"Happy 7th B-day Prissy"

well.... 7 years ago today {actually 7 yrs ago @ about 6:45 this morning} I helped God out with my first little miracle!!!!!!! "Priss" as I have affectionately called her since shortly after we brought her home has been a dream come true for me!!! I pray blessings over you life my darling one, may you grow strong in the Lord & always stay as precious as you are right now!!!!! We started our morning the way we do on every b-day- by me singing "today it is your birthday & I sing to let you know, that you will be queen for the day, whatever you say goes..." & by me telling her the story of her birth & how tiny she once was, but how I promise that "YES she may one day be as big as me & YES she may borrow any high heels that she pleases!" {I cry EVERY single time I tell her the story!!!!}. Today she has chosen the dinner menu & wants Paula Deen's ooey gooey butter cake- YUMM-O!!!!!!! and.... she opened this American Girl wardrobe:

...and we have been putting away her little wooden refrigerator & stove set {yes I got misty eyed} & turned that little nook into "Lucy & Lanie's room".

Ingredients:

Cake:
1 18 1/4-ounce package yellow cake mix
1 egg
8 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling:
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
8 tablespoons butter, melted
1 16-ounce box powdered sugar

1 cup toffee bits & 1 cup butterscotch chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the cake mix, egg, and butter and mix well with an electric mixer. Pat the mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased 13 by 9-inch baking pan. Prepare Filling

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla, butter, & 1 cup butterscotch bits & 1 cup toffee bits and beat together.

Next, add the powdered sugar and mix well. Spread over cake batter and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Make sure not to over bake as the center should be a little gooey.

TA DA!!!!

"girls just wanna have fun!"

Priss opening up a present from A-man (he's the best little shopper- he knows how she adores those little pink & red boxes)!!!


~Maize, Bug, & Priss~
{I love that they all have mother-given nick names}


The girls taking time out after the workout for a little pampering {and funniest face contest}- they all 3 chose the sparkly purple/pink glitter polish!!!!



~the silly bandz exchange~
{with a little A-man cameo- he so wanted to see what they were up to}

~the make-up portion of the evening~
{I only wish that ya'll could have heard their sweet little squeals of delight when they opened their bags & found all of the fun!!}

{p.s. the white sofa still looks fantastic after all of this & the week of family!!!!}

~my sweet boys~
{laying low & letting the girls rule the roost, but not to worry... I had some fun things planned for them too. They were treated like royalty in the man cave (A-man's room). There they were brought eats & drinks & wanted for nothing!!!}


~handmade memory boards~
{I pre-cut the foam boards & fabric pieces for this project ahead for time. The girls just followed my directions & helped glue the 2 together. Next they made little push pins to personalize them a bit. We finished them off with some necklaces from Prissy's dress-up box to hang them with- they turned out precious & I hear that they have already found new homes in the little ladies' rooms!}



~flip flop jewelry boxes~
{they loved this one even more- I guess it didn't hurt by me giving them a little necklace kit to make & fill their box with.... NO I have NO shame}



~a little R & R~
{after a couple of craft projects... we did cleaning facials & settled down to a movie (or 2)... and busted out the glow bracelets... and of course visited the snack bar (more than once- ha ha ha)}

~may I take your order please~
{the girls awoke to the smell of bacon & french toast. I escorted them into the dining room where they found their seats...}


{they looked as precious & as grown as ever when I told them they may nibble on these pastry tower treats while I took their order from the menu.}


{"You mean we can have whatever we want?" asked Bug. "Yes Ma'am you can" Priss said (all smiles) "and seconds too & you don't have to pay for it either!"}

It was a HUGE success & I believe that we may need to do this more often..... maybe even before next summer??? By the way... a certain little 6 yr old won't be six for long!!!! She is going to be the big #7 tomorrow.....

"and the fun just keeps coming..."

hello sweet friends.... we made it through the slumber party (so much fun!!), my family coming into town, & a little vacation (in which I forgot my mobile phone charger- I had NO outside contact for a week- YIKES!!). I have a blue-million photos to look through & twice that amount of laundry to get done so... when Priss (who just happens to be turning 7 this week) recommended that today "we should just relax & enjoy our first day home from vacation & have a barbie marathon?" I decided that was brilliant advice! So... today we are doing this:

a barbie marathon...
(did you think we were kidding.. ya'll know we don't do things half-way around here!!!)

p.s. I hope to see ya'll back here tomorrow with some updates???

"slumber party must-haves..."

Today we are busy BUSY turning our beautiful home into the Harris Ooh La La Overnight Spa (oh how I wish that I were a guest here tonight... but I have to work!!!!). The girls are starting out @ the pool where they will run through a light work out- {ha ha}, eat some junky dinner items that I'm sure they will love {& I know this because Priss picked them out- McD's nuggets & pizza- sorry moms... they will get some healthy food to, but mostly sugar this evening.. Don't blame me- I only work here!} & then onto the make-over portion. {Prissy & I have decided these are MUST-HAVES for any successful sleep-0ver}

~the goody bag~
@ the Harris Overnight Spa we pride ourselves on... well anything FANCY!!!
Each personalized bag will consist of:
lipstick, fun fancy pens & paper, stickers, lipstick, necklace kits, painting kits, lipstick, friendship bracelets, silly bandz, lipstick, scrapbooks, custom flip flops, make-up, lipstick, jewelry box kits, & did I mention lipstick? {"a girl can never have too many" she says... & who am I to argue with the Birthday Girl???}



~personalized flashlights~
I thought it best to make them as fancy as possible, but I think they will prove to be functional as well- since it is a strange house & maybe a little scary @ night {although I promise NOT to turn the lights off!!}



~proper night-time attire~
every luxurious spa accommodates their guests with complementary night shirts don't they??? Well if not they should... Priss has been dying to wear these since we tie-dyed them 1 month ago. {I think that they look super sweet & YES they are personalized!}



~entertainment~
well.... let's just say... we have it covered & the snack bar will be open ALL night long!!!
{I thought this was an easy way to let the girls get a little pick-me-up between the pampering, the crafting, the movie watching & other fun activities!!}

We have redefined the meaning of "craft time" & I know that the girls will have a ball- I can't wait to share them with you later this week!! Gotta run & get the salon ready- wish me luck...

"slumber-party prep..."

so... in keeping with my promise to help my Priss out with her summer goal list... we are hosting our 1st ever slumber party tomorrow night (to celebrate her 7th birthday... YIKES where have the years gone?). We kept the list down to 2 friends (I thought that best- since it's our 1st go around)- she was just thrilled to be having anyone stay over!!! Here is the little invitation:

We'll polish your nails
both fingers & toes,
put blush on your cheeks
& powder your nose.
An evening of pampering
filled with fun things to do,
the Harris Overnight Spa
has a vacancy for you!

I went to Target yesterday {I heart you Target} and just look what I found in the $1.00 bins....
These flip-flops are the perfect last minute accessory to put this slumber party in the record books for "fanciest party ever"!!!!!

A little glue & a little ribbon & TA-DA!!!!!!

I know these will be crowd pleasers... The Harris Overnight Spa has thought of everything from: pj's & slippers-to-beach bags & flip flops!!! I only hope that life as they knew it before the spa will somehow be enough- ha ha ha! Gotta run now- and have the little BIG birthday girl finalize the breakfast menu....

p.s. I'll be back later this week with more of the fun!!!!

"semi-homemade..."

my anniversary was perfectly wonderful.... Priss set the table beautifully & the red string that you saw yesterday.... it took Joey on a little goose hunt & ending him right smack-dab in the middle of a great little bistro! I made baked ziti (anything Italian always sounds good to Joey), sharp cheddar-jack bread, garden salad, & this yummy cake that left them wanting more!!!! So easy & SO yummy... Ya'll have to try it!!!

I cheated {gasp} & bought an already baked angle food cake, (but knock yourself out & go for the gusto if you have enough time), blueberries, cool whip, & white chocolate pudding!!!


Place your cake on a pretty cake plate (I like to cut strips of wax paper & tuck them under the cake so I don't mess up the plate). Then mix 1 container of cool whip with 1 package white chocolate pudding & ice the cake. Then fill the middle with berries.



Next let your VERY talented side-kick decorate the bottom with some berries...



{in just 10 minutes you will be ready to serve a very yummy & light summer dessert!!!}

~ENJOY~

"this is dedicated to the one I love"

9 years ago today.... I said "I do" to my best friend.... I remember feeling so calm that day- to the point that both Kristy & Cooner swore that I was medicated!!! NO... I was confident that he was the one & excited about our life together. Now 9 short years later- what a journey we have had... 2 BEAUTIFUL children that we BOTH adore & more blessings than we can count. Looking back on our wedding day, I can still hear my vows in my head (we chose to write our own- however we BOTH say that we couldn't do it again).

"Joey- although this moment in our lives is very short, I know that our love will last an eternity. Meeting each other was our beginning, making it to this day has been our progress, & loving each other will be our success. I promise to walk with you as your equal & to listen to you as your friend. I will shield you from pain & protect you from loneliness. I will help you in times of need & encourage you in your trials. I will cheer in your triumphs & smile in your joys. Take my hand & know that you have found your soul-mate. Look into my eyes & see our future together. A doorway has now been opened for us into a new world & I look forward to exploring that world with you from now until forever. I Love You.... grow old with me.."

"with this ring I thee wed & say unto the world- this is my husband of whom I cherish above all others.."

Our church requires pre-marital counseling (an EXCELLENT idea I think) & I remember our Pastor asking us to find a scripture that defined our marriage. Mine is from Song of Solomon -

"I have found the one of whom my soul loves.."~ SO TRUE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

so today I say "thank you sweet Joey- I can't wait to grow old with you..."

p.s. I'll fill ya'll in on the details of what is @ the end of this string tomorrow.....

"run run"

as fast as you can... you can't catch me I'm the gingerbread man! YES- it is July- but why must gingerbread be made only in December??? I think that's foolish... so did the kiddos... and so we took the law into our own hands and made some of those sweet little guys! And guess what we learned??? They are yummy any time of year!!!!






p.s. we might even put our tree up for fun.....(just kidding- he he he!!!!!!!)

"happy 4th ya'll"

well.... today i wanted to: make a southern breakfast for my family (with sparkler muffins, crispy bacon, & all the other yummy things that cooner would have done)... but we ate bagels, scooted off to church in our best red, white, & blue things that i could ensemble, then went swimming & watched the fireworks! a-man stayed up long enough to see them this year (although he did not love them) & priss and i "ooed & awed" with the rest of the lookers @ the beautiful rockets of color in the sky!!! hope ya'll had a great day too!!!

happy
birthday
corbin!!