Halloween Bake Sale

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

This weekend my restaurant is having a bake sale to benefit our local Boys & Girls Club :)

I worked at the B&G Club for years while working in Lowell and hope to continue that tradition.

For the bake sale I am making "funfetti" cookies (in the style of the "Pillsbury family")

and my Gram's World Famous Peanut Butter Squares. :)

First batch is looking good :)
( just wait til the frosting, orange sugar, and sprinkles)

on to PBSquares...

for the recipe see my Momma's BLOG

a work in progress: trick or treat?

It's funny that she posted the recipe last year at Halloween :)

It's also funny that the funfetti cookies I made look like the cookies on the sugar package :)

(maybe i just think everything is funny...) ;)

While they chilled out in the fridge to set I rinsed more dishes...

I was proud of myself for rinsing as I went. :)

AND that I didn't have one single bite (not even a lick of a finger) the whole time I baked!! 

Not even frosting or peanut butter!!

HA HA It's all about winning these SMALL BATTLES!! :)

Do the pics make you wanna come to the bake sale?? ;)

Of course, I saved some for Gram :)

And..because there aren't enough hours in the day..

I wrapped them up in little baggies at work

with pumpkin colored yarn. :)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

For work I am dressing up as a "TwiHard"
-Twilight Saga Die Hard- 

Hope everyone has a safe and happy weekend
and avoids the houses that give apples or pretzels...
you know who you are... ;)

Simple Pleasures

In the tradition of my amazing blogger friend, Christine, over at

VistaWoman,

I give you, my very first (cell phone pic)

Simple Pleasure

as she does on her blog every Thursday. :)

I thought of her tonight as K and I each had a pop on the couch

flipping between the Bruins game and the World Series. :)

A Jolly Ranger Popsicle for me and a Chocolate Fudge Ice Cream Bar

for the resident chocoholic. :)

What's better than a couple games on the tube and a couple of 

1 point, guiltfree

SIMPLE PLEASURES. :)

Blessings, Bloggers!! :)

Playgroup Halloween!!

Today was our Playdate Halloween party. :)

This picture may look like it was pretty easy to get a group picture...not so much. 

More to come on that later...

Before costumes, the kids played out in the yard at Sarah's house.

Ty and Caroline played what I can only describe as...

"King of the Rock."

I think it's pretty easy to tell who won!!

HAAAA!!! :)

It's funny because he didn't REALLY throw her off...

To be perfectly honest, this isn't even the order in which I actually took these photos. :)

But once I saw them, I just had to post it in this order. :)

The kiddos played outside
then Sarah (our resident baker) brought out cupcakes for them to decorate. :)

Now, COSTUMES!!! :)

A little pink Aiplane :)

And a MONKEY!!
"I hot."
It was 75 degress yesterday!!
Unseasonably hot.
The kids were pretty cooperative, considering. :)

and Spiderman, a kitty, a dinosaur,
and Johnna made Jada this awesome Juice Box costume. :)
Jen made Jordan's airplane costume, too.
I was so impressed. :)

Looking GOOD!!
For a few seconds, then Linda makes some adjustments. :)
And a headless juice box!! "Jada!!!" 

"Ooh, ooh, ah, ah!!"
Just like we practiced. :)
The a scary skeleton (Ronnie) got home from school...

Up in the playhouse. :) I like how the foliage is showing in the sunlight.
And this one, of the boys...PURE JOY!! :) :) :)

It was a beautiful Autumn day with best friends and sweet, wonderful children.
Doesn't get much better than that...  :) :) :)

Fortunate

Love One Another

A package arrived for me today from the NETHERLANDS!!

I was so excited to see "U.S.A" under my address. :)

It was an envelope full of well-wishes and gifts from my dear blogger friend,

Saskia, at Join My Joy. :)

Please check out her lovely blog...

Right now, she is the midst of some Parisian Adventures!! :)

I went to work finding just the right places for some of my new treasures...

And for my "vlaggenlijn." :)

Here?? On my Cognac poster?

With a "drop of sunlight in a glass."

hmmmm???

I think we'll head out to the porch...

I think I like it!! :)

And it kinda goes with the opposite wall...

and the pennants my Dad gave us. :)

This plaque used to hang in my Granddad's barn...

He passed away one year ago today.

I miss him so much...

It meant a lot to me to adorn and photograph this treasured keepsake today, of all days. 

1 Corinthians 13:13

And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love.

But the greatest is

Saskia, thank you so much for my delightful gifts.

They came on the perfect day to offer a little cheer

and a little bit of blogger LOVE!!

THANK YOU!!