Under the Weather AND Under a Pile of Report Cards

I survived the slumber party for Baby Bee's birthday only to get hit with some virus Saturday afternoon.  Can you believe it?  

When I was sleeping this virus and fever off, I really should have been wrapping up my report cards for the second trimester.  

So now I'm way behind.  

I'm feeling better but I won't get to buzz around much the next few days.  I'll miss you but I'll be back.

Who Put the Slumber in Slumber Party?

Well I can tell you this much.  It sure wasn't a bunch of 9 and 10 year old girls!

I think Slumber Party is an oxymoron.

Trust me - there is NO slumbering going on here tonight.  Well the cats, Sam and Brody might be asleep, but that is even in doubt.

This was the first year since Baby Bee turned 4 that I haven't thrown a big theme party.

Saw this Milk Glass Taco used for rolled napkins over at Heather Bullard.  Went right out and found my own Milk Glass Taco and used it for this first time tonight.  

This year I said SIMPLE.  This year I said QUIET celebration.  This year I said I WILL NOT EXHAUST MYSELF HAVING A BIRTHDAY PARTY FOR BABY BEE.

Apparently I don't listen to myself very well - or I've never been on the parent end of a slumber party.

As I write this it's 12:11 AM and there is no silence from our sunroom.  They just now came in and said, "The bricks on the patio are white and so is the grass.  It must be snowing!"  Well there is a very slight and very rare chance of snow tonight, but it ain't here yet.  I guess I shouldn't complain about active imaginations.

I should be making the muffins for in the morning, but I'm too exhausted - and yet I'm here blogging.  I think that's because I can sit while I blog and not so much when I'm baking muffins.

Here - enjoy some cake while I get those muffins started.

Okay, the fresh blueberry muffins are baking right now.  Tomorrow morning (which will be here ALL TOO SOON) I will make Baby Bee's favorite muffins - Pumpkin Chocolate Chip - for the girls to enjoy.

Do you see those cupcakes?  I really wish this was a scratch'n'sniff blog because those cupcakes smelled divine.  They are from the Cake Doctor cookbook - Buttermilk Devil's Food Cake and Peanut Butter Frosting.  Now I know what makes the inside of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups so stinkin' good - powdered sugar and butter!  Ummmm......there are none left and I only got one.  I sat in the kitchen for a bit visiting with a friend and they were g......o.....n......e.....

Here are the girls lookin' all sassy for their picture.  

(So far the sassy is just for show - but rest assured - I know those full on sassy days are coming.)

It's getting quieter out there.  Fewer and fewer voices........

Almost time for me to go to bed.  The muffins are nearly done and SO AM I!

Thank you so much for buzzin' by today!  I know Baby Bee will be delighted to know you visited.  Hurry back and I'll make some more of those divine cupcakes just for us to share.

KindRED Spirits

Oh boy it's Rednesday and I have the PERFECT post for today!

How many of you have read Anne of Green Gables?  Let me see a show of hands.....

A lot of you!  

Good, then you'll know what I'm talking about.  

(If you haven't, then run right out and buy all of the books - don't bother with just one - you're going to want to read ALL of them.)

Note the RED hair!

KindRED Spirits is what I'm talking about today.

I met a KindRED Spirit for coffee on Sunday!  

I see you out there scratching your heads.  Who could she have met?

Well have you been to She's Sew Pretty and visited with Betty?  

Well you'll never guess but she only lives about 25 minutes from me!  She lives next door to the Big City that I always have to go to get decent craft supplies!

And we met!  

For COFFEE!  

What could be better than that?

So what's the red you ask?

That Betty is such a sweetheart - she brought me one of her famous pin cushions!  And it's RED!

Do you see the Mary E. fabric?

I think she made that rose on top, don't you?  I didn't ask because I didn't see that detail on Sunday.  

AND she had the sweetest little tag too!

Cherry close-up for you, Sue!

I'm joining the lovely Sue over at It's a Very Cherry World

for

Rednesday!

Oh and Betty?  I think we'll be having coffee and maybe some crafts again soon!

 

P.S.  No pictures of us!  Forgot my camera!

I've Been a Busy Little Bee

No peeking Peggy!

I did it!  I made my first fabric collage!  

Thanks to Karen from the Graphics Fairy!  The lovely lady and bees are all courtesy of her.

I'm participating in a collage swap and this is what I made for my partner.

I had so much fun!  

(I just wish I really knew how to sew - well I know how to sew - I just wish I was good at it and could just whip something out - there was a lot of glue used in this project)

I have to tell you - I am now TOTALLY addicted to printing pictures on fabric!  (Is it possible to become addicted to a craft technique?  I might be a new case study!)

It was so easy.  I'd read and read and read and looked and looked and looked at how to print pictures/graphics/words on fabric using the freezer paper method and.....

yes.....

I was a big chicken......

and.....

I don't know what took me so long!

You might be seeing LOTS of this from over here at Sweet Bee Cottage!

Worker Bee says calm down girl! Get a grip!  But I'm just buzzing all around the house thinking of things I can do with this technique!

 So thank you for buzzing by!

I always love to have a little visit with you.  Your bright and shining face is such a treat to see!

P.S.  Do any of you get that dash insert in your newspapers? The one that's full of recipes?

Well I'm always looking for new things to try and we've made the chocolate pancakes, the pasta with peas and ham, and the potato/bacon/sour cream frittata and they've all been delicious and easy to make.  Give it a try!

P.P.S. I forgot to tell you that Baby Bee came in 2nd place for her school Spelling Bee!  That means she get to go to the town Spelling Bee next!  Go Little Speller!  

Happy Valentine's Day! Show ME the Love!

I recently took part in a sweet valentine swap with Elizabeth from Bluebird Papercrafts and Sandy from 521 Lake Street and let me tell you - these ladies are uber talented.  But you probably already knew that if you've spent any time over at their blogs.  

So I was a bit intimidated to participate, but I wanted to give a little love to these two sweethearts who provide so much inspiration.

 Elizabeth made this valentine.  Isn't she amazing?  I love how she layers all the different elements.

I just happened to have this box in my Valentine's Day decorations and I think her valentine looks so sweet just sitting on top of it.

 Now Sandy made this one.  I feel like I won the Grand Bingo prize.  Isn't it adorable?

I didn't get any pictures of mine before I sent it off, but Elizabeth took a lovely one that she has on her blog.

Now, I'm killing two linky parties with one post........

so 

Show ME the love!

I keep meaning to put a picture in that frame and I then I forget!  Maybe I should put this picture of the frame in the frame!  Wouldn't that be surreal?

I just have to share some of Mary Engelbreit love tokens!

Thank you Vicki for having our weekly ME party!

And while we're on Valentine's Day, would you like to see some of my other decorations?

Well, you know I'm going to show you whether you want to or not, so c'mon.  Take a look!

Do you have a favorite?

I hope your Valentine's Day is filled with love from the heart.

Worker Bee and I have the day off today so we're off to the big city to do a little shopping and have a Valentine's Day lunch.

Thank you for buzzin' in today!

Hugs,

I Just Love Consignment Stores

We have the best consignment store in my little town.  

THE BEST!  

I sell things there all the time, but the best thing is that I just put the things I sell on my account and I'll go in and find something I adore and the sweet owner just subtracts it from the total she owes me.

I love that!

Baby Bee and I decided to take a little trip down there (it's all of about 10 blocks away) today to see what we could find.

Well, look what I found!

Yeah!  I bet that caught your attention.  

It's a  set of silver plate flatware!  

I can't for the life of me read what the pattern is, but it's charming!

8 dinner forks, 8 dinner knives, 8 teaspoons, 8 soup spoons, iced tea spoons, butter pat knives, some service pieces, and some mystery spoons.  

 (edited to add:  The company is National Silver Company and the pattern is Adam.  There are 80 pieces.)

Mystery spoons, eh?

Yes. they're a mystery because I don't have any idea what they might have been used for!

I think the tiny teaspoon ones might be used for espresso?  

(or maybe that's just my coffee bias speculating there)

But what about the soup spoon shaped ones?  

Do you know?

Enlighten me please if you do!

Included in this flatware purchase was also......

this French blue enamel bucket.  

I have no idea how old it is, but I don't think it's super old.  I wouldn't be surprised if it is missing a lid.  But no matter, I love it the way it is.  Not 100% sure what I'm going to do with it, but I can see using is as a utensil crock, for garden storage, as a bouquet holder, etc.

Well thank you so much for buzzin' by and checking out my new treasure(s)!

I so appreciate you taking time out of your day to come by and visit for a bit.  

I'm still working on that spring tea party.  I sure hope you can come.  I think I'll use my new flatware.  

Guess What I Did Tonight?

You will not believe what I did tonight!

Well, maybe if you answer in the form of a question you might be able to guess......

C'mon...........you know you want to whistle it.............

Yep!  I took the adult online test for Jeopardy!

Are you impressed I got this screen shot only 48 seconds before the test started?  ;)

How did it go you ask?

Well.............

Let's just say I didn't break any records tonight and leave it at that.  

My dear Worker Bee has taken the online test twice, passed it, and then been invited to audition in person down in Los Angeles - twice.  He has been accepted into the contestant pool twice (and, in fact, still is in the contestant pool for another 8 months or so).  It was nice having his experience as I signed up and then took the test.  From his experience I know it will be a few weeks before I hear anything from them, but I'm not packing my bags, that's for sure.

There were 50 questions and maybe I got 25 right.  They even asked the name of one of my favorite musicals ever and it came to me with 2 seconds left and I didn't have time to type it in.

So how was the experience?

Fun!  

I would do it again and I would definitely load up on the caffeine and trivia books for next January when they open auditions again.  (Dear sweet Worker Bee didn't finish my white mocha in time for me to drink it before the test started - hum.....maybe I can blame him for my lack of success.)

Have you ever tried out for a game show?

I'd love to hear your story!

Thanks for buzzin' by!  

I'm now going to enjoy my white mocha and go read Ken Jennings books.  

Oh wish Baby Bee luck!  She is in her school's Spelling Bee tomorrow representing 4th grade!

Thank You - Your Kindness Means So Much

I can't begin to tell you how uplifting all your kind words were to our family.

Your words warmed our hearts.

Our hearts were full of love and sorrow, but the memorial service planned by my brother-in-law and his family was comforting and such a celebration of his life.  The tears flowed, yes, but the laughter rang out far more than the tears.  And there was music, 

much music - from The Beatles to Christian Contemporary to Dr. Demento!

All of the brothers, their wives, nieces, and nephews were able to have this time together along with Worker Bee's mother.  

Rest in peace Greg.

Thank you, again, so very, very much.

 

We Have Some Sad News

My dear bloggy friends,

My husband's brother passed away Tuesday morning.  

He has been ill for a long time and I know he is not in pain now, but we still hate to lose him.  

He was a marvelous guitar player and we would all have the best sing-a-longs with him and the entire family.  He was a wonderful uncle to Baby Bee and a good friend to me.  I know my husband looked up to him and felt very close to him.  He is ten years older than my husband (who is the baby in the family) and he lived at home with my Worker Bee the longest.  He was a powerful influence on my husband.  He loved his family and his brothers.  He loved God and he loved his church and he loved to play music in his church band.  He loved fishing too.  He leaves behind his wife, his son, and his daughter.  He also leaves behind an extended family that loved him very much.

The tears are falling as I write this because how do you show how much you loved and appreciated someone?  How can I show you the expressions on his face that would always crack me up?  How can you see the joy that radiated from him when he was playing the guitar and the boys were all singing together?  

I can't I guess, but I can let you know a little about him and let you know how much we will miss him.

Thank you for stopping by.