How to Make Fabric Flowers

I've been having fun making these beautiful little fabric flowers. I got the idea from Martha Stewart and tweaked it with a little sparkle. We all need a little sparkle, right?

These little darlings would be great to decorate just about anything- headbands, hairpins, picture frames, boxes or even to make a bouquet out of. Anything you can think of! And the flower possibilites are equally endless. Use your favorite fabric or ribbon to coordinate with your latest project and pair it with any combination of beads, buttons or other decorative doodad to achieve the right look. Layering flowers of increasing sizes would be a great way to give your project depth! I would tell you what I'm going to do with mine but it's a secret for now!

You can find the full directions at Martha Stewart's article but I'll give you the basic run down. Start with your fabric or ribbon of choice. She recommends using 4 inches of half inch ribbon or 8 inches of inch-wide fabric. You can really play around with these numbers to get the look that you like.

Start by stitching a running stich down one side of the ribbon close to the edge. Normally you would use a coordinating thread color, but this is easier to see. I also did a running stitch on the other side of the ribbon for decoration.

Once you stitch to the end of the ribbon, pull the thread tight to bunch the fabric. You'll be able to see the flower forming now!

Sew up the two ends of the ribbon, making sure to hold the bunching in place so you don't lose your shape. A couple of stitches will be enough to hold it in place. And that's your basic flower shape! You can use some Fray Check on your edges to keep them from unraveling, but check your fabric first to make sure it wont show once it dries.

I personally liked the look of the fabric flowers better because they laid flat instead of poofing up. Perhaps my ribbon was a bit too wide?

Now for the stamen. You can use artificial ones but I like the look of the crystals. Simply take a piece of wire (mine was 26 gage) 3-4 inches long and thread on your bead. Wire color is another place to personalize your flowers, there are a lot of colors available!

Kink the wire above the bead, leaving 3/4-1" tail above the bead.

Then wrap the tail of the wire right under the bead to hold it in place. You may need wire cutters or pliers to get rid of the sharp point of the wire end.

To make the cluster of stamens, take the number of stamens you want to use and position the beads at the height you like. I think it looks best to use and odd number and to stagger the beads a little. Bend the wires in half 1 inch below the beads so that the ends are pointing towards the beads.

To finish, wrap the wire around the center of the bunch, making sure it is below the area that will show on the flower. Now you can slip the wire through the middle of the flower and glue the wire on the back side of the flower and you're done!

How will you use your fabric flowers?

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Tangelo-Blueberry Scones: Happy First Anniversary William and Kate!

Where were you April 29th, 2011 in the wee hours of the morning? If you were like me, you had set your alarm for 4 o'clock in the morning so as not to miss any of the Royal Wedding festivities and were enjoying your homemade scones, especially prepared for the occasion.

Source: Hello Magazine

There is something about royalty that is fascinating. All of the tradition, history and grandeur. Perhaps is was the fairytales as a child? My mother's generation had Princess Grace and Prince Rainier and now we have Duchess Kate and Prince William.

Source: TIME

And what a couple they are. They have a genuine and beautiful romance and who doesn't love that a common girl can become a future queen? But most of all, they've got class- something lacking from most celebrities in the media.

Source: The Telegraph

So in honor of the first anniversary of the royal couple, I have baked delicious Tangelo-Blueberry Scones to enjoy while my tush is glued to the couch watching all of the celebratory programing on BBC America. Here's to you, William and Kate!

I love scones. I'm not a big sweets person so this is the perfect treat for me. They're buttery, slightly sweet and have a nice crumble when you bite into them. They make a great breakfast treat or a snack with your afternoon coffee. And the ingredients are so simple. I always love a blueberry scone and thought that the sweet and zesty flavor of the tangelo would compliment it nicely. Do you ever eat tangelos? They're a cross between a tangerine and a grapefruit and they're my favorite.

To start, you stir up all the dry ingredients for the recipe and rub in two sticks of cubed butter (yes, that's why they're so good!) until a coarse crumb forms. 

My crumb was really not fine enough, it needs to be finer than when you are making a pie crust. I think it helps the dough come together better, since there isn't much liquid.

Next, you stir in the buttermilk and the flavorful fruity additions. I didn't have buttermilk, so I made my own, a little trick I picked up from this post from Yes, I Want Cake (great blog!). Simply put 1 T vinegar into a measuring cup and fill it with milk up to the 1C line. Let site for 5 minutes and you've got buttermilk! Great money-saving tip!

 Now you separate the dough into two discs and cut out the scones! Then they get brushed with a beaten egg and get sprinkled with sanding sugar. I used this big, coarse sugar because I like the crunch it gives them.

As quickly as you got them into the oven they are ready to eat. They're best served warm with a nice cup of tea!

So let's all raise a cup of tea to the Royal Couple! Congrats!

Tangelo-Blueberry Scones

Adapted from Bon Appetit Clementine Scones

• 3 1/2 C flour
• 1/2 C sugar
• 3 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 C chilled, unsalted butter, cut into 1/2" cubes
• 3/4 C buttermilk (or pour 1 tbs vinegar into measuring cup, fill up to 1 C with milk, let stand 5 min to make your own, then use amount needed)
• 2 tbs tangelo zest (5-6 tangelos)
• 1 C blueberries
• 1 large egg, beaten for wash
• Coarse sanding sugar

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix dry ingredients in mixing bowl. Rub the butter into the dry ingredients using your fingers until a coarse crumb forms. 
2. Mix zest into buttermilk. Add buttermilk and blueberries to bowl. Toss until moistened.
3. Form dough into ball and separate into two halves. Form each half into a 3/4" thick round and cut into 8 (or 6) wedges. 
4. Brush each wedge with the egg wash and sprinkle with sugar.
5. Bake for 15 min until tester comes out clean. 

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Breakfast at Ted's Bulletin

I am so happy to be marrying a man who knows the importance of researching and planning out meals before traveling to a new city. Or heck, even on a weekend. You never know what you could be missing if you just grab a bite at the closest joint.

So when D was planning our day trip to Washington, DC, he had one thing set in stone- the meals. After a series of Google searches, he found the perfect place: Ted's Bulletin. With its old-timey feel and fresh, fun menu- this was the perfect place!

The first thing you'll notice when you walk in the door is trays of homemade toaster pastries complete with sprinkles. That's right, you heard me. On the menu that day was strawberry, cherry, brown sugar, blueberry cheesecake and none other than peanut butter bacon. Doesn't that just make you smile??

Making your way to the dining room you pass the amazing bar with authentic Art Deco details that the restaurant salvaged from the Philadelphia Civic Center from 1928, along with the rest of the restaurant's decor. It looks like it belongs in the lobby of an old New York sky scraper. The only detail that keeps you from believing you've stepped back in time is their list of adult, liquor-spiked milkshakes, as well as ones for the kiddos. If only it hadn't been breakfast!

The dining room was equally as charming with an old Shirley Temple movie playing from the projector and the wait staff in crisp, white shirts and ties. My favorite touch was the menu.

Made to look like an old paper from 1928, it showcases not only the menu but clever articles about the restaurant and even old advertisements. So clever!

Now for the good stuff- the food! D decided on The Walk of Shame Breakfast Burrito stuffed with sirloin steak, eggs, hash browns, cheese and green chili sauce. Putting the green chili inside the burrito made all the flavors meld together and gave it great texture. This baby definitely lives up to its name- it would be great after a late night! 

And yes, that is a blueberry cheesecake toaster pastry. It was delicious! The pastry was super buttery and flaky and the not-too-sweet filling was still warm from the oven. Puts Poptarts to shame. I wish we had gotten one in every flavor!

I had the T.U.B.S.- the Ted's Ultimate Breakfast Sandwich. And it was ultimate- I could barely eat half! The crispy Texas toast housed crunchy bacon, sweet and savory sausage, cheese, scrambled eggs and a fried egg. It was huge and tasty! And for my side, I couldn't help ordering the cheese grits. So creamy and cheesy, I didn't dare leave any behind. 

The next time you visit DC or are on Capitol Hill, I highly recommend you check out Ted's Bulletin. Their lunch and dinner menus look awesome and they serve breakfast all day! We made a reservation just in case and quickly got seated, even when the Metro put us an hour behind! 

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How to Take Fabulous Photos: What I've Learned

I am constantly in awe of the amazing photos people put on their blogs. They've got an interesting composition, great picture clarity and perfect lighting. How do they do it? I'm sure a lot of it has to do with a great camera but there has to be more to it. In my search, I found some great tips and tricks that I can use, even with my point-and-shoot Canon Power Shot.

The most useful (and affordable!) trick I found was a great blog posting teaching you how to make your own fold up, tabletop photo studio with white foam board. No more contorting my body to get the the back of the chair or an outlet out of my shot- this fold up studio gives you a clean, white background for showcasing your latest creation. Things are already looking better!

It's even great for draping fabric over for interesting backgrounds. And the white board reflects a lot of light making your pictures bright! Visit the blog here for the super easy instructions- all you need is foam board, tape and a box cutter!

When it comes to what to invest in, this post gave me a great list of must haves. Thankfully it's short- a reflector for more light, a tabletop tripod for steady shots, and a 50mm. The first two I can get easily but for the last, I'll have to get a fancy camera! Some day... some day...

In lieu of buying a reflector now, I found a post that taught me how to make one out of aluminum foil. I covered one of the leftover foam board pieces with foil and left one uncovered. I can position either boards to reflect light at the object I'm trying to shoot- great for those dark areas of the kitchen! This post will give you more information on the specifics and on how to backlight an item.

I'm excited about the great results I got from such easy projects! Someday, hopefully soon, I'll get myself a nice digital SLR camera so I can take amazing photos. I would love to delve into the food styling realm!

Hope I have helped others who have been wondering, "How do they do that?!"!

The links:
The Must List
Fold Up Photo Studio
Foil Reflector

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Giveaway on the Horizon!

Starting May 6th, Blogapalloosa begins! Hosted by Randee at Randee's Organized Chaos, there will be 14 straight days of giveaways from bloggers all over. A great opportunity to find some great reads and get some awesome stuff!

On May 18th, I will be hosting my own giveaway! You could win a gift certificate to my new favorite Etsy store- UUPP. UUPP is full of fresh, uplifting and quirky prints that would brighten your home. Check out the shop now and then make sure to mark your calendar!

"The best way to execute French cooking is to get good and loaded and whack the hell out of a chicken" -Julia Child

Here's a custom print from UUPP that I received for my birthday from a dear friend- isn't it fabulous! 

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Turn Your Waffle Iron into a Panini Press

I had a hankering for a panini the other day. I'm not talking about a grilled sandwich but a pressed sandwich with golden-brown ripples of crunchy texture. Sweet or savory, a panini press takes an ordinary sandwich and turns it into a melty masterpiece.

The problem was, I didn't have a panini maker. And then a lightbulb went off. What if I could use my waffle maker to toast up my ordinary sandwich?

I powered up my waffle maker on the highest setting (an engagement gift from a lovely Belgian woman- get it?) and put my sandwich together. No butter required on a panini (another plus!), the non-stick surface doesn't need it.

I gave the sandwich a good squish and let it cook until the built in timer went off. After about three minutes, I had this golden-brown beauty waiting for me.

Don't let the waffle pattern throw you, the waffle maker worked just as well a specialized sandwich press. The cheese was melted perfectly and it had that great crunch to the bread. I'm still keeping the panini press on our wedding registry, but in the mean time, this works like a charm!

What kind of panini will you toast up? I see Nutella and strawberries in my future...

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My First Feature!

I just started joining link up parties this past week- where bloggers can share all the great things they've made and done throughout the week. This week my Kale and Mascarpone Ravioli was featured on Momnivore's Dilemma! Thanks so much to Nicolette!

Be sure to stop by and check out her great, witty blog!

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A Visit to the Washington, D.C. Zoo

This weekend, D and I celebrated our two year dating anniversary (and our negative one year wedding anniversary!) and he surprised me with a day trip to D.C. In about an hour and a half we can be in the middle of Washington- one of the big perks to moving here! We visited D.C last year during the Cherry Blossom Festival (see it here) so we bypassed the monuments and headed straight to the zoo.

I've been longing to go to the National Zoo and it was even better than I expected. First off, it's HUGE! We were exhausted after looping through the whole park- and we didn't even see everything. The paths are very well done, there are plants and trees everywhere making you forget you're in the middle of a big city. And they have a ton of animals, many of which I had never seen, and all those you expect. But the best part- it's FREE! That's the great part about D.C.- almost all of the places you want to visit have free admission.

My favorite part of the zoo was the birds. You can always find the birds in their cages, unlike some of the animals. And even if they're asleep, they sleep where you can see them. There were so many kinds at the National Zoo and D and I had fun deciding what they were saying and/or thinking. That's my favorite thing to do at the zoo!

Not all the birds there were cute and cuddly- this guy looks absolutely prehistoric. I would be freaked out if this wound up in my backyard!

Much prettier were the flamingos, their long necks contorted for sleep. 

By far the best part of the bird exhibit was the outdoor aviary- I've never seen anything like it.You walk into this huge, net-covered structure and there are birds on land and water all around you. Even peacocks. 

We turned the corner at just the right time to see this one showing off it's feathers. Just amazing!

The peacock was gorgeous but my favorite bird was this little duck. This pint-sized guy was just so cute that I wanted to take him home in my purse, especially when he was swimming in circles trying to scratch his tush. 

Darren's favorite part was the orangutans. Their faces are so expressive, we had fun putting words into their mouth. And that hair! Surely they were the inspiration for Chewbacca.

The most surprising animal for me was the Komodo dragon. I knew they were deadly but I didn't realize how HUGE they were. I'd hate to see one of those coming after me!

Over all, it was a great park though we didn't see all of the exhibits. I would suggest skipping the Amazon and Invertebrate exhibit or at least saving them for last. They were a bit of a let down and I wish we would have seen some of the other animals instead.

So next time you visit Washington, D.C., remember that it's not all monuments! There are some great animals waiting to see your happy faces.

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