Happy Birthday Raggedy Ann

Come In grab a piece of cake and some tea and "celebrate Ann's Birthday"! I have a few Rag Dolls that are put away nicely in my attic, but this small cute collection I have in a curio shelf that I get to look at and enjoy everyday. Also Stop on by our Birthday Host's Blog and Celebrate along and see the different Raggedy Ann's!
75th Anniversary Set

Back of Box

Madame Alexander Raggedy Ann

Disney Layout

I am organizing and getting ready to get back into scrapping and crafting! I was looking at the racks of Michael's today and got nostalgic. I was looking at all the Disney Jolee Boutique and papers and thought about my last visit to Disney and all the pictures I still have not scrapped!!!!! So I wanted to share my favorite Disney Layout....no this is not the only one I have done...lol I will share more and tomorrow will start a new project. I love Chef Mickey at the Contemporary Resort. Breakfast with the Characters is always a blast with kids or with friends. I tagged along with my friend Sara to a Stamping Up Convention and experienced the whole "Disney Magic"!

Shecky's Wine and Shopping Tour

I have been to quite a few Shecky's events, but this was my first wine and shopping event. It was so worth the money spent. You should check to see if they have events in your area and grab a few girlfriends...or yourself and go! It was Saturday at 4:30 I woke up to thunder and lightening and was upset because I thought we would not go to the event. I got up took a shower and was still raining so could not wear a cute outfit I had planned to. So I met my friend Maria and we took a bus from the city with 2 bus loads full of women all ready to drink shop and shop some more! so on the bus the gave us Dunkin Doughnuts, the ride went fast as we watched "Bottle Shock" (click to see YouTube trailer)a movie that I thought was going to be so boring and turned out so interesting. Based on a true story about California wines finally being put on the map in 1976 by a wine competition in Paris. If you are into wine you really need to see this. I learned so much and had a different respect for grapes vineyards and the workers.
Our first stop was at a small winery called "Corey Creek Vineyards" Bedell Cellars. We tasted 2 whites and 2 reds bought Nothfork chips...(I said we were ready to shop)I tell you there were so many chips and all of a sudden 2 people bought then 2 more and so on and so on.... Took great pictures and went to our next stop.
"Martha Clara Vineyard", was so darn cute! It is owned by the Entenmann Family...yes the cake people who opened a little bakery in 1898 in Brooklyn, NY! Go figure they made cakes so great and also wine? Yes they can make wine and their adorable vintage young girl in a bridal dress label just took my breath away. In 1978 the Entenmann Family sold their "Cake Empire" and moved to the North Fork of Long Island, New York. Their son bought a potato farm and noticed that alot of the farms in the area were turning into Vineyards, so of course in 1995 he also got the grape bug and the rest is history. The son named the Vineyard after his Mother Martha Clara Entenmann. Martha was an inventor in her own right. She made the traditional white opaque bakery box and invented the now Iconic packaging with a see-through window. We were escorted through a tasting room, and a cute store and into this enormous barn and fed. We had views of the vineyards, all their animals, horse and wagon and sunflowers that you can pick on your own. Then we tasted 4 wines and bought some wine and gifts boarded the bus and off to Shecky's Girls Day we went.
Thank Goodness the "Shopping Gods" were with us..at home it was raining hard and 3 hours away in South Hampton, still New York it was hot and sunny. Yes let the shopping begin. It was all outside at a museum. I wanted to take home a little shack like buildings and oh the old mailbox...ok so I settled with a free goodie bag filled to the brim and overflowing with goodies. There were drinks and the ever famously cute Cupcake Stop Truck was there handing out free miniature cupcakes...yes free cuties! I bought a cute long strapless dress and a gorgeous necklace featured in many fashion magazines (see picture of 2 cute girls in glasses dressed in black) Eda and Betty Heirloom Couture; well they have 5 charms you can pick yourself and dangling chains..can we say cute? so that is it I was so tired I came home and fell asleep. I had a blast with my friend Maria it was the perfect girl day out.

I was walking up Fifth Avenue and noticed such "PINK" cuteness. I love doll houses and Tiffany has a beautiful display of jewels on furniture in a pink dollhouse in their windows..The roof is lined with pink velvet patterned vintage like wallpaper. Everything is so Versailles looking...the chandeliers, the candelabras and the furniture. It reminded me of my recent trip to Paris. As I continued walking I glanced at Bergdorff Goodman who has the best window displays, and saw a Huge "PINK" Lobster! Wouldn't you love to sink your teeth in that one?







Pink Lobster in Bergdorff Goodman

Angelina - Paris

Welcome back to Paris posts....Before I left NY a male friend suggested I go to a cafe in Paris called "ANGELINA'S" (no website yet). It is on Rue Rivoli across the street from the Louvre (will post that soon). It is very ornate in a classy old world charm. They open at 9:30 and close at 5:30. They serve beautiful tasty pastries and have breakfast plates and small quiches and salads. Lunch is so not like lunch in the States. Usually places are closed around our typical lunch. I went 3 times, had a chocolate looking like cupcake once then another time breakfast that was eggs Benedict (no picture) that was the best I have ever had hot chocolate that was rich but not too thick served with cream whipped on the side, and a torte that resembles a napoleon pastry. They serve everything on silver platters, but have their own signature pitcher with steamed milk or the hot chocolate and plates and mugs. I bought 1 set because that is all they had for the day at 10:00AM....I am used to NY where they say let me send someone down to the stock room and get them but as I suggested the woman looked appalled! She said in "perfect" English...that is not my job. I replied "can we send someone?" and she said "NO"!!! ok so I will wait till the website is developed. Really what can you possibly say, it is my fault for not getting it the first time I was there. But everything else was great and lots of fun. The above Gentleman I passed by and smiled and he said he got out of work at 7:00 and I should meet him in front! French Men are so great so classy. If you ever go please make it a breakfast stop and dessert stop and sit and enjoy the service.
Mont Blanc - looks like cool cupcake but it is a "pastry" which is a meringue base filled with whipped cream and sweet chestnut puree. Very rich and delicious.



Hot Chocolate and pastry

Pink Poodle in the City

I have alot of catching up to and promise I will moving forward...so I figure it has been a while since we saw some "Pink in the City" so I had to start here! I love Bergdorf Goodman on Fifth Avnue in NYC. It is an old time sofisticated,expensive department store. It is owned by Neiman Marcus but very different. It has a famous clientel but truthfully it does not cost you anything to look get inspired and occasionally there is a great sale and they have restaraunt and a little counter lunch snack drink stop on the Fifth Floor. Their window displays are so amazing all year round but extra wonderful at Christmas time. I get off the bus every morning right in front and get to see the window display change every other week. So to my surprise I see this "different" art display from the Baltimore Visionary Art Museum and was intrigued by the big woman in the window and decided to go inside and "Oh My Pinkness" what I found! Oh Fifi I love you Pink Poodle...not allergic doesn't make a mess is qiet oh and so chic! You never know what you will see inside or on the streets of NYC..
FiFi's "Pink" Bones

FiFi fits in with the Bergdorf Divas

FiFi's Rear

Happy 4th of July

I wish all of you and your families a Happy and Safe 4th of july! I made this cake a few years ago and can not find the picture so I copied it from the Food Network site. It was fairly easy. Enjoy!