addison june photography

Yes I’m a day late. And that’s how it goes around here.

What’s up with this time change?!?! You wouldn’t think one little hour would make that big of a difference, but it does! My kids still haven’t adjusted, which means bedtime is not easy, which means… mommy isn’t so happy! Oh well. We’ll adjust soon enough. For now, I’m distracted and excited about spring break! Since our girls aren’t in school, it’s not too different from our normal life, but it does give me an excuse to make trips to ikea, go to the zoo, and tear up the backyard! We started our weekend with lunch and a walk around Ikea. Addy was FINALLY tall enough to play in Smalland. Oh. My. Goodness. She was thrilled!

I was thrilled my Epiphanie bag showed up on my doorstep last week!! LOVE IT!! Finally, a bag that can hold my gigantic Mark II camera AND diapers!

Ikea sparked inspiration to finally finish our backyard makeover! More pictures of that later.

And of course we took advantage of a beautiful Sunday with some fishing at my sister’s house. Addy was in heaven. Just like her daddy!!

Here’s a little video of Addy “fishing” …

I know I’ve said it before, but I truly love my little family. I’m blessed with two beautiful girls, a husband who is actively involved in their lives, and a job that gives me the freedom to make today a family day. Addy had her hair cut this morning at Sweet & Sassy. She loves that place! They call her princess, pamper her, and cover her head to toe in glitter! After the much needed glitter spray, we spent the rest of the day walking around the shops, eating lunch at one of my favorite places – Cafe Express, and taking pictures. My husband loves family time, but entertaining my crazy photoshoot ideas, that’s another story. That’s just an argument waiting to happen! And to top it off, I made him take pictures of me and the girls today. I actually think he secretly likes it… as long as I’m not criticizing! I’ll have to share some of my favorites he took another day. For now, I’ll leave you with my two little lovelies.

Btw, Ayla’s hair naturally grows like that. Poor little thing rocks the mohawk and gets called a boy nonstop!

Many of you have asked for a recipe for my cake balls… well, here it is. I must say, it is with a tiny bit of regret that I share my secret, because it’s the one thing I CAN do in the kitchen (besides oreo balls). Now I must share how easy they are to make and disappoint those who thought I was a great baker, homemaker, stay at home mom… whatever you call it. I did have some of you guys fooled, right?! Anyway, cake balls really are that easy.

What you need: Red Velvet cake mix, Cream Cheese Icing, Almond Bark

 

1. Bake a cake. Any cake. Follow the directions on the box.

2. Let the cake cool, then mash it. Don’t leave any big chunks, you want it pretty pulverized. Then mix in your icing.

 

3. Roll it into balls. It takes a little work, but it’s not too hard. Your hands will look like this…

 

4. Put them in the freezer to harden. 15-20 minutes should do.

5. Melt the Almond Bark according to the package, dip the balls, and let them harden on wax paper!

I know there’s probably some kind of professional tool for this step, but I use what I have in the kitchen: toothpicks. After the balls come out of the freezer you can put toothpicks in them to make dipping easier. It will leave a nice little hole in the top once they harden. Good luck covering that up!!

So… these cake balls turned out delicious and super ugly. The almond bark wasn’t really working for me this time. If that happens to you, I’ve heard you can thin it out using a little bit of water. Or maybe it was something else? Not much help, am I?! So there are no pictures of my finished product!! Seriously, didn’t look so good. Here are some finished Valentine’s Cake Balls from my sister-in-law’s kitchen. Clever girl covering those holes with heart sprinkles!

Easy, right?! I have yet to venture away from red velvet cake balls, but I know others would be just as yummy. I’d love to hear your suggestions or recipes!