We have a WINNER

Hi friend who likes to play favorites choose a winner based on things that involve non-random-fairness.

Look what I have below. Isn't it lovely?? 

My Be-Fri's at http://www.random.org/ did a good job at being our winner-picker.

It's a little cute, yeah?

And watch. I love it's magical powers.

In our drawing, there were 43 entries (45 comments, minus our silly bantering). So I put a 1 in the Min and 43 in the Max. The cute friend picks a winner, fair and square. Then I went back to the post and counted down the comments..... 

Guess who it picked?? 

Congrats to SARAH from Handbags *N* Pigtails 

because she gets some bean bags.

And who doesn't need some of those, I ask?

Hey, do you think I should make a few more beanie bags and pick another? We'll see.

Because I love that random picker guy.

And I REALLLLLY love our blog friends.

{Yay Sarah!!! Email me your address, sweet pea!}

loveliness abounds

the loveliness abounds today.
we get to share.
these are the sweet little bean bags that you(leslie) made.
how lovely are these little guys!?

i took some pictures of my sweet pea holding them and breaking them in a bit and then she and i wrapped them up to send to a lovely lady who comments on this post today....









i suppose you could say it's a bribe.
you see, although i still really like the idea that we came up with for cake and cotton to be a conversation between my favorite red-head (you) and i....i think there may be some that are needing a little motivation to join into the banter.
they may not be quite sure if they are in the group....and BTW the answer is "yes, yes you are"(yes you sitting at your computer in your jammies).
this little blog of ours is meant to be a sassy little conversation, and i am hoping others want to be friends too!
got something to say?
input?
advice?
a strong opinion? (leslie can certainly relate to that! ha! i, on the other hand am as mild as a lamb *wink*wink*)
let's hear it!
but for today, just leave us a comment that answers this question.
what is the best quality a friend can have?
come on!
first thing that comes to mind.
don't click away!
just. one. word.

les, you can pick a winner if you want.
i know you love random.org.
me? i'd pick the winner from which comment i thought deserved it :)
that's just me.
we pick, either way, on friday....

and we are linking to our favorite girl's lovely little link-up too...does it get any better?

You might have to throw down an LOL.

I feel a little bad for you that your babies don't get super chubbalicious like mine do. What is sweeter than giant baby thighs on a brand new walker waddling around in your house?? Nothing, I tell you.

But this fake commercial that was on SNL a few weeks ago will cheer you up. Oh my gosh is it hilarious.

I know it doesn't really fall under the cake or the cotton category, but it has to be posted.

Not an option to not post it. It's too funny to keep all to myself.

{Waaaaaaait just a minute. Maaaaaaaybe your babies were wearing these all along!!}

Just cute stuff

Wow. I have a lot of little snippets of amazing to show you.

These are a handful of things I'm so loving right now. 

My side table arrangement.

A bright frame, and old globe, a good piece of fabric, and some pretty books to inspire me.

It's kinda crowded up against my desk, but whatevs.

This little lady is watching over all the books I can't wait to dig into. I love her. Thank you.

And look at this. Can you tell what it is?

An angler fish. Happiest one you'll ever see.

Kinda like my little guppy.

I just love my kids' art.

This angler fish is using his light to lure you towards a big hug, I think.

Hoop Art.

I got like 6 new hoops just waiting for my creative juices to make them beautiful.

Don't you just love having good supplies waiting in the wings?

{I'm giving away this little creation on top of the page today}

Long after Christmas, this gift remains a favorite delight, thanks to my brother and sis-in-law.

How perfect is this tea kettle for me? 

Not too big, just the right color, and heats up water in a flash. 

My three little chicks.

Only at Easter, dude.

Be okay with the chickens.

Aren't they precious? Imagine they're pecking grain off my antique hutch.

I saved these for the big finale.

Heather at Cookie Mondays just posted these pics (and many others) of her daughter's 4-year old Milk and Cookies Birthday Party.
Oh my goodness. My favorite birthday idea to date.

That Heather is a genius, huh?

(and so is Mel, who is behind the camera, by the way)

  

I wonder if Heather would make me a plate of these for my birthday?? I totally want them instead of cake next year!!  WHAT is that filling? Ice cream? Frosting? Like the filling of a whoopie pie?

Ah, the wonder.

{Have you EVER seen me get this excited over a dessert? I'm a simple girl. Haha, I mean I just like to pretend I am.}

Wait just a minute.

What if YOU have a baking party for your birthday, since you're next!

I'll make the cupcake liner garland. Bea could make the cookie sandwiches.

And we could make aprons for all our friends?!

OK, maybe that idea will just stay in my dreams.

But it was a good one, huh?

Linking up to Paisley Jade's Things I'm Loving!

{'Cause all these are things I'm seriously loving.}

Spray Paint Revolution

You're gonna be proud!

March 10, 2011 is a day that will go down in history as the day I became a tagger. Well, like a mommy-nesting-spring-cleaning-decorator version of a tagger.

Thanks to Julie's tricks of the trade (she's a spray paint queen!), I slowly honed my skills and by the end of the day, emptied two and a half cans of spray paint on my goods. My hands were stained, my fingers were completely fatigued and this weird tendon in my wrist was hurting like all get out.

Color: Sweet Tomato. LOVE it. It is not red, and it is not orange. It's perfectly inbetween. It's by Rustoleum, American Accents. I got it at the giant Joann Fabrics store that takes me an annoying thirty minutes to get to.

Item #1 - magazine rack which does not hold magazines. It hangs in the guest bathroom and holds towels, my daughter's toiletries, Windex wipes and Clorox wipes, so she can help clean said bathroom, and also displays some cute things on top.

Item #2 - towel bar in the same bathroom. Isn't it great?

Then I was on a roll. I had also bought a can of Aqua, just because I loved it.

I hunted around and these guys got transformed from ugly grey/green to this.

Magical. I am in love!!

This chipping little metal side table was just about to go in the trash. But because of the SPR (Spray Paint Revolution) I now know that I don't have to accept things as they are. I can change them! (OK, only the color of things, and only things that aren't alive.)

Watch out, though, 'cause I feel powerful, and it's starting to go to my head.

(Or maybe it's just the fumes.)

Ooh. And together, they are even your favorite color combination! 

What else can we spray paint??

{Also, I just updated the "Our Story" link at the top, so it is no longer a blank page! Check it out.}

Changing it up

Hey pal!

Isn't there just so much delicious change happening all around us?

Well, the most obvious change is right here, thanks to Heather, the very gifted blogger/designer/person-in-general...gosh, she has so many talents and gifts, I don't even know where to start in defining her! But you know that already. And you know Blessed Little Nest, her amazing blog. And you KNOW she's speaking at Blog Sugar!!  Yay. When we get there in September, I can give her an actual hug and thank her for all the radness she's delivered to this here Cake & Cotton! Heather, we love you.

I can't even decide what aspect I like the best about our new look...the houndstooth? the fonts? the sidebar?? all so great, huh? Somehow lovely things always (ok, often?) come out of our collaborations. And oh my gosh. The new button! I hope all our friends want to take it.

OK. So check it. All last night and this morning, I was embarking on change of my own in my house. Painting my kitchen! It is just one small step in the many I want to take in redecorating my home.

Finally. You know it took me the last five years just to get used to my house. Just to accept it as our home. And now, this redecorating is my outward display of finding joy here. Putting my own self and my own taste into my space. I'm growin' up.

This color....I don't know how to describe it. It's called "Open Range." That helps. All I know is that I love it and it is not light tan, like the color I'm covering up. Actually, it's a LOT like that citronish color in our new blog design, like in the houndstooth?? You know how it is....my actual kitchen wall space is pretty small, so I'm getting a lot of punch and a lot of drama with a great color in small blocks.





That's me focusing. I tied all my hair back, ya know, so it didn't get painty. My neck looks really long. I'm standing in the sink, so that's why I'm almost hitting the ceiling with my head and the light is threatening to burn my hair.

And oh my gosh. You should see the window valance I made to hang up as soon as my paint dries. It's so cute. I even gave it a box pleat! Those pics will come soon.





I have painting skillz. I even have a favorite brush. That's the one I'm using. I've painted a lot of rooms in our past houses. I think it's fun. My hubs? Not so much.

Spring is in the air, and I need some ch-ch-ch-changes!! 

How 'bout you, Reedling? Heard you were changing things up in Ella-bear's room? C'mon please put a picture of your progress right here, mkay?

{ahh! i don't even have any pictures of ella's room yet!!
but i do have one of this little beauty we found on Saturday....}

{oh, how i love her.}
xoxo 
snr

Hugs, (oh, and how much do i LOVE my new signature?? lots.)


 

ladies rock cute hair.

hi lady
did you see this sassy photo of me rocking a side pony?

well, after getting a waver like Cherish's,
i have been inspired to do more cute styles
and i think you should too.
your long lovely red hair (reign in the jealousy) would look so cute all waved and side ponied.
for this side pony i followed this tutorial.

i have gotten lost on a few blogs lately that have tutorials and inspiration for hair-dos!

a cup of jo had this red haired beauty....
(this is an awsome blog (btw))

holiday hair

and my cute friend, erin tried this one on her 5 year old!

three twisted buns

Cherish also linked to great post that included this.

braided bliss

um. wow.

i wish i had a hair stylist do my hair everyday...but for now, i am gonna try my hand at a few.

ok ok, one more....

fabric hair tie

(do ya like how there are as many as possible with red hair?)

lord knows we have enough fabric to braid our hair and tie it with a piece, right?

simple and pretty.

that's us.

simple and pretty.....

well, maybe not simple, 

but pretty, right?

on a good day?

right?

right.