sHoUt OuT - Lil & Yacine

I Dream In Colour's First Official sHoUt OuT goes to:

Lil and her two and a half year old son Yacine for their 

BOOtiful 3-Tiered Halloween 
Pumpkin Ball Cake!

Not only did Lil complete the baking at midnight, stirring the batter by hand so she wouldn't wake her infant and toddler, she waited until the next morning to finish so Yacine could help her decorate the cake. If it tastes as good as it looks Lil, your family must be in heaven - great work!

Big-Eyed Alien Cupcakes!

My husband took our daughter his folks place so I could "tidy up and prepare for tonight" (we're having friends over for dinner and pumpkin carving)... SeCrEt - the TV is on TLC, I've been facebooking & now blogging and next is a long hot shower, then I'll think about power cleaning (!)

I'm proud to say I gave Delish.com's Big-Eyed Alien Cupcake recipe a try...from here (actually it's Martha Stewart's recipe but she gets enough props). The recipe says to use a thin layer of meringue buttercream, instead, I used a thick layer of plain buttercream b/c that's how I roll. 

Their food-photographed end result:

And: Bahh Ba Ba BaHHH!! Our results:

Side note: I had "help" from our ambitious 2 year old and we had a blast as I practiced my zen mantras - ummmmm, sprinnnklessss allll over the flloooor can be swwweeped uppppp....

Did the multi colour batter dump from this post

12 little aliens with chocolate blood shot eyes!

This is Marvin. His hours are numbered.

If you bake something email me a photo, I'd love to post it! Take care and have a great weekend!

Disney Family Fun Website - Pumpkin Carving

Cute and Easy Creative Pumpkin Carving. From here.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

http://www.annetaintor.com/

If you haven't heard of her before, Anne Taintor is a woman's woman. 

Here are some little ditties from her website. If you like what you see may I suggest stopping by the cute little online store where you can pick yourself up something pretty.

Christmas is Coming!

I love Christmas. It is my favorite holiday, by far.

So yes, I admit it. I've been perusing the web looking for cute holiday crafts to share with you. Here's the first one I've really liked - from here:

Nice hey? But something was missing for me. It's pretty, yes, but looks like you could buy it anywhere. Here are my thoughts on how to personalize this kind of wreath:

1. Use the front covers of holiday cards from last year
2. Use photos of family and friends from past holiday celebrations
3. Instead of the word Joy, replace it with your family's last name, or another word that sums of the spirit of the holiday season
4. Use pages from an old dictionary as paper with words you love 
5. Use pages from your favorite catalogue and compose a wreath of all the gifts you'd like your husband to get for you this year (I'm joking but I know you're imagining what your wreath would look like - I did!)

If the wreath shape just doesn't do it for you try stringing the circles (or squares, or rhombus) along a straight line and prop it up on your mantle. There's no need to discriminate here - we celebrate Christmas but I think this style of craft would be fabulous for Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and any other holidays that you love to celebrate in your home! 

Oh man. I've just realized that we haven't even passed Halloween yet - who cares?!

Apartment Therapy - Children -10 Colorful Projects For Less Than $10

These are great ideas. I'm determined to make the Amazing Animal Coat Rack (1st row #4) and the DIY Rainbow Crayons (2nd row #3)...If you decide to make something email me a photo and I'll post it!

First Row, Left To Right
1. DIY: Colorful Mosaic Wall: This bright and bold look can be done with small amounts of left over paint or even paint chips if you want to make the project totally free. Try asking around with friends to borrow a few "squares" worth of paint.

2. Easy Peasy DIY Alphabet Canvases: These canvases are a great way to add a little punch to any space. Spell out your children's name or just make a random assortment of letters! To make things less pricey (though you can usually find canvas on sale) try using thrifted art and using the existing print to provide the interior color of each letter, painting a solid color around the exterior of the letter.

3. DIY Felted Toy iPhone: What child can resist colorful little buttons, or in this case, application icons? It's simple to make and if you're not big on needle felting try using the computer and making iron ons instead. You can find paper for around $5 at office supply stores.

4. DIY An Amazing Animal Coat Rack: This rack can be made from old toys and scrap lumber. Paint each one a solid color if you wish or coat them in Plati-Dip for an all one color look.

5. Charming DIY Mini Bunting: Although the bunting in this photo is a nice soft pastel (which is fine by us), it can be made in any shade you wish. Go bright and bold or even all white to make a fun statement across an already brightly painted wall.

Second Row, Left To Right
6. DIY Vintage-Inspired Arrows: A stick and a feather from an afternoon walk, combined with a little paint makes these arrows come to life. It's a great look at an almost non-existent cost. Make a bow while you're at it and you have a great gift for a friend (if you can stand to give it away!).

7. DIY Clock Pillows: These pillows can be made from fabric scraps you already own, old tshirts or linens or thrift store material. Though no matter what you choose, it's a great time to get started on one!

8. DIY Rainbow Crayons: We love making crayons no matter what shape they're in, but these big chunky ones are perfect for little paws. See how to get the look from old broken bits without spending a dime!

9. DIY Project: Faux Japanese Masking Tapes: There's a good chance you have the supplies for this project and if not all it requires is a quick trip to your local drug store!

10. DIY Fabric Mirror: This mirror can be made from scraps and in any shape you want. Check IKEA or even the home improvement store nearest you for inexpensive mirror tile squares (usually $1-$2 each), then dress it up as you see fit!

(Image: 1. The Swell Life, 2. Erin for Flor, 3. Neva Brasher, 4. The Future Perfect, JD Copeland, mj, Animal World, 5. Little House Blog, 6. Thompson Family Life, 7. Silly Precious Piggies, 8. Momtastic, 9. Julie K in Taiwan, 10. Katie Steuernagle)

Apartment Therapy - Children's Rooms

Dear Apartment Therapy,
How do you find all these talented people with fabulous style and good sense for form follows function deign? You're put the mmm in yummm (!)

Here are some of my favorite bits from 10 Blue Rooms For Boys and Girls Alike

Cloud Shelves

Paper Lantern Cluster

ABC Framed Artwork

Paper Crane Mobile, White Shutters, Patchwork Quilt

Scrapbooking - Cute but I Just Can't Do It

I am not the scrapbooking type. I do not have it in me. I know this so I don't even think about spending a ton of do$$ars on something I'm going to feel guilty (but relieved) quitting.

With that being said. I think scrapbooking is the bomb! So many themes, cute paper cut outs, so many cute die cutters, ribbon, glitter, photos, memories, love, bubbles and candy - yum!

Seriously though, I love the concept of scrapbooking as art. My frame of mind is, why put it in a book on your shelf when you can blow up the whole page to 2' x 3' and frame it on your wall? Imagine one of these beauties in your kitchen that had old photos of your grandma in her apron and high heels, photos of your mom's favorite nesting bowls, your child with her hands in the icing bowl and family recipes? This endeavor may be a once in a lifetime thing for me but I think I will do it, one day, someday but not today. It would be awesome and I'm pretty sure that everyone would think I'm a genius. If you happen to do this before me - please give me a call and I will come over to your house with a bottle of wine and chocolates and we will stand in front of your scrap-H-art and gush over how brilliant you are. Pinkie-swear. 

I have a friend (or maybe more than one if you're reading this and wondering if I'm writing about you)...who has been meaning to get her scrapbooking done for ages now. I have mentioned to her that she should have a party and invite all her scrapbooking friends + me over so we can get-er-done. I am volunteering do be your cutter/gluer/snipper/drink refilling scrapbook assistant. I love keeping my hands busy and for some reason de-cluttering and cleaning our house is not enough for me right now...

...sigh

Although I think scrapbooking is amazing I know I just don't have the stamina for it. If I ever get my ducks in a row then watch out...expect an invite to my 2' x 3' scrap-H-art unveiling.

For now imagine these, big, on the wall...nice. Photos are all from here:

We Love Books!

We love to read in our house and, as far as I'm concerned, books in the home are a real treasure.

With that being said, our two year old daughter has a lot of story books - some were mine from childhood, some are gifts and some have started multiplying on their own! We love books in our house but I was quickly becoming overwhelmed...

books on the shelf, books on the floor, books under the sofa, books in the kitchen cabinets, books in the bathroom, books walking past me asking, "what's for dinner" (joke)...

One night, in a cleaning frenzy, I decided that all of these books need a home, now. A home up, up, up in the closet where little hands could not drag and drop them wherever they please. If this sounds cruel please bear with me. Since our daughter likes to conduct "experiments," sadly more than one pop-up book suffered a slow and painful death by Toddler-Tear-A-Lot (sounds like a Care Bear name, yes?). I also found that we were reading the same 3 books over and over again. Yes, I understand children love repetition and it's good for them, blah blah, but I'm pretty sure the person hawking that statistic didn't have to read Hoppity Hop Bunny over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over, again (side note: I like Hoppity Hop Bunny, it was just the 1st thing that came to mind).

So, voila. May I introduce you to:

Mr. Rotating Library loves

Ms. Book Basket

Success! 5 books (one from each of the 5 piles) in Mr. Rotating Library get taken off the closet shelf and placed in Ms. Book Basket. We keep the same books in the basket for 2 weeks (originally I estimated 1 week, but 2 is working out better for us) after which, each books gets placed on the bottom of its original pile and 5 more "new" books get taken off the top of each pile and put into the basket. Rinse and Repeat! I do NOT have to worry about books being littered all over our house (books deserve respect) and I'm no longer experiencing anxiety over having a ton of books that will "never" get read. 

Do we go to the public library? Yes. 

Do the books stay at the public library? Yes. 

Does this make me happy? Yes.

Here's the crazy part, we have enough children's story books in our house to last us an entire YEAR of 2 week cycles (not including Christmas books). Will I deny my daughter her favorite books? No way, if she asks she shall receive. But, until then, I won't be seeing Hoppity Hop Bunny until +/- Easter (he deserves a break anyways).

2nd Birthday Party Cake

We had a big 2nd birthday party for our daughter on Saturday. I made her a special Neapolitan-Minnie Mouse inspired cake: 1st layer - Martha Stewart's 1 Bowl Chocolate Cake, 2nd Layer - Billie's Vanilla Vanilla Bean, 3rd Layer - Billie's Vanilla Vanilla Bean coloured pink and flavoured with Almond Extract. Butter cream throughout (corresponding to cake layers) and iced with fondant. Yum!

2nd Birthday Party Cake for Neesa

Great Industrial Design From Holland.

I love Beerd Van Stokkum's Sweet Cake Design (infact I love everything on this site...). I'll take the one in white.

Apartment Therapy - Room For Colour 2010

We are a colour on the walls family. While my husband and I like to use paint, our daughter prefers crayons. 

Here's the link to Apartment Therapy's Behr Room for Colour 2010. This site is nice because it show you photos of the paint in action and lists paint swatch info you can take with you if you like something you see. Not every entry is something I'd like for my own house but I appreciate being able to check out other peoples homes.

Stuck in a rut/need a change? Paint gives you the most bang for your buck and you can always change your mind and paint it back to the original colour. If you're not into re-painting all of your walls, but want a change, paint your largest wall. If you're not into painting but need to be inspired take note of the colourful accessories. I think there's something here for everyone. Take note, these are entries from everyday people - and the contest is open to "International" folks (insert Canada here). If the spirit moves you I think you should enter! There aren't many entries. Contest ends October 17/10.


Happy Thanksgiving Canada!

Modifying a pillowcase and white tee shirt

I've seen this on Martha Stewart - but here's a link with instructions on how to turn a pillowcase into a dress for a little girl. The dress can be worn as a billowy shirt when she outgrows it as a dress. I like the idea of jazzing it up with buttons, appliques or other bits.


Jen Leheny's Blog

I saw this on an Esty site (Blues and Branches) and thought it would be a good do-it-yourself project. The product is an iron on applique but it would be easy to use your own fabric if you like to sew. All you need is a grandpa/dad/uncle/godfather with a matching tee & pageboy hat - turned slightly sideways :)

Wall Decals

This site is adorable, sells large reusable fabric wall decals and ships to Canada, although it'll cost ya.

Pop & Loli

For those of us on a budget: Dollarama sells reusable wall decal packages for $1. Go take a look-see before you shop at Michael's or elsewhere.

Bee House Tea Pots

I think I'll start a wish list and the first item I'll place on it will be the Bee House Tea Pot 48 oz, Colour: Orange. It's a loose leaf tea pot with a removable strainer. You can fill the tea pot with water and microwave it (!)

It would go perfectly with the ambitious mint plants in our backyard = bff's (best friends forever). First seen on Bonzai Aphrodite...sigh, inspiring.

What happens when a White Cake collides with a Rainbow...

Here's a new twist on your favorite white cake recipe (my new favorite is listed at the end of this post). All you need is some gel food colouring. A little gel food colouring goes a long way and the colours are way more vibrant than the regular food colouring. Use a toothpick to extract a bit of food colouring at a time.

This Girl is Living it UP! Check out her blog titled Whisk Kid
Rainbow Cake: http://whisk-kid.blogspot.com/2009/08/say-it-with-cake.html

My Kitchen: Orange and black cupcakes for

my daughter's halloween party on Friday :)

Icing/Decorating TBA

Have fun experimenting with colours, layering

and adding different ingredients.

Billy Reece of Billy's Bakery in New York City (from here) Makes about 30 cupcakes 
Diary52 notes in red - 12 big cupcakes or 1 - 9"x13" or 2 - 8"x8"

• 1 3/4 cups cake flour, not self-rising
• 1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• I use 3 cups regular flour instead, works fine
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 4 large eggs - I think all of these eggs make it a no fail cake
• 1 cup whole milk - I use 1%, works fine
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract - I use imitation, works fine

Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line cupcake pans with paper liners; set aside. Combine flour(s), sugar, baking powder, and salt; mix on low speed until combined. Add butter, mixing until just coated with flour.

1. In a large glass measuring cup, whisk together eggs, milk, and vanilla. With mixer on medium speed, add wet ingredients in 3 parts, scraping down sides of bowl before each addition; beat until ingredients are incorporated but do not overbeat.
2. Divide batter evenly among liners, filling about 2/3 full. Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 17 to 20 minutes. I had to bake longer when I did 12 big cupcakes instead of 30.
3. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat process with remaining batter. Once cupcakes have cooled, use a small offset spatula to frost tops of each cupcake. Serve at room temperature.

2 For One Movie Coupon

Thanks for reading - here's a buy one get one free movie coupon (until Dec/10) courtesy of Canadian Based Event IQ. Although I'm not a sports mom (yet) I've noticed that they also offer free Cheer Cards - wallet-sized team rosters for hockey, soccer & [fill in the blank] sports teams. Fun!

Easy & Inexpensive Halloween Crafts @ Crafts by Amanda

Here's a great craft blog - seriously...there are so many cute idea here I can hardly stand it - check it out! Be sure to become an I Dream In Colour blog follower so you don't miss out on new and exciting posts to come :)

Thanks Crafts By Amanda! 

Halloween Hand Print Ghoul Banner

Halloween Painted Jar Luminaries

Monster Treat Bag

Craft Stick Mummie

Recycled Bread Tag Monsters