::Popcicle Cupcakes Toppers::

Seriously now, have you ever seen anything so adorable in all your life? Popcicle cupcakes toppers–just in time for your summer barbeque dessert.

And best part of all–they don’t melt, but they sure do look like they could help you beat the summer heat, even if they are just pretend frozen pops.

Here’s how you do it~

Find flat toothpicks and snap 24 of them in half–you are only using the bigger of the two halves. Throw the other ends away.

Choose whatever color Mike & Ikes that suite you. I got Tropical Typhoon because I simply HAD to have the color blue in my Popcicle pile.

Now take the stick and very carefully…

push it into the flat end of each candy piece.

And there you have the sweetest little Barbie-sized, no drip “popcicles.”

In fact, if you’re like me, you’ll have a hard time stopping yourself once you get started.

I actually couldn’t keep myself from playing with all those pretty, bright colors!

These would make a perfect Summer Birthday party treat. But be sure to help younger children take the sticks out before they eat their cupcake.

So simple and fun and summer-y and most of all–

totally cool.

Heh.

PS– Gracious Rain is in 2nd place in the KSL Best Local Blogger Contest!! If you’d like to vote go right here and register…then vote. Thanks- thanks!!

{ The One }

“Jesus Christ is our greatest example. He was surrounded by multitudes and spoke to thousands, yet He always had concern for the one.”

~Joseph B. Wirthlin

~The Smoking Ghost~

Hey~ I want to show you an amazing new picture book about tobacco prevention–a very important subject for parents to help their kids understand and be prepared for. The illustrations are adorable, detailed paper cut art–which you should see up close to fully appreciate.

Aside from the valuable timely message that this book will help families with, I’m particularly excited to promote it in any way I can because the amazingly talented writer and illustrator is my very own niece– Emily!! Yes, yes–she is one clever gal, I’ll tell you, and we’re proud to call her ours.

Feel free to go to The Smoking Ghost and download the digital copy for just $2.99!

Great writer. Valuable topic. Perfect price.

Go. Go. Do it. Do it. Tell your friends.

You’ll be glad you did!

:}

Covert Ops Photography

Yes, yes, I know. I went out of order here. The wedding typically comes AFTER the Bridals. But I actually forgot that I took these sneaky pictures–and it does seem a shame to waste them. Forgive me.

We went out to the shores of Utah Lake and the park nearby.

Even after living here for a million years, I had no idea this place was so pretty.

Or maybe it was just that girl there…

waving at her mama. Yeah, it could be that.

Kinda fun for me–watching the camera people do their thing–while I got to sit in the car…

snapping the occasional covert shot of my own, here and there.

At one point, the camera guy said, ” We should have you walk around or something, because we have a lot of kissing shots.”

HAaaaa! Honestly, what did he expect Beauty and Charming to do a week before their wedding?

Silly camera guy.

:}