Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Baking Cookies Today!

I was given a cookbook for Christmas when I was 3 years old by my Grammie. At the time it didn't really seem to be an appropriate gift for a 3 year old, but I'm sure appreciative of it now! It's a great Betty Crocker cookbook called, "The Cooky Book".

There are a lot of yummy looking pictures throughout that I've been wanting to try & I must admit I've only made a handfull of the recipes to date.


Today I'm making the first recipe listed... chocolate drop cookies.
I didn't have chocloate squares, so used Hershey's coccoa powder instead & the dough smelled so good & super chocolatey!

When mixing the dough, I changed it up a bit & omitted the nuts & added coconut instead! I can't wait to see how they turn out & will keep y'all updated on what my little taste testers think of them!
I'm going to try every recipe in this book! Doesn't that sound like a sweet adventure to have? It will be like "Julie vs. Julia" only it's "June vs. Betty Crocker"!
I love cookies more than French cuisine, so it's going to be wicked fun!

If baking is not your cup of tea, you can always cruise on over to etsy & see what's cooking there! Here are a few treats that caught my eye this morning!
(warning) Photos will make you drool! Click the link below each photo to be directed to etsy for purchase if you're interested!

I adore these ice cream cone shaped cookies!
Ice Cream Cookies by mjammie


If I had these...I'd hide them from the kids & eat them all myself!
Cookie-Wich Lovers Sampler Pack by Tookies

Tookies' blog is so cute! Take a peek! http://ohmytookies.blogspot.com/

Aren't these the cutest cookies ever? Perfect for gift giving!
Farm Animal Sugar Cookies (12 Favors Bagged & Bowed) by TSCookies

If you are into baking your own treats, you may also like these helpful baking accessories!
Every baker should have a fun apron!
I Speak Cookie Handpainted Apron by Splashin


You need something to store those cookies in! I love these great vintage finds!
Vintage McCoy Little Red Riding Hood Collectible Cookie Jar by ccaappp

VinTaGe...supeR .RARE....CooKie MonSter........Cookie JaR..... by plumberryvintage


You can also find a wide variety of cookie cutters on etsy! I simply adore this tiara! My babygirl would love the tiara cookies!
Pink Princess Tiara Crown Cookie Cutter by CupcakeSocial on Etsy

I hope you enjoyed this post as much as I did! Cheers!

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Working on Some New Embroidery Patterns! Fairies Galore!

The rain has made the grass so tall & green, as well as little buds popping up all over the place adding more color to the landscape. The hummingbirds have returned, frogs from the creek are singing to one another in the evening & buzzy bees have been bumbling around looking for a sweet blossom.
Add to all of this the sweet smell of Spring with grasses, flowers, and the earth on a light breeze & you've got me itching to work on some new embroidery patterns!
I rediscovered this cutie in my sketchbook from back in January & have decided to expand on it & do a series of fairies!
Sketching is my 'go to' craft which helps me to take all those images in my head & get them down on paper before they fade away.
Coming out a bit of a creative schlump, I'm finding inspiration in nature beyond my continuous search for four leaf clovers to make jewelry. Thank Heaven for Spring & the urge to be creative returning once again!

Sunday, May 8, 2011

Real Mothers



Real Mothers don't eat quiche; they don't have time to make it.
Real Mothers know that their kitchen utensils are probably in the sandbox.
Real Mothers often have sticky floors, filthy ovens and happy kids.
Real Mothers know that dried playdough doesn't come out of shag carpets.
Real Mothers don't want to know what the vacuum just sucked up.
Real Mothers sometimes ask "why me?" and get their answer when a little voice says,
"because I love you best".
Real Mothers know that a child's growth is not measure by height or years or grade . . .
it is marked by the progression of Mama to Mommy to Mom.

Author Unknown

Happy Mother's Day to all the beautiful Moms out there!

Friday, May 6, 2011

Tudor Swap Package Update of Crafted Items Sent

I've been way behind on my blogging due to some family health issues & life in general taking over my free time to liesurely sit with my coffee & put my thoughts out there. I even quit coffee for awhile, but am now happily back to indulging in it again. I have a lot to blog about too...so expect an overflow of posting in the next few days!
I did wrap up the Tudor swap a few weeks ago & received an amazing package from my partner. Here are the things I made for her in case you were wondering how they turned out.

First, I ended up scrapping the x stitch King Henry VIII project because it would've taken a couple months to finish. I still plan on finishing it because it's so dang neat looking, but I need to just dabble at it without stressing over a deadline. This is the replacement project...a mixed media portrait done on canvas in acrylics, oils, and embellished with irridescent medium, feathers and a faux pearlescent gem.

Then we have the charm bracelet in it's entirety. I loved this so much I ended up making a similar one for myself! I adore those portrait charms so much.

I used an extra charm of Queen Elizabeth I to make a coordinating ring.

Finally, here is a resin glitter heart charm with a regal looking crown which I turned into a keyring. I couldn't resist crafting a little glittery something as an extra.

This was one of the most fun swaps I've ever had the pleasure of crafting for & I'm so pleased with how everything turned out...especially after having to scrap the first project & switch gears right in the middle like that.