1.25.2012

Giant Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake


Recently, I went to the internet for a last-minute, easy-to-make recipe for a festival cake walk. Chocolate chip cookie cake covered in buttercream icing? Heck yeah!

I got the recipe from Culinary in the Desert, who based their recipe off Martha.

When I'm searching for new recipes on the Web, I like to type "best ever" before what I am looking for. Examples would be "best ever banana bread" or "best ever biscuits." My theory is that if folks are going to praise their creations that highly, the recipe might be worth a shot.

That's how I found Sweetnicks' The Best Buttercream Frosting Ever. I may never, ever make a different recipe of buttercream ever. It's that good. 

But if you know of a better recipe I should try, I'll be glad to do the research! I find cake is just an excuse to eat icing.

1.23.2012

Thrifty goodness

Lately, I've had some luck at the local thrift store ...


I hadn't heard of this book before but with the names Margaret Wise Brown + Leonard Weisgard, I took it home without looking at it first. (That I managed to look at anything was amazing because Joseph was asleep in my arms!) I'm glad I did. What a gem for $1.



Still holding Joseph, I spied some real treasure. Apparently, these preschool books were included free when you bought your Encyclopedia Britannica. Dated 1966. The set originally numbered 13, but only seven of the books found their way to the thrift. Yes, I feel the urge to track down the other six. I bet I won't find them for 59 cents like the ones pictured above!

From "Understanding Numbers"

What is it about circa 1960s illustrations that make my heart happy?! 
I want to jump into this picture! 

And the fabric that I used as the background? A new skirt I'm looking forward to wearing in the spring after a winter of gray and black.

What treasures have you found at the thrift store lately?

1.13.2012

Let them eat cake!

My friend Vivi is getting hitched. So I pulled out my wedding magazines and have been drooling over flowers and cakes and especially, flowers + cakes! 


I cannot find an online picture of my favorite wedding cake off all time (pg. 249 Martha Stewart Weddings Winter/Spring 1998). But my friend Laura had a cake that was very similar so she shared this pretty picture.


Here's a more exotic, colorful version.


Can't really tell in this picture, but I think those are raspberries. 
Would be very easy to change to roses.


Here's a picture of our cake. It was the only one I could find but I'm sure there are better pictures somewhere. On top was a simple flower arrangement in a mint julep cup. I guess it would have been nice to have the cup monogrammed. Notice the cake had two layers, chocolate and vanilla. Chris is a big chocolate fan (budget tip: by incorporating chocolate into the cake we cut the cost of a groom's cake). To the right is a big platter of chocolate leaves to go with the fall theme. The cutie is my cousin Kathleen. She's now in high school!


Here is the cake from the most recent wedding I attended back in November. 
It does not fit the floral theme, but I wanted to include it ....


because it had the cutest little bride and groom birdies!

Cake tips for the bride? Want to vote for your favorite?

To see even more bright and colorful wedding goodness, you can find me on Pinterest

1.12.2012

Keeping track of time

I had an uneasy feeling the last week of December. I hadn't yet gotten my 2012 desk calendar. January was around the corner and I hadn't written down birthdays or appointments or the most important thing, when school started back! My left eye started twitching so I ran down the street to Wally world and instantly felt better.

However, my desk calendar, while useful, is plain. I want something pretty to hang on the wall. I have found lots and lots of options, FREE to print, designed by some very talented folks.* I'm sure you'll find one or several you'll want to print too.

U Me It

The TomKat Studio

Skip to My Lou

Pizzazzerie

Living Locurto

My Owl Barn

JeannieJeannie

A Number of Things

Kid Independent

Dollar Store Crafts

Clementine Creative

Lula Louise

What's perfect to pair with a calendar?

A Pair of Pears

*Check back here soon for my very own special Lego calendar! 
Placing the last bricks now!

1.11.2012

Honest answers

Me: "What do you want in your lunchbox Joseph?"

Joseph: "Lunch."

Me: "What do you want for lunch?"

Joseph: "Food."

..............

Me: Will, are y'all keeping the water IN the bathtub?

Will: "Some."

1.05.2012

2012 resolutions

I'm not really up for making resolutions for the whole year this 2012. I still need to work on a lot of stuff left over from last year. Instead, I think I'll make monthly resolutions. For January, I need to create a master to-do list ... I have about 4 or 5 notebooks worth that need consolidating. I should probably finish sending out the Christmas cards which will now include Happy New Year greetings. I'm not going to worry about exercising until February when the gym will once again be quiet.

While I'm feeling anti-resolution, there is one resolution I have made for 2012 that I look forward to every night with the boys. We're reading "The Golden Book of 365 Stories." There is a short story or poem for each day of the year. Chris received the book for Christmas way back in 1974. How special it was to watch Chris read the first few days to his own boys.



Today's story was "The Sneezy Bear," a nice tale about keeping your germs to yourself!

Recognized the illustrations? Early Richard Scarry work! Love!