Dear Little Blog O' Mine,

I just wanted to let you know that I'm headed to a little paradise. I get to partake in family time at the Cape. Cape Cod, that is. I just wanted to let you know, so you don't think that I ran out on you, never to return. I wouldn't do that to you. I'll be back in a few weeks and I'll tell you all about it. Until then, here's something cute:



Okay, be good.

your girl,

Britt

hostess how to

Jake brought home a box of actual Hostess cupcakes and I hadn’t had one in about 20 years. (wow. That sounds crazy, but it’s true.) I eagerly took a big bite and they were dry and flavorless! How disappointing!

I googled recipes for these and here’s what I learned:

You make chocolate cupcakes.

You fill them with something creamy and white.

You put chocolate on the top.

Of course, last, you add the little swirl.


So here's how I made the perfect ones:

Chocolate cup cakes
I used the cake recipe from this post.

Creamy white filling
For the filling, I used Janelle’s buttercream recipe (so delicious!). But I took half and added a bunch of whipped cream (like one part buttercream and one part whipped cream) and folded it in to make it nice and light. (you get to save a bunch of buttercream frosting in the fridge and eat it as you please...on graham crackers and what not:)

Here’s the recipe:

Delicious Buttercream

1 c butter, room temp
2 t vanilla
1/3 c milk
2 T light corn syrup
6-8 c powdered sugar

place butter in large mixing bowl with vanilla, milk and corn syrup and mix together. With an electric mixer beat in 4 cups of the powdered sugar until smooth and creamy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Gradually add the remaining sugar, one cup at a time until you reach the desired spreadable consistency.


After the cupcakes are completely cool, you fill them with a pastry bag and a larger pastry tip. I had never filled anything before my experiments with these, and it is quite simple and straight forward. Some of the recipes said to poke holes or cut out little bits of the cupcake, but I found all of that unnecessary—just stick the tip into the cupcake and squeeze some yumminess in. {the cupcake bloats as it get filled and it’s quite satisfying every time.}

Put chocolate on top
Then you frost them with ganache. I learned to make ganache by watching Ina. Over a double boiler add chocolate chips and heavy cream and stir until melted. (I’ve never measured because I like to pretend that I'm like Ina and I can just throw it all together by feeling my way through. It usually works out perfectly, but I just looked up a couple recipes for those who may be afraid of feeling it out and it looks like about 8 oz of chocolate chips and ½ cup of heavy cream. I usually add a tablespoon or two of light kayro syrup—it adds a little shine to it.)

Swirliness
Then you take a bit of the leftover buttercream and make a little swirl on the top with a small pastry tip.

Enjoy!

tag - it's my turn to feel popular:)

Christian tagged me, so now I'm "it"...

What is your current obsession?
cupcakes

What do you hate that most everyone else seems to love?
Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

What are you wearing today?
capris and…



What’s for dinner?
I haven't thought that far ahead yet.

What would you eat for your last meal?
a delicious salad. Maybe with some fish atop. And something chocolate.

What’s the last thing you bought?
birthday presents for 2 birthday parties today

What are you listening to right now?
lego Indiana jones Wii/Year 3000 by the Jonas Brothers (school's out...)

What do you think of the person who tagged you?
she’s funny and sarcastically witty and pretty and a great mom and her hair always makes me jealous:)

If you could have a house totally paid for, fully furnished anywhere in the world, where would you like it to be?
I gotta say, I love it here. But maybe on some little island that belonged to me personally. Maybe like Nim?

If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go?
only an hour? Maybe to the streets of some foreign city that I’ve never been to. Or way out in the country of Ireland or New Zeland. Or maybe to some sweet restaurant where I can eat something delicious. (but I would want Jake there for that one.)

what is one of your hobbies?
photograpy

What’s your favourite quote?
“I’m hungry like the wolf.” -Duran Duran

What is your favourite colour?
I can never choose. I love color. All color. Well, maybe not peach. Not a big fan of peach.

What is your favourite piece of clothing in your own wardrobe?
everything that I can’t fit into right now.

What is your dream job?
one where I can create things and never have to do marketing or selling of my own creations

Describe your personal style?
classic feminine with an artsy twist

What’s your favourite tree?
the huge maple tree that gives my yard shade. No, the apple trees that hold my hammock. No, the crab apples by my front door in spring. Maybe it’s the redbud outside my bedroom window while it’s in bloom and it casts a pink glow into my room. Okay, I can’t choose.

What are you going to do after this?
feed 5 children lunch and wrap presents. And think about making cupcakes. (so I can eat them.)

What’s your favourite fruit?
seriously? Do I have to choose? Apples, bananas, grapes, mangos, cantaloupe, ripe juicy peaches…

What inspires you?
nature

Who was the last person you kissed?
my babies when I put them down for a nap.

What are you currently reading?
I just finished The Hunger Games. So good!

Go to your bookshelf, take down the first book with a red spine you see, turn to page 26 and type out the first line:
“She had to hurry; that was all that she knew, but she began by accepting that as a matter beyond argument.”

What delighted you the most today?
that the sun came out.

By what criteria do you judge a person?
their willingness to be kind.

The rules:1. Respond and rework; answer the questions on your blog, replace one question you dislike with a question of your invention, add one more question of your own. (I didn't add another--this took me way too long!)
2. Tag eight other people. (okay, seven...)

wendy, carrie, kara, krista, caleb, jenna, amanda, ...you're IT!

yesterday

waiting for the school bus


So yesterday was the last day of school. I know. Crazy.

It was rainy and chilly/humid and I was tired. So I decided to rent a movie On Demand.

It got paused about 678 times and took like 5 hours to finish it and when it was finally over, I felt yucky.

Here’s the deal: it was He’s Just Not That Into You and while funny and witty with an all-star cast, it left the impression that marriage was a joke. Worthless and a silly notion. This isn’t the only movie I’ve seen recently that left that impression. And it’s not just the movies either.

So here’s a call out; an invitation. To all you happily married folks.

Talk about it.

Write about it.

Sing about it.

Make movies about it.

Marriage is awesome. For those of us that work at it and choose each other every day. For the people that are still madly in love after years and years of marriage. For the lucky and blessed women with husbands who express love and affection and support (and vise versa). For the couples who remember that the other is human and prone to bad days/weeks/years and deserves forgiveness.

Being married to my husband has brought such indescribable happiness. He has made me a better person. He has made my bad days better. He drives me insane trying to get a reaction when he tickles me (I bore 5 children for him to tickle. Doesn’t that give me a get out of tickles free card?)

i was just thinking about my sisters...

I was with all my sisters and we were getting ready for a wedding. Not one of ours, but a friend of the family. We were at the Alamo house and I don’t even remember whose wedding it was, I just remember that as I was getting ready, I was looking at my sisters and admiring their beauty. They are seriously stunning—each of them. And instead of feeling good about their loveliness, I started getting all down on myself. They all have blonde hair and it was long and flowy; I’m dark haired and I had cut it off into a short pixie cut and I was wishing that I was more feminine like them. I don’t remember what any of us were wearing, but once I saw each of them, I felt like I hadn’t brought the right clothes and I was uncomfortable in my own skin. As we got into the car, we all smooshed in together and I resigned myself to keep my head up and was trying to hold back the tears of insecurity. As we pulled out of the driveway, one of my sisters said, “I can’t believe how beautiful Brittany looks; it’s not fair.” And the others started muttering their agreement. I was completely floored. I couldn’t even speak and sat there with my mouth open and my breath stopped at my throat.

And by the time we got there I felt beautiful instead of whatever it was I felt before.

That’s what they do for me. I realized the other day that when I’m feeling insecure, I call my sisters and they build me up. (I need to stop doing that, because they probably are really sick of me needing their encouraging words over and over.)

I have been feeling badly about myself because I’ve still been recovering in many ways from my crazy pregnancy and I still have lots of extra weight on this body of mine. My sisters are coming in a little over a week and I found myself panicking at their svelte physiques and gorgeous selves (because it’s hard not to compare yourself to people who come from the same genetic structure as yourself). But then I remembered. These hotties love me. They are my biggest supporters. They make me feel beautiful.

Sigh.

Aren’t sisters the best?

happy father's day

caleb

it's my brother's birthday today. he's awesome. he wants to run for president. he always says it like it is. he's the crazy fun one one. here's one of his poems that I love:

Bear You Up
I can’t imagine what you feel.
All of your fears surround you.
As the world comes crashing down, all around you.
If I could take away the pain, heap it on my shoulders,
If I could switch around the pieces so it changed the picture,
I would bear those burdens for you.
I would take it all.
I would try to fix it and leave you quietly in peace.
You would never have to hurt this way.
You would never have to feel the pain.

But this is out of my hands Love.
Still, I will do anything in my power to heal,
Anything to save, anything to help, I pray
Someone as brave as you, as strong, as good, and true
Your tears do not fall unnoticed.
Your prayers are heard and noted.
You are loved, my Love.
You are surrounded and angels will bear you up.
I am here, your friend through it all.
I will be here, near if you need me.


Happy Birthday, Boy. I think the 30's are the best so far...

wish mama

Today I'm a wish mama! Thanks, Mindy for asking me to contribute--what an honor! Head over to the Wish Studio to check things out.

ps--since I wrote that, the baby birds have hatched and are being steadily nourished by thier dedicated parents. So sweet to watch.

affirmations

"take to the sky" origional mixed media on canvas, prints available at my shop

You know how when you watch your children sleep there is this love that reaches such a depth that it just might be enough to kill you? Well, I was watching my little winter birds and making all sorts of plans for their future. You know, like trying to will myself to be the perfect mother for them, sending affirmations their way. Hoping that 20 years from now they will be asleep some morning and when they wake up and stretch out the bodies that I created with my own, they will be perfectly content because they were loved enough. Loved in a way that they know their potential. Loved enough that they know their dreams are something real and tangible. Loved so that they know their beauty is inside and out. Loved so much that they have the ability to love enough to accept and forgive and say they are sorry. Loved completely.

So that’s what this painting is all about. The words say “your potential is unlimited, little ones” and the leaves hold affirmations that I would want for them. Things like: love, dream, choose, forgive, believe, soar, seek, hope…

There are prints of some of my recent paintings available at my shop now. Thanks for the love—sometimes it is hard to put it all out there. xx

paradoxal peonies

today I went outside to my garden

& refreshed the peonies on my table

in celebration of the birth of a loved one

in mourning of the loss of an old friend

Dear Fellow Visiting Teachers,

feel free to print this out for your visiting teaching pleasure;)

It’s true. I’ve seen it a million times in my life. Just when I think I’ve prayed one too many times, I can kneel and pray again and receive an answer and I understand that I am forgiven for being weak—that was part of the plan. How else would we come to rely on the Lord?

Last night my body was spent. I didn’t think I would make it to the end of the night. Jake had a meeting so I was on my own and I needed a miracle. (seriously, sister, I can’t tell you how sore and exhausted and miserable I was. And in so much pain, physically.) So after putting the babies to bed I practically fell onto the floor and prayed long and hard. I picked myself up and came downstairs to find that I had the energy I needed to be the mom for the rest of the little people. My own little miracle. It may be small, but it’s my small life, so it seemed big to me.

And that made me thankful.

And it improved my relationship with my Father.

And I am changed. For the millionth time.

Because the flesh is weak, sister. Thank the heavens for prayer.

Yours,
Brittany


The message for Visiting Teaching this month can be found here.

sickies and stuff

I have little sickie people around me. It’s hard to be the mom of sickies. I find my blood pressure rising and having to take deep breaths. But this little family of mine gives me such a deep sense of joy and peace.

We just had family in town (kiss, kiss—we miss you already.) and my sweet daughter turned 10. (TEN!) It was a great week (although exhausting and emotional) and now I’m starting lots more projects around the house. The kids’ rooms need painting and organizing. I ‘m going to add another crib in the nursery (I’m hoping that will help with nap time) and make more fun stuff for that happy little room.

The babies are getting a schedule and sleeping more and better. Somehow the tiredness isn’t getting any better, though. They have started solid food and it cracks us all up to watch them eat. They are beginning to laugh and they keep us all entertained. The whole family gathers around them when they are awake to see what cuteness we can gather for the day.

I have committed to go to Squam Art Workshops this fall and can hardly wait! But I need to find a way to pay for it!! So if anyone needs any custom orders, now’s a good time:) I’ll be listing new items in my shop this week, so keep an eye out for gifts for friends and family. I have had several requests for prints of my paintings. (You guys are awesome!) That’s one of my biggest dreams—to paint and paint and paint {and sell my work!} So I’m trying to figure out the process of making prints and as soon as I have some, I’ll post them in my shop.

Happy Monday, people!