vodka cake.

We all have that one friend that when you ask her what gift she wants for her 1 year old's birthday she says "vodka in bottles that will fit in my diaper bag".  Alright fine, maybe we don't ALL have that friend, but I do, and I adore her. 

Regardless if she was or not, I decided to take her seriously and I made a little change to the baby shower classic diaper cake....

That's right kids, VODKA CAKE!  

 Below is my quick how-to for a three tiered "cake", here is what you will need:
-Mini vodka bottles (15 total)
-Empty vodka box
-2 colors of ribbon 
-Hot glue gun & glue
-Scissors

 1) Cut three circles from the box - one for each tier, I used the bottles as a rough outline. 
 

2) Assemble the bottom layer by dabbing a small drop of glue onto the bottom of the bottle and placing it on the center of the cardboard circle.  Glue and place each of the other six bottles around the center bottle.

 A small dab will do. 

3) Place a large drop of glue onto the center of the second layer's cardboard circle and attach to the top of the center bottle of the bottom layer.

4) Assemble the next two tiers in the same way, starting from step 2.

5) For the decorative ribbon, begin by adding a thin strip of hot glue to the perimeter of the cardboard circle and attach the ribbon, do this incrementally since the glue cools very quickly.

 Cut 10-15 smaller pieces (3-4 inches) of ribbon 

Place a small dab of glue in the center of the ribbon and fold in half, repeat for all small pieces

Attach folded ribbons around the top layer (facing down) and around the bottom layer (facing up).  

Add another layer of the other colored ribbon around the each layer to secure, tie the top layer with a bow.   

6) Done. 

 Cheers!
~ D & H

 

Hopes

I've heard people say things about "hopes for their kids" so many times and I've always misunderstood it. I don't think it is just about what you want them to grow up to become, but rather it is about the world you want them to see, what you want them to value and the version of yourself that you want to become for them.

It is the hope that they see the wonder, generosity and beauty in the world; but also that when they see the want and despair they don't shrink away but step in to act in generosity. 

The hope that regardless of their education and experiences that they value faith; that when life violently turns against believing, their faith grasps with white knuckles and refuses to relent. 

The hope that they love and respect their parents and, when they realize that their parents are just people too, the simple human that raised them is still worth that love and respect. 

The hope is not that storms won't come, but that when they do sails will swivel with steady hands and bows continue straight. 

I read a speech Supreme Court Justice John Roberts gave to his son's graduating class and it resonated with me, below is an excerpt -

"From time to time in the years to come, I hope you will be treated unfairly, so that you will come to know the value of justice. I hope that you will suffer betrayal because that will teach you the importance of loyalty. Sorry to say, but I hope you will be lonely from time to time so that you don’t take friends for granted. I wish you bad luck, again, from time to time so that you will be conscious of the role of chance in life and understand that your success is not completely deserved and that the failure of others is not completely deserved either. And when you lose, as you will from time to time, I hope every now and then, your opponent will gloat over your failure. It is a way for you to understand the importance of sportsmanship. I hope you’ll be ignored so you know the importance of listening to others, and I hope you will have just enough pain to learn compassion. Whether I wish these things or not, they’re going to happen. And whether you benefit from them or not will depend upon your ability to see the message in your misfortunes."   

Link to the full speech here

With high hopes, 

 D & H

Cheap Frills: Current Favorite Drugstore Beauty Buys

First, let me start by saying that I am not really a makeup person.  Most YouTube makeup tutorials baffle me - the time, money and sheer volume of products that one can shellac on the face really is mind-blowing (caveat: I do love Cara from Maskcara Beauty, a tutorial all moms can relate to here.).  

Second, I'm not a model, so any attempt to pile on enough makeup every morning to look like one seems like a crazy way to start the day.

Lastly, I'm going to play a little fast and loose with the term "beauty" here. I use the term beauty when what a really mean is something similar to a weekly lawn mowing or enough clothing to avoid indecent exposure. 

So here they are, my favorite drugstore "beauty" buys. 

Shaving Cream
Do people still use shaving cream? I use a cheap conditioner like Suave's Tropical Coconut. I have very sensitive skin, so it is a much more gentle alternative that doesn't dry my skin and smells wonderful. 

Eye Makeup Remover 
My sister got me hooked on using Nivea's Soft lotion on a q-tip as an eye makeup remover, it is an easy way to remove makeup without drying out the skin. 

Pencil Sharpener
The Sonia Kashuk sharpener is perfectly sharpened and gets the job done well. Nothing like the right tool. 

Lotion That Smells Like Summer
I think there may be a moisturizing theme happening here.  Well, if I were marooned on an island, I'd hope to have this lotion with me because it feels amazing and if it tastes as good as it smells, dinner is served kids! 

Nailed It
The absolute BEST nail polish, hands down, or up, or frantically waving back and forth to quickly dry the polish.  Orly's French Manicure in "Rose-Colored Glasses" is elegantly simple & chip concealing, um, yes please!

Raising Eyebrows  
I've used more and less expensive brow products, this Ardell one is great and is a great bargain. I typically blend it in the palm of my hand before applying it, and go with the blonde shade even though my hair color is dark. 

Pucker Up
I love this Revlon Matte Balm "Striking Spectaculaire" giant crayon thing, the orange tone is just beautiful. The NYX matte lip liner in "Cannes" has a dusty pink color that is as current as it gets. 

Didn't Bat An Eye
My favorite mascara since...well ever & it is waterproof. Enough said. 

So here I am blogging about beauty buys. 

I'll just go laugh at myself now, 
D & H

swing life away.

A few months ago D & I built a rope tree swing from this tutorial.  Not only was it super easy, but our daughter just loves it AND it gave D another excuse to use his blowtorch (he burned the end of the rope to secure it and cover the core), win, win, win.

It is important to me to show our daughter how to enjoy the simple things in life - like coming home and watering the garden, chasing the dog around the yard and swinging under the shade of a beautiful oak tree.  

Calling these moments the "simple things" may not do justice to the work it takes to create a peaceful, stable life for our kids, but it does focus the efforts for all the work - we work hard, then soak in those moments.

Nothing like the summer breeze,
D & H 
 

Whiskey Caramel Pecan Bars

As a "thank you" from a colleague I received a (very generous) few pounds of pecans from his folks' orchard...now that I write that, I wonder if his folks were aware of their generosity.  One can only hope. 

I made these salted caramel and chocolate pecan bars but with two modifications 
1) a tablespoon of whiskey added to the caramel 
2) broken pretzel sticks sprinkled on top (more salt...yes LAWD!)  

The hubby is not a sweets guy, but he does love these bars, especially after they have been in the fridge for a few hours!

These bars are easy to make and they actually freeze very well, so you can make lots and surprise your friends with them anytime, yum!
~D & H

In Christ Alone

Death is undignified. 

Hell, parts of life are undignified. 

The song "In Christ Alone" keeps playing in my head.  I have to wonder at the hope and redemption offered by our Savior; how it can be set before someone throughout their entire life without so much as a hesitant reach made for it. 

Death looms. Eternal salvation waits ever patient. What can I do?

"When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." - Luke 21:28

Until now a death in the family has been comforted with confidence that they have been reunited with their Creator. Now I am unsure how to reconcile the challenges, struggles and pain of a life on earth ending with an unknown eternal fate.

What can I say when I pray over her? Would she even want me to pray over her? The Bible says that "the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know how we ought to pray, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us" (Romans 8:26). I have no idea why but what came out of my mouth was the Numbers 6 benediction that our Pastor ends each sermon with, maybe she would've hated it, maybe not, I really don't know.

I love the song below because it reminds me that with Christ, there are no "maybes", there is only solid, firm, powerful, and commanding love speaking up for us when we don't know what to say. 

In Christ alone, 
H & D

  

In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This Cornerstone, this solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand

In Christ alone, who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless babe
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones He came to save
'Til on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live, I live

There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ

No guilt in life, no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From life's first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand
Till He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I'll stand

I will stand
I will stand, all other ground is sinking sand
All other ground, all other ground
Is sinking sand, is sinking sand
So I'll stand

   
    

Whiskey Shelf

Ladies, the odds of getting a Pinterest project done by your husband increase if you offer him a blowtorch.  

D made this beautiful whiskey shelf for me and I love the burnt finish, the copper, the size, the function, the location....you know what, I just love it.  

Naturally during the build process I was taking pictures.  Then, at some point (after being dropped too many times) my phone died and those beautiful moments of my husband lighting this shelf on fire in our driveway live on only in our memories. 

Ahhh that DIY tutorial was literally up in flames, so this is less of a DIY post and more of a "look at this" post. 

Yep, it's a beauty. 
~D & H