Blogiversary Giveaway! - CLOSED

Remember when I said I was putting together a giveaway when the blog turned two? Well, it's finally time! I'm so grateful to my readers and the new friends I've made through this blog that I wanted to put together a very special giveaway as a way to say thank you! One lucky reader will win ALL of the items above! Read on to learn more about each product...

First up are these beautiful wooden greeting cards designed and hand crafted by Yvonne of Cardtorial. I met Yvonne at Unique LA and instantly fell in love with her products. These cards are eco-friendly and made from certified American wood. Learn more about Cardtorial here!

Next on the list are these adorable crochet bow rings. Hand made by Julia of The Love Stitch, these rings are the perfect accessory. I met Julia at Unique LA also and really loved her work. I'm so envious of her crochet skills! Learn more about Julia here!

Last but not least is this set of linoleum block greeting cards created by Ashley of Est. 1986. I first discovered Ashley's work via Design Sponge and was instantly smitten. Each card is hand printed with a hand carved linoleum block. Learn more about Est. 1986 here!

How to enter:

Simply leave a comment below. Don't forget to include your email address so I can contact you if you win! One comment per reader please... multiple comments will be counted as one.

The winner will be chosen at random and announced on Wednesday, March 6th in this post!

UPDATE: Thank you to everyone who entered! The winner is...

Recent Finds

It's been a while since I've shared my estate sale/thrift finds with you guys. I went to four estate sales in the past two days. I didn't find too much but I'm really happy with what I got. 

This vintage ice crusher is made to be mounted on the wall. You just put some ice in the top, crank the handle and the bottom pops off full of crushed ice. Pretty cool, huh?

I also found this little vase. I couldn't pass it up. I think I'll add it to my favorite shelf in my kitchen.

Last but not least, I got my hands on another set of nesting dolls for my collection. I love the colors!

Let's Talk Baking

I do A LOT of baking... at work and at home. In order to be able to bake whenever I want at home, I always try to keep the basics on hand. So, I thought I would share some of my favorite ingredients with you guys!

The Basics:

All Purpose Flour - I use this for most recipes but if a recipe calls for baking flour, I tend to use the rule: 1 cup of all purpose flour minus 2 tablespoons is equivalent to 1 cup of cake flour.

Salt

Real Vanilla Extract

Hershey's Cocoa

Baking Powder

Baking Soda

Butter

Eggs

Evaporated Milk - I keep a can of this on hand in case a recipe calls for milk and I don't have any.

Sugar:

Granulated Sugar - For baking.

Brown Sugar - Also for baking.

Powdered Sugar (confectioners sugar) - For things like frostings and glazes.

And just for fun, here are a few of my favorite extras...

Corn Syrup - I use this to make my chocolate ganache extra smooth and silky. 

Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa - It took me forever to find this but I'm so glad I did. It adds that extra rich, chocolatey flavor to dark chocolate brownies and cookies.

Corn Starch - This can also be used when substituting all purpose flour for cake flour. The rule of thumb for this particular substitution is: 1 cup of all purpose flour minus 2 tablespoons plus 2 tbsp cornstarch is equivalent to 1 cup of cake flour.

Peanut Butter 

Chocolate Chips

Sprinkles - Because... who doesn't love sprinkles?

Valentine's Day Round-Up

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day! Are you ready? If not, I've put together a little round-up of some of my favorite Valentine's Day DIYs and recipes!

Toy Animal Valentines

Valentine Dioramas

Free Printable Valentine

No-Sew Felt Heart Garland

No time for crafting? Whip up one of these recipes for your sweetheart instead!

Breakfast in a Muffin

Lemon Poppyseed Pancakes

Chocolate Cupcakes

Homemade Chocolate Brownies

Junior's Famous Cheesecake

Flourless Dark Chocolate Cookies

Gift Wrapping on a Budget

This year at work we're doing a "secret valentine" gift exchange. I wanted to wrap my gift in a creative way without spending a bunch of money. I made some plain white tissue paper a little more festive by drawing hearts all over it and my co-worker gave me the idea to use a found object instead of a regular old box or bag. How cool is that?

DIY: Owl Valentine

It's that time of the year again! Bring on the Valentine's Day DIYs! I made this little owl valentine a few days ago and just love it. If you'd like to make your own, click here for the free printable template!

What you'll need:

• free printable owl template
• construction paper
• glue or tape
• scissors
• black marker

 Begin by cutting out the template.

Use the template to cut out the pieces using whatever color construction paper you choose. I used a scrap of woodgrain wrapping paper for the body.

Glue everything together, draw the eyes, and you're all set!

Baked Jalapeno Poppers

I have one more recipe for you guys just in time for the Super Bowl! These baked jalapeno poppers are simple and absolutely delicious.

Ingredients:

• 10 jalapenos
• 8 oz. cream cheese
• 8 oz. cheddar cheese (grated)
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 cup panko bread crumbs

Begin by combining the cream cheese and the cheddar cheese.

Wash and slice each jalapeno lengthwise. Remove the seeds and fill with a little bit of the cheese mixture.

Combine the egg, cream, salt, garlic powder, and paprika. Dip each filled pepper into the egg mixture and then into the breadcrumbs.

Bake for about 30 minutes and enjoy with a nice cold beer!

10 Game Day Recipes

Looking for some new recipes to serve at your Super Bowl party this year? I've got you covered! These are sure to please even your pickiest guests.

County Fair Chili

Spinach Artichoke Dip

Mini Pepperoni Pizza Loaves

Hush Puppies

Spicy Pickled Carrots

Bloomin' Onion Bread

Easy Pulled Pork

Jalapeno Corn Muffins

Spicy Pickled Eggs

Purple Pickled Eggs