My Favorite Things

I thought it would be fun to share a few of my favorite things with you. I tend to change my mind very easily so what's a favorite today might not be a favorite tomorrow.

1) Nabisco® SnackWell's Fudge Drizzled Caramel Popcorn. This popcorn is awesome. The fudge satisfies my craving for chocolate and the caramel popcorn satisfies my craving for something sweet. At only 130 calories I don't feel too bad having this as a snack. The only downside is that once the bag is gone you're left wanting more. It's never enough.

2) Nashville. This show is full of drama, great music, rivalry, scandal and some great looking people. It gets better each week. It airs Wednesdays on ABC. 

3) Covergirl® LashBlast Volume. This mascara does exactly what it says. It adds volume to my lashes and holds the curl all day long. 

4) The Real Housewives of Atlanta. This show is my guilty pleasure. The ladies are eccentric to say the least. Each season there is always some sort of drama going on and at least one character that you just don't like. There's rivalry, back stabbing, gossiping, strong opinions and jaw dropping moments. It airs Sundays on Bravo.

5) Blue mason jars and milk bottles. I've been wanting a blue mason jar for the longest time. I have an obsession with that blue color. I've also been wanting a real milk bottle and not a bottle from the Starbucks® Frappuccino for my food photos. It's like a blogging must to have a milk bottle as a prop.  Thanks to my buddy Kim of The Cookie Puzzle I now own a blue mason jar and a milk bottle. She must know me really well or she must have been snooping on Etsy to see what I have saved in my favorites. Kim owns a lot of these jars and bottles and so kindly parted with these two to help a friend out. You're the best Kim!

I'd love to hear what your favorite things are. Maybe I'll discover something new.

Valentine's Fondant Heart Cookies {Simply Sweet Saturdays}

It's time for week two of Simply Sweet Saturdays. This week I was all set to share a recipe with you but, as I prepared to make it on Friday, I saw that another blogger posted basically the same exact thing I was going to make. The ingredients varied slightly but it was the same concept. I guess great minds think alike. There went that idea. On to plan B. I was supposed to post these cookies earlier this week but I was feeling a little under the weather and didn't get to make them until Friday. I wanted to do another submission for our New Year, New You Inspiration Challenge. I have only used fondant as accents on cookies but never used it to decorate the base of a cookie. This was my first attempt at it.

I started by rolling out my fondant & embossing it. I used an embossing folder from Cuttlebug that you can find at your local craft stores. {I have a post with information about embossing here. There is also a video where I show you the embossing folders that I have and how I use them.}

Then, I used my cookie cutter to cut out my heart shape and lifted the excess fondant away.

Next, I brushed on a mixture of light corn syrup with a little water on the cookie where the fondant would go. I forgot to picture the placing of the fondant on the cookie. Oops. I did have spread when my cookies baked and the fondant did not fit perfectly on the cookie. I've never been too concerned with spread in my cookies but if you plan on decorating with fondant you will need to keep this in mind if you are looking for a perfect fit. You can see a great video by Cookies & Cups of how she decorates with fondant here.

I used a fondant mold from Wilton that I bought at the craft store to make the birdies. You press your fondant in the mold and cut off any excess. I like to let the fondant sit for a few minutes to harden a bit before removing it from the mold. I used the same corn syrup and water mixture to glue the birdies on the cookie.

Finally, I finished up the cookies by brushing on some pearl sheen {I don't think you can see it in the pic} and adding a bead border with royal icing. This helps mask the fact that the fondant didn't fit perfectly and also adds a nice touch.

Now it's your turn to link up your creations.

Rules:

1) Link up your recipes, sweet creations, crafts, DIY projects, etc. 

2) This party is open to both bloggers and FB pages. Put the name of your project on your link and make sure your link goes directly to your blog post {permalink} or FB photo and not your homepage.

3) The reason for the party is to get to know other participants so be sure to visit as many pages as you can and leave them comments. 

4) Have fun, spread the word and thanks for joining the party!

A link back to http://simplysweetsbyhoneybee.com is appreciated. If you'd like a blog button for Simply Sweet Saturdays it is on my sidebar.

Changing the Look of Your Blog {Helpful Resources}

I'm sure you noticed that I changed the look of my blog. I hope you like it. I would love to get a makeover from a designer but I just don't have the funds for something like that right now. I used to work for a graphic design company years ago but I did desktop publishing. I was simply dropping in the ads that the designers made. I edited a few images here and there when they needed help and learned a little bit of Photoshop but I am not a designer at all. I knew what I wanted my blog to look like in my head but getting it out of my head and onto the page was a different story.

How was I going to tackle changing my blog design myself? Well I did what I always do when I want to find information. I did a Google search. This led me to some really helpful sites and I'm sharing them with you today. If you're looking to spruce up your blog a little give some of these things a try. I have to say that the navigation bar was by far the coolest thing I did.  This current design is the best I could do with my limited knowledge. It is not exactly what I envisioned in my head but we're getting there. You might see some more changing going on and I hope you'll bear with me as I find the look I'm going for. I contacted the person who designed my logo and we're going to adjust the colors on it but other than that I'm done for now. I'll let this design sit for awhile and see how I like it.

In case you're not sure what all the buttons are I'll list them in order from left to right. Facebook, subscribe to RSS Feed, Pinterest, Flickr, Twitter, Instagram, Etsy, YouTube, BlogLovin' and Contact Me.

For information on creating a custom header & navigation bar, custom sidebar titles, custom social media icons and so much more this site is really helpful - Something Swanky

For information on creating a signature image, free social media buttons, free category flags, and so much more this site is really helpful -

Primp My Blog

This is where I got my free social media icons - Carrie Loves

I will be putting the links to all these sites in my Tips & Tricks tab for easy reference. If I come across any more helpful sites I will list them there. 

Hope you have a great week! 

Banana Cupcakes with Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosting {Simply Sweet Saturdays}

I'm excited to introduce Simply Sweet Saturdays on the blog. Each Saturday I will be hosting a link up party where you can post your sweet creations. Don't let the word sweet fool you though. This party is not just limited to sweets. Share your recipes, crafts, DIY projects, and more. You'll find the rules down below.

I currently host a link up called Inspiration Challenge at the beginning of each month. It's a year long collaboration between Stephanie from Ellie's Bites Decorated Cookies and myself. These link ups encourage our readers to get inspiration from a certain theme we've chosen each month. I'm sad that we only have a few more months left of the challenges.

I've been wanting to do a link up for awhile that does not have a specific theme. I have so many other interests besides sweets and I love reading blogs. I think this will be a great way to discover other blogs. I hope it's something that you are interested in doing and that you'll take part in.

I'll get the party started by sharing a recipe.

Banana Cupcakes with Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosting

Print Recipe

1 box yellow cake mix
1 box {3.4 oz} banana cream pudding
3 large eggs
⅓ cup vegetable oil
1 cup water
½ cup mashed ripe banana (about 1 medium)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tins with cupcake liners.

Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl. Beat at medium speed for about 2 minutes. Fill lined muffin tins about ⅔ full (approximately ¼ cup) and bake for 14-16 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centers comes out clean.

Cool on wire rack completely before frosting.

Frosting:
½ cup solid vegetable shortening
½ cup {1 stick} salted butter, softened
¼ cup creamy peanut butter
1 ½ tsp clear vanilla extract
¾ cup cocoa powder {loosely fill your measuring cup & then sift}
4 cups powdered sugar {approximately 1 lb}
4-6 tablespoons milk

Cream the shortening, butter and peanut butter. Next, add the vanilla. Finally, add all the powdered sugar & cocoa powder. Start mixing on low adding milk 1 tablespoon at a time until everything is incorporated. Then crank it up to medium speed {number 4 on my KitchenAid}. Mix the icing for about 6-8 minutes until it becomes smooth. You can stop and scrape the sides of the bowl if needed during the mixing process.

This recipe makes a medium to stiff consistency buttercream. The consistency may vary based on weather conditions, etc. If it's too thick continue adding milk by the tablespoon until you get the consistency you want.

Now are you ready to link up?

I don't want to make this party too complicated but I do have a few rules.

Rules:

1) Feel free to link up your recipes, sweet creations, crafts, DIY projects, etc. Please link up your own projects that you have made. Please don't link up someone else's work. Also, please link projects you have recently worked on and not old stuff.

2) Put the name of your project on your link and make sure your link goes directly to your blog post {permalink} and not your homepage. ****I got asked about FB pages so I'm adding in that it's perfectly fine to link from your FB page but please make sure the link goes directly to your photo and not to your main page****

3) If I feel a link is inappropriate I will remove it.

4) The reason for the party is to get to know other participants so be sure to visit as many pages as you can and leave them comments. 

5) A link back to my site {http://simplysweetsbyhoneybee.com} is appreciated but not required. If you'd like a button for Simply Sweet Saturdays there is one in the sidebar.

6) Have fun and thanks for joining the party!

Inspirational Message Crosses

I'm super excited to be guest blogging today over at my bestie Kim's blog The Cookie Puzzle. Hop on over and see how I made these inspirational message crosses.

Hope to see you there!

Mustache And Bow Heart Cookies {Video Tutorial}

Today I'm showing you an idea for Valentine's cookies. Valentine's Day is one of those holidays that you sit back & think what can I do that hasn't been done before? I mean a heart is a heart right? Once you've seen one heart you've seen them all. Unless you alter the heart.

The idea for these cookies came from a onesie that I spotted at Hobby Lobby.

The moment I saw it I knew it would make a great cookie but I thought how can I make this a set. What can I do to represent a girl? In my head I went through my inventory of cutters and a bow came to mind. I had my plan.

All I had to do was get it to work. This was going to take piecing cutters together. It's something I try not to do too often because it is time consuming.

When you piece cookies together it's best to let them cool completely on your cookie sheet before moving them and for extra security wait a day before decorating. A tip I learned from Sweet Sugarbelle.

I made a video tutorial for you of the decorating process. Sorry if the video gets shaky in spots. I didn't realize I was moving the table so much.

I would recommend making cookies like this as just one set and then adding basic cookies with them. You would not want to make cookies like this in large quantities because of the extra time involved. Another idea would be to forego the piecing and just use a stencil or a Kopykake to pipe the mustache & bow on the hearts. I just like complicated things.

Thanks for stopping by. Happy creating!

Finding Beauty In Your Cookies

A few weeks ago I participated in my first cookie swap. I was so nervous to send another cookier my cookies. I have sent cookies in the past to some of my cookie friends but they were simply to taste and were decorated very simple. This was my first time making cookies based on a questionnaire someone filled out. I had to make cookies specific to that person's likes. Why was I so nervous?

The answer is that just about all of us are very critical of our work. We see all the flaws in what we do and we make ourselves crazy thinking about whether the recipient of our cookies will see the flaws and not like them. The truth of the matter is that probably 9 out of 10 times we are the only ones that see these flaws. The recipient sees the meaning in the cookies. They are not inspecting them with a magnifying glass or with a critical eye. They simply look at them in awe of how we captured what they wanted for their special event.

I spoke to a couple of my closest cookie friends and discovered that I wasn't alone. They had similar thoughts. "Will they like my cookies?" "Will my cookies meet their expectations?" "Will they think is this it and be disappointed?"

After speaking to friends it gave me the idea for a post like this. A post to say that no matter how awful we think our cookies are to find beauty in them. Instead of seeing everything that went wrong with them start seeing everything that went right. I've had meltdowns and so have my friends but at the end of the day we have to tell ourselves "it's not the end of the world, it's just cookies".

I'd like to show you the first cookies I ever made back in February of 2011. I became obsessed with cookie decorating when the office building I work in was having a cookie decorating contest. I wanted to enter but I had never made decorated cookies before. I Googled and came across Sweet Sugarbelle. That's all it took for me to get the cookie bug. I spent hours and hours looking over her blog and knew that I wanted to learn how to do this. It was so fascinating. My friend's birthday was coming up and she's a huge UT fan so instead of starting off with just cookies I had to go big and try a cookie bouquet. What was I thinking? Look at the size of that pot. I cried and cried because one of the longhorn's horns broke. I had to glue it back on with royal. I don't even know how I knew to do that but I just did. I tried it and thankfully it worked. I can look at these cookies and see all that's wrong with them but I can also look at them and see that for my first cookies they aren't all that bad.

I dont' know if I'll ever stop being critical of my work. It's in my nature. I'm a perfectionist but I'm trying real hard not to be.

Recently I made this cake for a friend and I was so upset about crumbs being in my icing that it never made it to the blog.

I'm not purposefully keeping lack luster work off the blog so that people only think I make great stuff. That's not my intention at all. If that was the case I wouldn't have a blog at all because I see flaws in everything that I do.

As a blogger that does tutorials I feel like people have come to expect certain things out of me and I'm afraid to disappoint them. I'm constantly searching for ideas that will have that "wow" factor. I put a lot of pressure on myself. I need to let this go and just have fun with what I do. I enjoy teaching and coming up with ideas for cookies and want to continue doing this for as long as I can but it needs to be fun and not stressful.

If you read my post where I looked back at some of my favorite work then you can see the progression I've made in my decorating from this first cookie bouquet. I'm proud of how far I've come.

If you're new to cookie decorating or cake decorating and you struggle with finding the beauty in your work you are not alone. We all go through this. Don't give up. Try to find the good in what you created and just keep at it. I'm proof that someone who has no artistic ability (I'm a stick figure drawer) can make pretty cookies. It just took practice. I'm still learning everyday.

Thanks for stopping by today. Happy creating!

Inspiration Challenge:January {New Year, New You}

Happy New Year! To kick off 2013 Stephanie from Ellie's Bites Decorated Cookies and I are doing another inspiration challenge. This month's theme is "New Year, New You". We challenged ourselves to try a new decorating technique and we are encouraging you to do the same. Step outside of your comfort zone and try something new.

My new "technique" is not really a technique but more of a medium. I chose to try my hand at glaze. I won't lie and say that I have never tried glaze before because I did work with it once in a decorating class I took. The instructor made the glaze and it was in bottles. I nearly broke my hand trying to get the glaze out of the bottles. It was so thick and extremely hard to work with. When I left the class I knew that I would never ever work with glaze. I hated it and I was sticking to royal icing. You see I love royal icing. A lot of people complain that royal doesn't taste good and that it is rock hard. I don't feel that way at all. I flavor my royal icing well and everyone I know tells me it tastes great. I've also had people tell me that it's not as hard as others they have tried. I believe the key to it not being hard is to immediately cover your cookies as each step dries. I never leave my cookies out all the time. They get covered throughout the decorating process and I believe this helps holds moisture in.

This time around I was in control of my glaze experience because I made it myself and decided what consistency I thought I could work best with. I used Cookie Crazie Pam's recipe which you can find here. The only change I made was to flavor it with lemon which is my go to flavoring. I decided to keep my designs simplistic since the consistency of glaze is so foreign to me. I chose to do a Valentine's inspired design since that's the next holiday coming up. A design in honor of the love of my life. My husband doesn't like to take many pics so this one is about eight years old. It's one of my favorites from when we were a lot skinnier. Lol!

I wanted to see if I could still decorate the same way I do with royal icing. I'm an outline and flood gal so I began by outlining my cookies. I would say that this was about a 10 second icing consistency. You can see that the lines are not as sharp as royal. They don't hold their shape as well.

Next, I flooded my cookies and allowed them to dry. I'm used to royal having a bit of a sheen but mostly drying dull so it was hard for me to tell if my cookies were dry because the glaze is so shiny. By the way I flooded with the same consistency as the outline.

Based on my knowledge of consistencies I knew that the 10 second icing was not going to hold enough of a shape for me to do details with so I had to thicken it up with powdered sugar. The consistency I decided to use was fairly thick but still soft. I didn't want to go too thick and not be able to get it out of the piping bag. What I noticed is that although the dots stood up as royal does they still had movement and smoothed a bit. I allowed these dots to dry a bit and then finished by adding a center dot.

So what are my overall thoughts on glaze? I don't hate it like I did before but it's just not for me. I love working with royal icing and I don't think I will ever stray away from it. It's all about preference and as decorators you have to work with what you are comfortable with and enjoy.

Now I'm excited for you to see Stephanie's cookies because I got to see a sneak peek and what I saw was awesome. Check out her amazing design here.

In case you wanted to see, here are the cookies I made in the decorating class with glaze. It was a baby and weddings class so the instructor chose the designs.

Now it's your turn to show us your new year, new you designs. Link them down below. In honor of the month of love next month's theme is "Famous Couples". That should be fun. I already know what I want to do.

Thanks for stopping by and happy creating!