Christmas Nesting in Process...

It's been busy around here since I returned from spending a wonderful Thanksgiving with my family. Actually, it's been busy around here for several weeks, but now (after a good house-cleaning) I'm finally able to do some of the "fun stuff". I usually try to decorate just before I go to Thanksgiving, so that I can come home to a festive "Christmas House". That just didn't happen this year~ but I'm catching up now!

I love "Christmas Nesting" here in my little home. I've always loved decking the halls~ even when I was living in a teensy tiny studio apartment. It doesn't take much to bring a festive spirit in. It's amazing what a strand of white lights can do for a tiny-but-charming little apartment. Why, oh why didn't I take photos back then?? I have such sweet memories of that silly, endearing little apartment!

Anyway, I'm hoping to share some photos of my "Christmas House" after I'm more fully nested~ please stop by and visit again soon!

Hugs,

Thanksgiving Greetings...

Wishing you a blessed Thanksgiving Day...

Hugs,

Well, Zippity Aye and Heido Ho...

Today is my birthday! So in honor of this fabulous day, I thought I'd make you some cakepops! I saw these on Bakerella's blog probably more than a year ago, and I've always wanted to try making them. By the way, Bakerella has come out with a cookbook focused on these fun little morsels. It looks like a good one, and it's on my wishlist!

I wish that I could actually send these to all of you. I've been preparing these goodies to give to some friends that I'm spending the day with~ a great excuse to use my new colorful baker's twine! Yeah! I love baker's twine, and it comes in so many fun colors now.

This is what they look like in the inside. I took a bite of that one piece... I couldn't help myself! It's okay though 'cuz it's my birthday.

All wrapped and ready for gifting! I hope that they will like them...

I made a chocolate covered version also... as you can see, one of these things is not like the others! (Can you hear that Sesame Street tune in your head?) Apparently, it helps to get the cake/frosting/chocolate proportions correct, or this will happen!

Yummmmmm!!! I hope you are all having a fun, fall weekend... I'm off to go celebrate now!

Hugs,

Holiday Inspiration... I Just Can't Help Myself!

The fabulous, sweet, and inspiring Amy Powers has published her Holiday Issue of Inspired Ideas (an e-magazine), and I couldn't be more excited!! Amy's blog, Inspire Co., was the very first blog that I ever, ever read... ever. She was the incredible springboard for meeting my miniaturist, stitchy and crafty bloggie friends.

My world has never been the same since.

I love her sweet, whimsical style, and I always leave her blog with a happy heart. This e-magazine is no exception. Every craft project is so fun, that I could hardly breathe as I looked at each page. Well, I did breathe, because a person has to breathe in order to squeal.

So, go ahead... take a peek. It will make your heart happy.


Hugs,

Halloween Yummy Time

I always get into the baking mood around Halloween. I have my favorite things that I like to bake for Halloween, but this year I went a different direction after seeing these adorable candy corn cupcakes on a few blogs. This is my version~

I decided to bake these to bring along to a Halloween party tonight. I don't like to show up for a Halloween party empty handed. Besides, I needed to make up for the fact that my costume was, uhm... just a hat.

This is a better snap of the actual cupcake. It was difficult to get a really good shot that showed the colors of the cupcake. I just tweeked a box mix to make it yummier (add sour cream), and then split the batter. I mixed in orange coloring to one bowl, and yellow to the other. Next, you fill the bottom of the white paper cupcake cup with about a tablespoon of yellow batter. Add about a tablespoon of orange batter on top. Bake and cool. I frosted the cupcakes with a mock whip cream frosting, but you can use whatever white frosting you prefer. It just needs to be white, to carry on the yellow-orange-white look of a candy corn. Garnish cupcake frosting with a candy corn and... viola! You've got a cute, simple Harvest/Halloween cupcake! (I have fallen in love with these gummy candy corns from Target, so that's what I used.)

Last weekend I brought these simple, yummy oatmeal cookies to a Halloween party. The recipe is no big secret~ it's printed on the inside of the lid on the Quaker Oats box. They're called "Vanishing Oatmeal Cookies". They are soft and chewy, just the way I like them. I added craisins, raisins, and golden raisins to this batch. I love walnuts in them also, but left them out for this party batch.

Just a little show n' tell here... no photo styling here folks. I've totally enjoyed having these pumpkin trees in my kitchen window. I found them at Trader Joe's and I love, love, love them! I sorted through all the bouquets in the store to find the perfect batch. I like when they have a few green "pumpkins" on them.

Well, I've got to get going. I hope that you have a wonderful Halloween weekend~ stay safe and have fun!!

Hugs,

Dot. The world's smallest stop-motion animation character shot on a Noki...

Okay, my miniaturist friends~ you've got to check this out!

I. Love. This.

Fall Nesting...

I don't know about you, but fall has always been my favorite season. I love how the light changes, the air is crisp, and I start feeling the anticipation of all the upcoming holidays. I also love the nesting. My mom has always loved decorating for fall and the holidays-- and I think she passed that love onto me. So, this past week I've been doing some fall nesting... both inside and outside my home. In this post I'll be showing you what I've done inside...

Do you love this combination of flowers, or what?? I love love love Trader Joe's for flowers. They always have fun, interesting combinations. This combo just makes me warm and happy inside.

This is my little dining room. My little nest is... little. But it's mine, and I have learned that whether you have a little 200 square foot studio apartment (my first place) or a grand mansion (no thank you- too much for one person) you can make it home. My home was built in the 1980's and it has some quirky architecture- hence the double-sided fireplace. One side is in the dining room, the other is in the living room (that's "lounge" for you friends across the pond).

I got a little crafty with my white pumpkins that are shown on the left side of the mantle. It was a really easy project. So easy, that a tutorial isn't really necessary. All you need is some white faux pumpkins (if you can't find white, paint an orange one white), glue, black glitter, and some bling (I used Designer Jewels by Stampin' Up). Paint and glitter the stem of the pumpkin, and adhere the jewels (instructions included) and viola!

... a little gothic glam! I'm sorry this isn't a great photo. It really does look better in person, as does everything in the post. I just don't have the lighting and the photography skills to get a better photo. The architecture of my funky little house does not lend itself to good photostyling. It seemed like every angle had too many distractions in the background. Oh well, this ain't a magazine shoot. Fifi, where are you?

This is the other side of my funky mantle. I kept the slightly gothic glam look going... and yes, that is a shrine to the Twilight Series there.

I do love me some Twilight... and mercury glass. The silver mercury glass is there year-round. I just change out color accessories throughout the year. I add red mercury glass at Christmas, turqoise/aqua in the spring/summer. It's kind of a strange area to decorate. If my style was mediterranean, I could through some large scale pottery up there, but that's not my style.

This is my tiny entry-- which is actually in the dining room. (Did I mention that my house is little?) Oops. I should have tucked that lamp cord in. Oh well. Okay, back to the photo-- this is my Harry Potter shrine. I needed some kind of dresser scarf/runner so I just bought some burlap, cut it to size, and unravelled the ends to make a more interesting edge.

Yes, this is a Sorting Hat. You can really see the face of the hat in this photo--- you've just gotta' love it! I have friends who have actually sat the hat on their head to "get sorted". (Hello, Lisa!) The hat actually talks. I'm not joking! It talks and moves it's mouth, just like the one in the movie.

Anyway, I hope you've enjoyed this little peak into my little nest. I also hope that you've had a chance to do some fall nesting of your own. Thanks for stopping by!

Hugs,