Sneak Peek: Joli Grace Photobook layout

Sample photobook layouts are great when the templates are as cute and fun as these ones =)

 Joli Grace is so cute!

 Love these family moments!

 More fun shoots with Joli Grace

Featured Blog: August Empress

I have a new favourite blog. Found August Empress through How About Orange and really fell in love with her watercolour designs and illustrations. She also has tons of freebies available for download at her site. Check out some of the cool stuff from her blog. 

 Love this heart tree!

All images from August Empress. No copyright infringement intended. Please don't use without owner's permission.

hoisin beef with vegetables

Hoisin Beef with Vegetables

It's been awhile since I posted a recipe, so here's a quick recipe for you :)

Ingredients:

beef tenderloin cut into strips

1 cup of snowpeas

1/2 of yellow bell pepper cut into strips

2 carrots cut into strips

1 medium tomato cut into cubes

1 medium onion 

3 cloves of garlic minced

2 tablespoons of hoisin sauce

1/4 cup of soy sauce

salt and pepper to taste

cooking oil

Directions:

1. Marinate the strips of beef in half of the soy sauce, salt and pepper. Set aside.

2. In a medium pan, add some cooking oil. Set on medium heat, saute garlic and onions. Add the tomatoes. Add the beef and cook until it's brown on all sides. 

3. Add the vegetables and stir fry. 

4. Add the remaining soy sauce and the hoisin sauce

5. Serve with rice. Enjoy!

wedding trends: chalkboards!

Love this chalkboard trend! Look at all the interesting ways you can use chalkboards at your wedding!

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DIY: Crayola Hearts

Looking for a cool V-day project for your kids? Try this! Crayola hearts!

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DIY: Fortune Cookies

Love this fortune cookie DIY courtesy of Intimate Weddings. This would be a cute favour for your wedding. Enjoy!

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wedding trends: cutest escort cards

Love how fancy and unique escort cards can be! Check out these amazing ideas! 

soda pop escort cards

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french macaroons as escort cards

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pinwheels, clothes pins and buttons!

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 pancakes!

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 yummy veggie escort cards

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and more ideas!!

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mother's day freebies and giveaway!

Looking for more mother's day stuff?? Here's a link to free mother's day card templates for you to print. Click the source to view the freebie!

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I'm also giving away a copy of this cute book by Robert Munsch. Just leave me a comment about why you love your mother and I will pick a winner by noon on Friday, April 29! Goodluck! =)

free Mother's Day cards

Mother's Day is coming. Here are some Mother's Day cards for you to print. Click on the link for the pdf file. Enjoy!

Mother's Day Cards from pink loves chocolate

diy: how to make dora cupcake toppers using fondant

A lot of people ask if I make my cupcake toppers from scratch and the answer is, yes! I started making them when I discovered my love for fondant. I love the idea of customized cupcake toppers, so I knew I needed to learn how to make them using cookie cutters and other fondant tools.

Ada from Winnipeg asked me if I can do a tutorial on how to make Dora cupcake toppers using fondant.  I can't pretend to be the expert as I think my method still needs a lot of work and that my Dora cupcake toppers still need improvement in capturing the resemblance of these popular characters. But if you're interested in simple instructions on how to make somewhat recognizable Dora characters,  here's the step by step instructions. The key thing is to use whatever tools you have available and to be creative! Tips and ends of cookie cutters can be very useful tools in moulding or making shapes for your cupcake toppers. And for course, a little patience goes a long way =)

For this project, you need dyed fondant in the following colours: black or brown for the hair, flesh/tan, light blue, yellow, white and red.  Okay, ready?? Here we go....

Using your fondant rolling pin, flatten the black/brown fondant to your desired thickness

To start off, use a circular cookie cutter. This will be your base pattern for Dora's hair .

You don't necessarily have to use a tulip cookie cutter to make room for Dora's face. In fact, using Wilton's tools as in the second picture, you can cut out the pieces to make Dora's hair as seen in the next picture. 

I used the tulip cookie cutter on the flesh toned fondant to cut out Dora's face. Using Wilton's tools, I straightened the edge of the top of her face before attaching her hair as seen in the next picture. 

Using food color markers, draw Dora's face. I used red fondant for her lips. 

HOW TO MAKE BOOT'S FACE

Using a flower cookie cutter and a circular cookie cutter, cut out the outline of Boot's face as seen in the picture above.

You may have to use your fondant roller or your hands to make the face more rounded and less jagged. To create his forehead and ears, use the flower cookie cutter and circular cookie cutter.

Put the flesh coloured fondant on top of the light blue fondant as shown above. To make Boot's facial features, roll balls of fondant for the ears, eyes and lips. I used edible food markers for his nose. 

Using the other end of your Wilton tool, make indentations on Boot's forehead for his hair. 

HOW TO MAKE "BACK PACK"

If you have a rectangular cookie cutter, use it. Otherwise, use your Wilton tool to make one. Roll a piece of light blue fondant for the pocket attachment. 

Using the pointed tool, make indentations around the bag as shown in the picture.

Using yellow fondant, add the accents and facial features as shown above.

Roll a piece of light blue fondant for the handle.

HOW TO MAKE "MAP"

Using yellow fondant, cut out an upside down triangle.

Roll the triangle until you've reached your desired shape. You may have to cut out the edges if it seems too pointy. Add the map's facial features. 

Here's all of them!

And here they are as cupcake toppers =)

lemonize your water!

Double digits in Toronto! I hope this explains my absence as we attempt to absorb as much sun as we can get. The weather had been cooperative the last few days and it's so much nicer to be out, if only I didn't have sore throats and spring allergies to worry about. Anyway, I want to share a health tip to you all...Lemonize your water! I don't think lemonize is an actual word haha, but it might as well be =) Read on for the benefits of lemon water!

 Lemons are inexpensive, readily available and popular for its culinary and medicinal uses. Simply add a slice of lemon in your water and the benefits include:

1. Aids in Digestion

It acts as a cleansing agent and blood purifier, so a simple lemon wedge can also assist relieve nausea, heartburn and bloating. It aids the body in eliminating waste more efficiently.

2.Aids in Dental Care and Relieving Sore Throats

Because of its antibacterial properties, it helps fight problems such as sore throat, tonsillitis and throat infections.

3. Assists in weight loss

They offer natural cleansing and detoxifying properties and no unnecessary calories!

Still not convinced??

I think just the smell of a lemon is enough to brighten my day =)

Stay hydrated this summer!

By the way, interested in the turn out of my rock candy experiment?? Here are the results after two weeks of growing sugar crystals =)