Cut/Copy & Paste

Super Easy Cupcake Ice Cream Cones No Oven Required

2011-06-12T15:53:00.001-04:00

I haven't posted in forever and I thought this was a good one to start with. I got a Babycakes Cake Pop Maker for Mother's Day. If you don't have one, you really should get one. I have tried the "traditional" cake pops. I made the biggest mess and it took me forever. This machine works great!

When I first saw the machine advertised I wondered if the cake balls were small enough to fit inside a Joy Kid's Cone (there are 60 to a box). Sure enough, they fit perfect. I have tried cooking the cones in the oven with cake batter in them but it was disaster...the cupcakes would stay up, they were uneven and cooked more in some places than others. Below is a picture of the cake ball inserted into the cone. Isn't it a perfect fit?!

I put the bottom part of the cake ball on top since it is more rounded than the other side. Next, I added the frosting in a can to the cupcake and added sprinkles. It is beautiful?!

A little tip to get them to stay on a plate as shown in the picture below...put a dab of the frosting on the flat bottom of the cupcake. As long as you aren't to careless with them, they will stay put. I took them to my son's Kindergarten End of the Year Party. They were a huge hit with the kids and adults alike.

Here is another picture from the party:

Ok, back to the subject, one cake mix will make about 60 balls which is just enough for the pack of the kid's cones.

Christmas Card 2010

2010-11-23T21:56:00.002-05:00

I finally decided on my Christmas cards for this year. They had such a great selection at Shutterfly that I had a very hard time deciding. I finally decided on the following style. You can't see the inside but it had spot for 4 additional pictures & text. I think it turned out great!

Joy Magic Story Christmas 5x7 folded card

Make a statement with custom Christmas cards at Shutterfly.

View the entire collection of cards.

Turkey Toes with Free Printable

2010-11-15T12:29:00.001-05:00

I originally saw this idea at Chasing Fireflies and recently saw a version at Dylan's Candy Bar. At anywhere from $10.00-$14.00, they are pretty expensive especially when you consider the cost of candy corn this time of year. Also, my version is politically correct :) "No turkeys were harmed in the making of this product". I used small 3x5 ziplock jewelry bags with the 3 inch circles and I used the 2 inch circles with the jars. If you are wondering about the jar, it came from Hobby Lobby. I bought it on sale for 75 cents...it was perfect. Anyway, here are the files if you want to make them yourself:

2 inch
2.5 inch
3 inch

* Note: These are to be used for your own personal use...not for sale in any form.

Christmas Card

2010-11-12T11:11:00.000-05:00

Well, it is almost that time of year...Christmas Card Time. I always hate this time of year because I usually wait till the last minute to get my Christmas cards out. I always have a hard time deciding what picture to use and actually sending them out. Last year, I had someone on Etsy make a digital image for me so I could print it myself...Big Mistake!! I had them printed on cardstock at a local print shop and had to cut them myself. They ended up costing more than if I had just had someone else do them. I had used Shutterfly in the past and been very happy with them.I don't know what got into me last year that I didn't order from them. The print quality was much better than the ones I had printed at the print shop. I recently received an email from Shutterfly and was amazed at the wonderful christmas cards designs that they have this year. I will definitely be ordering from them. Did I mention that they will mail them for you?! How great is that!! A few clicks and I will be done with the Christmas cards. Here are some of my favorites:

I was also thrilled to see that they carry holiday gift tags as well. I love to bake and give cookies, etc. as Christmas gifts. These tags will add a touch of elegance to my gift. I like the fact that it has my information already printed on the tags. Here are some of my favs:

Shutterfly is currently running a few promotions:

20% off Cards

20% off Address Labels

50% off Calendars Buy One and Get 50% off all others

20% off all Ornaments and Photo Gifts

20% off Stationary Gifts

20% off Photo Mugs

30% off Photo Books

AND

Free shipping on all orders over $30 with code:

SHIP30

Monster Birthday Party

2010-10-11T15:58:00.003-04:00

I haven't posted any new projects lately because I had been working on my son's birthday party for the past month or so during my spare time (which I never seem to have enough of). Well, it is finally over. I feel bad saying that but it is true.

Here is the invitation. You will have to excuse the blanked out portion...my husband is super paranoid about listing any details that pertain to our sons. I got them from Announcing You.

We had it at Monster Mini Golf which has great decorations. I purchased a party package from Dimple Prints. The wonderful matching cupcake toppers were made by Robin's Cake Art. The cookie toppers were made by Hello Frosting. The little chocolate and coconut/amaretto cookies were made by Fusion Sweets. The vinyl decals were made by Vinyl Express. The monster finger puppets soaps were made by Brown Bag Bath Bars. I guess you could say that Etsy was my party planner because I got almost everything there. Also, I want to give credit for all the wonderful pictures to my friend, Mayela Colina.

The Birthday Boy & Location Pics:

The Food Table:

The Candy "Boo"fet

The Goodie Bags, Craft & Misc:

New Bedding

2010-09-11T10:56:00.001-04:00

I finally got around to painting my son Brett's bedroom my favorite color: Tobacco Road.

Which means we can now get new carpet. YEAH!!! We have been walking on plywood for a few months now. Now I need to look into a little more modern bedding for my his bedroom to go with the new paint and carpet. As it stands now, he still has a single bed, even though, we have a double bed for him in the basement. I just love the following styles from CSN Stores:

Blissliving Home Max Peacock Comforter Set

Maddie Boo Jackson Child's Bedding Collection

Twinkle Living Lego Duvet Set in Brown and White

Which one do you like best?!

Halloween Wreath

2010-09-04T15:38:00.000-04:00

I know what you are thinking - is it that time already?! Well, I saw this picture at David, Courtney and Camryn and I just had to try and make one similar with purple boas (the last picture is the true color of the wreath). I bought all the supplies at Hobby Lobby. Here is my version. What do you think?

Menu Board

2010-08-24T15:26:00.001-04:00

I have been working on a menu board for about a month now. I found the picture below at a local consignment store and I thought it would be perfect for my project.

I painted it with four coats of brown chalkboard paint till I got the coverage I was looking for.

I played around with the saying (made out of vinyl).

Finally, I used Gorilla Glue to attach wine corks to the bottom to hold my chalk.

So here is the final result:

Teacher's Gift-Winnie the Pooh Quote #1

2010-08-18T14:45:00.001-04:00

I needed a teacher's gift for my son to take to his kindergarten orientation tomorrow but I was short on time. I remembered an item I had seen on What are we doing today Mom? I just loved the idea so I copied it and added a little bit more detail. My sister made me revise my first version because the quote is actually from Eeyore. If you would like a copy/PDF file, you can go here.

Bakers Rack

2010-08-14T12:53:00.001-04:00

I loved this bakers rack when my sister in law gave it to me but the color just didn't match my kitchen anymore. We put in new granite countertops and a backsplash a couple of years ago. Enter my trusty KRYLON OIL RUBBED BRONZE (yes, I think it deserves to be capitalized since it is such a great color). I took apart the bakers rack which was pretty easy considering the metal was screwed into the stone ledge. Add a touch of Rub 'n' Bub in antique bronze and here is the result:

Not bad, huh?!

...and the winner is Comment #1 ashlesmommy!!

2010-08-11T08:35:00.001-04:00

Thanks to all of you that entered. The winner was chosen by:

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random integers, generated with replacement:

1

Timestamp: 2010-08-11 12:30:32 UTC

The winner is Comment #1 ashlesmommy
who said...

Congrats! I am a follower :o)

http://www.wishnonstars.com/

jotteson@frontiernet.net

If are ashlesmommy, please contact me to claim your prize.

Reminder: $10 Amazon Gift Certificate Giveaway ends Today

2010-08-10T12:37:00.000-04:00

This is a reminder that my $10 Amazon Gift Certificate Giveaway ends today (August 10) at 11:59 pm. It only has a few entries as of this post so the odds are very good. I will be picking the winner tomorrow morning and emailing them. As soon as I hear back from the winner, I will email them the code.

Amazon.com $10 Gift Certificate Giveaway

2010-07-30T01:35:00.003-04:00

I recently surpassed the 100 follower mark so I have decided to do my first official giveaway. I am giving away a $10.00 Gift Certificate to Amazon.com. This is not a sponsored giveaway. It is a reward I got and I am giving it to one of my readers. The contest will end August 10, 2010 at 11:59 pm EST. If you win, you must respond to the email within 48 hours or another winner will be picked. I will send the winner the claim code so they will have immediate access to the gift certificate.

It is pretty easy to enter:
You must publicly follow me and leave a comment saying you do along with your email address.

Extra Entry:
Blog about my giveaway on your blog and leave me a link to the actual post. Be sure to leave your email address.

Good Luck!!

I finally won a contest!!

2010-07-30T01:18:00.001-04:00

YES, I finally won a contest over at Sugar Pop Ribbons. I won this yummy looking Deluxe Apple Gift Box from California Caramel Company. I don't think I will tell my husband and kids so I can have them all to myself (insert evil laugh here)!!

Tuesday Blog Hops

2010-07-27T02:24:00.000-04:00

Free Gain Dish Soap

2010-07-19T18:14:00.000-04:00

This is directly off the Wal-Mart site.

NEW Gain Dish Soap - Free 11oz Samples

Dates: 7/22/2010 - 7/25/2010

Come try the NEW Gain Dish Soap! Free 11oz samples will be distributed throughout the event so you can try these amazing fresh scents that come with an incredible clean. Be the first to try the new Gain Dish Soap.

Click this link to find the store nearest you and the hours.

Big Lots 20% off Entire Purchase on 7/18

2010-07-15T16:16:00.001-04:00

Big Lots is having a Friends and Family Event on Sunday, July 18, 2010. Click HERE to print a coupon for 20% of your ENTIRE purchase.

Totally FREE Mousepad from Artscow.com

2010-07-12T17:42:00.002-04:00

Yes, it is totally FREE because shipping is included! All you have to do is have at least 50 Facebook friends to get this deal. If you have less, you'll have to pay $1.99 plus shipping. Go HERE to get yours! It will ask you to post the deal on your "Wall" and then you will see the code for the mousepad. Be sure to copy it in case it doesn't carry over to the next page. If you happen to not be able to get one today, be sure to go early tomorrow to get yours. They have a limit on how many they are giving away. When I wrote this (5:39 pm EST), they had over 5,000 left so hurry if you want the deal.

Paint Project #2: Breakfast Room Light Fixture

2010-07-10T20:09:00.004-04:00

Well, I bought the light fixture for the breakfast room to replace to builder gold basic one that you see above. It matches the light fixture in my dining room. I got a good deal on this one as well at Lowe's. It ended up costing me about $25.00. It wasn't as great a deal as the other light but still a good deal. You probably guessed that I painted it my trusty Krylon Oil Rubbed Bronze. My husband kids that he is going to come home one day and the boys will be oil rubbed bronze in color because I decided they would look better that way :) So without further delay, here is the final result.

Paint Project 1: Dining Room Light Redo

2010-07-07T15:27:00.013-04:00

I have hated this light fixture ever since I first saw it. It was that new build gold basic light fixture. I finally got around to replacing it. I was so excited about replacing it that I forgot to take a picture of the before. It was exactly like the picture above that I got off the Krylon site. You can see my old fixture in the mirror of the second picture and in the right hand corner as well. I was trying my best not to get it in this picture :) The fixture had two lights that wouldn't work and the rings on the bottom of the light were always moving around from the boys touching them.

Anyway, we were at Lowe's one Saturday doing a project with the boys and decided to look at lights. We found the light above on clearance. It had been $178.00 but was reduced to $43.88. We had a $10.00 off coupon the boys had gotten with their Father's Day Frame they made at Lowe's. So, the final cost with tax was less than $35.00. Not bad, huh?! BUT, I didn't like the color so I got my trusty Krylon Oil Rubbed Bronze spray paint and transformed it. I also hated seeing the chain so I made a chain cover out of extra fabric. I know it is OCD but you have to admit it does look better than the chain. I still want to touch up the edges with a little aged old rub but pretty much it is finished. Below are the pictures of the final product. I just love it! It has a matching fixture that I am also painting to go over my breakfast table. I will post pictures of that redo soon.

Teddy Grahams' Day at the Beach

2010-07-02T16:24:00.003-04:00

Ok, so I know the title is a little goofy but I am open to suggestions for a better one. This a treat I made for my son's Pre-K Graduation Picnic. I didn't have a blog at the time so I don't have have pictures of the pudding by itself. For this treat you need:

* White Chocolate Instant Pudding Mix (or similar pudding that is white) & ingredients to make it
* Gel Food Coloring - mine was Neon Gel Colors (you can use regular colors but the gel works best)
* White Cake Mix & ingredients to make it* Teddy Grahams
* Gummy Lifesavers
* Drink Umbrellas - I got mine at Dollar Tree
* Container - Again, mine came from Dollar Tree...I just love that store!!

Make pudding according to package instructions. Add your blue coloring to the pudding to get the color of "water" you desire. Let it chill in the refrigerator for a few hours before assembly.

Make the cake according to the instructions. Be sure to use the egg whites only to make your colors more vibrant. As you can see from the picture above, the neon colors really pop in the white cake batter. A couple of tips to speed clean up and make the mixing super easy: put quart size Ziplock bags in cups that are all the same size and fold the top over the edges. Add the cake mix evenly in the cups and add the different colors to each. Zip up the bag, cut off the corner and spread cake mix in pan. This works great especially if you are making cupcakes with multiple colors in them. While the cake is cooling, grind up part of your Teddy Grahams in a food processor. These crumbs will be the "beach".

Finally, assemble. Break up the cake in small pieces and put into your cup/container then fill to top with pudding "water". You can do the cake and pudding in advance and keep them in the refrigerator but they look best if done a couple of hours in advance. The pudding will seep slightly into the cake if you do this step the night before. Trust me, I know. Mine still looked good and no one else knew BUT I did! Add a little Teddy "sand" on one side, stretch the Gummy Lifesaver around the Teddy Graham as his life preserver and insert in pudding " water". Add the umbrella and there you have it...a Teddy Grahams' Day at the Beach!

Tuesday Tag-Along

2010-06-29T12:53:00.003-04:00

I am participating in

Pink and Brown Chocolate Dressed Up Cake

2010-06-25T21:12:00.003-04:00

This is my latest dressed up cake inspired by Texas Monkey. I made it for my friend, Stephanie, for her birthday. I was originally going to add a strawberry ribbon around the cake with just plain Piroulines but I couldn't find the ribbon anywhere. Instead, I found this great chocolate brown and pink ribbon so I made the cake to match it. I colored Wilton white chips with a couple of drops of my Americolor Neon Pink Gel Paste to get the pink. It really is very simple to make this and the procedure is VERY forgiving. The layers actually split in the middle and I "glued" them together with chocolate icing. I also piped icing out of a bag along the inside of the Piroulines to make the cake level. When I put the strawberries on top, you couldn't see my repair work. BTW, the Piroulines can be found at Dollar Tree which makes them super cheap!

Below is a picture of my first cake I made like this which was featured on Texas Monkey.

Present for My Husband, Rich

2010-06-23T16:20:00.002-04:00

This posting is a little late but I didn't want my husband to look at my blog and ruin part of his Father's Day surprise. Notice that the feet read "LUV U". This idea would actually work for about any occasion and any person...Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, Moms, etc. Preston and Brett actually behaved for the 'photo shoot'. It was a miracle!!

Welcome Wednesday

2010-06-23T12:51:00.003-04:00

I am participating in Welcome Wednesday hosted by Take It From Me.