DIY, Chocolate Cake & Word to your Mother!

We've been feeling crafty for the past few days in the Douglas household.  I decided to look through my pin list on Pinterest and finally do the things I re-pinned forever ago.  One of the things I attempted yesterday was homemade sidewalk chalk paint, found here: http://hammerandthread.blogspot.com/2011/08/sidewalk-paint.html.  Princess had a great time with it, and I did, too!

It was super easy to do, and also super cheap  I already had all the necessary ingredients: corn starch, food coloring and water.  I think another great idea would have been to put all the different cups of paint I used in a muffin tin to keep them from getting knocked over while we were outside.  I came across some spray bottles in the $1 aisle of Target and thought I might put another Pinterest idea to use today.  I found it here, but I used the other recipe instead of the one on this page: http://www.infarrantlycreative.net/2011/06/chalk-spray.html.  We went outside and Princess and I just had a blast splattering the sidewalk:

This activity only lasted a few minutes though, and we were out of paint.  So we came back inside and decided to do some real painting. 

Here's what I painted, don't laugh.... I was hungry at the time.  :)

I polished off my soda and thought I would apply another Pinterest idea found here: http://alphamom.com/family-fun/holidays/cherry-blossom-art-from-a-recycled-soda-bottle/.  I gave Princess my soda bottle and the remainder of our paint and she had a blast making these "flowers":

We've been very crafty and having a blast every minute of it.  I shall spend more time this evening perusing Pinterest for more ideas. 

Now, for those who are keeping tabs on my blog solely for the purpose of seeing what divine delicacies I have been whipping up, here is the mother of all Pioneer Woman recipes so far.  OMG, I got rave reviews on it, and I couldn't keep my hands off of it, either.  Here's the link to it on her page: The Best Chocolate Sheet Cake Ever.  I have to concur.  This cake was the best ever.  I didn't even get a picture of it.  Like her recipe says, please make this cake.  She doesn't want you to be without it a moment longer. 

Oh, and I promised my friend, Angie, that I'd write a shout out to my mother here on my blog and link to her blog in recognition of Mother's Day approaching.  That's this Sunday the 13th for those husbands or children that haven't gotten their mothers or wives anything yet.... hint hint.... and please follow Angie's blog if you aren't already.  She's hilarious.  And an awesome person. She's uber-cool.

Dear Mom,

How do I love thee, let me count the ways.... Ok sorry, that's a bit cliche.  Mother, I can't begin to express how grateful I am for everything you've ever done for me.  You've been a shoulder to cry on (despite the 2300 miles that separates us), you've given me excellent advice, and you've passed on your horrible Sunday Punday gene.  Ok, maybe I'm not so grateful for that one.  Thank you for letting me make mistakes even though I'm sure that you wish I hadn't.  I needed them to help me learn. I think I turned out ok.  I'm glad you never stopped praying for me, especially when I needed it the most.  I am proof positive that your prayers were answered, too.  Don't stop praying, though.  I can still use the prayers.... You're the role model I'm emulating now in this new endeavor of stay-at-home mommyhood.  You made it look effortless, and I am sorry that I didn't make it any easier for you.  Thank you for cleaning my room numerous times after telling me 100 times to do it and then giving up when I hadn't done it and just did it yourself.  I finally understand.  Why couldn't I have inherited your clean-freak gene instead of the horrible punning??  Of all the things you did for us though, I must say the thing that impressed me the most was that you could braid my hair with one hand.  That's just super Mom right there.  I love how I can call you almost anytime and you cheer me right up.  Or vice versa.  Or at least I hope I cheer you right up when you're down.  I love doing our puzzles on a daily basis, it keeps both our minds agile.  My only wish is that I lived closer to you so that I could visit you more often and make you all these yummy treats that I blog about.  Thank you for teaching me to cook at such a young age.  It made all the difference, let me tell ya.




My mother, pregnant with me



Mommy holding me


Mommy, I love you more than words could possibly express, and I'm so glad to know that we're a forver family.  Happy Mother's Day to both of us, and I hope you're crying, cause I am too. 

Love,

Your favorite daughter (I can say that cause I don't think my sisters read my blog)




Ok, Angie... here's the link to your Mother's Day Blog as promised...

http://www.bloglovin.com/m/3687528/458729218/fb