friday and a quote …

“Today is a new day without any mistakes in it.”  - Anne of Green Gables

I hope there’s a little fall beauty in your day.  Have a great weekend and a Happy Halloween!

Best,
Stephanie

cake love

Thanks to everyone for the cupcake love in the last post.  You’re all so sweet and encouraging.  I haven’t made any new cakes in a while, and a few of these I may have posted before, but it’s been a while and some of you are new here.  So I’m posting some of my favorites. 

There’s a quilted cake with a gum paste bow. 

Some gum paste flowers I made on a two tier cake.  I used my camera phone on these so they’re not great pictures. 

 

A cake for my niece’s birthday. 

A doll cake that’s a little fancier than the usual frosting one.  Everything on her is made of fondant and gumpaste.  There were hundreds of those little pink flowers on her. 

It’s something I really want to get back to.  But it can be time consuming.  And my stash of gumpaste flowers sort of had an accident involving small children and playing ball in the house, so I need to make a bunch more of those.  I just need this rain to stop so I can begin.  And a little inspiration! 

Hope you’re having a great week. 

Best,
Stephanie

cupcakes

These didn’t come out quite as well as I hoped, mainly because I didn’t have the right cutter for the fondant, and I was having issues with my flower cutters.  But it was a quick easy idea that you might want to try.  You definitely don’t need to be an expert with fondant to do these. 

All I did was roll out the fondant, then use an imprint mat to make the design.  Just smooth a little icing on the top of the cupcakes to adhere the fondant, cut out the size you need and place it on the cupcake.  In the end, I really liked them best before the little pink flowers, but my daughter was helping and since it was for her bake sale,  she got to decide. 

Give them a try.  I will try them again one day when I have more time to work on them.  But not too bad for a first attempt, I think.  And two dozen cupcakes took about 10 minutes to decorate. 

Thank you so much for all the birthday wishes!  It was a terrific day made all the sweeter for your kind words! 

Have a great day,

Stephanie

birthdays!

“May you live all the days of your life.” -  Jonathan Swift

I thought that was a good birthday quote, right?  This was my actual cake from 2 years ago.   I didn’t make this one, though I’ve since learned how to make those gumpaste flowers.  I really need to get back into that and make some pretty cakes! 

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Best,
Stephanie

sigh …

It’s just possible that this is turning into the world’s most boring blog!  I have barely taken any photos, other than the kids, and yet I’ve been so busy, I can’t believe I don’t have much to blog about.  November promises to be a little calmer, plus that trip to D.C., (thanks for the tips, ladies!) so we should be up and running soon. 

October is always crazy – my anniversary and birthday, plus 6 other family birthdays and about 10 friends’ birthdays … add in fall baseball, football, school and work, and there you have it – crazy days! 

That’s my baby girl – fielding, running bases, and catching. 

 

And that’s my boy – starting center this year!  (Never thought I’d be a football mom!)  (And yes, they did have 2 guys on each of ours, every play.  Plus head wrenching, face mask grabbing, kicking.  Hello, ref?  Are you there?  I think eventually, they just got tired of calling all the penalties.)

So that’s what I’ve been up to – how about you? 

Hope your week is going well!

Best,

Stephanie

 

monday, monday …

Hello my lovelies!  I hope you all had a wonderful weekend.  I picked these beauties from my dad’s garden while he was away.   It has been so busy here, that believe it or not, the photo above is the first time I picked up my  camera in over a week.   We’ve had some weather that wasn’t much fun to walk around in, and I’ve been running around constantly.   So I need some photo inspiration and fast! 

The main problem is that with football, softball, and all of the other activities, this is the first year I didn’t get to go up apple picking, or leaf watching, or all that other fun fall stuff.   But I have been keeping up with all of your pages.  And I am loving what I see there.  You girls are amazing! 

I do have a request.  At some point in the next month or so, we are taking a few days and going to D.C. for the first time in about 10 years.  We are hitting all the top spots (White House, Smithsonian, the Mall, etc.).  But I was wondering if anyone knows any must see/do/eat places.   I’d really appreciate it.   Thanks!

Have a great week!

Best,
Stephanie

 

friday …

Happiness is a butterfly, which when pursued, is always just beyond your grasp, but which, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you. ~Nathaniel Hawthorne

I hope happiness flits it’s way right into your hearts. Have a wonderful weekend my friends!

Best,

Stephanie

getting to know you …

The photo is one I took in February, and since I like it a lot, I’m posting it again.  I feel like I always need a photo.   Susan over at Hometown Girl answered these questions and suggested we answer then and link up.  And since she’s a sweetie – here goes. 

What is your favorite word?   Lovely.  Though really, I can’t pick just one.  There are so many delicious words to chose from.

What is your least favorite word?   It’s a bad one, so I won’t print it here. 

What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally?  Creatively, I seem to do my best when I don’t over think things – just let my brain wander.   I really can’t force it.  I do some of my best creative thinking (and brainstorming) when I’m tired or distracted.  That’s when the ideas pop in.   (Hence the sparkly pumpkins.   I got the idea late at night and then went to the craft store to see what they had that I could use to decorate them.)  

What turns you off?   People who don’t give credit where it’s due, or take credit for someone else’s work.   It offends the Libra in me.

What sound or noise do you love? My children laughing.

What sound or noise do you hate?  The dentist’s drill. 

What is your favorite thing to say when you get mad?   I probably shouldn’t print that either. 

What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?  Party planning or photography or novelist.   OK, so I’m confused. 

What profession would you not like to do?  A nurse. 

If Heaven exists (I believe that it does), what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?  Well, if it can’t be, “You’re early, go back home”, then I would hope I’d hear “Well done, my child.” 

If you’re interested, then post these questions with your answers.  I’d love to get to know you all better.

Best,

Stephanie

a good book …

… and a terrific series.  I just read all 6 books over the weekend, and thoroughly enjoyed them.   I loved the main characters so much that I finished one and started the next immediately.  (And yet I still got in a football game, softball game, harvest fair, ferrying the kids around, two visits to my dad and a birthday party for a friend! phew!)  I liked the characters even more as the series progressed. 

This is a murder mystery series set in 19th century Boston called the Nell Sweeney Historical Mysteries.  (And they were just re-released as e-books, for less than $3 each.)  She is a governess to one of Boston’s elite families, and solves murders with the help of Dr. Will Hewitt.   Add in a murky past, secrets and a little romance, and there you have it.  Still Life with Murder is the first book.  If you do decide to read them, definitely read them in order – the relationship between the characters develops in each one.   Now I’m just sad that I’m done. 

Oh, and a little tip.  Even if you don’t have a Kindle, you can download books with a Kindle app to your computer, ipad, iphone, Blackberry … there are a whole list of devices you can read a Kindle book on at the Amazon Kindle page. 

Finally, thanks for all the sparkly pumpkin love – you girls are the sweetest! 

Have a great week!

Best,
Stephanie

posh pumpkins

Or at the very least, sparkly pumpkins.  I have been looking for a little fall color for the living room, but I didn’t want to add splashes of orange, or anything too folk-ish.  It’s a pretty traditional room.  And I never really put up anything sparkly, other than the occasional chandelier.   But Halloween is coming, and I wanted something to indicate the season as the room is the first thing you see entering our house.   So I got a little creative at the craft store, and I made these last night.  They aren’t quite done – I need a few more things to finish off the backs, and I lost a few rhinestones I will replace, but I think I like them.   Different than anything I had seen around the stores at least.  What do you think – hit or miss?

Best,

Stephanie

Updated to add completed pumpkins below:  

a little fall yumminess

How about a little yummy goodness to start off the week?  I’m guessing you have most if not all of the ingredients on hand.  And if you have some of the super sweet end of season corn, all the better.  The recipe will serve four generously, with a little left over the next day.  Much more if you make something on the side, or serve it with bread.  Even better, it cooks up fast! I made this last night and the whole family loved it. 

 

Bacon  Corn Chowder

8 pieces of bacon, diced

1 onion, diced

2 tsp minced garlic

32 ounces of corn (either 2 bags frozen, or corn from about 8 ears of fresh corn)

2 cups of milk

4 medium potatoes, diced

32 ounces of chicken broth

1 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp red chili flakes

Salt and pepper to taste. 

In a heavy saucepan, fry up the bacon over medium heat until it’s almost cooked.  Pour off most of the fat, leaving 1-2 tbs, and cook some more. 

Add in the minced onion, and cook over low heat until it is soft and nearly translucent.

Stir in the garlic. 

Then add the corn and the milk and the broth.

Add in the potatoes, and the oregano.

Bring it to a simmer.   Reduce the heat to low, then cover and cook about 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.    

Take out about half the ingredients and puree it in a blender. 

Add it back in the pot, stir in the red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper to taste.  Keep it on the heat about 5 minutes more and you are ready to go. 

Easy, peasy, yummy.  You can go ahead and change things up – use pancetta instead of bacon, whatever makes your tummy happy. 

Enjoy! 

Best,

Stephanie

friday …

“A book is like a garden carried in the pocket.”   - Chinese proverb.

A photograph, a little photoshop and some book love.  Have a wonderful weekend!

Best,

Stephanie