Pretty Paper Blog

I first met Sandra Sage while scrapbooking at Paradise Scrapbook Boutique.  My Mother and I sat at the table next to her and chatted all day long.  Sandra just happened to be catering the “All Day Crop” we were enjoying so much.  We learned about the restaurant Sandra used to own, her catering business, the Memory Books she makes for her elderly friends and most of all her daughters and grandchildren.  Sandra’s food was amazing and my Mom and I begged her for recipes!  That is when we learned about her Cook Book.  At that time it had not been released yet but she did jot down our addresses so that she could inform us when it was published. 

Less than a year later I received a beautiful invitation to her book signing.  My Mom received one also and called me at once!  I was taking a night class at the time and had to miss the book signing but my Mother and Sister went.  They told stories afterwards of how beautiful the tables were, how wonderful the food was and how touched they were when they listened to Sandra talk about her book. 

My Mom purchased my signed copy of the book and then held on to it for a couple of weeks (I think she was trying to torture me a little).  When I finally got my hands on the book the anticipation was so great that I had to starting reading right away. 

Sandra’s Cook Book is not only full of fabulous recipes, the first half of it is made up of her personal stories.  Sandra talks about her life’s journeys and inspiration while paying tribute to those she has served and have touched her life.  I mush admit, I didn’t get through very many pages without being touched to the point of tears.   While reading her book I felt an overwhelming need to serve love to my family.  I started serving our dinners at the table again, no more meals in front of the television.  I was amazed at how much my children responded to this.  Dinner time has become such a treasured time of closeness and conversation for me and my family.  Sandra reminded me how important that family time is.

Soon after I got my hands on Sandra’s book my family left on a trip to Idaho to stay with my parents.  I took “Love on a Plate” with me and read it cover to cover.  I felt an immediate bond to Sandra through the love of her Grandmother.  My relationship with my own Grandmother (Louise Crabtree) is so similar, I almost felt as though she was telling my story. 

I have had the oportunity to get to know Sandra because of our similar interest in Scrapbooking.  I’ve been blessed to spend time with her, talk to her about her book and witness her acts of selflessness and kindness. 

Over the weekend Sandra catered my brother’s wedding.  The tables were gorgeous, the presentation of the food was breathtaking and the food was incredible!  Best of all…I took pictures!

What a crazy-buzy, beautiful, wondeful weekend!

May I introduce Mr. and Mrs. Seth Wolfe…

My little bro looks so happy!  And why wouldn’t he be…look at his beautiful bride!

It was so fun to catch up with family and friends that I haven’t seen in awhile.  Here is a photo of my Cousin Kim with her niece Haven:

Lipstick is very important to girls…

And my cuties (I can’t leave them out):

Later that night I walked at the Relay for Life.  I actually convinced my Cousin Katie and her daughter McKinzie to walk from Midnight until 2am with me (Katie’s daughter Mariah wanted to come to but we couldn’t wake her up).  Mariah was pretty upset the next morning.  I felt bad, I would’ve loved to have that extra time with her. 

The Luminarias were beautiful…I wish that the photos actually did them justice.  It an amazing site to see so many names around the track…these were just names of people affected by cancer in our area.  A little overwhelming.

{I made a boo boo, I saved but forgot to publish a post on Saturday, click HERE to view it.}

The above are photos of my daughter, we put her hair in curlers for the wedding…adorable, right?

My son picked the name out of a hat and…

Congratulations BARBARA!  You the winner of the Teresa Collins Mini Album!

I’ve already emailed Barbara to let her know she’s the winner!

Thanks to all for your wonderful comments, I love to read all of them and check out your sites too!  Don’t fret,  there will be more contests very soon!  Check back often!

Love, Christie

I carry your heart with me

I carry it in my heart

I am never without it

Anywhere I do you go , my darling

I fear not fate

fo you are my fate, my sweet

I want no world,

For beautiful you are my world, my true

And it’s you are whatever a moon always meant

And whatever a sun will always sing is you

Here is the deepest secret nobody knows

Here is the root of the root

and the bud of the bud

and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;

Which grows higher than the soul can hope

or the mind can hide

and it is the wonder that is keeping

the stars apart

I carry your heart

I carry it in my heart

-E.E. Cummings

My littlest brother is getting married today.  He is marrying the sweetest little thing ever…her name is Kristin.  Kristin asked me to read the E.E. Cummings poem at their wedding.  I hope I can read it perfectly!  My daughter is the Flower Girl and I’ve taken photos of her adorable curls.  I’ll be sure to post some photos later tonight/tomorrow after the wedding.  I’m running out the door right now.  Relay for Life is tonight and I’ll be walking from 12 midnight until 2 am. Have a wonderful day!

It’s getting closer to midnight and I’m working on Luminaria bags.  I’m participating in Relay for Life this year and am having a wonderful experience doing so.  It’s very rewarding to be a part of such a great cause.  As a selling point for Luminaria bags, I offered to “scrapbook” each bag that my friends and family donated (the photo above is one of them - sorry about the blurry photo, it’s late).

Recently (Monday) I found out that my little cousin Ian was diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia.  I have known many affected by cancer…some have survived and conquered and some have passed on, all whom have touched my life.  But hearing about my little cousin Ian just about yanked my heart out.  Ian’s Dad Michael (my uncle) and I have been always been very close.  Michael is only a few months older than me…we grew up together and Ian is his baby.

I love to help and serve as much as possible and never before have I felt so helpless…what can I do for Mike and his family while so far away?  I tried to reach Mike and I finally emailed him to make sure he knew that I would take the next flight out if he needed me.  For now, I do what I can: Pray, pray, PRAY.  I have fasted and prayed like never before.  

Micheal has started a blog for Ian to keep everyone updated.  Mike and his wife Corrie are such special and amazing parents.  Mike has reported on Ian’s blog that he has begun treatment and is already showing improvement.  After a few years of treatment Ian will recover! 

For those of you who donated money for luminaria bags from my team,  THANK YOU!  I will send you all photos of your bags lit up at the Relay this weekend.  I will also post some photos here on my blog). 

Have a wonderful weekend! 

It was love at first glance.  I tagged along with Karen (PSB) and her sister Deb to CHA (super-sweet of her to invite me).  Karen spotted something shiny…it ended up being the glitter on an amazing heart box inside of a baby carriage decorated to the nine. Yup, it was the Graphic 45 Booth. Karen screetched to a halt…”Wait, we have to check this out” and boy oh boy! Talk about amazing! Graphic 45 was totally Karen’s style and MINE TOO! Karen, Deb and I were drooling over this paper (don’t worry we were careful not to ruin it)! 
Back at PSB, when Karen brought the paper out, preparing to put on the shelf…I was snatching it up before she could even get it out of the plastic.  Seriously, I bought so many sheets of this paper, my stack was about 2 inches thick (keep in mind, this is two sided paper we’re talking about)! 
I imediately went to work on a little baby album with the “Baby 2 Bride Collection” and started working on a class using the Times Nouveau Collection”. 
Well, lucky for me Aimee Fililmoehala (Director of Marketing for G45) found my blog (I’m sure with a little nudge from Karen).  And Guess what? They have asked me to be on thier DESIGN TEAM!  How amazing is that?  I’m super-excited and bursting at the seams to get started on some projects! Yipee!
Just yesterday I received my first shipment of thier paper and there was a beautiful card inside (made with the Times Nouveau Collection).  I had to post photos of the card [above] because it’s just that gorgeous! *sqeal*

Don’t forget to enter to win my hand-made mini album.  Click HERE.

You asked for it…Seriously people, this is the BEST cake ever!  It smells WONDERFUL when it is baking.  This recipe is a treasure from the kitchen of my Grandma Louise Hobbs Crabtree.  Enjoy! 

Banana Cake with Lemon Buttercream Frosting

The Cake:

Preheat Oven to 325 degrees

1/2 cup shortening

1-1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

2 cups flour, sifted

1/2 tsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup sour cream

1 cup mashed ripe bananas

Beat shortening, sugar, eggs and vanilla until fluffy.  Sift together flour, baking powder, soda and salt.  Add sour cream to batter, then add flour mixture alternatley with mashed bananas; beating at low speed until blended.  Batter will be thick.  Pour into greased 9×13 pan.  Bake for aprox 35 minutes. 

When the cake is cooled completely, make THE FROSTING!

Lemon buttercream frosting:

1/2 cup butter or marg. softened

1 box powdered sugar (not sure how many ounces…I use the blue C&H box)

1 tsp. vanilla extract (you can’t leave this out…it’s MAKES the cake!)

1 tsp. lemon extract

2-4 Tablespoons of milk.

Beat together with electric mixer adding milk slowly until the frosting is the consistancy you prefer.  I usually start with very little milk and add a little as needed.  Spread this lovely frosting over the cake and take a bite!  Mmmm mmmm  yummm mmmm  ohhhh  good!

It’s 10:15 pm and I just took these banana cupcakes out of the oven.   I used my Grandma Crabtree’s recipe…mmm mmm my favorite!  I love the smell of banana cake baking…it takes me back to when I was just a little girl, the smell reminds me of my Grandmother, she always had something baking. 

This is the first time I’ve used her recipe to make cupcakes.  I’m participating in Relay for LIfe this weekend and tomorrow we’re having a bake sale.  I thought it would be fun to make cupcakes instead of cutting apart the cake into individual slices…I can’t wait to put the frosting on…they just need to cool off a little more.  Yum!  

I actually get to visit with my Grandparents this weekend (driving from Provo, UT)…they’re coming out here to California for my brother’s wedding.  Yep…a Wedding, Relay for Life, and I have my cousin, her husband and their five kids staying at my house this weekend, they’re flying out from Salt Lake.  I’m not busy at all…really…

I hope you all have a wonderful day.  Don’t forget to enter to win my T. Collins Mini Album (click HERE for deatils).  You may comment on any post you chose and I will enter your name in the drawing!