creepy crawly cupcakes

my gurlll Canaya and I made these creepy crawly cupcakes. Really really easy- just throw on some oreo crumbs, and candy worms. I'm sad to say I used a cake mix (my first time in like 5 years!!!) I doctored it up by using sour cream instead of oil, which keeps them really moist but cuts out that gross oil flavor.


I did make these delish groovy cakes (from scratch) for Blake's little sister:

Just separate the batter into little bowls and color each bowl with a different food coloring. Then drop a few tablespoons of each color into every cupcake wrapper. Swirl a little with a toothpick and you have some radical cupcakes...they were almost too pretty to frost. Almost.

a lyric

I always see cute little signs like this in Etsy shops, but never want to actually spend $15-30 on one. I thought I would try to make one of my own, beacause I got real bored at work the other day:

I know nothing about typography, but my History of the Book class has inspired me to learn more about it. I also want to figure out how to use all the cool, artsy programs we have on school computers.

For now, I'm just messing around on picnik. If you come up with anything cool, I want to see!

Great Deals!

 Our mom trained us as children to go straight to the clearance racks when shopping, and now I am equipped with some serious bargain hunting skills.

Here are a few recent finds:

The original price for the dress and accessories was $58, and I got it for $15.48!

I love a good deal!

Thanks Kami, for introducing me to Romy!  Their clearance is the best!

-EmmaLee

Officially Crafty

I'm an official crafty sister, but you haven't heard much from me yet. That's because this is about as crafty as it gets. My husband and I did this for a family night activity. It was a precious time to bond, so I figure it counts.

1. get a box of crayons. I recommend spending that extra 33cents and buying the real Crayola brand.

 2. think of a memory. it can be from your childhood...something your family doesn't know about you... or it can be a memory you share with those present.

3. draw memory with previously acquired crayons.

 

4. share the story behind your beautiful new masterpiece. This happens to be me and another official crafty sister getting the palm tree "island" muddy and then crafting lovely pots and such out of the mud.

5. listen to loved one(s) share their story.

6. post your picture in a public area and laugh walking past them and/or appreciate your life and/or get to know your loved one(s) better.

 

Give it a shot! And if you like what you see, turn off the TV and DO IT!

-Kambria

Help a sister out

What's everybody being for Halloween? I though Bethany might like this little number:
Any brilliant ideas? Send them my way!

Triple Chocolate Cake

My mom loves Mary Engelbreit stuff like this:

 So I decided to make her a cake like this:

 I love to decorate cakes, but I usually don't love eating them.  However, this is the best chocolate cake you'll ever taste!  I won't pretend it's good for you in any way, because it's completely evil, but soooooo yummy and moist! I made the Mary Engelbreit-esque flowers from marshmallow fondant and arranged them once the cake was cool. Here is the recipe (given to me by a friend):

Triple Chocolate Cake

Cake Batter:

1 box Devil's Food Cake mix (just powder)

1 small box instant chocolate pudding mix (just powder)

4 eggs

1 cup mayonaise

3/4 cup sour cream

1 cup water

12oz. package of mini chocolate chips

Mix all together (stir chocolate chips in at the end)

Bake at 350 for 50-55 min. in a greased bundt pan.

Let cool, then turn over onto a cake stand.

Topping:

2/3 cup heavy whipping cream

3/4 cup chocolate chips

 (I've done it with milk chocolate and dark chocolate- it just depends on the flavor you're going for)

Boil cream, turn off heat and stir in chocolate chips.  Pour over cake and refrigerate.  Serve cold.

-EmmaLee

photo shoot

I have no photography for my graduation art portfolio. EmmaLee's kids helped me out by modeling.

-Bethany

Vegetable Pizza

I usually opt for meat when it comes to dinner, but this vegetarian pizza was absolutely delicious! It is also simple to make and very filling.

Three-Cheese Garden Pizza

1 pkg. refrigerated pizza crust (I like Pillsbury)
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 T Veg. oil (or olive oil)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 small onion sliced into rings
2 plum tomatoes, sliced (I only used 1)
1 c shredded cheddar cheese
1 medium zucchini sliced
1 c shredded mozzarella cheese
1 c. sliced mushrooms
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 400. Smash dough on a cookie sheet. Mix oil and garlic in a bowl then spread it on the dough. Bake 7 min and remove from oven.
Meanwhile stir the cheese together with the Italian season.
Sprinkle 1/2 cheese on crust. Pile on the rest of the veggies. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the veggies.
Bake for 18 more minutes
Enjoy!

-Amy

Candy Corn Candlesticks

This is such a quick, easy project!

 Here's what you'll need: 

• Elmer's glue
• orange, white, and yellow paint
• paint brush
• wooden candle cups (I got a package of 6 at Michaels for $3)
• black candles
• sand paper

 First, paint the cups - 2 orange, 2 white, and 2 yellow.

 Let them dry, then glue the orange and yellow together with regular old school glue, like this:

 Now glue the white one on top, like this:

 Use sand paper to give a distressed look.

 I sprayed mine with top coat to give it a little shine and finish it off.

 Stick in some black candles, and you have candy corn candlesticks to add to your Halloween decor!

You can make them larger or smaller, depending on how many you stack.  It would be fun to make red and white ones for Valentine's day, or change them up for any holiday.  You could also tie ribbon around them.  The possibilities are endless!  This would be a great project for kids, too!
EmmaLee

Yummy Mini Meatloaves

I never liked meatloaf before I tried this recipe.  It's a meal that all 4 kids love, and even the two year old asks for seconds.  I found the recipe on allrecipes.com.

One reason I like it is because it calls for oats instead of bread crumbs.  This is a great way to use your food storage.  The sauce is so simple, and really good.  Sometimes I make it with ground beef, and sometimes I use ground turkey.  They  both turn out great.

Go here for the recipe!

EmmaLee