Cupcakes, a clean garage, and an SNS #16 Rusty WINNER.

I was a good girl this weekend, and didn't start anything new to create more havoc in my already havoc-ed environment. I kept up with SNS #16, cleaned, and baked. Hey, I'll pretend I'm the Funky Pioneer Woman today and will cover it all!

Baking

Do you like chocolate cupcakes? I mean, like I do?!?

Tell me these pics don't make you drool. And yes, you have tuned into the right channel. I've never chatted about food before but I felt since this had to do with chocolate, that it would be ok to share a chocolate icing tip. :) This is an emergency share-the-love moment here!

When I make chocolate icing, I whip together butter, a splosh of milk and your icing/powdered sugar (called either/or depending if you're in Canada, eh? or the US of A).

BUT, for flavouring, I add a wallop of powdered cocoa. Just dump it in to taste. The cocoa totally takes away the intense sweetness of the powdered sugar and adds such a wonderful shot of.. you know it.. chocolate! And, there's a standard schmandard rule around these parts when making cocoa icing...

#1. You must make extra.

#2. It must be frozen.

#3. So you can dip your spoon in any old time and moan away.

This stuff is incredible frozen! Just one tiny spoon will do in a pinch. Call it your new after dinner mint. You are welcome. (No hate mail from dieters please.)

Thank-you for your kind attention to this urgent matter.

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Cleaning

If you've been tuning in to the Workshop Series, you'll know we've been busy creating a workshop. I'm here to report, I did it. It's clean! IT'S CLEAN!!

Isn't it purdy?!?!? Note: the Stanley red balances in conjunction with the Makita blue bringing in a friendly primary vibe to the... yeahhhh whadever. I can't wait to fire up some of those tools and make it all dirty again. :)

This Wednesday, I'll be showing you a photo shoot of special this's and thats I have implemented to make it work and some things that don't work. You'll be sure to get loads of tips for your own work areas. Not a full reveal quite yet but pretty darn close.

I'll totally admit, I'm really excited to have this seminar behind me so we can move on and learn how to make pretty things!

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SNS #16ing

Wasn't SNS #16 amazing?!? I'd like to direct your attention to my immediate right. Have a look for yourself, at some stunning highlights that left me gah gah. Thanks for making this weekend a very inspiring one indeed! For the subscriber readers, you'll only grasp what's all here on the actual blog.

I mean... hello? Made from 3 different components, it doesn't get much more crazy creative than this! Flea Market Trixie, you so make me smile! I LOVE highlighting a whole buncha ya during the event, so I hope you enjoy watching them pop up while you are partying as much as I do.

I kept up with SNS #16 soooo well this weekend, I knew by 11pm, I could name our winner!

Thanks to Beki with The Rusted Chain...

... our winner chose ...

The Inner Circle piece.

Who won?!?

Why..

that..

would...

be...

Dawn from Whacky Whimsy!

Congrats Dawn! What a gorgeous piece you've chosen! Love how you can incorporate your entire family on this one. Such special meaning attached. And what a cute blog you have! She loves all things... wacky!

wacky shelf

How fun! Dawn plays around in photo shop with designs and then goes for it. Brilliant!

Hey, did you check out Beki's blog at all? She's a wonderful writer. Very deep thoughtful reading. And funny unexpected zingers! I couldn't even pick one post I liked best. They all entertained me. And she yaks about her latest creations there too. Check her out.

The Rusted Chain BLOG.

The Rusted Chain ETSY.

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So, let's chit chat this fine Sun nite - Monday morning.

Got a choc icing tip of your own to share?

Did you work on your workshop project this weekend?

Are you going shopping at Beki's place since you didn't win? (I just ducked!)

Sorry. Peace offering?!?

It goes extremely well with...

 

:)