Five Foot Two

naked cake mistake...

oh boy.

i messed up.

The dh (darling hubby) requests a cake every week.

He especially likes the Kahlua Chocolate Cake EVERY WEEK.

So last night I decided to make the cake simultaneously with dinner,

 to save some time.

First mistake....

One should only concentrate on one thing at a time.

No, I did not place the peas in the cake mix (thank goodness)

 but I did forget to add the chocolate chips.

And according to the dh "a chocolate cake without the chips is no cake at all."

So, I poured the cake back into the mixing bowl, and added the chocolate chips.

No problem.

I then quickly washed and dried and re-floured my bundt pan.

Mistake #2.....

I guess I didn't grease and flour enough....

For when I went to turn the baked cake over onto my cake stand,

 it broke in half-horizontally.

  ooppps.

 Half of it remains in the bundt pan. The other half on my cake stand....

(hey... do you like my powdered sugar sprinkle cover-up? Do you think Martha would be proud?)

So let's just say that the dh is getting a two for one this week. 

He doesn't mind what it looks like. 

As long as it contains chocolate chips!

thank goodness

Here is the simple recipe, well let me rephrase....

Here is the (supposed to be simple-when you are not making dinner simultaneously)

 recipe for Kahlua chocolate cake.

It usually comes out beautifully. i promise....

our freedom...

Just a little note to say.....

THaNk YoU!!!

to all the men and women who have dedicated their lives for my freedom.

It doesn't go unnoticed.

I appreciate you.

I am the one who walks up to you when you are in uniform and say's 

"Thank you for fighting for my freedom", 

with tears in my eyes.

yep.

That little blond stranger who is crying for no apparent reason, is me.

Some day I will be able to thank a uniform without the tears in my eyes.

(i hope)

I wear my emotions on my sleeve.

and

You are appreciated by me. 

I love this country. 

I thank you for making it a safe and happy place to call home.

Happy 4th of JULY!!

(I took this photo of the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco)

Crafting hope....

"Until I commit myself there's a hesitancy - a chance to draw back. But the moment I definitely commit myself, then God moves also and a whole stream of events erupt." --John Maxwell

taken from craft hope's website.

So on my rounds to check out what my favorite blogs were up to last night.

 I ran into this post.

 She (pinkpicketfence) made a doll by hand for a project called craft hope.

 One amazing woman started a blog to "spread seeds of hope one stitch at a time". 

This is their second project, the first was pillowcase dresses for little girls in a shelter. 

so sorry i misssed that one....

but,

  I was sold.....

Project #2- Handmade dolls for orphans in Nicaragua.

I started to whip up a doll within minutes with all my scraps. I used the black apple doll pattern and within a couple of hours she was done. I headed off to bed and this morning and when I woke up I asked the dh to take a look at my creation!

He said she was cute!

 With my bleary eyes, and foggy head I thought that it could have been a dream.

Hopefully a little girl will dream beautiful dreams snuggled up to her new dolly.

I left her hair long and uncut, so that the girls can "do" her hair

 (without the yarn untwisting over time).

 I wish now, that I would have made sure the hair was even when I sewed it on.

 I had planned on cutting it, so I wasn't meticulous about the lengths.

 albeit 3:30 am as well.

You see there was a deadline. 

THIS SATURDAY! 

i had to have her done by morning!

yikes.

I left the shipping store with a lot lighter wallet, this morning. 

But, considering I used all scraps to make her....

and that a little girl deserves her, 

i made peace with the shipping store owner + he said I smelled like cotton candy-

  my perfume is to thank for that!

it wasn't his fault I found out about this project so late...

So may you travel easy,

 and may your journey put a smile on a little girls face,

 that hasn't seen a smile in awhile.

Thank you craft hope...

for inspiring me and for helping others.....

I am waiting for Project #3.

a bridal shower for a best est.....

Make a Smilebox slideshow

I am honored to be a maid of honor for one of my best friends.... (I do think this is my first MOH experience...) My story is always a bridesmaid, never a bride maid of honor! But, I guess what comes around goes around since, I could not choose a maid of honor for my own wedding!!! : )

This was a small shower that the bridesmaids and I put together. I can say that I am very happy with how it turned out. I admit I gave a few high 5's to my fellow workers, adding a triple arm pump when no one was looking when it was all set up. I impressed myself.... and that is hard to do. It was a lovely day, and the setting was beautiful too...

Congratulations my friend.

look what landed on my patio...

Once i spotted it i was sad,

 because it meant it wasn't going to turn into what it was supposed to...

But, then I was delighted because it was so darn cute. speckles and all...

I found out it is a songbird egg. too cute....

I had just recently put up a bird feeder outside.

 I go through stages of having feeders and not having feeders in the different homes that I have lived in....

I quickly get annoyed with the mess. But I enjoy watching the birds so much, i can't stay away from them for long. 

If you like birds, you need to check out this link.

a women documents a robin's nest she spotted from her bedroom window.

just amazing...

the finished baby quilt.....

So, this quilt has been finished for awhile.

 I have just been a lazy pants about showing it to you.

  Because i took awful photos of it, and i have been meaning to redo the photo shoot...

but i haven't after all this time....

So here it goes, anyway.

 i like it....

i don't love it...

i didn't get to pick the colors, so i feel like it isn't all mine, but boy did i learn how to quilt.

 yahoooo!!!

thank you bobbins nest, and maria my instructor....

my favorite part.... my signature in stitches.

ta-da!

Too bad the baby i was making it for is a boy!!

shucks. 

I had a 50/50 shot.

and lost.

bumper families....

i could not resist taking a picture of this family announcement that matches mine.....

i would never put anything like this on my car, but i do enjoy seeing them, on other peoples cars.

the dh would attribute that to my nosiness about others.

 i prefer to think of it as my healthy sense of curiosity.

 just like when i look in windows at night if the curtains are open? 

the dh (darling husband) hates it when i do that. 

i like to think i am getting decorating ideas.

 hee-hee.

not like i am a voyeur or anything.....

8 )

who say's knitting is for ol'ladies.....

hee hee

i saw this on a car in the lot outside a knitting convention i attended. it made me laugh.....

so of course i whipped out the camera.....

to my mom....

monterey bay aquarium love....

a couple of weeks ago, i was able to visit a favorite aquarium of mine, with two favorite people. A certain little person named k, as posted previously, loves fish! well, let's say she loves sharks.... a blond pigtail wearing, shark lover she is.....

she is just about as big as some of the sharks we saw.....

she couldn't wait to get her hands in and touch the sea life.

i think she really wanted to touch these guys......

Luckily she could not reach them... thank goodness

I liked the jelly fish.....

and the sand dollars.  Did you know they stand on end in turbulent waters?

But, i have always loved the kelp forest and all of the aquariums  large tanks....

 i could sit there for hours.

They remind me of scuba diving and how peaceful it is under the water. i just love it. i promise i will go back soon. i need too. so does little k......

It was a lovely day spent with my god daughter. I wish I could have more days like that....

with all my god children.