So this is

THE EASTER CAKE

I have a memory of eating this at my Mama M's house

[and I think a few others might remember too - ]

The quick run-down on how I make it:

Cake mix

[usually two boxes, mixed and divided] 

Plus food coloring .

There you have it. 

[You can see that I use disposable pans, bc I don't have four pans that are the same size, and I'm too impatient to bake a couple at a time. Ha.] 

But these past few years I've actually made this in cupcake size - same principle. I scoop up a little of each color and put in the baking pan. They turn out a little tye-dye-y [lol.]

But are just as tasty and SO MUCH easier to give away.

[Love my cup cake carrier there on the bottom!]

Frosting? I usually use the chocolate from a can...

But have you tried this?

IT REALLY IS THE BEST - 

with or  without the coffee added -

I could eat it straight from the bowl...

hhmmpphh

It's dangerous...

But delicious...

Today is my

sister-in-law's birthday - 

 The first one without her here with us -

I like this poem her mother chose for the funeral hand-out - 

Don’t grieve for me, for now I’m free;

I’m following the path God laid for me.

I took His hand when I heard Him call;

I turned my back and left it all.

I could not stay another day,

To laugh, to love, to work or play.

Tasks left undone must stay that way;

I found that place at the close of day.

If my parting has left a void,

Then fill it with remembered joy.

A friendship shared, a laugh, a kiss;

Ah yes, these things, I too, will miss.

Be not burdened with times of sorrow;

I wish you the sunshine of tomorrow.

Perhaps my times seemed all too brief;

Don’t lengthen it now with undue grief.

Lift up your heart and share with me;

God wanted me now, He set me free.

Please keep all who loved her in your prayers throughout the day  -

Soooo, some of you know

I've joined in with the 100 Day Challenge...

I've missed spending time in my art journal

so this gave me a reason to dig in 

and have something hold me accountable...
[inspired by a TV evening at home -  lol]

I got a hair cut on this day - 
[This is inspired by debweirsart on Instagram
-- so wacky and fun! I LOVE IT.]

And the rooster is inspired by art from Kiki Alexander, 

a vintage camping friend - the angel is from a song in church ...

I said on instagram / facebook that

 I'll probably not share every page I do becasue of privacy...

But you can see - 

Some pages are inspired by art I like - 
 Some are inspired by real life....

 and things currently going on...
 

And, keep in mind that my art journal is 

my place to play... and learn...and explore ideas... 

And record memories - 
[Where did THAT come from - lol]
So no judgement.
Please.
 Ha.

Even though it's colder

than usual in our neck of the woods

My flowers are still blooming...

And I love them....

 This yellow iris always

 makes me think of my mama

As does this creeping charlie that is the ground cover in my back beds... she grew it inside, in pots, for years... aka Swedish ivy...

This azalea is older than me...

We thought we'd lost it a few years back, but it's just a late bloomer...

Not a color I'd have ever picked,
but I love it....

And of course, I love our dogwoods...

Peonies and roses coming soon!!

It will eventually get warm

warm again in our part of the world 

[and then I'll be complaining about the heat, just wait and see! Ha.]

Here's Pawley supervising us as we plant some azaleas yesterday afternoon. 

[Yes - one of the 50 + year old ones finally bit the dust -]

Bless his heart - his fur is a crazy mess of 
growing - shedding - growing

with this weather we're having.

We're all ready for spring

[or even summer, at this point -]

Loving my new bi-focals for the computer!

My doc suggested I get a pair with the top part being 

half of the strength I use for reading glasses 

[- the bottom is my regular reading glass script.]

So I ordered some from zenni.com and 

they seriously do make a difference in how tired my eyes feel at the end of the day.

[I got a pair to keep at the office because, hello- zenni is SO AFFORDABLE.]

Soon after I saw my doc and placed my order I read this same handy tip in my Real Simple magazine, so I feel like I'm keeping up with the trends, y'all. ha.

Right Here, Right Now

 Or maybe not really

RIGHT NOW,

But this is happening way too often..

Or...

Maybe not. 

Gotta 'plan the calories' to accommodate 

Edgar's delicious strawberry cake.

Come on...

I know I'm not the only one who loves it.

[And with the second location being built 

down my way I know I'm in trouble. - Ha.]

Good friends, good food

and all that...

We've helped them lock up on more than one occasion...

Well - here's the deal...

I try to post here on the blog several times weekly 

- but lately I just haven't got to it -- 

[sweet glider a friend picked up for us a few weeks back -]

And I try to keep to a schedule of sorts

 [ - scrap book - faith journaling  - 'round the house - on my bookshelf - recipes -

-  art journal -  here & now - project eighteen -  ETC. ETC.

Plus the posts that share our life a bit more - ]

And,  I usually try to 'catch-up' when I've missed some posts -

But I'm not feeling it y'all - ha.

'Tis the truth - 

 [Azaleas near our training site in Montgomery a couple of weeks ago - ]

Maybe it's the  pollen in the air, maybe it's the renovation I've partially started, 

maybe it's that I've been eating like crap and feel awful, 

maybe it's that winter will
 just. not. go. a. way.

 So I'm not going back to 'catch-up' on posts, there I said it.

But 
I will share a few things from right here, right now - lol - 

Like our Easter goodies that I ate way too much of -  

LOVE those little paint cans with the bunnies that I used as cup cake holders! 

And LOVE the dogwoods in our yard!

They are SO GORGEOUS all over our part of town!

 Oh, and let me introduce you to Buttercup

- Craig's newest little project.

She's a 1967 Shasta Compact that Craig found for A DEAL.

[Of course he did.]

Look at the wings!

That's what gives her the most value, hmmm... character!

She's mostly gutted already, and while this is definitely his project 
[the one I mentioned above is totally different and MUCH BIGGER - I'll share soon enough,] I'm on board to help out where I can 
[the one mentioned above will be a joint effort as well!]

We're already on the hunt for the perfect yellow color because that goldie yellow has got to go - and I've already got some ideas for the interior colors as well -

Right now I'm thinking yellow and grey,

with a little vintage green [NOT avocado] added in...

we'll see...

I love this mid-century laminate I found - and am thinking it would be cool for the bit of counter space she has and the removable table...

It kind of reminds me of the table we had growing up...

But sister will have to tell me if I'm remembering that correctly - ha.

So that's it y'all. I'll see if I can get back on track for the rest of the month --

Happy Spring!

[It will be here soon!

I believe!]

Just Open the Door: How One Invitation Can Change a Generation by Jen Schmidt

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


"It's not the offering that matters. It's that you offer." I love how Jen Schmidt models hospitality for us and gives us "real life" ways to reach out and show love to others in many different areas of our lives, from home to the ball field - and everywhere in between - God is really just calling us to love on people and Jen shows us many different ways we can do just that-



View all my reviews

I love to be up and awake

to see the sunrise...

The promise of a new day...

God is faithful - 

[Photo taken at Honeycomb Campground.]