Hand Embroidery Show and Tell

Hand embroidery. I love it! I make pieces....and then I kinda just keep 'em hanging around. I don't know what to do with them. But, I think I am going to start framing them in these wooden hoops and hang them on a wall....just a nice little collection all hanging together. I'm not sure which room in the house though. Maybe in the upstairs hallway. 

All  the way....across the sky! It's so bright and vivid! It's full on! What does it mean?! What does it mean?! Remember the popular YouTube video Double Rainbow?  One of my all time favorite videos! That was the inspiration behind this piece. I wanted to embroider a rainbow....just one rainbow...hence "full on single rainbow."

Last year's summer vacation...Cape Cod. A truly nostalgic, beautiful, wonderful, salty dog place! I love it there! I wish I could move there. Twas my inspiration for this piece. 

Sweet little birthday owl...I copied this from a book of iron on transfer designs for embroidery, painting or crafting. Why did I pick this design? Because it's an owl...and I like owls...and he's got a birthday hat on...and I like birthday parties. LOL! Seriously though, I love this big book of transfers. It is from my childhood! I traced so many patterns from it! My mom held onto it for all these years and recently gave it back to me. She keeps everything!! I'm so glad she kept this! This is the book.

Only a homemade birthday cake will do

Hi there! I wanted to share my latest baking adventure with you. My mother in law turned 90 this past week, and I volunteered to make the cakes. It took me all day to bake 2 cakes and make 2 kinds of frosting. It was a long day...but it was fun! I'm a baker at heart, so what can I say? For this first cake, I used this recipe for "Classic Vanilla Butter Birthday Cake" from Sweetapolita and it turned out great!  I decided to go with a flags/bunting type of decoration for her main cake. I think buntings are just so adorable on cakes, and I've been wanting to make one. My mother in law got a kick out of the flags as well, and was excited to put them on display in her China closet where she keeps such memorabilia. I made my bunting with scrapbook paper, bakery twine and a dowel rod.

And.......onto the chocolate cake! Once again, I used a recipe from Sweetapolita. For the cake part, I used this recipe called "Chocolate Celebration Cake". For the frosting, I used this recipe: Nutella Cloud Frosting. I loved the flavor and texture of this cake...so dense and such a deep chocolate flavor. The key ingredients are dark cocoa powder, dark chocolate and strong coffee! So delicious!!

I've baked many birthday cakes in my time....for my kids, my hubby, my parents, my co-workers, friends, extended family. It is my personal belief that everyone deserves a homemade birthday cake for their birthday!

Do you enjoy baking birthday cakes for your family and friends?