3.31.2010

do you know what a "buttfreckle" is?

what exactly IS a "buttfreckle", you may ask?   it's an incredibly cute little plush ball with eyes that comes in many colors, textures and sizes.  but how did it get the name "buttfreckle"?  that can be explained in the undercover process bridgette has to go through to get them into her shop (see http://buttfreckle.bigcartel.com/)

"All freckles are snatched off quickly and with excessive force. They are then taken to a secret lab where they are exposed to radioactive caju dust which causes the freckle to greatly increase in size. After exposure to the dust, the freckle's unique characteristics become easily visible including their very own butt freckle (a special glass bead sewn on the rear)."
















i think i should start with the story behind my first purchase... i initially saw these cute little creations in the etsy treasuries and fell in love with them.  my brother's nickname as a kid was "FB", short for frecklebutt which i think is self-explanatory.  once i found out what they actually were, i knew i needed to send one of these to him after all these years.  i purchased a blue grimace buttfreckle for him, perfect for his son in case he didn't find the gift as humorous as i did.  thankfully he did have a sense of humor with it when he received it but he kept asking me "what do i do with this now?"

and what does one do with a buttfreckle?  bridgette does have a list of ideas posted in her shop announcement, and here are a few: hide it in the medicine closet, stash it in your child's lunch, throw it at the cat, set it on your desk, tag the back of your bro's head... the possibilities are endless!  after the purchase for my brother, i started my own little collection of these characters.  i have a couple of fall/halloween ones, a couple holiday ones and a few others that match my decor colors.  i like to keep them out on display but where they are displayed has changed a few times!  my cats seem to think these little guys are included with their toys (they average around 2.5"-3" round depending on the freckle, and some come quite a bit larger). they stole my mummy right before halloween and it went missing until nearly christmas. then they stole my snowball right before christmas for about a week.  one of these days i'll have to purchase a buttfreckle just for them.




























i don't think there is a buttfreckle in bridgette's shop that i don't love. they are all so cute, and the descriptions of where each freckle came from are truly worth reading.  her sense of humor makes her little creations even more endearing!  each time i heart one instead of buying it right away it ends up sold within a day or two.  apparently i am not the only one who is totally smitten with these little guys! =)

3.30.2010

a very cute & easy easter cake

this week's recipe isn't so much of a recipe as it is an idea.  with easter being this weekend, i thought this would be the perfect thing to post.

i originally found this recipe as a sunflower cake.  the directions are to make a yellow cake and frost it with chocolate frosting.  you arrange the peeps the same way but put graduated sized chocolate chips in the center of the flower.  i LOVE chocolate, but chocolate frosting isn't my favorite.  and i think of sunflowers being late summer, not spring.  so i thought - how can i make this cake better for me, and more "easter"?

1.  i made a strawberry box mix cake (i have yet to find a cake recipe from scratch that tastes as light and as good as a box mix).  i also made it in two 8-1/2" rounds which had a scalloped edge like petals.
2.  i frosted it with vanilla funfetti frosting.   a big hint - make sure to do the top last to make sure the peeps and sprinkles will stick.
3.  i arranged sugar-free peeps around the edge like petals (peeps facing in).  i used the sugar-free peeps because they don't come attached in rows like the regular ones.  i then took the sprinkles that came with the funfetti frosting and scattered them in the center of the "flower".  didn't it turn out cute?!


















3.26.2010

friday fuzzies

[fri'dā fuz'ēz] n. handmade finds of pure cuteness to make fridays even better

every friday i will share with you something or things that i found which meet the following criteria:
1. it's cute
2. it's handmade
and most of all,
3. i covet it

today it's 3 somethings with the theme of stars!

stars to hug...  check out vivikas' adorable little felt plush "you deserve a star".  it's just too cute! (btw, i have her tim burton-esque half plush and LOVE it!)

stars to wear... this stars ring is made of silver with the background color being prong-set recycled aluminum.  you can choose from 14 colors and the top part can also be made as a pendant.  decisions, decisions!

and last but not least, stars to take you away...  star shaped island hopper palm wax tarts from jennuinecandles.  the scent of a fruity drink with coconut and bananas whisks me straight to the middle of summer on these first few days of spring.

3.23.2010

my all-time favorite soup

as you'll learn, i love to cook and bake and i'll be sharing my favorite recipes on my blog.

last night i didn't know what to do for dinner.  as i was going through my recipes i realized i had half a bag of potatoes waiting to be used on my counter.  it was a cooler gray day and once i had the potatoes i knew this soup was an order.  i found a recipe a few years ago for potato leek soup - which was good - but i love to take recipes and make them my own.  this soup recipe is now my all-time favorite.  it's actually healthier than it sounds and worth the time and effort it takes to make it.  so here we go!


















creamy potato onion soup

ingredients:
2 tbs olive oil
4 leeks, sliced into 1/4" pieces
4 large potatoes with the skin left on, cubed to 1/2" pieces
5 cups water
1 large yellow onion, diced
salt & pepper
1 package of cream cheese (8 oz - i use light)
1/2 cup milk (i use skim)
1 lb bacon, cooked and drained
10 green onions, chopped
shredded cheddar

1. in dutch oven, cook leeks in oil on medium for about 10 minutes.  stir occasionally.
2. add water, potatoes, yellow onion, salt & pepper.  bring to a boil.  reduce heat to medium-low and cook covered for 20 minutes.
3. take about 1/3 to 1/2 (depending on how chunky you like your soup) of the soup mixture, put it in a blender and puree it.  return to pot.
4. start cooking the bacon.  drain the fat and crumble it into the soup mixture as it is finished cooking.
5. add the milk and cream cheese.  cream cheese should be cubed into about 15 pieces and added a few at a time every couple of minutes so that it melts properly.  don't forget to stir.  i like to add the green onions at this time but they can also be used as a garnish.
6. serve with shredded cheddar and/or green onions on top.  just a note - keep soup in pot covered otherwise a thin skin will form on the top.

makes about 8 servings.  enjoy! =)

♠ ♠ ♠

download a printable pdf file of this recipe...  http://www.oncupcakemoon.com/recipes/potatoonionsoup.pdf

3.19.2010

friday fuzzies

[fri'dā  fuz'ēz] n. handmade finds of pure cuteness to make fridays even better

this is my first installment of "friday fuzzies".  every friday i'll be sharing with you something that i found which meets the following criteria:
1. it's cute
2. it's handmade
and most of all,
3. i covet it

and with that i share with you the "Sweet Tooth Charm Bracelet" made by antisparkle...  i can almost hear my dentist calling as i look at it ;)

3.01.2010

a new name needs a new blog!

i am no longer "deb cards, etc.", a name i have had for many years. but i knew that a new name was needed - something cute, sweet and more youthful; a name that truly reflected my whimsical artwork. so after much input from friends and family (thank you so much!), hours of deliberation, pages of logo designs... i have arrived at the name of "on cupcake moon" and the logo below. i sincerely hope you like it too! =)