Women are like tea bags...

"Women are like tea bags, they don't know how strong they are until they get into hot water."

~ Eleanor Roosevelt

This is one of my favorite quotes. Not only because it is about tea, but it envelopes the tenacity of women.

I have had several blog followers email me to express how they have missed my posts. Thank you to everyone who comes to visit me from time to time. I know I have been a terrible blogger and not very interesting, but sometimes life gets in the way of getting to do what we love.

The past couple of months have been challenging. I have been having problems with my left arm since last May. My pinkie & ring finger have been numb, my grip weakened to the point where I could not hold onto fingernail clippers to clip my right hand fingernails, or open up packages and I was losing muscle in the hand. But as most of us moms will do, we put our own health on the back burner until it gets so bad that you are forced to deal with it.

So finally after many doctor visits, tests, MRI's, hand therapy, and more tests, the assessment is I needed to have surgery on my ulnar nerve for "cubital tunnel syndrome" which means the unlar nerve (your funny bone, even though it isn't a bone) was pinched and the doctor needed to move it. I did not want the surgery and tried alternaive methods such as accupuncture and chiropractic care, but it was just not going to relieve the symptoms.

I had the surgery a couple of weeks ago and am still recovering. The feeling is coming back in my fingers and I can actually type better now and gradually getting the strength back. I now have a 5" scar down the back of my arm and elbow! Be glad I don't post photos of it here, even though I did on Facebook, it's kinda gross.

But the teabag quote got me thinking after I saw this really cute craft. I will be providing my teacups and teapots for our upcoming "Tea & Testimony" at my M.O.P.S. group in a couple of weeks. I wanted to find a cute rubber stamp set, and in my Google search efforts came across this cute craft tute to make a mini album from tea bags (click on link for tute):

Turtorial Tea Bag Mini Album

Thank you to Paper Blessings for posting this very creative craft!

Romantic Adventure layout

My friend Phyllis, at Shabby in the City had a great idea for a project. She took a pic of a book page (scroll to the end of her post for the photo) then suggested we create something from it. So I added a couple of Photoshop brushes to it and a photo of hubby & me from our Honeymoon cruise.

It was a lot of fun, thanks for the idea Phyllis!

Batch Number Deaux

Here's my second batch of mini faux cupcakes, but this time with *SPARKLE*

I love that word.
Sparkle.

Say it with me now.
Sparkle.

Vanilla Buttercream

Pink Buttercream

: : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :

They look much more sparkly and fairy-ish in person.

Now, what to do with two dozen of these?

There's a cute shabby-chic consignment shop downtown.
Maybe my friend there will sell them?

Later that day......

This is the first time I've made REAL cupcakes in a loooong time.
I usually use one of my amazing bakery vendors.

But with making all those faux cupcakes, it inspired me
to try frosting with tips on the real thing.
This is the first time I've used decorator tips.
In the past, I would just slap the frosting on with a butter knife.

It's not so difficult...

UPDATE: YOU CAN GET THE INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO MAKE FAUX CUPCAKES FROM THIS EBAY SELLER. CLICK ON "ITEMS FOR SALE". USE THE BUY IT NOW FOR "FAKE FOOD".

Please do not email me for instructions.

Creative Diversion

For some reason the photos of my faux cupcakes was not showing, so I uploaded it again.

I think I reached my blogger cache limit or something(?).