Out to Sea
Sails & Sparkles
{Photo by me - San Diego Harbor}
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Friday, November 20, 2009
Get Baking!
I adore everything Alicia {and Clive} do over at The Red Deer.
But I think this time they've outdone themselves. Cupcake lover? Enjoy a cupcake for every letter in the alphabet.
Yep! Her readers voted and Alicia baked. A cupcake to go with every letter in the alphabet. 26 different kinds of cupcakes {and she rated them all too!}
Some of my favorites?
B is for Baileys - Baileys cake topped with Baileys swiss meringue buttercream and drizzled with chocolate ganache.
F is for Ferrero Rocher - Chocolate cake filled with Nutella and a roasted hazelnut, topped with Nutella swiss meringue buttercream and chopped hazelnuts, drizzled with chocolate and finished off with half a Ferrero Rocher.
P is for Peanuts - Chocolate cake with half a peanut butter cup inside, topped with peanut butter swiss meringue buttercream and half a peanut butter cup.
Pretty impressive. huh? For the rest of em - click here!
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Just Because
I'm being lazy, watching football and waiting for R to get back from surfing so we can make a big ol brunch. I'm also going back through photos I've pulled from design blogs to use as inspiration for our future home. This one is from Desire to Inspire. We just so happen to have a wall/space just like this in the new home. The perfect location for a table to display some pretty. 
One thing I'm looking forward to the most is browsing consignment and thrift stores for new {well new to us} pieces of furniture. The goal is to not buy anything new {except for the couch} Hold me to it.
Happy Sunday!
Friday, November 13, 2009
Photo { + } Quote
A photo from our maternity shoot with Kelly & Craig - see the rest of this gorgeous couple here.
And have a happy, happy weekend!
{quote by Melba Colgrove}
Thursday, November 12, 2009
On Safari
I'm not one to post about runway shows or anything couture, I leave that up to my girls but I came across the spring collection from Chloe and I looove it. The colors, fabrics - all of it. And I'm totally getting a safari vibe from the color scheme and all those cute little shorts. Perfect inspiration for our trip to South Africa next month...
This next one doesn't exactly scream "middle of the African bush" but it was too pretty not to share. Wouldn't it be perfect for a casual beach wedding?
Home Sweet Home
I have some news to share...I'm a little nervous telling everyone because I strongly believe in the power of the jinx but I think your good vibes and positive thoughts can overcome any jinxes :)
So with that build up out of the way......We're in escrow! Yippee! After over 50 offers, the killing of several trees {seriously, there needs to be a more eco-friendly way to buy a house these days} and driving our real estate agents absolutely crazy - our home has found us at last.
The inspection went really well, as did the appraisal and we've been signing boatloads of paperwork but no champagne or happy dances until the keys are in our hot little hands! So lots of positive thoughts that everything goes as planned and on December 16th we officially become homeowners. Merry Christmas to us!
Here's a photo from the listing - it's of the upstairs deck and you can even see the ocean in the distance! We plan to spend many evenings up there enjoying a cocktail or two. You're all welcome to join us :)
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Some Pretty for your Tuesday
Upon my return from New York I was welcomed back with a crazy busy weekend. We celebrated my sister-in-law's birthday on Friday night with dinner at Oceanaire - to be honest it's not a good since chef Brian Malarkey left.
On Saturday {Deb's actual birthday} I took her to see The Lion King. We had a blast. The costumes and music are phenomenal. Now we're even more excited for our South Africa trip next month.
Sunday we had TWO shoots. A maternity shoot in the morning with our good friends Kelly & Craig and then an afternoon shoot with the happiest little 17 month old I've ever met. I'll post photos soon. Until then - here's some pretty from Rene's garden.
XOXO
Saturday, November 7, 2009
New York, New York
I love it even more now. My second trip in 3 months to the city that never sleeps. We watched the Yankees win the World Series and celebrated with the locals, we saw Rock of Ages on Broadway {SO FUN!} and even got a photo with Constantine after the show. We had amazing meals and enjoyed the chilly {but not too chilly} weather. Thank you, New York, for all your hospitality. See you next time!
Read more...
Friday, October 30, 2009
Feel Like Makin' Whoopie....Pies?
My mom in law gave me a hard time last night for neglecting my blog. So this one's for you Renè
I couldn't resist trying this recipe using my leftover pumpkin from the Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Pumpkin Whoopie Pies - Recipe from Bon Appetit
Ingredients
FILLING
- 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 7-ounce jar marshmallow creme
- 2 teaspoons maple extract
CAKE
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs
- 1 15-ounce can pure pumpkin
- 1/2 cup milk
- Nonstick vegetable oil spray
Preparation
FILLING
- Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add marshmallow creme and maple extract; beat until blended and smooth. DO AHEAD Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.
CAKE
- Sift first 7 ingredients into large bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter and both sugars in another large bowl until blended. Gradually beat in oil. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating to blend between additions. Beat in pumpkin. Add dry ingredients in 2 additions alternately with milk in 1 addition, beating to blend between additions and occasionally scraping down sides of bowl. Cover and chill batter 1 hour.
- Arrange 1 rack in bottom third of oven and 1 rack in top third of oven; preheat to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment; spray lightly with nonstick spray. Spoon batter onto baking sheet to form cakes (about 3 level tablespoons each; about 12 per baking sheet), spacing apart. Let stand 10 minutes.
- Bake cakes until tester inserted into centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through baking. Cool cakes completely on baking sheets on rack. Using metal spatula, remove cakes from parchment.
- Line cooled baking sheets with clean parchment; spray with nonstick spray, and repeat baking with remaining batter.
- Spoon about 2 tablespoons filling on flat side of 1 cake. Top with another cake, flat side down. Repeat with remaining cakes and filling. DO AHEAD Can be made 8 hours ahead. Store in single layer in airtight container at room temperature.
Warning these are decadent. I'm sure you can see that from the amount of butter involved. We're not winning any health awards here.
Hope everyone has a Happy and Safe Halloween weekend.
We're off to Palm Springs again and then I'm headed to NYC next week.
See you soon!
XOXO
Read more...
Monday, October 26, 2009
Photo { + } Quote
I found it! Fall in San Diego...
{Photos by me quote by John Burroughs}
Hope you all had a lovely weekend. Do anything exciting? I dragged Rich to Sea World - we had a blast. I'll post photos soon.
Happy Monday!
Friday, October 23, 2009
Flickr Faves :: Fall
Checking in on my flickr friends and it appears that - despite what it looks like in San Diego - Fall has definitely arrived. Look at these gorgeous colors! I hope to find a little bit of Fall in SoCal this weekend and share it with you next week. Click and be happy!
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
{image via eatingisart.com}Here's the recipe from George Duran of the Food Network:
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 cups (12-ounce bag) milk chocolate chips, not semisweet
- Nonstick cooking spray or parchment paper
Directions
Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray cookie sheets with nonstick spray or line them with parchment paper.
Using a mixer, beat the butter until smooth. Beat in the white and brown sugars, a little at a time, until the mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time, then mix in the vanilla and pumpkin puree. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Slowly beat the flour mixture into the batter in thirds. Stir in the chips. Scoop the cookie dough by heaping tablespoons onto the prepared cookie sheets and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cookies are browned around the edges. Remove the cookie sheets from the oven and let them rest for 2 minutes. Take the cookies off with a spatula and cool them on wire racks.
ENJOY!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
