Beach Ball Cake Pops

Diposting oleh good reading on Rabu, 03 Agustus 2011

I'm making these beach ball cake pops for a pool-side birthday party for a four-year-old.


What you need
Any cake, baked and cooled
1-2 cups of icing (any kind)
White candy melts or almond bark
lollipop sticks
Tall mug or other heatproof glass
colored sugar in red, yellow & blue*
Styrofoam block or disk

* I do not recommend the 4-pack of colored sugars, even though all three colors are in there because you can't pour the sugar out (or back in). I recommend buying individual bottles of each color.

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style FILE

Diposting oleh good reading on Selasa, 02 Agustus 2011

WE LOVE THESE 'MESSY' DO'S
To DIY: Spray hair with a Surf Spray, for that really great dry texture, before blowing it dry, scrunching the hair in handfuls. Create a low, pinned knot by dividing hair into two pieces and tying them together like you would with shoe laces—allow a chunk of hair to fall in front of one eye for an“effortless, urban, just-walked-off-the-beach style.
For a variation, like the style below:
Instead of 'tying' your hair, randomly pin top layers up just above the nape of the neck ~ while allowing the underneath layers to hang loose!

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We're Back!

Diposting oleh good reading

Syd and I with a group of the local kids
Actually, we've been back from Guatemala for over a week, but life since we've been back has been anything but normal. Emergency surgery for the dog, a home invasion, broken teeth, friends from out of town, AND a 3 day conference have all combined to give me a whirlwind welcome home. Somehow, though, I think I managed to maintain just a bit of sanity through it all.

Syd is still wearing the same box braids we put in before our trip. We really haven't done much with them other than ponytails. With everything listed above, hair has been at the bottom of our priority list.

Now about our Guatemala trip....it was absolutely amazing. Life-changing for everyone involved - myself, Syd, and the people we were there to minister to. Our group held medical clinics on 3 different days and built a concrete block house for a family of 7 who was living in a one room bamboo hut. We also spent a lot of time just playing with and loving on the kids of the village we were in. Syd and I truly fell in love with the people down there. There is a very good chance that this type of trip will become an annual event for us.

We did so many different things on this trip that I couldn't choose just a handful of photos to share with you. I decided to share quite a few, instead. :)

Herds of cows use the roads, too!

Our bathroom for the week. I opted to use the cornfield. :)

Syd playing ball with some of the kids

Passing out crayons. They LOVE to color

Braiding some fun blue extensions into their hair. :)

The days were so long that Syd couldn't stay awake to read. :)
Taking medical supplies to a bedridden man in the village

Unsure about the spiny fruit (they were really good!)

Syd got in on the construction work

Hanging out with some new buddies

Passing bracelets out to a group of girls
Moving a truckload of sand one bucket at a time

Syd spent a LOT of time putting ribbons in the girls' hair

Syd and her new Guatemalan friend, Vilda

Me and my friend/translator as I spoke in a church service

Smiling through the tears as we said goodbye one last time
Shopping in the (very colorful) markets

Relaxing in Antigua on our last day in Guatemala

This guy just looked like he needed a kiss

On a hillside overlooking Antigua and the looming volcano 


Making friends with the guy carrying the big gun. :)


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Time Mysteries: The Ancient Spectres Beta

Diposting oleh good reading

New Hidden Object - Adventure Game from Big Fish Games.

Thanks to Jasmine!

Beta Closed!Thanks For Playing!


Screenshots: #1 , #2 , #3
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Cake Mania To the Max

Diposting oleh good reading

Flashback to the neon-soaked 80s and help Jill prepare for the biggest night of her young life in Cake Mania: To the Max, a fun Time Management game! Like most high school students in the Bakersfield High Class of ‘89, Jill doesn’t have a clue as to what she wants to do with the rest of her life. As she fretfully contemplates various schools and career paths, her Grandpa presents her with the opportunity of a lifetime – design the centerpiece cake for her upcoming prom!
Updated July 22, 2012

Game Size 75  MB

OR
OR

Screenshots:


Have fun and feel free to leave your comments!

Recommended for free users: Use Jdownloader to increase download speed!
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Beach Ball Cookies

Diposting oleh good reading on Senin, 01 Agustus 2011

What says summer like a beach ball? I made these cookies as a thank you for my boys' summer camp counselors.


What you need:
One recipe Vanilla Sugar Cookies
Large round biscuit or cookie cutter
One recipe Royal Icing
"No-Taste" Red Icing Color, Lemon Yellow Icing Color, Royal Blue Icing Color
Disposable decorating bag fitted with Tip #5
4 zipper-top sandwich bags (check that they don't have the fold at the bottom)
Toothpicks

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Vanilla Sugar Cookies {Recipe}

Diposting oleh good reading

There are as many sugar cookie recipes out there as there are bakers. But this is the one that I prefer to bake with. I find that the cookies turn out flaky and rich, and they keep their shape as they bake-- the second-most important thing (to taste) when you're doing cut-outs.


What you need
3 to 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter (at room temperature)
3/4 cup sugar
1 large or extra large egg (at room temperature)
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. white vinegar*
Optional: 1-2 Tbsp. water (if the dough seems too crumbly)

*Vinegar?! In a cookie?! Yes. I find that it makes the cookies a little flakier, and you don't taste it. Plus, adding a little vinegar when you're going to be coating them with sweet, sweetness, balances the flavor, in my opinion.
Please remember that if you skip the vinegar, you need to add in an extra teaspoon or so of water. It will be too dry if you do not.
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