Smiley's Sweets and Creations

Still Sweet! | Sacramento Photographer

2012-01-14T22:54:00.000-08:00

Hey there, Sweet Readers! I am so glad you are here! As you may have noticed, I haven't been baking quite as much since I started my photography business full swing. I am loving photography as yet another wonderful and creative outlet. It's an amazing and rewarding job! I still do bake, and will hope to post here from time to time, and I would love for you to enjoy the images and sweets here from years past. As you check in, you may see some new creations, and I can't wait to hear what you think! In the meantime, be sure to check the sidebar for some of the favorites of readers and other blogs that have featured my goodies.

If you are so inclined to enjoy another type of beauty in photography, I'd love for you to visit me! You can find me on my photography website at Lisa Smiley Photography, at my blog, and on my Facebook Photography page. I would really love to meet you there, so please drop by, become a friend and say hi!

Thanks for checking in..stay tuned for more goodies and stay sweet! Lisa

BabyQ Cupcakes {Sacramento and Santa Rosa Maternity & Newborn Photographer}

2011-06-30T14:55:00.000-07:00

Hello Sweet Readers! I know, it has been far too long since you have heard from me. I have baked, and I will show you some of it in the weeks to come, but regrettably, I didn't even get pictures of it all! Life has been busy and, as some of you know, my other part time job as a photographer takes up much of my baking time these days. However, my family will never do without, and I am still taking some orders here and there, so hopefully I can post more regularly. Thanks for being patient :)

So, here are some of the very yummy red velvet and cookies and cream cupcakes that I made for a baby shower last month. You can see more of the pictures here. I made the toppers also, out of fondant, to match the theme of the party. They were sooo good! The cookies and cream are one of my favorites to date.

If you are interested, you can see the rest of the maternity shoot here.

I love the little duckies. So cute!

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you have a wonderful Holiday weekend!!

Las Vegas Cupcakery | Retro Bakery | A Review

2011-05-13T16:32:00.000-07:00

On our trip to Las Vegas a few weeks ago, I knew I had to stop by Retro Bakery. Since I started blogging, I have loved following them and their flavors always looked so yummy! I was rather surprised they were about 25 minutes from the Strip, but I have to say, it was worth it! The cupcakes were delicious! The bakery was cute, and the gals working there were very nice. I didn't get to meet the owners (see the photo of their adorable canvas below), but when I mentioned I came all the way from California, I was able to snag one of the Hop Scotch cupcakes that I was dying for!

So what did we get to try? Well, I wanted to try salted caramel crunch REALLY badly, but it was out and so was the milk and cookies :( But the other one on my list to try..probably first on my list was the Hop Scotch, which is a "Vanilla cake topped with vanilla buttercream dipped in butterscotch ganache" and their best selling cupcake. We also tried Mint Chocolate Chip, Maple Bacon and Sprinkled doughnut.

This is how we shared them. As a family of four, we each chose a cupcake and then got two pieces of our choice. Then we got to try the rest. The best? Definitely the Hopscotch. Ohh myyy goodness, it was good! The cake was moist and flavorful and the combo of the amazing buttercream and the ganache was just out of this world.

The second best to me was the Mint chocolate chip. Again, the cake was moist (as were they all...and that is a hugggeee thing for me). The buttercream was refreshing and just the right amount of mint. The maple bacon was good, but not crazy good. I like the idea and have always wanted to try such a cupcake. Inside, there was a sweet center with maple flavoring, which was good. The buttercream topped with the bacon bits was also flavorful and yummy. The only thing that didn't thrill me was the bits of bacon in the cupcake. Just didn't work for me, but I'm sure it can work for some.

The sprinkled doughnut was yummy. I love the idea and it really tasted like a doughnut. The sprinkles were fun for the kids and the ganache under it was perfect, but as you know, I love me my buttercream and there wasn't any on this one, so it came in fourth for me.

I am so glad I got to try Retro Bakery on our trip. Definitely make it a stop if you are in Vegas and treat yourself to some wonderfully moist and flavorful cupcakes!

MSC: Chai Tea Mini Cupcakes

2011-04-18T14:57:00.000-07:00

Hello Sweet Readers! This month's Martha Stewart cupcake is the Chai Tea mini cupcake from the book. As you all know by now, I am a big frosting fan. Do you see these? Just a glaze. The cupcakes were flavored well; I liked the spices used that mimicked Chai Tea. However, even undercooking them per the instructions, some were too dry and even with the glaze were a tad lack-luster. Others gave them better reviews, but that's just frosting-loving me. As my husband says, "cupcakes are mere frosting conduits". This is not always the case for me, but it's generally true!

Hope you are having a great week so far!

Spring is Poppin' Up Good Things!

2011-04-12T13:36:00.000-07:00

Happy Spring, Sweet Readers! I wanted to share my latest (in what has unfortunately become a rare experience these days) baking adventure. You have seen these here many many times in many forms, but I just loved the color of these little cupcake truffles (AKA cake pops). They are red velvet with some yummy vanilla cream cheese frosting. I just love the way the pink and purple go so well with the jewel tone sprinkles. They make me smile. Hope they do the same for you!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2011-03-16T12:52:00.000-07:00

Hello Sweet Readers! We are going green in preparation for St. Patty's day! Here is one special Pistachio Irish Cream cupcake with a wee bit of green food coloring that I made for this special day last year. I topped it with green and white swirl vanilla buttercream, a fondant shamrock, and a fondant pot filled with coconut cream "gold" and gold sugar. I wanted to share this even though I didn't get a chance to bake them again this year..it was just too fun to resist!

Have a great St. Patty's day! Oh, and don't forget to check out the post below if you are interested in winning a free photo session with me. The drawing will take place Friday, March 18th, so get your entries in soon!

New Website and Giveaway for You! {Sacramento Photographer}

2011-03-08T13:47:00.000-08:00

I am thrilled to announce that my new website is launching today! I can't wait for you all to see it and I hope that it answers questions, gives you inspiration, and motivates you to get those cherished images captured!

This is so exciting for me and I want to share my excitement with you! So I am offering a giveaway as a special incentive for you to head on over to my website and check it out! I'd love to know what you think! What am I offering you a chance to win? A free session with me!

And what do you have to do to enter this giveaway? First, please head on over to my new website (you can also access the website through the "website" tab above, or through the "info" section on my Facebook business page) and take a look around. There is lots of information for those of you who have been wondering what Lisa Smiley Photography is all about. There are examples of my work, tidbits about me and my philosophy and inspiration, and other fun goodies to share. Head over and browse on through it! Then, click on the link to my Facebook business page and become a "liker", leaving me a comment that you either are a new fan or a continuing fan. If you would like to leave some love, feel free! Lastly, go to my photography blog, and leave some love, telling me that you have checked out my website, "liked" me on Facebook, and what you would use your winning session with me for. Do you want to capture your family? Your child alone and in the beauty of Spring? You as a couple? You are also welcomed to tell me what you liked most about the website. That's it! I will do a random drawing next week, so don't delay! Get your entry in soon! Only entries that have complied with the details above will be counted in the random drawing.

Thanks for your time and support! I can't wait to hear from you!

*The free session is valued at $150. If you win and you would like a newborn session or a session with more than four people, the $150 will be credited toward your session! The free session giveaway is for the session fee only. The session must take place before April 30, 2011. You may win if you are not in the Sacramento and surrounding areas, but you must be willing to travel to within 30 miles of Sacramento by April 30, 2011.

Happy Belated Valentine's Day!

2011-02-15T10:45:00.000-08:00

Hello Sweet Readers! I hope you all had a fabulous Valentine's Day!

For those of you who read "Wine Spectator", you may recognize this chocolate tart from the most recent issue. It was featured as one of a few decadent chocolate desserts for this month. How was it? OK. Why just OK? Well, to begin with, the recipe was WAY off. The crust made way to much and the filling made not only 3 times the size of the tart pan, but took about 4 times longer to cook...and that was just a third of it in the pan. I am sure they will be getting comments to the editor about this one. It was tasty in the end, but not really worth the frustration and effort that resulted from the inadequate recipe. So, it's pretty, but definitely wait for the new recipe they will undoubtedly be sending out!

Chocolate Praline Cake

2011-01-31T13:52:00.000-08:00

Hello Sweet Readers!
I went to a dental appointment last week and my hygienist recommended this cake. It's a chocolate praline cake. Sounded great so I gave it a whirl. It was tasty, but as a frosting gal, the addition of just a bit of sweetened whipped cream just didn't do it for me. Now, if you want to just eat the cake for breakfast, by all means, this is your go to, but for a die hard like myself, bring on the thick frosting...even over the pralines! I know some of you are stronger than I and can actually eat a cake without buttercream of some sort. More power to you - you would love this one, I'm sure! Happy Baking!

Happy Birthday, Son!

2011-01-24T15:16:00.000-08:00

Hello Sweet Readers! No, I haven't fallen off the face of the Earth. I haven't been baking much at all, but will be in the near future, so stay tuned!

I did get to bake last week, though. It was my son's 10th birthday last Friday and I made him this dark chocolate three layer birthday cake. He has a loose theme from "How to Train Your Dragon", so I asked him to draw Toothless so I could attempt a hand cut out of the dragon with chocolate fondant. He was very pleased. It's rough, but he's a 10 year old who is easy to please in this way.

The cake was filled with raspberry puree sauce and delicious ganache. It was enjoyed by all. Personally, I could have had it a bit moister, but then, I am the one who is just a tad picky about my desserts.

Thanks for stopping by!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

2010-12-19T20:53:00.000-08:00

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a very Blessed and Happy New Year! Thank you for coming in and checking back often with Smiley's Sweets and Creations. I hope to give you more to look at in 2011, but you can also visit me at my other blog if you need a fix of something pretty!

Have a blessed time with you and yours!

Birthday!

2010-12-17T10:14:00.000-08:00

It was my birthday yesterday! I was showered with love from friends and family. Just wanted to share this yummy treat I received at a dinner my girlfriends treated me to. Yum! Hope your week is going well!

I Heart Faces - Pets

2010-12-12T23:04:00.000-08:00

The challenge over at I heart faces this week is "Pets". I had a few in mind, but this one, I just love. Both subjects are so sweet, innocent and adorable, I just couldn't resist. There are some great, great photos over on the blog to see if you love animals, so be sure to check them out! Thanks for stopping by!

Holiday Bokeh - And Remembering Last Year

2010-12-09T14:09:00.000-08:00

I just love bokeh and when I saw this holiday bokeh party over at a fun new blog I found (Life with my 3 Barbarians), I wanted to share this image from the yummy baking time of yester-year. I have been crazy busy with my photography business and life and have had very little time to bake. This is so sad for me. But alas, I have pictures to remember last year and hope that I can get to some baking again!

Thanks, Robyn, for the blog referral!

I Heart Faces - Self Portrait

2010-12-06T21:21:00.000-08:00

Ooh, this was a toughie. Though I am a photographer, I am not the biggest fan of pictures of myself...especially taking pictures of myself! So I guess you could say this really is a challenge for me :) I took this particular photo while taking the "finding your joy" workshop with Willette. I just like how the wind kicked up and blew my hair while this one shot. I also got a call while doing this little project. Hence, the phone open on speaker phone..ha ha. I am a multi-tasker through and through!

I wholeheartedly agree that we, as the photographers and most often times, the real record and memory keeper in the family, should make it a point to get ourselves in many photos. Our family needs to remember us when we are gone...and they will appreciate it. So I am getting better at handing my camera off to make sure I am in a photo or two at an event. It doesn't always happen, but I try!

Make sure to check out all of the other fun submissions by clicking the link box below!

I Heart Faces - Orange!

2010-11-08T10:34:00.000-08:00

The theme for this week’s I Heart Faces challenge is “Orange.”

I just had to include my favorite chair in this challenge! It has served me well...just love it! (Thanks to a wonderful neighbor who lets me steal it here and there!) The beautiful model also has a very gorgeous shade of red/orange that I think makes the photo pop, too! You can see more of it in this post from my photography blog!

Be sure to stop by I Heart Faces to see many more entries for “Orange”

Chocolate Raspberry Torte

2010-10-29T21:28:00.000-07:00

Hello Sweet Readers!
Last weekend, we went to a wonderful dinner party with some great friends. I was blessed to bring the dessert and here it is! I had to make this recipe when I saw it in "Cooks Illustrated" this month. And let me tell you, it was divine! It was rich, and moist and decadent. It consisted of two yummy torte layers with raspberry filling that were then drenched in ganache and toasted almonds. This recipe is a keeper...go try it! (and many thanks to my MIL for the subscription to this great cooking magazine...love it!)

MSC: Snickerdoodle Cupcakes!

2010-10-15T15:00:00.000-07:00

Hello Sweet Readers!

Thanks for checking in today! I just finished the MSC of the month and wanted to post it asap so I didn't miss the day. These are snickerdoodle cupcakes. They are delicious. They are moist and light, with a cinnamon taste that is not too overpowering. I had to change the frosting that it called for though. She wanted us to pair it with 7 minute frosting, which is not a favorite, so instead I made some cinnamon cream cheese frosting. Delish! Sprinkled with some cinnamon sugar and we are good to go! They taste like fall...even if it is 90 degrees out!

Sweet Litte Minis

2010-09-28T10:29:00.000-07:00

Hello Sweet Readers!
Just wanted to pop in and share these sweet little cinnamon mini cupcakes I made last week to bring to a get together at church. They were delish and I just love the cuteness of the purple frosting and sprinkles! Thanks for stopping by!

MSC: Cookies & Cream Cheescakes - not Cupcakes!

2010-09-15T15:53:00.000-07:00

Hello Sweet Readers! Here is this month's installment of the Martha Stewart Cupcake Club! And it's not even a cupcake. It's actually cookies and cream cheesecake, mounted on an oreo cookie! It is delicious and super fast to prepare. It got rave reviews from the family. I'm just wondering why she put it in the cupcake book. Just because you put something in a cupcake wrapper doesn't make it a cupcake..or does it? Hmm, it's a question to be pondered for the ages! :)
Have a great week!

Happy Birthday and Blogoversary Cupcake Cake!

2010-09-08T22:05:00.000-07:00

Hello faithful, sweet readers! Not only have I neglected your need for beautiful sweet postings, but I neglected my blog's own blogoversary! So sorry! I have been busy with my family, doing work over on the other side (My photography blog), making some fun appearances ( Check it out! ), and taking some neat courses and have not been able to post as much as usual. Heck, I haven't been able to bake as much as usual. I will try to keep them coming, I promise!

So here is a post with a birthday cake I made for a dear friend. It's red velvet, as requested, and I am happy to report that it was so cherished it was eaten again the very next day..for breakfast. I love those stories!

I guess we can call it a happy anniversary cake, too, since we all missed the blogoversary here. It's been 2 years!

So stay with me if can. I still bake and still love ya! (but if you care to see more of my other art, do visit me on my photography blog..I'd love to see some of you on the other side!)

FREE Back to School Photo Session for your Child! Get your session booked now!

2010-08-24T17:52:00.000-07:00

I am pleased to announce a FREE

Back to School and Welcome Fall Photo Shoot Opportunity!

Tired of the same old standard kid's school pictures with that horrible standard background and the forced smile that they take at school? We have the perfect solution! On two separate days in September,

Lisa Smiley Photography and It’s a Small World Children’s designer wear boutique in Pavilions (502 Pavilions Lane, Sacramento) are pairing up to offer a FREE back to school photo session event so you won't be forced to buy those school pictures that don't capture the real essence and personality of your child. Babies and toddlers are welcome too!

So what do you have to do for the free session? Just spend $100 in the store and sign up for your free session!*

It's a Small World has adorable clothing and goodies from newborn to size 12.

Two dates are available September 10 &18.

I will be hosting the 15 minutes sessions from 10am-12pm , so be sure to make your purchase and get your session booked soon. They will fill up fast!

Go by the store to set your appointment or call 916-213-6753 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 916-213-6753 end_of_the_skype_highlighting (or email me @ lisasmileyphotography@gmail.com) for more information!

BEE good! Happy Birthday to sweet K!

2010-08-22T17:07:00.000-07:00

I made this cute little cake for a good friend of mine's sweet baby K who turned one. She provided an invitation for me and I went with it. I love how it turned out! Now if only the little girl didn't steal all the cake's thunder! She was just too cute for words! Happy birthday K!

Have a great week, sweet readers!

MSC: Triple Citrus Cupcakes

2010-08-15T06:00:00.000-07:00

Hello Sweet Readers! Here is the latest installment of the Martha Stewart Cupcake Club! This month's flavor was chosen by Marthe over at Culinary Delights.

I was excited to make these cupcakes. They sounded so refreshing and wonderful. However, I was not impressed. The recipe was a bit strange in that it took 9 whole eggs for just a single batch! When the cuppies where done, they tasted a bit dense, were a bit dry, and were not as refreshing as I would have expected. The reviews from the family were just so-so. The glaze was nice with them. It was just a basic lime glaze, though, not your normal yummy buttercream. I won't make these again, but there are many more to try!

You can check out Marthe's review at the link above and the other club members at the official MSC site and see what they thought of this recipe.

A Sweet Birthday for My Niece

2010-08-09T11:59:00.000-07:00

Hello Sweet Readers! I have been soooo bad about posting over here! Please accept my apologies. I have been baking a bit less since starting my photography business (Check it out!), but I haven't meant to neglect you over here. So, while I would love for you to also follow me over at my photography blog, I will still be posting here, just a bit less. I am still doing my 365, too, just wayyy behind on that. I am sure many of you can relate :)

So here are some cuppies I made for my niece's birthday. She requested chocolate on chocolate. There was no theme, so I went with simple and elegant.

Have a sweet week~ and please do check out my photography blog and also my fan page on Facebook! I would love to see you there! (Facebook link)

I Heart Faces - Purple!

2010-07-26T16:47:00.000-07:00

This is my entry for this week's challenge over at I Heart Faces. The challenge is "Purple". I couldn't resist this sweet little baby (one of an adorable set of twins) with this gorgeous purple petal hat!

Make sure to follow the button below to other fun "purple" photos fro this week's challenge!

MSC: Flourless Chocolate Cupcakes

2010-07-15T11:03:00.000-07:00

Welcome to July's Martha Stewart Cupcake Club! This month, Bella Baker chose the cupcake and it was delicious! It really didn't look like much. It was all caved in and flat, but wow, did it taste good. It was rich and dense with a nice little crackle. Top it off with some fat free Breyers (amazing stuff) and it was a cool summertime treat. Great choice. They were definitely different from your average cupcake, but super yummy nonetheless.

Please Help! Blogger is not allowing me to upload!

2010-07-12T17:04:00.000-07:00

I am seeking advice from all of you sweet readers out there! When I try to upload photos, I get the message "server rejected" under them and it doesn't upload. This happens on both blogs. Does anyone know how to solve this crazy problem??!! Thank so much!

Luau Cupcakes

2010-07-11T00:11:00.000-07:00

OK, Sweet Readers, while we are waiting for Blogger to get it's act together with accepting my photos, here are some that I had already uploaded :) These are some fun jumbo cupcakes I made for a friend's twins' birthday. The twins are a boy and a girl, and the theme was Luau, so I made the cupcakes for each of them to match the theme. Hope you like! Have a sweet week!

Project 365, Weeks 25 and 26- postponed due to blogger issues :(

2010-07-10T23:57:00.000-07:00

Hello Sweet Readers,
You have been very patient. I have been on vacation and haven't posted in awhile and now I have much to catch up on! I am going to combine two weeks of Project 365 here and I have a confession to make. I missed a day! Eek! I kept reminding myself to take a picture..but it never happened. It felt really weird to miss it. But no worries, I have forgiven myself and I'm sure you will too :) So, without further ado, here begins weeks 25 and 26:
...actually, there will be further ado, since blogger is not allowing me to upload photos :( I keep getting the message "server rejected" when I try to upload. If anyone knows a fix for this, please do tell! Thanks so much!

Have a great week!

Project 365, Week 24

2010-06-26T22:44:00.000-07:00

Hi Sweet Readers! I have been swamped baking and shooting, and I am a week behind on getting out my project 365, so here is a quickie...not even in order, but they are all there! I hope you like! Have a great week!

June 19 - celebrating E's Bday. The "band" as they have been since dubbed.

June 20, Father's day..on the shores of Donner Lake..taken by budding photog (my 7 year old)

Same Day, Same Shores

June 17 - the fabulous and fun G family! (see pics from rest of shoot on my photography blog: http://lisasmileyphotography.blogspot.com/2010/06/beach-play-for-g-family-sneak-peek.html)

June 15 - the sweet little five day old I got to shoot! see pics from rest of shoot on my photography blog: http://lisasmileyphotography.blogspot.com/2010/06/sweet-baby-p-sneak-peek-sacramento.html

June 18 - Agapanthus in my front yard.

June 14 - sad hydrangea in my backyard..second year in a row, doesn't want to get bigger than this.

June 18..creative lego friends

June 18 - hibiscus in our backyard

June 18 ...balloon flower in our backyard.

I ♥ Faces Challenge :Teens

2010-06-22T20:00:00.000-07:00

For this week's challenge over at I ♥ Faces, the theme is teens. As you might have seen on my photography blog last week (http://lisasmileyphotography.blogspot.com/2010/06/beach-play-for-g-family-sneak-peek.html), I had the fun opportunity to photography this beautiful teen with her fabulous family by the river last week. So I thought I would use her photo for the challenge. She loved this tree and is so beautiful by it, I just had to share. Be sure to click on the button below and check out all the other fabulous entries.

Project 365, Week 23

2010-06-21T22:57:00.000-07:00

I am a couple weeks behind on Project 365! I have managed to get a picture every day, but getting them here has been a bit more challenging. So here they are for June 7 through June 13. Most are SOOC, but at least they are here. Thanks for stopping by!

June 7 - Best friend over for play day...

June 8 - Learning Heelys

June 9 - Our first tomatoes

June 10 - Concentrating..

June 11- Youngest son's artwork :)

June 12 - On a family outing. Loved this wall...

June 13 - A great friend and her boys...more to come on my photography blog soon!

MSC: Strawberry Cupcakes

2010-06-15T13:35:00.000-07:00

Hooray for strawberries! 'Tis the season for strawberries and just the right time to make strawberry cupcakes. These were chosen by fellow Martha Stewart Cupcakes Club member Sherry of http://sherrystartscooking.blogspot.com/. They are delightful! They are fresh, flavorful and light. The buttercream paired with it is also light and refreshing. These are perfect for the summer heat and perfect for your tummy!

Project 365, Week 22

2010-06-10T15:36:00.000-07:00

June 1 - Sweet baby S

June 2 -backyard day lilies

June 2- Sunset clouds -beautiful

June 3 - Dark Chocolate Cupcakes for a client order :)

June 4 - Hydrangeas in my front yard

June 5, IHF walk - beautiful model Marina

June 6 - Tree in BW - love the way this looks

June 6 - Taking shots in Davis while waiting for my client

I Heart Faces - Play!

2010-06-07T15:13:00.000-07:00

I was happy to see the challenge over at I Heart Faces this week is "Play". I did an incredibly fun photo session with a very athletic, loving, and spirited family last night and I had a few photos that fit just right. It was hard to choose just one, since Mom's number one desire for the session was to catch them playing and having fun. I think we did! This was at the end of the session and the kids were ecstatic to get to jump in the water and start splashing each other...and mom! I think they will remember this always.

Be sure to check out all the other playful submissions and thanks for checking in, sweet readers.

Project 365, Week 21

2010-06-05T22:33:00.000-07:00

Oh my goodness, how late is this Project 365 post?! I had to get it up before starting the next week, right? Well, I didn't make it, but here is the last week of May, in pictures :) The ones are above are a few more of the lovely senior I shot on May 24.

May 25 - Oldest son is learning a little about weaving. Thank goodness he made these today so I could photograph something :) even if it's blurry :(

May 26 - Some of my beautiful alstromeria in my yard and the sky near sunset.

May 27 - Books chosen from the library today..

May 28 -Kiddos at play in the front yard.

May 29 - A fun day at the Sacramento County Fair and a visit from my awesome brothers!

May 30 - A fun outing with my brothers in Davis.

And May 31, Memorial Day - and my last minute shot for photo of the day...

Have a fabulous week, sweet readers! Sweets are coming!!

Hoping for Spring Cupcakes

2010-05-27T07:46:00.000-07:00

Hello Sweet Readers,

These are officially my "hoping for Spring cupcakes". I made them a bit ago and now I look at the picture and really wish for Spring. We have been having some pretty rainy and dreary weather here lately and I am ready for some warmth! I hear it's coming, so I am posting these cuties in anticipation. Hope your week is going well!

Project 365, Week 20

2010-05-25T06:00:00.000-07:00

May 17-Oldest reading on of his "easy" 200 + page books...done in a day.

May 18 -Oldest posing for a picture after reading the sign :)

Youngest looking at me as if I've never taken his picture before

Sunset

May 19 -Out my kitchen window.

May 20 -Date before open house: Chipotle "make your own taco tray"

May 21 -My husband worked half the day in the yard. He just finished in time for a torrential downpour that lasted 10 minutes.

May 22 - We had a dinner party Saturday night at our home.

May 22 - Late afternoon nap. Youngest was sleeping and oldest crawled in to join him and actually fell asleep with him. Soooo sweet!

May 23 - Not fun. Slip n' Slide disaster with youngest. Poor baby. It was a hard go at first, but now he has 1st grade bragging rights and all is good, albeit somewhat sore.

I Heart Faces - Yellow

2010-05-23T22:43:00.000-07:00

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. Ours was quite busy and eventful, as I am sure most of yours were, also.I wanted to share my photo for the iheartfaces challenge this week. The challenge is "yellow", and I just shot this of my youngest last week. We had some mommy and son time and, after enjoying some ice cream sundaes, we went exploring on the river. I love this shot from above. Be sure to check out all the other "yellow" entries at iheartfaces!

Enjoying a Smiley's Sweet!

2010-05-19T06:00:00.000-07:00

Hello Sweet Readers! I had to share these fun pictures with you! I went on a shoot with my friend Kimberly while she took birthday photos of her sweet niece. She had asked me to make her a Smiley sweet for use in the photos and so I gladly obliged with a couple cupcakes. I took some photos of Kimberly in action and I also shot a few of her niece with my cuppies. I love how she loved them! She was so adorable at one point, she said, "I just love this!" I, of course, said, "I love that you love it!". To which she replied, "No, I said that I love this!" So adorable. So these are the pics I shot of her. She was a doll. She was patient and willing for nearly 2 hours! And at 3. Amazing.

Please stop by my friend's photography blog to see a pro in action. She has some of her incredible photos from this session posted here:
Kimberly Dunn Photography: http://www.kimberlydunnphotography.com/2010/05/guess-whos-turning-three.html
And the photos of her in action that I took are here: http://www.kimberlydunnphotography.com/2010/05/me-unplugged.html.

Project 365, Week 19

2010-05-17T11:45:00.000-07:00

May 10 - A pretty clean craft and computer room...

May 10 - Yummy Tuna Melt Lunch

May 11 - These B&W are of my oldest trying his best to shut his eyes just as I shoot his picture. I was practicing with back button focusing...

May 11 - Does anyone else have a pile of shoes like this near the door?!

Still May 11 - The Kiddos waiting for the pick- up line. Just 8 more day of school for my oldest...

Ha! Caught Ya!

May 12- My youngest son's class - being "normal"...

...and being "silly"

May 12 - Youngest son's turn to help me practice with BB focusing...

May 13- I got to photograph adorable Ella. She is so precious. I caught her momma in a couple too.

I think this is my favorite shot of the shoot. Just too adorable. Check out my photography blog for more of this cutie! http://lisasmileyphotography.blogspot.com/

May 15 - He is smart, athletic and oh, so creative. This is a typical dress up costume.


May 16 - They are stylin' in their brand new "How To Train Your Dragon" shirts. My brother works for Dreamworks...helps with the fascination to have an adult addict :) Thanks for stopping by for this week of my project. Have a great week, sweet readers!

MSC: Tres Leche Cupcakes - My Choice!

2010-05-15T09:32:00.000-07:00

Hello Sweet Readers! I hope your weekend is going well so far! I wanted to share with you the latest installment of the Martha Stewart Cupcake Club. This month, yours truly got to choose the cupcake! I chose the Tres Leches cupcakes because they were a bit different and I love tres leches cake. I hope everyone enjoyed them as much as I did.

These Tres Leche Cupcakes were different from the normal cupcakes we eat, but they were packed with flavor and so refreshing! They were very easy to make. You do have to separate six eggs, but don't they look pretty?

The "tres leches" of course stands for three milks. You make a combination of heavy whipping cream, sweetened condensed milk, and evaporated milk and after the cupcakes are done, you poke holes in the cakes and pour the milk mixture in. It takes many pours for them to absorb and enjoy the milk. It makes a mess, but in the end, it is worth it!

After the milk has set in, you top the cakes with some fresh whipped cream and cinnamon. They were delicious! They were dense, but moist. I'm not sure you actually need to like milk to like these, but I loved them. I hope everyone else did, too.

My son helped a bit so I had to get a picture of him enjoying them :) Be sure to go check out everyone's take on them this month at http://mscclub.blogspot.com/.

A Very Fun Session with a Beautiful Friend

2010-05-14T06:00:00.000-07:00

Hello Sweet Readers!

I wanted to share with you this very fun photo session with my friend Joanna. From these photographs, you will see that she is beautiful, photogenic, and lovely. What you do not see is that she is actually very beautiful, sweet, lovely and spirited on the inside. She is so much fun. I hope that you enjoy these photos. I am building my portfolio these days and am learning so much about photography. I just love it. Thanks for sticking with me.

Also, I am going to be trying to post my next photo shoots on a new blog I am trying my best to update. You can find it at http://lisasmileyphotography.blogspot.com/ . I hope you will visit me there as well. I would love it if you followed me on both blogs because I really love getting your comments and getting to know you.

Have a great weekend, Sweet Readers :)

Spaghetti and Meatball Cupcake!

2010-05-13T09:00:00.000-07:00


Hello Sweet Readers! I wanted to experiment a bit with some supplies on hand and made this little lonesome spaghetti and meatball cupcake for fun. I'd been wanting to do it for awhile, ever since seeing it in "Hello, Cupcake". I love how it turned out. My hubby, on the other hand, thought it looked a bit too savory for his liking. He didn't mind the taste, though!

Project 365, Week 18

2010-05-09T20:43:00.001-07:00

Hi Sweet Readers! I wanted to get this post up earlier this week, so here it is. I had a busy week, and am a bit overwhelmed by a house that needs to be seriously gutted and redone (at least it feels like it). It's a mess, but it will get cleaned and organized... I hope!

So here are the pics for last week. The top one is of the kiddos of a great friend of mine. They stopped by to pick up and drop off a couple things and I snapped some quick photos outside. They are beauties, I tell ya!


My Beautiful Friend Joanna 5.4.10 Another beauty. Truly. My friend is beautiful inside and out. I had a fun photo session with her last Tuesday. I will be sharing lots of photos from it this week. We spent two hours together and most every picture was perfectly beautiful because, well, she is perfectly beautiful!

These photos kill me. My sons are great at posing for me and knowing a camera is around...

This wonderful plate was shipped to me from a dear friend last week. For no reason. How thoughtful was that? I am blessed. I had to crack up at the box, though. Note that it says "fragile" on every side. Note the condition of the box when it reached me. Fortunately, my friend packaged it carefully enough for it to survive. BTW, I have heard from an inside source at UPS that it is best NOT to write "fragile" on the box. Believe it or not, if anything, it is detrimental to how the package is treated. Gotta love that sinful human nature...

Can I get more cuteness in my life? These are some kiddos at a brunch I was invited to with some sweet friends from church. I love taking photos of kids doing their thing.

These are of my younger son snoozing. When I asked him later why he fell asleep (this was Saturday at 4:30 and he doesn't usually nap), he said that he decided to get on his back to think about what to write in his journal and, well, you see the result of that. (it is important to note that he had just went swimming for 2 hours straight and woke up at 6:30 am...)

These are the photos I took on Mother's Day. Most were being taken of me, but I took a walk around my front and back yards and shot the flowers. Purty, huh?

I am truly blessed by a great family. They made my mother's day very special. Both boys worked hard all week preparing many handmade cards and gifts and wrapping them all on their own. My older son even collected from the younger son to purchase a great sweets cookbook for me at his school book fair. All on his own. How sweet is that?

These photos were taken by my hubby and honestly, I really didn't mean to match my oldest son... :)

Have a great week!

Happy Mother's Day, Mom

2010-05-09T06:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day to all you wonderful moms out there! May you be blessed beyond measure. Being a mom is so rewarding, so wonderful, so challenging and so humbling all at the same time. I love being a mom, even though I feel I can never live up to being the mom I really should be. But it's a work in progress, so I encourage myself and I encourage you to keep on keeping on and doing the right thing by your kiddos. I know it's meant to grow me as well as them, so we are all on a great journey together!

Today some of you may be missing your mom because she is far away or maybe because she has passed away. It's hard not to see her on this day, even more than on other days. At least that is the way it is for me this year. Losing my mom in January was deeply painful, and will always be, on some or even many levels, I'm sure. But I rejoice that she is with the Lord and is in perfect peace. I just miss celebrating her in person today as I am sure many of you do. She doesn't have to be here for me to celebrate her, I know, but that lack of physical proximity is hard.

So I decided to gather a few photos to show her celebrating with me and other family members. It was fun to go back and look through these photos. She was always so full of light and love. She always put others before herself and really cared deeply about people. It's no wonder she found her profession in being a nurse. She loved the Lord and I know He holds her now.

Another reason I was happy to find these photos is because, like many of us, she was not too happy being photographed. These pictures caught her at her best, though, when she was just too happy for others and didn't care that she was being photographed. The picture above is at a dear friend's wedding. She loved her tremendously and was so happy on that day.

And this is her visiting me in Santa Barbara, where I went to college. She was so proud of me and so incredibly supportive.

On my wedding day. This was taken just after I dedicated my bouquet to her. Rather than throwing it to the single ladies, I shared with everyone how she was so important to and cherished by me.

Here she was celebrating the beauty of nature with our family on a trip to Lake Tahoe.

This was her 65th birthday, the last of her birthdays that we got to celebrate her with her here. She was surrounded by everyone she loved, and it showed on her face.

She got the opportunity to love and cherish sweet Anthony for over a year. He was the light of her life that last year.

Here she was celebrating Tom's graduation from law school. She was so proud.

And this was my graduation from law school. She was so proud of me and it made my day so very sweet.

This is one of my all-time favorite photos of her. She is just beaming as she sings happy birthday to my brother Rick while he waits for his favorite cake. She made it for him, of course.

May your Mother's Day be blessed, sweet readers.

Project 365, Week 17

2010-05-05T12:28:00.000-07:00


Annie's "icarly" colored cake - 4.29

Azaleas at the Capitol - 5.1

Sweet Mom and Baby and My Bible Study - 4.30

That Sweet Baby Again - 4.30

More Adorable Children at My Bible Study - 4.30 - These are 2 of 9 in the Family :)

My Sweet Youngest, Sleeping - 4.26

My Sweet Oldest, Sleeping - 4.26 - Love his buddies!

Oh Yeah, 31 Cent Scoop Night. Dessert before Dinner! 4.28

Another of Annie's Cake from the Top - 4.29

Another Adorable Baby...Love the Eyes! 4.30

Cake for my Bible Study - 4.30

Yes, we have many Adorable Babies in the group! 4.30

Fun Rice Crispie Cupcakes for a Friend's Bday - 4.30

My Awesome friend and Fabulous Photographer Whom I strive to be like :) Kimberly in Action 5.1 - Check out her beautiful site: http://www.kimberlydunnphotography.com/

A fun bike trip with the fam - 5.1

You know....4.28

Our New Laptop - Which, incentally doesn't want to connect to the Internet anymore..argh! 4.27

Thanks for checking out my project 365 this week! Sorry it was out of order, but have lots on my plate and didn't have time to fiddle with the new blogger system! Have a great day!!

The Ultimate Chocolate Cupcake

2010-05-02T23:14:00.000-07:00

Hello Sweet Readers!

I hope your weekend is going well. I had a fun session today watching and learning from a photographer and friend whose work I truly admire. And I got to spend time with my family riding bikes and exploring new places. It was a great day!

I wanted to share these little treasures with you. I subscribe to "Cooks Illustrated" and saw a recipe this month that claimed to be the best chocolate cupcake ever. I was skeptical. I have tried a zillion different recipes and many have been great, but how can you call one the best? Well, I am here to tell you you can!

The author of the article (if you are not familiar with this magazine, it's great. There are no ads and there is an article for each recipe. They test tens, if not hundreds of different variations of the recipe to get the best of the best)...anyhow, the author of this article nailed it. Really, you have got to get it, read the incredibly enlightening article and make these! Hint, you use bread flour. It gives it the PERFECT crumb. Everyone loved these. The frosting was outstanding, too. Oh, and they are filled with ganache before baking. Simply to die for. And aren't they pretty? Deep dark brown and glorious. Yum!

Go make them!!


The Ultimate Chocolate Cupcake

Project 365, week 16

2010-04-29T06:00:00.000-07:00

Hello! This is a bit late in posting, but here is last week's batch of pictures. I have really been loving taking pictures every day. This week, I began with trying to snap a bit of my everyday life..things that are part of my routine, etc. I started off in that direction, but quickly veered from it. So you get a bit of everything, as usual :)

April 20: I drink one of the babies every single day. Well, sometimes it's a Diet Coke. I'm not a die hard either way, just as long as it's diet.

April 21: Our communal mailbox. Kinda wish I had one at my front door like the olden days. If there were any neighbors out to visit with when I get my mail, it would be different, but usually I go it alone...

April 22: Every day is coffee day. EVERY DAY! You don't really want to socialize with me if I haven't had my coffee yet. Or so some say :)

April 23: My sweet youngest. My mom got him this very cool working digital camera last year and he loves going around taking photos. Love that!

April 23 again: On a field trip with my youngest..on the bus...

April 23 again: My gym/running shoes. Love Saucony! They are incredibly comfy. I do my best to work out at least five days a week. Sometimes six. How else can I eat as many sweets as I do? I actually should work out more!!

April 23..My youngest with his best tetherball friend. They play a mean game of tetherball, I tell ya.

April 24: These butterfly shots are of the same butterfly taken out by the Sacramento River. We went on a picnic last Saturday and I chased this guy around. He actually looked black until I got him in the telephoto lens!

This little guy was from our picnic time, too. He was so cute trying to get through this Dorito Chip that someone had left in his little habitat.

Same trip: Wildflowers. Love them!

And a pretty bird..very lovely picnic!

April 25: These are all photos from our fun time watching the Harlem Globetrotters. A co-worker and friend of my hubby's generously invited us to their box in Arco to watch the Globetrotters. I had never seen them! We had a fun time and the kiddos thought they were hilarious!

...and they were!

Killer Cookies! Salted Toffee Chocolate Bars!!

2010-04-27T17:00:00.000-07:00

Oh my goodness, sweet readers, these are TO DIE FOR!
Seriously, everything about them is delicious! They are sweet and salty, crunchy and creamy, and just plain heaven!

I saw the recipe on the last page of Martha Stewart's "Food" magazine and I had to make them. They are easy, too. You just get whole graham crackers and lay them on a rimmed baking sheet. Then you take the toffee bits and chopped almonds and spread them out evenly. Then, you take the, um, two sticks (yikes!) of melted butter and sugar and pour it over that. Bake it for a bit and sprinkle it with some salt and chocolate to melt. Oh my, so good. So, so good.

Hope I didn't tempt to you too much.

I Heart Faces - Smiles!

2010-04-25T23:13:00.000-07:00


The Smile That Melts My Heart Hello Sweet Readers! This week over at I Heart Faces, the photo challenge is "smiles". You know I take lots of pictures, and usually, when there is a person in it, they are smiling, so again, how do you choose? I love this photo and the joy it gives me when I see my son's sweet dimple and the cute forming teeth and young smile. Just melts my heart. I hope your weekend went well and you are off to a great start of your week! Be sure to head on over to I heart Faces (click the box below) to see more cute smiles that just keep coming and check out Kristen Kalp from Totally Rad Actions who is the guest judge this week.

Scrumptious Pie Cupcakes

2010-04-22T18:00:00.000-07:00

Hello Sweet Readers!

Have you had a sweet week? I hope it's treating you well. It's been crazy around here weather-wise. Totally hot on Sunday -80 degrees - and then yesterday it was 46 degrees at noon and raining. Crazy!

Anyhoo, I wanted to share these fun "pie" cupcakes with you. I don't know if you could really tell, but they are meant to look like blueberry and cherry pies. I shot them very close up, so it's sorta defeating my purposed in the whole "look-a-like" game, but there you go. I got the idea from the authors of "Hello Cupcake". They have a new book called "What's New, Cupcake?" and these are from there. Fun, huh? I brought them to a church dessert potluck last Friday. Good Times.

Project 365, Week 15

2010-04-20T06:00:00.000-07:00

April 12 : Impatiens in my front yard :)

April 13: My crape myrtle tree in my backyard

Also April 13: Remnants of a game in the backyard

April 14: Sunrise out the "library" window. Gorgeous.

April 14: In my neighbor's yard

April 14: Also in my neighbor's yard..with two visiting bees

April 14: My oldest. He is so good to pause from his outside play to smile for me :)

April 15: Scored a great find! French Macarons at Trader Joes! I will blog about it later, but just so you know, the vanilla ones in this pack are DELICIOUS! And for just 41 cents a cookie! Yum!

April 15: On my way home from TJ's, I was behind this "blue bertha". I learned to drive in one of these and it served my family well before the days of mini vans. My mom used to pile us all in to go to the beach nearly every day of the summer. Good times.

April 15: More flowers in another neighbor's yard

April 16: Freshly made vanilla cupcakes filled with ganache and vanilla buttercream and topped with coffee kahlua buttercream, Valhrona chocolate balls and toffee bits!

April 16: The calla lily in a beautiful and sweet bouquet given to me by my sweet cousin.

April 16: Yummy Mediterranean pizza for dinner. Seriously yum!

April 17: My beautiful neighbor and friend who asked me to take a few shots for her. She's a writer, so keep an eye out for these photos, people!

April 18: LOL - Yet another neighbor's yard. Check out these tulips! They line the fence all the way down. Too pretty not to shoot!

I Heart Faces "Collage" Entry

2010-04-19T11:07:00.000-07:00

Hello Sweet Readers,
I hope you had a wonderful weekend. We were productive around the house and the yard, but still managed to work in some fun and games and even some sweets.

I wanted to share my entry into this week's challenge over at I heart Faces (http://iheartfaces.blogspot.com/ ). I have shared some of these photos with you before, so I hope you like them :) These are my boys in Old Sacramento. Be sure to head on over and check out some of the other creative collages at the site. They are very inspiring!

MSC: Jumbo Creme Filled Cupcakes

2010-04-15T06:00:00.000-07:00

Hello Sweet Readers!

Here is the April installment of the Martha Stewart Cupcake Club. This month's cuppie was chosen by Jess from Cookbook Habit and in the book, they are called "Jumbo Creme Filled Cupcakes".

I started my improvisions by not making them jumbo, and I am glad I did. Honestly, I think as a whole, they tasted great, but the cupcakes individually were sub par, in my opinion. The cupcakes were a basic chocolate and they came out too crumbly for me. I was not a fan of the texture and the taste was somewhat bland for a chocolate cupcake. She has many more versions of chocolate cupcakes in her book, which I love. This was not one of them, so it was better to have them small and filled with the yummy marshmallow buttercream filling.

The recipe also calls for no frosting, except for a smidgen of the creme on top. No way. Even if the cupcake itself had been fabulous, you know I am not one to have a cupcake with such minimal frosting. So I added some ganache and, again, it helped.

Overall, the cupcake was good, but I will never make the chocolate base again. I also love the look of frosting swirled atop a cupcakes, so it's not one of my favorite looking cupcakes. It was fun to make and eat, though!

Be sure to check out my other fellow bloggers baking along with me this month at http://mscclub.blogspot.com/!

Project 365, Week 14

2010-04-14T06:00:00.000-07:00

Thanks for joining me on this journey! Here is my photo journal for the week of April 5-11th.
April 5- Spontaneous sunflower in my mom's front yard...

April 6-hubby spending part of vacation doing the dreaded taxes...

April 7- We took a lovely trip to Newport Beach to play and on our way stopped at a beautiful nursery called Roger's nursery. Stunning.

April 7

April 7 -The water was FREEZING, but my polar bears didn't care!

April 7- found this cool sweet shop called "Wonderland Bakery"...snapped this before the
owner told me no photos...

April 9 - on the Grapevine driving home- gorgeous hills

Sweet Cousins came to visit us! We had a fun photo session on April 9 - love these guys!

April 10 - A dimple to die for!

April 10 - Eyes that wow...love the hazel color!

April 11 - love how the sun peeked out in the afternoon after pouring rain..,

April 11 - a fire we didn't think we would be having again for many months. Very cozy.

I hope you are having a great week!

"I Heart Desserts" - My Dessert Photo Entry

2010-04-12T12:15:00.000-07:00

Hi Sweet Readers!

For those of you who have been following me for awhile, you know without a doubt that I ADORE desserts. They just make me happy. I think, really, that they make most people happy, don't you? At least for a bit :) Think about it. When you bring out a tasty entree, people are appreciative. They love the taste, and may even like the presentation very much. But when you bring out a spectacular dessert, you touch people in a different way. The beauty and the taste combine to hit that wonderful place in a person's heart. Don't you think? It may be just me, but I think desserts are without a serious challenger in the culinary market.

So the weekly theme over at "I heart faces" is dessert! As you can probably surmise, I make a lot of desserts. A LOT! It's hard to choose one photo to post, but we can only post one. I was very close to posting my little slider cupcakes (remember them from this March of 2009 post? http://smileyssweetsandcreations.blogspot.com/2009/03/little-slider-cupcakes.html). They were such a bit hit with you all and have consequently brought me in touch with so many around the world. I love that, but since similar ones have been made by the awesome judge this week, I thought I should go with something different.

The cake is a mini tiered cake. The bottom layer is only a six inch cake! Two layers are a frecked mocha cake filled with coffee mousse and the other layer was a chocolate butter cake also filled with coffee mousse. The frosting is Swiss Meringue buttercream. It may look familiar to my long time followers :)

Now for my favorite part...WHO is the guest judge this week?! The amazing Bakerella! I just love this gal! Her blog caught my eye (and sweet tooth) and was one of my inspirations behind starting my own blog. She so sweetly and clearly conveys the wondrous world of dessert. And she is so stinkin' cute. She was on Martha with her cake pops and she just draws you in and bids you join her for dessert anytime. She is encouraging and down to earth. If you haven't ever seen her site, you must. Go and check it out. You won't be disappointed and you will clearly see where I got some of my inspiration and ideas :) Bakerella's web site

Be sure to head over to http://iheartfaces.blogspot.com/ to see the other amazing desserts, too. I certainly will.

Have a sweet week!

Project 365, Week 13

2010-04-09T19:50:00.000-07:00

March 30: David's Art Museum Day

March 29, Boys in the Hood

March 30, Sunset

March 31, Grapevines near my house

April 1st, Driving down the 5

April 1, Sky while driving down the 5.

April 1, Sunset off the 5

April 2, Birdfeeder in MIL's yard

April 2, Eggs colored with Grandma

April 3, Sweet A

April 3, Sweet A with one of my cookies :)

April 3, Cookies at Sweet & Saucy

April 4, Candy at Easter

Easter, Beautiful eyes

Easter, Sweet A

Thanks for checking in! I've been gone all week down in Southern California. I hope you had a wonderful and blessed Easter.

Have a great weekend, sweet readers.

Double Trained Jedi

2010-04-08T06:00:00.000-07:00

Birthday Cupcake

2010-04-06T06:00:00.000-07:00

Hi Sweet Readers,

I'm not in town right now, so I set this to post for you to enjoy. It's a single jumbo cupcake I made for a friend's birthday. It's a dark chocolate cupcake filled and topped with chocolate ganache and frosted with coffee kahlua buttercream. She said it was the best cupcake she has ever had! Made my day!

Hope you are having a great week~stay sweet!

Happy Easter!

2010-04-04T06:00:00.000-07:00


Hello Sweet Readers! I hope you are having a blessed Easter. I wanted to share these little lemon tarts I made with you. The crust is a delicious almond shortbread and the curd is made with meyer lemons. We got the precious egg canisters from a good friend. Have a wonderful day!

Carrot Cake Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting

2010-04-01T06:41:00.000-07:00

Hi Sweet Readers!

Remember I told you that my husband and I enjoyed a very yummy carrot cake cookie at Magpie last week? I loved it and couldn’t resist coming home to look for a recipe. I found it in the first place I looked: “Martha Stewart Cookies”. I have made over 30 cookie recipes from that book and I had never actually noticed this recipe!

Well, I made them as you can see and they were delicious! I highly recommend them. The cookies are very flavorful and moist. They are soft and the cream cheese frosting squeezed in the middle makes them such a treat. They were a hit with all who tried them.

I hope you have a blessed Easter. May the glory of the Resurrection fill your heart and give you peace and joy.

Project 365, Week 12

2010-03-30T23:35:00.001-07:00

March 22, 2010 - Our neighbor’s cherry tree peeking over our fence:

March 23, 2010 – My oldest in my glasses..silly!

March 24, 2010 – Our tree out in front of our house. I can’t recall what kind it is. It was a stick when we moved in. Can anyone tell by this photo?? March 25, 2010 – The next few photos are of my lunch date with my hubby. I picked him up at work and we tried a new place to eat.

March 25, 2010 – Handsome! March 25, 2010 : This is pretty yummy looking also! This was our dessert we split. It’s a carrot cake cookie sandwich. Delicious! I went home and made them that day…will share photos soon!

March 26, 2010 : My youngest. This highlights his eye injury of the day :(March 27, 2010 - Flowers from my hubby:

My youngest making chalk drawings in the back yard:

March 28, 2010: Top: our neighbors got a brand new tiny puppy!

Below: Our other neighbors had my hubby and I over for a glass of wine before they graciously watched our kiddos while we had our anniversary dinner out. This was all our kiddos, my hubby and my good friend Nancy having some pre-dinner fun.

March 28, 2010 : After dinner, we went to one of our favorite dessert venues. This was the cake case at Rick’s Dessert Diner. This time he got the better dessert, but they were both delicious!

March 28, 2010 – Our Dozen year anniversary :)

I hope you are having a great week!

I Heart Faces "Dramatic B & W" Entry

2010-03-29T15:26:00.001-07:00

The theme at I Heart Faces this week is “Dramatic Black and White” and the guest photographer judge is Tara Whitney. I love Tara’s work and can’t wait to see all the entries and what photo she chooses. You've got to check out some of the shots over there, they are fantastic!

This is my entry. You'll recognize the photo from the last post, but I think that editing it in black and white really captured the "dramatic" part of the theme. He was, after all, being dramatic as can be.

Determined

2010-03-28T00:15:00.000-07:00

Hi Sweet Readers,
I took these photos a couple weeks ago. We here hanging out in the backyard and my older son was kickin' the soccer ball around. He was using a kickback to practice some shots. He likes things just right.

I was playing with different angles and love this shot.

Remember I said that he likes things just right? Apparently, things were not going just right for him at this point. He was, well, not too happy.

Yup, that dang ball was just not doing what he wanted it to do.

Ok, so here he decided to ham it up, I think. He saw a great opportunity for some fun with mom. So I just kept shooting and enjoying the shots...

I really love this one. His eyes are so beautiful. And that little boo-boo frown. He's still my baby, even though he is almost taller than I am!

And here he is trying to be bummed, but having way too much fun at it.

Still trying...

almost succeeding...

forget it, he couldn't help but crack.

Just stick a camera in their face and all things are solved!

Rachel's Tiffany Cake

2010-03-25T20:08:00.000-07:00

Hello Sweet Readers,

I don't think I have shared all these photos with you yet. I posted one in a 365 project post, so you may remember it.

I made this cake for my dear friend's birthday. She had a "Breakfast at Tiffany's" themed cocktail party for her 40th and wanted this cake. At first, she wanted little Tiffany cuppies, but later decided on this. It was the first large square cake I have done, and she loved it. We went back and forth over covering it with fondant or buttercream, and, in the end, decided that buttercream would taste the best. I wasn't sure how smooth I could get it, but I think it worked out pretty well! I did make the bow out of fondant and I love how it turned out. I wonder if anyone ate it?
I shot this while doing the cake. This is the crumb coat. The bottom layer was red velvet and vanilla buttercream and the top layer was Guiness chocolate with buttercream. Those are her two faves.
I actually had to get this cake done about a day and half sooner than I had planned. The day I made this, I got on a plane to be with my sweet momma. I missed the party for Rach, but hope this did an adequate job of taking my place.

I hope you like it. It was fun to do, really. Especially for such a great friend in celebration of her catching up to me in years. :) Well, almost.

Project 365, Week 11

2010-03-23T13:12:00.000-07:00

Hello Sweet Readers,

Here is the 11th installment of my 365 project. The photo above is on March 15th, of our Crabapple tree before it bloomed.

March 16th – The poppies you saw from yesterday’s post before their full bloom…
March 17 th. The photo above is of our mini rose vine blooming and a visitor. The photo below is of the boys after being trampled in their sleep by a leprechaun. They were eating food inspired by St. Patrick :)

The three photos below are of a fun little photo session I did with a couple friends on March 18th.
The photo below is my talented friend, Mindy. Beautiful, right? The photo above is her equally beautiful children.

This was the same day. It’s of another beautiful friend, Aimee, and her daughter. You know, both these gals are also just as beautiful on the inside. They have the love of Jesus in them and it shines right through.
These sweet adorable guys below are sons of a couple gals in my bible study. I just got to meet them on the 19th and they were so sweet to pose for me!

Another beautiful dear friend. She is a mother of 9. Yes 9, and she has the composure of a saint. She is lovely, welcoming, calm, warm and very artistically gifted.

Remember the Crabapple tree from the 15th? It’s in full bloom now. Here it is on the 20th. Love love love the flowers it produces.

These shots are of my younger son at the playground while I was experimenting with angles. Shot on the 21st.And with my hubby…
Also on the 21st. Lots going on. The photo above is my older son in the hole in the backyard that they have been digging with dad. Our yard is actually landscaped, but this area used to have a Little Tykes structure on it. Since the boys are older, and no longer need the structure, they have devised some secret plan with dad that includes a whole large enough to fit my 9 year old. Should I be afraid?!

This is my 9 year old ~~running~~, racing. He was trying out for Select Soccer over the weekend. He made it! Yeah! We are so proud of him. He tried so hard his face was beet red.

Do you wonder why we call him Wheels?

Have a great rest of your week!

Poppies Popping Up

2010-03-22T12:51:00.001-07:00

Hello Sweet Readers! I wanted to share these beautiful poppies that are growing in my front yard! I was playing with angles in taking the shots, and I like the different focus of these. Have a great Monday!

I Heart Faces - Angles

2010-03-21T20:00:00.000-07:00

Hello Sweet Readers,

I hope you had a very fun and relaxing weekend. Here is a photo I am entering over at the blog I heart faces.

The theme this week at I Heart Faces is “Angles” and the guest photographer judge is Brad Barton.

I am new to entering photos on this site. This is my first official "contest" photo. I just had so much fun playing with my kiddos and shooting different angles. I am usually above them or beside them when shooting, so I decided to go a different route and take the photos from below. I got them in a tree, on the jungle gym and even hanging from a soccer goal. It was hard to choose just one, but here it is. I was flat on the grass shooting up at him in the tree.
Hope you like it!

For more interpretations of the theme, go check out I ♥ Faces!

Spring is Popping!

2010-03-20T08:10:00.000-07:00

Happy first day of Spring!

Sweet readers! I am just loving all the blooming and the warmer weather.

These are some yummy strawberry cupcake truffles I made for a little girl's birthday. She requested strawberry and chocolate and red, so here is what she received. I hope her class enjoyed them.

And here is a picture of some beautiful trees and shrubs I drove by yesterday. I was out taking the pictures and the owner of the house (who happens to be the previous mayor) drove out of her driveway and admired them with me. She said she planted them together on purpose to get this effect. They were beautiful. Another reason I'm loving spring right now!

I Heart Faces Entry

2010-03-18T21:00:00.000-07:00

Hi Sweet Readers!

I am posting this photo for a couple reasons. One, to show you all that I am still learning this photography stuff and, two, to ask the people over at iheartfaces.com to give me constructive feedback. They do this occasionally for amateur photographers and I really would love the help.

I normally use PSE 6, CoffeeShop Actions, and Picnik (some or all) for my editing, so they will tailor their feedback to that.

In this photo, the aperture was f/5.0 , the shutter speed was 1/250 , the ISO was 100, and the focal length was 50mm. I shot this in Aperture Priority mode.

Though I love this photo and I think it can be improved upon, too. I think the girl's face is a little too dark and the photo is not that sharp. It can use a little pop, also. She is just too adorable, isn't she?

Thanks to the contributors for their feedback! Feel free to leave yours, too!

Chocolate Temptation Cake

2010-03-18T08:11:00.000-07:00

Hello Sweet Readers,

Are you ready for some temptation. If you like chocolate, here it is! Just a six inch double layer cake, but it packs a punch when covered and filled with ganache and vanilla buttercream!

Have a great day!

Project 365, Week 10

2010-03-16T15:59:00.000-07:00

Hello Sweet Readers!

Here is the latest update of my 365 project. Again, I usually took more than one picture per day. Let me know which you like best!

March 8: This is the sunrise out our window. I was playing in Picnik with it (as well as the photo below). The effect is called posterize and I like the neat "Andy Warhol-like" effect in makes.

March 8- Getting my youngest to pose...

March 9 - Getting my oldest to post...

March 10 -I had a little photo session with my boys in Old Sacramento. These collages are from that day. Love some of these shots of the boys...

March 11 - The photos below are of a sweet friend's family. It was her birthday, so I told her that I could treat her to some family pictures if she was interested. Here are some of them:

March 12: The curd that never was...

March 13: Catching my yard in bloom:

I can't wait to show you what this is going to be (anyone think they know?). I love the bokeh on this one:

March 14 - I was baking in the kitchen and this little guy kept coming over for a visit. It was hard to catch him through the window, but here is an attempt:

On a separate note.. I have just hit over 200 followers! That's pretty exciting for me. Thank you all for checking in and following my blog. I would love to hear what you like best. I just love hearing from you, so if you can, take a minute when you see something you like (or don't like, well, maybe not..hmm) and connect with me.

MSC: Lemon Meringue Cupcakes

2010-03-15T06:00:00.000-07:00

Hello Sweet Readers!

Thanks for coming by today. I hope you had a fabulous weekend. It started warming up around here and I'm so happy to see the weather report for this week. It says 76 degrees by Wednesday! And I love the longer days and more sunshine. Seems like a perfect time to make these beauties, doesn't it?

For this month's choice, Megan from My Baking Adventures chose Lemon Meringue Cupcakes. I loved the idea and the photo looked so pretty in the book. Little did I know what I would be in for this time around.

Now, I have made lemon curd before without a hitch. Tasted great, came together fine and all was well. Not the case this time. I started with making the lemon curd and stirred FOREVER and it never got thick. I followed the instructions and finally gave up, added the butter, and thought I'd wait for it to thicken. But I just knew it wouldn't, so I put the bowl back on the stove and stirred again. Forever. I have things to do other than to stir curd, my friends. I am not typically a person content to do one thing at a time, much less stand at a stove for an hour. I did catch up on a couple phone calls, and that helped, but it never thickened. It tasted divine, but now it's a sauce.
So I decided to bake the cupcakes. Fortunately, they came out perfectly. I don't like huge domes, and with this recipe, a dome would have made the curd (the dang curd) slide right off. So I got about 31 cuppies out of this recipe instead of 24.

Then I went back the next day and tried the curd again. I have no idea which curd I made before with success, so I decided to try a new one. Big mistake. I chose the one from "Cakelove". It said it was "easy" and would only have to be stirred for 10 minutes...7 or 8 in altitude. Perfect.

Not so much. I stirred again for, oh, about 50 minutes. Going nuts, mind you. No "lava bubbles" to be seen. ARGH! It was thicker than the other, but lava was elusive to me. So I called it quits at the thickness and stuck it in the fridge to hope it out.
In the meantime, I made the frosting. The seven minute frosting that all together, really, honestly, with measuring and boiling and all, takes about a half hour. Just so you know. It came out perfectly.

And the curd ended up coming out very good. It was not very tart, though, because I used Meyer lemons this time around. The Martha recipe tasted better (I used Eureka lemons), this one looked better. This one also had about 5 times the butter in it. Go figure.

So here is the finished product. They look lovely, don't they? I love the silky shiny frosting and it was fun to get out my torch. Especially after all my angst with the curd. LOL. They tasted very good all in all, though the cupcake was a tiny bit crumbly, which is not my favorite texture. It was very moist, but just a bit crumbly.

Another "interesting" thing to note is that you have to be careful traveling with these. I put them in my trusted Cupcake Courier to transport to a church meeting and they stayed fine. Except for the meringue, which didn't like the curves and turns combined with the slipperyness of the curd. Some slid halfway off. Nice.
I hope you were able to enjoy the story of the curd that finally was. And I'm glad you didn't have to go through it. I was told by a friend at the meeting that the Barefoot Contessa has a fabulous lemon curd recipe. I like her. I will have to try hers if I go there again. And I will. I'm a glutton for punishment and my husband loves lemon.

If you get a chance, check out the other entries for the club. I can't wait to hear how everyone did! http://mscclub.blogspot.com/

Coconut Almond Macaroons

2010-03-12T19:46:00.000-08:00

Hello Sweet Readers,

I hope you are looking forward to a great weekend ahead. It feels like it has been a very long week, so I'm crossing my fingers that the weekend will feel long also. Good luck with that, right!

These are some coconut almond macaroons I made last week to bring to Sunday school. I was blessed with pounds and pounds of almond paste from a sweet friend and have been enjoying all it's fabulous uses. These were delicious, crunchy, chewy and flavorful. As with the almond shortbread from last week, I got the recipe off the Odesse website. I highly recommend them if you are a coconut fan.

Happy weekend and happy baking!

A Review..Bouchon Bakery in Yountville

2010-03-10T22:14:00.000-08:00

Oh my goodness, it was been way too long since I should have posted this! We went to Bouchon last Summer and I haven't written out this review until now. I have, however, made the macarons that I had there and have loved them. You have seen those posts. I got the recipe from the book "Bouchon" that I checked out from the library and they are just to die for!

Here is the inside of the store. It is in a very beautiful little area near Napa called Yountville. Keller, the owner, also owns several other restaurants here in California and elsewhere. If you are a foodie, I'm sure you know about his most famous, the French Laundry. I've never been there, so it was a treat to get close.

There was a wait just to get into the bakery part of this restaurant, which was our mission that day. We split a roast beef sandwich and had two cookies: the vanilla french macaron and the chocolate sandwich cookie.

Sweet anticipation...

Oh my..hard to choose what to get! But the macarons are three dollars each, so I couldn't go crazy!

The breads all looked divine.

Here are our cookies. Again, the macaron was amazing. It had just the right amount of chewiness and crunch and the buttercream speckled with vanilla bean seeds was incredible!

The sandwich cookie honestly didn't impress. It was soft, perhaps too soft, and tasted very cocoa-y, but not that chocolaty, if that makes sense.

The roast beef sandwich was nothing to write home (or you all) about and maybe that is why I haven't until now! Ha ! It was pretty plain and on the greasy side.

I have to say the macaron saved them. I would have been pleased to just get one of every macaron and skip the "lunch" part of the meal! It is a beautiful setting, though, and I would go back for the treat and to try some of their bouchons and breads!

Project 365, Week 9, March 1-7

2010-03-08T11:00:00.000-08:00

Hello Sweet Readers,

Here are my project 365 pictures from this week. The one above is from March 1. I started my week enjoying a cup of coffee with a dear friend.

March 2 - My sweet hubby got me these. The photo above is SOOC, the one below has a neat effect from Picnik. It's called gritty and I love how it details the flowers, don't you?

March 3: These are some yummy almond shortbread (recipe on the Odessa website and highly recommended) and some shutter speed experiments in "painting" with my camera. Oh, and chocolate chip cookies with HUGE chocolate chips.

Puzzle time for family night...using my white balance card really helps get the yellow tinge out when shooting indoors. I shot this without a flash and no sunlight exposure since it was, well, nighttime.
March 4: I was playing around taking shots in my area.

And more area shots, plus one of my carpool cuties...
March 5: These are from a very impromptu session with a friend of mine. It was early in the morning after drop off and we hit a mustard field. She always looks beautiful, even at that time, so the shooting was easy.

March 6: These were some incredibly delicious french macarons. I got the recipe off Bakerella's website, which she got from Tartlette. I am still undecided if I like these better than the Bouchon recipe, but they did seem a bit easier. I could have grinded the almonds a bit more, however. They are not as smooth as I like them to be.
March 7: I was watching my friends kiddos Sunday. It was an incredible Spring day. So great outside so I went out and shot the kids. :) The pic with the razors was actually my younger son's idea. I have a budding photographer, I think!

The Gang:

Adorable boys...

I hope you have a great week! Thanks for stopping by.

Little Hummingbird

2010-03-05T13:00:00.000-08:00

Hi Sweet Readers!

Here is a little guy who cares not if it's Spring or Winter. He is taken care of and loves it. Pretty little thing, isn't he?

Rainbow on a Tuesday

2010-03-03T22:00:00.000-08:00

We have been blessed with so many rainbows this past month. I'm feeling the love. I really am.

Hope your week is going well, sweet readers.

Skateboard Cupcakes

2010-03-02T11:00:00.000-08:00

Hello Sweet Readers!

I made these for my son's friend's 9th birthday. His mom told me she was getting him a skateboard and he requested chocolate with vanilla frosting. I filled them with ganache and played a bit with the toppers. They are made out of fondant. I hope he liked them! (Yes, these were the ones I first made without sugar. I did give him the batch with the sugar!)

Project 365, Week 8

2010-02-28T20:00:00.000-08:00

Hello Sweet Readers,

This is a picture-heavy post. I was doing all kinds of experimentation with my camera this week. The above post was taken on Monday, the 22nd, in front of our local library. I was trying to get the starburst effect, but it was at mid-day, so it's a bit bright. I like it, though, and you can see the pink of the blossoms on the tree, though it's subtle.

Ok, so I was also practicing getting photos large on the blog. I love the photo above, and, based on my hubby's comments about the hundreds of photos I took this week, I think it's his favorite. It was taken on Tuesday, February 23, as were the following two.

How sweet are these cuties? They did so well taking these photos. Sweet J above is a natural little model. And even though she is young, sweet A got into it after awhile. It was just harder to keep her standing still.

On Wednesday, the 24th, these cows came to meet me. Did you catch the post that same day? Check it out. Very fun. I was playing with post-processing again and liked this effect.

On the 24th, I started playing with shutter speed. I was trying to get this little hummingbird to stop for you. It's kind of hard to catch him, and I didn't have my tripod, but I do love his red neck and green body. They are beautiful creatures, aren't they?

On the 25th, I enlisted my kiddos to help me with this shutter speed experiment. I love how it looks. It makes me want Spring to come even faster! (BTW, the little helpers helped themselves to most of the product...these were the BEST strawberries!)

The 26th was a big weather day. Crazy rainy in the morning, crazy, beautiful, amazing skies in the evening. Check it out. Oh, first check out the cool dead end sign. If you like signs, it's cool. If you are like my hubby, you can have no comment.

This one was in the morning, after kiddo drop-off, post-edited, but I love the colors.

This one is my favorite. Check out the skies. Both the one in full view and the one in the rear view mirror. They were so different and changed by the minute.

There was even a rainbow hanging out on the horizon.

February 27th. Just getting some shots of my oldest outside after the rain stopped. Sheesh, this picture makes him look old. Except for the holes in his pants. He has holes in most of his pants, by the way. Who has time to sew when you are taking pictures and making cupcakes. LOL. If you are reading this sweet hubby, I'm just kidding :)

And more shutter speed fun. Panning. First time ever trying this. I need some more practice, but I love the concept! And my model likes the fact that he is moving soooo fast!

February 28th - Can't believe it's March tomorrow!! Okay. Here is another example that I'm not quite my baking self. Do you see the cupcakes on the left? Do you see the ones on the right? Do they look different to you? Well, they are. They are both my dark chocolate cupcakes. They were both baked from scratch and they both took the same effort. What is the difference? Because, frankly, the ones on the left look better to me, but the ones on the right taste waaayyyy better. The difference, my friends, is sugar. Plain and simple sugar. The ones on the left, which strangely baked in half the time they were supposed to, don't have one grain of sugar in them. That's right. Forgot it. Completely.

I did the whole batch over, and gave my sweet sons a taste test after dinner. They were both frosted and they were both actually liked! Of course, they liked the second one (the one with the sugar) the best, but I think they would have been fine with only the first. Of course, it was topped with sweet sweet buttercream and sprinkles, but who's counting?

Through the Lens

2010-02-25T17:10:00.000-08:00

Hi Sweet Readers,

Seems this has been me a lot lately. I have been looking through this lens so much. I've been learning a lot about how my camera works, how my software works, and how it all plays together. I love it. And at times it is frustrating.

Thanks for coming back to view my images and allowing me to share.

This shot was taken in my rear view mirror. My friend Mindy did a really neat self portrait in her rear view mirror, without the camera. It was really cool, and that is what I was aiming for, but it just wasn't working for me in the time frame I had. So here's me, with camera.

Don't worry, I'll be baking again soon. Do you miss the sweets? At least my face doesn't make you hungry! I'm saving you calories, right?

Have a great weekend. Show your loved ones you love them in a special way. It's also calorie-free. Unless baking is one way you show people you love them, like me :)

'Til the Cows Come Home...

2010-02-23T14:30:00.000-08:00

Hi Sweet Readers!

I have been wanting to get this sweet little calf with her mommy for a long time. Today I pulled over to the side of the road after dropping my younger son at school and thought I would do so. Well, I only had my 50mm with me and they were too far away, so there went that plan. But these two fellas were closer. And when I got out and started shooting them, they started running over to me! It was pretty funny. Their little dog friend was going nuts, so I had to shoot fast before their little farmer friend came out to send me away, but I got them in their travels. I think they were expecting some goodies and one made a sound of disappointment after awhile.

Here's the storyboards. Sorry they are so small. Any tips on getting them bigger would be much appreciated! When I made the collage in picnik, it was much larger.

Have a great rest of your week!