Whenever I think of lemons, images of colorful Spring, sunshiney days come to mind. And since it is Spring (IS it really though???) I decided to bake up some little lemony sunshine of my own.
Miniature Lemon Sunshine Sandwich Cookies, I know it’s a mouthful, but whatev’s they are good, tiny and delicious!
Lemon jut imparts a bit of sweetness into any day! These are perfect as a treat or a gift!
Check out the full recipe as I guest post over at Bake It Up a Notch today!!
She decided that this year she wanted a fairy type of Tinkerbell party. Now I must admit that I like to do as much as I can to make my childrens birthday’s as magical as I think chilhood should be. I want her to look back at these days as ones filled with laughter, love, joy and filled with the type of magic that kids love so much. It all began with the invitation design. I created a stylized version of Tinkerbell as I didn’t wan to get stuck using just ideas relating to the Disney version of her.
I am doing my best to create as many fun themed things to add to the party, beginning with these colorful butterfly dessert spoons.
I want butterflies and all things fairy sized EVERYWHERE!! These were super easy to make and work so well to bring some fun and color into a dessert table! I used a paper punch I purchased through Amazon from Martha Stewart Crafts of a Large Monarch Butterfly
. It measures approx 1 -1/2 inches.
I punched out a whole lotta’ solid colors…
And some patterned ones too….
The background I place them on was made with some other fun and vibrant patterned paper. To make these I used a round one inch punch from Fiskars I purchased from Amazon 
.
The dessert spoons I used are probably the cutest things ever! I also purchased these spoons through Amazon
.
This is what you will need to make them…
Punch out all of your butterflies out of both the solid and patterned paper. Also Punch out all the circles that you will be needing. Fold the top butterfly (patterned paper) slightly in the middle so that the wings fan out.
Using a glue gun or glue dots attach it to another butterfly (solid color).
And then attach it to the round punch paper…
Finally attach to the BACK (Flip the spoons over)of the top portion of the spoon.
So incredible easy right!!!! These are perfect place in little cups of jello, pudding, cupcakes small cookies or cakes…anything really. They just add a pop of fluttery, fun into any fairy, butterfly or Tinkerbell themed party.
Hope you enjoy and stay sweet my peeps!
Whatever…I guess it comes with the season. But at least it’s almost over. I can smell spring just on the edge of each gusty March wind and am counting down the seconds until the Sun shines warmly on my skin. With a new season almost upon us what better way to celebrate that with a giveaway!
A cash giveaway. I bet there is a ton of stuff $1100.00 could purchase. Good LUCK, and I hope it’s a lucky spring for you!!!
These large cash giveaways would not be possible without an amazing group of bloggers and small businesses who contribute. They include: Spaceships and Laser Beams, Vintage Confections, Tania Fischer Design, This Little Mama, Made by a Princess, Mighty Delighty, Designed by Dawn Nicole, Yumtastics, French Pemberley, Samantha Walker LLC, Jellyfish Prints, Young Adult Money, A-Manda Creation, BellaArtista Invitations, Sugar Co., BellaGrey Designs, Party Patisserie, A Wife A Mom A Life, Babies Artroom, Piece of Cake, KristeNicole Photography, Housekeeping Services of Hilton Head, The Storybook Shoppe, Seshalyn Parties, Best Birthdays, Customized Wedding Creations, Fantabulosity, Giggles and Grace Designs, Magical Vacations by Tracy, One Swell Studio, Eat It & Say Yum, Wise Owl Shop, Reality To Dreams, Sugar Sugar Cakes, UR Invited, Tutus & Bowties Events, Be Envied Entertaining and Child Go Go. And that’s not all! To see the entire list check out the Rafflecopter form below!
PRIZE: One winner will receive $1100 USD payable via PayPal
Eligibility and Rules: This giveaway runs from Thursday, March 27, 2014 at 11:59PM to Monday, April 21, 2014 at 11:59PM. It is open to individuals over the age of the majority in their home country. The winner will be chosen randomly through the Rafflecopter form. It is the sole responsibility of the winner to report to and adhere to all laws in their respective country, which includes payments to any governing tax body. This giveaway is void in any country or territory where it is prohibited by law.
Claiming Prize: The prize will be sent via PayPal. The winner must have a PayPal account to receive it. The winner also must claim their prize within 48 hours of receiving notice. If you do not claim your prize within this time frame, your entry will be void and another winner will be drawn. Please ensure that spaceshipsandlaserbeams [at] gmail [dot] com is on your “safe list.”
Disclosure: This is a blogger-sponsored event that is in no way affiliated with PayPal, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram or any other social media channel. If you have questions, email Stephanie at Spaceships and Laser Beams at spaceshipsandlaserbeams [at] gmail [dot] com.
As most SAHM know that finding time to do anything for yourself, can at times be a tough. For me as soon as I sit down, someone wants juice, or crackers or a movie on or just me in general. It becomes a challenge to find the time I need to actually pull these ideas from the constant buzz of ideas inside my head to create them.
These candy filled Easter egg cookies were actually the first version of these cookies I made, even before I made the Pot of Gold version for St. Patrick’s day. That idea was born as I was working on these and since St. Patty’s day tends to come before Easter, I posted that one first.
Before I get into the whole shabang, about how I made them I need to insert a small bit of information here. Typically when I make decorated sugar cookies I use Royal Icing to decorate them. I also use Royal Icing when I make sugar toppers for cupcakes like these or these..
But I get a lot and I mean a lot of emails asking me about Royal icing; what is is, how to make it, where to buy it and sometimes just complaints about it. I personally love using it and working with it, as I find it to be unlimited in it’s creative possibilities, but lets be real for a moment.
Preparation, coloring and discovering what the proper consistency can be a bit time consuming for the person using it for the first time. It does even for people like me that have worked with it more. So I have a solution…..for me and for you, for right now. Because as much as I love it, finding the time to prepare it is next to impossible right now and that is at this moment in time like a sharp pin popping my balloon of creativity.
But I found alternative that can suffice for the time being….ready …wait for it….. Betty Crocker Cookie Icing, you can find it at most grocery stores.
It is not Royal Icing, so it’s not for fine detail, it’s has more of a glaze consistency and never dries as hard as Royal Icing does. But for easy to do quickie decorating it totally works. It colors very easily and the consistency is perfect for outlining, filling and a bit of detail work as long as it’s not so intricate. Its a great alternative a pinch
Now moving on.These cookie were made using an amazing vanilla sugar cookie recipe from LilaLoa.com. As I have mentioned before these are my absolute favorite Vanilla Sugar Cookie as of the moment. If your up to making the dough try her recipe. But if your not feeling that adventurous, go buy some sugar cookie dough at the store, although they most likely won’t hold there shape so perfectly after baking.
This is what you will need…
Roll out your sugar cookie dough and cut out your shapes using the egg cookie cutters. Each cookie is comprised of three parts, so make sure you cut enough cookies out of the dough to be able to assemble them at a later time. Keep two whole and cut a small hole in another (using whatever works.)
Bake the cookie according to recipe directions and allow them to fully cool, before you move onto the next steps. After they are fully cooled you can get ready to assemble them. First I decorated the the tops of the cookies using the cookie icing. I colored the icing I was using a very light pink color. Pipe a nice line around the cookie and let it set.
Do this for every cookie and by the time you finish you can go back and fill in each cookie.You will need to let these sit and dry for a bit before adding in the additional details on top of the cookie.
After they have formed a nice crust on top, if you want to decorate it more you can do so. I used white icing and made a few designs on top of the cookie, to make it a bit more interesting. I started with a zig…
I let the decorated tops dry overnight, but I’m sure a few hours would suffice it you need them faster then that. To put the entire cookie together, get the rest of the pieces and begin assembling them. I used white chocolate candy melts to attach the pieces, because I knew it would dry hard and keep it all together. I just added a bit to the bottom part of the middle layer cookie.
And attached it to the bottom piece.
Let it set up and then the fun begins as you can now fill it with candies! Just don’t overfill it as you won’t be able to attach the top. I used these fun pastel colored hard candies, that my kids call marbles.
Now add the top, I also used melted white chocolate here as well to keep it all together. How pretty!
Let them fully set up before you start doing fun stuff, like cracking them open.
Although I am quite confident in myself a times, I do also have moments when my own version of self doubt rears her impeccable self and starts up with her incessant chitter chatter in my head. Through the years I have been able to keep her at bay and learned to ignore that part of my negative self, but unfortunate sometime she comes out at the most random of times flipping her perfectly coiffed hair about out and is just a snarky b*tch.
I haven’t been feeling to well as of late. This winter has reeked havoc in our household in regards to us all passing one illness along to the next like a game of toss. And one thing I know is that when I feel off either, mentally, emotionally, physically or even spiritually; an opening always presents itself and a darker version of myself walks through.
The voice of self doubt.
I have been going over old photos and old projects that I did when I first started writing this blog a little over three years ago. It’s funny that sometimes all you need is a little space and time in between where you once were to where you are to see how much you’ve grown and that is tangible evidence that has the capacity to shove that self doubt back into the darkness. I have improved in so many areas and I just wanted to show you all what happens when you keep doing something you enjoy!
This was one of my first Royal Icing ventures it was a set of Darth Vader cupcake toppers I made for a friend. I really didn’t understand consistency at that time and they came out really bobby with no real definition……can you tell??? The photo is a real gem too 😉 I didn’t understand photo composition so much then, an just took photos to record what I had done.
Just my way of expressing my creativity and doing my part to contribute to the grand scheme of things! 🙂
Truth is my kids can’t get ENOUGH of these, so it’s my job to think of the next great thing to create. And since I use Greek yogurt to make these they do add a nice protein punch into their diets and make me willing to make them whenever they want them. I personally use Fage yogurt, because it is hands down the best yogurt EVER! (That is strictly an opinion of mine, which makes it sort of a fact in my world.)
The idea of these cute bunny bites popped into my head randomly this morning as I did the half asleep shuffle into the bathroom to brush my teeth. Because most people think of things like this at that strange moment in time right???? Or not.
Anyways they are super easy to make and only take minutes of your precious time.
This is what you will need……….
I also use plain yogurt which I flavor and sweeten at home, personally I like it that way as do my kids, but you can use whatever flavor preference you like. Next tint your yogurt orange and green.
Scoop each mixture into a decorating bag or a plastic baggie and snip off a small piece of the corner to pipe the shapes. Starting with the orange create the shape of the carrot by piping a zig zig type of line onto a sheet of wax paper. Be sure the wax paper is on something that will allow you to transfer the piped images into the freezer.
After all the lower portions of the carrots are finished, start adding the greens on top. I also did this by adding a zig zag pattern.
After they are all done, place them in the freezer for about an hour! They will be little frozen bites afterwards
Be mindful they will melt! But they usually don’t last that long!
What other fun shapes would you like to see these made into???
Give me an idea or four as I would love a new challenge!
But I’m not just talking apples and oranges here. I’m talking about the big, luscious, bright, vibrant berries I see during my fifty thousand trips I make to the supermarket every week. I never get everything I need or what I painstakingly took an hour to organize and write upon my shopping list (if I even remember to bring it.) I always have my three kids with me and well, if you have ever taken your kids food shopping you know what I mean. If your unsure then borrow someones kids for an hour and go food shopping.
But let’s get back to the berries, shall we!! Each time I enter the store determined and focused on my task to get that one specific item I need and keep forgetting, I am immediately greeted by overfilled display stands of ripe intoxicating berries. Which assault (in the nicest way possible.) my senses with their berrilicious splendor. During my latest (but not last) trip to the market, the raspberries started signing my name super loud and calling to me, not wanting to ignore them and make them feel bad, I picked up a few containers.
Raspberries happen to be my favorite berry, obviously because they are sweet and delicious, but I believe more so because they are interlaced with such wonderful memories of my childhood. Being so little and seemingly lost in the magical wonder of my Mother’ magnificent garden, carefully not to get pricked as I picked the ripe, sweet berries bursting with the essence of the Summer.
Let’s just say that my original mission to pick up eggs or whatever this trip needed is forgotten.So what’s a girl to do??? Pair it with something sweet of course and call it a day! What aisle is the flour and sugar in again??
Raspberry White Chocolate Shortcakes.
Now before I even begin, I wasn’t even sure I was technically allowed to call this a shortcake. But since I did a little internet research, I was able to find just enough information that justified my actions in calling this just that.
So there! (Just kidding by the way if I am wrong.)
To my surprise these came out even better than I had hoped. The base that I used for the shortcake is actually a scone recipe I use which I adore, because it is not too dry and not tasteless. It is light and moist and pairs with just about any flavors perfectly.
For the filling I skipped over the whipped cream and went to something more dense and flavorful and complemented the pure sweetness of the berries with out diluting it. It started with a fruit dip comprised of cream cheese, marshmallow fluff and a but of bit of melted white chocolate and then topped off with a bit of glaze on top.
Sweet but not too sweet.
This is what you will need…..
For the Scones
To make the filling…
I would suggest that before you make the scones, make the filling. This will give it a chance to set up a bit firmer in the fridge and allow the full flavor to develop as it sets.
FIVE??
What the what!! I’ve read and listened to other parents tell me about this moment on line at the grocery store, that realization that their babies are growing up. I just thought that it would happen in a more memorable, drama filled, movie like way. Where there would be butterflies and rainbows and puffy clouds and we would all be dressed in matching outfits and maybe ere would be soft music playing somewhere. But no, it happened just like any of the other moments in my life as a Mom and as soon as it happened the next moment rushed in pushing us forward in time.
When she was a baby I remember getting up a thousand and three times throughout the night to sooth her and her never, ever napping during the day like I “believed” babies were supposed to. It seriously seems like just a few weeks ago when we were there in that stage of crazy no sleep mama & baby. But that was five years ago and in between that time she has grown into ash blonde, brown eyed, banana joke telling, copy cat funny girl, who gives the sweetest hugs when they are needed the most and can chat up anyone, anywhere like they have known each other their whole lives.
Which I m aware in her case five years, but whatever, you get the idea
When I decided that this year would be the year to really begin planning her party early, I started asking her what kind of party she wanted and without missing a beat she proclaimed, “I want a Tinkerbell Fairy Party!”
I can get down like that and I guess she likes fairy’s because last year she was all about the fairy monkey princess party. She discovered that idea off of her favorite nightgown. For this year though I have a pinterest board filling up with ideas that I plan to use to inspire a wonderful birthday party for her on a budget. (If you have some great thoughts or pins you would like to add, message me and I will add you as a pinner!)
And yes I just said he “B” word, no not THAT word, the other one BUDGET. Because if you know me then you know I love finding cost effective ways to create fun themed parties. And much of that comes from my own ability to create, which also brings me to the inspiration point of her party…her invitation.
Let me first say I love Disney. I love all their characters and the inspiration they create. But when it comes to creating designs, I like to have to creative control over my own creations. I have also found that at this stage my daughter like what I make, so it works. I stayed in line with some of the colors that Tinkerbell is associated with, mainly green, but so I don’t get stuck with a specific range of colors I added in yellows, pinks, and blues.
Like most of my other character designs, I made her with an over sized decor on her head, this one happens to be a bow, much like the Snow White Character I designed a while back. I tend to over extend it so that it needs to be cut out from the invitation itself, her wing also peeks out! Personally I think it adds a little extra flair to the invitation!
Originally, I also made her little foot stick out too, but I think I will fit it back onto the invitation because it makes cutting that side of the invitation perfectly and neurotically (me) straight a bit more of a challenge. As I am sure you can see from my less stellar cutting job in the picture. This is what the rest of the party will spring forth from and I can’t wait to start sharing all of the other things I am creating and planing!!!
Have you every attended a Tinkerbell or Fairy party? Do you have any decor or food ideas you want to share??? Please feel free to leave a comment and share, I can use all the help I can get!!
Happy creating!!
Since I met and moved in with my once boyfriend, now husband. The house we live in has the back portion of our home converted to a semi apartment. It was originally built by my husband for his father to live in, but since his passing, it has been used to help out a few friends get back on their feet.
But as our family as grown over so rapidly over in a few short year, we decided that as a family we needed more space. Little did I know how much my home would open up after saying buh bye to a few walls.
That’s my hubby making faces through the now disintegrated wall, I disguised him with some sunglasses and a mustache in case he doesn’t want his face plastered all over my site 🙂
At this point we are gutting and remodeling our bathroom and a spare room into our master bedroom the bathroom. I think after we finish those two projects we will take a break for a minute or two to enjoy our new designs . And then in a few years we will be renovating our old kitchen; blowing out a back wall and joining two rooms to become one huge kitchen.
In the meantime I will use the extra space as a office/work space. Which is perfect for me, because it keep my little ones from trying to destroy play with all of my stuff. By the time we make this next renovation, I am hoping my little ones will not be so curious of my work and stop touching it .
I’m super excited to redecorate and plan all of the design work with my husband and I have been pinning a lot of bathroom and bedroom ideas, heck I’m even pinning kitchen ideas at the moment.
I am loving all of the colors that are around right now and I think I will be going with this color palette from Benjamin Moore for the paint for our bedroom.
I just love the way gray looks on the walls!
I would really love to try and figure out some new ways to upcycle some of our old furniture, because it would be nice to save some money on new furniture, but also because the challenge o creating something new from something old is always a fun and creative challenge. We have s few different style of dressers ( I know, so outdated) like the one pictured below. I would be curious to see if either my husband or myself could figure out something to make them a bit more updated and in tune with the style we now like.
As I mentioned we are also gutting an remodeling our bathroom, we are working with a narrow space, so I am always looking for ideas for smaller type of spaces. So far I have found a few like this one that I will try and draw inspiration from. For the decorating ,I love the look of two shower curtains which we also decided we would go with instead of glass doors, until my little ones are bigger. And then if we want to to switch it we will.
I will be updating the process every now and again. Now I need to let you all know this is something so out of my comfort zone. Typically with all the choices available, I tend to get overwhelmed and I cop out and go with solid colors (black, beige, brown) and never experiment with designs, patterns, or even color for that matter.
I have decided that for these upcoming changes I will take on the challenge of stepping out of my boring old decorating routine and just have fun with it all!!
I’l post some before pictures soon!!! Trust when I tell you my bathroom right now is very old. We still have a seashell shaped sink.
Any one remember those!!!!
I’m really not a fan of the extremes of either season. If I had it my way I would live in a climate that is eternally spring like and fall like. But since I live in NY which is none of these and am not planning on moving anytime soon, I guess I’ll have to suffer.
Whatever, either way I now that spring is almost here and in a show of good faith I though I would make something to reflect my absolute love of it. Now nothing makes me think of spring more that the incessant chitter chatter chirping that goes on in the morning and as of late it has returned, and to honor those talkative little birdies I recreated them in edible form.
So weird, right. But I hang on the left side of almost normal, pinkie swear!
These are the some of the easiest cookies you can ever make, as they require NO baking and just a little patience. They can be tweaked with ingredients and color coordinated with any type of season.
Like little red birdies for Valentines day…get it love birds.
Or you can use green candies for St. Patrick’s Day. If you have mini marshmallows you could also make them little leprechaun hats!
And for the Christmas holiday season you could go with red and green birdies and create some mini Santa hats for them!
So many different ways to make these little birdies more festive. And they are guaranteed to be a hit, because they are Cadbury eggs, so that leave just about negative 100 chance survival rate for those little guys.
Read along, grab the recipe and full how to make as I share all of this bite sized fun with my latest guest post over at Bake it Up a Notch !
Enjoy and happy creating!!!
