Ashleigh's Bridal Shower Invitations

Benjamin's Baby Book

If you like Pina Coladas...

I did it! I busted my block! And of course I did it with cup cakes. What else in the entire world could be more reassuring than a cup cake?

What's better than just normal cup cakes? Cupcakes with little umbrellas on them.

I have to give all the credit in the world to this post and recipe from Glory Albin of Glorious Treats. Talk about fantastic! Nothing better than an outta-this-world cupcake with such summery undertones.

Now of course like any of my domestic endeavors I started this project at 9:00pm the night before it was due. I went to Fred Myers to get all my goodies after working an oh-you're-really-not-gonna-want-to-do-anything-after-this-11-hour-shift. Yes, I'm crazy... and yes, I procrastinate.

The occasion was, of course, my coworker's birthday. She wanted "anything but nuts" and then invited me to have drinks with her after work that day. So of course when I saw Gloria's recipe for Pina Colada cupcakes I was SOLD. If I couldn't go out and buy her a drink-- I was gonna make her a work appropriate one.

 

I was really pretty astonished at just how MASSIVE the amount of batter was. I had some serious doubts about my measuring skills once I saw this GIGANTIC bowl sitting on my counter. Seriously, did I accidentally switch one cup for five cups or something? 

When I finally put the first batch into the oven this was the time. I remember looking at it thinking, "Take a picture of that-- it's worth a thousand words... a thousand very, very tired words."

The recipe was amazingly easy to make, however, it made A TON of cupcakes. 36 cupcakes later is was nearly 1:00am. But lemme tell you... YUM!

I ended up making the frosting after the 2nd batch wen in, but I wish I would have waiting until the next morning so I could have had nice, pliable frosting after the cupcakes had cooled. In any case this frosting was probably the most amazing  thing I've ever tasted. EVER.

 The amazing cuteness of Pineapple cupcakes and cocounut cream cheese frosting, complete with mini umbrellas from Hobby Lobby:

And a very special thanks to this little drink, that allowed me the extra UMPH to finish these bad boys. 

Aloha!

Crafter's Block

So. I may have Crafter's Block.

(dun dun dun)

Of course, this has happened immediately after starting this very crafty blog. Well poop.


So I've invested in two things that will be delivered to my house very soon courtesy of Amazon and my credit card:

1. One Yard Wonders

2. Sew What! Skirts

I'm hoping that these two books will get my over the phobia of sewing that I've suddenly encountered. I got all jazzed up to sew a quilt but then I got this daunting feeling that I would try a corner and end up all backwards and messed up. Which would be heartbreaking.  Apparently sewing on scrapbooks is MUCH less intimidating than actual fabric. Who woulda thunk? So... baby steps.

I'm counting on work to bring me out of my crafty-funk. One of our new employees has a birthday on Wednesday! So I encountered this AWESOME blog today called Glorious Treats! Casey says she loves anything without nuts-- so I'm torn between the Pina Colada cupcakes and the Peanut Butter Chocolate cupcakes. Since she doesn't like nuts I'm leaning toward the Pina Colada cup cakes. plus with the dreary spring rain (and snow) we've had around here I feel like I'm in DESPERATE need to some happy sunshine treats.

So after my 14 hour day today and the 12 hour day I'll have tomorrow I need to make the cutest cupcakes ever. And they need to be done before my mama comes to pick me up at 9:00am Wednesday. Hmmm... this could be challenging.

It's on like Donkey Kong.

The baby book from...

Well, let's just say it rhymes with... Mel. But it's done. It was done it much less than 24 hours, considering I started it at 9:00pm and finished it just shy of 1:00am. Getting the pictures up, now that's been another battle...

This is the third out of five baby books I'll be making before the end of the year. I should be a pro by the time I get to Christmas!

Here it is!

Griffin Nature Argile McDonald's baby book!

(click on the picture to see a larger view, if you see a magnifying class click on it AGAIN to get all up close and personal!)

I have to say although this isn't my best work ever, it was fun to make. And I'm still totally flabbergasted that I was able to get it done. Thank GOODNESS I had the help of my man-friend who lives with me. :) He did all the printing for me.

I do have to say the most rewarding thing about these books is knowing that it will help mom and dad cherish those little moments a little bit longer. It's also just a teenie weenie bit awesome to think of Wynter looking back at this ten years from now with Griff and saying, "Oh one of the ladies at work made this for you! Every morning I was pregnant she'd always ask me, 'How's baby today?'"