Engagment Pictures {Kyle & Elizabeth}

I took pictures of my sister Elizabeth and her fiancé Kyle this weekend. We had a great time. (Lots of laughter!!!!!) We ended the shoot at Lake Sommerville, the setting where Kyle popped the question. It was a great location and they were so happy and relaxed there. I knew she would be anxious to see them so these were posted first. More pictures from the weekend coming soon!

The "Flamingo" pose.

This is my favorite shot. I totally captured their interaction with each other.

Duck Squash???!!!

My friend Heidi sent me this picture. As you can tell from recent posts I'm obsessed with Marin's party and the duck theme, so when I saw this picture it SCREAMED DUCK SQUASH!!!!" I was so excited by all of the possibilities. Unfortunately the squash at HEB did NOT look like duck squash, and I'm not sure this little lovely will last until July 3, but Heidi promises to give it TLC and said I could have it. Yippie! So excited. (And slightly embarrassed by how giddy I am over squash).

Headed to College Station, TX for the day. Happy weekend.

Uncle Joshua {aka Uncle Dosh}

Marin loves her Uncle "Dosh." All of my siblings are jealous of how much Marin loves him. I think it's because he lets her do just about anything she wants and always "exposes" her to bazaar activities. Like this day when they rubbed soot on each other's faces. Or the way they make different noses out of playdoh. Oh, and he's also the only person who will run up and down the hall over and over and over and over and over. What's not to love?
Last Sunday Marin wore the dress that Joshua bought her in Guatemala. This was also Joshua's last "free" day before starting his new job with WRL General Contractors. Below are a few pictures I snapped of them together.



Joshua is working with a construction crew in Godly, Texas. We aren't sure how often he'll be home. I'm not sure who will miss the other more. Joshua or Marin. I'm sure I've made a large number of people quite jealous with this post. I'm sure I'll be hearing from those that want their own "Marin Loves ______" post. Check back!

Baker's Coconut Animal Cut-Up Cakes

Last year, my Granny Parma sent me an old Baker’s Coconut Brand booklet full of Animal Cut-Up Cake ideas. It was published by General Foods Kitchens and it looks like the date says 1959. Included with the booklet was a letter that read:

Krystina, You’re so talented, I thought you might like to copy some of these to make cakes for Marin. I found it in my recipes etc – Cleaning out old stuff. Hope you can use it. Enjoyed your visit and seeing Marin. Thanks for coming, Love, Granny.

I think it must have been a booklet my mom used to make birthday cakes for my siblings and I, because I recognized the elephant cake. I’ve been so excited about using one of these cut-up cakes and had settled on the duck cake for Marin’s birthday. But, I think I’ll modify it a bit so that the duck looks like the duck on Marin’s invitations. Anyway, I absolutely LOVED every pattern in the book but more than anything I loved that Granny thought to send it to me. Here are a few ideas for your viewing pleasure. Be sure to read the “Cut-up Cake Hints” page. The illustrations are so cute. I've only included a few of the cakes here. To see all of the cakes check out my Food category on Flickr.

I’ve been a member of the Polk County Habitat for Humanity group for about four years. I’m in charge of the website and recently created a blog site for the affiliate. Habitat is very active here in Polk County and I'm extremely blessed by my involvement. When you have a few minutes, I invite you to check out the Polk County Habitat for Humanity website and blog. The goal of Habitat is to provide simple decent housing for families in need. Maybe you know someone who qualifies for a Habitat home; or are interested in volunteering. Our current project is “Cochran’s Crossing” a mini Habitat community on “Miracle Way” off of Beatty St in Livingston. If you are in the area, drive by. It’s a lovely road and a real dream come true for the five families that live there.

Girly Girl

I meant to share this photo from the swimming party last weekend and forgot. How cute is my little strawberry?

Swimming Party {Cutest Cupcakes!}

My sister-n-law Christy made the cutest cupcakes for Collin and Corynn's birthday party on Saturday. I just had to share these pictures. How totally cute are these cupcakes? The shark fins were a big hit with the kids. I couldn't get over the bears in bikinis. Each one was different!!! Not only were they cute, they were delicious too! Great inspiration for anyone planning a pool party this summer.