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These two weeks of going back to WordPress school at

Blogging U

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have flown by!

I have appreciated so very muchly dusting off my tool-set,

re-evaluating my ‘bloggity-blog say I’ space,

renewing my focus,

and  meeting some new spaces (and faces) along the way!

“Thank you Blogging U!  I am truly refreshed!”

Our final lesson instructed:

Think of the type of regular feature you can commit to —

something you’ll publish weekly, biweekly, or monthly.

I have several of these already on my site which are:

The Monday giggles,

3hugs&blessings Thursdays,

and

the Year of the Cookies.

(If you’re new I hope you’ll take the time to stroll through them!)

So far this week I’ve already had my giggle,

but today I shall combine the other two for my first ever…

double-feature!

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On top of going back to class

Helen & I have been busy this week running to & fro!

And at one particular point in our travels throughout the day, Helen Kowalska,

the best Golden Retriever in the Universe,

graduated to riding in the front seat!

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I do believe the situation developed between packing the rear-cargo area full with plants at the Nursery & the 2nd row being filled to the rim at the dry cleaners, (with all sorts of freshly cleaned Bridal wear.)  Where was Helen to go?

The only seat left available was now next to me, in the front row.

I’m pretty sure she liked it!

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I did make one deal with her though, since she was now limited in activity by this tiny space…

I promised, as a thank you for giving up her coveted space,  we would go straight home and bake cookies!

(To which, of course, she THANKfully agreed!)

 Yes, Helen & I went home and baked that day; and we chose one of the Wedding Cookies which were made for the Bride & Groom’s Cookie Table!

Perhaps you will be inspired to bake them too!

As we mentioned in an earlier post, Wedding Crumbs, there were so many helping hands who contributed to The Cookie Table for our daughter & son-in-law’s special day!

There were chocolate chip bakers,  peanut butter blossom partakers, and cut out cookie creators of various shapes; not to mention the dozens of frosted ones & pizzelles to boot!  Over 100+ dozen cookies were lovingly prepared & magically trayed that day!  We were so very THANKFUL for them all!!

“I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers”

Ephesians 1:16

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In the land of The Cookie Table this gal trayed them all for us!

And this month’s cookie was inspired by a gal-pal of mine who, was not only the first to offer her baking assistance, but included the offer with a invitation to attend a personal demonstration of her baking skills extraordinare’!

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Just two friends making Carmel Tarts! (NBD, as we’ve been friends since our first-born’s were in kindergarten.)

Follow along & you soon will know how to make Carmel Tarts too!

First you will need to blend the following ingredients together with a pastry knife:

4-6 ounces of cream cheese (my friend recommends 4 ounces)

2 sticks oleo

2 cups flour

Roll dough medium-thin on a floured surface & cut out with something that looks like this (be sure to dip cutter in flour as well,)

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From Tupperware!

If you do not have a flower shape such as this, a circle will do just fine!

Next place the  cut-out shapes in tassie pans, lightly tamp down the centers & prick bottoms with a fork.

Bake for 15 minutes in a 350 oven.

Cool before filling.

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Look at those perfectly spaced fork-tines…pretty spectacular, right?  (That was my only contribution!)

Filling:

In a double boiler melt one 14 oz. package of Kraft Carmels (or Carmel Bits,) with 1/2 cup Pet milk.

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Keep hot & pour into shells.

Let filling cool before icing.

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Icing:

1/2 cup oleo

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup crisco

5 oz. Pet milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

(My gal-pal suggested cutting this in half as it makes way too much! Or have a second use in mind when preparing…like banana-splits or hot-fudge sundaes for dessert with dinner that night!)

Beat oleo, crisco, and sugar.  Add milk a little at a time.  Add vanilla.

Use Wilton tip #16 or another rosette frosting tip to add a pretty dollop of icing on the top of each carmel tart!

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These cookies are not only delicious freshly made but freeze beautifully for up to a month and are

just as YUMMY either way!

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Just ask Helen, as since it’s a 3hugs&blessings Thursday she again thankfully agreed!

hugs n’ blessings go out to all the special “features” in our life!

(I hope you’ll remember to give thanks for them too!)

fun-sucker.

it’s the monday giggles….

This weekend

Cuppycake

was birthday balloon bombed!

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Yup.

And I thought it was awesome!

Here’s the recap of the day’s events:

He worked all day.

I baked.

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While others

were plotting & planning

in mischievous ways!

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He came home.

I finished assembling the cake.

We went to dinner.

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Colao’s Ristorante

He got LOTS of telephone

birthday

wishes!

And then we returned home

to find…

lots & lots of shiny mylar balloons

all over

the front of our home!

“How fun!!!”

said me.

“What in the world?”

said he.

We looked and looked and looked

at all the wonderful shiny-ness

and

hoped to see some evidence of the

plotters and planners.

Until, at last,

we went inside

to

eat

cake.

In the morning….

Cuppycake was making coffee.

I went back outside.

To take better pictures

of the shiny-fun

(hanging outside our home,)

to send to our far-away children.

But the balloons were ALL GONE!!!!!!

I told Cuppycake,

“Someone took all your balloons!”

He said,

“No. I took them all down.”

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Yup.

Note to self for my upcoming birthday:

BEWARE OF FUN-SUCKERS!

(They take down balloons far too quickly.)

hugs n’ blessings to all the plotters and planners…

i salute you!

“I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and to do good in one’s lifetime;”  Ecclesiastes 3:12

added together.

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I know I haven’t posted very muchly about the Blogging U course I began taking several days ago; however, that does not mean I haven’t been working diligently on  my assignments!

“I so verily promise!”

What I have quickly discovered is that retaking this particular course has offered me the opportunity to re-examine and re-evaluate my blog site and how it has developed over the course of the past year and a half!

I quick-it-ly decided that rather than daily bombard my reader with this personal evaluation I would compile a review of what I have discovered thus far and include a few other wonderful discoveries I happily made along the way!

Do you too enjoy an expedition of self-discovery?”

I promise if you follow along, it will make perfect sense to you, too!

If you’d like to read about Lesson One you may find it here.

Lesson Two invited us to Take Control of Our Title and Tagline.

Choosing a site title and tagline can feel like a big decision, but it doesn’t have to be.

Your title should reflect you, your personality, and your blog’s subject.

A title is typically only a few words, so consider adding a tagline as well — a phrase that appears under your title and helps flesh it out. Think “Burger King: Have It Your Way.”

My site, of course, is titled

hugsnblessings

and the chosen tagline which follows is:

GIVEN FREELY!

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Both have remained pin-point accurate throughout the duration of my blogging experience, thus they shall remain unchanged!!

More on how I originally was inspired to chose the Title and Tagline for my site can be found at: Say Your Name!

Lessons Three & Four I combined somewhat as both lessons involved interactions with fellow bloggers.  Lesson Three reminded us how to use “tags” to identify like-minded writers and reading material we might enjoy. And Lesson Four encouraged us to identify our own audience and that specific person (or persons) we are writing to.

“Who is my ideal reader? Is it you???

I already understood the usage of tags; however, had limited myself the opportunity to use them for my own purposes in discovering other wonderful sites out there!! I took several days to explore and visit many wonderful like (and not so like,) minded bloggers and have made some new friends that I look forward to following as their own sites develop!  Such as:

 God is in Your Typewriter,

Travel Much?,

and A Catholic Convert in Ottawa!

There are so many others that I discovered, or am already following, I am seriously considering adding a Widget to let you all know just just who they are!  But until then, or incase I never do, please don’t hesitate to ask,

“Hey, who are you recommending to read these days???”

And as far as Lesson Four’s evaluation…

I do believe my audience can be simply described as:

“Anyone looking to receive a hug and a blessing for the day!”  

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I try to share the very common aspects of my life, in journal format, to inspire, ignite, and propel others to find the hugs & blessings they are experiencing themselves, in their own lives!  Whether through the common and ordinary (and even the extraordinary at times,) they are there just “waiting” to be received!!  Sometimes we think those hugs and/or blessings only happen during the “trumpet” moments of our lives…but there are so many, many, many waiting for us to embrace in the everyday messiness of life!  I hope my site encourages an expedition to find them and I pray everyone experiences a sense of gratitude in their own individual discoveries!

“Won’t you please stop by to share your own hug n’ blessing with me?”

Lesson Five encouraged us to truly love our Theme!  Simply described, a theme is the blue-print, or template, of your blog.  I use the Ever After Theme  offered through WordPress and I absolutely adore it!  In choosing our themes we were guided by three rules of thumb:

pick something that speaks to you, consider your content, think about your priorities.  

The Ever After Theme checks all three boxes for me and I couldn’t be happier!

“What do you think about my theme?”

Lessons Six (About Me) and Seven (Personalizing my site,) were very personal explorations and I welcomed re-visiting them.  My About Page has remained unchanged…and if you check it out you shall very quickly see why it has hap-happily remained the same!  And I had great fun evaluating the personality of my site with its Headers, Colors and Boarders which I have decided continue to reflect the whimsical way in which I try to embrace life!

“Do you too believe life is simply…magical???”

Lessons Nine & Ten had me again traveling through cyber-space into the Blogger’s World as we were encouraged to “Introduce Ourselves” to our blogging neighbors as well as to be inspired by the ones who we meet!  A great place to meet a blogging neighbor is at the Community Pool, which is a fun place (no swimming goggles reguired,) to meet fellow bloggers and for peer feedback and advise, along with providing a productive space for discussion. Just no running on the deck allowed!!

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Last year I also joined another Blogging Community Forum called:

Blogger’s World!

This particular community was formed as an alumni group from a previous Blogging U Course I took and is filled with very supportive and encouraging bloggers from around the World!  I have learned so much from them & it is a joy being a small part of this loverly community! And please note that new members are always welcome!

“Won’t you consider joining us there??”

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In the next several days I plan to introduce you to a few new “Neighbors” I’ve met and high-light some of the great discussion which developed as a result!

“And I hope-ity-hope,  you will be just as delighted to meet them too!”

hugs n’ blessings are promised to those who do!!