Making a Case for the Cake Topper

Princess Three got a custom made cake topper from my friend Julie. I posted about it here.

We needed to find some container to put it in as my friend said, "No matter how old the person is that is looking at it, they reach out and touch it! They will want to move the hair and it doesn't move so they break it off!" 

I thought I could put a little note on the display saying, "Please Don't Touch" but the children can't read it and she said many times children are the ones breaking the hair off. 

I went to Hobby Lobby and about five other stores looking for some glass sided display we could use, but also, one she could keep and like so she can keep the dust off and something stylish she would like as decor. 

I found this square almost "Sea ship" looking container, but it didn't have a top on it. The sides were glass, and I flipped it upside down, but that put wood on the top and then people couldn't see it through the top if they were tall.

I found several others I thought she may like in her home, but they were either not deep enough, or were really tall. 

We video chatted her from the store and brainstormed about what we could do. I realized they had a framing shop and we could get a top cut for it, but wasn't sure how to hold it up. My sister figured out that we could flip up one of the two clasps holding the side glass in and it would hold the top glass up. So, we had the store frame shop cut us a piece of glass. I then asked if they had any mirror we could put in the back as I noticed that the only one they had in gold had a crack in one side. They said they don't cut mirror there. 

On the way out, I asked about getting a discount due to the crack and it being the only gold one they had, and it was 50% off anyway, so we got the thing for about $16. The next day after hunting down three shops, we were able to get a mirror cut, the broken piece taken out, and they ground the top piece we had cut so no one would get cut, for about $7. So, in all it was less than $25 for the $40 original priced holder.

The mirror shows the back of the dress from the front so you can see the entire topper from the front. 

We put a bow on the handle and displayed the thing on a cool piece of wood I found at a second hand store.

People were taking pictures and asking for the name of the creator all night. It was a hit for sure! My friend Julie is VERY gifted and talented! I will be helping her create a new website for her toppers and other creations soon!

I feel very blessed to know her!

The BIG REVEAL - Wedding Dress and Cake Topper

Since the wedding is over, I can share pictures of my friends Cake Topper! It was so exact. She is amazing! 

She spent more time on the groom than she ever has in the past. She made the shoes so exact that she even made the little folds on the shoes. 

She made the creases in the arms, tails in the back, buttons on the sleeve / cuffs, pleat in the front crease of the pants, shirt collar, tie, and belt buckle. 

She found the exact color of suit he was wearing as well as color on the tie, belt and shoes. She even made the different color of soles in the shoes. It is amazing. The hairline is exact, the posture of the doll is exact. 

When she pulled it out of the box, I knew exactly who it was, no question! 

The bride looks amazing. The dress was all hand painted lace! She painted the base color, but the white lace on the arms and dress is all hand painted. The bouquet is all individual pieced clay in exact color down to the amount of flowers in the bouquet. 

She got the height ratio spot on. Where she fits on his body height wise. I love that she made hands. She hasn't always done that. She even put the ring on his finger! 

She made a "peek a boo" window with Princess Threes left arm and you can see his hand around her waist through the window in her elbow. It is such an amazing likeness! I wish pictures could show the exact likeness, but it just can't show how closely the dolls look like the people! 

I told my friend I would help her make a website to show off her cake toppers. I hope I can do her work justice on the website! She not only does weddings, but people who have passed as angels, pets that have passed on, prom dolls, quinceanera dolls, and custom Christmas tree ornaments. She can do the entire family! 

You can see how crazy amazingly talented she is for yourself in these pictures! 

As you can see, the bride and groom LOVE that cake topper and were proud to display it at the reception! 

Have a Blessed Day!

Beauty Amongst The Stress - Beautiful Flowers In My Yard

 We have been having a drought in the west this year. I stressed about watering my lawn and have had yellow patches and dead flowers and shrubs in the front and back. 

It is interesting that in the past two weeks, we have had rain every day! We have been praying and fasting for rain and I believe God is our Father in Heaven and he cares about us. I believe he is blessing us with moisture when needed. 

I turned off my sprinklers and really enjoyed the beauty of the flowers around my yard. I almost felt like God knows how stressed this week and next week will be and is just sending me reminders to find the JOY in life. 

These trumpet looking flowers come from bulbs my mother gave me. They do not bloom every year. With all the moisture the past few weeks, they shot up and blossomed in the past two days. The orange lilies do bloom most years but are rather vibrant. Those came with the house. 

The pansies in my mailbox planter were left over from helping a neighbor plant flowers. It is weird that only one rose is in bloom, but one of the other five has a white blossom on it. I am not sure what made that one blooms twice, but I pruned the old blossoms off last week, and this one must be enjoying the water. 

I also have the front flower pots and they have been dying and this burst of water has brought them back. It is lovely to see beauty in so many spots in the yard as I still have other spots that aren't as beautiful. It is a struggle with all I have going on to keep up on the yard.

I have half the monkey bars landscaping done and the wood chips need to be put down, and I have dead shrubs needing to be pulled out, I haven't sprayed any poison on the yard and I have weeds in every part of my lawn due to the field next door. If I don't get it done soon, there won't be much lawn left. ha ha 

I give gratitude for my eyes almost every day feeling so blessed to be able to see so many of God's beauties. 

Have a blessed day!

Visiting Princess Five's Apartment - Count Your Blessings

On our trip to meet Prince Three's family, and to have their wedding shower for Princess Three, Princess Five asked if I wanted to see her apartment. 

I actually found the apartment for her long before she arrived home from her mission during Covid. I had to do a virtual tour and I also called and talked to several people about the apartment and about who may be living in the apartment. 

I talked to Princess Four who lived in the area, and she went and did a tour for me. She was so good to call a few people as well for me. I sent in the deposit so that Princess Five would have a place to live for school this past year. She liked living there so much, that she decided to stay for this upcoming year. 

We were able to go and see her apartment and her room. Her cute roommates decorated the apartment for her birthday. It was wonderful to see her cute place and what made me smile the most was the pillow on her bed! 

During her accident five years ago, a sweet neighbor brought her that pillow to cheer her up. She has it displayed prominently as a reminder to see the positive in even rough situations! 

It is weird that she has been up there a full year now and I hadn't seen her place. I used to go move them every time. Covid sure has changed things! 

Have a blessed day!

My Friend Arrived With Her Treasure - Custom Cake Topper

I posted the other day about my friend and her beautiful cake topper. She arrived tonight right as I was finishing coloring my hair. 

I made her dinner, she showed me pictures of how she made the little flowers for the bouquet and boutonniere on the little couple. She would make little rolls of different color dough and would flatten them together to blend the colors of the variegated green parts of the leaves in the bouquet.  

You can see by the photos how small the flowers are and what tiny pieces of clay she is working with. Each of those little flowers are individual and made with many little pieces.

I can't believe the details she puts into her custom cake toppers. She showed me some other things that she does. She does pets for people whose pets have passed away, makes little ornaments and necklaces that look like little girls, she makes the cutest little nativity sets in Native American style, wall hanging three D art and more. 

I told her I wouldn't post the picture until I was able to show it to my daughter and record her reaction to the topper. It is so beautiful and I am so excited to see their reaction to it! My friend said she would charge $1200 for a topper with this much detail as it took her so many days to make it! 

We had so much fun tonight visiting, looking at her art, and talking about the website I am going to help her with. She is AMAZING! 

Have a blessed day!

I Did A Thing - Hope It Works - Daith Piercing

I have suffered from Sinus Migraines since almost the day I got married 35 years ago. I was in a boating accident with my new in-laws and broke my nose when we hit a stone bridge pylon.

I had surgery on my nose soon after that, and from that time, I can't adjust to pressure changes that happen quickly. If I go up a mountain, or down to sea level quickly, I throw up after getting more and more pain in my head. 

I have had to drink Coke, take a Sudafed, and a Tylenol when I know I am going to be changing pressures quickly. I have learned where I need to take it when driving from city to city and my life revolves around drinking Coke and hitting the bathrooms on the way after drinking so much on my travels. 

If there is a high pressure fast moving storm, I will end up having a headache. Since we have had rain every day for two weeks, I have hand non-stop headaches. I had a headache yesterday and there was a lady in town who was really good at daith piercing which is supposed to help migraines. 

I have asked every person I have ever met with the piercing and asked if it helped their headaches. I have heard some say "not at all." Others said they got one done and it helped at first, then got the other done as they would have a headache on the other side from the piercing. 

I have met several who said it was life changing from the second they got it done. I am not one to draw attention to myself through piercings or tattoos, so for me, it has been a hesitation to actually get it done. 

I wanted to finally get it done as throwing up twice this month with migraines is horrible and my stomach valve gets stuck open and then I get reflux of stomach acid and heartburn etc. It is a spiral. 

I decided to try and contact the lady that everyone suggested when I found out that she was referring people to my niece who is a very talented Tattoo artist and has now started doing body piercing. She hasn't done a tone of daith piercing, but she was willing to do it for cheap and let me see if it would work for me. 

She said we would give it a try so asked which side I should do. I wasn't thinking clearly as I had a headache, so I said my right side. My left side has always been the worse side. It starts in my teeth roots and works its way up so it was really stupid, by picking my right ear. My headache wasn't all that bad yet so as she pinched, I couldn't tell if it was helping or not, so I asked her to take her best guess. 

It was painful as she uses a long hollow tube with a needle in it and then uses the needle to pull the earring through. It wasn't until much later in the night that I noticed I had a HORRIBLE headache and teeth pain and it was only on the left side of my head! So I didn't know if my drinking 2 liters of coke was what had made my head feel better on that side, or if it was actually the piercing. 

I loved that from the front, I can't even see the piercing and that it is tucked back into my ear. My friends has a ring through hers and I don't like the look or want to take a chance of it getting caught on my brush or anything else. 

It didn't hurt so much and I had no problem sleeping or talking on the phone. So, I figured while she is still in town, I should have her do the other side. So today, I had her pierce the left. It was SO much more painful than the right, bled more, and throbbed all day! I kept bumping it and it was tender. 

It is not for the faint in heart to get it pierced this way or in this spot, I think you just have to be to the point where you are in so much pain the rest of the time, that you are willing to go through that type of pain to try and stop the other pain. 

My niece also cut my hair for me. I straightened it later and had her trim it up and thin it so I could color it for the wedding. 

I have a busy few days and am so excited for my daughter to get married to the love of her life. My sister helped me finish several projects for the wedding today, and we are working on packing up all the decor tomorrow as we have anther family obligation before the wedding as well. 

It will be wonderful to see my dear friend who made the cake topper who is arriving tomorrow. What a fun time this is! I hope all the driving for the wedding will feel better with the piercings, but only time will tell!

I hope this works and I can start living instead of surviving. Have a blessed day!

God Blessed Me With Good Friends - House Guest

I have a busy few weeks going on. Being here inthis town for over 25 years now, we have made some beautiful friends. 

Many have moved away through the years, but every once in awhile, I get one to come back for a visit. One of my sweet friends that divorced a few years after I did, has a great talent. She is an artist and makes all sorts of amazing dolls amongst other things. 

She made a wedding cake topper that is identical to the bride and groom for Princess One's wedding. Here is a link to that post. 

Anyway, she is doing a custom topper for Princess Three and frankly, I didn't think Princess Three would want one as she is a minimalist and she isn't having a cake and didn't want a reception, so I figures she would say "no" if I asked her if she wanted one. 

Imagine my surprise when she said she did want it. At that point, what could I do but try and get it for her! So I called my adorable and talented friend, and she said she would be willing to make one for Princess Three. 

Since she no longer has a house here and is delivering the item herself as she didn't want to risk it breaking in the mail. She is only free tomorrow to drop it off. Her ex-husband lives in town with an adult married son.

So, how blessed am I that God sent a friend who is available to stay and watch the house for the wedding and reunion! I have plenty of bedrooms and will enjoy the company between the two events. 

I am blessed with good friends! Have a Blessed Day!