Valentine's Day: Cherry Cordial Cupcakes

 I love Cherry Cordials, all 99 cents of them, and when I saw this recipe for a Cherry Cordial Cupcake at Confessions, I know I had to try it out!  I tried another recipe about a year ago that is similar with chocolate covered strawberries, but as a cherry lover, these are even better.  :O)  You start with 12 chocolate cupcakes (I actually just did 10, I find the icing to ratio cupcake is hard to conquer, and I'd rather end up with extra icing...I rarely do. 
Since I'm, like, practically gourmet, I use a boxed mix.  My pallet is so fine....I actually prefer box mixes....they are just so much moister than the 'real' thing.  In other news, I love Kraft Mac and Cheese.  Anyway, bake up your cupcakes.  And then for the icing mix: 
Cherry Icing:  2 sticks of butter (softened), 4 T. of juice from a jar of maraschino cherries, 4 c. of powdered sugar, and 1 t. of vanilla, beat for about a minute.  Chop up about half of the cherries (about 10, more or less depending on your preference), and mix for about a minute or so until medium. 

I filled a ziplock bag with icing, and I piped it high, and then I placed them in the refrigerator until chilled. 

 2.  Dip chilled cupcakes into melted chocolate, and then press a chocolate covered cherry on top before the chocolate hardens.  If you can't find the chocolate covered cherries, just plop a stemmed cherry on top. 

 Let the icing harden, and die of happiness.  Then resuscitate yourself because there are lots of great recipes to try at Confession's website, and you don't have time to lie around being dead from delight!

Valentine's Day: Mr. Darcy Bag

Pottery Barn was selling a really cute jewelry dish last year, and it launched a whole line of crafts on blogs, this is a plate I saw at the CSI Projects.  I love Mr. Darcy.  I love blogs.  Book bags became my obsession last winter, and I decided to to make one of these for a friend who 'gets' the need to watch Pride and Predjuce one a week, every week, for the duration of our life-the BBC version with Colin Firth, of course. 

I cut out the words with my cricut onto freezer paper, and ironed them down to a bag I snagged at the craft store.

I added some textile paint to the colors I was using, you mix it in, let it dry, and iron it down, and it's supposed to be washable. 

I dabbed with a foam brush. 

And then I peeled.    Ironed.  And gifted.

Valentine's Day: (New) Vintage Chocolate Boxes

I saw some handcrafted 'vinatage' chocolate boxes last year on Kim's blog, and I fell in love.  There are so many chocolate box critiques, but, I for one, miss these little guy's appearing.  It was a yearly tradition to work through the whole box, taking one bit of each to determine the flavor.  Caramals and Strawberries were eaten first.  Orange was last on the list saved for desperate chocolate days.  For years, I saved the lids of the boxes, but they just don't make 'em like they used to.  I never thought about making my own, until now.  I went through my house in search of a few supplies.  Crepe paper...

Glued on for a 'ruffle.' 

I added doiles, and scraps of paper, a dash of ribbon, and more crepe paper formed into flowers by just folded it in half, and rolling, rolling, rolling.  I also found this super cute picture of a couple and their puppy here.  I love the internet, because it helps me make new things old again. 

Valentine's Day: Heart On-A-Stick

My friend Mary told me that she used to buy peppermints on clearance, and she and her girl scounts used to create hearts out of two of the peppermints to deliver to nursing homes for Valentine's Day.  I always wanted to try this, and I even bought candy canes anticipating this kind of project.  Then, last year this was featured  in Family Fun, the idea is originally from the blog The Idea Room.  A lot of pals tried it out, including Erin from Making Memories, and I knew I had to do it now so I could get some rest. 
How cute, how easy, and a stick?  Yes, please. 
A lot of the tutorials take two small candy canes, rest them down, and then pour white chocolate inside.  I decided to use the larger candy canes, heat the oven on low for about 5 minutes, and then mold my hearts together, and snip off the excess. 

Add a Stick...trust me, I have plenty of these on hand. 

Add melted chocolate and sprinkles, another thing NOT in short supply at my house. 

Wrap, and make friends. 

Valentine's Day: Spread the Love-Homemade Garlic Butter

Last year I made some homemade bread, and Valentine's Day wax paper to wrap it in.  When I saw this cute little idea for jarring up homemade butter here, I had to add it to my bag o' tricks. 

I decided to whip up some butter my pal Jennifer taught me how to make.  Basically, you sprinkle garlic salt into a light butter (it's softer, and by the time you add seasoning, I can't really tell the difference). 

Depending on your love of seasoing, add 2+...+...+++ T to the butter and mix to your taste. 

I used jars from other products I had saved, and cleaned out with baking soda to eliminate any odor. 

Make it pretty, add bread, and spread the love. 

New Living Room Wall

 I'm sloooooowly working on redoing some things in my house.  It's been almost ten years, and the frantic decorating I did when I moved in....with things like this.....

 Need to change, mostly for my sanity.  I precariously framed the above pictures when I moved in, and they are wobbley, and dusty, and they were pretty much any picture that could fit in the frame on the day I put them together.  I like pictures, but I decided this hodge podge of frames just wasn't really me anymore.  This random hodge podge of recycled items is....

I have lots more to do, but it was amazing how many random pieces I could find around my house-half done projects, once dreamed up ideas, or random bits and pieces from my past.  I may eventually put a vinyl quote on the wall in the middle of the frame....but that's what 2022 is for, right?  I moved the book wreath from my room to the living room...mostly so I can find an excuse to redo pieces of my room as well.  I used an old crate I bought for a buck as a shelf using this same process, and even put these random quilt blocks in a jar on the shelf along with some books I have from my Grandfather, and one of the photos of him from my 'old' wall arrangment.  My favorite piece is the old window.  I have three more old windows to incorporate in some way in the house, or in a project, but this was my favorite.  I snagged in at an antique store a few summers back while visiting the Midwest.  I love that I can change the pictures around as I feel like it.  I just found three fun memories and printed them off, but as memories are made in the coming year, hopefully I can move those magnets around and display a few more memories.  The yellow frame has yet to be filled, but I have a few ideas.....Next up....I want to work on some throw pillows for the couch, maybe a blanket, and the mantel, and...and....and...