i {heart} you!

How cute are these cupcakes?!!!

Go here to learn how to make them!

(You will find them a few posts down, I am lame and don't know how to link to a specific post yet!)

Happy {heart} day!

Valentines for School ~ check.

Valentine's Day is one of my very favorite "holidays".  I just LOVE making the goodies and trying to come up with something cute and unique for my girls to give their teachers and friends.

The blog world has provided so much inspiration.  What fun to look at everyone's ideas!

I found this picture idea and could not wait to try it on Lindsay!  She is not the easiest to take pictures of, but I still like these, and every time I look at them I laugh!

 Anna was having NO PART of handing her picture out to her friends, so we went with marshmallow pops instead. Easy peasy.

 I absolutely adore the teachers in my girls' lives and I always want them to feel appreciated, so I try to do little gestures for them as often as possible.  I am always on the lookout for their initials and I scored these darling monogrammed tablets for Anna's teachers at Tuesday Morning (one of my favorite stores!) (and these are sewn monograms!)

 Lindsay's class is having a big party tomorrow and I got a note requesting these delicious sugar cookies.  They are a "Luff girl" tradition and all the teachers over the years have loved these cookies! (I will share the recipe later)

 Being in Special Ed., Lindsay has a lot of people to bring gifts to..there are 5 aides in her classroom! Four ladies and Sir John, she adores all of them!  I struggle with "boy" gifts sometimes, but this time John is getting white chocolate dipped pretzel sticks and a Starbuck's giftcard.  Lindsay insisted that "Don-Don" the janitor gets a gift too!

The ladies are getting cute heart dish towels and candy.

 Lindsay's adorable teacher, Mrs. Godfrey, is getting a vinyl "monogrammed" hurricane jar with pencils and chocolate!  I LOVE that Jenn's silhouette cuts vinyl (mine doesn't) so she hooks me up on etching and vinyl projects!

 I have made good use of this new little toy I got last summer. (My Brother 5x7 hoop embroidery machine).  My mom and dad bought it for me!  My mom actually kept telling me "you've always been such a good girl and you have never given us any trouble, so we want to do this for you..." hahaha I guess it does pay to be a nice girl.

( I am so thankful for my parents...they pay Anna's (and paid Shae's from K-12) tuition to Redding Christian School.) What a gift.  Immeasurable. Priceless.

 I have enjoyed making aprons, towels and other odds and ends.  It's so nice to be able to whip something up for a gift.

Anna is going to winter camp this weekend with our church (at OUR camp, so her Daddy will be close by.. haha).  It is her first time to ever be a "camper" so I embroidered pillowcases with their names for her and her two friends!

 Looks like tomorrow I can put my feet up for a bit and visit some blogs to cruise around for some inspiration in decorating, organizing and crafting.  But, the blog I am most in need of right now is written by my friend from high school, Shannon.  Check her out, you'll be inspired.  She's a ray of sunshine and her happiness is contagious!

Happy Weekend!!

 "Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassion's never fail.  The are new every morning."

Lamentations 3: 22,23

and boy am I glad that verse is true...

Because mornings with this girl are not always easy!

She talks almost endlessly, she wants to "help" make lunches...

(here she is in Shae's old jeans! Yeehaw! I'm glad I saved 'em!)

 she wants to put her own shoes on... yes, i realize she is supposed to do this according to her OT and PT people but c'mon, it takes for~ev~er, and i have to re do them anyway!

 Then she has to strike a pose and show Daddy "how cute his Binny-Boo 'wooks' today..."

Mornings are, indeed, a challenge around here...so I am VERY thankful for

*This girl*

and the comic relief she brings to us!

Where's Anna?? 

Oh, she's in the hot tub watching The Brady Bunch on the iPad....