Cupcake Fever!!

I blame this all on The Katie Chronicles, but lately I have an obsession with cupcakes!!!

Funny thing is - I don't like cupcakes that much!  I'll have one every once in a while but I just make them because they're fun and pretty.  This weekend I had a BBQ/bonfire to attend.  I decided I would bring some of Katie's delicious margarita cupcakes.

It was really hot, and my slime green icing started to melt BUT they turned out deliciously.  So good, in fact, that I made more!! I'm hoping to move on to pink lemonade cupcakes next.

nom nom nom

Beautifying the backyard

As I mentioned last week I really want to discover my green thumb.  So I decided that I should start with some flowers.  I figured flowers were an easy start and they would brighten up my backyard.  So I ran to Farmer Clem's and got some supplies...

In this picture you can see my yellow mums, orange sunfire something-or-others, soil, fertilizer, etc, etc.  Anyways Mol and I set to work getting some rocks to stablize the bottom of the planter while Dan drilled a few drainage holes in the bottom.  Once we had the rocks in place we poured in some soil and set to work planting our moms and such...it took some messy hands, a broom for clean up and a few play breaks...

But we did it! Once the job was done I tidied the yard and put out the new chairs I bought at Canadian Tire.  With a new table in between and some votive candle holders I think my little oasis in the back yard is coming  along quite nicely!  It's not much to look at yet but with some more flowers,

my hummingbird feeder, some decorative cushions (that I'm sewing!!) and some more greenery I think it will be a lovely place to sit and relax in the evenings.

This is my chair...note my beautiful flowers

It's not much yet, but soon it will be our backyard get-away

Going green...

My father has been an avid gardener since before I arrived into this world.  I've seen him grow things from the smallest yellow flower to the largest apple tree.  We've had fresh veggies, beautiful flowers and fragrant herbs from Dad's garden since I can remember.  What ever is in season is what we'll be having.  He's an amazing gardener, and as I've grown up he's let me help out along the way.  When I was small I was allowed to plant the carrots and sometimes help with the tomatoes.  We've had huge harvests and not so huge harvests.  I still remember the year we had over 30lbs of tomatoes!! 30 LBS!!!!  I love fresh veggies and I also love the beauty that surrounds my parent's place.  It's always lovely.

Now I would never profess to having a "green thumb" but I've always secretly (or maybe not so secretly) hoped that Dad had passed it along to me.  I've always wanted to garden.  I've never had the space.  Four years of residence life is not conducive to gardening.  Our last place was also no good for a garden.  But here, in our (sort of) new place I have space! I have free reign to plant what I want...and I'm going to try it.  I don't know that I'll actually plant anything in the yard itself, we're planning on moving in the fall, but I've got two large planters just waiting for my touch. 

So this fall I took a stab at gardening.  I started, from seed, some chives, some basil and some parsley.  The chives never sprouted.  The basil and parsley, however, sprouted quickly and now I've got some lovely transplants that I will be putting into my planters.  As soon as it warms up.  So until then...enjoy my lovely plants!