Here Comes Peter Cottontail...or Branchy Tail Maybe?

I have to admit I'm kind of skipping over St. Patrick's Day this year. The kiddos have been sick, I've been pooped and frankly it's already coming up next week....and I try to spend my time on things that can be on display for a while....I'm just lazy like that. ( I love all the St. Pat's projects out there in bloggy world).

So....bring on Easter!

This little guy has hip hopped around our house...right out of the yard....literally. He's made from apple tree twigs! Easy easy....and free!! His little "fishing" pole is made from a scrap of copper wire, the carrot is a branch, whittled down and painted with craft paint! Same with the carrot hanging from the pole. The acorns came from...well...outside. That's where acorns come from. AND, he has little leather ears. :-)

Snip, drill, glue....there you have it.

The Cursed Cake Auction

It is once again time to present my cakes to the cursed North Cedar Post Prom Cake Auction. Every year for the past....hmmm.....I don't know....a lot of years, I have donated cakes to this worthy cause. EVERY.YEAR. some calamity befalls us in the days surrounding said cake auction. One year the calamity was so severe I had to call and say, "no cakes this year". Our oldest was in the hospital with pneumonia. SO, in the fine tradition of the cursed cake auction, we are once again ill, (not hospitalized thank goodness) and are being pounded with rain (which in turn floods our basement). Now, I'm not saying it's the cake auction's fault....well....yes I am. Maybe I should take next year off....to test the theory. ;-)

This year I produced a cake for the Mill Creek Cafe to donate....this is she. The Spring Cupcake Bouquet. Lovely I think. And we won't tell how easy this was....'cause I'm thinkin' it looks downright snazzy. A little foam here, a little hot glue there....add some sparkly

cupcakes and voila.

The cake I am donating on behalf of moi is the Ice Cream Cone Pullapart Cupcake Cake.

Yes, the name has to be that long, don't laugh. Devil's food cupcakes, lined up ice cream cone style....decorated and there you go. The ICCPCC was born.

Oh, and if you try this at home here's a little tip....squirt a plop of icing on the bottom of each cupcake to glue it down to the board...you wouldn't want your beautiful creation to go sliding right off. Not like mine did that or anything. ;-)

This was a fun one.

Cake auction, oh cake auction...please be nice to us next year. Please.

Interested in seeing some of my previous cake auction concoctions? Here they are!

Don't be afraid...I don't think you can be cursed just by looking at them. ;-)

Linking up to:

Strut Your Stuff Thursday @ Somewhat Simple

Spring, I Know Where You're Hiding

Spring, Spring....where are you? I know! You're on the front of this delightful beauty that arrived in my mailbox. :-) I LOOOOVVVVEEEE Midwest Living, even when it doesn't have these gorgeous tulips (my favorite) on the front....it always reminds me how AWESOME it is to live in the midwest....we have a lot of really cool things to see/do/eat/be around here! Now if you'll excuse me I'm going to go hide away with my little piece of spring for a while. :-)

The Great Equalizer

We've had a tough run of it the past few days at the VanOort homestead. Marsh Potato has been ill for weeks now....RSV, walking pneumonia, stomach flu, dreadful cough, never ending fever...when it rains it pours it seems. I've lost count of the number of times we've seen our favorite MD in the past week. And then there was the trip to the ER. We won't even get into our little guy's troubles post operatively from eye surgery....he's leaving the staff at the U of I Pediatric Opthamology Dept. perplexed....and Mommy at wits end. Good health is something I never take for granted, knowing how delicate the human body really is, and I always thank the universe when we have it. Right now would not be one of those times.

Today, at Marsh's appointment with our family doc (the fabulous Dr. G), he was instructed to start drinking sugary drinks. To this he sat, mouth gaping, at what he had just heard. The DOCTOR was TELLING him to drink pop? First, he hates pop....hates it. Second, aren't doctors supposed to promote HEALTHY foods? The problem is he's had NO APPETITE. AT. ALL. for about four days now....sooooo....Dr. G just wanted him to get some calories. THEN. CAME. THE. OTHER. SUGGESTION.

Dr. G: Marsh, do you like jello?
Marsh: Yeah.
Dr. G: Go home and eat some jello then.

Enter Mommy (sitting in the exam room, now in a cold sweat.)

Now, just so you know, I tend to think of myself as an intelligent, hard working problem solver. Not afraid of a lot of things, not intimidated by much. For goodness sake, I planned our wedding and wrote a master's thesis at the same time, gave birth to two babies with nary a Tylenol on board and wrangle the lives of three men on a daily basis...I can handle myself. BUT, Dr. G.....sweet, caring Dr. G.....why would you say the J word? Now my little guy expects jello upon our trip home. Now Iwould like to make a confession.

i cannot make jello. not. at. all.

I've tried, I've failed...more than a few times. I just can't do it. It's not in my genetic makeup. Is there a secret I missed? Clearly, I can read. I've READ the instructions. I've FOLLOWED the directions.

IT. DOESN'T. WORK!!!

God help me, I bought a box of jello on the way home. Pray for me.

A Plan...Uh Oh

I'm about to utter the four words my husband dreads to hear.

I. HAVE. A. PLAN.

This sad cupboard is in the "red room" (that's a whole other story) in our basement. It holds my home canned goods. My plan involves maintaining that function, but moving it out to the freezer area in the basement, making it a little snazzier (if you can't tell, it's SILVER right now...not of my doing) and organizing in an equally snazzy way. :-)

Wish me luck and check back later for the results!!

Family Rules!

They're finished! My family rules are up and being strictly obeyed. ;-) Just kidding....but I will (unabashedly) say I have two of the most polite, caring, thoughtful little guys a mommy could ask for...so apparently they didn't need my crafty version of the rules to know how important they are.

This was a fun project and I love the outcome! Carpel tunnel may be in my future, but hey, we all sacrifice for our art, right? I used the lead transfer method to get the letters onto my cabinet doors (yes, again with the cabinet doors...I just can't be contained in my love for old cabinet doors...thanks ReStore!) After the lead transfer was complete I handpainted the words in white and chose one word on each

door to paint in turquoise.

First, however the holes left from the knob and hinges needed to be wood puttied, left to dry (I have trouble with this), sanded. I then painted the doors with, you guessed it, ReStore paint....it's a nice neutral color.

UPDATE:

I've had a few questions about the "lead transfer method" I mentioned. There is an AWESOME tutorial over at Living with Lindsay to follow. I've done this method for years and thought I was the genius to invent it. Apparently I'm not. ;-) The only thing I do differently than this tutorial is to outline only the edges of the letters, instead of scribbling over the entire back surface. Have fun!!

On to the next project. :-)

Linking up to:

Power of Paint Party~ Domestically Speaking

Transformation Thursday ~ The Shabby Chic Cottage

Get Your Craft on Thursday ~ Life as Lori

Strut Your Stuff Thursday ~ Somewhat Simple

Big Day for Notes from the Heartland

It was a big day over here at Notes from the Heartland! It's a big day everyday here at our house...I do have three men to take care of. ;-) BUT....TODAY I was shown the love by some very talented WOMEN! Thrifty, crafty, bloggy wonderful women! Can you tell I need to spend more time with womankind? ;-)

First, I got word last night that I was featured on the very cool blog, The Thrifty Home! My corkboard-over-the-super ugly pipes-turned peaceful funny feel good space-project was highlighted! Women get it. (okay, I'll give you credit too honey, my husband did say it looks very nice near the washer and dryer now as well.)

THEN, on the VERY SAME DAY (my stars must have been aligned) I happened by one of my favorite blogs to visit everyday, Designaholic, and saw MY NAME (okay not MY name, my blog's name) as the winner of the Happy 101 award!

I would like to now bequeath Kim over at the NewlyWoodwards with the Happy 101 award! Her blog always makes me grin with her silly pups and VERY crafty self!

Thanks Ladies!!