Tea with Wendy

Years ago I went on a Disney Cruise with my son  (who was 10 years old at the time) and my two sisters. Before leaving Kansas I spent hours looking at the ship brochure highlighting all the activities I wanted to do. Number one on my list was Tea With Wendy.  I never was Disney crazy like some kids you see. ....but, when I was little someone had given me a set of Disney records( the 33 1/2 rpms albums)  with all the Disney songs....from most of the Disneys shows out so far. Pinocchio, Snow White, Cinderella, and of course Peter Pan. I would play the songs over and over. Wendy Darling was my favorite Disney chick.

To my dismay my sisters were not at all interested in having Tea with Wendy. My son left the cabin early in the morning and we might catch a glimpse of him during the day . He found his own friends..... Disney knows how to entertain children.  Ok, so I assumed that this was something my sisters would want to to do. So when I announced it was time to start getting dressed for Tea With Wendy, they looked at me like I had lost my mind. Next instant they must of decided it was a joke because they both laughed so hard I thought they would be sick. Ump.... I  decide to just go without them . I knew once I started to get dress they would be right there with me.

 Adamma said " really I think this is for little girls only."

Me:  " It doesn't state an age limit"

Jane: Still laughing..." are you really going to wear that hat ( and sarcastically )... where's the gloves?"

Me: "Thank you for reminding me" as I slipped on my white gloves.

I went to Tea With Wendy and had a good time it was magical. It is one of my best memories from the cruise. So don't ever let anyone rain on your parade. 

PS ... If you were wondering yes...the Mad Hatter and I were the only adults...:-)



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Paris Girls Guide to Spa Products..

This started out as a tutorial but I had so much info I made it a book. Paris Girl Guide to Spa... Bath Bombs Scrubs, Lip
Balms, Bubble Baths and Salts.

Order Here....

A beginner guides to Spa bath products. You get the basic recipes for Bath Bombs, Bath Salts, Bubble Bath, Scrubs Lip Balms , Bubble Baths and Bath Salts. 
. 
There is space to record your own recipes and a suppliers list.

Marvelous Monkey Bars with Burnt Sugar Glaze

Marvelous Monkey Bars with Burnt Sugar Glaze

Want a yummy treat and a way to use your old bananas at he same time? I adapted this recipe from a banana bread recipe I found on line (source recipe). IMO my bars are more tasty with almond extract and cinnamon plus the oats to make them healthier...lol . You can eat as is...... believe me they are amazing at this point.....but add the Burnt Sugar Glaze (not really burnt just devilishly sweetness) to take your inner monkey to heaven :-)

Ingredients:

Monkey Bars:

1 ½ cups sugar

1 cup sour cream
½ cup butter, softened
3 eggs
1 ¾ cups (3 or 4) ripe bananas, mashed
1 teaspoons vanilla

Before Baking

1 teaspoons almond abstract

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup of Oats

1 teaspoon baking soda

¾ teaspoon salt
½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Burnt Sugar Glaze:

½ cup butter
4 cups powdered sugar
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
about 3 to 6 tablespoons milk or half and half

1 teaspoon of cinnamon

Instructions:

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease and flour(or line with parchment paper) 10×15 jelly roll pan.  Cream sugar and butter until creamy, then blend in sour cream and eggs until creamy . Blend in bananas and vanilla for one minute. Mix flour with baking soda. Add dry ingredients and blend for one minute. Stir in nuts and spread in pan. Bake 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown. Cool slightly until warm but not hot and frost with Burnt Sugar Glaze (recipe below).

Bananas Bread Option:

Instead of spreading in  jelly roll pan you can make two regular loafs of bread or 4 small loafs..Bake at 350, regular loaf for  about 45 minutes, small loafs for 25 minutes.

For the Burnt Sugar Glaze:

Note the Brown color which gives it the Burnt Sugar name..

Heat butter in saucepan over medium heat past the melting point until it is boiling and a delicate brown. Remove from the heat and immediately add the remaining ingredients. Start with 3 tablespoons of milk and add as needed.... This should be thicker than a glaze and thinner than frosting. Using a spatula smooth over the top of the Monkey Squares immediately. The frosting will be easier to spread once it’s on the warm bread.

"Somethings come into your life and you just know you will never be able to replace them if they left." I had two favorite fabrics that  where huge sellers. All the sudden both where discontinued and  I had to find replacements. Here are my mini totes made with the replacement fabrics ... I call them Cotton Candy Pink Swirl and Tifanni Blue Swirl. Time will tell how  popular they are...

Great Cousin Edith Bag

Great Cousin Edith Bag

I was at my mother's Shirle house taking out the trash. In the bottom of the basement trashcan I found this scrap of embroidered cotton with Spanish Dancers. It reminded me of the time I went to Mexico with Mari  and Juanita to a Girl Scout Camp. We had went to see a show in Mexico City featuring Spanish dancers. Someone worked hard on this little piece of Art. My mother t

old me it came from my Great Cousin Edith Bright's house and was probably sewed by her mother Mabel Bright..who was married to my Great Grandpa's Zed Bright Sr....Brother Virgil. Their picture hangs in the dining room on Pine Street. I went to my fabric stash and found some vintage curtains I had saved from Cousin Edith's house. I didn't know what I was going to do with it but now I have a idea ....

I  decide to make a rag bag using the scrap of embroidery as the center piece.

I love this bag... my I remember my Great Cousin Edith as one of the original Strawberry Divas. When she came to town with her red lipstick, powdered face, and fur coat... I was in Awe...!

Cha Cha Boa Fleece Scarf

Cha  Cha Boa Scarf

Tutorial

So Easy  So Chic

I had a craft night for my mother  Dr. Shirle and sister Adamma. The project was  winter fleece scarfs. 

What you need:

Four 1/3" strips of fleece 58" to 60" wide.
Pair of Scissors
Sewing Machine 
Time 30 minutes

I found the strips of  fleece at JoAnns remnant bin. My sister had a wild theme going with black, cream, cheetah and leopard print. My mother chose red, cream, black, and black and  red plaid..

Lay the strips out an  trim to 1/3" - (don't be picky you can make wider or slimmer I won't go less than 1/4"). Then trim the ends even after trimming I was down to 56 inches.

Sew  two lines down the middle about 1/8" apart. Like I said before you don't have to be perfect do not worry if the line is not straight ...this project hides mistakes. Sewing caused the fleece to stretch so I had to trim the ends again. Now am down to 53" no worries.

Cut  strips one inch wide down each side .Clipping close to the stitches down the middle....be VERY careful not to clip the stitches. AGAIN try to keep cuts straight do not  worry it  doesn't have to be perfect.

Now the fun part shake it like a polaroid film....lol
Enjoy!

Please email pictures of your boa I would like to post on the blog.. zizibright@hotmail.com

My Father, Louis Armstrong and Jazz Singer Velma Middleton.

My Father, Louis Armstrong and Jazz Singer Velma Middleton.
Todayis my Father's Birthday and I am dedicating this song to him. I hope Louis plays the trumpet while Velma sings Happy Birthday. Here is the story that my mother Shirle Ibeawuchi told me tonight about my father and Velma.
Velma Middleton (born ca. 1917, died February 10, 1961) was an American jazz vocalist born in Holdenville, OK, best known for having sung with Louis Armstrong's big bands and small groups. Born in Oklahoma, Velma later moved with her parents to St. Louis, MO. She was with Armstrong from 1942 to 1961, This African tour with Louis Armstrong was sponsored by the US state department and Pepsi Cola. He was criticized by some for going on this tour when he couldn’t even play most venues in his home town of New Orleans.
Before preforming in Nigeria they were in Ghana where Ms. Middleton broke the stage. My father was plant manager at Pepsico Nigeria in the town of Onitshia. He was told to build the stage for the concert and make sure it was strong enough for Velma who was known for her dancing and doing the splits on stage. So after the stage was built he had 10 men jump around on the stage to make sure it was strong enough. In the video you will see her dancing…The concert went off without a hitch. Unfortunately, she had a stroke in Africa on the next tour stop and died one month later in the Hill Station Hospital in Sierra Leone. Rest in Peace Louis, Velma and Daddy.