Running on Empty, Cupcakes and Girly Girl-ness

For starters, I want to go on the record and say that I love Daylight Savings Time. The Fall one. I really, really enjoy falling back and getting that extra hour - especially with Christmas only about seven weeks away. The Spring Forward thing I am not so fond... So between this extra hour and all my vitamin C and echinacea, I have been a scrapping fool...


It feels like Halloween was forever ago, and yet it was just last week! In fact, it was a week ago that I made these little yummies...


I felt sooo fancy because, while the cupcakes were from a mix, and the frosting from a can, I tinted that canned frosting orange. I know - Martha Stewart I am not, but for a gal who usually plops the batter in a pan and pretty bakes just so she can lick the beaters, going that extra yard and coloring the frosting and adding sprinkles and adding a fake spider, well - fancy! I packed the cupcakes in the van, crammed Johnny in his winter coat, and hit the road with an extra five minutes to spare, heading to Mikey's class party...

... I should have known things were going too smoothly.

Exiting off the highway, I was about to hit the brakes to slow down, when my van started to slow down by itself. Now, my "Low Fuel" light was on (it almost always is - I know, I know - naughty me. I put a few dollars in here and there...) but I was pretty sure it hadn't been on that long... anyway, by the time I got to the traffic light, my steering wheel was locking up. I coasted through the red light using every ounce of energy to turn right, and landed mercifully in the driveway of the gas station with my tailend still in the road.

It was raining, I didn't have my purse, and Johnny was asking, "Where are we mama? The party isn't here, is it? Hey mama, hey mama, what are we doing? Hey mama...." Long story short, two attendants, one random lady getting gas, and little old me pushed the van to a pump (they let me get gas on my honor to return to pay) while Johnny was yelling that he wanted to push the van, too...

I left the gas station with a grateful heart, and four cupcakes less :) I returned later that night to pay for my gas, and my faith in the goodness of strangers is restored. Thank you, Speedway on Hill road, and thank you Random Lady who helped push my van in the rain...

On a happier, and less soggy note :), I listed probably one of the cutest girly-girl layouts I have ever made on Etsy this morning...


It doesn't have any crazy elaborate piecings or anything, but I just love the colors, and the papers from Prima are some of my favorites. And I made these cutie little flowers - my new favorite things! I might just make a bunch of these pretties and finish watching Baby Boom tonight after the boys go to bed... I just love Diane Keaton, and every time I watch this movie I want to move to Vermont and help her make baby food...

Hope you are having a great week, too!