Cat's Odds & Ends

Santa Claus Family Secret

2008-12-13T10:00:00.002-05:00

We had our other homeschool group play Thurs. night. This time the dinner was grilled chicken, broccoli, salad, etc. Dinner was sooo good. The kids pulled a fast one on me. I thought this was going to be the worst show ever but they were fantastic! I was just amazed at the wonderful job they did. Unfortunately, I have no pictures. Hopefully someone will share theirs.

Christmas Belles

2008-12-13T09:55:00.002-05:00

The community theater play was excellent. I had a blast playing a Southern Belle. This is me as Rhonda Lynn Lampley.

Every Vote Counts

2008-12-13T09:51:00.002-05:00

I wrote a melodrama about a small town sheriff race. One of our hjomeschool groups performed it as a dinner theater. The dinner was baked ziti, salad, etc. The play was about an hour & a half long. It went well & everyone seemed to enjoy it.

Jason Andrew

2008-10-31T08:21:00.003-04:00

My newest grandson

Elvis! One of about 25 costumes I am making

2008-09-29T23:11:00.003-04:00

for 3 different plays.

The Travelers are Home

2008-09-25T17:10:00.004-04:00

Wedding Cakes

2008-09-08T10:18:00.003-04:00

Today on Cake Wrecks, they have a wedding cake disaster photo. Supposedly it was made by a professional. I have serious doubts about that & I think the Cake Wreck site owner does too. LOL
I thought I'd post the ugly cake here along with all the wedding cakes my kids did in class last year. Next time that bride should hire a 10 year old.

We lost a friend today............

2008-09-06T08:36:00.006-04:00

Al Padgett was a wonderful friend & a godly example for us all. He will be greatly missed.

The Eagle has Landed

2008-09-02T23:37:00.003-04:00

safely in Johannesburg & that's about the extent of my info. Keep praying please.

Halfway there

2008-09-01T20:53:00.002-04:00

They are in the air headed to Johannesburg. I think that leg is supposed to be 16 hours. I can't even imagine being on a plane for 16 hours. I think I'd shoot myself. Poor Daniel is probably having banjo withdrawal. He never goes longer than 8 hours without playing.

Well, they're off

2008-08-30T17:27:00.005-04:00

Dh & ds left this afternoon. They will be in Atlanta till Monday & then on to Zimbabwe. This is something dh has wanted to do for years. If you think of them, please pray that God will use them & that he will bring them home safely.

Africa or Bust Cake

2008-08-23T16:40:00.003-04:00

Last night at church they had a commissioning service for my hubby & 16yo son. They leave on Saturday for a 2 week mission trip to Africa. I made this cake for the reception afterward.

BBQ Cake

2008-08-22T13:24:00.004-04:00

This cake was for a memorial BBQ. It is 19" diameter.

Jerusalem Marketplace VBS 2008

2008-06-21T08:28:00.004-04:00

It was a huge success. I've never enjoyed VBS so much. 9 children got saved.

Father's Day Cake

2008-06-10T21:32:00.001-04:00

Jonah & the Whale for a fundraiser

2008-05-31T12:19:00.005-04:00

Ok, he's ugly but he raised $650. LOL

Shirley's granddaughter's cake

2008-05-29T22:15:00.002-04:00

Luke's Gospel Train Cake

2008-05-26T13:36:00.005-04:00

Jamie asked me to make a Gospel train for Luke's birthday. I thought it came out fairly well. I was disappointed that no matter how small I wrote, I couldn't fit "Holy Bible" on the little Bibles in the car.

Graduation cakes

2008-05-24T07:29:00.005-04:00

Me & Paul

2008-05-16T16:38:00.002-04:00

I received a "World's Greatest Grandma" picture frame for my birthday so I needed a picture to put in it.

Pigeon Holes by David F. Scott

2008-04-27T07:25:00.006-04:00

Last night we had our second dinner theater. It was so much easier this time. I think we are getting the hang of it. The show was great. The kids did an amazing job!

Rachel's wedding cakes

2008-04-19T15:06:00.003-04:00

The cakes were cheesecake. I thought they came out nice.

I just realized that I haven't posted a Paul pic lately

2008-04-18T23:09:00.007-04:00

That is just wrong! So, here's a recent picture of my adorable grandson. The lovely young lady with him is my niece Alexis. She is 6 days younger than he is. As you can see, Grandpa thinks Paul is pretty special.

Here is my latest cake.

2008-03-26T15:17:00.004-04:00

I saw this Peeps Sunflower Cake in Taste of Home magazine & have been waiting for an opportunity to make my own. Mine is for a church dinner & needs to feed 50 so I made 4 of them. Then I had to figure out a way to tie them together. I made a sheet cake & cut out the stems from that. The stems are way too big & I wish I had cut them down more. I thought if I made them too thin, it wouldn't feed anyone but I don't like the appearance of the fatter stems. Oh well. live & learn.

Combining 2 hobbies

2008-02-20T22:41:00.002-05:00

Nancy's birthday cake......... quilting on a cake is HARD!

Well, the wedding is over & my little girl is in Mississippi.

2008-01-30T07:52:00.000-05:00

They better be taking good care of her.
Jimmy's brother William performed the ceremony & he did a
beautiful job. I made the cake.

Kiah's new quilt

2007-12-28T21:10:00.000-05:00

For Christmas, I made Kiah & Kael each a doggie quilt. She liked hers a lot. I don't have a picture of his yet.

12 Days of Christmas

2007-12-18T15:46:00.000-05:00

Every year we choose someone to bless with 12 special gifts on the days before Christmas. We wait until dark & sneak around leaving different things. In all the years past, we did this.....

ON THE FIRST DAY OF CHRISTMAS, your true friend gave to you...a partridge in a pear tree. Sorry, but we can't find the partridge, so we are givng you some pears from the tree the partridge flew away from. ON THE SECOND DAY OF CHRISTMAS, your true friend gave to you...two turtle doves...but dont' have any...will this turtle with a bar of Dove soap do? ON THE THIRD DAY OF CHRISTMAS, your true friend gave to you...three French hens...well, we don't have any French hens, so we're giving you some chicken noodle soup, compliments of the three French hens ON THE FOURTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, your true friend gave to you...four calling birds...we can't find those calling birds though! Here are 4 messages they left for you before they flew off. ON THE FIFTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, your true friend gave to you...five golden rings, but sorry, we're too poor for golden rings, but will some golden pineapple rings do? ON THE SIXTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, your true friend gave to you...six geese a laying, but we know you don't really want the mess of six geese all over your house, do you? How about some eggs that they left behind! ON THE SEVENTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, your true friend gave to you...seven swans a swimming! OK, we looked for the swans, but couldn't find them, but we did find some bubble bath they used while they were swimming! ON THE EIGHTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, your true friend gave to you...eight maids a-milking. Here is some milk we got from the eight maids -- we think they must have been milking some brown cows! ON THE NINTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, your true friend gave to you...nine ladies dancing...Here are some canes used by the nine ladies who were out dancing all night! ON THE TENTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS: your true friend gave to you...ten lords-a-leapin' - here is some "sore muscle remedy", which is highly recommended by the ten Lords we saw out jumping around ON THE ELEVENTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, your true friend gave to you...eleven pipers piping, so here is a pipe of your own, have fun with it, but don't "blow" the whole day! ON THE TWELFTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, your true friend gave to you...twelve drummers drumming, but we figured twelve drummers drumming would take up way too much room, so we drummed up some cookies for you...hope they keep this from being just another hum-"drum" day for you.

This year because I like a challenge, we decided to revamp our gifts a little bit. Days 1 through 3 were the same as usual but on day 4 we started changing things.

Day 4
On the 4th day of Christmas your true friend gave to you 4 Calling birds…

When birds do the calling,
who knows what they say?
Are they calling their friends
to come out & play?

It could be a lot of things;
If only we knew.
Are they ordering pizza?
That’s what I’d do!

It’s driving me crazy;
I’ve just got to know!
Please tell us, little birdie;
tell us quick before you go.

Day 5 On the 5th day of Christmas your true friend gave to you 5 golden rings………… Ring around the rosie; Ring neck duck, Ring around the collar; Ring around the tub. Ring the bells of Heaven. Wear a wedding ring. Rings of smoke; Rings of fire, Rings that make you sing 5 Golden rings are given to you. Not the kind that you wear. But the kind that you hear. Aren’t these bells lovely? Hear them tinkle & chime? Listen closely, they’re saying Merry Christmas friend of mine!

Day 6
Stayed the same. I like my little fried eggs in a pan

Day 7
On the 7th day of Christmas your true friend gave to you 7 swans a swimming……….

Swans are elusive. We searched high & low.
We fretted & worried & asked those who’d know.

But no one had seen one; they just weren’t around.
No matter how diligent no swans could be found.

Our whole house was sad. Our gift would be spoiled.
After all our hard work; our plans would be foiled.

All of a sudden; I started to smile!
I’d remembered a story I’d read as a child.

We didn’t need swans; we just needed luck
& a beautiful swan would grow from a duck.

Day 8
The maids were all milking,
Milk foaming like suds.
And then they all vanished
Just leaving “Milk Duds.”

Day 9
On the 9th day of Christmas
Your true friend gave to you
9 ladies dancing…….

9 ladies dancing;
O what a sight.
How lovely they were
in the moonlight.

They were so graceful
& how their legs flew.
One kicked so high
That off came her shoe!

We’re leaving it here
To help you to know
Of the love & good wishes
We’re trying to show.

Day 10
Our 10 lords a leaping
Have gone to lie down.
But in their place,
Look what we found!
Here's a movie night package
They made just for you.
They hope you enjoy it
And we do, too!

Day 11
11 pipers piping, how exciting is that!
It’s almost as cool as the meow of a cat.

How jealous will the neighbors be
To hear the glorious harmony!

Your friends are all envious
To see how you’re loved by us.

As the days go by, our poetry gets worse.
I hope you don’t read it & groan with a curse.

We’re leaving this piper as a reminder to you.
That we love you, yes, we surely do.

Day 12
On the 12th day of Christmas your true friend gave to you 12 drummers drumming…

The drummers were busy & had places to go.
Stay we pleaded but they said no.

If you’re not here come morning how will she know?
After all of our planning this was quite a blow.

No drummers for Mae? This couldn’t be right.
She’d have been so excited & filled with delight.

We thought & we wondered & we felt kind of dumb.
But finally our youngest said, “HEY! Let’s give her a drum!”

My Christmas cakes

2007-12-13T12:20:00.000-05:00

A Very Grady Christmas

2007-12-07T22:16:00.001-05:00

The play was a huge success. We spent all day cooking & I was so tired by the time it was over that I thought I would keel over but it was worth it. Some of the highlights were Kim as Ginnie. She was crazy! No one could believe Kim would act like that. A favorite song in the play was the barbershop quartet doing "Sleigh Ride". They were wonderful! Another huge hit was Stacie reciting Luke chapter 2 verses 1 through 19 from memory. Wow!

Jenna's Shower

2007-12-07T22:14:00.001-05:00

There were 43 women at the shower. It was beautiful. I don't think I've ever seen a nicer shower. This is Jenna with the cake I made.

Our State Fair

2007-11-11T14:02:00.000-05:00

It's over. It was a lot of fun & a lot of work. Right now I am glad we are finished but by next week, I'll be ready to do another.

Final Exam

2007-10-18T21:52:00.000-04:00

They all passed. :-)

I don't remember my kids growing so quickly.

2007-10-16T11:16:00.000-04:00

Paul is 4 months old already!

More Cake Stuff

2007-10-14T18:55:00.001-04:00

This week we covered cakes with fondant. The kids were surprised at how easy it was. I was surprised at how nice their cakes turned out.

Marzipan, fondant & food coloring oh my!

2007-10-04T16:37:00.000-04:00

Today our class made roses, aliens, clowns, frogs & assorted little creatures to use on next week's cakes. It was a lot of fun. I really enjoy teaching these kids.

What do you suppose he's thinking about?

2007-09-28T19:54:00.001-04:00

Advanced Cake Decorating 2007/2008

2007-09-28T10:48:00.000-04:00

This year we are doing our first advanced class. I had 11 students. Aren't they cute? & yes, I still have plywood in my sewing room. It's become a fixture.

2007-09-24T21:00:00.001-04:00

What a week!

2007-09-16T07:59:00.001-04:00

Last weekend, I made Dee 2 baby slings & mailed them to her.
Yesterday, I cut out pieces for Bonnie's sling. Hopefully I can get it together & mailed out by tomorrow.

New Quilt

2007-09-05T18:08:00.001-04:00

This is the one I'm trying to sell on Ebay.

Stacy's Quilt

2007-09-05T18:06:00.001-04:00

Is this a cute smile or what?!

2007-08-27T08:33:00.000-04:00

My handsome grandson

2007-08-08T11:19:00.001-04:00

This is Paul.

Ugly Bear is loved despite his appearance

2007-08-08T10:25:00.001-04:00

Asher & his quilt

My latest quilt

2007-08-08T10:21:00.000-04:00

This one is for a friend's new granddaughter.

My Kitchen

2007-06-30T11:26:00.001-04:00

Before & After photos of our kitchen remodelling

Turduckhen Experience

2007-06-30T11:22:00.001-04:00

For Thanksgiving, dh & I wanted to try making a Turduckhen. It was interesting but waaaaaaay too much work. I'm glad we did it one but I'll never do it again.

Wedding Cheesecake

2007-06-30T11:21:00.001-04:00

These cakes had brownie on the bottom & cheesecake on the top. Because the air conditioning failed, they had a bit of a melting problem but they still tasted great.

Jamie's shower cake

2007-06-30T11:18:00.000-04:00

This is the cake I made for Jamie's wedding shower.

Mystery Luncheon

2007-06-30T11:16:00.001-04:00

The C.S.I. class Mystery Luncheon

C.S.I. class

2007-06-30T11:13:00.001-04:00

Crime scene photos

The King & I

2007-06-30T10:54:00.001-04:00

4 of my kids & I were in the community theater production of The King & I.

Sonny & Cher

2007-06-30T10:49:00.001-04:00

DH & I sang "I Got You Babe" at a church Valentine's banquet.

More Cake Decorating

2007-06-30T10:47:00.001-04:00

These are some of the students from my 2004/2005 cake decorating class

Cake Decorating Class

2007-06-30T10:45:00.001-04:00

This was my 2006/2007 cake decorating class. I had 17 students.

110 in the Shade

2007-06-30T10:41:00.001-04:00

Our Community Theater production of 110 in the Shade. I am in green. Ds #2 is standing in front of me wearing a hat. DD#3 is behind Starbuck (wearing black).

Rotten Rodney

2007-06-30T10:39:00.000-04:00

This is a cast photo of our homeschool group's play, Rotten Rodney. I am the director.

Graduation Cakes

2007-06-30T10:36:00.000-04:00

These cakes were for our homeschool group's graduation ceremony. The theme was "Treasures".

Banner

2007-06-30T10:34:00.001-04:00

When my grandson was born, I had to let the whole town know. This banner attached to the back of my truck did the job. Later I added, "honk if you love your grandchild."

Baby Quilts

2007-06-30T10:28:00.000-04:00

These quilts were made for my new grandson, my niece, Ellen's grandaughter & a friend's new baby.

Paul's Cake

2007-06-30T10:22:00.000-04:00

This is the cake I made for my first grandchild's baby shower.

Ruthie's Baby Shower

2007-06-30T10:20:00.001-04:00

My friend Ruthie was expecting her 4th baby boy. Her 3 boys helped my design this cake for the shower.

Cat's Creations

2007-06-30T10:14:00.000-04:00

I've never blogged before. Actually, I always thought it was kind of weird but I've decided to give it a try. I wanted a place to gather pictures of all my cakes, quilts, fake foods & other oddities.