Need a laugh?

I double dog dare you to watch this video without a smile spreading across your lips. Silly Kaden & Uncle Brian!

U-G-L-Y, this cake ain't got no alibi

My family got together over the weekend to celebrate Jen's 28th birthday. Ryan baked Ugly Duckling Cake, an O'Toole family favorite. It's great with vanilla bean ice cream.







Ugly Duckling Cake
1 package yellow cake mix
1 (16-ounce) can of fruit cocktail
2 1/3 C coconut, divided use
2 eggs
1/2 C brown sugar
1/2 C butter
1/2 C sugar
1/2 C evaporated milk
**
Combine cake mix, fruit cocktail with syrup, 1 C coconut and eggs. Blend and beat at medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour into greased 9-by-13 pan. Sprinkle with brown sugar. Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes, or until cake springs back lightly when touched.

Bring butter, granulated sugar and milk to a boil in a saucepan. Boil 2 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in remaining coconut. Spoon over hot cake in pan.

What the?!?!?!

If I were smart ...

... I'd take a cue from this and invent a puppy eggroll treat.

Weekend welcome

Can you tell that Dakota was needing a weekend?

Playing with the big dogs

Today is Jen's birthday, so Kaden & I hung out while she & Ryan went to dinner and a movie to celebrate.

Kaden has a special toy that stays at my house: a squeaky stuffed golden retriever that looks a little like Dakota & Lilly. It's quite amusing because the pups want to play with the toy so badly:



You've got to give this to her: Lilly is one patient and persistent little pup.


But keep in mind that I have a very intelligent little nephew. And I'm pretty sure that this is baby for "nanny-nanny-boo-boo, you can't have my toy":

Wrapped up in love

This week I finished my latest quilting project using a piece of fabric that I bought a year or two ago on eBay. (The Web site actually is a great place to buy quilting supplies and fabric, especially unique items like this, which I've never before seen in a bricks-and-mortar quilt store.) I love it because it looks like newspaper personals, perfect for a romantic kind of newsie.

I paired it with some Valentine's Day fat quarters a Quilt Guild friend gave and sewed this top, inspired by a pattern Mom gave me for Christmas: 5 & Dime by All Washed Up. (I adjusted it quite a bit in order to use as much of my eBay fabric as possible.) The pattern is a good one if you have a focus fabric you're wanting to feature.


I like to name my quilts, and I'm thinking of dubbing this one "Black, White, Pink and Read All Over."