Brownies with Buttery Marshmallow Drizzle

For my 27th birthday last month, my dad surprised me with a new oven/stove top, and a bunch of new pans.

One of them is a fancy mini fluted tube pan.

I have read a gazillion recipes that requires it, but I haven't tried any yet.

Yesterday I decided to test the pan with a batch of brownies.

One box of generic brand brownie mix + one bag of marshmallows + a cup of butter + my new pan = an easy peasy trip to Heaven on Earth.

You could do this without a mini fluted tube pan, too.

I separated the brownie batch evenly throughout the pan, baked according to the directions on the box, and let them cool for 5 minutes in the pan after baking.

While they cooled, I poured a full bag of marshmallows and one cup of butter into a saucepan and stirred with a wooden spoon until it turned into a rich caramel color and was smooth enough to drizzle onto the brownies.

I generously filled the holes that the pan created in each brownie with the marshmallow drizzle, and served them immediately.

To myself.

:)

I kid...the kids had some, too.

And The Girl told me, "You should put these on Facebook. They are SO good!" Since she now tells me to post to Facebook when anything is news-worthy, I am taking a little break from my personal Facebook page.

Time to lead by example and show the kids that social networking is fabulous, but not necessary when it comes to dessert.

You should totally make these and mention them on Facebook, though.

Because they are that good!

;)

Happy Friday, friends.

And Happy New Year...be safe celebrating tonight!

2010 at Sugar and Dots (And Fancy Kimmie. And Live Fancy.)

I haven't been blogging for a year yet, but my year in review makes me so very thankful for every minute I've been a part of the blogging community.

I've finally found my comfort zone with blogging.

I have discovered the name that fits me and my style.

I have re-designed more times than I can count.

I have decorated, crafted, sold, started, finished, laughed, cried, and discovered repeatedly.

Here are some of my favorites from the past 11 months...

My master bedroom makeover:

The Girl's tutu bedskirt...

...and her bedroom:

The Boy's bedroom makeover:

My Fall "mantle" and the reveal of my darker hair color:

Kiddie table re-do:

My Spring wreath...

...and my Winter wreath:

And random posts in-between:

I am madly in love with this whole blogging thing.

The support from the people I have bumped into has been overwhelming.

Thank you.

Now go link up to Rhoda's party, and see your favorite blogs reminisce over your favorite posts!

What I Whipped Up Wednesday Linky Party- Week 10

Holy amazing, Batman!

You ladies are wonderful...each week continues to grow and grow.

{happy dance}

Let's start with just a few of my favorites (there were many!):

Melissa made this adorable heart pillow that will be perfect for Valentine's Day. (Or for any day that you're in need of a super cute new pillow.)

This blog has the cutest quilted numbers, but I can't right-click to save anything, so you'll have to just visit her site and see for yourself. (To the darling blog owner, I couldn't copy your email address from your blog to paste it into my email server. I planned on asking permission to highlight you with photos, but I'm too lazy to type everything out...which you would never guess after this lengthy explaination! Ha!)

I am so in love with this ironing board cover, I kinda can't stand it! I will be making one of these ASAP!

Lyndee made this super rad family rules display made from my favorite board game.



I hope you had time to create/post about something this week!

I know that it's been pretty crazy with the holidays recently, so I forgive you if you didn't. ;)

A few things to remember:

Must be your project...any craft, recipe, makeover, or idea you want to show off.

Must be linked to the specific blog post; not just your blog's url.

Feel free to grab the button so that others can link up too!

                                                           &<SPAN style="BACKGROUND: yellow" class=goog-spellcheck-word>lt</SPAN>;a border="0" <SPAN style="BACKGROUND: yellow" class=goog-spellcheck-word>href</SPAN>="http://www.<SPAN style="BACKGROUND: yellow" class=goog-spellcheck-word>SugarAndDots</SPAN>.com" target="_blank">&<SPAN style="BACKGROUND: yellow" class=goog-spellcheck-word>lt</SPAN>;<SPAN style="BACKGROUND: yellow" class=goog-spellcheck-word>img</SPAN> <SPAN style="BACKGROUND: yellow" class=goog-spellcheck-word>src</SPAN>="http://i4.<SPAN style="BACKGROUND: yellow" class=goog-spellcheck-word>photobucket</SPAN>.com/albums/y135/g00dy2sh0es/<SPAN style="BACKGROUND: yellow" class=goog-spellcheck-word>linky</SPAN>.<SPAN style="BACKGROUND: yellow" class=goog-spellcheck-word>jpg</SPAN>" />&<SPAN style="BACKGROUND: yellow" class=goog-spellcheck-word>lt</SPAN>;/a>

Wednesday's linky will open at 12:01 AM on Wednesdays and close at 11:59 PM on Fridays.
Don't fear...you can link up at the deadline and still enjoy the last minute of 2010! ;)
Happy Wednesday!

Meet Janey

On December 17th, we made a two hour drive to get The Girl the number one thing on her Christmas list.

She had two things on her list; a Chihuahua, and GoGo the life-like puppy.

She has asked for a Chihuahua since she was three.

She owns several books on the breed and has countless toys and clothes that are Chihuahua-esque.

After her teacher told me, "She's actually too good. I love seeing her everyday!" during her last parent/teacher conference, Hubby and I decided that she proved she was responsible and deserving of her dream pet.

Well, it turns out that this little pup is my new BFF and we are inseperable. I adore her!

Meet Janey:

{please excuse the camera phone photo}

She was born on October 1st, and should be 3 or 4 pounds full-grown.

That's my old lady hand in the photo above...you can see how itty bitty she is.

So please excuse me for being MIA lately.

I will be back in the swing of things soon.

:)

Happy Monday, lovelies.

What I Whipped Up Wednesday Linky Party- Week 9

Hi. You're fabulous. The end.

Okay, I have more to say, but that pretty much sums it up.

Did you link up last week?

If not, it was our biggest party ever, anyway. ;)

And the pageviews? Yup, off the charts.

I read each and every blog post and wanted to highlight my favorites, but the list is kind of long...

Here are three that I adored in no particular order:

Madigan made these magnets that will be given to various members of my family. I made these with photos of The Girl as Christmas gifts back in 2005, but I used a really thin magnetic sheet, and to this day, they serve as teeny tiny pictures on everyone's fridge. I love that Madigan's can actually double as magnets. :)

Krystina made this photo holder that needs to come live with me. I've attempted sewing on top my business cards before, thinking I would create the cutest card ever. Want to know what I made? A pile of ruined business cards; all by myself, thank you very much. If I ever get the guts to sew on paper again, I'll be making this for sure.

Nicole made this scrappy pot holder that is swoon-worthy. Nicole, honey, can you whip me up one to use as a pin cushion? It is beyond adorable, and if my entire family didn't constantly gift me with pot holders, I would make one of these in a heartbeat.

Ready to link up?

Good, because I am ready to see your fancy work!

A few things to remember:

Must be your project...any craft, recipe, makeover, or idea you want to show off.

Must be linked to the specific blog post; not just your blog's url.

Feel free to grab the button so that others can link up too!

                                                           &<SPAN style="BACKGROUND: yellow" class=goog-spellcheck-word>lt</SPAN>;a border="0" <SPAN style="BACKGROUND: yellow" class=goog-spellcheck-word>href</SPAN>="http://www.<SPAN style="BACKGROUND: yellow" class=goog-spellcheck-word>SugarAndDots</SPAN>.com" target="_blank">&<SPAN style="BACKGROUND: yellow" class=goog-spellcheck-word>lt</SPAN>;<SPAN style="BACKGROUND: yellow" class=goog-spellcheck-word>img</SPAN> <SPAN style="BACKGROUND: yellow" class=goog-spellcheck-word>src</SPAN>="http://i4.<SPAN style="BACKGROUND: yellow" class=goog-spellcheck-word>photobucket</SPAN>.com/albums/y135/g00dy2sh0es/<SPAN style="BACKGROUND: yellow" class=goog-spellcheck-word>linky</SPAN>.<SPAN style="BACKGROUND: yellow" class=goog-spellcheck-word>jpg</SPAN>" />&<SPAN style="BACKGROUND: yellow" class=goog-spellcheck-word>lt</SPAN>;/a>

 Wednesday's linky will open at 12:01 AM on Wednesdays and close at 11:59 PM on Fridays

 

Happy Wednesday!

What I Whipped Up Wednesday Linky Party- Week 8

Week 8 already?!

Wow.

Speaking of 8...

I will be featuring every single person that linked up last week. It was a teeny tiny linky, and I appreciate the loyalty, so here it goes:

1. Krystina made this darling paper garland:



I could spend days with my Cricut Expression, Silhouette SD, and paper, and create endless garland ideas. I've been trying to figure out the perfect garland for The Girl's upcoming birthday party, and I have finally settled. Thank you, Krystina!

2. Apple made a lovely cup of hot chocolate and wishes a hot chocolate addiction upon anyone who reads her recipe. Seriously. Yum.

3. Christina has some serious sewing skills. You have to see the aprons she's made out of fat quarters!

You know my love affair with aprons.

{swoon}

4. Tiffany also whipped up an apron. I love the different fabrics- swap these colors out for something with polkadots, add a ruffle, and consider Tiffany my new BFF.

5. Danielle got her kids to eat spinach with this recipe. I'm not going to lie, if I had all of the ingredients here right now, this would be in my oven. It looks delish, and I am always a sucker for veggies and cheese.

6. Kristi made some super cute pedicure gift sets. (She also has a ton of tutorials and gift ideas on her blog!)

7. Kathy decorated her home for Christmas, and it looks lovely. My favorite thing about Kathy is her ability to find beauty in everything. She continues to face challenges and continues to blog about what she is thankful for. It's so refreshing. Here is her lovely home:

8. If Nicole had made this wreath back when she had planned to, I would have read the tutorial before making my own wreath, and would have saved $14 on a wreath form. Did you know that wreath forms were sold at the dollar store? Boo. But her wreath? Lovely.

I can't wait to see what you have come up with this week!

A few things to remember:

Must be your project...any craft, recipe, makeover, or idea you want to show off.

Must be linked to the specific blog post; not just your blog's url.
Feel free to grab the button so that others can link up too!

                                                           <a border="0" href="http://www.SugarAndDots.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y135/g00dy2sh0es/linky.jpg" /></a>

From now on, Wednesday's linky will open at 12:01 AM on Wednesdays and close at 11:59 PM on Fridays.

:)

Happy Wednesday!

Faux Rosewood Wreath Made from Old Books

Jen posted a link to a crazy fabulous faux rosewood wreath a couple of weeks ago.

I immediately jumped up from the image on my computer screen, took a trip to Michael's, and purchased a wreath form.

About $15 later, I had the only wreath form that was in stock, in the back of my car.

I started the project that night, but this was a loooong one.

Thankfully, I'm a packrat and had lots and lots of hot glue sticks, and too many old thrift store books to count.

I followed the directions on Stephanie Lynn's tutorial to get the same effect that she did.

Here is Stephanie Lynn's wreath:

And here is mine:

I think mine may be a bit bigger, or my rosettes or smaller.

Hmmm.

It ended up taking 3 books, or 812 book pages.

I rolled 232 rosettes.

I also decided to place a rhinestone in the center of each one. It took 17 packs of rhinestones from Target!

Stephanie Lynn must have a fantastic camera, because no matter which angle I shot, the wreath looked dark and uninviting. In person, I assure you, it is stunning. I am so very proud. (And I'm even more proud that I survived! I have three second-degree burns from the hot glue. Boo.)

This project wasn't very cost-effective since I decided to add rhinestones, but the combination of sparkle, paper, and burlap makes my heart go pitter patter!

The Girl helped me cut out a ton of spirals, and as we worked, I asked her, "Isn't this going to look nice when we're all done?" and she said, "Yeah, but too bad that won't be for another five months!" She has my sense of humor, and her giggles definitely made the project more fun.

I'd love to say that I would never forget our crafting weekend based on our bonding moments alone, but in reality, at least one of these burns is bound to scar, and I really have no choice but to remember.

Ha!

Hope you enjoy it.

Happy Tuesday!

Faux Mantel- Christmas

I started decorating for Christmas as my dishwasher was running full of Thanksgiving dinner dishes.

I am not behind on the decorating; I am behind on posting.

I really wanted to link up to Layla's Christmas Mantel Linky Party, but I was too busy to get the post together.

Boo.

But here is my faux mantel anyway.

I went with a "vintage and burlap" theme, and love it.

I love this time of the year.

:)

Giveaway, Winner, Giveaway, and Shopping

I spent my entire weekend at home crafting.

I now have the drive to accomplish a ton before we start our Christmas vacation next week.

Today is a good day.

My dear friend Rachel contacted me a while ago about participating in a "birth day giveaway".

Today she is approximately 587 days overdue, and is finally being admitted for a c-section.

There are all kinds of goodies up for grabs while you answer fun trivia questions about her princess and her labor. I am so very happy to be a part of something so amazing.

Motherhood is truly amazing.

Congratulations, Rachel!

I cannot wait to meet the newest addition of the Reeves family!

Go play the game and win.

**

Time to announce the winner of the Santa Key giveaway hosted by my BFF, Rachelle.

According to Random.org, the winner is number 18, Mama Bear.

Congratulations!

And if you didn't win, there is still time to order one in time for Christmas.

Click here to shop!

**

My sweet friend Jenni has teamed up with some fabulous people in hopes of raising enough money to build another well. I have donated a Family Tree Print and would love for you to enter to win! If you click on the link that says "build another well", you will be taken to the Project 320 site where you will see a list of giveaways that are all benefiting clean drinking water.

I hope you'll enter.

I hope this year is even more successful than last year.

And I am so very thankful to be a part of something so beautiful now that I have a blog of my own.

**

Julie posted not long ago about "the Christmas shop".

All of the proceeds benefit the charity water project, and I have donated up to ten of my Family Tree prints.

Go check out the other wonderful things for sale here.

Go be a part of something good today.

Happy Monday.

Handmade HOLLA! Days (Day 10: Gift Guide for Fashionistas) LAST ONE!

In November, this Handmade HOLLA! Days idea sounded wonderful.

How hard could it be to find handmade items everyday according to genre?

How hard could it be to find a tutorial to coordinate?

And how about classifying everything I came up with according to price?

Easy peasy!

LIES.

This has gone from, "Best. Idea. Ever." to "WTH was I thinking?!"

I'm blogging to blog, and I despise when that happens.

There are so many other things I would love to write about, but by the time I finish my obligatory posts, I'm exhausted and never want to type again.

And due to all of these posts, I don't hear from anyone anymore.

One comment here.

One comment there.

Hardly anything on Twitter.

Eight link-ups to this week's linky party.

Time to get back in the game.

So, goodbye Handmade HOLLA! Days...you were fun while you lasted.

And to make this more fun for me, today's guide is nearly impossible for me. Fashion? The only thing I know about fashion, is that I know nothing about it.

Day 10: Fashionistas

Tutorial: I adore pretty much love everyting that Ana Paula makes. With a title like, "Cute and Easy Necklace," what's not to love?I have had this saved in my "To Make" file and finally decided to make a few for gifts this year. I'd post the pictures, but I fear ruining the surprises for family members. Go make one.

Under $10: Scrabble Tile Necklace. Super cute. Super affordable. Super pink. Love.

Under $25: Vintage Inspired Rosette Trio. I love everything about this. Dear $24.99 vintage inspired happiness, please come live with me. 'Kay thanks.

Under $25: Absinthe Earrings. I love everything about these. So simple. So elegant. So gorgeous.

{Nothing under $50 this time, but with the pricetag on the next item, you can see why.}

Under $100: Red Suede Pumps with Feathers. Not that my Barney Rubble feet could ever shrink down to a size 6.5, but if they could, I would be all over these.

The end.

Happy Friday.

:)



Handmade HOLLA! Days (Day 9: Gift Guide for Little Girls)

Day 9: Little Girls

Tutorial: This ruffled hair flower can be made small or large, which means you can adjust the tutorial to fit the needs of your gift. It seems really simple to make, and I love that the tutorial explains how to cut the fabric on the bias and not the grain...details make for great tutorials!

Under $10: This dainty pearl bracelet would make my daughter sqeal with delight! I wear a pearl necklace nearly everyday, and my daughter is always in search of pearls of her own. This would be a great gift for a girl of any age.

Under $25: This boutique style polkadot dress comes in an array of sizes, and the color scheme is one of my favorites. Love.



Under $50: If you have a daughter, you're aware that toting a purse around becomes an obsession for at least a week of their busy little lives. Unfortunately, the obsession hasn't left our household. Thankfully, adorable purses are available on Etsy.

Under $100: This personalized doll is awesome. I would be thrilled if this ended up under our tree!

Happy shopping!

Handmade HOLLA! Days (Day 8: Gift Guide for Little Boys)

Day 8: Little Boys

Tutorial: This car carryall is perfect for little boys. Similar to the crayon roll you've seen, this car roll holds a handful of your little man's favorite toys cars. (I have made a similar version that I will be adding to my shop soon!)

(Tutorial's photo)

(My photo- first attempt:)



Under $10: Set of two gnome finger puppets. This is the perfect gift to give at Christmas and then hide in your purse when the excitement has faded. Simply whip these guys out when you get a phone call or when you are out in public and Mr. Grumpy appears, and voila! Happiness.

Under $25: Tee shirt with argyle tie. Little boys + ties = adorable. (You can see my little guy rocking his pink tie on my sidebar.) I know most boys aren't into pink, so this argyle pattern is lovely.

Under $50: YOU ARE HERE playmat. I have had my eye on this for a while now. I think it is part genius, part awesome. Your little guy will agree with me.

Under $100: License Plate Art. The Boy has a serious fascination with trucks and cars right now. He admires the photos of vintage cars in his room every.single.day and I know this gift would make him swoon. This is definitely not a toy, but it would make a great gift!

That concludes Day 8!

Day 9: Little Girls will be posted tomorrow!

Dare I say it one more time?...

Happy Wednesday.

:)