Birthday Sewing Chest

Look what my sweet husband bought me for my birthday. It's a vintage sewing chest from craigslist. I love it! The top needs refinished but the inside ... it's pristine! Look at all the sweet wood drawers for notions. Then one door holds large spools of thread, the other has a pocket for goodies. The special bonus is the large tilt-out bin for fabric. Now I just have to reorganize my stuffed office/sewing room to find the perfect spot!

Thank you Mikey!

Flirty Apron Received!

SQUEALLLLLLLLLLL~~~ Look at what arrived! Debye was my partner and the gorgeous apron package she crafted arrived on Friday. Isn't this beautiful???The sweet pocket has a removable brooch! The skirt has a flirty ruffle! My "paper products" are personalized recipe cards and labels! And notice that it totally matches my birthday outfit, down to the cherry necklace -- I did not change but snapped this pic the second I got home. Happy Birthday to me!! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU Debye!!

Happy Birthday Giveaway

Happy Birthday to me on the 30th!! I love birthdays and I love contests. In fact, I recently won another blogger's Birthday Contest, and I have a cool apron coming all the way from Australia. So, I've decided to do the same thing, and give YOU a gift for my birthday!! Plus, I'm only a few posts away from my 200th Post! Doesn't that sound like reason enough for a contest?

So, just leave me some sort of sweet, totally unexpected, birthday comment and also let me know which gift you'd like to receive. Make sure I have some way to reach you (so your blogger profile needs to be public so I can leave a comment on your blog or add your email address in your comment, too). Feel free to spread the news; winner will be randomly chosen next Friday the 6th of June.

Crochet-related: My totally whimsical Toast Love purse

Sewing-related: A pair of custom-made Flirty-Not-Dirty rubber gloves similar to those pictured (also the only thing for sale in my new Etsy shop)

Cupcake-ish: A fun little kit with cupcake cookbook, silicone muffin "tin" and silicone spatula (picture coming)

Crazy Apron Weekend!

I am so pleased at all the sewing I was able to accomplish this long weekend. Thank goodness for Oregon rain! In addition to finishing a long-overdue swap apron and my two test aprons (Lola/Lolita), I also cut out and completed my Apronista swap rick-rack apron (no pictures until she get's it - sorry), AND my Sassy Summer Apron swap apron. THAT one I can show. I combined several pieces from different patterns and made a few adjustment to allow for the amount of fabric I purchased. It's so cute! I love the swimsuit print for summer, the freshness of polka dots and the added zip of the red ruffled hem. What do YOU think?

New Aprons!

I am happy to report there are a few new aprons around the Cupcake household!

I was recently pleasantly surprised to be asked to test the new Lola/Lolita pattern from Sew Liberated (formerly Montessori by Hand), the designer of the now-famous Emmeline Apron pattern. It is such a sweet pattern and has mother/daughter sizes, so there's now one for me and one for littlest T. Check it out:









Then, I received my swap from the Apronista Summer Swap -- ric-rac (or is it rick-rack) was the only required element. Look at what wonderful gift I've received! Don't you think Lorrie hit a home run? It's a ruffled and flirty half-apron made in gorgeously whimsical fabrics with loads of rick-rack, a tapered waistband and she tucked little goodies into the pocket. Aren't I spoiled? Thank you so much, Lorrie!! Even with all my aprons, I have nothing like it! I'm really going to enjoy this apron.

Treats at Work

I wish I were a better food photographer! Here are the adorable Cupcake Bites I made for the orange-Iron-Chef-wannabe competition at work. The original idea is at Bakerella's blog.



1. Crumbled white cake with cream cheese frosting and orange extract mixed in.
2. Melted chocolate bark placed into new Wilton Peanut Butter Cup Mold.
3. The cake bites dipped into the bark and frozen briefly.
4. Finally, cover bites with candy melts, sprinkles and a red M&M.

To Read List

One of my former swap partners, Natalie in England, follows the "Richard & Judy Book Club". I read several of their selections last year (all I could get from my American libraries) and I think I'll try it again. I love to read but have a tough time finding interesting books sometimes. Hopefully, most will be to my tastes.

The 2008 Books are:

1. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
2. Random Acts of Heroic Love by Danny Scheinmann
3. Rose of Sebastopol by Katharine McMahon
4. A Quiet Belief in Angels by Roger Jon Ellory
5. Notes from an Exhibition by Patrick Gale
6. Then We Came to the End by Joshua Ferris
7. Visible World by Mark Slouka
8. Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones
9. Blood River by Tim Butcher
10. The Welsh Girl by Peter Ho Davies
    

If anyone has a Christian recommended reading list, I'd love to have it, too!!

Happy Mothers Day!

I made treats for my nursery workers today. Since Mom died in 1997, I couldn't celebrate the day with her so this was my little way of making something special in her name. The ever-popular Red Velvet Cake Balls were, once again, a big hit! I, of course, wore the new apron I received in the "Mothers Work Is Never Done" apron swap and made sure everyone was aware that tomorrow is "National Wear Your Apron Day".

While I didn't receive breakfast in bed, Trevor gifted me with a hummingbird feeder as I requested (an even-nicer version than I expected), Tara and BF Corey came and took little T and me to a wonderful lunch at the Outback after church, Mike made a quick dinner when he got home from work, and Teressa is still cleaning the kitchen after my two-day candy-making adventure. AND, I took a nap! What a lovely day!!

Sneak Peek of Fabric

I'm testing a matching mother/daughter apron pattern ... check out this cute brown with pink toile fabric my daughter helped me choose. Picture white bias tape and pink ric-rac added to this:

Come Swap with Me!!

I don't know if all my dear friends are aware, but I occasionally sew in addition to my other crafty and cooking pursuits. A couple of months ago I started a swap on my blog where strangers all signed up and agreed to make an apron for a complete stranger and receive one in return. It was a huge hit! Just over 55 women crafted flirty-guaranteed-to-make-you-smile aprons for strangers and received little packages of love in return.

So, do you sew at all? Are you enchanted, like I am, by the cute aprons, patterns and fabric available? If so, please join me!! I have a contest all ready to go, too, so at least do that even if you don't want to commit to sending a package. Here's the message I sent to the participants of my first swap. Follow the links and join me!! You'll make some new friends along with way, I know. Crafting is such a fun release for me!

OH YEAH -- I forgot to mention that Monday the 12th (yes this Monday) is National Wear Your Apron Day. If you decide to wear your apron in public (it would be easier if you had joined my first swap but...), email me a picture of you in your apron and I'll post it on the swap blog!!


I had so much fun, I'm ready to start round two! The contests are back! The fun in-progress photos are back! The flirty aprons are back!!

I procrastinated a wee-bit so you will only have a 10-day window to sign-up. As an incentive to promote our fun swap, you can earn several entries in our first giveaway for THIS amazing apron from Lana's Sassy Apron shop:Flirty Apron Swap II – Celebrating Independence
Last Day to Sign Up: May 15
Last Day to Mail Packages: June 15

Visit the re-designed Flirty Apron Swap blog for all the details!! Aprons are not restricted to only red/white/blue. Everyone who signs up for the Celebrating Independence swap will be invited to be a contributing author, to post pictures and other entries. I hope you'll join me again for some summer fun!!
~Shawnee
PS - I still have room for two more sponsors if you'd like to advertise your website/Etsy shop.

Beelicious is Amazing!!

I adore swapping with friends!! I've participated in a quite a few swaps with strangers, many of whom have become friends, but most appreciate swapping with someone I know. My buddy (from swapping) is Laura/Beelicious and she organized a Crazy for Cupcakes Apron Swap. I was so lucky that the randomly-generated assignment selected me to receive her package! LOOK what I picked up at the post office last night!!!!
This is the most adorable Cupcake Smock apron. I do not have ONE apron in this style. Check out the detailing ... embroidered cupcake (sweet!), and the two different decorative stitches used on the pocket are to die for!!

And she tucked in the best gifts! I've been drooling over this sewing basket at Joann and have felt so strong for resisting! Now I know why -- Laura already had it for me. I've NEEDED a basket for so long. And, she stuffed it full of cupcake and sewing goodness: muffin liners, sprinkles, cotton yarn that has a sprinkled look, a cupcake punch for scrapping, decorative measuring tape ribbon for scrapping, tea and cupcake buttons, pink rick-rack, and I-heart-2-sew charm, cupcake iron rhinestone transfer (rrwwwooowwww), cupcake scrapping stickers and printed felt squares. THANK YOU SO MUCH!! I am SUPER spoiled!

I can't wait to hear from my partner I sent to. Her package also arrived yesterday, so I hope she's had time to open it up!

Another Apron - Chocolate/Coffee Lover

Here's my latest swap apron, this time for my partner in the First Name Profile Swap. She loves chocolate and coffee, so here we are. I love the chocolate truffles/candies fabric by Robert Kauffman! The pattern for this cutie was sent to me as a gift from my dear friend Laura/Beelicious; wasn't that sweet?!?