Happy Valentine's Day...

...everybody. Hope you all have wonderful plans to spend this day with someone special.

Here's a lil' hint on how to make a heart-shaped cake for your valentine when you don't have a heart-shaped pan (like me).

Bake a round cake and a square cake. When they cool down, cut the round cake in half. Turn the square cake to make a diamond shape and place each half round on the upper sides of the diamond. Spread that icing on thick (chocolate of course) and there you have it - A beautiful cake for your valentine!


Here is a picture of some pretty tulips that I'm sending to all my blogging friends on this Valentine's Day.



These two guys are my valentines - they are my everything actually.

"I am so glad that you are here - it helps me to realize how beautiful my world is." - Goethe

Happy Valentine's Wishes to you all!
Cathy

Salt Dough Valentines...

...a cute, inexpensive way to do a lil' something special. You all know how I love salt dough - the possibilities are jus' endless. Well I know many of you all, like myself, are trying to get valentines made for our lil' ones. My son and I talked about a few different things we could make for all the girls in his kindergarten class and we decided a necklace would be fun and they could keep it.

O.K. - I must be honest, a lot of this has to do with ME having "the need" to do something bright colored, polka-dotted, glittery (ya know, all the things lil' boys don't like)and besides, he's at that age when girls "are gross". Jus' kiddin' - he really likes his "girl - friends" but he doesn't want any "girlfriends".

So this is our lil' project we completed that he can share with his kindergarten "buddies" we'll call them.

You all know the recipe:

2c. all purpose flour
1c. salt
1c. warm water



Mix well and shape in the form of a heart with your hands. You can use cookie cutters of course - I like them kind of imperfect looking.

Be sure and make a loop out of wire and insert before baking. Bake at 325 degrees for approximately 1 hour.



Let cool.



We base coated ours red but of course pink would be cute or lavender. Actually you could paint them like that candy you buy that is all different pastel shades with the cute lil' words "Kiss Me", "I Luv U", "Be Mine" - but Casen said "Mom, that's embarrassing."



So I simply put some pink polka dots on there as well as the initial of each lil' girl in his class.



I clear coated with modge podge and sprinkled a lil' clear glitter on top.



So there you have it - a bowl full of fun...



...and a lil' love to boot.



Now tomorrow, I've got to come up with something for the boys - any last minute ideas?

Happy Valentines Week my friends!!!
Blessings, Cathy

Sometimes in life....

...there are those people who touch your life and you will never forget. Over the weekend, one of most faithful customers but most importantly, one of the sweetest ladies ever, went on home to be with the Lord. She was kind and giving and gave the best hugs. She never left or hung up the phone that she didn't say "Now, you know I love ya."

She might have loved flowers more than me and she could hardly wait to get to the greenhouse each spring. And many times, she'd come out jus' to cut zinnias from my garden. I was always happy to share because that was her favorite.

So in memory of sweet Miss Till, I will think of her every time I see a flower bloom. And I will plant angel wing begonias (her 2nd favorite) jus' simply to be reminded of her this year.



But then again, it won't take flowers to make me think of her, I'll remember her always.

Cherish those who brighten your life,
Cathy

Since it is the month about "LOVE"....

...I thought I'd share with you a lil' something that means a great deal to me. You know how our sweet lil' ones always come up with their own way to "word" things. Well, my lil' boy started when he was about three saying "I love you BIG as the ocean". He said it faithfully and it jus' stuck. So I had my sweet friend Diane make me a sign so I could remember it always.



I see it everyday and it reminds me how very blessed and grateful I am for my family.



If you are anything like me and you get caught up in the "busy-ness" of life - you jus' might forget to jot it down in their scrapbook. So making something that you will have forever will help bring back special memories.

Have a blessed weekend my friends. The sun is shining here and it is going to be a beautiful and happy day!

Cathy

We started seeding...

yesterday. It was a beautiful, sunny and busy Sunday afternoon. Shaun seeded 20 trays - that's all we can fit on our grow mats at one time - petunias, dichondra, and rudbekia - oh my - AND so many more. We will see green in just a few short days. And we have so many new plant varieties this year - we are really excited about that - hope you are too. I'll keep ya posted on how everything is growing!

This is just a snapshot from last year about late February - so as you can see, it won't take long.

First things available will be pansies, ivy topiaries, and sweet rye grass!



Everyone have a splendid Monday!
Blessings, Cathy

A touch of Snow!

Well, you know how I'd been hoping for a lil' snow instead of the ice. Yesterday morning we woke up and the pond was overflowing and the water was standing everywhere - I ran out and checked the gage - and we had gotten 4.5 inches of rain in less than 24 hours. Now, I'm not for sure if this is correct - but hubby says, for every one inch of rain - that equals nearly 10 inches of snow. So needless to say, if it had fallen in the frozen form - we'd be snowed in, well forever. Like I said, not for sure if he's got that exactly right - but it's fun to think of it - 45 inches of snow that would have been. But just as we were watching it rain - it turned to snow jus' like that - a really hard blowing snow - and then it was gone - once again, jus' like that. But I was glad we got to experience a lil' bit of it.



We still have a lil' bit of the white stuff hanging around. It'll be gone by the weekend - suppose to be nearly 50 degrees.



But just as we are enjoying a lil' snow - I must remember all the people who were heavily affected by this storm - no electricity, no water. It really is a sad situation - so we will continue to remember them and hope that things are back in order for them real soon.

I hope you all enjoy a wonderful weekend. I've got to go work in my store - oh my, I've been off for a few weeks and I'm suppose to open back up next week, and needless to say - it sorely needs attention. And Yes, this weekend we will be seeding lots of spring flowers in our greenhouse - so I think my lazy days "of winter" are over. I'll keep you posted on all of the happenings at Cobblestone Farms.

Many Blessings, Cathy

;( No Snow - but Ice instead!!

Well, from a distance it kinda looks like snow - but my friends, it is ice. Honestly, it is really pretty to look at but unfortunately, it is jus' not good for anything. I hate for things to be dangerous and that is what this kind of weather is for people. We have been fortunate here - it has rained most of the day - and that is a blessing - if it had fallen in a frozen state - a lot of those trees would be breaking now.

As you can see, the cattle don't seem to mind.



Every little piece of grass, every limb, the fence, the power lines - they look like glass.



Hope the lil' birds are toasty.



Anybody else out there "iced in" or "snowed in"? I know this weather situation is affecting many and is going to continue to do so over the next couple of days.

Everybody be safe - and if you got the snow instead of the ice - please jus' throw a snowball for me, o.k.

Safe Travels Everybody,
Cathy