My swap box is here!!!!!!

Iara was my swap partner and I'm just going to say, SHE IS FABULOUS!!!!!! Even the box itself was awesome! My daughter Laney especially loved the tomato pic. She was so excited I had to hold her back.

She even had her own mini package with "the coolest pencils ever", she kept hugging them.

This is most of my swap package, I got 2 pair of earrings and the best slippers EVER!!! Not to mention the fabric and other goodies, I have fabric dreams for the fabric already.

My absolute FAVORITE item in the package is the drool bib for Brutus. Yes, this is him in his "Drool tu Brutus?" bib, yes, with drool dripping from his jowels. He actually loves the bib.

Iara, a thousand thank yous! My husband was so impressed, he was almost as excited as Laney and I.

 

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Swap box sent on Saturday...just posting a little late!!

I LOVED this swap because I got to send some of my favorite things to someone else, here is a pic, but shhhhh, don't tell. This is my cell phone zombie!!!

This is the apron I sent...I hope she loves it!!!!!

I will post the entire box of stuff I sent when I know she gets it, hopefully today!!!

 

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Mardi Gras...Koeneman style

Ok, no matter where we are I always make a mardi gras dinner with a King's Cake. Over the years the menu varies, but it's always New Orleans inspired. My kids also love explaining to their friends what Mardi Gras is and also about the king's cake. This year I made jambalaya , Paula Dean style.

And my giant King's Cake!!

 

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My Baby is 5!!!!!

Ok, my daughter Laney had a birthday party on Saturday where I was supposed to serve this awesome cake...Our Mastiff, Brutus, had other plans. He stole three chocolate cakes of various sizes off of the cooling rack in the kitchen and devoured them. Let's just say he was in lockdown for the majority of the party. Thank goodness for Sam's because that's where we got a replacement for the day even if it killed me.

Sooo, here is the cake I was supposed to make for her party that I instead got to make for her real birthday, which was yesterday.

 

Here is my little cowgirl princess on her new unicorn which she named Strawberry. Who both later stole my bed to have a birthday sleepover with Daddy. It was pretty adorable, .even if we did have to beg to let Strawberry sleep in the bed.

She really couldn't help herself before cake time because "I'm just looking at it, I'm not going to eat it, mom!".

 

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Laney's Birthday Party

In the midst of swap box creating, my little lady needed to have a birthday party because she will be 5 this week. It freaks me out that my baby is going to be 5!!!!! I worked REALLY hard this past week to create her Frozen party and especially her dress, that I made.

I also had so much fun decorating...

She had to be in virtually every picture I took.

It is driving me absolutely crazy that these are sideways!?!?! In all the excitement I forgot to check.

 

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Fun When You're 4...

Ok, I think this is probably one of the cutest pics EVER! So sassy when she wears a tutu.

 

Ok, this one takes a little explaining. What's that on her head you ask, well it is the inside of a hoodie I dismantled. Laney is here at her "fabric store" which is where she takes various fabric items, including towels, and sells them to anyone who will buy them( her brothers and I). She sells these items only if you agree to "give her fabric back in a minute, ok". She does insist on ironing the fabric while she asks about your day though. I guess that's a fair trade. Here she has set up shop in the playroom...

 

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I Love Tiffany

Ok, I helped my friend Tiffany on Friday. She needed a ride to the doctor to get some steroid shots in her back. It was horribly painful, I had no idea. I gave her lots of hugs and then Laney and I went over to her house to "play with her cat". I was glad to help her because she, like us, has no family here and in hindsight that whole experience would have sucked alone. Well we both went to a Super Bowl party yesterday and she gave me a present!! Here are a few pics...Val I think you will appreciate this.

 

This is the book inside. One of my favorite things made into a book!!!!!! Even though the Broncos got slaughtered, Super Bowl Sunday was not a total loss, Thank You, Tiffany!!!!

 

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