Food and Drink – Page 21 – Karla's Cottage

Am I losing it?

Dorkies (Yorkshire Terrriers), Etsy Goodies, fairies, Food and Drink, holiday decor, paintings, parties, yorkies

By Karla Nathan / January 29, 2009

Even puppies agree- there is nothing more cuddly than a puppy! These guys are hugging each other.

And they aren't the only ones who feel this way. We had a "Puppy Party" yesterday, and my friends brought their kids over for cookies and milk after school, to hug puppies. I'd say these pups will grow up to be well socialized and kid friendly. A lot of small dogs don't like small people and can be afraid of kids. But these little ones have been handled by kids since the day they were born and should grow up to be outgoing, friendly dogs.

Typically, I don't post recipes, because I make stuff up as I go along when cooking. But I was soooo happy with these cookies that I paid attention to how I made them, so I could tell you- here it goes:

Kansas Style Oatmeal Scotchies

MELT one cup (organic) butter

mix with a beater, the butter and 3/4 cup brown sugar, one cup natural sugar

add 2 (organic) eggs, a teaspoon of real vanilla, and continue mixing with the beater

In a separate bowl, fluff together:

1 cup whole wheat (organic) flour

1/2 cup flax seed

3 cups instant oats

dash of sea salt

1 teaspoon of baking soda

Stir the dry ingredients with the liquid mixture and then add 1 cup butterscotch chips and a cup of sunflower seeds (the Kansas State Flower, of course!)

Roll in balls and bake for 11 minutes on a non stick cookie sheet at 350

I made half on one of those air-bake pans and half on just a plain cookie sheet and honestly, the air bake pan was much better. I don't use it often because it is too big to fit into my dishwasher, but I will re-think that one, it does make a difference. The cookies on it were more evenly cooked and crisper.

What I liked about these cookies, was that I could lie to myself and pretend they were good for me. Sunflower seeds, flax seed, and organic ingredients made me totally overlook the butter, sugar and chips! I only used about half the amount of chips usually called for too, so that made me think I could eat twice as many.

While the kids were here, we started the Puppy naming contest. I took down their ideas and began a list. Are you ready to play? Here is Puppy #1, the first born and the tiniest. I'll get some photos of the other 5 girls and in my next post, you can start sending in the names. Details upcoming.

I've added my hand painted fairy box to my Etsy Shop.

The inside was in amazing shape for an old box. The exterior showed the wear you'd expect, but I wonder if anything was ever stored in it? The interior was about perfect. Of course, I had to foof anyway, I used flocked wallpaper, millinery flowers, crystals, all my faves on this little "royal emblem".

This box is listed in my Boutique. I plan on using both stores and going back and forth. Here is my criteria to decide which store to list what in (besides wanting a variety in each)- if the item looks better in a non-square shape, the photo will go in the boutique. If it needs more than the 3 photos allowed on the website, it will go in Etsy.

Okay, now if this post isn't already random enough, here is more. Am I going crazy? Lately my computer screen has been speaking to me through comment word verifications. Does this mean I am schizo? I don't actually hear it talk, if that makes a difference. Sometimes the words are very clear, like this one, "BLESS". Other times, they take some deciphering.

Like this one. To me, it says "mothering".

I might just be losing it. First, an actual, written recipe, not guesses and abouts, actual measurements. And now my computer trying to get messages to me?

An Elf Celebration

celebrations, family, Food and Drink, holiday decor, parties, Sugarwings

By Karla Nathan / January 2, 2009

Today we had an Elf Celebration. Sugarwings was so excited, and talked about it all day yesterday, she just couldn't wait. She thought it was the elf's birthday and sang Happy Birthday all morning.

She and I drew an elf, then painted and cut it to copy onto this little rhyme that I wrote about the party's theme, then we made up gift bags for the kids who were coming over.

Each small guest got some treats, a black and white copy of the elf picture to color, and an elf of their own.

I have had a fondness for these cuties since I was a kid and have a big collection of them, that I was happy to share with my friends today.

We started with edible snowflakes, cut from soft flour tortillas. The idea was to saute the cut tortillas in butter and add powdered sugar and color sugar sprinkles, but my little fairy grand baby enjoyed snacking on the corners she cut out of her creation. She also really got into dumping colored sugars onto the finished product.

There were lots of other goodies to eat, along with sparkling fruit juice in glasses you could toast with.

At Michael's after Christmas sale, I bought lots of supplies to make elf hats for 75% off, and rolls of snowman wrapping paper to use as table clothes.

The work could be pretty serious at times.

But at others, jumping up and down was called for. Sugarwings was a blur most of the day. My friends are a bit shocked at how much energy that little one has coiled up inside of her. She is always on the go!

But, with her buddy, Julia's help, she slowed down enough to get a elf hat completed.

Shawn's daughter, Bethany made a really cute hat. She is an accomplished crafter and when Shawn comes out for a craft day, I always know that Bethany will create something sweet.

Max made a snow guy hat. And asked me to paint a matching snowman on his face.

When it was Sugarwing's turn for some face painting, she turned the tables and painted me instead.

We both ended up painted, although, most of my paint is on my saggy, baggy, old lady neck and when I look down, like in this photo, it is hidden.

I just can't imagine a more fun way to spend a morning. Time to sit and talk with best friends while drinking coffees and eating quiche, hot Cinnamon rolls and crunchy snowflakes, then crafting elf hats with some of my other, smaller pals. This is a good start to the new year, I can't wait to see what other fun is waiting for me in 2009!

edit- Shawn has a great camera and just sent me photos from today, so I am adding them on-

A second sneak peek at the December Giveaway and some tussie mussies to unload. (I mean offer to you at a special price.)

Books, Etsy Goodies, Food and Drink, holiday decor, I do tend to run on, don't I?, Sugarwings, vintage paper/collage art

By Karla Nathan / December 13, 2008

This is sneak peek number 2 of the December Giveaway– it will stay a surprise until it is sent off in the mail to it's new home on Jan. 1. If you want to enter the drawing, every comment counts, all month long.

Louisa is hosting a Home Sweet Home blog party today, please go to her site and see some of the linked blogs and thier holiday decor!

I've been extremely good about returning comments this month (I hope Santa is watching!) but they are not all going through!! I get about 20% of them bounced back to me as non-deliverable. ( I just made up that percentage, I don't really do math much, this is a guess).

Sugarwings got the sweetest gift in the mail from our pal, Robin in VA. If you'd like to see a couple second video of her hanging it on the tree, click HERE.

The present itself was the cutest Glinda the Good Witch ornament, she is inside the clear ball like it is the bubble she rides down into Munchkindland. And of course, since Sugarwings loves to make things, we saved the box and cut out Glinda's picture to make another ornament from that.

I did the cutting, she did the glue and glitter, then we tied a ribbon and bell to the piece so that the fairy grand baby could hang it on her little pink tree.

You know how kids always loved playing with the box a gift comes in? We have discovered that the boxes always make good project materials. If I cut out the logos, or characters, Sugarwings is happy to get out the glue stick and glitter to turn the packaging into one of her smeary, yet sparkly creations. We even cut the pictures out of cute paper plates we use to eat snacks off of in the studio. Nothing goes to waste around here. (and peanut butter does hold glitter) And as prolific as she is, creating one thing after another and flinging the finished pieces over her head, then calling out "more", we need all the supplies we can get!

Her Grammy tends to be prolific too. Of course, getting the items I make photographed and listed on Etsy, I am maybe NOT so good at. I can crank out the goods, but I can't seem to get them uploaded to sell. You should see the backlog in my studio.

Yesterday, when maybe I should have been trying to clear out some of the junk, I mean trying to sell some things, I took a day off for a fun crafting afternoon with some blog friends. We all worked on books like the project Teresa McFayden had in one of her classes at Silver Bella.

For this, we decorated the covers of old books in pretty papers, then hollowed out the book with an exacto knife, clamped and glued the pages together and filled the scooped out portion with a pretty scene.

I tinted this old sepia toned photo with some pink to go along with my vintage pink wallpaper and this perfectly aged, old Christmas sheet music that is printed with BROWN ink! how pretty is that? I had been using some of this paper as the packaging for the mini dyed trees I was selling on Etsy, then realized it was way too cool to not keep and use a couple pages for myself. I'm glad I did, I think that it was just what I needed for this book.

If you are interested in purchasing this book it is $35 includes shipping (in the US). sold, thanks!

The guests brought goodies and we ate fresh baked Christmas treats all afternoon.(Sugarwing's Daddy was a bit irritated at me for letting her have a chocolate and candy cane free for all in the treat cabinet)

By the way, my treat cabinet is featured in the latest edition of Romantic Country magazine, I'll let you know when I see some copies on the stands. A friend told me she has received hers in the mail already.

Of course, here is just one more thing I didn't get listed on Etsy for this season. Tussie Mussies are so pretty on the tree, or can be filled with treats or small presents and given as gifts.

They are made with vintage materials and decked out with loads of pretties. Maybe I should sell them from the blog instead, because who knows if I will get them onto Etsy?? So, here they are, if you'd like one, I can send you a pay pal invoice for $8 each (half price from what I usually sell Tussie Mussies for) plus postage. They aren't heavy, but require a box. I will ship them Priority Mail for $4.80, as many as you'd like to fit into one box.

Also, thanks so much to those of you who asked about the bird ornament from yesterday, it has been sold and was one of a kind, I can't make another. I appreciate your inquiries, though.

A “Family Tree” How-to

Dorkies (Yorkshire Terrriers), family, Food and Drink, holiday decor, how to's, how-to projects, Sugarwings

By Karla Nathan / November 28, 2008

Did you have a wonderful Thanksgiving feast? Sugarwings and her sweet little Pixie Pie cousin sure did. But in hindsight, this idea of using the baby's craft table for their dining wasn't the best. It was a food free-for-all, with two little toddlers up and down and knocking each other over and dumping plates. I can already see that at Christmas dinner we'll be using a duo of high chairs instead.

At my house, we craft before and after holiday dinners. I prepped the meal way ahead of time, making mashed potatoes in the crock pot, and had noodles slowly simmering on the stove all day, while the green bean casserole (from scratch, no canned soup) and turkey were ready to pop in the oven when the time came.

Guests brought side dishes made at home, so we had time to play instead of slaving away in the kitchen! The guys were watching the game and playing pool, so we went to the studio and started cutting and gluing.

We were making the Christmas stars in two sizes, large for tree toppers and smaller ones for ornaments. Or wouldn't they be cute clipped to a ribbon and made into a garland?

We decided to use family photos on the ornaments, so we dressed the cousins up in their Christmas gowns and snapped a few quick pics of them to print out onto silver, holographic paper.

I wish the photos showed how pretty this shiny paper is.

A lot of you asked for how-tos for this Christmas star, so I thought this would be a good day for it. If you have a houseful of family together for the holiday weekend, this is a fun project you can all do together. Take photos of each other for the centers of the stars and you can make a "family tree" for Christmas.

Card stock works best. I wanted a vintage image, so copied this sheet music onto parchment colored card stock. You can use scrapbook paper, or heck, even plain card stock, what ever colors you like for a background.

Cut a piece of paper in half lengthwise and then fold both pieces in accordion pleats.

Then do a second piece to match.

Staple all four pleated sections together.

I suppose that for a tidier look, you could use glue, if you had an issue with not wanting staples to show. But if you do, you'll be wishing you were an octopus. I quickly switched to staples, after starting out using glue.

This is what it should look like.

You will need to cut 2 pieces of card stock to fit the back and the front of the star to hold it in place. Any shape, any paper that pleases you for your design.

For this tree topper, I used plain white on the back.

For the front, I used flocked wallpaper glued onto the card stock, then cut into an oval. After gluing, weight the paper down for minute or two till it sticks good.

That is a good time to take a break for a quick cuddle with someone furry and cute.

After the glue dries, you can trim the edges to get a star shape. Then with a paint brush (or fingers, like I use) add glue to the clipped edges and sprinkle with glitter.

At this point, it is ready to decorate however you'd like. Streaming ribbons, photos, flowers, sparkly things, whatever suits you.

If you think you'd rather make the smaller size, instead of the tree toppers, use one piece cut into 4 equal strips lengthwise instead of 2 pages cut in two strips.

And if you'd like extra sparkly edges, use Stickles as the glue that you add glitter to. (by the way, Stickles is now available at Hobby Lobby!!!)

There are actually some new things listed on my Etsy site. Some hand dyed bottle brush trees (more to come) and I am about to list some glittering vintaeg doves that I do-dadded up.

There are also some of my flower packs listed. If you need a specific color that isn't listed yet, just ask. I might have it!

You also have a couple more days to enter the giveaway for November. Good luck!

A Glittering Gala

antiques/junking, celebrations, Food and Drink, give away, holiday decor, I do tend to run on, don't I?

By Karla Nathan / November 7, 2008

We had a magical night at the Curious Sofa. Or Fofa as Carol and I called it after a funny typo. Well, maybe you had to be there, but it struck my funny bone.

Maybe I found it so funny because at the C. Sofa, every detail is pure perfection.

Deb is extraordinarily talented in the art of display, and there is never a mistake of any kind allowed on her property!

Even things that seem to be imperfect, are NOT. They are either made to look distressed or actually aged to perfection and chosen for that quality like the paneling in this powder room.

Pearl was hard at work greeting everyone at the entrance that was flanked by stacks of firewood. Who knew I was so trendy, I have firewood stacked in my breezeway by the door too! If Deb is doing it, it must be COOL to do!!

We had a fun group, and sat in the rustic cabin display and chatted after exploring the store. Here is Beth, Carol, Gwen and I from left to right. Gwen had recently returned from a buying trip in France and we were drooling as she was telling us all of the details about the trip.

By the way, if you will be at vendor night at Silver Bella, Gwen will have fresh off the boat, French ephemera for sale. Please do me a favor and say "Bon" to Gwen. I promise, she will laugh….

Plus, she has GREAT stuff and you’ll be glad you dropped by to shop! I put in a pre-order for 20 bucks worth of old French postcards. I wanted to be first in line!!

And here is the Queen of Styling, Deb. What a great hat!

This is something I fell in love with! I’m jonesing for that crown.

This big headed girl caught my eye too. I didn’t buy her though, but am kind of wishing I had, now. I got a few trinkets and will show photos of them after I recharge my camera battery.

Notice the books wrapped in old papers? And the fabulous colors of pearls? There is never a jarring note in that store, every inch is coordinated and well thought out.

Deb is an expert at sticking to her palette. She adds hints of color here and there, but it is always faded to a remnant of its original shade.

And there were sparkly things everywhere!

I don’t know what kind of glitter went on these roses to make them look like they were kissed by an early frost, but I want a jar of it. A BIG jar.

Don’t you wish you could pull up a chair to this table for a dinner party? Well, I did, but only because Carol dared me to. I didn’t mess anything up, I just sat and ate my dinner and felt pretty pampered while doing it! All chairs should have angel wings like these do!

And what a dinner it was!!!!! Champagne with Dean and Deluca catered deliciousness.

I tried to not make a pig of myself, (remember I was complaining about the 10 lbs I put on?). But honestly, LOOK at these platters. I had to have some of each.

But this platter is the one that got my heart racing (and not just from high fat treats, but from the beauty of it!). If I only had that Cannon Rebel camera that I wanted so bad, you could see the detail of this. The pink bon bons are covered in glitter. Yes, glitter. The Real Deal. Edible glitter that looks like GLITTER not sugar, because it really really is real glitter!!!!!!!!

Does it show up any better in this picture? I swear, the stuff is magical pixie dust, not just sugar. It is sheer, fine, holographic and as beautiful as the stuff Martha Stewart sells to craft with. Sugarwings and I were on a quest to find the stuff today and Dean and Deluca sent us to this cute little bakery where they sold us some magic pixie dust of our own!

Everything in there looked tasty and rich. Sugarwings was convinced these goodies were snowmen. I tried to tell her that they were tuxedos, but I don’t think she gets the concept of what a tuxedo is.

I am so thrilled to find this pretty glitter, and can’t wait to start sprinkling it around! I have big plans for frosting the rims of the glasses we will serve the Glitter Tinis in at our Glitter Lounge in Omaha! My roomie, Carol and I are having a mini kick off to Silver Bella before the group craft night starts and I think that I will have to sprinkle the magic fairy dust on the Godiva chocolates too.

I will be using this stuff everywhere! Heck, I always have glitter in my hair, on my face, all over my house, grandchild, dog, and husband. I might as well have it in my food too. And on purpose!

Thanks, Deb for such a fun party last night. And for feeding me glitter cakes and starting a whole new obsession for me!

I think that what ever my giveaway for November will be, I will add some pixie dust for the winner to sprinkle onto some of her own holdiay goodies too. Don’t forget, there is a giveaway going on. I know, lets call it a secret surprise goodie bag giveaway! You won’t know what it is until you get it in the mail! But I can guarentee, it will be sparkly.

Flaming Fall Fun

Etsy Goodies, Food and Drink, holiday decor, parties, vintage paper/collage art, We're having a party

By Karla Nathan / October 13, 2008

Between throwing a party and hauling our boat in from the lake for the winter, I managed to sneak in a few minutes of crafting time.

These tags are listed for sale at my Etsy shop now if you are interested. I certainly have been neglecting that shop lately….

The wallpaper they are laying on came in the mail Saturday, isn’t it gorgeous!! I can’t wait to make something with that. Maybe I’ll get to tomorrow, I am having a craft day with some friends.

The weather for our bonfire on Saturday could not have been more perfect!

I think we had about 20 or so for dinner, I pulled a bunch of tables and mismatched chairs together from the patios and studio and set it all up out in the courtyard.

All the rectangle shaped tables were covered in white table cloths, and I put my only fall colored one on a round table in the center of the line.

(you can tell I didn’t waste any time ironing them!)

My centerpieces were a hodgepodge of whatever was around.

This white, glittered pumpkin is one that I have used over and over, it is from Hobby Lobby and I added glitter to it.

The rest of the centerpieces were just vases of flowers I picked from the garden, a few votives,gourds, and some real pumpkins. Simple and easy, no money spent, not much time put into it.

This pumpkin (from a garage sale) I sat in a flower pot and placed on a tray full of gourds and a vase of flowers. It really has a cool glow in the candlelight!

So does my pretty friend, Angie.

Here is the aftermath, once the food was gone and we moved on to the bonfire.

Dinner was simple and easy too. Well, at least it was for me! Everyone brought a side dish, I just made a spaghetti squash casserole (from my garden) and the cupcakes that Sugarwings decorated for me.

My husband grilled salmon and chicken, all I did was set out the food and plates buffet style in the house. I love parties that are effortless. I’m never shy to tell people to bring something with them, for one thing, it is fun to taste all the different things that people make. For another, I want to be able to have fun and be part of the group, not stuck in the kitchen.

(to Beth’s left is her handsome husband, Jeff. Too bad you can’t see his face, he is a cutey. But you can tell he is a cyclist, look at that physique!!)

I don’t know why we don’t use our bonfire pit more often. When we, sadly, had to take down the old barn, we kept the foundation and filled it with gravel, then added a curving gravel pathway back to the area. The big, gravelled space in the clearing of the woods makes a perfect area for a fire.

For parties, I string white lights along the path on one side and set out candles on the other.

The evening was one of those nights when it wasn’t so cold that you HAD to have a fire to stay warm, the fire was more of an accent to stare at and enjoy.

Although the flames did get a little hot when I decided to throw an old chair onto them. We all had to back away for a bit till the heat let up.

My husband thinks I have too much junk and he is thrilled when I surprise him and burn some of it at a party. Well, you do what you can to keep them happy, huh?

Would you like to have a pair of silver crown earrings?

Dorkies (Yorkshire Terrriers), Food and Drink, give away, Silver Bella

By Karla Nathan / October 10, 2008

My grandiose plans to tag and pack up all the jewelry didn’t come to fruition. I’ve had Sugarwings as a helper, so just didn’t get a lot done!

There are a lot of things she is good at helping with, but sorting and pricing jewelry isn’t one of them.

Sugarwings is a good shopper. We went out and ran some errands and picked up Halloween themed paper goods for a bonfire I am planning tomorrow night.

She is also a good sprinkler. I handed over the sprinkles container and let her decorate the cupcakes herself.

I was hoping to do some autumn decorating before tomorrow night, but simply haven’t had a chance. She and I picked some hedge apples and squash. That might be it for my fall decor this year! Maybe I will call it "minimalist".

Being busy with getting things ready for Silverbella and having a two year old move in with me have kind of slowed me down a bit.

If you aren’t getting answers from me for you rcomments, please know that I am reading them at nap time, or after her bedtime, and enjoy seeing each and every one of them, I just might not have time to reply.

It’s nap time now, so Twinkle and I have been cleaning up this smoking stand to use for a display at my booth. I need to find a knob to fit the door, and it will be ready to go. It is perfectly aged and crackled up! And just the right size to add height to a table of goods for sale.

I like small cabinets for display. I can set something on top of it, inside it, and underneath too.

I’ve been so busy baby chasing that I forgot I had told you I was going to add to the October Giveaway.

If you remember, there is a set of black and white rose linens and a white glittered pumpkin already in the prize pack.

I think that what is missing from the prize is a pair of earrings. And since so many of you are interested in Silver Bella, but might not be going, I thought I’d offer a pair of the patina-ed sterling silver crown earrings that I am making up to take to that event.

All comments all month count as an entry. And please do continue to comment, sorry I can’t answer them all.

A Kitchen redo and the beginnings of the October Goodie Bag

Dorkies (Yorkshire Terrriers), Etsy Goodies, fairies, Food and Drink, give away

By Karla Nathan / October 2, 2008

Sugarwings not only has her own art studio inside my art studio, she has her own kitchen within my kitchen.

But it was really bugging me, that hers was pretty shoddy looking.

So, yesterday, (when I should have been working) I painted the mini kitchenette the same color as my own cabinets (a creamy ivory).

I didn’t repaint the red sink, though, because we fill it up with soapy water to play in and I wasn’t sure that any paint would stand up to that, even that spray made for plastics.

The interior of the fridge was still in really good (and cute as a bug) condition, but the insides of the cabinets were just plain fiberboard, so I painted the shelves too.

My niece (also known as the Imitrex Fairy) sent Sugarwings some Faux foods to play with, and I can’t wait for our little sprite to come back over and see her surprise!

Of course, she probably won’t notice it was painted, or has pretty curtains, but I know she will get busy right away serving up plastic ice cream in her frying pan.

Not much else got done, I had a lot of errands to run. But while watching Top Model, Top Design, and Project Runway, I glittered up and finished a few odds and ends.

Everyone has asked me for ravens, but I am more of a dove person…. I love their pink tummies.

And I created a "flight" of fairies with some little plastic figurines that Carol gave to me. They were a yucky orange fleshy color to start with, so I painted them all white and pink and glittery, then fairyed them up.

Each saucy little gal has a unique hat or crown.

The sculpy pumpkins that Sugarwings and I made got a coat of paint and glitter too.

The silver one in the front is going to Sheila as part of the Sweet September Prize pack.

And the tall white one in the back will be part of the October prizes.

Here is what I have going so far for October. Black and white roses printed on a set of 4 vintage linen napkins and a white glittered pumpkin.

I’ll probably find something else to add as the month goes on.

This morning I listed this pumpkin topped bottle (inspired by Carol’s design for our Romantic Country article) for sale on Etsy.

Here is what I said for the description, instead of writing it twice, I’ll copy and paste from Etsy!

This bottle and crowned pumpkin has a French Vanilla theme, it is all done in tone on tone shades of warm whites. The pumpkin topper is not glued down, if you’d like to actually use the bottle to store something you could. Or you could take the pumpkin top off and store it away after fall is over until next year and display the bottle with out it.

I’ve made the label from old sheet music, book pages and taupe velvet ribbon, accented with a bloom I plucked from an old hat. The neck of the bottle is rimmed with rhinestones and the crown is ringed with more of the same, plus velvet ribbon and a rose pried from old jewelry.

about 8 1/2" tall to the tip of the crown

This is as far as I have gotten on the other glittered trophies. I’m in love with the pink vintage cars!

Putting together a baby shower while babysitting a grumpy baby

celebrations, Dorkies (Yorkshire Terrriers), Etsy Goodies, flowers, Food and Drink, Sugarwings, We're having a party

By Karla Nathan / August 16, 2008

For a while today, I didn’t think I’d be able to pull off tonight’s baby shower!

Sugarwings spent most of yesterday and today with me, and while she was very helpful making birthday cupcakes for her mommy yesterday, today, she was a bit of a challenge.

That is not like her at all, and had me worried. I hope it is just a phase she is going through.

But I kept things very simple for the party and served ready made foods, like a mix of pink jelly beans in a cut glass dish.

And a basket full of mixed nuts with dried fruits.

Then, Beth brought a cheese cake and someone else made brownies and treats. All I had to do was set the table, make some herbal tea/punch and open wine.

Setting the table looks much more complicated than it is. I layered pink flowered table clothes (the baby is a girl!), and borrowed one of Sugarwing’s vintage doll cradles that I had painted roses on to hold the plates and napkins.

The plastic silverware is sitting in her fluffy bunny basket (from Easter) that is lined with a floral napkin.

I snipped a few flowers from my garden and tucked the blooms into child’s tea cups and popped a little ballerina in with the flowers. Since I didn’t have time to go to the store and buy flowers, these little rose buds and a handful of pink baby’s breath from my yard were the only bouquets I had.

I’ve found that, making myself be creative with what I have is much better than going out to buy something ready made. At least it is cheaper!

A few nesting tea cup birds from my Etsy stash of stuff for sale, and some birdies I got from Robin and Lori, and I was done.

I wrapped up a few more packets of bath salts to give as party favors.

Then, placed a doll crib in the living room to fill with presents.

Oh- and I also hung some pink glittered birdies from my Sissy on the chandelier along with a tussie mussie from my friend, Heather. I love the long, dangling ribbons on the cone, and might just leave it there for a bit and enjoy it.

Of course, the fun part was when the doll bed was filled with pretty pink presents for the expecting momma to open! (she was a good sport and wore the party hat I made for her too, even though it was kind of top heavy, but I think that at nine months pregnant, she is used to being off balance by now!)

Sparkle joined the party and spent most of her time on Aunty Beth’s lap.

Beth gave Shanna the cutest gift. She is planning on knitting a blanket for the newborn, but it wasn’t done yet, so she made a tiny one and wrapped it around a dolly as an IOU.

I gave Shanna my all pink version of the Sugarwings and Twinkle book, and added a hand painted cupcake to the teaparty page, along with a teacup that I drew onto rosebud paper and cut out.

I wanted it to have some special touches.

Here are a couple of the names that are being considered for the new little girl due this week:

Lizzelle and Audry– How pretty!! I like them together, Audrey Lizzelle.

Tomorrow is Sugarwing’s 2nd birthday, and I certainly hope she is back to being herself again so she can enjoy her party. It is so sad to see her unhappy and grumpy. I feel like we’ve been given a changling and someone is hiding our sweet little fairy girl!!

Attack of the Seven Pound Monster

celebrations, Dorkies (Yorkshire Terrriers), fairies, family, Food and Drink, We're having a party, yorkies

By Karla Nathan / August 8, 2008

The house seems pretty quiet now that I have taken my childhood friends to the airport and their visit for our Fabulous Fifty Birthday Celebration has ended.

We had a lively week full of tiaras and champagne!

Because a good bottle of champagne can make any occasion special, even if it is just a dinner of egg salad.

It was a week of simple pleasures, like just sitting on the porch and talking.

Of course, we couldn’t leave the Dorkies out of the party.

Twinks just isn’t the type to let herself be left out of anything. Even though Sandy wasn’t exactly a dog person.

Twinkle couldn’t get it through her fuzzy little head that Sandy wasn’t crazy about her and she wouldn’t leave the poor woman alone all week.

But the dorkies got plenty of attention and even got to model some of the tiaras themselves.

We also did a bit of shopping downtown Lawrence. No luck on finding a prom dress to fit.

My pals aren’t the vintage type, but they were good sports about poking around the old dresses and helping me in and out of the ones I got stuck in.

It wasn’t the first or the last sticky situation these two have helped me with over the last 40 years.

After saying goodbye to my dearest friends, I came home to finish the scrapbook of Sugarwing’s second year. Her Hippy Chick Mommy’s birthday is this week and I wanted to give her a completed album of her baby’s adventures.

On Friday, 8-8-08, there is a big birthday party for all of the August babies. Sugarwings and her Hippy Chick Mommy are both Leos, as well as a few of their friends, so they are having a blow out party to celebrate.

I’ll be packing up my face paints and glitter and going off to join the kids tomorrow.

But the best part is, that Sugarwings and I will be leaving early and she will be staying all night with me. Now, that is something to look forward to, and to keep me from being too down about my child hood friends leaving today!