Mustache Christmas ornaments

Yes, yes, I know it's not even summer and I'm doing a post on mustache ornaments, but I could'nt help myself when I came across mustache ornaments on pinterest, they are hilarious and I wanted to share. I plan on getting one for all the men in the family, a few do actually have mustaches. Not only are they funny, but I always find it hard to get gifts for the guys that aren't totally lame, shopping for the boys can be a hard task sometimes. You can't beat the price either they are $10 each, great stocking stuffer to order early, while they last! The mustache ornaments are available in black and brown as well.

DIY votive candle tutorial with glitter

I came across this cute DIY tutorial on pinterest on how to make glitter votive candle holders using recycled plastic bottles , great idea i thought!

Supermodels without photoshop

 Because I work in photoshop everyday, I know the amazing things you can do to retouch a photo, take out wrinkles, or even shave a little off your arm to look smaller in a picture, but I was happy to read this article and see the picture of these models just as they are.

Photoshop and airbrushing scandals grow less shocking by the day, but we are always super excited to see unretouched photos. It's satisfying to see what celebrities and models really look like! The photo at the left was taken last weekend in St. Barth's during a photo shoot for Glamour's June issue. From left to right we have Victoria's Secret model Alessandra Ambrosio, plus-size model Crystal Renn, and Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue cover girl Brooklyn Decker.

Of course makeup artists and celeb hair stylist Ted Gibson were on hand to help beautify the ladies, but this photo has not been airbrushed at all.


http://shine.yahoo.com/fashion/supermodels-without-photoshop-1108305.html

Lemon cheesecake recipe

I love cheesecake and I definitely enjoy experimenting with different variations using the original flavor and adding different fruits and flavorings to that. When I came across this lemon cheesecake recipe I knew i had to try it and it is delicious. Would make a great Easter dessert to serve as well.

Crust

1

box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® yellow cake mix

1/4

cup vegetable oil

1

egg

1

teaspoon grated lemon peel

Filling

2

packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened

3/4

cup sugar

3

containers (3.5 oz each) lemon pudding (from 4-pack container)

1/2

cup sour cream

3

eggs

2

cups frozen (thawed) whipped topping

• 1 Heat oven to 300°F. Spray bottom and side of 10-inch springform pan with baking spray with flour. Wrap foil around outside of pan to catch drips. Reserve 1/4 cup of the cake mix; set aside. In large bowl, beat remaining cake mix, oil, 1 egg and lemon peel with electric mixer on low speed until crumbly. Press in bottom and 1 inch up side of pan.
• 2 In same large bowl, beat reserved cake mix, the cream cheese, sugar, pudding and sour cream on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Beat in 3 eggs, one at a time, until mixed. Pour over crust.
• 3 Bake 1 hour 20 minutes to 1 hour 35 minutes or until edges are set but center of cheesecake jiggles slightly when moved. Turn oven off; open oven door at least 4 inches. Leave cheesecake in oven 30 minutes longer.
• 4 Remove cheesecake from oven; place on cooling rack. Without releasing side of pan, run knife around edge of pan to loosen cheesecake. Cool in pan on cooling rack 30 minutes. Cover loosely; refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Remove side of pan before serving. Pipe or spoon whipped topping around outside edge of cheesecake. Store covered in refrigerator
•  

Recipe courtsey of : bettycrocker.com

Dreamy european villages

I came across a couple of images of these 2 amazing European villages, enjoy!

Keep calm and carry on shirt

I have long loved the mantra, "keep calm and carry on" I love these new shirts for spring in fun candy colors, using the keep calm font and adding a couple new additions like keep calm and sparkle and keep calm and stay classy! I even like the red and navy ones for a cute fourth of July shirt as well.

http://www.jbeedesigns.com/store/WsDefault.asp?Cat=Keepcalmandcarryonshirt

Jeweled iphone 4 cases

I am in love with this leopard print jeweled iphone 4 cases super cute and stylish if you are looking for a unique iphone 4 case!
http://www.jbeedesigns.com/store/WsDefault.asp?Cat=Jewelediphone4cases

Kate Middleton inspired gowns debut at BEBE

I loved Kate Middleton's wedding gown, simple and elegant. I especially like the long sleeves made of lace and the neckline. BEBE now has a line of wedding gowns that are inspired by Kate's wedding dress. I like the first gown, the other gowns look like they came from BEBE.

Adult Sippy Cups

I have seen these around the internet lately and I think they are hilarious and make a funny gift.
 http://www.jbeedesigns.com/store/WsDefault.asp?Cat=Adultsippycups

Cake + Cake Pedestal = Love!

I love the idea of the way this cake is decorated, what a great idea! I also love the pedestal it is sitting on, amazing color and hobnail, I may have to be on the lookout for one like this.

Duck Dynasty

I love the idea of this new reality tv show on A&E called, " duck dynasty". The man made his money making duck call devices out of his home and then selling them to retailers. I think this show will be a hit, it's about a family, original storyline and characters, I think a lot of people will want to watch a show about a family working together and that are a success. Good for them!


It airs on A&E Wednesday nights.

Pinterest Party

Ok, Ok, so everyone who knows me knows that I am obsessed with Pinterest, just can't get enough of the wonderful recipes and fun party images. I spend more time on the site looking around and finding amazing inspiration, it makes me wonder why I didnt think of that concept. Anyway, I am super excited about our first Pinterest Party, where I get my girlfriends together, we each bring a dish from our favorite Pinterest recipe and we all enjoy the amazing didffernt dishes. I can't wait for this weekend, I will post pics of the party as soon as I can!!!

Inside Homer's brain

a little Monday morning funny!

When is Easter 2012?

The weeks seem to be flying by, I can't believe Easter is already upon us, it seems like Christmas was just a few weeks ago. Easter is on April 8th this year, a little bit early, so I have been on the lookout for some fun Easter gifts this year, here are a few for Easter 2012:

Cute personalized dinosaur easter basket from J. Bee Designs:
http://www.jbeedesigns.com/store/WsDefault.asp?Cat=DinosaurEasterBasket

I am loving the idea of this nibblers gift basket from Mrs. Fields, great gift to bring to someone's house on Easter Sunday!

http://gifts.redenvelope.com/giftbaskets/Cookie-Gift-Basket-30000060?ref=REDorganicgglgeneric_&prid=rbseogg&viewpos=1&trackingpgroup=coo


Cute Easter plush from Pottery Barn kids, don't they look sweet and cozy!
http://www.potterybarnkids.com/products/easter-plush/?pkey=e%7Ccute%2Beaster%2Bgifts%2Bfor%2Bkids%7C2%7Cbest%7C0%7C1%7C24%7C%7C1&cm_src=PRODUCTSEARCH||NoFacet-_-NoFacet-_-NoMerchRules-_-

Aqua damask chair

A little room decor inspiration for your Thursday, I love this aqua damask chair, would look so nice in a dining room!

To our flower girl personalized printed frame gifts

With the spring and summer wedding season quickly approaching I have been searching around for cute personalized flower girl gifts, but I found it hard to find anything that I liked. I was looking for a cute flower girl picture frame and I did find a couple that I really like so I thought I would share them

 You can find them here:
http://www.jbeedesigns.com/store/WsDefault.asp?Cat=Toourflowergirlpersonalizedprintedframegifts

Mason jar mugs perfect for a rustic wedding!

Check out these new hand painted mason jar mugs from J. Bee Designs, they feature black and white cow print, so cute for a Texas wedding!
http://www.jbeedesigns.com/store/WsDefault.asp?One=594

Vanessa Bryant divorce settlement

It sure does pay to marry a Laker, Vanessa Bryant just got a $75 million divorce settlement, 3 houses, and who knows what else. I have always thought she was a pretty girl, she reminds me of Kim Kardashian a little, I can't for the life of me figure out why he would cheat on her, but in the words of Ivanka Trump "don't get mad, get everything", and that is exactly what she did, good for her! She got their houses in L.A. and Newportand hopefully all the jewelry!

Strawberry pink champagne cake recipe

I love strawberry cake and I love champagne, so I thought why not mix the two! I had to re-work the recipe a bit but it did come out light and fluffy, so I guess I did something right.
Here's how I did it:

Ingredients

• 2 cups white sugar
• 1/2  package strawberry flavored jello
• 1/2 cup of champagne
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 4 eggs (room temperature)
• 2 3/4 cups sifted cake flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 cup whole milk, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup strawberry puree made from frozen sweetened strawberries

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9 inch round cake pans.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar and dry strawberry gelatin until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Then add champagne. Remember to sift the flower first, then measure how much to use in the cake. Don't just measure out the flour from the bag, make sure you sift first, then measure or your cake will be heavy. Combine the flour and baking powder; stir into the batter alternately with the milk. Blend in vanilla and strawberry puree. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.
3. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a small knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow cakes to cool in their pans over a wire rack for at least 10 minutes, before tapping out to cool completely. 
4.  

Bride and groom champagne glasses

 I love these bride and groom champagne glasses from J. Bee Designs, they feature the brides custom wedding dress and the grooms' seersucker suit, Perfect for spring and summer weddings, especially beach weddings.
They are $35 a set and you can check them out here:
http://jbeedesigns.com/store/WsDefault.asp?One=591

Making homemade strawberry jam and learning from a master.

My 87 year old grandmother taught me how to make strawberry jam tonight, what a delight that was!
I got 3 pints of fresh Plant City strawberries, took the stems off and placed in a large pot.

 

We then added sugar and pectin, and let them boil down until they became sticky.

She then poured them into ball canning jars and set them aside until the lids popped and sealed.

 Voila!

                           It was much easier than I thought it would be and only took about an hour!