this is so cute

Found these really adorable cupcakes here from Gourmet on the go.

Chick Chick Cupcakes

Ingredients:

Your favorite cupcakes

Chocolate icing (or you could use green)

Candy eyes (click for recipe or just use icing)Yellow and Orange Candy melts

Chick Template (download and print here)

Wax PaperQuart freezer ziploc bags

Instructions:!

Print chick template and tape to countertop. Tape wax paper over template. Put orange candy melts in a microwafe safe bowl and microwave on high for 60 seconds. Stir well and microwave at 10 second intervals until completely melted. Put in ziploc bag and snip a small corner off the end of the bag. Draw the triangles (beaks) and feet. Let dry completely.

Cookie bar info here

Missy’s Chocolate Chip Bars

¾ c. butter, melted

1 c. white and1 c. brown sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp. salt

2 c. flour (or 9 oz.)

1 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. vanilla

1 (12 oz.) bag semi sweet chocolate chips

Mix the butter and brown sugar and then add the remaining ingredients. Stir in 2/3 of the chocolate chips. Press dough into a greased 10” square or 9x13 pan & sprinkle the rest of chocolate chips on the top. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes (until lightly golden on top).

blogger rant

I have just spent the last half hour trying to find a blog name that was not taken - taken by people who create and keep blog names and then DO NOT USE THEM.

It drives me mental

Why go through the effort of creating a blog and not using it.

The reason for the new blog.....booked a trip to Disney yesterday and for prosperity sake and to keep track of my findings and hopefully help someone else out......decided to blog the process from booking / planning / going / after thoughts.

All the good Disney blog names are taken by people who are not blogging.

Whew - feel better - will get off my soapbox.

You are now free to find another blog that actually contains some real info.

(((SMILE))

What do your colour choices say about you?

Even though I am still heart broken that Canadian home and country has stopped production I am really starting to enjoy another Canadian magazine -

Style at home. I have noticed a change in them and thinking they maybe able to fill that need of mine I got from CHC.

They have an online quiz

What do your colour choices say about you?

This was my result and bang on to boot!!!

ROMANTIC ----- You strive to make your home a quiet sanctuary for relaxation, introspection and renewal. And not only do you love romantic movies and candlelight, your decorating style is soft and inviting, too. For you, a plump oversized shabby-chic sofa is perfection. Not surprisingly, you're drawn to nurturing colours: colours that reflect femininity, not frivolity. You also love to bask in nature's beauty - whether you're sitting on a beach or watching the night sky. A sentimental collector, you treasure souvenirs from events in your life.

pet hair was driving me mental.....I have found a cure ....

Dog and cat hair driving you crazy like me - I highly highly recommend the furminator - I know it looks like nothing fantastic for the crazy price of it but I swear it works as well as the website says it does.

I am no longer swearing at the dog daily now it has improved our "relationship" because asking my dear yellow lab to stop shedding 56 lbs of dog hair a day is no different than asking the boys to stay out of the mud!!! and I can stop kicking myself for putting in dark brown flooring.....back to loving the dog and the dark floors....

Note - I have no affiliation to this company - just a happy customer!!

Book it and they will come? I NEED A HOLIDAY

I had a thought earlier today and jumping in with both feet - I am going after what I want - I am going to Disney and staying here- either alone with the kids or as a "family"

I have until tomorrow to book and put down my piddly deposit required- right now they have an offer - book four nights - get three free - so 7 days will cost what 4 nights would normally. Offer expires on Sunday and my travel agents office is not open so i have to book by tomorrow.

flight for five $ 1296 accommodations for five and park passes $ 2230.... grand total of $ 3526 the hotel / resort is on the monorail so no rental car needed....and they pick you up from the airport. Flying out of Buffalo so no passport required for the kids....

A LOT cheaper than a snowmobile trailer....


dum dum dum.....

wonder how this will go over......

Octomom

I have to admit....I am intrigued by who is now known as "octomom" Nadya Suleman

How can this woman have 14 kids and be thinner than me - after looking at photos of her pre-delivery birth - how can her stomach be flatter than mine.

Just not fair I tell you, just not fair....

I have given up on my hunt for zebra socks.....

Happy birthday to my special BFF!

This is just weird

On my hunt for Zebra socks which is turning out a lot harder than I thought.....

I found....

Napoleon's socks - no kidding! And, they haven't even been washed

Can you say gross......

If you have the need to see a dirty pair of old socks......That being said.....I was planning on dragging the noise makers there this summer - wont that be fun - making the kids and hubs go to the shoe Museum - tee hee - now I really have something to look forward to......

Toronto, Ontario - Bata, the world's largest footwear manufacturer, was established in Toronto by Thomas Bata, after he immigrated from Czechoslovakia in 1939. It's now in 68 countries. At Toronto’s Bata Shoe Museum you can follow the footsteps of history, from the sandals of ancient Egyptians and incredibly tiny shoes from China, to the mukluks from today's Arctic. The museum was created by Sonja Bata, who started to collect shoes and their stories in the 1940’s, during business trips around the world. More than 10,000 pairs are now housed in four galleries and archives at 327 Bloor St. West. The design of the five-storey museum was inspired by an open shoebox. Shoes of the famous, in a continuously changing exhibit, include Marilyn Monroe’s red pumps, a purple Beatle boot worn by John Lennon, Elvis Presley’s blue and white leather shoes, zebra-striped ankle boots owned by Picasso, Elton John's platform boots, and Napoleon's socks. Where: The museum is located at 327 Bloor St. West

cuttlebug or cricut and zebra socks

Saturday night - quiet house.........loving the quiet house.....one more sleep before the noise makers come home....

Sitting on my favorite chair - watching celebrity apprentice getting angry at Tom - grrr the guy bugs me.....

sitting with my laptop surfing.....what am I surfing for.....

Cuttlebug - my bff wanted one until......I told her about the cricut.....

Found some pretty cool sites....

Cuttlebug challange cricut blog cricut bloggers

links to tons of cricut blogs


what does this have to do with Zebra socks..... nothing really - I want zebra socks.....and can't find them and when I turned on my computer tonight - that is what I wanted to surf......not paper cutting machines for my bff.

Happy birthday BFF - Love ya.

They are coming over to see me, and not my house? Right? Wrong...

Not when you have a new kitchen to show off......I have a bunch of girl friends coming over for dinner and cards if we get around to it - has been a while since I have seen quite a few of them.

The kitchen that is currently a total mess- a kitchen with granite counters covered in a layer of icing sugar, every bowl I own is in the sink with tons of utensils and dishwasher full and running....

The to-do list is long and it is past midnight... I too am covered in icing sugar and probably flour on my nose!

I have got a ton done tonight..... the fridge is completely full - this is when I wish I didn't have a side by side fridge...I cant fit another thing in it.

• Stout cupcakes with vanilla bean icing - yum - cant wait to try them - they look great.
• Shrimp scampi skewers - all good to go -just need to go in the oven.
• coleslaw dressing - have to grate the cabbage but no room in the fridge -will have to do it after work and pour the dressing on and it will have to sit for a couple of hours.
• aus juice for beef dip panini
• artichoke dip - just has to go in the oven.
• roasted cloves of garlic and made roasted garlic mayo. - Oh need to pick up some more mayo- all out.

doesn't look like much but all from scratch.

I still have to:

• tidy the bathroom - replace a light bulb
• vacuum the twenty pounds of dog hair (I hate this time of year)
• set up the table
• set up the bar
• organize the serving platters.
• set up panini bar - had planned on doing this tonight but no fridge space...grrrrr.

Going to get up early - run the dishwasher again - get table set and ready.....set up bar.

On my way home from work still have to pick up

• bread
• buns
• flowers

I am sitting watching "Housewives of Orange County" while I type this - I wish I was rich......

when you stop looking it appears....

Since New Years day I have been hunting for a cookie recipe for lace cookies - it magically appeared today on Stephanie's kitchen.

for Lace Cookies with Milk Chocolate Drizzle

I am so so happy....don't they look so yummy.

as posted on Stephanie's kitchen site:

Lace Cookies with Milk Chocolate Drizzle
makes 3 dozen
1/3 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 cup oats, roughly chopped

5 tablespoons butter, melted

2 tablespoons corn syrup

2 tablespoons heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

dash of salt

1 cup milk

chocolate chips, melted

Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Add wet ingredients and mix well. Using a measuring teaspoon, drop onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (very important) 4-6 at a time (depending on the size of your baking sheet) and bake at 375 degrees for 6-8 minutes or until golden brown. Cool and transfer to wire racks. Drizzle the melted chocolate over the cookies and enjoy!!!

Stephanie just made my day .......I know what I am going to be making tonight.....

twenty never spoken before secrets

My best friend and I are trying to keep busy today with twenty things you may not know about me.

When I was 12 I saved all my babysitting money to buy a big jug of hair gel – walked to the drug store at the corner of Brant street and upper middle and bought it – it was probably a three mile walk one way – it was green and really goopy. When I was about four houses away from home I tripped on the wrapper they use to tie newspapers together and smashed the big jar of gel. I sat there and cried – you have seen my hair – imagine it with NO product in it – my mother would’t even let me use her hair spray. I hate my hair and i hate my acne scared face - if i had more money I would get it fixed and do botox.

I am secretly scared (if not terrified) of going blind – I hate the dark

I was a shy teenager – wished I kissed Daren Klink when I was 15.

I had a crush on Bruce sellek (sp?)

I worry about getting older and not being able to take care of myself.

I hate milk even though I know it is good for me.

A good sense of humor is very attractive to me.

I check out men’s hands before anything else.

I love driving really fast with loud music on a warms summer day – my favorite car was my convertible – the man magnet I called it.

When at home I NEVER have the radio on – I don’t buy CD’s and do not really like music unless driving myself or wanting to dance. This is new – since kids.

I hate my body and hate myself for not changing my body through diet and exercise – a vicious circle. I start with good intentions – I am much better with my eating habits though and when I do it is generally healthy.

My biggest sense of accomplishment is the design of both the kitchen and bathroom.

I wish I could have white slip covered furniture and white bedding.

I hate that I am becoming more and more moody and sometimes can’t control the mood.

There are many things I have done that I wish I could go back in time to change. I am not proud of them and not sure where my head was?

I don’t listen to my gut – I wish I could put my ‘gut voice’ to use rather than shushing it all the time and then looking back only to realize my gut had been trying to tell me and I wasn’t listening.

More and more so I day dream of the “what if I hadn’t……” “where would I be”

I miss my dad and wished I knew him better before he died – I wish I could talk to him today. I make myself go to his monument a few times a year and always feel uncomfortable there.

The three months when my Dad got sick, then died, I lost my job and had a miscarriage was the worst time of my life. I wished Al had been there for me more - I had never felt so alone and scared - my world crumbled around me in three short months.

How to make a garage actually pretty with architectural details ...

My sweet Savannah is up to it again - when she is not crafting up a storm and making the most adorable items for her etsy shop she is creating such a lovely home for her family.

Check out the latest addition to the garage - I am in love and will be adding that to my to-do list - as well as adding a window and flower box to my garage.

Hurray it is back - the real housewives of New York city

I love this show....can honestly say it is probably my favorite - it is like watching an episode of the national enquirer.

The drama - the cat fights - the name calling all behind each others back....

Which wife will cause the most drama?
Alex and her side kick husband who thinks he is one of the girls Simon van Kempen....( I know someone in real life just like him - ewwww)
Bethenny
Kelly
Jill
Ramona
LuAnn

I am smitten with smitten kitchen

Oh look at that chocolate filled bowl.....

Smitten Kitchen has a great tutorial..... I am so going to try one of her cake ideas....and feeling a bit stupid I forgot about the freezer idea - I did after all work at TWO bakeries and have iced enough cakes to know better....frozen is better

This peanut butter one would be gone in two seconds at my house

Shoes - on or off in a house-

I am generally okay with people (adults) leaving their shoes on in the house - probably because there are two months every year that the house is covered in a thick layer of dog hair due to Harley shedding.....

But kids coming and going I am forever yelling - shoes off - manly because - have you ever met a boy who would go out of his way to avoid a mud puddle - come on - being the mom of three boys - I know they are dirt magnets - and can and will track the mud all through the house which then creates dog hair mud pies.....ewwww.

Found this really cute idea once again from Little green notebook I am going to incorporate into the mud room (if there is one).....

I love blog land....look what was created with cheapo mini blinds

Some people are just creative genius's - I am not one of them - I prefer to stay true to the "CASE' method of creating.

Check out what I just found at Little Green Notebook and idea from design by Coddington Design, via Desire to Inspire

Genius - pure genius....

all one needs is.....

Tape measure Scissors Fabritac (or comparable fabric glue - NOT HOT GLUE!)Mini blinds (like the $3 Target mini blinds)Fabric (yardage depends on the size of your window)Trim (optional)

Hmmmm - where can I put this idea to work.....

I have been rated

I love looking at the spaces on rate my space - put my kitchen up there and so far not that many people have rated it but so far 4.7 outa 5 - not bad I say.....

My dream kitchen

the bathroom we did last year is rated 4 outa 5. Hurray

WAAAAA

I am so full of hatred, frustration, and sadness.

He doesn't get it - he never did - I doubt he ever will - at least with me anyways.

What scares me more than anything - I am no longer crying or caring.

"I don't give a #*(t" is not a reasonable response conducive to a resolution nor very nice.

Andy has it all figured out.....

Andy came to me last night and told me "after a lot of thought i have decided I know what I want to do for a living when I grow up" my response - oh you have" "Yes mom, I want to be a chef and make cakes and blow sugar to make glass" "I want to open a bake shop like duff" I reply "oh Duff?" "yes mom - like it charm city cakes and have my own website and show - come and look at these cakes they have done" he proceeds to show me a webpage he is on http://www.charmcitycakes.com/

What a boy - made Al feel better that Duff is his hero and not a "typical pastry chef"

I wonder if he will follow through.....

he wants to make a cake this weekend - i think i am off to get new tips for icing....

secrets

my new favorite blog to visit http://postsecret.blogspot.com/

PostSecret is an ongoing community art project where peoplemail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a postcard.

what's my style

Just did a quiz on http://www.sproost.com/ to find out what my style is....

Exactly what I thought it was:

Here is my result....

Your personal style is a mix of 1 specific styles:
100% Nantucket Style

Nantucket Style
Oh how you love the beach! Who doesn't, right? And so your dream home is either perched in your favorite beach town, or you've brought that favorite beach town into your house.
Your art and accessories speak directly to the activities that are found at the beach. Pieces of driftwood you found here, pictures or paintings of the amazing views there. Things that remind you of the coast - surf boards or fishing boats - are found throughout the house. The feeling of the seaside is both abstract and literal in the design of your space. The fabrics are natural, cottons and linens and are light in color and touch. Much of the furniture is wood or wood framed (the lighter the better, think driftwood!) and wicker, when done right, is a must.
And since your true inspiration is the sea, the colors and textures in your home are the same that you would find at your favorite beach: white, light beiges and grays of the sand and driftwood, a variety of blues for the ocean and sky, and greens and vibrant blues of the sea glass� but the key is white! Your space should feel light and airy and give off the mood one has when at the beach: laid back!
Your furniture is comfortable and the layout is cozy. The more it reminds you of actually sitting on the warm sand, the better! And what do you do at the beach? Hang out with family and friends - and your home is just an extension of this play place. And though the space is filled with large white furniture, it somehow manages to feel both durable and casual ....

Explains why i don't "love" my living room - time to ditch the dark sofa, chairs and carpet - I am thinking it is time they either move into the basement or north in the bunkie....

March Goals.....

Goals for the month of March

Call and book appt for energy audit
Call and book appt for Stair Company
Call and book appt for basement sealing company
Design basement renovation
Design mudroom addition
Win 649 to pay for above
Take my vitamins daily
Go to bed earlier and shut the TV off
Get rid of excess kitchen left over’s in basement
Host a fabulous evening with my friends
Bake at least once a week
Start eating from our freezer to get it emptied
Menu plan and stick to it.
Grocery shop only once a week

Well there we have it – my to-do list for March – I wonder how much of it I am actually going to do………….