Solution: Shelves

Now we just need a shell or two to stash the book boxes on. Please try to envision book boxes on them instead of tin boxes. :)

Photo Credit: Collectors Weekly

That ought to give the room a very contemporary look (the storage books are less colorful! >_<). Something like this, maybe. I don't even want to know how much this costs...

Photo Credit: Archi Expo

This one is not too shabby. Yours for the low, low price of $1,395 USD. =)

Photo Credit: Hudson Goods (Homes Are Meant For Living)

Photo Credit: Wisteria

While we are at it, why not go all out and go for something like this?

Photo Credit: Dornob

Photo credit: BID Be Interior Decorator

Well, since I have not yet hit the lottery jackpot, let's stick with shopping at Target and/or Ikea for the time being. =)

Solution: Book Boxes

So if you know me, you'd know that I like knickknacks. All sorts of knickknacks, especially the small, Asian types. I already have a couple of these storage carts filled to the brim:

But as you can see, they are a tad unsightly. And since Hubby bought me this fabulous house, I need a way to keep it pretty... or at least make an effort to make it looks like one of those model houses that we have seen. And I have found my solution, again at Michael's.

They are, as their name implied, boxes that look like books. Ironically I can't find them on Michael's website, so pictures (different style, but same idea) from other sites will have to suffice. These are super expensive though:

Photo credit: Art & Frame Gallery

Photo credit: Premier Home Decor

They weren't kidding about the "premier" part, their pricing is certainly premier. LOVE this set, but $90?? :O

Photo Credit: Premier Home Decor

Also found a bunch on a wholesale site in China. Does a girl have to get into import/retail to get her hands on one of these (at reasonable (?) price)?

Last of all, this set is also gorgeous. According to Google the picture belongs to Spectrum Organizing, but I wasn't able to actually locate the picture on their site.

Photo Credit: Spectrum Organizing

Wow, an entire website dedicated to storage & organizing... maybe I should spend some time browsing through it instead of just nabbing their pictures. =)

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Made another batch of cupcakes, this time red velvet and actually used a recipe I found on Foodnetwork. OH MY GOD, can I go back to being blissfully ignorant? As it turned out the so-called cream cheese frosting is made up of TWO pounds of cream cheese, TWO pounds of butter, AND FOUR cups of sugar!! The only ingredient that will not lead to a slow and gradual death is arguably the 1 tea spoon of vanilla extract! Now I know that slight yellow color in the frosting are straight from the butter. After I made them I couldn't bring myself to eat them at all, though Hubby said they were really good. Can probably half the sugar and decrease some butter next time... maybe look for a "healthier" recipe? :S

I had Hubby took some to work today, I've seen the size of his colleagues ("average" by US standard). If any of them drop from a heart attack three years down the line, is it manslaughter? :O Maybe I should just stick with muffins going forward. :(

My New (Unrealistic) Fantasy

My own cake studio!! =D

Photo credit: Tiny Tower Wikidia

I would look for a real picture, but they are harder to find. LOL

Food Coloring Pen? :O

Should I say amazing? These are supposed to be edible ink. :o

Want. Herb. Garden.

Tried and failed this year to grow herbs/tomatos (is green onion considered 'herb')? I blame Hubby!!

Funny thing was when reading about herb garden, it was said that it will be the "beginning of a life long hobby." I never thought of growing anything as a hobby, probably because I managed to kill most plants that came into my care. To me it's very practical, I only want to grow things that I eat, especially green onions and cilantro that we only need occasionally and it's impossible to stock, and every time we bought a bundle most went to waste (should just pinch some at the grocers ;).

 Photo credit: Wheatgrasskit.com

Maybe growing them indoor is the way to go. These planters are so pretty, but I don't have that kind of window sill room. T.T All these "kits" only comes with white people herbs, where's my green onion and cilantro!! :-o

 

Photo credit: redenvelope

Castle Mold

Forget about Pier1 Imports, I've got to stop visiting Amazon.com.

Discovered this castle cake mold. :'(

Photo Credit: Hayneedle.com

Food Coloring

While reading about cake decorating, it is only normal to question the health effect of food coloring. After all, does red velvet really need to be red? (I know, I know, other than the fact that its called red velvet.) But if it has zero effect on the taste, why ingest anything questionable?

A quick research will, of course, take you to wikipedia -- modern day's answer to just about anything (remember those things called encyclopedia when you were young? Totally dating myself.) There are, of course, all naturally food coloring, such as:

• Caramel coloring (E150), made from caramelized sugar, used in cola products and also in cosmetics
• Annatto (E160b), a reddish-orange dye made from the seed of the achiote.
• A green dye made from chlorella algae (chlorophyll, E140)
• Cochineal (E120), a red dye derived from the cochineal insect, Dactylopius coccus
• Betanin (E162) extracted from beets
• Turmeric (curcuminoids, E100)
• Saffron (carotenoids, E160a)
• Paprika (E160c)
• Elderberry juice
• Pandan (Pandanus amaryllifolius), a green food coloring
• Butterfly pea (Clitoria ternatea), a blue food dye

Pay particular attention to cochineal, it is derived from what, an insect?

Female cochineal
Photo credit: Webexhibits.org

Male cochineal
Photo credit: nathistoc.bio.uci.edu
© Peter J. Bryant










Yummy!

Lighters

The kind of crap you can find online has never cease to amaze me. While innocently browsing for fondant cake, I saw this giant match-shaped lighter.

 Photo credit: Made-in-China.com (go figure)

While looking for a picture of said lighter, I found:

 Photo Credit: DesignBuzz.com

Also these smoke-free ashtrays (where does the smoke go??). Remind me again why I quit smoking?

 Photo Credit: diytrade.com

Unbelievable

Never had I thought there will be one single subject that I can ramble on at least one entry a day; evidently, when it comes to shopping (non-clothing/makeup/essential items), I can find at least one item, if not more, a day. Luckily I don't buy half the stuff I blogged about, else I will seriously need to seek help. Although, Hubby did his Christmas shopping off of my blog list (made it too easy for him), between that and Michael's 50% & 40% off coupons, I might arguably own half the stuff on this blog. UGH!!

That's okay, they say being aware of your problem is half way solving it, right??

Whacky Cake Mold

Continue to discover more fun stuff on Amazon. Now I see how those whacky shaped cakes are made.





This is just a little over my "fun budget." Alternatively, Fat Daddio's brand sells each tier separately, seemingly more stomachable in pricing. Something to think about... once I made my first fondant cake...

Red Velvet Cake Mix II

Evidently I went to the wrong foo foo Safeway last time. Hubby was able to find these at another foo-foo'er Safeway and bought me TWo of these. AND whipping cream also. Is that a hint?

Many years ago I've made this complaint: you try to quit smoking everybody (except for bad friends?) are supportive. Nobody will go "Oh c'mon c'mon, it's just one." God forbid you try to loose weight or watch your cholesterol, and WORSE around the holiday season when it's tradition to give people hi cholesterol count items to celebrate this festive season. And worse yet, even I have fell in love with baking. :-o Who should I make my next victim? =)

Cooold

The weather is not frightful lately, but definitely cold, especially when I am staying home all day long on vacation -- okay, so cold by California standard. So sue me.

The cold weather makes me really want one of these heated toilet seats. =.=

The Kitties

The kitties got so spoiled this year by getting not one, but TWO, Christmas presents. =)

One from me -- thermal kitty heated bed. The two cats fight over it, but I can't tell if they are fighting over it because they both love it (the long hair one definitely does not need heated anything 'les we move to Alaska or Iceland) or just because it's news. They are a bit too much like kids this way. =.=

I probably should review this item while I am at it. I didn't review it on Amazon because I don't know how many stars to give it. As I have said, the two cats took turn using it, not sure if they actually like it, or just because it's new.

So if you just plug it in, it doesn't seem very warm (barely detectable if you put your hand on it), but if the cat sits inside of it for a while, it does warm up nicely, easily as warm, if not warmer, than your lap. And the jury is still out on how much the cats themselves like it... I'll rate it once they inform me of how many stars I should give it.



And one from the MIL (mother-in-law) -- how sweet of her!! :) -- a cat grass growing kit

Machete??

Never had I imagined that you can just walk into a store and buy a machete. :O Machete reminds me of the serial killer in the TV show Dexter. :S

Odd

This is all very odd. I started this blog meaning to write more "substantial" stuff. "Substantial" being verbose. Just like most other human beings, I love hearing myself talk, so anything I said are naturally "substantial." :) Somewhat somehow (laziness), this ended up being a blog of my wants and desires... and my "substantially verbose" blog got bumped to the role of a sub page. :) Click on "Substantial" to read the actual words. LOL

Another Benefit of Having a Job...

other than the obvious ones of pay, benefits, etc. is you can bake to your heart's contend and can always count on your vulture colleagues to eat them all. ^__^

Piggy Cupcakes

I want to challenge this some day. :)

Photo Credit: Cutest Food

Red Velvet Cake

Can someone please tell me why it is so difficult to find these red velvet cake mix? Even the foo foo Safeway by our house which I bought the first box is now out of them. Is this being discontinued also??? Then again, I sent Hubby to go look last time. It is possible that he just overlooked it.

Cupcakes

My first try at making cupcakes (like it's very different from making a regular cake). I thought my "icing" was okay, an illusion further encouraged by the husband, but looking at the pictures, I probably could have just slapped them on with a spoon and do an half-ass job "sculpting" them and would probably looked about the same. Hahaha.

I had Hubby took them to work and so far only four were gone. :'( Hubby said, "Let me understand this, you spend money on the stuff, baked them, then give them away?" Better than raising my own blood sugar and cholesterol!! The fun was in the baking part... it's not unlike quilting, except you can eat the product afterward.

Cake

First try at actually making something that resembles a cake. Actually, second try. Now I wish I had taken a picture of my two layer red velvet cake. But I didn't expect myself to suddenly develop a passion (?) for cake-making/decorating just a week after the make-shift two-layered red velvet cake. I bet I can try to recreate one just to take a picture of it. :)

The cake looks prettier in the picture than in real life... can't see all the blemishes as well in a picture. =D

Discontinued Products

Why is it that all great products become discontinued? :'( Here's a couple examples:

Warm cinnamon spice handsoap by Softsoap. Really spices up your Christmas. Started in '09, I bought one last year... didn't use it till mid-year. Totally waited till this Christmas to buy more, but could only found them at inflated prices on Amazon (and all gone now :(

Then there's this Oil Infusions Moroccan by Caress, also available at inflated prices at Amazon:

Sniffff. Wonder if there's any reasons or I just like stuff that normal people don't. :(

Pretty Mousie

Hubby made the mistake of dragging me to Micro Center yesterday, and now I want this: :(

Pier 1 Ducks

Still have not learned the lesson on clicking on Pier 1's advertisement email. :S Check out these gemmed and flashing ducks. :(

Photo credit: Pier1.com

Just bought this song on Amazon. Only the first two "paragraphs" of the song is good, they couldn't at least have a chorus of it? :(. I could have just keep replaying the commercial instead. :(

 

Cake Cake Cake... More

Taking advantage of the second and last day of Michael's 50% off coupon that's available on their website, I purchased the Wilton fondant rolling pin:



As there is a one customer per item per day limit, the husband was supposed to go with me so I can also get the mat, but, alas, now I will have to get it with their 40% off coupon between Tuesday and Saturday of this week. I probably should start using cash instead of my credit before they peg me as the "cheap woman who comes everyday to buy just 1 regular price item." >_<

More Cake Stuff

This cake lift is also a beaut:



And they also make these awesome fondant mold: