Williams Wednesday - SPRING IS HERE!

Found this on my van after I had dropped off the boys at school. Don't you love spring? ha!

Happy Easter!!

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Barbie Cake Tutorial

Ok..for those info-hungry Moms out there who are also hungry for a Barbie cake, this is your lucky day! When my little doll asked so eagerly for a "Bah-bie cake" I had to do my best to pull it off. I had heard that you could use the Pampered Chef Batter Bowl could be used to make the skirt of Barbie's dress. Here's the Batter Bowl image:

Other items you'll need: 3 cake mixes, 3 containers frosting, 2 round cake pans, Barbie or Barbie "cake pick" (can be found on cake decorating aisle of craft stores), decor items (M&M's, sprinkles, etc), and canned cake frosting.

Follow directions for cake mixes as directed & fill batter bowl with TWO of the cake mixes; then make 2 round cakes w/the 3rd cake mix. The 3rd cake mix is necessary b/c if you use a Barbie doll as the center rather than the cake pick, she will be too tall for the skirt. Bake 2 round pans as directed, but batter bowl cake will require almost an hour to bake through completely. Use a bamboo stick or straw to check the...the...done-ness.

Sorry, I didn't take pics as I went, but I have one of the assembly. Once you remove the batter bowl cake, cut off the top so it will sit flat on top of the round cake. This is where my engineer hubby helped out >> He cut 2 long straight cuts down the center of the cake, then pushed the cake out the bottom to push Barbie through. This helped keep the stability of the cake, rather than just shoving poor ole' Barbie in there like I was gonna do (the "Joy" way).

Here's a pic of 1st step assembly:

As you can see, the batter bowl cake sits upside-down on top of one round cake. I didn't need the 2nd round cake, but used it as the "candle cake" since I didn't want to chance lighting up Barbie's hair when lighting the candles. I layered some icing between the two to make it stick. Then, shaved a little off the top to give Barbie's skirt it's ladylike shape.

Now, I'm not an owner of one of those fancy cake-decorating kits, so I just see what wonders I can work with a tub of frosting & a butter knife. I tinted white frosting pink and went to work! I also bought one of those cans of frosting and used it to add a little "texture." Add a few M&M's...voila!! I even had to step back & giggle when finished:

...And here's proof that it was worth it all! My little doll got her wish!!

Ally is THREE!!

Our little doll is THREE and we celebrated with family at her Barbie-themed party. I always allow my kids to pick the "theme," which usually revolves around some cake they want. I do not profess to be a fantastic baker, but I always give it a try! After much research, I figured out how to make Ally's much-desired "Barbie" cake. I'll post instructions later, because I know how difficult it was to find directions when I was searching.

ANYHOO...what a busy day we had!! Both boys had their first baseball games, threw Ben's piano recital in there, then we finished the day celebrating the three years we've had with our daughter. A big thanks to all the family who could be here - Nannie & Papa (my parents); Amy & Mason; Grammy & Pop (Cory's parents); Kevin, Keresa, Savannah, Simone, & Brody.

I gave Ally the dollhouse that Grandaddy made for Amy and I when we were little. This dollhouse is over 30 years old..it needed a facelift. When I can find an original pic of the house, I'll post it. Thank you, Grandaddy!! She loves it!

Our prayer for Ally: Dear Lord - Please guide us in showing Ally how to have a heart for YOU and instilling in her the desire to share with others what it means to be a child of God. Our number one goal in her life is to have a precious, intimate relationship with you -- all else is just fluff!! Be with her as she grows, that she will build her confidence on knowing YOU made her beautiful and it's what is in her heart that counts. Give her a heart of compassion, like that of Jesus. Give her Godly friends, but give her the strength & desire to become a disciple of Your Word. Thank you for this precious gift. We know that she is YOURS and we humbly appreciate the privilege of calling her OURS as well.

Monkeys at the Zoo

A little 'before and after'

Just a quickie 'before & after' of our kitchen chairs (AFTER on left; BEFORE on right). Only so much syrup can be dropped on a chair before you start to stick to it!

Washing Machine Overflow = Bath Renovation!!

Three weeks ago, we began an IMPROMPTU bath renovation. It came as a result of the washing machine overflowing (part broken) and filling our 1/2 bath with water and soaking the carpet, pad, & all the other funk underneath. Of course, like the WILLIAMS we are, we did all the work ourselves. I'll tell ya, I think there just isn't anything my handyman hubby can't do!! One thing's for sure - you never miss a toilet until you don't have one. We managed to have 2 with stomach bugs & potty training Ally with no downstairs potty. Whew!! Aren't we troopers? Enjoy the before & afters...