Giveaway poke

 

Have you entered the superfabulousamazing giveaway from WildFlour Confectionary?

There are almost ten ways to enter (some daily!), so we’ve made it super easy to get a chance at your own dozen ultra-custom cookies!

 

Hummingbirds, Hello Kitty, and Butterflies, oh my!

 

 

 

And just because I can’t get over these… they are rings y’all, RINGS!

and every.single.part of them is edible!

Talk about being a hit at summer camp!

 

Please see below for all your options to enter this.  Giveaway ends Tuesday night… please show Wildflour Confectionary some love!

 

I promise, you will love your cookies! :)

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Sweet WildFlour Giveaway

 

So I promised an edible giveaway, right? You guys, I am so excited about this – because her work made my kid’s entire class smile.  BONUS!

What I love about Etsy is that there are real people behind the shops… ones who are usually willing to say hey and talk about their work.

So let me introduce you to the chick behind the smiles and the giveaway!

 

 

She makes delicious custom cookies!  This super sweet gal was willing to grant an interview, a ‘la OnceUponAmiracle style (she probably had no idea what she was in for!)

 

First question, is of course one of the most important ones:
What’s your nickname?

Well hi there! I'm MamaHunnyBunny.

So now that we are on a first (nick)name basis :), introduce us to your lovely family?

Ahhh my family! My favorite subject! First up there is my husband 2coolTony, my eldest son DragonClaw, my lovely daughter Cupcake and my newest 16 week old son Sprinkles. Of course our family wouldn't be complete without our bearded dragons Kittens McTavish and Professor Rupert Cornelius Cuddlebugs and our amazing dog Maggie.

(Umm seriously y’all?  This woman is gorgeous and talented.  Wildly unfair.  And look, her family is sprinkled with rainbows.  If that aint proof of divine blessing…)

 

I love her kids’ expressions.  Whatever happened to “sibling rivalry”?

 

And ohmyword.  I totally snorted when she sent me this:

 

So what part of our beautiful country are you from and what’s your favorite thing about it?

Well I am currently living in and enjoying the Pacific Northwest. I have been very fortunate to have lived all over the west coast and I must say- it's all pretty beautiful. My favorite part about living here in the Northwest is the geological diversity from the high desert to the coast, the mountains to hot springs- it really is pretty magical.

Oh and the beards. The beards in the Pacific Northwest are epic.

You are so right.  The beards are epic.

 

and camo… there’s a whole lotta camo around those parts…

 

What got you started in your current artwork and shop? Have you always been super-crafty and one day realized that cookies were woefully underestimated as edible artwork?

:), well cookies are the greatest canvas EVER! I had very good role models in my life for creativity as well as entrepreneurial passion. I have a long line of artistic people in my family with a diverse set of artistic talents which I of course admired very much

Not having the natural talents of my family I spent many years exploring my creative potential until at last my two loves- baking and painting- merged into this glittering rainbow colored craziness that is Wildflour.

As for my shop, that was also a long and winding road, as most creative endeavors are. I decorated cakes and cookies for years for free to hone my decorating skills before I started doing it professionally (all the while working as a baker in my day to day life).

Eventually I started the Facebook page for Wildflour (here) and things stared growing very quickly- once I decided to finally pull the trigger and open the Etsy store (which really took my Mom putting a lot of it together AND a brilliant article written about Wildflour mentioning the then unopened shop) the bakery blew up. My Etsy store has only been open for about 12 weeks and in that time I have been able to meet so many great people- like Rachel :) )!!! I love it!

(Or are you one of those women who is just simply good at everything she tries? Haha)

Well ya that too ;)

 

 

What’s been your favorite project so far? (Or few favorites)

Oh man that is a tough question. I have to say I love so many of my projects. I love that I get to play a part in so many peoples lives, happiest moments, pivotal moments, memories, celebrations, accomplishments.

I love that my work is used to celebrate birthdays and weddings and babies, to help sick people get better, to thank the ones we love, to comfort those who are mourning a loss- for all the times in life that people need to say "I really really love you" Wildflour is there to be the vehicle for that message. That makes me feel pretty great! Some specific examples of this would have to include the robots and hippos that I made for you of course!

(a sampling of some recent cookies she did for me.  Batman, John Deere, tutus, Rambos, karate kids, cowgirls, photographers, baseball nuts and more!)

I have also just started a new program that I am REALLY excited about in the bakery-which is providing birthday cakes to underprivileged children. I am SO excited to be able to offer this service to families in my community.

There really isn't anything I love more than the look on the face of a kid when they some crazy cake or cookies that is for THEM. If a family is in need of this service I encourage them to email me at wildflourconfectionery@gmail.com.

 

Okay… so her answer made me cry.  Because she cares about KIDS, and people going through not-so-great times.

You guys remember WifeMomNurse who was recovering from surgery? Whose mascot was robots?  Look at the hearts included with each robot created for her.

 

And sweet Nina – who was such a trooper during her many doctor appointments and finally surgery.

 

Oh the smiles!  Shana’s family more than deserved their goodies.

 

And these kids prove that they taste just as good as they look…

 

Itty Bit’s school cafeteria has not been the same since he brought his classmates a whole squadron of camo squirrels.

 

What a talent - to prompt smiles with a sweet piece of art.  Y’all know I’d make you cookies, but remember I bake by “neighbor notification”… when the neighbor walks over to tell me my smoke alarm is going off.

And the last time I made cookies, I was Nyquil-drunk and embarrassingly blogged about how much this cracked me up:

 

So I’m all the more impressed with insane baking skills.  She also offers vegan, gluten-free, and raw options.

(Don’t get all hyper like I did about the “raw” one.  It doesn’t mean cookie dough).

Super important burning question:

 
Would you rather swim across a river that is filled with crocodiles
- OR -
spend the night on an island where man-eating tigers live?

(*Tell me y’all remember the original Battles of the Blogs?  Help me talk King Julien into starting it up again?!)

Well clearly I'd go with the MAN eating tigers. As a WOman I would consider this to be my own personal army of man eating body guards. I'd be the glamazon queen of the island surrounded by my beautiful vicious comrades of the jungle!

~

 

In celebration of Rachel's amazing blog and generous spirit (aww, isn’t she so sweet?) I would like to do a little bit of what she does best and give some love away! I propose a contest where you can win some super duper amazing custom cookies all for you! Follow the directions below to enter your name in the pool and get ya self some deluxe cookies designed by YOU for YOU!!

I will create a dozen cookies just for you based on what you love most in life! What's better than cookies for you? How about cookies for someone else?

Someone who has brightened up all of our days, this person is generous and kind and charming, a dedicated friend, Mom, wife and member of the human race....bettcha know who I'm talking about...RACHEL!!!

The winner will get a dozen cookies for themselves and they will help me design a dozen very special dozen cookies for Rachel to thank her for all the joy that she given all of us!

 

Ohmygoodness!  How super sweet!  Definitely one of our favorite Etsy artists to date – and I am so excited that one of you will get to taste these firsthand too!  And that I’m totally not protesting any goodies sent here! :)

 

I mean, seriously people, these are cookie RINGS.  Completely edible!  How awesomesauce is that?!?

 

I love having a few chances at giveaways, so you get them too:

Leave a comment telling us your favorite item from the WildFlour’s shop.

Like her Facebook page here.

For Facebook fans of Once Upon a Miracle (here), you get an entry!

GFC followers of Once Upon a Miracle get an entry.

Bloglovin subscribers of Once Upon a Miracle get an entry (here).

Tweet about the giveaway (you can do this each day!)

Follow UponAmiracle on Twitter.

Add Rachel Miracle to your Google+ for an entry.

Leave a comment with what YOUR custom cookies would look like!

BONUS… a comment describing the cookies that would make the perfect Once Upon a Miracle mascots!

Giveaway open until June 18.  What an awesome way to start summer!

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exercising futility

 

 

So, remember when I had a burst of insanity and thought it might be nice to burn some calories and jog around our property?

That lasted all of three-and-a-half minutes before I decided it was an incredibly stupid way to die.

 

I mean… jogging is dangerous for lots of people!

 

 

 

And remember the horses looking at me in obvious confusion?

 

Because every equine knows that moving your feet for anything but jumping 14 feet sideways to avoid a puddle is just plain daft.

 

And running around in circles just for exercise is… daftER.

 

After I survived my self-longeing/lunging, I knew any horse friends could appreciate this guide.  Remember, you hold a rope in your hand and your perfect princess of a horse obeys every command as she trots beautifully around you and farts pink glitter.

 

 

Let’s just say I’ve been waterskiing in a trail of pink glitter farts before.

 

(and that right there folks, wins the prize for “sentence I never thought I’d type”)

 

 

The only time you’ll see my Speedy Gonzales alter-ego is here:

 

And this post is going nowhere fast.  Aren’t y’all glad it’s FRIDAY?

 

 

A long groove.  Where I got dragged through pink glitter farts.

 

Sorry.

 

 

Bear with me, because it’s

 

 

And it’s EDIBLE! 

Because I need to replace all those joggingalmostdying calories.

 

Come back Monday to help me blow this diet thing? :)

 

 

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dumb humans

 

 

Psst Joey.  Wake up!  C’mere!

 

What?  What?!?  I’m awake.

 

No seriously.  Get over here.  You gotta see this.

 

Okay, okay!  What are we looking at?

 

See Rachel?

Dressed in those funny shoes that she can’t ride in?

 

Where?

 

Over there, you dummy.  Look closer!

 

Okay, I see her.

She’s running around the whole field in circles.

What’s up with that?

 

I don’t know!

Something must really be wrong with her!

Maybe she’s colicking!

Or maybe a pretend shadow is chasing her!

 

 

Wait!  Here comes Boogadacious!

He’ll tell us what Rachel’s doing!

 

Wait, no.

He just wants to look at my boogers.

.

.

Again.

 

 

Joey, dude… you really need to back up.

Gimme some space.

 

 

 

But Kona!!!  What did he say to you?

Why is she running in circles?

.

.

 

It’s worse than we thought, dude. 

 

She’s longeing herself.

 

smh

 

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.

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(For all you non-horsey peeps, longeing (lungeing) is a way to give your horse a workout by having them travel circles around you.  And yes, I almost died after “running” for about three-and-a-half minutes)

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thankful

 

We honor you.

 

Those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

Dying on shores of foreign lands.

Running to the rescue of others.

Fighting for freedom.

 

Heroes.

 

 

 

 

(forgive the times the music and pictures don’t line up.  much trial and error for deaf ears :)

 

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seven eve

 

 

The week had been exhausting.

 

I don’t know how you single parents do it… but when my husband is out of town working for a week and I manage to get the kid to school with a breakfast of a granola bar and gummy vitamins, I feel like a rockstar.

 

And oh.my.Lord… was it ever a crazy school week.

 

Huge Science Fair project, check.

(which I hilariously caught another kid posing with a’la Vanna White for a picture)

 

Wacky Outfit Day, check.

(With a request for purple spiked hair, no less.  Another sleeping picture, poor kid.)

 

A baseball game sans Daddy, check.

(You’re looking at the first hit of the game and scorer of two runs!)

 

Up before dawn.  Two hours of driving each day.  A fulltime job.  A birthday party to plan.  Mother’s Day.  Meals to my mother who’d come out the losing end of a battle with her lawn mower.  A Spring Musical.  Is it any wonder I still looked like my post-toilet-water-battle mugshot?

 

 

 

The morning of his birthday party, Itty Bit was on his way to a bath.

The next thing I knew, a little streaker with a pair of glasses and cowboy hat was making bang-bang noises at his very surprised mother.

 

 

 

The day only got crazier from there.

We tempted fate at the bounce house infamous for our Stupid Injury collection.  This time no blood or concussions – success!

 

 

You have to love that my big butt takes a couple seconds to figure out this gravity vs. bounce house thing… and the kids totally scatter.

 

 

You know he didn’t want to turn seven?  Because it was an odd number?  (OCD much?) Every single time someone sang to him, he had this pensive look. 

 

Oh kid… I hope you realize soon how much fun seven is going to be!

 

 

 

A story in two pictures:

 

What’s this?

 

 

A fart bomb, of cooouuurse.

(Look at May-May’s face.  I dare you not to grin)

 

 

 

But what I really loved?

Was the fact that a big fat twenty-dollar bill fell out of this card.  And he quickly scooped it up and dropped it in front of me without hardly looking at it.  He was too enthralled with a card full of pictures that were hand-drawn for him by some of his best friends.

 

(Of course, that twenty came in handy later when he wanted some Legos, but for that moment, I loved that he was delighted over someone’s thoughtfulness rather than the cash.  I felt like a good mom for 14.2 seconds).

 

And then?  Grandma and Grandpa pulled rank after the party.

And busted out an honest-to-goodness cap gun.

Because we don’t have enough weaponry in his life.

 

 

He didn’t enjoy it.

 

At all.

 

 

 

In a day pretty much awesomesauce for any almost-7 year old, he got to run around the field with a Transformers glow necklace and throw dandelions in a bonfire.

 

I think it was a modern day Norman Rockwell life.

 

 

 

He ended it perfectly with a clone trooper helmet in bed.

(You see why I never know what I’m going to stumble upon when I tell him to get ready for a bath or get ready for bed?)

 

 

And he woke up Mother’s Day excited to be Captain Rex again.

 

(What?  You noticed he slept in that shirt?  This is my ONE trick for restoring some of my sanity… no early morning wardrobe changes!  Don’t judge :)

 

 

I really love this picture.  Because we all share our birthday parties, but you can see my sister is in on the secret that we are fake-blowing so Itty Bit can have the fun.

I really heart her.

 

 

Why yes, those are pumpkin rolls.  Which are heretofore our cake of choice… can you seriously beat a BACONATOR?  Or chocolate peanutbutter?

 

 

Yes, Mr. Daddy was there too.  Apparently partied out.

 

 

 

And when we attempted to get a three generation Mother’s Day picture, we got totally photobombed by the dog.

 

 

See my mom’s bandages?  Gruesome injury – mowing the lawn is verboten for her from now on.  I only snickered twice watching her use a walker.  Poor thing was also visually assaulted by the card my sister and I gave her for Mother’s Day.

 

 

 

(see, there are worse things than having me for a kid!)

 

 

And that night… it was Itty Bit’s last of being 6-years old.

Through the insanity of the non-stop events that week, he found my reset button.

 

“Mommy?  Will you lay down with me for awhile?”

 

 

I was treated to his subtle response when I agreed.

 

 

In my mind, I thought, "just a few minutes… so much to do…”

 

And then he reminded me why he is the king of unexpected comedy.

 

“Mommy, I’m totally gonna fire a missile at you!  Guess from where?!?!”

 

And then he flipped himself back over and laughed so hard his whole body shook.

 

His whole almost-7-year-old silly boy body.

 

 

 

I gasped in mock horror, snorted and laughed, and pulled him into a hug.

His head still smelled like Baby Johnson’s shampoo (his feet were a different matter entirely), and I laid there for a long time with my thoughts.

Every few moments, he’d lift his head, look silently at me, and smile a huge grin.

 

 

My to-do list was pushed exactly where it belonged.  My mind went back fourteen years to the beginning of long years of infertility.  And seven years of prayers that finally stopped because they were too sad to keep praying.

 

And I realized that we’d come full circle – seven years with this precious miracle boy.

 

In a life that I never would have imagined back then, my heart is full of a family that is bursting at the seams with blessings. 

 

And he, this crazy, hilarious, thoughtful, rambunctious comedian of mine, is an irreplaceable part of it.

He was the reason for starting this blog – so I thank you for sticking with us through it.  And with much reluctance, I realize that he is not so Itty Bit anymore.  May I introduce you to our 7-year old Boogadacious?

(I kid you not.  He prefers the full name and is called this in real life)

 

Happy Birthday Boogie.  Love you to the moon and back.

 

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