Remember the rhinestone shoeclips that Brooke borrowed for the wedding? 
They ended up being a lot of fun, along with shoes for all the bridesmaids.
They will such a momento of the day.
Our pictures are in...
So the royal wedding won't be the only one you are seeing pictures of!
I can't imagine that theirs was any more special.
Well... kind of anyway~
We had to use our imagination about the dress, because of course it is a international secret. I'm calling for a little rouching and feathers. Won't that set the tongues a-wagging?
We aren't sure which military uniform Prince William will be wearing. So, again, imagination works well.
Doesn't he look like a happy guy?
What is your favorite today?
Here is a Blue imitation of Kate Middleton's ring.
with gratitude~ for the colors of spring
and those special people in your life.
This was what was covering Everthing in the south last week.
Believe it or not, this is not dust... It is yellow pollen. 
I have gotten lots of emails, and excitement over these wedding cake toppers. This has started me thinking of a new business venture... 'Gimme Some Sugar' 
Which brings me to these crazy cookies... I found this recipe on Guy Fieri's site (hush your moaning!) They were just crazed enough to intrigue me~ Oatmeal cookies with cranberries rather than raisins and some fresh rosemary. I changed the recipe up a bit, he called for coconut, and I left that out.
Using a cookie scoop, place 2 inches apart on parchment lined cookie sheets. Bake until cookies turn golden, 13 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven to cooling rack. Let sit 5 minutes in the pan before transferring to a rack to cool completely. 
With a bit of glue, they were easily turned into beautiful hair pins for the bride and her bridesmaids. 
They were just the special touch we needed! 
It won't be long before I will be driving these back roads in Tuscany again.
I hope I can remember how to read the road signs!
Happy huntng y'all~ Actually, I think this story begins in Italy... In Ferarra. In This Old Post you could see where Jerry and I spent a day taking photos of Bicycles in that beautiful Italian town. I conceeded bragging rights to Jerry for our little photo competition, based on a few well timed photos. I think he has felt a tad guilty over that ever since.
So... when I was desperate for Chestnuts to make my Monte Bianco, guess who came to my rescue? Jerry did! Not only did he find the chestnuts in Canada, he also made the recipe and sent me photos. What a champ!
Apparently fresh chestnuts are only available in Alabama during the one small week of Christmas; fresh chestnuts are essential to this dessert. "Monte Biano is a pyramid of dark chocolate and pureed fresh chestnuts, topped by a snowy peak of whipped cream" Marcella says that the aroma is a consolation for the approach of winter. And indeed resembles the white snow covered summit of Mont Blanc.
This is one recipe I can't wait to make ... next Christmas.
In the mean time, I hope that y'all will all take a second and go to Thoughts, Musings, and Rants and tell Jerry how much we appreciate his generosity.
Ciao y'all~ Sandi
You head to the FloraBama, that's what! 
The bushwackers were icy and the oysters were cooked to perfection... 
That's my friday's favorite! What is your favorite today?
The first (of many) trip to Hobby Lobby I stocked up on supplies. The wooden clothes-pins come in a large bag, I also bought plenty of wooden balls, One pack of molding clay, I picked up a skein of flesh colored floss, and hair colored paint. I had some pliable wire and needle nosed plyers. Most important was craft glue! 
I took a sharp knife an whittled a groove in the back of the 'doll' to have a place to set the wire arms. 
After the wire was glued securely, I wrapped them with the flesh colored floss and glued the ends. 
Next, I got busy with the paint. Black paint for the groom's pants. I fashioned the hair styles to match them both. I used the molding clay to create some curls for the bride and painted them all to match. Pieces of ribbon for the clothes. I snipped and glued. Waited for it to dry, then glued another layer. 
Here you can see that they are beginning to take shape. Wired ribbon worked perfectly for the bride's skirt, and of course she had to have a short skirt on under the longer wedding skirt. I used a bit of black fabric to create the grooms jacket. 
Once I got to the tiny details, it really got fun. I had to make lots of calls to be sure I got things right. How many buttons on the jacket? Beard or no beard? Your hair on the left or the right? What color flowers? Garter belt with a blue flower? Blue shoes with a little bling!
Here is a close-up of the hair and her little starfish. The finished bride had a pretty veil with starfish too. The simple faces were Holly's artistic touch! 
Since this was a beach wedding, they had to be standing in the sand. I used a sponge and LOTs of glue for that. I even had some tiny seashells to add.
The finished product was just perfect. 
Don't y'all think? 
I wanted to share the photos of the fabulous wedding cake... 
The Cake Topper was absolutely precious on top of the cake. The white dots were just the right touch with a pretty blue ribbon. I must say the bakery at Publix in Orange Beach could not have been more wonderful.
Of course this little crowd would have been happy with just a slice of wedding cake... 
