Getting Ready for the Holidays!

Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas!

Are you getting your house ready for the Holidays? Well, Christmas is my favorite time of the year! Besides the fact that I can find anything with my name on it, people are nicer, friendlier and courteous. This year, I thought I would get a jump on decorating! So this is what Shalom and I did! Take a look!

First we decorated the tree downstairs. . .

Then we hung the stockings with care . . . Then I decorated the fireplace with such care! Then I got carried away and hung garland everywhere! Here's some more!

This is what you see when you come in the door!

Everyday we do some type of holiday activity! The Advent Calendar - A la Target!

This the the wreath that I made for the door! This sign is just too cute!

I just love my dining room table! Here is a closer look!

Now all I have to do is cook! We are making Christmas gifts this year instead of buying them. Candies, cookies, cakes and pies and other yummy stuff - My oh my!

Baby Shower for one of my BFF's

This is Carmen - Isn't she beautiful? Can you image how beautiful her daughter will be?

This is me and Carmen! This is Yuan, Carmen and me on her wedding day.

My BFF is having a baby! In fact - she is having a baby girl! When she told me this I KNEW I would be throwing her a shower. This girl - Carmen - is going to be a great mommy, I can not wait to me the baby! But here is a peek at the shower me and Yuan threw for her.

This was the first thing they saw when they came through the door! A zebra diaper cake! Sweet! Take a closer look! It so cute, even if I did make it! Here is the table where mini strawberry cupcakes sat with zebra Jones cotton candy sodas! These are sooooo good! Then gift bags for the games - thanks to Yuan! Wanna closer look? Check out the sodas - I love them!!! Carmen is not a big eater so we did a lot of little things to eat like . . . Asparagus wrapped in Phillo dough and . . . A fruit tower with yummy fruit dip. Oh . . . did I mention the zebra corn in zebra paper cones? The Hostess with the mostess gave us this idea. We had to tweek it a bit. Here is close up on some of the cute details. Party gifts! Plates and napkins! For more food like, chicken salad tea sandwiches, egg salad sandwiches, mini quiches, pigs in a blanket, pinwheel sandwiches, and other yummy treats and eats! When the baby arrives, I will be sure to post a picture . . .in January!

Gap Casting Call!

This is not Cupcake related . . . But they are cute as cupcakes! Gap is having its annual Kid Casting Call!

http://family.go.com/gapcastingcall/?cmp=OTC-Gap-GapKids-HPBanner-Entry

I have decided to enter All Three of my Kiddo's! Yes, even the one that does not like taking pictures but I figure what the heck!

So here they are!

Naomi J. Baby Girl ID: 752682379 Houston, TX Fan Favorite Votes: 0 Vote for me so I can be the Fan Favorite Shalom J.

ID: 62682199 Houston, TX Fan Favorite Votes: 0 Vote for me so I can be the Fan Favorite

Reece J. Baby Boy ID: 382682342 Houston, TX Fan Favorite Votes: 0 Vote for me so I can be the Fan Favorite

Now I know the baby girl is camera shy but I could not leave her out! But honestly! Don't they LOOK like Gap Kids?

Please vote!!!!! You can vote daily until November 17th!

The Color Purple

Me and My Best Friend

My best friend and I went to see the Color Purple The Stage Play!

Here we are by the sign

We even had someone to take our picture! I was so excited! This was my birthday present. We were supposed to go last year but the hurricane came and well . . . that went right out the door! But this time we got to go! And my terriffic husband keep the twins! We don't get to go out that often so this was a special treat. Can you tell I was excited? My hair looks short in this picture, doesn't it? I also look really tall compared to Ann! She is only 5'2! She is also an athlete! She competed in the Goodwill Games and went to the olympic trials! She is also the Godmother of my twins and one of the best friends a girl could ever have! She is like my sister!

So we went to the play held at the Hobby Center in Houston See for yourself! A very nice theater, if I do say so. Then there were the costumes . . . They were outstanding! And the acting . . . AMAZING! Let's just say they knew their stuff!

Do you remember where they were at Harpo's Jute Joint? Well I hope this jogs your memory!

And what about the time when they were in the church yard gossiping? (love the lingo?) And what about the picnic at the end when Ms. Ceily meets her kids because Mister atoned for his sins . . . And everyone lived happily ever after? Well that is the Jist of the play. I enjoyed it and so did my best friend!

Thanks Ann!

Giddy up!

Natasha Martinez's Baby Shower September 26, 2009

This is Natasha Martinez and that bump is her new baby boy, let's just call him JJ.

This is Natasha's new family And here we are - the girls! Yvette, Carmen (pregers) Natasha, Ann and Me (the Cupcake Chic!)

Well I was doing research for her baby shower and since I am an avid follower of The Hostess with the Mostess and Bakerella, I got some ideas from their sites. If you EVER want to find good ideas go to their sites. http://www.bakerella.com/ and http://www.thehostesswiththemostess.com/

So here is what we came up with . . . Inspiration!

Since we had the shower at Ann's - the theme was Western. Decorations were easy since Ann is an Elementary School teacher we went to the library for western books and added little touches here and there!

I used some scrapbook paper to make napkin with her initials on them! They were so cute, people did not want to use them!

This was the table setting, it was cute! I even made the table runners. If you look at the picture behind Natasha you can see it better! Let's talk about food. Bar-B-Que of course!

Brisket - made by me @ 7am this morning! Green Beans! Yummy to the Tummy. It is so hard to find good tasting green beans! Baked Beans and Red Skin Potato Salad. Need I say more . . . Yes! And since I am addicted to McDonald's sweet tea - any Texas BBQ worth its salt has Sweet Tea! Look at the cute jug - Bed Bath and Beyond! You can even put ice in the bottom! Too Too cute! Let the Games Begin!

Talk about COMPETITIVE! These people were serious! We played about four games and what did they win . . . Cute huh? Thanks Bakerella! So who was the first to win? Carmen! She is due in January! So we will be planning another baby shower soon! Did someone say cupcakes? You knew they were coming, right! Look how cute they are!

The little toppers were made by me, I wanted to try something new. I think they turned out cute! Family and Friends Nothing makes a baby shower like 'em!

Natasha's Family More Family JJ's New little Cousin! Oh! We had helpers too! Shalom And Kayla Happy Trails! I was in chuch when I came up with the parting gift! Ha! Inside is Trail Mix, a custom water bottle and beef jerky!

Now all we have to do is wait until November 22-25 for this little Buckaroo to arrive!

Git along little doggy!