For the past couple of weeks (in between desperately trying to upload my lost blog pictures), I have been utilizing the creative side of my incredibly shrinking brain to help plan a baby shower for a cousin’s wife.  And let me preface this by saying that in all of my 39 (eh-hum) years, I have neither attended nor help plan as many baby showers in the span of a 6 month period—four to be exact.  If there’s something in the water, I respectfully and mercilessly request that you serve me a Corona Light with a lime instead.  Lulu does a fairly good job with other people’s babies, but is not so much in need of one of her own at this time.  Been there, done that—have the 20-year old to prove it.

For this shower, we planned a cowboy theme.  Because nothing says cute, cuddly, and baby like this…

Why, hello there Mr. Cowboy!  Unfortunately, he was not in attendance, as I am quite sure he was performing at an entirely different kind of party.  The kind of party that only exists in Lulu’s incredibly shrinking brain.  But I digress.  Our party involved this type of cute and cuddly cowboy…

Which I incorporated into the shower invitations…

I also painstakingly rubber-banded 96 tiny, newborn-size diapers in order to create this cowboy-themed diaper cake.  I’m pretty sure that I’ve lost all feeling in my right index finger and came dangerously close to snapping out an eyeball.  Don’t try this at home, people.

I made Cowboy Cookies for take-aways, which were AMAZINGLY delicious if I say so myself!  The Girl Scout cookies that are camped out in my spare bedroom ain’t got nothin’ on these babies.  Or is that the other way around?  Regardless, the recipe is apparently Laura Bush’s recipe, as posted by Helen over at Cowgirl Cuisine.  For an extra touch, I stuck them on 7″ cookie sticks (while they were still hot), decorated them with chocolate icing, wrapped them in cellophane, tied them up with matching ribbons, and yee-haw!  Cowboy cookies in a basket.

I’m thinking that I could use this idea in the future for a cookie bouquet, no?  Cute, snappy, fun.  Much like Lulu in her twenties.

And we displayed it all on a table covered with a white table cloth topped with a vase of white daisies and cowboy confetti…

Because Lulu is such a control freak and abnormally OCD about party details, I convinced Tiff (my hairdresser, dear friend, cousin’s wife, and cohort in this shower) to color-coordinate the food.  Which she did.

There was actually more food, but I’m quite sure I was spazzed out about a napkin being misaligned and forgot to take a picture.

The cake was made by a young friend of Tiff’s who is just learning pastry techniques and methods.  It was magically delicious, and I think that she did a wonderful job!

It turned out to be a beautiful shower with a fun theme.  And much to my chagrin, not a cookie was spared.  Like Lulu needs another freaking cookie…

Lulu is in some serious trouble. I have approximately 50 cases of Girl Scout cookies holed up in a spare bedroom. I’m storing them for my niece’s Girl Scout troop…

I’m trying to keep the door closed and wish them away, but it doesn’t seem to be working. They continue to taunt me from the other side of the door. Especially the Do-si-dos. They are evil.

Lulu here.  And breathing.  However, not fully functional. 

I’ve taken a year, a full freaking year, off from blogging only to come back and find that my web hosting had expired and that my blog was completely obliterated from the internets. Gone. Sayonara.  Over two years of my life wasted.  And then, I cried.  I cried buckets. 

And then, I found a blog database backup file buried deep within a folder on my hard drive labeled “Recipes.”  So, I cried more. 

And then, I called on Leanne at Intricate Art (the original designer of my blog) who said that she could get me up and running again if I sent her my first born child.  So, I did.  And I cried more.

And lo and behold, I am here again.  Back on the internets, minus a whole bunch of pictures that I have to re-upload and reinsert into the correct posts, which will take me the equivalent of eighteen million years and more buckets of tears.  But Lulu is determined.

I have missed you.

Northerners?  Prepare yourselves.  I’m about to brag to all of you who are still buried under a couple of feet of snow and donning your boots, mittens, and chapped lips.  Do you see this?

I took this picture today of a blossom on our Okame Cherry tree.  A blossom!  On a cherry tree!  In February!  It’s hard to contain the excitement, people.

I must also boast about the fact that it was 70 degrees today here in Georgia—meaning that it was way too nice to be cooped up inside the house watching reruns of Leave it to Beaver.  Not that I would do that or anything, but there is a LITB marathon on TV Land at the moment and GR is deeply engrossed.  Anyhow, it was so beautiful outside that I took some time to throw the tennis ball to my poor, deprived brat-dog, Bindi…

Oh, that Bindi Sue.  She’s a dear.  And poor Billy Ray, he just sat perched on the deck watching the action below.

Oh, that Billy Ray.  He’s a fun-loving thing…as long as the fun-loving involves a treat and a nap.  Or reading Meghan’s blog, A Mom of Two Boys…

Anyhow, I’m sure that the fates are laughing at me right now, and Georgia will end up with a foot of snow at some point in March.  Oh, well.  At least I had today…