thrifty Thursday

I love thrifting. It's thrilling to me to find something I've been needing for so much less that it would cost from its original store.

Lately, Brad has been needing jeans to wear to work. His office recently switched over  to more casual dress, and he hasn't worn a pair of khakis to work in ages! His jeans collection was starting to be a bit threadbare, and one of his last good pairs ripped all the way up the leg. Dire situation, indeed.

My mission upon entering thrift stores, then, has been first, to find jeans for Brad, second, to find clothes for my ever-growing toddler, and third, to find a couple nice pieces  for myself, since my post-pregnancy shape is so different.

Today was a triple win. Hooray!

Not one, but THREE pairs of pants for Brad:
One pair of Levi's (about $58 new), one pair of brand new, with tags, Old Navy jeans ($29.50), and a pair of Banana Republic jeans ($89!?!) for a grand total of $35.

A likely brand new baby Gap thermal (white with navy stripes) for my sweet little boy:
(Similar one $19.95) for $0.75. Boom, baby.

And a cute sweater and skirt for me! The skirt is old, from Old Navy. Probably about 2006? Let's imagine that it was probably about $15. The sweater doesn't have a tag, but it looks like it could be Old Navy, as well. I'll imagine that it was likely $20 new. Both items came to $6.50 total.

So the grand total is about $42.  It would have been about $222 new. I paid about 19% of the original price of these items.

I. Love. Thrifting.

Happy Thursday!

little miracle: sneak peek!

Today, we had an ultrasound - at 38 weeks! My doctor had measured my belly at 41 centimeters last week at my 37 week appointment, and wanted to determine the cause for that. I, for one, think it's partly because I'm rather short (5'1") and that there's nowhere for this little guy to go but out!

Look at this smile! He was sticking his tongue out while we watched.

Brad was able to come with me, as I had a super-early morning appointment. It was so amazing to see our baby again - and this time, we got some 3D pictures of his adorable face! I am beyond excited to meet this little one!

The sonogram specialist, Dr. Grace, told us that our baby's measurements put him smack dab in the middle of normal range for size: he's about 7lbs, 1oz as of today. There is a bit of extra amniotic fluid, however, which is what's making my belly so big. The doctor wasn't too concerned, though, since the baby is so active and everything else looks good. They'll be watching me for further signs of gestational diabetes and they'll do a non-stress test (listening to baby's heartbeat) next week if I'm still pregnant next week!

All this is to say: I'm carrying a little miracle. And I can't wait to hold him in my arms! I cannot wait to see him in Brad's arms, either, and to confirm outside the womb how much Baby looks like his Daddy.

sewing for Baby

You already know that I like to reuse and repurpose fabric - often a thrifted vintage sheet or pillow case, and sometimes, cast-off clothing.

This weekend, I pulled out a much-loved and much-worn (and too small in the neck) short-sleeved dress shirt that belonged to the resident daddy-to-be, and turned it into a play suit for our little boy!
First, I traced a 6-month sized outfit from our slowly growing stash of clothing for the little guy:

Isn't this a cute little outfit? It will be perfect for Memorial Day!

 I then measured sides, arm holes, and leg openings and used a ruler to square up my lines. I traced a coaster to get the right curve for the neck, since the neckline on the red outfit was different than what I was wanting for this one, and then measured a 1/2" seam allowance around the entire pattern. I folded the pattern in half so that I could cut it out on the fold instead of taking a chance and having mismatched sides.

Then, I cut the dress shirt open at the seams, across the back yoke, and around the collar. I cut off the sleeves and set them aside for a future little project. I ironed the easy-care no-iron fabric, which just made life a little easier. I first cut from what was once the back of the shirt, moving the pattern to one side so that I could save as much fabric as possible. The great thing I discovered about this woven dress shirt fabric is that it's the same on the right side and the wrong side. Sweet. I then used the opened up back piece, centering it on the front button placket, pinned, and cut out the front piece.

First, I determined how many buttons I wanted to actually be able to use. Three seemed sufficient, so I sewed over the existing seams to close the button placket at the bottom.

It almost looks like a zipper fly.  I then finished the leg openings with an easy rolled hem (sew 1/4" from the edge, press toward the wrong side, fold up and press again toward the wrong side, and then sew 1/4" seam to finish).

There's the little "fly" for the little guy's outfit!

Next, I sewed the front and back pieces together - just up the sides and across the shoulders, avoiding arm and leg holes - with the wrong sides together, using a scant 1/4" seam. I then turned the outfit inside out and carefully pressed the seams.

Working on the wrong side of the fabric, I sewed the same sides and shoulders again, just a little bit bigger than 1/4" from the finished seam. This enclosed the raw edges of the fabric so that nothing will be itchy on Baby's soft skin. Then I pressed the seams toward the front side and sewed them down, again just a scant 1/4" from the finished edge. This is called a French seam, by the way. You'll see this kind of seam in really nice dress shirts - check the side seams! Here is a good tutorial, if you'd like to try this kind of seam on your next project.

Here's the inside of the French seam. Click on the picture to see it better!

Next, I had to re-trim the armhole openings because of my zeal in seaming the sides. Alas.

Then, I used this tutorial to make bias tape out of the remaining shirt pieces. I then trimmed the neck, armholes, and crotch opening with my snazzy matching bias tape.

 

Sigh. Then I had to wait, because I didn't yet have snaps. But yesterday, I picked some up! Hubby was impressed with my use of a hammer as I fastened the little snaps to the outfit. I love that he's proud of what I do.

And now it's done!!

What do you think? Little guy wearing Daddy's clothes - I love it!


I'm linking up at Sew Much Ado's "We Did It! Wednesday." Go check out what other people have made, too!

little things

It's well past time for a post on the little things.

Things like:

1. My impatiens and begonias in shades of pink and white are thriving and filling out that little city corner just outside our apartment. Morning glory vines are climbing through the chain-link fence, and pink-and-lime green coleus is brightening the edge of the garden.
2. A lovely mix of sun and crisp, cool breeze today, shared with a friend at my husband's football game this morning.
3. The riot of color, sound, fragrance, and texture in fresh blueberries, concord grapes, heirloom tomatoes, brilliant sunflowers, fresh-cut basil, bustling crowds, the empanada stand, a mandolin player with an open case of change, cool, smooth brown eggs, the weight of a full grocery sack, and the laughter of friends at the public market this morning
4. Having enough to eat and drink today - a blessing I often miss. And having food I like!
5. The cuddliness of my Norah-cat, who usually prefers playtime over petting
6. The exciting anticipation and the rhythm and comfortable pattern of knit, purl, knit, cable, knit as I make a vest for our baby boy - and feeling his kicks and twists as I knit.
7.  A normal day - a day where I wake up next to my peacefully sleeping hubby, notice the sun streaming through the blinds, feed the cats, ride in the car, enjoy friends, prepare and eat meals, and relax at home - a day where nothing went wrong. A day of safety, peace, fun, rest, joy, comfort.
8. Owning a vacuum that works well. It's a relief to know that I can trust it to get rid of most of the scattered kitty fur and dust.
9. The convenience of having the internet at my fingertips whenever I need it
10. The comfort of knowing that everything will be okay, because Someone Bigger is the one in whom all things hold together.

And those are just a few of the little things. What are you thanking God for today?

celebrating beauty

As we were on our way to church on this beauteous Sunday morning, my husband noticed a bright flower on the side of the road and tried to point it out to me as we drove by. Unfortunately, I missed it in my headache-induced mental fog and worries about being on time. He described it as a coral-colored flower, and I couldn't think of what it might be. Coral flowers? Nope, couldn't think of one.

On the way home, though, he spotted it again! This time, we pulled over, and he told me to hop out and pick a few! Oh, yes! Poppies. So sweet. I love the way he knows what I like - the little things that delight me. Back when we were dating, it would be rare if he would even notice a flower, let alone point it out to me. I'm so grateful for the husband God gave me! He's pretty great.

 

Here are the glorious poppies he found for me! Look at the neat shadows they make.

I love the way their "furry" stems droop under the weight of their tissue-paper thin petals.

Doesn't it look like it should be a day at the beach? Something about those colors....

I love the way their seeds aren't really black, but a deep gray-purple. And so soft!

And this picture makes me almost like the white painted plywood replacement top for the white metal patio table that our apartment was "furnished" with. It's kinda shabby-chic with flowers on top.

The petals feel like a really rich silk. 

Can you imagine a swirly summer skirt made of perfectly wrinkled coral silk?

These photos are just begging me to pull out my watercolors and try to capture the beauty... I'll have to plan to paint soon after our move.

Isn't God's creation amazing?

little things

Remembering to be grateful, and taking note of the little things:

1. Hearing Baby's heartbeat for the first time!
2. Safe travel for Hubby and me (and baby). And Hubby is coming home tonight!
3. Time with my brother and his wife to just relax and be goofy
4. Robins "bathing" in the huge mud puddle next to our new apartment's driveway and little goldfinches landing on the tall grasses
5. Freshly sparkling clean windows - Windex never smelled so good
6. My Oscar-cat knows his name and will look - even come to you - when you call. Special kitty.
7. It's a gorgeous, sunny, warm, summery day!
8. The grass is still long, so there are wildflowers everywhere. I plan to pick some before the in-laws arrive with their mower and string trimmer in tow. Nothing like a vase of flowers by the bed!
9. There's jello in the fridge! Yay!
10. I made a quiche tonight - should be yummy. Love using leftovers.

Many many blessings! Thankful.

I couldn't share with you all then, but I can now! My Valentine's Day was beautiful and full of reminders of how much I'm loved. But beyond the gift of having my husband home with me, he also brought me a little tangible gift.

I gave him his gift first - you can see that here. Then, he asked me to close my eyes and hold out my hands (just like when he proposed to me, slipping the ring on my finger). When I reached out, this is what he put in my hands:

"Are you sure?" I asked, with surprise and joy in my voice, almost in tears.

"Yes," he replied with quiet confidence. His strong arms reached out and pulled me in for a hug, as he whispered his love for me and a second affirmation, "I'm ready."

I'll cherish that moment for always! 

So grateful to God for the promise, the hope, and the big (little!) blessing we've been given. 

Love you for always, my dear husband! Excited for this new time of life with you.

little things

Well, friends, the lawn mower is out of commission. It appears that the squirrels found it to be an excellent storage space for walnuts and made a rather cozy nest with grass and twigs inside our green machine. After cleaning out all of the...provisions... Hubby found out that the battery is dead.

So, our lawn languishes and lives ever on, growing daily in length. By this I mean that the lawn is now between 6" and 8" long in most spots, with various prolific weeds towering to 12" or more. It looks like a mini hayfield. Or a jungle, depending on rabbit or human perspective.

This does present a positive, though. It means that there are wildflowers all over! The forget-me-nots have been particularly widespread, as have the violas. I've even found purple pansies in the yard! So, now. Counting the little things:

1. Lots of flowers in my yard. Pretty! Presents photo opportunities.
2. It's warm enough to wear flip flops and billowy skirts. Hooray!
3. Our baby is about the size of a raspberry. Isn't that cute? And amazing?
4. I only have one exam and one paper left to finish before graduation.

5. Hubby and I will get to spend the whole weekend together.
6. We've found a new apartment!
7. Someone decided to give us their barely-used crib. Score.

8. I'm not feeling very sick at all, and my sweet tooth has returned. This is a potential problem, but for now, I'm thankful that the idea of chocolate doesn't make my stomach turn.
9. My recital is over and it went well! Now I have time to hit the gym again. Looking forward to a run.
10. Graduation is coming. Baby is coming. Life together with my husband every day is coming. God is good.

hunting and thrifting

 Many of the things I enjoy involve looking for quality, beauty, and loveliness in places that may be surprising. This is one reason that shopping, thrifting (form of shopping), hiking, gardening, puzzles, and crafting of all kinds are so fun for me!

On that note, Hubby and I went apartment hunting this weekend. We saw four that had topped our list, and quickly crossed off the first one. The pictures completely hid the fact that it had been inhabited for nine years by heavy smokers, and did little to show that it was so tiny. No, and no. Scratched from our list.

The second place was a little bit too far into the city for me - it's across from a medical building and some little shops, on a busy street - but it was absolutely gorgeously remodeled. Hardwood floors, soft, sea glass colors on the walls, stainless appliances and glass tile in the kitchen, beautiful light fixtures, new double shower in the bathroom... it was a little small, and the price is a bit high for the amount of space, but that place is sittin' pretty at #2 on our list.

The third place we saw is a three-bedroom half-house in a nice residential area. There's sunlight coming in every window, hardwood floors in the first level, three carpeted bedrooms, a claw-foot tub in the bathroom, and a great attic and basement space. It's wonderful - #1 on our list, for sure! We're hoping and praying that our application shines in the sea of applications the leasing company will view.

The fourth place we visited is a second floor one-bedroom apartment with original hardwood floors and neat details. However, the kitchen and hallway are extremely tiny! I don't know how we'll get furniture in that space. Also, there's no dishwasher. Possible deal-breaker. It's a good deal, so that's at #3 on our list.

Tomorrow, Hubby will visit a fifth place: another two-bedroom apartment in an 1880's (restored) mansion. Lovely paint and updates, from what I've seen! And the landlord seemed really friendly on the phone. And the laundry is free.

Today, we went to church as usual, and did our regular grocery run. Little blessings included the surprise of ham being on sale - yay! Post-grocery trip, we went to the local thrift store for some dress pants for Hubby. He scored a pair of almost new, olive-green Dockers for $7, and a pair of Banana Republic khakis for $11. Sweet!

I, of course, couldn't resist these lovely vintage sheets. You know me. I love the soft coral, deep coral, and white watercolor-ish flowers! And, at just $3 for the sheet and $1 for the pillowcase, why not? I foresee some sewing in my future...

Valentine's Day - just a peek!

Happy belated Valentine’s Day! I hope yours was full of beautiful blessings and reminders of how much you are loved.

heart shaped pizza - yes!

I made a couple of things for my dear husband to celebrate our love:

Ten romantic date night coupons – I cut 3”x3” squares of paperboard (thinner than cardboard, heavier than cardstock or cereal boxes) and covered them on both sides with one of four kinds of scrapbook paper. There had to be music notes, of course, since we’re both musicians. I then cut hearts out of a sheet of handmade art paper given to me by a friend, and glued those onto five of the squares. In my scrapbooking and card-making stash, I have quite a few scrap papers, and the copper metallic paper was just begging to be added in the form of hearts.

I added handwritten verses from Song of Songs to finish off the romantic front of the cards.

Something else was needed, though, so I got out my kraft paper and made envelopes for them, numbering them 1-10 with stickers.

 

Inspiration struck again, and I penned lines from our first dance song onto the front of the envelopes.

 

Finally, I tied them all up with ribbon.

 

He was thrilled, by the way!

Our weekend was filled with togetherness…

 

…snuggling…

 

…more snuggling…

 

…and pizza, of course!

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confetti cake + fresh pineapple filling + almond frosting

Last weekend, I was home from school in time to make a few special things for the hubby! One of them was this cute little cake.

I used a box mix (shh.... no one has to know!) for a confetti cake, using half of the batter for cupcakes (now frozen) and half for a small sheet cake, which you see here.

For the filling,I used some frosting left over from the pineapple cupcakes I made, also adding bits of fresh pineapple.

I made an almond buttercream frosting, and topped it with red sugar (Cake Mate) and little hearts (Wilton). To make the heart shape in the middle, I traced a cookie cutter onto parchment paper, and then placed it in the middle of the cake while I sprinkled red sugar heavily around the outside of the heart. I then removed the parchment paper to add the heart sprinkles in the middle.

It was delicious!

Amazed and grateful...

...for the romantic weekend I had with my husband!

Since he works in a different city during the week, we only get to be together on weekends. This is really difficult, of course, but certainly not as bad as it could be (say, if he was in the military and deployed for long periods of time). I miss him so much! I miss him being a part of normal daily life, sharing all the little things that make up our days. I miss cooking for someone other than myself. I miss the way he makes me laugh and the positive perspective he has on life. I miss spending evenings curled up on the couch with him, and the feeling of security I have when he's home at night. I also miss the friendship and company and closeness of having him here with me! Sigh.

When he came home this Friday, I had to be at a rehearsal for choir. We always start the semester off with a weekend retreat for some added rehearsals to get things off to a good start, and this happened to be that weekend. Don't get me wrong; I love choir and don't mind rehearsal, but...it also happened to be the first day I would get to see my husband since January 1st! He was at a conference last weekend.

Friday morning, I had an unexpected snow day, and was able to do some schoolwork from home. Hubby and I texted all day (unusual, since his job is rather busy), so excited that we would finally be together that evening. I curled my hair, wore a pretty dress, and went to rehearsal.

When he picked me up from rehearsal on Friday night, he had gotten dressed up for me, too! We drove home, unloaded his Jeep, and then he asked me to wait as he got one last load of things out of the car...

...and in he came with an armful of red roses! So sweet! As I opened the bouquet, he explained that there were only 11 roses, because he wanted to scatter the petals of the 12th rose all over our bedroom - his own idea. Emotional me was about to burst into overjoyed giggles or tears by this point. He set up the computer to stream some romantic instrumental music, while I set a candlelit dinner, using some special vintage linens, the gorgeous roses, my two Orrefors raspberry votives, my silver-colored candlesticks, and my small Basilica pillar candle on a matching pedestal. Hubby insisted that we sit at opposite ends of the table so we could see each other and enhance the romance of the moment. Okay by me!

I am amazed that God gave me such a wonderful, loving husband, and I am so grateful to belong to him!

best hubby.

I know, I'm biased, but: I have the best husband.

He came home from work on Friday with three beautiful red roses and a bottle of wine - in addition to lots of hugs and kisses, of course!

Very blessed. And loved!

So thankful for my husband.

opening my heart's door

It's a really hard thing for me to share my real self with people. I'm cute, serious, silly, underestimated, talented, knowledgeable, surprising. Efficient, firm, kind, friendly, dependable, diligent. That's what people see.

My conducting mentor often reminds his ensemble that to sing well, to communicate well, we have to use both our minds and our hearts. The voice is optimally placed in-between. It makes a good metaphor. We'll come back to this.

I've always been a color-in-the-lines, follow-the-rules sort of girl. If there's a good reason for something, if there's a way to achieve beauty, a fast and efficient method for work, I'll be doing it that way. If I can do something well, I sometimes do not feel motivated to do that something better.

But aren't you a perfectionist, Linnea? Yes, sometimes. No, not always. I have trouble doing what recipes say, because I know that changing the outcome is often okay, even better. I hesitate to buy the Gap skirt/sweater/accessory because I think I can make one. It's okay with me that the vacuum lines on the carpet don't line up, and that there are dishes in the sink.

It really scares me when things are not in control. Things like how I've inadvertently gained 5 pounds over the last four months on this new bc pill. Things like my husband's new job situation and the ways we're having to compromise to allow me to still go to school. Things like family holiday plans and trying to balance both sides of our family. Things like allowing singers to really sing without me dictating every note. Allowing my house to be messy when I truly can't fix it. Stepping back from a volunteer position at church. Saying "I don't know" and feeling okay with it. Being honest with my conducting mentor and checking myself into counseling so that I can deal with these issues. Asking for help.

I've realized lately that I can't do these things on my own. Surprise, former perfectionist: you are not able to actually be perfect. Excellent, yes. Joyful, yes. But those abilities are enabled by the grace of God. You have many talents. You have a loving family. You are doing well at school. All you have to be is you. Surprised? And who you are is good enough.

Good enough. Even excellent. Maybe someday, great. Not famous, not necessarily. Not the best. But if what I'm working on - opening up my heart and being the real me - brings glory to God, I am doing well.

I am trying to let go. Feeling the rope burn in my hand from holding onto the kite string in a turbulent storm, trying to believe that things won't fall apart if I am not the one in control. Realizing that I have never been in control, but that God always has been and always will be. Trying to remember that I have to use my voice, and that it should be a true representation of what's going on in me - heart and head. That my emotions are not trivial things to be buried, but human expressions that allow me to better communicate and to enable art in music, relationships, life. If I let people see that I'm broken, I take a big risk, but I let them know that I am real, accessible, genuine. That I care deeply.

Praying that I will be able to gracefully share my heart, using my head knowledge and my hands as the vehicle. May what I conduct, what I suggest, shape, show in choral sound - may that be a reflection of God's work in me, and enable others to express the beauty, pain, joy, sorrow that is the human experience. May His grace be apparent in how I live, think, speak, move. May He guard and guide my heart, and keep my mind in perfect peace.

mercies

"I will sing of your mercies that lead me through valleys of sorrow to rivers of joy. Hallelujah!"

Lately, I've been thinking about the many ways that God has provided for my needs. I have not gone a day without food, shelter, clothing, and love. I have a wonderful husband who works diligently to support us. I get to attend grad school in a field I enjoy.

However, we've been through so many hard times, and we're not out of the woods financially. We have been able to pay back some debts, but there's still a lot of hurt and disappointment, humiliation and anxiety.

My husband came across the new song by Laura Story called "Blessings," and it has meant so much to me. You can listen to the song on her website. It speaks so clearly to what we're going through - that we've prayed, that we've seen blessings, but that we're still walking through the valley of shadows. In spite of all those things, we feel God's presence with us. We know He has a plan for us through this.

Even though it still hurts. It reminds me of something my friend Suzy said last year - wondering if these valleys we go through - what if these valleys are the mountaintops? Can we be content where we are, anticipating God's grace to us through these times?

"What if your blessings come through raindrops? And what if your healing comes through tears? And what if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know you're near? What if my greatest disappointments or the aching of this life is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can't satisfy? And what if trials of this life: the rain, the storms, the hardest nights, are your mercies in disguise?

happy weekend!

Today was a rather girly day - shopping with a friend in the morning, lunch out, and a bridal shower in the afternoon. When I got home at 6, I was exhausted! Here's the snuggly face I came home to, though the picture is from a different day:

my cute Oscar cat sleeping under his knit cat-mat.

My husband got home early today, which ended up being about 15 minutes after me. Happy!

He was also exhausted, so we canceled our plans to attend a concert together in favor of a home-date night.

We snuggled up on the couch, grabbed our kettle corn supply, and watched a movie together: good old Aladdin. It was sweet and fun to remember our different childhood experiences of that movie and to marvel at how far CG has come since it first was used in film making.

Later, we opened up the Keith & Kristyn Getty songbook and spent some time playing and singing together. It means so much to me that my husband shares my faith, and that we also share a love for music. It's just wonderful to be able to make music together and to do it in a way that honors God.

To top off all the happiness, I found an adorable skirt (for $3.99!) in this morning's thrifting. It's a nearly new (?) Banana Republic skirt in a pretty, light lime green cotton, with the perfect amount of sheen. It's a fitted A-line, and I'm excited to wear it! I think it might be the beginning of an Easter outfit - perhaps with a crisp white shirt and a light pink cardigan? Pearls and white strappy-sandal heels? Curly hair? It has potential, which this picture does not do justice to. Some ironing is also in order...


I had some time yesterday to make dinner - we had Italian sausage, cornbread muffins, and peas. I also whipped up some Devil's Food chocolate cupcakes and an 8"x8" cake for dessert, but the cupcakes have already made it to the freezer for safekeeping. I'm hoping to decorate the cake tomorrow! Maybe Nutella icing? Maybe peanut butter icing?

I got a bit adventurous with the muffins, and used up the last of my raspberry jam (thanks, Mommy! it was delicious!) to put surprise filling in them. Mmm! Here are the only three I have left:

I love the way the bit of raspberry jam kept the muffins so moist, and I like the bit of red peeking out of the muffin tops. I'm planning to try this again with other fillings...

Happy weekend!

This morning started off rather early for a Saturday - 7:55am, to be exact. I rolled out of bed and drove to our church to pick up our Angel Food order for this month. About 2 miles into the drive, I realized that the gas tank needle was on empty. Ha. This is a ridiculous situation to be in, since I have to drive about 20 miles to get to the church, and there is not a gas station until about a mile past the church. We do live in the middle of nowhere.

So, my DTE said I had about 38 miles left, which is plenty, of course. But when it dropped to 27, the light started flashing and I began to get nervous.

I did make it to the gas station, but not without some coasting and prayer. :o) Silly me for forgetting to fill up on the way home yesterday. Also got the aforementioned Angel Food box.

All this is to lead up to the reason that I stopped at WalMart: because I had time, and I was there already. Sufficient reason, yes? Total damage: 3 cake mixes (cupcake inspiration and excitement from my friend Kristen at Team Fuest), 3-pack of tissues, and juice boxes (because I can't resist, even though I'm a grown up woman now).

I happily drove home and was greeted by my dear husband - big hug and kiss. It's so VERY wonderful to have him home when I get home! I miss him a lot during the week.

Lunch was homemade chicken soup. Successful. Check. My hubby was very appreciative, and I surprised him by pulling out the confetti cake mix. His favorite! Yay! He requested a layer cake, with raspberry filling, and lots of icing. Can do! In the meantime, we played Scrabble. He almost always wins this game, and today I was very close to winning...but, alas! I was short a few points. Oh, well.

I also made cupcakes to freeze.

And here's the cake:

He approves. :o)