Saturday, April 30, 2011

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!

Friday, April 29, 2011

Happy Birthday Card to Wrap Up a Fun Week


What a week it has been!  The only think that could possibly top Cricut's 5th Birthday Party and release of the Expression 2 was a Royal Wedding!  I may need the weekend to recover from this fun, fun week.  I thought I would wrap up the week with a fun birthday card.


The card was created using Imaginesce cardstock and chipboard stickers, the I-Top tool, Stampin' Up stamps, and a Stampin' Up punch.   I really like the bright and festive look of this card.  The cake and present chipboard stickers really pop off of the brown cardstock on the cover, but then I took the card to the next step.  I added a stamped and punch tag, color coordinating flowers, and an I-Top brad. 


I like the fold of the card.  Begin with a 12" strip of cardstock.  Fold the cardstock in half.  Then fold the top half of the card in half again, folding back toward the fold.  You will create an uneven Z fold.  You then attach a small rectangle to the top half of the card.  The photo above shows this fold far better than I could possibly explain it to you.


The top of the card pulls to the left to open.  Inside the card I stamped Happy Birthday again and left plenty of space to write a personalized message.

Queens Réunion 2011 will be crowned on June 4, 2011 - The winner will represent Reunion in Miss World 2011 pageant

The road to Miss World 2011.

Queens Réunion 2011 will be crowned on June 4.

WINNER will represent Reunion in Miss World 2011 pageant.

Click here to meet the contestants vying for the crown.








source: (Thank you and credits to
ilovebeauty56:
http://www.pinoyexchange.com/
and all sources for the information and pictures)

Royal Wedding Breakfast and Celebration


Good morning royal watchers and blog readers!  Today is the big day for Prince William and Catherine Middleton and here in Aiken, MFK (my friend Kathy) is hosting a Royal Wedding Breakfast event.  She has worked all week to be ready to host the Aiken location (Buckingham, Southeast??) of the Royal Wedding.  Rumor has it that we will be enjoying some of the same amenities as the wedding guests at Buckingham Palace - or "Buck House" as the late Queen Mum liked to refer to the palace.

My plan is to update this blog post all morning to ensure that you stay up to date on the Royal happens here in Aiken.  I am supposed to arrive at Kathy's house around 6:00 am.  I think Kathy thought if I could get up for the E2 launch, I should be able to get up for the Royal Wedding Breakfast and Celebration. 
  

I bet you are wondering what you might expect to see at Kathy's Royal Wedding Breakfast?? Well every woman attending a royal wedding needs head cover.  Of course royalty will be sporting diamond and other precious gemstone tiaras, but the vast majority of the female guests - friends, family, celebrities, dignitaries, etc will be wearing hats or facinators.  You can expect to see something appropriate in the way of head wear here in Aiken.

When attending a royal wedding you can also expect to see fine linens, china, silver and crystal.  The same hold true for our venue here in Buckingham, Southeast!  You can expect that Kathy will "put on the dog" for us and pull out her best silver, china, linens, etc.


When attending the royal breakfast, one would expect lovely food.  I am not going to reveal more right now, but I am going to tell you that you can expect to see some fun and surprising food items at Kathy's Royal Wedding Breakfast.

Drop back by regularly today for updates on Busy with the Cricky's and The Laker Scrapbook Guild's morning adventures at MFK's Royal Wedding Breakfast and Celebration.  I will be taking my laptop, camera and video camera to make sure that you feel like you were "almost" there with us!!!

For your copy of today's Royal Wedding Program click on the name to download a pdf copy.  

8:00 AM update:


Kathy had a breakfast buffet for us:  English muffins, jams, bacon, tomatoes, and strawberries and clotted cream. Our beverage choices included orange juice, champagne, mimosas, and coffee. 


Here were are, in our glory (and PJs), modeling our facinators that Kathy and her sister Kimberly made for us.

 Our happy hostesses and Minnie the poodle, all wearing their Royal Wedding facinators.


 Kathy found the recipe for Prince William's groom's cake from a link provided by The Today Show and made this for us.  We are currently all sugared up on this fabulous cake.  We all completely understand why this is William's favorite cake. The cake is like eating a large candy bar.  

Here in Aiken there we have a British store called The Curiosity Shop.  It is a wonderful store and I shop there for quilts, hats. scarves, Dr. Who toys (!), Beatles items, etc.  They also sell British foods and that is where Kathy found many of the ingredients for the cake.  The cake was completely worth the effort!

Xia Mei Zi is the newly crowned Miss Tourism Queen International China 2011

Xia Mei Zi (19) from Zhengzhou (Henan), was chosen Miss Tourism Queen International China during the national finals held in Port Arthur, Dalian, on April 26th. Mei is a student at Xuchang University as well as a trained ballerina. She also won the titles of Miss Friendship and Port Arthur Ambassador.



She will represent China in the Miss Tourism Queen International 2011 to be held in Guiyang in July, 2011.



source: (Thank you and credits to
http://freedom-guy.blogspot.com/
and all sources for the information and pictures)

Miss World China 2011 Pageant will be held in Lingshan Buddish Scenic spot of Wuxi, Jiangsu province on September 15, 2011

Road to Miss World 2011

Miss World China 2011 Pageant will be held in Lingshan Buddish Scenic spot of Wuxi, Jiangsu province, from Aug. 15 to Sep. 15, and the Miss World China 2011 will be crowned on Sep. 15. The winner will represent China in Miss World 2011 Pageant.

Miss World Alexandria Mills and Chairman of the Miss World Organisation Julia Morley
attended the launch of Miss World China 2011 in Beijing on March 30th




Special thanks and credits to worldshowbiz.info

source: (Thank you and credits to
http://freedom-guy.blogspot.com/
and all sources for the information and pictures)

Photos of Alyssa Campanella, Miss California USA 2011, in Pacific San Diego Magazine, May 2011 Edition

Miss California USA 2011 in Pacific San Diego Magazine

Photos of Alyssa Campanella, Miss California USA 2011, in Pacific San Diego Magazine, May 2011 Edition. Alyssa Campanella will represent California in the upcoming Miss USA 2011.




Special thanks and credits to Pacific San Diego Magazinebeautypageantnews.com

source: (Thank you and credits to
http://freedom-guy.blogspot.com/
and all sources for the information and pictures)

Miss Universe Canada 2011 Contestant - Celine LaFlamme's Photo & Profile/Biography

Name: Celine LaFlamme

Age: 23 | Height: 5’8″ | Toronto, ON

This green eyed brown hair optimist from Toronto will never be just a pretty face. With compassion and enthusiasm she inspires all to pursue their dreams. At 23, she is the assistant manager for an exotic car dealership, and volunteers her spare time networking the unemployed with local businesses anticipating a business of her own.

She believes in equality between all ages, races, and genders and will always fight for an equal opportunity between them. She is a strong independent and a hard working woman that will stop at nothing to achieve her goals. She has an intuitive desire to help people and has a big heart for those in need.

Sponsored by: Family and Friends.




Special thanks and credits to www.beautiesofcanada.com

source: (Thank you and credits to
http://freedom-guy.blogspot.com/
and all sources for the information and pictures)