Rusty is 28!

This weekend was CRAZY!

The end of last week was pretty much spent baking and frosting. Poor Adam had to play inside so I could get everything done. We did take a break Friday though to attend a cookout. I went to Hiram to pick up my mom and my dad met her at our house, so they only had to take one car home since my mom can't drive at night. They babysat Adam for us, so we can go to the cookout and stay out later than we would be able to with him. Of course, they soaked it all in and played and loved on him until he had to go to bed. Rusty and I in turn were able to catch up with a lot of friends we don't get to see too often.

Saturday, Rusty helped some friends move and dropped me off at my parents' house so we could get to Peachtree City. In Peachtree City, we were having Katie's 30th birthday party! It was just our family and her boyfriend's family with a couple of others. We ate, talked, and threw the frisbee around. It was good times and Adam stayed up way too late especially since he didn't nap all day. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures because I used Katie's camera the whole time and she hasn't shared any yet.

Sunday, we had lunch with Rusty's dad and sister since she was in town. Adam was still super tired from the previous day, so he was kind of grumpy. I left him and Rusty at his dad's house so I could deliver a cake. It's not my favorite cake I've done, but the client seemed to love it and that's all I can ask for.

Adam ended up falling asleep in Rusty's lap while I was gone.

Monday was Rusty's birthday! He ended up being sick - which means he was sick on my birthday and his own. Hopefully he'll be well on Adam's birthday. I made mini-cupcakes for the celebration.

That night Adam put on a show for us for over three minutes of just dancing. It was so hilariously cute! He was pulling out all his moves.

Yesterday, Adam and I visited my old coworkers and Uncle James. They loved Adam (and the cupcakes I brought them). We spent a couple of hours walking through the rows of cubicles to catch up with everyone. Almost everyone reminded me that they were hiring if I wanted - and they wouldn't even interview me, ha ha. No thank you.

Last night, Adam developed a fever and a cough, just like Rusty. It was lower by lunchtime today, but we still decided to stay home for rest and lots of liquids. If he is back to normal by tomorrow, we may go out to find an Easter outfit.

I'm super excited about my newest project. I'm consulting with my parents' church about their website and social media presence. I'm gathering information and making a website mock-up right now and will hopefully be meeting with the pastor soon. The church's previous pastor retired at the end of the year so with a new pastor and lots of changes, I suggested that they change this too. I've consulted with my own church, but we actually have someone who handles it really well. The person who created this one's website didn't really know what he was doing or was confined by the decision maker. I really feel like I could help churches and non-profits with their online marketing, so fingers crossed that this first real endeavor works out great.

Cakes Galore!

Lots of birthdays this week, Adam's great-Grandmother (Rusty's Grandmother), Rusty's cousin, Bob, and my eldest sister, Katie! Happy birthday to all of them!

I sent out Adam's birthday invitations and ordered his 1st birthday shirt! I'll post all of his birthday party stuff in a different post once it happens next month - but here's a sneak peak.

Rusty went out of town over the weekend to Nashville for a bachelor weekend party, so it was just Adam and I all weekend. I missed Rusty a lot and I think I sometimes take advantage of when he gets home and plays with Adam so I can breathe and have some time alont. Anyways, I didn't want to stay home alone all weekend, so Saturday we went to visit Memaw in the morning and my parents (Nana and Papa) for lunch. Adam had lots of fun and is at the point where he recognizes all of his grandparents and is fine playing and being held by any of them (and that of course makes them happy).

We went by Arby's for dinner and grabbed some ice cream to bring home from Bruster's (don't judge - the husband was away). When we got home that night, I found out my March ipsy Glam Bag came in and I LOVE the Butter Lipstick. I haven't used the other stuff yet, but can't wait!

After I put Adam to bed on Saturday, I decided I wanted to craft. I didn't have a spring wreath and had bought some materials a week or so before, so that's what I decided to do. Check out how I did it one this post. Here's the final product:

The last couple of days has felt AMAZING! We've been able to eat dinner in the backyard, go to the park, and just get some vitamin D. Adam was able to wear shorts for the first time and his sunglasses.

Yesterday was St. Patrick's Day! Adam had is green on and it really brought out the red highlights in his hair.

I brush Adam's 2 1/2 teeth every day. It takes a couple of seconds, but I normally brush his gums too so that it becomes a good habit for him. Yesterday, he decided he'd take over and do it himself. Aunt Jasmin is a dental hygienist, so I made sure to send her the video.

So why am I calling this post "Cakes Galore!? Well, this weekend is my sister's 30th birthday party, so of course, I've been enlisted to make her cake. I'm super excited about the party and the cake. However, I was also hired for a cake for Sunday for a surprise party. When I was initially hired, it was a 35 person party - which I can make a cake for with my eyes closed. Monday, I called to confirm the details and it had become a 100 person party! So, today, I had to begin this three tiered cake if I want it and Katie's cake done for the weekend. It's going to be stressful, but I'm very excited for how they will turn out!

Spring Tulip Wreath

I have made several wreaths in the last couple of years, but I realized a few weeks ago that I didn't have one for springtime. Last night, after Adam went down for bed and with Rusty being out of town, I decided to make one.

What is needed:

2 bouquets of artificial tulips (I went with pink, orange, and yellow)
Twig twisted wreath
Wooden "B"
Yellow Mesh
Yellow Paint
Hot glue gun and glue
Clippers/Scissors (that can cut the flower stems)

What to do:

This wreath took about an hour. It's super simple once you get into your groove. I picked up the tulips, wreath, "B", and mesh from Michael's. The other materials I had on hand from other projects.

Start by cutting the tulips and the leaves from the bouquet so they're singular. You'll take these one by one and weave them into the wreath. Start from the farthest point to the center. I started with the top flowers and stopped about two-three inches from my center point where the bow will be. Make sure you toss in some of the leaves to get some greenery in there.


Do the same technique for the bottom flowers. I wanted a bit of asymmetry, so I put the farthest bottom flower closer than I did for the top. Again, you'll want to stop two or three inches from the center point. If the gap is too big, you can correct later, but it is a lot harder to pull out the flowers after they're layered.

Next, plug in your hot glue gun so it will start warming up. While it is warming up, paint the first layer of your letter. I did three layers on my "B" because I really wanted the yellow to pop and no wood grain to show through.

Once your glue gun is hot, take your mesh and wrap it around the center point of your flowers. I think I had to wrap it four times, but depending on the color you chose, you may need to do it more or less. Glue the edge of the mesh - which you should position on the back of the wreath. I pushed the gun nozzle into the mesh holes to really get the glue in all the mesh layers.

While the glue is drying - put another layer of paint on your letter if needed.

Now that your mesh is dry, you can add more flowers closer to it if you need to. Then, build your bow. Because we're using tulips, I didn't want to do a round bow because I think that works better with round flowers. Instead, I did a traditional bow. Cut a small piece of the mesh to tie around the center of the bow and the mesh that is already on your wreath. This will attach the bow to the wreath and blend it to the mesh that is already there. Add some glue if you want to make sure it is secure.

Glue your letter, which should be dry from the paint, to your wreath. I did mine slightly lower than the bow on the opposite side.

Cut off any flower stems or twigs that may poke out and look odd. Also, turn any flowers needed to show the best angle. Then... you're done!

Go ahead and hang your wreath for the world to see!

Eleven Months Old - Oh My!

Last Thursday was my grandfather's (Adam's great-grandfather's) birthday - so of course, I need to give a shout out to him. Happy birthday!!!

We also went to Target last week and he tried on some hats. He's super cute.

Within the last week, Adam has learned several things: how to say "uh-oh", new noises with his mouth, and using his feet/hands to make noises. He's also trying to talk a lot more, so although he is talking gibberish, it really sounds like he's trying to have a conversation.

We had a break in snow and rain over the weekend and were able to go outside. Adam played in the grass and wood chips. Just feeling the breeze and warm weather has been very refreshing.

Today, Adam is eleven months old! That feels so old! In one month, he will be a year old and we will be having his party. That's so crazy to think about to me. Time just zooms by and I wish it would slow down. I'm loving Adam's current stage, but I miss some of the earlier stages.

Oh, and apparently Adam is a drama king. He ate all of his lunch and started grabbing his face and head in despair. Funny - yes. Over dramatic - yes.

Red Velvet Cookies Recipe

My brother, James, came over the other day to hang out and play some video games with Rusty and what is the question he always asks? What are you making? Brownies, cookies, cupcakes?

Some days I tell him we have nothing and I'm not making anything... other days... I indulge him.

So I look in the pantry and figure out what I have and what I can make. This time I decided to go with Red Velvet Cookies! I've never made them before, but there's no time like the present. Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

1 box red velvet cake mix
2 eggs
1/3 cup margarine/butter
1/3 to 1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Mix all the ingredients.
Put spoonfuls of the mix on parchment paper and put in oven for 8-12 minutes (depending on the size of your spoonfuls).
You'll know they're done when the tops look like they've started to crack.
Cool for a few minutes and ENJOY!

Here's the directions in pictures:

Ingredients:

Mix ingredients:

Cookies out of the oven:

ENJOY!

Conquering The Stairs

Very slowly, the snow has melted and with it, our moods have lifted. I believe that needed to stay inside because of the cold caused everyone to be a bit grouchy.

Adam and Kirby played some more and Adam is getting in his groove of walking with his push toy.

Saturday, we went to the Beer, Bourbon and BBQ Festival in Atlantic Station with the Sullivans. I don't care to drink, so I drove and Adam and I ate a lot of BBQ. Rusty, Keith, and Meghan tried lots of beers and a few bourbons. The music and competitions were fun. The weather started out being a bit chilly, but it turned out to be a beautiful day. It was great to spend time together, but we knew it was time to go when people who don't know their limit started falling over.

That night, we all had dinner in the Marietta Square at a Latin-Asian fusion restaurant called Taqueria Tsunami. Everything we ate from the short rib quesadilla to the s'more egg rolls was fantastic. If you're in the area, I absolutely recommend it!

Sunday, I kept nursery at church (which ended up just being Adam since the other kids have moved to the next class), but I was able to go into the nursing mothers' room and have a good chat with one of the other mommies while Adam just sat on the floor and played. We met up with my parents for lunch at Cheeseburger Bobbies and discovered there that two more of Adam's teeth popped through and one is very close! This pic was taken a couple of days later and was not easy to accomplish.

Yesterday, Adam and I went to the mall. I haven't been to a mall in probably six months and haven't been to this particular mall in probably seven years. Apparently, this mall has a train that kids can ride in that goes around the entire top floor. We didn't ride it, but every time it passed, Adam got super excited. We had lunch at the food court and he couldn't get enough of the fried rice I let him try. We didn't buy anything, but it was just something to do to get out of the house on a rainy day. We did get to see the Easter bunny. Since we went in the morning on a weekday morning, there was no line and although we weren't getting a picture done, the Bunny came over and waved at Adam (who didn't care much) and gave him some bunny ears (which he hated).

Today, Emma (my sister) came over. It was a complete surprise, but she called and said she was off and asked if I wanted to hang out. We sat around and talked and then had lunch at Zaxby's (Adam ate an entire chicken finger himself). In one week, Adam went from discovering the stairs and looking at them longingly to climbing them. It was a good  thing that Emma was there because she walked up behind him just in case - although he was surprisingly stable on his own.