Circle of Friends

Thank you for all of your prayers and comments for Mary Ashley. She is doing great since her accident last Friday. Her pediatrician gave us a good report and plans to take the staples out later this week. It looks like a trip to Birmingham is unnecessary at this point. It is a great relief to know we can enjoy upcoming holiday moments as planned, and I look forward to sharing those with you here.

Christmas Recital: Ballet or Drama?

One of my favorite holiday events is the girls' Christmas recital. I eagerly anticipate watching the ballet, but this year's production was interrupted by drama.

Friday night before the recital, I was putting the finishing touches on supper as the girls played nearby in the family room. Suddenly I heard a crash and Mary Ashley's scream. "Girls, this is why we don't play with the ottoman," I scolded, barely looking up from my dinner preparations. (Oh, yeah -- mommy guilt about that now.) But then Mary Ashley started crying hysterically, shouting, "Blood, Mommy! There's blood!" So I called her to me, and I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the back of her head.

The girls had been playing with the ottoman, and when Mary Ashley tried to jump off, it flipped over and flung her into the fireplace hearth. The back of her head hit the edge with such force it chopped her hair off at the wound. She was bleeding profusely, the blood quickly soaking her hair and clothes. With Mary Ashley's long hair, it was difficult to assess the wound. I called for Joe, who quickly grabbed a towel and hopped in the car with Carson to speed her to the emergency room.

Christian, Emma and I sat at home, still dumbfounded by the sight we had just witnessed. On his way out the door, Joe urged me to get Emma ready for the recital.

Mary Ashley cried on the way to the hospital, but settled down when triage cleaned up the wound. Joe and Carson kept the mood light, and she giggled as they sat together in the waiting room.

At home, Christian led a prayer as he, Emma and I sat down to supper. "Please, please, please, please, please, please, please, take care of Mary Ashley," he pleaded. We ate quietly, painfully aware that half the places at our table were empty.

I helped Emma get dressed, pulled her hair into two ponytails and added rosey circles to her cheeks. Joe checked in. The doctor said Mary Ashley had a deep gash about 1.5 inches long. He would let me know more as details unfolded. She was calm and very cooperative.

Just as we were heading out the door, Joe texted me: "Cracked her skull." I called him immediately, and he urged me to let Emma dance with her class before going to the hospital.

So we headed to the recital, anticipation overshadowed by worry.

Emma's class took the stage first, and I wasn't sure how she would do without her big sister nearby. In the spring recital, I had smiled before the lights came up for each number to see Mary Ashley's silhouette taking Emma's hand and leading her to her spot on stage. Without her big sister's direction, I wasn't sure what Emma would do. But she walked onstage with the rest of her class and took her place centerstage. She looked out into the audience, not smiling, but not frozen either. She said her name when prompted, and knealt down to start the song.

I was so proud of my little Emma!

I know her heart was heavy with worry over her best friend, but she danced beautifully.

As her class descended the stage, I sent Christian down front to meet Emma so we could rush to the hospital. I checked in with Joe, and he said Mary Ashley would need staples to close the wound. The doctor wanted to keep Mary Ashley overnight to monitor for brain swelling. So we ran home to pack a few things for the night, then headed to the hospital.

Mary Ashley had just gotten into her hospital room when we arrived. Joe said getting the staples in was traumatic for him, Carson and Mary Ashley, but she settled down quickly once that was over. Mary Ashley looked so small sitting on the hospital bed, a knit cap covering her bandaged head. She smiled brightly when we entered, excited to show us the coloring book and crayons one of the nurses had given her. Still in her recital costume, Emma let Mary Ashley choose one of the gifts I had wrapped for the recital, and the girls opened their ballerina Barbies. We all lingered together for a while before Joe took the other children home and left me to spend the night with Mary Ashley.

I was so thankful to have some quiet time with my sweet girl. We snuggled on her bed together, coloring and chatting about the evening. Nurses checked in often throughout the night, doing neurological tests to make sure she was OK. They all doted on her, and one pronounced her the sweetest patient she had ever assessed. A CT scan in the morning revealed no swelling, so we were released about lunchtime on Saturday. Her doctor checked on her several times and said he could not believe the force of the trauma she had suffered, but also how calm and agreeable she was despite her injury. He told us this was a close call and we are very lucky, but I would say we are blessed. As a precaution, the doctor is sending us for a follow-up visit with a neurosurgeon at Birmingham Children's Hospital, but we expect to get a good report.

We appreciate the prayers and phone calls from friends who checked in on us during this ordeal. It was a frightening experience, and we are so very thankful that Mary Ashley is back home with us -- still her sweet, bubbly self. God is good. And we are grateful.

Star Wars Party Futuristic Favorites

Christian's Star Wars party last weekend was so much fun! Here are some of my favorite party finds. Plates, napkins and the roll of wrapping paper we used as a runner came from Target. Light saber Chinese yo-yo from Party City.

Plastic forks and spoons from Party City. I checked Wal-Mart, Toys 'R' Us and Target for light sabers, and Toys 'R' Us had the best price. Curly ribbon from Dollar Tree. I looked several places for tall, thin futuristic glasses for Christian's party and was so excited to find these at Dollar Tree. After the party Joe told me, "You do realize those are actually beer mugs, don't you?" I don't drink, so hadn't even considered it. They just looked like perfect glasses for Yoda Soda to me!

Round mirrors saved from another project dotted the table, reflecting red and blue balloons and gold star ornaments hanging from the chandelier. A few spare ornaments dotted the table also. Mirrors and ornaments from Hobby Lobby; balloons from Wal-Mart.

I can leave these ornaments on our chandelier through the holidays or add them to our Christmas tree.

Christian's cake was the centerpiece of our table. Find more details on the cake design here. I liked the way the geometric design of these candles from Wal-Mart coordinated with the table runner. R2-D2's eye is a plastic prism found in the party section at Wal-Mart.

Curly straws from Wal-Mart were a little short for these Yoda Soda glasses, but the kids liked them anyway. Find our galactic party snacks here.

My sister-in-law gave the boys Star Wars: The Complete Visual Dictionary a couple of years ago, and it has been their most beloved book. It was a helpful guide to me in planning party details and would make a fabulous gift for fans of the movie. Secure your title as "The Cool Aunt" by purchasing it here.

Ana-Christian Skywalker loved his Star Wars party! Seeing his sweet smile was worth all the time and preparation.

May the force be with you as you plan a Star Wars party for one of your little stars!

The Stars of Our Star Wars Party

Simple costumes helped the children get into character for Christian's Star Wars themed party. I cut no-sew tunics for the boys and asked the Junior Jedi Knights to bring belts. I purchased all fabrics and trims for this project at Wal-Mart.

Princess Mary Ash-Leia looked stunning in a long white tunic worn over her white knit turtleneck and pants. A strand of gold beads tied around her waist made a shiny belt, and Princess Leia's trademark hairstyle completed the look. I think this costume brought out a new side to my little Jedi princess ... .

I don't think I've ever seen my dainty little Mary Ashley climb a tree! Perhaps she did it at the urging of this character ...

Queen Emma-dala!

(Although with Queen Amadala's royal makeup treatment, little Emma looked more like Queen Baby-Dolla to me!)

I just want to kiss her royal cheeks! For Emma's costume, I cut out a tunic and collar and hot glued black and gold ribbon to both --an homage to Queen Amadala's ceremonial dress.

The final two costumes were made for our favorite little Wookies ... .

Our cats, Sonny and Sarah!

Here Sarah sports the Princess Leia look with a white tunic and pipe-cleaner hairpiece. Hans Sonny looked so cute dressed in a brown Jedi robe with a little light saber tucked into his belt. The cats were less than enthusiastic about dressing up, but they were good sports to give Christian a birthday surprise.

Here are our Junior Jedis, poised for an afternoon of Jedi training!

Star Wars Galactic Snacks

We kept the menu simple for 8-year-old Christian's afternoon birthday party. Along with the R2-D2 cake featured in yesterday's post, we served Yoda Soda and pretzel light sabers. For the Yoda Soda, we made a frothy green punch with lime sherbet and ginger ale. To make it look out of this world, we presented the punch in a nested bowl with dry ice under it. The kids loved this smokey effect! We bought our dry ice at Publix. Find important safe-handling suggestions here.

My sister-in-law passed this idea along from her neighbor, Kendra. Dip pretzel rods in tinted candy melts to make the light saber blade. Allow the blades to harden, then wrap the handles in aluminum foil or dip them in melted white chocolate. Finish off each light saber with a candy sprinkle button.

Tomorrow, meet the stars of our Star Wars party!

R2-D2 Cake

For his Star Wars birthday party, I surprised Christian with an R2-D2 cake made by stacking four 6-inch round cake layers and a half-ball cake. Wooden dowels inserted into the cake and Rice Krispy treat arms added extra support. A plastic prism inserted into R2-D2's head finished the design. Yum!

Light Saber Invitations

Invited You Are to a Birthday Party

For Jedi Knight Christian Lester

Report for Jedi Training

Saturday, December 5th, 2 P.M.

And May the Force Be With You

Christian's birthday invitations were a lot of fun to make. I used textured scrapbook papers from Hobby Lobby for both the handle and blade. I covered toilet paper rolls with silver paper for the handles, then cut strips of vellum printed with party details. Glued to the silver, they made ridges on the handle. A red button glued to the handle completed the look.

When I was working on the text, I asked Christian what levels Star Wars characters achieved in Jedi training. He told me there are Younglings, Padawans, Jedis, Jedi Knights and Jedi Knight Masters. I asked him if he would be a Youngling, and he gave me a look. "Ugh, no, Mom," he corrected. "I would be a Jedi Knight." What was I thinking?

These sparkly red, blue and green papers made great light saber blades. I rolled a half-sheet for each one and secured it with hot glue. I found that using a wooden spoon or wooden dowel helped with this process. Then I glued the blade just inside the handle.

The Force is strong with this one.

Please come back this week for all the Star Wars party fun!

Happy Birthday, Christian!

Happy Birthday, My Darling Christian!

I can't believe my sweet boy is turning 8! We will be celebrating his big day tomorrow, so come back next week for all the party fun.

Make a Handbag Cake

Have you seen the must-have handbag cake of the season?

I made this stylish cake over the weekend for 10-year-old Grace's fashion-themed birthday party. For this posh party, guests were invited to bring their favorite outfits. After visiting stations for hair and makeup, the girls walked the runway in a fashion show complete with lights and music.

To make a handbag cake, bake two square cakes and allow them to cool. Cut each cake in two, with one half a little larger than the other. Put a little buttercream icing on the bottom of the largest half, and place this piece icing-side-down on your serving platter. Spread a layer of icing on the top of this cake piece, and top it with the next largest half. Stack the other layers of cake, largest to smallest, sealing with icing between each layer. Insert dowels into the cake to keep the layers from shifting. Then use a serrated knife to shave away cake to get a smooth handbag shape.

Frost the cake smooth with buttercream icing, use a toothpick to trace a design into the icing, and pipe on details as desired.

Believe it or not, this post inspired my zebra-print look. A hot pink icing monogram and mini-ball fringe add pops of color to the cake, and fun details complete the design. Headbands tucked into the cake make cute handles for the purse, and Grace can recover them as desired after the party. A candy bracelet tucked into the top of the handbag hangs down the side of the cake. A little icing makes it look like a key fob for our fashionable "tenager." The cake started leaning, so I tucked a heavy square vase behind it for extra support. With a few pink flowers tucked in, the vase looks like part of the original design plan. Sunglasses and a couple of tubes of lip gloss tossed alongside the cake complete this year's latest look.

A fashionable cake for a model birthday girl!

Speaking of fashionable finds, my best girlfriend Vonda has just started a blog. Stop by Vonda's Lavish Life to say hello!

Peppermint Hot Chocolate

Peppermint Hot Chocolate

This minty hot chocolate recipe holds holiday appeal for young and old alike!

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup white sugar
1 pinch salt
1/3 cup boiling water
3 1/2 cups skim milk
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup half-and-half
Sweetened whipped cream
6 peppermint candies

Combine cocoa, sugar and pinch of salt in a heavy saucepan. Add the boiling water, and stir over medium heat until the sugar melts and you achieve a thick liquid. Stir in milk and heat until very hot, but not boiling. Stir in vanilla, peppermint extract and half-and-half, and remove from heat. Divide the hot chocolate between 4 mugs. Top each serving with whipped cream and a sprinkling of crushed peppermint candy.

This recipe is Emma-approved!

Thanksgiving Day Recipes

This year's Thanksgiving Day menu incorporated traditional favorites, along with a few new dishes. You can find recipes for orange-sage turkey, sweet potato casserole, cranberry-apple bake and fudge pie in this post. New recipes at this year's feast included a zesty sundried tomato spread served with crackers and fresh carrots and several dishes my sister, Jennifer, suggested. The pumpkin soup recipe above was a hit at her monthly cooking club, and gingerbread trifle incorporates several holiday flavors.

Also a cooking club recommendation, Jennifer brought these Martha Stewart pumpkin cookies with brown-butter icing. We have enjoyed leftover cookies with tea.

Jennifer also tempted us with homemade herb and butter bread. A lady from her church recently offered to teach women from their congregation how to make homemade bread, and we were all delighted to sample Jennifer's work.

Sundried Tomato Cheese Spread

I found this recipe a couple of years ago, I believe in Southern Living.

1 garlic bulb
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 (11-ounce) package goat cheese
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
1/3 cup sundried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped
2 tablespoons fresh chives
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Assorted crackers, breads and vegetables

Cut off pointed end of garlic; place garlic on a piece of aluminum foil and drizzle with oil. Fold foil to seal. Place on a baking sheet. Bake at 425 degrees for 45 minutes or until cloves are tender. Let cool slightly. Squeeze pulp from garlic cloves; mash. Beat garlic, goat cheese, and next 5 ingredients at medium speed until well blended. Cover and chill until ready to serve. Serve with assorted crackers, breads and vegetables. Yields 3 cups.

Pumpkin Soup

I predict this velvety golden soup will become a fall staple at our house.

1 yellow onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
6 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (30-ounce) can pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
5 whole black peppercorns

Saute onion and garlic in a large saucepan. Add chicken stock, pumpkin puree, parsley, thyme and peppercorns. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat. Puree soup in batches in a blender or food processor. Return to pan, and bring to a boil again. Reduce heat to low, and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Stir in heavy cream. Ladle into soup bowls, and garnish with a dollop of cream and fresh parsley. Serves 9.

Pumpkin-Gingerbread Trifle

2 (14-ounce) packages gingerbread mix
1 (5.1-ounce) box cook and serve vanilla pudding mix
1 (30-ounce) can pumpkin pie filling
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 teaspoon ground cardamon or cinnamon
1 (12-ounce) container frozen whipped topping
1/2 cup gingersnaps

Bake the gingerbread according to package directions; cool completely. Meanwhile, prepare the pudding and set aside to cool. Stir in pumpkin pie filling, sugar and cardamon or cinnamon into the pudding. Crumble one batch of gingerbread into bowl. Layer ingredients, ending with Cool Whip. Refrigerate overnight, and sprinkle with gingersnaps before serving.

Our Thanksgiving Day Table

I love seeing the images my brother, Nathan, captures at our family events. Here are a few of my favorites from the dining room.

I bought white roses from Fresh market for the dining room table. They looked beautiful, but branches pulled from the yard added vivid color to side tables and our holiday buffet.

Ornament frames made sweet favors for the grateful hearts that gathered around our Thanksgiving table this year. I used them as place markers on the dining room table. In the photo above, an extra ornament hugs a lamp on a side table.

Our Thanksgiving Day recipes are still to come!

Photos by Nathan Prichard