Wordless Wednesday - Back to School

9 Things I LoVe About YOU!

Nine years old… How in the world did we get to nine so quickly? How is it even possible that you are nine years old? It just doesn’t seem possible that you are half way to 18 years old. I have spent the evening taking a walk down memory lane looking at a ton of old pictures of you. I want to cry for how much I miss the "little you", and yet I am so excited to be a part of the "bigger you".

Life with you is never dull, so I am going to try my hardest to pick some of the Top Nine about the past 12 months.



Your Top Nine:

9. For the first time (that I know of) you were writing "I love _____ " on your notebook. Lord help me, I am quite certain it won't be the last.

8. You've decided that you wanted to be Matt Lauer when you grow up. However, after watching you discuss the daily happenings of the world, it has become quite clear to me that you are more likely to become Joel McHale when you grow up…. This makes me so happy!

7. Your artistic ability grows daily! I am confident that if you do not become the next Matt Lauer (Joel McHale), then you are destined to become the next Picasso. It’s a good thing I saved every drawing you’ve done!

6. You scored your first Homerun and two triples in the same game! I secretly love the way you never listen to your coaches, because you know exactly what you need to do. (Don’t tell Dad that I said this!)

5. You went to your very first WWE event with Dad. He said he loved watching you clap and throw your arms in the air, hooting & hollering, and taking in every minute of the excitement!

4. You really wanted a guitar and got a little bummed when Josh bought himself one. Josh had been saving money for a while and decided to buy a guitar. Dad and I mentioned that if you would save your money, we would pay for half. You simply responded, “I want to save my money and give it to the church.” … We could not have been anymore proud than we were at that moment… There are no words.

3. Your love of Roller Coasters continues to grow; therefore, my fear of Roller Coasters continues to grow!

2. Your wittiness and quick comebacks keep us in stitches. You are one funny kid and definitely the class clown. I anticipate plenty of calls from your schools as the years go on. I will do my best to not respond with “What do you expect with a dad like his?” … What have we got ourselves into?!

1. From the day you were born, you have never ceased to amaze us. The doctors told us that you would never crawl and you did… early! We were told that you would never walk and you did… early! We were told you could not play sports and that has not stopped you. You play ball and you rock it! No matter the obstacles in your life or the hurdles placed in front of you, you always soar past them and come out shining!

Whew!! What a year! Your dad and I are super proud of you and very honored that out of all the parents in the world, we got picked to love you. I am so excited for all you will see and experience in the coming year. I cannot wait for all the adventures we have waiting for us this year!

Here are a VERY few of my favorite pics...

I love you so much I don't think my heart can hold it all.

*Mom

Whoppin' Chocolate Malt Cupcake

Whoppin' Chocolate Malt Cupcake

Ingredients
1 box of swiss chocolate cake mix
3 large eggs
1 1/4 cups of water
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup Carnation Original Malted Milk powder
Prepare either a homemade or boxed chocolate cake mix and add in the cup of malted milk powder and mix well.

Bake for 18 minutes at 350 degrees F. Oven times may vary... I checked my cupcakes at 16 minutes and they were ready!

Chocolate Malt Buttercream Ingredients
1 stick of butter
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1/2 cup Carnation Original Malted Milk Powder
2 TBS cocoa powder
3 TBS milk
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup WHOPPERS candy crushed for garnish
Simply combine all of the ingredients and pipe onto cooled cupcakes.

(For Dad's Cupcakes, I used a Milk Chocolate Icing, but found this FABULOUS recipe for Chocolate Malt Buttercream Icing afterards!)

Garnish with crushed candy and top with a whole WHOPPERS malted milk ball.

Enjoy!

One Minute Sermon with Tamara Lowe

I saw Tamara Lowe speak in February at her motivational conference (GREAT conference BTW). She didn't really keep my interest (only because Colin Powell, Rudy Guiliani & Lou Holtz were at the same conference), but too bad she didn't do this because she would've had me at Days of our Lives!

Wordless Wednesday - Anne Taintor

I LOVE Anne's Art & thought this fit my "everyday" perfectly!



Anne Taintor ... "Making smart people smile since 1985!"

Tiffany's Tuesday Tip #8 - Flawless Face

Today's Tip is not my typical around this house tip, but stick with me because it's a good one.

How many of you use a foundation primer prior to applying foundation? If you don't, you should definitely give it a try!

The must have Foundation Primer in all of the beauty magazines, on the internet, & one of Sephora's top picks is Smashbox's Foundation Primer. I must say that it works fabulously! However, not many women I know are pleased with the $36 price tag (you'd have to see the size of the bottle to understand).

I'm living in the insane Southern Summer heat and my makeup is melting off, just as fast as I put it on. So, after a little research on face primers and found a product that is said to be comparable to the Smashbox Photo Finish primer, but for pennies!

Behold the Monistat Chafing Relief Gel. I know what you're thinking... So stay with me! Even though it's Monistat, this is not a cream for well, you know where. It's actually a powder gel that you can use for your bra line, thighs or anywhere you have problems with your clothes chafing your skin. Or now, as a foundation primer!

According to several articles, the ingredients for the chafing gel are very similar to that of the Smashbox primer. The secret ingredient is the silicone (dimethicone). The silicone allows the product smooth right over your skin, filling in smaller lines and pores.

The texture of the gel is very smooth and glided easily over my skin. It's better NOT to rub into your skin like you would a moisturizer, but simply pat or smooth over the surface or your face. My skin instantly felt smoother and soft. After a few minutes, I applied my make-up as usual... Foundation First!

I think this is a fabulous, frugal alternative to the Smashbox primer! Before investing in an expensive brand, you may want to give this one a try!

Favorite Song Friday - Born Again

Born Again
By: Newsboys

I LOVE (I mean, LOOOOOOVE) this song!! I can listen to it over & over & over.

For some reason, I couldn't embed the video but click on the link below. I'm sure you will LOVE it too!

Sit back, watch the video and be grateful for all you have.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuaavycxU1Q&feature=av2e

Praise Jesus, that by His grace, His grace ALONE, and His FINISHED work on the cross, I am truly Born Again!

Happy Friday Blogland!

*Tiffany

Wordless Wednesday - Altar'd

I bet you want to know a bit more about this AWESOME makeover... Stay Tuned!

Tiffany's Tuesday Tip #7 - Brighten Your Smile