Almost Wordless Wednesday

Is there anything more precious than a sleeping child?

Sweet Wishes

This one's for you

 Amber

 wherever you are.

It has been a year since I posted,

" Happy 38th Birthday, Amber"

That would mean this year I could title today's post

"Happy 39th Birthday, Amber"

It has NOT been a year since my heart was heavy, because of my daughter,Amber, choosing drugs over her family. She is now someone I do not know and do not wish to know. I often wonder if I ever knew her at all.

The difference on this day, her 39th Birthday, is I have come a long way in my grieving process. I am not constantly consumed with a mother's worry or sorrow. I have made great strides in letting go. I am hanging on to her son, our precious Chandler.

Amber has not been seen or heard from in months. This makes our lives more workable, to say the least. At the same time, we used to hear bits and pieces through various sources, which let us know she was alive still. The word on the street is now nil, which leads me to believe she has either overdosed somewhere, has left the area or is so strung out she never leaves where ever she is.

Sad--So Sad--any of the possibilities--

BUT

Happy is the fact that involving myself in joyful activities has helped me get to where I am today, in  dealing with this tragedy.

On my sidebar you will see a link that is Pink and says Sugar and Spice. It will take you to an online Zline class I signed up for. It has been a class offering a new project every week of the month. There will be a new class for March which will have five projects, since there are five weeks. The February projects have been darling and the directions great. I have only made the cupcakes, as I signed up late in the month and getting supplies up here in Pinetop is not all that easy--not to mention being snowed in!

I highly recommend this endeavor if you would like to try something different. It is a JOYFUL thing to do.

Now-

The cupcakes you see are not real! They are Sweet Wishes that will last forever. Smile. So, if you would like to know how to make them, click the button and sign up for the Feb. class. She is leaving the directions up for about 60 days, from what she said. If you just want to go on to March projects there will be a link for you to sign up for March. I hope to have the link on my site soon. 

So--

Whoever you are ,that has a birthday today, I send you

Sweet Birthday Wishes!

And to those who do not have a birthday today,

I send you Sweet Wishes!

Here We Go Again

Too Bad It Isn't Wordless Wednesday! :)

For the Love of Vintage and Buttons and More

I completed eight of these dining room chair cushions. I had been wanting to make new ones for some time. My addiction of creating with buttons was finally the stimulus that led me to " get er done" !

I wanted a trim but did not want a ruffle or binding so this is what I came up with for a solution-

I used a vintage damask napkin for my center. I then added a doily on top of the napkin. I placed this double layer on top of a piece of muslin that was cut to be about four inches on each side larger than the napkin. This gave me a border of the muslin. Once the cushion was completed, I cut slits around the muslin border to make a shabby chic trim.

You will notice I have two pictures above, with no space in between. I still have issues with this picture thing. I did google it. I did discover there was a new posting option which I changed to on my blog. It allows one to upload many more than five pictures at a time. It also allows one to choose the order of uploading them, one at a time to the blog site. I do not, however, seem able to get any space placed between the above pictures. Oh Well, at least the two pictures are related. I am also not seeing a spell check feature. For me, this is not a good thing. Might be switching back to the Old Blogger. We will see. Thank you to those of you who left me comments about the picture issues.

Speaking of Pictures

Judy, of My Artistic Side, which you can click here and visit, asked me who the creations were for--

good question, Judy-

here is the deal that sparked my making them.

About a month ago, when I was blog hopping, I came across a Valentine Box swap. At the time, I had lots of irons in the fire with my "work" packaging and I was afraid I would not have time to do the swap justice. I have never participated in a swap and truthfully was a little intimidated. I decided to purchase some items, in the valley, before I headed out to Pinetop. In the swap I had seen there was a choice of white, pink or red themed boxes. Sooooo--- I decided to create one of each, so next year I would be ahead of the game, to participate in a swap. You see, I do not like working under pressure. I am not in any way shape or form a procrastinator - well, except in my college days when it came to writing papers---which I would still be putting off . So, anyway,once I got started, one thing led to another and I am still creating with buttons and vintage.

You will see in the photograph above, I have hung one of the white hearts inside a frame in our master bath. Fits in perfectly.

I think I have a space or two for the little button boxes as well.

Back to the original question-

At this point and time I can't tell you who will be getting some of the creations-

Next year I hope to do a Valentine's swap and/or a

Valentine's give away.

Maybe I should have a give away before next year!

I have never done this either and maybe it is time to stretch my wings-

Alright, seriously considering this!

Do you have a favorite?

White, Red or Pink?

Would love to hear---

Pound Cake

Another love-

sliced, spread with butter and toasted under the broiler for breakfast.

Yum-

Southerners tend to be passionate about their favorite pound cake recipe. For years I used the same one but then found a recipe, in Southern Living, of course, for one with cream cheese. You know how you get on kicks of making things? I had ignored pound cake baking for sometime but have made two in the past month. I used the same cream cheese recipe but I now know, the first one I baked at 350 degrees. The one above I baked at 325 degrees and oh my---mistake---It did not get done and it fell, fell, fell. I have been looking at several different recipes to see what degree oven is called for in each of them. I have found anywhere from 300 degrees ( can't imagine ) to 350 degrees. By the way, I did not throw out the gooey, doughy pound cake. I just had another slice this morning for breakfast. Anyway, for my oven I will be using 350 degrees for an hour and a half for baking temp and time from now on--

 That is for a large tube pan size cake.

Here is what I am thinking-

You know the movie, ( of course you do ) Julie and Julia---

I, not every day or week but every month this year- ( I know, I am behind a month-- I will make up for it! ) I want to try a different Pound Cake Recipe. Do you have a favorite? I would love for you to post your favorite or email it to me at Cecedreams@gmail.com.  I have a tradition of including a recipe of the year in my Christmas card each year. This year I would like to feature the Pound Cake recipe my family votes to be their favorite. I will post below, for you, the

Cream Cheese Pound Cake. 

I have had some people tell me they do not know how to comment. For you folks, here is how - I might not know how to move pictures around but I sure know how to comment on blogs! :)

 At the end of each post you will see the word comments, which follows the time of the post. Put your cursor over the word comments, and click. It will take you to the posting area. Write your comment or recipe in the comment box and then click publish.


Cream Cheese Pound Cake

3 cups sugar

3 sticks butter ( I use Butter-not margarine)

1 8oz. package cream cheese

6 eggs

3 cups flour

1 tablespoon vanilla flavoring

Soften butter and cream cheese. 

 In mixer cream butter and cream cheese with sugar.

Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each.

On stir setting on mixer, add flour and  vanilla. Do not overbeat.

Place batter in a 10 inch greased and floured tube pan.

Bake at 350 degrees from 1 hour 30 minutes. You may test for doneness after 1 hour and 15 minutes. An inserted knife or skewer should come out clean. 
Hey, a strand of spaghetti also works as a testing agent.
Hope you have a pound of happy things to do this weekend!

For The Love of Vintage and Buttons

This picture belongs with the last two pictures of this post. (Sorry- I still do not know how to move pictures around within blogger. Drives me to ??? cuss? sometimes! Drink? Sometimes-if at night- Smile? Not likely-too frustrating! This might be the next thing I goodle! ) It is the lining for the Pink Themed Box. It is made from a vintage sheet. I loved how the soft colors went perfectly with the papers I used to cover the box. There is something to be said about "having a stash" of stuff!

The floor, the table, the couch, and anywhere else there was just an inkling of space ,was covered this weekend with hearts, roses and love. The love of being alone for the weekend and creating away ,with all the goodies I love. Well, some of them anyway. Remember all those buttons I bought in Texas? I put many of them to good use this Valentine's weekend. You will see the results in the pictures below.

Sewed buttons around the brim of this summer hat. Sitting beside it is a button bracelet. There is a better picture of it below. I covered elastic with a piece of vintage napkin and then sewed on buttons and more buttons.

Frames and Boxes were created-

Better view of the button bracelet-

Another little box-

Heart Wall Hanging

Whites and Creams Heart Wall Hanging

Little Journal or Photo Book

I added a piece of vintage tatting to the ribbon.

Back of the journal

Button Heart Wall Hanging

Top of White and Cream Heart Box

Side of Box

Vintage Trims

Lined with a piece of vintage crocheted tablecloth that needed to be repurposed.

Red Themed Heart Box

Side of Box

I gathered a long strip from a vintage tablecloth and made a little skirt for the box.

You should have seen me trying to find something to use for string to do the gathering. I have tons of string in the valley but none up here. Wouldn't you know? I was not about to drive 15 miles to the WalMart to buy some. I had some cording and I ended up taking a piece apart so I would have a make shift string to zig zag over to make the ruffle. In the amount of time it took to figure this out, finally, I could have driven to WalMart! Then I would have had to get dressed though. Smile. I spent the entire weekend in jammies even though there was not a whole lot of sleep going on!

Lining of Red Themed Heart Box

See the bright colored head band-

It belongs to Bonnie's daughter-in-law, Debra. At Christmas time she was wondering how this was done. I told her I would take it and try to figure it out. I just got around to it this weekend. Mine are not exactly like the sample but fun anyway. I used vintage binding and some ruffled green ribbon for my leaves.

Top of the Pink Themed Box

I have not glued down the heart and the L O V E letters yet.

Side of the Pink Themed Box

See the roll of trim-

It is hand beaded vintage trim. I splurged on it when I bought the buttons. At first it was hard for me to cut it and use it. However, why did I buy it if I am not going to use it? Decided it was foolish to keep not using the beauty I have to make something else of beauty.

AND

Last But Not Least

Ta Da--

The banner on my blog was created by ME!

It isn't fancy but I am very P-R-O-U-D of my accomplishment. I spent more time in Photoshop Elements this weekend.

NOW

if I would only spend more time reading and learning about this camera of mine!

There are so many heartfelt, fun things to do.

I hope your heart is happy today.

Butterfly Pink

Butterfly Pink

That was the name of my first lipstick.

I can specifically remember visiting my relatives in Spartanburg, S.C. about the time I was in sixth grade. My Aunt Joyce was young and very pretty. She had not been married long and had a new baby girl--my cousin Debbie. Anyway, I was spending the afternoon with them while other family members were engaged in other activities. She was taking Debbie and me shopping in town. As she got herself ready I watched her. I was at that age that made lipstick my wanted treasure. I loved the color-

yep- it was

Butterfly Pink.

I can't remember the brand. I think it was Revlon. My Aunt Joyce explained to me as soon as she got a new tube she immediately took a Kleenex and molded the top to be at a slant. The wasted lipstick was worth the gain in getting it to go on smoothly, she told me.

I was allowed to start wearing lipstick at some point in the seventh grade.

Lipstick is magical for a girl or at least girly, girls. And I was certainly a wanna be girly girl. I always loved fashion, make up and all that goes with the cover up of

What you see is not what you get!

This lead to, once wearing the full armor of make-up, not letting anyone see me without "my face on" ( a Southern expression ) Every Christmas morning my makeup was applied before entering the living room for all the gala present openings.

Now I am beyond being so vain.

What you see is what you get applies about half the time now.

It is still fun to try out new make up but there will never the the thrill of picking out and using that first tube of lipstick. Smile.

Do you remember the name of yours and the story behind it?

This is pretty close to the color.

This wish is sent to my guys, both of which I will be without this weekend. Chandler has gone with Ria to Flagstaff for the weekend. They are meeting friends from the valley there.

My honey is in the valley, enjoying the sun, playing some well deserved golf and last but not least, looking in on my dad and playing delivery service to him, as he is now in a rehab facility.

Chandler with his brand new haircut. Love it! Love him!

The latest kissing picture I have with my sweetheart.

Wishing you fond memories of your

First Lipstick

and a lovely, kissable, Valentine weekend!

I love you for taking your time to read my blog!

Wordless Wednesday