peanut butter cookie + nutella

make some cookies using this peanut butter cookie recipe courtesy of bake or break,

and find a jar of delicious nutella,

spread some nutella on a cookie,

squish another cookie on top,

and have a wonderful day  :)

*i'm going to disappear for a few weeks to move and get acquainted with my new job.  see ya later!*

bake it pretty!

bake it pretty held a contest to name their new dashing dot baking cups and the winner would receive a set of the new baking cups and a grab bag full of surprises.  i was shocked to find out that they chose my suggestion!  *^_^*  my name was "lah dee dot".  get it?  like "lah dee dah"?  i envisioned myself skipping through a field of beautiful cupcakes.  i got my prize in the mail last weekend and it was like receiving a box of joy.  i've ordered from bake it pretty in the past so i knew that i was getting great stuff but i really loved the surprise grab bag!

yay!  polka dot baking cups!  these look very '80s don't they?  my sister actually wore a dress that looked like that pink one in our cousin's wedding.

i couldn't believe how much fun stuff was crammed into this little bag.

love the bunny and the mushroom

yay, more baking cups!  i can't wait to experiment with the half sized one.

thanks again amanda!  and please go take a peek over at bake it pretty  :)  it'll be fun i promise!

free tiny birdie pattern

since spring is right around the corner, i thought it would be fun to share my tiny birdie pattern.  they're super easy to crochet so you can make a whole flock to welcome spring!

tiny birdie pattern

materials needed:
worsted weight 4 ply yarn, bulky yarn
6mm plastic eyes with safety backings
fiberfill
crochet hook size F, G, H
stitch marker
tapestry needle

abbreviations:
mr – magic ring
sc – single crochet
st – stitch
sl st – slip stitch
inc – increase
dec – decrease
sk – skip one stitch

this pattern is worked in continuous rounds

body – G hook
1)   mr 6
2)   inc in each sc
3)  *1sc, inc in next sc*  6 times
4)  *2sc, inc in next sc*  6 times
5)  *3sc, inc in next sc*  6 times
6-15)  sc in each sc
16)  *3sc, dec over next 2 sc*  6 times
17)  *2sc, dec over next 2sc*   6 times
 position and secure eyes, stuff with fiberfill
18)  *1sc, dec over next 2 sc*  6 times
19)  *sc, sk, sc* around until closed
sl st in next sc and fasten off.  weave in loose end.

beak – F hook
1)  mr 4          
2)  inc in each sc
3)  *1 sc, inc in next sc*  4 times
sl st in next sc and fasten off.  leave a long tail for sewing.

wings – G hook
1)    mr 5
2)    inc in each sc
3-4)  sc around
sl st in next sc and fasten off.  leave a long tail for sewing.

nest – H hook, bulky yarn
1)    mr 5
2)    inc in each sc
3)    *1sc, inc in next sc* 6 times
4)    *2sc, inc in next sc* 6 times
5)    *3sc, inc in next sc* 6 times
6)    *4sc, inc in next sc* 6 times
7)    sc in each sc
sl st in next sc and fasten off.  weave in loose end.

tie a tiny bit of yarn to the top of his head.  sew on the beak and wings.  place him in his cozy nest and you’re done!

my birdie stands about 2.5” tall but your finished birdie size will vary depending on your tension and the hook size you use.

this free pattern is for personal use only.  please do not sell this pattern or items made using this pattern.  if you post images of your finished work, i would greatly appreciate credit or a link back to this site.  thanks!
Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial No Derivative Works 3

down the rabbit hole in a blue dress

i saw the new alice in wonderland over the weekend and though it wasn't anything life changing, i really enjoyed it.  what really caught my eye was alice's wardrobe.  i'm so glad they didn't put her in her typical blue dress/white pinafore combination.  her dresses were darker, more gothic, more elegant, but still that iconic alice blue.

image from vanity fair

image from disney

image from infdaily

color collective

while happily clicking through links last weekend, i followed a link from oh, hello friend and ended up at color collective.  it was like a dream come true.  lauren chooses photos, art, and fashion that she finds inspiring and pulls the color palette from them.  yay, more color!  more inspiration!  i can't wait to play with some of these color combinations  :)

images from color collective

oh to splurge on beautiful books

it is very, VERY hard to exert self control when confronted with the new hardcover classics series from penguin.  even though i already own a quarter of the books, i've just about convinced myself that i most definitely need another copy with a cover designed by coralie bickford-smith.

 images from penguin's flickr