Build your own dessert

We usually find some tasty little treat for dessert after our family dinners. In the spirit of the festive season, this time it was "build your own . . . Santa".

Take a strawberry . . . add some cream . . . chocolate and vanilla fudge in a tube . . . mixed with a bit of imagination. And what do you get???

Strawberry Santas, of course . . .

Or birds.

Or wierd little guys.

Or smiley faces.

In the midst of all the laughter we did manage to eat a few strawberries - and they were so sweet and tasty. There's nothing quite like a bit of "interactive dessert" to ensure that much laughter and fun is had by all!

Birthday Season

Well this girl certainly makes the most of her birthday . . . with Birthday Season. And why not celebrate someone so lovely before, during and after the actual day?

This year, in addition to our usual Fridge Photos and "Happy Birthday" banner, I was inspired by Pinterest to make this "Party Hat" banner.

So I converted some photos to black & white and printed them onto cardstock (I used regular paper first, but it was a bit too flimsy). Then I added some scrapbooking paper to make up the party hats. I punched some holes and added vintage ribbon from my stash to hang the banner.

It was a big hit with the birthday girl!! And we all enjoyed reminiscing over the various ages and stages of her life so far . . .

And what birthday party is complete without a cake?

The timing was just perfect for Dawn from As Sweet As Cinnamon to post a link to Lea's Paleo Chocolate Birthday Cake . . . .

Our household is predominantly gluten-free these days, so it's great to find recipes for delicious culinary treats. And this one is certainly on the "make again" list!

Happy Birthday Dear Kelly, Happy Birthday to YOU xoxoxo

Button Bling

I have a thing for buttons.

I have buttons on clothes.

And on bags.

And as jewellery.

Today I did a re-vamp of some older pieces - the necklace and bracelet. 

And added something new - the earrings.

The necklace used to only have the centre 7 sets of buttons, which looked really good with a shirt with a collar. But a bit odd otherwise. What's a girl to do but add more buttons! So that's what I did, re-stringing (or wiring) the lot.

The bracelet had broken, so it had to be re-strung as well. And really, a set's not complete without earrings is it?

I don't think I'll wear all 3 things at once (perhaps a bit too matchy-matchy!), but sometimes when I've worn the bracelet I've thought that some earrings would be good. Now I'm set to mix and match. It's good to have choices.

Looking at the big yellow button with the little red one on top reminds me of these, which I was lucky enough to enjoy today . . .

The Details
Necklace: 2 strands of 26g wire, magnetic clasp
Bracelet: 6 strands DMC thread, magnetic clasp
Earrings: Regular headpin, gently manipulated through holes in buttons, Sterling Silver shepherds hooks