Violet's Bouquet

I had the absolute honor and pleasure of making the bridal bouquet for my dear young friend, Violet.  (Her mom and I go way, way back to the halcyon days of high-kicking in the Robinson Rockette drill team.  I have known the Violet Child since the day she was born.)  Now that she is a Mrs, I can share pictures of the blingy beauty!

Violet longed for a brooch bouquet.  I had never made a bridal bouquet ever, ever, ever.  But, a person can learn how to do most everything on the World Wide Web.  Brooch bouquets are actually not that hard to make.  The hardest part was wrapping the stems.  For that I called upon my DIY hero and Gift Wrapping Mentor, Shanna.  It takes 2 people!!

In early February, I drove to Waco to hand deliver Violet's bouquet.  

Seeing her reaction made the 6 hour drive so worth it!!

First, the "packaging."

I'd been saving this cool box for "sumthin special."

I found this beautiful bauble on ebay and thought it might come in handy some day.  It did.

Next, the delivery.

(This picture isn't blurry.  You need to put on your readers.)

On her wedding day, I added a little special sentimental detail - a silver locket with her monogram on the front and her wedding date on the back.  Inside, I had a head shot of her as a 5 year old in the wedding dress and veil her mom made for her to play in.  
Opposite that picture I placed a head shot of one of her wedding portraits.  

I tied it just under the satin ruffle with a piece of white satin ribbon.  Sigh.

Thank you, Violet, for letting me share in such a monumental moment of your life.  I  have thoroughly enjoyed being your Fairy Godmother since the day you were born.  

Happy Birthday, Precious Violet Suzanna.

Violet's Bouquet.  Every single time I say "Violet's Bouquet" I think of Hyacinth Bucket. 

Raspberry Tea-Cones Update

I went by Mom's the other day to clean out the old food in her pantry.  According to her, two year old Pirouette Cookies with vanilla cream filling aren't out of date because she hadn't opened them yet.  Chunk!  As I organized her pantry, I found some contraband.  

Not pictured:  "Still Fresh" Pirouettes, the almost empty box of Girl Scout Lemonades cookies,
and a bag of rock hard "orange slices." When I showed her the 3 bags of orange slices I found in the pantry,
 she asked me to hand her a couple of slices.  She loves orange slices.

I found this grocery list on the counter.

I seriously doubt that Dr. Oz would approve of her snack shelf.  It would probably take 3 million mgs. of "rasberry Keto" to counteract her daily sugar intake.  Further, I doubt they sell poached eggs at the grocery store.

This morning when we picked up Meems and Leonard for church, I handed her a bottle of Tea-Cones.  I found them at Drug Emporium.  I told her that she's supposed to take 2 per day with a Krispy Kreme donut.

Oh, how I adore my crazy, funny, happy-every-ding-dong-day mother!!

How's About a Little Happy Dance?

Bryce and Reed are in the middle of finals this week.  Bryce had his hardest final today.  He always sends me a text before heading in to take a test, and I text a prayer back to him.  Here are the exchanges just before and after the "hardest test" he took today:

Before test...

Bryce:  Thx. [for the prayer]  I got this.

Me:  So does He.

After test...

Bryce:  That's my "raise the roof one down dance!"

Me:  One good happy dance deserves another!

Bryce:  LOL  Did you learn that at yalls [sic] dance class?

Me:  maybe I did and maybe I didn't...

Bryce:  Reed's three finals down dance.

Me:  These videos have made me so happy!  Methinks I see a blog coming!

Bryce:  Glad I have a lone star shirt on.  Free advertising. [for my husband's workplace]

It's All in the Packaging, cont.

Opening a gift should be an experience within itself.  I think that every "giving" occasion can be enhanced by a little extra effort!!

I learned from a dear friend, Shanna, how to wrap gifts using hot glue instead of tape.  Some of my recipients don't really appreciate the immaculate wrapping because a jackhammer is sometimes needed to actually get to the gift.

A random Father's Day gift - mail-art-meets-gift-wrap.

Mailing a wrapped gift poses the problem of how to keep the gift looking great during shipping.  

This wrap matched the recipients' fun spirit.  I got the paper flower topper at Michael's in a $1 bin.

I found this take out lid and covered the flower with it.  Rubber bands held it in place.
I then wrapped the whole thing tightly in white tissue and
taped it up securely so that the flower couldn't escape.

Birthday gifts for my twin-friends!  We go way, way back!  
That's a picture of me during our glorious drill team days.
Caption:  "Those were the days, my friend, we thought they'd never end!
We'd sing and dance forever and a day!
I had so much fun wrapping these!!!

Oh, yes!  There's more!  Wait for it...wait for it...
To be continued.

Raspberry Tea-Cones

My mom sees several doctors every day.  Twice a day.  Her "specialists" are Dr. Masterson, Dr. Ordon, Dr. Sears, and Dr. Stork.  Her "primary care physician" is the beloved Dr. Oz who, by the way, has a huge posse of "patients" at Raider Ranch, the "master-planned, gated active retirement community featuring luxury homes for those at least 55 years of age, located in the heart of Texas."  His devotees hang onto his every word.  They proudly quote him with great regularity.  The Meems quotes Dr. Oz during her actual doctor appointments.  "DR. OZ SAYS that apple cider is good for acid reflux."  (Funny thing is...she wasn't there complaining of acid reflux.  She had a questionable mole that Dr. Oz thought needed checking because it's bigger than the tip of a pencil eraser.)

Discussion in the car last Sunday as we were heading to church with Mom and her best friend, Leonard:

Mom:  Would you ask Dr. Robertson if it's OK if I take Raspberry Tea-Cones?  I need to lose some weight before the cruise in June.  [She has "outgrown" the shorts that she bought last year for her trip to Hawaii...]

Me:  Do you mean Raspberry KE-TONES?  [The very day before, I saw a Groupon for some miraculous Raspberry Ketone pills.  I researched them carefully.  Not sold on them.]

Mom:  Yes.  DR. OZ SAYS they make you lose weight.

Me:  He does, does he?  Hmmm.  Why don't you just stop eating dessert every night and take some extra strolls around Raider Ranch?  [Leonard laughs out loud.]

Mom:  I don't want to stop eating dessert, and I already walk all the way to the dining room at dinner.  It's a long walk to the dining room.  DR. OZ SAYS that Raspberry Tea-Cones can make you lose weight no matter what you eat.  Ask Dr. Robertson if he thinks that they would be alright for me to take.

Me:  I think that it would be easier to just get some new shorts.  [Again, Leonard laughs out loud.]

Mom:  Well, ask him anyway.

I asked Dr. Robertson.  He's never heard of Raspberry Tea-Cones.  So, Mom and I have worked out a deal.  I have given her several pairs of the shorts that are now too big for me, and she has given me some of her "outgrown" pairs of shorts.  Problem solved.  Bring on the 2 scoops of "pass-smoe-knee!"  That's Meems' talk for "spumoni."  

"They have really good pass-smoe-knee at Raider Ranch!  You should try it sometime!  It's got 3 kinds of ice cream in it!  There's...ummmm...chocolate and...let me think...oh, yeah!...vanilla...and...best of all!...cherry with little bits of cherry in it!  It's really good!  You need to try it!"

Hmm.  I wonder if Dr. Oz recommends "pass-smoe-knee" for weight loss.

Hot Mess Yoga

So, I did this quick yoga workout* with Ming Foong this morning.  For fun, I added spinning plates on those little skinny poles, 10 hoola hoops, and ate some fire for good measure.

She was all like, "Put your foot above your head, fully extend, blah, blah, blah."  I was all like, "Be right back!  Gotta go pee!" and "I think I hear the drier buzzing!"  

A couple of times I was all...

I cranked the heater up to 85 so I could experience the whole "hot yoga" thang.  

But, then I was all, "Meng Foong, I'm dyin' he-ya!  I...can't...breathe!"

And, she was all, "I'll give you something to cry about!  Tighten those glutes!  Why is your body shaking so hard?  Concentrate!  Concentrate!  Concentrate!"

I survived the ordeal.  I've had a big sang-wich.  Now, I'm thinking chocolate and a nap.  I've never felt more alive.

*For those of you who don't "know me," I totally did not actually do the yoga.  I did, however, watch Meng Foong very closely.  I'm still working up a sweat just thinking about all that bending and stretching.