What's the deal with New Jersey?

You may ask. A few years ago we took a trip to NYC and my mom picked up a few of these vintage-y themed postcards in New Jersey, intending for me to turn them into a 3-D piece of art, which I proptly, well maybe not promptly but eventually did. (Does your mom ever demand handicraft from you that you've never actually attempted just because she thinks you can do it?) Make me feel both flattered and annoyed. My small poorly shot snippet:

I might take more shots from the different angles which I might just post later. I also might just do a super easy tutorial. Other than that, just want to work on dolls again after about a week and a half of serious respite and recuperation (no seriously, my PMDD was acting up again.)

Rules of Cute

Discovered this today and had to link to it.
Thought I was the only one that thought and made mental lists of things like that. Turns out I'm not thanks to the internet!
I love it when something can consistently make me "aww" and laugh out loud.

Cupcake Raggety doll

I made this cupcake head a while ago, think it was either my first or one of my first. Anyway I was quite happy with her overall, even if she is rather lumpy and long faced.
The features I love:

• the face
• how the embroidery came out (first one and all) and the "blushing" cheek even though it kinda looks like a shiner
• the "sprinkles"
• LOVE the raggety frayed edges
• how well the edging all along the "frosting" top contrasted so well, it made me think of gingerbread men.
  

P.S. I accidently deleted my links! Crappers...working on it!

Something tells me...

...my kitty is quite the nosy neighbor.

New Pink Betsy

It occured to me that I had not posted a single doll related thing in a really really long while.
Truth be told a lot had been happening and I hadn't felt much inspired.
But I had this one that I'd finished a couple of months ago that I'm actually more happier with, with the exception of her needing a fancy dress to match her fancy cupcake top.
She looks like a Betsy, and she's pink, so her name is Pink Betsy.

(Actually I rather think she has that Renee Zellweger-like grimace/pout/smile thing going on.)

A Perfect Scarf

I found a most perfect, delite-ful scarf today. Well many actually but I particularly like this one.

Why?

It's pink, it's woolen, and it's soo Victorian.

Okay maybe I'm just being partial because it's my first name too!

{Mayra felt collar from Rudman's Gallery}

Click on the links to see more. You know you want to.

The prettiest cake I've seen in a while

A dreamy Swiss Meringue "Ombre" buttercream confection

In the latest Marthie.

(Is it wrong to want to stuff a whole one of those in my mouth?)

GF Carrot Cake Cupcakes

My (untested) recipe for these yummers:

GF* Carrot cake cupcakes

with

cream cheese and orange zest frosting

(Just make sure all of the other ingredients are indeed GF too!)

• 2 cups all purpose GF* flour
• 3 medium carrots, shredded
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 can (8 1\4 oz) crushed pineapple, undrained
• 1/4 cup of rum soaked raisins (optional)

In a small bowl, put your raisins and enough rum to just soak them. Set aside while you gather your ingredients and preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

Put all of your wet ingredients in your mixing bowl first, then add your dry ingredients on top of that and mix carefully until it is fully incorporated, about 3 minutes. (Use your best judgement on mixing speeds!)

On low speed, carefully add the shredded carrot, pineapple and rum soaked raisins (rum and all). Mix on low until incorporated.

Your mixture will be liquid-y, which is fine. Line a muffin tin with standard (2") cups and pour about 1\3 cup of batter into each cup. They will not rise much, if at all, so calculate.

Bake about 25 minutes, or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Makes about 2 dozen (24) or so cupcakes .

While those babies are cooling you can make the

cream cheese frosting with orange zest:

• 1 package (3 oz.) of cream cheese (or neufchatel), room temperature
• 2 tablespoons of cold butter
• 2 -3 tablespoons on lemon juice, to taste
• 1 1\2 cups of powdered (confectioners) sugar
• the zest of 1 medium orange

Soften the cold butter in the mixer first for about 3 minutes. Then add your room temperature cream or neufchatel cheese. Add the lemon and powdered sugar a tablespoonful at a time. When it is fully incorporated, beat it on medium for about a minute. Then zest your orange.

When cupcakes are cooled, frost and sprinkle with a bit of orange zest. Makes about 1 cup, or just about enough for the number of cupcakes.

Then, enjoy!

* That's Gluten-free folks!

What's better than a GF cupcake?

The answer: Nothing!

(Not when you've been out for a few weeks and are finally able to enjoy food again! And hey, all that lost weight can't regain itself...)

GF carrot cake cupcakes sprinkled with orange zest.

Recipe tomorrow.