Mmm...Yummy Mocha Cupcakes!

Last year I found Transformation Thursday on The Shabby Chic Cottage blog. Then while browsing that blog I found a few more blogs which are now are favorites. One of these is Inside BruCrew Life...lots of great ideas and recipes. And, last night I tried one of her recipes! Here's the picture of my first Caramel Mocha Cupcake.

I love the cupcake...it's so me - dark chocolate, mocha...mmm! They look better than I expected and I will definitely make these again especially since Julie is so far away and can't taste one of these. You can find the recipe here on Jocelyn's blog.

2010 Book List

Last year I set a goal of 52 books to read. I'm happy to report that this is one goal I met last year. Looking over the list I see that free kindle downloads play an important part in the books I read. Some of them I probably would not have read if they had not been available as a free download. Some of them I liked well enough to purchase other books in the series. The Wimpy Kid Diary books were read for my nephew Caleb. He and I sat on the swing on my mom's deck and started the first book, then I finished it that evening and asked for another. The next week we went to see the Diary of a Wimpy Kid movie playing at the Maumee Theatre...perfect! Some of the books are written for young adults (8th-high school perhaps). These are some of the free downloads and are quick reads. I read them looking for books I could recommend to my nieces and nephews.
Books that stand out - Setting the Record Straight: American History in Black and White by David Barton; Tuck by Stephen Lawhead; Spiritual Depression: It's Causes and Cure by D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones; and The People of the Mist by Henry Rider Haggard.
Well enough said. Here's the list:
Books I've Read (2010)

* ESV Bible
* The People of the Mist - Henry Rider Haggard (free kindle)
* The Judge Who Stole Christmas - Randy Singer (free kindle)
* Safely Home - Randy Alcorn (free kindle)
* A Simple Amish Christmas - Vanetta Chapman (free kindle)
* On the Run - Bill Myers (free kindle) (y)
* Counterfeit Gods - Timothy Keller
* I Come Quietly to Meet You - Amy Carmichael, arranged by David Hazard
* Dawn's Prelude - Tracie Peterson (free kindle book)
* Buried Sins - Marta Perry
* A Christmas to Die For - Marta Perry
* Wild Goose Chase - Mark Batterson
* Hide in Plain Sight - Marta Perry (free kindle book)
* Staying True - Jenny Sanford
* The Malacca Conspiracy - Don Brown
* Nightmare's Edge - Bryan Davis
* Eternity's Edge - Bryan Davis
* Beyond the Reflection's Edge - Bryan Davis
* Setting the Record Straight: American History in Bland & White - David Barton
* Stealing Bradford - Melody Carlson (free kindle
* Mixed Bags - Melody Carlson (free kindle)
* The Scarlet Thread - Francine Rivers
* Her Mother's Hope (Marta's Legacy series) - Francine Rivers
* War of Words - Paul David Tripp
* Living Organized - Sandra Felton (free kindle)
* Highland Blessings - Jennifer Hudson Taylor (free kindle)
* The Overton Window - Glenn Beck
* Homespun Bride - Jillian Hart (free kindle)
* The First Drop of Rain - Leslie Parrott (free kindle)
* A Passion Most Pure - Julie Lessman (a free kindle download)
* Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society - Mary Ann Shaffer, Anne Barrows
* Diary of a Wimpy Kid - Jeff Kinney
* Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days - Jeff Kinney
* The Edge of Apocalypse - Tim LaHaye & Craig Parshall
* The Slave Across the Street - Theresa L. Flores
* The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie - Alan Bradley
* Reflections on the Psalms - C.S. Lewis
* Same Kind of Different as Me - Ron Hall & Denver Moore
* The Still of Night - Kristen Heitzmann
* A Rush of Wings - Kristen Heitzmann (free kindle)
* Spiritual Depression-It's Causes and Cure - D.Martyn Lloyd-Jones
* Breaker's Reef - Terri Blackstock
* River's Edge - Terri Blackstock
* Southern Storm - Terri Blackstock
* Cape Refuge - Terri Blackstock (free kindle)
* Christmas in my Heart #13 - Joe Wheeler
* Vanish - Tom Pawlik (free kindle)
* Christmas in My Heart # 12 - Joe Wheeler
* La's Orchestra Saves the World - Alexander McCall Smith
* The Shunning - Beverly Lewis (free kindle)
* Where the Blue Begins - Christopher Morley
* Parnassus on Wheels - Christopher Morley
* Summer of the Midnight Sun - Tracie Peterson (free kindle)
* 12-Day Body Shaping Makeover - Michael Thurmond (free kindle)
* Dark Pursuit - Brandilyn Collins (free kindle download
* Tuck - Steven R. Lawhead

Operation Write Home

Operation Write Home is an organization whose mission is to support "our nation's armed forces by sending blank handmade greeting cards to write home on, as well as cards of gratitude to encourage them." This is something I've wanted to do and finally stopped long enough to make it happen. I had a stash of Christmas cards and also stamped for a couple of hours yesterday to give me this assortment. I hope to make another quick dozen before I send them on their way next week. If you're a stamper/crafter, you may have an abundance of supplies that could easily translate into cards for soldiers. What a perfect way to support our troops and clean out that ever growing stash of paper, ribbons, stickers...

Loving this transformation stuff!!!

A few months ago I stumbled upon Transformation Thursday at "The Shabby Chic Cottage." There are some talented people out there and lots of great ideas. I've been wanting to replace the dated light fixture in my dining room, and with all the other makeovers and repairs going on, a new light just keeps pushed back. A few years ago, when I could no longer stand the brass light, I borrowed some of Julie's silver rub and voila...new light. I added some small shades (never really liked them) and then one Christmas added the beads and just decided to let them stay a while. So the picture on the left is what I started with today.
I really wanted to use black rub to cover the light...I have a tube somewhere...but after searching for a couple of months, I gave up and bought some metal paint at Lowes. I listened to 2 lectures on C.S. Lewis while I worked on the light. That really helped make the project go by faster. The picture on the right is what I have now and as you can see, I need to buy 8 light bulbs that match. Gary should be bringing those home tonight.
The two pictures below are Julie's. She repainted a couple of frames and made them chalkboards. They're hanging in her home office and help her keep track of her photography events and work schedule.

Mojo Sketch Inspired

Yeah, I know, it's been ages since I've posted any work. It's not because I haven't made anything...I just haven't had the time. You know how it is - 45 min trip to work, 45 minute trip home, dinner, dishes, do this, do that and it's 11pm. Fortunately, I'm taking advantage of a few weeks off (thanks, Gary). While I'm tackling a list of long overdue projects, I'm pausing occasionally to share some of the things I've been making.
This afternoon I looked through some old mojo monday sketches and decided to try one from April. I used the new SU color coach to find a color combo for real red. It had real red, early espresso and pumpkin pie (wasn't really sure about this combo at first). But since I wanted to add some designer paper to the mix, I decided to switch to choc chip. It worked, I'm done, and I have another card to add to my growing stash!
Stamps:Pocket Silhouettes, Sanded, Matchbox Messages
Ink: Chocolate Chip Classic Ink; Real Red Marker, Pumpkin Pie marker, and Soft Suede marker

My Perfect Little Model

I've been busy making fabric flowers using the Big Shot and the SU flower folds die. I thought the best way to share some is by using my perfect little model - Bree. And even better...we were at Julie's and she took the pictures. They took a walk in the woods and Bree had fun posing in front of the camera for her Aunt Julie.
Here's a sampling of their "work"

After many weeks...

...and what seems like months since I shared any cards I've made, I finally grabbed my camera and took a few pictures. This whole thing takes a few days. I took the pictures last Monday when I had an hour of sunlight in my computer room. You know that little room we used to call the black room. The room where Julie watched a lot of movies, I had early morning devotions, Gary now has early morning devotions and it is now my home office. That room (just a bit of information that is not really necessary but shared nonetheless)! Yesterday I thought about editing the pictures, but took some medicine for my cold and went to bed. So today I took advantage of having a day home from work and uploaded the pictures and voila...a post! Anyway, here are 3 pictures of some recent projects. I used a sizzix die to make the tiny envelope on the first card. The white border was created with the new Stampin Up border and corner punches. And the border punch was free - it's a Sale-a-bration product.
The next little card (yes, it is only 1 3/4 inch square, tiny) was one of the projects made at my valentine card class last month. I then made several more to go with boxes of heart truffles. The glassine envelope is a new item in the SU occasions mini catalog...so cute! I named the little cards hugs and they add a nice touch to the top of the truffle boxes.
The last 2 cards are from a shoebox swap that I participated in with other SU demonstrators. It was fun to go to somewhere else and use other people's "toys" to make cards.
Okay, that's enough for now. Gary is coming in the door...gotta go!