The Crafty Dough Puncher

Nursery on a Budget

2011-09-05T12:48:00.000-07:00

We put quite a bit of planning into this little boy's room. We knew we wanted it to be a room that he could grow up with and one we wouldn't have to change every couple years. We're both so happy with how it turned out.

Here are some of the things we did ourselves or found for a great price:

My husband, a photographer, has several old film cameras and decided to take three and spray paint them to fit in the nursery. They turned out awesome and look great in his room.

These leaves above the crib were a steal from Urban Outfitters. We only needed two boxes to make the design. We thought they would be a dark grey color, but it turns out they were way too brown. So we grabbed our trusty spray paint and painted them all!

I got up the courage to make the crib skirt. I thought it would be a lot harder then it was and was so so happy it wasn't! I measured the crib on the long side and one short side (no need for a skirt in the back or on the side against the wall!) and measured the fabric from there. The grey fabric I found at JoAnn's on sale and the leaf border fabric I bought about 4 years ago at Ikea. The fabric has velcro on it that attaches to the spring underneath the mattress. This way it can be moved up as the mattress gets moved down.

We found these super cool ornaments at a Crate and Barrel Outlet in Chicago. They were $3 and $4 a piece!

These super cute prints were a great Etsy find! Check out his store, he has so many fun ones. The little clothespins holding up the prints we found at Paper Source and of course, spray painted them!

The hot air balloon print can be found here.

The US and Canada prints can be found here.

And the scrabble letter here.

The window seat and pillows were easy to make. I just recovered the window seat that was already there with fabric we got at Ikea. The white fabric used are old curtains we had laying around!

My friend Kristi and I made these prints on her Cricut. They were easy, fun, and oh so cute!

This changing table I actually haggled for a great deal - $40! It's in perfect condition and the right color. All I did was mod podge scrapbook paper on both shelves and we were good to go. The grey baskets were a STEAL at a Land of Nod outlet for $4 a piece!!

And last but not least, another window seat! I bought four foam cushions at Hobby Lobby ($5 each) and covered them with the fabric I originally bought at JoAnn's to make curtains. (We decided to go with black out ones instead.)

We can't wait to get this little boy in his room!

Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days of Summer - Nursery Love

2011-08-26T11:00:00.000-07:00

The nursery is finally complete! We spent all summer - in between re-watching episodes of Gilmore Girls - finishing up the nursery. (This kid is going to know Lorelai and Rory's voice as much as he'll know mine.) So much needed to be done and we really needed these past few months to do it.

There are several DIY projects we did in the nursery that I will post separately, but for now, here is our favorite room in the house:

Knock You Naked Brownies

2011-07-11T16:00:00.000-07:00

I just had to share these brownies with you. They are amazing. I can't even begin to tell you how much I love them. I didn't take any of my own photos (I was in quite the hurry to get these in the oven and fridge so we could eat them!) so you'll have to mosey on over to The Pioneer Woman's blog and check out the wonderful step-by-step instructions for this recipe.

Baby Mobile

2011-07-08T12:02:00.000-07:00

I would really like to make baby's mobile and have started researching some ideas. Here are a few I have found so far -

Some of these are slightly feminine but any one can be made to suite a little boy.

This one can be found at Gather and Nest. I love it because you don't need to start completely from scratch.

I found this mobile over at Bugs and Fishes. The butterflies can easily be changed to owls, foxes, or other furry little creatures.

I really like how simple (and cheap!) this one is from the Artful Abode.

Spool might just have my favorite mobile yet:

Etsy Love

2011-07-05T09:14:00.000-07:00

I love Etsy. There are so many things I want to order before the baby comes!

I love this Diaper Clutch from BarnofColors -

We decided to use cloth diapers, and this wet bag from playfulpeanut would be a perfect addition to a diaper bag!

This diaper bag accessory set by LoveyBabyBoutique is so cool (who knew anything to do with diapers would be cool?!) -

I'm sad I haven't found that perfect diaper bag yet...any mom's out there have one they love? I want one that can be turned into a library bag, grocery bag, etc. when our little boy is potty trained. Neutral colors (grey!) prefered!

Happy 4th of July!

2011-07-04T17:15:00.000-07:00

{Lemon cupcakes with a lemon and almond buttercream frosting.}

A Baby Shower

2011-06-21T13:14:00.000-07:00

I had my very first baby shower Saturday night and I had no idea what to expect. All I knew was that it was going to be in Claire's backyard, planned by her and our good friend Mikaela. The beauty of Claire's transformed yard was amazing. The photos really don't do it justice, but here is a glimpse at our baby boy's beautiful shower -

Thank you so much Claire and Mikaela, I couldn't have asked for a more beautiful shower. You girls are amazing!

Birds & Buttons

2011-06-07T12:03:00.000-07:00

Well, after quite the long (and unintentional) hiatus, I am now back to keep posting what I love to do...cakes and crafts!

Claire and I made our very first wedding cake together this past weekend and it just so happens to be my favorite one!

For those interested in the logistics...the tiny birds are made out of gumpaste that we colored and were then cut out using a cookie cutter. The large birds are also colored gumpaste, but were done freehand. The buttons are different sized circle cutters with the rest done freehand. The branches are painted on.

It was a super fun cake to make and I am glad we had the honor to do it!

Cake of the Month - Carnival

2011-04-04T05:00:00.000-07:00

Claire and I had the privilege of making a carnival themed birthday cake for a 6-year old's birthday party this past weekend. We tried a new technique - painting on gumpaste and frosting - and it ended up working out really well. We are quite proud of the finished product:

It was a marble cake with chocolate buttercream filling and vanilla buttercream frosting. Everything you see is edible except for the wires that are attached to the balloons! :) Another cake will be coming up next week!

Spring Tote

2011-03-14T10:30:00.000-07:00

A couple of months ago I found the cutest spring fabric at JoAnn's and I have been itching to use it ever since. Last weekend I decided to make a tote. I also decided to design it myself and not follow a pattern. I thought this would be more disastrous then it was, but I am quite happy with it! The only stipulation I had was that it would fit a good-sized book and a have a pocket or two.

Spring Tote
by The Crafty Dough Puncher

I cut out the pockets first. I decided to double line them with a sturdier fabric so they could hold heavier items (including my heavy Otterbox covered iPhone). I cut each piece 5" x 6":

Iron and pin 1/2" down on one side of each pocket:

Sew with a zig-zag stitch:

Cut two panels each 12" x 14" of the outside fabric and inside fabric (if you want to line your tote, which I recommend). Sew each pocket on the right side of the panels that will be your lining using a zig-zag stitch:

I sewed down the middle of the pocket above to create two pockets.

Place the wrong sides of the outside and liner fabric together. Fold the top of each side down 1/4" and iron, fold again 1/4" and iron. Pin and sew using a straight stitch:

Now it's time to make the straps. After using the tote for a week, I wish I would have made them longer (oh well, next time) but here is what I did: Cut two pieces of fabric that measure 20" x 4". Iron 1/2" on both 4" sides:

Cut each corner:

Iron in on each long side about 1/2":

Fold over and iron in half:

Sew around all three open edges. Repeat with the second strap.

Sew on straps to each panel:

Pin the right sides together of each completed panel (so the tote is inside out). Sew around all three raw edges with a straight stitch. Cut each corner, making sure not to cut too close to the stitches. Turn right side out and you have your tote!

Happy almost-Spring!

Fun "I Want's"

2011-03-13T15:30:00.000-07:00

Here are some fun new (to me) kitchen items I found recently -

I could get these cookie cutters from Williams-Sonoma in time for Easter!

and this super cute Easter cupcake tree:

I love these dessert plates from CB2:

and this Coop Bowl too:

Taggie Blanket

2011-03-07T09:00:00.000-08:00

This is my favorite thing to make for babies. You can make them any size, with basically any type of fabric, and any kind of ribbons.

Here's my latest version of a taggie blanket -

Cake of the Month

2011-03-03T12:11:00.000-08:00

This just might be one of my favorite cakes we've made. Claire and I both feel like we are getting a little better with fondant (it's harder then you think to use!) and this cake just built our spirits right up!

We were asked by a good friend if we could make an Xbox cake to surprise her husband with for his birthday. We love a good challenge so we were quite excited with this one!

Here's some exciting news for you: Claire started a blog! It's great and you should check it out when you get a chance! :)

A sewing post is up next!

Cake of the Month - February

2011-02-14T08:20:00.000-08:00

Here is our Valentine's cake! The heart "candy box" is a chocolate cake covered in chocolate frosting. It's topped with white gum paste and wrapped with red gum paste. The chocolate candies or truffles are actually cake pops.

Body Scrub

2011-02-13T15:27:00.001-08:00

This is a fun homemade gift to give a Valentine! It works wonders and makes your skin so soft! My favorite thing about it? I had all the ingredients in my pantry!

Body Scrub
2 C brown sugar
1/2-3/4 C oil - depends on the type of texture you like
5 TBSP honey
1-2 tsp vanilla

Mix it all together in a bowl and find a cute glass container to store it in!

Easy Valentine Treat

2011-02-10T12:42:00.000-08:00

We have this wonderful candy store in Galena on Main Street called Galena Kandy Kitchen and every time my husband and I take a trip to Main Street we always stock up on their yummy candies and homemade confections. I always eye, but never buy, the chocolate covered oreos.

So this year for Valentine's Day I thought I would try my hand at making my own.
They were so easy to do and took maybe a half hour from start to finish. I knew I wanted to use pink and red sprinkles, so instead of dipping the oreos in milk chocolate, I used almond bark. I added a teaspoon of shortening per four squares of bark to make it easier to dip the cookies.

I promise they taste as good as they look!

A Valentine gift coming up tomorrow!

Fortune Cookie Suprise

2011-02-04T18:12:00.000-08:00

You will be seeing a lot more baby crafts from me!

We are due with our very first BABY on September 2nd, 2011! We are very excited and I can't wait to find out the gender so I can start baby crafting! :)

Counting Bean Bags

2011-01-08T11:53:00.000-08:00

I hope you forgive me for my month long hiatus. But I am back and ready to start crafting and baking again!

After searching and searching, I finally found the perfect gift to make my niece and nephew for Christmas. One Inch World has a great tutorial for counting bean bags. I encourage you to browse through her site. These were fairly easy to make, but they did take a lot of time. I ordered my fabric online at Above All Fabric. They have some GREAT fabric to choose from, espeically fabric geared towards kids. I bought the (dry) beans at the local grocery store and used about three and a half bags for 16 bean bags.

Watch for a super fun post coming this weekend!

Christmas Treats

2010-12-17T12:38:00.000-08:00

Only 5 more days until Christmas! Here are some yummy treats you can make for friends and family. So this post isn't 1000 pages long, I linked the recipe to each name of the treat.

Easy Peanut Butter Cups

Peppermint Meringues

Neapolitan Coconut Strips

Toffee

Peppermint Fudge

Sugar Cookies If using this recipe, cut back on the flour to about 4 1/2 cups.

Gingerbread Cookies

Package them up and deliver to friends, family, and neighbors!

Watch for fun crafts to come after the Holidays!

Merry Christmas,

Last Minute Pie

2010-11-24T09:51:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately this last minute pie is a little more difficult then the previous two. Maybe I shouldn't say difficult. It's not hard to make at all, but it does take lots of patience. I will say though, that this pie is worth all the work.

Apple-Cranberry Pie
Better Homes and Gardens, November 2010
2 Pie Crusts - I used Pillsbury, of course
6 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
1/2 C cranberries
2 TBSP lemon juice
1 1/4 C sugar
1/4 C flour
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
1/8 tsp salt
1 recipe pastry cream (below)
1 egg, beaten
1 TBSP, whipping cream

Pastry Cream
1 C milk
1/4 C sugar
2 egg yolks
3 TBSP sugar
3 TBSP cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
2 TBSP butter
1/2 tsp vanilla

In a small saucepan combine milk and sugar. Cook over medium heat until bubbly on edges (this is where the patience comes in). Meanwhile, in a medium bowl beat egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and salt until combined. Gradually beat in 1/3 C hot milk mixture; quickly beat in remaining milk mixture. Return to saucepan; cook and stir over medium heat until mixture thickens and comes to a boil. (This happens quicker then you think!) Remove from heat; stir in butter and vanilla. Transfer to bowl and cover surface with plastic wrap. Cool.

Make Ahead tip: Prepare pastry cream in advance. It can be stored in the refigerator for 3 days.

Preheat oven to 375. Transfer pastry to a 9" pie dish.

In a large bowl combine apples, cranberries, and lemon juice.

In a small bowl combine sugar, flour, cinnamon, allspice, and salt.

Spread bottom of crust with pastry cream. Toss apple mixture with dry ingredients; pile over pastry cream in pie pan.

Fold top pastry under bottom pastry and crimp edges. Cut small slits in top crust to allow steam to escape. Combine egg and cream and brush on pastry.

Place on a foil-lined baking sheet to catch any overflow from the pie while baking.
Bake 1 hour and 20 minutes (mine was right on). I used my pie cover for the first 45 minutes of baking and removed it for the rest. Cool on wire rack.

I was a little hesitant to add the cranberries. I like cranberries okay but they aren't my favorite. But, I wanted to follow this recipe exact (and I am forcing myself to try new things when I can) and I am glad I did! The cranberries add a perfect touch and give it just enough zest to make it a different kind of apple pie.

This pie would be great for Christmas too. I hope you try it!

Easy Pie #2

2010-11-21T12:59:00.000-08:00

I never would have thought to make a lemon pie for Thanksgiving, but that's kind of why I chose this recipe. It's different and fun and so delicious! This lemon pie was super easy to make and not at all time consuming.

Lemon Velvet Cream Pie
recipe from Better Home and Gardens, November 2010 issue

1 rolled refrigerated unbaked pie crust
1 tsp unflavored gelatin
2 TBSP cold water
6 egg yolks
1 1/2 14-oz cans sweetened condensed milk
1/4 C whipping cream
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 C lemon juice

Bake crust according to package on directions. When I don't make my own crust, I always use Pillsbury Pie Crust. It is so light and flakey and most of the time it's hard to tell between Pillsbury and homemade!

I "blind bake" my crusts when I am making a custard-y type pie. To blind bake, line the bottom of the pie crust with foil or a slightly smaller pie tin and fill with dried beans, pie weights, or in my case, a glass bowl that is oven safe.

Once crust is lightly browned, cool completely on wire rack.

In a small bowl, soften gelatin in water 5 minutes. Heat in microwave for 14 seconds.

In a large bowl combine egg yolks and sweetened condensed milk. With an electric mixer, beat on high speed for 2-3 minutes until well combined. Beat in gelatin, whipping cream and salt on low speed. Add lemon juice and beat on low speed for 30 seconds. Pour into prepared crust.
Bake at 375 for 22-25 minutes (mine took the full 25) or until center of pie looks set when gently shaken; cool on wire rack for 1 hour. Chill for 2 hours in the refrigerater.

Top with whipped cream and serve!

I rarely buy store bought whipped cream. It is SO much better to make your own and it doesn't take much time at all.

Homemade Whipped Cream
1 C heavy cream
1 TBSP confectioner's sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Beat heavy cream on high until stiff peaks form. Add sugar and vanilla and beat until stiff peaks form again.

Now, if you are like me and hate to waste food, you will feel sad throwing away 6 egg whites. I used to use them right away in a different recipe, but then was so happy to learn that you can freeze them! How cool is that? I have an ice cube tray devoted strictly to egg whites. Then when you need them for macarons, souffles, or meringue (for example), you won't be wasting any yolks!

Suprise your family with a lemon pie this Thanksgiving. I promise, they will be happy!

Forest Themed Baby Shower

2010-11-21T12:22:00.000-08:00

Most of the fun handiwork you see is done by none other then our Claire! :) She worked so hard and did an amazing job. It was fun to help her set up everything and play around with all the owl decorations.

Cute scrapbook paper makes cute baby signs -

Gift table -

Cake pops for favors, an owl lamp for fun, and a "words of wisdom" book for mommy and daddy -

The food was yummy and the signs were cute -

Cake of the Month

2010-11-17T11:31:00.000-08:00

Claire and I had the privilege to help throw our good friend a baby shower last night. A forest theme was decided and the planning began.

Owl and mushroom cake pops were made for the favors -

Caramel-vanilla & chocolate buttercream cupcakes were made for the dessert -

Stay tuned this weekend for the crafty shower details!

Easy Pie #1 - Pumpkin

2010-11-11T09:58:00.000-08:00

This pie is called Easy Pumpkin Pie with Press-In Shortbread Crust. I found the recipe in the 2009 fall issue of Martha Stewart Living. It really was easy, and didn't take much time at all to prep. It did however, take a lot of oven time. Which was okay with me since it gave me plenty of time to keep reading The Help by Kathryn Stockett. Have any of you read this? I am about three-quarters finished and I cannot put it down! I stayed up until 12:30a reading it last night.

Recipe is as follows:

Press-In Shortbread
4 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
3 tbsp sugar
1 large egg yolk
1 C flour
1 tsp coarse salt

Stir together butter and sugar in a medium bowl. Stir in yolk. Add flour and salt, and stir until mixture is dry and crumbly. Press dough into bottom and up sides of a 9-inch pie dish. Freeze until firm, about 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake, roating half-way through, just until crust turns golden brown, about 20 minutes. Cool completely on wire rack.

Pumpkin Pie filling
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin
1 C heavy cream
3/4 C sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp coarse salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon*
1/2 tsp ground ginger*
1/4 tsp ground allspice*
2 large eggs, lightly beaten

*I used about a tbsp of pumpkin pie spice instead.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Whisk all ingredients but eggs in a large bowl. Lightly beat eggs in a separate bowl and add to pumpkin mixture.

Pour filling into prepared piecrust. Bake for 65-70 minutes, rotating halfway through, until filling is just set but still a bit wobbly and slightly puffed.
Cool on wire rack completely. It's the perfect pie to make the night before as it takes at least 6 hours to chill.

This pie is DELICIOUS. So good. I think this is my new go-to-pumpkin-pie recipe. The shortbread crust is nice and soft, not crispy like I thought it would be. I think it will be fun to try this with a graham cracker or cream cheese pie crust.

One pie down, three to go!

The Perfect Pies

2010-11-02T12:02:00.000-07:00

In honor of it being the month of harvest, I have decided to bake four pies - two simple and two that take a bit more work, all before the long-awaited arrival of Thanksgiving. I know it's cliche, but Thanksgiving and Christmas are my two favorite holiday's. It's such a great feeling to gather with close family and friends and celebrate all the many things we have to be thankful.

Watch for the pie posts this week and next!

Pumpkin Cookies or Happy Harvest

2010-10-31T12:13:00.000-07:00

I'm not a huge Halloween fan, but I do look pumpkins and all things flavored pumpkin. My husband and I just got back from a wonderful relaxing vacation in North Carolina. There we made two different kinds of pumpkin cookies and a pumpkin chocolate cake all in ten days.
All three were delicious!

Chocolate-Glazed Pumpkin Cookies
recipe by Martha Stewart
2 cups all-purpose flour, spoon and leveled
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (I doubled this)
1/4 tsp salt
1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup of sugar
1 large egg
1 can (15 oz) pure pumpkin puree
4 oz semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin-pie spice, and salt.

Using an electric mixer, beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and beat until smooth. With mixer on low speed, alternately add flour mixture in two parts and pumpkin puree in one, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Mix just until combined (do not overmix).

Drop dough by heaping tablespoons onto two baking sheets, about 1 1/2 inches apart (they won't expand in the oven). Bake until puffed and edges are golden, 15 to 20 minutes (16 for me), rotating sheets once during baking. Transfer cookies to wire racks, and cool completely.

When cookies have cooled place wax paper or tin foil under the wire racks. Melt chocolate chips in a bowl and transfer to a piping bag or zip log bag with a tiny piece of a corner cut off. Pipe chocolate over each cookie. Refrigerate until chocolate is firm, about 20 minutes.

Happy Harvest!

Craft of the Month

2010-10-22T08:00:00.000-07:00

I accidentally started typing "Cake of the Month" with this post and then without thinking changed it to "Craft of the Month". Is this a sign? Should I start a craft of the month? Dare I? I am thinking it's a good idea. And I actually have one for this month. So why not start and see what comes of it!

One of my dear sister-in-law's birthday was this month and it didn't take long to think of what to make her. They are the greatest hosts around and are always having family and friends stay with them or having people over for dinner. So, it was easy for me to decide to make her placemats and matching napkins.

I jazzed up the placemats a bit and made them reversible -

The nice thing about making these is that you can cut them to whatever size you want. Once the fabric is cut, fold over each edge a quarter inch and iron all around. Pin and sew! So easy.

Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies

2010-10-18T22:00:00.000-07:00

This chocolate chip cookie recipe is the best I have ever made. And I have made a lot. I even threw out the other "best chocolate chip cookie" recipes I have. They are just that good.

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
recipe by Alton Brown

2 sticks unsalted butter
2 1/4 C flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 C sugar
1 1/4 C brown sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 tbsp milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 C chocolate chips (I've used milk and semi-sweet and both are delicious)

Preheat oven to 375. Melt the butter. Sift together the four, salt, and baking soda. In a different bowl add both sugars and pour in melted butter. Cream together. Add egg, egg yolk, milk and vanilla. Mix until well combined. Slowly add the flour mixture. Stir in chocolate chips.

Chill the dough*. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Bake 6 cookies per sheet - they will expand.

Bake for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown. Rotate sheet for even browning. I checked my cookies at 11 minutes and they were perfect! Cool on wire racks. (It really does make a difference.

*Helpful hint: Whenever I make cookies I always form the dough into a log, wrap in parchment or tinfoil and chill. This way you can slice the dough for even sized cookies and can store the dough for a few days. I've even been known to freeze extra dough for a yummy dessert for last minute company! :)

You never need a reason to make chocolate chips cookies - especially when they are the best ever! :)

(Cup)Cake(s) of the Month

2010-10-12T06:46:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday, I had the privilege of making my dear friend Charissa's wedding cupcakes. This included making almost 800 tiny little flowers, 10 batches of buttercream, 250 cupcakes and a small square cake!

We decided to go with six different flavor combinations. Crazy? Probably. But who can decide between almond, orange, and mocha buttercream? Along with three flavors of frosting were two flavors of cake - vanilla and chocolate.

I had fun making little signs to accompany each flavor of buttercream. I used fall scrapbook paper, twine, cupcake and alphabet stamps, and sticks found in my backyard.

Mason Soap Jar

2010-09-27T17:05:00.000-07:00

This is far from an original idea, but I wanted to share with you all the soap jar my hubby and I made this weekend. It was so easy and took only a few minutes to make.

You can use any type of jar with a lid, but I have an abundance of mason jars so that's what we used.

All you need is:

- a jar with a lid
- a soap pump
- a drill
- water proof glue

Wash out the jar and remove the lid -

Drill a hole the size you need for the pump to fit through the top of the lid. Glue the pump to the lid -

Fill with soap and you have a functional vintagesque accent to your bathroom or kitchen -

Cake of the Month: Volume 2

2010-09-22T11:28:00.001-07:00

The second cake of the month is our (mostly Claire's) first wedding cake! Claire was a bridesmaid AND the super-cake decorator...in Texas! She is amazing. The day before she left, we baked and crumb frosted all nine cakes. And then Claire worked her magic when she got there.

Here are a couple photos of the beautiful cake!

Guest Blog

2010-09-15T12:58:00.000-07:00

I was asked by a very dear friend to be a guest on her blog - check it out at all things aimee!

Cake of the Month: Volume 1

2010-09-15T11:48:00.000-07:00

I have been a terrible blogger this month and I fear it will only get worse in October. It seems we have been going nonstop since September started and we will be out of town a total of 17 days next month! And I thought our summer was busy.

At least we get to start this month off with a bang. It is our cake of the month, volume 1! (In case you didn't catch that, you will be seeing two cakes this month!)

Keagan Harlow is one of our favorite little guys. He turned one on Sunday and his parents asked Claire and I to make a water/Sesame Street themed cake. It was fun to design and execute and I think he enjoyed it. :)

Stay tuned for volume 2 next week!

Mouse Pad

2010-08-30T09:33:00.000-07:00

We have an old, gross, once-blue-but-now-grey and stained mouse pad at home so I took it upon myself to make a new one. I found a good pattern and instructions in a favorite book called Handmade Home by Amanda Blake Soule. You won't find instructions here, but purchase the book and you will! :) It's a great sewing book and I really think everyone who loves to sew, beginners and veterans alike, will find many projects to tackle.

Happy sewing my blogging friends!

Fabric Coasters

2010-08-24T17:20:00.000-07:00

I know I always say these sewing projects I do are so easy (and usually they are because I tend to pick the easy ones!) but these are SUPER easy!! So you should really try them, because who doesn't need an abundance of coaster??

I wanted to make these for a friends birthday and started looking at a few patterns online. I ended up just combining them all to make my own in the size I wanted. (That's how easy they are!)

I cut my fabric to 5 1/2 inch squares but the patterns I found ranged anywhere from 4 -7 inches -

Fold over each side a quarter inch, iron, repeat and pin together -

Sew a quarter inch seam around the coaster -

And you're finished. I told you it was easy! :)

Cake of the Month

2010-08-24T17:01:00.000-07:00

This cake was for a very special boy named Teddy who turned 5 years old on Monday. His absolute favorite thing in the entire world is Lightning McQueen. And so what better for your fifth birthday (and 2nd, 3rd, and 4th too...) then to have a Cars cake! Claire and I worked hard but had so much fun with it. We knew what we were going to do before we started, but ended up adding cones and tires and flags to make it more fun.
We're pretty happy with how it turned out :)

July Cake of the Month

2010-08-04T06:00:00.000-07:00

This cake idea was drawn up and thought about A LOT during the month of July but unfortunately was not executed until August! But still, it is considered our July cake and I hope you enjoy it :)

Claire had the brilliant idea to try fondant panels and I think they turned out great!

What do you think of our fourth fondant cake? We love your feedback!

I Won...

2010-08-03T16:22:00.000-07:00

...my very first giveaway!

Thanks to BonBon Rose Girls, I won three beautiful cards from Blushing Pearl!

I'm so excited to get these in the mail!

Necklace Hanger

2010-07-30T07:32:00.000-07:00

I have the cutest jewelry box but my necklaces always get tangled in it. Sometimes I will spend a good 15 minutes trying to untangle four different necklaces. So, I started shopping around for a necklace hanger, but just couldn't find anything my style. I finally decided to make my own and thankfully my friend Cassie pointed me towards this tutorial which got me very excited!
So, in the midst of rearranging our house, painting our upstairs hallway and getting ready for company, I decided it would be a good idea to go to Lowe's 20 minutes before closing and make my hanger that night!
I found it to be very easy to make and even drilled the holes myself!

I kind of just did my own thing and loosely followed the tutorial.

Here's what I used:
(any size) wood board - I think mine is 2 feet
wood glue
scrapbook paper
ribbon
tape
cup hooks
brown paint
Krylon gloss
drill
hooks & screws for the back to hang on the wall

I painted all four edges of the board before knowing that I would be covering the top and bottom edges with scrapbook paper. So if I make another one, I will just paint the two smaller edges at each end. I painted wood glue on the board and laid the scrapbook paper on top.

Fold and glue the paper over the bottom and top edges. Tape the paper to the back while it's drying. Glue brown ribbon at each end and where the different papers meet. Turn the board over and attach the hanging hooks to the back. I placed one at each end to make it more stable to hang. Drill small holes where you want the cup hooks to be and then screw them in.

Once finished, take it outside and spray a few coats of Krylon on it for a protective coating. Hang it on a wall in your bedroom or bathroom. Not only is it great for hanging necklaces, but it's a cute piece of wall art!

Birthday Fun!

2010-07-27T17:08:00.000-07:00

My husband turned 25 on Monday and boy did we celebrate!

I started planning his party last December by inviting four of his good friends from Alabama and North Carolina to surprise him for his birthday week. Two of them were able to make it and they showed up on our doorstep the night of his party! They were able to stay for nine whole days and we had such a fun week (other then the flu bug being passed around between the four of us!). We went to a winery, a Brewer's game (my very first!), and to Green Bay, Wi. We also got in lots of Mexican Train Domino's and Spades...the girls beat the boys!

The birthday party was low-key, but fun. We grilled brats and hot dogs, had chili and cheese to make chili dogs, chips and watermelon. The birthday boy requested key lime pie instead of cake. So I made a strawberry shortcake to compliment the pie and some cake pops, because they are fun and yummy! :)

Strawberry Layer Cake
recipe by Martha Stewart

2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temp.
3 C all-purpose flour
2 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
course salt
1 3/4 C granulates sugar
4 large eggs, at room temp.
1 1/3 C buttermilk, at room temp.
1 TBSP vanilla

Filling
2 lbs strawberries
1/4 C granulated sugar
1 TBSP lemon juice
course salt
3 TBSP confectioners sugar
2 C cold heavy cream
1 1/2 C strawberry jam

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour two 9" round cake pans and line with parchment paper. Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, beat butter and sugar on high until pale and fluffy. Reduce speed to medium and add eggs one at a time. Beat in flour mixture, alternating with buttermilk. Begin and end with flour mixture. Bake about 40 minutes. Let cool in pans on wire rack for at least 20 minutes. Slice the strawberries and combine with sugar, lemon juice and 1/4 tsp salt. Let stand, stirring occasionally for 3o minutes. (I did this overnight so I had less work in the morning. The strawberries weren't as firm, but I prefer them a little softer anyway.) Strain strawberries and reserve syrup. Beat heavy cream with confectioners sugar until peaks form. Trim cake tops and slice in half, horizontally. Brush each with syrup and spread with jam. Top with strawberries and whip cream. Repeat with each layer. So yummy!

Watch for a fun, easy craft post later this week!

Crafts to do this Summer

2010-07-23T09:25:00.000-07:00

I have been in such a crafty mood lately, but haven't had the time to make anything! So to satisfy my crafting need, I have been spending lots of time on the internet (while the boys nap!) and found quite a few crafts I would like to make by the end of the summer. Here is a glimpse...

I found this bag on a new blog I follow, La Maison Reid. It's a burlap tote and is super cute. I especially love the flower accent, but think I might make it a little more colorful.

I don't own a single pin cushion (can you believe it?!) and would like to try my hand at making a few.

I love these from Crafty Stylish -

And these from Patchwork Posse -

I have three canvases at home waiting to be covered in fabric or possibly re-painted. I want to hang them in our craft/reading room so am looking for something a little artsy and cute. I love these ideas -

creator

I want to learn to embroider and make something like these -

creator

Or find fabric that tells a story by itself -

creator

I (think I can) promise these crafts will be posted by the time fall comes around. :)

Stay tuned for a special birthday and jewelry post!

$250 Neiman-Marcus Cookies

2010-07-07T21:21:00.000-07:00

The cookie recipe, as promised! These make a ton so the recipe could easily be cut in half or you can make them all and freeze them - they'll still be just as yummy!

$250 Neiman-Marcus Cookies
recipe from Kristi Graves
2 C butter
4 C flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 C sugar
5 C oatmeal
24 oz chocolate chips
2 C brown sugar
1 tsp salt
an 8 oz Hershey bar, broken up
4 egs
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp vanilla
3 C chopped nuts (I used walnuts this time)

Measure oatmeal and blend to a fine powder -

Cream the butter and both sugars -

Add eggs and vanilla -

This is where it gets fun. Because this recipe makes so much and my Kitchen Aid is not industrial sized (unfortunately), I mixed together the remaining dry ingredients with the wet, and then separated the dough in half -

Add chocolate chips, Hershey bar and nuts to each half -

Don't you want to reach through your screen and sneak some cookie dough?

Roll into balls and place 2 in. apart on cookie sheet -

Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes.

I hope you try these - they are delicious!

Almond Joy Balls

2010-07-07T20:29:00.000-07:00

When my friend Cassie came for a visit, we made a plan to see Toy Story 3 at the drive-in. In preparation for this (the long wait for the movie) we made Almond Joy Balls and $250 Neiman-Marcus Cookies to bring along. For those of you who have gone to a drive-in before, you know to get a good spot you have to get there SUPER early. We picked up pizzas on the way and had a great picnic while playing Mexican Train Domino's (a new favorite game).

Almond Joy Balls
4 c (8 1/2 0z) shredded coconut
1/4 c light corn syrup
1 package (11 1/2 oz) milk chocolate pieces
about 26 almonds

Line 2 large cookie sheets with tin foil or wax paper and set cooling racks on top.
Place coconut in large bowl.
Place corn syrup in a 1-c measuring glass and microwave on high for 1 minute or until syrup boils.
Immediately pour over coconut.
Work warm syrup into coconut using the back of a wooden spoon until the coconut is thoroughly coated. This will take awhile.

Using 1 level measuring tablespoon of coconut, shape into a ball by squeezing in one hand and rolling between both palms. Shape all balls before doing this - it's way less messy. Let dry for 10 minutes and re-roll to prevent loose ends.

Melt the chocolate pieces and shortening in the microwave. Quickly drop spoon fulls of chocolate over each ball, allowing the excess to drip on the foil or wax paper.

Top each ball with an almond.

Let stand to set or place in refrigerator. Best stored in an airtight container in fridge.

These might take a little extra time to make, but are totally worth it in the end!

EnJOY! :) Cookie post to come on Friday!

Crafting with a Special Guest!

2010-07-05T08:09:00.000-07:00

So this week is going to be fun because I have three blogs to post and all with a special guest!

My good friend Cassie and her husband stayed with us for a long weekend in June and we had so much fun with them!

Cassie and I decided to have a crafting day and a baking day, and crafting came first! This craft started out with a bunch of flowers and an idea to make hair clips & headbands -

Here's what you need:
bobby pins with a small metal circle at the closed end
metal or plastic headband
ribbon
felt
hot glue gun
fake flowers

Step 1 -
glue a piece of felt onto the circle of the bobby pin -

Step 2 -
Glue and layer the flowers, add a button to the middle and you're done!

If making a headband, wrap and hot glue the band in ribbon first -

Then glue and layer flowers to a small piece of felt and then onto the ribbon -

After making all these hair pieces we decided to make magnets out of them too.

Stay tuned for our baking projects that will be posted later this week!

Happy crafting,

Princess Birthday Cupcakes/Cake of the Month

2010-06-28T20:16:00.000-07:00

Claire and I have been so busy this month that we did not have time to make a cake of the month! So, these cupcakes will have to suffice.

Also, the pictures were taken with my phone so they are not the best! :)

My little sister turned three years old on Sunday and we had a princess themed party for her. It was so fun and she was so excited!

I decided to try a new cupcake recipe from Our Best Bites and was quite happy with how they turned out.

White Cupcakes

Mix all the dry ingredients together, then add the wet. Beat for two minutes or until creamy -

Add pink Wilton color to make them more princess-y -

Follow baking directions on the cake box and cool on wire racks -

Frost with buttercream frosting -

I made little princess crowns out of fondant and added white edible pearls -

Decorate with a crown and a princess -

My uncle shares a birthday with my sister so I wanted to make him a something a little more...manly -

Finished product!

White Cake Recipe
1 box white cake mix
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 tsp salt
4 egg whites *
1 1/3 cups water
2 Tbs vegetable oil
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract (use clear vanilla if you want a pure white cake)
1 tsp almond extract
*I used two whole eggs in place of the egg whites. The egg whites are if you want the cake to be pure white. Since I colored mine pink it didn't matter so much and I was happy not to separate four eggs! :)

White Frosting Recipe
1/2 cup shortening*
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups confectioners' sugar
2-3 tablespoons milk
*I used 1 C of butter instead of using any shortening.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and/or shortening, and vanilla. Blend in the sugar, one cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the milk, and continue mixing until light and fluffy. Keep icing covered until ready to decorate.

Happy birthday little sister!

Family Art Table Runner

2010-06-21T20:28:00.000-07:00

My very first (craft) post featured a scarf from Handmade Home by Amanda Blake Soule. Now today, 4 months later, I have another sewing project from Handmade Home! I love this book and I encourage all you avid sewers out there to purchase it.

This project was made in an afternoon and easy to do.

Materials Needed
50" x 14" piece for the top
50"x 14" piece for the bottom
(6) 5" x 5" pieces for the patchwork
Up to (3) 8 1/2" x 11" printable fabic sheets
Child's (or adult) artwork

Pre-wash all material before sewing. This will help keep the shape when you need to wash and dry your table runner.
Piece together the two patchwork strips. Use three squares for each.
Place the two strips of fabric pieces 4" in from each short side of the runner top. Pin in place. Stitch these pieces to the top fabric piece by sewing 1/8" in from the edges of the pieces.
Lay the bottom piece right side up on a flat surface. Place the top piece right side down, on top of the bottom piece. Pin the pieces in place and stitch around all four sides of the runner, stopping 4" before your starting point. Trim the corners.
Turn the runner right side out through the opening. Press. Topstitch around all four sides of the runner, 1/2" in from the edge.
Print artwork on fabric paper and iron onto the top of the runner.

This would make a great gift for Grandparent's Day and you have until September 12 to do it!

Country Inn Cookies

2010-06-10T19:30:00.000-07:00

My husbands parents take us on a weekend trip every summer and this year we went to Milwaukee, Wi. We had so much fun spending time together at the market, the beach, and hanging out at the hotel. We stayed at a very nice Country Inn & Suites and they just so happened to have some of the best cookies we have had in a long time. They were chocolate with m&m's and fresh out of the oven when we tried them!

Last night I decided to try and replicate these cookies and boy did they turn out great! I searched and searched for the perfect chocolate cookie recipe and finally found one I thought sounded the best. It was a Martha Stewart recipe, of course.

I spiced it up a bit and came up with these:

Country Inn Cookies
1 C flour
1/2 C unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
6 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 stick of butter
1 1/2 C sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
coconut
York Peppermint Patty pieces (if you are not familiar with these they are yumm-o! I used them to decorate some of my cake pops too)

Preheat oven to 325. Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Melt 4 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips with the butter in a microwave safe bowl. I did this for 90 seconds in 30 second intervals, stirring after each one. Once melted, stir well until completely mixed. This might take awhile. You want all of the butter mixed in with the chocolate so there is not a film of it on top.

Put chocolate mixture, sugar, eggs, and vanilla in a mixer bowl. Using the paddle attachment beat on medium speed until well combined. Reduce speed to low and slowly add in the flour mixture. Beat until well mixed.

This is where I changed it up a bit. I divided the batter in half and added 2 oz of chocolate chips and a handful of coconut to one half and the peppermint pieces to the other half.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and drop by spoon fulls (do not flatten) and bake for 15 minutes or until cookies are flat and the surfaces are cracked (the cookies should still be soft). Cook on wire rack and enjoy!

Seriously, these cookies are amazing. They have a brownie taste to them and are so soft and chewy. My favorites were the ones with the peppermint pieces but the coconut ones were good too. Play around with the add-ins, I think chocolate chips and walnuts would be a great combination.

Take some time to bake this weekend and share with me what you made. I always love to hear what other people are making in their kitchens!

Soft Letters

2010-06-07T15:53:00.000-07:00

Hello friends! It has been so long since I last blogged and I am finally getting a chance to post the other half of my nephew's birthday gift! (See first half here.)

There are a few easy steps to these soft letters and you could easily make some in an afternoon.

1. Print or draw letters to the size you want and cut out.
2. Pin letters to fabric and cut out two pieces for each letter.
3 Pin the two letter pieces wrong-side together, leaving a 2in opening along one edge. Stitch around the letter making sure to leave open the 2in opening. Backstitch at the beginning and end.
4. Stuff the letter with fiberfill or cotton stuffing. I used a pencil to help get the fiberfill into each corner and crevice.
5. Pin and machine stitch the opening closed. Trim around the letter leaving a 1/8in seam allowance.

How fun would it be to have the whole alphabet?!

*This sewing project was taken from the same book as the monster bookends - Simple Sewing Baby by Lotta Jansdotter.

Monster Bookend

2010-05-29T09:03:00.000-07:00

I was searching through Simple Sewing for Baby for a gift for my nephew's first birthday, when I came across the perfect one! I was so excited to find it and am so excited to share it with you!

Before I do though, there are a few things you need to know:

Simple Sewing is wonderful. Lotta Jansdotter did an amazing job at detailing the instructions and providing all the patterns you need.

I found this pattern to be pretty easy for only making a handful of quilts and a few other sewing projects.

Always pre-wash your fabric. This step is so important because it will stop shrinking and shifting the first time you wash your finished product.

Tip: Make it a habit when you come home from buying new fabric to pre-wash it right away. If it's cotton, then leave it a little damp before ironing it. This makes it easier to iron out the wrinkles.

Enough with the words, here are some photos!

1. cut out all the pattern pieces and pin them to your fabric -

2. cut out your fabric -

3. sew the pieces together and fill the top with fiberfill and the bottom with rice to get the cutest monster bookends! (felt is used for the not-so-scary eyes & mouth) -

Happy sewing!

Cakes of the Month

2010-05-24T16:56:00.000-07:00

Claire and I made a LOST themed cake for the finale last night. It was four layers of chocolate and vanilla cake alternated. We used cream cheese frosting and covered it in white and black fondant. It was quite the spontaneous cake made in an afternoon!

My nephew Iain's 1st birthday was on Saturday and I made him a lion cake inspired by his favorite stuffed animal.

It is a 10" vanilla cake with Wilton's orange coloring added to make it more lion-ish. I used my favorite frosting and all the add-ons are made of fondant.

This month might be my favorite month for cakes! :)

Fruit Salsa & Cinnamon Chips

2010-05-23T11:06:00.000-07:00

I have to say, this 90 degree weather makes for a perfect day to have fruit salsa and cinnamon chips!

If you've never made cinnamon chips before, they are super easy to do and most of the ingredients you'll already have in your kitchen:

Flour tortillas
Melted butter
Cinnamon
Sugar

Preheat oven to 350. Using a pastry brush, brush melted over one side of the tortillas. Mix the sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle liberally. Cut into slices with a pizza cutter and place on an ungreased baking sheet.

Bake for about 10 minutes or until the chips start to curl.

Fruit Salsa

Any fruit
Any sweetener

Look easy? It was. I picked up a bunch of fruit that was on sale - kiwi, mangos, strawberries, and pears. Cut it all up into bite sized pieces and sweeten it with your favorite sweetener. I used honey and a little bit of cinnamon to keep it healthy.

I promise you will make this all time (maybe for the LOST finale tonight?!) The chips and salsa are sooo yummy together.

Rainbow Cupcakes

2010-05-15T11:47:00.000-07:00

This weekend I made rainbow cupcakes found on my favorite site...you guessed it: Our Best Bites!

Recipe:
1 white cake mix
2 eggs
1 C sour cream (I didn't have a full cup in my fridge, but they were still moist and yummy)
1/2 C milk
1/3 C vegetable oil

Combine all ingredients and mix well.

Divide the batter into separate bowls and add your favorite colors. I use Wilton's for almost every batter, frosting, and icing I color.

I chose four different colors, but you could easily do more.

I added about 1/2-3/4 tablespoon of each color per cupcake. I did one color at a time so I didn't have to keep washing my tablespoon.

Bake at 350 for 15-18 minutes. Mine were done in 15.

Now it's time for the best part...frosting!

I used and doubled this recipe and it was so good. You don't need to double it, but I wanted to pipe the frosting, so I used a lot more (and used it all too!)

Add a little sprinkles and you're good to go!

Last minute giveway at The Vintage Pearl!

2010-05-07T11:44:00.000-07:00

Click here to enter!

Spring Cookies

2010-05-05T19:36:00.000-07:00

My very favorite food blog posted the cutest cookies that I made a few weeks ago in honor of spring and the warm weather coming our way!

Original recipe from Our Best Bites:

1 recipe sugar cookie dough
Jam, any flavor (I used a mix berry jam)
4 oz. cream cheese
1/2 tsp. almond extract

Roll the sugar cookie dough between two pieces of plastic wrap and stick it in the fridge to harden. The cookies are much easier to cut out this way and they keep their shape. I used a flower cookie cutter in keeping with the season of spring.

Each cookie is like a sandwich. Cut out two shapes per one cookie and spread half out on a cookie sheet. Cut out a circle or a smaller similar shape out of the rest of the cookies. These will go on top.

Mix together the cream cheese and almond extract. Spread over each whole cookie.

Top with the remaining cookies.

Bake in a 350 degree preheated oven for 8-12 minutes. Make sure to take them out just as they are starting to brown. I had some cookies that were crispy and some that were soft and chewy - the soft cookies were definitely the favorite!

Once cooled, spread a little jam in the center and eat eat eat! My hubby had about 10...I think that says something!

Cake Pops

2010-05-02T07:56:00.000-07:00

Items needed

lollypop sticks
candy melts - any color
any flavor box of cake and ingredients needed to make the cake
3/4 container of frosting
block of styrofoam
cookie sheet
wax paper

Bake the cake according to directions on the back. Once cooled, crumble the cake in a food processor or KitchenAid using the whisk.

Add 3/4 container of frosting and mix.

Line a cookie sheet with wax paper. Form into balls (or any other shape), line on cookie sheet, and place in the freezer until hard. Melt the candy melts in the microwave. Dip a lollypop stick in the candy melts and stick in the balls.

Once the candy melts have melted (a minute or so) coat the balls in the melted candy melts. Decorate with sprinkles, m&m's, coconut, or pipe on a design. Stick in a piece of styrofoam to dry.

Once coated and decorated, they are ready in just a few minutes!

Bake Sale

2010-04-28T14:22:00.000-07:00

Our church had a garage/bake sale last weekend and I made a couple of things to contribute.

Cake Pops are my new favorite dessert. I mentioned them in a previous post and decided to try them for the bake sale. They were so fun to make and tasty too. One of the ladies bought a bundle to make into a bouquet for her daughter. Great idea!
Recipe and instructions to come soon!

I also made the aforementioned mini apple pies to sell. Yummo.

Mother's Day Craft Ideas

2010-04-24T08:33:00.000-07:00

Well, Mother's Day is 14 days away and I am excited to share some ideas with you that I found. I am planning on making at least one of these things for my wonderful mom!

Teacup Lights

I think these are so cute and with the city wide garage sale this weekend and next, I am bound to find some teacup treasures!

Tote Bags

I think every mom can use another tote bag. Whether she uses it to fill up with children's books at the library or uses it to fill up with books for herself, they are practical and cute to boot.

Special Delivery

If you decide to get your mom jewelry, here is a cute way to give it to her: write a message on a leaf or flower petal and pin some earrings to it!

Gift Kit

I thought this was so fun! The picture below and instructions above (linked with the title) shows a gardening gift kit, but you could do just about anything - a craft kit, baking kit, etc.

Patterned Sachets

These are super cute and smell good too!

Soap Cubes

These look easy and you can make them into any shape you want. I love the jar too and think you could get really creative on how you package these.

I hope these few crafts give you some ideas on what to make either for mother's day, birthday gifts, or even a fun little gift for yourself! :)

Earth Day Crafts

2010-04-22T06:49:00.000-07:00

I love Earth Day and I try to do my part in keeping our environment clean. I recycle, use cloth bags when shopping, clean with only organic, home-made cleaners, and am going to start composting soon. But when it comes to crafting, I hadn't really thought about finding recycable, environment friendly crafts to do - other then re-using material of course. So I started doing some research and found several fun ideas!

So here are a few crafts I am going to be trying this summer. I hope that you will try some too!

Vinyl Record Bowl

Cloth Napkins

Sweater Pillows

Recycled Tin Can Luminaries

Easy DIY Dry Erase Board

2010-04-21T09:48:00.000-07:00

I love dry erase boards. They are easy to re-use, relatively messy free, and keep me organized! Get Your Craft On posted a blog recently with an easy DIY dry erase board that I just needed to try.

Items you'll need:

any size picture frame
fabric
hot glue gun or any type of fabric glue

Take the cardboard backing off the picture frame and cut enough fabric to wrap around it. I used a hot glue gun to tack down the fabric around the edges.

Put the frame back together and hang it on your wall! I tried a few different types of markers and all worked really well on the glass.

It's so easy and pretty too! Happy crafting!

Homemade Cards

2010-04-20T07:11:00.000-07:00

My friend Charissa is getting married this fall and asked if I would make cards for her to ask her bridesmaids to be in their wedding. She gave me free reign and I had a lot of fun with it!

April Loves

2010-04-09T11:11:00.000-07:00

I must admit it was a little hard to write this April blog. Finding things that inspire me...easy. Finding things that I love....super easy! But finding something that I want...it was so hard to narrow it down!! :)

Want

I am in the process of making my grandmother a throw quilt. I have the top pieced together and just need to find the backing so I can finish it off. My wants this month are inspired by this unfinished quilt.

I love fabric. I love looking at it, folding it, organizing by color, patterns, or style. I will spend way too much time online looking up different designers and wishing I could order everything I find.

Here are some I have been looking at lately at WarmBiscuit-

Things I love That I Already Have

I got this egg crate from Anthropology and am so excited to get chickens this summer with Claire and put our fresh eggs in here!

Muse

A friend from church got me hooked on this site:

http://www.bakerella.com/

I am loving these cake pops and will be experimenting soon!

Enjoyment

Spinnin' in my record player -

I love love love She & Him and have been listening to them since their first album came out in early 2008. Buy this album if you haven't already!

Happy Spring!

April Cakes

2010-04-07T11:25:00.000-07:00

I know it wasn't that long ago that Claire and I made our March cake, but with April quickly approaching we decided to make our next cake of the month for Easter. Claire and I each made a cake to take to our families this past weekend and it was interesting (and time-consuming!) to make the cake from start to finish without sharing the tasks.

Here are our Easter cakes for April!

Mine was lemon cake with raspberry icing -

Claire made a yellow cake with buttercream icing. I LOVE her flowers -

I'm already getting excited for next month's adventure in the kitchen!

Easter Eggs

2010-04-05T15:38:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I was searching for a different way to color Easter eggs this year. I came across this brilliant idea from Our Best Bites via Martha Stewart. You tie-dye the eggs with old silk ties! Brilliant.

Here's what you need:

eggs
100% silk ties
old white cloth - pillow case, sheet, tablecloth, etc. (I used light blue and it worked just fine)
string or twist ties
1/4 C white vinegar
enough water to cover the eggs

Cut a piece big enough to cover an egg at the largest part of the tie. Wrap this around the egg, pattern side touching the egg, and tie with string.

Do the same thing with the light colored cloth - cut a piece and tie around the egg. Put all eggs in a pot, cover with water, and add 1/4 C of vinegar. Let water come to a boil, then simmer for around 20 minutes. Remove eggs and let cool on a towel or in a colander. Unwrap the eggs and see the patterns that transferred!

Hope you all enjoyed your Easter!

The Vintage Pearl: it's my birthday! (a giveaway!)

2010-03-31T12:48:00.000-07:00

The Vintage Pearl: it's my birthday! (a giveaway!)

Another giveway from The Vintage Pearl!

Fruit and Nut Fudge

2010-03-28T06:00:00.000-07:00

Now, I am not a particular fan of fruit, nuts, and chocolate combined, but my wonderful father-in-law is. So for his birthday I decided to make him a batch. I looked through a few recipes and came across one from Taste of Home that looked to be the best...and it was! However, I did not read the serving size and ended up with almost 7 POUNDS OF FUDGE!!! So we wrapped it in parchment, tied it with twine, and dished it out to neighbors and relatives. We kept a few pieces for ourselves...well, really just for Graeme. I picked at the chocolate and took out the nuts. :)

I highly recommend this fudge. I think it might be a bit annoying to cut it in half...or fourths because most of the chocolate chip servings equal one bag so there is little measuring required. BUT if you wanted to, you can always save the extra chips for cookies!

Photo by Taste of Home

Cake of the Month

2010-03-24T16:16:00.000-07:00

My crafty friend Claire and I have been talking about baking and crafting together for awhile now (since they moved in one house over from ours this past summer!) and finally decided that we are going to make a different cake each month. I thought it would be fun to blog and share about it with all of you!

Last Tuesday we decided to try fondant for the first time. It was fun and smooth and pretty and we'll definitely be using it again.

However, the cake was a little more work then we thought it was going to be...

4-6:30pm: bake cakes, make gum paste, look up designs
6:30-7:30pm: attend a very fun Magpie party hosted by Iuliana
7:30-11:30pm: crumb frost cake, roll fondant, cover cake, make designs out of gum paste, attempt and eventually succeed in attaching our designs to the cake!

Here are some pretty pictures -

fondant on the top tier

stacked tiers

birds made of gum paste

we were very excited for the finished photos to be taken because that meant we were done!

We're really excited for our next baking night when we'll be making Easter cakes. Yes, I did say cakes, as in more then one. We both will be traveling our separate ways to visit family for Easter and our only solution is to bake two cakes :)

Stay tuned, blogging friends!

The Vintage Pearl: the key to my heart { a giveaway! }

2010-03-23T11:25:00.000-07:00

The Vintage Pearl has super cute jewelry and I am happy to say that they are giving some necklaces away!!

Enter to win here:

The Vintage Pearl: the key to my heart { a giveaway! }

A Crafty Day Off

2010-03-20T19:56:00.000-07:00

I had Monday off work and was in the mood to craft. I was inspired a couple of weeks ago to make a cake stand and decided it was time to try. I was at Target and came across these cute plastic plates and glass goblets. I bought one of each, brought them home, and turned them into a cake stand -

I'm happy to report that this was under $6 to make! I'm looking forward to going thrift store shopping and seeing the different kinds of plates and glasses I can find.

I also had time to sew! Which I have been in the mood to do a lot of lately. My sister-in-law Becky gave me some extra material and I decided to make a half-apron out of it. Do half-apron's have a proper name? Either way, it was easy to do and I love to wear it!

Lord of the Rings Marathon

2010-03-17T19:00:00.000-07:00

Before marrying into the Pitman family, I had to take a vow to always and forever love The Lord of the Rings. It was an easy vow to take as they are three of the best movies ever made. :)

This past weekend Graeme and I, along with Graeme's brother Neil and his wife Beth (and their little elf Iain) had a LOTR marathon. We went all out and made t-shirts, a hobbit menu, lembas (shortbread) and other yummy food.

The lembas and t-shirts were made by Neil and Beth -

Iain was born a fan -

Gabby wanted to watch too -

Beth was smart to write up our menu. With all the food we had planned, we most likely would have forgot something -

Elevensies -

Sausage, taters, and mixed greens -

Afternoon tea & scones (recipe to come soon) -

Hearty stew and crusty bread -

Apple pie -

I have the best hobbit family!

Cookies and Cream Cheesecakes

2010-03-12T07:00:00.000-08:00

My grandma's birthday is on Sunday and we are headed to Waunkee, Wi tonight to celebrate! I made these cute little cheesecakes last night for her birthday dessert. They were super easy to make and super yummy to eat (Graeme and I had to taste test of course).

Recipe taken from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes

42 oreo's - 30 left whole and 12 coarsely chopped
2 lb cream cheese room tempurate (I know it's a lot. I used 1/3 less fat...)
1 C sugar
1 tsp vanilla
4 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
1 C sour cream
pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Place 1 whole cookie in the bottom of each lined cup.
With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat cream cheese until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Make sure to do this, it's very easy to get chunks of cream cheese that have not been beaten hiding at the bottom of the bowl.
Gradually add sugar, and beat until combined. Beat in vanilla.
Drizzle in eggs, a bit at a time, beating to combine and scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in sour cream and salt. Stir in chopped cookies by hand.
Divide batter evenly among cookie-filled cups, filling each to the top. These will not rise so make sure to fill 'em up!
Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until filling is set, about 22 minutes. My oven may be off but I found these took about 27 minutes to bake. When they appear set and a little wobbly in the center, they are ready to come out!
Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely. Refrigerate (in tins) at least 4 hours (or up to overnight). Remove from tins just before serving.

**DISCLAIMER - the photos below were taken by me using my phone so they are a bit blurry and not pleasing to the eye.

Assembling cheesecakes -

Cheesecakes baked and cooling on racks -

Ready to eat -

I really think you should make these. I promise they are easy - one of the easiest cupcakes I've made yet! :)

Past Quilts

2010-03-08T19:15:00.000-08:00

The first quilt I ever made was for our bedroom. It turned out to be much smaller then expected, but we still use it to warm up our feet!

The second quilt I made was for Graeme for our 2nd wedding anniversary - the anniversary of cotton. The back is fleece (so warm and cozy) and the front is of course, cotton.

The third and last (thus far) quilt I made was for my sister's 2nd birthday. This is my favorite of the three and I am quite proud of it.

March Madness

2010-03-03T16:07:00.000-08:00

This blog is going to be all over the place! My husband suggested I blog once a month about new things I want and think I need (I must talk a lot about new gadgets and such), a crafty muse, or just anything I'm enjoying.

Want
I LOVE cake stands. Every time I see a new one at Target, Crate and Barrel, or online I just want to buy it and bake a cake. A lot of times I'll use them for something other then cakes. Right now I have a bunch of oranges sitting on one, and seeing it everyday makes me love cake stands even more.

I have had my eye on this one at Crate and Barrel for awhile:

Things I Love That I Already Have
Kitchen gadgets are my favorite. Now, if you are an Alton Brown fan you would know that he says most uni-tasking gadgets are silly and a waste of money. But I'm pretty sure Alton would approve of this fun little gift I got from my hubby. Who doesn't love mini-pies? They are so easy and yummy.

Williams Sonoma

For Valentine's Day I got this cute little apron that I love and wear only when I bake!

Muse
My muse this month (and probably for many more to come) has been Martha Stewart. Her website has so many crafts that I want to try and I have about 50 of them bookmarked already.

I am excited to make this bag:

And these cards I might try for Easter:

Enjoyment
Another favorite thing I love to do is read. I usually read about 3 or 4 books a month. I am currently reading this:

and this:

I could easily turn this blog into a place to review books because I am so passionate about reading, so I will be brief. Jodi Picoult makes me cry and Wallace Stegner is brilliant.

Enjoy!

Cake-go-to-Girl

2010-03-01T14:56:00.000-08:00

I have turned into the cake maker amongst close family and friends. The first nontraditional cake I made was a guitar cake for my brother-in-law's 30th surprise birthday party.

The second was for a friend's baby shower:

Red Velvet Birthday cake for my good friend Claire:

Chocolate Ganache birthday cake for my sister-in-law Beth:

I can't remember what this cake was or the occasion for which it was made, but I remember it being fun to make!

Cupcake Recipes

2010-02-25T16:43:00.000-08:00

By request, here are the recipes for the cupcakes shown in the previous post.

Fluffy Coconut Cupcakes

2 C self-rising flour, sifted
1/2 C unsweetened dried coconut
1 C superfine sugar
1 C buttermilk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp natural coconut extract
1/2 C unsalted butter, melted

Coconut frosting
2 1/4 C confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 C unsweetened dried coconut
1/4 C plus 1 TBSP unsalted butter, softened
1/2 tsp natural coconut extract
2 TBSP hot water
unsweetened dried coconut, lightly toasted to sprinkle

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line 36 mini muffin cups with paper liners.

Combine the flour, coconut, and sugar in a bowl and make a well in the center. Pour in the combined buttermilk, eggs, coconut extract, and butter into the well and mix until combined.

Divide the mixture evenly among the paper liners. Bake for 12 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the center of a cake. Transfer onto a wire rack to cool.

To make the frosting, combine the confectioners' sugar and coconut in a bowl. Add the butter, coconut extract, and enough hot water to make a spreadable frosting. Decorate each cake with a thick covering of frosting and sprinkle with toasted coconut. So yummy!

Beehive Cupcakes

3/4 C plus 1 TBSP unsalted butter, softened
1 C soft brown sugar
3 eggs
1/3 C honey, warmed
2 1/4 C self-rising flour, sifted

Marshmallow
3 egg whites
1 1/2 C sugar
2 tsp light corn syrup
pinch of cream of tarter
1 tsp natural vanilla extract
yellow food coloring

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line 15 standard muffin cups with paper liners.

Beat the butter and sugar with electric beaters until light and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Fold in the honey and flour until combined. Divide the mixture evenly among the paper liners. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. Transfer onto a wire rack to cool.

To make the marshmallow frosting, combine the egg whites, sugar, corn syrup, cream of tarter, and 3 1/2 fluid ounces of water in a heat proof bowl. Sit the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, making sure the bowl doesn't touch the water. Beat for 5 minutes with electric beaters, or until the mixture is light and fluffy. Remove from heat. Add the vanilla and beat with beaters for 4-5 minutes, or until stuff peaks form. Add the coloring, drop by drop, and beat until just combined.

Spoon the frosting into a piping bag fitted with a 1/2-inch round nozzle, and pipe the frosting in circles around the cake to resemble a beehive.

Pecan and Orange Cupcakes *hubby's favorite!

1/2 C unsalted butter, softeneed
3/4 C superfine sugar
2 eggs
3/4 C ground pecans
3 tsp finely grated orange zest
1 1/2 C self-rising flour, sifted
1/2 C milk

Cinnamon frosting
1 TBSP unsalted butter, softened
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/2 C confectioners' sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 16 standard (or 24 mini) muffin cups with paper liners.

Beat the butter and sugar until pale and creamy. Gradually add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the ground pecans and orange zest, then use a metal spoon to gently fold in the flour alternately with the milk.

Divide the mixture evenly among the paper liners. Bake for 50-60 minutes (40 minutes for minis), or until a skewer comes out clean. Leave in the tin for 10 minutes, then transfer onto a wire rack to cool.

To make the cinnamon frosting, combine the butter, confectioners' sugar, and cinnamon in a small bowl with 1 1/2 TBSP of hot water. Sit the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, making sure the bowl doesn't touch the water, and stir until smooth and glossy. Remove from heat. Decorate each cake with frosting.

*recipes taken from cupcakes by Christabel Martin

I know some of these sound like a lot of work, and they were, but all three are definitely worth a try. :)

Housewarming Cupcakes

2010-02-23T19:30:00.000-08:00

My husband and I recently bought a house and along with that (other then LOTS of work) came a housewarming party. I decided to go with a dessert theme and make a few different kinds of cupcakes.

The biggest hit were the coconut cupcakes. They are best when made mini size because they are quite sweet.

The Beehive cupcakes were fun to make -

And fun to eat -

Pecan and Orange Cupcakes -

*recipes posted upon request!

Valentine Fortune Cookies

2010-02-19T15:06:00.000-08:00

Recipe:

1/2 C flour- If you have bread flour, use it.

1/2 C sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 egg whites

Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend to combine. Place in a container and chill 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 400°.

Spoon 1 teaspoon batter onto a greased baking sheet; spread evenly to make about a 3" circle. (You can also use parchment paper and draw your circles so you know how big to make them.) Bake at 400° for 5-6 minutes or until the cookies are brown just around the edges and a little toward the centers. Remove from the oven. Let sit for a few seconds before removing from pan. Working quickly, loosen edges of cookies with a spatula, and turn over.

Place fortune along the center of 1 cookie. Fold cookie over so the edges meet; press edges together.

Gently pull the ends of the cookie down over the rim of a small bowl (or jar); hold for a few seconds or until set. Repeat procedure with remaining cookies.

I found these were hot to work with so if you have latex gloves to wear while folding over the cookie and placing it on a bowl, I would recommend it.

Once cookies are cooled (a minute or so), you can dip them in chocolate and decorate with sprinkles!

I used semi-sweet chocolate chips and white chocolate chips for contrast-

with pink and red sprinkles for Valentine's Day-

I found it was easiest to spoon the chocolate over the cookie and then sprinkle the sprinkles on top (as opposed to dipping them in the sprinkles - too messy).

Packaging these yummy cookies might have been my favorite part. There were so many cute "take-out" boxes at Michael's to choose from.

I found the recipe for these over at Our Best Bites. Check them out for other great food ideas.

Enjoy!

Vintage Scarf

2010-02-18T09:42:00.000-08:00

This past Christmas I received my new favorite "crafty" book from my sister-in-law Beth. It's called Handmade Home by Amanda Blake Soule. She also wrote The Creative Family which I hope to be purchasing soon.

After pouring over this book several times I decided to make the doily scarf first for my lovely friend Jennifer, who had a birthday at the end of January.

This time, I only have photos of the finished product. Next time, I will document each step. My favorite blogs are those that post photos that show me what the product is supposed to look like along the way. It just helps.

Doily Scarf

Materials:

Fabric 1: (1) 6.5" x 63" for the scarf front - I used wool

Fabric 2: (1) 6.5" x 63" piece of cotton for the scarf back - I used a stretchier material because I loved the look of the fabric (yes, I am an amateur sewer!) but I did find it was hard to keep it from puckering because it was so stretchy. I will try cotton next time.

Doilies: (4-6) no larger then 5" in diameter

Buttons: (4-6) of any size

Embroidery needle and embroidery floss

Working with the scarf front, place the doilies evenly across the length of scarf. Pin the doilies in place. Machine stitch the doily to the scarf piece by stitching 1/8” in from the edges of the doily, keeping the fabric taut and flat as you go. I found this to be much easier then I thought. Just keep turning the fabric as you sew around the doily and it’ll be done in no time.

Using embroidering floss, sew a button to the center of each doily, tying off the floss on the wrong side of the fabric.

Lay the scarf front flat, with the buttons and right side facing up. On top of this, lay the cotton back, right side down. Both right sides are now facing each other. Smooth the cotton piece over the wool. Use pins along sides every 4”-6” to hold the pieces together.

Beginning in the middle of one long side of the scarf, begin to stitch a seam. Continue around all four sides of the scarf, stopping 4” before you come to the original starting point and leaving an opening for turning the scarf right side out.

Trim all four corners, being careful to avoid cutting too close to the stitching. Turn the scarf right side out through the opening. Use a chopstick or pencil to gently push out the four corners until they are distinct points. Press. Stitch around the entire scarf, ¼” from the edge, closing the opening of the scarf.

Let the Fun Begin!

2010-02-16T16:56:00.000-08:00

After many weeks of planning, visualizing, and designing, I am finally able to go live with my blog!

I LOVE to bake and try new recipes, it is one of my favorite things to do. Crafting comes in a very close second. I have been making people thank you's, "just to say hello", and birthday cards for as long as I can remember. It has slowly evolved into many other paper crafts, quilting, knitting, and some crocheting and stained glass.

I am so excited to post and share my adventures with baking and crafting with you. I have quite a few blogs (almost ready) to post with past projects and baked goods, so make sure to watch for those.

Cheers!