The Golden Life

Later this month is my Golden Birthday and I will be celebrating by going on my first cruise! However, I did want to get in a little girl celebration so I had a couple of friends over for some champagne, appetizers and desserts! Check out my tables! I apologize in advance for some of the photos. I had hoped to shoot the table during the day, but winter days are SO short in Minnesota, my window of opportunity escaped me. I hope you enjoy the pics anyway!

This is my dessert table, complete with some of my favorite desserts and a champagne tower!

We each brought different types of champagne to share, which was paired with different appetizers. We enjoyed our courses at this table.

After our food and drink, we took photos in my "photo booth"!

It was a great golden evening!

Chocolate and Gold Glitter Nails

Sticking with my ring finger detail obsession, I've done a chocolate and gold combination.

I used Chanel Haute Chocolate on my nails. Its a beautiful chocolate with flecks of gold in it. Then on my ring finger, I put a coat of clear polish and sprinkled fine gold glitter on it. Let that dry for a few minutes and cover with a another coat of the clear polish.  Easy sparkle!  I got tons of compliments on this look.  Cant wait to try other colors of glitter!

Black and Glitter Nails

No, I haven't abandoned the blog.  I've just been taking some time for myself this month. After the holidays I was pretty burned out and overwhelmed.  I decided that January would be a slow month for relaxation.  I do have some projects to share with you this week though! 

Today, I'm sharing another nail art style. This is a simple design with a subtle touch of glitter.

All you need is black polish and silver glitter polish.  Put your two coats of black polish on. Let dry for a few minutes, and then do a coat of glitter polish.  When doing the glitter polish, put it on in short, sporadic strokes.  The idea is not to cover your full nail.  Its almost like a messy glitter tip.

I loved wearing this all week!  Check out your polish stash and try this look out. Maybe red and gold glitter!

Day of the Dead Inspired Red Rose Cake

Today I am sharing with you a birthday cake I made for a friend's daughter. She turned 14 and was really into  skulls. She also was digging the rose cake I've done (You can see the one I did for her Mom HERE). I made her a red rose cake with skulls inspired by Day of the Dead skulls.  Check it out!

Thanks for stopping by!

Pumpkin Spice Cake with Toasted Marshmallow Filling

I was walking through the local grocery store today and something caught my attention. It was the enticing scent of apple cinnamon and spice. We've had such a strange "winter" that it really could still be autumn. Its strange how a scent can trigger so many memories flooding back to you! Today I'm sharing a cake I made this past autumn.  I was inspired by Sweetopolita's Autumn Delight Cake.  You see, I'm a bit of a lazy baker. I loved the look of this recipe but decided to make it a little easier on myself.  Instead of preparing the cakes like she describes I used a spice cake mix, canned pumpkin, pumpkin spice and chopped pecans. I prepared the cakes and filled them with toasted marshmallow filling.  The cake was then iced with brown sugar and cinnamon swiss buttercream.  I topped it with candied pecans.

Click HERE for the full cake how to from Sweetopolita.

Toasted Marshmallow Cake Filling
(From Sweetopolita)

Ingredients:
12-16 standard size marshmallows
1 cup unsalted butter, softened and cut into cubes
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk (I used whole)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
7.5 ounce jar of Marshmallow Fluff
Pinch of Salt

Directions:
1. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and arrange marshmallows on top. Place on the lowest rack in the oven. Broil until nice and brown.  Keep a close watch on them, they will burn quickly. Remove cookie sheet and carefully turn the marshmallows. Brown the other side. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
2. In your stand mixer, using a paddle attachment, whip butter. You want it really pale and fluffy, this will take around 8-10 minutes.
3. Add powdered sugar, milk, vanilla and salt. Beat for another 6 minutes.
4. Add cooled marshmallows and marshmallow cream. Beat on low for another 2 minutes.
5. Use filling right away, it will be sticky but spreads nicely as filling and keeps well in the cake.

A Scuba Diving Birthday

Recently I was able to make these fun scuba theme cupcakes for a 40th birthday party. It was actually pretty fun when I made them, by chance Finding Nemo was on tv! Just keep swimming....just keep swimming!

Happy 2012!

I hope everyone had a safe and happy New Year's celebratory weekend!  We had a low key weekend at home. I set up this small table for David and I to enjoy some champagne and a couple of desserts.

I used some of these awesome printables from The Tomkat Studio

I also set out 12 grapes (each) for us. Its supposed to be good luck to eat the grapes with each chime of the clock at midnight. I saw these on Martha Stewart, standing in the champagne flutes. I tried that. Martha must have had some giant champagne flutes because these skewers did not fit in our glasses!

We had a package of chocolate dipped oreos, so I piped royal icing numbers on them and the plate to create a clock. So easy!

After all was said and done, I used the backdrop for NYE photos of my dogs. I cant help but share their cuteness!

Caesar

Sookie

Happy New Year Everyone! Can't wait to see what 2012 brings!! 

Thank you so much for following along on my adventures!