Butterfly Birthday

Hey guys!

I know it's been a while since my last post. I actually started writing this two weeks ago! But, I've had a restive weekend with my in laws at their beach house, so I'm all full of vim and vigor and can now finish my regularly scheduled post!

But before I get on with it, I'm only $10 shy of my sales goal, so if anyone is interested in taking advantage of the last days of Sale-a-Bration, gimme a call!

So you guys know that we're living off the generosity of my Aunt Karen right? She has been so gracious to us, letting us live with her until we can get into our own home. It really is amazing that she hasn't kicked us out on our ear by now. Let's see, the baby has broken a sink and we've learned that the overflow in the bathtub is not actually hooked up to a pipe. Yeah, that last one was a hard lesson to learn when there was just as much water in the dining room as their was in the tub. (sigh)

Besides vertually condemning her house, it's worked out wonderfully. CJ and Karen have really become very close, which has helped CJ adjust to life outside Knoxville. Although it's gotten to the point that I don't think CJ will want to move out of Karen's house! N

Anyway, Karen's birthday was earlier this month. So CJ and I made her a special Princess Cake (because CJ loves princesses!) and a special dinner and this card:



Purple is Karen's favorite color. (And previously CJ's fav as well, until about a month ago. Apparently, princesses like pink better.) Here's the gratuitious artsy-fartsy close-up:


Now, I made this card before we left Knoxville, so let's see if I can remember the recipe!

Stamps: Flight of the Butterfly, Inspired By Nature
Ink: Pale Plum, Elegant Eggplant, Mellow Moss
Paper: Kraft, Perfect Plum, Pale Plum, So Saffron, Mellow Moss, Whisper White
Accessories: Big Shot, Birds and Blooms Sizzlets, Silver Brads

Have a great day guys!!

Wacky Cake Recipe Page

Hey you guys!!

I'm watching The Electric Company with my daughter right now. Have you seen the new one yet? It's so cool! I used to love the old Electric Company when I was a kid and the new one doesn't disappoint! It's really a fun little show with a beat box guy and Tiki Barber makes a guest appearance in one of the episodes. Really, he's a hottie.

Speaking of kids shows, did I ever tell you about my crush on Bill Nye the Science Guy? When I was in college I told anyone who would listen that I was going to marry him. You can imagine my disappointment when I learned that he got married to someone else a few years ago.

But I digress...

Today I wanted to show you another recipe card we made in January's class. This one was my grandmother's go-to chocolate cake recipe. I think it's called a Wacky Cake because the ingredient list is, well, a bit wacky. No milk. A bit of vinegar of all things. And two cups of warm water. Kinda strange, huh? But it is sooooo good! It's the only chocolate cake I would eat as a child.


My grandmother would also make some yummy homemade vanilla icing too. We made a page for this recipe, too, but I forgot to save that recipe in my blog queue, so I won't have access to that picture until our desktop computer gets hooked up into whatever new house we end up in. Whenever that happens... (sigh)

Here's the card recipe:

Paper: Blush Blossom, Taken With Teal, Whisper White
Accessories: Chocolate Chip Double Stitched Ribbon, 1/4" Pretty in Pink grosgrain ribbon, Baja Breeze striped ribbon

Wacky Cake recipe:

3 c flour
6 T cocoa
2 T baking soda
2 c sugar
1 tsp salt
10 T melted butter
2 tsp white vinegar
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 c warm water

Sift flour, cocoa, baking soda, sugar, and salt. Mix well.

In a separate bowl, mix butter, vinegar, vanilla, and water. Add to dry mixture, mixing well.

Pour into a 9" x 13" cake pan and bake at 350 for 35 minutes.

Happy baking you guys!