Something Sweet & Simple

I like to bake from scratch...I thoroughly enjoy my time in the kitchen, especially when I am baking. Funny things is, I am not much on eating baked goods, just making them....which works out well for my husband, friends, and local nursing home residents. Although I rarely use a mix, I couldn't help but pick-up a couple of the summertime flavor cake mixes from Pillsbury...seriously...who can resist flavors like Orangesicle, Pink Lemonade, and Key Lime?? If anything, I figured I would have a couple on hand when I needed a quick pick-me-up or sugar fix. Well, tonight was that night...after the stresses of the day and mowing the lawn, I needed a little something sweet and some caffeine...so I grabbed the Orangesicle Cake Mix and coordinating Creamy Supreme Frosting...

Yep, the one for me has sugar crystal sprinkles...because I am a girlie girl and I love sprinkles! I must admit, event though I used a cake mix, these are pretty scrumptious...I may have to get a few more for the pantry...it was the perfect pick-me-up and easy peasy!

A Day With Girlfriends...

What's an outing with girlfriends without cupcakes??....
Salty Dog, Cinnamon, Turtle, and Tiramisu

I have been so busy trying to catch-up after my bout with the flu, that I have barely been out of my studio/office...there are about a million things on my ever-growing list....but yesterday, I did take a little timeout to go on a short road trip with my girlfriends Lorrie and Mary. We made plans over the last couple months to drive out to Winterset, Iowa (the birthplace of John Wayne...and known for its covered bridges) to visit the Fons and Porter's Love of Quilting Quilt Shop, the Ben Franklin (yes, they still have a Ben Franklin and it is a treasure trove of fun stuff), and have lunch.  We left bright and early and arrived in the Winterset town square at 9:00 - perfect timing, as Ben Franklin opened at 9:00. After taking a few photos, we headed inside and began shopping - it was quite the "blast from the past" and we saw all sorts of items that made us smile - they have a full service crafting/sewing area, so we were all right at home. I picked up a few fun fabrics, some ribbon, two itty bitty wooden embroidery hoops, and of course some Scotch pink Hair Set Tape that is almost impossible to find (I use it for needlework and machine embroidery).

After an over an hour perusing the aisles of Ben Franklin, we walked a couple shops down to the Fons and Porter's Love of Quilting Quilt Shop. I'm sure many of you are familiar with the Fons and Porter's Love of Quilting television show seen on PBS stations or their fabulous quilting magazine(s). The two-story building is on the town square and has a grand view of the Madison County Courthouse...it houses a retail shop and mail order business on the ground floor and Love of Quilting editorial offices upstairs. This is a quaint shop - and we really enjoyed our visit - the customer service was wonderful - they allowed me to take some photos and gave us wonderful advice on where to have lunch. If you are looking for a specific Fons and Porter publication or quilting tool, than this is the place...although some of us (who will remain nameless) have pretty much all of their special tools and accessories. We all managed to find some treasures to take home...and I found some great bargain fabrics...and we each found an issue of Fons and Porter's Love of Quilting magazine in with our purchases (a gift from the shop!). Although this shop is a small space, it packs a good punch and we had a wonderful time!

We stepped inside another shop on the square and did a little looking, then we were off to a recommended place called "The Cellar" for lunch - a coffee house that serves lunch from 11:00 - 2:00. It was a windy and cool outside, so we all had soup and a sandwich...and the soup was Savory Portobello...yummy!  After lunch we headed back to West Des Moines...and I just *had to* stop to take photos of a barn quilt, just before reaching Bevenington, Iowa. Once back in Des Moines, we visited a couple favorite shops (and a new shop called Hinge) in Valley Junction...then of course went to Scratch Cupcakery for cupcakes (where I got to open some early birthday gifts from Mary). It was a perfect day....

Today, it is back to work (and reality)....I have charting to do....photography to take care of...a pile of paperwork and correspondence....and more items to list in my Etsy shop...part two of the mystery sampler is in printing production....and my embroidery machine is humming. Tonight, I am taking a painting class at The Social Canvas with my dear friend Lorrie - this is our first time visiting this new local artistic business, where you can enjoy an (adult) beverage while doing an acrylic paining project - they supply all the materials (canvases, paint, brushes, easels, and aprons)...and the class lasts about 2.5 hours. We are taking the "Love Tree" class and I plan on enjoying a glass of red wine while I paint my Valentine tree....

Valentine Snow Day

We are in the middle of another winter storm here in Iowa - inches of snow, bitter cold temperatures, and extreme winds - a great day to stay inside and be creative...in fact, I only ventured outside today to walk try to walk Simba (and that was quite an adventure, as my neighbors didn't feel it was important to clean their sidewalks and driveways). I have spent the last couple days catching up on paperwork, doing my year-end business reporting, my sales taxes, and cleaning/rearranging and inventorying my warehouse...and I must say, I am thrilled to have those "not-so-fun" tasks done. Today I decided to spend my snow day playing in my studio...the theme for today was Valentine's Day!

I decided to finish up another batch of machine embroidered lace hearts for my Etsy shop...I had some color requests and some custom orders, so I got all those finished and shipped...and I managed to get an assortment of 34 hearts listed. In my digitized machine embroidery library I found my favorite tiny lace heart, so I started making a small batch...I also played with some wools and made another one of my heart/flower embellished zippered pouches...and I got fabrics cut for several more sewing projects. It was a wonderful afternoon/evening and I enjoyed every minute...

Machine embroidered lace hearts for my Etsy Shop...

Tiny machine embroidered FSL hearts in progress...

Heart/flower embellished zippered wool pouch...

A Valentine project in progress...

I have one more fun thing to share with you today - last weekend my husband took me out for an afternoon...after all, it had been weeks since I had been out and about - the flu had kept me cooped up for WAY too long. We had a delightful lunch, then headed to our favorite coffee shop...then I twisted his arm (it wasn't hard) to take me to the new cupcake shop that just opened up in our neighborhood - it is called Scratch Cupcakery...and it was AMAZING! I have never seen so many beautifully decorated cupcakes in one place - and that is a good thing, as they were packed with people - we had to wait in line and I think we watched about 50 cupcakes walk out the door in the few minutes we were there. Their cupcake menu is extensive and we had a terrible time trying to narrow down our choices. We decided to pick-up four cupcakes - 2 for each...one for then and one for later...we both wanted to try Toffee...and I wanted to try White Chocolate Raspberry, but since they were sold out, I was "forced" to try Raspberry Love...and my husband tried Coconut. I must tell you - they tasted as good as they looked...the cake was rich and moist and they use real heavenly buttercream frosting - they were sinful. I am actually surprised a got a couple photos before they were devoured. For some reason, I see another trip to this scrumptious cupcake place in the near future...

Thanks for visiting me today friends! I am now headed to my cozy stitching nest to finish up the needlework small for part two of the mystery sampler...and since I have a chill, I may just have to make a hot cup of tea or coffee to warm up...enjoy your evening - and if you are experiencing winter weather, stay safe and warm...

Quilting and Cupcakes

Continuing on our "day to play" in Franklin, TN - our next stop was The Quilting Squares Quilt Shop & Knit Emporium. This cozy quilt and knitting shop had a a nice selection of fabric and notions...a wonderful wool room...and for those who knit and crochet, a lovely yarn room. The staff was delightful and helpful - and we all had a pile to purchase! I had been searching for a special binding tool (The Binding Tool by TQM Products), that they actually had in stock...and I found some adorable fabric with my favorite motifs - birds, owls, trees ("Let The Sunshine In" designed for Exclusively Quilters)....along with a couple fat quarters, a couple patterns, a pair of scissors, and a tomato pin cushion kit. While we were there (not to name drop) - we ran into several of my favorite designer friends - Cathy and Theresa from CherryWood Design Studios and Tracy from Ink Circles - which was so much fun - always a special treat spend a little time with such creative and talented people!

After leaving the quilt shop, we were on a mission to find "Bead City"...and we did, but it was disappointing and not photo worthy...but it did lead us to a Chinese/Japanese Restaurant next door, where we had a good lunch.

After lunch, it was time for cupcakes - we visited Gigi's Cupcakes...and oh my goodness, it was spectacular! I know they have multiple locations in the south...and they are welcome to open one here in West Des Moines, IA....what a TREAT! It took me a while to decide - they were all so beautiful and decadent. We picked up a box of six...one for each of us and several to deliver. In the box you see: (top row L to R) Chocolate Salted Caramel, White Midnight Magic, Miss Princess (bottom row L to R) Scarlett's Red Velvet, Lemon Poppy Seed, and Carrot Cake....can you guess which one is mine?...I know, too easy...mine is the Miss Princess (white cake with fresh strawberries baked in, topped with a cream cheese frosting, pink sugar crystals & a pink fondant crown)....and yes, I was in sugar shock after finishing this amazing sugary confection! Seriously - this was one delicious cupcake and my "sugar high" lasted for hours (but it was oh so worth it!).

It really was a marvelous trip and I am so glad I got experience the Nashville Needlework Market and Franklin, TN...I couldn't have asked for better traveling/shopping companions...and I learned so much and met so many wonderful people in the needlework industry!

A Perfect Afternoon...

Last Friday I had the most fabulous birthday celebration with my dear friends Kimber and Merry. We met for lunch at one of my favorite local restaurants called Fire Creek - enjoyed a wonderful lunch in the relaxing ambiance and spent a couple hours just catching up. I always enjoy chatting it up with Merry and Kimber, as they are full of creative inspiration - we always talk about cooking, gardening, sewing, crafting, and homemaking...and I always get lots of tips, advice, and encouragement...

After lunch and opening my birthday presents, we headed down to Valley Junction - a historic district in West Des Moines that was founded during the development of the railroad line - there are more than 120 specialty stores and antique shops (many of them housed in buildings constructed at the turn of the nineteenth century). It is always a treat to head down to main street and we definitely have our favorite store fronts to visit! Our first stop was Sisters, a quaint shop filled with home decor, vintage treasures, stationery, jewelry, and charming gifts - one of my favorite gift shops in the city.

After leaving a few dollars at Sisters, we headed to Carefree Patisserie (in their new FABULOUS location), where they bake the most delicious cupcakes...they had a great assortment of flavors on Friday (see the cupcake counter upper right) - I decided to go with White Almond - Kimber picked up Chocolate Mint - and Merry had a special Butterscotch Bacon...yes, I said Butterscotch Bacon (made in honor of the Blue Ribbon Bacon Festival held on Saturday), which she said was YUM-O! The new location also has a unique assortment of baking supplies and gifts. I decided to be nice and bring home a cupcake for Travis - for him, I picked up a "Muddy Farmer" (a caramel cake filled with chocolate fudge - topped with chocolate buttercream, honey roasted peanuts and pecans...and a few pig sprinkles on top!)...needless to say, he devoured it!

After enjoying our cupcakes and tea/coffee, we headed over to The Quilt Block - a great little fabric shop, where I found yardage of the new French General line "Rouenneries Deux" and a few sewing notions (have you ever known me to go to a quilt shop and leave empty handed?).

You would think we would be all worn out/shopped out by this time - but no - we had one more stop to make - we left Valley Junction and headed over to Archiver's to do just a bit more economy enhancement. I found a pile of special embellishments and pretty papers...and even purchased a paper trimmer (an American Crafts Cutup - which is WAY cool).

After our day together, I returned home feeling completely inspired and itching to work on a bunch of new projects! It was a perfect afternoon and I felt so blessed to celebrate my birthday with my dear friends.

Once again, Merry and Kimber spoiled me with the most AMAZING birthday gifts...and they had Valentine pressies for me too...

Kimber brought me an adorable owl writer's block with matching pen....the most awesome fat quarter stack of fabrics (aren't they adorable! - I love these!!)...and a decorative pedestal plate with bird and a glass cloche (which was difficult to photograph) - I absolutely adore this - my mind is swimming with ways to display it! Kimber has impeccable taste and I am always delighted with the gifts she finds for me...

In true Merry fashion, I was showered with presents to open! She brought me a bag full of Valentine goodies - including beautiful tasty chocolates from Chocolaterie Stam, two snack mats (she made with frog fabric - so cute - see the tutorial on her blog) and some of her homemade jelly. She also brought me the cutest suitcase style box for my birthday that contained a cast iron teapot (which is something I had told her I wanted), a set of three nesting Japanese teacups, two handmade snack mats, a handmade trivet, and a bag of organic kukicha twig tea...I am such a lucky girl!!

I'll say it again - I have the most wonderful, special, generous, kind, and talented friends! I feel very blessed to be surrounded by friends (near and far) who love, support, and encourage me.

Over the next few days, my focus turns to the TNNA Nashville Needlework Market - I am heading to Nashville on Thursday and I'm looking forward to seeing some very close friends...and hopefully make some new ones...

Another Tasty Treat!

I've been in a bit of a baking mood lately...not really sure why - I just know it brings me joy and relieves my stress...so, last night, I decided on a whim to make homemade vanilla cupcakes. This cake recipe card has been in my kitchen for many years - I'm not sure where it originated. The frosting recipe (which I got from my mother and I am guessing came from my grandmother) is one of my very favorite recipes - I used it for most cookies and all cakes.

White Cake
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1/2 cup shortening
1 teaspoon vanilla
5 egg whites

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place paper baking cups in cupcake trays (will make 24 cupcakes). In large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, milk and shortening; beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then on medium speed for 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Add vanilla and egg whites; beat an additional 2 minutes. Pour into baking cups - filling each 2/3 full. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.

Frosting

1/3 cup margarine

2 cups powdered sugar

2 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla (or flavoring of your choice)

Beat on low speed: softened (not melted) margarine, milk, and vanilla. Slowly add powdered sugar until desired consistency. Add food coloring, if desired.

Frost cooled cupcakes and decorate with your choice of sprinkles or embellishments. This recipe will make 24 beautiful and tasty cupcakes!

I used silver foil baking cups, as those were always my favorite as a little girl...and after frosting my cupcakes, I sprinkled colored sugar on them...didn't they turn out festive and cute?! My husband and I both enjoyed a cupcake and a hot beverage last night - what a treat! We have enough cupcakes to last a while...then what will I bake next??