~ Pumpkin Pie Martinis....Oh My~

Turkey time! My favorite holiday meal-of-the-year tomorrow, AND my grandbabies and whole family will be here!! How lucky can a very tired lady get??

Katie came yesterday and we worked into the evening. Lots of orders to go to the PO today.

Pumpkin pies are in the oven.....the tables are ready to set......all the prep for potatoes, stuffing, appetizers will be completed this evening. Jim gets off today at 3 pm which is a huge help AND he loves to cook! Again.....I'm a lucky gal.

For now....I have promised myself to spend the next 6 hours in the studio working on orders since I'll be taking the rest of the day and tomorrow off. Katie and Fannie will come back and spend the day Saturday in the studio with me.

We'll be saving these to make tomorrow. They're DELICIOUS!

Pumpkin Pie Martinis

This recipe only serves one, so you need to double, triple it etc. for your guests~

• 1/2 cup ice
• 1 ounce of vanilla vodka
• 1.5 ounces Bailey’s Irish Cream
• 1/3 cup half & half
• 3 tablespoons of pumpkin puree (from a can is fine)
• 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice
• cinnamon and sugar

1. In a shaker combine the ice, vodka, Bailey’s, half & half, pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice. Shake vigorously until chilled.
2. Use a napkin to wet the rim of a martini glass. Combine equal parts cinnamon and sugar on a plate. Roll the rim in the mixture.
3. Pour the martini in to the prepared martini glass and sprinkle with more pumpkin pie spice (if desired).

Rosie and I have lots to do. We were both up at 3 am sneaking around the kitchen and dreaming about tomorrow....so I best gather her up and head to the studio. Have a beautiful, thankful Day-Before-the-Turkey wherever you are in this world~

~Gummy Vitamins...Not Just For Kids~

I dislike taking lots of pills, and discovered that VitaFusion makes all kinds of gummy vitamins for adults! They taste JUST like gummy candies...and I actually look forward to taking them. They have multi-vitamins, vit. C, Calcium, B Complex, Vit. D, etc. I found them at Target...and cheaper still at Costco. I've been taking extras this week because we're watching our three grandbabies this weekend. There'll be lots of movies, coloring, computer games, swimming and just plain FUN!

Hope you are enjoying your Labor Day Weekend, wherever you are in the world~

~Sea, Sand and Memories~

We're back from the ocean. Many precious memories etched in our minds and hearts:

~ early mornings

~sweet hugs and kisses

~juice boxes.......

~little outstretched arms......

~sandy toes......

~ wet towels.....

~ocean breezes.....

~baby sunscreen......

~margaritas.....

~sand pails......

~floats......

~sandcastles.....

~bike rides.....

~buckets of cold Coronas and limes.....

~crabcakes......

~riding the waves....

~pretty shells......

~beautiful grandbabies....

~Priceless Family.......

~BLESSINGS FROM ABOVE~

Thank you, Lord~xoxoxoxoxox

~February Blessings~

It was such a blessing to be able to take January for some much-needed R&R. Sleeping in.....reading books and magazines I've longingly gazed at over the past few months....weekends in the kitchen cooking and baking with Jim.....cozy nites by the fire......watching movies......time with our children and grandchildren. All blessings I cherish more and more as the years fly by.

Among those blessings are my appreciation of the strides modern medicine's taken over the past few decades. My doctor sent me for a CAT scan to try and determine why I had such a hard time fighting off the pneumonia and bronchitis that invaded my body from October to the end of December. (couldn't have had anything to do with working 16 hr. days filling orders, now, could it??) Everything was normal there. However....they saw a mass near my pancreas. An MRI and several ultra-sounds later, it was determined I have a splenal aneurysm that my body miraculously calcified. It re-routed the blood to different arteries, in essence, saving my life! You can imagine how many prayers and rosaries I said over the past 6 weeks. I want to thank everyone who was said some 'heavy duty' prayers for a good outcome. As I've said many times before....prayers DO work!

And now it's back to life as I know it. RoseCreekCottage Studio is humming away. I'm busy filling Valentine's Day orders, re-organizing studio space, and creating new designs for 2011. My Heirloom Collection of hand stamped sterling jewelry has grown much faster than I had imagined, and I'm busy trying to figure out how to continue its growth this year, along with freeing some of my personal time so I can spend it by the sea...and with my grandbabies!!

With coffee in hand.....I'm off to the studio...which is one of my favorite places on earth~
Have a beautiful day, wherever you are in the world~

~Off to The Sea~

Off to the sea
The babies and me...
No worries, no hassles
Just sun and sandcastles.

~Through The Years~

"Through the years, you've never let me down,

You turned my life around,

The sweetest days I've found I've found with you....

Through the years
I've never been afraid,

I've loved the life we've made

And I'm so glad I've stayed, right here with you
Through the years"

Thank you, sweet husband of mine, for 38 glorious years. Even through the hard times and the tears, we've laughed and been there to hold each other up. I wasn't always an angel....but you always loved me no matter what. I never thought any love could grow as much as ours has. Two beautiful sons, a dear daughter-in-law, and two grandbabies later, it has grown by leaps and bounds.

I thank God for you each and every day of my life, and only wish He could grant us 38 more years together on this earth. xoxoxoxox

"Through the years, through all the good and bad
I knew how much we had, I've always been so glad
To be with you ... through the years
It's better everyday, you've kissed my tears away
As long as it's okay, I'll stay with you
Through the years"