Celebrate Celebrate Celebrate > Be Mine

This post was supposed to be about making this Valentines Banner, incorporating a lot of sparkly stuff that I love.  

But . . . making this banner made me think about my "Be Mine."  Now I want to write about my favorite Valentine, my husband!   


Reasons why I cherish my husband and why I know he cherishes me:

• He lets me ride in the front of his truck and not in the back in a cage.

www.nikkicrumpet.blogspot.com

• He carries all the heavy loads.

www.nikkicrumpet.blogspot.com

• He loves me more than his bike, boat, truck, etc. and would rather sleep with me than the fore mentioned items!

www.nikkicrumpet.blogspot.com

Ladies, cherish those husbands and let you favorite guy know how much you love and appreciate him. - unless one of those pics are of you then I would just ignore Valentine's Day!  


Okay, back to your regular sponsored program - the "Be Mine" Banner.  First up - it's "Be Mine" because I was too lazy to make "Be My Valentine" or "Happy Valentine's Day!"

Have you seen those cool ads for Sherwin Williams Paint in Better Homes and Gardens, where they've made a cake out of their paint chip cards?  I see those and I think they're saying to me, "Come get some of these cards and use them to make something."  I'm sure that's what they're saying sooooo, that's what I did.  

My Valentine banner is made from Glidden "Candy Apple" paint card, ric rac, book pages, glitter, and sparkly letters and hearts that I picked up last year at Walmart for 99 cents.  There you have it - easy and almost free to make!


-Laurie

Celebrate, Celebrate, Celebrate > Happy Birthday Mama!

My Mama had her 81st birthday!

WOW!!!!  81 - there's a lot of wisdom in my Mama.  Some things she taught me:

• Work hard.  If my Mom did a job, there was no such thing as half-ass (ass was not in her vocabulary - no swearing was another lesson but that one didn't take.)
• Pray every day.  If something is not going right with someone and you tell her, her reply will be: "I'll put them on my prayer list."
• Never borrow money unless you can make your payment if you're unemployed.  This happened to my Mom and Dad.  When they first were married they borrowed money for a car and my Dad got laid off.  They had a hard time making the payments (they did make the payments, though.)
• Grow a garden.  She said many times that they ate well because they had a garden.  This is a legacy that she has passed down to her children and grandchildren.
• Stand up straight.  I sometimes see slouchers and I think that they look uncomfortable in their skin - like their trying to shrink and go unnoticed.  You look more confident standing tall with great posture - and also if you're over 50, like I am, and you're starting to shrink you still look tall.  Thanks Mom for that lesson.  
• Suck your stomach in.  This really goes with stand up straight because it is impossible to slouch when you're sucking in your stomach.  A multi-benefit wisdom: looking confident, takes inches off your waist, and makes your abs stronger (try it for a half hour.)  Also impossible to slouch in a chair.
• Exercise every day.  I'm still working on learning this lesson.  It seems to be hit or miss with me.
• Dance around the house.  My Mama would put an album on the hi-fi (for you young'uns, there used to be a turntable that played music, it wasn't just used by a DJ to scratch!) and dance around the house.  She just asked me the other day if I ever dance around the house.  Sometimes, but not enough.  After she asked me that I came home, danced around the house and felt amazingly good.  My Mama has a lot of wisdom.
• Put others first.  My Mama always asks about everyone - you, hubby, kids, grandkids, friends, etc.  She is genuinely interested in everyone's well-being.
• Make things, it's good for you, your brain, and your well-being.  Mama has made some amazing things over the years for her loved ones.  Now you know where Miss Angela and I get it!

That's her with one of her three favorite people, her grandson (the other two faves are her other two grandsons)!

Happy 81st Birthday Mama!!!!!!  We had a party for her and for dessert we had "Heavenly Cake."  The perfect dessert for an "Angel." Here's the recipe for you to make for your "Angels."

HEAVENLY CAKE

1 white jiffy cake                        2 sm. pkgs instant vanilla
1 20 oz crushed pineapple,            pudding
  drained                                      2 c. milk
8 oz. pkg cream cheese               9 oz. cool whip
½ c. milk                                     chopped nuts, optional

Preheat oven 350^o.  Bake jiffy cake in 9X13 pan for 20 minutes.  Cool completely.  Spread drained pineapple over top.  In small bowl mix cream cheese & ½ c. milk.  In another bowl mix pudding with 2 c. milk.  Mix pudding and cheese together.  Pour over pineapple - spread evenly.  Spread cool whip on top.  Sprinkle with nuts or coconut or both.

I didn't use a  jiffy cake - I'm not even sure they make them anymore.  This is an old, old recipe.  I used half the batter of a cake mix and made cupcakes with the rest of the batter.

Happy 81st Birthday, Mama! 


-Laurie