Sugar Pants

An upgrade for the Mr. and Mrs.

2011-11-13T18:03:00.004-06:00

After 8 long months, I am back at this blogging thing! Donavan and I have been busy making my little 800 square foot mansion into OUR little 800 square foot mansion. One of the wedding gifts we were lucky enough to receive was this lovely mirror from our Crate and Barrel registry.

When we registered for it, neither of us was exactly sure where it would go but we loved it so much we didn't care. As it turns out, though, we found the perfect place for it hanging above our new dresser! Now our room is looking way more adult-like. Here is a shot of the space before:

AND AFTER! VOILA!

The wedding colors have been selected!!!

2011-03-05T18:55:00.006-06:00

This week marked the end of a looooong road to picking a lovely selection of colors to fit the season and feel of the wedding. So, without further adieu...

(Warm gray, linen, harvest yellow, barn red, teal)

Sweet little birds with sweet little notes...

2011-03-05T18:45:00.004-06:00

These sweet little guys helped me ask my gal pals to be my bridesmaids. It was so fun putting each one together and thinking about each friend and all of the fun memories we've shared over the course of our friendship. I guess they went over well because every one said "YES!"

I threw in a lovely array of macaroons to sweeten the deal for Elissa...

Bridesmaid Dresses galore!

2011-02-23T08:48:00.003-06:00

So, I am currently trying to weed through the millions of cute bridesmaid dresses out there to pic the perfect ones for my special ladies. Here are just a few of the contenders. Ignore the color, I am just interested in the styles:

What's better than a rainbow cake???

2011-01-17T07:00:00.002-06:00

A rainbow cake AND a proposal!
That's right, my nearest and dearest Mr. Mumm asked me to marry him atop the most beautiful rainbow cake I have ever laid eyes on. I, of course, said yes.

Crafty friend showcase

2011-01-16T21:34:00.002-06:00

I consider myself a very lucky gal to know so many craft-lovin' peops. Take my friend Rachel for instance. She has the most amazing taste in fabrics. She is able to throw patterns and colors together and create magic! She has a baby on the way and she recently made the cutest little bibs. I love all the fabrics she chose and I know one day she will be having to teach me her sewing tricks so I too can have incredibly cute bibs at my disposal. That is, unless she starts selling them. In which case I would just buy a million from her. Check out the cuteness she made with this little stack of fun:new at the newmans: gettin' crafty

I, Lindsay, have officially entered the 21st century

2011-01-11T21:19:00.004-06:00

No, I have not gotten a smart phone. BUT after over a year of mulling it over, I finally created a facebook fan page for my etsy shop! Check it out: Letters by Lindsay on facebook

Happy Friday

2010-12-10T07:58:00.007-06:00

see more funny videos

My dear friend Emily is here visiting this weekend!
We're taking a "One Yard Wonder" sewing class tonight at Bon Bon. Should be fun!
Tomorrow is my 2nd annual cookie party. Should be a jam-packed-with-fun-weekend as usual when Emily is involved.

Gnomes Galore!

2010-11-23T07:25:00.003-06:00

I have a thing for gnomes. My friend Katie and I have been talking about throwing a gnome themed party for some time now. We get so excited talking about it and overwhelmed with all the details we want to include: full gnome costumes, gnome size treats, a photo taking area, costume props for people, etc. Ran across a blog called xoelle where the writer and her family all dressed as gnomes for Halloween. They all look amazing! I love the shot of them in their garden:) You can read about the whole project here. What great Halloween costumes!

Katie, if you are reading this, I think the gnome party planning needs to officially begin.

A Mini Sugar Pants

2010-11-16T06:45:00.003-06:00

This is my nephew. He likes sugar just like his mom and aunt. My sister sent me this picture recently and I can hardly stand the cuteness.

I have a thing for hats. Dog hats.

2010-11-09T22:04:00.003-06:00

Have I mentioned I love buying Furter clothing more than I do myself? Yes. It's true. Today I decided he needs a Thanksgiving hat so I went on over to Etsy and out in "Dog Thanksgiving Costumes" and I could never have guessed the adorable dog attire I found here! This girl out in San Diego hand makes these hats and costumes and her dogs are to die for cute! I ended up getting this festive hat for Furter:
The turkey one was a close second but ultimately, I think it would overwhelm Furter's small head.

Pumpkin Carving and Baby Arms!

2010-11-07T19:14:00.004-06:00

With each passing year, I love Halloween more and more! This year was my 4th annual pumpkin carving party. It is always so much fun looking at dessert recipes and picking which ones I want to make for the party. I made my first attempt at an Amy Atlas style dessert bar set up. This year I made "Buried Alive" cupcakes (modified from a Rachel Ray muffin recipe), Oreo spiders and mini eyeball cupcakes. I purchased giant chocolate dipped and sprinkled marshmallows from the bakery counter at Hallmark and popcorn from Velvet Creme Popcorn (headquartered within 1/4 mile from my house!). The "Buried Alive" cupcakes were the hit of the party! The most popular question of the night was "Where did you find all those baby doll arms?" Hobby Lobby. In fact, I cleared them OUT of their baby doll arms. After a potluck dinner and the dessert buffet, people carved and painted pumpkin. Lauren's was my favorite: a dinosaur with a talk bubble saying "OH YEAH." Being that she lives in an apartment, it got to stay on my porch for Halloween! All in all, a great Halloween to go down in the books.

To Have and To Hold

2010-10-31T17:52:00.004-05:00

One of my bestest friends is getting married in Mexico this coming April. I have been gifted the honor of creating her wedding suite. Just finished up the save-the-dates and look forward to shipping off the little guys in the mail tomorrow morning. She wanted to do something unique and involving candy. A match made in sugarpants heaven as far as I'm concerned.46 tiny suitcases filled with "champagne bubbles" candy will be headed toward guests' mailboxes starting tomorrow!

Sweet Suds

2010-10-27T23:32:00.003-05:00

Ran across this little soap shop in Vancouver where they make dessert-shaped soaps! They had their window set up like a bake shop except everything is soap. Kinda depressing when you can't eat any of the "sweets" but also pretty freaking cool! My favorite was the fruitcake soap! How cute would that be in your bathroom during an ugly sweater party? They also had tiny soaps wrapped up in cellophane like candies.

Glee Love

2010-10-25T23:16:00.000-05:00

A few months back, I purchased the "Message-in-a-cookie cutters" from William Sonoma. I didn't have a specific occasion in mind for which I planned to use them but they were just too stinking cool to not buy and just have on hand. Surely and occasion would come. And that it did. I am a recent addition to the "Glee" fanbase after watching all of season 1 on dvd over a week long period. Let's just say I was a liiiiiiiiittle excited about the season 2 premiere. I made some special cookies for the watching party at my friend Aaron's. They were delicious and perfectly perfect for the occasion. Thank you Mr. Sonoma.

Let's hear it for New York, New York, New York

2010-10-17T19:42:00.006-05:00

So my birthday was officially THE best birthday of my life. My friends and family really showed me some major love. After an over-the-top sugary sweet surprise party, Donavan and I headed up to the NYC for 8 days of doing whatever we wanted. It was Donavan's first trip to the big apple so we had some sight seeing mixed in with our SoHo wandering and subway navigating. New York always amazes me and it truly is my favorite US city. Sorry Atlanta. Sorry Kansas City.

Some friends came up for the tail end of the trip to celebrate my birthday. I put together some "NYC Celebration Survial Kits" for everyone complete with a subway map, cosmo flavored jelly beans, a Lindsay-themed crossword puzzle, and gummy rats.

Fantastic Fair!

2010-08-30T08:00:00.000-05:00

This year was another great time at the Iowa State Fair. We made our usual stops: the birthing barn to see baby animals, the FFA projects, the 4H projects, the tractor exhibit, and the food carts. After lunch I am always in the mood for some fair sweets and this year it was harder than ever to choose! Right after we'd downed ice cream at the dairy barn, I came across a new booth where they were selling "Fair Squares" which were essentially rice krispy treats on a stick. I appreciated the cute booth design and the unique idea. Maybe next year I'll save room for one.While I am a fan of the fair sweets, Donavan is a fan of the fair meat.

A Rainbow Cake Dream Come True

2010-08-29T18:06:00.003-05:00

I did it! I made a rainbow cake! Finally! I used the occasion of my friend Shawn's birthday to try out the recipe I wrote about so long ago. It took me about 4 hours to make but it was totally worth it to see the look on people's faces at Shawn's birthday lunch when I cut into the unassuming white frosted cake. You see, I wanted it to be a surprise for everyone so as far as anyone knew it was just a regular 'ol cake. It was so pretty to eat and it tasted good to boot! A rainbow cake dream come true indeed for this sugar pants gal. Behold:
1. Some color inspiration to start with.
2. 5 bowls of beautiful batter.3. The layer that didn't quite make it to the final cake. So sad. 4. The birthday boy's life slogan decorated the unassuming cake:)

5. Ta Dah! Color! So easy to make and so many smiles.

My first Alchemy project

2010-08-28T18:17:00.000-05:00

Etsy has a section called "Alchemy." I never bothered trying to figure out what exactly it was until the other day and now I am hooked! Buyers make postings about projects they need done and about how much they are looking to spend. Sellers bid on the project and give a little description of how they would go about the project and what they would charge. The buyer then selects a seller to complete the project. I bid on a project recently that involved making monogram totes for 6 bridemaids. I finished the project up and will be shipping it out tomorrow. I think the bags came out so cute that I will be offering them in my etsy shop from now on. Check 'em out yo.

Dramatic Chipmunk Hey - Parry Gripp

2010-08-20T16:01:00.000-05:00

New York State of Mind

2010-08-20T10:57:00.003-05:00

In a little over a month, I'm heading to NYC with some friends to celebrate my birthday. I am putting together some special surprises for my travel companions so I have been keeping my eyes peeled for anything NYC related. Saw these amazing pics on one of my favorite blogs, designworklife. These paper sculptures are the coolest. When you look at them from above they look like an iconic NYC image yet when you see them from the side, they are a bunch of tiny buildings of differing heights. Check out more pics here.

Help me Rhonda

2010-07-27T22:01:00.004-05:00

So I have a problem. I have been thinking and thinking and thinking for weeks and weeks and weeks to try to come up with a new name for my etsy shop. Here are some names I have come up with:
-The Fanciful Squirrel
-The Deliberate Squirrel (Donavan's idea)
-Raindrops on Ribbons
-Prissy Gal
As you can see, I need your help. Check out my shop here then leave me a comment with your idea for a new name. If I choose the name you suggest, you have your choice between either a "Last Fling Before the Ring" or a "Birthday Girl" prize button.
Ok.........GO!

Another Fan Pic! Go PB&J!

2010-07-14T10:15:00.003-05:00

I made these little onesies for my cousin Bradley and his wife Ashley. They had twins about a month ago and she sent me a pic of them in them today. They are the cutest little guys. My day is officially complete.

Onesie fan pic

2010-07-12T11:32:00.002-05:00

Emily sent me this pic of a onesie I made on the recipient. Made my morning:)

Orla Kiely on One Kings Lane today!!!

2010-07-06T13:23:00.003-05:00

Beth told me about One King's Lane a while back. I have seen some cute stuff on there from time to time but today, I gasped with delight when I saw the Orla Kiely stationary they are selling at half price. Check it out: share

A Pirate's Life for Me?

2010-07-01T16:07:00.002-05:00

No way jose but these little Crocs are just too darn cute.

I bet my nephew would look suuuuuuuuuper cute in them. I am normally not a Croc fan but just this once, I have to say that these are pretty adorable.

Who could resist this face?

2010-07-01T08:18:00.003-05:00

While browsing the dairy aisle yesterday I came upon a pleasant little surprise. Right there next to my usual not-very-aesthetically-appealing box of soy milk was the newly branded box! I'm sure Donavan was amused by exactly how excited this made me. I ended up buying 2 boxes instead of my normal 1. A well designed package always makes me more excited about the product and so proud of the company for taking the time to put something pretty into this world. Thanks 8th Continent!

Fired up for the 4th!

2010-06-29T08:07:00.001-05:00

Donavan and I are headed to Eureka Springs again this year to celebrate our anniversary and our country's independence. We are staying in a tree house again. I know I have mentioned before but they are truly amazing. It is essentially a little log cabin on stilts. You're surrounded by trees and squirrels. On Sunday we're going to the same Champagne Brunch we went to last year for all you can eat strawberries with chocolate dip (for me) and all the meat you can imagine (for Donavan). Saw this fun inspiration board and it reminded me how much I love summer:)

Cool Caravans

2010-06-28T08:47:00.010-05:00

Oh my goodness. When I found out about this book My Cool Caravan by Jane Field-Lewis & Chris Haddon over here I nearly fell out of my seat. You see, ever since I saw these pics in my mother's 1996 Neiman Marcus Christmas Book I have dreamed of owning a tiny airstream trailer that I could customize the interior for. It pretty much the same sort of dream I have always had for on of those retro VW vans. In recent years I have seen pics on blogs and in magazines where people got an airstream to put in their backyard to use as an office/guest quarters.
Take a peek at some other work by the photographer, Hilary Walker, here. I seriously think I could live in any of these pics.

Lindsay in wedges?

2010-06-24T21:24:00.000-05:00

I certainly am not one for heels but I am strangely attracted to these. I saw them in navy stripes on someone's blog the other day and it was really the first time I think I could say, "Man, those Tom's shoes are cuuuuuute!" They are always great because they are for such a good cause but I have never particularly liked the way they looked before. Way to go Tom's- being all trendy and whatnot.

365 Days of Love (letters)

2010-06-23T07:00:00.000-05:00

So back in February, the day after Valentine's Day to be exact, I started a personal project. I made a pact with myself to send 365 letters this year. The letters can be to people I know, people I admire, people I haven't talked to in forever, people I talk to every day, etc. The point of the project being that I know how I feel when I discover a handwritten letter from someone in my mailbox. It's like a little hug waiting there for you to come find it. To me, there is just nothing like that feeling. Letters have been a life-long passion of mine and in recent years I have to admit, I have slacked on my correspondence. This project is to keep me accountable to myself to let at least one person each day know that I am thinking of them. My goal is to start a separate blog to chronicle the project. Here are some pics of the little gems that have made their way through the mail so far:

Summer is upon us

2010-06-22T21:41:00.000-05:00

So whenever I hear about people that blog EVERY SINGLE day, I always think to myself "How?"
Do they have a lot of amazing things to talk about every day? Are they getting paid to do it as a full time job? Whatever the reason, they are consistent. That is something I am working on. Hold me to it. Yes, I am talking to you Rachel and Pauline. That being said...

Things have been wild and crazy around here. There have been lots of exciting things happening over the past few months:
1. Donavan came back to Kansas City- FOR GOOD. Seriously. FOR GOOD. After 2 years and 9 months, my love has returned to the great state of Kansas and I could not be happier.
2. According to the great Dave Ramsey, I am debt free. Now comes step 3 of his "7 Baby Steps to Financial Freedom" : Put 3 to 6 months of expenses in savings. Whew. Don't worry Dave, I am ready and willing!
3. Emily officially entered her "late 20s" and oh what a glorious celebration it was.
4. Miss Beth came to visit Kansas City! It was such a fun weekend and in true "Sugarpants" style, we went to see Sugarland at the Sprint Center. It was A-mazing!
5. Etsy orders at "Letters by Lindsay" have been surprisingly high lately. It is still random and inconsitent but compared to sales from last year at this time, things are looking good. Behold the sea of flip flops:
Things on the horizon:
1. Celebrating my 3rd anniversary in Eureka Springs with Donavan.
2. Rachel's visit to Kansas City!! Tri-Delts on the loose- WATCH OUT!
3. A trip to Atlanta for the birth of my next niece/nephew on July 23rd.
4. Many trips to Iowa for many different occasions.
5. A special Milestone birthday for yours truly. A special plan to celebrate is in the works...

So I will try to update this more often so I don't lose my "dedicated readers." Yes, I am talking to you Rachel and Pauline.

Wedding Season! Wedding Season!

2010-05-23T11:25:00.000-05:00

I looooooove weddings. Kyla and Sara Beth have been my most recent gal pals to get hitched (to lovely gents) this year. Kyla's wedding was in Bean Town. Donavan was able to come up from Texas and accompany me. As you can see above, I was very pleased about that. The whole weekend was such a blast. Kyla and Kevin did a wonderful job planning everything and including friends and family in special little ways. Sara Beth got married in Weston, MO out in the country. It was spectacular! I was asked to paint some suitcases for them to hold in photos for their "thank you" notes and they were later displayed where people were asked to place gifts.

I don't know what to say about this aside from I LOVE IT!

2010-04-29T09:28:00.000-05:00

Eloise & the Seven Dwarves (err, gnomes)

Cinco, Cinco de Mayo

2010-04-27T10:10:00.001-05:00

My friend Katie started selling the cutest Cinco de Mayo pins in her etsy shop. They are the cutest little things ever. Guess who she chose to be her models?

E is for...

2010-04-09T10:47:00.000-05:00

EMILY! She's coming to the KC this weekend to visit me. She hasn't been here since September (for my bday) and a lot has changed in my little house between then and now. 2 rooms got painted and rearranged a bit AND I got a fancy new couch. We are going to High Tea at Mitzy London's tomorrow and then going to see "The Runaways" Sunday. Aside from that, we will probably hit up some food joints, maybe do some shopping, and sip on bubble tea. Yes, KC has a lot to offer the weekend traveller.

Laura sent me this little blob of happiness. Enjoy and have a great weekend!

I Am A Girl - The Girls With Glasses Theme Song from The Girls With Glasses on Vimeo.

I have a thing for cute play houses

2010-04-07T09:03:00.000-05:00

When I was little, I always dreamed of living in the A-frame play house we had in our backyard. I had it all planned out. All I needed really was a really long phone cord to reach out there so I could stay in touch with my friends. You know, since 6 year olds have such active social lives. No need for a fridge or a bathroom. Just a phone- that's all I needed. I ran across this picture (and many other wonderful shots) here and was flooded with memories and inspiration. Just thought I'd share:)

Fun, fun, fun in the sun

2010-04-05T16:42:00.001-05:00

Today is such a pretty day. It makes me want to eat piles of tiny pancakes in my backyard while Furter runs in the sprinkler followed by a party with aqua macaroons (I will taste one some day. I will!) and candy neatly organized into glass containers. I would need very tiny tongs.

Badge of Honor

2010-04-03T20:55:00.000-05:00

My friend Jessica recently had me make a badge for her sister to wear for her bachelorette party. I love the way it turned out and I can't wait to see pics of it in action.

Easter Basket Swap!

2010-04-03T20:28:00.000-05:00

My friend Em organized an Easter Basket Swap this year. It was like a Secret Santa Gift Exchange but with Easter Baskets. Get it? Good. Moving on. It was a little stressful designing a basket for a fellow designer to be given in front of a room full of designers. I ended up having a great time putting mine together and went with an aqua and orange color scheme. Yesterday the 13 girls who participated met at lunch time and exchanged baskets. Em provided a bunch of desserts (she is an amazing baker!) and we all sat and ate our lunches. Then it was time to get down to business. We went one by one and gave baskets to the person we each made them for. It was so cool to see what every one did and how much thought went into each basket.
The basket I received was so freaking cute! It was garden themed and she included all of my favorite candies. Everything was nestled in a cute green watering can!

My friend Katie made a basket with a green color scheme and included this little guy. She made it! I love his ears.My friend Amanda made this little slice of heaven. It was filled with so many different Easter candies that I think I got a cavity just from looking at it.

The swap was a great time and I really hope Em plans another one for next year. It really got me in the Easter spirit!

For Peeps Fans- 2010 edition

2010-04-01T11:24:00.000-05:00

Last year I posted some pics from the 3rd annual Washington Post Peeps Diorama competition. Windsor sent me the link to this year's winning entries (Thanks Windsor!) and all I can say is WOW!

This is my fave:

You can check out the rest HERE.

And the rainbow madness continues...

2010-03-16T13:13:00.001-05:00

Whoa. Check out these pancakes Laura just sent me the recipe to:

Saturday Craftiness

2010-03-14T16:27:00.000-05:00

I have mentioned it before and I will mention it again- I love the Twilight books/movies. I also like excuses to throw parties. Therefore, my friend Amanda and I are hosting a Twilight New Moon DVD release party next Saturday. Researching ideas for the party I have come across a whole new level of Twilight obsessiveness I never really knew existed. Who knew there were entire blogs out there dedicated to the throwing of Twilight themed parties? Our party will be small and pretty tame but still appropriately cheesy and fun. I found instructions on how to create the tulips from the New Moon book cover using store bought white tulips (fake) and a red sharpie. Behold my centerpiece creation:We have purchased Edward and Jacob paper plates, silver cups and black napkins for the occasion and will be making the Vampire cookie recipe I posted a while back as well as a few other themed treats for people to munch on during the movie. We will also have a surprise special guest appearance at the party :)

Alice In Wonderland=PURE SWEETNESS!

2010-03-06T17:20:00.001-06:00

I just got back from seeing the new "Alice in Wonderland" in 3D. It was so worth the $13 ticket! One of my favorite things about the movie was the costume design. The were all so thoughtfully done and honestly blew my mind. Apparently they were inspired by some of the original illustrations accompanying early editions of the Lewis Carroll 1865 classic. Here are some costume sketches for a couple of Alice's looks in the movie this WWD Lifestyle article.

The sketch above was my favorite Alice dress.

Being that one of my favorite memories of the Disney animated "Alice In Wonderland" was the Mad Hatter's Tea Party, when Elissa sent me the link to these wonderful Wonderland inspired treats from The Bakelab I was overwhelmed with the desire to nibble on every single thing. I wish I could have had the whole box on my lap as I watched the movie. I still may order them just to quench my curiosity of what a "Cheshire Cat Macaroon with Earl Grey Tea Filling" tastes like! Perhaps I could have people over and host my own little Mad Hatter's Tea Party. Gee, I wonder who I could get to be the Mad Hatter himself...Thanks for sharing Elissa!

Rainbow Cake Recipe!

2010-03-04T22:12:00.000-06:00

After seeing my earlier post about the rainbow cake, a good friend (thanks Rachel!) sent me a link to this lovely cake complete with recipe! I am so going to attempt making one of these. Perhaps for Donavan's b-day? He is a St. Pat's baby and leprechauns love rainbows so it seems quite appropriate if you ask me:)

The most wonderful birthday cake ever!

2010-03-04T15:48:00.000-06:00

I have always had 2 favorites parts when it comes to birthday parties- the unwrapping of the gifts and the cake. I was always the kid who wanted to stand right next to the birthday girl (or boy) while they opened all of their gifts so I could get the first glimpse. I loved getting to hold them, carefully inspect them, and read the packaging to learn all about how it worked, etc. Odd? Maybe but it's just what I like to do. Perhaps this is why my life path led me to party and gift presentation at Hallmark? Hmmm.

Moving on. My other favorite part of a birthday party has always been the cake. Oh my yes. As you get older, some birthday parties don't always involve gifts but, I'm sorry, it is just NOT a party without a cake or cupcakes. My good pal Elissa sent me a link to this cake today and it just took me right back to being 5 and the start of my love of birthday parties. I am in awe of the care and detail that went into creating this. The subtle change in color from one layer to the next is fantastic! I hope whoever this cake was made for felt EXTRA special.

The 8 layer citrus cake at Succotash (below) is one of my faves. Next time I should just buy 3 slices and stack them on top of each other. Mmmmm.

100 Cupcake for 100 Games!

2010-01-26T16:26:00.000-06:00

Whoa. Holy Cupcake! Robin Dahlberg made 100 cupcakes depicting 100 different games. She did an amazing job! Here are my favorites:

"Battleship"

"Life"

They call this one "Break Away" but I see it as "Alley Way".

To see all 100 cupcakes, click here.

Hellooooooooooooo Gift Presentation and Party

2010-01-26T10:14:00.000-06:00

I moved over to the Gift Presentation and Party area at work recently. I am no longer a greeting card designer:(. It has been a new adventure for me and I am the process of working on my first big project. Wish me luck! I saw this vimeo yesterday and couldn't resist sharing:

TV1: Celebration from sixty40 on Vimeo.

#5 in my list of all time favorite candy is...

2010-01-25T10:31:00.000-06:00

CADBURY CREME EGGS!

While some people find them utterly disgusting, they are always something I look forward to when Easter candy hits the stores. My favorite thing to do with them is suck the yolk out. The technique is pretty similar to how you blow out a regular egg. I have also tried making a tiny hole in the egg and then inserting a straw to try to get the insides out but the "yolk" is too thick. As as kid I could down 3 of these in one sitting but now 1 at a time is enough.

I soooooo wish this giant egg would come drop a trunk-load of creme eggs in my driveway.

Here are a few fun/weird/gross things to do with Cadbury Creme Eggs:

How to Make a Giant Cadbury Creme Egg

How to Make Cadbury Creme Egg Muffins

#6 in my list of all time favorite candy is...

2010-01-20T11:42:00.000-06:00

CHICK-O-STICKS!

Shake that chick o stick ohh that chick o stick ohh shake that chick o stick ohh that chick o stick boy shake that chick o stick yea that chick o stick yea that chick o stick yea.

Usually when I am eating a Chick-O-Stick, I have someone ask, "What IS that?" It shocks me how many people out there have never tasted one! The only thing I can ever think to compare the taste to is the center of a Butterfinger. The outside is covered with toasted coconut. Mmmm. When they were originally introduced back in the day, they were called "Chicken Bones". The name changed to Chick-o-Sticks in 1955 because another company already owned the name. Good thing because I can't say I ever would have fathomed trying candy by that name.

Here is a delightful little quote I found on the Atkinson's candy website when researching for this post:

"Your candy takes me back to one of the happiest times in my life. Chick-O-Sticks remind me of thunder storms, black walnut trees, a cozy porch swing, Mom beautiful as a movie star in her poodle skirt and sweater, WoolWorth's chocolate sodas, KHOG radio station, chicken after Sunday church, making mud pies. Life was beautiful back then. Life was simple and a joy to live."

Thanks for that "Peggy from Illinois."

If I had a nickel for every memory I have of my mom as a movie star in her poodle skirt I'd be rich!

#7 in my list of all time favorite candy is...

2010-01-19T10:05:00.000-06:00

Vanilla Charleston Chews!

They are delicious! And yes, you should try them frozen. Here's the back story on these delectable little slices of heaven:

-consists of flavored nougat covered in chocolate

-created in 1922 by the Fox-Cross Candy Company

-named for the Charleston, a popular dance at that time.

-available in vanilla, chocolate, blueberry, and strawberry flavors. At one time there was a fifth flavor, banana. **I have never tried any of the other flavors and can only vouch for the vanilla.**

-Mini Charleston Chews are a bite-sized, similarly-shaped version of the candy bar, introduced in 1998.

-Squirrels love them

#8 in my list of all time favorite candy is...

2010-01-15T15:51:00.001-06:00

Buttered Popcorn Flavored Jelly Belly Jelly Beans!

They are so delicious. Mmm. I am amazed at how much popcorn flavor they fit into those little suckers! Having recently discovered my body has developed a weird allergy to real popcorn, I guess popcorn jelly beans will have to substitute. Buckets and buckets of popcorn jelly beans. Extra butter please!

Despite my love of them, there are quite a few people out there that hate popcorn flavored Jelly Bellies. I mean HATE them! Check it out:

-"Honestly, if I had to choose between buttered popcorn and rotten egg I'm not sure which I'd pick. I HATE buttered popcorn jelly beans."

-"Buttered Popcorn Jelly Beans are the grossest, sickest excuse for a candy I know."

-"I've tried [Jelly Belly] buttered popcorn jelly bean. I still get sick just thinking about it.

There is even an official Facebook Page of "I hate the Buttered Popcorn Jelly Belly."

Whoa. Calm down people.

#9 in my list of all time favorite candy is...

2010-01-14T14:39:00.000-06:00

NECCO Sweetheart Conversation Hearts!

I love them. I like to eat them until my mouth rebels and refuses to let me taste them. They are especially good after the bag has been open for a day or so and they are a little softer and not as crunchy. The smell of them has been described as, "a blend of Love’s Baby Soft and strawberry candles." Mmmmmm.

While doing research for this report, however, I am now thinking they won't be one of my favorites for much longer. You see, my favorite ones in the whole bag are the yellow ones. Previously they were banana flavored but starting this year they will be lemon flavored. Boo.

Bye banana! I'll miss you.

Other changes starting this year are as follows:

-Updated packaging

-Candy will be brighter colors- including sparkly ones which sounds fun!

-New flavors such as strawberry, green apple and blue raspberry

-Tech-savvy terms of endearment like "text me" and Tweet Me"

-There are plans to release the hearts year round with red, white and blue on Memorial Day.

-The white ones are gone completely.

I heart Sweethearts.

Check out the video I found from searching "Necco Sweethearts" on YouTube. Apparently not everyone is a fan.

Gotta love those adorable college kids.

It's National Candy Month! Hooooo-ray!

2010-01-13T16:38:00.000-06:00

According to American Food Holidays, January is National Candy Month! So, in honor of this special month, I will spend the next 10 days making a top ten list of my favorite candy. If any one else would like to submit a list of their own, please do so in the comments section.

#10 in my list of all time favorite candy is...

Brach's Candy Corn. It is America's #1 brand of candy corn and my favorite. Some brands taste just simply taste too waxy. Yuck. As I was writing this, I sat here wondering exactly how candy corn is made. I have had my theories for a while now on how they makes the bands of color and after watching this video, I feel like a genius because I was correct! Stayed tuned for #9 tomorrow.

Even The Onion agrees that Brach's is the best. They even have "research" to prove it.

Say it, SAY it...

2010-01-12T16:19:00.000-06:00

VAMPIRE COOKIES!
Anyone who knows me is aware that I have become one of the many, many women out there that have fallen prey to the Twilight phenomenon. Yes, I am guilty as charged. A friend sent me a link to these cookies and I am pretty excited about making them. It will be hard to top the Lion and Lamb cookies I made for the Twilight DVD release party last year but I will give it a shot for the New Moon DVD release party- if not sooner. Click here if you want the recipe. Thanks for sharing Amanda!

Cookie Party Update

2009-12-13T08:48:00.001-06:00

The cookie party was a huge success! Everyone brought the most delicious cookies. Some of my faves were Lauren's Lemon Drop Cookies, Nina's Chocolate Ganache Sandwich Cookies and Amanda's Hello Dollies. I had small tins for people to pack cookies into as well as supplies like cello bags, tags, and ribbon for people to use to package up cookies for gifts. I made home made hot chocolate for the party. It was delicious and so easy! I am already looking forward to next year's party:)

Here are some shots of my Gingerbread People/Houses/Dogs. They are always a labor of love but so delicious and worth it.

Cookie tins for party-goers.

Swappin' cookies.

I had a tiny tree filled with gingerbread scented cookie ornaments (no, I did not make them) for people to take home with them.

2009 Holiday Tea and Cookie Exchange

2009-12-07T11:31:00.000-06:00

This Saturday I am hosting the First Annual Ladies Holiday Tea and Cookie Exchange at my house. I have been busy getting the guest list finalized and it looks like I'm going to be hosting a group of ten gal pals! Every one is bringing 2 dozen cookies to trade so we will all end up with a good selection of Christmas cookies when all is said and done. I have purchased an array of packaging supplies so people can make some of their "trades" into gifts and transport everything home safely (and in style, of course). I will post pictures of the party next week. Above you can see the "logos" I created for the party. I will use these on some of the packaging supplies and on the take-away gifts for the guests. I am attaching a link to the gift tags I created for the party. Feel free to download them and use them for your own holiday treat gifts! Download the gift tags here

Unexpected places people buy cupcakes...

2009-10-31T14:58:00.000-05:00

GARAGE SALES! Made up a big batch of Halloween cupcakes for Bret's garage sale yesterday. I made chocolate with cream cheese frosting, white with cream cheese frosting and white with (orange dyed) vanilla frosting. My lack of Halloween cupcake decorations led me to also make tiny pumpkins picks. I was hoping lots of kids would come but it turned out most of my sales were to adults. The cupcakes left over from the garage sale went to trick or treaters when I ran out of candy. I had over 100 kids come by! My mother never would have let me take a cupcake from a complete stranger for fear that I would ingest a razor blade.

Halloween Tasty Treats

2009-10-27T17:36:00.000-05:00

I hosted my 3rd Annual Pumpkin Carving Party this past Tuesday. One of my favorite things about throwing this party every year is that it gives me an excuse to search out fun Halloween recipes. This year I went above and beyond what I normally do and whipped up 4 different Halloween desserts.

(Furter got to wear his new costume for the party!)

Witch fingers: chocolate dipped pretzel sticks with almond "fingernails", Butterscotch Haystacks
Skull cupcakes and Nutter Butter Ghost cookies. Any great dessert ideas I can file away for next year?

14 Carrot GOLD

2009-09-24T22:48:00.000-05:00

I harvested 2 carrots today. Behold:

Lindsay and Martha

2009-09-13T09:42:00.000-05:00

I saw "Julie and Julia" a few weeks back and absolutely LOVED it. The movie is based on 2 stories- Julia Child's (Meryl Streep) story of the start of her career and Julie Powell's (Amy Adams) story of working her way through Julia Child's first cookbook in 365 days. So I have this crazy idea. What if I try to work my way through Martha Stewart's Encyclopedia of Crafts? I am thinking I will set up an etsy shop to sell what I make and I'll use the earnings from sales to offset the cost of the projects. ALSO, to encourage people to keep me in check, comment leaving readers will have a chance to win a version of each craft I make. So here's the deal: 200ish crafts. *536 days. What do you think?

*536 is the number of recipes Julie Powell completed from Mastering the Art of French Cooking.

Tony Danza turns 27!

2009-09-02T23:07:00.000-05:00

Tonight was the first night of a multi week birthday celebration in honor of my good friend Bret. We went bowling so I made the birthday boy a special hat for the evening. He acquired the nickname of "Tony Danza" at a bowling tournament a few years ago. Long story. The hat was a hit and Bret had a great night!Furter modelling alongside the hat.

First (edible) tomato!

2009-09-02T13:35:00.000-05:00

I came home for lunch today. It rained this morning so Furter and I went to check up on the plants in the backyard to see if they needed any additional water. Much to our surprise, we found this ripe 'lil beaut hanging off one of the tomato plants. This is a victorious day as this is the FIRST tomato I have successfully produced. I had one turn red about a week ago but it had a nice big hole on the side which I am thinking indicated that a lovely little worm made itself right at home. (If I were small enough to live inside of a tomato, I'd probably do the same.) I took a picture of it so I will always remember it. Now I am going to feast on it!

Grapes!

2009-08-25T08:18:00.000-05:00

Soooooooo I have a grape vine growing in my backyard. Sometimes I forget. It was here when I moved. Donavan is a HUGE fan of the grape vine, and at his insistence I took a quick shot of it this morning so he could quench his curiosity. I fertilized it this year and he is anxiously awaiting his next trip to KC so he can measure the grapes to see if they are larger than last year's crop. We'll see...

Art Unleashed submission

2009-08-19T06:03:00.000-05:00

I am not one for painting but I recently painted a tiny piece for the Art Unleashed silent auction which benefits The Humane Society of Greater Kansas City. I bet you can guess who my muse was...

More guinea pigs eating...

2009-08-15T15:36:00.000-05:00

This person certainly enjoys filming her pets munching on a variety of fruit and vegetables. I am on the verge of running to the nearest pet store and getting one of my own. They are by far my favorite rodent. Squirrels are a close 2nd if they are even considered rodents...

Tuesday night craftiness

2009-08-11T22:37:00.000-05:00

Furter and I were feeling crafty tonight. Behold our creations...

Squash Massacre of 09

2009-07-24T18:38:00.001-05:00

What happens when your spaghetti squash vine meanders into your neighbors yard? THIS!
and THIS!
It is truly a sad day. Good thing I have about 10 more that were safely tucked away on my property. I'm just sorry they had to watch their fellow vine members be mutilated in front of them. So very sad. In better news, my first tomato showed up today! Hooray!

If you love sending/receiving cute packages...

2009-07-24T18:30:00.000-05:00

...you need to join the "Lovely Package Exchange" immediately! It is a swap of lovely things between you and a designated partner (you can have up to 3) with an emphasis on ... packaging! It is for anyone who appreciates a good package: both receiving and sending them.
Go here and check out the details. The deadline to sign up is the 27th so hurry! Thanks Pauline for letting me know about this!

Guinea Pigs Eating Watermelon= Adorable

2009-07-23T16:06:00.000-05:00

I can't even handle how much I love this.

Messy Mice

2009-07-20T22:38:00.001-05:00

As I was walking down the sidewalk today outside of West Elm, I came upon this untidy little mouse hole. I couldn't help but smile. He must have been eating on the run?

Fresher Than Fresh= Pure Deliciousness

2009-07-20T22:13:00.000-05:00

I finally made it out to the Fresher Than Fresh snow cone trailer this past Saturday while my good friend Jen was in town. It was as amazing as I had always dreamed it would be! I had a sampler plate where I was able to try 5 different flavors (including Ginger Rose, Lime Mint, and Watermelon Basil) while Jen enjoyed "Green Tea Pear." It was a lovely afternoon and we really has a great time.

We have a winner!

2009-07-19T22:25:00.000-05:00

Ding, ding, ding! I finally have a ripened spaghetti squash from the enormous squash vine I've been nursing for the past few months in my backyard. I wish I could cast it in gold and keep it forever...

Eureka!

2009-07-07T21:48:00.000-05:00

Springs, that is! I spent this past weekend in Eureka Springs, AK with Donavan celebrating our 2 year anniversary. ES is a teensy little (somewhat Hippie) town nestled in the hills of good ol' Ark-kansas (as some people like to call it). There is plenty to do and see while you're there. Here are some pics from the trip as well as some interesting signage from the area. Enjoy!

Out on the lake for some paddle boating, we realized we had a stowaway!A wrong turn down a dirt road and we came upon "Hidden Valley Ranch."This is the sign you see right as you enter Arkansas. What a way to say "Welcome to out state!" Notice the spare antlers in the window. We stayed at the Treehouse Cottages for the weekend. The beautiful anniversary roses Donavan brought me:)Part of the luxurious history of the Crescent Hotel. The Dogwood Inn went out of business and all that was left was their cute little retro sign.

Busy time of year

2009-06-29T21:36:00.000-05:00

Like everyone else, I have been busy as a bee lately. It seems a lot of my peeps have birthdays around this time of year so I am constantly working on birthday surprises! Below are some of my recent creations.
Being that Adam and Josh are both "International Men of Mystery," International themed baby cupcakes were in order! My nephew turned 1 last month so I headed to Atlanta to help him celebrate. A birthday wouldn't be complete, though, without a fancy, over-the-top hat to match your party color scheme! As you can see, my nephew was not a fan.
Here are some gifts I recently sent to a friend for her big day. It's hard to tell which I love more sometimes-picking out the gifts or wrapping them!

Lovin' This: Yee-Haw!

2009-06-28T22:06:00.000-05:00

I am LOVING these new prints from Yee-Haw Industries! I will be ordering them to hang in my kitchen!

Remodelling

2009-06-27T22:10:00.000-05:00

I celebrated the 2nd anniversary of buying my house this past June 15th and I think it is high time for a little change around here! I am in the process of picking out a color to paint my bedroom as well as a new bedding ensemble. I am doing a mint greenish/pale blue gray and orange color scheme inspired by this "Marie Claire" cover:
My existing chocolate brown furniture will work well with the new color palette.
Here are some of the lovely orange pillows I have found:
Pillows above can be found here.Pillow above (and many other great ruffled pillows) can be found here.Pillow above can be found here.
Pillow above can be found here.Pillow above can be found here.
If anyone sees any cute orange pillows out there, please let me know.

Pauline wants a penguin...

2009-06-05T17:36:00.000-05:00

...and after seeing this video, I DO TOO! Move over Furter!

Planting a variety of items

2009-06-03T11:26:00.000-05:00

Spring has sprung and it is crAzy at my house! I have been busy planting seeds, bulbs, a peach tree (holler) and nursing potted plants I purchased. The photo below was taken this morning of one of my 3 Iceland Poppy plants. It makes me smile when I am walking up and down the steps coming and going from my house. My vegetable/fruit garden is coming along nicely as well. I planted spaghetti squash, tomatoes, watermelons and carrots. Each row has sprouted and, in the months to come, will hopefully produce something for me to eat! I will take more pictures as things get bigger and make for more interesting photos. Happy Spring!

Kittens Inspired By Kittens

2009-05-29T11:30:00.000-05:00

Thanks for sharing this Anne Marie! This girl is whack but I love the randomness of her comments. "I am her mother" "No she is not." Excellent find Mrs. Cotter!

Too Funny Not to Share

2009-05-01T13:27:00.000-05:00

Bret sent me this. Happy Friday!

Tea for 2

2009-05-01T10:32:00.000-05:00

Anyone who spends enough time around me knows I love girly things, tiny sandwiches, tiny sweet things and tea. There is a place in Atlanta that has always been a fave of mine for just such things- the Swan Coach House. So, ever since I heard of the Mitzy London tea room here in Kansas City, I have been DYING to go there. A few weekends ago, my good friend Amanda and I went for a little afternoon tea. It was amazing!
Pictured here is my plate of deliciousness. The icing on my tea cake had edible glitter on top. EDIBLE GLITTER! I am on a hunt for some of my own. The picture on the right is my "tea blossom" blossoming. A tea blossom is "a natural herb flowers that are ready to blossom when immersed in hot water." The tea was divine and tasted of vanilla.
I wish we'd had more time to shop because the Mitzy London shop is amazingly cool. Next time, next time. It was a great time and I am so glad Amanda was up for some tea time with me:)

Busy Week

2009-04-29T08:03:00.000-05:00

I was in Texas this past weekend. Donavan and I went down to South Padre Island for a day or so. Aside from getting denied a well deserved Pina Colada for forgetting my ID, it was a splendid time. The beach was lined with jelly fish carcases which made for an interesting walk. I wish I'd brought some bread and pb. I will post pics later this week. As for today, IT'S JOSHY'S BIRTHDAY! and tomorrow is ADAM'S BIRTHDAY! For their celebratory lunch, I made chocolate cupcakes with Magnolia Bakery vanilla buttercream frosting. Mmmmm. Happy Tuesday!
P.S. That is not Furter under the covers. It could be him, though, as he is snoozing in my bed at this very moment.

Just Because

2009-04-20T16:35:00.000-05:00

FO SHO to cure a case of the Mondays.
This one goes out to Windsor, the only person I know that can see "Sound of Music" 500 times and STILL love it. She also knows all the songs by heart. It's one of her many talents:)

Rainbow cupcakes are sweeping the nation!

2009-04-19T01:09:00.000-05:00

Rainbow cupcakes are soooooooo hot right now. They are popping up everywhere! Why not, though, look how beautifully delicious they are! Guess which ones I'll be making next Easter...

HAPPY EASTER!

2009-04-12T11:22:00.001-05:00

Rachel N. sent me these adorable bunnies with puppies photos. It makes me wish I had a bunny that resembled Furter. Have a great Sunday!

Tiny Bites Cupcakes+Art=Good Times

2009-04-11T09:45:00.000-05:00

I made cupcakes for Bret, Aaron, and Cindy's gallery show at the Hobbs Building last night. I was originally going to make tiny cookies AND tiny cupcakes and at the last minute, they were combined to create a 2-desserts-in-1 masterpiece, if I do say so myself. I will be making more for the continuation of their show today so I'd better get crackin'.

For Peeps Fans

2009-04-10T10:09:00.000-05:00

A friend of mine (thanks Nina) sent me a link so some pretty creative uses of Peeps from the 2nd Annual Sunday Source Peeps Diorama Contest sponsored by the Washington Post. My ultimate favorite, though, is above- the Filipino Prison Thriller video remake Peeps style. I also like black and white still from "The Birds" Peeps style and the Sesame Street crew Peeps style. Check out the rest of the amazingness here. Happy Easter!

World's Tiniest Pig at Play

2009-04-02T09:42:00.000-05:00

If you have been keeping up with your Sugar Pants, you already know how much I love baby pigs. My sister sent me a link to this video and I would be an evil person not to share this delightful peek into the life and times of Kingsford, World's Tiniest Piglet. Enjoy!

Kingsford Goes to the Beach - video powered by Metacafe

Creative Cupcakes

2009-03-25T22:33:00.000-05:00

My sister sent me the coolest picture today of some lovely Peeps cupcakes. I wanted to post it on here but have been unable to locate it. In my search, I found a bunch of other cute cupcakes for your viewing pleasure. I especially love the Joker.

If you ever crave pie in Texas...

2009-03-23T20:56:00.000-05:00

I was talking to a friend at work recently about how Texans sure do love to be reminded of Texas even when they are in Texas. I have never seen anything like it. So on my recent trip to visit Donavan, I couldn't pass up a photo op when I spotted this tiny pie. Somehow I can't see pies with the state of Kansas on them selling very well here. Those crAzy Texans...

Up to my ears in sugar!

2009-03-23T20:32:00.000-05:00

Last week was a week for baking! With Elissa's birthday lunch on Friday and a Twilight party on Saturday, I was up to my ears in batter and icing! Check out my creations...
Lion and Lamb cookies for the movie viewers (on my new Orla Kiely tray!!!!).

Tiny pink cupcakes for the birthday girl, Elissa:)

I can't wait for my next baking inspiration...

Just because

2009-03-15T23:48:00.000-05:00

Sigh. Perhaps Furter needs a new little friend to torture his existence?

Adorable to the nth degree

2009-03-15T23:32:00.000-05:00

Thanks go out to Rachel for sharing these sickeningly adorable pictures. Anyone who knows me knows that 2 things in this world that will make me squeal with excitement are 1.) baby pigs and 2.) dachshunds. Apparently the mama dachshund, Tink, adopted the piglet, Pink, into her litter. There's already a children's book being written about the whole ordeal. Crazy but oh-so-freaking-cute. Updates on the story here.

Sweet Dreams

2009-03-05T07:56:00.000-06:00

This video is adorable. Miss Jessica thought it was "Sugar Pants worthy" and I agree. Enjoy!

"Sweet Dreams" from Kirsten Lepore on Vimeo.

Hooray for snow!

2009-02-28T09:32:00.000-06:00

Furter and I woke up this morning to inches and inches of glorious soft snow. The first thing I did was throw a sweater on Furter and head outside to get record of this wonderful event. See, for 26 years of my life, there were only 1 or 2 times a winter it snowed and we're talking an inch if that. Ofcourse there was the "blizzard" of '92 which consisted of 3 inches. The city of Atlanta was paralyzed for days. Living out here for 2 years, I still get all excited when it snows. I always love when it happens on a weekend so I have an excuse to stay inside, under a blanket, drinking hot chocolate and watching movies. Furter, on the other hand, HATES SNOW. If I were only 6 inches I'd hate it too I suppose. Madea may have to wait until another day.

Random Peeps Excitement

2009-02-24T21:06:00.000-06:00

It's almost Easter which means shelves are lined with rainbows of Peeps! I can't help but be happy when I'm shopping and I come upon a wall of happy little Peeps bunnies and chicks smiling at me. One of my favorite recent memories involving Peeps was when my sister came to visit me here in KC. We stopped at a grocery store on the way home and were stopped dead in our tracks upon seeing their enormous aisle of Easter candy. The Peeps section was like a view of heaven. There were Peeps for miles! Just remembering this experience gets me salivating.

There is a newbie to the mix this year- an 8 pk of chocolate mousse flavored marshmallow bunnies. I'm slightly grossed out by the thought of the chocolate mousse ones but chances are I'll give them a shot anyway. Perhaps at the half price post-Easter sale?

p.s. Behold, the face of Jesus.

p.p.s. This is my nephew. Ok it's not but he sure as hell will be sporting one of these puppies if I can get my mitts on one!

The Beginnings of "Sugar Pants"

2009-02-22T13:22:00.000-06:00

I was down in Austin, TX a few weeks back. I have been there once before but it was on this trip that I realized exactly HOW cool Austin really is. I mean, where else could you accidentally stumble upon something as magnificent as "Hey Cupcake!" We were just walking along and all of a sudden, BAM! there it was on the corner of S. Congress and Milton. I swear, the rotating cupcake on the roof is like a freaking honing device or something.The line was crazy long but if you've ever been to the Magnolia Bakery in NYC, you know the crowds a good cupcake can draw and you know that however long you have to wait, it will be worth it in the end. Unfortunately, Donavan, having never been to the Magnolia Bakery, did not seem quite as willing as I was to wait in the multiple hour long line for a cupcake. So instead, we took pictures and swore we'd hit it up next time around.
Luckily, there was a fantastic candy store across the street, Big Top Candy Shop, where we got a heaping bag of candy and ice cream cones and watched all the people waiting in line at "Hello Cupcake!" for a sugar fix of their very own. The picture shown is Donavan and our "look out" spot right by the window.
After an afternoon of such fond sugar-filled memories, I was inspired to start a blog where I could share not only my vast knowledge of the where-abouts of sugar meccas but also my love of all things cute, sweet and fun. And thus, "Sugar Pants" was born. Enjoy!