The Ugly Side Of Sharing

It seems the time has come for me to write a post about use of content on my blog.  

This morning I received an email tip that another website was using a photo of my work without my permission. This website belonged to a bakery in another state and had some of my work featured without credit to me. This is misleading to clients because it looks as though it is their own work.

I emailed the website and asked that they remove my photo. I was greeted with a very nasty email from what I presume was the owner. She insulted my intelligence and indicated that it was OK to use the photo because there was a disclaimer about it not being their work.
I returned to the site where there was, in very small print, a mention that they use photos from other bakers to inspire their clients.
This, however, did not make amends in my book. (I've still insisted on them removing my work)

I spend countless hours not to mention my own money making the items I feature on this blog. At this time, I do not have sponsors for my posts so my work is paid for out of my own pocket. Yes, I do have some paying clients and I sell my cupcake toppers on Etsy, but that income does not compensate for all of the dedication I've put into this blog and creative passion of mine.
For some other bakery to use my photo, my creation, and mislead clients into believing its their work (lets face it, what clients really read that fine print...not to mention, there wasn't credit given to me if they had!) they are profiting off of my hard work.
This is not acceptable.

I hope that you visit my blog, Twitter and Facebook page and find inspiration. Maybe even order some items from me too! However, if you are inspired, create your own work, your own version of it.  Do not steal my content and my photos that I painstakingly take the time to create.

With that said, I love my readers, I hope you enjoy my content. If you would like to feature my work on your own blog or website, I will consider it on a case by case basis and only if proper credit is given. Please contact me at fairytalefrosting at gmail dot com before posting on your site. (the email address is spelled out to reduce spammers)

Hello? Is It Me You're Looking For?

OK, OK, so Im breaking down and posting about this whole Facebook ordeal.  If you follow other blogs, this is probably old news.  Actually, I thought it was just one of those rumor things going around Facebook. But then I started noticing that less and less people are looking at my posts via Facebook. Now I know I didnt suddenly just become boring, so what the heck?  Oh yeah, all that hype, its not hype. Facebook really did take this stuff out of your newsfeed (its still in the ticker though) and apparently its to get us to try and pay for advertising.  I guess I don't have all the reasons as to why they changes stuff (its not like they ever tell us anyway!) but I do know how you can start seeing stuff from me again.  I hope you want to!  Here's a quick tutorial for keeping track of me and other pages you may like!

 Step one is to go to my Facebook page and click the Liked button. If you havent created any lists yet, you'll select the Add New List button. This is just like categorizing your friends into lists. You can create them by subject, important stuff (add me there!) whatever your heart desires.

 After clicking on the Add New List, a new box will open. Make sure Fairytale Frosting is selected. Then click Next.

 You will then create a name for your list (you can totally be like me and use Awesomesauce!) select your audience and then click Done.

When you return to your newsfeed, on the left, you'll now show a section that looks like this. When new posts are in that newsfeed it will show by clicking on your Interest Lists.  Just like your "Close Friends" or "Family" lists.

I hope this helps everyone navigate the Facebook pages better, and I really hope you'll add me to your Interest lists!  I love my readers!!
Oh and because I think its funny, this is a picture I saw at our local Axman store.

Grocery Shopping & Menu Planning: What Works For Me

Recently, I was bragging sharing with a friend of mine about a recent grocery store trip.  I don't know about you guys, but I just cant get into this hard core couponing thing. I tried, and failed, several times. I found myself buying lots of stuff we didn't normally use or didn't use fast enough because there were coupons.  I found that I was one of those people who fell into the traps of spending more because coupons gave you the illusion of saving.  Yeah. So couponing is  just a no go for me. Don't get me wrong, I check the local ads and if I come across something that's already on my grocery list then I'll cut it out and use it.  But thats it.
I dont really coupon but I have been able to better organize my grocery shopping so that we clean out our fridge before I go to the store again.  This has actually saved us money because we eat at home more and use all of our food before it spoils.
I was telling my friend about this and thought I'd share my process with you! Now, this is a fluid process, it has grown and changed over the last several months, but for now, this is what works for me.
I blog about food, so I am always on Pinterest and other favorite blogs checking out recipes. This is probably what helps me the most, because I already have an interest in food. Im always pinning recipes to try later.  But then when I go back and look at the pins, I get really overwhelmed combing through the ingredients of each recipe.
That is when I discovered Ziplist. Ziplist is a life saver!!!  Now, instead of pinning recipes, I just installed the Ziplist Recipe Clipper into my toolbar. I zip it, and it saves the recipe and ingredients for me.  Its also handy because you can add tags and search your recipe box later. I find this useful for recipes we really loved.  I tag them with "I loved" "David Loved" or "We Loved" and then later, I can find them quickly.
Every week (give or take a few days) when I am preparing to grocery shop, I sit down and look at Ziplist. I typically plan 5 dinners.  At my house its just David and I so this works well for us, I'm sure this strategy could translate into bigger households though too.
I plan 5 dinners, usually the recipes serve 4-6 people. I make a list of the 5 recipes I've chosen and post it on my fridge.  I find that instead of saying "On Monday we will have this for dinner" I just list the 5 recipes and as I make them, I cross them off the list.
This is helpful because:

• I dont have to stare at the fridge and wonder what Im going to make tonight. 
• I dont stare at my fridge and wonder why I bought 3 green peppers, or whatever other miscellaneous ingredients I forgot why I bought
• If Im not in the mood for chicken, I can just pick a different recipe from my weekly menu, sometimes you just gotta make whatever you're craving that day

So now that I've chosen my 5 recipes, I use Ziplist to create my grocery list.  One by one, I add each recipe to my Shopping List and it asks me what ingredients I want to have added.  It even suggests why I might already have in the house.
Once all of my recipes are loaded onto my shopping list, I quickly add anything else we would normally need, like milk, eggs, etc.
I cruise the local ad for coupons and then head to the store.
Ziplist has an app for your phone, so there is no need for me to bring a list!  Whats great too is Ziplist stores your list by departments.  So I get everything in the produce section before I move on.  No more, being on the other end of the grocery store when you realized you missed carrots, which were further down your hand written list.
There you have it. I now have my menu complete, my grocery shopping complete, and what else is great is, I mentioned its just the 2 of us, and our recipes serve 4-6 people.  Well, I just made us lunches all week too.
So let me recap the benefits again....

• Recipes are all stored in one place, with the ingredients needed
• Menu planning is done in a snap (Mine usually takes about 15 minutes to do)
• Grocery List is completed in minutes and arranged by grocery department
• All the food I buy gets eaten
• My menu is laid out for me with the flexibility I need
• I save money because I only buy what I know Im going to cook
• I take the guess work out of what's for lunch because as I prepare each dinner, Im also preparing the next day's lunch

I used to really hate grocery shopping, but now, I don't mind it as much because I'm so much more organized and quicker about it.  Same goes for dinner time, its not nearly as stressful to figure out "Whats for dinner" because I already have a game plan that can be flexible with our schedules.

So pop on over to Ziplist and check it out.  You can thank me later!

**Ziplist did not sponsor this post. They have no idea who I am.  I'm totally sharing this because it has really impacted my life and I hope it will be helpful to others. This is all based on my own preferences and personal experiences with menu planning, budgeting and of course using Ziplist. 

No Heat Curl Methods: A Review

I have really long thick hair and sometimes wearing it straight everyday gets boring. However I am also really lazy, so styling my hair for work is pretty low on my priority list. I decided to test drive some no heat curl methods. How much easier could it be, wash hair, roll into curls, sleep, wake up, look amazing. Right? Here are my reviews on a few methods. (Please excuse the less than flattering photos of me...I start work at 6am.  I dont look human for at least another 2-3 hours!)

Technique #1: Andrea's Choice Twist Curls (See the tutorial HERE)

For this method you basically divide damp hair into sections, twist around each other, pin into place, sleep and then untwist.

 This technique was really easy to do, however I was not impressed with the results. My curls were not well defined even after styling gel and mousse. As the day wore on they became giant frizz twists.

Score: Fail

Technique #2: Braided Waves

For this technique I divided my damp hair into sections, braided it, slept, then undid the braids.

Like the twist technique my curls were more wavy than defined and became increasingly frizzy as the day wore on. Also, tying the ends of the braids with hair bands left kinks and straight ends.

Score: Fail

Technique #3:  The Sock Bun (You can view the tutorial HERE)

For this technique you roll your damp hair around a sock, sleep, unroll and apparently get amazing curls

I tried this technique 3 separate times and each time my hair turned out like this. Frizzy, no real defined curls, just basically a mess.

Score: Fail

Technique #4: Sock Roll Curls

A friend explained to me how to do this, she did it on her daughter's hair.  You take damp hair, divide in sections. Wrap each section around a sock.  Roll each sock to your crown and tie the ends together. Sleep. Wake up, untie each sock and curls! I saw the pics of my friend's daughter and her curls turned out great! So I was optimistic.

 This is what it looked like when I first unrolled the socks. Unfortunately, only a few curls in the front even looked like curls.....

After some styling gel and mousse it became this giant mess. Unfortunately my curls were not cute and bouncy like my friend's daughter. They were mostly a tangle mess.

Score: Better than fail but not a pass.  This method has potential.  My friend's daughter had great curls, so I know its possible.  But maybe just not on my hair. *sniffle*

Technique #5: Twisty Roller Curls (You can view the tutorial HERE)

This technique required me to purchase twisty bendy rollers (yes that's the official term).  I picked up a cheap set from Sally Beauty Supply.

These curls turned out lovely, very tight and defined.  However due to sleeping on the rollers some of the curls weren't really curling in the right direction.  Also, sleeping on these rollers sucked. I wrapped my hair in a silk scarf to keep them all in place. It was extremely uncomfortable.

Score: Pass but not perfect. If the rollers were more comfortable, this would be perfect! Perhaps a different kind than what I bought would work better.

Technique #6: Bohemian Headband Curls (View the tutorial HERE)

For this technique you wrap damp hair around a headband, sleep, unroll, curls!

The first picture is when I first unrolled the headband. Then a closeup, then what my hair looked like at the end of my work day. I actually had forgotten to put any product in my hair, so I was pretty impressed with how well the curls held after a 9 hour day.

Score: Pass

This method had the most consistent and nice looking curls.  There wasn't much for kinks or frizz, and that was also without product! The curls aren't quite as nice as heat styled curls, but they serve as a great alternative.

Technique #7: The Scrunch and Go

This is my usual curl technique. Wash my hair, scrunch with gel and mousse, air dry. This works great on hot summer days.  However going into work with wet hair just isnt really the look I'm going for.

Score: Pass.  The curls are great for a daytime look in the summer, but it doesn't dry quick enough in the morning for me to do it for work without going into the office with wet hair. Its also not great in Minnesota winter.  Nobody likes icicle hair. But overall, great curls....but then again, it is my natural texture! 

I hope you enjoyed this review and maybe found some techniques to try! If you do, please leave your reviews in the comments.  I'd love to see how these work for different types of hair.

Beauty Tip: Baking Soda Mask

I am 30, I should not still be struggling with acne. I've had terrible acne my whole life.  Now that I'm older, its not like when I was 15 but its still annoying. I'm currently going through one of those really bad break out weeks. You know the kind where you have tons of painful pimples exploding all over your face?! Not to mention the nasty black head craters that stare at you in the mirror. Yeah. Obnoxious.

Last night I stumbled upon this random tip to help clear up acne prone skin: Baking Soda

 I've been struggling with oily skin, and really painful inflamed pimples for 2 weeks. I am desperate to try anything. I don't wear much in terms of foundation or cover up so my redness is there for all to see. So I tried this baking soda idea out and no kidding, it WORKS!

Photo Source: All You (click for more great baking soda uses!)

Now, let me be clear, this did not make my pimples disappear.  However it greatly reduced the redness and swelling, as well as the pain.  Also, my black heads were greatly reduced as well.  My nose doesn't look like its covered in them!

My skin felt soft, like baby soft. It felt awesome.  Way better than any other drug store face mask I've tried in the past.  

I applied my nighttime routine, went to bed, and the next morning, still not inflammation.  I'm sold.

Try it for yourself. I'm not a dermatologist so who knows how this work for everyone, but it worked for me, so hopefully it will help ya out on those less than flawless skin days.

Directions:

Mix 2 parts Baking Soda to 1 part water

Make a paste and smooth onto skin, thickly covering any problem areas

Allow to dry for about 10 minutes, then rinse

Feel your skin and be amazed.

*Note: I used 2 teaspoons baking soda, 1 teaspoon water plus a few extra drops because it was a little dry. This was more than enough for my face and neck.

Kitchen Tip: How to Open a Stuck Jar

So there you are, cooking along in your kitchen, and you grab your next ingredient, which just so happens to be in a jar. You twist, you turn, you grab one of those rubber grip things, nothing is opening that jar. You try tapping it on the edge of the counter, or running hot water on it. Nothing. That jar is not going to open for you. Thoughts of smashing it on the ground come to mind, or even completing the recipe without the ingredient.

Well stress no more! I recently learned this great tip while making a roasted red pepper soup.  

 Take out your can opener, and using the bottle opener tip, stick it under the lid of the jar.  Gentle pull until you hear the vacuum release. Remove the bottle opener, and twist the cap right off.  Its so easy, its almost stupid. I cant believe how many times I've wretched my hands trying to get jars open.  Once or twice I've even waited until my boyfriend got home to see if he could open it! Not anymore!! No more stuck jars for me!

How to Clean Graffiti From PVC/Plastic Fence

I live on a corner lot. When we moved in there was no fence in the backyard. I'm not the kind of girl who likes to have an audience when I'm hanging out in my backyard.  The following spring, we installed a beautiful privacy fence.  We sprung for the PVC kind so we didnt have to do any maintenance on it.

Little more than a week ago, I came home to find this....

My beautiful fence, defaced by some punk kids with no respect for others and their property. I cannot begin to describe the rage.

The icing on my graffiti cake came a few days later when the City sent me a letter. The letter stated that my home had been reported and photographed as having graffiti and I had 7 days to remove it or they would fine me $300 along with sending a city crew to remove it.  The city crew would bill me at $245/hour.

Its not that we didnt try to remove it, we did. I did my googling and learned that Goof Off should take off any graffiti on most surfaces.  I made the trek to Menards and was handed a spray bottle of Goof Off and told it should do the trick.  I sprayed it on my fence and wiped it away.  It took the black off, but left a gray shadow.

According to the letter from the city, any residue shadow also had to be removed.

Now I'll be damned if Im going to paint my "maintenance free" fence, so we tried everything! Mineral spirits, laquer thinner, bleach, vinegar, even toothpaste. Nothing worked.

Then I stopped in at Ace Hardware. I dont usually go there because the "big box" stores have what I need in one trip. Well its a good thing I stopped. The gentlemen there told me he had the perfect solution. He came back with a bottle of Goof Off Spray....

Turns out Goof Off makes several products. If you have graffiti on your fence, dont listen to the 16 year old kid at Menards. Talk to the seasoned professional at your local non-big box hardware store!

Goof Off Graffiti Remover Spray is what you need, along with a kitchen sponge.  Follow these simple steps to a clean fence!

Step 1: Resist the urge to choke every tween or teenager that walks by you.

Step 2: Repeat step 1. (No seriously, violence is not the answer). Repeat again, as necessary.

Step 3: Resist the urge to go down to City Hall and deface their property with spray paint when they threaten to fine you. They will not think this is funny. Nor will they respond well to your letters asking them to remove the paint from their property.

Step 4: No seriously. Repeat steps 1-3 until you reach a place of zen and can focus on the task at hand.

Step 5: Go to Ace Hardware. Do not waste your time at Menards or Home Depot.

Step 6: Ask for Goof Off Graffiti Remover Spray (see photo). If a 16 year old who just got his first job at the hardware store hands you the bottle marked with an X in the photo, hand it back and ask to speak to his father. Hell, even his mother. One of them has to know the difference.

Step 7: Return home with the correct version of Goof Off.

Step 8: Take a kitchen sponge, the kind with the blue scrubby side, hose, and Goof Off to the fence.

Step 9: Spray a light coating of Goof Off over painted area. Work in small sections. Using the scrubby side of your sponge, work in small circular motions until the paint comes off.

*Note: it is ALWAYS a good idea to test a hidden spot to make sure it does not cause discoloration or other ugly things*

Step 10: Promptly spray off with hose, and move on to next section.

**This step is important. Goof Off will begin to corrode your fence if left on too long. Too long is more than 2 minutes. Seriously.**

***Note for the ladies: Wear gloves if you have acrylic nails and/or a fresh manicure. This will remove your polish.***

Repeat Steps 9 and 10 until all graffiti is removed.

Step 11: Stand back and admire your work. The punk ass kids and pompous ass City did not get the best of you my friend. You're welcome.

Meal Planning Tip: Dinner Tool

Its that time again....you're home from work, you stare into the fridge thinking "oh good lord, what am I going to make for dinner tonight?" I love to cook, but I hate trying to figure out what  Im going to make, especially after a long day at work.

Then I found Dinner Tool! You can plan your whole week's worth of meals, and even plan your grocery list

Another feature I love is that you can share your own recipes.  Also, while you're staring into your fridge you see what ingredients you have....you can punch that into this site and it will bring up recipes with what you have on hand! How great is that?

I know this bad boy is going to make my life a lot easier! Yay!

Craft Tip: Vinegar

Happy Independence Day! Did any other craft geeks spend their day working on projects? No? Oh. Well, I didn't have any BBQ's to go to, my boyfriend worked, so I did one of my favorite things intead...Craft!

Here is a tip I learned...use vinegar to remove labels!

Check this out....

 I needed to remove some stubborn labels. I sprayed paper towel with vinegar, and wrapped it over the labels. Let it sit about 5 minutes or so. Then scrub off under warm water.  I used a steel wool pad, but a scrubber sponge would work too.

See, labels are gone, no sticky residue! Way quicker and easier than Goo Gone.  

Hope you enjoyed celebrating your freedom in whatever way made you most happy today!