Kaseys Korner

"eggs"tra short

  A quick post this AM as I'm runnning behind.  Sharing Easter eggs my daughter & I dyed yesterday.  Nothing fancy about the dye, plain old Paas brand, but after they dried is when the fun really got started.  We rummaged thru my papercrafting supplies to decorate the eggs and that was enjoyable on both counts.  Rub on letters sure beat a wax pencil for style (or maybe I just never learned to use it properly)?!  Happy Good Friday!!

bulb nursery

spurred on by the crocus sightings, I finally got my new bulbs nestled into pots yesterday.  Now before you laugh or make fun of my miniature greenhouse, remember some of us have to work with what we've got.  Although I'd love a full size working greenhouse, at the moment, I don't happen to have one handy.  Someday....  Incidently, I found this little dandy at a flea market but later saw identical replicas for sale at Target.  They were in the Smith & Hawken aisle and marketed for herb growing.  Always wanting to be "original," I added the cutsey touch of flower rub on's which I am now regretting but can't seem to remove.  Snuggled inside, all toasty and warm, are crocosmia (both red & yellow), begonia & bletilla bulbs.  The latter is a brand spanking new bulb to me.  The packaging photo sold me as I am always a sucker for a pretty face.  It occurs to me that planting seeds and bulbs is a bit like St Patrick's Day where you are always checking for green.  Oh, least I forget, today is the first day of Spring.  I am not sad in the least to say goodbye to winter.  Adios to you and welcome Spring.

seeing purple

I was strolling around the yard yesterday afternoon when whaaaaat?????????  What IS that purple spot over there???  omg, can it really be??  Oh yes, it really is, it really is!  Doing a happy little dance.  The crocus are blooming!!!!!!   Cheerful little spot of bright color ~ you don't know how much you made my day!  What a lovely surprise!  I'd seen them poking up but we had snow on St. Patrick's Day for goodness sake (notice the white glare on the right side of the photo).  I thought it needed to warm up a bit.  Maybe that little sip of moisture was all they needed to burst open?  Almost perfect timing with the first day of spring too!  oh happy day!!!

a day late...

but still worth sharing.  It's how I seem to do things these days.  *sigh*  Simple St Patrick's Day card I made at least a year ago.  Crate Paper rub on's, My Mind's Eye patterned paper.  The sentiment was found on the Internet while doing a quote search.  Hope your day was good.   

to grandmothers house we go

across the country & thru the mail....   oh wait, kinda the wrong jingle for the season!  lol  Spent some time yesterday making chocolate chip eggnog balls for my granny.  These are her favorite.  I usually ship them to her (with fudge) at Christmas but this past holiday I ran out of time.  I promised I'd send a box later so now making good on that.  I have no idea why I couldn't get them done over the holidays??  They are SO easy to make, no cooking involved, just mixing.  Perplexing why they are called "eggnog balls" tho ~ eggnog is NOT an ingredient?!  If you'd like to try them out sometime, here's the 411:  6 oz cream cheese, 4 cups confectioners sugar, 1 Tbsp heavy cream, 1 tsp brandy extract, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, 1/8 tsp nutmeg, 1/2 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, 1 1/4 cups finely chopped pecans.  Mix all ingredients together, except pecans.  Drop rounded teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheet, chill for 5 mins, roll into balls & coat with pecans.  Voila!  The felt basket came from Hallmark, I added the flower & pink polka dot brad.  Hope they put a smile on her face.  :-)   Happy St Patrick's Day!!  Remember to wear green to avoid getting pinched, or not, if you like that sort of thing. 

honk honk

What's brown, has a black head & neck with a broad white cheek and fills the sky with a honking clatter when flying??  Canadian geese of course!  hee hee

Huge flocks passed overhead yesterday during my daughter's first spring horseback session.  The sky was clear and bright blue, a beautiful seasonal day.  Quiet too with only the fluted music of the meadowlarks breaking the serenity of the morning.  Well, quiet that is until the geese started flying!!  We don't usually hear them in the summer???  Not sure why, we always have a few that remain in the area year round.  I mostly associate them with winter months tho and since Spring makes its official grand entrance this coming week, they will begin to disperse.  The whole goose photo opportunity occured because of this lovely girl, the object of my daughters deepest affections, her faithful stead Doodle!  Doodle, my daughter & riding are the reasons I stand outside almost every Saturday morning of the year.  (Does that make me a "horse mom" instead of a "soccer mom?!")  lol  I enjoy those mornings tremendously (remind me I said that those AM's I'm freezing!).   Besides the pleasure I get from watching the love affair of a girl with her horse, I get time to reflect and the side benefit of capturing many a magical moment including geese in a waning winter sky.  It's a happy Saturday ritual. 

birthday update

a couple photos from the big day at our house yesterday.  Turning 15 was a success even tho I didn't have time to finish my cake and had to purchase this one.  We'll celebrate again later.

Have a great weekend!  :-)

tick tock

15????  That's impossible!  Weren't you just a wrinkly, bald headed baby?  I remember like yesterday bringing you home from the hospital and being scared to death that I wouldn't know how to take care of you.  It's crazy mad to think you're 15 already!  No matter how many times I close my eyes and reopen them to see if I'm dreaming, pinch myself, etc., it remains true.  Today's the day.  I best get in gear and finish your cake.  Happy Birthday my sweet (15 year old) girl.

Oh, old, old card, published in a special "10-Minute Cards to Give & Share" book for CardMaker Magazine.

doggie spa

I just have to share this photo of the adorable little cottage where my Lhasa Apso goes for what I like to call his "spa" day (he doesn't appreciate that concept the same way I do).  lol.  It's a small shop built behind the groomers home and reminds me every visit of the kind of play house I would have loved as a child.  The grooming tables are by the front door with a bath tub & crates in the rear.  Butter is never as thrilled as I am to visit Ms Jessi but he comes home looking & smelling so sweet.  Yesterday when I picked him up he had none of the ribbons or bows or bandanas he sometimes exits wearing but look how precious he is anyway!!!!  ;-)   (excuse the wet mouth & ear tips ~ he ran right inside for a big drink before I could snap a picture)

(frog)giveness

A little card made last fall, using one of my frog photos.  Summing up how I feel about my posting lately.  A little erratic because I have family staying.  Will be back to normal soon.  stay tuned...