sweet | sunday

What is a sunday like for you? For myself, its a day of rest | relaxation | a thankful/grateful heart for all that I am surrounded with in life. Its also a day I tend to bake. For some reason it just seems easier than on say, Wednesday. I also enjoy that whatever I bake, I get to EAT or SHARE the rest of the week & let's face it, come Monday evening, sometimes all you need in life is a good chocolate chip cookie [& maybe some wine.]

So bad for you but SO good for your soul. I say cookies because that is without a doubt my weakness. I am the cookie monster, hands down. So if you invite me over and I raid your cookie jar, don't say you weren't warned. I wouldn't blame you for not inviting me back though. I will kindly assume its my loud personality that got me blacklisted. [it could be both.]

This sunday I am featuring a recipe for rainbow cupcakes! YUM!
Rainbows seem to be all the rage right now and well my 5 year old has always thought they were amazing. So my kids weren't complaining at all when I made these. [too bad they only each got 1]
I made these for my sister-in-laws kindergarten class! She said they loved them! Call me crazy but these tasted better than my normal cupcakes! It must be the kid in me.
Here is a how-to on how these cuppies came to life.
Why did I choose just blue icing...I just kept thinking rainbows & clouds go together. You know like PB & J, milk & cookies, mac & cheese...unicorns & glitter! ha. All you progressive insurance followers out there got that one! :)Flo [heather] are you reading this?!

 So here is the batter after I mixed it all up.
You just prepare your favorite white cake mix.
[mine is from scratch but the recipe is top secret for now]
maybe after I get more followers I will share it, so tell your friends, family, mailman, seamstress, doctor, whatever...

If you bake from a box, I am not judging. Its all good.
Cake is cake. All bad for you :)
You will need a massive amount of food coloring for these to come out bright and vibrant as these did.
I just decided what colors I wanted, got out my bowls and went to town adding and mixing it all together.
I will tell you now I did not measure even once, just eyeball it. Its not that hard at all.

After coloring all the batter, I just started layering it into the cupcake tins, about a teaspoon or so at a time. I call these rainbow cupcakes but they also reminded me of play-doh.
[what can I say, we play with play-doh alot around here.]
Fill the cupcake tins about 3/4 of the way full.

No fuller either. Otherwise they will rise way too far and its just not nearly as pretty. Again though, cake is cake. Ugly or not.

I like to top my cupcakes with my favorite buttercream.
I will tell you now, I NEVER measure. I just make it that often..so if you are the kind that just HAS to follow a recipe, this may not be for you. But personally,
[if you are that kind] I recommend breaking all the rules & doing something new, now and then.
I promise this is worth it.

So here is the recipe for the buttercream.1 stick butter [room temp]
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 to 1/2 cup marshmallow fluff
powdered sugar.
this amt will vary depending on how stiff you want your icing. I usually use several cups [around 4]

mix all together in bowl. I use my kitchenaid stand mixer but you can mix by hand or with beaters. just mix very thoroughly! Color as desired & scoop into piping bag!
I just pipe mine out with a piping bag with no tip in a swirly motion. I like tips but for this I was going for fluffy stuff!

Enjoy. They are truly delish.

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thoughtful thursday.

a thursday of thoughts. today is a day of many thoughts, wishes and also a day of gratitude that other people have been kind enough to think of me as well. I love days like today.

I have to tell you about my friend Kim of the TomKat Studio.

one word: FABULOUS.

In all caps!

I have been following Kim since before she was really even "public."

What does TomKat stand for, you ask? Tommy & Kate - her 2 sweeties.

 I found her on the comment board of Project Nursery

[another very chic and fun site featuring all things fabulous for kids rooms, home decor, etc.]

Olivia's room in our old house and our chalkboard wall got a feature there over a year ago!

Ever since finding both of these sites I have been a faithful follower.

Kim's talent for planning parties is amazing. There is NEVER a detail that goes undone and if it does you would never miss it with all the fabulous things that take place during one of her parties!

What else doesn't she do? Well she also writes for HomeGoods blog [for those of you who have yet to shop there...you are missing out] and she contributes for PN as well! She is a busy, busy mama!

Hop over and visit TomKat Studio....[do it now, don't delay] and see sweet kate's fairy party. Gone are the days of cheesy character parties! [thank goodness, I have always LOATHED them]

Ask my family and friends what I think of characters on clothing, bedding, party supplies, etc.

My kids will never have any of those items incorporated into any decor of any sort around here.

Trust me, they don't even miss it with how fun our house is!

So, get to know Kim. I have had several opportunities to converse with her via email and now facebook and more and she is SO nice and so positive! I promise one visit and you will come back daily. Really. She is offering some really great giveaways this week in honor of little kate's party being such a sensation! Right now there is a great shop called Modern Thrills being featured.

Happy Thursday to everyone! I do have one favor to ask as well, I have an amazing opportunity right in front of me, I just have to win in the voting poll. See the post before this one and you will understand it all. This is the reason I am so full of thoughts, daydreams & ideas today. Seriously. So please, go vote. Give me a chance to expand on my passion in life and pass the ability to dream on to my girls. We can be anything we want to be in life, no matter when. What are you daydreaming about these days?

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PhotoFusion = BLISS!

Okay friends, here it is. a chance of a lifetime. My chances of being chosen are slim to none I am sure.

Regardless of that, I am entering. I want to immerse myself in all things photography and learn so much.

Meeting Kristen to soak up her knowledge would be all that and more. 

In the words of Kristen herself, those who cannot, take photos of those that can. This is me in a nutshell.

Im a mom of three girls under 5, fashion went out the window long ago. However, I still adore fashion and long 

for it in the worst way. I live vicariously through my children and photographs of other fashionable women. 

One day, I will find my way back. One day. [let's hope that day comes sooner than later, right?]

So Kristen, I will keep this short and sweet. Im fun and loud and VERY creative. I have a strong love for all things photography and charitable. I sit on the board of directors for our boys & girls club and donate my time and resources to various other venues in our community. I think its a fabulous idea that we spend some time together and bond. I promise you will not leave disappointed and I know I will not. Oh, should I not win maybe I could be your personal advocate on facebook for those negative nellies out there. I know that will give you a laugh given a certain comment thread a little while back. :) 

Best Wishes to all who enter. 

Air

p.s. blogger wont let me upload any photos right now. instead of getting frustrated I will post it to facebook for you.  

update: I am one of the final peeps [there is literally a photo of a peep up for entry] in the running. Voting runs until april 30th. please vote everyday if you can. i am a mom of 3. I want an opportunity to be an even more  motivating/creative/encouraging mother and also an amazing photographer. this is my calling. 
i am sure of it.  


tell your friends too. oh & let me know if I can do something kind for you :)

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Friday Freebie [sort of]

For those of you in Utah you will love this! There is a new burger joint in the state and I CANT WAIT
to try it! I think its going to put In N Out Burger in the corner! ha!


Just seeing the veggies fries made my mouth water! Plus the mushroom swiss burger sounds divine!

There is SmashBurger in more than just Utah so if you haven't been to their website yet,

GO! Check it out. Find a location near you! I have a feeling you won't be sorry!

For those in Utah...check out this website and enter the giveaway to win some SmashMONEY!!! WHOOP! Nothing better than trying good food and not paying for it!

Besides that, if you haven't checked out SassyScoops yet, YOU SHOULD! Its all about Utah, whats hip, whats new, whats fun, whats reliable...I could go on and on!

Just check it out! Happy Friday!

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have a heart ♥

Please help spread the word.
I am, as I type working on designs for my etsy shop.
I feel that some money needs to be raised for those earthquake victims in Chile...
also Haiti [ I have not forgotten]
SO...here's the deal....I am going to finish up these designs and I am going to organize a way
to donate money for those in need.

For now I am calling it "charity for chile" so please, [PLEASE], pretty, pretty, please...
tell everyone you know. The designs and amount to donate will be figured out ASAP!

Thanks for understanding! I just wanted to get the word out that I am doing something for
the people that need it and are suffering from these natural disasters.
Its not fair they have to endure this.
It could just as easily be me and you.

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A whole new monday.

So...there is still so much work to be done here on my blog.
This I know. Its always looming in my busy little brain.
It's on my always growing to do list. trust me.

So for those of you reading and haven't given up on me yet...hang in there.
There will be much more to read and see here soon.

I recently made a new blogging mommy friend. She is fabulous. I love reading her blog.
I love that she is just like the rest of us. Trying to find balance between being a wife, mom and woman.
She is wanting to inspire and share with others. Awesome. not enough people care to do that.
So many are just in competition anymore. We can all be fabulous ladies. Really. We all help to make each other fabulous believe it or not.

So Crystal [my new blogging mommy pal] has started to do a feature on fridays - called FAB FRIDAYS.
On FAB Fridays, she features someone on her blog that does good, inspires her, etc. I will look forward to seeing who she features each week. I love hearing others doing good in the world, inspiring others, crafting, etc. Its fun. It embraces who we are as women.

So Crystal inspired others to do the same. So every monday I am going to do just that. I had thought in the past about friendly fridays, etc but I think monday is a great day to do it too. It can give you a great way to start your week, alot to think about, look forward to, etc.

I hate letting you down but I didnt feature anyone today. Mostly because last week was crazy busy for me.
Just wanted to let you all know that this is what you can look forward to next monday.
So Happy Monday, Happy March and Happy National Craft Month. I have a feeling this month is going to be fabulous.

XOXO
[p.s. - recipe coming this afternoon] its about time....I know!!!

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another monday [lovely.]

brought to you by one happy mama.

you see, for Valentine's Dessert I was lucky enough to enjoy a really yummy treat.
This may very well be one of my favorite recipes. ever.

I will tell you why now.
It only contains 4 ingredients. [4] that's almost unheard of.
well ok, I lie. 6 if you count the crust.
But sometimes we don't even need the crust.
That's what fruit is for.
And still [6] is still quite unheard of for a cheesecake.

So trust me when I say that even with so few items needed.
This treat is one of pure beauty.
I think I will have some again tonight. This time with boysenberry topping.
I sure do love boysenberries.

You can thank this man for that. They are also his favorite.
by the way, this is two pops.
two pops is also known as grandpa greenwood.
He is the father of my father in law.
two greats.
he screens all his calls.
he calls me ATM [automatic talking machine]
lovingly, of course.
he loves board games
and his family.
and playing tricks on his family to give gifts, etc.
never a dull moment with him. [we love him so much.]
We sure do love him so much. He is a funny guy. No wonder we get along so well.

anyway, I digress. So here is the recipe for cheesecake. Also a little glimpse into what
went into making it. Enjoy. It was a good time for all. Especially the eating part. 

recipe:
2 - 8 oz packages cream cheese
3/4 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

crust:
I used chocolate animal crackers this time.
I have been known to use anything from
plain animal crackers, vanilla wafers,
oreos, gingersnaps, sugar cookies...
whatever makes your [ ♥ ] smile.

It's so yummy, you could use mud and no one would notice. Well, that's again probably not true.

Combine all the cheesecake ingredients in a bowl and mix well, you don't have to use a stand mixer. I just like to look at mine. She is a beauty, after all.

For the crust I just chucked a pretty big handful of crackers into my food processor. Grind them quite fine, then add a tablespoon or so of melted butter. Just enough to make it stick together, but it shouldn't really be moist. Dump the crust pile into pan of choice. [I know a springform pan is traditionally used] but I happen to like this tart pan from IKEA. Its perfectly thick and doesn't give me any trouble, unlike my last springform!

Flatten crust with the bottom of a glass or your bare hands. Dump in cheesecake mixture and spread it smooth. That's pretty much it. You could certainly swirl some fruit in at this point, whatever you want. That's why it's your cheesecake. I think some of my praline sauce would be a thing of beauty here too. YUM.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25-35 mins. And voila. You have cheesecake.

I think I'm done rambling now. I will leave you with one tip though. For my sweet savannah's birthday last year we scooped these into shot glass sized cups with a strawberry puree and had cheesecake shooters.
There were none left and they were so easy to make. It doesn't get much better than that! Enjoy!

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{thoughtful} ♥ Thursday

every [thursday] I will be featuring something thoughtful, well thought, worth thinking about. you know. Good things.

Some days it seems alot of good is gone in our world.
Then I read a story like this one and it makes me realize
there are people out there doing great things, raising great, humble children and really giving the world a smile and helping hand.

I like to help. I like to think I do something good. They may only be small things right now. But bottom line, I do care.
So please excuse me while I shout from the
rooftops how important it is to give back.

Even if you dont enjoy this sort of thing. Not everyone does. NO ONE is here to JUDGE.
No sir. But please do read and enjoy
and maybe smile a little after.

That wouldn't kill anyone, would it? Smile more?!

In the words of Millionaire Matchmaker - Patty Stanger
"your smile is your calling card"

See even she is doing good in this world.
[insert hearty laugh here]

So enjoy. Please email me too. I want to know what you want to see. It would be so much easier if you would just tell me. Although I am nosy, I am lazy this week.

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[wish]list wednesday!

So, normally I am quite the humble soul.

Of course there are things I want out of life, but who doesn't long for
something pretty at some point?

Well, I keep a folder of pretty things that inspire me, move me, you get the point.

I don't think there is too much wrong with keeping a list of these sorts.
I like to think it keeps me grounded.
Reminds me of who I am and
where I am hoping to go in life.
Of course, maybe, just maybe in 5 years these pretty things won't even be as pretty to me.

So every Wednesday I am going to feature "[wish]list wednesday"

I hope you enjoy what I share with you.
So now its your turn, tell me, what do you [wish] for?

I also, always secretly wish for "world peace."
Naive? Maybe. Inappropriate? Never.
It all starts somewhere.




today I am wishing I were here. It looks so peaceful and serene. Then again, I do feel spring fever coming on too. So one night should do :)

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pardon me.

once again, please pardon the dust.
I know, I know, give me a break you say...I have been working here a long time.
I deleted all 69 or so previous posts that started last year and decided this year is a great time to start fresh.

So for all of you wondering or new to reading this blog. PLEASE come back and visit.
PLEASE tell your friends! I promise, promise, promise..you won't be disappointed.
By the end of the week you will see a menu planner, a calendar, lovely links to other blogs and so much more.

I am determined to do all my design work myself [plus all the blog designers I would choose from are all backed up with work for months and I would feel dreadful for asking someone to take on so much with a short deadline]

{phew, take a breath. That was a long explanation}

So come back soon, bring friends and maybe a snack because there will be much to read, see and do. I also [know] it will NOT disappoint you. not one bit.

So today. I leave you with a Monday [lovely.]




A fabulous cookie creation by none other than [bakerella]
if you have not already heard of miss [bakerella] than I suggest you visit her site.
again, take a snack, some water, sit in a comfy place.
you will want to take it all in. she bakes some cute little creations.
better yet, she makes everyone think they can do it too.
even when they probably cant. but "E" for effort, right?

See you tomorrow. I have a feeling this will be the start of something fabulous.
oh and very fun.

XOXO

Air

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