Golf Cupcakes Fore! PAR-Tee Time
Sorry, I couldn’t resist! 😉
Tonight we are headed to our high schoolers End-of-Season Golf Banquet & Award Ceremony. It’s going to be a family potluck at the local miniature golf course. The boys are really looking forward to a fun evening with their team!
Originally I thought I would bake another Golf Cake and make either some CLUB Sandwiches, BOGEY Hoagies, or Bar-B-Que BIRDIE to bring, but it’s Friday (meatless) and I had to go in to work today so decided to keep it simple and just bring cheese pizza SLICE(s) and these golf themed cupcakes. I already had everything I needed in the cupboard for the cupcakes and on the way we’ll pick up a couple pizzas.
Supplies:
- 1 batch of Cupcakes, cooled (I made chocolate cupcakes this time)
- 1 batch of Whipped Buttercream Frosting mixed with Leaf Green Icing Gel for desired shade of green (see recipe below – or use store bought frosting)
- Decorating Bag with Grass Tip Wilton #233
- Toothpicks with Flag created out of colored card stock and paint pen (I used green and black card stock with a metallic gold paint pen to incorporate the team colors)
- Celebration Pearls, Shimmer White (I have a jar of Shimmer Blue, Silver and White from the craft store and just picked out some of the Shimmer White candies)
Whipped Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
- 2 tablespoons milk
- Leaf Green Icing Gel
Fill the decorating bag with about 1 cup of frosting. Frost the cupcakes with the remaining frosting. Using the decorating bag with the grass tip, add “grass” to the cupcakes to create the rough, leaving an opening for the green.
We had fun placing the “golf balls” on each cupcake – some near the hole, some in the rough, and we even left flags off a couple cupcakes making them completely “in the rough!” I think the kids will enjoy them.
Celebrating the Saints :: St. Colum and the Crane
Today, June 9th, is the traditional feast of St. Columba. He is also known as St. Colum and St. Columcille, or “Colom Cille” which means “Dove of the Church.” He is the patron saint of Scotland, Ireland, bookbinders, and against floods.
Our schedule happened to be nearly completely free today (other than an afternoon haircut appointment for our oldest daughter) so this morning I flipped through my Saints Calendar to see whose feast day it was today, pulled out some picture books from this month’s book basket, and quickly came up with a simple plan to teach my children more about St. Columba.
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| St. Columba: The Exiled Monk found in The Book of Saints and Heroes |
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| Saint Columba found in Saints: Lives and Illuminations |
(Across A Dark and Wild Sea and study guide in Catholic Mosaic)
I journey on my way.
What need I fear when thou art near,
O King of night and day?
More safe am I within thy hand
than if a host should round me stand.
and death will keep his hour;
did warriors strong around me throng,
they could not stay his power:
no walls of stone can man defend
when thou thy messenger dost send.
My life I yield to thy decree,
and bow to thy control
in peaceful calm, for from thine arm
no power can wrest my soul.
Could earthly omens e’er appal
a man that heeds the heavenly call?
his chosen dread no foe;
we leave our fate with thee, and wait
thy bidding when to go.
‘Tis not from chance our comfort springs.
thou art our trust, O King of kings.
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| Top Row: Chiquita • Twinkle Toes – Bottom Row: Snuggles • Rose • Bud |
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| Source: HOMESTHETICS |
Ingredients:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons milk
Directions:
Cream room temperature butter with a hand mixer, or the paddle attachment of a stand mixer, until smooth and fluffy. Gradually beat in confectioners’ sugar until fully incorporated. Beat in vanilla extract. Pour in milk and beat for an additional 3-4 minutes.
{pretty, happy, funny, real}
I was so happy to complete Track C of Meet the Masters before the end of our school year!
(Our high schoolers needed to turn in one more artist unit study/project to earn their credit for art.)
The kids were very happy that I pulled out donuts to celebrate!
Everything is fine now, but our week got off to a rather traumatic start, just after midnight on Sunday morning, with a call to 911… My husband was one of the three who were sick on Saturday. He spent most of the day on the couch. Late that night, while (attempting) to walk from the living room to the bedroom, he leaned against the foot of the bed, said he thought he was going to pass out, and immediately fell to the floor. I’d never seen someone pass out before. He was pale/ghostly white and non-responsive. His eyes were wide open but motionless. It scared me to death. I yelled for the boys to bring me the phone while I tried to revive him and get him to breathe. I thought he was dying… My heart still hurts from the stress and anxiety! Thankfully he regained consciousness while I was on the phone with emergency services and seemed to be ok, but when he started to look like he was going to pass out again in the morning I drove him to the hospital. The vasovagal response was most likely triggered by dehydration and the stomach issues we were fighting. They hooked him up to an IV and kept an eye on him for most of the day. He went back to work today. I’m so very grateful that everyone is finally feeling better!
{this moment}
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| Late Wednesday night I saw a light coming from the boys’ room and peeked inside. I quietly took this photo with my iPhone, shared it over on Instagram, and went back to bed. ❤ |
It’s been a little overwhelming around here lately and I have been fighting burnout… Long hours at work for both my husband and I, writing deadlines, doctors/dentist/orthodontist appointments and bills, way too many assignments due for the children (especially our high schoolers who have been working non-stop to catch back up following golf season), the final week of school along with required state testing (including a question we were not happy to hear about on one of our 9th grade sons tests), the resignation of our amazing tutor from the local home-based charter we have used the past five years (we have lots to pray about and some decisions/changes to make for next year), a big rattlesnake right outside the front door, and a slow moving stomach bug which has been working it’s way through our family the past two weeks and has claimed another two three this weekend. Sometimes it all seems like too much, but moments like this make it all worth it. God is Good!
On the Feast of St. Joan of Arc
Recalling St. Joan of Arc’s banner, “bearing at her request, the words, “Jesus Maria,” along with a figure of God the Father, to whom two kneeling angels were presenting a fleur-de-lis, the royal emblem of France,” we decided to bake a simple French Vanilla cake in my favorite Fleur de Lis pan for today’s feast of St. Joan of Arc! The kids also spent some time reading The Story of Joan of Arc.
Our son was given this beautiful book (an unabridged republication of the edition published by the Century Company, New York, 1912) following his First Holy Communion last summer at St. Joan of Arc Parish where his uncle is currently pastor.
“Maurice Boutet de Monvel’s simple but moving retelling of her story features a series of imaginative illustrations that won the artist international fame. All forty-five of the images from his 1896 deluxe picture book appear here in full color, reflecting the saint’s enduring symbolic power as well as her deep humility.” – The Story of St. Joan of Arc
It’s worth purchasing this book just for the captivating illustrations. So beautiful and inspiring! It’s such a lovely addition to our collection. You can find the rest of our books about St. Joan of Arc listed in Our May Book Basket.
In the face of your enemies, in the face of harassment, ridicule, and doubt, you held firm in your faith. Even in your abandonment, alone and without friends, you held firm in your faith. Even as you faced your own mortality, you held firm in your faith. I pray that I may be as bold in my beliefs as you, St. Joan. I ask that you ride alongside me in my own battles. Help me be mindful that what is worthwhile can be won when I persist. Help me hold firm in my faith. Help me believe in my ability to act well and wisely. Amen.
St. Joan of Arc, pray for us!
Meet the Masters :: Rembrandt van Rijn
Rembrandt van Rign (REM-brant)
Dutch Painter (1606-1669)
Rembrandt developed a painting style using light and dark that is unlike that of any other artist. This “Rembrandt Lighting” creates beautiful contrasts in his etching and painting. He painted more self-portraits than any artist in history – a visual autobiography of his life in 17th Century Holland.
Art Activity Emphasis: Highlights and Shadows
Vocabulary: Light, Dark, Highlight, Detail, Portrait, Self-Portrait, Background, Shadow, Composition, Etching, Profile, Luminous
White Dustless Chalk
Q-tips
Burning Down the House
A historic house in the heart of our little town was used for a “Burn to Learn” training this weekend. We headed into town to spend some of each day watching the burn.
The back, left, upstairs window was where my desk was located once upon a time, when I worked preparing taxes as a young pregnant and then nursing mother (with our firstborn rocking in his swing right next to my desk!) over fifteen years ago.
Downstairs was our favorite local restaurant. They had the best Grilled Burritos, Pesto Chicken Wraps, Raspberry Chipotle Chicken, amazing salads with homemade Cilantro Pesto dressing, and so much more.
Yesterday firefighters from a number of districts took turns lighting small fires inside and then more crews went in with hoses to put them out. Later in the afternoon the engines pulled up to the house and treated the training as if it was a real 911 structure fire call. Today it was burned down completely. It was sad to see it go but neat that it was used to help train firefighters!
{pretty, happy, funny, real}
Our amazing tutor reading Focus on Elementary Geology to the three little ones. ♥
She is such a blessing! I don’t know how I’d keep up without her help each Thursday.
Old Fashioned Party Games :: Ring Toss & Fabric Wrapped Hula Hoops
Sharing pictures from our Mother Daughter Tea Party last weekend reminded me that I still have quite a few birthdays and party games that I never had a chance to post here on the blog. The kids keep reminding me too. They love looking through the archives and scrolling through all their past birthday parties!
Today I’m going to finally finish up a post that has been in my draft folder for nearly two years. I made this ring toss & fabric wrapped hula hoops inspired by Two Shades of Pink for our oldest daughter’s “Anne of Green Gables” birthday. It was easy to make and turned out so pretty. We still pull it out occasionally in the spring and summer.
- Empty Soda Bottles, wash and dried
- Pink Spray Paint
- White Spray Paint
- Wooden Crate
- Small Embroidery Hoops
- Pretty Fabric
- Hot Glue Gun and Glue Sticks
Celebrating Pentecost, the Birthday of the Church
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