Glitter & Spice

MOVED!!

2010-03-22T22:06:00.001-07:00

I've moved to a new blog! I just wanted a fresh start with a new name and new site to get me motivated!

Honey & Thread

CHECK IT OUT!!

Name Ideas

2010-03-17T19:46:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to think of names for this blog. Since it will be mostly about desserts I tried to think of my favorite ingredients/flavors. I was to try to find a simple, one word title. Here are 3 ideas I have so far. Let me know what you think and give me ideas for more! Thanks!

1. Cinnamon
2. Caramel
3. Maple

Changes

2010-03-16T22:20:00.000-07:00

That's it! I'm tired of not having a theme on here and not posting regularly. I'm going to get my act together and get this blog rolling! I think I am going to take tomorrow and set out an actual plan of action. I'm thinking maybe 1 post a week with some sort of yummy dessert recipe. Possibly more than one a week since summer is coming up and I'm always making something yummy to help cool off! So, that's the plan. Maybe even a name change to better fit the blog. Any suggestions?!

2010-02-17T13:39:00.000-08:00

I got awards!! I recently met my friend Ashley from doing a Valentine's Day blog swap and she was my lovely partner! It was so much fun and now we are continuing to get to know each other! She has so kindly passed these awards on to me!

The first one I am supposed to write about where I want to be in 10 years!

In 10 years I would love to have visited Paris, finished my bachelor's in business (maybe changing), have gone to pastry school, and hopefully be working with some sort of pastry or catering company. I would also like to have figure out where my husband and I will be living and have bought a house! Those are some pretty lofty goals but I think I can achieve most, if not all, of them!

The second award is the Sunshine Award.

So cute!

Thank you so much Ashley! You are amazing!

Everyone check out her blog at http://justagirl-ash.blogspot.com

Lastly, I want to pass on these awards to a few of my friends!

Malorie

Catherine

Vanessa

LOVE YOU GIRLS!

Pumpkin Spice Cookies

2010-02-16T14:52:00.000-08:00

I think it was yesterday I was just sitting around and I thought..."PUMPKIN SPICE COOKIES!" I love pumpkin anything and i've yet to try a pumpkin cookie so I decided to search for some regular sugar cookie recipes and add things to make them pumpkin spice cookies. While I was searching for the right recipe I stumbled upon a recipe for Super Soft Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies from Joy the Baker. I decided to use this recipe and tweak it a bit to make it what I really imagined. The only things I changed were instead of adding cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, I just used pumpkin pie spice instead and then I left out the chocolate chips.

They came out really good. I was a little surprised since this is the first time I've actually strayed from an exact recipe and made adjustments of my own. They are more like muffin tops almost rather that cookies but I love them!

Pumpkin Spice Cookies
adapted from Joy the Baker

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup canola oil

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Position a rack in the middle of the oven . Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and butter the paper or lightly spray sheets with baking spray.

Stir the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice together in a medium bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the eggs and sugar until smooth and lightened in color, about 1 minute. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl as needed during mixing. On low speed, mix the oil, pumpkin, and vanilla until blended. Mix in the flour mixture to incorporate it.

Using an ice cream scoop with a 1/4-cup capacity, scoop mounds of the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing the cookies at least 2 1/2-inches apart. You could also simply use a 1/4-cup measuring cup if you don’t have a scoop. Use a thin metal spatula to smooth and flatten the rounds.

Bake the cookies one sheet at a time until the tops feel firm and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry, about 16 minutes. Cool them on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then use a wide metal spatula to transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool cimpletely.

Dust the cooled cookies lightly with powdered sugar. The cookies can be stored in a tightly covered container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Valentine's Day Blog Swap!!

2010-02-09T18:08:00.000-08:00

I recently got my package from my partner in the Cupid's Blog Swap from a fellow blogger's site.
www.jerricapuck.blogspot.com

My partner was Ashley from www.justagirl-ash.blogspot.com

I love her blog! She is such a sweetheart and she sent me some amazing things! It was so much fun getting to know her and we have decided to continue being pen pals! It's going to be fun! I love pen pals!

Here are the goodies I got!

I got a super cute little box of candy, a bookmark, cute little pens, SPRINKLES!!!, cupcake papers, a heart shaped cookie cutter, the cutest little ducky soap, some homemade brown sugar face scrub (which I can't wait to try), a little heart candle, and the neatest little vintagey looking Valentine card. I love all of my gifts! They fit me perfectly! I love hearts, I love baking, I love cute things! It was great! I can't wait to do more swaps they are sooo much fun!

Speaking of Valentine's Day, my amazing husband has been sneakily leaving me cute little cards each day. He is leaving me pieces of one of my favorite bible verses. 1 Corinthians 13. So far this is what I have.

I made the little "Je T'aime" sign at the top but the rest are the cards my husband has left for me. I love it! It's so fun and cute! He's amazing!

Snow and Ice

2010-01-28T11:51:00.000-08:00

Oklahoma is notorious for ice storms. It's terrible. Well, actually it's not too bad. I like staying in and reading, crafting, cooking and just enjoying my husband's company. We have a lot of fun together. We are constantly laughing. He is my best friend. I also love making things for people so Valentine's day is soo exciting for me. I already have a few things I need to mail to far-away friends.

The other day I met with this lady who is an RD (Registered Dietitian). She was amazing! She was so helpful and I think I'm really going to like working with her in the future. I have a bunch of volunteer hours I have to get in for my Dietetics degree program and it seems like it's going to be a breeze now! I'm very excited. Bad news is that at the moment there is nowhere around the Tulsa area for me to get an internship sooo we may be having to move if nothing comes up within the next couple of years I'm not too happy about that. So let's hope and pray that the collaboration between OU and TU takes off and they get their new med school built before the deadline they have already set for 2014! That would be amazing and I'm sure I could get an internship there. Anyway, I think I'm looking into diabetic nutrition. It seems very interesting and fulfilling. I'm still exploring options though. I am just excited to be done with school and get into the field!

Well, there's my update!

Ciao!

IKEA!

2010-01-10T21:58:00.000-08:00

Ikea is the best place. I love going and walking around in there for hours! Their furniture is so simple and amazing. The husband and I are in desperate need of some bedroom furniture so I've been scoping out some stuff so we can hopefully get some soon!

This would be great to put in our room to put our tv on, obviously! HAHA!

I can't quite decide if I like this color or not yet. I can't decide if it's too dark or not. I think it would be pretty though. A little more maintenance but hey, what else do I do?

This obviously wouldn't go in our bedroom but I love this couch!

Well, that's it for now, let's hope we can stop buying clothes and cd's long enough to get some furniture!!!

Ciao!

Martha

2010-01-07T18:44:00.000-08:00

I love Martha Stewart! I love the simplicity and beautiful colors of her products. I am currently in the process of converting everything in my kitchen to the blue that she uses on everything. Here are just a few products I would love to have:

Ciao!

Pretty Ladies

2010-01-06T19:13:00.000-08:00

The other day my roommate, Brittany, and I watched 500 Days of Summer. It was a pretty good movie. I absolutely loved Zooey Deschanel! I'd seen her in The Happening but I didn't realize who she was. She is so beautiful! Also, we've recently watched Public Enemies with Marion Cottilard. She is also in Nine. She is a classic beauty. I loved her in both of them. She is a french actress and hasn't done many American films. I am dying to watch some of her french stuff. Another one of my favorite actresses is Marcia Cross. I absolutely love Desperate Housewives. She is my favorite character along with Gabby (Eva Longoria Parker).

Recipe Goals

2010-01-03T19:52:00.000-08:00

I've been watching a lot of Food Network lately and it's making me want to cook and bake...a lot! SO here are some recipes I've been dying to try!

Sesame Tofu Stir Fry:

Recipe found here: http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/food/recipes/sesame-tofu-stir-fry-537037/;_ylt=AnxrOM68HlVf6pssVixRBV3kgKU5

Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup:

Recipe: http://www.pauladeen.com/index.php/tier_2/view/on_the_shelf_kid_approved_recipes/

Fresh Pineapple Sorbet:

Recipe: http://kissmyspatula.com/2009/06/08/fresh-pineapple-sorbet

Peach, Pineapple, Kiwi Sorbet Trio:

Recipe found here:
Recipe: http://cannelle-vanille.blogspot.com/2009/07/peach-pineapple-and-kiwi-sorbet-trio.html

Green Tea and Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream:

Recipe: http://ferfood.blogspot.com/2007/02/green-tea-and-mint-chocolate-chip-ice.html

Those are in no particular order. I want to try them all. I'll probably start with the sorbets for now. Let me know if any of you try them or have tried them!

Ciao!

Christmas is almost here...

2009-12-20T22:49:00.000-08:00

Well, with Christmas almost here everyone is running around super busy. I know I am for sure! I have so many things to do this week before we head to my parents house for the holiday weekend. I have to finish a scarf, bake macarons, oatmeal cookies and banana bread muffins, go to the eye dr. yet again, and finish wrapping presents. It's not too bad but still it will keep me busy until Wednesday. I know that Fletcher and I haven't had too many traditions but one we do have is going to Rhema (a bible college in Tulsa) every year and looking at Christmas lights. We are going tomorrow and we talked today and decided we needed to start some new traditions. Hopefully we can make that happen. I love the concept of doing something the same every single year. It's comforting. So, I'm excited! Also, in the spirit of getting all dressed up for Christmas parties and putting on makeup and fixing our hair here is a list of some of my hair inspirations at the moment.

Alison Sudol from A Fine Frenzy:

I really wish my hair was this color.

Katy Perry:

Avril Lavigne:

Happy Holidays!
Ciao!

Quick Update

2009-12-14T23:56:00.000-08:00

This past weekend was super busy so I didn't get to post anything. This week on the other hand hasn't been too busy so far. I did get around to getting some new yarn and I'm in the process of making a scarf and I put something on my etsy! Check it out!

Ciao!

Julie & Julia

2009-12-10T22:00:00.001-08:00

Tonight we watched Julie and Julia. I love this movie. It is amazing and it inspires me to cook. Not that I will be cooking any Julia Child recipes anytime soon. I am not at that level at all. Personally, I think I am a baker. I can watch Food Network all day long any day. I am obsessed. I love to watch the chefs and cooks make amazing meals. They make my mouth water. I love food! Here are a few of my favorite chefs and cooks.

Of course, Julia Child:

I probably wouldn't eat many of her entrees but I can guarantee that I would eat every single one of her desserts. I love dessert.

Alton Brown:

I love watching him explain different foods. It's a learning experience. He is a great teacher.

Emeril Lagasse:

Emeril is so entertaining. There's not a dull moment watching him create masterpieces.

Last, but not least, my absolute favorite, Paula Deen!

I absolutely adore Paula. Her life story is so inspiring. The things she has gone through and still persevered and made herself what she is today is such an inspiration. I have met her once and it was just for a brief moment at a book signing. I would love to meet her again and be able to talk to her. She's so amazing and beautiful. I will be visiting Savannah soon soon soon and eating at The Lady and Sons. I can't wait.

Ciao!

Craft time!

2009-12-09T18:17:00.001-08:00

I am a lover of crafting! It's fun to make something and know that you put love and work into and it's a nice feeling when you make gifts for people. They are so much more personal than buying gifts. I have been working hard on Christmas ornaments as I've said in earlier posts. Also, I was crocheting a blanket but I think I'm going to start on a scarf or some granny squares, something smaller and less daunting. Blankets are a lot of work and time. Fun, but not the best idea for your first crocheting project. Here are some crafts and things that i've been dying to try.

Headbands:

Here is the link for these:
http://heart-of-light.blogspot.com/2009/04/another-headband.html

Next, we have snowy balloon ornaments:

http://www.marthastewart.com/article/snowy-ornaments?backto=true&backtourl=/photogallery/christmas-ornaments#slide_23

I love these granny squares. I hope I can figure out how to make them and make myself a beautiful blanket someday.

http://www.purlbee.com/granny-square-project/

These flowers are so cute. I can't wait to make some and put them everywhere in my house!

http://www.domestifluff.com/2008/10/how-to-make-pom-pom-flowers/

Lastly, stiffened hanging paper doilies. They are so pretty and would look perfect in front of our huge windows in our house.
http://www.marthastewart.com/article/stiffened-doilies?backto=true&backtourl=/photogallery/easy-holiday-crafts#slide_50

I love these crafts and I hope I can get around to them all soon!

Ciao!

Alexander McQueen

2009-12-07T19:47:00.000-08:00

This post was going to be about Lady Gaga, I love her. She's amazing! But, as I was searching for pictures I came across some outfits that Alexander McQueen had made for her. This got me curious and I started searching for his stuff. I am in love. He has some amazing outfits and SHOES! I've heard of him before because I have some eyeshadows from the MAC Cosmetics/Alexander McQueen line that they put out. Here are some photos of the amazing fashions from Alexander McQueen:

And here are some beautiful shoes:

Those last ones are the shoes that Lady Gaga wore in her Bad Romance video. Which is awesome by the way! You have to check it out.

Ciao!

SHOPPING!!!

2009-12-06T20:47:00.000-08:00

Lately, I've been crafting a lot. By a lot I mean A LOT! Christmas has gotten me into the crafting spirit. I've been making lots and lots of gifts and decorations. So, in light of that I decided it would be fun to show you a few Etsy shops I've run across with some pretty amazing things that I would love to buy!

First, here is my friend's shop:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/thevelvetbird

My friend Vanessa makes lots of cute little necklaces and for Christmas she's made these super cute trees! I am in love with them. I can't wait to buy some!

Here are a couple of the necklaces she made:

Next, we have a shop that has some really cute pillows, pouches and pillows.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/allisajacobs

I really love these pillows:

Okay, this next one is amazing! You just have to see it!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/yourchandelier

I absolutely love this! I want one someday! LOVE IT!

These are just a few things that I really love and you should too! I'm still working on a topic for my next post. If you have any suggestions just let me know!

Ciao!

Idea

2009-12-04T22:32:00.000-08:00

I was thinking that since my camera doesn't have the best quality anymore that I can use this blog to profile other blogs and things that I like. At least until I get a new camera. Sounds like a good idea to me! So here it goes...

Recently I've been loving these things:

Snowflakes:

Christmas lights:

Christmas Classics:

Paris, France:

That's all for this time! I really hope you all enjoy this. Let me know what you think about this idea! Next time: ETSY SHOPS!!!!

Ciao!

PICTURES!

2009-12-03T19:30:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures of the ornaments I decorated. They are pretty terrible. For some reason my camera has decided to stop working properly and all of my pictures are blurry no matter what I do. It's bad. Here are some of

the better ones though! Hope you like!

Let me know what you think!!

HI!

2009-12-02T19:41:00.000-08:00

Well, this is my first post for this blog! Hopefully, there will be many more to come. It's holiday time and I'm loving every minute of it! This year has been extra special. I've gotten into the Christmas spirit so much more than I ever have before! It's been craft time non-stop around here. I've hand decorated ornaments, already gotten all my shopping done, we put up the tree before Thanksgiving, and today I made pom pom garland! Pictures will be up soon for sure! Also, I've been baking a lot! I made my first completely homemade pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving and also I made a pumpkin roll. Today, I made chocolate balsamic cookies and I'm so ready to make sugar cookies! They are my favorite this time of year! I'm also ready to go look at Christmas lights! It's become a sort of tradition for Fletcher and I to go to Rhema in Tulsa and look at lights and get hot chocolate. This is my favorite time of the year. You can just feel the love and joy all around you. Well, next time I will have some pictures of my crafts!

Ciao!