine you would have a need to see my pics...

I would like to make a website, but I haven't the slightest idea where to begin!

So my question to you is.... do you have any suggestions???

Post your comments and tell me what you think I can do to spread the word! I appreciate any and all ideas!

:OP

My first sale!

2010-08-22T14:27:00.000-04:00

I've been away for a few weeks now... I just haven't been in the mood to post lately. I'll try to bring you up to speed, and I'll do my best to keep it short and sweet!

First of all I want to thank Mel at Fishing and Wishing and Debra from Vachcouture for the beautiful beaded bracelet I won!!! I must admit I received it last week, but like I said I really haven't felt like posting so I didn't!!! but here is a pc of this beautiful bracelet... absolutely LOVE it! Isn't it gorgeous?!

Thank you soooo much!!!!!

Oh, I'd like to point out that Tyler told me that it is beautiful and wants me to wear it everyday.

My sister had her birthday last week, the big 31.... haa haa haa! We threw her a little party and made her the cake... it came out awesome!!!

I made a two tier butter cake, one with peach jam and the second with blackberry preserves... soo yummy!

I used fondant and made the tiers look like gift boxes...

The birthday girl... she loved it!

and now I finally get to the title of this post... my friend Darcie emailed me asking if I would make the cake for a mutual friend's bridal shower... ABSOLUTELY!!!

So I took her ideas, made some suggestions, did some research and this is the result...

It's white cake with milk chocolate ganache filling... covered with fondant and gumpaste sunflowers.

I LOVED it... more importantlly, everyone at the party loved it too!!!!

I'm so happy, I finally made my first cake sale!!!

I've been trying to figure out how to get a cake baking business off the ground, and thanks to Darcie this may be it! I'm looking into getting a web page, but for now stop by my Facebook page and check out the pics of the other cakes I have made.

AND that's pretty much it... other than the normal everyday activities. So consider yourself caught up in the excitement that is my life!

:o{)

I'm such a slacker...

2010-08-02T20:47:00.000-04:00

I'm warning you now... the title is the reason this post will last forever!

I won a give away on Mel's blog... Fishing and Wishing oh, I don't know... about a MONTH AGO!!! I really wanted to post on here a picture of the item I won.

I won this really cool wall decoration by Max 'N Me Studio on Etsy. These are unique works of art created by a mom and son duo with a portion of the proceeds being donated towards arts programs for children with autism!

Isn't it wonderful! I absolutely love it... I'm giving it to my dancer daughter Isabel, for her birthday... which is right around the corner. Thanks Mel and Max 'N Me Studio for the wonderful art work!!!!!

So the other things I am behind on is my ridiculous obsession with ebaying. I discovered eBay about 6 years ago and went nuts... I bought a bunch of "stuff" that I honestly really didn't need. So I swore off eBay for a while... every so often I would relapse and purchase a thing or two... but two weeks ago I searched for wool yarn. WHAT THE HELL WAS I THINKING!!!! Needless to say $100 later I have sworn off eBay once again! But take a look at this yarn...

100% wool... hand dyed... Isn't it lucious?

And wait until I get the rest of it! oh, and I also purchased a couple of grams of silk yarn direct from India!

I'm signing up for Ebayers Anonymous tomorrow!!!

In other news... I tried my hand at knitting some longies, I found this really nice Patons sock wool blend yarn and decided they would be really cute for Sebastian. What do you think?

I think they look adorable!

OOOH I forgot to mention, I made my first salad made from items harvested from my garden!

Yes, I realize the tomatoes are green, but they are delicious this way!

So I added a 1/2 of a ripe tomatoe and some shredded carrots from the fridge... but the end result was the tastiest salad I have had in a LONG time.

Just look at it... Isn't it lovely?

I tasted just as good and better!

Now that you managed to stick with me to this point... I'm gonna let you take a break!

Chao baby!

:OP

Giveaway goodies...

2010-08-02T14:25:00.000-04:00

My friend Mel has some of the BEST giveaways going on right now! Stop over at Fishing and Wishing and check out the great things she has listed.

First of all she is giving away some soothing bunnies from Collection Oberschin at Etsy, they are too cute! I really like the balms listed for soothing headaches.

Then she is also giving away a beautiful lampwork bracelet from Vachcouture at Etsy, you have to go to their shop and check out the gorgeous bracelets, necklaces and anklets for sale! All custom made, all one of a kind.

She also has this wonderful beach bag that I am soooo coveting! Original Satindoll at Etsy has some of the cutest handmade, original bags I have seen!

Sooooo, go check out the shops at Etsy and help support our fellow artisans... AND don't forget to go to Fishing and Wishing and leave a comment to see if you can win one of the these great gifts... or another! Also make sure you mention that you read about it here!!!!!

:OP

Happy Birthday Sebastian!!!

2010-08-02T14:09:00.000-04:00

I'm a little late... but this past week was a whirlwind of prepartaions and fun!

Believe it or not... Carlos Sebastian turned 1 on July 29th!!! I still find it hard to believe that it has been a year since my baby was born! I can vividly remember that day like it was yesterday... and it makes me a little sappy. Yes I get the oooh my baby is getting big.... but I'm fighting it back!

So we threw a birthday bash a week ago, mostly because my sister was flying to Colombia this friday and wouldn't be here if we threw the party this past saturday. But it was great!!!!

I was very excited to make his birthday cake... what with all my vast experience as a cake baker. So I got the Wilton's Year Book to check out the cute cake ideas and see what I could come up with. So I picked the most complicated cake I could possibly find and said "What the hell... I know I can do it!!"

Yes, its completely edible.... and I was determined to make it!

So I began, 3 days befor the birthday to create the circus creatures that would decorate the cake.

Here are the "heads" and the other pieces of fondant I would need to make the animals.

Oh, did I mention that I have NO EXPERIENCE WHAT SO EVER working with fondant??? Oh yes, my cake decorating experience is limited to buttercream frosting and roses.

GULP!!!

These are the brownie "bodies"

Yes, I know I look awful... it was only like 98 degrees for four days straight!!! Even the AC wasn't cooling the apartment down enough to make it comfortable.

Monkeys and Tigers

The completed product!!!

Isn't it cute? Yes... I noticed AFTER that I left a HUGE gap in between the two circles on the front of the cake...and of course by this point they were pretty much stuck on the cake so I had to leave them. Oh well... it is an ORIGINAL.

Then off to the party... and the big reveal! I was sweating bullets, because I didn't want anyone to say that it looked crappy. I knew it wasn't horrible, but I was stll worried that it wasn't good enough.

So breath held, I brought the cake out....

AND

THEY ALL LOVED IT!!!!

The kids all ran over calling the animals they wanted....

The adults asked me what bakery I had bought it from and if it had cost a lot....

The birthday boy couldn't wait to grab the elephants!

I was ecstatic! I really didn't expect anyone other than the kids to love it... but they did!

I made a butter cake with strawberry jam filling, buttercream frosting and fondant!

I loved the fact that when my cousin asked me what bakery I had gotten the cake from, my mom's friend quickly stated that "SHE MADE THIS HERSELF!!!"

I couldn't stop smiling!

Isn't he cute as a button??? My mother-in-law sent me this outfit and I think he looks like a little doll.

The birthday pavillion...

Sebastian enjoying his fondant elephant...

The birthday boy taking a wack at the pinata!

hee hee hee... He's sooo scrawny! poor Tyler...

Sneaking a peek at the big gift bag...

He LOVED this dinosaur walker thingy...

Then a dip in the pool...

I love this pic of all my boys!

Surfing on dad's flip flops!

I don't have any more pics because I got lazy and then put the birthday boy to bed.

But all in all it was a fabulous party!

AND I got a bunch of requests for birthday cakes!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SEBAS!!!

:oP

The Garden Project- update

2010-07-22T15:00:00.002-04:00

We have had about three days of ridiculously crazy weather here... bright, sunny, hot all day... then torrential thunder storms at night. So I haven't been able to go water my garden, even though I have felt like a drug addict with withdrawls... I haven't been able to go and water and prune and weed and love my little plants and veggies.

So imagine my surprise when I headed over there yesterday to check the garden and saw how much plants can grow with a few days of consecutive heat, sun and lots of rain!

Instead of blabbing to death about what I found... I'm just gonna show you....

I'm soo giddy!!!!

:OP

The First Harvest

2010-07-22T14:52:00.000-04:00

I feel like a little kid!!! I am giddy and its all because of a few sugar snap peas!!! Silly... Yes, I know... BUT I grew these ALL ON MY OWN! Yup, the first harvest from my own garden.

Aren't they beautiful?

Let me tell you, they are D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S!!!

I realize that its not a huge bunch, but 21 and there were just as many if not more on the vines still fattening up. So I decided I couldn't wait anymore and I just had to harvest these.

The peas are sweet as sugar, and they are ginormous!!! What?! You don't believe me??? Ok, then just take a look at these...

oh, still not impressed.... well then, how about these?

All the peas were this size!!!

I put them into a potato salad with tuna, raw just like you see. Let me tell you they were the best peas I have tasted in a LONG time!

No, I didn't take a picture of the salad... I was too anxious to eat it to remember to take out the camera!

Hopefully I will be harvesting tomatoes and peppers soon!

:oP

Wordless Wednesday- Glorious

2010-07-21T11:33:00.000-04:00

Welcome to this weeks Wordless Wednesday, if you're playing link up here... then check out other Wednesdayers' blogs!

Just glorious!!!!

Happy Wednesday!

:OP

FUN TIMES....

2010-07-17T13:37:00.001-04:00

I have been soooo bad at posting these past few weeks! OMG, I think I haven't posted about a "real" post since like the 4th of July!!!!

So I'm gonna give you a quasi update, because I have in my mind written up great posts with lots of pics... but alas, none have made it here... so you will get a smidgen of what I wanted to write about.

Sound good??? I'm guessing so if you're still reading!

Let's start with the 4th of July... we spent the day at the beach. I'd like to say that the water was warm and I swam like a fish... BUT this is the NORTH ATLANTIC, the water is NEVER warm. So no water for me! I detest ice cold water... I am more of a tropical beach kind of girl. The kids on the other hand, they will swim in a vat of ice water!

Although after sitting in the car for 2 HOURS to reach the beach, I was seriously considering jumping into the ocean... NOT!!!!

Oh and for those of you that pay like $5 to pay to park at the beach... check this out!

Yes, that does say $15 for parking... and that was the CHEAP parking! These spots required walking like a mile to the actual beach!!!! The parking spots closer were all full but they were charging a whopping $30 the day!!!! Robbers, all of them... now how do I go about purchasing an open lot at the beach? hmmmm....

Here we are getting a little restless as we crept towards the water front...

Tyler was the first to jump in the ocean... that boy loves the water... cold or not!

Then Carlos put Sebastian into the ocean....

Umm.... this is ok... I think.....

Ummm...NOPE...

daddy I really don't think I like this......

YEAH... I'M PRETTY SURE I DON'T LIKE THIS AT ALL!

My poor baby is like me.... only likes tropical beaches!

Isabel enjoying the beach with her friend Andrea...

Sebas enjoying the beach blanket much more than the water!

This was Sebastian's first time (well second if you don't count when we took him in October to Santa Marta, Colombia!) and he loved playing in the sand.

Who doesn't love to be buried in the sand???

I love this pic...

Sunset on the way home from the beach... I love the sunsets at the beach so beautiful!

I like the way Isabel took this picture and you can see her in the rearview mirror of my car.

The aftermath!!! Tyler crashed not 10 minutes after we reached my cousin's house! Poor kid played hard and crashed just as hard!

Although... how on earth does one fall asleep in this pose????

So there is a bit of our 4th of July weekend.... next post will catch you up some more!

:oP

Wordless Wednesday- Veggies....

2010-07-14T16:59:00.000-04:00

Happy Wednesday! Are you playing along??? If so, head on over and link up here.....http://www.wordlesswednesday.com/newhome/

:oP

A new give-away....

2010-07-09T16:21:00.000-04:00

I saw another really cool give-away over at Fishing and Wishing its for some really cute hand made childrens clothing, made by Totsndots at Etsy. Honestly, is there anything better than hand made clothing??? You can see the care and love that goes into all pieces. Here are the ones I like the most...

Aren't these just adorable!!! I can sooooo see Sebastian sportin' one of these outfits!

If you're interested hop on over to Mel's blog and join in the give-away.... and don't forget to say you read about it here!!!!

:oP

The Garden Project- Month 2 1/2

2010-07-07T14:06:00.000-04:00

It's been a few weeks since I updated on my garden, and let me tell you it has been growing like crazy! To be honest I never really thought that everything I planted would actually grow... BUT I have tomatoes and a few teeny tiny peppers, my zukes are all flowery, my cukes are all flowery, my carrots and beets are getting bigger (well at least the parts I can see!)

So really what else can I tell you??? How 'bout some pics... because a picture is worth a thousand words, right? These pics were all taken on the 4th of July....

This is the flower that are on the snap peas, aren't they beautiful?

This is the first bloom on my cucumbers, as of yesterday the entire row of cucumbers were flowering!

Can you see all the yellow flowers on the plants?? by' my calculations I'm gonna have like 300 zucchinis!!!

The tops of my beets...

Can you see the tops of the carrots in the back of the pic?

The lettuce and broccoli... I'm still trying to figure out how the broccoli plants work because they don't really look like broccoli to me yet...

LOOK!!! How cute is this little green pepper???

The largest of my little tomatoes, these have me the most excited as I love fresh tomatoes!

A quick count gave me about 15-20 tomatoes so far!

So there you have it, my little garden is starting to burst with yumminess!!!!

As the veggies get bigger and begin to ripen, I will post more pics... so stay tuned for more pics!

:oP

The cutest darned give-away!

2010-07-06T16:00:00.001-04:00

I wasn't going to post about more give-aways today... but come on... how can I not post about these?

Fishing and Wishing is hosting a give-away for these adorable clay creations from LazyTulip on Esty.

Is he not the cutest ever????

Lazy Tulip makes these so adorable clay monsters, each with their own personality!

Stop over to Mel's blog and check out the give-away, stop over at Lazy Tulip to see the cuteness... and don't forget to mention that you read about it here!

:OP

More give aways to talk up....

2010-07-06T15:34:00.002-04:00

So, I'm thinking I may ask my friend Mel to cut me into her blog because I seem to post more about her awesome give aways than my day to day happenings!

Actually, her give-aways are more exciting than my daily happenings lately!

Fishing and Wishing is hosting another fun give-away that I just couldn't wait to share with those of you that read my blog!

Swirleys Hair Accessories are these really cute crocheted or satin headbands with interchangeable crocheted flowers that just snap onto the headband! Jump over to her Etsy page and take a peek at the cute creations she has available, then jump over to Mel's blog and post about which one you like to be included in the give-away (remember to read the post so you can see how you can get more chances to win!)

AND remember to let Mel know you read about her blog here!!!

:oP

I WON!!!!

2010-07-06T14:16:00.001-04:00

YIIIIPPPPEEEEEEE!!!!!! I WOOOONNN!!!!!!!

Oh, you didn't hear? You have no idea what I am talking about? WELL, I jumped on my laptop this morning, since I have been away from it almost all weekend.... and I was greeted by a wonderful surprise! My friend Mel from Fishing and Wishing emailed me to tell me that I had one the give away from her blog for the cool doll art from Max and Me Studio on Etsy!

I'm so excited because not only are these dolls gorgeous and unique, they are made by a mother and son who are doing this as a way to help the son with his autism.

Thank you again Mel! I can't wait to see my prize!!!!

So stop on over to Mel's blog and check out her awesome give aways!

:oP

Fresh baked yumminess

2010-07-01T12:40:00.000-04:00

So while surfing the web wasting time, instead of doing laundry like I should be.... I came across this recipe for what can potentially be a little bite of heaven...

Braided Lemon Bread.... doesn't the name just say it all????

http://smittenkitchen.com/2010/05/braided-lemon-bread/

I found this over at Smitten Kitchen, and wow does she have a gazillion interesting recipes to try out...

So I'm gonna head to the grocery store and pick up what I need to try out this yummy looking bread... maybe to accompany some hot tea or coffee? oooh... I can't wait! I'll post pics later....

:o)

More Fishing and Wishing fun...

2010-07-01T12:37:00.000-04:00

Today my friend Mel posted a new giveaway on her blog... Giveaway: Original Artist Trading Card from Beth's Artworx

You NEED to go take a look at these... they are hand drawn trading cards, all original pieces of artwork, and they are FANTASTIC! Whether you decide to trade them, collect them, or fram them (that's what I want to do!) they are wonderful!

Stop over at Beth's Estsy shop to see the different cards she has for sale, then stop over at Mel's blog, Fishing and Wishing, to comment about them and join the giveaway for a chance to win! And don't forget to mention that you read about it here!

:o)

More give away goodies

2010-06-29T23:48:00.000-04:00

Here is another cool bloggy giveaway by my friend Mel from Fishing and Wishing, she is giving away a really cool hand made silver twig ring created by Michael Lionel. Stop over at his etsy shop and check out his original silver and gold creations.... very cool!

Then stop on over to Mel's site and check more or her cool giveaways... and don't forget to post a comment to get in on the goodies... psst... don't forget to mention you read about them here!!!!

:O)

More giveaway goodies

2010-06-28T22:57:00.000-04:00

My friend Mel is hosting another fantastic give away over at her blog Fishing and Wishing.

This give away is from some cool art created by a Mother and Son duo that created these pieces to help her son with his autism. Max and Me has a bunch of really cool pieces that are both not only wonderful pieces of art work, but also a medium through which Max has been able to come through and make progress with his autism. Go and check out their site to read more about Max and to check out the cool pieces they have created. Also if you happen to pick up any pieces, remember that "10% of our profits are being set aside to be donated to art and autism programs."So go on and check out both Fishing and Wishing and Max and Me to see all the cool artwork a boy and his mom can create!

:0)

Sunday Stealing Meme- The Eighty Meme

2010-06-27T20:04:00.001-04:00

This on comes from Sunday Stealing: The Eighty Meme, Part One AND I borrowed it from Smellyann....whom so graciously provide me with an outlet for more useless information about me....

Cheers to all of us thieves!

1. What curse word do you use the most?
I am partial to the f-bomb... and its numerous variations....

2. Do you own an iPod?
Yes I do, and it is currently plugged into my car stereo

3. What person do you talk to on the phone the most?
I tend not to talk on the phone too much, but I'd say my mother.

4. Do you still remember the first person you kissed?
Yes I do... J.L. at summer camp when I was in 4th grade! REAL kiss was D.P. on our 8th grade trip to Washington DC

5. Do you remember where you were on 11/9/01?
I was at work in Worcester, I was a paralegal and I had the internet radio on, when my friend ran over and told me that the World Trade Center had been hit by a plane... we brought in a tv to the office and listened to the radio the rest of the day.

6. What was the last movie you watched?
I watched The Curious Case of Benjamin Button a few days ago....

7. Has anyone ever called you lazy?
Yup... sorry man I can be

8. Do you ever take medication to help you fall asleep?
Nope I don't like to take unneccesary meds

9. Has anyone told you a secret this week?
Since I emailed my friend Mel my secret I'm hoping she will divulge hers to me!!!

10. What is the first thing you notice about the opposite sex?
Smile and teeth

11. What are you looking forward to?
My mini vaca to Virginia to meet my blogosphere friend Mel, but it may be put on hold!!! :O(

12. Do you own any band t-shirts?
I may have an Aerosmith tshirt somewhere

13. What will you be doing in one hour?
probably still sitting hear wasting time online... if not knitting.

14. Is anyone in love with you?
I like to think my husband is...

15. Last time you cried?
ummm... the beginning of this past week.

16. Are you on a desktop computer or a laptop?
Laptop

17. Are you currently wanting any piercings or tattoos?
Yup... I am always wanting more tattoos... I already have 4

18. Would you ever date anyone covered in tattoos?
I have

19. What were you doing before this?
Eating dinner with Sebastian

20. When is the last time you slept on the floor?
Its been awhile... the last time I was REALLY drunk

21. How many hours of sleep do you need to function?
Ideally at least 8, but for the last two years I can function semi-normally on 4 hours...

22. Do you eat breakfast daily?
Only on the weekends...

tune in for more useless tidbits about ME!!!

:oP

More Giveaway fun from Fishing and Wishing

2010-06-27T14:00:00.000-04:00

Here is another great giveaway from Fishing and Wishing, my friend Mel's new PR blog about all kinds of neat products...

Her newest giveaway is for $50 in Jafra products... a really great skin care line that has a little bit of everything for everyone! So hop on over to both her blog and the JAFRA site to see the products available, then go over to Fishing and Wishing and leave a comment to enter the contest... and don't forget to mention you read about it here!

:oP

Saturday 9- Letters from Sky

2010-06-26T22:29:00.000-04:00

Saturday 9: Letters From the Sky

Welcome to this week's edition of Saturday 9, hosted by Crazy Sam . Link up here if you're playing along!

1. Do you believe that we will ever be contacted by beings from another planet?
I believe that we already have been... NO I am not a crazy alien fanatic, but I find it incredibly hard to believe that WE are the only intelligent beings in the entire universe. AND if we are.... ho humm.....

2. Have you or a family member ever traced your family tree?
I know my mom has to a point, and a distant cousin traced my mom's side back to Spanish lords or something of that nature... pretty cool...

3. Did you ever consider an acting career?
NOPE, I have a HUGE fear of public speaking so that kills that aspiration.

4. What is the funniest situation you’ve witnessed in a religious setting?
OMG I went to a hispanic christian church for a while and the funniest thing I saw was people being "filled" by the Holy Spirit... I seriously couldn't hold my laugh in... btw I am sooo not trying to offend any christians that may be reading this post, I am catholic and this was way more "lively" than what I am used to.

5. What's the first movie you remember ever seeing in a theater?
I remember seeing Rocky II, I think I was like 5 or 6... but I fell in love with Rocky!

6. What's the most difficult confession you've ever had to make?
Personal... but it was difficult.

7. What is a city that you have visited and hated?
None that I can recall

8. Has anyone in your life been "they one who got away"?
Yup

9. Why do you think the 10 foot duck walked into the bar on Thursday Thunks?
WHAT????

HAPPY SATURDAY!!!!
:o)

Watch As We Walk On Our Way

2010-06-21T18:55:00.001-04:00

I am WAY behind again on posts... but once you read all that I have to post about you'll see why!

First this is Isabel's official transfer from Elementary school into Middle School....waaaaaaahhhhhh!!! When did my little girl get so big?? I can't believe that she is old enough to be going to 6th grade... I feel like only yesterday I was taking her to kindergarten.

So on Thursday June 7th, Isabel's 5th grade class had a graduation ceremony... filled with awards, music, song and a snazzy dvd montage of the end of the year events for the 5th graders. It was really nice. The theme "Watch As We Walk On Our Way" symbolic on the kids moving onto the 6th grade and moving onto another school... quite sad as many have been here since kindergarten.

See very nicely set up in the school's gymnasium... it had a really graduation feel... not a cheesy here's your report card, good luck next year.

Like I said, many awards were handed out to students, UNFORTUNATELY Isabel decided to slack the last semester of the year and got STRAIGHT C's!!!! WTF I was livid.... Ok, yes I understand that she passed, and that a "C" is average... but honestly who strives for their child to be JUST AVERAGE? Not I... so although I am happy she passed the school year, I was very upset that she did not do her best. Especially since at mid term she was all B's and 2 C's... and in 3rd term had ALL B's!!! So I have told her she is getting prepped all summer for better homework skills and school skills. I am making her read one hour a day, she must complete at least 1 book a month, which she will have to tell me about in a book report. AND we will be doing at least 30 minutes of math work every day as well.

I know she is on summer break, but seriously people... school is not gonna get any easier, and if I can't get her to be more diligent about doing her work and taking pride in it what is she going to do next year when they give her a lot more??

I know the pic isn't the best, but here she is getting her Certficate of Acheivement for passing into the 6th grade. That's the Principal and V.P. shaking hands with her.

After all were awarded their certificates, the entire 5th grade class seranaded us with a musical number... don't ask what they sang because I can't for the life of me remember today!

More singing....

Posing with Carlos and the baby... (Tyler was in class :o( so he wasn't at the ceremony)

Proud Momma... and yes she is taller than me... she was gracious enough to slouch for the pic!

(wise arse!!!)

Celebrating with her friend Mya

Finally a picture with Mr. Burns... the vice principal

So that was the ceremony, I thought it was great, although I was a little sad at Isabel's final performance... but we are gonna change all that this summer!

:o)

More Giveaways!

2010-06-20T20:40:00.000-04:00

Who doesn't love a great give away... especially if you win... and win I want! (does that even make sense?)

Any ways, hop on over to Mel's Fishing and Wishing blog to check out her latest give away for some really nice glass bead jewelry. Also check out main site ... Zapata Designs on Etsy to check out her other creations.

Don't forget to comment and make sure you say you read about it here!

:0P

Here.... fishy, fishy, fishy....

2010-06-20T16:02:00.000-04:00

Don't ask!

But check out the give away on Mel's new PR blog for a coool necklace!!!

Here are the links:

http://lizzysends.blogspot.com/2010/06/kiping-and-such.html

http://beccascontestlist.blogspot.com/2010/06/gymbohannahs-chunky-silver-skull-dice.html

and of course there is always Mel's new blog.... here.....http://notsofishyreviews.blogspot.com/2010/06/giveaway-gymbohannahs-chunky-silver.html

check it out!!!!

:oP

Garden Project update- week 4

2010-06-18T22:50:00.000-04:00

I haven't posted any pics of the garden lately, mostly because it seemed to be the same as the day before... but with all the rain we have picked up over the last week my veggies have been growing! Granted this picture is about 4 days old now, but I'll take new ones later today when I go and water and weed the garden again.

As you can see, my zuchinnis (spelling?) area growing at lightning speed... I'm thinking there isn't enough room in the box for them... but I'm gonna try trellising them... I'll let you know how that goes.

The cukes in the middle are coming along, although I don't understand why some are much smaller than others...

I've thinned out the beets and carrots... on the pic above beets are on the right and carrots on the left.

Can you see the lettuce up on the front left??? They are actually looking like mini lettuce plants!

On the right front, I thinned out the brocolli (spelling?) plants and they are loving the extra room to grow....

I'm so proud of myself... I love the fact that all that I planted actually grew and I can now point out ALL veggies and not just point to a patch of dirt and say "this is where the lettuce will grow"

My tomotoes have started to bloom, beautiful yellow flowers... I'll post those pics tomorrow!

:o)

I'm soooo behind

2010-06-12T13:46:00.001-04:00

I just realized that I didn't post at all last week! Wow... and I had a bunch of stuff that I kept saying to myself "I gotta post this on my blog"... oh well... thus is the story of my life. So I will cram all my interesting happenings into this one post. Grab your coffee and a snack, and get ready!

First of all I FINALLY FINISHED TYLER'S SWEATER!!!! Yeaaaaaaaa meeeee!!!!!

This is my first time making such a complicated cable pattern... I like it...

Here is a little closer look at the cables...

Yes, I know it took me something like 4 months, but seriously its hard to find time to knit when I have a baby yanking at my yarn, stealing my needles, crying for my attention, Tyler and Isabel needing my attention, and oh yeah, homework to do as well. Now that I think of it, I'm proud of myself for actually finishing it! So I presented the boy with his sweater and can I say he has got to be one of the sweetest people on this earth... he couldn't thank me enough and he proceeded to put it on and try it right away, even though it was like 85 degrees out!

Can you see his sweaty head?! He is too funny.

BUT the important thing is he loved it and it fit! He also told me that he was intending to wear it to school the next day... um sorry bud, it's gonna be like 90 degrees, no sweater!

So on Tuesday, Isabel had a Mother Daughter tea party at her school... the first in the 3 years she has been attending Johnny Appleseed Elementary. It sound interesting, even though it was 90 degrees out and I was sweating like a pig! I love all those events though, I feel that they create memories that last a lifetime, and if I have to sweat a little so that we creat wonderful memories, then so be it!

So I freshened up as best I could so I wouldn't smell like a smelly, sweaty mess... and off to the school I headed. I arrived and was told to find a seat in the jam packed cafeteria... but at least I was lucky enough to get a spot near the back where they had the doors open. Then the principal started his speech, thanking us mothers and thanking the kids... most of all the 5th graders that would be leaving the school this year. Then out came my baby....

The theme of the tea party was "Fairy Wishes and Dreams"... all the girls had princess crowns and wands, very cute!

Can you believe how big she is!!!

Yes, I am a hamm and YES I had to wear the crown, because I can...

We had a great time, apparently the tea had a dual purpose which was to bring awareness to some syndrome that I had never heard of before of which one of the school's students suffers from. They had a donation basket for those that wished to donate to the finding of a cure... I wish I remembered the name of the syndrome, but it was week ago!!!

I love taking Bel's pic in profile... I think she has a beautiful profile...

Wednesday it was rainy and crappy... typical New England weather... and off to Isabel's softball game we went... they did not do good at all! Poor things lost 16-3!!!! It was awful!!! The other team's pitcher looked like she should be in highschool and pitched with blinding speed!!! At one point I heard one of Isabel's team mates say "how do they expect us to hit that???" It was sad.

So no pics of the game nor the players, but I did get a pic of Sebastian eating cheetos...

this boy likes his cheetos!!!

On saturday the coach had a 2 hour practice to work on the girls' catching skills, play skills and hitting skills. Apparentlly it worked because on saturday the girls one against the best team in the league, 10-7!!! Go Tigers!!!!

I lied apparently I did take a pic of Isabel on base... she got this run in, the one that put them on top!!!

So on Friday I felt like some chowda... yummm... so I went to the store early and picked up the needed ingredients and made a big pot o'chowda...

Can tell you, this was some damn good chowder! I wish you could taste and smell it... but no wonkavision here!

Oh and lastly I discovered, after 25 years of living in this same town, that there is a few dairy farms in the area and one of which sells its milk, as well as products from other local farms!!!

So I wandered in, but since there wasn't a lot of veggies available yet, I picked up some milk, cheese and strawberries

Yes, I took a drink of milk before took the picture... but I couldn't wait!!! 1% milk, but it was so delicious and creamy! I can't wait to go back.

So there you have it... that was my week... oh wat on Thursday I went to the auto auction with Carlos annd we picked up two cars. A 1994 Infiniti I30 and a 1995 Acura Legend L...yes the are old BUT they are in great condition and NICE. I don't have pcs but I'll post soon... oh yeah and I rode a mechanical bull at the auction!!! yeeeehaaaw!!!!

That's all, I'm sure you've had enough, so I'll be back later!!!

Chao baby.... :o)

THREE MILKS CAKE (TORTA DE TRES LECHES)

2010-06-11T08:50:00.000-04:00

I was just looking over my HUNDREDS of emails that I have in my inbox this morning, and came to one of my most favorite emails that I just can't wait to open when I see. I get regular emails for My Colombian Recipes, a blog by Erica, a colombian woman living in the US where she posts daily recipes of typical colombian dishes, and her own recipe creations based on colombian dishes with her own twist. I LOVE to make colombian dishes, and my menu is basically limited to those dishes I grew up with, or have been taught to make by various members of my family. So when I found this blog of course I was gonna follow it!

So this morning I opened my email, just waiting to see what yummy recipe she would be sharing today... and lo and behold, a recipe for a treat that has come HIGHLY recommended by my cousin...

THREE MILKS CAKE (TORTA DE TRES LECHES)

Doesn't it look heavenly? I myself have never had this cake, but I have had others when I've visited my family in Colombia, and let me tell you they have some damn good baked goods there!

So, this will be my next creation... well after my dad's wife's birthday cake that I have to bake tonight for her birthday party tomorrow... BUT I will make this cake next week! So make sure to check back for my critique of my own attempt at Torta de Tres Leches...

:o)

The Garden Project- week 2

2010-06-02T11:16:00.000-04:00

My garden is coming along superbly!!!! I am sooooo excited! I am gonna start by posting pics of the garden the day I planted the seeds a week ago....

These are the seeds... yes there is a ton.. I know. BUT I managed to plant all but the watermelon, cabbage and an extra packet of tomatoes...

I went and gots to planting...

I think I already posted some of these, but oh well... my memory sucks and I don't feel like verifying. Consider it a rerun to put you up to speed...

I vaguely remember posting this one...

but this is what it looked like once the seeds were planted... pretty unassuming

These are the strawberries two days after planting...

but just four days ago they had grown to this...

And, I know that today they will be larger still! I can't wait until they start to bloom...

The blueberries already have a bunch of berries... I'm working on getting them in better shape than what I found them in.

Here is a broccoli seedling... circa last monday...

Can you see the rows starting to sprout? The vertical ones on the far end are zucchini, summer squash and acorn squash... the horizontal row in the middle are cucumbers... and the near end has beets and carrots but those you can't really see in this picture.

here is a better pic of the cukes...

and a close-up of the zukes...

Monday these were ALL much larger, but I didn't have my camera with me when I was watering the garden so no pics, but since I will need to water them again this afternoon I will post more pics tonight.

My sister claims I am a bit obsessive with the garden, but I feel like a little kid every time I run to the garden and see that the plants have grown just a bit more than the day before! That, and I can just imagine harvesting all that yumminess and I get all excited!

So check in later to see today's progress on the garden.

:oP

Wordless Wednesday- summer glory

2010-06-02T10:36:00.000-04:00

Are you playing?? Link up here and check out fellow wendesdayers....

:O) Happy Wednesday!!!

Sunday Stealing- Just Because meme

2010-06-01T17:21:00.000-04:00

Sunday Stealing: The Just Because Meme

Visit Sunday Stealing to check out more cool memes... I snagged this beaut from Mel... Like I always do! and its not like you don't like finding out more useless information about me!!!!

1. Make a list of 5 things you can see without getting up.

carousel of gel pens
my bromeliad my hubby gave me for mother's day
Sebastian's toys ALL OVER the living room floor
Tyler eating a banana

2. How do you style your hair? How often do you cut it?

au natural... I don't do anything to it except some leave in conditioner... it's naturally curly

3. What are you wearing now?

blue cotton sun dress

4. What's your occupation? Do you like it?

Stay at home mom for the time being... and I love it!!! I know I can't do it forever, but I wish I could.

5. When was the last time that you took a nap? Was there a special reason?

About an hour ago.. and it was too short... Not feeling good toay

6. Who was the last person you hugged romantically?

Well, my husband, of course.....drrrrrrrr

Ummmm #7 is apparently missing

8. What was the last full meal that you ate?

My sweet hubby made shrimp and pene alfredo for lunch/dinner (linner? dunch?)

9. What was the last email that you received?

spam... I get a ton of it!

10. What one website do you always visit when you go online?

Besides email, that would be Facebook....yup me too!

11. What was the last significant thing you bought?

Milk... Tyler loves his milk

12. What musical artist did you not get at first, but then became a fan?

good question.... I'm not really sure....

13. What do you think about before you go to bed last night?

OMG its like 1 am and I have to get up tomorrow to get the kids on the bus.

14. What was the last CD you bought?

haa haaa haaa!!! I think the last time I bought a cd was almost 10 years ago!!!!

15. What is your favorite weather, and why? What's the weather like today?

I like sunny and semi-hot.... beach weather! Today is icky muggy and not to sunny... but crappy hot.

16. If you could have a special artistic talent, what would it be?

I am good at knitting and cooking

17. Did you watch the Idol 9 finale? If yes, what are your thoughts?

ummm... What??? I hate American Idol..........PLEASE DON'T HURT ME!!!

18. What's something you'd like to say to someone right now?

stop being so damn selfish.....

19. Any special plans for this (holiday in the States) weekend?

cookout at my dad's.... just like every other weekend.

20. Besides your current S/O, who was the last person whom you loved romantically?

that would be my LAST S/O... drrrrr stupid question

SOOOO there, now you know a few more useless tidbits about me.... I hope you use the information wisely.

:o)

What's Your Love Style???

2010-05-27T21:22:00.000-04:00

Ok, so I borrowed this from Mel, I always "borrow" her cool quizes and memes... sorry! But I put the link at the end so, hop over to Marth's site and let me know what you are!

You (meaning ME) are undoubtedly...

Water

Your element is Water: You are imaginative, dreamy, artistic, and highly intuitive.

Famous Waters: Cinderella, Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz.

You love: following your moods wherever they lead.

You crave: validation and protection.

If you're single: Find someone who appreciates your sensitivity. Don't waste time with anyone who shrugs off your emotions as craziness.

If you're in a relationship: You know what your partner wants before he or she even asks. Don't overwhelm your mate when you feel worried or anxious.

Sex is: both emotional ecstasy and sensory pleasure.

If you love a Water: Give her imagination free rein. She wants to be understood, so listen.

If you are curious as to what elemental love style you are... go here to Martha Stewart's site and take the quiz. Post me a comment and let me know what you are!

:0P

I ain't gettin' any younger...

2010-05-22T13:18:00.000-04:00

I don't really know why I named this post as such, but the truth is just that... I am not getting any younger.
And Isabel seems to like to point that out to me, both knowingly and unknowingly. She is quick to point out to me that she will be going to 6th GRADE in the fall... WHAT THE..... WHEN DID THAT HAPPEN???? I feel like it was only a year ago I was taking her to her first day of kindergarten, and now she is starting 6th grade. Besides that, she is about an inch taller than me already, is wearing MY size shoes, and can fit into my sister's clothes.

So why should Friday be any different? Yesterday I took Isabel to her first weekend camping trip with the Girl Scouts. When I tell you that I was not prepared... it is an understatement. There were no tears shed, but I was not ready for her to be SO happy to leave and spend the weekend alone, well at least away from me and not with her dad!

So we got the necessary camping equipment... sleeping bag (check); lantern (check); travel sized toiletries (check, check, check); pillow (check); change of clothes (check)... yup we are ready.

OMG... I can't believe she's camping!!!!

So we headed over to Harvard and dropped her off at GS Camp Green Eyrie... which is beautiful! The girls had their "tents" and they were assigned 4 to a tent... they couldn't have been happier.

They are quite spacious too!

She's always posing that one!

Here she is making faces because all the skeeters were CRAZY!!! I think I got bit 5 times in the ten mnutes I was there! But I sent her with bug cream, long sleeve shirts and sweatshirts.

Also, I want to point out that at the camp ground it was about 10 degrees colder than everywhere else!

I can't wait for her to come home and tell me all about her trip. I wish she could have taken her camera but they didn't allow any kind of electronics, no Ipods, no phones, no cameras... good since the idea is to be in Nature... and nature is not wifi ready!

:oP

OH, I almost forgot... last sunday we had Sebastian baptized! I'm gonna make a seperate post of that... stay tuned for more!

Saturday 9: UPSIDE DOWN...

2010-05-22T11:49:00.000-04:00

Click here to link up with Samantha if you're playing along today!

1. When was the last time that you felt your world got turned upside down?

October 2008, without getting into details I had a HUGE blowout with my husband and I thought we were all done... but thank God things blew over we talked and we started new.

2. Should the United States do more to help its own citizens before helping people in other countries?

I think that the US should stop being considered the World's Police... that is very Roosevelt, we are no longer a super power, our economy sucks... I think each country should try to help itself and if it can't then all the countries in good economic states should come together and help. JMHO

3. What was something you memorized for school and still can recall?

I still remember my adjectives sung to yankee doodle dandy...

4. With what types of people do you tend to associate?

I like to associate with fun people, that have a great sense of humor...

5. Besides blogging what is the last creative thing that you've done?

Knitting and gardening... although not too creative but I am imagining all the yumminess soon to come.

6. In nature, what outdoor activities do you enjoy the most?

Soaking in the sun and listening to nature... or playing soccer... or just being outdoors.

7. When was the last time that you had a great belly laugh?

OMG just a few minutes ago watching Sebastian "chase" Tyler around the house.

8. What kind of fashion-sense attracts you?

I'm very ecclectic...

9. What traits in others turn you off?

Hypocracy, liars, those who think they are better than me... and having to repeat myself OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN....

:oP

The Garden Project- part 3

2010-05-21T16:51:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I purchased the dirt to fill and prep the garden boxes for planting. I went back to my local Home Depot and purchased the needed dirt.... 10 40lb bags of topsoil and 6 bags of Miracle Gro Garden Soil with fertilizers... total of $43.00

I took them to the garden spot and started off with the top soil, 5 bags per box... ummm apparently not nearly enough, but oh well. I then put 3 bags of MG in one box and 2 bags in the other, reserving the last bag for the strawberry patch. Ok, let me tell you that apparently the estimate I was given a week ago was NOT accurate. I have the boxes about half full... not good. So I am going back to HD to purchase another 8 bags of topsoil and 4 more of MG.

Next I headed to the area in which I wll be planting the strawberry patch. FIRST OF ALL... let me point out that I have come to the conclusion that my dad's yard is COMPLETELY filled with rocks... and they sprinkled a little dirt over the rocks to make one think that there is actually dirt in the yard. SO making this berry patch in the ground has become a huge pain in my arse....

YES... this is what I had to work with!!! SERIOUSLY! Oh well... I dug out as much of the stupid rocks as I could, then I turned over the soil and added the bag of MG soil and then turned it over again. That's about as good as its gonna get short of building another box, and since my strawberries are bare root I don't think they would hold out for me to make another box. So I planted them, all 50+ plants! I bought 25 Evergrow plants which bear fruit in June, the other 25 were another type that give fruit after the June bearing types.

I let Tyler take this god awful picture of me so you would believe me that I was actually working... but he took it close up. So you will have to continue to take my work on it.

But after a few hours I had all the berry plants in the ground.

That was when I called it a day, poor Sebastian was getting eaten alive by the skeeters...

So for tomorrow, I will be filling in the boxes and planting the tomotoes and pepper plants, and planting my seeds... I can't wait!

:oP

The Garden Project- part II

2010-05-18T09:21:00.000-04:00

So Thursday was the actual labor day.

Now that I have everything purchased, I began with the prep work on Wednesday... I got the boards out and sealed with the Thompson's Water Sealer... and the day was a bit on the crappy side, so that's all I did!!! I was FREEZING by the time I finished sealing all the boards...

Thursday was MUCH nicer, with the sun being out and the temps in the 60's. So I had Carlos come with me to my dad's and help me get the boxes made. Let me point out here how much I love this man! He was more than happy to help me and never complained once!

First of all here is what the garden spot looked like when I started:

YIKES!!! Yes this is the equivalent to a jungle... overgrown with weeds. Oh well... I donned my gardening gloves and began ripping out the larger weeds. Then I had Carlos help me measure out the area we needed to clear and mark it off... he loving volunteered to help me clear out this area. AND since I can't take pics of myself, I snapped a few of him clearing out the space.

As I cleared the weeds out, I noticed that I had made the best posibble decision in making a raised bed garden because this soil... even though it is nice and dark, is FILLED with rocks. I don't think anything would have grown! So we started turning all the soil and digging out the area near the rock as this is on a hill there is a pretty good incline that we needed to level out. This was a lot of work... but my hubby dug out the area and I help him rake out and turn over the soil and level out the area.

Yes, I know it SEEMS like Carlos did all the work... but I am the photographer and I can't take pics of myself while working.

So now that we had the area weeded, dug out, soil turned and leveled out... we were off to the construction part of the job. First Carlos cut two boards in half for the "tops" and "bottoms"of the boxes.

Then he built the box frames...

Then with two 8' x 4' boxes all built... I grabbed one and Carlos the other and we transported them up to the garden spot we so diligently cleared and prepped.

and VOILA!!!! here they are, set in their spots with leveled ground (somewhat) and ready for filling with topsoil and fertilized soil.

The family shot... because we all worked hard today... Sebastian was very great today, patiently supervising while we worked.

Here as you can see, the garden boxes are much more leveled.

The next step is to go to Home Depot and purchase some topsoil for the bottom of the boxes and some fertilized soil (Miracle Gro) for the tops. I would have done this on friday or even saturday, but Sunday we were baptizing Sebastian, so I had other preparations to take care of...

Stay tuned for more updates on the garden project!

:oP

The Garden Project- part 1

2010-05-15T12:26:00.000-04:00

After a lot of thought and contemplation, I decided to go ahead and plant a veggie garden at my dad's house. Since I live in an apartment complex, I couldn't plant one here... but my dad has a nice size yard and I'm over there almost everyday as it is, so I thought it only made sense. My biggest "BUT" s my dad's wife, whom I can only stand for so long... and I didn't know if I could deal with her EVERY SINGLE TIME I had to go to tend to the garden, but whatever.... I'll wear my ipod so I can't hear her! hee hee hee.....

So after some research and some pricing out of materials, I decided on Monday that I would do it. So I started by ordering plants and seeds from my most favorite of sites... Park Seeds I love them because they have an awesome collection and variety of plants, vegetables, fruits, flowers, herbs... you name it, they got it! AND the best part is they guarantee their plants, sooo if you happen to kill them all they will send you replacement plants. I know, I killed 25 strawberry plants once and they replaced them all for me!

So I started out by ordering the following:

Tomato Costoluto Genovese

Pepper Sweet Rainbow Mix

Lettuce Little Gem

Squash Honey Bear

Squash Spineless Beauty Hybrid

Pea Super Sugar Snap

Cucumber Moctezuma Hybrid

Beet Detroit Dark Red

Tomato Park's Razzleberry Hybrid

Carrot Sweetness II Hybrid

Broccoli Packman Hybrid

Cabbage Park's All-Purpose Blend

Cauliflower Cassius Hybrid Organic

Squash Park's Straightneck

Watermelon Everglade Hybrid

Strawberry Mesabi™

Strawberry 'Earliglow'

Yes, I did go a LITTLE overboard with the seeds and plants, but I was invisioning all those yummy veggies on my plate, and those lucious strawberries... ce la vie! I spent a total of $91.16 on everything with shipping and handling... unfortunately they do not ship eveything out together, so the actual cost was only like $66, but they have three shipments so they got me with the S&H... oh well.

These should all be here come monday, which is perfect giving me enough time to get the area ready and the dirt and compost prepped for the boxes.

Then I had my hubby take me to Lowes and Home Depot to price and purchase wood for the garden boxes. Well, the nice people in the lumber dept of both stores recommended Cedar as the best wood for the job, since it could withstand the elements and not rot.. and it was naturally resistant so no chemicals leeching into the soil hence contaminating my veggies. BUT Cedar is tres expensive... the two garden boxes would have cost me somewhere like $200!!!! I soooo don't think so. So I asked the nice fols what other alternitives would I have to the cedar... they told me that I couls use any other hardwood, but that I would need to treat it with a water sealer so that the wood would not rot out before the end of the summer. I again told them it was for a garden, so they recommended a water sealant by Thompson's that is "green" environmentally safe so the soil would not become contaminated.

I decided that I was going to make 2 8x4 boxes, so we purchased 6 1x8x9 pine boards, Thompsons water sealant, nails and some gardening gloves. In all I spent $95.99... $56.87 on the boards and $39.12 on the rest of the stuff.

I now need to go and buy the topsoil and fertilized soil that will fill the garden boxes, I estimated about another $50 on that to fill both boxes. So that will a grand total of $250 +/- to get my garden up and running. Not too bad when you think of all the yummy fruits and veggies I will be enjoying all summer and fall. AND the best part is that I grew them myself... with help from the kiddies because they are super excited to help out too!

So that was Monday - Wednesday, I purchased and prepped the wood for the boxes. Stay tuned for part II- the building commences.

:o)

Mothers

2010-05-11T17:52:00.000-04:00

I just came across this at SAHM I am to 4 and I just HAD to share it... Please read and tell me this is not the best...

MOTHERS
Borrowed from a friend....

Why did God make mothers?

1. She's the only one who knows where the scotch tape is.

2. Mostly to clean the house.

3. To help us out of there when we were getting born.

How did God make mothers?

1. He used dirt, just like for the rest of us.

2. Magic plus super powers and a lot of stirring.

3. God made my mom just the same like he made me. He just used bigger parts.

What ingredients are mothers made of?

1. God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice in the world and one dab of mean.

2. They had to get their start from men's bones. Then they mostly use string, I think.

Why did God give you your mother and not some other mom?

1. We're related.

2. God knew she likes me a lot more than other people's mom like me.

What kind of a little girl was your mom?

1. My mom has always been my mom and none of that other stuff.

2. I don't know because I wasn't there, but my guess would be pretty bossy.

3. They say she used to be nice.

What did mom need to know about dad

before she married him?

1. His last name.

2. She had to know his background. Like is he a crook? Does he get drunk on beer?

3. Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he say NO to drugs and YES to chores?

Why did your mom marry your dad?

1. My dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my mom eats a lot

2. She got too old to do anything else with him.

3. My grandma says that mom didn't have her thinking cap on.

Who's the boss at your house?

1. Mom doesn't want to be boss, but she has to because dad's such a goof ball.

2. Mom. You can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the bed.

3. I guess mom is, but only because she has a lot more to do than dad.

What's the difference between moms and dads?

1. Moms work at work and work at home and dads just go to work at work.

2. Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them.

3. Dads are taller and stronger, but moms have all the real power 'cause that's who you got to ask if you want to sleep over at your friends.

4. Moms have magic, they make you feel better without medicine.

What does your mom do in her spare time?

1. Mothers don't do spare time.

2. To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long.

What would it take to make your mom perfect?

1. On the inside she's already perfect. Outside, I think some kind of plastic surgery.

2. Diet. You know, her hair. I'd diet, maybe blue.

If you could change one thing about

your mom, what would it be?

1. She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I'd get rid of that.

2. I'd make my mom smarter. Then she would know it was my sister who did it not me.

3. I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes on the back of her head.

Very insightful! I had myself a great chuckle!

:o)

Happy Mother's Day!

2010-05-11T17:30:00.000-04:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Mother's Day! My day started off great, the kids got up and couldn't wait to give me their presents they had for me. Sebastian had a bunch of big, wet, drooley kisses and hugs for me... and honestly, what is better than that??? Tyler gave me a daisy seedling he grew in school, in a little plastic pot he decorated himself, and Isabel wrote me a poem about how much she loves me. Do you want to hear it? Ok, it goes a like this:

I Love You Mom

I Love

I Love a lot of things, a whole lot of things

like

when you took me to Hampton Beach and with titi and Ache and we all ate at a resturant

AND

when we went and shopped all night

AND

when I first met Beto

and I love him

after the night

BUT I love

I love a lot of things, awhole lot of things

And Mom

I love you too.

By Isabel Deyanira Draleaus
May 10, 2010

awww... isn't it sweet? I love my girl, it's these moments that erase the bad ones!

On friday my sister called me to tell me that Macy's was having a ridiculously great sale on saturday with a preview on friday, and would I be so kind as to verify that the sale prices were good today... oh, and she just happened to see the Kitchen aid stand mixer 've so badly wanted on sale. OK I'll go check on the sale prices. Yes, the sale prices were valid today...AND YES my stand mixer that normally costs $299 was on sale for $179!!!!! Wooo Hooo!!! So I purchased myself a wonderful mother's day gift and brought home my stand mixer to make some bread!

Isn't it beautious!!! I have wanted one of these FOREVER!!! OK, maybe not forever... but it sure seemed like it!

So I took it out of the box as soon as I got home, washed it and put it on my tiny kitchen counter. Then I broke out the cook books... I just needed to make some bread. I found one for french bread, I had all the ingredents, and got to it.

I got my loaves formed and in the oven...

THEN......

looks good, right? ehhh it could have been better, I didn't measure the salt... I just eyeballed it and they were a little bland. Oh well, live and learn.

But I made my bread, I ate my bread... and though it was not as delicious as I had invisioned, I liked it.

Enough about the bread... on to the rest of my day.

So my day was filled with sporting events. Both kids had games, Tyler had soccer and Isabel had a softball game. So we got up and had blueberry pancakes for breakfast, which were yummilicious. Then took showers, got clothed and headed out the door to Tyler's soccer game. Here I would like to note that it has been all of 60-65 degrees out the last four days... WHAT THE HELL! It was 80-90 degrees a week ago! Not today.. today was cold, blustery and COLD!

We went to the soccer field, and I swore I was going to get blown away! It was just plain ridiculous how windy it was. But Tyler played his heart out, and tried as hard as he did the white team was GOOD! He almost scored a couple of times, but they shut him down... he was a tad bit upset, as he HAS to make a goal every game (his goals NOT mine)... but I pointed out the fact that he played his best and that he had done really well despite the fact he didn't score. This seemed to help a little, not much. So to console him, we went out for ice cream.

In case you don't believe me that it was blustery... just take a look...

I can't believe how big she is getting! She just doesn't look 10 years old in this picture to me... *sigh*

Poor Sebastian kept getting his breath taken away by the wind gusts!

After the ice cream, we stopped home so Isabel could grab her equipment and change into her softball uniform, then we headed back out to the Lassie League fields.

The game was great! The two teams fought hard for the W... but they ended up tied. 11-11!!! Isabel almost got the winning runs in, but the wind blew the ball foul, the next hit was a base run.. but she was at least able to hit a run in to tie up the game. I would love to post pics, but I took videos of her hitting instead, and for some reason I can't get them to post... next time.

After we came home and ordered some pizza and ate some grub. I had the kids jump in the shower, and change for bed while I crashed on the couch.

That's it... that was my mother's day. Not the most exciting ever, but I spent the entire day with my three angels and that's good enough for me!

I hope everyone had a great mother's day!!!!

:o)

I LOVE THE CIRCUS!!!!

2010-05-08T23:06:00.000-04:00

I absolutely LOVE the circus!!! Seriously, the animals, the acrobats, the clowns! I am like a little kid all in awe. I got some tickets from my cousin that couldn't go... front row!!!! I was thinking it was one of those smaller, unknown circuses... BUT they were front row tickets to BARNUM AND BAILEY'S CIRCUS!!!!

THE GREATEST CIRCUS ON EARTH!

Unfortunately Tyler and Isabel weren't with me last weekend, they were with their dad... BUT luckily my cousin only had 2 tickets any ways, so it worked out just great. So we drove to Providence and I felt like a little kid... I want to see the elephants, I want to see the flying trapeze!!!

We had awesome seats! literally front row, almost smack dab center of the arena.

The tigers are one of my all time favorites.. they jumped around like kittens! I just wanted to run over and hug one of them, good thing they had that super heavy looking metal chain wall around the ring at the time the tigers came out!

Then there were the tight rope walkers... I wish I could learn to do that, I mean who wouldn't? It awesome how they can walk on that rope like its nothing, nevermnd doing it when they have someone standing on their heads!

Now apparently this year's theme for the circus was P.T. Barnum's famous freak show... so there were contortionists and things of that nature. I won't say more, I will just let you see for yourself...

by the way... that's a MAN ontop of that lady!!! (hee hee he, that sounds so dirty!)

This part of the show really amazed me, because it's obviously real. These people are unbeleivable, or better yet it is unbeleiveable what the human body is capable of!

Then they brought out the ELEPHANTS! I looooove the elephants.

This one was carrying a basket with a border collie in it! aaaawwww....

Of course there was lots more... but this what I liked the best!

As you can see....

The baby liked the show too! He kept seeing something that would catch his eye and he would just stare, mouth agape.

I had to take this pic about 10 times to get him to look semi at the camera!

So that's all for saturday (a week ago), we didn't do much else on the weekend. But honestly that was more than enough for me!

:0)

Coupons are my friend...

2010-05-01T12:51:00.001-04:00

Ok, so after reading how my freind Mel saves all kinds of money everytime she goes shopping, and then seeing a special on NBC about how one mom bought $200 worth of groceries and paid all of $0.40... I decided I need to get on board with couponing.

So last week I pulled out my coupons, checked my CVS flyer becaues had a bunch of stuff I needed, I went for it....

Ok... I got the following items:

Listerine (large bottle)

2 pkgs of Smooth Away hair removal systems

2 tubes of Colgate

2 bottles of Smart Water

2 tubes of Colgate kids toothpaste

Biore nose strips

Desitin

and a bottle of Phillipo Berrio olive oil.

A grand total of $67.40

I SPENT.... $32.00!!!!

WOOO HOOO!!! YEA ME!!!

So, yesterday with coupons in hand, I headed off to Target. I had a couple of BOGO free coupons that were expiring so I had to go...

This is what I got:

Brawny sandwich bags

13 gallon garbage bags (55 ct)

Lysol automatic handsoap system ($5 MQ + $2 Target)

2 boxes Tampax Pearl tampons (54 ct) (BOGO Free MQ)
2 boxes Always pantyliners (31 ct) (BOGO Free MQ)

2 Venus Embrace razors (2-$2 MQ)

Satin Care shaving cream ($1 MQ)

Head n Shoulders Shampoo and Conditioner (BOGO Free MQ)

Grand total of $75.74

I PAID $40.57!!! Total savings of $35.17

Ok, it's not buying stuff for $0.44 BUT I just saved $35!!! WOW I normally would have just ignored the coupons and paid full price.

Ok, so I'm hooked I now cut coupons every week, I buy the Sunday paper and go through the coupons and look at all the flyers and plan my shopping trips accordingly. I now need to fnd out when and where I can get stores to double or even triple my coupons.

Thanks Mel for the info you gave me to get me going!!!!!

:o)