Snowy Chocolate Baby Cakes

I was wishing for a little something sweet this past weekend and decided to make some Christmas inspired Baby Cakes.

You wouldn't believe how simple they are to make. 

Recipe from Southern Living.

Snowy Chocolate Baby Cakes

1 (18.25 oz.) package devil's food cake mix
1 (16 oz.)  container sour cream
½ cup milk
¼ cup butter, melted
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°.  Beat first 6 ingredients at low speed with an electric mixer just until dry ingredients are moistened.  Increase speed to medium, and beat 1 to 2 minutes or until smooth, stopping to scrap bowl as needed.

Spoon batter into 2 greased and floured (12 cup) muffin pans.

Bake at 350° for 20 to 22 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in centers comes out clean.  Cool in pan 5 minutes.  Remove from pans to wire racks, and cool completely (30 minutes.)

Arrange cakes upside down on a serving platter.  Spoon Winter White Glaze (recipe below) over cakes over (about 1 tablespoon per cake) spreading with a spatula to thoroughly cover cakes.  Garnish, if desired.

Winter White Glaze

4 cups powdered sugar (I used a little less)
1 tablespoon meringue powder
¼ cup hot water (I used a little more)

Beat together all ingredients with an electric mixer.  Use immediately.

 

Cute aren't they? 

 

Enjoy!

Got to go to watch the Christmas tree lighting in Rockefeller Center now.

Linking to:

Holiday Recipe Link Up Party at Thistlewood Farms

Joy to the World

And so the decorating has begun...

I have spent the entire weekend decorating for Christmas. I would say I'm about 90% done. I just need to add a few little touches here & there.

I wanted to share my dining room table vignette with you. 

Over the summer, I bought this amazing mercury glass pedestal at Williams Sonoma.  It's quite large & they tell me that they had just added it to the clearance table seconds before I walked in.  There was an additional 20% off all clearance that day.  It was meant to be I guess.  I stole it bought it for $12.00 & change.

I ended up changing the taper candles you see here.  I thought something taller & with a little sparkle would be better and sure enough, it was.

It's really a wonder I was able to get this angel.  I saw him at TJ Maxx last week.  I really loved him & carried him around the store for a bit, but managed to talk myself out of buying him. 

The second I took out the mercury glass pedestal, I also grabbed my white feather wreath & immediately a plan came together, if only I had bought that angel!  As luck would have it, I texted my sister to see if she was out shopping.  She was & was willing to go to TJ Maxx & see if the angel was still there.  Incredibly, he was. 

I don't know about your TJ Maxx, but with ours, if you don't buy something the minute you see it, it will most likely be gone should you go back for it the next day.  I was lucky this time!

I had to take the above photo so I could show you the snow in  the background.  We had our first snowfall! 

Here's a different view.  Notice my chalkboard all set for Christmas.  I thought Joy to the World seemed appropriate with my angel sitting nearby. 

So tell me, have you begun to decorate and if so, are you finished yet?

Linking to:

Tabletop Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life
Fall into Fall at DIY by Design
Share Your Cup Thursdays at Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson
Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage

 

Thanksgiving Blessings

Wishing all my sweet friends & their families,

a very Happy Thanksgiving!





Pilgrim Candy Bar Wrappers

I had to get a little crafting done in honor of Thanksgiving.

I thought I'd have some fun with it too.

I've had this link in my inspiration file for years now and decided it was time to use it.
(Oh yes, my inspiration file...you know, where I stored images I liked before Pinterest was even a twinkle in some genius' eye.)

Click here for the link to the pattern you see below (by Laurie Furnell):

But being me, and always having to make things difficult,  I couldn't just print this pattern, cut it out, and assemble.    Oh no, I had to cut the whole thing apart & make my own pieces! 

Once I made this pilgrim boy, I couldn't stand not having a pilgrim girl to go along with him.  

They now remind me of my daughter and son.  :)

I would have liked to make one of these for each place setting at Thanksgiving dinner, but that means I'd have to whip out 11 more by Thursday and I don't really see that happening.   Maybe next year...if I start earlier.

It's almost time for Turkey Day!!   Are you ready?

HGTV.com feature!

I am so excited!

I just have to share this with you!

(Please excuse my excessive use of exclamation points in the post.)

A month or so ago, I was contacted by HGTV.com! 

They asked if I would be interested in having my
winter mantel featured online
at HGTV.com.

Are you kidding me?

After I got over my initial shock,
 and
then the crazy thought that someone was punking me,
and
then after a few minutes hours of incessant giggling.....

Yes!  I would love to!
It would be an honor!

I got an email on Tuesday telling me the feature was up & running!

Here's the link:

My Winter Mantel at HGTV.com   

I am slide/photo #12. 

Someone better pinch me because
I still can't believe it!

Pinecones & Acorns tablescape

Welcome friends.

It's tablescape time!

Not too many words today,

I'm not feeling at all chatty,

so relax & enjoy the photos.

Green bubble goblets:  Target

Green flatware:  Cambridge; Home Goods

Acorn napkin rings:  Bed, Bath & Beyond

Napkins:  borrowed from my oldest sister

Green salad plates:  Pier 1

Pinecone dinner plates:  Christmas Tree Shop

Bronze chargers:  Target

Barley Twist Pedestal:  Southern Living Home

Candle & Candle ring:  borrowed from my oldest sister

Pinecone candleholders:  Coldwater Creek

(I love those candleholders!)

Pinecones:  picked up off the ground, in Maine

Thank you for visiting me today.

I hope you will come back soon!

Linking to:

Time Travel Thursday at Brambleberry Cottage
Let's Dish at Cuisine Kathleen
Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch

 

Thanksgiving Mantel

Last month, I posted my Halloween mantel.

(A first for me as I have never put a Halloween mantel together.)

After I put the Halloween decorations away,

I was left with an empty mantel and

a decision to make....

put my Fall mantel back up or come up with a Thanksgiving mantel?

Hmmmm.... 

a Thanksgiving mantel it is! 

(Another first for me.)

Hard to believe, but everything I used, I already had. 

I love it when that happens!

I purchased the pilgrim couple at TJ Maxx

after Thanksgiving a few years ago. 

I love them! 

I had to include this last photo below
 because I have a story to tell.

I bought these wooden characters 19 years ago.  

A coworker's Mom made them and I was so happy

to have these small Thanksgiving related pieces. 

At the time, there really wasn't much in the way of

Thanksgiving decor for sale anywhere.  

I have always placed them on the fireplace as shown.

This year,  however, I left the characters in the box. 

Honestly, they really aren't my style anymore,

so I thought I would just pack them away.

After I finished the mantel, my son came to me

and here is our conversation:

Johnny:   Why aren't those wooden pilgrims on the mantel?

Me:  I wasn't going to put them out this year; I'm not really crazy about them.

Johnny:  But they belong on the mantel like always.

Me:  Ok, I'll go get them.

So, out of the box they came

and onto the mantel, like always.

Far be it from me to mess with like always.

Plenty Thankful

In my attempt to give Thanksgiving its due,

I thought I'd share a vignette I put together on my vintage blue dresser.

{Are you getting the idea that I love this dresser?}

I kept this vignette in very muted tones. 

I like the way the muted tones look against the chippy blue paint.

Of course, you can't have a Thanksgiving vignette

without a little turkey, now can you?

I've been visiting so many of you

and there seems to be a general consensus

throughout blogland...

...there is plenty to be thankful for!

Joining Debbie & Shannon's Party:





Season of Thanksgiving

Hi Friends!

I haven't been a very good blogger lately, I know.

Sandy rolled in & my blogging mojo rolled out.

Today was the first day we've seen the sun since Sandy,

(granted it was only 27 degrees this morning)
so I took a picture or two to share with you.

Let's kick off this season of Thanksgiving

with a little something on the chalkboard, shall we? 

I actually had a few crazy seconds over the weekend

where I thought I might skip over decorating for Thanksgiving

and just move right into Christmas.

Fortunately, I came to my senses! :D

One has to feel sorry for poor old Thanksgiving.

It always gets overshadowed by Christmas, but not here!

No siree! 

Thanksgiving shall have its day!

So tell me,

am I alone in my devotion to Thanksgiving?