You know I had to go there...

People of Walmart.

I just couldn't resist. But just a couple as I'm dashing out the door.

Hmmm, don't know about you, but I'm thinking there's something missing here.

As for the next one, please tell me that isn't what I think it is and we're all looking at a flesh coloured money belt.
Now, I'm dashing out the door just to get away from those images.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes. . . . . yeah, you heard me.

Kiddo's birthday was last week and he LOOOOOOOOOOVES cookie dough.
{So does his mother...it's hereditary.}

I knew exactly what to make him for his birthday cake, Cheryl's Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes.


Let me break these bad boys down for you....

First, there is a chocolate chip cookie cupcake. Then, they are filled with chocolate chip cookie dough filling.  And finally, they are topped with a brown sugar cookie dough frosting.

{Yeah, you don't WANT to know the WW points on these puppies.}

For the cupcakes and the filling, I'm going to link you to Cheryl's printable recipe.  The only change I made on those was to add just a *pinch* of salt to the filling.  You could totally skip that if you wanted.

I changed up the frosting just a bit, so here is that recipe...

Brown Sugar Cookie Dough Frosting

3 sticks unsalted butter, room temp.
3/4 c. light brown sugar, packed
1 lb. box powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. coarse salt
3 TBSP milk
2 and &1/2 tsp vanilla
mini chocolate chips

Cream the butter and brown sugar with the paddle attachment until fluffy.  Add in the powdered sugar and beat on low until incorporated, then increase the speed and beat until smooth and combined.  Add the salt, milk and vanilla; blend until smooth.

Frost the cupcakes. (I used a Bakery Crafts 9CS tip.)  Sprinkle with mini chocolate chips.



Now, it's time for the candles.

And I have NO IDEA how this happened, but the reflection of the flames made ♥'s in the picture.  Is that cool, or what?!?!?


{Here's what 12 looks like around here.....sweaty hair, flared nostrils, fruit punch mustache and all. ♥}

Peggy Loves Vintage - whatever you do...don't forget!!!

Happy Sunday everyone! Sure hope you're enjoying your weekend! We've actually got a little bit of weather here today. It's cloudy and we've had a mix of rain and snow showers. So it's starting to look a little more like winter than spring. Today I've got a card for you featuring another one of the adorable images from Peggy's new Cutie Couples Cutouts over at Peggy Loves Vintage. These images are soooo much fun! This card took me absolutely no time to make! I just cropped out this picture, printed up on cardstock and assembled the card.

I think this image is so funny!! Her whomping him on top of the head with her rolling pin, and him waving his little home sweet home sign. LMBO!  The sentiment is one of my own of course that I just printed up using Microsoft Word onto cardstock. The cardstock is Bazzill and the DP are from Nitwit Collections. I added some faux stitching around the panels.

So if you're looking for a way to make some cute Valentine's Day cards in a snap, and you like the vintage look, then hurry on over to Peggy Loves Vintage and grab these Cutie Couple Cutouts! You'll love them!  And don't forget to follow Peggy's blog too! She loves to give away free vintage images!!! Thanks so much for stopping by to see me today and hope to see you back again soon! Hugs!

The last six weeks of swings and roundabouts.

Things you don't want to hear:

Two days before Christmas from Jason the Chinese Mechanic:

'KATE! (capitals because he shouts)YOUR REAR BACK WINDOW MECHANISM REALLY BROKEN. IT'S GOING TO COST $500 TO FIX, PARTS ALONE. WHAT YOU WANT ME TO DO?'

On Christmas Eve, from your tenants:

'...and so we'll be moving out in three weeks.'

From your doctor.

'Sorry to tell you but your rib is cracked, you're about six weeks away from no pain.'

Things you do want to hear:

From the guy in the Vodafone shop after your Iphone is performing more like a heater than a phone:

'We can send it away, it won't cost you if you're within your warranty...let's check out when you bought it.....(inserts details into computer).....and you're within your warranty - by a day!'

From the guy in the Vodafone store three days later:

'Hi, just ringing to let you know your phone is back and fixed....oh no..... replaced.'

Sometimes the universe takes away, and then it gives it back. (Or, sometimes I am unlucky and sometimes I am a jammy bastard).

Awkward Family Photo makes me Happy.

And here we go with the first installment for 2011 from the glorious people at Awkward Family Photo.

Stop the bus, check out the denim. And the logic behind it has got me stumped. Maybe they just didn't have matching tops ? They're launching a new clothing line called 'Nude' and its catch phrase is 'The whole family can wear it'.

As for this one, all I can think of is, 'Flowers in the Attic called, they want their characters back'.
*Backs gently out of the room*.

Print YOUR Blog in Book Form! (Works for Me Wednesday)

Several months ago, I mentioned a great company called Blog2Print.  They actually print your blog in book form.

Whether you are a food blogger, or a craft blogger, or a mommy blogger, or a home blogger....or even if you aren't, but you know a blogger.....this is such a cool idea!

When my book came in the mail, I opened it and saw cookies and baking projects that I had already forgotten about.  And I LOVE that kiddo will be able to look back on it someday...and maybe even try some of the recipes!


 
Blog2Print and I are teaming up for the Blissdom blog conference.  I leave for the conference in Nashville tomorrow (and guess who is my roomie!), but while I'm there.....

Blog2Print is offering one of you a $40 credit to print your own book!

To enter:

• go take a look at Blog2Print's site...and then leave a comment here telling why you would love to print your blog....or maybe you would print someone else's blog as a gift for them.

Extra entries (leave a separate comment for each):

• tweet it!Tweet
• follow Blog2Print on twitter

Blog2Print works for me!!!

{If you will be at Blissdom, please come say "hi!"  I'd love to meet you and I'll have my B2P book with me if you'd like to see one up close! And if you're not going, be sure to follow the fun on twitter using the #blissdom hashtag.}


{Drawing will be held Sunday, January 30th at noon, CST. Good luck!} giveaway now closed.

It's the simple pleasures...

...like the perfect avocado.

When I play my 'What three foods would you take to a deserted island?' game, these are always in the first four on my list (see? I already can't play the game).

I played this game with a friend of mine recently and I was expecting a good few minutes of him torturing himself over what foods would or wouldn't make his list.

Without missing a beat he came right back with:

'Beer and nuts.'

Papertake Weekly - Sketch challenge!

Hi everyone! We made it through another Monday! And that means it's time for a new challenge from Papertake Weekly. This week is sketch week, and I LOVE  Dawny's sketches! We're sponsored this week by the fabulous Simon Says Stamp! 

For my card today, I used this adorable birthday monkey from Dustin Pike. I love his images! They're so fun and whimsical! He's colored with Copic markers Sorry I didn't write down the colors this time.  I cut his out with circle Nesties and petite scalloped Nesties. The papers are from Nitwit Collections Going Bananas and cardstock is Bazzill. Buttons are from my stash and they're threaded with embroidery floss. And of course the ribbon is May Arts green silk from Stamp and Create.

Please be sure and pop over to Papertake Weekly to see what my design team sisters cooked up for your viewing pleasure. Then we'd really love it if you'd grab your paper and glue and play along with us. Who knows...you might get lucky and win a fabulous prize from Simon Says Stamp! Thanks so much for stopping by to see me today, and hope to see you back again soon! Hugs!!

Conversation with my Mother.

My mother (The Fruitcake):

'I was going to go to Iran this year but I'm off them because they won't return my emails. So I think I will buy a sculpture instead.'

When I lay my eyes on that sculpture I am going to give it a great big hug.

And the Golden Globe (cookie) Goes to . . .

.....Jim Parsons (Sheldon) from The Big Bang Theory.

Here's the story....a sweet girl, Lindsay, who I used to work with actually knows Jim.  Yep, I know people who know people. ;)

Turns out that Jim went to the same high school I did although, I'm sure, MANY moons after I graduated.

I've always said that nothing makes me more nervous than making a logo cookie, since I don't have one of those handy-dandy projectors.  Well, I've amended that....nothing makes me more nervous than making logo cookies for a Golden Globe WINNER.
 
{You know what?  Everything looks better with a little ribbon....even a shaky logo.}


Did you know that the Golden Globe award has a little "filmstrip" wrapped around it?  I didn't, either.  That's what those dots and squares are supposed to be. (I used a luster dust called Golden Charm here....I love the color!)


Bazinga!  That's Sheldon's catchphrase.

Congratulations on your Golden Globe, Jim!  You're doing Spring, Texas proud! :) 

Magnolia-licious blog hop winner!!

Sure hope everyone enjoyed their weekend! Hopefully I'm about to make someone a little happier! It's time to announce the winner of my blog candy from the Magnolia-licious blog hop this past Monday. And did you know that Diana already has the You Are So Special stamps collection in stock? They're going fast, so hurry over and get the ones you want now!! So without further ado, here we go:

And #17 is.....

Congrats Beth! Please send me your information so I can get your goodies out to you! Thanks so much to everyone for playing!  Have a wonderful Sunday afternoon!! Hugs!

Another burning question from a rather small mind.

Remembering stuff. Some people have a head for numbers (not me), faces AND names (I'll generally always be able to retrieve the face but the name tends to run in the other direction), stuff from their childhood, school years, university (me, me, me. I am good at that game. To the exasperation of my friends, 'How can you remember that shit?')

I have a friend who is a production manager who can remember other people's credit card and air points numbers, which I find remarkable - I consider it a good day when I can find my credit card.

And then there's birthdays.

This is where my brain really perplexes me. I am generally pretty good at remembering birthdays from August through to April but, if your birthday falls anywhere in May, June or July, you can be confident I will forget it.

(Having said that, I did miss my godson in London's birthday in December but, in my defence your honour, I put that down to working seven days a week and simply not having enough room in my head. I emailed him and told him he was just going to have two birthdays this year. His new birthday is February 21st).

But I cannot think of one birthday in either May, June or July.

So that's a wee sample of things I forget, (I won't unleash the whole Pandora's Box on you).

Now, over to you lot. What things are you really good at remembering, or not ?

Tilda with Balloon January Mingle card

Hi and happy Friday Eve!! Today I have the January mingle card I made for  the Magnolia-licious Yahoo group.  It's really a fun thing to do and a great way to meet new friends! I didn't plan on making such a spring like card, but I just kept going with my brain, and this is what I ended up with. LOL!!  I knew I had to use this adorable cutie #294 Tilda with Balloon from the You Are So Special collection! They're available for preorder right now over at Magnolia-licious!! I seriously don't know how they so it, but each new collection just keeps getting cuter!

She's colored with copic markers and then cut out with petite scalloped oval nestabilites (I used pink chalk on her cheeks). Flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts and the leaf punch and butterfly border punches are from Martha Stewart.  The corners are from a Cuttlebug die, and the little butterflies are an EK Success punch. I love using flat backed pearls on my little butterflies. I put just a little bit of stickles on the edge of the butterfly wings, and I also added some to the flowers. The balloon has glossy accents on it. That yummy ribbon is May Arts pure silk ribbon from Lacey over at Stamp and Create. The pink polka dot paper is from Nitwit Collections, the white cardstock is Bazzill. I have no idea where the turquoise cardstock came from.

Kind of a wonky shot, but I rather like it. LOL! So anyway, this was a special card made just for Gail Lass. Hope you enjoy it Gail! Thanks so much for stopping by to see me today, and hope to see you back again soon! Hugs!!

Copic markers used:
BG10, 11, 13, 15, 18
R32, 35
E31, 33, 35, 40, 41
T1, 2
Y21

Pecan Snowballs

 
You know those people in your life that you just *trust* when it comes to food? I don't care if they are serving you a piece of toast, or a bowl of soup, or a slice of pie....you know it's going to be good.

Well, this recipe comes from one of *those* people....my Aunt Janice. When she mentioned these Pecan Snowballs around Christmastime, I knew I MUST make them!

Two things....

1. Aunt Janice says that she usually doubles this recipe. I forgot to buy double the pecans.  I will not make that mistake again. DOUBLE IT....they go FAST!
2. The.dough.is.so.good.....do not pinch off a piece to taste before baking.  You may end up eating half the dough before it gets to the oven. {Not that I did that or anything.}

Pecan Snowballs
{from Aunt Janice}

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
3 Tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup flour
Powdered sugar to coat the snowballs after baking

Cream sugar, salt, butter.

Add vanilla, then flour and nuts.

Chill 2 hours.

Form small balls...about 1 inch diameter


Place balls on cookie sheet and bake in 250 degree oven (yes, two hundred fifty:)  until light brown on bottoms......40-50 minutes.


Roll them in powdered sugar as soon as they are cool enough to handle.  Then, roll them again after they've cooled more.  Then, roll them again when completely cool.

These cookies were a huge hit at our house!  Make them....just remember to double that batch!

Peggy Loves Vintage - Cutie Couples

Happy Hump Day friends! I am having sooo much fun with these adorable Cutie Couples from Peggy Loves Vintage! She created three different sets of cutouts of these adorable couples for us  just in time for Valentine's Day!! (there's even one of a lady whomping on a guy with a frying pan!! LMBO!)   I was over at my friend DeeDee's blog the other day, and she made the cutest joy fold card, and I fell in love with it! HERE is her card (she used one of Peggy Loves Vintage Cutie Couples too!! So I then set off to learn how to make one. HERE is the link to the video if you are interested. I just think it's so cute!  I grabbed some of my scrap papers and made up this cute card VERY quickly!

I printed the cute little image out and just printed out a sentiment on my computer to go with it. I pretty much followed Mary's instructions all the way down to using the heart from the Doodlecharms cartridge on the Expression. LOL! I added a cute little bow made with red and white striped twine from PTI to the center of the heart. I also added a punched heart border courtesy of Martha Stewart.

You can find this adorable couple, along with many other cute, cute, CUTE ones over at Peggy Loves Vintage.  The only way to make card making easier is to walk into a store and buy one! Thanks so much for stopping by to see me today, and hope to see you back again soon! Hugs!

I think I will call this 'The Summer Series'.

More from my Christmas book (two posts ago).

Heather Locklear on marriage:

'The less jewellery the better the marriage.'

Robert De Niro's son on September 11:

'It was like watching the moon fall.'

And I like what Rodney Dangerfield has to say here about women:

'I can't figure women out. They put on makeup for three hours. They wear things that make them look smaller. Things that make them look bigger. Then they meet a man and want the truth.'

I also like this from him:

'When you walk up five flights of stairs at four in the morning, there's definitely a hooker involved.'

Meringue Powder . . . Works for Me Wednesday

Using meringue powder is not the only way to make royal icing, but it's what I use to make mine.

When I first started decorating cookies, I used raw egg whites in my royal icing, but I started getting nervous.  Not nervous for me, but for other people who might eat the cookies.  About 9 years ago, I discovered meringue powder and I haven't looked back.

Does the brand of meringue powder matter?  Yes.  These are 2 of my favorites:

• Williams-Sonoma brand (made by CK)
• Ateco, available at bakery supply shops or Amazon

I also like:

• AmeriColor
• CK

There is another brand that is more widely accessible.  I won't mention the brand here because I think they do a lot of things really well, but I don't love their meringue powder.  Actually, I used it for years before even realizing there WERE other brands.  Once I bought one of the brands above from a bakery supply shop, I immediately tasted a difference and saw a better consistency with my icing.

{That said, if you are experiencing a cookie decorating emergency, you have my blessing to use the other stuff.} ;)

Gail of One Tough Cookie uses powdered egg whites with fantastic results.  She even has a vlog post about it if you want to learn more.

What do YOU use to make royal icing?

{Psst....here is the royal icing recipe I use if you're ready to make some of your own.}

Papertake Weekly - Ribbons and Pearls

Happy Tuesday everyone! I can't believe the beautiful weather we are having out here! It reached 69 deg on Saturday, and it was in the mid 60's today! It feels like it's April instead of January! I'm not complaining, mind you, but I probably will be on Wednesday when we're back down in the 40's! LOL!

It's time for a new challenge from Papertake Weekly, and this week the challenge is ribbons and pearls. So please use one or both on your new project. We have a brand new sponsor this week, The Paper Shelter. And oh my gosh, what adorable images!!  They were very generous and gave the design team some images to play with!! I chose this "too cute for words" Pepe L'Souris in love. I think this is the cutest, sweetest image!!! Such expression!! I adore the look on his little face and his stance too!

The papers I used are from Nitwit Collection Luv Bugs, and the cardstock is Bazzill. I used heart Nestabilities and added some machine stitching. I thought faux stitching would make Pepe stand out a little more, so I did that instead of machine stitching around him. I colored him with Copic warm grays, and then I used R30, R32 and R35 for the pinky reds. I used E000 to fade to white around Pepe. To fade to white, take your blender pen and apply the solution to your paper around part of your image.  Don't go right up against your image, leave about 1/8" space between your image and where you wet your paper with blender solution. Make sure you can tell that your paper is wet with it. While the paper is still wet with blender pen, take your shadow color and from the edge of your image out, flick your shadow color out and away from your image.  What will happen is your blender solution will draw the color out and your shadow color will fade away to white. I love this technique and use it constantly! Remember, practice, practice, practice. And I've definitely found that the lighter colors work the best with this technique.

Please be sure and visit Papertake Weekly to see the fabulous creations from my very talented DT sisters! Then we would love it if you'd grab your paper and glue and join in the challenge with us! Thanks so much for stopping by to see me today, and hope to see you back again tomorrow for another adorable "cute couples" card made with an image from Peggy Loves Vintage! Have a wonderful day! HUGS!