Celebrate 4th of July Cupcake Painting

This little 5" x 7" cupcake painting, "Celebrate", is up for auction on eBay. 

Celebrate the 4th with a bang and a sweet patriotic treat! This delightful confection is baked inside a red and white striped paper liner then topped with blue frosting and sprinkled with tiny white stars. A lit sparkler is tucked into the top of the cupcakeand a red and white checked ribbon is wrapped around the edges of the canvas and tied in a bow at the top.

Our son, Eric, will be home from Spain July the 1st, so I'm going to be busy getting his room cleaned and preparing for his homecoming.  The 1st can't seem to get here quick enough for me!

Baby Cakes Chocolate Cake

I finally had time to add a new painting to my Etsy Store. 

Dusted with confectioner's sugar, this two layer chocolate cake is sandwiched between sweet buttercream frosting. Dainty pink and aqua roses grace the top of this treat to the eye and is proudly displayed atop a yellow pedestal cake plate. A pink and white checked bow is wrapped around the edges of the canvas and tied in a bow at the top.

I'm planning to work on a 4th of July cupcake this week and then will probably take a little break from painting.  My niece is coming this weekend to spend a couple of weeks with us.  Yeah!!

Yard Work

This is why I haven't been blogging much lately:

It's great having a husband that has so much talent!  I love how he can turn a mud hole into a work of art.  Thanks honey!

We found these great chairs at Westlake Hardware and bought six just in case they ran out of this color.  On the table are fresh picked peonies from our garden.

Another view of our new stone patio from a different angle.

A view at night showing our ghost.  Everyone who has ever lived in this house tells us it's haunted.  Strange things do happen, but we've been very happy here for nine years now, so I guess the ghost likes us!

I'm sorry that I've forgotten to answer two questions from my readers. 

#1.  Is that your garden in the header?

Yes.  That photo was taken last year and hopefully that area will look even nicer this year so I can change the header.

#2.  Where did you get the "tea toweling by the yard" shown in a previous post?

That has been a secret because I wanted more yardage.  When I went to the website they only had one yard left.  I was being selfish because I didn't want them to sell out before I got more.  They informed me that they had more on order and they would let me know when it arrives.  I feel guilty for hiding this information from you and I'm now going to share it:

Sorry I had to remove this link because it now routes to a porn site.  How awful is that!

A Little Green Thumb Gardening

My daughter thinks I have a green thumb.  So, last month she got her father and I to come visit to help with their yard.  We placed some plants in this cute little area off her kitchen door and placed little saucers in the dirt for edging.  I love her rooster dinner bell!

The wagon wheel was already there and will look great as a backdrop to the flowers.

Last year I painted these chairs for their porch and made them some pillows from an old tablecloth.  Amber and I planted some ferns behind them that we took from our garden.

Amber and Scott love to visit wineriers and have edged a few of their flower beds with wine bottles.

The guys were busy building this raised box for their vegetables.

The house number sign that I made as part of their wedding gift was placed by the front door.


Amber and I got busy planting and mulching everything.

Looks to me like someone else is developing a very green thumb!

Memorial Day Weekend

Soon Memorial Day Weekend will be here and families will be enjoying a long weekend.  Let's remember to take time and honor the brave men and women who have died serving our country and fighting for our freedom.  Let's also pray for these families of our fallen soldiers that God will comfort them and guide their lives.

I don't have any paintings to share because I've been working hard on custom orders.  Some of these are Christmas presents ( I can't believe how organized some people are), therefore, I can't share them for that reason as well.  So, I'll share some of my recent purchases from two of my favorite stores:

I love these little polka dot plates from Target with matching napkins.  The plates are melmac.

I found these cute little bowls at T.J. Maxx. I snatched them up just as they were putting them on the shelves.  They also had coffee cups to match.  I have so many mugs that I decided the bowls were sufficient.  Talk about self control.  I really wanted those mugs!

Draped beneath my T.J. Maxx nesting bowls is four yards of tea toweling by the yard that I purchase online.  It comes hemmed along the sides and you just need to cut them to the length you want and then hem each end.  I think I'm going to make slip covers for my pillows on the deck instead.  I have lots of other ideas for this fabric too.  Looks like I'm going to have to order more soon.

Now if you have a weak stomach don't look any further. I found this on my front porch this morning along with our neighbors beautiful cat who was taking a nap all curled up in the sunshine.  As much as I hate mice, this is pretty sad.

R. I.P.

Recipe for Maple Brown Butter Frosting

I have to apologize because I forgot to include the frosting recipe for these cookies in a previous post.  This frosting really makes this cookie and would also be great on cake.

"Maple Brown Butter Frosting"

3 cups sifted confectioners sugar

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup milk

2 tsp. maple flavoring

Sift sugar and set aside.

Melt butter over medium heat until golden brown.  Watch closely so it does not burn.

Add butter to sugar, scraping all the butter into the bowl.

Add milk and maple flavoring.  Stir until smooth.

Spread on top of cookies with a knife or offset spatula.

I would like to share just one more photo of our trip to Madrid, Spain. 

Egyptian Temple of Debod

I know that it looks like we were in Egypt, but this was an old temple that was donated to Spain by Egypt.  I love the reflection in the water.  Promise not to bore you with any more vacation pictures.

Great Granny Square Giveaway

Hop on over to my daughter, Amber's blog.  She had a granny square swop where people signed up to crochet granny squares and mailed them to her.  Each person crocheted one granny square for everyone who signed up. She divided them up and sent an assortment to each person.  At the last minute they had a couple of people back out and now she has  several squares left over.  She is giving a set of granny squares to the lucky winner. 

Pumpkin Pecan Chocolate Chunk Cookies

This wonderful recipe came from Bakerella.  I've made it several times and it's always a hit.  I had my husband take the rest of the cookies to work this morning so they wouldn't end up on my hips.  Too late!!

The little red and white polka dot plates are a recent Target purchase and the yellow bowl came in a set of three from T.J.Max.

"Pumpkin Pecan Chocolate Chunk Cookies"

2 1/4 cup self-rising flour

3 tsp pumpkin pie spice

3/4 cup butter, room temperature

1 1/4 cup light brown sugar

1 cup sugar

2 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 cup chopped pecans

1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chunks (12 oz. bag as far as I'm concerned! I used chocolate chips because that's what I had.)

Whisk together flour and pumpkin pie spice.  Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter.

Add both sugars and beat until light and fluffy.

Add vanilla.

Add eggs one at a time and beat until combined.

Add flour/spice mixture to sugar mixture in three additions.  Alternate with pumpkin in two additions, ending with flour mixture.

Stir in chopped pecans and chocolate chunks/chips.

Drop on cookie tray lined with parchment paper.

(I use a cookie scoop)

Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.  Makes about 4 doz.

Let cool.

In the above photo with all the cookies on the counter, if you look carefully, you can see this cute little cupcake stand that my sister gave me as a birthday gift a few months back.   Click to enlarge the photo below so you can see all the cute cookbooks that it's standing on. I purchased the bottom three from Amazon and will bake something from them soon and give them a review in a future post.


Now grab a warm cookie and follow me to my little reading corner in the living room.  Grandma made the quilt that hangs on the back of the chair. 

This is my view directly across from my reading chair.  I know most decorators don't like family photos, but I love mine and proudly display them. This table lamp matches the floor lamp by my chair and sits on top of an antique ice chest. 

This is one of the cupcake paintings that I've repeated in order to get a better photo for larger prints.  It's available in my Etsy Store.  The larger prints are available on my new Fine Art America Store.

We had three inches of rain last night with flash flooding in our area. So, the good Lord willing and the creek don't rise, I'm off to the post office!  

New Original Cupcake Paintings and One Talented Little Lady

I've been busy working on new cupcake paintings all week.  Checkout my Etsy Store.  I've decided to put all my cupcake paintings there and you'll no longer have to bid on them on Ebay. 

A week ago I got an email from a very lovely lady, Stephanie, who wrote me about her daughter, Lindsey.  She sent me photos of Lindsey's bedroom that is decorated with my cupcake prints.  Here is what she wrote about her daughter:

"My daughter, Lindsey, has been baking and decorating cakes since she was only 9 years old. She took her first cake decorating class from a lady in our church 4 years ago and loved it so much she began taking orders from friends and family. She's 13 now and still going strong. She just helped one of her old babysitters plan her wedding cake!"

 

What a cute talented young lady! Lindsey has plans to open her own bakery someday.

Her bakery themed bedroom is decorated with a great 50's diner set, cake picture, jars of sweets, etc.  I love her red and white theme.

I'm honored to have my cupcake prints in her room.

and another great creation by Lindsey...

How about leaving Lindsey a message of encouragement to follow her dreams in my commets.

Keep up the good work Lindsey!

Happy Birthday Eric!

This little guy stole my heart 26 years ago.   

Happy birthday Eric! We miss you so much and can't wait for you to get back home in July.

We are so proud of you and are amazed at the adventures you've

had in those 26 years. 

 

Hope you had a wonderful time on your birthday in Greece!

Check out Amber's Happy Birthday post to her brother.

Cupcake Recipe Collection

I finished three paintings from my recipe collection and listed these in my Etsy Store.  The two lower cupcakes are a couple that I had painted before, but as mentioned in my previous post, I need to re-paint all of my cupcake paintings that were photographed before I got my new camera.  In order to make larger prints they need to be shot with a higher definition camera.  The Mocha Cupcake painting is brand new.  All three have black and white checked ribbon wrapped around the edges. 

After painting these yummy  cupcakes I decided to "clean out the frig".   I don't mean that in a good way either.  I ate the leftover cheesecake, the leftover chicken enchilada casserole, drank the last Pepsi.....you get my drift.  This time of year I always want to lose a little weight so I can fit into my summer clothes and instead start eating like it's my last meal.  Here's a suggestion:  " If you are trying to lose a little weight before summer gets here, don't clean out the frig!" 

Any suggestions for losing a few pounds for a gal who sits around painting cupcakes all day?

New Larger Prints and More Cupcake Paintings

I don't know if anyone has noticed but in the right hand column of my blog I now have a link to Fine Art America where I can offer larger prints of my cupcakes.  They will be sold directly through them.  I got my first order yesterday and was told by the company that I have to re-photograph my paintings using a camera with at least 8 megapixels.  I got a new camera for Christmas and all my paintings since are photographed with this camera.  Needless to say, all my older paintings have been sold and I will now need to paint them again in order to take new pictures.  I just finished the one above, Cupcake Yum, and it's now available in my Etsy Store.  I have a few originals listed there for those of you who don't like bidding for something on eBay.  I'm going to be adding all the paintings that I have to do again to my Etsy store as I finish them.  So, if you missed out on one of these older cupcake paintings and would like one, keep watching here or in my etsy store for new listings. I won't be

re-painting my village scenes again because it's simply too much work.  But, any new ones that I paint will be listed in Fine Art America. 

My husband was amazed by the detail in the doors in Spain and the craftmanship of the hardware on them.  Below are a few and I'll share more later.

Stop by Ms. Bake It to enter a fabulous giveaway.

The winner gets to pick from several different styles of picnic baskets. 

Are you getting anxious for summer?  We've had quite a bit of rain lately and I haven't been able to get outside to work in the flower beds much.   I decided to whip up this painting to feed my need for sunshine and the delights of summer.  "Pink Lemonade Cupcakes" is up for auction on eBay.

Cute cupcakes for a fun summer party! Lemon cupcakes topped with pink lemonade frosting are decorated with striped straws and floral paper umbrellas. This turquoise cake plate with tiny pink jewels dangling from the edge is the perfect way to present these luscious lemon flavored treats. A black and white dotted grosgrain ribbon wraps around the edges of the canvas and is tied in a bow at the top.

On our fourth day in Spain we took a train trip to Sagovia.  This is the Roman Aqueduct of Segovia.  It was absolutely amazing.  You can get more information about this from my son's blog.  It runs for a few miles and is quite amazing.  After reading Eric's post you'll realize that he's much more informative.  There is no mortar holding these stones together.   

Below is a cathedral that we went through.....

closeup of the amazing detail...

and a section of the interior.  It was freezing inside. 

Doesn't this castle look like Disneyland?  It was absolutely enchanting....like something out of a fairytale. Oh, and look there's a handsome prince standing outside.

  I needed oxygen by the time I got to the top of that winding stone staircase and then I took a deep breath and saw this amazing view from the top of the castle!

Now here's an interesting tidbit.  If you have nasty frizzy curly hair like mine .... do not take your expensive Chi flat iron to another country and use a convertor or you will look like I did in the above picture with the hat for the rest of your entire trip.  I burnt my hair, it was literally smoking and ruined my flat iron.   When my husband bought my flat iron a few years back is was close to $200.  I was not looking forward to replacing it, but I checked on Amazon, ordered the same one for $82.58 (plus free shipping), and received it yesterday.  Now I can take off the hat.  I don't think it would have looked too good with capris!  I've added a link below for anyone interested.  It states right in the instruction book not to use with a convertor. 

Farouk CHI GF1538D Digital Microchip Turbo 1" Ceramic Hairstyling Iron with GFI Plug