FWF #31 - Firecrackers...*boom*!

Hello, everyone! It's time for my weekly post for Friends with Flair Fridays but don't forget to check out the Crazy Daze Sale at Unity - hundreds of items for $10 or less!!!

The past few days have been particularly busy, as it is now Mika's turn - her travel ball team (Firecrackers) is participating in their USSSA World Series. But before it began, one of her teammates celebrated her 12th birthday...

I downloaded the "Firecracker Dude" (the official logo of their softball team, which is part of a huge franchise) and printed him out, stamping "Happy Birthday" below it (Balloons To You). I added more Unity stamps on the inside, using You Are {Dyna-Mite}, with a little bit of paper-piecing to add dimension.

For my recipe this week, I made Skinny Fettucine Alfredo. DaddyDude loves alfredo, but about 25 years ago, I tried to wing an alfredo sauce and it went really badly. SO BADLY, in fact, that I haven't eaten it since that time! But, I am trying to get over my fears and found this lovely recipe with great taste and reduced calories. :) It was a winner!

And because I've been mentioning Marika and her soccer team so much, I thought it was only fair to post about Mika this week. She is our softball girl and began training very early. LOL! Here she is, just a couple of months after she turned two years old. She would load the tee up (by herself!) and *smack!* away. Just look at the happiness on her face!

Here she is now, ten years later. She started playing travel ball January 2014, and her team is still building and going through many growing pains. Their World Series isn't going very well, but I am still able to get some good pictures. :) She is a natural right-hander, but as you can see, she isn't built for power. She was converted into a lefty a couple of years ago - as a slapper, she's three feet closer to first base (than a righty) - making it harder to get her out at first (you can click on the image below to see the progression).

So, I'll be at the ball park for the next couple of days still - in the blazing sun,snapping away with my camera. That's my kind of fun!!!

Thanks for visiting! Hope you all enjoy a crafty weekend!

She's pretty small, but she has a heck of an arm - she loves trying to throw the runner out at home from center field! Not too shabby for a skinny twelve-year old!