HaPPy New YeaR....Happy New YOU

Happy New Year everyone..My wish for 2009 is just simply to be happier in life=)

Happy new Year by boya arsila

Quotes for the last day of 2008

I hope my 2009 will be filled with lots of LOVE...LOVE and LOVE...Understanding myself more deeply...and living my fantasy

(images via iLOVE, i belong in a field and Photobucket)

New Year's Easy Recipes

Paula Deen's Slow Cooker Macaroni & Cheese

Ingredients:

• 2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni (an 8-ounce box isn't quite 2 cups)
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, cut into pieces
• 2 1/2 cups (about 10 ounces) grated sharp Cheddar cheese
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed Cheddar cheese soup
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

1. Boil the macaroni in a 2 quart saucepan in plenty of water until tender, about 7 minutes. Drain.
2. In a medium saucepan, mix butter and cheese. Stir until the cheese melts.
3. In a slow cooker, combine cheese/butter mixture and add the eggs, sour cream, soup, salt, milk, mustard and pepper and stir well. Then add drained macaroni and stir again.
4. Set the slow cooker on low setting and cook for 3 hours, stirring occasionally.

Devil’s Food Chocolate Cake (24 cupcakes / 350 degree oven) Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1-1/2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 eggs
  

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Measure out everything but the eggs directly into your mixer bowl
3. Mix on low speed just until incorporated.
4. Beat on high speed for 2 minutes.
5. Add eggs, beat on high speed again for 2 minutes.
6. Measure out into cupcake pan lined with cupcake papers. A 2 ice cream scoop works great for this.
7. Bake for about 15-20 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool slightly in the pan then transfer to a rack to cool completely before frosting.
   

Chocolate Buttercreamenough to lightly frost 24 cupcakes

• 1 stick butter
• 1/2 cup cocoa
• 4 cups confectioner’s sugar
• 1/4 cup milk

Directions:

1. Beat butter on high for about 30 seconds until soft.
2. Add cocoa and 1 cup of sugar and beat until incorporated
3. Add half of the milk and the remainder of sugar and beat until incorporated.
4. Continue to add milk until you get to the consistency you want.
   AssembleThere are many ways to go here, in this case, I simply piped the frosting onto the cupcakes with a large star tip.

Aren't these cute or what?

(images via Caramel)

Twenties Bungalow

This is a house of Los Angeles fashion designer, Johnson Hartig. Living Etc describeds this house as a house with a joyful, clashing melange of bright, modern art, random table-top collections and an interesting array of flea market treasures.

(image via Living Etc)

Holiday Recipe

Martha Stewart's baked french toast with raspberry sauce...

You can prepare it the night before and bake it in the morning so at the time everyone in the house wake up from their sleep...They can smell the toast and have a wonderful breakfast made by YOU.

Ingredients: (serves 4)

• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 4 thick slices challah, brioche, or other egg bread (1 inch thick)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 bag (10 to 12 ounces) frozen raspberries (or strawberries), thawed
• Smoked chicken sausage, warmed, for serving (optional)

Directions:

1. In a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, whisk together eggs, milk, 1/4 cup sugar, vanilla, and salt.
2. Arrange bread in dish in a single layer; let soak 15 minutes. Turn bread over; cover, and refrigerate until most of the liquid is absorbed, at least 30 minutes and up to overnight.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush a rimmed baking sheet with butter. With a spatula, carefully transfer soaked bread to sheet. Bake until French toast is set in center and lightly browned on the bottom, 25 to 30 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine raspberries and remaining 1/4 cup sugar, mashing lightly with a fork.
5. Remove French toast from baking sheet with a thin metal spatula; serve with raspberry sauce and, if desired, sausage.

picnic and read...

A few things you can do on this holiday season....fall asleep on your picnic because you ate too much or read your favourite book in the park while having your mind going somewhere outside the story of the book=)(images via thresca)

(image via iLOVE)

Educational Toilet Paper

They call it the educational toilet paper...So you can educate yourself with this ultimate toilet roll while you're doing your 'business'.

p.s: don't forget to bring your pencil=)

(images via trend hunter)

add some colours...

May YOU have a colourful mood to celebrate New Year

(images via sine-qua-non)

an angel at the gate

(image via another random space )

Chic Beach House

Wouldn't it be nice to have a holiday at this chic beach house?

(image via JustImagineDesign)

(images via About a girl)

Choco Fondue

Speaking about hot choco..I came across this fabulous Chocolate Fondue from Petrossian. It is a stoneware pots that can warm you fondue quickly and easily in the microwave or bain-marie. The pot can hold heat up to 45 minutes. You can serve this to your family or guests in this holiday season. Trust me they will be so thrilled to dip fresh fruits, marshmallow or biscuits in this choco fondue..

weekend...

How about cuddling up and having a really nice hot chocolate with your loved one this weekend..? Sounds good to me=)

(image via PleaseRecycle)

(image via apartment34)

Merry Christmas

Merry X'Mas everyone...

(image via flickr)

pictures of the day

Oh..I really like this picture I saw on Carolina Eclectic...Planning to take a shot like this with my boyfriend and our pet Pepper...But too bad I'm not a Boots fan..Hope flat shoes will look good on it..

I browsed through Bonnie Tumblr yesterday and found these colorful pictures...Just to boost my energy to start this looong holiday=)

(images via free hugs and wears heart on sleeve)

Fabric Inspirational Board

I was thinking about having a new style of my inspirational board when I came across this amazing board here...

It's a fabric inspirational board and it's Huge...!!!I might be able to put lots of photos, typographies and other pictures on it..

Vanity Table

These Vanity tables are great choices as your make up table.

(images via Domino Mag)

The holiday clock is ticking...

(image via Twentythree )

(image via Thresca)

A girl just wants to have a cotton candy to sweeten her world and balloons to fly to a fantasy land...(images via Trixypixie and Caramel)

Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes

Can't get enough of cupcakes? Here's another cute cupcake recipe from Cupcakeblog...

(image via CupcakeBlog)

Cupcakes (makes 24 cupcake ice cream cones/350 degree oven)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1-1/2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 eggs
  

Directions:

1. measure out everything but the eggs directly into your mixer bowl
2. mix on low speed just until incorporated
3. beat on high speed for 2 minutes
4. add eggs, beat on high speed again for 2 minutes
5. transfer batter into a container with a pour spout (like a pyrex measuring cup)
6. pour batter into ice cream cones, leave a good half inch between the batter and the top of the cone
7. bake at 350 for about 20 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean

Vanilla and Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients:

• 2 sticks butter
• 7 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 1/4 cup milk1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  

Directions:

1. beat butter until creamy, scrape bowl
2. add 5 cups of sifted powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla, beat until combined
3. add more powdered sugar until you get to the consistency you want (not too stiff so that its hard to pipe)
4. take out half of the buttercream and reserve, this is your vanilla5. add the cocoa powder to the remaining half and beat to combine, you might need to add a little milk if its too stiff, this is your chocolate buttercream
   

Assembly:

1. pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes with a large star tip
2. top with sprinkles

NY Loft

A SoHo-New York cosy loft space for family living (image via Living Etc)

morning with books...

This is a Library parking garage located in Kansas City..It's cool, isn't?

(image via BurnBurnBurn)

Oh My God...I'm sooooo in demand for this one...a book brush..such a brilliant idea!

(image via Better Living Through Design )

Hey it's OK

...to eat a brownie on the way to the gym. That's why you go to the gym!

Image clockwise from top left: walnut brownie, toffee banana brownies, harrys brownie, peanut swirl brownies, brownies with nuts, edgar brownie.

Christmas decor

Other pictures to give you ideas for Christmas decoration

(image via HostesBlog)