the glittered nest

Yeah for a summer waterslide birthday party!  Madi and Abby's 7th birthday party was a huge hit!

 

The waterslide was amazing!  Head first was the best!  (Abby)

I love this picture of our good friend Emily....reminds me of just being a kid!!!!

This picture is priceless!!! Missing the front tooth...what could be better?

Now for the cupcakes!  These are Madi's ocean blue cupcakes with bears surfing and sunning themselves! This recipe is on marthastewart.com.

 

Abby's cake!  I got this idea from familyfun.com

One of the party favors were flower cookies with words like: Dream,love,friends,laugh.

One of my favorite favors of the party...tissue paper flowers.  I tied these to the trees and had them all over the house.  Each girl got to pick one of these along with a cookie.  These are so easy, my 7 year olds were able to help make them!  Go to familyfun.com for the instructions.

We had a great time...7 years...where does the time go!  Thank you for sharing our party with us.

Tagged...

littleredhead tagged me...I love this idea.  I have never been tagged before so here it goes:

1. What did you do 10 years ago?

1998..I was a special education teacher fresh out of college: The University of Texas.  I taught 2-5th grade and loved it.  I was also newly married and living in an apartment in Round Rock Texas. 

2. Five items on your TO-DO List today:

1. organize my house

2. get tissue paper flowers ready for my girls' birthday party saturday.

3. Call my mom

4. Pray

5. Hug and Kiss my kids...oh and hubby too..he he

3.  Snacks I enjoy:

anything with peanut butter

4. What would you do if you were a billionare?

I would help every organization out their to find a cure for cancer!

Have lots of children! Oh and buy lots of shoes!

Here Are the Rules: Answer the following questions about yourself. At the end of the post you pass on the questions to 6 other bloggers and list their names. Then write them a comment telling them that they've been tagged and ask them to read your blog. Let the person who tagged you know that you've accepted the challenge and refer to your post.

Fifi

posie gets cozy

the ribboned crown

7th Birthday Morning Tea Party!

      Birthday morning tea party!  Brock loved the powdered donuts!  The girls turn 7 today.  Where does the time go?  I hope they never want to stop having tea parties.

  Did someone say sugar?

Mini Pink Ballerina Carnations are so girly!  No one uses carnations anymore!  I love em'!

Chocolate Milk!Yum!

 

My daughter Abby made this picture to send to Tricia Robinson!  I'm so excited.  I think I am going to keep it until after their birthday party this Sunday and use it as a centerpiece.  We are having a water party so it will be a very cute addition!

We had so much fun in Rosemary.  There is a little town center with Starbucks, great shopping, wine bar and movies on the lawn at night for the kids.  Go to rosemarybeach.com to check out the events and what the area looks like!

Madi and Abby on the beach!

My little family! 

Art at Rosemary beach!

  My first Tricia Robinson painting!

Our favorite artist was at Rosemary this weekend....Tricia Robinson.  Abby, Madi and Kyleigh got to meet and talk with her.  Abby was excited to hear she might be holding some little artist workshops in the future.

Tricia and my future little artists!

Best chocolate cake ever!

This is the best chocolate cake recipe ever!  My daughter Madi and I made it this Saturday afternoon.  It is creamy tasting and not as sweet as the typical chocolate cake.  We have made many recipes out of the book:

Mary Englebreit's Sweet Treats Dessert Cookbook.  Here is the recipe:

1 2/3 cups all purpose flour                            

2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temp

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/3 cups sour cream

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease and flour a large round cake pan.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

3.  In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.  Add in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Beat in the vanilla.  On low speed, beat in half the flour mixture.  Beat in the sour cream, then beat in the remaining flour mixture.  Pour the batter into the prepared pans and smooth the tops. 

4.  Bake the cake for 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes.  Spread on the following chocolate buttercream icing.(this was not listed as the icing to use but is one of my favorites!)