Double-Rainbow Cake Pops
March 23rd, 2011 § Leave a Comment
I’ll admit it- I’m kind of obsessed with this You Tube hit of a man’s passionate appreciation of natural beauty. I’m helping out at a bake sale to raise funds for Japan and what better way to spread a message of hope than double-rainbow cake pops?
Rainbow sprinkles on the outside, rainbow funfetti cake on the inside. Basic cake pop tutorial here.
All packed up and ready to go! So intense.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
March 17th, 2011 § Leave a Comment
One of my favorite holidays. Growing up I would wake up to find a leprechaun had turned over our entire house- I’d follow his footprints (green glitter) around the devastation of overturned chairs and spilled sugar to discover a mountain of candy in gold wrappers. I have the best mom ever.
Couldn’t find a green that matched my skin tone so I made due. I am so in love with prize ribbons for decorations and adornments but have yet to see it worn as anything but on top of a birthday hat. I wove some green grosgrain ribbon through a chain necklace I had onhand- then ripped up a second ribbon and braided it. The rosette is made from ivory satin ribbon, paper, and glitter- inspired by this Valentine’s Day rosette from Etsy.
Before I added the glue pen followed by glitter- that rosette said “I *heart* St. Patty’s Day”. Oh well- it’s the thought that counts. Maybe it will look more clear to my friends once they’ve had a couple of green beers.
HAPPY ST. PATRICK’S DAY!
Pot-o-Gold Cake Pops
March 14th, 2011 § 1 Comment
First off I want to dedicate this posting to one of my favorite bloggers out there- Angie Dudley of Bakerella- an amazing writer, baker and a huge source of inspiration. She’s having some health complications and can definitely use some Irish luck right now- so this one’s for her.
After my failed attempt to find a good pot-o-gold treat for my St. Patty’s Day posting, I thought I’d take matters into my own hands and make some pot-o-gold cake pops. To make- you’ll need everything from the basic recipe, plus white candy melts, black oil-based food coloring (water-based will turn the candy melts into paste,) and gold dragées.
The key is to shape the balls into little pots before chilling. I just flattened one end by forming a little divot on one end and pulling outwards. I then indented along the edge to make it look like the lip of the pot.
The trick to adding the gold was to dip the pops, then wait just a few seconds for the melts to become tacky before adding the dragées with a tiny spoon- otherwise they sunk into the melts. A little bit went a long way.
Voila!
… but something still isn’t right. Is it me or do those cake pops look suspiciously… I don’t know…. not black? On one hand I am a little annoyed that the black dye I bought turned out to actually be mislabeled purple dye. I figured this out after dumping half the bottle into my candy melts- therefore ruining the cake pops because dye tastes pretty heinous.
On the other hand the Washington Huskies, which happens to be my alma mater, won the PAC-10 championship in basketball the next day. Their colors are purple and gold. Coincidence? I think not. Maybe these cake pops are good luck!
Hunting for bunting
February 19th, 2011 § Leave a Comment
BUNTING! Whenever I see it I know it’s going to be a good time. It’s like the moustache of party decorations. I love how it’s popping up in all different forms lately.
DIY necklace inspired by Anthropologie- tutorial here.
Bunting in fondant
Double bunting all the way! It’s so beautiful! Etsy blog here, DIY here.
Say it with a bunting card! DIY here.
Or ditch the card altogether! What a cute idea for a save-the-date or just a nice note to a friend. Etsy shop here. Happy bunting!
Chalk it up!
February 15th, 2011 § 1 Comment
Chalkboard is my new favorite thing for entertaining and decorating- it’s vintage, it’s versatile, and best of all- you can change your mind as many times as you want and it will still be there for you.
Mini chalkboards for labeling food at a dessert/buffet table, writing a menu, or just a simple “welcome” for guests at your front table. 4″x6″ chalkboard with easel from Child Therapy Toys~ $12.95
This little chalk tag would be agreat idea for drink tags, or gift tags that can be used over and over again. Set of 12~ $4.00 via Art Fire
Saved my favorite for last! Set of four moustache napkin rings $24 on BLTD. For when you want to keep it classy.
…or if that isn’t versatile enough for you- do it yourself. Chalkboard paint- $24.97 at Home Depot.
A Very Domesticated Holiday
January 9th, 2011 § 1 Comment
I was at Michael’s chatting with the cashier and I said to her “There really ought to be more holidays centered around baking and crafts!” Being a Michael’s employee, of course she couldn’t agree more.
I made this Christmas card using blank gift tags, a glue pen, and lots of glitter on a basic white card with a textured red background.
then I made another 50. I did not send out a single one. So if you’re one of my friends reading this- yours is in there somewhere. Merry Christmas.
Because the cost of Thanksgiving skyrocketed after I picked up cooking- my mother has limited my meal planning to the appetizer. Above is a puff pastry tart topped with brie, carmelized onions, and dried cranberries. And butter. Lots of butter.
Cake pop bouquet- the mason jar made the perfect container. The cake pops were red velvet on the inside, white candy melts on the outside, then rolled in crushed candy canes, inspired by this post on HWTM.
Presents wrapped Northwest style!
Hope you all had a very safe and Happy Holidays! Definitely sending out my Christmas cards early next time…
Memorial Day Glamping (Glam+Camping)
May 10th, 2010 § Leave a Comment
This year will be year two of the annual Memorial Day weekend camping trip with my two best friends from high school Myra and Mandy.
Last year was my first time ever camping without my dad running the show so obviously being the resident chef I demanded to make all of the food and was pleased to find out if you bring a frying pan you can pretty much make anything you want.
I am obsessed with the UK phenomenon of Glamping (which is glam camping)- so this year we’re going to do the Memorial Day camping trip a little differently.
Cute decor. Candles everywhere. Couture clothes and heels. Fondue and red wine night. Gourmet meals. Mani-pedis by the fire. I just can’t wait for an even better weekend with my girlfriends than last year if that’s even possible. The best part of all this is I was mentioning it to another friend and she said “um… can you go glamping again this summer and can I come?!?”
I will definitely be posting photos but until then- fellow glampers-here are some links to help guide you to your first glamping excursion and maybe help you prep for the big trip:
Glamping Girl’s Ultimate Glamping Checklist
Wine glasses that travel great and can withstand any weather. Set of 2 stainless steel wine goblets- $24.00
Just say NO to beans and wieners! Seriously- some of us want to avoid sitting in the outhouse all night. You can pretty much cook anything you would cook on a normal stove over the fireplace with a sturdy skillet but if you’re looking for some inspiration here’s Robin Donovan’s Campfire Cuisine: Gourmet Recipes for the Great Outdoors- $10.85
Or just bring the kitchen to you! Camp Chef Camping Outdoor Oven- $183
Sleep away in style and be way ahead of the trend. Shoot you can’t even find this booty in the states. Ric Rac Striped Teepee from UK designer Cath Kidston- £65.00
Juicy’s jumping on the bandwagon so it must be cool. Juicy Couture Sleeping Bag + Pillow Set – $178
For the weekend I plan to sew us a super-cute canopy to hang over our picnic table with fresh linens and grosgrain ribbon, utilize my parents’ toastite maker, in addition to plushy pillows and candelabras. Can’t wait to post the pictures!
Vintage Circus Cupcakes
March 28th, 2010 § Leave a Comment
I am so psyched about how these turned out. They were a ton of work but well worth it! Half the effort was making all the paper designs in Photoshop which could have been avoided by just buying the paper at Michael’s.
Here are the basics:
- Circus striped cupcake wrapper download the template here
- To make the clown hats I first printed this harlequin print
- I found the hat template here and used it to cut out the cones
- I glued on the gold ric-rac trim, mini white pom poms, and red pom (all from Joanne’s) with craft glue
- the flag was made with music notes paper and toothpicks (the music notes paper turned out blurry so I’m not going to give it to you!)
- the little glitter “E” was easy to make, I just drew the E with pencil and went over it with a glue pen, the immediately dusted with glitter
…aaaaand they tasted just as good as they looked. I used the vanilla cupcakes and chocolate buttercream recipes and added some extra fun by filling them with raspberry puree (1 cup of fresh raspberries smashed and whisked with 2 tablespoons baker’s sugar.)
I owe the gorgeous frosting job to my $15 decorator from Target which also came with a special tip for injecting the filling. It’s not at Target anymore but posted here if you want to try to find something similar. The best part is the trigger so you only need one hand to decorate.
My brother in law has a soy allergy so I reserved some of the buttercream before adding the chocolate and mixed it with fresh raspberries and topped it with a berry. I love how pretty it turned out.
If you are into the Vintage Circus party theme, Hostess with the Mostess had a great feature on a circus themed baby shower here.
DIY Gold Chain Statement Necklace
March 26th, 2010 § Leave a Comment
Ever since seeing the gorgeous statement necklaces in Confessions of a Shopaholic I’ve been obsessed with them.
I stumbled upon a DIY posting for this super cute one made from two gold belts and some ribbon at the fashionista blog Behind the Seams. Click here to see the full instructions. I know what I’ll be up to this weekend!
Somethin’ Bit Me!
March 25th, 2010 § Leave a Comment
Trying to remember what movie that line was from but that’s what popped into my head when I saw this amazing piece from Over the Top Studios. I’m baking and decorating cupcakes for my adorable nephew’s first birthday and was perusing for inspiration when I came across this vintage Circus display.
wow.
Intense details.
This is where I’m drawing most of my inspiration from for the cupcakes- lucky me the site owner is from Seattle and gave me some great pointers on where to buy supplies. Click here to see the full posting. What kind of cupcakes am I making you ask? Chocolate cupcakes with chocolate buttercream frosting and raspberry puree filling!
