Wishful Thinking
I love fall. Too bad the Northern California weather doesn’t seem to agree with me. Therefore, I will *make* it happen. Even if that means sweating to death in my jeans and adorable flannel shirt, drinking pumpkin lattes when it’s 85 degrees out and burning apple cinnamon candles in my home, despite the a/c running.
So far, none of this has worked. So last Sunday, I pulled out the big guns. It was time to make my momma’s Pumpkin Crunch Cake. Desperate times call for desperate measures, people.
This being the case, I attempted to recall the recipe as best as could, seeing as how my momsie was out of town at the time. Normally, I would just wait to get the correct recipe, but something had to be done about this nonexistent fall season.
I wracked my brain and came up with the main ingredients. Canned pumpkin, yellow cake mix, evaporated milk and BUTTER. Lots and lots of butter.
I also remembered that this was a kind of dump cake, meaning you just mix and bake. Butter and easy? Does it get more *awesome* than that?
So, armed with my foggy memory and cups of butter, I attempted the recipe. Thank heavens, it turned out. Almost as good as my momma’s. Almost.
Pumpkin Crunch Cake
by Sarah’s momma
15 oz. canned pumpkin
10 oz. can evaporated milk
1 c. packed brown sugar
3 eggs
1 t. pumpkin pie spice
1 box yellow cake mix
1 c. butter, melted
1/2 -1 c. chopped walnuts (I used toffee bits as the men folk in my home aren’t fond of walnuts)
Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 9×13 pan. Set aside.
Mix together pumpkin, evaporated milk, eggs, and pumpkin pie spice. Pour into greased pan.
Next, sprinkle yellow cake mix over pumpkin mixture. Drizzle melted butter over the yellow cake mix and sprinkle on the walnuts or toffee bits.
Bake @350 for 40-45 minutes.
Eat heartily and with lots of vanilla ice cream.
We have a winner!
Congrats to Copper’s Wife, the winner of our Third Eye Artisans giveaway! And let me tell you, you couldn’t have won this cozy scarf or beret at a better time. It’s stormy in Nor. Cal right now!
Thanks to all of you who did enter but didn’t win. I’m so thankful that you took the time and effort to show Third Eye some love. And to show *her* appreciation, Julie’s offering everyone who entered free shipping good on the entire purchase of anything in her shop. Just be sure to enter the word ‘GIVEAWAY’ in the message to seller, and she’ll refund you via PayPal.
Giveaway Goodness
Alright, faithful readers. ‘Tis the season for giving, so I thought I’d get myself in the mood by hosting another giveaway! Woot, woot! This time, I’m featuring Julie from Third Eye Artisans and her cozy yarn goodness. Julie’s love for texture and color shine through in her beautiful crocheted pieces, and each item in her shop showcases her love for her craft. And if that wasn’t enough, she’s my momma. Here are a few examples of her fantastic work.
Awesome, yes? I have one of those cowls, and I *love* it. It’s a good day when one can look fabulous while staying warm. Want to learn a bit more about Third Eye? Here’s what Julie has to say about her shop and love of color:
“I must confess that my love of using bright, vivid color began at a less than happy time of my life when I was in the first grade. After being given a ditto page (remember those?) of Abraham Lincoln to color, I excitedly opened my brand new box of Crayola Crayons (back in those days there were only 8). I used every crayon in the box to color my Mr. Lincoln. When I was finished, the teacher held up my paper and used it as an example to the other students of how *not* to color President Lincoln. “Use only black or brown.” she said. I continue to use all of the colors available to me which, thankfully, are way more than eight now. Beige is not in my crayon box either. This is why you see such a variety of items, in a variety of colors and textures, in my shop. With very rare exception, my items are one of a kind (ooak). Everything is my favorite! It’s all I can do to list the pieces after I make them because I want to keep them all!….ARGH!!!! “
So, time to see what you can win! Julie is offering a choice between two of her lovely designs. Take a good look at both and then enter to win below!
First up: the Slouch Beret, a $23 value
Slouch Beret in Taupe, Navy or Plum
or: the Mesh Net Scarf, a $35 value
Mesh Net Scarf in Peacock
Want to enter? Here’s how:
1. Head over to Third Eye Artisans and heart the shop. This is a MANDATORY entry. (1 entry)
2. Like Julie’s Facebook fan page. (1 entry)
3. Follow Julie on Twitter. (1 entry)
4. Follow my blog. (1 entry)
5. Tweet about this giveaway. Simple copy and paste this: Enter to win a #handmade scarf or hat by @thirdeyeonetsy at https://handsfullcreations.wordpress.com/2010/12/08/giveaway-goodness/ (1 entry)
6. ‘Suggest’ Julie’s Facebook fan page to at least 3 friends. (3 entries)
Do not forget to leave a comment on this blog post and tell me which of the above entry forms you have chosen! Feel free to enter as many times as you like, just be sure to leave a separate comment for each entry. Also, be sure to include your email address, or if you prefer, a Facebook, Twitter or Etsy user name where I can contact you. Giveaway starts now and ends on Sunday, December 12th, at 11:59pm PCT. A winner will be randomly selected and notified within 24 hours of the giveaway ending. Have fun and good luck!
Ahoy, there
Certain colors conjure up certain ideas and thoughts, do they not? I mean, when you think of red, white and blue together, you usually think of the good ol’ USA. Black and orange? Green and red? You get the idea. This color combo being featured today always reminds me of all things nautical, and yet I love, love, love it. It’s fresh, crisp and classic. Enjoy!
Navy Blue and Yellow
The Stockholm bag
Button Up Scarf
Set of 3 dishcloths
Joy Ride
Yellow Rose Necklace
organic infant body suit
toddler mittens
Lovely, yes? These colors are classic, timeless, lasting. A true fashionista can’t go wrong when sticking with a combo like this. Hope you enjoyed it! Happy Thursday!
And the winner is…
(drumroll, please) Jenni of Jenni 20 Designs. She has the coolest shop of her own, so be sure to stop by and check it out! Congratulations, Jenni! Send me a convo and let me know which purse you’d like!
Thanks to all of you who did enter but didn’t win. I’m so thankful that you took the time and effort to show me and my little shop some love. And to show my appreciation, I’m offering everyone who entered a 20% discount, good on all items in my shop. Just be sure to enter the word ‘GIVEAWAY’ in the message to seller, and I’ll be sure to refund your 20% via PayPal.
And since this giveaway went so well, I’ll be hosting another one next month. Third Eye Artisans has been kind enough to offer up one of her gorgeous designs, and I can’t wait to see what she chooses to donate. Check out her shop and whet your appetite for some yummy yarn goodness.
Thanks again, to all who participated! You guys are the best! Have a blessed Thanksgiving!
Better late than never
So, today is Friday. We’re going to ignore that, and the fact that I missed last week’s Color Thursday and forge ahead with a new color combination. That’s what you really want anyway, right?
Aqua and Orange
I really should have saved this pair for warmer weather, but I couldn’t resist sharing. I *love* this combination. It’s one of those color pairs that makes me squeal out loud and clap my hands really, really fast. You think I’m joking, don’t you? Enjoy!
Sun and Sea Earrings
Goldfish Mug Rug
Tidal Tangerine Vegan Soap
Crocheted Neckwarmer
Do you feel like clapping you’re hands really, really fast yet?
Little Goldfish Giclee Print
Oh So Chic Coasters
Fiona Ribbon Necklace
The Goldie Bag
Ah. I do love those colors. They make me smile.
So, now that I’ve caught up on our color date, I’m going to give myself a bit of shameless promotion. Be sure to enter my giveaway here. Seriously, enter. You just might win. And then, you could do the selfless thing and give the purse away as a Christmas gift, or do what I would and keep it for yourself. Either way, you come out a winner.
Like free stuff?
Good, because it’s time for my first ever giveaway! Can I get a ‘woot, woot’? And not only do you get a freebie, but you get to choose! Can things possibly get better?
Choice #1. The Melanie Bag in the Red Polka Dot print, a $38 value. Check it out! (Click on the photo for more pics and info)
Choice #2. The Goldie Bag in the Black and White Floral Print, a $42 value.
Want to enter? Here’s how!
1. Head over to my shop and let me know what you like best. (1 entry)
2. ‘Like’ my fan page on Facebook. (1 entry)
3. Follow me on Twitter. (1 entry)
4. Follow my blog. (1 entry)
5. Tweet about this giveaway. (1 entry) You can simply copy and paste this: Enter to win a free #handmade purse by @HandsFullCreate! https://handsfullcreations.wordpress.com/2010/11/16/like-free-stuff/
6. And for all of you who already like me, heart me and follow me, you can ‘suggest’ my Facebook page to friends of yours! Just go to my page, and click the ‘suggest to friends’ tab under my profile pic. You get 3 whopping entries for that, baby!
Do not forget to leave a comment on this blog post and tell me which of the above entry forms you have chosen! Feel free to enter as many times as you like, just be sure to leave a separate comment for each entry. Also, be sure to include your email address, or if you prefer, a Facebook, Twitter or Etsy user name where I can contact you. Giveaway starts now and ends on Sunday, November 21st, at 11:59pm PCT. A winner will be randomly selected and notified within 24 hours of the giveaway ending. Have fun and good luck!
Beds, Bathrooms and other Inspirations
I am fighting this crazy desire to buy paint and wallpaper this morning. It’s a feeling I fight often enough these days, especially since the house I’m living in at the moment has bare, taupe colored walls, just screaming to be updated. No offense to those who like taupe.
Beds for Boys
The room I’m dying to get to these days is my boys’ room. Those of you who know me might be scratching your heads, seeing as how I’ve already painted and designed in there. But, the whole bedding situation has never satisfied me. You see, I have 3 boys. 3 boys who love to be in the same room. 3 boys who love to chat at night when they’re going to sleep, who love to listen to stories on cd together and wake up together. So, even though we now have room for them to have their own rooms, they opted not to separate. You can imagine how this did my momma’s heart good. Anyway, how to manage three twin sized beds in one room is now my dilemma. I have been racking my brain on how to place the beds, on what kind of beds, etc… After 3 months of brainstorming, nothing.
Until last night, when I was perusing flickr. There I was, flickring here and there around my favorite groups of photos and I saw it. The most brilliant idea ever, and it came from bumpercrop.wordpress.com. This chick is a genius. Click on the blog and see for yourself.
So now here I am, totally on fire to hang 3 beds from the wall. Crazy, yes. But I’ve already convinced my poor, long suffering husband of the idea, as well as building me the bed platforms. Thanks, bumpercrop. You are amazing.
Bathroom Idea
The boys have a bathroom in their room. Yes, that is *awesome*. A whole bathroom that they can use as the ‘boy’ bathroom. I’m in heaven. But, it’s a white hole. Nothing but white as far as the eye can see. So, what to do with it?
I’ve fallen head over heels in love with subway tile. It’s very strange to see that in type, but there it is. And yes, those are white too, but, just stick with me. Here’s what I’m thinking. Dark grout. It makes the white tiles stand out fantasticly. Is that even a word? My spell check says no. Anyway, here’s a visual:
And then there’s color. I was thinking black/white/lime green. Something like this:
or this:
Thoughts? Ideas? Too much? Let me know.
Other Inspirations
I bet you all thought I forgot about Color Thursday in my excitement over hanging beds and subway tile. While those are quite distracting, nothing tears my thoughts away from awesome color schemes. Today, for your viewing pleasure, we have:
Plum and Gray
Flower Brooch
Chunky Reversible Cowl
Plum Rose Pillow
Plum Pudding Sterling Silver Necklace
Grey Dresser
Purple Romance
Bee-u-tee-ful, If I say so myself. A bit of a wintery feel, soft yet elegant. And ever so pretty. Enjoy!
These aren’t your momma’s colors
Color Thursday again, and this time, I’m debunking a myth. A myth that rust is a color that should stay in the 70’s. A myth that a rust/brown combo is a thing of the past. I know what you’re thinking. And no, I’m not crazy. This color duo is quite trendy and up to date. I’ll prove it to you.
See Exhibit A
- Simply Sweet Elastic Headband
November Earrings
Recycled T-shirt Rug
Custom Made Tableware
And now for Exhibit B
Two Tone Chunky Cowl
Slimline Journal
Retro Coffee Set
Vintage Cuff Bracelet
Gorgeous together, yes? I tend to think so. Let’s give rust the attention it deserves. No longer will it be associated with polyester and leisure suits. Gone are the days of this color being confined to 30 year old appliances. Embrace rust! It will love you back.
Not just for Christmas anymore
It’s Thursday again. Time for another amazing color combination. This one I received as a suggestion from a friend, and I have to say, it’s a fabulous one. I know what you’re gonna say, cause I used to say it myself. ‘This combo is a holiday thing! No place for it in everyday life!’ Not so, I say now! Let go of your pre-conceived notions and open your mind. You won’t be disappointed. So Dani, this one’s for you!
Green and Red
Avocado Rose Necklace
Framed Flower Wall Hanging
Resting Bike Print
Red Rose Necklace
Still thinking ‘Ho, Ho, Ho’? Okay, here’s a few more.
Mom Tattoo Shirt
Through Cherry Tunnels
Modern Hungary Earrings
Convinced? It’s a combo that can be used year round, so please, for the love of color, don’t stifle it anymore. Let it out! Use it in the summer. I dare you.
Until next week then, get your color on!
My Hands Full 