Saturday, April 30, 2011

TOM DELAVAN ~ DESIGN IN EAST VILLAGE

Previously a contemporary art specialist at Sothebys and the editor at large for Domino magazine, interior designer Tom Delevan decided to go out on his own and decorate homes. Art and architecture serve as inspiration for his work, mixing modern and classic.

This East Village apartment has tall windows and beautiful art pieces, which allowed Delavan to use a neutral palette. ENJOY!

beach volleyball women

First Communion Cookies


Continuing on with the sacrament cookie motif ;)... (Remember the confirmation cookies earlier this week?  These are for the same sweet family.)


I was really looking forward to making these cookies again.  The last time I made them was for kiddo's First Communion....FOUR years ago.

{That picture on the left is one of my favorites ever.  Rockin' the powder blue suit, yo. Maybe we can find a blue tux for prom in a few years.}

OK...thanks for letting me reminisce.

These cookies start out with the perfect cutter I love this cutter...it's pricey because it's copper, but so worth it.


For the cookies, you'll need:
  • chalice and host cookies
  • royal icing tinted with AmeriColor Gold, Bright White, Regal Purple and Leaf Green
  • disposable icing bags
  • squeeze bottles
  • decorating tips (#1 & #2) and couplers
  • gold luster dust
  • vodka (yep.)
  • small paintbrush

With a #2 tip, outline the chalice.


With another #2 tip, outline the host.

Thin the white & gold icings (reserve a bit for later) with water, a little at a time, until it is the consistency of thick syrup.  Cover with a damp dishtowel and let sit several minutes.

Stir gently with a rubber spatula to pop any large air bubbles that have formed. Transfer to squeeze bottles.


Fill in the chalice with the thinned gold icing.  Use a toothpick to guide into corners.


Fill in the host with the thinned  white icing.  Use a toothpick to guide into corners.

Let dry at least one hour.


Add the detail with the reserved white and gold piping icing.

Let dry overnight, or at least 6 hours.


Get out your luster dust supplies:  Luster dust, small ramekin, small paintbrush and vodka (a good excuse to always have vodka in the house).

This is "Golden Charm" luster dust.  I LOVE it and bought it at a little shop in Houston.  Can't seem to find it online, but any gold luster dust will do.


Mix up your luster dust with a few drops of the vodka and brush it on. (The alcohol will evaporate, leaving just the gold sheen.)  Add a few drops of vodka to the ramekin as you're working if it starts to get clumpy on you.  A little goes a long way, so don't worry about using all of the container in one shot.  (Here's a video about applying luster dust...)


Then, with #1 tips, add the grapes and leaf/stem detail.




All ready for First Communion!

David beckham player of Real Madrid and A.C. Milan

David Robert Joseph Beckham, OBE (born 2 May 1975) is an English footballer who plays midfield for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer, having previously played for Manchester United, Preston North End, Real Madrid, and A.C. Milan, as well as the England national team, for whom he holds the all-time appearance record for an outfield player.Beckham's career began when he signed a

JOLENE BALLARD AND AMANDA MALSON ~ DESIGN IN HUNTINGTON BEACH

Jolene Ballard and Amanda Malson love vintage finds and recycled furnishing. The owners of Domicile Interior Design, Ballard and Malson salvage pieces from their own family's attic, estate sales and thrift store.  It appears that it has worked for them.  ENJOY!







Hope that all of you have a wonderful weekend.

Please pray for those who lost loved ones in my Alabama and surrounding states Wednesday.

ana ivanovic nice tennis stars

ana ivanovicana ivanovicana ivanovic

Anna Kournikova

Friday, April 29, 2011

alona bondarenko

SLOPPY JOES


Sloppy Joe


Popular throughout America as an easy way to stretch meat, this sandwich of ground beef and spicy tomato sauce is a classic.

SERVES 4

1 tbsp. canola oil
½ small yellow onion, finely chopped
¼ green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and finely chopped
8 oz. ground beef
1 cup canned tomato sauce
2 tsp. Worcestershire
1 tsp. chili powder
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Tabasco, to taste
4 hamburger buns, toasted

Heat oil in 12″ skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and pepper and cook, stirring, until soft, about 6 minutes. Add beef and cook until browned, stirring so that the meat breaks up into small pieces, about 8 minutes. Add tomato sauce, Worcestershire, chili powder, salt, pepper, and Tabasco; cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced and thick, about 10 minutes. Divide between buns and serve.

*

Please pray for those who lost loved ones in my Alabama and surrounding states Wednesday.
It was a horrible  2 days.  248 confirmed dead and over 1700 injured in Alabama, and the number dead is expected to grow.
*

See you soon, friends,
Teresa
xoxo
 Saveur Issue 137
 Photo: Todd Coleman



anna kournikova modeling photo

STAN TOPOL ~ INTERIOR DESIGN IN ATLANTA


Well, I am most likely enjoying the Royal Wedding as this is posted.  I have made tea sandwiches, lemon scones, and tea for a tiny party.  Hope that you get to watch and enjoy in your way.  It starts at 3:00 AM here, so most likely I haven't been to sleep yet.  NOW... on to business.

Stan Topol’s office in Atlanta is more beautiful than the homes of most.  His dedication to space transforms a beautiful room into a beautiful AND cozy room.

This Mississippi native learned from the mega talented design genius Billy Baldwin.  It doesn’t get any better than that! 

If you are a designer, this piece is a must read.  ENJOY!






Please pray for those who lost loved ones in my Alabama and surrounding states Wednesday.
It was a horrible  2 days.  248 confirmed dead and over 1700 injured in Alabama, and the number dead is expected to grow.

See you soon,
Teresa

See you soon, friends,
Teresa
xoxo

House Beautiful ~ May 2011 issue

Kate Middleton's bridal day look

Kate Middleton's bridal day look is stunning and timeless. Her Sarah Burton dress, lace embellished veil and tiara are a perfect ensemble.



Photo credits: Getty via CBS


Complete your own bridal look fit for a princess with a Twigs & Honey Silk tulle with lace trim veil Style 053:






Photo credits: Lisa Warninger


Double band golden tiara Style 147




Photo credits: Elizabeth Messina


Congrats to Prince William and Kate!

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Not Long Now...

Hope you have a great weekend.  I am one of those looking forward to the Royal Wedding which is only hours away.  I am about to head home to immerse myself in the coverage!  I can't wait to see her dress!  See you next week...

LOVIN' THIS!


Thanks to Tip Junkie we came across this super-sweet Mini Paper Cupcake Stand! Guess what? It is printable! Head over to a super-sweet blog, Sweetly Sweet to get the printable now! Perfect for a Summer Party. Of course, we LOVE anything to do with cupcakes!


Happy Friday Cupcakes! 

Lucy Pinder Tennis

Maria Sharapova Hot New Tennis Outfit

Maria Sharapova's journey in her first 2011 grand slam, Australian Open, was ended prematurely. Seeded at 14th place, she only managed to went through fourth round, defeated straight set by the 30th seeded, Andrea Petkovic. Although unsatisfactory, Maria Sharapova was able to made a sweet revenge, not in term of achievement, but in fashion.Maria Sharapova's tennis outfit for 2010 Australia Open

Tennis Star

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Tennis Star

Rafael nadal and his girl friendRafael nadal and his girl friendRafael nadal and his girl friendRafael nadal and his girl friendRafael nadal and his girl friendRafael nadal and his girl friend

Tennis Star

Rafael nadalRafael nadalRafael nadalRafael nadalRafael nadalRafael nadal

Tennis Star

RAFAEL NADAL:Rafael "Rafa" Nadal Parera (Catalan pronunciation: [rəˈfɛɫ nəˈðaÉ« pəˈɾeɾə]; Spanish pronunciation: [rafaˈel naˈðal paˈɾeɾa]; born 3 June 1986) is a Spanish professional tennis player currently ranked No. 1 by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP). He is regarded as one of the greatest players of all time; his success on clay has earned him the nickname "The King of Clay",

Tennis Star

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Tennis Star

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Tennis Star

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cupcakeMAG is LOCO for SUGAR LOCO!











Sugar Loco is our favorite site for all things sugar. And no, not just because we absolutely LOVE & ADORE the two FABulous ladies behind it but, because we are crazy for sweets! We are beyond thrilled to share with you our one-on-one chat with the {sweet} gals behind Sugar Logo. {Warning: You WILL crave something sugary & sweet when reading. Our advice? Grab a cupcake before you begin!}

{Two of the SWEETEST gals we know!}
Tracy + Jenny
{1} Tell us a little about yourself & what made you collaborate to create Sugar Loco. 

Tracy began her first business, Sweet Harper, on Etsy in 2008, along with a coinciding blog - which had an amazing following.  She  promoted the wonderful world of Etsy and it's impressive group of artisans.  She loves shopping handmade and really loved sharing her unique finds.  She's become quite the genius at social media.  Tracy recently jumped on board the women supporting site -LaunchHer.com.  Launching and supporting fabulous women owned brands.


Jenny began her first business, Monkey Toes (a line of hand painted children's shoes) almost 10 years ago.  She began hand painting every pair of shoes herself and finally grew to obtain a licensing deal with a major manufacturer.  Along with sweets she has a major love of business and even consults others on growing their business.

Our site came from a GIANT love of sugar, ice cream, chocolate, cake, cookies, whatev.   Seriously, we don't discriminate.  We met via Twitter, it was love at first sugary tweet.  Or were we frenemies?  Well, we became quite competitive (and good friends) with who had the better dessert, in fact we made up a hashtag - #sweettootholympics.  We decided to take our love of all things sweet to the internet by launching Sugar Loco and bringing our favorite finds to all the other sugar lovers out there.  Voila - Sugar Loco was born, January 15, 2011, weighing in at .2 of a milligram (surprisingly, the same weight as a grain of sugar!).

{Tracy + Jenny bring us FABulous interviews on Sugar Loco}
{2} What is your all time favorite sugar fix?

Tracy:  Ice cream is my weakness.  I have literally chased down the ice cream truck before...probably just more for the thrill of the hunt, but I digress.  My favorite place to get ice cream is Grand Ole Creamery in St. Paul, MN. I love to order Birthday Cake ice cream, and it's best in one of their fresh made waffle cones. YUM!  There's always a malted milk ball waiting at the bottom too - I love surprises! 



Jenny:  Oh the one thing I could never live without, which might seem really boring, is a giant slice of Birthday cake.  It's gotta be yellow cake, white (piled sky high) butter cream frosting - oh and can't forget a heaping scoop of vanilla bean ice cream to go with it.  I'm a sucker for this..  If I can't get my hands on a giant slice of cake, I will totally "settle" (HA, not settling at all) for a Nomelie Vanilla Love Cupcake. 


{3} What are you go-to places for all things sugar?

Tracy: Of course it depends on the type of sweets you're after.  I love to stop in at Sugar Sugar Candy in Minneapolis to get a sampling of a few treats.  The owner Joni, is always switching up the bulk candy, and it's interesting candy, not your typical stuff.  For beautiful inspiration, Bakerella is where it's at. OMG, she rocks!  For recipes, my standards are Vino Luci, The Pioneer Woman, and All Recipes. We can't give away all of our faves, you will have to stop by Sugar Loco in November when we announce who made the list of Loco Loves!  



Jenny:  How much time do you have?  I have found some awesome recipes in Sandra Lee's new Bake Sale Cookbook (heads up: one lucky reader will get to pry my personal signed copy from my hands - I won't be giving it up willingly).  So many fabulous and easy dessert recipes.  I'll be making the Dark Chocolate Caramel Slices for an upcoming Share our Strength Bake Sale in Denver (mark your calendar - May 14, in Highlands Ranch, CO).  Assuming I don't eat them all first.  If I want classic sweets, my go-to has to be Lola's Sugar Rush in Old Littleton, CO.  Mainly I love going in their because everyone is so lovely and they all feel like friends.  I stopped by last week for some good old fashioned Cherry Mash.


{4} You get to visit some great places to bring us all the details for Sugar Loco. What is the best part about this gig? 

The best part about this gig?  UH, the SWEETS! But more seriously, seeking out unique finds and meeting the passionate artisans and pastry chefs.  They've got such amazing energy - it's contagious (well, that and the sugar high).  Oh and tasting some marvelous desserts isn't too shabby either.  

Tracy:  Not only do I get to try all sorts of new desserts and sweets, but it is also truly amazing to work with Jenny.  As she said, we met on Twitter, and have become amazing friends and business partners.  I also love exploring Minneapolis to find the best in desserts in my own city, it's kind of like a scavenger hunt.  


Jenny: I love that I go beyond what I would normally order at a restaurant and try new things - and it's all in the name of "work" (I can hear my husband rolling his eyes).  I also love that people are coming to us for recommendations, sharing their favorite recipes or hot spots with us - I swear we receive a new recipe or a "lead" several times a week.  Who knew that we would be come the sweet experts??  Ok, one more thing I love about this gig?  Promoting these wonderful products.  It feels good to put a smile on the faces of the hardworking people behind them, spread the word and hopefully generate some sales for them too, they really appreciate it.

{We LOVE the ideas they share on Loco Kids!}
{What's new?}

Well, currently we're seeking the next city to expand to...Vote here. We've got some great features, local businesses and online, along with yummy recipes.  Let's just say, you're not gonna want to miss it.  

PS - we're ALWAYS on the hunt for new and unique confections, don't be afraid we won't bite (YOU), contact us!



{Don't miss a thing!}
Sugar Loco
Crazy for Confections!



Twitter: @Sugar_Loco

Ahh, don't you LOVE Sugar Loco? We do! 
Plus, your {sweet tooth} will thank you!