living artfully

happy halloween

Someone wanted to wish you all a very happy and safe Halloween!

hugs, sharyn 

pumpkin spice latte cupcakes with caramel buttercream

I've made many many cupcakes over the years. Some great and some just eh. But these... these are amazing. Pumpkin spice latte cupcakes with caramel buttercream. Quite possibly the best cupcakes I've ever made.


inspired by annie's eats 

The cake has the perfect spiciness; and it's super moist from the fresh coffee that is brushed on top while the cupcakes are still warm.  I love it with the caramel buttercream, but you could also cheat and top it with canned whipped cream like they do at a coffee house. Go find an excuse to make these... trust me!

ingredients
makes approximately 24 cupcakes

for the cupcakes
2-2/3 cups all purpose flour
3-1/2 tablespoons espresso powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1-1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 15-ounce can of pumpkin puree
1 cup sugar
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 cup canola oil
4 large eggs
1/2 cup hot coffee, for brushing

for the frosting
1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup caramel ice cream topping
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla
6 cups confectioners sugar
2 tablespoons milk

directions

to make the cupcakes
1. Preheat oven to 350°F and line cupcake cups with liners.  
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, espresso powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.
3. In the bowl of your electric mixer, beat together the pumpkin puree, sugar, brown sugar and oil.
4. Add the eggs to the wet mixture one at a time and beat to combine after each addition.
5. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients in two additions and beat just to combine.
6. Fill the cupcake liners 3/4 of the way. 
7. Bake for about 18-20 minutes, until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Then remove from the pan and place on cooling racks.
8. While the cupcakes are still warm, generously brush the tops of the cupcakes with warm coffee at least three times (or more for additional coffee flavor). Allow the coffee to soak in between each coat. The tops may start to look soggy, but this will be covered by your frosting.

to make the frosting
1. In the bowl of your electric mixer, cream together the shortening and butter.
2. Add the caramel topping and vanilla; beat until fully incorporated.
3. Add confectioners sugar one cup at a time, beating on medium speed between each addition. The frosting will be stiff after the final cup of sugar is added.
4.  Add milk and beat until fluffy. (Add more or less milk to achieve your desired consistency.)
5. Frost cupcakes and garnish as desired. I sprinkled ground cinnamon on top. You could drizzle with more caramel sauce or garnish with a chocolate covered espresso bean.  



hugs, sharyn 

beauty confession: nail polish

My love for scrapbooking and the related supplies is no secret. But scrapbooking supplies aren't the only things I collect. I'm addicted to nail polish!



This month my nail polish collection passed the 100 mark... and I needed to upgrade from one rack to two. I've been collecting nail polish for over ten years, so this is nothing I've acquired over night or anything. But I know for most people this would be just way too much polish.

As a new mom, I never imagined that this season in my life would include indulging in my nail polish obsession. But it's a disconcerting feeling when nothing in the closet fits and you start having unexpected fears about being frumpy and never being able to lose the baby weight ever. Now thanks to an amazing top coat that dries in 45 seconds, I can paint my nails pretty much whenever and feel a little more put together. When I need a little boost, nail polish has definitely been doing the trick for me.

I love having a variety of polishes to choose from; and while some colors may be similar, no two are really the same. In true nail-polish-addict fashion, I sometimes look at my collection and think I have every possible color I'd ever like to wear. But then a new line is released and I feel like I must have a certain color because I have nothing like it! Not too different from the feeling us scrapbookers sometimes get when a new collection is released ;) And crazy as it may sound, my collection is nothing compared to nail bloggers or other ladies who post videos of their collections on youtube. 

So yes, nail polish is my guilty pleasure. Freshly painted nails make me smile! So how do you feel about nail polish... love it or hate it? 

hugs, sharyn

christmas album kits

This week my husband and I had a conversation regarding how soon I could put out our Christmas decorations without looking like a total weirdo. If you're a long-time reader, you know my love for Christmas and inability to have any patience for starting my holiday preparations. There are only 68 days until Christmas, which means December will be here before you know it.

If you're planning to do a December or Christmas album, now is the perfect time to finalize your plan. As I mentioned last month, I will be using the Studio Calico December Daily kit from Ali Edwards. 



The Studio Calico kit is now sold out... so if you weren't able to get your hands on it but still want to use a kit, there are other great options out there! 

Stephanie Howell recently announced that she's co-teaching a December Daily bootcamp through Gossamer Blue. Class starts on 11/5 and uses the month of November to help you pull together your album and plan. And look how gorgeous the class kit is!



Or if you're style is more modern and bright, Citrus Twist is offering a beautiful December Daily kit. While other DD kits can cost nearly $100, the Citrus Twist kit is a great affordable alternative for just $38. Amazingly, that low price also includes PDF instructions for the album and daily prompts.



Scraptastic is offering a December Daily kit called Stocking Stuffer. The colors are similar to the SC kit and they appear to have some overlap in papers, but the Scraptastic kit seems to be a bit more traditional. The price of the kit also includes two classes: one for the album, plus a card class, too. 



I'm also excited to see what the crazy-talented Kelly Purkey has up her sleeves. She recently posted this sneak from her soon-to-be revealed December Daily kit. I love the girly modern aesthetic and can't wait for the full reveal.  



Or if you want something really unique, a search on etsy for "december daily" generated almost 300 results.  This is a great route for a hand-collected feel without all the work. Or if you need just a little something to supplement your existing supplies, there are great embellishment kits to be found on etsy. I love the look of the kits being offered by baersgarten.

How do you plan to scrapbook the holidays this year?

hugs, sharyn 

10 things

On the tenth of every month, Shimelle Laine invites bloggers to share ten things. Doesn't matter the topic, as long as it's ten things. This month, here are my 10 must-haves for scrapbooking.



1. Craft knife: I almost never use a scissors or a paper trimmer. Instead, my go-to for all my cutting is a hand-held craft knife (with a ruler if I need to make a straight edge). I find it's the most precise and never creates those fuzzy edges I'd get from a dull paper trimmer. 

2. Tweezer Bee tweezers: If you don't already have a tweezers in your scrapping toolbox, these would be an awesome addition. I keep mine by my side at all times to position tricky alphabet stickers and other small embellishments. And they're the best tool for lifting misplaced embellishments that you've stuck down in the wrong place and want to move.

3. Kraft cardstock: My favorite layouts, and those that don't require loads of thought, are those that have kraft cardstock as the foundation. Kraft is a great neutral base for mixing and matching patterned papers and embellishments. 

4. Border punches - Circles Large, Embossed Curve Large, Threading Water, Apron Lace: These are the four border punches that I'm hopelessly addicted to. I have quite a few more, but none are as versatile as these.

5. October Afternoon letter stickers: It would be hard to scrap without alphabet stickers. So of course I have tons of alphabets, but none are more loved than the mini market alphas from October Afternoon. They're not too big and not too small and come in the colors I use most. 

6. Journaling cards and tags: My layouts aren't heavy on embellishments, but I do love to layer in little journaling spots. They might hold my journaling or title, or just float off the page as an embellishment. I love that journaling cards are a quick way to give a layered and coordinated look to my pages.

7. Digital photo clusters: Ever since I bought Photoshop Elements 5 many years ago, my style has evolved from 2-page layouts with lots of 4x6 photos to 1-page layouts with clusters of smaller photos. About half the time I rely on digital photo clusters (my favorites are by Katie Pertiet). They help me create the perfect little grouping of pictures so I can easily fit 6+ pictures onto one layout without it looking crazy.

8. Washi tape: I'm not a super trendy scrapbooker, but one trend I do love is washi tape. I have a small collection of tapes from Studio Calico kits and Freckled Fawn. They remind me a bit of the massive ribbon collection I grew, but I find washi to be far more usable than ribbon. 

9. Studio Calico kits: This one may be cheating a bit, since it's not just one item. But month after month, I continue to love the kits that Studio Calico produces. 99% of my new supplies in the last two years are from SC kits and I have almost no need to shop for anything else besides adhesive. 

10. Zutter Bind-It-All: All my mini albums were bound using my zutter bind-it-all. Before having this tool, I never really made minis. And while it's not something I do that often, I love having a tool to bind them together and I know I'd never make minis without it. 

What about you? What are your must-have items for scrapbooking??

You can visit more bloggers sharing their ten things by clicking here. 

hugs, sharyn 

back to work

Today's a big day. A day I've simlutaneously been looking forward to and dreading. Maternity leave is over and I'm back at work.



I've had to say goodbye to endless hours with this smiling face. Goodbye to a wide expanse of time with no direction other than to love and nurture this little guy. There have been tears - mine, not his - over the past week.  

Being a successful business woman and a mom is a complicated thing, and I'm not even going to pretend to understand the half of it. I'm extremely achievement driven. I get a lot personally out of being sucessful at work. I enjoy being challenged in my work and often feel a rush when my plate is full. Work fills me up in a unique way I haven't felt during maternity leave. 

Yet since becoming a mom, I've felt more love, more joy, and more grounded than I've ever felt before. It's exciting and scary and fulfulling and overwhelming. Some days I'm absolutely struck by how I'm changed and how thankful I am.

I suppose it's all about balance. I want to raise a confident and self-assured young man. I want to give him room to become his own little person, freedom to make mistakes and learn from them. And I want him to know his mother is always there for him 100% whenever he needs. I hope that being a working mom gives him a little space to grow other important relationships, and that through my work I can be a positive example for him.  

I anticipate that starting today, my time with him will be even sweeter. If you're so inclined, you can send this nervous mama good thoughts today.

hugs, sharyn 

pumpkin pie granola

I'm a creature of habit when it comes to breakfasts. I'll settle on a routine and eat the same thing for breakfast for weeks on end. Sometimes it's eggs, sometimes it's oatmeal; but these days it's granola and greek yogurt. For someone who bakes quite often, I've been surprisingly hesitant about making my own granola at home. But now that I have my first homemade granola under my belt, I'm itching to experiment with more. Making granola at home is easy and way more affordable than the pricey granolas I love from Whole Foods.



Since it's fall and I'm, well, pretty much obsessed with pumpkin... I decided to bake up a batch of pumpkin pie granola, inspired by Dashing Dish. I'm sharing the base of the recipe here, but the options are endless for you in terms of the mix-ins you prefer.

ingredients

4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ginger
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
3/4 cup canned pumpkin puree
3 tablespoons honey
1/2 cup applesauce
mix-ins, such as: 1/2 cup nut of your choice (in place of walnuts), 1/2 cup chocolate chips, 1/2 cup butterscotch chips, 1/2 cup dried cranberries, 1/2 cup raisins, 1/2 cup pepitas, etc 

directions

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In one bowl, combine the oats, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, ginger, sugar, salt, baking powder, and chopped walnuts. 
3. In a second bowl, mix together the pumpkin puree, honey and applesauce.
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir to combine, until the dry ingredients are evenly coated.
5. Spread onto baking sheets. If you like chunky granola, take care to leave some clumps.
6. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove from oven and stir well. 
7. Bake for a second 15 minutes, then remove and stir well.
8. Bake for a third 15 minutes, watching carefully to ensure granola doesn't burn. Continue in intervals of approximately 5 minutes if the granola is not browned and crispy after 45 minutes.
9. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.
10. Stir in your mix-ins, such as chocolate chips or cranberries.
11. Store in a sealed air-tight container. 



hugs,
sharyn 

beauty favorites: september

In September I came across some great beauty products that I've added to my rotation of favorites. Every fall, no fail, I always want to switch up my makeup routine and hairstyle. Maybe I miss the thrill of back-to-school just a little! Whatever the reason, it's a great time to re-evaluate your beauty products and introduce new colors and looks.

Once September hits, I'm usually over the bright nail polish colors of the summer. I retired my coral polishes and picked out some great dark and moody shades for the fall. One of my favorite things to do is alternate wearing a dark polish and then wearing a nude or neutral polish.



The look on the left is Essie Over the Edge with a layer of Butter London Gobsmacked on the accent nail. Over the Edge is a gorgeous gunmetal grey with a hint of metallic finish. I love that it shines without being frosty. Gobsmacked is part of Butter London's new Autumn/Winter 2012 collection, and is a charcoal grey glitter in a sheer grey base. Gobsmacked really does its best work as a layer over a solid color, as its sheer base never really becomes opaque, even after multiple coats. Just like Over the Edge, I love that Gobsmacked is grey without being metallic or silver. Such a beautiful pair.

The middle look is a new favorite neutral: OPI My Very First Knockwurst, which is part of OPI's brand new Germany collection. Knockwurst is a creamy nude with pink undertones; you wouldn't think of it as a pink unless you compare it side-by-side to a more beige nude. Nudes are difficult because the wrong tone can make your hands look dead. So this may not be the nude for everyone, but I love it on my pale skin. For a little interest, I did an acccent nail with a coat of Sephora by OPI Only Gold for Me, a chunky gold glitter topcoat with micro and hex glitter.

And the look on the right is Essie Damsel in a Dress, a shimmery eggplant purple that is now one of my top ten favorites. It's a dark purple that never reads as black and never appears frosted. I don't typically like true purples because they seem too "young" for me, but this plummy shade looks really sophisticated.



This month I picked up a new eyeshadow palette, the first time I've done so in ages. I'm a loyal user of the two Urban Decay palettes: Naked 1 and Naked 2. But something about Tarte's limited edition Call of the Wild eyeshadow palette really caught my eye. It's available in store at Ulta and online at QVC, and is not sold everywhere that Tarte is sold. Call of the Wild features some neutrals, but doesn't appear to have any exact dupes from the Naked palettes. I am currently loving a neutral eye with the shades in the pans on the left top, middle top and in the elongated pan on the left. And the burgundy on the bottom middle is absolutely gorgeous for a little more drama.


Lastly, I've introduced a new product to my haircare routine that I've quickly come to love: Aveda's Smooth Infusion Style-Prep Smoother. This product does double duty, acting as a heat protectant for styling tools and it also keeps my hair silky, reduces frizz and adds a little shine. My color-treated hair has a bit of a wave and can feel coarse, but this product makes my hair feel incredibly soft. It's pricey but I have hair down to my chest and only need a small pump of product to get great results. 

Have you recently found any great new products? Trying out any new looks for the fall?

hugs, sharyn