whatsoever things are beautiful

For some, this may come as a bit of a shock...

2010-02-12T10:35:00.000-08:00

...but this will be my last post on this blog.

It's time for my lady and me to say "good-bye".

I have very much enjoyed writing this blog as an outlet for me - a fun way to relax. It has been nice to share/preserve some of the lovely things and people that I have found. I am thankful for those of you who have visited and chose to follow along, and especially for those of you who have written to me personally. I am thankful for those people who have donated fun and fabulous things to giveaway as well.

I don't want to go into all of the reasons for why I am choosing to say "good-bye" to this blog and to those of you who read it, I will simply say that it is time for me to let it go.

But I will leave you with this quote and with warm wishes that you will choose in your life to think upon the things which are true, right, pure, lovely, of good repute, those things which are excellent or deserving of any praise. And also that you will pursue and promote those things in your life daily, hourly...

"The very desires and intuitions of my inmost heart assured me that another and more lovely land awaited me, an abiding city." ~St. Therese of Lisieux

Blessings,
Susan

Extending and Expanding...

2010-02-08T11:04:00.000-08:00

It seems there's a whole lot of extending and expanding going on around here lately.

I've extended the deadline for entering the secret snail mail valentine giveaway through to midnight tonight (because so many people don't check their blogrolls on the weekends and I want to be sure everyone gets a chance), so be sure to email me at theshoppeowner@gmail.com with you choice of valentines you'd like (the black apple set or the vintage valentine cut out booklet) and your mailing address.

And, for those of you who have any interest in Project Mulberry Bush, I've expanded upon the whole "go for the GOLD" daily schedule thing, as well as opened up a post for an questions anybody might have as a Maiden of Mulberry.

For those of you lacking interest in either of those things, here is an adorable picture of one of Heather Bailey's darling elephants.
I am in love with so many of Heather's patterns. Not only would they be fun pincushions - as they are designed to be - but how sweet they would be as soft toys for a baby or toddler??? I want to make a herd of them. A gray one, a bright pink one, a white lacey one, a yellow one just like this... Sigh...

Have a lovely Monday! This is a new day! A new week! And still, practically, a new month! Hustle!

Blessings, Susan

Monica is a creative genius

2010-02-06T12:33:00.000-08:00

I've spoken here before about Monica's blog, Lick the Bowl Good.

If you crazily didn't listen to me the first time, please be sure to check it out sometime soon. You won't regret it. She makes terribly delicious looking things all of the time (lots of snacks and desserts, but sometimes some actual entree' type things, too) and very generously shares them with those of us in cyberspace who choose to visit her blog. She is very honest about the recipes she tries, and I love that. Today she had me cracking up with laughter.

Somehow I missed this super adorable, hilarious, genius treat idea from the end of last year. I'm so glad that I spotted it this time, though. I need to say that I have never much liked chocolate (which more and more I'm beginning to believe this is because I was never exposed to really, really "good" chocolate), but I am always up for sweets paired with something salty.

Enter Monica's recipe for Bacon & Eggs.

Now you just try telling me that these aren't the cutest idea ever to happen to an m&m or a stick pretzel!

And look at how simple the ingredients are! Genius I tell you. Pure genius. Even a vegetarian can might be able to enjoy these, right???

Monica, you are awesome. I totally want to make these for a meatless potluck I'm going to next week! Ha ha ha :)

Enjoy your weekend everyone! It's raining here, but I am always thankful for the rain. I can hardly wait for the greens of Spring to start popping up! I hear a huge blizzard is headed toward or already blanketing the east coast. Be safe, everybody!

Blessings, Susan

She's having a baby - and other news...

2010-02-06T03:59:00.000-08:00

My cousin Michelle called me yesterday afternoon to tell me that she thought she was in labor. I am so excited for her. A little girl will soon be joining our family. Yay! I haven't heard anything, so who knows what that could mean.

Anyway. This is the gift I gave her for her shower which was a couple of weekends ago.

The lovely felted hair clips I used for embellishments are, naturally, from Ruby's awesome Etsy shop. Please, pay no attention to that ribbon end on the right that is about an inch too long... Sigh...

It was the pinkest shower you've ever been to (if you look really closely you can see that the gift above is on a pale pink tablecloth - this picture was very difficult to adjust to get the colors right so that I could share it with you. There was so much pink everywhere that when I took the picture it all turned out pink-ish, but I think I got it adjusted pretty well), but it was so lovely to see how much love her friends and family have for her. Michelle's husband was the chef and made a really delicious authentic Italian meal for everyone. Deliziosa!

So, my thoughts and prayers are with her today.

In other news... Please peek about and check out the wee changes I've made around here and over at my other blog, too!

Oh! And if you haven't already done so, be sure to enter my Valentine Giveaway before it's too late! It's easy and a whole lot of fun, so don't miss out!

Blessings,
Susan

What's a gal to do?

2010-02-04T18:28:00.001-08:00

Have you ever received something so amazingly wonderful from someone, even though you knew that you were completely undeserving of such a blessing, and then found that you were completely stumped as to what to do or say in return? Because a "thank you" seems completely inadequate?

Well.

If you have, then you know how I feel right now.

Last night the UPS guy brought me a very special package - a belated birthday present from my friend Jenn who presently resides in the Sunshine State - that would be Florida for any of you who are thinking it might mean California, which is a common error for obvious reasons, in my opinion.

Anyway.

So, my friend Jenn in Florida sent me a birthday present. It is so awesome. Just wait until you see it! I can hardly believe that it is really mine. I even slept with it last night. Yes. That's right. I had to break it in A.S.A.P.

I don't have any pictures of it in the box or beautifully wrapped and tied as it was when it arrived, but I do have these (click on any of the pictures below and you'll be able to see it all up close and personal):

Can you even believe it? Look at this quilt! A quilt! Someone - I mean she - spent the time making this beautiful quilt... for me!

Hexagons! I've never made a quilt, but gosh golly gee... The hexagons don't look easy!

It even has Heather Ross' little mermaids and seahorses... Sigh... I love Heather Ross fabric!!! And some gorgeous Heather Bailey fabric, too... I love Heather Bailey Fabric!!!

Aside: I don't know why I haven't ever talked about fabrics on this blog (outside of Anna Maria Horner's, that is). I need to do that. I love fabric! I don't know how anyone can resist the many gorgeous fabrics available today.

Back to the quilt.

Speaking of the back. You should see the back! Here, let me show you a bit of it:

Tiny hexagons! And you should see the lovely swirls all throughout this thing. I love them.

Okay. So now you've seen the quilt. Isn't it wonderful? I love it.

Funny thing about Jenn, though. She just doesn't know when to stop. Not only did she make me this lovely quilt from an Amy Butler quilt pattern (love that Ms. Butler, too!), but she also made up this adorable and quirky little book for me:

Of course I took pictures of it. How could I resist?

It's a little diary with a darling little recounting of the things that took place between her first envisioning gifting me a quilt...

to little bumps along the way... there's even this little picture of me...

and finally through to the end when all was said and done.

Jenn... I love it! I am so happy that we are friends. You are awesome. I totally feel undeserving on so many levels. Thank you. I hope you don't hate me for posting about this!!!

Love, Susan

P.S. Go and visit Jenn's blog! The woman oozes with creativity. Wait. Oozes doesn't sound very flattering... Well, anyway. I think you know what I mean!

Vintage Valentines

2010-02-04T10:12:00.000-08:00

I am a day late in doing this, but I think you will not be too upset once you see what I've got up my sleeves (a giveaway - with special requirements so be sure to read the instructions well!) this morning.

On Tuesday I shared a few lovely cards that I thought would be perfect for Valentine's Day or any special day, most of which were made via letterpress - and isn't letterpress just magical? However, my very favorite sorts of valentines are those with a vintage flare. I cannot express my excitement enough in telling you about the awesome ones I found this year!!! I love them and I hope you will, too, but I know that everyone has their own favorites.

Take a look at these little beauties:

A sweet panda bear who loves you "beary much"
and a darling hippo who says "hip hip hooray for you valentine".
...Sigh...
The only thing that could have been better is if I had been able to find a choo choo train...

Not only did I find those (and some very special people in my life will be receiving those in the mail this Valentine's Day so be sure to be double checking your mailboxes special people!), but I happened upon this awesome little book of cut-out/pop-out vintage valentines by Golden Books.

I was clapping my hands like a total dork when I discovered them, especially because they were such a steal of a deal. I didn't purchase them online, but I did find them here for you, just in case you just had to have them straight-away. The books aren't as cheap as I found them for, but they are still under $5 each!

Take a little peek inside:

Aren't they awesome?

Yes, yes they are. There are also little envelopes for you to make inside.

This book is also neat-o, but it isn't meant to be cut up.

And, because I am thankful for this blog as a fun way for me to relax as well as share with all of you, and for the little friendships that I have been building with some of you (no matter how small), I would like to do a fun little giveaway of sorts. I have the pleasure of giving away one full book of these Vintage Valentines by Golden Books, as well as (hold onto your seats because I know at least a few of you are going to LOVE this) one set of The Black Apple's Anytime Valentines I mentioned in my last post. I know. You are so excited now, right?

Okay. Here's how it's going to work. I think this is going to be fun, but you'll have to read carefully to be able to participate, okay? If you email me at theshoppeowner@gmail.com, and send me your name, your mailing address, and also name the set you would like to receive most (The Black Apple set or the Golden Books set), you may walk to your mailbox someday very soon (before Valentine's Day this year) to find that you, indeed, have won one of these sweet prizes. Because there is very little time left before Valentine's Day, you must have your info emailed to me by midnight on Monday evening, February 8th!!!

I am not going to announce the winner online. It is going to be a snail mail surprise. If you are weirded out about sending me your mailing address, remember that you are not to leave it here publicly in the comment section, but to me personally via email. And, also, consider this: anytime anyone wins a giveaway on my blog, they always have to send me their mailing address in the end. No one is forcing you to participate, so simply do not do so if you aren't interested. It is as simple as that. I have a feeling you will all enjoy the outcome if you do join in, though!

Have a lovely day!

Love, Susan

P.S. I have another post to come soon that has to do with the lovely quilt in the background of most of the pictures I've shared with you this morning. So, if you just so happened to notice that particular detail, well... Then you must be somebody rather special :)

I'll send you all my love EVERYDAY in a letter...

2010-02-02T13:42:00.000-08:00

and seal it with a kiss, of course!

In yesterday's post I promised to show you some lovely cards meant to be shared, not only on Valentine's Day, but any special day that you should choose to express your love with a handwritten note.

Here they are, without further ado, and in no particular order! Keep in mind, also, that most of these shops have many more adorable love note worthy cards for sale as well. These are just some of my favorites.

The Black Apple, Emily Martin, has aptly named these the Anytime Valentines. Love notes should be given all of the time, after all! These are the second version of these little note cards that she's made and I just love them. You can find out more about them here.

Pup & Pony has a few really fun love cards that I have fallen for. Particularly this Be Mine octopus card, for - I think - obvious reasons.

Mine mine mine mine! Hmm... Maybe a little creepy? Nah! Do you ever have that weird feeling that you've possibly spelled something wrong once you've written it more than four times in a row? Even though it's a super simple word and you know you've spelled it a million times. Or at least one hundred other times before... I just had that feeling.
Night Owl Paper Goods has a slew of fabulous letterpress as well as wooden cards that are amazing. I love this otter card, but the grammar girl in me is crying, "There are! There are!" All of their 'love cards' are currently on sale at 20% off through February 9th!

Linda & Harriet have an adorable little piggy card. I'm sorry, I know pigs and love don't seem to mix, but Charlotte's Web has caused me to forever have a soft spot in my heart for little piggies.

GRAMKIN paper studio has this little card that is actually specific to Valentine's Day, but I couldn't pass it up because I love it, you could say, for sentimental reasons.

This little tour would not be complete if I failed to share this awesome Valentine Card Sampler Pack by Orange Beautiful with you. Lovely letterpressed goodness for so many days beyond Valentine's Day. Truly.
Eight lovely cards...
In true Orange Beautiful beauty...
You really are "gonna love this".

Well, I hope you enjoyed that little shopping trip down the "card aisle" with me. Tomorrow I'll be back with three more cards that I just have to hold off on sharing, because they are just that good. Be ready for a fun little giveaway, too :) It'll have to be a quick one in order to get it to you in time, so like I said, be ready!

Blessings, Susan

Well, hello February!

2010-02-01T13:00:00.001-08:00

Is it really your turn, already???

My, oh my...

Our family sent January off with a lovely farewell. We had quite a full weekend. One part hard work (lots of cleaning and cooking for me), one part charming three-year-old turns wild animal, and all of the rest was very pleasant and enjoyable. And all without any major travel time involved.

I know that for most people, when they think on the month of February, the first thing that probably comes to mind is Valentine's Day. It is always my hope during this month and every month that people will not only celebrate this one day where love and affection are shared with loved ones, but that they will continue to do so for every other day of the year after that as well.

Here is a really fun idea that I am loving right now. Seriously. If you choose to click on that link, you're about to read about the most awesome heart attack you've ever read about. EVER.

I've got some wonderful cards to share with you tomorrow. The best thing about them is that they can be used on Valentine's Day, or any day that you might want to spread a little love around.

Have a great day! Not only is it the first day of a new month, but it's the first day of a new week! Get out there and make something of it! Need a few motivating words? Take a quick peek at my latest installment over here.

Blessings,
Susan

I just found a new blog to add to my list of favorites!

2010-01-26T09:52:00.000-08:00

All images in this post were found on Amy's blog.

Amy Adams has a delightful and amazing blog called LucyKate Crafts. She is a crafter extraordinaire and I'm probably the last person on earth to hear about her, so forgive me if this post is simply telling you what you already have the privilege to know. She makes lovely softies (I think you know by now that I have a thing for felt) and sells them in...you guessed it...an Etsy shop (which is not surprisingly sold out at present). She also posts beautiful tutorials which can be found down the right-hand side of her blog.

What I want to share is that last year she shared a really lovely Valentine's Day tutorial, along with a really neat (and, again, very different!) giveaway, all in one. The tutorial was to make this:

This can be used in so many other instances than only Valentine's Day, but it is darling, isn't it?

The giveaway (which is obviously over) was for this sweet pincushion softie:
Visit Amy's 2009 giveaway and tutorial post here, and if you haven't ever checked out her blog, be sure to do that, too!

Have a lovely day! If you are desirous of a little more of "this and that" from me, be sure to check in on my other blog.

Blessings,
Susan

Craft Hope for Haiti

2010-01-19T13:10:00.000-08:00

Before you read on, be sure you have already visited here and left your comment to help donate $1 per comment to help aid those who are suffering in Haiti.

Okay. Surely, if you are not new around here, by now you know about Craft Hope. But do you know about the new Etsy shop created by Craft Hope??? Crafters from here to there to just about everywhere have been generously donating their items to Craft Hope's newest endeavour - a shop that is currently giving all of the money earned through the many sales (already over 700 since January 14th!) to Doctors Without Borders toward their efforts to aid the people of Haiti who need medical assistance.

I was very happy to see some of YOU had donated from your lovely shops! How wonderful!

Tutu pdf bundles and much more were donated
by the lovely Becky of BellaSymphony and are selling like hotcakes!

This beautiful doll made by
the very talented Kellie of The Rice Babies sold the day it was listed!

(If I missed your donation or you have only recently donated to this cause, simply let me know and I'll add you to my list here :)

If you have a shop or are simply a crafty person who would love to donate to Craft Hope's new Etsy shop to benefit those in Haiti, you have until January 20th to do so. Sales will continue after that date, but donations will only be accepted through the 20th - at least in connection with Doctors Without Borders aiding Haitians.

Blessings,
Susan

Just a moment of your time, please

2010-01-18T09:29:00.000-08:00

(FRIENDLY UPDATE: 192 people chose to comment on Danni's blog post, and then a friend decided to match Danni's promised donation! All in all, $385 - keep reading to see why there is an extra dollar thrown in there! - were donated. Check out the breakdown on what exactly was donated right here.)

Hop, skip, or click your way on over to Danni's beautiful blog, oh, hello friend, where she has committed herself to donating $1 for every comment left on this post, to World Vision, an organization she has been sponsoring a child through for many years. I think that these opportunities are especially nice for those who cannot contribute personally at this time to still make an impact with their own comment and then especially if they choose to spread the word.

Again, spread the word!

Danni is the lovely shop owner of the Etsy shop oh, hello friend, where she makes lovely little things like this:

I own this necklace and love it. How could a person not love an "I love you" necklace???

She is also the brains behind the Lovely Package Exchange, where amazing packages like these were delivered to and from the homes of excited bloggers like you and me:

By in this instance

By Jessica Jane

By Fallon of the Sweet Fancy blog and Olive shop.

By k is for calligraphy

I'll keep you posted as to when this year's Lovely Package Exchange begins.

Now scoot!

Blessings, Susan

On tagging and blog awards and seven other things...

2010-01-15T01:26:00.000-08:00

Hi there.

I have been "tagged" by the lovely Fallon of Sweet Fancy and Olive fame, and also been awarded a blog award of some sort by dear Youngmi of the toki cafe' (you may remember her as Yoyo, winner of the Anna Maria Horner linens), both of which require that I share 7 things about myself on this little ole' blog. The blog award I received from Youngmi (I'm totally undeserving of it, Youngmi, but I am so flattered that you like my blog enough to bestow it upon me that I will do my best - Thank you!) asks that they be 7 things my readers don't know about me, so I'm going to do a total of 7 for both things - I hope that's okay.

Here...we...go!

7 things that you may not know about me (and may not want to know, either, but I'm okay with that):

1. I was once...drum roll please!...a Pampered Chef consultant. Seriously. And I have at least three aprons to prove it - as well as a kitchen and pantry full of Pampered Chef products.

Pampered Chef logo found here.

While on one of our many road trips (this time to Yellowstone National Park), my family of three (at the time) were house guests for a day or two with a friend named Jolee who was a consultant for the Pampered Chef and had recently moved to Provo, Utah. She regularly traveled back "home" to Southern California to do Pampered Chef shows since most of her business was still here.

As a way of thanking her for her generous hospitality, I agreed to host a show for her, and I ended up earning a ton of awesome products and deciding to become a consultant for myself in order to earn more awesome stuff (just three shows of my own was the commitment, I think...), as well as earn some extra money (since we were living on a grad student's stipend at the time).

I ended up doing a lot more than three shows, earned a ton of great stuff that I am still proud to use today even though I am no longer a consultant, and I was pretty good at it even though I am totally NOT a sales type person (I never ever tried to convince people to be consultants or pushed purchasing products, but, amazingly, I had a few people become consultants under me and sold a TON of stuff) and even though I once burned a brownie recipe (I'm sorry Gina!) and another time produced a very dry apple crisp due to not following the recipe properly (I'm sorry Kellee!).

Note: apple crisps are still good whether they come out dry or not (so long as ice cream is involved), burning a brownie recipe while showing off stoneware amazingly sells the stones like you wouldn't believe because people are so AMAZED that your burnt brownies pop right outta' said stoneware!!!

This quite possibly could be my favorite of their products. I love it in the new white, but mine is cranberry.

If you need a good consultant, go through Chris Manion. She's awesome.

2. You probably know by now that I am a mommy of three, but did you know that each of my children were actually born on their due dates??? I used to joke that these are the only three times in my life that I have been on time, until my husband lovingly pointed out that, actually, it is our babies who were on time. Sigh...

This was taken immediately after my little Eleanor was born. Look at how happy I am! It is amazing how quickly one forgets the pains of labor. Those hands belong to Chris, my favorite midwife of all time. She helped two other midwives (normally you only get one, but I got super lucky that morning, let's just put it that way) to aid me in delivering my second son on Easter Sunday in 2006 at a birthing center in Bethesda, Maryland, and then was there for me again when my little Eleanor took her first breath in 2008 at a great hospital - also in Maryland. Due to rising insurance costs the midwives started delivering there instead of in homes or at the center.

While I know that women have been delivering their babies in their homes since the beginning of time, and that I have successfully delivered my three children, I am still a chicken about actually doing this personally - and I know my husband would probably faint at the very thought of it. Ever since we moved here back to California over a year ago, I've been wondering to myself, "If I get pregnant again, who will be my midwife?!?"

3. This one may totally bore you but I am so happy about it right now that I can't resist adding it here as my number three. I just found the box of bank checks - quadruple yay! - that I tore my house apart a couple of weeks ago looking for. And. they. were. right. here. all. of. the. time. - sigh - in the bookshelf to my left... And I put them there so that I wouldn't forget where I put them. UG. In my defense, somehow they were inserted like a book would be - which I totally didn't do. ANYWAY. Again - quadruple yay!
No. These are absolutely NOT my checks of choice. In fact, I chose this image because...

4. ...images (like the one above) of little kids kissing in this way and whatnot totally irk me. I know that the majority of the world seems to think this is just too cute and whatnot and what for, but I just don't like it. Now, I do think it's very sweet when children are naturally affectionate with their siblings and other children, but the thing that irks me has more to do with the way the pictures are used and even intentionally posed. You know, for adult things like romantic cards and wedding invitations and all of that. If you disagree with me, we'll just have to agree to disagree, m'kay?

I wasn't originally going to make this my #4, but when I saw the many, many checks like that, I just had to.

Okay. I'm done with this one. Let's move on.

5. This may gross you out, but please hear me out before you run away screaming and turn your nose up - or away (ha ha ha - you'll get why I'm laughing in a moment)... I don't wear deodorant.

I used to up until very recently (last year), but then I started to have this irritation under my right arm where deodorant is needed and started reading all sorts of things about deodorant and aluminum and possible dangers... Then I freaked out and started researching other options. Not being at all interested in the baking soda route, I opted for the Tom's of Maine route. I started out using the lavender scent, but tried the unscented version I had purchased for my husband before I found out they had an original scent (doesn't matter, he hated the stuff anyway).
To make another long story short, I don't use anything anymore - and as far as my family has told me, I don't smell bad - believe me, my nine year old would let me know. I think for a little over a week I might have been a bit smelly while my body was trying to figure out what was going on. I never had a problem with actually sweating - unless I was working out - and after thinking about it for while, I realized that the odors that I may have been combating as a teenager whose hormones were going a bit crazy really wasn't an issue for me now as an adult. I think deodorant use is one of those things that you begin using and just never stop using because you just assume that "of course you need it". They wouldn't sell it if it wasn't necessary, right??? I say, "Wrong!"

Last year was a major shake up for me as far as household products and "beauty" products. I am going for as natural as possible. Not only for the environment's sake, but for my health and the health of my family.

6. Movies like The Blob, A Nightmare on Elm Street 4, Invasion of the Body Snatchers (the 1978 remake), and Poltergeist (all viewed without the consent of my parents and before I was in Jr. High - two at my cousins' house, one at my neighbor Amber's house with a pillow covering my face half of the time, and one at my very own house from behind the couch) gave me nightmares or an incredible inability to sleep - until I married my husband. There was something about living with him that made me at peace about those things.

This awesome movie poster was found here. I definitely need to watch this one again someday (as I have with one of the others) and rid myself of the fear of it forever. Ha ha ha.

By the way, I have since seen A Nightmare on Elm Street 4 (about seven years ago now, I think) and couldn't believe how stupid and gross and actually comical it was. How could I have allowed it to torment me for so long??? My husband - my true life hero - has been slowly helping me to watch movies that I have been afraid to watch. It has been incredibly therapeutic - I highly recommend it!

7. Phew! Last one. I'll make it short and sweet with no "long story short" intertwined anywhere.

I love going to church. I really and truly do. I consider it a great privilege and blessing.

And now... the 7 blogs that I pass this tagging and award on to are:
1. Jenn - jenn of all trades
2. Amanda - i am mommy
3. Kellie - rice babies
4. Mary - the provident woman
5. Brooke - oh brooke
6. Ruby - my cakies
7. Meredith - penelope loves lists

I honestly really don't expect anyone I've "tagged/awarded" to actually do this as I realize that many of these blogs are way "past" this sort of thing, but I really do love their blogs and would really enjoy reading their lists!

Okey dokey.

Back to bed I go.

Blessings, Susan

A VERY different kind of giveaway

2010-01-14T10:32:00.000-08:00

In my opinion, even better than winning or receiving something is being able to give something away - especially if you know that there is great need. Today, The Pioneer Woman is hosting "A Different Kind of Giveaway" that I hope everybody who happens to read this will participate in.

No, she's not giving away another kitchen product. No, she's not giving away one of her cookbooks. No, she's not giving away the opportunity to visit her on her ranch and cook with her and eat delicious food all day long.

This giveaway is at least one hundred times better than those other giveaways.

Here's a little hint for you:

This "before" picture was taken from The Pioneer Woman's blog.

This time, Ree is giving away an opportunity for YOU (and one other winner as well) to giveaway $500 each to the charitable organization of your choice for that charity's efforts in helping those who are suffering in Haiti right now due to the devastating 7 point magnitude earthquake that shook the world's poorest country and left it in shambles.

This picture that brought me to my knees in sadness as well as prayer was found here.

Also, for every comment she receives, she is donating ten cents (which may not seem like much per comment, until you realize that she often receives comments in the fifteen to twenty-five thousands - though I secretly hope it will be many, many more than that today!) which will be divided amongst the three top chosen charities listed by those who have commented.

Your "two cents" are worth five times more today! How about that? So, I say, even if you don't give a rat's patout about The Pioneer Woman, head here to be a part of one of the most lovely giveaways you'll ever come across.

Prayers for those in Haiti today, and their loved ones all over the world,
Susan

Update: The Pioneer woman received over 25,000 comments on her giveaway post (not to mention that she also did another similar giveaway on her Tasty Kitchen blog that I only caught just in time otherwise I would have shared about that one, too). Read about it here.

Not only did she make good on her promise to match each comment with a dime of her own, but she matched it with THREE dimes per comment, bringing her donation on behalf of the friends of the Pioneer Woman to over $7,500, PLUS another of about $1,500 from the Tasty Kitchen giveaway. The two charity's that received the two $500 donations were Catholic Relief Services and Yele Haiti. The three that received about $2,500 a piece were The American Red Cross, Compassion International, and Doctors Without Borders. The Tasty Kitchen giveaway donation went to Doctors Without Borders.

Craft Hope - Project #6

2010-01-12T09:35:00.000-08:00

It has been quite some time since I've posted about Craft Hope, though it has been in my sidebar pretty much ever since I have been blogging here. I won't go on and on about it, but in my opinion, it is one of the lovelier fruits of the blogging community.

This pretty print can be found at Vintage Verses on Etsy.

For those of you who are crafty in a seamstress sort of way, this hopeful blog where charity projects for the less fortunate are the main focus is like finding an amazing home in which to lovingly exercise your talents.

For those of you who don't even know that there are different sizes of knitting needles, what a crochet hook is for, or what in the heck a bobbin is, you may find yourself inspired to spread your wings a little or sail over unknown waters.

Anyway. Project #6 is underway. I hope it will be another huge success!

Blessings, Susan

It's time to give out my 30th birthday giveaway prizes!

2010-01-08T09:46:00.001-08:00

I wish that I could make everybody a winner who left a comment. You are all so very, very sweet.

Alas, I only have three gifts to give away.

A few of you really nailed my hints. Yay for you! Others... Well, it doesn't really matter, because you are likely to enjoy the prizes anyway.

I wrapped up these pretty little packages yesterday - you never know...maybe you will be one of the happy recipients of one of them :) I think I have finally mastered tying perfect bows! Yay! Aren't ribbons awesome?

Here are three more hints for you to add to the other hints, just because it's fun to give hints - and this time these are my very own pictures and extremely helpful descriptions - ha ha ha.

Hint #4

These are my favorite things from Bake It Pretty right now. I used the red polka dotted ones on Thanksgiving when I made some little vanilla pumpkin swirl cakes (which I topped with some super yummy cream cheese frosting - because it's my favorite). Aren't the middle striped ones perfect for a circus themed party??? Hence the circus fabric from my fabric hoarding collection...

Note: Sorry, dearies. Those darling little birdies are my salt and pepper shakers and they aren't available at Bake It Pretty.

Hint #5

I am sad that this picture is so crazily exposed, but I am not sad that this was my Christmas dress this year. It was from Anthropologie and I got it just in time and on sale - woo hoo! Not only that, but I was able to use my birthday coupon from them when I bought it! Yay! I love this dress! I wore mine (as you can see here) with my favorite Vintage Hem slip, a little ivory cardigan, and my favorite yellow shoes. I love how Emily wore hers. She makes me want to own riding boots.

I have a funny little story to share about this dress. When I arrived late in the evening at my parent's house on Christmas night after visiting with my in-laws for the day, and saw my sister (who was already in her pajamas), she immediately started unbuttoning the top of my cardigan and was staring wildly at me and my dress. Turns out she wore the same dress that day for her Christmas celebrating! Only, we both wore the dress so differently that she had to really look at it closely to be sure it really was the same dress. Ha ha ha. Her fiance' calls it the Christmas tree dress. Pretty appropriate, don't you think? Though I do plan to wear mine this spring, too!

Hint #6

These two of my favorite Anna-Maria Horner kitchen linen aprons. They aren't even available anymore, but they are awesome. I know they appear very faded and wrinkly, and they are. But that's because I've used them many times!

Just in case you haven't figured out the hints now...

The prizes are as follows:

Gift certificates to Anna-Maria Horner's amazing shop (lovely fabrics, patterns, kitchen linens, and so much more!), Bake It Pretty (even if you don't like sweets, you'll be able to snag some neat party decorations or suitcase boxes - there is so much more to Bake It Pretty than cupcake liners, I just happen to have an affection for such things), and Vintage Hem (gorgeous slips to add a whole lot of oomph to your wardrobe!).

Pretty cool, no?

Now, here are the THREE winners.

Hold on to your keyboards!

Winner #1

If you've never read Erin's blog, you simply must check it out. She is witty and crazy in the very best ways.

Winner #2

This girl has serious talent!

Winner #3

Another talented lady with a whole lot of do it yourself inspiration - especially if you love shabby chic. Check out her little girl's room that was pretty much completely done by her - get ready to experience a shabby chic and super pink explosion!

Ladies, please email me at theshoppeowner@gmail.com and I'll let you know how the prizes will be distributed. If you don't hear from me until Monday it's because I have a crazy busy weekend ahead of me. My husband is running a half marathon, my eldest son is running a 1K, one of my dearest friends is taking me out to lunch for my birthday (we couldn't manage to get together for it earlier), I'm going to the Wild Animal Park with my family and my parents, and so on. I am excited!

Many thanks to everybody else who played along. I am fortunate to have pretty awesome giveaways on this little blog of mine, so just continue to stay tuned, okay? I think some lovely jewelry and accessories are in store for the month of February...

Blessings,
Susan

Giveaway hints for you...

2010-01-05T13:59:00.001-08:00

Tomorrow is the 12th Day of Christmas. I am sad to see the holiday come to an end, but I am hopeful that I will remember the significance of it throughout this year.

I just wanted to post a few hints for you about my 30th birthday giveaway. I hope you'll be even more delighted than I am about them! I promise to site these sources later.

Hint #1

Hint #2

Hint #3

Have fun guessing! And if you haven't already entered the giveaway, be sure to do so by Thursday night, because I'll be announcing the winners this Friday!

Love, Susan

Wrapping up 2009

2009-12-31T08:11:00.000-08:00

What?!? It's New Year's Eve 2009 already???

This is a little glimpse at some of my Christmas wrapping this year.

This morning I happened upon a blog I enjoy that I remember reading pretty regularly in the past, and even very recently, but somehow completely forgot about until just now. Boo rats boo to that! I hate it when that happens.

Anyway. I very much enjoy her posts. She is very open and honest and funny. She has a great set of posts that she has been doing about Things Successful Bloggers Do that she does not do that make me laugh because of how familiar their sentiments feel.

She also makes cookies (fabulous cookies!!!) and other lovely things on her other blog like I make cupcakes - you know, as if doing so were seemingly just as easy as pouring yourself a glass of juice. She has referred to this as beating a dead horse. I know that I often show pictures of cupcakes I've made and so on and so forth, and I do tend to go on and on about Bake it Pretty and whatnot from time to time... And I will unapologetically continue to do so, thank you very much. Hopefully Amanda (of I am Baker/I am Mommy) will continue to pump out her awesome cookies, too.

Cupcakes I made for a my husband to take to work this year.

Where was I going with this? I'm sorry, but I am still stuck on how today is the last day of the year 2009... How is it that time can be so sneaky and mysterious and wonderful all at the same...time?

Oh, yes! Speaking of Amanda's fabulous cookies, you have got to check these out. They are so simple, yet so perfect for today. I love them! If I weren't spending the day packing for a road trip and then heading out on said road trip, I would have totally made these. No worries, though. New Year's Eve 2010 will surely be here before I know it!

Here they are! Enjoy!

They are count down cookies. You know... 10, 9, 8, 7... Just before the clock strikes midnight.

Here they are up close and personal in the Amy Atlas style perfection. Amanda even had a segment on Fox News for these cookies and other neat New Year's celebration ideas. Here is her post about it. Lots of cute 2010 ideas :o)

Aren't they sweet all wrapped up for giving? Now, I am not personally a fan of black icing, even though it's probably just as safe/not safe as any other dyed color. There is something weird to me about eating black icing, though. However, Amanda did do some in white, too. To each his own. The black sure does look pretty with the gold though, doesn't it?

I hope that this year was a wonderful one for you, but that the year 2010 will be even better. May God bless you, and may you be a blessing!

Cheers!
Susan

P.S. Trust me on this. If you just so happen to win this giveaway, your year will most certainly start off right. :O)

The GREAT 30th birthday giveaway

2009-12-24T16:12:00.001-08:00

Funny card image found here - 'seems representative of how some silly people think I should be feeling!

Hi everybody!!!

This Christmas Eve I bid a fond farewell to my 29th year of life (and my twenties altogether, I guess!) and welcomed my 30th year of life with great excitement and hope for the days to come.

Yay!

As an unapologetic fan of Tolkien I have to share my happiness with his descriptions of hobbits and how they celebrate their birthdays. On their birthdays, hobbits express their love for their friends and family and give presents rather than hoping to receive them.

So, if you just so happen to comment on this post between now and the 8th of January 2010, you will be entered in a grand 30th birthday giveaway!!! I have chosen not to disclose the prize(s) - hee hee! - but I can assure you, they are 30th birthday worthy.

Thank you so much for your birthday wishes thus far, and I hope that you all have a wonderful Christmas. The nativity of Jesus is certainly something wonderful and worthy of celebration!

Blessings,

Susan

Note: I extended/moved the cut-off date because I realized that the 3rd is a Sunday, and this is also a busy time of year and I probably won't be able to even check my email around that time, and so on.

I had such a great weekend!

2009-12-21T12:15:00.000-08:00

It all started out on Saturday morning when I found out that I won this.

Then, in the afternoon my husband took us to one of my favorite restaurants out here, Lucha Libre. Lucha Libre is a gormet taco shop that is Mexican wrestling themed (hilarious and very cool at the same time!), but most importantly has food that is delicious. I could go on for some time about their food. YUM. Below you will find the crazy picture they have as their logo.

After lunch, my husband/family surprised me with a really wonderful birthday celebration.

It's a long story, but in summary it involved Balboa Park, a carousel ride, a "surprise" run-in with my sister and her fiance' Ronny, and a few hours spent at the San Diego Zoo with them enjoying the animals and watching my children enjoy them as well (part of my birthday gift is that now my family has annual passes to the zoo and the wild animal park over here, and I've been wanting them ever since we moved here - yay!).

The day concluded with a really delicious dinner at a restaurant called The Fish Market where even more of my family was waiting to surprise me. The Fish Market is right on the water and has a great view of the evening ocean.Beautiful boats that were decorated with Christmas lights occasionally glided by. It was very cool. And I had creme brulee' for dessert (gotta tell about the dessert first, ha ha) and some really awesome Alaskan king crab legs with great mixed veggies and some delicious scalloped potatoes (it was my birthday so I figured I could splurge in that department), and a pear flower martini. Strangely, my martini did not have a flower in it... My daughter loves king crab legs, apparently, and ate quite a bit of my birthday meal! Ha ha ha.

Pear flower martini image found at greygoose.com

Oh! And I received a book that I've been wanting for so long - Vegan Yum Yum! I'm so excited. Seriously. If you haven't seen this book yet, you really need to. You will say to yourself (especially if the idea of vegan food doesn't appeal to you), "Hmmm... This vegan diet stuff doesn't seem too bad..." I haven't had the chance to read through it like a novel yet (I think I've mentioned before that I do this with cookbooks - I do it because not only do I enjoy it, but I find it very helpful to my understanding of cooking and baking in general), but my husband's vacation begins tomorrow and I think that pretty soon there will be a good time for that long relaxing read.

Pile of vegan yum yum cookbooks found right on veganyumyum.com

Then, yesterday after church we met up with Colleen (a very dear family friend - you may remember her as my cake decorating class partner) and we went to a Mexican restaurant out here that serves regular, vegetarian, and vegan Mexican food, called Ranchos. I had a blue corn avocado enchilada with green sauce and a vegetarian tamale for my meal. It was delicious! I spent the rest of the afternoon baking bread and making vegan chocolate cupcakes (you would not believe how incredible those cupcakes were - I finally tried one today after lunch) and talking with Colleen about food and family and life in general.

In the evening, my husband and I left our kiddos with Colleen (thank you, Nini!!!) and we had the pleasure of attending a very lovely traditional Holy Supper in celebration of the Nativity of Christ. It involved carol singing and special prayers, and many of the dishes and whatnot had a symbolic purpose. For example, the table was covered with a white cloth, which was symbolic of the swaddling clothes of Christ. A bit of hay was placed on the table in the center as a reminder of the poverty of the cave where Jesus was born. Apparently some people put a bunch of hay under their tables to be felt during the meal! I was in charge of making a large loaf of bread and was pretty nervous as I've never even seen one before - not that I haven't seen a loaf of bread, but I mean I had never seen a special Holy Supper loaf of bread. I followed the instructions (which were pretty minimal) and Providentially, it turned out beautifully golden and round and delicious. Most importantly, it was there as the centerpiece to represent Jesus Christ, the bread of life. We inserted a white taper candle into it. The lit candle represented the Star of Bethlehem which lead men to worship the true Light of the World those many, many years ago.

We ended our evening enjoying the vegan chocolate cupcakes I mentioned earlier. I think they were a hit!

The feast was definitely a learning experience for me and I enjoyed it very much.

It was a great weekend!

To top it all off, we are completely done with all of our Christmas shopping (my husband and I did this together this year) and everything has either been picked up or delivered (if only my Christmas cards were done, too...). Now I get to "get to" one of my favorite things about this season, wrapping up those perfectly chosen gifts. I can't help it. I'm a ribbons and wrappings sort of gal.

Gift wrappings by Martha Stewart found here.

Three more days until I turn thirty years old! Eeeeee!

Pretty (and pink!) 30th birthday cake found here.
I would probably not personally choose a pink cake for myself, but I do think this one is lovely. It's very feminine and well done!

Have a lovely day!

Susan

Happy Birthday to me

2009-12-19T09:45:00.000-08:00

I am turning 30 years old in only five days. Thirty. years. old.

Happily, I am not in any way weirded out by this - except for the fact that being 30 years old means I'm only 10 years away from being 40 years old, but that's only natural, right? Ha ha ha. Actually, I'm pretty excited. I like the idea of being 30 years old. And, guess what? I just received my very first birthday present for the year!!!

I'll get to it in a minute.

So, I read a blog called The Provident Woman (see her below in my list of "BLOGS I LOVE TO READ"?), where a sweet lady named Mary blogs about her life as a wife, mother of three, math teacher on sabbatical (well, she doesn't really ever blog about that, but anyway, I think it's cool), bee keeper (yes, her family keeps bees - I both love and fear that idea at the same time!), home chef (she posts some seriously delicious recipes), and so on.

Well, The Provident Woman just so happens to also be a fan of The Pioneer Woman (just like me), and she was amazing enough to buy an extra copy of Ree's cookbook, and then to take it and get it signed by Ree, all just so that she could bring it home and host a giveaway on her blog for her readers (this giveaway received 400 comments!). Oh, and she was also throwing in one of the tour t-shirts as well. When I read about this, I was so eager to win. I wasn't able to go to the signing that was in California - and to be honest, I was a little scared to. One signing for all of California??? Little towns across the country were being stormed with so many people that these signings went on for hours and hours and hours and hours. I couldn't imagine what a signing in Los Angeles would be like.

But, guess what, ya'll? It doesn't matter that I wasn't able to go to the signing. That one blessed reader who won the signed book and t-shirt just so happens to be... you guessed it, me!!! I entered the giveaway and I won!!! Yay!!!

I am over the moon with excitement.

Thank you for choosing me, Mary!

Love, Susan (who is still presently 29 years old and no matter how old she is will always love birthday presents)

You CAN help!

2009-12-18T12:36:00.000-08:00

Hi all.

I just discovered one of the neatest little blog charity ideas in a while. Check it out as soon as you CAN. All you have to do is leave a comment on Christina's post here and she'll donate one canned good to her local food bank for each comment left by midnight tonight. She's up to 28 cans so far! I know that number can be higher! I do not know Christina and only just discovered her blog due to a comment she left on somebody else's trying to advertise her little "cans4comments" post, but I think this idea is great.

If you didn't already know, this is a very famous painting by Andrew Warhola (more commonly known as Andy Warhol). Did you know that, even when he was very famous, he volunteered regularly at homeless shelters and such?

Now scoot on over to Christina's blog. It'll take just a moment of your time, but it may just make somebody's Christmas a little fuller this year.

Susan

Update: Christina's post went from 28-41 cans! Yay! I definitely saw many of you in those final comments! Way to go!

Sometimes it's the littlest things...

2009-12-17T14:05:00.000-08:00

This made me smile, say, "Awwwww!" out loud, and then smile again. And then I sat there in sort of a giggly trance for a moment.

This teeny little guy (4.3 inches tall!) can be found here with many other adorable little ones much like him in a shop called Knitting Dreams on Etsy.

I just had to share him with you.

Enjoy!

Love, Susan

P.S. This little bear also made me smile. But then I saw how much she is selling for - eeeeek! Totally adorable, though. With a little puppy dog, a sweet kimono, and everything!

P.P.S. Krista was kind enough to share this shop with me just now, and if anybody else buys this, I will cry. I love it! Sniff... Sniffle... Snuffle...

The gal with a bag of tricks that just keep coming

2009-12-16T09:00:00.000-08:00

I try to get paper bags from the grocery store as often as possible - especially if I've forgotten my reusable grocery bags. Sometimes I reuse them by transporting things in them, but I have to be honest, I mostly use them for collecting trash while cooking in the kitchen, and so on.

I have mentioned Claire's blog, Blah to Tada!, before, but today she blew me away with her tada! in a big way. I check out her amazing little transformations daily (she really posts daily!!!), and I am always inspired by her ability to reuse so much of what many of us would probably trash or toss into the recycle bin in a heartbeat.

Wait until you see what she did with this:

Thanks for the daily inspiration, Claire! You're awesome!

Blessings, Susan

Felt... Oh, fabulous felt!

2009-12-15T11:33:00.000-08:00

I am so amazed at the many gorgeous things that are being created out of felt. One of my all time favorites was this one by Heidi Kenney of My Paper Crane:

Isn't it just too good??? I love it. One might even call her "practically perfect in every way". Hee hee...

I've mentioned a few felt fancies of mine on here in the past, but I just can't resist sharing another one I have been loving for a good while now. I don't actually own any of these pieces, so I can't say with 100% confidence that they are awesome, but I sure wish that I did so that I could!

Introducing... Ink & Button

Ink & Button is a sweet little Etsy shop run by Lisa. Here's what she has to say about it: "I began working with vintage buttons and felt after my husband and I got engaged in August, 2008. As a DIY bride, I wanted to create unique, timeless bouquets for myself and my bridesmaids. After months of searching for vintage buttons at antique stores and hours of stitching petals and leaves while watching Pride & Prejudice, the dream was complete! Since May, I have been working on some new designs to offer YOU at the Ink & Button boutique." You can see pictures of her gorgeous wedding here, and Lisa also has a blog of her own.

Now. Something very cool is about to happen. You are going to start oohing and ahhing over these lovely things as they come. But you will find, that, miraculously, they just get better and better and better with each shot :O) At least, I think so... Watch...

Sigh... So pretty!

Ooohhh... Green... and pheasant feathers...

Triple treat!

Daisy. I love you.

Lady in red. Isn't this one gorgeous???

Plated pretties. I think these are so stunning!

Eeeek! A yellow flower brooch on a smashing green coat... Be still my heart!

WOW! That's all I have to say about this one. A vintage jewelry piece. Feathers. A vintage ball jar and matching ball jar colored felt!!!

Pretty doggone perfect in pink...

What do you think??? I think that Lisa has taken felt flowers to a whole new level!

It looks as though they're all about $20 or less. If the price tag is a little steep for you, I hope that these images at least make for delightful inspiration! I know I'm inspired! And I think the last six images are my favorite... ha ha ha

There are so very many pretty things being thought up and made by such gifted and crafty (in a crafter's sense of the word, of course) people... Thank you, Lord, for the gifts you've given to each of us. May we all use our own gifts well, whatever they may be, and never squander them!

Blessings, Susan

Taxes and laundry...

2009-12-14T11:01:00.000-08:00

Will they never cease to be???

Here's a little link to at least ease some of your laundry woes. As for taxes... Sorry. This gal's in the same boat as everybody else.

Love, Susan (self-dubbed Queen of the Maidens of Mulberry)

And the winner is...

2009-12-10T11:06:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone.

This has been a tough past couple of days for me, and today is very full as well, so I have to hurry up and post this giveaway result information. Thank you for your patience.

First of all, thank you so much, Anna-Maria! I love your work!

Second, thank you all so much for following along and for your answers. I loved reading them. Some of them reminded me so much of what I would choose to say! :O)

This was my first time using Random.Org and my oldest son got to input everything and do it for me. He was excited, even though it only lasted a mere 15 seconds. That being the case, the lucky winner is a very delightful coincidence. I was pretty shocked, though, to see that only 31 of you were interested in owning your very own Anna-Maria Horner kitchen linens - too many questions to answer, maybe? (Well, 32 that I know of. Jenn of All Trades... I am so sorry. I have no idea why you can't leave comments on here anymore.)

My husband recently taught me a neat little trick for capturing an image on a page using our mac and I am thrilled! Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to figure out how to show you the next two images:

Reader comment number 12, youngmi, you are the winner!

Here's what she had to say:

After some investigation, I found that her name (at least I'm pretty sure) is Yoyo. And Yoyo has an adorable shop called the toki cafe' on Etsy.

I think that this little Dim Sum Set is probably my favorite. It reminds me of Chinese weddings and other yummy meals spent with my family when I was little, as well as some yummy meals with my family now that I am older. Isn't it adorable???

And just look at this little giraffe...

And this honey bunny...

And I don't think there's a kid in the world (nor a mommy) who wouldn't want to play with this play set of foods...

The reason I thought that my son having clicked and landed upon the 12th comment as the winner was a delightful coincidence... is because Yoyo also makes these:

...and I know he would absolutely go crazy to add these to his space for special things.

Anyway.

Congratulations, Yoyo! You won! Please email me at theshoppeowner@gmail.com and we'll figure out how to get your prize to you :O) May it be regularly splattered with fermented soybean paste, fish sauce, and flour! Yay!

Have a wonderful day, everybody. If you are very sad not to have won this giveaway, fear not! More giveaway goodness (and I do mean goodness) is to come in the near future. My 30th birthday is coming up this Christmas Eve, after all!

Blessings, Susan

Just a reminder...

2009-12-08T17:02:00.000-08:00

I almost failed to remind you that my 100th post/the Anna-Maria Horner kitchen linen giveaway ends tomorrow. Because I am reminding you so very late in the day, the giveaway winner will be announced on Wednesday evening around this time.

I hope you are all having a good day.

Love, Susan

Give it all you've got...

2009-12-06T08:51:00.000-08:00

This beautifully written quote was found right here.

I hope it encourages you and reminds you that, during this season, when giving gifts is on most everybody's mind, those gifts which are given in and out of love are the ones that matter the most - whether they come wrapped up in pretty papers and ribbons or not.

Blessings, Susan :O)

Calling all Maidens of Mulberry!

2009-12-03T13:12:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to let you all know that I have started another blog in order to chronicle more of my journey of carrying out Project Mulberry Bush. If you're interested, please join the proud ranks as a Maiden of Mulberry by visiting here.

And if you haven't entered to win my 100th post giveaway yet, be sure to do so as soon as possible! You don't want to miss it, trust me!

Blessings, Susan

Belated 100th post giveaway!

2009-12-02T11:44:00.000-08:00

Okay. So, a while back I posted my 100th blog post and told you that I was waiting on this awesome lady to get back to me about these items so that I could host a giveaway to celebrate that little blog milestone. Well, if you know anything about Anna-Maria Horner, you know she's got her hands (and her heart) quite full. She is wife to one, mommy to six, and fabric/pattern/everything designer for thousands and thousands and thousands. I am in awe of her as she seems to handle everything with such grace and beauty. Her newest Little Folks dobby dots fabrics are so beautiful! And check out her little boy, Roman, making it hard to decide whether he or his mommy's new flannels are the cutest.

Okay, there was really no contest there. Roman definitely wins - but the flannels are wonderful, don't you agree? Anyway. Anna was finally able to get back to me this morning and I am overjoyed!

Thank you, Anna, for spending some of your valuable time on me.

One of my first ever posts was about Anna's newest aprons and how much I loved them so it is fitting that I'll be giving some away - yay! It's been a while since I posted that, and now she's got an entirely new set out already. I'm telling you, I have no idea when this woman gets any sleep! Her newest aprons and kitchen linens are every bit as stunning as the last set, too! Also, "for the remainder of 2009, a portion of all of Anna Maria's kitchen linen sales will be donated to help feed hungry families in Middle Tennessee." How cool is that?

Here are a few pictures of her newest collection for your viewing pleasure:

This is sold as a a family gift set. I think it's absolutely adorable. Does Mrs. Horner know good design, or what? Her aprons always seem to me that they would make beautiful dresses with just a little tweeking. I would love to have this one for my daughter and me to use together - not that she's much help in the kitchen yet. Right now she's more of a cupboard reorganizer, if you know what I mean... It actually makes me pretty happy to see her be so happy in the kitchen, and to be organizing, especially!

Here's the pumpkin version of the family gift set. I am having a hard time deciding which set I like more. I like anything with the word and color of pumpkin in it, and this adult apron is so beautiful, but I think that I am pretty taken with the sea salt set.

You can buy the adult aprons, the towels, and the little girl's apron individually if you're not interested in the entire family gift set. I love her variety of kitchen towels and think they would make stunning gift and gift wrap!

Speaking of gifts... It's time to give out mine in honor of my 100th post and all of you, my lovely readers. One lucky reader will get to choose a set from Anna's kitchen linen collections pictured below. Take a gander at these two sets of half aprons and kitchen towels:

The first set:

(pretty towels and a matching apron!)

The second set:

(more pretty towels and another matching apron!)

OR, you can choose either of the two new full adult aprons in the family sets above (see them here and here) without towels, just because :O)

I think both sets are so gorgeous and I would happily wear and use them whilst completing my Project Mulberry Bush work, baking with my Bake It Pretty goodies, and so much more.

Now, I know that you are dying to know what you have to do to win. The answer is simple, though the task is definitely requires a little work on your part. Trust me, it's worth it. Anna's towels and aprons are wonderful - take it from a lady who has a good number of them in her kitchen.

You must "answer me these questions three" :O)

1. Do you actually wear aprons for any reason on a regular basis? Fear not! An honest answer of "no" will not disqualify you from winning one!
2. Which of the sets listed above would you love to use for yourself or give as a gift to someone else?
3. This one may prove to be the hardest one, but I hope not: In your life, what is the true meaning of Christmas?

The winner of this giveaway will be announced on Wednesday, December 9th, so hurry up and click on that comment button if you're "in it to win it"!

Blessings,
Susan

For Sale

2009-11-28T08:04:00.000-08:00

Were you out shopping like a crazy person yesterday? Not me. But then again, I never do go out shopping the day after Thanksgiving. My family and I were blessed to spend the day together with two sets of old friends that we have missed and have not seen in quite a while. It was so nice to see them and their kiddos.

I finally sat down this morning and peeked around online, happily finding that there are lovely sales to be found online right now :O) Please forgive me as I am having trouble making links at this time. I will try to fix it all later.

These are my favorites:

Vintage Hem is having a "black Friday Sale" and six of their skirts on on sale now for 50% off. And, after a little snooping around online, I also discovered a $5 off coupon, too! (Use code JENGET5) Vintage hem doesn't charge shipping if you spend over $25 and they don't seem to charge any tax, either. I love the Effie's Dessert slip I purchased in Lady Vanilla a while ago so this excites me. Check it out!

Amanda has so many new and exciting things in her Bake It Pretty shop, and she's offering 15% off all orders over $25 right now. (Use code FROSTY)

If you are on the hunt for cheap magazines, Amazon has a TON of them on sale for $5 right now! Some are even for 2 year subscriptions! Just google Amazon magazine subscription and you'll be linked to the front page where a long list runs along the right hand side of the screen. Remember, there are no additional fees and if you already have the magazine, you will automatically receive a subscription renewal/extension.

And be sure to peek around Etsy for mega sales and deals from your favorite sellers and beyond. If you're looking for "the perfect gift" or something truly unique, I know you can find it there.

I had an all in all lovely Thanksgiving. My arm has not been in the least bit helpful, but I am learning how to rely more on my left arm, as well as on my husband who has been tremendously helpful these past few days.

Blessings,

Susan

I am thankful...

2009-11-24T09:38:00.000-08:00

I am thankful that, due to breaking my right arm yesterday morning (a one inch fracture of the radial head bone, if you're interested, so it's not too bad - meaning, I am not confined to a cast, and I didn't have to have any horrifying surgery involving pins, nor did I have to have any resetting of any kind - thank you Lord of heaven and earth!), I am now so much more appreciative of the years of use I've gotten out of said arm. Now that I'm forced to be left handed, as well as single handed, life has gotten a tad more complicated.

Isn't it sad that it so often takes the loss of something to learn to appreciate it? I pray, once again, that I will learn from this lesson and simply appreciate what I have while I have it.

Norman Rockwell image found here.

I am thankful, yet again, for my double ringed baby sling. Not only was I able to use it to carry my babies around, but it was - and is - so awesome for slinging my arm in. And much prettier than that uncomfortable and hideous hospital sling.

Rockin' Baby sling image found here. I don't have this particular sling, but it's very similar.

I am thankful that my husband has an awesome job and is able to take the rest of the week off to help out - and that many days coming up involve food that I don't have to prepare.

I am thankful for my mommy who came down to take care of my kids while I waited for urgent care.

I am thankful for my kids and husband, who have been loving me as gently as they can for the time being.

What are you thankful for?

Lefthandedly Yours,
Susan

Happy 1st Birthday, Bake It Pretty!

2009-11-17T09:24:00.000-08:00

If you have been a regular visitor around here, then you know that I have a fondness for Amanda and her lovely shop, Bake It Pretty. Bake It Pretty and I, we go way back. Well, at least, "way back" to my first days on Etsy, when Amanda's shop there was still called A. Bel EMPORIUM. I remember how excited I was to see all of the neat vintage decorating things she had there, and how it reminded me so much of when I was a little girl. And so, I think I've been a fan ever since.

Anyway. Let's get to the point here.

Bake It Pretty is celebrating it's very first birthday today! Yay!

This was my little Eleanor's 1st birthday cupcake :O) She is happy to share it with Bake It Pretty!

AND, best of all, Amanda is celebrating by giving away an awesome Honor's Club Cupcake 101 Decorating Kit to one lucky reader of her blog. I know you want it, so scoot on over there and leave her some birthday/anniversary comment love!

Have a wonderful day!

Love, Susan

Project Mulberry Bush - Weekend Recap

2009-11-16T09:37:00.001-08:00

So, on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, Project Mulberry Bush continued to press on - and it's still going strong this morning! Yay! I'll try to keep this recap brief. You know... In the off-chance that you are completely bored stiff with this PMB business. And, you know how good I am at being brief on this here blog...

Friday - "This is the way we sweep the house..."

Most of my sweeping was done on Wednesday, but honestly, I had never really planned on Friday being a "sweeping" sort of day - at least, not so much with a broom. Again, hurrah for modern conveniences! I had planned this day to be all about sweeping away any cobwebs and dust, and then vacuuming. And that's pretty much what happened. Pretty exciting, eh? I also cleaned out my vacuum even more thoroughly than usual. Sadly, I didn't notice any difference in its ability to really suck things up. Boo rats boo...

Lovely Hoover Ad found here.

Also, I noticed - and have been meaning to mention - that Trader Joe's has an awesome card with regard to vacuuming... You must check it out. I purchased a few and plan on sending them to friends who I think will get a kick out of it. If you haven't perused the Trader Joe greeting card selection, do check it out. They are only 99 cents each, usually vintage in feel, and generally pretty perfect.

Saturday - "This is the way we bake our bread..."

As I have been excitedly telling you, Saturday morning was spent in a 3.5 hour long cake decorating class. So, while I may not have actually baked anything on this day, I did spend the day around freshly baked breads (the Laguna Culinary Arts Institute has a little bistro of sorts as its entrance, and man, oh man, did those freshly baked sandwich breads look so delicious paired with those lovely thin slices of prociutto and tomatoes and cheeses and and and...) and working with some lovely baked vanilla cake (baked by my dear friend Colleen the afternoon before). We had a fun time learning the basics of cake decorating. I think my roses turned out pretty gosh golly gee whizzeroo adorable, but I'll let you be the judge of that when I post some pictures later on. Hopefully you won't classify me in the cake wrecks department...

Pretty frosting roses found here.

I would call what we learned "vintage decorating", as, nowadays, cakes are mostly decorated with fondant and marzipan and stenciling and ribbon, or with fresh flowers, fruits, and so on. HOWEVER, I think that I will really enjoy using what I learned in our class in the future. I am definitely loving the idea of creating giant icing roses on some cupcakes. Oh dear me! They are going to be too, too good.

After class I was in serious need of a hot lunch with absolutely NO SWEETNESS allowed (with the exception of the sweetness provided by the company that soon surrounded me - my kids seemed pretty happy to see me, and that is certainly something to savor). Colleen and I met up with my husband and kids, and my mother-in-law and sister and brother-in-law at the Irvine Spectrum, which is an Orange County fancy outdoor mall. We decided to eat at the Cheesecake Factory - ironic, I know, but I can never resist this place. 'Just so you know, we didn't have any dessert. We started out sharing an order of avocado eggrolls (so savory and good), and with a basket of their french and barley bread rolls. I chose to eat Renee's Special, which is a bowl of hot soup du jour (it was yummy - creamy artichoke and mushroom soup, filled with vegetables and a little bit of chicken breast), a chicken salad sandwich, and a side salad. My husband had the salad because I was so full already (our big group also shared an order of avocado eggrolls (I LOVE those things!), and he had ordered a steak that pretty much came with no veggies - unless you are the sort who has convinced yourself that french fries and onion rings are satisfactory vegetables. By the way, I am all in favor of eating french fries and onion rings (YUM), but I am a colorful vegetables person. With vegetables (and fruits), I believe that the more colorful they are and the more colors you can eat, the better!

We also saw the movie Where the Wild Things Are. I loved it. And my kids (9 years old, 3 years old, and 1 year old) all loved it, too - yes indeedy. Eleanor, who I had hoped would stay asleep through it, woke up anyway, but she was so sweet. She watched it intently, and whenever someone in the movie was funny she sort of giggled a bit, or if someone would be sad, she would whisper, "sad..." And when they were being wild, she would make a bit of a shocked face with her lips in a constant "uh oh". I love her so much. I'm not saying that the kids understood it completely, but they did enjoy it.

You can find this poster image everywhere, but I found it easiest to access here.

And we ended the evening with pizza and friends. See? Lots of baked goodness going on... Okay. Maybe I'll do better next Saturday...

Sunday - "This is the way we go to church..."

And, go to church we did. And it was heaven on earth.

And that brings us back to Monday - Wash Day. Here we go 'round indeed...

This adorable little image was found here in a very cute vintage Etsy shop called goodlookin.

A final note, I won't be posting my Project Mulberry Bush recaps here anymore. I have started a blog for it, but I am not sure exactly how it will work altogether, so I'm keeping it private for now. I'll let you know in the future when and if it is up and ready to be shared, so if you're interested in following, just watch in the future for that update. I am making a few changes to PMB, and I hope that you will like them and will choose to follow along later.

Have a great day! It's the start of a new week, so get out there and do some work that you can be proud of!

Blessings, Susan

Project Mulberry Bush - Thursday's recap

2009-11-13T11:46:00.000-08:00

Project Mulberry Bush, Thursday - Mending Day recap:

This Painting is by Winslow Homer. He called it Mending the Nets. You can find it here.

So Thursday was mending day. I believe the song says, "this is the way we mend our clothes...", but the only clothing we have that needs mending requires the use of black thread, which, on Thursday morning, I came to realize that I am fresh out of. I am also out of money for the most part right now, so I decided to spend the day mending other broken or undone things around the house as much as I could. That's a fair trade of duties, right? This is also the reason I chose Homer's Mending the Nets painting, instead of a picture of someone mending an item of clothing.

I am pretty happy with the outcome of yesterday's endeavors, I must say.

I actually got a head start on Wednesday afternoon by picking up one of my favorite new things right now - you must check it out - from the Container Store. Part of what I try to do each day for PMB is to prepare for the next day's duties, too. Forget about me failing to be sure I had black thread. Who ever runs out of black thread??? Anyway. I had a new spool of leftover ribbon and wrapping paper that I never used so I took it in to make an exchange for things that were needed. With the aid of this nifty little item I was able to repair a picture frame whose nail hanger had broken off. I plan to buy a number of these discs in the future - some of which will actually be used to hang some very pretty plates I've been wanting to display in my kitchen. Oh, adhesive disc creator, you are a genius! I have never liked wire plate hangers so I am thrilled with this find.

My refrigerator is on its last leg and needs desperately to be replaced by the owners of our apartment. However, as of late, it has become a tad ickier than I would like to admit. Let's put it this way... At some point, and I won't say when that point was to save myself at least a small amount of dignity, a jar of olives (whose lid wasn't fully tightened) tipped over and proceeded to spill from the top shelf (we have wire shelving) all of the way to the bottom. These were premium olives, so there was some major oiliness to be taken care of. Also, a small container of kid yogurt (one of the kinds with a foil top) was smashed open and it's contents splattered and dripped - and, most unfortunately dried - in a colorful mess along the back of the refrigerator wall - nice! And, for the final blow of disgustingness (a new word), a recent purchase of beef decided it wanted to shower its "juice" through its package and leave a small but disturbing puddle for me to clean up. This puddle was calling my name to clean it ASAP. I admit that this is the main reason I wanted to get this job done. I have a fear of meat "juice". Especially if I know that one of my kids will disobey my rules and go into the refrigerator without permission. Anyway, before I alert the owners that "I will be needing a new refrigerator, please", I wanted to get it all cleaned up. So, hurrah! While cooking dinner, I got this job done. HA! How's that for multitasking?

Other things that were "mended" were a few books that belong to my kids, some hall walls and a prominent door that needed to be freed from recent red crayon markings (generic Mr. Clean sponge, I love you!), amongst other things.

Did you choose to mend anything yesterday???

Today is Friday, which, according to the song is "sweep the house" day. I'll be doing a spin on this, and I'll let you know how it goes! If you don't hear back from me, it's because I'm busy preparing for my exciting morning cake decorating class in Laguna tomorrow. Yay!

I hope you've had a productive week!

Hugs, Susan

Project Mulberry Bush - Wednesday's recap

2009-11-13T10:37:00.000-08:00

Okay... Wednesday was "scrub the floor" day.

Am I totally boring everybody with this Project Mulberry Bush stuff, or should I trudge on in my recapping???
I immediately went to work on our bathroom floors. I swept them, then I scrubbed them the old fashioned way (I decided not to use the Swiffer type thingy), and then, to finish them off, I went over them with some disinfecting wipes (I love those things!). In addition to scrubbing those floors, I figured I might as well get some other scrubbing in, too. So, the toilets and the bathtubs received a rub down, as well, and the walls and door. I clean the bathrooms on an almost daily basis (each night when my little ones are in the tub so I can keep an eye on them AND get some work done), so none of these things was anything too crazy or time consuming.

Then I moved on to the kitchen. My laundry room is connected to my kitchen, but I already cleaned that floor space on Monday for "wash the clothes day", so I was able to skip that and work solely on the kitchen floor. I got down on my knees and scrubbed it and convinced myself that I was getting a mini workout and burning some calories - yay! (Too bad there's so much candy around here that I am having a hard time resisting right now, or I might be losing some weight!) Then I used the disinfecting wipes again. I also decided that now was the time to wipe down all of the cupboards, too. Why not, right?

And so, that concludes my recap of Wednesday's "scrub the floor day" success. I didn't think at the time about how "scrubbing the floor" should include carpet stains, but I will definitely remember that for next week. Unfortunately, I have my work cut out for me - in giant heaps! - in that area... Why must apartments always come with light creamy colored carpeting??? And why must non-spill juice cups never fail to do what they promise they won't do???

Before I finish this post, I must take a minute to discuss household cleaners.

There was a time in my life when I would practically kill myself every time I tried to clean the bathroom/kitchen sink/mirrors, etc. I used the best brand name cleaners (to my knowledge), and used them on a regular basis, but the problem was that the chemical fumes that filled the air would practically suffocate me. So, to combat this, and I am about to share a humiliating but true fact of my life, I would run in and out of the bathroom taking huge breaths of air and holding them in as long as I could over and over and over again until everything was clean.

I thank God above for finally helping me to wise up and for learning all about the beauty - and especially the safety!!! - of natural cleaning products. I cannot tell you how much they've changed my life.
I used to squirt into the toilet a now unmentionable toilet cleaner (and leave it to set for several minutes as directed), then return to the bathroom (holding my breath) to scrub that puppy to a sparkling shine. Inevitably I would get a headache, watery eyes, and what seemed like a shortness of breath from the fumes that stuck to my clothing (trust me, it wasn't from holding my breath) and the bathroom would smell of chemicals for at least an hour afterward, no matter what.

Now, I very happily smile down upon my bottle of J.R. WATKINS lemon toilet bowl cleanser - or seventh GENERATION's emerald cypress & fir Natural Toilet Bowl Cleaner from time to time, though I prefer the J.R. WATKINS brand, honestly - and squeeze away. Then I take a shower or scrub the sink or whatever else with other J.R. WATKINS Natural HOME CARE products. They smell delightful and the list of ingredients is so simple and harmless. But, best of all, I can breathe freely!!! And I don't freak out if my children want to be in the bathroom with me while I'm cleaning anymore.

The way I see it, spending a little extra money (and it really isn't that much more) for my family's health and safety, as well as for being kinder to God's creation, is totally worth it.

I have to admit that, when I was originally looking to "go natural" with my cleaning products, I chose J.R. WATKINS products for their fancy, feminine, and vintage labels (what can I say, I'm a sucker for a good label and I'm not afraid to admit it!), but now I absolutely love them because they work!!!

This is a really great post done recently by Young House Love that promotes home made natural cleaners - and you know that "do-it-yourself" can often save you a ton of money. I've been thinking about this for a while but just haven't taken the leap. My mom always used to tell me to use water and vinegar as I'd be gasping for breath and breaking out in hives while using windex on our windows. I should have listened way back then...

I'm interested to know what your cleaning product preferences are - do tell! Big name brand chemical cleaners may be cheaper and they may even work, but I do not think they are the best deal in the long run - especially when it comes to health and environment.

Up next is my post about Thursday's PMB recap - mending day!!! I know that you are just on the edge of your seats for it - ha ha ha... (will somebody please tell me if I'm absolutely boring everyone to death with my tales of house cleaning???)

Blessings, Susan

Not hungry, eh? You will be.

2009-11-12T10:21:00.000-08:00

You will be... Bwah ha ha ha ha! Just kidding. But only about the evil laugh part.

It's time for a post about food and fellow bloggers who love it just as much as I do - if that's even possible. I was thinking the other day about my favorite food blogs. They are so varied in style and content, and I think that's what makes each of them special to me. I'm going to post them randomly, as there is really not one in particular that I love more than the others, though, depending on what I'm looking for, I may visit one over the other on any particular day.

First up. The Red Deer.

I found Alicia's site - I think - or maybe she originally found me. I am not sure anymore. But, regardless, I am so happy that I know about Alicia of Australia, her amazing food blog, her helpful red deer, Clive, and her lovely daughter, Zoe.

I love Alicia's site because she asks for input from her readers, she is innovative, she is wildly creative in her baking choices, and so much more. You will be amazed by each and every one of the cupcakes she made (one for every single letter of the alphabet!!!), amongst other treats. And she's recently begun blogging a bit about food she's eaten during the week (these aren't generally baked goods, rather they are very delicious and savory looking).

W is for Waffle cupcake. Seriously!!! Listen to this description:

Blueberry-buttermilk cake topped with maple syrup Swiss meringue butter cream, sprinkled with blueberries and drizzled with maple syrup.

Now, couldn't you just die? Dying is maybe a little severe. How about, couldn't you just eat???

This was a test cake she made for her daughter's first birthday. A test cake!!!

Next up. Lick the Bowl Good.

Monica's site is warm and inviting, and it shouldn't be called Lick the Bowl Good. No. Absolutely not. It should be called Lick the Screen Good - because when you lay your eyes on most of her creations, this is exactly what you will want to do. Her pictures are so good that you think you can smell her food right through your screen. Don't believe me??? Click on the following picture for a moment and then come back:

HA! I told you so! You can thank me for that delicious imaginary food moment at any time :O)

She also purees her own pumpkin AND cooks pumpkin cinnamon rolls. Pumpkin cinnamon rolls!!! (Sorry to constantly be repeating myself, but these women really wow me!)

Speaking of women who "wow" me... Enter 101 Cookbooks.

Heidi Swanson - and her blog - is pretty well known, I think. She is not only a great cook, but is super chic and hails from San Francisco, the lucky duck! It was my husband, actually, who first introduced me to her site. He shared this recipe with me. Its for Heidi's Thousand Layer Lasagna. He hates lasagna, but he was emailing it to me saying that he would actually be interested in trying this particular lasagna. Sadly, I still haven't made it. Hey! The thousand pasta layers (of fresh pasta, mind you!) are tricky and daunting to me!

I love Heidi's site because even just visiting it and looking at what she's making makes me feel healthier. She uses only natural ingredients, many of which may stump you at first with regard to where on earth to get them (don't worry, she can help you with that!). Her recipes all look so delicious (despite what sorts of feelings their ingredient lists may initially bring up), and I've tried several of them and have loved every single one. Her cookbook, Super Natural Cooking, has been on my wish list for far too long now. How can it be that I still do not own it???

Just look at this roasted corn pudding in acorn squash... Yes please!

Another favorite in the "healthy department" is Vegan Yum Yum.

YUM. Lolo makes me want to eat like a vegan every day of the year, instead of just every once in a while. I'm telling you, vegan food never looked so good. She's got a new book out that is also on my wish list, and it's called... drumroll, please! vegan yum yum! I would very happily place it next to my copy of Vegan with a Vengeance if I ever have the pleasure of receiving it.

Fried green tomatoes... You didn't realize that fried green tomatoes could be vegan, did you? Even despite their main ingredient. I know, I want to try one, too...

Do you LOVE creamy Alfredo sauce on fettuccine noodles but shudder at the thought of how very many calories you are consuming with each and every dastardly delicious bite??? Then you simply must try Lolo's Hurry Up Alfredo Sauce .

Lolo has also been on MARTHA for her super adorable cupcake decorating idea - knitting with marzipan. Yes. You are not mistaken. You did read that correctly. I said KNITTING with marzipan. Really, it's just a neat trick she figured out and it's stinkin' adorable.

Adorable!!!

Here's another for the "healthy department", but with a twist. Easy As Pie Recipes.

Amy founded her blog (a test kitchen of sorts) and site after finding that, after years of feeling icky all of the time, she simply (or, not so simply) had food allergies! Not wanting to resign to eating roasted chicken every night, she embarked on a journey to find things that she actually could eat. Of course, in her search, she has found many, many delicious things. She has started her blog and site as a place to share with others (those allergic to food and those not allergic as well). Basically what you do is type into the search engine the things which you are allergic to, and then the recipes that come up are everything that you should be able to eat. Cool, eh? I think that she still considers her site a work in progress, but I just love it's purpose and I hope for it to succeed.

Try this pineapple and goat cheese recipe. You just gotta' love a gal who knows that paring cheese and fruit is a very good thing.

Next up... Smitten Kitchen.

There is only everything to love about Deb's stepped up comfort food recipes (everything from bread to chicken to eggs to birthday cakes to cobblers). She is very detailed, takes beautiful pictures, and I am always hungry and ready to cook when I leave her site.

You know what? I have never cooked lemon bars before. I LOVE them, but I've never made them before. WEIRD.

Her found recipe for roasted chicken sounds like the best roasted chicken the world has ever known. I've only just discovered it today. I must try it out.

I've mentioned my admiration for Bakerella and The Pioneer Woman many, many times, so I won't go into any real detail now... Okay, I will.

I love Bakerella for her attention - meticulous attention, I should say! - to detail, her absolutely perfect presentations, and just for the overall cuteness overload I get whenever I visit her site. Plus, she just seems like a really sweet person who's just as little and cute as her creations.

How about these for your Thanksgiving Day dessert table???

Or these for Christmas? She has so many other Christmas ideas. Go and see when you get the chance!

Just an everyday adorable choice :O)

I love The Pioneer Woman in general, but I really love Ree's cooking section! First, because she and I share in our love of roasted asparagus (so easy, so devastatingly good).

Second, simply because - oh dear, oh dear - this woman really understands and knows how to cook meat. Vegetarian and vegan friends, turn away immediately!!!

Point....

...made!

I can even smell this just by looking at it. Pictures like this, and bacon mornings, make it very hard for me to ever truly imagine being either vegetarian or vegan. It also reminds me of a garlic and olive oil steak my husband ate and took a picture of on a recent trip to Italy, only less oily and more creamy... YUM...

I hope you've enjoyed this small buffet of food blog goodness. I'm sure that there are others I like, but these are the cream of the crop, tip of the top. If you aren't on here but I've commented on your site, I love you, too. Really, I do.

Now, I've gotta get to my Project Mulberry Bush work for the day - MENDING! (Yesterday's recap to come tomorrow, sorry!) Am I totally boring you all with this stuff???

May the blessing of many wonderful meals in the future come to you as you need them,
Susan

Project Mulberry Bush - Tuesday's recap

2009-11-11T16:12:00.000-08:00

Hi all :O)

This recap will be short as I have to get on with other things and the day has already been so very full of outside commitments (a church service) and errand running (library drop-off, grocery shopping - I still have to keep up with GOLD V afterall - a quick stop at the park to allow the kids to get their energy out a bit - didn't do much, but they were cheerier afterward, a pop into TARGET to pick up a few things and return some as well, and so on and so forth. Phew! I'm tired just recapping it all!).

Yesterday - Ironing day - included NO ACTUAL IRONING. Disgraceful, I know.

HOWEVER!!! I did clean my iron, and I washed my ironing board cover, and I purchased the purified/distilled water I needed to refill my iron with.

So, early this morning, I grabbed each of the remaining unironed dress shirts in my husband's area of the closet and went to town ironing them. And I finished them all.

Woo to the who!!!

I am thrilled with this little project's progress. Now, I'll admit that there is still other clothing to be ironed - some of my things, my boys' dress clothes, some of Eleanor's special care dresses, and my husband's dress pants, too... Sheesh! But I will leave them for next Tuesday.

Anyway. Today is Wednesday. And Wednesday is floor scrubbing day. Since it's already almost 4:30pm, I'd better get moving! Of course, other chores have been or will have to be done as well today...

Blessings,
Susan

Project Mulberry Bush - Monday's recap

2009-11-10T10:27:00.000-08:00

I promised to try to give a little recap on my day yesterday with regard to "Project Mulberry Bush"...

Washing Day image found here.

I am in awe of the women of the past... God bless them. They worked so very, very hard, everyday. My husband and I have often commented on how actually doing housework the hard way/the old way would be like a daily workout in and of itself - no need for a gym pass! Just imagine washing laundry without the aid of a washer and dryer. I think we often forget how easy we have it. Not that modern conveniences aren't awesome. I am ever thankful for them!

Anyway. Back to the recap. Yesterday was all about laundry for us - I mean... ME. Happily, I can say that just about everything that needed to be washed was washed - including my comforter. I even dropped off things that needed to be dry cleaned, AND I completely cleaned up my laundry room. I even busted out the generic "Mr. Clean" sponge and wiped down my washer and dryer - they've never looked better! If you've never used one of these sponges, you simply must try them out. They never cease to amaze me.

The first time I used those sponges - in attempt to clean crayon scribblings off of one of our walls - I didn't read the instructions and just assumed that it was meant to be used dry because water really never works with crayon and all. DUH... I totally thought they didn't work and was so bummed that I'd wasted my money. Then, of course, I read the instructions and realized that it was meant to be used wet... As if sponges are very often ever used dry, right??? It was definitely a "DOH!" moment for me. I use Target's generic version now and they are absolutely just as good as the originals - and at a much better price.

I still have all of the rest of our bed sheets to wash today, and one dry load to fold and put away, but otherwise, I'm off to start my "PMB" Tuesday chore - IRONING.

Ironing Day image found here.

...sigh...

Again, I am ever thankful for modern conveniences. Could you imagine having to heat up your iron on a stove or over a fire, et cetera??? Well, the sooner I start, the sooner I'll be done, right???

Have a great Tuesday!

Susan

Miscellaneous things I've been wanting to share with you...

2009-11-10T09:40:00.000-08:00

I have so very many things to share with you that I've been saving up (though some of them have only very recently come to my attention), and since I don't want to bombard you with a lot of posts, I'll be sticking them all in right here.

First up, don't miss out on yet another amazing magazine deal! Your very own year long subscription to Cooking Light magazine is available here for only $5! Nope, there are absolutely no additional sneaky fees or anything like that, and I should also mention that, if you are thinking you already subscribe to this particular magazine so receiving another subscription wouldn't suit you, each of the $5 magazine deals are automatically altered to become simply a year extension to your already existing subscription. Cool, eh? The deal ends on November 14th, so snatch it up if you want it for this great deal (less than 50 cents an issue is a steal and this magazine is always filled with amazing recipes).

Today is the 40th anniversary for one of the best kid's television shows ever created - just think of how many other educational shows this has inspired! People thought Blue's Clues was an innovative show when it came to speaking directly to the children who were watching, and that Dora the Explorer was innovative for trying to teach children another language, but I have to disagree and point out that Sesame Street characters have been talking to kids and teaching them different languages for years and years - I remember watching when I was little, do you?

Happy 40th Anniversary, Sesame Street! You must, must, MUST take a look at what Bakerella has created in honor of the show. I was blown away by the sheer cuteness of it all!!! Here's a peek:

Her Cookie Monster is just too, too good. My daughter was literally squealing with delight when I showed her Bakerella's post. I'm thinking a Sesame Street birthday party is possibly in her 2nd birthday party future...

Sesame Street character pop pictures all found on Bakerella's site.

The Pioneer Woman's tour has been in full swing and she is packing each and every "house" (most of which have not been well prepared for the crowds she's been drawing) she's visited - I wish she were stopping in California!!! Not only is she having a fabulous tour with hundreds and hundreds of fans stopping by at each destination to wait for hours and hours to meet her, her cookbook is now #1 on the New York Times Best Seller list! How awesome for her! Yay for Ree!

This adorable picture of The Pioneer Woman was found with a New York Times article I can't seem to find anymore... At least I think it was a NYT article...

Lastly, there hasn't been much rain (none, honestly) here in sunny San Diego this season, but I recently stumbled upon one of the cutest umbrellas I've ever - EVER - seen. It's by Lulu Guinness - so her style! I love it!

Yup. I guess that's all for now. Gotta' get to that PMB stuff...

Blessings, Susan

Here we go 'round the mulberry bush

2009-11-09T02:06:00.000-08:00

I hope that you had a wonderful weekend.

Mine was pretty great. We didn't do anything much, but we were able to spend some time with loved ones and friends, and we had a special celebration brunch at church yesterday which was very nice. Also, I found out that next weekend, I will be spending Saturday morning here with a sweet-as-a-peach dear friend, taking a Cake Decorating 101 class. I am very excited!

I'm sure our cakes will look just like these... Ha ha ha :O) Just kidding. I am thinking we'll be learning more about making pretty vintage style flowers and such. And, darlin'. That's alright by me.

Image of these pretty cakes by Tallant House and gorgeous cake stands by Clara French Ceramics found here.

Anyway. The weekend was a lot of fun, but now it's time to get back to work.

I don't know about you, but I find that no matter how much time I spend cleaning my house... Things eventually (and I say 'eventually' with a roll of my eyes as this occurs pretty quickly) end up a big fat giant disaster all over again. Now, having three children and way too much of what I like to call "schtuff" certainly contributes to this in giant ways, of course. And, I will admit that I certainly don't clean all day long or anything like that... But. I do clean, and cook, and wash, and straighten, and organize... Oh, Second law of thermodynamics... Why do you hate me so?

It's a vicious circle sometimes, isn't it? Clean to dirty to clean to dirty to clean to dirty... And just when you think you're completely finished with, let's say, every last little piece of laundry, another day comes to an end, and there you are, with everybody now in their warm and comfy (and clean!) pajamas, and yet another basket full of laundry. You know where it came from, but, golly gee whiz... And wouldn't it be nice if you could just stick it all in as ONE LOAD and just be done with it? But, no. There are colors to separate and this and that to be hand washed or dry cleaned... I don't mean to sound like I'm complaining at all. I willingly and happily accept the duties which have been given to me, and I choose to serve my family and my God in this way without any hesitation. But I also understand that that doesn't mean that things will be any easier work-wise.

I have tried to come up with various ways to combat this daily dirt dragon and all of his dastardly deeds (dirty laundry, floors, dishes, windows, disheveled drawers and cupboards...). Everyday, for example, I go through a mental list that I like to call "Plan GOLD V".

G - groceries (make sure I have the things I need for breakfast, lunch, and dinner each day)

O - organize at least one space (this is my favorite part!), meaning clean a bathroom, or a bedroom, or what-have-you, as well as one small space, meaning clean a drawer or cupboard.

L - laundry - at least one complete load (meaning wash, dry, AND put away)

D - dishes - I hate this letter in the plan... sigh... Anyway, the goal is to have a clean sink (ha ha ha), and if not that (and it's usually not that, to be perfectly honest), at least a complete loading and unloading of the dishwasher every day.

V - This isn't meant to be a Roman numeral and represent the number 5, as you may have guessed, though I'm sure that could be worked in somehow. You know, 5 little jobs like taking out the trash, Rather, the letter "V" represents vacuuming at least one room in the house. I have a fully carpeted apartment (outside of the tiled bathrooms and kitchen), otherwise I might have chosen the letter "S" and very cutely could have said, "These are my GOLDS (instead of GOALS) for the day", but, alas, GOLD V it is.

This has worked for me pretty well, but, I confess, it is really only meant to maintain a space that is starting from a perfect state. So, in order for me to really feel like things are going well, I have to at least double my efforts everyday (with the exception of the groceries part).

A long while back I purchased - I think from Target's $1 section - a CD full of old kids' songs. Many of them I remembered from when I was a little girl. One, especially, has been speaking directly to me lately. I'm sure you've heard it before. It's an oldie but a goodie, as they say. It's by Walter Crane from his very famous book (wouldn't you just love to own it??? I would!) The Baby's Opera (find it in amazing viewable pages here) and it goes like this:

Walter Crane's beautiful drawing found here (as well as where I mentioned already above).

Here we go 'round the mulberry bush,
The mulberry bush, the mulberry bush.
Here we go 'round the mulberry bush, so early in the morning.

This is the way we wash our clothes,
We wash our clothes, we wash our clothes.
This is the way we wash our clothes, so early Monday morning.

This is the way we iron our clothes,
We iron our clothes, we iron our clothes.
This is the way we iron our clothes, so early Tuesday morning.

This is the way we scrub the floor,
We scrub the floor, we scrub the floor.
This is the way we scrub the floor, so early Wednesday morning.

This is the way we mend our clothes,
We mend our clothes, we mend our clothes.
This is the way we mend our clothes, so early Thursday morning.

This is the way we sweep the house,
We sweep the house, we sweep the house.
This is the way we sweep the house, so early Friday morning.

This is the way we bake our bread,
We bake our bread, we bake our bread.
This is the way we bake our bread, so early Saturday morning.

This is the way we go to church, We go to church, we go to church. This is the way we go to church, so early Sunday morning.

I'm not sure how well I'll do with the "so early in the morning" part, but it occurred to me the other day that there was a very good reason why women used to stick to such a strict schedule. It works! DUH, right? I am going to try it out for this week at the very least. Monday, wash the clothes. Tuesday, iron the clothes (my husband will be thrilled with this one, as I am more of a "quick, pull it out of the dryer and keep it as wrinkle free as possible" sort of ironer... What a dear he has been. Not that I've never ironed his clothes. I just don't like ironing. At all.). Wednesday, scrub the floor. And so on and so forth.

So, I am off to put what I am from here on out calling "Project Mulberry Bush" into action. We'll see how it goes - I will do my best to report back here as well. Please understand that some things, like the fact that I don't actually have to actively participate in the scrubbing of the clothing, et cetera, will certainly be taken into account and balanced out in one way or another. If you are interested in joining me as I face the tasks involved in "PMB", do let me know! Misery loves company, after all. Actually, I think this is going to make me a lot more happy than miserable, and that already has me feeling a little more victorious.

Gorgeous vintage laundry day image found here (sadly).

Wish me luck and have a lovely, and productive Monday!

Blessings, Susan

My 100th post and over 100 of you, too!

2009-11-06T09:30:00.000-08:00

Hi everybody!

Life has been busy so I've taken a small break from blogging (though you may notice I've made a few changes while away), but I am happy to be back for this - my 100th post! I have to admit, I have been wanting to post many, many things, but I've refrained, because I've wanted to make this post a bit of a celebration and I have been waiting on a bit of news.

First, I want to take a moment to thank you, my readers, for visiting every now and again, and especially for occasionally leaving me a little comment or two. It has been really nice meeting so many people from all over the world! I hope you will continue to come for as long as this little blog agrees to sputter along.

Second, I want to take a moment to thank, again, each of the lovely shop owners who contributed to my past "grand opening giveaways".

To Mandy, the lovely creator of the endearing world of Belle & Boo - I am a forever fan and am so happy that sweet drawings like yours are a part of this world, and that you are becoming such a huge success! Mandy always comes up with the most adorable holiday gift tags and cards this time of the year, so be sure to check her out if you're in the market for such things.

To Andrea, the very kind maker of many gorgeous Wrist Candy Creations - You are so generous, innovative and talented! And I will continue wear my wrist candy proudly :O) Your female friends and family members will definitely NOT re-gift anything you purchase from her shop to give to them!

To Faith, the hardworking, sweet, and quick-as-a-whip seamstress of faithworks4U - I know that the dresses you've made for my little Eleanor will be with us for a very long time, and that makes them so special to me. If you've got a little lady in your house, Faith is so great about custom orders and is SO FAST at making them and getting them out to you, not to mention simply picking from the other beautiful dresses she creates. Be sure to check out her shop if you're in need of a really special holiday dress with a nod to vintage.

To Melissa, the vintage loving, DIY inspiring, recycling queen and creator of Crab Apple Designs - I am so inspired by your innovative use of vintage paper items. I wish I could buy a whole lot more from your shop! Looking for some great cards or a notebook you are sure not to lose to make your holiday lists in this year? Look no further!

To Rubyellen, the amazing creator of all things deliciously cakies - Ruby, you are one of the most creative and inspiring women I know. And I am so grateful to have you as a friend. Ruby's about to have her third baby cakies (another darling little girl!), but there is still time to order any one of her crowns, hairclips, custom bags, dolls, etc. My children each received a cakies creation last year for Christmas and they are still being loved almost a whole year later. I love that many cakies creations inspire children to use their imaginations in full force :O)

And last (but, most certainly not least), to Amanda, the beautiful and deliciously fun mind behind the Bake it Pretty enterprise - Amanda, you are both generous and kind, and beyond cool in my book! You have inspired and aided so many in their quests to not only bake it deliciously, but to bake it pretty as well. I doubt any encouragement is needed, but if you haven't visited Amanda's shop in preparation for the upcoming holidays, head on over there and prepare to be overwhelmed by all things pretty. If you have yet to see her new baking cups, you are in for a real treat!

Thank you all for helping to give my little blog such a beautiful beginning.

I'll be doing a giveaway soon, in celebration of my 100th post, as well as reaching over 100 of you, dear readers, as soon as I hear back from this amazing lady about these jawdropping items! And if that, very unfortunately, doesn't end up working out, the giveaway, I assure you, will be something just as fun and and lovely regardless :O)

Hundreds of blessings, and may you have a wonderful weekend!
Susan

This one's for you, adventurer/mommy Steph :O)

2009-10-29T23:51:00.000-07:00

Rembrandt's Jesus Calms the Sea (found here)

"We are all in the same boat in a stormy sea, and we owe each other a terrible loyalty."

- G. K. Chesterton

I posted this quote on my personal family website yesterday afternoon, and I am so glad to share it again here - not only with Steph (regarding motherhood), but with anybody who needs it right now (because it is easily applicable to so many things). I hope it encourages each of us and nudges us gently in positive and loving directions.

Blessings, Susan

More vintage toy love...

2009-10-29T08:46:00.000-07:00

My daughter is presently a lover of Big Bird and Elmo, and various other Sesame Street characters. She carries a stuffed Big Bird and Elmo around everywhere with her, sleeps with them, and gives them kisses.

Even though I am presently trying to severely reduce the amount of toys/stuff in our home, I can't help wanting this for her because I know that she would play with it and love it so much:

The vintage (and totally awesome) Fisher Price Sesame Street set!!!

I mean, Bert and Ernie beds, Big bird and his nest, Oscar in his trashcan, Cookie Monster, Susan, Gordon, Mr. Hooper... And so much more...

Sesame Street Set found here... and my address is... Just kidding.

Sigh...

And do you remember this? And how it bubbled and popped when you cranked it?

I just spotted it here. So cute!

And, I just received this in the mail (I purchased it for a steal of a deal - and I love it). My middle son is about to start learning how to read and nursery rhymes will definitely be a part of all of that.

Pull out the puzzle pieces to see more of each nursery rhyme's story.

Vintage toys are awesome.

That is all.

Have a thrilling Thursday :O)

Love, Susan

Let's just forget about cupcakes for a moment, okay?

2009-10-28T12:07:00.000-07:00

It's time to talk cakes and pies, my dears! If you haven't already noticed, I am a tad food obsessed.

There are two things that I am dying to try to make for myself - and my family, of course, if they are interested. One has been a longstanding desire. The other has only just "happened" to me.

First, allow me (if you are not already acquainted) to introduce you to Tres Leches Cake.

***SIGH***

And isn't this first picture just as perfect - colorwise - as can be??? I love these colors together!

Tres Leches Cake images found here.

Oh... Oh wow... I'm going weak in the knees...

Tres Leches and I have been good friends ever since we met at La Brasa Latin Cuisine in Rockville, Maryland a couple of years ago when I was living there. If you are lucky enough to live near this delightful little family owned and run restaurant, I strongly suggest you stop by and try it out. Emilio and Lucy are so friendly, are fabulous cooks, and they treated me like I was their niece. And, if you get to know them, they will slip you the occasional treat - possibly Tres Leches - with your order! Especially if they find out some exciting news or it's your birthday month, or whatever. Of course, I am speaking from a niece's point of view. ;O)

At the time, it was the whipped topping that was calling my name. Now, it's so much more than that. It's been too long since I've had this little bite of culinary perfection. I must make this as soon as possible. Here's a recipe that I think looks like it will be perfect - though, I admit, I'm going to leave out the cherries. It's just not the way I "grew up" eating Tres Leches. After all, "my tia Lucy" never put it on hers.

Next, this morning I saw this post - by accident, actually, having clicked on a comment Cassie made on somebody else's blog - and was instantly smitten. Pumpkin chiffon pie. It's even fun to say. It sounds like you're mixing pretty ruffly dresses and down-home pumpkin pie comfort. I LOVE pumpkin pie. LOVE. And this "vintage" (ha ha) light and airy version - as she made it, without the insane addition of peanut - what were the original creators thinking??? - from The Culinary Arts Institute Cookbook; 1985, looks like pumpkin heaven, indeed.

Pumpkin Chiffon Pie image found here.

But, alas, not for today. Another day, though. Another delicious day...

What are you longing to make these days??? Food or otherwise.

Blessings, Susan

The Pioneer Woman is celebrating!

2009-10-27T11:49:00.001-07:00

Ree Drummond, THE Pioneer Woman, is celebrating the release of her very first cookbook today (and the start of her book signing tour, too!) by giving away TWO candy apple red 90th anniversary edition Kitchen Aid mixers to two lucky readers.

This lovely picture was found here.

Oh, and she's throwing in five of her cookbooks with each prize, too!

Cover photo found here.

If you have even wee hopes of winning one of these gorgeous mixers (and/or some books for yourself and your family and friends), all you have to do is visit The Pioneer Woman here and tell her what your favorite pizza is. It really is as simple as that (unless her site is shut down by an overwhelming amount of visitors or something).

The last time I looked, there were over 27,000 comments already... Hey, I figure the chances of winning are still better than playing the lottery, right???

Have a lovely Tuesday!

Love, Susan

How about this take on the issue???

2009-10-26T14:04:00.000-07:00

I had a really nice weekend. How about you?

Okay, enough with the small talk (not that I wasn't being sincere - I did have a great weekend and I am curious about yours and hoping that it was also great), let's get to some more talk on modesty and whatnot.

Do you ever find yourself loving a dress that is absolutely painfully gorgeous, but hating the fact that it's so stinkin' short??? I can't tell you how many times I've walked into an Anthropologie hoping to try something on that I saw online, only to find that it was way to short (in my opinion). And I'm not talking just a little bit above the knee or anything like that, I'm talkin' "this could be a tunic top" it's so short. Or "if I bend down to put my daughter's shoe on I'll be showing off my fancy unmentionables to anybody who passes by" short. Why, oh why, are dresses made this way? I think it goes back to the same reason that aforementioned adult female Halloween costumes are made the way that they are. Sexiness is what sells, no matter what time of the year it is.

I can think back on many times when I've told myself, "if I just added a few inches to the hem..." or "if I could find a thin skirt to wear underneath or a pettiskirt this would be awesome..." Have you ever had this problem? So many cute dresses and skirts these days are short, short, and shorter than short. Not that there aren't any that are very lovely lengths, because they do exist. The pencil skirt is my favorite as I like my skirts mid knee length or just below the knee (though I'm not big on peasant skirts or a-line skirts and such, but that's just me and they do look super cute on a friend of mine). But, the short ones prevail, I think.

You know, short dresses like these...

Each of these "short dresses" are beauties I found on the ModCloth website.

ModCloth is one of the stores which I have named "a poor woman's Anthropologie" - Pier 1 also fits into this category for several reasons. Someday, maybe, I'll elaborate, but I think you probably get the general idea :O)

Admittedly, this dress is one of the longest of the bunch and would probably cut it for most people's standards, but I just thought it would go well with one the the slips I'm about to tell you about...
Cute as can be...
I love this flared skirt...
They are very fashionable and so pretty, but - dag nabbit - SHORT. I've checked these ones out and they hit mid thigh or higher (like the first picture). I think most people go for at least mid thigh, no?

Anyway. What I recently discovered was Jennifer Young's big idea (one of those, "Rats! Why didn't I think of that/jump on that idea when I first thought of it?" sort of ideas) - "slips" (whose bottoms are meant to be shown) to lengthen the items you already have/wish to buy that you think are too short, or simply to dress-up those items. Jennifer's brand is called Vintage Hem and I am loving so many of these slips! You can wear them higher or lower, depending on your preference.

On my wish list are...

I like this first slip (named the Effie's Dessert in Black Biscotti slip) A LOT, but I can't seem to find a big picture of it. How cool would it be to have that bike, too???

And this Eyelet Tower slip... I am an eyelet hoarder... Shhh!

This last slip is my favorite, but honestly, I really hate it when models stand in such weird ways. And Jennifer's line is a lot about modesty (check out her about tab), so this whole skirt lifting business (while not shocking or terrible) throws me off a tad and just doesn't seem to fit. HOWEVER, Effie's Dessert in Lady Vanilla slip, I would love to have you in my clothing arsenal. Love, love, love to! Anything in the Tea Party Couture section would be delightful :O) Or, actually, they're all beautiful, really. The other one I really like a lot is called Neenie's Cup of Tea in Chammomile, but there isn't a good picture of it for me to share with you.

What are your tricks for making things that are too short or otherwise revealing wearable for you? Are you in perfect disagreement with me on this issue? Because I won't be upset if you are. Obviously, what I post here is simply my opinion on matters, and I don't think to myself, "Oh my gosh, what a total fool she is wearing that adorable dress from Anthropologie" if I see you in a dress I'd not choose for myself if I thought it was too short.

Anthro does sell a really cute crinoline slip in yellow and in black that is kind of like the slips from Vintage Hem, but I've only ever seen it online and not in person.

Okey dokey. That's my two cents for today.

I hope your week has started off well :O)

Modesty is a beautiful thing

2009-10-22T12:06:00.000-07:00

After speaking with my husband about this post, I've modified it a bit. His take on my post was pretty much like this: "Slutty, slutty, slutty... whatsoeverthingsarebeautiful.com... It just doesn't make sense." I tried to argue that I was trying to point out that modesty is what is beautiful, but he still seemed to feel that that was the message that was really coming across.

I. just. don't. "get" it.

Why is it that to dress up for Halloween these days, if you're a woman and you're buying a costume, you pretty much have to buy a costume that's "sexy"? When I say "have to", of course what I mean to say is that what is widely available for you to buy fits into that category, not that you are being forced to purchase this or that. It drives me crazy. And I wouldn't call most of the outfits "sexy", actually. "Slutty" seems more fitting. I'm likely to be stepping on some toes here, and perhaps I am a bit of a prude (I am all for modesty, of that I am certain!), but I just don't "get" it. AND I just don't like it, either. I'd rather be called a prude than a slut, but I think that nowadays, being called a prude is even more looked down upon than being called a slut. So backward! At least, from my point of view.

I don't like seeing anybody's undergarments out in public (why, oh why are low-rise pants still proudly worn by so many - and more pressingly, why are their underwear so proudly shown!), even if I have been known to flash an occasional (accidental) bra strap here and there...

This Mad Hatter image was found via google search here.

"Where was I??? Oh, yes." Halloween costumes. Sorry if I was getting a bit carried away.

Well, here. Let me just show you what I'm talking about. First, a little background info...

We've all heard of the Adventures of Alice in Wonderland, right? At least we've seen or heard of the Disney movie if we haven't read the actual book. Well, I happen to be a huge fan of Alice and her Wonderland, and so, naturally, when it comes to dressing up, I think of the characters in this book almost immediately. It certainly helps that I plan to dress Eleanor as Alice this year, too. She has a lovely Alice dress from her first birthday party which had "Eleanor in ONE-derland" as its theme this year. Anyway. I was just poking around the internet, trying to glean some ideas from various costume sites, or to see if I could find an inexpensive way of being the Queen of Hearts without having to make anything. Sadly, I was confronted with costume after costume that each gave me the weird feeling like I was looking at racy lingerie. And forget about showing your kids any of the costume catalogs that arrive in the mail!!! My son was looking through one we received from Party City and I glanced over, saw some of the women, and ripped the paper from his hands. These are not things a nine-year-old should be seeing.

What is this world coming to???

And now, on with the show!

The costumes start out so cute and little girly-ish - which is fitting, since Alice is, indeed, a little girl.

Each costume image from here on down was found at www.HalloweenCostumes.com - and they do have some very nice costumes. But the ones I'd want to get are all beyond my pocket book's reach, I'm afraid.

Here's one of the very few modest and true to character Alice costumes for an adult. Very appropriate and fitting for dressing up.

And, because the previous dress obviously isn't "Alice" enough for some people, here is the typical "sexy" adult female costume. Since I am well aware of these sorts of costumes, I'm sure that you all are, too, so I've omitted the picture I had previously included.

And not only for Alice, oh no! For Strawberry Shortcake! For a nun! For Spongebob Squarepants for crying out loud! If you think I'm joking about the Spongebob costume, you are sorely mistaken... I mean, I am baffled by the fact that a poor, nerdy, innocent, SQUARE sponge could be sexed up, but, alas, he can.

Let's try this again... Here is a sweet little girl dressed up as the Queen of Hearts, looking a whole lot more sweet than tart, but that's not the point here.
Here is a very cool adult version of the Queen. I would wear this in a heart - ha ha - beat. It's so pretty and regal. As a queen's gown should be, I think.
And, again, here is the typical "sexy" Queen adult female costume.

Sadly, they get even more risque than this...

Why is it that we are so easily fooled into believing that being sexy is what's most important? Why is our culture so sex-obsessed? What about the intelligence of a woman? Or her abilities? Or her character? I am longing for the day when the world recognizes that being feminine won't be related to how much skin is being shown off, etc.

If you are sitting there thinking to yourself, "Well, since it's geared toward adult women, what's the harm? A woman can choose to wear whatever she pleases, right? Nothing wrong with a little "let's play dress up" at home... And most women buy those outfits for home, anyway."

And, concerning what's done at home, I might just happen to agree with you.

However, it isn't merely geared toward adult women. And it isn't merely geared toward almost adult teen girls either. Sadly, it starts so much younger than that...
This outfit is almost a dead-ringer for one of the "sexy" Alice costumes, only it's made to fit a little girl of about the age of FOUR.
As is this one.

All I have to say now is, "Boo rats boo to that!" And that I hope that parents out there are opting for better for their daughters who will be women sooner than they know it.

Of course, my opinion is my own, and I thank you for allowing me to share it with you. What do YOU think? Modest in, slutty out? Slutty way in, modesty be darned! My inquiring mind wants to know, please. I'm also curious to know if any of you are still dressing up for Halloween. If you are, what are you planning to be this year?

Modestly yours,
Susan

P.S. I am thrilled to see that 100 of you are now following my little blog - that is so flattering! By the way, if that number goes down after this post is up for a few days, I guess I'll know why. Ha ha.

However, for those of you who do hang around, very soon I'm going to be announcing a reader giveaway to show my gratitude, just for all of you who are so kind to visit on a regular basis (if you follow in another way, just let me know in that upcoming giveaway post's comment section!). Ta ta for now :O)

I won something, and I'm excited, so I'm going to blog about it - m'kay?

2009-10-20T14:11:00.000-07:00

Hi everybody!

I just found out that I won something awesome from somebody awesome. Isn't that cool??? And, in hopes of encouraging you in the off chance - ha ha - you are a little down about "never winning any of these stinkin' giveaways", I just have to share about it with you. I hope you don't mind.

Remember a while back when I shared about the Lovely Package Exchange, and I shared about Rubyellen's partner's package for her? Well, ever since I've seen Fallon's work, I've become a little fan of her crafts and her shops and blog.

Very recently, Fallon was having a little giveaway for this cutie pie pillow, as well as asking for possible costume ideas for herself and her love. Anyway. My suggestion won! And it won me a pretty birdcage pillow. Hurrah!

Fallon makes such neat-o pillows. I love her "take me anywhere" suitcase pillows, and her house pillows, and her newest Christmas gift pillows are such an inspiration - just think of the possibilities with old plain pillows you might have sitting around, and how you could spruce them up for the holidays!

Thank you, Fallon, for having such a fun giveaway! I'm so excited to be a winner! Yay!

Love, Susan

I have finally seen it in person...

2009-10-19T12:12:00.000-07:00

...Not because I have an account, but because I was following a link to view something someone else "tweeted" - or whatever it's called. Ahh... The infamous twitter Fail Whale. This is what happens when too many people are tweeting at one time and twitter can't handle the tremendous volume (if you didn't already know).

I find that hilarious :O) Not that they can't handle the volume, but that that many people are twittering at the same time. We live in a crazy, crazy world, do we not?

Have a great Monday! Today is the first day of the rest of your life, right? Now get on out there and do something amazing with it!

Blessings, Susan

I swear I didn't order this...

2009-10-19T11:27:00.001-07:00

Take a gander at what I discovered this morning in letter girl's shop:

How cool is that??? Of course, I already "favorited" it!

In case you are wondering why I think this is so cool - I am Mrs. Deane. Well, at least, I'm one Mrs. Deane :O)

Anyway, I've always loved the letter girl's stuff. If you haven't heard of her, welcome to the world of gorgeous writing, inspirational quotes (and blog posts), and perfectly addressed envelopes from this day forward. You're welcome.

Blessings, Susan

P.S. If this is actually a picture of something someone ordered for me... I love it already! Ha ha ha.

Tee hee!

2009-10-16T04:20:00.000-07:00

Remember when I said that I thought that next up for Bake It Pretty would probably be MARTHA???
Well, I just have to say that I was stinkin' right!!! At least, sort of. Yay for Amanda!

Absolutely inspiring and gorgeous Martha Stewart Weddings cupcake image found here.

Check it out! :O)

Happy Friday everybody!

Love, Susan

Some things that are making me a little less irked in the internet world today...

2009-10-15T15:36:00.000-07:00

The first is another "project" that I think is pretty cool on a great blog full of delicious looking recipes. I'm not sure what my budget should be for a family of five, but anyway. Check it out and see what you think :O) I found out about it because one of the gals who is participating in it friended me on Tasty Kitchen. Thanks, Paula (she also has a great blog full of delicious looking recipes)!
The second is from one of my favorite Etsy sellers, Rubyellen of cakies. I did a lot of talking her up in the fun felt crown giveaway. Rubyellen's scheduled to have a shop update tomorrow and she's going to have these in it:
My little Eleanor has a similar custom made one that was created to match her Belle & Boo dress but goes so well with so many other things, too! I love these fall inspired editions :O)

Have a good day! I'm off to the post office - and hoping it won't be another "That's all I can stands, and I can't stands no more!" sort of experience :O)

Blessings, Susan

"That's all I can stands, and I can't stands no more!"

2009-10-15T09:31:00.000-07:00

Warning: This post is about something that annoys me, so if you are only interested in reading about fun and happy and lovely things, then just skip down to my previous post.

Image of Popeye found here.

Hi. Since you stuck around, I'll ask you this:

Does it irritate anybody else when there's an awesome giveaway of some kind, but one of the things you have to do to win them (and it's usually the first thing you have to do) is to post about that particular giveaway on your own blog???

Because, let me tell you, it annoys me to no end.

Image of my eldest unhappy about something I'd told him moments before during a family walk from my own personal iPhoto library.

Don't get me wrong, I understand that giveaways are often given to bring attention to particular blogs/websites (hey, I do giveaways here, right?), are meant for advertisement, and so on, but I digress...

And have you noticed that these types of giveaways have also spawned the new and even more annoying blogs (no offense to those who created them because I completely understand why you did!!!) specifically created for the soul purpose of posting about said annoying giveaways, so that personal blogs don't have to be full of posts about giveaways and are only there for family info or what-have-you?

Now, the "become a follower" giveaway entry option is also sort of a mixed bag, isn't it? But then, how will you find out if you won if you don't follow? Anyway. Sorry.

Long ago I made a personal rule for myself, but I'm going to make a publicly here (take it or leave it), that all giveaways held on this blog will never require that you post about them on your own blogs. If you feel like you would like to, that's fabulous. I would be so honored to have my giveaway appear on your blog by your own choice. Also, I won't be posting about said awesome giveaways that require posting about them. No matter how awesome they are.

Sorry to rain on anybody's parade, and I'm sure this has offended several people who choose to do giveaways in this way, but I just can't take it anymore. Surely I'm not the only one who feels this way???

In happier news, I actually WON a giveaway a few days ago (not one that required sharing on this blog or any other) and will soon be receiving three books in the mail. Cool, eh? More importantly, though, I actually succeeded in completely cleaning and rearranging my kids' bedroom yesterday. If you have any idea what it looked like for the past month (give or take a month), then you know what an achievement this really is. I emptied every bin, drawer, bookshelf, et cetera, moved the furniture arrangement in order to achieve a better planned space as well as to be able to vacuum under everything, wiped down every surface including the walls, gathered two bags full of stuff and one box of books to give away as a part of my "simplify my life" plan, and nary a Lego was left on their floor to wound me in the middle of the night. True, this is a regular event in our home - me tearing apart and completely reworking a space. And, of course, this morning my boys immediately pulled down the Lego bin and dumped the entire contents all over the floor in search of an Obi Wan figure that had gone missing. So, I'd better get in there before the continental drift of Legos makes its way throughout my entire apartment.

Okey dokey...

A much nicer post will appear soon, I promise!

Blessings, Susan

A key for your castle

2009-10-14T14:26:00.001-07:00

I've been cleaning and rearranging my kids' room today, and happened upon this pretty thing during a little break that I just had to share with you.

It is no secret that I am a big fan of Anthropologie stores. I love their cardigans - amongst other gorgeous clothing items, but I also love what they've got to offer by way of home decor and just overall useful stuff. They best thing about their "overall useful stuff" is that it is not only functional, but fun and fabulous all at the same time.
Take this skeleton key/bottle opener, for example.

Having this key around for the king in my castle (and myself on occasion - the truth is, I'm not much of a beer drinker, but more a fancy fruity girly umbrella/martini glass beverage drink type person) would make beer and fancy soda times even more awesome, if you ask me. You can hang it on your wall (so it's easily accessible and decorative) and the price on it - only $12! - is equally as lovely. Plus, just think of all the fun you can have pretending it's the key to a secret garden or whatever else.

Have a great day!

Blessings, Susan

I had a very lovely weekend. How about you?

2009-10-12T11:34:00.000-07:00

A date with my husband. A birthday celebrated. And so much more, really.
Oh, yeah. I got to use this again (well, just the star tip, actually, because I forgot to bring the bag along...) - in an attempt to make Minnie Mouse cupcakes for the birthday we celebrated at Disneyland (cupcakes eaten at home, though). And, speaking of which, it's back in stock. But, I am certain, for a very limited time. These things are the bees knees, I tell you.

Have a wonderful day! Welcome back to Monday :O)

Blessings, Susan

Bake It Pretty winners!!!

2009-10-09T12:47:00.000-07:00

Who am I kidding? Go ahead and scroll down to see if your name is one of three to appear below (if it is, get out of your chair and run around happily, clapping your hands and hugging your child/pet and giggling a bit) and then get back up here and read what I've got to say. M'kay?
I have had so much fun hosting this giveaway - and each of the giveaways that preceeded it. I really enjoyed reading through each of your cupcake combo ideas. I was able to glean so much from so many of them.

First and foremost, I want to thank Amanda of Bake It Pretty for her generosity in sending this awesome suitcase for me to give away. Second, to all of you, thank you for taking the time to put together your combos and for following along (if you chose to do so). I hope to see more of you in the future. And now, onto the announcements! The following winners were chosen at random, but I will gladly share their cupcake combo ideas with you.

The first winner chose these two simple items as her favorites:
Sugar buttercup daisies and bright liners, so simple and sweet!
And, it's me scarlett, you are the winner of this awesome Bake It Pretty suitcase filled with cupcake liners!!! May you spread a little cheer and kindness in New York as you bake and distribute the many, many cupcakes you make with them this winter and beyond! Yay! (P.S. Please update your blog. Your life seems pretty interesting - I'd read about it - and I'm sure you've got a lot to share with the world!)

The second winner chose these items:
Large deer toppers and Mary Tartan designer liners - pefect for the upcoming season!
thereddeer, you will soon receive a $10 gift certificate from Bake It Pretty! Enjoy and thank you so much for following along. Check out thereddeer's blogs! This gal doesn't only bake it pretty, she bakes it good, too :O)

The final winner chose these items:
Pretty pansies (I wasn't sure if she meant large or small) and yellow and brown Bavarian rose liners make for a very charming combination indeed!

Tiffany, you will also receive a $10 gift certificate from Bake It Pretty! Enjoy these with your beautiful family :O)

To everybody else, I'm sorry if you are sad not to see your name up there in yellow, red or that awesome aqua color. Believe me, I know just how you feel. Do come back regularly, though, and read my posts - especially if you're a giveaway hunter. I have some pretty swell ones (and by that I mean 'so good you just won't believe it') lined up for my 30th (online) birthday celebration this December!

Winners, please email me (see my email address in the top left corner of this little blog) with your mailing addresses so that I can get these prizes to you pronto! If I don't hear from the winners within 7 days (I've still got a crown that has thus far been unclaimed and will be announcing a new winner for that soon, too), I'll announce a new winner. Okey dokey?

Well, I guess that concludes the giveaways for the grand opening of my blog. Thank you so much to everyone who visited even briefly, and especially to those of you who kindly visit and read my little posts each day.

Blessings, Susan

I've got good news for you...

2009-10-09T10:03:00.000-07:00

If you have been one of the very many who was sad to see domino magazine go, this post is for you (unless you're already "in the know", of course).

The premiere issue of Lonny magazine is here! Lonny (I'm thinking this is short for London/NY???) magazine is FREE. It's online. It's put together by some incredibly awesome people in the home decor field (including some from the domino magazine staff). AND, because it's online, you can click immediately on whatever's pictured inside and be linked to right where it came from!!! How cool is that?
Enjoy!

I'll be back this afternoon to post the winners (again, yes, winners ) of my Bake It Pretty giveaway.

Susan

A final bit of cupcake inspiration...

2009-10-08T10:00:00.000-07:00

TOMORROW, I will announce the winner of my awesome Bake It Pretty giveaway (courtesy of Bake It Pretty, which ended last night at midnight), but this morning I'm going to leave you with one final bit of inspiration. Maybe it will cause you to take another look at where you find your baked goods decor inspiration.
Surely you've seen home decor that is brought to life via an inspirational outfit, right? You know, "from hot outfit to home office" or something of that nature?

Well, this is of that vein, I think. This goes from room to cupcake. The funny thing is, when I happened upon the picture of this room, I immediately thought of Bake It Pretty and cupcakes - and I'm not just saying that, either. Well, more that I thought of a cupcakery of sorts, but I'm telling you, this "room" has inspired some very fun and very girlie cupcakes :O)

Just you watch.

Meet the dressing room of Miley Cyrus (this may make me seem very uncool, but I have no real idea of who Miley Cyrus is or why she is famous, but anyway). Her "room" caught my eye online at some point, but I think it was originally featured in an issue of InStyle Magazine:
And I call it a "room" (in quotation marks), though most of us will never even see (at least in person) a "room" like this in our lifetimes. CRAZY!!!

Here's how Miley's room easily breaks down into an original cupcake that could easily be found on an Amy Atlas table - or even better, yours!

First, I think the frosting should be adressed. Bake It Pretty has some gel paste food colorings in... 30 or so colors... so you can pretty much have any color you'd like to match your theme. Very cool.
Choose the fuchsia or deep pink for these cupcakes.
Then you'll need to think about your liners. And for those, to really match this room, I think you can either choose the black and white houndstooth liners
or the black and white polka dotted liners (and choose whether you'd like more black or more white, but I think the ones with more black would make a better contrast/impact). You could also make the vintage damask liners or the zebra printed liners work for this in a pinch. Or those lovely lacey black elizabeth liners...
For the final wow factor I'm going to suggest using the golden crown cups again. I just love these. Either shape will look fabulous, too. In fact, the square ones almost exactly match that giant framed mirror! You could use the white liners that are included with the cups, and then place them (after cooking) directly into the black and white liners. Or you could cook in the black and white and save the white liners for something else altogether.
And, if you want to go really crazy, you could try and see how a little of this (in ivory)...
...or that (in gold) looks on the very top.
Anything unusual inspiring your cupcakes???

See you tomorrow! I'm very excited for the winners. (Nope, that wasn't a typo. You read it correctly. Winners. Tee hee!)

Blessings, Susan

I baked it pretty again :O)

2009-10-02T11:45:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I made these simple but sweet cupcakes in honor of someone very special to me.
Oh, Little Flower, thank you for your wonderful example and loving encouragement always.
Since I used items from Bake It Pretty for these, I guess I can also use them as my inspirational cupcake combination ideas for the day :O)
You didn't know Bake It Pretty sold fans, did you??? :O)
From the very first moment my peepers spotted these lovely liners, I knew I would eventually purchase them, what/whom I would use them for, and that they would be absolutely perfect. As you can see, they go so well with these pink rose picks.
I happen to have at least 50 of these rose picks in my decor arsenal. Most of them are red because I made a red rose garden of cupcakes (with a few white roses and some mushrooms, too) for my daughter's "Eleanor in ONEderland" themed first birthday party earlier this year. And I ordered some new pink ones that arrived just in time for yesterday's cupcakes.
I used the red hot dot liners (or maybe I used the red polka dot baking cups... I'm not sure. Either way, both are cute and work well!) yesterday with my red roses, but, really, you could mix and match any of these liners with the various rose pick toppers and they would look great together! The red, blue, and pink roses all have a truly matching mate, but the yellow would look so pretty with the green or the black liner, don't you think so?

Have a rose colored day today :O)

Blessings, Susan

Place those awesome napkins on my lap, please...

2009-10-02T09:52:00.000-07:00

On my routine visit to The Bright Side Project today, I stumbled upon something so very, very pretty, and I just have to share it.

First, some back history. For a while now, I have been thinking about starting to use linen napkins as a family during our meals, partially for reduce/recycle/reuse type reasons, but also because I'm looking to add a little refinement to our life. Embarrassingly, my husband is always having to ask me if he can "have a napkin, please", and so on, because I am always forgetting to hand them out. This is, primarily, because I haven't been buying one-time use napkins anymore. I admit that I do still buy paper towels, though I have mainly been using the many pretty dishtowels I have to dry my hands on a regular basis. And I'm always cleaning my kids up with baby wipes (a marvelous invention, those baby wipes, especially the earth friendly easily recyclable ones). And, you know, I eat in such a ladylike way that I absolutely never need a napkin - just kidding.

Which makes today's discovery all the more wonderful.
Betsy Grace is a little shop, run by a stay-at-home-mommy with five kiddos (I'm on a mommy hunt or something - yesterday's find was run by a mommy of four!) who started sewing at age ten after receiving a sewing machine from her Grandfather and became enamored with embroidery after receiving an embroidery machine from her husband. I have always wanted an embroidery machine. Yes, even when I was two years old. Just kidding. But, you know what I mean.

She has some really lovely and fun items. I'll take you for a short tour and then you can visit her shop at your own leisure.
First and foremost... I really, really, really, really, REALLY love this table runner. It's linen (I love linen), it's classic, it's so very pretty...
Not to mention you can get a set of napkins to match. I love how simple but perfect that gingham ribbon looks with this fantastic napkin! These personalized items would be wonderful for a wedding or anniversary gift, don't you think? In fact, I'm thinking about that very thing at this very moment...
She also has other styles of napkins that are a little less traditional, but a whole lot of fun. Aren't these manners napkins so cute? She has other styles available, too, not to mention you can custom order for your personal color needs.

You can win yourself a set of these manners napkins or her numbered napkins if you visit The Bright Side Project and simply leave a comment sharing about your favorite appetizer. Be sure to check back on Wednesday to see if you've won, or I might just have to "swoop" your prize from you :O) Or, just visit Betsy Grace today.

Love, Susan

Something new to share...

2009-10-01T08:52:00.000-07:00

I love natural handmade soaps. I particularly love the triple milled sorts because they seem to last longer and keep their shape, but only a few soap makers actually do that. I love that I can recognize all of the ingredients that go into them, and that they smell so heavenly. I happened upon a lovely little soap maker by the name of Dana who, after spending a ton of money on these soaps herself, decided to figure out how to make them on her own and is now successfully selling them - not to mention keeping her family of six clean and smelling lovely all at the same time!
What's different about her shop are the fun and brilliant descriptions of her soaps, as well as the unique and delicious fragrance choices. These were my favorites:
This one is called Mermaid Melody. I love the colors, but I love the description and ingredient list even more (I can't help it, I'm a sucker for anything coconut):

"What breeze is there that blows such a song?" asks Morveren the mermaid. In her quest to find the music playing from a church on shore, Morveren leaves her watery haven to investigate.

This soap is a harmonious combination or tart Limes, dainty Verbena and yummy Coconut. There is dab of vanilla to soften the tartness while some mermaid bubbles give it a lovely effervescence.

Ingredients: Water, Coconut Oil, Olive Oil, Palm Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Rice Bran Oil, Babassu Oil, Castor Oil, Mango Butter, Fragrance, Aqua Oxide and Shredded Coconut.

Admittedly, the Mermaid Melody soap sounds a lot like Bath & Body Works' Coconut Lime Verbena, but I'd still argue that this one was better. It's got a little bit of vanilla and some mermaid bubbles mixed in, too, after all.
This one is called Rapunzel, and it has another lovely description and ingredient list:

Her long, golden hair shines brightly in the morning sun. It smells of Honeysuckle, Pears and summer sunshine.

Ingredients: Water, Coconut Oil, Palm Oil, Olive Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Rice Bran Oil, Fragrance, Apricot Kernel Oil, Castor Oil, Mango Butter, Yellow Oxide, Ground Apricot Seeds.

The next two, which are limited Halloween editions, have me captivated by their fall scents and really fun themes:
This one is called Cinderella's Carriage and it's - you guessed it - pumpkin scented (but, oh so much more than that!).
This one is called Poisoned Apple. I am certain that Snow White would use this soap :O)

Check out Abracadabra Soap Co. today!

Love, Susan

Oh, dear... ANOTHER cupcake blog... Really???

2009-09-30T10:00:00.000-07:00

(NOT that there's anything wrong with cupcake blogs!!!)

Can you believe it is already the end of September, not to mention the end of another season?

Yes, yes... I am aware the the Fall season has technically already begun and that the last day of Summer passed us by a while ago, but I lately I've been thinking in blocks of time and focusing on one event and then the other, and rarely ever more than one at once. For me it has been a bit like this: focus on road trip, enjoy road trip, road trip is over, move on to wedding, focus on wedding, enjoy wedding, wedding is over, move on to birthday... And so on and so forth. Not that there isn't grocery shopping and church going and laundry washing and whatnot also mixed in, but for the big events, it's big time focusing. I think I drive my husband a tad batty because he's always thinking about far off future events (as well as upcoming ones) and I'm still stuck on the one at hand.

Anyway. For me, September is about closing out the summer and going back to school (not for me, but for my kids). And we were just swimming in the ocean on Sunday afternoon (my husband - thankfully - urged me to swim around the cove over here and look at the hundreds of fish just feet from the water's edge, and I had such a great time!) and enjoying the sun and the ocean breeze. It was sort of a final farewell to summer for me, as, even though it isn't getting adorable winter coat wearing cold here in sunny southern California, it is getting cooler nonetheless.
My little lady (who looks a bit nervous but still happy) and me enjoying what is likely to be our last day of summer fun at the beach this year.

One of the most awesome things about where I live is that the beach can be enjoyed on grass (meaning, your towels and everything can be there not getting incredibly sandy and crazy, and you can avoid eating a sandy sandwich and your drink doesn't get sand stuck all over it) very close to the sand, or in the sand digging giant holes, or whatever you choose. Being someone who dislikes having so much sand in her car/hair/daughter's mouth, I love that there are large grassy areas with beautiful shade providing trees so near the water. Anyway (again - I think I say that too much in this post, but oh well...)

I was just scrolling down through my last several posts and realized that just about every single one was cupcake related, hence the title above. Ha ha ha :O) It's a good thing I love cupcakes, otherwise I would have been outta' here.
I am currently particularly fond of this cupcake that I found on one of my new favorite blogs. It's called Lick the bowl good and I'm telling you, I probably would lick the bowl if I were to be making most of these recipes! Check it out if you have the chance. I think I'm going to make these Neapolitan cupcakes this weekend. YUM. And there's a sandwich she's got on there that has me in it's radar. Resistance is futile, I'm sure of it. See if you can figure out which one I'm talking about.

What I would like to say is, that even though I do love cupcakes - and I'll elaborate on why that is in just a moment (as if there needs to be a why), this blog wasn't designed to be in celebration of cupcakes alone. It's not a baking blog, nor is it a food blog in general - though I do love food and will likely talk about it. It's not a mommy blog - though I do love my kids and may occasionally gush about them or use them in a picture here, and I do also very much enjoy several mommy blogs. It's not a photography blog - my pictures are definitely not photography blog worthy! It's not a crafters paradise blog - I may be a fabric hoarder who loves to make pretty packages and whatnot, but I know my place in the crafters world and at this point, it's sitting right here in my chair gleaning the lovely ideas from all of the super crafty people who already have amazing blogs about crafting.

So, if it's not a cupcake blog, or a food blog, or a mommy blog, or a photography blog, or a crafty blog... Then what the heck IS it??? Truthfully, it has simply become an outlet from which to share the things that I find beautiful in physical, emotional, spiritual, and what-have-you sort of ways. If you are interested, read a bit more about it in an old post, here.

Why so many Bake It Pretty posts??? The simple answer is that I don't want you to miss out on the giveaway I'm hosting right now. Not to mention the fact that I happen to find Amanda to be very genuine, and generous, and her story so beautifully inspiring. You've probably read all of this already via her blog posts or the great interview she did on Bake & Destroy, so I'll stop gushing now.

Onto the "whys" of cupcake love...

What is it about cupcakes that makes me (and millions - well, at least hundreds of thousands - of others) so happy? For starters, number one, they are simple. Simple to make (heck, especially if you just buy the boxed versions!), simple to decorate (though I do admit that this can turn into something rather elaborate - think about Bakerella's many insanely gorgeous and elaborate cupcakes!), simple to eat, simple to share... Number two, they are perfect for celebrating all sorts of milestones and even for celebrating simple pebbles along the way - or just for no reason whatsoever except to have something tasty in a matter of thirty minutes. For birthdays, daddy's homecoming from a trip (my kids love this tradition), weddings, the first, last, or 100th day of school (or any of the school days in between), first day at a new job, simply to bring a little bit of sunshine into someone's cloudy day, or to celebrate the fact that you've finally cleaned out that crazy walk in closet you've been avoiding (I can absolutely assure you I am not talking about mine), and so much more. Number three, baking them makes me happy - and that makes it all more than worth the effort. When I am baking them, I know they will bring smiles to the faces of my children, and pretty much whomever else gets to eat one - including me!

There are more reasons, but I think that will do for now.
Here is just one example of elaborate cupcake decorating goodness. I think these cupcakes may have been how I first discovered Bakerella. But I'm not sure. I totally forget when I happened upon her site full of amazing pictures of baked goods, but it was a while ago. Long before she was a dot com and even before her famous cake pops - or was it the cake pops that brought me to her... Anyway, these Garfield and friends cupcakes are one of the first things I think of when I think of her.

Click on either of these Bakerella pictures and you'll be linked to those posts.
I think these are the most crazily creative and grandiose cupcakes she's yet to make. I mean, turning a little holiday coke bottle into a snowglobe cupcake??? The woman is a cupcake artist and she is in a level all her own.

And now I'm off to help my kids clean and purge their bedroom. If this task ever gets accomplished, I assure you, there will be cupcakes involved. Have a lovely Wednesday! Redeem the time, my dears! Redeem the time! The next thing I know I'll be posting about how it's the end of October!!!

Blessings, Susan

Better Homes & Gardens AND Cookie Magazine?!?!

2009-09-29T08:17:00.000-07:00

What could be next for Bake It Pretty??? An appearance on MARTHA would be my guess!

I was just purging my growing magazine collection and noticed something pretty stinkin' awesome when I came across the issue of Better Homes & Gardens that contains this full-page Bake It Pretty spread:
Isn't it a gorgeous photograph??? Wouldn't you absolutely LOVE to have each of those liners at your disposal? According to Amanda and her fast growing business, you're not alone!

So the "pretty stinkin' awesome" thing I noticed, when looking at that spread, was this: IF you just so happen to win my Bake It Pretty giveaway, you will have each and everyone of those liners (well, not the bright orange - but regular orange at least!) at your disposal, not to mention a ton more - and they'll be in a lovely little polka dotted suitcase to boot. Be sure to enter the giveaway today! There's only one week left!

Love, Susan

I promise that this is the last time I will post about this...

2009-09-28T13:09:00.000-07:00

The lovely Portrait of Sophie Bizarre - (that I want, oh so badly) by Anne-Julie Aubry - is shockingly still available for purchase from Anne-Julie's online gallery show (at least that's the way it seems online).
***sigh***

Make your cupcakes Rainbow Brite

2009-09-28T11:18:00.000-07:00

Today's cupcake combination (the second in my series of great inspirational combos while you all continue to enter my Bake It Pretty giveaway) is inspired by Saturday mornings long, long ago, when I dreamed of riding a talking white horse with rainbow hair and walking on rainbows and saving the world. Not to mention having that awesome belt and fun fuzzy sprite and color kid friends :O)
I found this image via google here (great little girl 80's reminiscing in the post).
These sanding sugar sprinkles (so much like star sprinkles!) come in 20 different colors (Rainbow Brite would be thrilled!), are a super fine sugar with a great taste, and they match perfectly with these...
...bright solid baking cup liners. These lovely things come in 8 colors and you can buy them in either large or mini size. Best of all, they stay nice and brightly colored instead of losing their color during baking - yes, even when you make chocolate cupcakes! All liners and sanding sugars can be found at Bake It Pretty, of course. (Did you see that Amanda's shop is now featured in Cookie Magazine's September issue??? Go Amanda!)

All you have to do is purchase coordinating cupcake liners and sanding sugars (the tangerine orange with orange sanding sugar, paired with chocolate cake and chocolate frosting would be perfect for this season!), bake your cupcakes and frost them (I'd use a special frosting tip to give height to the cupcake as well as a bit of wow factor), then sprinkle them with a sugar that matches your liner, and you'll be sure to wow yourself and everybody who sees them :O)

I was recently at a lovely bridal shower tea where I contributed some mini magenta liners to the hostess who was baking little chocolate cupcakes. She used my best ever cupcake icing kit's round tip (and the bag, of course) and topped those chocolate cupcakes with some chocolate frosting, and sprinkled them with hot pink sanding sugar - AND THEY WERE GORGEOUS! Gorgeous I tell you! So fun and different from the usual soft shower colors. And those cupcakes ultimately inspired this combo, though I took it a step further when I realized how great the seafoam green ones would look with white vanilla frosting and green sanding sugars, and the red ones with red sanding sugar, and so on and so forth - hence the Rainbow Brite reminiscing. Simple and sweet times those Saturday mornings were...

Did you like and/or watch Rainbow Brite? I loved that show. I had her best sprite friend, and her horse to play along with her doll... You can watch the beginning of Rainbow Land here.

I hope you have a day today that is as bright as a rainbow!

Love, Susan

Turning a few plain things into something plain fantastic!

2009-09-25T11:18:00.000-07:00

I am loving so many of your cupcake topper and liner combination ideas for my Bake It Pretty giveaway! To make it fair, I've got a few fun ideas of my own hiding up my sleeves that I'll share with you between now and the end of the contest. I hope you enjoy them. Here is a fun one to start things rolling:
Use this Clasen Spring-green mint chocolate candy melt...
And this fun flexible froggy mold with a little luster dust on the back of the froggies...
And maybe this beautiful waterlily pick...
Together with the round golden crown cups...

...and you get what I have oh so uniquely AND cleverly named - ha ha ha - "The Frog Prince Cupcakes". I think these would be so fun for a bridal shower or a princess party. And, if you don't like the flower and frog combo (I admit that the lily might be a tad large...), you could really dazzle it up with some of Amanda's edible glitter options, too! Or use it all :O)

And, come to think of it, Disney does have that new movie coming out in December...
I found this gorgeous image here. I want to wear a dress like that and wander around in a magical forest. Anyone care to join me?

It's Friday! I hope you have a lovely day, followed by a wonderful weekend spent with those you love. For the fun of it, cupcake lovers, this weekend I challenge you to actually bake some cupcakes and surprise somebody with them. And I'll tell you what, if you REALLY do it (I'm counting on you to be honest, now, so don't let me down or I'll have to get the NERF gun out), and come back and comment here on this post about it, I'll give you ANOTHER entry in the giveaway!!! Shhh... That's a secret for those of you who chose to follow along (and it's especially for those of you who actually read all of the way to the bottom of this post!).

Secrets are fun, no?

Blessings, Susan

Someday I will win one of Ree's KitchenAid mixer giveaways...

2009-09-24T15:22:00.000-07:00

While The Pioneer Woman's away from her ranch for a little while, she's decided to host another awesome KitchenAid mixer giveaway. This time it's in very masculine form, considering she's known for giving away pinks and reds and whatnot. But, it's still awesome, regardless.
And you can win it simply by submitting your comment here and answering the question: What's your favorite restaurant?

As if that were a truly a simple question! Ha!

While I love Lebanese food, and Persian food, and Indian food with a passion, there is one Italian food dish that never leaves my memory when I think of yummy deliciousness, and for that reason alone I chose my favorite restaurant. Sadly, I live very far away from it now. (I am answer #6183, in case you're interested!)

Good luck to you!

Blessings, Susan

Update: 22,141 comments later (and you thought my Bake It Pretty giveaway was stirring up a lot of comments!), I did not come out the winner :O( Boo rats boo. Oh, well. I still have better odds than if I were playing the Lottery (and it costs me nothing).

I'm hoping for a buttercup yellow or a copper mixer the next time she decides to give a couple away. Which I would love oh so much more than a black one. Beggars can't be choosers, though, so I'll try for whatever I can get. :O)

The one I really want is this one.

So you like cupcakes, do you???

2009-09-24T14:19:00.000-07:00

Don't worry. You're not in trouble. I like cupcakes, too. :O) I just wanted to pop in and share something NICE that I recently stumbled upon.

Operation NICE, a blog, was "initiated to remind you that a little NICE goes a long way" and is written by a very talented gal named Melissa Morris Ivone. Melissa is a graphic designer with a passion for crafting, and she has a few blogs which she uses as outlets for her various creative endeavors. On my possible favorite of her blogs she journals drawings like these from her recent trip to San Francisco (I heart San Francisco!):
Her comments crack me up! And I just love this next drawing, even though it's not as colorful as Valencia Street really is. Is there anybody on earth who doesn't like the look of these homes???
Amazing, right???

Seriously, though. Let me get to the point. It is clear by viewing the results of only 24 hours of my delightful Bake It Pretty giveaway that many of us in the internet community love cupcakes. I know that several of you are new to my blog, so I feel it's only fair to warn you that you will be regularly nudged in various "love your neighbor" directions. Today's is brought to you by Melissa herself. Take a look:
Interested in purchasing a virtual cupcake at Melissa's online bake sale to help those in need? If you are, excellent! Please click right here "and directly you will be directed in the right direction".

I know it's not exactly the same as being able to purchase a "real" cupcake to make your mouth sing and your tummy cheer, but perhaps your purchase will help a child who's tummy needs a little cheer session of it's own.

Have a NICE day!

Blessings, Susan