Box or scratch? This is the question.

Before the craziness of this winter, I thought I would buy books on cupcakes and cakepops and try some recipes.  Than I had the big idea that I would take one of these books and do every recipe in it and than post it on my blog......that was 4 mos. ago.  LOL.  Boy am I ambitious!  Well I thought I would start this week.  Instead of doing one every day, I would try once a week.  I mean really, I want this to be fun, not a chore.  Okay, so the first book I tried for my very first recipe is......drum roll please.....Betty Crockers...The Big Book of Cupcakes.  I got this book and well.....all my books from amazon.com.  So I usually use Betty Crocker's Super Moist cake mix, so I thought how can I go wrong.  It might take a little more time making it from scratch, but knowing I did would be worth it.

I thought I would try the basic yellow cupcakes with chocolate frosting recipes.  Now remember I am not a chef, own my own bakery or an expert in the kitchen.  I'm just your average person who loves to bake.  I can tell you only of my experience.

       

Adding the dry ingredients.  Everything appears to be going right.  or is it...

                            

                                    
                                       Scoop!  Gotta love Pampered Chef!

                            

                                              

                                   So nice and neat, every things going as planned.

 . 

Time to frost!

                         

                                          
                    There they sit so nice in a row.

 I followed the recipe to the t......well I thought I did.  Don't they look beautiful?!......

They looked sooo yummy!  Wrongo!   The frosting was soooo delicious, but the cupcakes had the consistency of cornbread...blah.  I was so frustrated.  I thought "What, this is Betty Crocker?!"  Well I thought I should probably go over my steps one more time.  Poor Betty Crocker, it was actually my fault.. I used BREAD flour.  Dang it!  I forgot that I had filled my Tupperware container that holds my all purpose flour with my bread flour.  Needless to say I did try the recipe again.  This time using all purpose flour like the recipe calls for.  It was better, but a little dry.  If anyone out there has an idea on how to make these more moist.  Please let me know.  I'm a big fan of Betty Crocker Super Moist cake mixes.  Always delicious!  So for now box won over scratch, for time and taste.

365 card challenge "Patchwork"

TADAH!

O.K.  another challenge...."Patchwork" from 365cards.blogspot.com.  Hop on over to their blog if you are interested in participating.  This card was done fairly quickly, due to the fact I used all scraps.  Even the embossed piece was from my heaping scrap pile.  My lovely sister introduced me to a thing called "zentangles".  It's a form of doodling, that tends to be quite relaxing (we could all use a little of that).  And who can't doodle!  I mean really.  :)   I think you'll be seeing me do a little more of that when I can.  Anyways, I incorporated that into the flowers.  Everything I used for this was Stampin Up.  I'm not sure which patterned paper pack it came from.  I'm sure it's from a discontinued pack.  

365 Cards 48 Day Challenge

I haven't posted anything in FOREVER, so I decided to do a challenge posted on 365cards.blogspot.com.  You can go to their blog to get this weeks "Super Sketchy Sunday" design.

Usually I'm using my cricut for everything, but this time I decided to pull out one of my favorite, but retired stamp sets, "Priceless".  I used rich razzleberry, and gable green for the paper.  The ribbon is gumball green.

My card is simple, quick and easy.  Nothing to complicated.  I need quick in easy.  :)  

Father's Day

 The girls stayed up late the night before Father's Day making their dad a card.  I think they did a great job!  The cards turned out awesome and it was fun spending time with them.

Here are Ashley's cards.  She made one for her dad and stepdad.

Here's the card Michaella made for her Daddy.

Here's the card I made for my Dad.  I got the Shirt idea from YouTube.  I thought it was so fun, and surprisingly easy.  I used SU stamp, brads and paper.

The girls wanted to give their dad a picture, but the youngest insisted on wearing her PJs.  We took so many and the two oldest really enjoyed the "fashion shoot", but the youngest only wanted a couple of pictures outside.   Then when their dad came home they dog piled him, so I had to get some pictures.  These are only a few.

Birthday card for mom

I made this card for  my mom's birthday this month.  I believe I used the Sentimentals Cricut cart and SU stamps and paper, and DCWV paper.

I made it so the tag in the front and vines hang off the ends. 

 Aubree wanted to decorate Nana's cake.  She took the sprinkles and pour a huge pile right smack dap in the middle of the cake and declared it "Beautiful!" She insisted on putting the candles on just the right spot.

Nana and Aubree

Baby shower card

I made  this card in a mad rush to get to a baby shower.  I think it turned out pretty cute, but the picture isn't that good.  

The stamp on the bottoms say "It's just the little things"  :)

Recipe:

SU paper and stamp
New Arrival cricut cart.

I'm so excited I got an award!!!  Terri over at http://myneed2craft.blogspot.com gave it to me. :)  Thank you, Thank you!!!

I have recieved other awards before, but this is the first one I was able to post on my blog in a timely manner..Such as Misha over at madebymisha.blogspot.com  (Thanks Misha!) and Jennifer at countrycricut.blogspot.com (Thanks Jennifer!!).  All of these lady's are very talented, sweet and inspirational.  You gotta check out their blogs!!


Now for the rules of this award.

Post this wonderful award on your blog.  Share this award with 10 other people you think have 

Cricut-tastic blogs.  Then share 5 cricut related things about yourself.

1.  I got my cricut Christmas 2009.

2.  I've persuaded 4 friends they need a cricut which resulted in them purchasing their own.  :) (Gotta share that addiction)lol!!

3.  I now own about 37 carts. and think I need more....like I said it's an addiction.

4.  My husband thought the cricut would be just a passing phase...boy was he wrong.  He now thinks it was a good decision. 

5.  I couldn't get through the instructional video that went with the cricut...I literally kept falling asleep, so I learned how to use it by watching youtube videos like Above Rubies Studio and My Pink Stamper.

Here are just some of the blogs I think are CRICUT-TASTIC...

1.  Karen at krazyonthekuskokwim.blogspot.com

2.  Tia at scrapntiantx.blogspot.com

3.  Amy at lovetocrop.com

4.  Annette at nettiepsworld.blogspot.com

5.  Valerie at bestisyet2be.blogspot.com

6.  Janis at pausedreamenjoy.blogspot.com

7.  Laura at makinprettythings.blogspot.com

8.  Kelly at kellysmemorycraft.blogspot.com

9.  Debi at dizzylizzyscreations.blogspot.com

10.  Amanda at amandascraftsandmore.blogspot.com

I hope you are able to check these CRICUT-TASTIC blogs out.  They are defiantly worth it.  They have provided me with lots of inspiration and I know they will for you as well.