Antiquing fun

So this is what I did this weekend, creepy doll scavenger hunt? No just a little Antiquing :) I love going through Antique stores. Strolling up and down the Avenues. Sometimes in search of things and sometimes just for the fun of the scenery. Who knows what you might find. Well here are a few of my finds (left unpurchased, I might add) from the weekend.

 This teddy was loved, at one time,,,now he sits lonely in a mall overlooked. Movable arms and legs and head! The typical teddy has evolved can you say "Build A Bear!"

 I don't know maybe this was big after the Mrs. Beasley craze? I'm not sure who would want a "Gramma" doll.

Hey, Hey, Hey Fat Albert as a kid...idk I kind of like him.

This little one, well she was sort of African American Holly Hobbie? I liked her!

 

This was hard to pass up :/ I saw it, I swear it was glowing. My daughter kept saying "Mom," "Mom" I ignored her until her voice became faint and her calls were eventually on deaf ears. I picked up this treasure, rang the bell and began to look inside. I knew what I was going to see that oval shaped, colorfully braided painted? rug! Okay, when I was small this toy along with many other Fisher Price Little People houses and accessories were my absolute favorites. Needless to say it fed my imagination. Now I realize that dreamy Log Cabin A-frame  (for sale recently) that I adored at Apple Valley Lake was a replica of this childhood favorite. Although when I saw this I wanted it for a split second, I now realize I actually wanted the "real" version. Isn't it funny how something so influential in your childhood never really strayed that far from your heart. It's just life size and a lot more expensive. So I left it. I will set my sights on the real thing...for now ;)

Baby Shower cupcakes

Baby Shower cupcakes. Cupcakes topped with homemade buttercream icing. Topped with baby booties made with Wilton Chocolate and Wilton molds.

Easy Shamrock Pie

Just like my Blog states "Merry Memories"  I am sure my kids will always remember the creative little foods I made for all the Holidays, well at least I hope they do! This one is so easy, I mean I think most are easy but this one by far is one of the easiest! 

Ingredients: Oreo Crust

Mint Oreo Ice Cream (any brand will do)

Cool whip (8oz tub) and a can of whip cream

Green chocolate or any color will work (wilton is what I used)

green food coloring

Let Ice cream sit until it is ease to work with. Once it is soft spread it into Oreo crust. Add a drop or two of green food coloring to cool whip (semi soft) mix it right in the tub. Spread it on top of ice cream.add whip cream for decoration on sides and middle. Now this is the hard part (it's really not that hard) melt green chocolate at 30 second intervals in microwave in a ziploc bag. make shamrock (if you think three connected hearts with a stem) shapes on wax paper once they harden place on the pie. Enjoy!

April Fools Day food

HAHA...this was a cute idea I saw on Hallmark Home and Family. I thought it was super cute my kids well they were kids...whatever it IS cute!

I made cupcakes (yellow), before baking a added gold sprinkles on top to make it look like sesame seeds. I cut the cupcake in half and put Chocolate icing (I normally make my own, but chocolate can frosting works great for this) for the "burger", Add green food coloring to coconut for lettuce. Pick up a can of vanilla or white frosting, separate a dollup to make "ketchup and mustard" add red food coloring and yellow food coloring. I put mine in a ziploc bag (cut corner) for easy piping. Add some real potato chips and April Fools, the sweetest lil burger you will ever have!

Birthday Gift for Friends

Some of the best gifts you receive are homemade! Birthdays are much better when someone remembers you with a cake or cookies or something homemade. I picked up these cake takers and the little stickers at the local Dollar Tree, yes $1 for each item. Bake up some cookies or a personalized Birthday Cake and what a wonderful, thoughtful gift. 

"Let your light Shine before me that they may see your moral excellence and your praiseworthy, noble, and good deeds, recognize and honor and praise and glorify your Father Who is in Heaven-Matthew 5:16

Birthday flowers for myself or a friend :)

I had a dilemma recently my daughter was invited to a Birthday party. When she was on her way out the door she said you do know it is a combined birthday party, right? UH....NO! Therefore that meant no gift for the other teens birthday! So I scrambled and realized I have a garden of beautiful flowers why not cut some and share? So I did just that. I save all my glass jars and add chalkboard labels or burlap and lace (like the one pictured). I added a $10 Starbucks gift card and candy for a cute combo gift! Personal  yet not too expensive <3 p="">

Baby gifts

This summer brought a few baby showers, the older I get it seems the more I am invited to! Instead of just getting a card with a gift card in it, this year I decided why not give something personal? Yea why not? So with the help of my incredible talented 24 year old daughter we came up with this idea. Burp cloths aka spit up wipers! those ugly white diapers you buy in bulk, we sew a nice baby flannel strip of fabric onto them and package them up with a perfect little bow. Adding a pack of diapers or a gift card makes an awesome easy personalized gift to welcome the new little one. I selected a flannel fabric because it is soft. I ironed the burp cloth as well as all four sides of the flannel before sewing. match up the flannel piece as much as possible (the diapers are not sewn perfectly ;) sew it up and that's it! Ideas are endless!

Gnome Garden

Fun, easy and whimsical Gnome garden. I purchased little Gnome friendly mushrooms, a cute, little Gnome (with character, of course) a fun little plastic whiskey barrel pot (any will do, but i loved the style of this one) added some purchased flowers and gathered a few rocks from my garden and went to work. It was quick and easy, I love it!

NYC Birthday Party-This was for my daughter's Sweet 16. Decorations and photo ops are easy with the help of SHINDIGZ.com.  I ordered Pizza and made cupcakes and cannolis. We also had a chocolate fountain (melt milk chocolate in microwave/stovetop and add plenty of oil for easy flow of the chocolate). A firepit was setup outside on the patio, even though it was December and there was snow it was warm fireside and a great place to roast a marshmallow. A cocoa bar was set up to keep them warm when entering or exiting to and from firepit. A candy bar table was also set up in the party area, I added small paper bags so the kids could take candy home (teen treat bags). Height was created using varied sizes of dollar store vases/bowls and I glued candle holders to them. I used glass glue (E-6000) that I bought in the craft section of my local Grocery store. Dollar store cotton candy bags were bought and we divided them into individual cone shaped bags as party favors! I bought dollar store frames and black construction paper to create a "Chalkboard" look for all of the different areas of the party. Cool party for any age!