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This may not be a new discovery to most people out there, but it’s new to me.  Bakerella’s Red Velvet Cake Balls!  How have I missed the whole Cake Ball revolution, lead by Bakerella herself?  I don’t know!!  I claim dessert ignorance.  Just in case you have also missed the Cake Ball boat, here’s how you make them.

Red Velvet Cake Balls
1 box red velvet cake mix (cook as directed on box for 13 X 9 cake)
1 can cream cheese frosting (16 oz.)
1 package chocolate bark (regular or white chocolate)
wax paper

1. After cake is cooked and cooled completely, crumble into large bowl.  Reserve about a 1/2 a cup of the cake to use as a garnish.

2. Mix thoroughly with 1 can cream cheese frosting. (It may be easier to use fingers to mix together, but be warned it will get messy.)

3. Roll mixture into quarter size balls and lay on cookie sheet. (Should make 45-50. You can get even more if you use a mini ice cream scooper, but I like to hand roll them.)

4. Chill for several hours. (You can speed this up by putting in the freezer.)

5. Melt chocolate in a double boiler.  I like this method rather than the microwave method. The chocolate stays warm and is easier to work with.                                                                

6. Roll balls in chocolate and lay on wax paper until firm. (Use a spoon to dip and roll in chocolate and then tap off extra.) 

Garnish

Set the reserved 1/2 of cake out on the counter to dry out while chilling the cake balls.  After it has dried a little, place in the food processer.  Pulse three times quickly.  Use the cake crumbs to garnish the cake balls right after they have been dipped in the chocolate so that it will adhere to the chocolate.  Enjoy!!

Heather

This gorgeous “tree trend” is the hottest thing right now for weddings & events! They are a wonderful natural base for any occasion or home decor. I have always sported natural, dried curly willow in huge vases in my home on tables and in corners. During the holidays I like to hang various items from their branches such as Easter eggs, snowflakes, bats (Halloween), or silk flowers for normal months.

 

These trees (and the crystals that we use in these photos) consumed much of our LA trip! How happy we were to find exactly what we were looking for! If you are interested in renting them for events or purchasing one or more for your home, please e-mail me & I will be happy to assist!

Erin

Call me silly, but when I heard the term brooch in the past it conjured up visions of my Grandmother and her mink stole.  Not exactly the look I am going for.  When I found The Brooch Boutique on Etsy I fell in love, and my visions of Grammy were quickly erased.  

This shop is run by a cute young Mom named Mette, who lives in Denmark with her husband and cute son.  She has a degree in Italian language/literature and ancient Greek studies.  Don’t you wish you could be her?  Educated, creative, can’t you just picture her sitting around reading classic Italian literature crafting beautiful flower brooches and sipping peppermint tea?  Ah, the life.

Needless to say, I fell in love and had to have one.

This is my tasty little morsel.  Isn’t it divine?  It has the power to raise any outfit to Grace Kelly level just by adding it to the ensemble.  Drool, drool.  You too can have a beautiful brooch from Mette.  Visit her shop, The Brooch Boutique, you too will fall in love!

Oh, and don’t think I forgot!  Congrats to Emily N. you are the winner of this week’s Divine Twine giveaway!  Congrats!!

Heather

I love to papercraft. So that means I love paper. There are many different types of paper out there, and I love them all! Different types of projects call for different types of paper, and believe me, it makes a difference.

But then one day I heard about Ellie Pooh Paper. Yes, Ellie Pooh. What is this paper made from? You guessed it… elephant poop! And no, I’m not kidding. Believe me, the name alone was sufficient to have me wrinkling my nose and turning my head. But the idea intrigued me enough to cause me to peek back over my shoulder for a second look. I’m so glad I did!

The story behind this paper is heart warming. Sri Lankan elephants are in danger. They are ruining the farmers’ crops, so the farmers are killing them by the thousands! The great people of project Maximus wanted to step in, but they needed money and didn’t have a lot of resources. What they did have was a lot of waste–elephant waste that is! Why not turn it into a sustainable resource, like beautiful paper? What a great idea!

Since elephants are vegetarian, their leavings are basically raw cellulose. When thoroughly cleaned and processed, the cellulose is transformed into Ellie Pooh Paper, a uniquely beautiful product that has been dyed into many beautiful colors, and dried in the Sri Lankan sun. And buying this paper helps to save the elephants of Sri Lanka! How ‘bout that?

So now that you know there’s nothing to turn your nose up at (and no it doesn’t stink!), take a look at this gorgeous paper. It is soft and malleable, thick and cushiony, and has a linen/papyrus-like texture. It is processed naturally so it is 100% acid free. Countless creative possibilities are waiting to be explored. It’s easy to tear, dry emboss, ink, and shape.

 

I made a couple of cards, and excluding the buttons, string, and raffia, they are made completely from Ellie Pooh paper. Soon I will post a tutorial on how to make the festive paper flower!

You can read more about the story behind this paper at Mr. Ellie Pooh’s website.

I would love to hear from you, so leave me a comment and tell me what you think of my paper find!

Don’t forget, today is the final day to enter this week’s Giveaway!

Emily