Happy Birthday, Jeffrey!

Ok, so I'm a day late. I actually did not sit down at my computer ALL DAY yesterday! I spent the morning with Tisha buying beauty products at Armstrong McCall's and then had lunch with Elysha. The rest of the day, Literally, I was in the kitchen! I made Jeffrey fried back-strap, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, and a German Chocolate Cake for his birthday; all from scratch (the only way to go in my book!). I was going to do a salad, too, but since it was his birthday I figured I wouldn't make him eat his veggies if he didn't want to. lol.
Let me tell you, I don't think I have ever had so many set backs backing a cake before!
~First, I opened the bar of baking chocolate and it was growing hair! GROSS! It still had until April 2011 before it expired, but something was seriously wrong with it. So, I had to run out to the store and get some more chocolate.
~Next, I added too much butter. I was not paying attention and put 1 cup instead of 3/4 c. I'm sure it still would have tasted good, a little extra butter never hurt, right?? lol. I feared that it would not have baked right, since this was a new recipe, so I tried to take a little out.
~Then, I was adding the eggs (1 at a time, like you are supposed to) and when I got to the last one, I cracked it open and there was a baby chick inside!!! (is that good luck or bad luck, I can't remember) It was all bloody and disgusting. There was no saving that egg. So, at the risk of getting Salmonella, I threw the whole cake batter out and started over completely.
~Finally, the coconut pecan icing would not thicken like the recipe said, so I added a bit of cornstarch and more coconut flakes and that did the trick
Once everything started to cooperate, it turned out beautifully. Jeff really liked it, so I guess if the birthday boy is happy, that's all that matters, right? lol
Here is a picture of the cake after we dove in:

Cheers!

These will be projects of mine in my future:

Fabric Flowers

This is from the blog greenisthenewblue.blogspot.com. I love finding new blogs to follow!!


Yarn Wreath

These lovely goodies I found on Etsy in the KnockKnocking shop but I want to give it a go. Check it out... she has some adorable stuff on there. I really like the one with the penguin :)



Glass Etching

Here is a tutorial from another blog that I follow

Great Read!

Once again, Allyson has done me right and suggested another wonderful book. If you want to read something that will inspire you, this is the one to read! It is pretty short and super easy to read but has some great life lessons in it. Now I understand why she has "Tuesdays with Morrie" posts on her blog. Here is a great quote from the book:

"So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half-asleep, even when they're busy doing things they think are important. This is because they're chasing the wrong things. The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning." -Morrie

I'm going to get Mitch Albom's other books ASAP!!

26 weeks!

Well, 1 day away anyways... I went to get another ultrasound to check on some things today but I was super excited to be able to see my little girl again! She is so beautiful! She is already 2 lbs and has one really round belly!! I was a very plump baby but was saving it all up for later in life for my growth spurts. I wonder if she is going to be tall.... :) Apparently, I do not have a thumb sucker, but a hand sucker! lol She had every finger except her thumb in her mouth.

I know I live in Louisiana...

...When I see things like this:

This family parked their truck in front of the Raiford's driveway where we were handing out candy. Is the truck for sale, or does it have sails??? At first we thought that maybe the "E" was just messed up, but no, it is definitely spelled "S-A-I-L". This was the highlight of my Halloween night. Needless to say, we could not stop laughing. "You know you're a redneck when..."

Happy Holloween!

Here is your dose of Political Humor with a Halloween twist for today :)

How Time Flies!

I was out of town this weekend so I couldn't post this, but October 24th marked our 1 year anniversary of moving into our house! I can't believe it's been a year since we left apartment life and took the plunge of home ownership. A lot has happened in the last year, good and bad, but mostly great. This house will always hold a special place in my heart! :) Here is the little video I made of the pictures from the house being built and our move. Lots have changed since I took these pictures to make the house a home. I can't wait to see how long we can stay here and make some more memories.

This makes me happy!

I finally found Eggnog at the grocery store yesterday! :)
Eggnog on the shelf means that the holidays have officially begun.
It is such a shame you can not buy it year-round.
This pregnant lady is very happy that she can finally satisfy her craving
(My mouth is watering just writing this post, lol)
Now, to go pop in Elf and pour a glass of some yummy Eggnog...

The Last Piece!

I can't thank Stori and Nick enough for picking up the glider for me at the store! I was soo excited last week when they called to say it was ready to be picked up but today was the first day we were able to schedule a time to go get it. Stori and Nick live right by the boutique that I got it from and they insisted that they could pick it up for me and bring it over. They are wonderful friends! I owe you big! :)
It is so wonderful! I can't wait to get the pillow that goes with it (it was on backorder). It is a bit tight in the room, but I think it is nice and cozy :)
Now for some stuff to go on the walls....

Dose of Political Humor

I've decided that I might have this type of post on a regular basis...