Pink Ballet Cupcake Birthday Cake

This is a cake I made awhile back for one of my daughters...I wanted to keep it simple, so I made it a pull-apart cupcake-cake, and it was definitely easier that way.  The roses, swirls, and zig-zags are white chocolate, melted and poured into molds.  Then some pink frosting, and a mini ballet slipper bought from the discount dance supply store to top it off!  It looked pretty cute, but someone who knew how to decorate and frost cakes better could make it even cuter!

Linking up to Domestic Tuesdays at True Femininity;

and Tuesdays at the Table, Tasty Tuesday,

Autumn Paper Quilt

After a long blogging break, I find myself very much in the mood to get back into it! I think fall weather does that to me. More time indoors, more cozy crafting time.  Besides that, my baby is getting to be less of a baby all the time, and things are getting easier again. We are getting into a good homeschool rhythm and looking forward to Thanksgiving! 

I made this fall paper quilt last year, during my last (very tiring) weeks of pregnancy.  This year I just embellished it with lace trim, leaves and the home quote sticker. This idea could be used for any celebration or season!

Linking up to Add a Pinch's Mingle Monday

How I Stay Organized...and Baby Bear Feet

I first found the world of blogging while I was online searching for a way to organize my days, and find out how other homeschooling mom's managed their responsibilities.  What I found that benefited me the most was using a Household Management Binder.  I am one of those people who works better with a list. I abandoned my binder in late pregnancy/early baby days...well, now my baby bear is starting to crawl, we finished our homeschool year, and I need to get back on track!!  

In my binder, I have my morning routine page, to get me off to a good start, followed by a poem entitled, No Time for God...(read poem here) to remind me what's important.  Then I have tabs, each with a clear pocket to tuck important papers in, and extra notebook paper to jot little thoughts onto.

My tabs are: To-Do's (with lists printed from OrganizedHome.com); Meals/Recipes; Cleaning; Activities/Projects; Budget/Finances -with pockets for incoming bills to pay, and outgoing bills to file; School Info and Records; Books (to request, read, write notes on); and Purchases to Consider.  I feel so much better having a place to write things...and to remind me to do everything! Rather than being busier and more hectic with a whole list of to-do's, I am more productive and efficient.  I end up getting to spend more quality time with my children and husband! 

Speaking of the children, look at my baby's bear feet: Aren't they adorable?!

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Happy Birthday to my sweet and special Mom! 
Wish I could spend the day in person with you, but I am thinking of you! Have a lovely day!

Paper Medallions - A Cute Craft With Many Uses

I made these medallions for the Fourth of July, after seeing some for sale at Michael's.  They were selling them for $5 each, and I knew I could make them myself! So I found some instructions, Spotted Canary blog, with video, How About Orange blog, No Biggie blog; some people call them paper lollies, some call them pinwheels, and some medallions.  I saw them on this blog (see picture below), made large and used as a backdrop for party decorations. 

Hostess with the Mostess Blog

 You could make these for kids to wear for birthdays, give them as awards for school or good behavior, put them as a ribbon on gifts, and even use them in home decor!

This Year's Garden

Pumpkin patch in foreground

Our garden is flourishing this year!  And I am very happy to have a drip system set up this year- last year I had to water with the bubbler, and spend half an hour to an hour every day out there.  The weather was fairly cool this year until mid June, so between that and being busy with three children, we got a later start than usual this year.  We have lots of pumpkins, carrots, lettuce, peppers, tomatoes, one tomatillo plant, cucumbers (my favorite!!) and beans.  We had zucchini, but it fizzled out already. 

All the credit for this garden goes to my husband - I didn't do a bit of it! He is a sweetheart. 
I am posting lots of pictures, at my mother's request!

Fresh tomatoes

Cool, crisp, juicy cucumbers

Rattlesnake beans - so sweet right off the vine!

Pumpkin vines twirling and swirling

We planted way too many radishes!

Lettuce and peppers

Tomatillos - first time growing these

A summertime rainbow!

Pretty, Pretty Peonies

Peonies are my new favorite flower -They are so romantic and old fashioned!

I hardly ever buy cut flowers, since I have plenty in my yard, 

but I couldn't resist buying my first peony bouquet ever!

I would love to grow these, but I don't know if they grow where I live...

I'll have to look it up when I have a minute.

Do you love peonies, too?

Peaches on a Cloud Muffins

A few years ago, I entered these fresh peach and cream cheese muffins into a cupcakes and muffins contest at my local fair.  They were inspired by these berry cheesecake muffins from Taste of Home.  I experimented several times to get just the right moisture and flavor for some winning muffins, then took them warm to the fair.  My hard work paid off, and I won first place in the muffin category, and best overall in four cupcake and muffin categories!
This is an original recipe of mine, so if you re-post this, please credit me!

Ingredients:
1/3 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
¼ tsp. almond extract
½ tsp. vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon peach gelatin powder
1/3 cup milk
¾ cup peeled, chopped fresh peaches

FILLING:
1 package cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
¼ teaspoon almond extract
¾ cup peeled, chopped fresh peaches

STREUSEL TOPPING:
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon butter

Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add almond and vanilla extracts. Combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and peach gelatin powder; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk. Gently fold in the chopped peaches. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups one-third full.
    For filling, in a small mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, egg and almond extract until smooth. Fold in the chopped peaches. Place a tablespoonful on top of each muffin. For topping, combine the flour, sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl; cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over muffin batter.
    Bake at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. Best served warm.
Yield: 18 muffins

Linking up to All the Small Stuff- Tuesdays at the Table.
Sugar Bananas! Sweets This Week 
A Southern Fairytale- Mouthwatering Mondays 
Sweetology Tea Party Tuesday 
Balancing Beauty & Bedlam-Tasty Tuesday Parade of Foods 
Blessed with Grace-Tempt My Tummy Tuesday 

Make it in a Minute! Floral Hair Pin Tutorial

Wearing flowers in your hair, or on your shirt, or even on your shoes seems to be very popular these days.  I'm not one to keep up on the latest trends, but flowers will always be pretty and feminine, and I'm all for that!
I made these little simple flower hair pins in just a few minutes, with just a few supplies.
If you would like to make these, you will need Good Hair Days Magic Hair Pins, which by the way, are fabulous for holding up-dos on long hair. Also you will need a button for each pin; a hot glue gun; and whatever type of flowers you wish to use.  I just pulled mine off some artificial flower bouquets that I had in the house!

Supplies are ready...

Glue a button to the back of the hair pin...

Glue a flower on the front; the button provides a place for the flower to adhere to...

Voila! Beautiful, simple hair pins!

Linked up to Today's Creative Blog, Get Your Craft On!