The Stone Rabbit

PORCH PARTY 2009!!

Hi!!! 

Isn't it fun checking out all of the porches today?

Thank you, Rhondi, for organizing this second annual event!!

You can tell by my sign, that the porch I want to share this year is located in the back of our home---so please follow me!! 

THE STONE RABBIT has been looking forward to our party for days!!  He pulled out his patriotic boa  just for this grand event!

I know you'll be eating lots of goodies during your porch visits today.  I have a little table all ready, too!!  I hope you'll have enough time to join me in a glass of iced tea and a patriotic cupcake!!  I actually MADE the frosting from scratch---it's butter cream.  The cake is Duncan Hines White!! :)

I folded the red bandannas in a place mat shape and used the blue ones for napkins.  I think they are great for a patriotic color touch, don't you? They're actually left from a BIG NUMBER surprise birthday party we gave for my husband a few years ago---the theme was "cowboy" for the Birthday Buckaroo!  I also have LOTS of leftover cowboy hats.  They'll probably show up on a post some day!

The little centerpiece was made by placing a garage sale silver tray atop a thrift store silver chafing dish base.  My friend Sharleen of LUTICIA CLEMENTINE'S in Independence, Missouri, taught me that great trick.  I have a variety of bases and trays in assorted sizes--all found for very little money.  They make wonderful elevated serving pieces!

On top of the tray is a great old Uncle Sam bank my friend Bonnie gave to me---and a few more yummy cupcakes!

When my friend Patty showed me the great daisy arrangement Susan of BETWEEN NAPS ON THE FRONT  PORCH created, I knew I had to give it a try.  Afterall--I had purchased a very similar basket a long time ago from a friend at her shop.   THEN when I saw how great Pat's (BACK PORCH MUSINGS--see link below)  lovely daisy arrangement looked on her patio, I was convinced I needed to attempt to make one. 

Pat, of BACK PORCH MUSINGS, also shared how she uses old shutters on her porch, so I decided to drag out three that I had in the basement storage room.  I used to use them for display pieces in a couple of shops I was in.   I wish the hinges didn't jump out so much, but I really hadn't noticed them UNTIL I saw these photos!! OOOOh, the camera doesn't lie! :)   Perhaps I can "tone" them down with a bit of paint.  However, I do love how the shutters look with the basket hanging on them.  Isn't it wonderful how other bloggers inspire us to try new things?

The shutters are leaning on the outside fireplace wall---it juts out a bit onto the patio and makes the perfect spot for them!!

This little area is to the right side of the shutters.

Bonnie gave me the old mop bucket when we moved to this house.  She purchased it at The Bingham Waggoner Antique Sale, held here in Independence,  as a "house warming" gift.  It was filled with wonderful plants.

Each spring, I've put a variety of flowering plants in it- - - until last year when I filled it with herbs.  Some did well, some didn't.  I really wasn't impressed with the overall outcome.  This year, I put only two plants in it......a decorative grass and a Lantana.  I have fallen in love with Lantanas. . . . .they're very hard to kill and they are great bloomers.

The black pots (that look like they're on stilts!) are filled with red begonias.....another type of plant that I can keep alive.  The stands were found at a couple of flea markets.  I really need to add some vining plants to the pots---they do look strange like that!

I have six pots planted like this----they go along the railing of the patio.  I spray painted the tera cotta colored plastic pots (Dollar General) black four summers ago.  They could have used a little coat this year, but I didn't have the time, so that job will be on the list for next spring.

Since I have six of these pots, and they're fairly large, I try to come up with hardy and cheap plantings.  I have found that vinca and asparagus fern do very well in the blistering heat that occurs on this porch that faces West.   The vinca is always cheap---$1.49 for a four pack.  I put three of these plants in each pot.  The asparagus fern seems to go up each year.  Around here, it was $2.49 for a little pot.  Sooooo, when I saw hanging baskets of asparagus fern on sale at Ace Hardware for $9.00, I snatched one up!!  I was able to divide the fern so I enough to place two sprigs in each of my six pots for the back porch and still have enough to make a nice pot of fern and hanging vinca vines for the front porch.  The little plants will soon be huge and beautiful, giving us many summer days of enjoyment.

I even pulled out my patriotic buntings for you guys!!!  I hope the birds don't use them as target practice!

This little hammered aluminum chafing dish was filled with other items on my previous post!!   Now, it's holding some little summer plants----still in their little plastic containers, because I haven't finished planting stuff!!

I love this flag holder---I can see it from the dining room.

I purchased this little bird feeder at a craft sale and garden show in Liberty, Missouri, last spring.  The artist made the most unusual feeders from vintage finds.

It's holding the rest of the plants I haven't had time to plant!

The twig tree stays on this porch year round.  It has tiny white lights on it and I change the decorations seasonally.

This part of the porch is like a breeze way. The door you see goes into our bedroom and the window belongs to a small spare bedroom.  To the right are French doors that come out of the dining room onto the porch.

Along the wall, I have a rusty planter.  Right now, it's holding an old minnow bucket filled with a fern and a little tin planter that contains mint, basil and my shamrock plant from St. Patrick's Day!!

To the left of the planter is an old rusty lamp base.  I purchased it last year at The Strawberry Festival in Independence, Missouri, for $3.00.  It makes a great flag holder.

This group of plants is to the left of the shutters and to the right of the dining room door.  The small stands were purchased at a sale many years ago and were hand made.

No, the fern does not have a furry bottom.  I just stuffed coconut fibers around the pot to wedge it in the stand so it would sit straight.  It's a conversation piece. :)

It's time for THE STONE RABBIT to get out of the sun and enjoy a little treat, too!! 

He's so glad you stopped by!

I am also so happy to see you today during Rhondi's Porch Party!!!  Be certain you visit her blog,  ROSE COLORED GLASSES, for a long list of other bloggers who are waiting for you to visit them!!!

Have fun!!

DANA

WE'RE HAVING A PINK SATURDAY BIRTHDAY PARTY!!!!

When I told Izzie that THE STONE RABBIT and I had decided to host a thematic birthday party in honor of PINK SATURDAY'S first birthday----well, she was thrilled!! 

THEN when I returned from The Dollar Tree with a bag full of fun items to use at our party--- she couldn't believe it!! 

I explained to Izzie, that The Dollar Tree is like a treasure hunt---you just don't know what you will find, but you almost always find something at a bargain one dollar price you can't live without!!

Sooooo, the theme of our party wasn't really decided until I spied the section that held the swell array of LUAU items---and then I went a little crazy!

These great notecards were eight for one dollar and I wasn't going to let the words "Thank You" hold me back!

Always thinking "thrifty", I did a little "redo" to the invites!!  You can hardly tell I placed an address label over the "Thank You", then added the new words with my Sharpie pen!!  Preeee-teeeee slick, huh?

Then I wrote the really important stuff about the party on the inside!!

Yes, the party is gonna be a Potluck Luau!!  Doesn't that sound like fun? 

Oh, and I hope you saw the part that says BYOF---Bring Your Own Flamingo!!!!

I hope you allllllll can come----this will be so much fun to celebrate Beverly's big day with a Luau!!

I forgot to add this to the invitations, but be sure you dress in Luau attire---if you want.  No pressure.  It would be fun---don't you think? :)

Twiggy was really getting excited about you guys coming over for the party!!  Doesn't she look cute in her PINK lei? 

 

Izzie was in charge of the door decoration. (Yes, it's also a Dollar Tree find!) She worked really hard climbing up and down the ladder so she could get the banner hung just so!! 

I think she's gonna take a little nap before you get here! 

 

THE STONE RABBIT was in charge of his buddies.  They've been practicing the hula for days-- Jeanne, Whitney the White Bunny is a natural hula dancer!!!

They can hardly wait for the party to start!!!

Oh my goodness!!!  I think we have our first guest!!!

I'm gonna open the door and see who's here!

Well!  Well!  It's Bonnie---and she brought her flamingo!!! 

She certainly looks ready for a Luau!!!

I took Bonnie to the patio and showed her the swell Tiki table I made!!!  I saw one at Old Time Pottery, but they wanted $69.00 for it!!!  I recreated their table by placing a board on top of a fold up bookcase, then taped a couple of hula skirts (Dollar Tree!!) around the board.  I  then placed some of my silk "cabbage" leaf placemates on top for a little tropical green look.  Bonnie was really impressed with my "Luau on a Budget" so far!  Then - - - - -

she placed the beautiful watermelon slices she brought on top of the Tiki Table----and we added the CUTE flamingo paper plates and napkins (YES!! Dollar Tree!!!)

 

Next, I showed Bonnie my flamingo centerpieces!!

The Dollar Tree had these cute furry crittersl, so I snatched up bunches of them to use during the party, then as guest gifts!!!

 

Bonnie was speechless when I showed her the centerpieces I had made for each table!! (I have lots of tables ready, cuz I'm expecting a lot of guests!!!)  I just think they "pull the theme" together--don't you? ;)

Bonnie really came a little early so she could help me plan some of the games we'll be playing at the Luau, but before we did that, I just had to show her the cupcakes I made!!

 

These flamingo straws (Dollar Tree!!) were turned into - - - - - -

cupcake decorations.  Simply "fluff" their feathers, snip off the straws and poke them in the cupcakes!!  Bonnie was overwhelmed with THAT thrifty idea!! 

 

Then we were off to the backyard to work on some fun games for the guests.

The first one we'll play will be "Flamingo Racing"!!  That's why you all need to bring your birds!!

Bonnie is shown here using a blow up Flamingo ball as a finish line flag of sorts!! (Yep, Dollar Tree!).

Actually, Bonnie was in charge of blowing up that bird---I got a little concerned a couple of times, but once the color came back to her cheeks I knew she was OK!

I've made little numbers for each Flamingo to wear, so we can keep track of which one belongs to whom.  Pink Flamingos are very similar looking and we don't want any problems with which one actually wins!!

Bonnie's bird  stepped over the finish line first on this trial run!!

The finish line is  created from Water Noodles----yes, indeedy, The Dollar Tree came through again!

Bonnie thought it would be fun if we played Blind Man's Bluff.  Because the Flamingos are short, we'll have to get down on our hands and knees and crawl around blindfolded----trying to be the first to grab a bird.

Can't you just see all of us Pink Saturday folks blindfolded and crawling after Flamingos?  What fun that will be!!

I nearly got that one, but then he ran off.  It's a lot harder than it looks!!

 

Bonnie had a great idea for using the Water Noodle to play a little game of skill.  We call the game:  Whack the Blow Up Flamingo!

It wasn't long before she was able to send that bird flying!! 

The person who hits it the greatest distance will win the bird!!  Great idea, huh?

Remember those cute little fluffy Flamingos?  Bonnie said she could juggle four of them at one time!!

Here she goes!!!

Hmmmmm---she needs to work on that a little!

For the next activity, we will have two Flamingos hold one of those Water Noodles, then- - - - -

we'll take turns doing a little Flamingo Limbo!! 

 

Remember how the Queen of Hearts used Flamingos for croquet mallets in "ALICE IN WONDERLAND"?

Well, we can do that, too!!

Bonnie demonstates the proper stance (feet shoulder width apart!) with the mallet next to the object to be sent through the Water Noodle wicket.

 

Then with the swing of a croquet pro, she connected with that little fluffy Flamingo ---she actually sent it through the wicket on the first attempt.  That girl is a tough competitor!  

We'll have a regular croquet court set up on the back yard---I have lots of Water Noodles, too!!!

We have one final game.  We couldn't have a Luau without playing "Pin the Tail" on the Flamingo, now could we?  Yes, I found that at The Dollar Tree, too!!

While we're waiting for the rest of you to get here, I'm whipping up several batches of our signature drink for this party.  It's made with PINK lemonade, vodka and a little coconut rum (for the Luau part).  It's called The Pinkie Drinkie!  Oh, yes, a strawberry on the side of the glass is a must!  Presentation IS everything!

That cute Flamingo Swizzle Stick?  Yes, The Dollar Tree!!

 

I've gotta run----I just heard some folks coming in the front door!! 

Oh my goodness!!  You should see the food they brought and the great Luau Costumes they have on and all of those Flamingos!!! 

I hope you get here soon!!

THE STONE RABBIT wants to tell Beverly how much fun he's had getting to be a part of Pink Saturday since last June!! He also appreciates all of the hard work she puts into Pink Saturday every week!!  He also wanted her to know he has a grass skirt ready for her to put on when she gets here---she just needs to bring her Flamingo!!

 

For more Pink Saturday Celebrations, visit Beverly at HOW SWEET THE SOUND for lots and lots of links!!

Have fun!

DANA

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

It's Wordless Wednesday again!!  This week our theme is:

                            SALT AND PEPPER!!

                                              

                                               

                                         

 

For more Wordless Wednesday Links, please visit Dixie at FRENCH LIQUE, TEXAS!!

                DANA

PINK FRIENDSHIPS

Ever since last Summer, Jeanne, of BACKYARD NEIGHBOR, and I have been looking forward to meeting in real life when she and her husband travel to Kansas City to visit relatives!  Well,  on Thursday of this week, our long-awaited day arrived.

So NOW, please enjoy our day with us!!!

Of course, THE STONE RABBIT wanted be the first  pictured with Jeanne!!!

Jeanne brought me a special gift---a gorgeous white bunny (it's a girl bunny because she has a garland of flowers around her neck!).  I just love her and so does THE STONE RABBIT!.   We decided to name her Whitney!!

 

THEN, we were off to meet some of my friends who were waiting for us on The Historic Independence Square!

Of course, we all wore PINK for this fun meeting!

Our first stop was at Sharleen's shop, LUTICIA CLEMENTINE'S.

Sharleen, on the right, visited with Jeanne for the first time!!  She also  joined in the PINKNESS of the day with a lovely PINK scarf and flower pin!

Our first photo together!

Whoa!!! Sharleen found another customer who loved PINK, too!  Check out his PINK PINKIE ring!!! :)   

PINK makes EVERYONE smile!

Sharleen shared a newly published book with Mary (on the left) and Jeanne.  It is a wonderful decorating book written by Stan Williams, entitled THE FIND.  It's all about "decorating with thrift shop treasures, flea market objects and vintage details"!!  It's right up MY alley. . . AND Sharleen is featured in the book!!!

The author will be in her shop on June 19th for a book signing.  On the next day, he'll be at Mary Carol Garrity's store, NELL HILL'S, at Briar Cliff Village in Kansas City North.

We worked up such an appetite shopping at Sharleen's, we decided our next stop should be LUNCH, at CAFE' VERONA.

That sweet Jeanne presented each of us with a little gift---of course, she wrapped them in beautiful PINKNESS!!  They were darling "friendship magnets".    I couldn't get a clear photo of my magnet because it has small writing on it, but it is so special!!  Thank you, Jeanne!

While we were waiting for our lunch to arrive, Jeanne and Mary Ann discovered they were both wearing PINK watches!!  There's no better way to tell time than with a PINK watch!

Also, while we were waiting for our meal to arrive, we noticed a fashion faux pas just outside the restaurant window!   While it was a handy spot to stash the smokes, it certainly wasn't a good look.

 

Several of us ordered this great grilled chicken salad, served with raspberries (PINK!!) and a raspberry dressing.

Sharleen had sent along some "after lunch" sweets for us to enjoy!  They were assorted yummy chocolates!

Jeanne and I couldn't resist a little Bathroom Divas opportunity!  That's just for YOU, Shelia!! :)

Our sweet waitress took a group shot outside of Cafe' Verona.

Pictured L to R:  Dana (me), Bonnie, Jeanne, Mary Ann, Patty and Mary!

Across the street from the restaurant is a very unique interiors and design shop called BE HERE NOW.

Bonnie had a lot of fun with this wooden hand with jointed fingers.  Here she's showing the sign for "I love you"!!

This is how the grounds around the Historic Jackson County Courthouse look  right now.  This is Phase II of a three phase process to restore the courthouse where President Harry Truman presided as a judge.  In Phase I, the windows and roof were replaced.  Now, they are in the process of returning the courthouse grounds to their 1933 appearance and addressing major drainage issues eroding the building's foundation. This phase will also add 70 parking spaces around the facility.  To read more about this renovation, please click (here).

Under protective wrapping, is a statue of Harry Truman!

After a stroll to the opposite side of The Square, we visited Mary's Aunt Dorothy who owns  "Do-Sal's Antiques".

This shop is filled to the brim with beautiful items.

Jeanne spotted a PINK depression glass "biscuit jar".  I remember when she shared her collection of biscuit jars on one of her early posts!!

Our next stop was in a shop call "POSH". 

We found the PERFECT PINK PURSE for Beverly, our Queen of Pink!!  Check out the crown!!  What do you think, Beverly?  Is it you? :)

We needed a shopping break, so we strolled over to CLINTON'S OlD FASHIONED SODA FOUNTAIN for bit of refreshment.

President Truman worked  in this shop in his youth.

Jeanne added her push pin to the map!!

This photo appears on the web site for Clinton's Old Fashioned Soda Fountain.

We decided we were pretty tired after our little refreshment at Clinton's, so we headed over to my house for MORE refreshments!!!  We had iced tea and PINK lemonade along with strawberry shortcake.

Then, that Jeanne told me she wanted to check out my collection of false teeth!!  Whoa, did that girl have a ball playing with those choppers! 

Twiggy wanted to get her photo taken with Jeanne, too!

Our time was rapidly coming to an end.  It had been such a great day. 

To think, we met because I started a blog and Jeanne started a blog and Beverly organizes our weekly Pink Saturday fun on her blog in which we both participate! 

Wow! 

This computery stuff has all sorts of pluses---like meeting a wonderful person like Jeanne---how cool is that?

Of course, we needed one more special PINK Picture!!!

Oh, and Jeanne, see how great little Whitney looks in the front flower bed with THE STONE RABBIT?

Thank you so much!!!

 For more Pink Saturday fun, please visit Beverly at HOW SWEET THE SOUND.  She'll have a long list of folks who have great PINKS to share!!!

DANA

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

This week our theme for Wordless Wednesday is:  "BLOGGER'S CHOICE".

My choice is:

             
                    REMEMBERING

To see more Wordless Wednesday posts, please visit Dixie at FRENCH LIQUE, TEXAS!

      DANA

A LITTLE TOUCH OF PINK

My friend Bonnie knows how much I love funeral baskets.

My friend Bonnie knows I only love certain kinds of funeral baskets.  While these, seen at the Strawberry Festival at the Vaile Mansion, in Independence, Missouri, last summer were wonderful, my friend Bonnie knows they would not meet my criteria for purchase.

Noooooooooo---my friend Bonnie knows I don't really love white funeral baskets.

My friend Bonnie knows I only love GREEN funeral baskets, like this beauty we spied at Apple Wagon Antique Mall while on our St. Louis Road Trip last summer!!

My friend Bonnie knows that the GREEN funeral baskets also have to be cheap---that would be my second criteria for purchasing such a treasure!

My friend Bonnie, in cahoots with my friend Marian, spied a GREEN funeral basket at that same Vaile Sale last summer!

It was GREEN---and it was only $5.00---and she SNATCHED it right up----and she KNEW how much I loved them.  :(

And do you know what else my friend Bonnie did?

That little sneak, filled that wonderful GREEN and CHEAP funeral basket with a bouquet of her very own zinnias AND presented them to me as part of my birthday present just as we were leaving on our road trip in August!!

Yep. . . . . that's  my friend Bonnie.  She's always doing nice things for me.

See how great Bonnie's basket fits in with some of my other funeral baskets out on our front porch earlier this Spring?

WEELLLLL-- - - -  and here comes the PINK part---I know you were wondering where this was all going! :)

As another part of my birthday gift last summer, my friend Bonnie included this beautiful, shining new gardening tool!  Isn't it great that it has inches marked on it?  My friend Bonnie knew I needed  every little bit of help I can get in the gardening depart.  Unlike me, she has extremely green thumbs!!!

I just thought it needed a little touch of PINK to make it perfect.  Gees, this PINK SATURDAY thing makes me think about PINK all of the time!!!  I guess I could paint the handle PINK but it's CUSHIONED---for the increased comfort of my elder hands. 

Even THE STONE RABBIT was impressed with that little trowel.  However, he wasn't so sure how long that PINK bow would stay clean.  I told him I have lots more PINK ribbon---I can always put a new bow on it!

For more PINK SATURDAY posts, just visit Beverly at HOW SWEET THE SOUND! 

Thank you Beverly, for organizing all of us each week!!!

DANA

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

Welcome to another Wordless Wednesday!!!

Our theme this week is:
                                      

                                     BLOOMING ! ! !

                               

To find links to other folks who are wordlessly sharing their "blooming"  photos, please visit Dixie at FRENCH LIQUE, TEXAS!!!!!

    DANA

GOOD THINGS #1

The other day, I carried this stack of white plastic lawn chairs up from our basement, then out to the front porch.  A friend was hosting a high school graduation party and needed to use them for extra seating.

As I wiped the dust off each chair, my mind wandered to how and why I had them.

I purchased them several years ago for the high school graduation party we were giving for one of our own kids-----but I honestly don't recall for which one!  Anyway, the chairs are at least  12 years old, but they could also be 15 years old!!

I do remember I paid $4.00 each for them. . . . . .probably some of the best money I've ever spent.

Besides being cheap, these chairs have many other fine qualities!  First, see how nicely they stack---thus, freeing up lots of storage space.  Second, maintenance on them is as simple as hitting them with a spray of water.  Third, they are light weight---making them easy to transport. Forth, they are pretty danged comfortable!

These cheap white plastic chairs have seen lots of action over the years.  Besides being on hand for a high school graduation party (or TWO), they have held guests at two college graduation parties.  They have attended several Soup Parties our friends host every fall around a wonderful campfire!!  They have also been up front and center for several Fourth of July Parades, served as extra seating for a Christmas dinner one year, and provided comfort for folks at many a garage sale I've had---you know half the fun of a garage sale is visiting with the friends and neighbors who stop by.

They also have sat at the end of our drive way many times to serve as a "no parking" notice---again when I've had garage sales. 

These cheap white plastic lawn chairs have held lots of folks as they visited with others, while enjoying a bowl of chili or soup or hot dogs or drinking a beer or a soda or a bottle of water.

These chairs have held many close friends as well as folks who just met for the first time.  They've been in stacks and circles and straight lines and scattered all over a yard.

Then one day, as I stopped at a garage sale, I saw this tiny little white plastic chair----

it was "kid size" and priced at $1.00----and I brought it home. . . .

for our little grand daughter!

She's had a few memories on her white plastic lawn chair.  I hope she has lots more, before she outgrows it.

THE STONE RABBIT says the little chair is just his size, too, so I'm guessing it will be getting LOTS of use over the years to come.

DANA

 

SWEET PINKNESS----ONE MORE TIME

I shared this photo on a post last year.  It's the last picture I ever took of my mom.  It was taken on Mother's Day 2003.  She passed away that November.

Did you notice she was wearing PINK that day?  I always thought PINK was her color when her hair turned gray.

                            ~  ~  ~  ~  ~   ~   ~   ~   ~

When I started participating in Pink Saturday last year, I wrote how I wasn't a PINK person.  However, that's not totally true.  You see, one thing I always LOVED was PINK frosting on an angel food cake.  When I lived at home my mom always made certain I had a cake just like that on my birthday. . . .and often times, over the years, after I'd left home and married, she would still surprise me with one of those confections.

So, in honor of my mom, I decided to make such a cake.  I wanted to have a little Sweet Pinkness again---I wanted to share it with my mom, just one more time.  

                                 ~  ~   ~  ~   ~   ~   ~

THE STONE RABBIT retrieved one of my favorite cake plates from a cupboard, while I. . . . . . . .

pulled out some of the items my mom would have used, at one time, to create such a dessert!  Those are her PINK mixing bowls and that's the angel food cake pan she gave to me when I married.

As I was digging out the recipe, I had a change of heart.  A "from scratch" angel food cake is not hard to make (I won a blue ribbon for one at our Missouri State Fair when I was in 4-H!), but it would be a little time consuming beating all twelve of those egg whites.  So, I put the eggs away and I turned to an alternative technique mom moved on to as the years went by- - - - - - -

yes, mom moved on to a mix!!!!  AND canned frosting!!! 

She was no dummy! 

However, as I read the back of the box, I realized that this approach was still going to take a bit of time, SO I moved on to ANOTHER great baking secret mom adopted- - - - - -

 

she would pick up an angel food cake or two when she saw them on sale in the bakery department at her grocery store--then pop them in the freezer!!   Did I tell you she was no dummy?  This little secret of mom's has helped me out a time or two---like TODAY!!  I'll bet she's loving this right now!

Yes, I realize the cake is in the spot an ice bin should be, but this is a refrigerator in the garage.  We don't have the ice-maker hooked up in it, so I removed the bin so I would have extra storage for special items--like store bought angel food cakes! :)

I learned this next trick, not from mom, but by watching Martha S..  To keep the frosting off the cake plate, just place some strips of waxed paper around the edges of the plate, then. . . . . . .

place the cake on the cake plate and. . . . . . .

ooops!  I got a little ahead of myself.  We'll return to  the clean cake plate tip in a bit.  Before I continue with that, I wanted to show you my frosting process!

First, I take the cheap frosting out of the plastic container and plop it in a mixing bowl. For some reason, a PINK mixing bowl seems to work best for this step!! ;)

Then I add a few drops of red food coloring and. . . . . . here's my little secret. . . . .

I add a few drops of Almond Extract!!  I love the flavor it gives to the CHEAP FROSTING (yes, I KNOW  it's imitation almond extract---but we're not picky!) and it improves the spreading consistency!

Once I have the food coloring and the flavoring in the bowl, I mix and mix and mix--until the frosting is a solid pink all the way through!

Next, I smear that lovely PINKNESS all over the (now thawed) angel food cake! 

Just LOOK at how pretty that PINK cake looks!!!  My little heart is fluttering right now as I gaze at the photo!

OK, now on to the clean cake plate tip---ya just start SLOWLY pulling out those little strips of paper!  Be patient and careful and before you know it, you will see a beautifully frosted cake with almost NO frosting on the plate!

I promise, this is my last tip.  I added this step on my own---mom didn't do this one.  You see, I have a little jar of sugar flakes--they're crystally looking.  I found them at a cake decorating shop!!  I carefully sprinkle them on the frosting to give it a little extra gleam!!

There!  If you look closely---the top of that magnificent cake is gleaming!!!  Oh, be STILL my heart!!

THE STONE RABBIT always gets to lick the frosting bowl---unless, of course, if my daughter-in-law is present, then she grabs it!!! 

THE STONE RABBIT is a good sport and just lets her enjoy the little snack--he knows he'll get his turn later.  Can you see him smiling?  TODAY, it was HIS turn with the frosting bowl!

I decided that I wanted to set out on the patio and enjoy some cake.

The only thing that would make it better, would be to have the chance to enjoy it with my mom---just one more time.

                        ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Yes, if I had my mom with me today, I would place a cloth on the table.  She loved table cloths---and I would add a little basket of flowers.  She had the greenest of thumbs and ALWAYS gave me a plant for part of my Mother's Day gift from her.

She would also point out that Twiggy was watching us from the glass door and  she would enjoy that and laugh out loud.

Then, I would set out a little red transferware plate for each of us.  She wouldn't care that it was the saucer to a cup and saucer set.  She would just love knowing I'd found something ELSE to collect and she'd always be looking out for more of them---at bargain prices! 

And she would delight in having her piece of angel food cake  with Pink frosting served on the saucer because it meant that I wasn't afraid to use items in different ways.

She would also love to use the PINK cloth napkins I had picked up at an antique mall!

We'd sip iced tea from some glasses she gave to me and my husband a long time ago.  I think they used to come in detergent boxes.  They are a wonderful smokey gray.  We would admire how great they still look, after all of these years, and how beautifully they go with PINK.

Then we'd clink our glasses together and say "cheers" and we'd giggle--because we were together----one more time.

If my mom was here, with me on the patio, we'd eat our angel food cake with PINK frosting and jabber the afternoon away, THEN- - - - -

I'd get out the Scrabble game.  We ALWAYS played Scrabble when I was a kid.  Mom and Dad spent a lot of time playing it with us, too.

Yes, if my mom was with me this afternoon on the patio, we'd enjoy angel food cake with PINK frosting and then we'd play Scrabble---just one more time. 

And she would probably let me win---just one more time.

We would even invite THE STONE RABBIT to join in the fun!!

Oh, and then, before we packed up the Scrabble game we would spell a special message to all of you wonderful PINK SATURDAY moms.

So. . . . . what do you think?

Yes, playing lots of Scrabble introduced me to having fun with words!! 

Thanks, Mom-----one more time.  :)

For more Pink Saturday fun, visit Beverly at HOW SWEET THE SOUND.  She'll have LOTS of other bloggers all lined up to share their PINKS with you!!

Have a wonderful Mother's Day!

DANA and THE STONE RABBIT

THE DAY I MOWED OUR YARD

My husband was concerned as he left for work the other morning. 

He'd just heard, on the news, it was supposed to start raining that afternoon and continue off and on for a few days.  His beloved yard would be very tall by the time he had the chance to mow it again.  

SO, in an effort to avoid more stress in his already stress-filled life, I decided to MOW THE YARD! 

That idea may not seem like such a big one to many of you fine folks out there who already are Mowers of Lawns, but it was a HUGE decision on my part.  I hadn't mowed in years and then it was with a push mower.   Unfortunately, because of a shoulder problem, I couldn't pull the cord to crank up the push mower.  So my other option was to use the RIDING MOWER!!!  That was the problem.  I didn't have a clue as how to operate that enormous piece of equipment my husband so dearly loved!

I finished my coffee and shuffled back to the bedroom, where I dug out my oldest jeans and a grungy shirt and a pair of my rattiest tennis shoes.  Decked out in that attire, I looked in the mirror and studied the pitiful chick I saw looking back at me.  "Give me a sack and I'll look like a Bag Lady,"  I thought.  Oh well, I couldn't restore my faded beauty, but I could at least try to do a favor for my Elder Prince Charming by mowing the yard and I could put on a big hat and disguise myself.  Maybe the neighbors would think we'd hired the mowing  job done this time!

I made my way to the corner of the garage and found the Green Beast---- waiting!

As I said, I didn't have the slightest idea of what to do with that machine. I had NEVER even perched myself atop it. 

"Lordy," I thought as I looked at it in all of it's GREENESS,  "I do NOT want to do this!!"  The Green Beast was looking back at me--I'm certain it did not want me to experience my maiden riding lawn mowing experience on it!  I swear little green tears were trickling from each headlight!

As the machine and I squared off, the phone started to ring!  It was my daughter!  

Yes!!  SHE used to mow yards for money in her youth!  By now I was seeing visions of the blond pony tailed teen roaring over the yards of neighbors accurately maneuvering  the Green Beast we owned at that time. 

My eyes were opened wide, as I suddenly took on the features of the Smiling Grinch as he was about to enter Whoville.  I said to her in my sweetest voice, "Do you suppose you would have time to mow the yard for----for your DAD this morning?"

I held my breath, waiting for a positive reply.

"Uh, no, Mom.  I have to go to work in a few minutes," she quickly shot back.

Rats!  My hopes were dashed.  She wouldn't be coming over to help out her old parents,  so then I asked her, "Well, can you at least tell me how to 'work it' ?.

"Mom," she said, "I used a different one (mower) .  I wouldn't have a clue as how to run this one.  Why don't you get out the instruction manual?"

AH!!  Brilliant! 

The INSTRUCTION MANUAL! 

Oh my goodness.  She actually suggested to ME, her elderly, feeble Mom, to get  the INSTRUCTION MANUAL out and figure out how to operate the Green Beast! 

On my own. 

All by myself? 

OH, the sacrifices I had made for that girl and this was the thanks I got!

So I dug out the INSTRUCTION MANUAL.   Oooops--the "Operator's Manual".  

I studied the manual with the intensity of a brain surgeon reviewing a complex procedure.

OK, I exaggerated that part a bit.  I flipped though the pages and got the general idea.

I located the levers and. . . . . .

 the gas tank (Yes!  it had gas in it--one less issue!!) and. . . . . .

the pedals that made the Beast go forward and backward (see, some bright man decided to put ARROWS on top of them so all you had to do was LOOK at the directions they point to know which one to press!)  I also located the STOP pedal!!  Whoo-hoo--I was in business!

One more quick review of the "start up" section!

I was brimming with confidence!!

I took a deep breath, released the brake, turned the ignition key to the first position, pushed the choke lever up and cranked the key full blast.

Yikes!!  The Beast shimmied and shook and came to life!!!  It coughed and spit a bit at first, but it was "running"!!! 

"Oooh-Oooh-Oooh," I wildly thought, "What do I do, now?" 

Then  it came to me!  

I needed to step on the pedal with the arrow that meant FORWARD!!!

With the Beast still shaking beneath me, I stomped on the forward pedal and shot out of that garage door like I was riding a Green Rocket!!

Whooooooaa!!!  "What now, what do I do NOW?" the thoughts were racing through my mind as I was quickly making my way across our yard and in the direction of the Neighbor's Yard--with a death grip on the steering wheel! 

"I  need to TURN this baby around and go the OTHER direction for a bit!"  I wildly thought.

With just a bit of hesitancy, I cranked the steering wheel to the right and Wha-Lah--- me and the beast were heading in the OTHER direction!  Oh JOY!!!  Oh Happy Day!  I was driving the Green Beast!!

I was slowly getting the feel of maneuvering the machine.  Hmmm, I thought.  This seemed  pretty simple!!!  Back and forth a few times and I'd have that yard cut in short order!  What was the big deal? I had figured it out!

I have to admit, I was feeling preeettttty cocky at that point!  I looked back behind me admire the new swaths I was leaving behind me.  Unforturnately , all I saw were the squiggly lines I had created over the once perfectly straight lines my husband had left in his last grass cutting event.  "Oh, well," I thought,  "I'd like to see him hem something with my sewing machine."  This would just take a little practice!

Then I decided to look down and watch the grass shoot out the little grass "shooty out spot" on the mower---located just beneath my right foot.  Strange.  There was no grass coming out.

Rats. 

I didn't see anything coming out!

Something was amiss.

Apparently, I was just mashing the grass down---there was no cutting activity taking place!

 

At this point, and against my better judgment, I stopped the Beast and I called my husband at the office.

He was giggling with delight when I announced I was mowing the yard for him.  "Yes,"  I told him,  "I'd gotten it started, but for some reason, there was no grass coming out of the grass "shooty-out spot."

This predicament seemed humorous to him.  After he composed himself, he asked if I'd lowered "the blade deck". 

"Well, no,"  I replied,  "I thought it was already in the spot it needed to be located.  How do I do that?"

He told me to look at the directions that were printed ON the Beast--right where my feet went! 

AH-HA!  I thought, another brilliant idea  from the maker of this product.  Evidently, I wasn't the ONLY person who missed this part in the manual!!  It seemed to me that this has been a problem for them in the past, so they decided to stamp the information i on the machine!!

My hubby informed me he had it set to cut the grass at 3 1/2 ".  He wanted it kept at that level, but if no grass came out, then lower it to 3" because maybe the grass hadn't really grown that much since the last mowing! "Hmmmmm, "  I thought.

I hung up and climbed back on The Beast.

OK!!  Since no grass was shooting out--I needed to lower the blades.!  I was capable of pushing a lever and turning a knob!  I positioned the cutting level to 3"!

And I was OFF again---certain this adjustment would result in grass spurting from the "shooty out spot"!

BUT upon checking---still so NO grass was coming out. 

I stopped the engine and turned the dial to 2 1/2".  This seemed like "scalping level", but I didn't care.  That danged yard was gonna get cut!!

Off I roared again and soon I looked down, certain grass would be spewing from the side! 

But NOOOOO!

This time I said "enough" and pulled that baby back in the garage. 

By now, I'd been messing with this chore for long time!  I closed the door and came inside, noticing how I smelled like exhaust--with nothing to show for it!

Later, my husband called.  "Well, how does the yard look?" he cheerfully asked.   I told him, I'd lowered the blade deck to 2  1/2" (I clearly heard gasping on the other end of the line with this information!) and there was no grass coming out, so it probably meant it didn't need to be cut, yet (I crossed my fingers and hoped! ). 

He asked if I'd turned the blades on.  

"Turned the blades on?" I replied.  "There's no place in the directions that say I have to do that.  I thought they just started turning when I started the thing."

He was roaring with laughter and telling folks in the background how I was mowing without the blades turning. 

Interrupting his moment of jolliness,  I yelled,  "How do you turn on the blades?"   

"You just push the yellow button down on the top right. (See on the photo above!)  But you only push it down when you're going forward and if you stop or go in reverse, it shuts the blades off, (safety feature!!!) so when you start forward you have to push the button again," he explained between guffaws, "and turn that mowing level back to 3 1/2 inches!"

I hung up the phone.

Well, dang.  Now I knew how to make the blades work.  So, back to the garage---staring at the green beast--I opened the door---again.   First, I climbed on the seat again, raised the mower deck back to 3 1/2", then with the instruction book back in my lap, I reviewed the "start up" process once more. (Short term memory skills are starting to fade!) 

I went through the moves and Yes, the "start up" was successful!!  I proceeded to back out of the garage without taking out the retaining wall, then I turned  around and The Beast and I faced the yard!   

With The Green Beast  roaring like the grass cutting animal it is, I leaned over and pushed The Yellow Button. 

It  stopped!!!  Danged. I started her up again--let her roar, then pushed the yellow button once more.  She came to a noisy stop again.  I turned her off and got the phone.  Hanging my head in disbelief, I had to call him again---certain this would bring additional rounds of laughter.

However, he was not laughing this time. 

I think someone told him he'd better watch it or his yard would be the scourge of the neighborhood by the time he returned home. 

"Did you blah, blah, blah?"  he said.

"Yes, I did that,"  I curtly replied.

"Well, did you blah, blah, blah?" he continued.

Gritting my teeth while I listen to the blahing, I waited until he finished and said, "Yes, I did that."

"Well, he said, (I knew how much he wanted that grass cut, so he was reallllllly trying to be nice and helpful)" did you blah, blah, blah?" 

"I'll try that," I said and hung up the phone--certain I'd be pulling that tractor back in the garage without whacking down a single blade of grass. 

Once again, I mounted the steed,  and I cranked her up.  This time, as I pushed the yellow button I added more throttle (another new term in my vocabulary) and The Beast came to life and stayed alive!! 

Glory be!  I could feel the power of those rotating blades beneath my butt as it was plastered on the yellow seat.  I hit the pedal with the forward arrow and away I went---little pieces of grass were shooting out the side!!  Woo-hoo!  Look out yard!! 

After many trips across my backyard, I felt confident enough to make lawn mowing debut in the FRONT YARD--in full view of interested neighbors who knew they'd never seen anyone other than my husband on The Beast.  I did not want to make a fool out of myself and find that I was the "entertainment feature" again that morning.  I'd already done that at my husband's office.

Heck,  no!  I wanted to hold my head up high as I zipped back and forth and mowed our lawn!   I wanted to look like I actually knew what I was doing!

After a few minutes, I'd finished the job and except for a trench I put in the mulch  around one of the little maples and the tiny little bit of grass clippings that covered that mulch (it actually helped to hide the missing mulch!)  and the few spots that didn't get touched by the blades (I figured MOST of it had been cut--by now, my lawn mowing standards had been lowered)- - - - -

 

I finished my first (and hopefully LAST!) mowing job. 

I really didn't like the green tire marks I managed to smear on the driveway, but- - - - - -

 

THE STONE RABBIT told me, as we relaxed and admired my "beginner" lawn mowing skills, that when the rain started it would wash away those green marks!

  

It wasn't very long before the rain started - - - -

 

and it did wash away those green tire marks!

As I looked out across my freshly cut lawn, I honestly thought I could see that danged grass starting to GROW again----right before my eyes!! :)

 

DANA