February 2012
7 posts
4 tags
Chocolate Malt Cupcakes with Marshmallow Filling
another birthday down. hooray! i made these cupcakes on monday for my oldest brother and they were a huge hit. new family fave. when i first saw the recipe on Sweetapolita (she’s like my baking idol!), i couldn’t wait for the perfect opportunity to try them. first of all, chocolate malt is amazing alone… add marshmallow to the mix and it only gets better. we’re talking...
5 tags
Meyer Lemon Blueberry Cake
a few weeks ago i came across some lovely meyer lemons. a whole bag in fact, for $1.98 (wal-mart if you must know. don’t judge). i bought two bags. actually, i’ve since gone back and bought another because they’re not in season for much longer. i love meyer lemons. they’re a little sweeter than regular lemons but still tart and a little more round. wikipedia tells me...
3 tags
Candy Cane Hearts
are you left with lots of candy canes from christmas, like me? this is a great way to get rid of them and be all extra festive on this valentine’s day. i saw this clever idea floating around blog land last year and finally got to try it. it’s super quick and easy. you pop the candy canes in the oven for 2-3 minutes and pinch them together. use for hot chocolate, brownies, cupcakes,...
4 tags
Valentine's Sugar Cookies
i love sugar cookies. like, really really love them. but not just any old sugar cookie. it has to be soft and chewy with butter cream frosting on the top. you know, like the lofthouse cookies from the grocery store? this recipe meets all three of my requirements and is the best sugar cookie i’ve ever had. not kidding. i’ve been making these for a few years now and is always the most...
3 tags
Chocolate Birthday Cupcakes
we celebrated my little sister’s birthday this weekend so now i have more cupcakes to share with you! she requested chocolate with cream cheese frosting. her fave.
there’s really no better way to spruce up simple cupcakes than with pink coloring and lots of sprinkles! these were a lot of fun for me and i purposely went heavy on the sprinkles. just looking at them made me giddy...
5 tags
Valentine's Day Garland
i saw this cute idea in the february country living and finally got around to making it today. it literally only took 10- 15 minutes! now, i don’t know about you, but that’s my kind of craft! you just punch two holes in the cards, thread some twine and whalah! cheap, easy and super adorable valentine’s day garland.
4 tags
Cherry Cola Cupcakes
january and february are my busiest baking months of the year. oh, and i can’t forget to throw december in there too. it seems like every other week, we’re celebrating someone’s birthday, plus valentines day.
last week, it was my dear sister-in-law’s birthday that we celebrated. she wanted me to surprise her with a new cupcake flavor. after some pinterest browsing, i...
January 2012
1 post
4 tags
Happy (Belated) New Year!
hello, friends! as usual, i’m behind the times and a month overdue, but hey, better late than never :)
in an attempt to be more organized this year, i got a new calendar and notepad. and pens! this fruit calendar by Rifle, is hanging in my kitchen, where i happen to be the most. it’s cheerful and pleasant to look at.
how cute is this zebra notepad? i mean, come on! right? such a...
December 2011
4 posts
1 tag
5 tags
Look for Less: J.Crew Bangles
i’m obsessed with these pretty colored enamel bangles. pictured above, j.crew has some that range from $14.99 - $35.00.
i found some very similar bracelets at forever 21 that make me giddy. if you look close enough, some are the exact same as the j.crew ones. AND they only cost from $2.80 - $10.80. talk about the perfect little stocking stuffers! layer up - the more the...
4 tags
Eggnog Cupcakes
these are my favorite cupcakes to make for the holiday season. they’re delicious and always a huge hit. boozy or not, your choice - but whatever you do, don’t skip the eggnog! it makes them really fluffy. i used irish whiskey this time around, but you could use bourbon or dark rum as well. i plan to make these again this week and i think i’ll go with spiced rum. mmmm, seriously...
3 tags
Christmas 2011
It’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas around here. i really tried to keep things very simple and rustic this year, hence the burlap and greens everywhere! now i’m on to wrapping presents and baking galore!
happy friday and Merry Christmas everyone!
November 2011
2 posts
4 tags
Weekend Finds
over the last month, i’ve been hunting on the weekends. you see, it’s my most favorite thing to do EVER. it’s become quite an addiction of sorts :) i went to a couple new antique stores with my mom and cousin and another time with another cousin and sis-in-law. we had SO MUCH fun! i made them promise me we’d go every month. sure beats going alone.
one of the places was...
4 tags
Bittersweet!
last weekend we had a girl’s weekend getaway with my mom and her two sisters. we stayed at my aunt’s beautiful farmhouse in the lehigh valley. my other aunt was taking a walk around the back property and found tons of bittersweet growing wild. i was beyond excited since i’ve been on the hunt for the last two months! we snipped and snipped as much as we wanted and...
October 2011
4 posts
4 tags
Happy Halloween!
Happy Halloween everyone! here’s my spooky spider cupcakes that i made over the weekend. they’re chocolate with orange cream cheese frosting. best cupcakes ever! the recipe can be found here.
4 tags
my fall wish list
(1.) - (2.) - (3.) - (4.) - (5.) - (6.) - (7.) - (8.) - (9.)
i love this green leather tote bag… bet it could hold all my junk. i had to throw in one of essie’s latest fall colors. in case you haven’t noticed, essie is my all time fave nail polish. i wouldn’t mind a new watch. this timex has been on my radar for months… love the classic style and size. i’m dying...
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it officially feels like fall!
it all started here. i came home with over 20 different pumpkins and gourds. nothing like a good variety of shapes and colors…
i found this berry wreath at an antique store for $5.00. i originally wanted a bittersweet wreath like this, but couldn’t find any local. the colors are perfect.
can’t beat the deep purple color of ornamental cabbage. this year was a first for...
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September 2011
2 posts
5 tags
the state of things...
sorry for the disappearance again! just wanted to check in really quick and let you know i’ll be on a break for a little longer. our basement is about to be under renovation from the flooding that took place here in the northeast. we had to move all of our belongings upstairs so our living space is pretty much in shambles right now.
we are soooo thankful we didn’t get more than the...
2 tags
August 2011
5 posts
3 tags
Baked Sunday Mornings: Coffee Ice Cream
good morning everyone! hope you’re all weathering the storm ok.
i was really excited when i saw coffee ice cream was the pick for this week’s baked group. um…if you haven’t noticed by now, i kinda like coffee. like a lot. plus, it was a nice change from all the baked recipes we’ve been doing lately.
there’s nothing quite like homemade ice cream. to be honest...
5 tags
Baked's Orange Creamsicle Tart
i’m playing catch up from the baked sunday mornings recipes i missed this summer. this orange creamsicle tart was scheduled for june 4 and i can not believe i skiped out on it. i was dreaming about it for months. but…you know how it goes.
words can not begin to describe. we loved every single bit of it.
if you’re a creamsicle fan, this is your dessert. get the recipe...
5 tags
Look for Less: Pottery Barn Artisanal Pillar...
Pottery Barn Set of 2 Artisanal Pillar Candleholders = $99
Country Door Set of 2 Wall Sconces = $49.99
3 tags
Black X-Back Chairs
i’ve been holding out on buying new chairs for our farm table because i have serious issues committing to house stuff. it’s like i’m always afraid i’ll find something i like more when it’s too late. anyway, here it is almost two years later and i keep coming back to the same black x-back chairs. i guess that’s a sign of improvement. we’ve been living with...
4 tags
S'mores Bars
who doesn’t love s’mores? i can’t ever seem to get enough especially in the summertime. now that i found this bar recipe, i’m in some serious trouble.
hooray for quick and easy s’mores all year round!
so far, i’ve made these twice this summer. they’re that good.
ooey, gooey and chewy. my favorite kind of dessert.
***UPDATE*** i just found out...
July 2011
7 posts
6 tags
Baked Sunday Mornings: Mom's Olive Oil Orange...
i was on vacation during the last scheduled baked recipe, which was a peaches and dream pie. can you even imagine? soooo bummed to have missed out on another amazing recipe with the group. i’ll have to make up for not only the pie, but also the creamsicle tart before summer ends. i’m dying to try them both!
i’ve always wanted to make an olive oil cake. very italian. this is...
4 tags
july
sorry about my disappearance again! we had lotsa birthday and vacation madness going on around here. july is always so full and fun. my crazy family surprised me on my birthday. i was in shock all night because no one can EVER surprise me!! here’s some blurry camera pics…
we left the next morning for the beach. fenwick island, deleware. more camera pics…
...
6 tags
Baked Sunday Mornings: Blackberry Pie
you know it’s summer when it’s fresh blackberry time. and surely, there’s nothing more all-american than a slice of homemade pie with ice cream. this week’s baked recipe couldn’t be more fitting for the weekend’s festivities. we have three picnics to attend. one down, two more to go and the pie is all but gone. we enjoyed it tonight with some local, homemade...
4 tags
June 2011
8 posts
2 tags
can't. stop. pinning.
i’m totally obsessed with pinterest. i love pinning things. it’s like an addiction of sorts.
i avoided joining for awhile because it was just another thing to keep up with. i can barely keep up with my blog and you all know i hardly ever tweet. but now that i’ve joined, i’m happy to say it has only made my life better. ok, well maybe except for all of the late nights...
3 tags
A few of my favorite things...
i’m hooked on house beautiful mag. can not get enough!
love the smell of this clementine soap. and i really like the nice big bottle. it makes doing dishes a little more enjoyable.
i’m addicted to tulsi tea right now. it’s a great stress reliever yet energizing at the same time. you can read more about the amazing benefits of tulsi tea here.
these chicken tenders are...
5 tags
Baked Sunday Mornings: Rosemary Apricot Bars
i’m back and beyond excited about this week’s Baked recipe. i now have a new favorite sweet treat that i’ll be making all summer long. these rosemary apricot bars are so unbelievably good! i know i know, i say it all the time, but you gotta trust. my husband even said these were one of the best baked goods i’ve ever made. now, that’s huge. we shared a tiny piece...
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Sweet Paul
first of all, aren’t these photo’s ridic?! i don’t know about you, but they make me crave a yummy salad right about now. we definitely eat our fill of salads during the summertime so i can’t wait to try out some of these new recipes.
check out the latest work from Sweet Paul and get these fun recipes (starting at page 68). enjoy!
Happy Weekend :)
6 tags
Umbrella love
i love green. i love stripes. so, i’m thinking this will be the perfect umbrella for our back deck!
happy friday everyone!
5 tags
More Dining Room Details
how lovely are these veggie botanical prints? i’m smitten. now i just need to find the right size frames and get them hung!
check out some of these other great prints.
4 tags
Overstock pillows
Overstock has a lot of really nice, modern pillows right now. they’re fun and bright. and they come as sets of two! i especially like the chevron (or zigzag) one.
1. - 2. - 3. - 4. - 5. - 6. - 7. - 8.
May 2011
8 posts
5 tags
Baked Sunday Mornings: Cowboy Cookies
the Baked guys NEVER disappoint! seriously.
i could not wait to try their version of cowboy cookies which uses pretzels in place of nuts. chocolate chip cookies are my all time fave as it is, so with the addition of pretzels for that salty/sweet combo…i knew i’d go crazy over these. and crazy i went! they’re super chewy, chocolatey, salty, and sweet. i absolutely adore these...
4 tags
Etsy Love : Cast Iron Horse Hook
as soon as i saw this darling little horse hook in southern living, i seriously couldn’t resist ordering one. it’s the perfect little key hook for our little entry way and i’ve been on the hunt for something just like it.
i got the green…oh, cannot wait till it’s arrival!
happy friday!
4 tags
Dining Room Fabric Sneak Peek
i’m finally working on finishing the dining room. yeah right, is anything ever really done? everything around here is always a work in progress, but that’s ok.
for right now, it’s finalizing the fabrics.
it’s stripes for a pair of louis xvi chairs and floral for curtains. i couldn’t find curtains long enough for these old windows, so custom it is.
i’m so...
5 tags
Baked Sunday Mornings: Tomato Soup Cupcakes with...
i already know what you’re thinking.
tomato soup cupcakes? seriously?
oh, yes. not kidding.
they’re not as scary as they sound. in fact, they taste just like a really delicious and moist spice cake with mascarpone frosting (i used regular old cream cheese). the tomato soup just adds a nice sweetness that you can’t tell is coming from tomato soup. it’s bizarre, but...
5 tags
Look for Less
bet you can’t tell which one is the look for less. this is one of the best yet!
these aldo gladiator sandals (top pic) were on my wish list since last spring, but my size quickly went away … plus i didn’t really need them for $50. i’ve been scouring ebay ever since in hopes to find them.
soooo, today i snuck into kohls on a total whim and guess what??? i found my...
5 tags
Springtime Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes
these are my favorite cupcakes EVER!!!
i used Magnolia’s lemon cake recipe and turned them into cupcakes. they’re filled with raspberry preserves and topped with a cream cheese buttercream frosting.
simply deelish!
April 2011
10 posts
3 tags
Calypso for Target!
in just a few days, Calypso is coming to Target!
this is very, very good news!
via lonny
3 tags
“The third day He arose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sitteth...”
– The Apostles’ Creed