Tardis Cake

Ashlee and I got to do another wedding the other weekend, and the bride and groom are a fan of Dr. Who. So we built a Tardis cake! Here are some pics (thanks Graeme!).

We cut out several panels, two for each side, and “glued” them on with royal icing. The hardware is also made from royal icing. I hand painted all the panels to give it a weathered time-traveled look. The “Police Public Call Box” signs and the telephone sign are just plain ol’ paper, so nothing fancy going on there. I was super intimidated by this cake, but it turned out to be so much fun.

Sweet babies had fun too!

A Sunny Day

Today was beautiful!  Windows were flung open, and the heat was off. 60 degrees and sunny in March just doesn’t happen that often in Dubuque, but apparently it makes me productive. I got laundry, dishes and some sewing done, and Dell and I went for 2 walks. I also had some Meyer lemons that I picked up at Wal-mart and needed to use. So I made some delicious lemonade from this recipe here: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/best-lemonade-ever/. The only thing I did different was to add lemon zest to the simple syrup while it was boiling. Homemade lemonade is soooooo good!

March

Well apparently this winter came in like a lamb and is heading out like a lion considering the snow globe we are in today! Regardless, I got started on my garden already.

It never fails to amaze me how fast seeds sprout! I planted these last night, and they’re already popping up here and there. I get giddy over my garden!

 

I picked up this polish for St. Pattie’s Day

Revlon “Posh”

Also, I found a clover in my salad mix from the grocery Happy March and happy Spring!

Mid Century Chairs

I found these two gems at St. Vinny’s the other day. Just 10 smackeroos for these and a Target shower curtain later, and I’ve got some cool chairs!

They started out with some nasty mauve purpley blue fabric on them. I couldn’t find anything at Joanne’s, so I saw a cute shower curtain at Target, and snatched it up! In all, these guys were about $40.00. not too shabby.

Kool Kat Pillow

Made this pillow for a friend using Martha Stewart’s new craft paint!

Gentlemanly Cake

Ashlee and I actually made a cake with a nearly 6 month and nearly 4 month old in tow. They pretty much just stared at each other in their exersaucers and took turns taking naps. Anywho, this cake was for a “gentleman” themed birthday for some friends of ours, so we went with mustaches and a top hat! Graeme took pictures of it, but I don’t have those, so you are just going to have to put up with mine. Hey, at least I have an actual camera now!

And lil’ miss with hangin’ with Ashlee.

Della lately

I haven’t blogged since I got home from the hospital…oops! So here’s a little catchup on miss D.

Della came out bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, and rarely closes her big baby blues (even when she sleeps)! Her first month out in the world she pretty much spent staring at everything. Her particular favorite was the pictures behind our bed and down the stairway. She loves her daddy’s face, especially his beard.

One of my favorites from a shoot with Graeme Pitman when she was a week old!

Watching the Thanksgiving Day Parade with Grandma and Pap.

2 months rolled around and Christmas was here. With it came the hustle and bustle that always accompanies the holidays. Della was learning that if she tried really hard, she could make a noise come out!

Trying to get a family picture!

Matching outfits and best face EVER!

Della got to meet uncle Mason for the first time. Love at first sight!

Lots of new faces to meet in MO. Center of attention.

Hangin’ out with Grandpa and Grandma Sue.

We headed home to TN, but Dell was done meeting new people by then, and promptly screamed when someone other than mom held her.

She was happy long enough to get some pics with her namesake and Poppie.

We visited the Gordons at Cedar Hall.

Then January snuck up on us!

We spent this month noticing our toys an sneaking a few smiles in.

And believe it or not, it was warm enough to go on some walks!

We learned how to ride our Bumbo. Yeehaw!

February has brought such new and fun things. Della thinks everything is funny now. She laughs at her mommy and daddy a lot, especially when she is supposed to be going to sleep. There is a lot more “talking” going on too.

Happy girl!

We are grabbing EVERYTHING and putting it straight into our mouth! She loves her Sophie giraffe and the soft blocks Jacquie made her.

We love our little Bean so much. She really is a joy! Time does fly, and I just try to cherish each day and each sleepless night. Children truly are a gift from the Lord! Sorry for such a lengthy post

Nesting…

So I’ve definitely been nesting, the problem is our nursery is covered in sheetrock dust, so not much is going on in there. The only thing I can do is cook. Lots of that is going on here, and our freezer is busting at the seems.

Bread bread bread. Pumpkin Carrot, Zucchini, Blueberry Zucchini, and Banana Walnut!

Homemade Tomato soup from here http://www.thyhandhathprovided.com/2009/03/classic-tomato-soup.html

This is a labor of love, but very yummy.

Lots of Maters. I halved the recipe

I blanched them so they would be easier to peel. Boil for around 10-15 seconds, plop them in an ice bath, then peel away.

Voilà!

Next seed them. I just cut them in half and stuck my thumbs inside. Atticus looooves tomatoes, so he got all the juicy scraps!

In the pot they go with the tomato paste, onions, and homemade pesto. mash things up a bit, and let them simmer for half an hour.

Run it through a food processor or blender, and you have some great tomato soup!

Lots of other soups going in the freezer this week.

Baby P’s Paper Dolls.

Originally I had planned to just buy some vintage paper dolls for this little girl’s nursery, but we’re on a tight budget, and it was way more fun(and time consuming) to make them. So here they are. Still not sure what I’m going to do with them. I’m thinking they will become a mobil. Sorry the pictures are horrible. We don’t have a camera right now, so I had to use Justin’s phone.

This first lovely lady is one of two Italian sisters. The elegant Ms. Giovanna. Wearing a lovely gold cocktail dress.

Here she is in her poison green evening gown. The color is way off in the pic.

Her lovely winter coat ensemble. Sorry for the horrible pic!

Giovanna’s sister Marta is a bit more casual, enjoying her collection of suits, but here is her stunning emerald evening gown.

Her very put together collection of suits.

The color is way off in this one too.

These next two sisters, Sam and Rita, are the vivacious American cousins of our Italian beauties.

Sam is always looking pretty and put together, weather she is out on the town running errands, or having a few cocktails with friends.

Lovely Rita loves red!

Here she is all ready for a day at the beach!

Or a day sailing the seas.

Fashionably Mod.

Dressed and ready for a picnic in this charming red gingham piece.

Sons and Heirs!

Read this on Sunday during Breaking of Bread. God is good to us!

“Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. So then, the law was our gaurdian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a gaurdian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are in Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.

I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything, but he is under gaurdians and managers until the date set by his father. In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world. But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might  receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.”

Galatians 3:23-29, 4:1-7