How cool is this?

I adore this dresser. Doesn't it look fantastic. I wish I knew someone who could make something like this!

Like a pig in heaven

I decided to make Riley's birthday cakes for his kid birthday party. We had a farm theme complete with barns and animals. I used just a regular box cake and canned frosting to make both cakes. Mrs. Betty Crocker has made great improvements in the taste of her cakes. They no longer taste like the box they come in. They are moist and full of flavor.

I found the patterns for both of these cakes on Familyfun.com. They have tons of cake ideas that are easy enough for someone as inept at cake making as myself. The pig cake had a strawberry flavor and the cow was chocolate.

The only hard part about making these cakes was trying to find the right candies to make all the add ons. It is impossible to find black lace licorice in the big town of Helena. I had to cut up regular licorice into small strips.

This is the new "dog" that has come to live at our house. It was a birthday gift to Riley from his Auntie Nille. He's one of those dogs that grows and can be programmed to learn your child's name. I haven't yet programmed him, so he just says "friend" instead of Riley's name. (I know, I'll get around to doing it... hopefully today)

The crazy thing about this dog is as it grows, I swear it's voice gets deeper. The first day it has this cute high-pitched baby voice, but now It sounds like a big burly lumberjack. If that thing starts swearing or telling the kid it needs a beer, his batteries might go missing!

Riley carts this thing all over the house. He has a bit of an animal obsession. He loves anything with four legs.

Put on your bell bottoms and crank the Partridge Family

Can anyone guess where this lovely pattern is found?

On Mrs. Brady's shirt.... no

On a couch found in the back part of the Salvation Army?.... no

This lovely pattern lines the bottom of my silverware drawer. It's been there since we bought the house 6 years ago. It's a lovely piece of carpet and is glued into to drawer. I never think about it until it comes time to clean the drawer and then I have to break out the vacuum to get it clean. Who else has carpeting in their drawers?