Back Track to Independence Day

Ok, since I have been out of the loop, vacationing my behind off...I have a lot of back tracking/catching up to do. Bare with me, folks. :)

SO! Independence Day... we had a great, fun in the sun day. We started off with church, with my step-dad being the key speaker. (AWESOME JOB, Ken!) After a quick lunch, we headed down to the beach at Fort Macon. Mom took all the pic's that day, so I will have to get them from her and share. After enjoying a couple of hours on the shore, we went back to mom/Ken's house for steaks on the grill. YUM! I made these cupcakes for desert. The night ended sitting near another shore watching fireworks in every direction. Bliss. Hope you all enjoyed your freedom in a relaxing way!

For the cupcakes....
I like to spice things up a bit, so I used a regular choc. cake mix and instead of the stated amount of water I used 1 cup of sour cream. TRUST ME. I also added in a couple of teaspoons of instant coffee. These two make a regular cake turn into a super moist, rich, mocha-esque delight.

The icing was just cream cheese with sugar mixed in, then folded into cool whip. This is kind of a add to taste sort of thing, but there are tons of recipes out there for it. Easy Peasy and a fantastic counter to the choc. sour cream cake.

Pine Knolls Aquarium

The boys and I have been visiting family on the North Carolina coast. I haven't had time to post, so I am trying to catch up here and there....

My beautiful mom and step-dad live in Beaufort, NC. It's a little coastal town with a lot of history and a lot of charm. While we were there we made a stop at the North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knolls Shores. It was good times. :)

Here's the highlights...
Family shots

Happy (almost) 4th of July!

Ok, so I totally let this year slip by me. With all the summer activity going on around me, I never had (or made) the time for the Independence Day crafts I wanted to do. SOOOOOOOOOOO....in the spirit of passing ideas on....behold....what I would have done if I had not been a total slacker laying around a pool...

Star Spangled Welcome
This little beaut. is from the Family Fun magazine, which I love.

Oh, Snap!
The ladies over at Eighteen25 always have the cutest printables, and I just so happen to have a ton of snap dragons.

Firecracker Smores on a Stick
Don't they look pretty? I may still try to pull these off for the actual 4th.. Whimsical Creations always has yummy goods.

Decorative Pom Poms
Craft Caboose did a fun job with these, and I think they would be great decor for that 4th of J. BBQ. I've seen a lot of tissue paper pom poms out there lately.

Ohhhh, there are so many cute, fun, and festive things out there to be done to celebrate! However, we are off tomorrow for vacation, so I doubt I will be able to do any of them. Boo.

Anyway, enjoy the freedom we Americans have and have a safe 4th of July!

Painting Project #1

I bought this vintage framed picture a couple of weeks ago at a yard sale. Andre thought it was ugly, but I just loved the red mushrooms. I knew it just needed a quick coat of black gloss....
and it would be fabulous!!
A perfect edition to my kitchen shelves. :)

Garden Update

This is the sunflower that Cash and I planted before Easter.
My cherry tomatoes are the only veggies so far.



My marigolds are finally starting to bloom, too.

Sizzling Summer JK FUN!

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My Hydrangea Love

I was checking out More Chic Than Shabby, and saw that she had posted some pic's of her hydrangea. This reminded me that I had taken some of my own hydrangea last weekend. I thought they turned out pretty, and wanted to share. I used some petals to top off a chocolate cake that I made for church, and put the remaining petals in a little glass vase on my window sill. I totally heart hydrangeas, and think they are the most beautiful thing around! It started when my friend, Sarah N., brought me a big vase full when I was in the hospital delivering Cash. I took them home from the hospital, and they lasted for two more weeks. Fantastic. I never forgot them, and I was lucky enough to get my own on my very first Mother's Day. (Big kisses to Cash and Andre!)