Be My Valentine!?!?!

A little vintage fun with my $.25 patterns I bought earlier this week at my local thrift store! I made my little gal a huge bow, just like she would have worn in 1920!

My version of a manly Valentine card! I used the pattern again (I slipped it in wherever I could!) The clip art is a vintage mustache chart!!! LOVE IT!

Simple and fun!

Love this one! I used my neighbor, Charlotte's, embossed MS quilted heart punch... OMG have to get one! I also dusted off the Primas and actual vintage pearls :)

Ah- the infamous vintage pattern again!!! Also my grab bag trim I bought at Goodwill this week
with a TON of other trim in it (see the Crazy for You card!)!!!

TFL lovies!
Rachel

More treasure hunting (Antiquing!)

So I was inspired by all my treasure hunting lately, to host an ABC Vintage/ Thrift Treasure Hunt Swap! All of the details are here ... http://www.twopeasinabucket.com/mb.asp? cmd=display&forum_id=14&thread_id=2957617 . Basically you have a partner that you buy 26 items for. For instance for "A" you see an Apple Broach at the local antique store. For "B" you find a bird figurine in your junk drawer (Yes - you can find goodies in your own home and send them!!! But they must be vintage!) The cap is $1 per each item but it can be less!!! Click on the link and feel free to join the fun!!!

I went to Sweet Memories Antique and Collectibles, not to far from my house and purchased vintage poker chips for $3, vintage Bingo cards for $3, mini cans and Coke bottle for $1- for the set of 4 and a children's picture book for $3. I then hopped over to the Lighthouse Ministries thrift store (2 days in a row!) and bought the Fanny Farmer cookbook for $1 and the cherry scarf for $.50 . All in all, I found it to be a very productive and inspiring trip around town, yesterday!!!

~Rachel

Still a few more days before I post the...

http://ilovemythreesons.blogspot.com/2010/01/few-heart-y-cards.html

of my super cute, set of 3, Valentine cards!
Hurry, hurry- enter to win!
GOOD LUCK!
Rachel

Treasure Hunt!!! (ok, Thrifting!)

I was browsing some AWESOME flea market bloggers and their fabulous re-purposed creations last night and I felt so INSPIRED! Jump out of my desk chair, phone attached to my ear, placing orders in my living room kind of EXCITED!!!! I was beyond impressed and thoroughly impressed with the talent I saw last night. So much so, I decided a trip to some of my local thrift stores were in order. Above is a toy camera I purchased for $.75- the clerk rang it up as a toy but I opened it up and it takes 35 MM film. A toy? Really?

And this cute silver plated cup. My nephew told me it was my very own trophy!!! I ate it up but I think he was being sarcastic! Kids! Nah, he is actually 30. Yeah, it was definitely sarcasm.

Basket for the wall. Love it. Don't know what my affinity is for baskets, they are so 1984 but I like 'em! This bad boy was $2.

This cute little doodad was $.50 and it reminded me of a strawberry basket. Perhaps it looks like a quart? Maybe because it is red? Ah, I know... it is because all I see are luscious strawberry fields this time of your in my neck of the woods! The winter strawberry capitol of the world (at least that is was the sign says off of I-4!)

Vintage book! Calculus- that is just plain funny :) They were $1.99 each. Love them!

Wooooooohooooooooo- SCORE! Patterns for $.25 each. They are so old and tattered even the models on the cover were begging me to take them home so they could get some rest!!!!!

This is just plain tacky BUT it inspired me. Sparked my creativity. Got my creative mojo flowing. Lite the hypothetical light bulb above my head. After all, wasn't that the purpose of my little treasure hunt today? Inspiration. You will have to stay tuned for the details that spawned from this miniature bowl and pitcher set!!!!

And.... all these vintage notions and more (could not fit it all in the photo without you needing a magnifying glass!) for $2.00! I love when my fav thrift mecca makes grab bags! I always buy them even if I have to toss a few items ... yeah, if you haven't learned by now, I toss NOTHING!!!! I just give them new homes!

Get out their and RECYCLE junk... thrift, America, thrift!

~Rachel

A few HEART-Y cards! **GIVEAWAY**

I decided to make a few cards for, yeah, Valentine's Day.

Oddly, I don't need any Valentine's Day cards since I bought a 'lot' of them, still in the original packaging (American Greetings) from one of my Goodwill Thrift jaunts!

I just haven't been too creative lately and the mood hit to make cards.

When the mood hits, I must act on it.

Know what I mean?

So I dusted off my trusty ol' Cricut and popped in my fav cart.... Doodle Charms and let the inspiration engulf me!

End result of creative surge, three very pretty cards that I think I will have to give to my sons! Just kidding!

**OK- you want a chance to win all three of these cards??? Just add me to your followers list, leave a comment and a link to your blog (you don't have to have a blog to win but I do need a comment!) and your contact info! ** See, it's that easy!!!!!

**************ETA************

Winners will be chosen in ONE WEEK from the post date... good luck!

Hey Cupcake!

Here are the recipe cards for my ABC Cupcake Recipe Swap I am hosting over at 2Peas. I chose the S'Mores cupcake I got from Bakerella since it was that very cupcake that inspired the swap!!!

If polka dots don't remind you of cupcakes, I don't know what does!?!?!

:) Rachel

I Love You Fake Smile

Who says every photo you scrap has to be perfect? It was a miracle that my husband and I and our birthday boy stood still long enough to snap a photo of the 3 of us together. It would have been an act of God if all of us smiled and looked at the camera at the same time! Can't ask for everything to be perfect, right? I actually, really love this photo, despite the half cocked smile!

3 in 1 Recipe Swap- completed!

Here are the results for the 3 in 1 swap- above is the Family Style meals.

Above is the Crock Pot Meals.

Above are the Wine recipes!

I am very happy with all my swappers that I have been exchanging recipes with over the past three years!!! They are very talented ladies!!!!!!

TFL!
Rachel

Cupid's White Chocolate Chex Mix

Yeah, Reindeer Mix made an appearance this week as Cupid's Mix! My boys were up in arms over the name change! Little do they know... it will go through several more name changes before Christmas 2010... harharhar!

The PTA chairs and board members were asked to volunteer a snack for this past weeks Conference Night at the boy's school. As I looked at the list, I thought this yummy treat would definitely be one of a kind.

And you should know me well enough by now to know I just can't throw something in a Tupperware and call it a day. I broke out one of my old fashioned glass cookie jars and jazzed it up with a Cricut label! I did put my name on the snack since a few of my teacher friends told me that some teachers are particular about "who's" food they eat. Sounds bad but really, I can totally understand! This way with my name on it, they can take it or leave it instead of wasting it and pitching it back in their classroom!

TFL!
Rachel

Crock Pot Recipe Swap Card!!!

I love how it turned out! SO CUTE! Love the From My Kithcne Cricut cart... LOVE IT! Now if I could only keep my blades from dulling and my mat from becoming UNSTICKY I would be a happier camper!!!

I made the background cardstock in red, black and white with a few different ribbon embelishments. The black dots are Stickles!

~Rachel

Has my scrap mojo returned!?!?!

I am not to sure about that but I did make my first page in about 3 months! I LOVE red with aqua and I love my eldest son (more than you can imagine!), so of course I am thrilled with the end product!

TFL!
~Rachel

My Favorite Things Valentine Swap!

I hosted another fabulous MY FAVORITE THINGS swap over at 2Peas. This time it was Valentine themed :) I have had so much fun shopping for goodies for my swap pal ***Kate***, so much so, I didn't know if I could part with any of it so I had to wrap it all as soon as I was done with the last item on the list. I can't tell you what the last item was exactly except it is my favorite magazine! It is actually the best magazine ever and at $5 a pop, I don't treat myself to it too often. Another hint about it is that I often don't read it at the bookstore when hubby and I go on quick dates there because it is a magazine chock full of great ideas that I feel the need to dog-ear! I don't think Barnes and Noble would appreciate my dog-ear compulsion without my purchase of the actual magazine!!!!
So here is the sneak peek of Kate's goodie package, I will try to mail it out Monday and after I know she received it, I will share the photos of what is actually behind the pretty retro 80's heart wrapping paper!!!!
TFL!
Rachel

This Valentine is all MONKEY BUSINESS!

Who just can't resist the Target Dollar Spot? I know I can't. I found this cute little mailbox bustling out of their bins, just screaming to come home with me :) I dressed her up in some really fun Valentiney scraps, tulle, flowers and of course the peice de' resistance... her monkey face!

Now she's already for chocolates and Valentine's!

XOXOXO!
Rachel

Re-purposed Valentine Chocolate Box

Ever wonder what to do with that purdy heart shaped box after you've scarfed down all the caramels??? Re-purpose it with some scraps, lace, ric rak and glitter and turn it into a special Valentine for you lovey! I made this one last Valentine's Day and just couldn't part with it :( It was so pretty with all my vintage baubles and beads from a previous Vintage Whimsy Jar Swap... I just had to keep it for my own. I don't know, maybe one day, I will give it away. One day? Hmmmm.... maybe not!

xoxox!
Rachel

S'mores Cupcakes

Recipe from Bakerella : http://www.bakerella.com/

And this lovely cupcake could not be made possible without my delightful assistants... flour, sugar (brown and white), oil, eggs, baking powder and baking soda, vanilla, Nestle cocoa, semi-sweet chocolate, milk, heavy cream, graham crackers and JET PUFFED MARSHMALLOWS!!!

Ah~ the best part!!!

I doubled the batter since we are going to our friends house for movie night tonight and we like to give my son's teacher a Tupperware full of cupcakes for her daily boost of energy! Divide the batter in half, one is the bottom layer, the graham layer.

and the other is the chocolate layer!

The bottom of the cupcake, graham, brown sugar and melted butter... this seriously could be a dessert all by it's self!!!

Ah, my helper is stealing my marshmallows (it's ok because he is so darn cute!)

Here is the bottom part of the cupcake, the buttery graham mixture is on the bottom and then the graham cupcake batter and half a marshmallow.

Top layer of chocolate cake batter.

All baked with the melted ooooozy marshmallow peeking out of the chocolate top!!!

MMMMMMMMMMM! All ready to eat after it received it's extra topping of marshmallow and chocolate ganache!!!!

Now that I got you as excited as Bakerella got me with her FABULOUS creation (THIS IS HER RECIPE... NOT MINE... I MADE IT AND HAPPILY SHARING IT WITH YOU!)

S'more Cupcakes:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

3/4 cup cocoa

3/4 graham cracker crumbles
1 cup milk

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup oil

6 Stay-Puffed (my favorite!) marshmallow, cut in half

Graham Cracker bottom:

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup melted butter

1/2 cup graham cracker crumbles

Ganache topping:

4 oz semi-sweet chocolate

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup butter

Preheat over to 350 degrees.

In a bowl mix flour, baking soda and baking powder with a wire whisk. Separate the mixture by half in 2 separate bowls.

Stir the cocoa in one of the bowls and 3/4 graham cracker crumbles in the other. Add 1/2 cup milk, 1 egg, 1 tsp vanilla and 1/4 cup of the oil to the cocoa mixture. Mix on medium in your stand mixer. Repeat the same measurements and ingredients in the graham cracker batter bowl.

Prepare the graham cracker bottom and add to the cupcake lined muffin tin.

Pour a little bit of the graham cracker batter on top of the crumble mixture, place 1/2 a marshmallow on top of that mixture and cover with the chocolate batter about 3/4 up the muffin liner.

While they are baking, prepare your chocolate ganache topping. Heat the butter and cream on the stove. Heat just before it boils. Remove from the stove and pour over the chocolate in a heat proof bowl. Stir until the chocolate is completely melted.

Bake cupcakes about 20 minutes. Yields a dozen cupcakes (that is why I doubled the batter!) Let them cool and top with more marshmallow and ganache!

Thank you for sharing my excitement and love of all things BAKERELLA!!!

~Rachel

PS- All of the photos I have used are my own.