I went out with some friends tonight and saw the movie Julie & Julia. It was incredible! I saw the preview months ago and absolutely fell in love with the idea of picking something like Julia Child's cookbook and setting a deadline to complete every recipe in it, while writing a blog about your experiences. Now I'm definitely no cook(I burn toast, no joke) and would not even attempt to do exactly what Julie Powell did, but I have been looking for new things in my life that I could really explore and get involved in. I think I've been so hooked on the way that my home looks that I've lost interest in anything else that could be stimulating my imagination. Being in Utah a few weeks ago and seeing so many incredible new things opened my eyes to the whole scrapbooking and card making scene. It's always been something I've been tempted by, but I have a hard time actually sitting down and doing it. I've found a nice way to get motivated though. Thank goodness for beautiful paper and my cute Martha Stewart cupcake punch. I'm in love and constantly looking for situations where I can make a card or attach a little note to anything. It's been so much fun, and I love doing that little bit extra, if for no other reason than to make myself smile. I've also gotten really into baking lately. I've always stuck to the same recipes, and almost always resort to the ever reliable 'Cowboy Cookies' whenever a dessert is needed. I think seeing that
picture of Summer hiding behind her mini strawberry bundt cakes is what sealed the deal. Those sucker made my mouth water, and I loved the idea of making them myself. I've since jumped onto a couple of different baking sites and have so many things I want to try out, and some that I already have. I'm always looking for a new reason to try something out. Thank goodness for the missionaries. They've happily agreed to be my official taste testers. I've also decided to do a Cupcake of the Month club. I had a horrible start to it, and ended up resorting to a boxed mix. Terrible for someone who's wanting to get into baking from scratch. I'm such a nutter sometimes. So anyway, I'm serious about it now. The 1st of each month is delivery day. I'm going to pull all kinds of cupcake recipes from all over and try them out, one per month. Some are going to be based on taste, and others are just for the overall decorated look. I'm now on the lookout for potential club members. All I need are hungry tummies and people willing to give honest feedback, and I even deliver so there's the extra incentive! Along with the cupcakes, I'm trying out other ideas. I just did a cream cheese pound cake yesterday, and it turned out wonderfully! Wanna see?
Mmmm, yummy drizzled cream cheese icing goodness. I took that about a minute before dropping it off with the Elders. The one that stayed at home with us was sliced into before I remembered to take a picture.
So, if you are craving some homemade, scratch mixed, baked-with-love treats, let me know. I'm already planning September's Cupcake, individual multi-layer yellow cakes with buttercream frosting, and mini cheescakes with cherry topping. I'm so jazzed for that last one!
I'm happy for the little things in life that push us in new directions. All of this may not seem like anything drastic to other people, but it's exactly what I need in my life right now!
This is one of my favorite ongoing projects. I love looking through decorating magazines, especially ones from Better Home & Gardens. Now I don't really like their main mag, but the 'spin offs' can be amazing. Some of my favorites are 'Big Style for Small Rooms', '100 Ideas, Makeover Style', '100 Decorating Ideas under $100', 'Do It Yourself Ideas' and of course my absolute favorite, 'Storage'. I can't get enough of these. It's become a tradition for me that when I get a new one I read through it at night once my dudes are asleep. I like the silence. It helps me get lost in the beauty and organizational amazingness that they have to offer. I flip through it all once, then go through a second time and actually read the articles that I'm interested in. But the third time, now that is the real fun. I rip through that sucker like I'm on a mental shopping spree. I find those pictures, crafty projects, and the Befores and Afters that I can't live without. The ones that I can't bother to go sifting through my collection of mags later to find. And what do I do once they're sitting in a cute pile on the carpet? I grab my wonderful Black Book. Ever seen The Devil Wears Prada? Same kind of thing, minus the clothing obsession. It is the mock up for my own personal magazine. Now I understand that it is not as fabulous to other people as it is to me, but go get your own book and we'll see how you feel about it. I take those newly separated pictures and articles, trim them down, and tape them in with the other decorating loves o' my life. Now this book has been gaining and losing weight for a good 3+ years. Gaining to the point where you can see a lot of the first page, which is the start of my flower collection. Now the losing part is actually really nice. Whenever I look at a picture and wonder how the heck I ever liked it, I can slip them right out and replace them with something much better. After finding a new interest in sewing projects and such I've decided to informally separate the book. Starting from the front are pictures of flower arrangements. I think my initial stint with the Home Cure made me more aware of all of the color/style options. And come on, everyone loves flowers. Andrew pointed out that my latest arrangement actually looked like an oversized cupcake from across the room. I love that bowl. 
Starting from the back are the new collage of smaller projects ie. sewing, stamping, painting techniques, etc. And then smack in the middle are the full room views, Befores & After, larger furniture pieces and even more goodness. When I'm needing that extra boost to get things done, I go straight for this. Wanna see why? Here's a tiny taste. And of course it comes with the disclaimer that these appeal to me, so I get it if you're not smiling as you scroll through. I hope you do though!
Ok, I know that was quite a bit, but I had the hardest time trying to pick favorites. I left out a bunch. I had to throw that last one in though. I'm dying to do that pillow. I also found a great how-to about turning fabric table settings into pillows. I'm gonna have to try that. Anywho, I just wanted to share a central piece of the creative side of my life. It's what I always think of when people talk about their 'little black books', and I like my version much better!
Yummm, cupcakes!
Sad huh? I call that my 'awkward wall'. I think I've decided to add thick vertical stripes in that awesome light pink berry color I got for free. Notice how I said 'I think I've decided'. Not very decisive of me. I'm hoping it will give just enough of a pop, but not to the point of being overwhelming. My Mom came over today to help me get started but I chickened out. I'm such a goober sometimes. For now, I'll just stare at these gorgeous home offices/
No I haven't been on the hunt for H's, I've been looking for R's! Now my collection isn't as large as this one, but i've been at it for at least a year, and let me tell you, it's hard to find them! Or at least it's hard to find ones that I like. This is what I've got so far. What do you think? 
