Motivation!

That is something I am seriously lacking lately. I either can't even get up the energy to do something, or I do, and then get half way through it and fizzle out. So I apologize. I've been more uninteresting then usual lately- ha!

I thought I'd do a post on wreaths since I transitioned into Autumn...a month ago now (really I wanted to do this post earlier but the motivation thing..yea).

Here is my Autumn wreath. I made this one last year. I picked up the flowers and berries at A.C. Moore, along with a branch wreath all for about $20 (with a coupon, hello!?). The pine cones I just picked up off the ground for no $'s at all.

I had this wreath up for most of the summer. I assembled it in early spring but it got set aside and it didn't get hot glue gun'd(?) until July. I picked the flowers up from JoAnns, along with the branch wreath. I spent about $80 on that trip to JoAnns but I bought enough bases and flowers for 4 wreaths. So it works out to about $20 per wreath again.

Here are some links to other blogs with wreaths that are pretty adorable/awesome and include tutorials.

• The Pretty Poppy
• Living With Lindsay
• Thirty Handmade Days
• Jones Design Company
• Gumdrop Pass

Moving on...

I know there are a lot of Trader Joe's fans out there. Have you heard the news!? That's right folks- Pittsford, NY is getting a Trader Joe's. It's a little south of Rochester, a mere hour and a half away. I'll confess, I'll probably make the trip out there every once in awhile. With the nearest one currently about 3 hours away I could not get on board. This seems much more doable/worth it though.

Estimates are late summer/early fall of 2012. Start saving your pennies now ladies for some major hauls at Trader Joe's! Okay, that was a bit much, sorry:).

Anyway, in honor of the up and coming T.J.'s here's a little taste. My mom brought this back for me when she went last month while they were at unassigned territory.

  

They were pretty awesome. I added chocolate chips to half of them and it added a little somethin' somethin'. I'm curious if this is a seasonal thing or they have them all year round because they would definitely be on my 'to buy" list.

This is making me want to take out the bunch I put in the freezer and eat them...all...in one sitting:).

Cupcake Decorations

So I checked my e-mail this morning and had 2 mysterious e-mails to me, from me. I opened them and found 2 photos of cupcakes I made about a year and a half ago that I sent myself from my phone...about 3 months ago. Yes, I need a new phone.

So since I haven't had anything to post in a few days I figured I'd throw these up here.

These were for Megan's going away party. You know, the one she had pneumonia during and didn't come to? What a bum. Kidding!:)

Liane helped me make all the roses. We used the Sizzix Big Shot with the 3-D flower die for roses(we got it during black friday sales for a really good price). They were a bit time consuming to make, maybe 2 hours, but came out really cute and the time goes by fast when you do it with someone else. They are just glued to toothpicks and stuck in the cupcake. I love the blue color and the little non perils also:).

A Rose By Any Other Name Would Smell As Sweet

I apologize, I'm not a very good teacher. Here is a relatively simple how-to for a buttercream rose.

Hold the broad end of the rose icing tip (#104) at the center of the platform. Squeeze out enough icing to form a small cone with a wide base, twirling the tip as you rise.

Rotating the rose platform slowly as you work, squeeze out a second cone about halfway up the sides of the first cone, broad side of the tip down, holding the bag at a 45 degree angle.

To shape the small petals of the icing rose at the center, hold the end of the icing tube horizontal to the platform and squeeze three over lapping bands of icing around the second cone. Make sure your petals are curling out rather than in. If they curl in, or slat in, you end up with a cabbage:).

Squeeze out a second row of five icing rose petals just below the first row, turning the tube away from the cone as you work so the petals stand out slightly.

A traditional Wilton rose is 3-5-7. That is, 3 petals then a row of 5 then a row of 7. But really any combination will work. This frosting was a bit too soft so it was difficult to do that many. I also am a bit rusty:(. But you get the idea. Now practice, practice, practice!!

This makes me want to whip up a batch of frosting and completely cover a cake with dozens of roses!!

I made these this morning with some left over frosting. It was easier to work with because it was more stiff. Just thought I'd add a couple more examples. The second one is made with tip #101, it makes a much smaller rose.