“Begin doing what you want to do now. We are not living in eternity. We have only this moment, sparkling like a star in our hand - and melting like a snowflake.”
- Francis Bacon

Saturday, January 30, 2010

♥Pink Saturday hearts are a'flutter in anticipation of Valentine's Day♥

I haven't been around much this past week due to a little back injury☺ There was an accident earlier this week where my garage door and I had a difference of opinion. I wanted it up and it wanted to be down. I think it won the first round because I felt and heard things snapping in my back that I haven't heard in along, long time! OUCH! Needless to say, I saw a few stars (on a sunshiny day) and ended up on pain meds and steroids. I have spent more time resting these past few days than I normally do when the sun is shining and I have things to do I must say, though, my dogs and kitties just 'd the extra time spent snuggling and cuddling. Now, on to Pink Saturday and Valentine's Day preparations!


I picked up these sweet, pink lights at Walgreen's last year at the end of the holiday and have been waiting to hang them around my kitchen window since then. So, before they make their appearance and warm the evening with their sweet silhouette, I am sharing them with you today.

It's cold and flu season. So far, I have been so fortunate to not have needed copious amounts of tissue to clear my head but I always have them handy in all rooms. With three, little boys running around here a couple of weekends each month I know a good friend when I meet one and - tissues are a grandma's friend during cold season!
I always have so much fun during the Valentine season. I see my favorite color everywhere I go symbolized by a shape that is universal when it comes to bringing out the romantic in all of us - young, old, thick, thin, man, woman, child, married or single. I picked these darling heart-shaped marshmallows at Big Lots a day or so ago. Tomorrow I'll go by the grocery to buy some Strawberry Milk which will be warmed to PURRfection, loaded with whipped cream until it just barely flows over the edge of the mug and toped off with one of these plump, soft confections of love. My grandsons and I will sit around the kitchen table and plan on how each of us is going to jazz up our cupcakes which will be the craft of the weekend.

Close to Valentine's Day I'll have Joe, Ben and Josh spend the night so their mom and dad can get out for a romantic evening. My plans are for us to bake some cherry cupcakes and to apply some little doilies around their edge, so when they take them home as gifts to their parents the cuppycakes will look like little creations of lve and affection. Why don't you collect the few supplies necessary, sit down with someone you love and spend time laughing, smiling. hugging and making little treasures to share with the important people in your lives?
I realize that cupcakes have been enjoying the spotlight for awhile now, and may one day soon be replaced by a bunt cake or a pound cake but don’t you just lve cupcakes?  They have just as many calories (or perhaps more) than a slice of cake, we swoon over them at every opportunity.  It’s a portable indulgence everyone deserves on any given day, not just on special occasions.

With that in mind and with the coming of Valentine's Day, I thought these little guys should have a make-over of sorts to elevate them even more - is that possible? - as our passionate sensation of the day

Buy some run-of-the-mill four inch doilies (this size fits a cuppycake perfectly) and fold them in half being careful to only crease the center – not the lacy outer edge. Remove the inner circle of paper with scissors or an exacto knife. (I've used both and find I have no preference. It all depends on my mood and how close I am to the materials required.) Slip  the doilie skirt up your cupcake and there you go! You can really let your imagination run wild from there adding whatever suits your fancy. Add bows, rhinestones, pearls, little candies - have fun because after all - it MUST be FUN!

These are so much fun to make and such a pleasure to give to friends, family, teachers and, of course, YOU because YOU are worth it, yes, you certainly are - each and every bite! 

Be sure to stop by Beverly's HOW SWEET THE SOUND to check out all of the wonderful blogs that participate in PINK SATURDAY. If you ♥ pink it's the place to be today! 

A WORD ABOUT REDUNDANT OVERKILL! There are so many participants on Pink Saturday that asking us to enter codes only to find out that you are going to moderate the comment as well is OVERKILL. Please do one or the other. Doing both serves no purpose and causes people to leave your blog frustrated about the hoops they had to jump through. I visit each and every blog - it is frustrating to say the least. 

One good way to speed the process for all of us on Pink Saturday would be to remove all barriers to comments for the day only. Wouldn't that be nice?