Quick and Easy Brownie Bites

I have been making the teachers and staff at Ellie's school treats every Friday morning...which is actually fun for me because I love baking. One of my stand-bys when I don't have much else in the house is brownie bites. I just use a packaged brownie mix (for a 9x13 pan) and make the batter following the directions on the package. Then I use my mini-muffin tins (the one from Pampered Chef is awesome!), and some little mini cupcake liners. Then I put a big spoonful of batter in each liner, and bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes (or till toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean), and I let them cool for a few minutes in the pan...then I usually put a Hershey's Kiss in the middle...and let them completely cool. 

This time around I didn't have kisses, so I just used chocolate chips (I put a total of 6 in...3 pushed way down, then three more sitting on top). The are pretty delish! And a great way to use brownie mix in a different way!

A Really Quick Card

This is an Anniversary card, but you could easily adapt it for other occasions too...it was super easy to make with scraps of paper and my circle and heart punches. The stamp is from PaperTrey Ink.

How we spent our holiday...

We had a great time in Spokane (and Harrington) visiting my family over Christmas. 

Here are some photos from our time there....LOTS of photos!

As soon as we arrived (Christmas Eve morning) in Spokane, Ellie had to get some snuggle time in with "Papa Dan" (she's almost getting too big to share his chair with him...pretty soon she'll just be taking the chair over for herself;o)), but for now, it's one of her favorite things to do.

Later that evening, the "kids" (this is what my mom still calls us...cracks me up! Meaning me and Pete, my brother Cory and wife Bridget, and step-brother Aaron and his wife Nicole) and their kids over to open gifts....

Then we had even more join us (for a total of 19!!!) for a yummy dinner! 

Ellie and her cousins (Evan and Avery) opening presents. She got to enjoy a whole day with them a few days later (Tuesday), as "Aunt Nicole" invited her over to play, so my mom (aka Ellie's "Mimi") and I could shop the after-Christmas sales. 

 Ellie and Avery (3)

Nicole (my sis-in-law, my stepbrother Aaron's wife) and her son Zach, with his sweet girlfriend Vonda (middle)

Avery, Grandma Jean (Papa Dan's mom) and Ellie---

do you think perhaps Ellie's getting tired of photos?

 Ellie and Grandpa Fred (Papa Dan's stepdad)

Me, Ellie and Dan's daughter Kellie (my step-sis) 

Pete and Ellie having some down-time in the much coveted recliner on Christmas morning--she patiently waited for me, Mimi and Papa Dan to wake up before digging in to her SANTA presents!

Ellie found the plate and mug empty and a note from Santa (aka Uncle Cory)...

I had him write the note, since he did it last year and since Ellie's getting smarter I wanted to have the same handwriting...well HILARITY ensued as it took Cory took 5 times to get it right (well kinda...his final attempt still involved a crossed out word). First he spelled reindeer wrong (Rain-deer, really??) ummmm...twice (!!!), then he signed his own name twice...well, three times but on this last one he just ripped it off and squeezed in "Santa". Bridget (his wife--my SIL) about peed our pants laughing so hard....there is a reason we call him "Beavis"...UGH!

 Ellie opening her presents from Santa (and a few from Mommy and Daddy too)!

So happy to get a Baby Zhu Zhu pet...one of the things she asked Santa for!

We had a very relaxing Christmas morning...then that afternoon the seven of us (Papa Dan, Mimi, Uncle Cory, Aunt Bridget and the 3 of us) went to the Matt Damon movie "We Bought a Zoo"...it was a great movie, and the movie popcorn was pretty scrumptious too!!!

Then on Monday (the day after Christmas) we headed down to Harrington (my hometown) to spend some time with my dad and stepmom Kathy (aka "Opa" and "Oma").

 Check out these awesomely SWEET cowgirl boots that Oma splurged and bought her!

 Ellie had a great time playing with her little cousin Bayler (age 1-1/2). She must have built a tower 20 times, and Bayler knocked it down...ummmm, 20 times! By the end Ellie was throwing herself down on the floor in disgust and frustration (um, perhaps we have a little bit of only child syndrome?;o))...but overall, they had a lot of fun playing together!

Aunt Alyssa (my sis-in-law, my brother Dusty's wife) and Bayler (who was more than ready for a nap--he eventually crashed a few minutes later!)

 Uncle "Rusty" and "Shelly" (or Dusty and Ellie)

...this is what they jokingly call each other!

 Ellie putting on a balancing stick show for the group...Bayler, just be glad it wasn't the "karate show" she'd been putting on for us before Christmas!

Ellie and her "Opa" (my dad)...at this point, I think she was pretty much DONE with photos being taken...and my dad apparently wanted to punch me out?? Huh??:o)

 We spent a week in Spokane at my mom and Dan's house, then it was back on the plane to head home to Boise. Nanny Carol (Pete's mom) stayed at the house for us during the week we gone to take care of the animals...

When we got back, we celebrated with Nanny Carol. She got Ellie a new portable DVD player (the old one died quite some time ago)...Ellie was thrilled! She LOVES her movies!!!

 And Pete was thrilled too with his present from Nanny...a collectible, very expensive book about the GT/CS series of Mustangs (yes, the cars!).

Loretta, our black lab, was just excited that we were home...(she's such a goofball!)

Nanny opening one of her presents from us...

Pete, goofy Ellie and Nanny Carol 

Pete and I relaxing!!

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas...

we wish you a very Happy 2012!!!

Merry Christmas!

We are off to Spokane to visit my family for a week. We're looking forward to seeing everyone, and to some hopeful rest and relaxation! Hope you all have a blessed Christmas!

Here's our little table top tree!

Here's the old gate and picket fence Pete put up for me (he had originally just did the gate with our wedding photos...as an anniversary gift for me)...but I decided it would be a great place to display all our Christmas cards and photos this year! 

Some Femininity...

Here are some "feminine" birthday cards I made recently to sell at my parent's store (ok, not overly feminine by any means...that's just not how I roll, but meaning for gals, not guys:o))

Cupcake from My Mind's Eye

Blue patterned paper from My Mind's Eye

"Celebrate" die cut from My Mind's Eye

Stars are fussy cut from Echo Park's "Little Boy" paper

Fiskars border punch

Red baker's twine from Paper Trey Ink

"Happy Birthday" stamp from Paper Trey Ink

Photo corner punch from Stampin' Up!

Happy Day die cut from My MInd's Eye

"It's your day" sticker from Jillibean Soup

Birds fussy cut from Hobby Lobby patterned paper

Clouds fussy cut from Echo Park paper

Blue ribbon from Doodlebug

Cream rick rack from Close to My Heart

Blue polka dot scalloped die cut from Jillibean Soup

Yellow bird circle fussy cut from patterned paper (Cosmo Cricket)

Blue flower sticker from K & Co. 

Striped and Orange Dot  paper from Echo Park

"Happy Bird-Day Stamp" from A Muse Stamps

Multi colored polka dot paper from American Crafts

Pink polka dot paper from My Mind's Eye

Blue Star paper from Jillibean Soup

"Dream" die cut from Jillibean Soup

Cupcake sticker from Doodlebug

Two flower stickers and "happy birthday" stickers from Doodlebug

Multi polka dot paper from American Crafts

Blue polka dot from Authentique

Yellow paper from American Crafts (Amy Tangerine line)

Green paper from Authentique

Blue with green dot paper from K & Co.

Orange dot paper from Echo Park

Small butterfly sticker from K & Co.

Eggs...Finally!

As I shared in the spring HERE, we are backyard chicken owners...and our 3 chickens have started laying eggs. It took 6 months of waiting (actually not that long), but aren't they pretty? (and yummy too!)

All 3 girls are laying...(we get at least 2 eggs everyday). The green eggs are from the speckled Ameraucana and the brown ones are from the Rhode Island Red and the Black Sex Link.

Some Starry Thanks!

Here are a couple new thank you cards I recently made...

Yellow and Blue Patterned Paper-American Crafts (Amy Tangerine line)

Stars fussy cut from Echo Park "Little Boy" paper

"Thanks" stamp from Studio G/Hampton Art

Twine from PaperTrey Ink

Border Punch-Fiskars

Stars fussy cut from Echo Park "Little Boy" paper

Yellow patterned paper from American Crafts

All other patterned paper from Bella Blvd "Finally Fall" line

"Thanks" stamp from Studio G/Hampton Art

Twine from PaperTrey Ink