more easter treats

i have seen these piping-bags-filled-with-jelly-beans-so-they-look-like-carrots a million times before but have never made them myself. and i am officially obsessed with tangerine jelly bellys so these are bound to be a new easter favorite. the annie's cheddar bunnies make for one scrumptious looking carrot too.

i like my cake stands.

i love collections. especially my cake stand collection. sometimes i just sit and stare at them. they are my babies. and the best part about my medley of stands is that each one has a story.

*sadly, not all of my stands could make an appearance in this post. my dad is going crazy enough having two of his book shelves filled as it is*

peeps peeps

i woke up yesterday morning with the urge to make peeps. i have made marshmallows before but usually i roll them in powdered sugar. however, substituting super-fine sanding sugar for the powdered sugar makes for the best peeps money can buy. i think tagg will enjoy snarfing down a couple of these bunnies on easter morning.

linda's small batch marshmallows

2 1/2 tablespoons unflavored gelatin

1 cup water (divided) plus 1 tablespoon

1 1/2 cups sugar (use half brown sugar. brown sugar always makes things taste better)

1 cup light corn syrup

1/8 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

butter

super-fine sugar

butter a 12x17 jelly roll pan and coat it heavily with super-fine sugar. in the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer, stir 1/2 cup of the water with the gelatin and set it aside for 25 minutes (while you boil the syrup). in a heavy 2-quart saucepan, combine the remaining 1/2 cup water, sugar, corn syrup and salt. cook, stirring constantly, over medium low heat until sugar is dissolved and mixture begins to boil. boil without stirring until mixture reaches 244 degrees. with mixer on low speed, gradually pour hot syrup into gelatin mixture. increase speed and beat on high for about five minutes. mixture will be thick, white, and almost tripled in volume. add final tablespoon of water and vanilla extract. pour the sticky mixture into prepared pan and dust heavily with super-fine sugar. let stand, uncovered, overnite. cut marshmallows into desired shapes using a knife or cookie cutters. coat pieces with more super-fine sugar.

*for the eyes & nose: poke marshmallow with toothpick to make holes. press a chocolate jimmy in each hole*

happy easter.

my boys

i was taking pictures of the baby shower stuff the other day and tagg kept on saying "cheeeeeese! cheeeeese!". the ham wanted pictures taken of himself.

then he got louis involved.

some kisses. but also that chubby finger had probably just finished with one of tagg's favorite past times: kindly reprimanding louis with a "no, no, no!".

by this time, i think louis was over it. but look at my baby's face! such a flirt.

back to school

i (along with the AMAZING help of britney!) had the honor of throwing a baby shower for my friend, emily. i am so excited for emily and andrew (i went to high school with andrew) and their little boy-on-the-way.

emily is an elementary school teacher so i thought it would be cool to play off that theme for the shower. this chalkboard easel is the product of my first craigslist transaction. i am "very lucky to own it because the seller is an arteeest". (her words, not mine.)

the ladies sat and gossiped (not really gossiped, but thats what men think women do when they get together) while the lunch was being prepared.

the set up.

yup. these again. its now officially against the law to have a party and NOT have pom poms present.

the chalkboard menu. it was very hard for my perfectionist-self to handwrite the menu out (thanks to computers i never have to) but i guess it helped give it a more authentic school-y feel.

we served chicken salad sandwiches wrapped in true lunch-sack fashion. ps. i am SO proud of myself for making the table-runner.

water and the other kind of water.

when everything was ready we let the masses come and eat.

the beautiful mommy-to-be with her cafeteria lunch tray.

while the ladies ate i handled story time. we secretly got emily's students to write advice to mrs. moulton. wow. the things kids say.

please excuse this hideous face. but this is me reading the "advice".

emily's mom and andrew's mom brought baby pictures from the two of them. they are going to make one handsome, TALL boy.

covered books were stacked on the piano for decoration.

i personalized a comp book for all the shower memorabilia to go in. i.e. who gave what present and little wishes the guests wrote to baby moulton.

then the after-school snack was served. peanut butter and jelly bars (of course!) and......

warm (literally. i was sweating it out in the kitchen during show & tell (present time) to make sure these were FRESH out of the oven) cookies and milk.

and more diet coke. women take their diet coke seriously. and i am obsessed with these skinny little cans from target.

favors: lunch sacks filled with hot tamales with a note from "mom"! (hot tamales have nothing to do with school, they are just plain yummy)

britney, emily and me. what a fun party. i couldnt have done it without britney's help. now we just have to wait for adorable mr. moulton to arrive!

happy oscars!

this year, for our annual oscar party, we decided to dress up as characters from some of the nominated movies. craig and me: an education. anna: julie & julia. megan: up in the air. tucker: twilight (which wasnt nominated but he just loves to play that whole thing up). grace (who WON best costume!) up.

the ballot, prizes, and treat table. we never pass up an opportunity to party.

against my better judgement......

i saw alice in wonderland last nite in 3D. i wanted to see the movie, i just knew the 3D-ness would bug me. and it kinda did. my dad, however, enjoyed the glasses so much so that we had to kindly ask him to remove them as he was walking out of the theater! he does look prit-teee excited about the situation.

me and my date. we gave the movie a mildly enthusiastic thumbs up. we gave the other audience members a STRONG two thumbs down. the theater was filled with an entire student body from a local high school. that lady behind me was a teacher taking freaking roll.