Friday, July 29, 2011

Nutella Cupcake Recipe

Recently I have made the transition from a point and shoot camera to a dslr camera. I purchased the Canon Eos Rebel T3, a great entry level model for us slr newbies! Even on auto mode it takes great pictures that are worth the investment. I must admit, I now shoot everything....and I do mean everthing!

I recently experimented with Nutella flavored cupcakes....who doesn't love Nutella?! It tastes like a Ferrero Rocher but that should be of no surprise as the Ferrero company produces both Nutella and their famous Ferrero Rocher candies! The cupcakes turned out yuuummy! I made a basic chocolate cupcake and filled the inside middle part with Nutella buttercream frosting. You can also fill it with just Nutella alone but I must warn you this will make the cupcake that much more heavy....you are gonna need ALOT of milk! Try buying the cow, it will be cheaper! I prefer my cupcakes a bit lighter so I filled it with the frosting as I mentioned before. You can do this one of two ways, you can take out a portion of the cupcake with your fingers (don't worry the frosting on top should cover up the mess!) or you can use a Bismarck Tip and pipe in the Nutella frosting until the cupcake plumps up a bit. Once you are done that, swirl on the frosting on top and garnish with an almond milk chocolate Lindt square.

Nutella Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients:
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 13-ounce jar of Nutella
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon clear vanilla extract
2 pounds confectioners’ sugar, sifted
6-8 tablespoons heavy cream or milk

Directions:
1. In bowl, blend butter and Nutella until combined. Slowly add in confectioner’s sugar, and continue creaming until well blended.
2. Add salt, vanilla, and 4 tablespoons of heavy cream or milk. Blend on low speed until moist. Add an additional 3-5 tablespoons of heavy cream or milk until you reach the desired consistency. Beat at high speed until frosting is smooth and fluffy.

Yields enough frosting for 24 cupcakes

Monday, July 4, 2011

Sweet Shoppe Party

So for awhile I have been fascinated with Amy Atlas' work. If you do not know who she is, she is the Queen of the dessert table! You can see her work almost on any blog that speaks about candy buffets, dessert tables etc. And if you have not heard of her I suggest you do a quick google search and get ready to feast your eyes on the best eye candy you will ever see! Anyhow inspired by her lovely work I wanted to take a stab at creating my own candy buffet table for a Sweet Shoppe Party I hosted for my daughter. My color theme was hot pink, orange, yellow, and hints of blue. I loved how it turned out! The candy buffet table had a lot of vintage inspired items on it from vintage candy buttons, rock candy on a stick and strings, to wax liquid candy filled bottles. Even some of the jars I used had a semi vintage apothecary jar feel to it. I have posted more pictures for your viewing pleasure here. Should you want to host your own party and have questions on where to purchase some of these items then feel free to leave me a comment and I'll do my best to respond!

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Diy Paper Lanterns....Move Over Tissue Paper Pom Poms!!!!!

Tissue paper pom poms are all the rage on the diy party decorating scene thanks to Martha Stewart. They can be seen on just about every blog that showcases those lovely diy style parties. However thanks to Martha once again there is a new decor idea for your parties. These festive tissue paper lanterns seen in June's Good Things are a bit time consuming to make but the end result is worth every moment spent! For a step by step tutorial click here!

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Water Party Sponge Ball Tutorial

Summer is here and along with it comes all the activities one must dream up to keep their kids occupied. Water activities go hand in hand with the season so a simple search of the internet will uncover tons of water related fun things to do. However the craft loving person I am, I simply can not let any opportunity pass where I don't whip out my craft tools! The blog "One Charming Party" fulfills that need by showing us how to make even your dish washing sponges look oh so cute! Just follow these simple instructions found here and enjoy the rest of your summer!

Friday, May 6, 2011

Watermelon and Cantaloupe Fruit Popsicles

And the world's WORST blogger award goes to (drum roll please)....you guessed it!.....The LemonDrop Tree!!! Yes it really has been over three months since my last post! Don't worry, its not just my blog that has been neglected....just about everything else in my life has been neglected too because of those time/energy/fun/life sucking creatures I call my kids! I DO love them but sometimes I want to... (*note* keep thoughts to self!) Anyhow I'm back...for now! My adventures in late night internet surfing brings me to these little oh so easy fruit popsicle delights courtesy of the Bakers Royale blog! Who doesn't love popsicles?! All you need is a watermelon and cantaloupe. Cut the watermelon in slices and cut out flowers using a metal flower cookie cutter. Cut out the center using a round cookie cutter. Discard round center in mouth! Moving on along....using a melon baller, scoop out balls from the cantaloupe and place them in the middle of the watermelon flowers. You can also reverse this and cut out flowers from the cantaloupe and balls from the watermelon to achieve the look in the picture. Next insert popsicle sticks prior to serving to avoid getting them soggy and enjoy!

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Bright Blossoms

Yes say it ain't so?! TWO postings in a month? Wow that must mean I have some time on my hands? Not really!!!! My hands ARE full with three kids but I still take time out to appreciate life's little things! And I appreciate all things that make me whisper "eye candy!" So this next item didn't whisper it as so much scream it to me! I love these beautiful flowers especially because they are made of (and you'll never guess!)......shopping bags!!!! I know eh? Who would have guessed? I found this shop here on etsy selling them in all types of colors and materials. So even if you don't plan on buying them, take a peak in the shop just to make your day that much brighter!

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Diy Barcode Wall Art

We all have boring open white spaces on our walls that could use a little eye candy sometimes. The problem is how to do and make something fun and interesting but not spend a ton of money. The following tutorial will show you how to recreate a magnified image of barcode wall art. This is as inexpensive as it is bold! All you need is a roll of electrical tape and some vinyl numbers found at an office supply store. The most important point if you choose this project is to make sure that your edges are perfectly straight. If you just wing it your lines will begin to look crooked and you won't get the look you want. Blue painter's tape is used here to maintain straight lines that can be removed when you are finished the barcode.

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Free Printable Rainbow Stationary and Accesories

Its "freebie" time again!!!!! I love love love "free" and I know you all do too! I found this adorable Rainbow Stationary set on Paper Glitter's blog found here. It includes a few things such as the printable notes, envelopes, envelope liners, and circle tags which can double as cupcake toppers! I even found a matching party kit on their site. If you are looking to further coordinate and make your package or notes stand out from the rest you can add my chipboard epoxy button embellishments in the Rainbow Bright collection found here to them. Of course if they are "sold" in my shop feel free to contact me and I'll custom make you a set for you. Paper Glitter's blog is filled with wonderful bright things to look at and she has a shop as well. They specialize in printable items such as stationary, party decor, and paper dolls and I have to say
they sure are stunning!

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Whimsical Fun DIY Decorated Water Bottles

For awhile I've been thinking of throwing my daughter a party. I have to say the most fun part is thinking of a theme and decorating around it. There are websites that provide endless inspiration. However the biggest thrill is when you could put something together that is SUPER CHEAP! Yes that's right, I said cheap!!! So with that being my inspiration my latest craft I give you are these cute little diy decorated water bottles. All you need is a case of the small water bottles and a roll of large size kawaii deco tape. You can find kawaii deco tape on Etsy by doing a simple search under the supplies category.

Instructions:

1) Measure the circumference around your bottle.
2) Cut tape according to length.
3) Peel off backing and adhere to bottle(s).

It's that simple!

Monday, November 1, 2010

Customizable Diy Clock

Tick tock, tick tock....do you hear that? Thats the sound of time telling you that your boring walls need a little sprucing up! However you won't need much time to make this easy diy clock that can be customized to match your room in millions of ways thanks to the clever scrapbook industry. For as much paper there is on the market, you have that many choices on how you want your clock to look.

What you'll need;

Instructions;

  1. Decide on your clock's shape. Adhere paper to foam-core board using spray adhesive. Cut out the desired shape using a crafts knife.
  2. If desired, paint chipboard numbers in a coordinating color; let dry. Attach to the clock face with glue.
  3. Mark the location for the clockworks. Using a 5/16-inch-diameter dowel sharpened to a point (or a round pencil or awl), puncture a 5/16-inch hole. Carefully trim excess paper from the hole with a crafts knife.
  4. Follow the manufacturer's instructions to attach the clockworks

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Diy Butterfly Cookies

I love parties, I love food (especially the kind thats not healthy for you!), and I love decorations! In fact the sites that I frequent the most are diy party decorating ones. So I was so happy to stumble upon this little one in one of my extremely early morning (ok I admit its late night but who's keeping tabs, right?) surfing sessions. This adorable butterfly cookie tutorial was made and shared by the good folks over at Bird Craft blog. Not only do they share the "how to's" but also link you to where you can find the supplies to make these sugary sweet treats! This would be perfect for any garden themed party whether its a ladies brunch, or a little girl's tea party. Think you have what it takes to bring out the Betty Crocker in you? Than click here and bake away!

Friday, October 8, 2010

Diy Instant Nursery Wall Art

So its been some time since I last posted. I wouldn't blame laziness this time, rather I have a good excuse for you all! You see I have been rather busy with my precious little baby girl that was born on Sept. 19th 2010! Those of you who have followed my blog for some time now, I know what you are all thinking...."didn't she just have another kid like yesterday?!" Yes I did, a little boy who is now 15 months old! So as you all know, my time is spent changing diapers, reading books, wiping up spit up, dealing with temper tantrums and all the fun things that come along with handling two children under the age of two......big sigh! However I could not be happier, life seems "complete" for me! In honor of all things baby, my latest diy craft is just that! One of the most fun things about expecting and having a baby is channeling your inner artist and decorating the nursery. This can be frustrating for those who are no Picasso! But fear not my fellow mommies and mommies to be! Now you can make a cute diy framed wall art by just simply purchasing a few inexpensive items. All you need is a frame with a pre-cut matte, wrapping paper with a baby theme, and double sided tape or glue.

1)Just simple cut your wrapping paper to the size of the opening of the frame.

2)Adhere the precut matte with double sided tape or glue to the paper.

3) Insert the matted paper into the frame....voila...you have yourself instant wall art!!!!!

It could not be any simpler! As usual...enjoy!

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

DIY Felt Letter Pillows

Its been sometime since I have posted. I find myself scouring the internet, bookmarking so many diy crafts with the intention of someday sharing and blogging about it. But when it comes time to actually do it I have a hard time picking or even remembering what I want to showcase! This weeks selection was not a hard one though! Good old Martha shows us how to make these lovely felt alphabet/name pillows using just a couple of items. Not only are these pretty to look at but functional as well. These pillows will get your little one used to how to spell his name. For easy to follow instructions, click here!

Monday, August 30, 2010

Blog GIVEAWAY!!!!!!! Courtesy of Scarlett's Whimsy!

**This contest is now closed. I have used Random.org's number generator which produced number 17 but unfortunately can't get the screen shot right to display here on my blog. Anyhow congratulations Jenny, please contact us to claim your prize within 72 hours**

**Unfortunately the prize has not been claimed and a second runner up winner has been picked. Congratulations #14...Fashuneesta! Kindly contact me to claim your prize within 72 hours**

The 50's conjures up a lot thoughts both good and bad. I did not exist to see those days but know quite a bit about it via popular media. Who could forget "Leave it to Beaver" right?! Whether you think those days were good or bad one thing is for sure, the fashion was very chic! The 50's saw the birth of the A-line skirt, women switching from shawls to trendy coats and feathers....definitely feathers!!!! My next featured shop owner, Scarlett's Whimsy found here has brought that decadent era back with her throwback to 50's inspired vintage headpieces and more. She creates romantic pieces like the one pictured here with its rolled rosettes, feather pieces in pink and aqua blue on creme netting accented with a vintage crystal pin all adhered to a pink headband. This piece also comes with a matching crochet hat (not pictured here). Her entire shop is filled with romantic pieces befitting of fashion diva's like Carrie Bradshaw, such as t these bright pink shoe clips named in honor of her! Definitely my favorite! I have told you my favorite, now I'd like to hear from you! In return one lucky commenter will win this lovely headpiece courtesy of Scarlett's Whimsy on Etsy. What do you have to do to enter?

1) Take a look around her Etsy shop found here and than come back and leave a comment telling me what your favorite item is from her shop. Her bright and vivid pictures make window shopping by itself fun!!!! God only knows how many times I have clicked on her site just to peak!!!!

*note*...in order to insure everyone actually goes into the shop, please kindly list a favorite item OTHER than the one showcased here.

Here on The LemonDrop Tree we make it easy for you to gain additional entries! Read on....

2) For more entries facebook and/or twitter this post and come back and leave me the link (posting on your facebook will be considered one entry and twittering will be considered an additonal entry...so you could do both!).

3) Join her Facebook fanpage found here and come back here and let me know with your username.

Thats a grand total of FOUR ENTRIES!!!! Ok so now I sound like an infomercial so thats my sign to wind things up!

One random winner will be picked this Sunday Sept. 5th 2010 and announced here on the following Monday. You must contact me within 72 hours to claim your prize.

As usual, good luck!

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Diy Tissue Paper Wall Art

So you think you need to be the next Picaso to decorate your apartment or home walls with something stylish? News flash....you need little to no artistic talent to bring life to your walls with this next diy tutorial courtesy of "In my own Style" blog/site found here. All you need are a few simple items like an artist canvas, modge podge, furniture nail tacks, decorative tissue paper, and ribbon.

This project is so easy that you can even make a few smaller ones and give them away as hostess gifts!

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Schools Back!....Freebie Time!

So as a kid the time I hated MOST was August. Why? Because it was that time of year that all the "back to school" commercials were shown on tv reminding us that our freedom was about to come to an end! It didn't matter how cute the item was that they were selling....cute could not cure that sinking feeling I had in my stomach.

As an adult now, my feelings could not be more different! I LOVE this month! Why? Because it is that time of the year that reminds ME of how I might be getting back some of MY FREEDOM by sending my child off to school....lol!!!!! Don't get me wrong, I love her a lot but every parent enjoys those few silent moments in the day that only school can provide you! In celebration of going back to school I found this most adorable desktop wallpaper background calender available in different sizes for download here, thanks to BerrySprite. Make sure you visit her Flickr stream.....she's got some of the cutest things! So to all my fellow mommies out there....CONGRATULATIONS on surviving yet another summer!

Friday, August 6, 2010

Summer Home Handmade Polymer Clay Button Embellishments-Set of 7

Summer time reminds me of a lot of things.....fresh cut grass, the smell of flowers, vacations and more! I love summer and wish it was all year round! To celebrate the season I made these sweet little polymer clay buttons called "Summer Home" found in my shop here. I baked and glazed these buttons to give them a very shiny surface. Unfortunately my picture taking skills lack a bit and I was not able to photograph the shine! I love how these turned out....especially the hot pink and pearly pale pink colors in this set! I'm playing around with polymer clay these days and expanding my button line to go above the chipboard epoxy buttons I carry in my shop. I've already made several other type of sets/themes just waiting to be photographed. Hopefully I can do that before the summer ends!!!!

Monday, August 2, 2010

Blog GIVE AWAY!!!!!


**This giveaway is now closed ** Congratulations to Daffodil Petals...you are our blog giveaway winner!!!!! Please contact us within 48 hours to claim your prize!




































"Girls are made of sugar and spice and everything nice"....we have all heard this sweet little rhyme praising the merits of little girls. However I'm not sure they can be all sugary let alone nice all the time but one thing is for sure...girls definately do have the nicest things! Whether it is a beautiful bright wardrobe, glittery shoes or sweet hair accesories, nice is not a strong enough word! Girls are like little dolls for grown up people like me to dress up and accesorize! So if most of you are like me and share my sentiments you will appreciate this next blog giveaway courtesy of Brinababe's Shop over on Etsy! One lucky winner will win a yellow or orange satin rose band (your choice) like the one pictured here! Each hair band comes with three beautiful satin roses on it and is sure to compliment any summer outfit! So what do you have to do to enter the contest? Easy peasy!

1) Take a look around her Etsy shop found here and than come back and leave a comment telling me what your favorite item is from her shop. Personally I'm really digging her "damask wipe clutch"...so classy!

Want additional entries?.....no problem!

2) Take a look around this other shop of her's found here and leave an additional comment here on my blog. Her "pettiskirts" are just the cutest things!

But wait....there's more!!!!

3) For more entries facebook and/or twitter this post and come back and leave me the link (posting on your facebook will be considered one entry and twittering will be considered an additonal entry...so you could do both!).

One random winner will be picked this Sunday August 8th 2010 and announced here on the following Monday.

Good luck to all and may you have fun dressing up your little dolls!!!!

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Popsicles, Popsicles, and More Popsicles!



























Etsy, crafts, and bright colors are a serious addiction for me! As if the countless hours on that site looking up truly unique things is not enough for me I found a new hobby....creating "treasuries". A treasury is a showcase of items from other people's shops that you admire. You can put it together by theme, colors, etc. My first showcase was inspired by my previous blog entry explaining how to make diy soaps. The popsicle soaps inspired me to look up all things "popsicle" related and voila...this is what I came up with. The colors are so bright, so vibrant that I just HAD to share! To get a closer look at each item featured in my treasury and where to purchase them click here.

Friday, July 23, 2010

DIY Soap Tutorials





























The art of soap making goes back hundreds of years. Over time it has evolved from simple white square bars to something that can function as both a practical cleaning product and a decorative item. There are several great online tutorials to making soap but a really comprehensive sight that lists the different types of soap making process can be found here. Not only will you find the different methods but also everything from lotion formulas, coloring options, to building soap cutters and more. However if you feel like you can't master this fine art or don't have time then I suggest checking out this online shop for their cute popsicle soaps. You will find a wide range of glycerin soaps in Soapy Love's shop from these citrus soaps pictured here to "Peachy Keen", "Confetti Cupcake", "Candy Carousel" and more. I'm in love with the pink grapefruit ones! Be the hit of your next party with these as your centerpieces!