Almost the Weekend!

Well, it's almost Friday and I am so ready for the weekend. It's been a really busy week. Last weekend my hubby and I demolished the master bathroom in order to renovate. Our bathroom is REALLY small so it's not such a huge project, but big enough. We completed the tiled floor last night and this weekend we will hopefully get it painted and the new cabinet in. I just signed up for this online craft class. Really looking forward to it, I think she has such a great style. I definitely think you should check it out. It's a go at your own pace kind of thing.

Last week I found some cute items at Anthropologie and Williams -Sonoma. I don't have any kids (yet) but I had to get this book on Kid's Parties. It looks like so much fun. There are suggestions for Halloween, Easter, backyard, pizza, BBQ's, tiki, winter, birthday and cupcake parties. I would love to attend any of the parties in this book. The book gives decorating and activity ideas, menu's and recipes.

New Loves

I have to tell you about a couple of new finds, hopefully they will be new to you too. First off, I just found Cosmo Cricket, they're a scrapbook company and I LOVE them. All of their papers are so cute and fun and orginal. I bought a bunch over the weekend and can't wait to use them. You need to make sure to visit their website and view the Dear Hubby Panic button, too funny. I wish all my favorite sites had one. I bought most of their Dutch Girl line and have some of their Hey Sugar and Honey Pie on order. Such fun names!

My second find is Heather Bailey. She is featured in this months Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion magazine(love that too!)She has such a fun, creative site with lot's of great ideas. The magazine article has a cute little chick project that I loved so I had to try it right away. I think they turned out pretty cute. I like her idea of having them sit on kid's blocks, but I didn't have any. She is also coming out with a scrapbook line and currently has some beautiful fabric and you know how I love fabric.

Happy Crafting,

Lisa

Barefoot and...

in the kitchen making Beatty's Chocolate Cake for my sweet hubby. I found this recipe in Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa at Home cookbook. She currently has 5 cookbooks out and there is a 6th one coming out this fall. I love Barefoot Contessa, her food is very simple and as she says "earthy" She focuses on simple, quality ingredients and I have found her recipes doable for the average person.

Beatty's Chocolate Cake

Butter, for greasing the pans

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans

2 cups sugar

3/4 cups good cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup buttermilk, shaken

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter 2 (8-inch) round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pans.
Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.

Place 1 layer, flat side up, on a flat plate or cake pedestal. With a knife or offset spatula, spread the top with frosting. Place the second layer on top, rounded side up, and spread the frosting evenly on the top and sides of the cake.

Chocolate Frosting:

6 ounces good semisweet chocolate (recommended: Callebaut)

1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 extra-large egg yolk, at room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1 1/4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

1 tablespoon instant coffee powder

Chop the chocolate and place it in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir until just melted and set aside until cooled to room temperature.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until light yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and continue beating for 3 minutes. Turn the mixer to low, gradually add the confectioners' sugar, then beat at medium speed, scraping down the bowl as necessary, until smooth and creamy. Dissolve the coffee powder in 2 teaspoons of the hottest tap water. On low speed, add the chocolate and coffee to the butter mixture and mix until blended. Don't whip! Spread immediately on the cooled cake.

The cake turned out wonderful. The only thing I might do different next time is cut in half the amount of coffee I add to the frosting. It has a very strong coffee flavor so it depends out what you like.

Patchwork Dreams

I finished my Easter banner last weekend. I'm really pleased with how it turned out. I decorated it with glittered pastel colored eggs and pink bunnies that I found at Michael's. I filled my cone with candy coated milk chocolate eggs and I'm embarrassed to say they are almost gone. I eat a couple every time I leave the house.

I bought this book today. It's beautiful and fun to look through, great eye candy. It's giving me so many ideas (translation: It's really making me want to shop). I definitely recommend this book by Amy ButlerHonestly, it makes me want to buy some more fabric for my "collection". What I would really like to do is learn how to quilt. There are so many beautiful fabrics out there and I think they would look great displayed on a nice patchwork. We'll see...

Have a wonderful night. It's a three day weekend for me, so I'll be back soon!

Lisa

I'm feeling blue...and green

A couple of days ago I was taking stock of my house and I realized just how much blue and green I have. I didn't do it on purpose, I just seem to be drawn to those colors. They call to me, sometimes a whisper, sometimes a shout, "buy me!". I think both colors are considered "cool" colors and are relaxing and inspiring because they are the colors of nature. They're the color of the sky on a warm summer day, the grass under your feet when you're racing through a sprinkler (I think I already have summer on the brain). Whatever the reason, I know they make my house feel warm, comfortable and peaceful like a good home should. This is my sanctuary.What color(s) dominate your home? How do they make you feel?

Smells Like Spring Spirit!

This weekend has been beautiful here in Florida! The sun is out, the birds are chirping, the flowers are swaying in the breeze. Unfortunately, hubby is sick so we haven't been able to enjoy it has we wish we could.

Yesterday, my mom and I went to our LSS and bought tons of goodies. They had a "garage sale" and we found some great deals. I spent way too much, but am very excited with my purchases. I got a Crop-A-Dile, which I have wanted for a while. It's a hole puncher/eyelet setter (and it's pink). I found tons of cute papers and some chipboard accents. There will be more scrapbook shopping next week as we signed up for the Treasure Hunt. We have 10 days to visit 16 scrapbook stores. Each store offers a make and take, a stamp on our passport(proof we were there) and offers prizes to those who are able to visit all 16. I don't know if I can make all 16, but it will be fun to visit those I've never been to. Who knew there were so many in the area.

Today, I'm spending some time working on Easter crafts, it's right around the corner. I'm working on a couple of cute cones, which I'll fill with candy and this adorable Easter banner. The idea comes from Candice, whom I think does amazing work. I wish I lived in CA, I would love to take some of her classes. Better yet, please come to Florida!

Also, on my to do list is to purchase one of these cute bunnies, but I'm having trouble deciding which one. They're both from Bayberry Cove (love that site)Which one would you chose?