Monday, August 23, 2010

Key Lime Cake

Erin over at Little Texas Love Nest shared a Trisha Yearwood recipe for Key Lime Cake back in May, and I've been waiting anxiously for a chance to try it out. I promised Kate that if the recipe turned out nicely, I would share it on the blog. If you are at all observant and read the title of today's post, you know where I'm heading with this today.

I normally subscribe to the "it's not dessert if it doesn't have chocolate in it," but I'm telling you...I almost shorted out my keyboard from thinking about all the drool over the tangy cake and the rich cream cheese icing. I know.

Key Lime Cake

Cake Ingredients:
1 (3 oz) pkg. lime flavored gelatin (I used Jello)
1 1/3 c. granulated sugar
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 t. salt
1 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
5 large eggs, slightly beaten
1 1/2 c. vegetable oil
3/4 c. orange juice
1 T. lemon juice
1/2 t. vanilla extract

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour three 9 inch round baking pans. In a large mixing bowl, mix gelatin, sugar, flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Stir to mix well. Add eggs, oil, orange juice, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Divide batter evenly among the three pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes. (Test by inserting a toothpick in the center of each cake layer) Cool layers in the pans for 5 minutes and then lay out on baking racks. Pierce layers with a fork and spread glaze over top. Cool completely and ice.

Glaze Ingredients:
1/2 c. Key Lime juice (I just used lime juice in a bottle from the store)
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
(Mix together before pouring over cake layers)

Cream Cheese Icing:
1/2 c. butter, 1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese. Both at room temperature. Cream the butter and cream cheese. Beat in 1 box confectioners sugar until smooth and easy to spread.

It doesn't have any other fruit in it, but even Rachel Zoe (who has clearly never eaten cake before) would say that it is "Ba-nanas."

That hunk was all that was left after my MOPS planning meeting, and I was never more happy that T has a serious cheese aversion that includes cream cheese (that's a whole other post, really).
It's too fabulous to not include a side glamour shot.

Bon Appetit!

Linking to Tasty Tuesday and Tutorial Tuesday.

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Saturday, August 21, 2010

Link Ups and an Open Giveaway

If you haven't already, swing by yesterday's Weekend Bloggy Reading post and link up your favorite post of the week from your blog.

As much as I love reading and sharing fun links on Fridays, I can't find all the best links myself...so you guys are really doing me a favor. {wink} And visiting around with the other participants is just one more way you can get to know others.

*Before you link up, please be sure you add a link back to me or use my button (below) within your post. Those link-backs help get the word out about my party, they help your readers find my party, and it's a nice "thank you" to the chick who hosted.*

Here's the button code:
Weekend Bloggy Reading


Also, please stop by this week's Custom Blog Button Giveaway from Seven Thirty Three--Custom Blog Design. It's open until 10 pm (ET) Sunday night. There aren't a lot of comments there right now, so your chances are pretty good for a win!

Hope your weekend is off to a good start!

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Friday, August 20, 2010

::Weekend Bloggy Reading:: Link up!

TGIF, y'all!
I'm going to share a few of my favorite posts from Blogland this week, and I'm going to hook you up too! I'd love for you to link up with your best/favorite post of the week from your own blog.

Here were a few of my faves this week:

~Little Miss Momma's Reminiscing About the 80s and 90s made me so happy! So many fun memories.

~Gina's thoughts on a Finished Room were very thought provoking.

~Richella made a fun and affordable Teacher Gift.

~Speaking of teachers, Tausha did some fun Back to School Decorating. I love it because I'm bored of summer, but not ready to commit to Fall decorating in 90 degree heat.

~Julia's Playroom got a fantastic makeover!

As for me, I shared a fabulous Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake Recipe, gave you a Spray Paint Mashup, chatted with you about my superfun IKEA Trip Eye Candy, and shared a cool Custom Blog Button Giveaway from Seven Thirty Three.

I'd love for you to link up your favorite post of the week!

*Please be sure to include my button in your post or include a link back to me here. Parties are more fun if you mingle, and check to be sure your link posted correctly. Send me a little email if you have trouble and I'll post your link for you!

Here's the code for my new button (thank you, Seven Thirty Three!)
Weekend Bloggy Reading




Don't forget to click over to Win a Custom Blog Button from Seven Thirty Three--Custom Blog Design. The Giveaway is open until 10 pm (ET) Sunday, and I'll leave this linky list open until 10 pm on Sunday as well!

{What do you have going on this weekend?}
I have a meeting planned with some MOPS girls tonight to plan for our new year, hoping for a playdate on Saturday morning, church Sunday, and dinner with T's family on Sunday night.

Happy weekend!
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Thursday, August 19, 2010

Seven Thirty Three (and a Blog Button Giveaway!)

You can Google "blog design" and you'll probably come up with around 307,000,000 results. Actually, I just did. Talk about overwhelming!

For most bloggers, the two biggest priorities in a blog redesign are choosing a company that not only offers affordable packages, but also one whose clients can boast about professional work. You might find a designer who only charges $15 for an entire site redesign, but what kind of work are you purchasing?

I came across Kim's craft blog, Seven Thirty Three, a Creative Blog, a few months ago and just fell in love with her design. (Possibly because we have the same cutesy color scheme?!) The blog is full of freebies, tutorials, a Seven Thirty Three-inspired reader gallery, and fun weekly linky parties geared towards moms of boys and moms of girls. Love!

I was more than slightly awed when I discovered that Kim designed the site herself and also does blog design work for others!

Today, I'd love to share Seven Thirty Three--Custom Blog Design with you!








Kim fell in love with design in college, and while she's been helping others with blog and web work for some time, she made it official and opened Seven Thirty Three's design branch this summer.

Her style is difficult to pin down because she custom tailors each job to the client!

When a new client signs up, Kim emails out a questionnaire to find out more about the person's style, color preferences, etc. To get a better feel for the client's personality, she also visits their current blog so that she can custom tailor a new site specifically for that person and his/her blog. Talk about customer service!

Most designs are completed in a week or less, assuming the blogger is consistent with replying to any questions or corrections Kim directs their way.

Some of Kim's favorite work features a blog called The View from Down Here. The author, who writes about being "vertically challenged," wanted her tagline conveyed in the design of the banner. I think Kim nailed it!

Get Craftin' features fun tabs that go perfectly with the theme of the blog, and Kim has a real knack for taking a blog's theme and crafting buttons to match:
  

Speaking of matching a button to a blog, check out what she put together for my new weekly Weekend Bloggy Reading party! I'm inviting you, my readers, to link up your favorite blog post of the week from your blog here on Fridays.
When I mentioned the idea of new button to replace the make-shift one I attempted to throw together in Paint, she had something to me within a few hours. It was finalized within the day. Not only did she take the initiative to peruse my blog on her own, she matched certain elements of my blog's design and put it all together without even having to ask me what I had in mind--the girl is gifted!

One of you is going to get a chance to see for yourself!

Seven Thirty Three--Custom Blog Design is giving away a Custom Blog Button to one lucky Serenity Now reader!

There are several ways to enter, please leave a separate comment for each entry:
1. (mandatory) Please visit the Seven Thirty Three portfolio and leave me a comment telling me which design is your favorite.
2. Tweet the following, adding a link to today's post: "A 733 Custom Blog Button Giveaway via @SerenityNowGirl"
3. Facebook this post.
4. Blog about this Giveaway with a link to this post.

Good luck! This post will be open for entries until 10 pm (ET) on Sunday.

Hope to see you linking up your best post tomorrow at Weekend Bloggy Reading! I have some good ones from around Blogland to share!

Here's the code for my new party button, in case you want to grab it now:
Weekend Bloggy Reading




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Wednesday, August 18, 2010

IKEA Trip Inspiration and Eye Candy

All summer long, I've enviously read about everyone else's IKEA fun, while my own IKEA lies less than an hour away, taunting me with its style and deals. My mom and I finally made some time last week to make the trek up to my favorite Swedish superstore. Kids in tow.

Our first stop was the childcare area, where Natalie practically burst into flames in her haste to commence playing. She was actually really disappointed when I came back to get her after my allotted 1/2 hour of freedom. I suppose if I were 4 years old, a giant blueberry basket turned sideways would look exciting to me.

But this is what excites me: an enormous (practically deserted!) warehouse of delicious deals just waiting to be gobbled up:

The whole deserted part didn't last long, even though we were there mid-week. But we did have a chance to shop and drool without feeling too claustrophobic.

I thought I'd share some IKEA eye candy with you today!

Some people make themselves right at home, testing out beds, playing, and crawling from room to room.
 

Lovely Living Spaces:
 

This was mom's favorite room. Doesn't she look comfy?

Snooze-worthy (in a good way!) Bedrooms:

Loved this Kitchen!

Natalie liked this kitchen, and used the office to catch up on some work by shouting "Fax it to me!" over the phone. (Don't you love the matching lights over the farmhouse sink?)

There are no words for this girlie craft room except to quote Rachel Zoe. "I die."

I love that the "apartments" use every inch of available storage space!

Lovely lighting:

And then it was on to the Accessories and Household Goods, where I would have loved to stay. But the natives were getting restless, and by restless I mean dragging their feet and asking to go to Panera.

So after all that, I bet you'll never guess what I came home with....

A $1.50 plastic bag dispenser. Sometimes my sense of adventure is shocking even to me.

I didn't spend much, but I came home with some great inspiration, especially for the kitchen and Christmas gifts.

{Have you found any retail inspiration lately?}


Come back tomorrow for a super-neat blog related Giveaway from Seven Thirty Three--Custom Blog Design!


And don't forget to bring your favorite post of the week to link up on Friday for Weekend Bloggy Reading!

*****
The winner of the Shabby Chic Cottage Giveaway was #24, Dogmom Diva.

Winner of the Sometimes I Swirl Giveaway was # 25 Michelle at A-Tisket A-Tasket.
Email me ASAP, girls, so I can hook you up!

Until tomorrow....
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Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Spray Paint Mash-Up

If you've read my Ode to Spray Paint, you know I am a huge huge fan. The little cans of paint that used to freak my perfectionist tendencies out now rock my world with their transformative power.

I had hoped to share a new spray painting project with you today, but the weather in my area hasn't exactly been conducive to spray painting this week. It's either pouring down rain, or so hot and humid that you feel as if you're  walking around in some Amazonian jungle. As I currently have two small "monkeys" chattering around me and leaping on and off furniture, I'd feel right at home in the Amazon, I think. Except for the snakes. And the nature.

With no basement and no garage {insert violin music here}, the spray painting just wasn't gonna happen.

But if there's one thing I've learned from Glee over the past year (besides that I want Emma Pillsbury's wardrobe), it's that mashups are fun. So today, I'm going to share a little Spray Paint Mashup to show you a few things in the T home that have been revived with a little can of spray paint magic.

Exhibit A:



A simple wood framed chalkboard turned into a fun white-trimmed Menu:

Made-over Southern Living at Home piece:

Gold frames to black:

Birdie Houses:

Framed poster to framed memo board:

This is just a small sampling. You'd think after all the spray painting I've done, that I'd be unable to blog anymore due to the fumes I have probably inhaled while crafting. But I'm hooked!

If you haven't tried spray painting, hit the Salvation Army and pick up a cheap piece to try out. I bet you won't be disappointed!

Linking to The CSI Project.
Visit thecsiproject.com
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