Simple Girl

Don't Walk.  RUN TO TARGET to pick up these super cute silicone reusable "flowerpot" cupcake molds!  I promise you, I only bought three boxes. (You get six flowerpots in a box.)  There were still a few left in the Easter aisle! This is what I will be bringing to the 1st Grade Easter Party this year.  Of course, I had to try them out first, just to make sure they worked! Surprisingly, my kids didn't complain. Here's an easy way to make the dirt:  Bake the cupcakes as directed on the box (BTW, toss the mix that comes with the box.  Blegh!  Buy your favorite brand instead!) Next, with your fingers, gently pull the top off of the muffin.  Pipe in a little chocolate frosting.  Return the top to the flower pot - UPSIDE DOWN!  Press into place. Perfect dirt every time!  Add a gummy worm. To make the beautiful flowers, all you need are some Dum Dums (or Smart Smarts as one of our favorite teachers Mrs. Harris calls them!) and mini cupcake liners.

It always make me feel good when I can be a mom that says, "Yes!" When Ella came in with an arm full of pinecones, wanting to make birdfeeders,  I turned off my normal weekday feeling of rush and said, "Sure, honey.  You can make birdfeeders."  I was surprised how independent my baby was, getting a chair to reach the peanut butter, making sure she returned it to its place on the shelf when she was finished. She tied them carefully in various places around the yard.  Her mind is always working and I never cease to be impressed by her thoughtfulness.  Imagination is her gift. I'm posting this at the Glimpses 52 Project at Chic Critique Forum .  Come join us!

One of the great things about parties is that the simplest inspiration can create an entire theme! A while back, I came across this cute Craft Party by Amy at Living Locurto , which featured a Ric-Rac cake.  As I was thinking about what to do for Arielle's Art Party, I decided that a little Ric-Rac could create the perfect inspiration! I started by creating this Ric Rac Banner.  You can find the instructions HERE ! With the leftover felt scraps, I was able to make these cute, colorful set-ups.....   Decorative Water Bottles.... ... and fancy good bags which held their art aprons and pinata candy! Since they were such a hit, I made the same Artist Palette Cupcakes as I did for Anna's Art Party (Idea Courtesy of What's New, Cupcake? by Alan Richardson and Karen Tack ) This time, instead of making a single edible paint brush,  I made enough for everyone! (Who knew that a pretzel rod, a couple of Tootsie Rolls and a

The Cousins came to visit this weekend.  Hooray!   Elias is one of my favorite people to photograph.   For obvious reasons.   It's the eyes.   And the dimples!   He just oozes with cuteness. Since I Heart Faces is scaling back to just one photo competition per month, I decided to jump on board with the Chic Critique Forum and their Glimpses 52 Project .  The project is all about capturing everyday life - every week.  Up to this point, I've been linking up to the Glimpses 52 Project over on my 365 Photography Blog , but now, once a week, I'll be sharing my best everyday photo with you!

Here's how we spent Perry's birthday - with our cousins at the Georgia Aquarium! In honor of him, I am skipping my traditional embarrassing old school photo of him and posting a photo from today! I love you! xo Rachel

March is my middle daughter's birthday month and it was she who selected the Lavender Iced Brownies for this month's Martha Stewart Cupcake Club. I was excited and curious to bake them as the recipe included a lavender infused icing.  I was so excited that I ordered the culinary lavender a month in advance.  But could I find it when it was time to bake?  Nooooooooo. The idea behind the lavender was to steep it in milk like a tea and then add powdered sugar.  I'm sure I'll be baking these again.  You know that lavender is going to show up tomorrow! The brownies themselves were fine.  They used only one type of chocolate: bittersweet chocolate. I divided the recipe in half and was surprised by how little batter I had.  Did I measure wrong? These were the brownies after they baked. But here's the part I LOVED!   I loved how you could take a homely brownie and flood it with a beautiful glaze.   With the glaze, they would be perfect f