easter cupcakes

my sister katie and i wanted to make something fun and creative for easter this year. i see cupcakes and pops that are adorable, but not practical. katie showed me this one and i loved it. i love how simple and makeable it is. in the original, the bunny tail is actually a little puff of cotton candy. after searching most of the stores around me, i came up empty handed. i was truly bummed. i was looking at macey's and realized i had to make a decision. so i grabbed my favorite...a bag of peanut m&m's (easter style) and thought we could use the pink ones. what great tails they made, plus, i like them so much more than cotton candy...
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date at costco

what is the big deal eating at costco?...i pass the food court when i leave, seeing really long lines, crying children and really long lines. that area is just so darn congested. i can't say that i have really wanted to try eating a meal there (usually i get a churro, but i pay when i check out...much easier). dad and mom thought it would be fun to go and try it, so paul and i tagged along. aside from the good food, it was noisy, really congested (made it hard to hear and concentrate, a lot of crying children with parents who are oblivious, sticky floors, and a lot of couples on dates. it was fun, but i think i will stick with good homemade cookin' or my brick oven...
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me and pauly-poo

we have arrived!

after almost 8 years of marriage...we have a waffle iron...
not sure why we were so scared to get one in the first place. i think i thought that meant i was actually married! we have borrowed from dad & mom for years and now are tickled we have our very own...
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another passion

food is one of my greater passions...so is this store. on the way to see paul's mom, he surprised me and took me here...life can't get much better. i had on my list (among a lot of other things) a 9x13 metal pan...which i found and it does bake wonderfully! i walk in and i become this other person. i get so excited and before i know it, the cart is full of everything on my dream list. i then look at everything with an "will i use it in the next 6-months?" eye? those items (which are most) get put back as i pet them and whimper. the others get used right away. i love this store. i love the kitchen (one day i will have one that size with that many grills/ovens/counter space), i love the smell, i love the employees, i just plain love the store.
one day, i will open up a gygi, williams-sonoma and a sur la table combined into one...that will equal heaven!
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cribbage

paul bought this game called 'cribbage' a couple years ago. we read the directions and nothing made sense, so we made it up. i knew linds married well, when tyler told us he loved that game. the next sunday for dinner, we brought it with us and received a lesson. we can't figure out how we were playing it, but it was a lot faster and not as fun as the real way. we play it every night before bed and boy oh boy are we getting competitive. the last few times i have completely skunked paul bad. he doesn't even count up his points after i win to see where he could have ended up...this time, it was neck and neck the entire time. but as usual, i won!
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projects

this past month, paul and i have been trying to finish up some little projects (before we start the bigger ones with spring coming) we have around the house.

mine...i don't have a lot of decorations in the house because a: i don't want to store them and dust them b: i usually get sick of 'stuff' after a month or two and 'stuff' ends up in the di pile. i wanted to add something to our kitchen table and thought these were inexpensive and i could throw them away when i was done. after a movie and a couple hot glue gun burns they are done...not bad...

pauls: we are so excited to get the dutch ovens out, but we don't have any lid picker-uppers. we went to buy one, but when paul saw them i saw the wheels in his head turning. he decided to make me not one, but 4 in various sizes. i was doing the dishes when he ran in, grabbed my hand and took me outside to see the finishing touches only a rubber hose can add. i love having a husband that loves to work hard at whatever he does. plus...did i say i have 4 of them... dutchovening here we come!
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too long!

it has been too long! last year, paul i didn't do go cross country skiing once...shame. this year we weren't able to go in december, let's face it, we don't take the time like our dear friends do (boy do we need too!). we woke up to snow and said "what are we waiting for?" got the gear, and left for a quick run around a local park so we could be back in time for family plans. it is so worth it being outside doing anything.
paul is hilarious. he doesn't like to race because he gets way too excited and falls on his little bum, bends or breaks a pole. yes, every time. when i mentioned to race to the courts, he looked at me with a "are you kidding, i just got new poles" look. so i was off giggling, because i knew he would follow and i would be right. he didn't fall this time, but he sure made patterns in the snow i haven't seen in a long time, followed with words. it was funny.
what would make skiing better? i need to wax my skis bad. snow stuck= frustration and no smooth motions.
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