Rubber Ducky Baby Shower

This past weekend I helped host a couples baby shower for some close friends. If you haven't already guessed, they are expecting a baby BOY! I had so much fun decorating for this shower. As you can see, we choose a rubber ducky theme.

Simple cupcakes with simple rubber ducky toppers.

Rubber Ducky Punch: lemon-lime soda, white grape juice,
vanilla ice cream, and several drops of blue food coloring.

Top with cute clean rubber duckies.

Rubber Ducky Centerpiece: Baby bathtub, diapers, baby
wash, baby lotion, etc., and a rubber ducky topper!

The happy momma and baby to be.

Congratulations Brandi and Travis!
We are all so excited for you both!

Indian Theme Night

(These two pictures are from Goggle Images)

A few months ago, I posted about our monthly Girl's Night. This month we decided to have an Indian theme.

(This picture of Chicken Tikki Masala is from Goggle Images)

We made several authentic Indian dishes including: Appetizers: Spicy Stir-Fried Mushroom Bruschetta (Cooking Light) and Indian Samosas; Main Dishes: Chicken Tikki Masala, Indian Style-Chickpeas, Indian Style Basmati Rice, and Naan.

(My hand)

(My back, designed by the wonderfully talented, Kate)

After our wonderful dinner, we began our paintings. Well we didn't actually paint on traditional canvases. We used our own bodies as our canvases. Using Henna paint, we each took turns painting traditional and nontraditional Indian designs.

(The cover of my mom's own copy of Monsoon Wedding)

Finally, we watched a wonderful Indian movie. Monsoon Wedding is fun, colorful, and an experience not soon to be forgotten. As Peter Travers from Rolling Stone states, "Monsoon Wedding tackles the chaos that results when a large Indian family, whose members are scattered around the globe, assembles in contemporary New Delhi for an old-fashioned marriage ceremony. Director Mira Nair aims for pure joy and achieves it."

Let me know if any of you have every tried or are thinking of trying some of these wonderful Indian dishes, Henna paint, or the movie Monsoon Wedding.

(These two pictures are from Goggle Images)

I'm a Winner!!!

I can't believe I'm a WINNER! Thanks to Beth at In the Lap of Loveliness , I am now the proud new owner of a wonderful three tiered serving dish. I have never been so excited about winning something in all my life. I remembered today was the drawing and so I checked her blog about three times this morning until she posted with the giveaway results. When I saw my name, I think I started saying "I won, I won!" and the girl that I work with started laughing at me! I owe many thanks Beth. The serving dish will find a happy home at my house. I will use it as often as possible and I will be sure to post about it's new adventures at my home. Thanks again Beth.

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Sorry that it has been a few days since I have posted. I have been spending almost every waking hour in preparation for a gigantic yard sale this Saturday. I am hosting/helping/participating in the yard sale with my wonderful mother. The amount of items that can pile up over decades is quite amazing/terrifying. I hope to post a few more pictures/video of the piles of stuff in our basement very soon. And don't worry, I will also post about the actual yard sale.

Dinner Party for Eight

This past weekend, my husband and I hosted a dinner party for eight at our house.


Realizing that I did not have real plates to feed eight people, I purchased these fun white with black swirls, matching plates and napkins.


I made some simple appetizers including: baguette rounds with melted butter and parmesan cheese, toasted French bread with roasted garlic spread, and French bread with slices of roasted red bell peppers. For the main course, I made lasagna. The other dinner party guests brought a Caesar salad, dinner rolls, and a strawberry cake with a strawberry cream cheese icing and fresh strawberries.

The food was wonderful and the company was refreshing!

Girl's Night--Craft Fun

Usually, at our monthly Girl's Night we sit around someone's living room, eat dinner, and catch up on everyone's lives---and Girl's Night is complete. Nothing needs to be added or taken away---just great friends catching up.


However, this particular Girl's Night, I decided to provide a craft. I know it may sound silly and slightly pointless, but this craft made me smile.


All you need is a dust pan of your choice and some paint pens and you too can have your very own whimsical dust pan. Who knows, it might just make you smile the next time you are sweeping up your trash.

Tiny Feet

Recently one of my closest friends delivered a happy smiling baby girl. My friend is naturally an excellent house wife, previously a superb educator, and now a wonderful mother.

This is her little one's tiny foot. I can't wait to be a mother with a little one!

Far East Birthday Fun

Every year for my sister-n-law's birthday we go to the same Japanese restaurant. It's a fun place to eat. They have several special rooms. These rooms contain tables that are nearly on the floor. You sit on the floor and your feet actually go into the floor. My favorite things to eat at this restaurant are the garden salad with a special peanut dressing, miso soup with pieces of tofu, and yummy sushi. It was a fun night with friends and family.




My sister-n-law orders the same cake every year for her birthday. This special sweet treat is a Bavarian cream cake with a fresh fruit topping. Yum!!! I am actually a chocolate lover, but this cake gives chocolate a run for its money.

Girl's Night Out

A little over a year ago, some of my girl friends decided to meet for a Friday night dinner at my house. You know how it happens. Two or three people want to meet and catch up on all that has taken place over the last couple of weeks, and before you know it two or three people turns in the seven or eight.


That night we all ate dinner, discussed all of the worlds problems (and how to fix them), painted our nails and generally had a wonderful time bonding. At the end of the night, we all decided since we had such a wonderful time maybe we should continue to have a Friday night dinner once and month. And so Girl's Night was born...And I'm so grateful we decided to continue our little tradition.


We don't put that much time into planning. We send a few e-mails. We pick a date and a house. We bring some food, maybe some movies or fingernail polish, and most importantly our selves. But it is the day each month that I really look forward to the most. Spending time with these girls, these woman, these friends...And I would not trade our time together for anything.