More in Store..

Monday’s a Jessica Sprague, designers release new products, fresh and hot, usually at an introductory price.  There are lots of cute new stuff over there today! 
I suggest you go check it out…
Just a couple of the newest:
Christmas Photo Cards from Elle’s Studio.
Set 4-

(Above photo by Brooke Pitcher.)
Set 5-

They are cute, quick, and easy!  All you have to do is plug in your pic, add your personalized text, send them off to print, and your Christmas cards are taken care of!

One Buck Wednesday.

So I know I gush about Jessica Sprague like, ALL THE TIME.  But I do for a reason (or more than just A reason..). 
Just like always, there is some good stuff over there today..
FOR ONE BUCK!!
(Or $1 if that is more clear.)
Two products for you to get excited about from Elle’s Studio:
This fun Hybrid “Merry Christmas” banner.
 
My goal this year was to be ahead preparation-wise by one month.  This has helped me with my December decor!
One buck people!
($1.)
I printed-off the goodness, cut, rounded corners and inked away while my glitter-edged letters were drying.  Punched holes, added hole reinforcers (inked with the same ink), added more sparkle by adding sticky rhinestones to the little dips in the letters, then put it all together using Craft Glue Dots.  I strung it up using twill ribbon. 
Cute, I know!
Supplies:
-Elle’s studio “Merry Christmas” banner.
-Martha Stewart is the bomb!  I used her glitter glue and “sterling” microfine glitter on these babies.
-I used Stazon “Brown Timber” ink.
-Craft Glue Dots placed on 3 points on top and bottom and  one on either side middle.  Seriously, get 2 boxes.
-Rhinestones.
-Ribbon of your choice.
-Hole reinforcers (optional).
-scissors, hole punch, and corner rounder

This little ditty is based all around that little journaling block..  see it? 
This also comes from Elle’s Studio, “These Moments at Christmas”, and comes with MORE little journaling blocks.  So cute..  and just one dollar!
The rest of the page is thanks to:
“In The Making Design”
-“Spotted & Dotted”, “Striped & Checked” papers from the “Basically” collection.  (Brand new in the store as of Monday.)  Template, “It’s a Start 2, page 3”.
-Stitching by Anna #1 White.
-Font, “Caviar Dreams”.

A new challenge for YOU!

You know how I love challenges (especially of the scrapbooking kind) and how they get you thinking and groovin’..
Well, here’s a new one, just for you!
Miss Jessica Sprague herself now has a Facebook page!
(Isn’t that great?!)
And she has some fun MISM challenges for ALL to participate in.
(WHAT is MISM?!)
More In Store Monday is when the fabulous team at JS.com announces new classes, new kits, new digital tastiness, all great stuff.
(I know, I have spent my fair share there..  more than my fair share if you ask the bacon-bringer here.  Love you Mer-Bear!)
The challenge comes in here:
Create a layout using products from More In Store Monday, and you get 5 Spraguebucks to spend any way you please in that store.  Seriously, any item your little heart desires and you have $5 to go to it!  It’s incredible, I know.
So go, become a fan..
Buy some stuff (if you haven’t already..), go make something lovely, post it to the Facebook page, and maybe…
You’ll win!
Here’s my goodness:

Supplies:
MISM template by Crystal Wilkerson.
Papers and stitching from her “Rainbow Sherbet” kit, background paper from her “Sweet Summertime” kit.
Font: King Cool KC.
Good luck!!

Comfort: Cinnamon Rolls

I know that we all crave comfort foods at times, and those times are usually when we are feeling under the weather.
Ever since Peyton (my 2 year old) decided to be super sweet and share her cold with me, I have been needing some of that comfort.
It also helps that a friend brought over cinnamon rolls and we (and when I say “we” I really mean “I”) just kind of didn’t get enough..
This recipe is the one my mom has used for her cinnamon rolls since, well, ever.  This is the one that hits the spot where comfort and familiarity in concerned.
So the other day, when I was feeling in need of some comfort, I popped a couple of reds, a blue or two, washed all the germs from my hands and made me some..

Sweet Dough
1 tablespoon sugar
2-3 tablespoons yeast
3/4 cup warm water
2 cups milk
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup oil or soft shortening
7- 7 1/2 cups flour
Stir yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar into the warm water.  Set aside.  Mix together in a saucepan: milk, sugar, salt, oil, and eggs.  Whisk while heating until quite warm but not too hot.  Transfer to a large mixing bowl and add yeast mixture.  Mix together and then add the flour, just a little at a time until a smooth dough forms.  Knead lightly on a floured surface.  Let rise until double.  Bake finished product at 375.
Now when I do cinnamon rolls, I roll this dough out on a floured surface until it is 1/2 inch thick.  I spread melted butter over the entire piece of dough, then top very generously with: brown sugar, then cinnamon, then white sugar.  My mom adds raisins, but because I detest them in everything but Chex mix and Rasin bran, I leave them out.  Roll the dough up into a long roll, and cut about 1 1/2 inch sections.  Place in a greased baking pan and let rise again.  Bake for about 20-25 minutes at the above temperature, or until the tops are nice and golden brown.

While these are baking, I start the frosting.  I used to use my plain old buttercreme, but have since fell in love with cream cheese icing on these.
Cream Cheese Icing
3/4 pound butter, softened
1 pound cream cheese
dash of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 pound powdered sugar (maybe a little more)
Cream together the butter and cream cheese.  Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.  Add more powdered sugar until you get the desired consistency.
Let the cinnamon rolls cool to touch and then spread on the frosting.

I do not recommend eating one while typing though. ;)

6

The first page of this layout was created for another Jessica Sprague challenge.  I seriously need to get back into the swing of things now that summer is over and the kiddos are back in school..

Supplies used:  Crystal Wilkerson’s “Funky Fresh” papers, “Sweet Vintage Charm” stitching, “Fall Word Art & Labels” for the notebook paper label, “Doodley-Doo” brushes to create the scallop masks, and “November Eye Candy” for the staple.
Fonts used were: “King Cool KC” and “Impact”, both from DaFont.com.

For the love of Peanut Butter! (Peanut Butter Cupcakes)

Have I ever before mentioned how our little family embraces everything peanut, especially when it is paired with chocolate?
Well, we do.  It was a pre-requisite to be in our family.
I set out to find a perfect chocolate cupcake recipe, and went to the most dependable gal on planet earth when it comes to recipes for tasty things (Ina Garten) and I not only found a chocolate cupcake recipe, but an amazing peanut butter frosting recipe.
Now, let me first say that the cupcake recipe, I wasn’t head over heels for.  It wasn’t nearly as moist as her other cake recipes are, maybe I should tweak it just a little bit, I dunno, but I used my favorite boxed (gasp!) mix for these bad boys.
(Fav boxed mix by the way is Betty Crocker Triple chocolate fudge mix, I sub the oil for a stick of butter and decrease the water to 1 1/4 cups instead of 1 1/3.)
The frosting was divine!
Merrill, who is expert taste-tester, and aficionado of peanut butter/chocolate combos, gave this treat two thumbs up (with his mouth full).
Peanut Butter Frosting
(so she calls it “icing”..  whatever..)

• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/3 cup heavy cream

Place the confectioners' sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low speed until creamy, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as you work. Add the cream and beat on high speed until the mixture is light and smooth
And then pipe (or smear) it onto something yummy (like chocolate cupcakes), and prepare to enter heaven.
P.S. I also topped my cupcakes with some chopped nuts, just to let people kinda know what was in them.  Oh, and it looked cute too.

Birthday fun..

I really wanted to make some birthday decorations that will stand the test of time.  Things that can be re-used, but be cute, and make each birthday (and birthday girl) feel special.
 
So it all started with a banner..  fun colors, funky lettering.  I had all the fabric in my stash and it worked out better than I had thought!

Then I made a birthday block similar to the Christmas one.

I made the banner to coordinate with the colors in the scrapbook paper I chose.  The girls thought it was really cool when they woke up the next day to see Ashley’s name and age with pictures of her.

My sister-in-law e-mailed me a pic of a chair cover similar to this, but I jazzed it up a bit more (cause that’s the way I roll..)
In the end, I am more than happy with how they all turned out, happy that I still managed to get the cake done, and done well, and even more happy that the other girls are excited when they will see these again on their birthdays.

Good News!

I finally went for it.
I put all my fear aside. 
(It did help that I had some encouragement.)
I did it.
I submitted to Jessica Sprague’s Creative Tem call.
I kinda made it.
:)
You’ll be seeing much more from me!