{Love, Love, Love}

Candy Hearts photo courtesy: Here 

{Baking, Wishing...}

I usually bake 1-2 times per week. A variety of things, cookies, cup cakes, frosting, breads, muffins, you name it. It's a sickening hobby. Sickening to my stomach, that is. While I do have quite a collection of cookie cutters and such I am always on the lookout for unique baking supplies. My dream job, create yummy things full time. Then I would be able to put all the fun things I come across to actual good use (instead of my own consumption) These amazing items are on my "wish list" of baking. The photos and items are from Bake It Pretty and you can bet i'll be ordering them.  

1. A gnome cookie cutter. 

(I would love to make a small army of these out of my favorite sugar cookie dough.)

2. My hands down favorite, petit pine cone cupcake toppers.

3. The cutest deer family cupcake toppers.

4. Some beautiful paper baking cups. 

Bon Appetite!

{Sweet Tooth}

I made several batches of these yummy cookies for gifts this Valentine's Day. The dough is buttery and the jam is a great alternative to the normal frosting and sprinkles. Well, I guess you could use sprinkles, that might be nice. Anyways, use this recipe and you're sure to be satisfying all sweet tooth's this V-Day. 

{how does your garden grow?}

Aren't these sweet? They are so easy to make, and a bouquet of them look great as decoration for the table, parties, whatever needs some color. All it takes is left over sheets of tissue paper folded accordion style, rounded at the end with scissors, then tied in the center with floral wire and fluffed. Quick and easy flowers anyone can grow, green thumb or not. 

{New Favorites}

I know its been months since I last posted but the holiday/new year proved to be a VERY busy one for my husband and I. We visited nearly 5 states in a 4 week span, covering the East coast back home to the West. It's safe to say that I almost went insane without completing one single Christmas/New Year project, but I vowed to myself that would be the last holiday without some type of crafty intervention. 

Now that I am back home and settling into the new year (can you believe that it's 2009 already!) i'm ready to start into some much overdue projects. Also, I have been designing and decorating my new work space (craft/sewing/office) and it is really coming together. Believe me, trying to use a x-acto knife on your coffee table doesn't go over well with the husband. But now, this new amazing space has been created for me and I can't wait to show you. That'll show up in a later post. 

Onto the purpose of this post, I have been acquiring a few new tools to add to my collection and ditching the ones that are in dire need of replacement. A few of my new favs are from the Martha Stewart Craft line at Michael's (of course). They include the 18" self-healing cutting mat. (No more marks on the coffee table!) and, just in time for valentines day, the cutest heart shaped hole punch. 

Who knew you could hole punch anything but a circle? Where has this been all my life? Seriously, the cutest and most fun tool i've used in quite some time. 

{Election! Election!}

Today is US Election Day! I am trusting all of you to exercise your right to choose who YOU think will best lead your country. VOTE! I voted by mail earlier this week (I am a little bitter I didn't get an 'I voted' sticker) and am anxious to see who comes out ahead. In California we have a few very controversial propositions that have been getting the best of some people (we've had 2 political signs stolen from our yard from non-supporters). Sheesh! People are really passionate about this years election. Let's pop the popcorn and sit back, it's gonna be a long night watching the election unfold. 

Graphic courtesy: Inside A Black Apple

{Baked Goodies}

It's pumpkin season so I decided to use this autumn item in some different recipes. This one for Spiced Pumpkin Bread turns out so so tasty. You'll be pleasantly surprised when you take this out of the oven. It's a dense, moist, flavorful bread that is slightly sweet with a hint of ginger, cinnamon and pumpkin. The glaze is optional (but my sweet tooth insisted on it). 

Pumpkin Bread

12 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup packed light-brown sugar

1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree

3 large eggs

Sugar Glaze

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

3 tablespoons water

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter/flour two loaf pans, set aside. Whisk flour, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon and salt. In separate bowl mix pumpkin, sugar, butter and eggs. Add flour mixture until just combined. Divide batter between pans. Bake for approx. 50 min or until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely before icing. 

{Skeleton Garland}

Oh, Halloween is fast approaching and I am well under way making things to spook stuff up a little. This skeleton garland is adapted from this invitation project and I must say I like it better this way. This small army of dancing bones hanging from a bookshelf or doorway will most certainly add charm to your days leading up to October 31st. 

The printout is glued to black card stock then cut out with detailed precision. Small brads affix the arms and legs to the body, but allow for movement of the skeletons. I finished by threading them through some brown and white spun bakers twine. You can make as many as you see fit for your garland. 

{October, October!}

Its October! Finally we are coming into my favorite time of the year, fall. And though it's still in the 90's here in California, I am hopeful that the cool weather, sweaters, and hot chocolate are soon on their way. 

I started decorating for the impending holiday, Halloween that is! Over the next few weeks I'll share the other crafts I've been working on. These may look familiar (they were a BIG DEAL last season) but I had to make a few to start the month off. 

Mini pumpkins, craft glue, glitter, and a little black paint for the stems. That's about all there is to this one. I'll let you guess how to put them together. 

Fall, {sigh...} my favorite time of the year. 

{Who Who}

Keep an eye out for this little guy up in your address bar, he's our new favicon and proudly representing Abstract Grace. When you see him up there you know you've found us!