Tuesday might just become New Blog Day!

Well, lookie here. It's been a week since my last entry, and I actually have something to share!
Last Friday, I made myself go to Denver to the Gem and Bead shows.  Now, you might be thinking that saying "made myself" is a bit of a stretch if you know my attitude about shopping. But I very rarely go out od town to go shopping by myself.  I like to, instead, drag along unwitting family members (Mom and Brin, Dad won't go there!) or friends (ok, ok, friend.  I only have the one. Melissa).  But I sucked it up and suffered through and so on, and let me say, wowee kazaowee.  Apparently there were 8 shows going on that weekend, and I only attended 2, or really just 1.5 if you cound the fact that I didn't finish the bead show because I ran out of money and couldn't stop buying things. It was SOOOOOOO AWESOME!  I had a lot of fun at the combination Gem and Fossil show, even though it was overrun with kids.  I have to admit though, they were adorable ones, all decked out in their "I heart dinosaurs" gear. So cute. I didn't really look much at the fossils, as that's not my thing, but the abundance of gems was fascinating.  Of course, I'm a nerd and didn't take any pictures at that one, so I have none to share until I take photos of the little gemmys that I actually bought.
Now, let's talk about the bead show. Incredible.  It was like a warehouse lined with the bead isles at michaels and joanns, but with TONS more, and so much different stuff that I had to try really hard not to pee my pants in excitement. I was suckered into the very first booth I saw, and then skipped maybe 3 on my route to the back and then back to the door.  I didn't let myself see the whole thing, (that's what she said) because I just didn't think I could handle it.  The girls I spoke with at the craft fair I attended said it was overwhelming, and I didn't believe them, but I totally should have, because it is.

And these jerks below had the audacity to have basically every swarovskit known to man...

I know these pics aren't the best, but I think I could have taken a thousand of them and I wouldn't have been able to capture the ginormousness of the situation.
I wish that Melissa could have been there, I think she would have appreciated them as much as I did, and also I think she is the only shopping partner that wouldn't have minded the excessive amount of time I took studying the beads.
So that is my Friday adventure. Super awesome.

On to my today adventure.  I have been yapping about making sugar cookies for, oh about 2 weeks now, and I finally got around to finishing my first batch.  I don't know if the icing is going to set enough for me to mail them out to all of you I promised to mail to, but if not, I'll just make more, and hopefully get the icing recipe right! 

I know that leaves wouldn't have the little confettis on them but hey- they're fall-y and cute.

And then below, I made some punkins (by the way peeps, I KNOW it's pumpkins, but punkins is more fun to say) and some acorns.  The punkins are okay, acorns, not so much.

Really the only way to tell the difference is the color, the punkins being orange and the acorns being brown, except for the two yellow, not sure what I was thinking there...

That's it for me.
Toodles!

Pops of the Cake Variety

I have been informed in a not-quite-gentle way that I am slacking and should have posted an entry about my cake pops situation. So.  Melissa- shut your maw, and here it is.
I happened upon a recipe for Jack-o-lantern cake pops in my most recent Betty Crocker magazine (because I am THAT cool, to get the BC mag...) and not only did they sound deeee-licious, they were adorable and looked easy.  Well, they are delicious, and if done correctly, adorable, but not quite as easy as one might imagine. Basically you bake a cake and let it cool, and then you crumble it in a big bowl and mix with frosting.  Then you take little balls of that (or in the case of other shapes, you do whatever) and freeze them.  Then you use the easily-melted chocolate and dip the little balls in it once you've put them on the lolli stick- thus making them a pop!  Then you decorate! (oh yes, and you have to put the stick in a Styrofoam block to let the chocolate harden first)
It all sounds so easy, but making the little cakey balls look like balls and not lumpy bumpies is HARD!

Here are my lumpies. (not to be confused with whatever Fergie was talking about in that one song.)
I can say that even though they are lumpariffic, they are good.  Apparently when you let the chocolate harden it shrinks a little, and this results in cracks on some of the pops, so I did what any great product-controlling individual would do- I ate them.  It tastes like a cake flavored truffle on a stick. Fabulous.
And I decorated a few,

I used a black glitter gel, but I think that it would be loads easier if I had sprung for the $9 food coloring pens and done the faces that way.  And even though they are far from the adorable balls that are shown, I like to think my little dudes have "character."  You know, like when you ask someone what they think of something and the response is "well, it's..... different."  They are different, but unapologetically.


Look here for more goodness!
http://www.bakerella.com/

Shame On Me.

I have neglected my bloggy friends. I'm so sorry.
So here's what's new....
Un-craft related, Tim and I had a great 6th Anniversary on Sunday, and Monday we drove up to Estes Park and it was SO BEAUTIFUL. 

On a craftier note, I was trying to get into the Horseshoe Craft and Flea Market, but unless I can provide an entire booth of non-jewelryness, I'm not in.  :-(  That's okay, I could try to do a whole bunch of new stuff by the deadline, but it's only a couple weeks away, and I am just not up to the challenge.  Instead, I plan to focus my energy on finding and attempting new crafts for Christmas!  I know I'm not the only one out there that is already thinking about this holiday (Melissa, I'm theatrically winking your way...) but I may be the only one that has already bought numerous gifts. Sorry people, I LOVE to shop. Love. My poor hubs can attest to my unhealthy obsession with sales. (OH YES, I am already thinking about Black Friday!)
So.   In an attempt to be more like I was last year (broke) I am trying to make a lot of gifts, and luckily I am starting on it sooner than November this year, so I have hopes of making things while not stressing.
Oh yes, and I found just about the cutest cookie cutters whilst roaming the isles at Ross, so I think I might try my hand at cookie decorating.  I figure even if they look horrible, I'll still eat 'em. :-9