Dancing with Caterpillars on top of Bundt Cake...

Happy Easter friends!

I hope that no matter how you celebrated today you have enjoyed every last bit of it... with a side of pie and icecream! ;)

Unfortunatly my day was spent in the dark... literally.
Storms knocked out the power here in my corner of the 405 and so our Easter plans where put on pause just a bit.
Which is probably for the best... this weekend has been the upside down the rabbit hole kind of weekends. And sometimes those are better off letting go of, ya know what I mean?

I dropped a 10lb bag of sugar all over my kitchen floor...
ruined a bundt cake, burned the sugar for marshmallows...
had to settle the tiny diva who is petrified of The Easter Bunny... {that is a whole other story you will soon find here}, was told by the 9 year old critter that he knows the truth of said Easter Bunny and will no longer be fooled by my pranks leaving me crying that my babies are growing up too fast...
had to intercept a teenage boy with dog poop in an easter egg... {long story... sigh}
and the power was out for 12 hours...




Sometimes The Chef says I try and do too much, like while mixing the glaze for the bundt cake with one hand I was washing the dishes with the other... things dont always turn out right when you do that.

And he also has to remind me that nothing has to be perfect... the kids dont have to have homemade "peeps" and the chocolate bunnies I made them dont HAVE to be decorated to the nines... its chocolate... chocolate = happy kids.
And holidays dont have to be running around like crazy people... its time to take a step back from the crazy and take count of the things we are all gathered for. {He's not only cute... but smart to boot!}

And in the end I took his advice... {dont you DARE tell him he was right!}

So the bright side of things...
We had ice cream for lunch...
Easter dinner clean up was a snap...
we played a rousing game of "Phase10"...
have 2 chapters left in reading "Little House In The Big Woods"...
AND I made another bundt cake once the power was back on... and even though it didnt make it in time for our Chinese take out Easter dinner... it has made a great late night snack!

I thought while I was taking advantage of all this electricity and magical WiFi I have been missing and complaining about all day, I would at least share with you my Grandma Maggies Strawberry Cake recipe... Easter just isnt Easter with out it... not that its all that special, Im sure the same recipe is in every homemakers cookbook and foodie website around... but alas, its tradition... and I hope you enjoy!

MAGGIES STRAWBERRY CAKE




Ingredients

2 cups white sugar
1 (3 ounce) package strawberry flavored gelatin
1 cup butter, softened
4 eggs (room temperature)
2 3/4 cups sifted cake flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup whole milk, room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup strawberry puree made from frozen sweetened strawberries

Directions

1.Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9 inch round cake pans.
2.In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar and dry strawberry gelatin until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Combine the flour and baking powder; stir into the batter alternately with the milk. Blend in vanilla and strawberry puree. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.
3.Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a small knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow cakes to cool in their pans over a wire rack for at least 10 minutes, before tapping out to cool completely.

Tips from momma...
*I have this thing for bundt cakes... so I put mine in my new bundt pan, just fyi
... if you would rather it be in a square pan, a round pan, or a pan shaped like Justin Bieber... more power to ya! ;)

* I dont know how you feel about a glaze icing or a cream cheese icing... but both are simply yummy on this cake... or just plain ol whipped cream will do the trick

*As with all my cakes I take them out of the oven when the tester comes out pretty wet... I dont know if any of you guys do this, but I have found if i let the cake sit in the pan for about 10 minutes before I turn it out... its perfectly moist!

Again I hope no matter how you spent your holiday it was fantastic, and as always...

Be good to each other!
See ya soon...

♥TAWNY

The art of doing nothing but a cream puff...

Really this post should be called the week of no blogging...
or The art of being entirely disengaged...

I just haven't been "feeling it" the past few days. Its all the tree pollen floating around, its cryptonite... all I can seem to accomplish is a simple click of the mouse to blog surf and minimal facebook updates... but enough about me.

How have YOU been?

Anything new in your corner of this little interweb?

The one thing that I have been doing, besides whining to the chef and swallowing antihistamines, is playing around with some sweet new recipes...

From new RI techniques {that's Royal Icing to you novices} that have seriously changed my life...

To the single BEST Swiss Meringue Butter cream in the universe...
It has been decided that all my birthday cakes from now on will be covered in sweet ruffles...

Ruffle Cake How To Here


Oh and a very tall, very yummy, Cookies and Cream Cake for a couple of my favorite people...



yummy right? ;)

And for this Sunday Dinner, I decided we should keep the "sweet" vibe we had going all week and I had the chef make my all time favorite treat! Hope you like!

ITALIAN CREAM PUFFS




Pate a Choux...

Ingredients:
1 cup water
3/4 stick butter (6 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon sugar plus 1/8 teaspoon salt (for sweet)
1 teaspoon salt (for savory)
5 3/4 ounces flour
1 cup eggs, about 4 large eggs and 2 whites

Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Boil water, butter, and salt or sugar. Add flour and remove from heat. Work mixture together and return to heat. Continue working the mixture until all flour is incorporated and dough forms a ball. Transfer mixture into bowl of a standing mixer and let cool for 3 or 4 minutes. With mixer on stir or lowest speed add eggs, 1 at a time, making sure the first egg is completely incorporated before continuing. Once all eggs have been added and the mixture is smooth put dough into piping bag fitted with a round tip. Pipe immediately into golfball-size shapes, 2 inches apart onto parchment lined sheet pans. Cook for 10 minutes, then turn the oven down to 350 degrees F and bake for 10 more minutes or until golden brown. Once they are removed from the oven pierce with a paring knife immediately to release steam...

Pastry Cream

Ingredients

1 tablespoon almond paste {you can also use any other flavorings you want... I really like Vanilla Orange myself! ;)}
1 1/4 cups half-and-half
1/2 cup sugar
Pinch salt
2 egg yolks
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon butter

Directions

In a nonreactive saucepan {AKA Stainless Steel}, combine the almond paste, 1 cup half-and-half and sugar. Whisk to dissolve. Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer. In a small bowl, combine the egg yolks, cornstarch and remaining 1/4 cup half-and-half. Whisk well. Remove the milk from the heat and add some of the hot liquid to the egg mixture and mix well. Add the egg mixture back to the simmering milk and place over the heat. Bring to a boil, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, whisking constantly. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter. Pour into a bowl and place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the pastry cream. Cool completely. Can be used either at room temperature or chilled.

Chocolate Ganache:

Ingredients

2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 pounds bittersweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces

Directions

Heat the cream until it just comes to a simmer. Remove from the heat. Place the chocolate in a heat-proof bowl. Pour the cream over the chocolate. Allow to sit for about 10 to 15 seconds. Then, whisk until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Allow to cool slightly, stirring occasionally. Mixture should be a little thick, but still pourable.


We normally make them as single cream puffs, but it was decided last night as we were both getting ready to snuggle into bed that we would skip the time consuming filling of each puff and topping with the ganache we would layer everything and make a cake instead! Just as yummy with less the mess! :)


Have a SWEET week!

Be Good to each other!
♥TAWNY

Tickled Pink....

Everywhere I go Im looking through rose colored glasses! or at least thats the way it seems... and so is everyone else!




Pugly PixelHas stolen my heart this morning!

That is all.

Be good to each other!
♥ tawny

Sunday Dinner... picnic style!

The Chef and I have taken to spending friday afternoons at the lake with a blanket, good book, and a picnic basket... {weather permitting}

And that means we get to try out fun new "picnic~y" type recipes.
This is one we recently tried, and Im a bit in l♥ve with!


TOMATO, CORN AND AVOCADO SALAD




For the dressing:
1 1/2 C Packed fresh cilantro
1/2 C Good-quality extra-virgin olive oil
2 T Fresh lime juice
1 T Finely grated lime zest
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

For the salad:
4 ears Corn, kernels removed (about 3 cups)
1 1/2 pounds Grape tomatoes, halved (about 3 cups)
1 pound Fresh mozzarella, diced
2 medium Avocados, diced

Combine the dressing ingredients in a blender, using two teaspoons salt and pepper to taste; process until smooth. Combine the salad ingredients in a large bowl and toss with the dressing. Let sit at least 15 minutes before serving, or cover and refrigerate for up to four hours.

We enjoyed this with a crusty baguette, a bottle of Fisher Vineyards Moutain Estates chardonnay {2006} and some pretty yummy brownie style whoopie pies for dessert! YUM.Tastic.

I hope you enjoy!

Be good to each other!
♥ Tawny

Etsy things I ♥ right now...

The past few weekends have found me getting in the "spring spirit" around the house. We have cleaned out the closets, rearranged the studio, and added a fresh coat of paint to almost anything that will stand still... children and animals excluded.

And with the new look I have of course fallen head over heals for a few new things, such as...

These must be mine!


MyMiMi's etsy shop is a feast for my eyes! I reeeally think my living room needs a few of these pillows!

This wall decal is currently the inspiration for my bathroom wall... I cant wait for it to be finished!


There are so many cute decals in beepart's store! I think I could cover ALOT of very random things in fun pop art!

And who wouldnt love these!


Stacking nun dolls from MooShoo Pork? YES PLEASE!!

I cant wait to show you the new look Im giving the casa!
Have you caught spring fever yet?
I hope so!

Be good to each other!
♥ Tawny

Sunday Dinner... Itsa Pizza Pie!

Its spring!
{I know you knew this already... I just wanted to shout it out loud!}

Spring!

And that means trips to the farmers market, watching the little bursts of color appearing all around the yard, and outdoor cooking!

So its time to fire up the grill and enjoy!


GRILLED PIZZA MARGARITA



Ingredients

6 ounces Pizza Dough... {recipe following}
1/4 cup virgin olive oil, for brushing and drizzling
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
1/2 cup loosely packed shredded fontina
2 tablespoons freshly grated Pecorino Romano
6 tablespoons chopped canned tomatoes, in heavy puree
8 basil leaves
Directions
Prepare a hot charcoal fire, setting the grill rack 3 to 4 inches above the coals.

Pizza Dough:

1 tablespoon active dry yeast
6 cups high-gluten flour
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
Extra-virgin olive oil
Sprinkle the yeast over 1/2 cup warm (105 to 110 degrees F) water and allow it to dissolve and activate, about 5 minutes.


Combine the flour and salt and mound it onto a cool work surface creating a high walled well in the center. Combine the yeast mixture with 1 1/2 cups of cool water and pour into the well. Slowly begin to mix the water and flour, a little at a time, moving your fingers in short, counter clockwise circles around the border of the water. When the dough is firm enough to hold it's shape, scrape the remaining flour over it and knead until the mass is smooth and shiny, approximately 7 minutes.


Transfer the dough to a bowl that has been brushed with olive oil. Brush the top of the dough with olive oil to prevent a skin from forming, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place away from drafts until doubled in bulk, about 2 hours. Punch down the dough and knead once more. Let the dough rise again for about 40 minutes, punch down again and form dough into 4 balls.


Directions:
On a large, oiled, inverted baking sheet, spread and flatten the pizza dough with your hands into a 10 to 12-inch free-form circle, 1/8-inch thick. Do not make a lip. You may end up with a rectangle rather than a circle; the shape is unimportant, but do take care to maintain an even thickness.


When the fire is hot {when you can hold your hand over the coals for 3 to 4 seconds at a distance of 5 inches}, use your fingertips to lift the dough gently by the 2 corners closest to you, and drape in onto the grill. Catch the loose edge on the grill first and slide the remaining dough into place over the fire. Within a minute the dough will puff slightly, the underside will stiffen, and grill marks will appear.


Using tongs, immediately flip the crust over, onto the coolest part of the grill. Quickly brush the grilled surface with olive oil. Scatter the garlic and cheeses over the dough, and spoon dollops of tomato over the cheese. Do not cover the entire surface of the pizza with tomatoes. Finally, drizzle the pizza with 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil.


Slide the pizza back toward the hot coals, but not right over them. Using tongs, rotate the pizza so that different sections receive heat; check the underside often to see that it is not burning. The pizza is done when the top is bubbly and the cheese melted, {about 6 to 8 minutes.} Serve at once, topped with the basil leaves and additional olive oil, if desired.


And just a few tips from momma...

#1. Keep an eye on the crust... cuz it WILL burn easy!
#2. Keep the dough well oiled {that will help it to crisp and NOT burn}
#3. Have your toppings ready and near by... so there is no leaving your crust unattended on the grill!


Be good to each other...
and Buon appetito!

♥ Tawny

Are we losing the magic or is it just me?

When I was a little girl I remember the ladies in my grandmothers neighborhood always stopping by in the middle of the day... sometimes just to gossip, or to peddle their Avon and Tupperware... and sometimes with some sort of wonderfully homebaked treat.

used slyly to lure you into the aforementioned gossip!

I can recall countless hours of them chatting over sweet tea and lemonade, hair up in scarves, perfume wafting across the room... just the normal day to day happenings of a housewife of that era.

And always there was that sharing of, "whats for dinner, did you try the such and such Marjorie brought to the ladies luncheon", and "I must HAVE that recipe!"
And to this very day you can go into my Grannys house and on every book shelf you will find a cookbook/recipe folder of some sort. Hundreds of carefully penned family dinners, desserts perfect for your next garden club luncheon and even kid friendly snacks!

But it seems that today all of that is changing...

Where as cookbooks USED to be passed down from generation to generation, and recipes shared between friends, I find myself sending a text or email for that amazing hot cheese dip I brought to your party last week, or linking a recipe online to my facebook page... are we now going totally digital?

I went to have coffee with a friend of mine the other day, and found that instead of all those treasured, stained, and lets face it, musty smelling books,
that clutter grace my kitchen shelves, she proudly displayed her new "digital right arm" {AKA: Ipad2} on the front of her frigidaire...


its funny cuz all I have on my fridge are school papers, notes, grocery lists and coloring pages! Oh and inapproperiate magnets... but thats another post.

Im going to admit... I was slightly jealous!
With a flick of the finger she could pull up not only foodie websites, and blogs... {this one included, thank~ya~very~much}
But magicly, poof! there was Julia! Right. In. Her kitchen.
Okay, not really JULIA, but Mastering the Art of French Cooking... right there on the screen!

As we sat and chatted about her new kitchen love I asked her... "but what about all your cookbooks?" She simply smiled and said, "those are things of the past lady!"
And as she was explaining how she boxed some of them up and took them to goodwill I was watching her daughters painting made in class the week before, and other fun photos of family and friends drift lazily across the screen.

I really dont know how I feel about this, on one hand the shiny digital screen that holds the world on her fridge calls to me... "look at me..." its says "How clean and convenient" it purrs... and I fell for it, sort of.
I love that technology makes it possible for me to take my favorite recipes and culinary tips with me into every kitchen I enter... But there is nothing more magical than opening up a cookbook stained with drops of tomato and smelling like garlic and onions, to find that magical recipe that traveled through so many loving hands to remind you of where you come from.

So the next time you see me and we share our favorite oatmeal cookie recipes, if you post it to my twitter feed... thats cool. And if you choose to bless me with a magical handwritten something, rest assured that it will find a place nestled in my grandmas recipe box, waiting to be handed down to my daughter someday... but not before I scan it to my zip drive and upload it to my digital reader!

Be good to each other!
♥ Tawny

Are you Amish? Are you my friend??

Then you MAY be lucky enough to recieve a delicious bag of fermenting, something and such, called Amish Friendship Bread!!

No Really. I'm not joking.

Its kind of like a baking chain letter, {but trust me you will be glad you kept this chain going} in the fact that it all starts with a simple ziplock bag of "starter" that is handed to you to work for 10 days and then pass a bit on.

Now Im sure your little minds are asking...
"dearest tawny, what do the Amish put in a bread starter?"
And the answer to that question is... yeast, flour, milk and sugar... at least thats what I'm told. Not knowing any Amish folks to ask... I will have to take the word of the giver of my batch of starter and google.

The starter and instructions

Now, once handed the starter bag its kind of boring... the first 5 days you just "squish, squash, and mush" the bag. So I hung mine on the side of our fridge with super magnets and every so often gave it a little squeeze and tickle! ;)
{dont be nasty! thats what the instructions said to do!}

Then on the 6th day you add a little more flour, sugar, and milk... into the bag and continue to... you guessed it, "squish, squash, and mush the bag" for the next 4 days.

Let me add here that this being my first ever batch of friendship bread I had no clue what was going to happen in that bag!
First there is a yeasty beer smell to the bag, and the starter got bubbley and bigger due to the fermenting. And the chef was a tad freaked when I told him I would be baking him yummy bread make from milk that had been hanging on the side of our fridge for 10 days.
{And lets be honest, I was a bit skeptical myself!}

Day 10 is when the magic happens!

I could give you the step by step process and all of the ingredients you add to the starter... but what fun would that be! :: insert evil chuckle here ::

okay, okay... dont cry! I will tell you in a sec! promise.

What I will tell you is this a simple quick bread style recipe... and wow, its GOOD!

This recipe makes 2 loaves of bread and 4 extra bags of starter {for you to give to friends}

The 1st loaf I left as is and didnt stray from the original recipe at all...

soooo good!

The second loaf I added a few berries I had in the fridge and some orange zest...

seriously, you can add ANYTHING to this stuff! Walnuts, cranberries and white chocolate chips would be divine! Someone make that for me okay?!

And let me just tell you, When the kids arrived home after school both loaves where diminished to crumbs within minutes!

SO... make a list of 4 of your favorite friends... make your own starter batch & start a friendship chain!

Or have a bread party and see who can add the yummiest ingredients to their bread!

No matter what you do... have fun and party like the Amish!

And if Im NOT invited to your fermenting party... at least drop me a line and let me know all about it!

Be good to each other!
♥ tawny

and the winner is!.....

Hey guys!

Have you been waiting on the edge of your seats?
Have you been up nights hoping and praying that it will be you?

Will you one day tell your grandchilden where you were the day you won the Cupcake L♥Ve giveaway from Oh! Lolli Studios?

I know I have been all a TWITTER about it! {See what I did there? LOL! ;)}

Okay so drum roll please....

{through random generator...} Comment number 12...




Mommydoll13! Congrats!

Be looking for my email so I can get your address to send you all your fun goodies!
Have fun making yummy cupcakes!

A HUGE thanks to everyone who participated!

And dont cry... there is still a chance to win something extra yummy from Lollipops Sugar Shoppe! GO HERE! My sweet blue faerie is hosting a simply chocolatey giveaway!

Have a sweet week and be good to each other!

♥ Tawny

Sunday Dinner!

The menu tonight is simple... but insanely good!

And after a day of thrifting and antiquing its the perfect ending to a perfect day!

We hope you enjoy!




Garlic Roasted Chicken
{Ina Garten's recipe is AMAZING!}

Ingredients

1 (5 to 6-pound) roasting chicken
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 heads garlic, cut in 1/2 crosswise
1 lemon, halved
1/2 large Spanish onion, thickly sliced
4 carrots cut diagonally into 2-inch chunks
2 large Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 6 pieces
4 tablespoons butter, melted


Directions

As soon as you get the chicken home, salt it inside and out, wrap it and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

When you are ready to cook the chicken, first preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Pat the outside of the chicken dry with paper towels. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken and stuff the cavity with the all the garlic and lemon. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken. Place it in a roasting pan just large enough to hold it and the vegetables. Scatter the onion slices, carrots and potatoes around the chicken. Brush the outside of the chicken with the butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Roast the chicken for 1 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh. Remove the chicken to a platter and cover with aluminum foil. Place the vegetables back in the oven and continue cooking for an additional 15 minutes.

When the vegetables are cooked, carve the chicken and place the slices on the platter surrounded by the vegetables. Drizzle some pan juices over the chicken and vegetables.


Happy Sunday!
♥ Tawny

Cupcake L♥Ve giveaway!

TGIF friends!

its been awhile since I have hosted a giveaway, and seeing as how Friday is THE best day of the week... I thought why the heck not!

So with out further adieu... New from Oh! Lolli Studios {but not on the site yet... gotta get more pics and stuff}

CuPcAkE L♥Ve


YOUR kit will include:

♥ 12 pink polkadot cupcake papers
♥ 12 pink mini cupcake papers
♥ 12 "Enjoy!" flag toppers
♥ Jar of our very own HANDMADE sprinkles... NEW from Lollipops Sugar shoppe!
♥ Cupcake tip & decorating bag
♥ Sweet spatula and measuring cup/spoon set
♥ Fun polymer cake testing wand
♥ Vanilla Cupcake recipe card


Isn't that FUN!

So here are the rules...

1. Post a comment... any comment! Do you like the idea of cupcake kits in the shoppe? What would YOU like to see in them? any themes you would like to see?

2. Follow the blog!

3. Become a fan on Facebook

4. Join me on Twitter

5. Spread the word! Link back to this post on facebook or twitter!

ALSO... not only can you win here... but the 100th fan on my facebook page will recieve a cupcake kit!

I will draw a winner Sunday evening!

Have a wonderful weekend friends!
Be good to each other!

♥ Tawny

Its just meeee.... peeking outta my igloo!

So the whole world is covered in snow... I love snow... I USED to love snow.

Now its only mildly entertaining when Im all snuggled on the couch in my jammies and comfy socks, wrapped in my grandmas quilt watching old movies and drinking hot chocolate... for MAYBE 48 hours, after that the cabin fever sets in!

But it has helped me get a few recipes tested... and I got some amazing new designs finished!



Oh! Lolli Studios

{the LaLa Loopsys still need their beads... but oh I l♥ve them so!}

Have you checked out Oh! Lolli Studios?
Its the sister "company" to Lollipops Sugar Shoppe... I have SO many plans for this new venture and be looking for some really cool couture party stuffs in the shoppe soon!

The Blizzard of 2011... or snowpocalypse as its been more commonly known has left us sipping hot cocoa and dreaming of spring {Chef and I have the raised beds and new iris garden all planned out!}
and of course there were snow angels...




Stay warm friends!
& be good to each other!

♥always... Tawny

If you havent tried it... you really should!

In my etsy explorations I find so many amazing and wondrous things... and I love to share them here with you...

So a few weeks ago after The things I ♥ right now, I thought how fun would it be to get to know a few of these amazing artists that inspire my everyday and hopefully yours as well! I know its not a new concept, but hey... it's fun! ;0)

So I would like to share with you my very first artist feature!



I found For Strange Women just randomly in one of my late night etsy~a~thon adventures! Her shop intrigued me, and we all know Im a sucker for some smell goods!
Jill's products are well, simply intriguing... from natural oils, and perfume enhancing base to lip balm and massage oils with names like Decadence & Debauchery , Poison Ivy, and Sweet Androgyny Jill truly does create a magical, strange, victorianesque world!

I recently purchased her Mini Mix & Match Natural Oils



The package arrived and I was giddy! Not only was shipping amazingly fast, but then I was greeted with sweet dried roses and the most magical fragrance when I opened the mailer! I'm a sucker for patchouli but these tiny vials take this scent into another realm! I wasn't sure of them at first... Im just going to be honest... I sat and looked at that tiny box for hours sniffing and reading the little cards that explain each scent. So I took the plunge and dabbed a bit of Sweet Androgyny behind my ears and set out to take on the world... Needless to say Im in love! These fragrances remind me of my dearest friend in the world and make me want to dance around in my long flowy skirts listening to ♥ THIS ♥
{ I am mildly in love with Jolie Holland right now}

But enough about me... here's what Jill has to say about her life & her art!

Tell us a little about yourself, your family, and your life outside of the studio...
I live in Kansas City, MO with my boyfriend. He has a son, Simon, who is 10, and I have a cat, Jaqk who keeps me company when the other boys are away. All 3 of them are geminis~ you can imagine the chaos! Luckily we live in the upstairs part of a duplex and I have the downstairs apartment to myself (my studio).


How long have you been creating/selling...
I have been creating forever and I joined Etsy 2 years ago.


What inspires your designs?...
My design draws a lot from the Victorian era, but with a rustic twist on the forest items, and a modern Rococo feel to some of my newer pieces. I am always inspired by nature, yesteryear, and good music.


Out of curiosity, what are the tools of your trade?...
Tools of the perfumers trade would be precise measuring instruments, a double boiler, pyrex beakers, and my nose

What is the one thing in the craft/art world you wish you could do? (ie. sew)
I've tried my hand at leatherworking and wasn't very good at it. I also thought stained glass art would be easy for me but I am so nervous to cut the glass so that never worked out. I have tried just about everything I have wanted to try except ceramics- I hope to take a class soon for this. There are so many things I want to make.


Any Advice to artist/designers just starting out...
In general, I would say learn and practice your skill for a while before "putting yourself out there," if you are easily discouraged. If I opened my etsy shop when I had first started making perfume it would look and be a disaster. Trust yourself and form your ideas and take the time and effort to make your shop/brand/product an expression of yourself. Don't be impatient.

Where can we find you?
www.forstrangewomen.com studio- Kansas City, of 39th st restaurant row products- in boutiques across country

{she also has a beautiful Blog...}


Cameo Noir Valentines Gift Set

Thank you Jill for participating in my very first artists feature!

And to all you Strange Women out there... I HIGHLY recommend you flutter by For Strange Women... because as Bella puts it... "mommy you smell magical" and who doesnt want THAT!

Be good to each other!
Adieu~ ♥ ~Tawny

My not so secret L♥VE Affair....

I dont really write much about my city here, I guess I have always figured that most of you that read this are familiar with Oklahoma and all the magic it has to offer, however when I look at my list of followers and lurkers I realize... that just maybe a few of you are not only my personal friends and/or family members, that maybe just a few of you really tune in to see what zanny thing might pop out of my brain next! {Which makes me giddy beyond words!} But I digress... Oklahoma City is truely an amazing place... and I promise to start sharing more about all my adventures in the land of the cowboys and indians! ;)

now back to my love affair...



Her Name is THE Skirvin Hotel... {miss skirvin if your nasty!}

And I have been madly in love with her for as long as I can remember! When I was a little girl it was a magical sparkley place that was always like a dream...

I remember the way the carpet felt under my little patent leather shoes and the laughter and music that came from the bar...
As a teenager I tried to find ways to sneak in to her empty grand halls...

I watched that beautiful hotel fall to almost ruin throughout my childhood and it still never lost that magic, about the time Chris and I were planning our wedding it was starting to be rumored that the beautiful lady was going to be resurrected, but we had to wait till 2007 to finally walk through her doors again, and trust me it was as magical as I remembered.




There is something about this grand hotel... I dont know what it is, I find myself driving 20 minutes out of my way just so I can get caught in traffic and stare at that beautiful building!

And who can resist the legend.

Yea, Im a little obsessed.

we spend our valentines and anniversary in the grand style of the Skirvin, and I am planning a fantastic 7th birthday blowout for the Diva that will end with a fabulous slumber party at the hotel...

My heart belongs to her.

I am simply in love!

Adieu
♥

Armed with Aetaminophen and Guaifenesin I am taking over the world...

Guess what I have been doing the last 4 days...

you guessed it! Fighting the flu bug!

Wednesday night 2 littles came home with a fever and within 24 hours only myself and one of the teenagers still stood. The flu bug hit the Corrente house full force! {guess we should have gotten those dang shots!}

So needless to say, the only things in my kitchen right now are crackers, 7up and every cold and fever reducer known to man! And Sunday Dinner will consist of Pizza Hut and Dr Pepper.

But no worries dear friends, this coming week I will be back with a great things I ♥, along with a new feature... and some funny anecdotes!

So now I will curl up on the couch with my grandmas quilt and this hot tea, because surely this tickle in my throat and aches in my muscles are only due to exhaustion, right????



Be good to each other... and stay healthy!

♥ Tawny

Sunday Dinner...

Happy Sunday friends!

Its been awhile since I have posted a Sunday Dinner recipe for you guys... sorry.
And since I have spent the weekend thrifting {yesterday... simply divine!} and curled up by the fire watching movies and eskimo kissing the chef {today... again purrrrfection} I thought I would share a perfect warm fuzzy by the fire recipe...



Julia Child's Boeuf Bourguignon


Ingredients:
6 ounces bacon
1 Tbsp. olive oil or cooking oil
3 pounds lean stewing beef , cut into 2-inch cubes
1 sliced carrot
1 sliced onion
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 Tbsp. flour
3 cups full-bodied, young red wine , such as a Chianti
2 to 3 cups brown beef stock or canned beef bouillon
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
2 cloves mashed garlic
1/2 tsp. thyme
Crumbled bay leaf
Blanched bacon rind
18 to 24 small white onions , brown-braised in stock
1 pound quartered fresh mushrooms , sautéed in butter
Parsley sprigs

Directions
Remove rind from bacon, and cut bacon into lardons (sticks, 1/4 inch thick and 1 1/2 inches long). Simmer rind and bacon for 10 minutes in 1 1/2 quarts of water. Drain and dry.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Sauté the bacon in the oil over moderate heat for 2 to 3 minutes to brown lightly. Remove to a side dish with a slotted spoon. Set casserole aside. Reheat until fat is almost smoking before you sauté the beef.

Dry the stewing beef in paper towels; it will not brown if it is damp. Sauté it, a few pieces at a time, in the hot oil and bacon fat until nicely browned on all sides. Add it to the bacon.

In the same fat, brown the sliced vegetables. Pour out the sautéing fat.

Return the beef and bacon to the casserole and toss with the salt and pepper. Then sprinkle on the flour and toss again to coat the beef lightly with the flour. Set casserole uncovered in middle position of preheated oven for 4 minutes. Toss the meat and return to oven for 4 minutes more. (This browns the flour and covers the meat with a light crust.) Remove casserole, and turn oven down to 325 degrees.

Stir in the wine, and enough stock or bouillon so that the meat is barely covered. Add the tomato paste, garlic, herbs, and bacon rind. Bring to simmer on top of the stove. Then cover the casserole and set in lower third of preheated oven. Regulate heat so liquid simmers
very slowly for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily.

While the beef is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms. Set them aside until needed.

When the melt is tender, pour the contents of the casserole into a sieve set over a saucepan. Wash out the casserole and return the beef and bacon to it. Distribute the cooked onions and mushrooms over the meat.

Skim fat off the sauce. Simmer sauce for a minute or two, skimming off additional fat as it rises. You should have about 2 1/2 cups of sauce thick enough to coat a spoon lightly. If too thin, boil it down rapidly. If too thick, mix in a few tablespoons of stock or canned bouillon. Taste carefully for seasoning. Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables. Recipe may be completed in advance to this point.

For immediate serving: Covet the casserole and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce several times. Serve in its casserole, or arrange the stew on a platter surrounded with potatoes, noodles, or rice, and decorated with parsley.

For later serving: When cold, cover and refrigerate. About 15 to 20 minutes before serving, bring to the simmer, cover, and simmer very slowly for 10 minutes, occasionally basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce.

Copyright © 1961, 1983, 2001 by Alfred A. Knopf. Reprinted by arrangement with the Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc.

We also had big chunks of homemade bread and a bottle of 2004 Chateau Franc la Rose {Im not really a wine chic... just thought the label was pretty... it was deeeelish!}
And the bowl in the photo was one of my sweet thrift store finds! Along with a 1983 Mastering the Art of French Cooking!

So I hope you enjoy... & in the words of the immortal Julia Child...



BON APPETIT!

Be good to each other!
♥ Tawny

Things I ♥ right now...

Its that time again!

Here are few of the things I ♥ right now!

This collection of frames is breath taking! They remind me of gypsies and summer and make my eyes happy!


FuNkY BOHO Farmhouse Chic - Vintage Picture Frame Collection Timeless N Chic on etsy

I have had a very secret love affair with Creme De La Gems for awhile now... I have coveted a few different designs over the past few months, and still cant decide! LOL! But I do know that a Creme de la Gems piece is in my very near future!

chalcedony gemstone briolette heart charm necklace
Creme de la Gems on etsy

As the new year progresses I realize just how much I need this...
{anyone want to buy me a late christmas present?}
Not only are each of these planners customizable for your specific needs, but how cute are they!
And let me suggest that you also purchase her Whole Shebang package... because who doesnt love matching accessories?


DELANIE Design - Large Personalized Planner
from Much Ado About You on etsy.

And last but not least in anyway...
are you suffering from dry, itchy, uncomfortable wintery skin?? I know I am... and its driving me crazy!
If these work and smell as good as they look, I will be one happy girl! *wink*

Pink Sugar Scrub Cubes from
Wicked Soaps on etsy.

I hope you find a little something you l♥ve from these fabulous sellers!
And have a spectacular Saturday!

Be good to each other!
;0)Tawny

I awoke and it was 2011... weird.

Can it be possible that I have not posted since THE EVENT?? Reeeaaalllyyyy?

Wow.

So Christmas has come, and gone, along with New Years... were your holidays wonderful? I hope they were!!

Ours were dreamily perfect; Magical in fact!



Thousands of cookies were baked, traditions were shared, and everyone got exactly what they wanted for Christmas!
And the best part of it all was I was there!
I was there to bake cookies with my daughter all day Christmas Eve... {something that I havent done in 2 years.}
I was there to enjoy a weekend of shopping and coffee and lunches with my amzing husband and had no timeline holding us.
I was given the biggest gift on Dec. 10th
wrapped in the strangest of packages and Im sure not ment to be precious at all, but good golly I am spilling with joy because of!
I have enjoyed every final minute of 2010, and its shocking that becomeing generally unemployed is what it took to make me look at the world around me in such a different way!

I feel like Dorthy returning from OZ, and you were there... and you... AND you!

But enough about that... this post really is about out with the old and in with the new!
2011 is here, and its gonna be a big one folks! I promise!!

{Chris New Years Eve... it was quite the party!}


I have so many new announcements I am bursting at the seams to share them all!
But sweeties you will have to keep checking back often for all the new little tids and bits!!

So my first VERY BIG announcement...


Oh Lolli Boutique is coming soon!
I cant wait to share all the amazing new designs that I have been working on!

Oh! Lolli is a new spin on my business combining my old Bada Blingg line and Lollipops Sugar Shoppe! So many amazing new designs will be debuting in Feburary! Along with tons of new stuff coming to Lollipops... including a big move, to bigcartel.com and the addition of a sweet little, dare I tell... vintage trailer!



But Im spilling the beans a bit too much...

So from my cottage to yours... Happy 2011!
May it bring you happiness, luck, and much wealth... no matter how you measure it! ;)

Be good to each other!
♥ Tawny

Times they are a changin...

Come gather 'round people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You'll be drenched to the bone.
If your time to you
Is worth savin'
Then you better start swimmin'
Or you'll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin'.

Come writers and critics
Who prophesize with your pen
And keep your eyes wide
The chance won't come again
And don't speak too soon
For the wheel's still in spin
And there's no tellin' who
That it's namin'.
For the loser now
Will be later to win
For the times they are a-changin'.





Come senators, congressmen
Please heed the call
Don't stand in the doorway
Don't block up the hall
For he that gets hurt
Will be he who has stalled
There's a battle outside ragin'.
It'll soon shake your windows
And rattle your walls
For the times they are a-changin'.

Come mothers and fathers
Throughout the land
And don't criticize
What you can't understand
Your sons and your daughters
Are beyond your command
Your old road is
Rapidly agin'.
Please get out of the new one
If you can't lend your hand
For the times they are a-changin'.

The line it is drawn
The curse it is cast
The slow one now
Will later be fast
As the present now
Will later be past
The order is
Rapidly fadin'.
And the first one now
Will later be last

For the times they are a-changin'.

Yeah... this sums it up!

Be good to each other!

How big are your plans this weekend?

Because mine are DELUXE!



"Deluxe is an indie craft fair and community event with free admission in Oklahoma City..." Held in the Centennial Building at the fairgrounds, Deluxe features unique artists selling handmade only items, with fun and entertainment for everyone!

I hope you stop by to see me, and check out all the other amazing booths!
Get that Christmas shopping done all in one place!

I will have a few fun little things for sale... I will be taking orders for Christmas treats {free local delivery} And LOTS of gift cards!

The fun starts at 11am!

See you there!

♥ Tawny