http://cupcakestakethecake.blogspot.com/2009/11/christmas-snowflake-and-reindeer.html

Sorry for the lack of weekend cupcake updates! Will try to do better with that from now on...



These Christmas cupcakes are by Cake by Sugar (via Flickr in Kingston-upon-Thames (andrea at cakebysugar.com, 07854 200750)

And here are some cherub cupcakes, also by Cake by Sugar:

http://www.mypapercrane.com/blog/?p=1387

Thanks so much for all the great feedback on the photos! Here is a peek at the Christmas cards. They will come in sets of 9, with 3 of each design. They are flat cards, printed on front and back. The fronts are glossy and the backs are matte so you can write a little note in the space provided. And of course they come with creamy white envelopes for mailing.

Just a reminder that the card sets will be a part of the Holiday Update on November 15th :)

I am still working on the Chanukah (or Hanukkah? I am not sure on the preferred spelling so any input on that would be fantastic!) cards, so photos of those soon! Now I am off to gather supplies for a top secret project after a trip to the post office.

Hello

Items on ebay ending today and new



Take me to Ebay










all items are available for shipping anywhere worldwide


Thanks for looking

My other shop


Etsy

http://bombshellbeauty.blogspot.com/2009/11/ive-heard-from-many-of-you-that-your.html

I’ve heard from many of you that your favorite product reviews are those that recreate spa-like results in your own bathroom. You’ve told me you like them because of the convenience and affordability, and also because the thought of going to an actual spa is really intimidating.

Going into a public place, taking off your clothes and paying a stranger to touch your skin is intimidating to a lot of women, no matter their size. But there are a few elements to the experience that are plus-size specific.

• Will the robe fit me?

• Is the equipment sturdy, or am I going to go flying off the massage table as it collapses beneath me?

• Am I supposed to hang out naked in a steam room with a bunch of hard bodied women, sipping cucumber water?

• Will the technician who performs my treatment act weird about touching my curves?

I completely agree that it’s convenient to slap on a hydrating mask in your bathroom, in between brushing your teeth and shaving your legs. But it doesn’t begin to compare to putting yourself in the hands of a professional, getting away from all the sounds and distractions of home, and letting someone else take care of you for an hour.

To get a professional opinion on how a Bombshell can make the spa experience more serene than anxious, I chatted with Mitchell Wherley, CEO and owner of Spalon Montage – one of the Twin Cities’ premier spas. The first thing he told me? “Our mission at Spalon Montage is to embrace diversity.”

This includes clients of all shapes and sizes. To that end, Spalon Montage educates its staff on how to interact with diverse clients. For plus size clientele, that means ensuring they have robes on hand that will fit. Their treatment rooms and equipment are all built to accommodate any person.

Another stressor at the spa is not knowing what you’re supposed to do once you get there – should you take off your clothes and slip into the robe now? Or should you wait for someone to give you directions?

“We assume every client is brand new to any treatment,” Mitchell said. “We always explain what’s going to happen next, from the concierge who greets you in the lobby to the treatment specialist who works with you.”

If you’re new to spa treatments, Mitchell suggests booking one that doesn’t require you to remove much (if any) clothing. A pedicure or facial are both good options – a facial in particular is relaxing and beneficial. If you’d like to dip your toes into the world of massage, see if your spa offers a specialty treatment like Spalon Montage’s Thai Yoga massage.*

Unlike traditional massage, in which you’d remove most of (or all) your clothing before being rubbed with oils and lotions, Thai Yoga massage requires you to wear your own yoga clothes while being stretched by a therapist. In Spalon Montage’s case, that therapist is the very sweet, extremely knowledgable Kathryn – completely unintimidating.

I received the most invigorating massage and a boatload of general yoga knowledge from her during our 60-minute session. The experience was calming and relaxing; Kathryn was able to stretch my body more deeply than I ever could on my own. She used a series of yoga moves and deep tissue massage, using her own body weight and mine for leverage. The best part? I was able to lay back on a warm, cushy floor mat in a gorgeous, dimly lit room and just enjoy the entire process.

At the end of the massage, I sprang up with energy coursing through my body. Traditional massage typically leaves me lethargic and ready for a nap (and a shower to get all those oils off) – a great experience in its own way. But the next time I need to re-center and gather some energy, I’m going for the Thai Yoga massage.

By all means, keep enjoying all the products available for at-home use. But treat yourself to a true spa experience, too! Here are three tips that might ease your anxiety as you look forward to that treatment:

1. Get to know the spa. Book a non-threatening treatment, like a pedicure or facial, your first go-around so you can get a feel for the place.

2. Ask questions. Does this treatment require any nudity? Do you have robes in 3X?

3. Go with your gut. If you feel anything less than completely welcomed and comfortable, cancel the appointment. Even if you’re already at the spa.

If you’re in the Twin Cities and would like more information on the Thai Yoga massage, call Spalon Montage at 952-915-2900. Also, take advantage of a series of free classes called Beautiful U. Upcoming sessions include Essential Skincare for Adults, Styling Tips, Techniques and Tools, and Holiday Style.

Dear Fatshionistas,

My name is Erin Claire, and I'm from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. I should get to the point and say that my extended stay in this fashion rut has become too droll to withstand any longer. I don't have any photos, but my measurements are 48-37-51, and I was wondering if I could persuade those with similar digits to post photos of themselves in their flyest outfits, so that, ya know, I can blatantly bite your style garner inspiration from your stylish profundity. Also, since I would never wish to exclude anyone, would it be possible for you folks to tell me about an outfit, an item of clothing, or an accessory, or whathaveyou, that makes you feel your best? I'd be super grateful for any feedback.

I appreciate you all.

Love,
Erin Claire

P.S. Forgot to mention that I'm 5'5" and roughly 240 pounds.

Mind the schnauzer head in the foreground!

So....
Sweater: Banana Republic-lg
Belt and Skirt combo-Mac and Jac 16-thrifted
Legg'ns-ross plus one size-cheap

I am not 100% in love with the outfit...but when I went out, I wore it with knee high flat black boots.

Also...lambs...any ideas on hair 'do's for me?
I have never been hair savvy, and a sleek pony is about as exciting as it gets.
Hair gurus....any thoughts on fancy hair for me? Style, cut, length, colour?

Who knows!

Hi all-

I think I found something that I like to wear for my bday. My problem is i'd rather wear the dress with flats because I'm going to be on my feet all night and my feet aren't the most heel friendly. Do you think I can pull it off with flats? What would you suggest as far as shoes and accessories? FYI the dress comes with a belt but the dress is a regular size 16 so the belt doesn't work so well.

( Black dress )

I am seeking info from those with experience making homemade pasta.

Lately I've been craving soup made with very-thick (sometimes called "jumbo") udon noodles, basically pencil-thick size, and I can't seem to find them anywhere (I have searched the local Asian markets etc. and all I can find are the linguine-thick kind.)

I found this recipe online:
http://closetcooking.blogspot.com/2008/02/udon-noodles.html

My questions:
1) Does this recipe look like it will work?
2) Can I use my KitchenAid stand mixer (it has the extra-powerful motor) with the dough hook to knead the pasta dough, or do I need to do this by hand?
3) Any other pointers from people who have BTDT?

Thanks!!

Hi all. My fiance and I are looking to buy a dishwasher for our home - the kitchen has a spot for a built-in under the counter, but we've just never had one there. I'm hoping to get some advice from y'all on what kind to buy. We're trying to keep the actual dishwasher as close to under $300 as possible, because delivery and installation is $109 (and we're also buying a refrigerator this month, so I don't want to be broke on appliances).

Looking at the reviews on the dishwashers in our price range at Lowe's scares me. The low-end Frigidaire dishwashers have terrible reviews, and the low-end GEs have no reviews at all. Also, I have an innate distrust of reviews just because people who hate a product are more likely to review it (right?) so I was hoping y'all had some insight for me.

Also, since this is the first time I'll have had a dishwasher in a long time, does anyone have any general rules for what goes in the dishwasher and what needs to be hand washed? I never paid attention when we bought stuff because we didn't have a dishwasher anyway, and when I lived alone, I put everything in there whether it was supposed to go or not (heh!).

TIA.

( The cake is a lie... )I'm new to cake decoration, and I have a lot to learn, but I had a LOT of fun!

First of all thanks to everyone who gave me tips on my Broth project. Here's what I ended up doing:

5 Carrots
5 Stalks of Celery
2 Small Onions
3 Cloves of Garlic
Fresh Herbs
3 tbsp Dried Porcini (approx)
1 litre Water
1 cup mushroom stalks
3-4 tsps salt
Pepper to taste
Worcestershire Sauce
Light Soy Sauce
1 Cup White Wine

Cut into chunks and roasted with a bit of olive oil and a touch of salt for 30 minutes. Deglazed the pan with about a cup of white wine (actually last years Primrose Wine cause I didn't have anything else in the house). Put the whole thing in a medium sized pot and added no more than a litre of water (I basically topped the pot up and can't remember how much it holds exactly). At this point I added about 1 cup of mushroom stalks and a small handful of dried porcini as well as a handful of fresh herbs from the garden (right now that's thyme, oregano, summer savory, sage and bay laurel). Seasoned with about 3 tsps of salt and some dried marjoram. Gently simmered for 45 minutes. Strained and added some Worcestershire Sauce and Soy Sauce to taste.

It turned out to be a very nice stock, not quite ready for the big time of being served as a soup.

What I wish I had done different or had on hand: I wish I had chopped the veggies more finely, I'm too used to my 6 hour chicken stock and need to take into account the shorter cooking time. I did not have tomato puree, if I had had some on hand would have added it to the roasting veggies. I did not have Parsley, would have added the Parsley stalks to the pot and at the end added some chopped parsley to the finished product. I wish I had soaked the dried Porcini mushrooms, they were an impulse addition and I did not take into account the short cooking time of veggie broth so I don't think I got all the flavor out of them that I could.

I ended up using the stock in some bread stuffing as well as a mushroom sauce that along with some spiced red cabbage and sprouts made up our dinner last night. I think the stock added a lot to the flavor of especially the stuffing and I will definitely continue refining my recipe and experimenting with different options. I suspect that we will start making a pot of veggie stock that will vary seasonally every weekend and keep it in the fridge to use throughout the week instead of using the (very excellent) Marigold Stock Powder. Thanks again to everyone who commented on my original post.

I love this community -- you've given me some seriously great advice. So now that my Mother has a question I can't answer, I'm passing it on to you: can we do a big batch of rice in a crock pot? We're going to be doing chinese food for about nine people, so we figure we need 9-10 cups of cooked rice. We're really not up for buying a rice cooker (since it would be used only about once every two years, and there is no more space in the cupboards for rarely used appliances), but we've got options when it comes to crocks (2, 4, or 6 qts); we'd even be happy enough to make it on the stove and store it in the crock to keep warm, if that's the only way to do this. I know it's possible to do smaller quantities of rice this way, but I haven't seen anyone post about doing so much, and I'm a little worried about how long before dinner we'll need to put it in.

( The rest of the proposed menu is under here for the curious... )

Looking for a crock pot recipe for the above item in my freezer. Although I think something with sweet potatoes or apples or fruit glazes would be good... my husband is not in the mood for a recipe with any sweet/sugary stuff. So please share any non-sweet recipe you have!

http://bombshellbeauty.blogspot.com/2009/11/glamour-magazines-best-party-dresses.html

The December issue of Glamour features an article on the best party dresses by body type. Their picks for plus size party-goers are:



Ombre satin dress by Candlelight and Champagne, sizes 12-28 for $69.99. The surplice bodice provides enough coverage to support a full bra with comfortable straps. And the ombre fade of dark brown down to light beige draws the eye down, creating the illusion of height. Pair the dress with sparkly sandals or nude heels to elongate your legs.



Alex Marie "Claudia" dress, sizes 14-28 for $139. This winter-white sheath reminds me of the dress Michelle Obama recently wore to an event at the White House. Customize the look of this dress by adding a belt to further define the waist.



David Meister's purple matte jersey dress hugs your curves in all the right ways. Don't be afraid to wear a clingy dress - if you need some added confidence to pull of this sexy look, layer a pair of Spanx underneath and pile on the accessories over top. I'm envisioning a chunky necklace and an armful of bracelets.



And last, but not least, I think this Kiyonna faux-wrap dress is the same one shown in the magazine. I love the cascading ruffle detail!

Read the entire article in the December 2009 issue of Glamour magazine. It's on page 138.

Photo credits: DavidMeister.com; Kiyonna.com; OneStopPlus.com; Dillards.com

http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/2009/11/9/new-trailer-for-harry-potter-spells-iphone-application

Check ti out! WB has now launched a website containing a new trailer (also here in our video galleries) for the new Harry Potter Spells application for iPhone and iPod Touch, with the applicatiom due to be launched November 16th. At this link you can see many preview images of the various features including dueling, house points, the different spells and more. The Harry Potter Spells applicatio...

http://feeds.tasteofhome.com/~r/taste-of-home/lower-fat-recipes/~3/w_6VT82w5rE/Easy-Parmesan-Biscuits

http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Easy-Parmesan-Biscuits

THIS recipe is simple but so good and a delicious addition to any meal. The children love to dip the ready-made biscuits in butter and coat it with the cheese. Warm from the oven, one biscuit per person usually isn’t enough.

http://feeds.tasteofhome.com/~r/taste-of-home/lower-fat-recipes/~3/LnUAVyYlG9Q/Gooey-Butterscotch-Bars

http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Gooey-Butterscotch-Bars

The name says it all for these bars. With caramels, butterscotch chips and pudding, they’re ooey, gooey and finger-lickin’ good! Sugar cookie mix speeds up prep time during the busy holidays, and the easy recipe makes a big batch!
Carol Brewer - Fairborn, OH

http://feeds.tasteofhome.com/~r/taste-of-home/lower-fat-recipes/~3/mFYLKL4N3Qk/Macaroon-Kisses-3

http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Macaroon-Kisses-3

These cookies are sure to delight the coconut and chocolate lover. The combination is sure to be irresistible to everyone.—Ms. Lee B. Roberts, Racine, Wisconsin

it had clams, white wine, pesto and spaghetti pasta. yumyum