I’ll be honest.

This post is going to be short but sweet.

Literally.

Lots of sweets.

I slept on my neck wrong.

And I can’t move it.

We had Ashlyn’s IEP with the school district this morning.

Which stands for Individualized Education Plan.

Or Interrogation Extravaganza for Parents.

Basically, I hate these meetings.

They stress me out.

And I am exhausted.

But life goes on, right?

 

My brother and sister-in-law hosted Thanksgiving this year.

It was fun.

And a bit crazy.

With a ridiculous amount of food.

And the boys spent much of the time upstairs watching football.

Requesting beverages via text.

In a ridiculous movie theater room that my brother had installed pre-Kennah.

She’s worked wonders on his former bachelor pad.

But I don’t think she’s allowed in that room.

 

I was instructed to bring desserts.

I made three.

I also brought two appetizers.

5 pins = PinterPalooza

Pictures of 4.  You’ll have to trust me on the 5th.

 

Ready?

OK.

 

I’ll start with the appetizers.

Because that’s what you’re supposed to do.

Kim’s Baked Brie.

Which is really Co-worker Cary’s.

But who cares where it came from.

IT IS AHHHH-MAZING.

 

Kim’s Artichoke Dip.

Which is really Southern Living’s.

But again.  Who cares?

And picture-less.  Sorry.

 

Both are tried and true.

Made a zillion times.

They will make you the life of the party.

And gain 5 pounds just by looking at them.

But we don’t care about that either.

 

Now… on to the desserts.

Make this almond cake.  Now.

This picture does not do it justice but it’s FABULOUS.

Do I dare say the best cake ever?

I almost want to say the best cake ever.

But I won’t.

But I really, really want to.

Super easy.  SUPER delicious.

I also brought Salted Caramel Chocolate Pretzel Bark.

A standard favorite.

I’ve blogged about it before.

Delicious.

Addictive.

Easy.

And lastly…

Blackberry Pie Bars.

YUM.

Although next time I’m going to cook the crust for a shorter period of time.

Or use parchment paper as it stuck to the bottom of the pan.

We let dad have some after he put the spoons away.

 

OK.

I’m going to sleep now.

For a long time.

 

Your turn!

Link up and tell me what you’ve been up to…

I can’t wait to see!

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Lots of good stuff going on around here.

Kayla started horseback riding lessons a few weeks ago.

Thanks to Nan and Pops.

Our version of horseback riding lessons is a trip to Lemos Farms once a year.

Dave took a beautiful picture on Saturday.

And it’s kind of my favorite picture he’s ever taken.

Kayla wants a cowgirl theme for her new bedroom.

And I’ll be honest.

The thought of 24/7 cowgirl makes my insides hurt.

But, this?

This I can get behind.

 

Speaking of photographs that make me happy.

Chomping at the bit to get some canvases printed.

And decorate my sad, lonely walls.

Thanks a million, Jess.

You have a gift.

Friendly Reminder:

The 3rd edition of the Pintertest Kitchen is this Thursday!

Last month, 28 of you shared your adventures.

I loved reading them all.

Be sure to link up again this week.

Can’t wait to see what you’ve been up to!

 

Also, my orphan-loving, huge-hearted friend has another pretty amazing project in the works.

Go check it out.

Have a good day, friends!

Hello somewhat cleaner garage.
I’m going to tackle the rest of you this afternoon.

 

Hello most beautiful bride.
We loved seeing you marry such a good guy.

 

Hello amazing venue.

 

Hello coolest street sign in all of LA.

 

Hello funny friends in a photo booth.
Hello husband in the corner, checking the score of the USC/Oregon game.

 

Hello happy house.
We loved being your guests.
And your salted caramels.
And your example.

 

Hello adorable QBM backdrop.
And more adorable, bunting-sharing friend.

 

Hello LAX.
GOODBYE LAX.

 

Hello what happens when the grandparents are in charge.

 

Hello preview gallery screen shot.
Set to a Mat Kearney soundtrack.
I told you she was awesome.

Linking up (a day late) with Lisa Leonard.

Whew.

It’s been a week.

3G network working overtime in this little abode.

AT&T service technicians?  NOT so much.

But we survived.

It was actually kind of nice to be without TV for a few days.

 

We also had this wonderfully talented lady take some family pictures on Saturday.

Here’s a little sneaky peaky that I took with my phone.

I had grandiose plans that involved a pretty white blanket, library books and check out cards.

But it rained buckets the day before so the ground was pretty saturated.

And big, huge, ugly spiders had their own little Occupy Movement on my pretty white blanket the second I set it down.

Literally.

Swarming up out of the lemon grass.

I’ve never really seen anything like it.

I noticed them before the girls and Dave did.

And tried to shoo them away by shaking out the blanket.

I hurried and gathered everyone to sit for a few shots.

Knowing I was sitting on big, huge, ugly spiders.

And I didn’t even care.

It’s called overcoming the elements, people.

For the sake of memories.

Kayla screeched.

And I knew my happy plan was all but over.

Until genius photog whipped out the cutest little prop ever.

That she made and painted herself.

Honestly.  I can’t recommend her enough.

She’s incredibly skilled.

And she makes you feel normal when your children throw a hissy
because they’d rather be riding horses than sitting in a spider den.

We wrapped up our Happy Day Project, minus Day 7 which will happen in December.

Or your daughter.

Not a big deal.

Just a fun little girl detective book that I knew she would like.

This Happy Day Project?

It doesn’t have to be a big, huge production.

Actually, I would argue it shouldn’t be a big, huge production.

Because that alters our motives.

Anyway, she loved this book.

And fell asleep reading it.

Who needs refreshing in life?

Moms do.

Moms of little ones.

Some Refresh tea from Starbucks.

A cute mug from Target.

Happy, refreshed moms.

Happy, refreshed little ones.

Everyone wins.

Kayla’s little combo Brownie/Daisy group went up to the San Francisco Veterans Hospital on Veterans Day.

They passed out cards from the children at our elementary school.

These brave men, who were once strong enough to fight for our country, were now confined to wheelchairs.

Missing limbs.

Breathing with the aid of oxygen tanks.

Suffering from dementia and cancer.

Thrilled to receive handwritten notes from children.

I wondered if anyone else wrote them?

Or visited?

I left burdened.

And missing my grandpa.

And explaining sickness and pain to my 8 year old.

And freedom.

And it was amazing and sad all at once.

 

A little birdie told me the next Happy Day Project might be in February, Valentine’s-ish?

I encourage you to participate.

You can even do Day 6 on Day 4.

And Days 4 and 5 on Day 12.

Like I might have done.

Just do it.

You will be blessed from it.

And you will bless others.

And Jesus is pleased with your service.

Everyone wins.

A little Happy Day catch up, if you will.

Send a handwritten note.

Not a text.

Not an email.

Not a FB message.

Julie and Jeannett have even organized cute little printables to go with each challenge.

I especially loved yesterday’s from Hope Ink.

Unfortunately, our lame printer is in need of a little Happy Day Project of it’s own.

Like Monday: Find $300 on the floor.

Tuesday: Buy a new one.

So until that happens, cute little printables are sadly lacking at the Johnson residence.

But back to the letter.

Sit down.

Collect your crazy thoughts.

And write.

Or kneel, hunched over on the dining room table.

Whichever you prefer.

Yesterday, anticipating today’s challenge, I kept my eyes open.

There are not a ton of homeless people in our city.

But we’ll see a few.  Here and there.

I didn’t see one single homeless person yesterday.

Or today.

In my travels up and down the Peninsula.

It’s gotten really cold here lately and I wonder if that’s why.

This Happy Day Project?

It’s a family affair.

In addition to pastoring Hope,

Dave manages a homeless shelter in downtown Oakland.

I asked if he wouldn’t mind helping.

His response?

“Shoot, girl.  My life IS a Happy Day Project.”

 

Tomorrow we get to give a book to a friend.

It’s not too late to join in.

Blog or no blog.

It really is fun.

Sweet Hannah tweeted this a few weeks ago.

And I was greatly convicted by it.

 

We moved into our house in April.

We met most of our neighbors that first week.

They are all super friendly.

We wave as we pass each other amidst our daily carpool craziness.

But I have yet to stop and really talk to them.

And get to know them on a deeper level.

We had never been inside their homes.

 

Our neighbor to the right is an older woman.

We bought our house from her nephew.

I can tell he was handy.

Everything in our house was immaculate when we bought it.

And labeled.

I kind of love this man I have never met.

I assume that he used to look after her.

And fix things for her, too.

 

I married my husband for his looks and his heart.

Not his toolbox full of spiders.

So sometimes I feel bad.

Like we don’t live up to what she had in her handy previous nephew neighbor.

We just have crazy kids.  And a beastly dog.

And a toolbox full of spiders.

 

Our neighbor to the left is a family with three grown girls.

One has special needs.

Super sweet. Super friendly.

 

So when Julie and Jeannett introduced this new series…

I saw that Day One involved blessing a neighbor.

It’s as if God was shouting:

Do something about that conviction!

And do it on Monday, November 7.

Because Julie and Jeannett are making you.

I LOVE when God works this way.

 

The girls and I made raspberry almond cake with almond icing.

OK.  I made most of it.

Ashlyn ate the batter.

Kayla was preoccupied by her new sea creature set from Nana.

And eating raspberries.

Until I put her to work in the card making department.

We packaged them up.

And set out on a mission.

We learned a little bit more about the importance of giving.

We learned that we are to take time out of our busy day to do for others.

We learned that an easy baked good in simple packaging can bring great joy.

We learned that they liked chatting with us more than they liked our cake.

And we learned that our neighbor to the right has a cage full of parakeets.

I think we’ll be visiting again soon.

How is it November already?

I love Christmas. Hear me.

But there are days that I secretly wish December away to usher in a “settled down” January.

BUT. IT. IS. NOVEMBER.

And things haven’t settled down yet.

Who do I talk to about this?

 

Any-WHO.

It’s Friday again.

And in an effort to avoid another 5,000 picture post,

I’m doing my best to be consistent.

Although I secretly wish consistency away, too.

I like to live on the edge.

 

Halloween came and went.

Kayla had no school on Monday which was sheer genius.

Although they should have given them Tuesday off, too.

Or maybe just the whole week.

They had a class parade the Friday before.

Ashlyn attended in her pre-party attire.

Kayla attended in her pre-party attire, too.

Although we didn’t know she was planning a costume change.

My floor, still covered in tiny bits of faux fur my vacuum won’t suck up, doesn’t know, either.

But Cleo was cute.  So it all worked out.

EMJ hosted a fun craft night on Saturday.

I was all crafted out after my adventures in fur, so I watched.

And shushed a sweet little baby to sleep.

And put a screaming baby back in a bassinet.

And shushed a sweet little baby to sleep.

Repeat.

Also, Kim got a little crazy with her felt leaf embroidery.

Eyes were almost lost.

Thanks, EMJ for opening up your cute, cozy little place.

And reminding me that I need to buy Ikea cubbies.

I’ve decided our next pet is going to be a hairless sphynx cat.

Or a goldfish.

I returned this fancy uniform on Monday.

And a few other fancy uniforms.

That I never really wore, actually.

I was more of a casual polo/Dave’s old paramedic hoodie girl.

Peace out, AMR.  It’s been real.

 A Starbucks date with my favorite date.

Unemployment has it’s perks.

Hope had an amazing small group on Wednesday night.

Sans Dave.

The Oakland Occupy Movement is occupying right in front of the shelter where he works.

These late nights are making me wish they would occupy some other town.

Or maybe get jobs.

Like me.

Oh wait.

I left my Starbucks sippy at EMJ’s during craft night.

And she returned it.

Labeled.

I think I might leave a few more things at her house.

Kayla has a pen friend.

Super sweet.

Check your mailbox, Lauren!

Thanks to all who have linked up to this month’s PinterTest Kitchen.

Love seeing your pins come to life.

Love seeing some look even better than the original.

Like THIS.

AH-MAZING.

Happy Friday, friends!

Linking up with Jeannett.  Obvs.

 

Welcome to the second edition of the PinterTest Kitchen!

A place to document your Pinterest adventures.

The good.

The bad.

The one’s that have no alibi.

I pinned these cute little mini apple pies a few weeks ago and was itching to try them.

But unfortunately, they had ZERO alibi.

Not pretty.

U-G-L-Y.

But I think it’s my fault.

Too much butter?

The wrong apples?

A spinning headache.

The result?

A big mushy mess that set our smoke detector off.

Here goes nothing.

You’ll need:

2 tart apples

1/2 cup sugar

3 tbsp melted butter

2 tsp cinnamon

1 store bought pie crust

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Unroll one refrigerated crust and place on floured surface.

P.S. The store bought pie crust is my favorite ingredient.

Real, from-scratch crusts give me severe anxiety.

Coat with melted butter.

Sprinkle cinnamon + sugar mixture on top.

Cut crust into 8 pieces, about 1″ wide.

Cut apple into 8 equal pieces.

Roll each piece individually, sugar-side touching the apple.

Coat one side in butter.  Dip coated side in cinnamon + sugar mixture.

Lay each mini apple pie on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.

End result, pre-fire alarm, should look something like this:

Bake at 425 degrees for 13-15 minutes.

Have 8-year-old with dishrag ready to silence alarm.

The original recipe was much prettier.

She used red apples.

My Granny Smiths were mushy and nasty.

I’m thinking I should have peeled the apple?

And used less butter.

Also the crust baked unevenly. Flaky in all the wrong ways.

I think I’m better off buying TJ’s Apple Blossoms.

And just adding a cinnamon + sugar topping.

Same diff.  Less noise.

What did you make?

Link up!

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It’s Wednesday and my head is spinning.

Like literally.

Spinning.

I’m thinking it’s a weird flu.  Or vertigo.

Or I’m dying.

I’ve made the executive decision NOT to Web MD my symptoms.

Because I have a feeling my prognosis would not be good.

Web MD is always so rude.

 

Halloween has come and gone.

Wolf/skunk/panda/puppy made a last minute change to Target clearance Cleopatra.

Minnie Mouse ran screaming like a crazy woman all over the neighborhood.

And repeatedly clotheslined Cleo to make it to every doorbell first.

I might have tripped into my neighbor’s front door.

And stacked super hard on their front porch.

I will just say that my new iphone case is effective at preventing screen cracks.

And my neighbor’s porch is effective at creating lumpy knee bruises.

HOT MESS, I am.

 

November’s PinterTest Kitchen is tomorrow!

I loved Erin’s post from last month.

Mostly because she whitened my teeth in the picture she posted.

But also because she is a wonderfully creative writer.

And an all-around awesome person.

 

What are you making?

I’m trying two recipes having to do with these:

With a spinning head.

Which is good times.

And I need to clean this:

Because it’s not a very pretty test kitchen.

 

 Be sure to grab a button and link up tomorrow!

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P.S. Previous button had a little glitch in Blogger.

This one is new and improved.

Let me know if you still have issues.