how to make cake jars

I can hear some of you cheering through my computer screen since I am finally posting this recipe. I got a bunch of emails where you cute ladies wanted to make this for graduation, showers, birthdays...! So as promised here's the cake jars that my sister & Emily made for my birthday party! Photo by Jefra Starr Linn

· Make your favorite cupcake batter recipe. Then spray your cupcake pan thoroughly with cooking spray - don't use your liners so you'll have a nice fit in the jars once your cupcakes are complete! Fill each hole about 2/3 with the batter.

· After your cupcakes have completely cooled on a wire rack, bag them in freezer Ziploc bags and freeze overnight.

· Slice frozen cupcakes in half. Place the bottom half in a jar, pipe with frosting, add the top half, and pipe the top.

· Seal the lids (add your favorite scrapbook paper or a photo of the person of honor on each lid ahead of time.)

· Tie spoons to the side of each jar with twine.

· Refrigerate until party time! Yum!!!

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Let Emily make custom cake jars for your next party. Email Emily at cupcakesbyem@gmail.com if you're local in Utah.

somewhere far from home

Last night we got home from our family trip to Lake Powell with our awesome neighbors. It was just what we needed to refresh from the busy-busy day to day.

As amazing as it was, I love the feeling of coming home. I had to laugh when I laid my head on my own pillow. Collin hollered from the bathroom while he was brushing all the road-trip sweets off his teeth, "What's so funny?" I think I was just so happy knowing I wouldn't be sharing a sand-filled bed with two little kung-fu monkeys. ;)

Hope you had a nice Sunday!

PS For those of you who asked the wood circles for the Memory Game: diy are from a local store in Utah, Roberts Craft.

PPS If you like to shop at Ruche as much as I do everything is 15% off today and tomorrow. (code Memorial15)

Art Kit: diy

Along with the memory game I posted on Wednesday I put together an art kit for both girls on our trip. The contents:

1 Art Journal: full of construction paper, pages from coloring books, cardstock, flash cards and other fun stuff. I will show more of the inside when we fill the pages.

2 Decorative Tape

3 A stamped fabric bag to hold it all

4 Watercolor

5 Journaling Cards and tags

6 Markers

7 A wood circle I painted with chalkboard paint + chalk

8 Paint Brushes (To paint rocks. the paint is in my stash. :)

9 Instax Camera

10 Gluestick

11 A glassine bag full of chipboard shapes, foam heart and paper flowers.

I was seriously giddy putting this together! I might steal it from Avery on our vacation. :)

Which wouldn't be nice since this will post on her birthday! (love you avery girl! I don't know why I just wrote that since she can't and doesn't read my blog. But maybe someday she will.)

light turns to hearts

Played around with a homemade bokeh filter and made KC, my little brother, and Allison try it out. Really fun and cool. I will definitely try it out more and share how to do it... !

wood memory game: diy

A simple memory game I put together for our trip this week. It's perfect for the sand but keep it away from the water. I tried it out and the girls loved it. Seeing all of the faces of the people they love and trying to find the match! I was going to make one with the alphabet I will have to do when I get home.

It's easy peasy: Just paint the wood circles then attached photos to the other side.

There's a fabric bag I stamped to keep it all together.

All the colors remind me of summer!

xoxo lizzy

right now

Right now:

1 We are sitting on this big, comfy, glider chair listening to the thunder and rain.

We purchased this chair for one reason. Clearly, that reason was not for its beauty... but more comfort AND most importantly so I could hold more than 1 girl at once. It was nice when I had Quincey because I could hold both girls & then when we added Lola to the mix we'd all four be on this chair reading books and falling asleep at bedtime. Avery would sit on the arm. It was nice especially if you have kids close in age.

2 Getting ready for this girls birthday.

3 Planning our trip somewhere with lots of sunshine and no computers and cellphones. Yes!

4 Enjoying teaching my classes at Something Splendid.

5 Working on products for the next Dear Lizzy line.

6 Dreaming of the above number three.

7 Dreading making a dentist appointment for my toothache. Why do I have the worst teeth?

8 Dying to chop off my hair. It's time.

9 Thrilled that despite my brown thumb, our garden is sprouting corn and the raspberries are a foot high.

10 Laughing at Quincey asking me over & over & over if she can put on her new "swimming soup" from Lime Ricki.

I can play favorites, right?

This is one of my favorite days of the year.

I had gotten home from a meeting at American Crafts and I went exploring outside with Q&A. Since I was not up to lugging my huge camera along for the fun I opted for the easily accessible iphone. I will never regret this decision, because instead of coming home empty-handed... except for the guilt I would have filled my pockets with for being a bad mother and not taking photos (why do I do that?)... I came home with these gems!

The top right one I absolutely am obsessed with because this spring she's had a circle of yellow all around her nose from smelling those darn dandelions any chance she can get. (And if I'm not mistaken I don't think those flowers have that great of a smell anyways. ;)

My other favorite is the one of Quincey showing off her double band-aided elbows from running too fast. She gets so excited and eager to go somewhere and her poor klutzy feet can't keep up with her curious mind. Like I said in my last post... another way that we are very much alike.

(The bottom left picture is from Mother's day!)

Tell me one of your favorite moments this spring?

heartstrings

A page I made for the Crate Paper blog. This girl tugs at my heartstrings!! More and more I'm realizing how similar Qu-ey and I are. We both like to take our time waking up in the mornings. We both love shoes, shiny ones if possible. We love to snuggle & we each have a blankey. Of course I don't insist on carrying mine around the grocery store, church, or in the car like she does.

I was a little hesitant about the woodgrain background b/c I naturally gravitate towards using lighter backgrounds but I think it worked well with the photo.

Love this floral paper I used to hand cut a heart.

"Heart Strings", I wanted to use the woodgrain paper and I like how it coordinated with the photos of my daughter. It was a fun page to make by handcutting and punching out different hearts. I also used lots of stitching around the entire page and other areas.

I also used a typewriter to write my journaling. It's the cutest vintage pink typewriter but some of the letters don't work, so I used a pen and added those letters myself. I love the mix of handwriting and type.

I also loved layering all of the different borders and trims...

Woodgrain paper, Banner Border, Letter Stickers, Ribbons & Trims, Fabric brads, Darling Chipboard, Cream Border Paper, Floral paper

Photo by amazing: Jefra Starr Linn

monday already?

Just a quick photo of the faces that cheer me up this monotonous Monday.

Not to mention her hair, we call the baby toupee... pretty much rivals Donald Trump's do.

sweet soda

Some asked how to make the cake jars from my birthday blog post and my sister's friend, Emily, is going to get it to me...

For now I do have the recipe to make Italian Soda.

You need some Sparkling Natural Mineral water, Torani Syrup flavors (our favorites were peach, mango, raspberry... basically the fruity ones) & some whipped cream. Plus, you'll definitely need striped straws.

Fill cup with ice. Add 3/4 cup with Sparkling Mineral Water then 1/4 flavoring and top with whipped cream. Bottoms up!

Here are the simple favors I made for my birthday party guests. Just sewed streamers along the bag and added a flag tag. Inside were kisses from me. paper for tags: quilts

Since I had the streamers out I made some ruffle streamers... it was so windy before the party that we didn't hang much stuff up but I will take wind over snow or rain any day.

For those of you who asked... I am going to get a recipe for the cake jars from my sister's friend Emily.

Happy Friday! I hope you eat, drink & make something yummy this weekend!

corsage flowers

We shipped out the rest of the Corsage Flower kits today for our Something Splendid site! Right now we are teaching the Envelope Book class. And besides the fact that Collin included all of my embarrassing out takes from the video tutorials it is going... splendid!

Photos styled and modeled by Rosie// Jefra Starr Linn photographer

The Something Splendid packaging turned out cute for this workshop. The fabric comes in a sack and there's a small bag with pearls, rope belt or pins depending on how you want to wear your flowers. The glassine bag is closed with a needle to make your flowers with. Doesn't the logo look cute stamped on the bags? This workshop starts next week.

party time!

Remember that one time when I turned 30 years old and I felt guilty all night for being so spoiled. Yeah, that was awesome!!!

It's no surprise I couldn't tell my thoughts to go to sleep after a night like this. Collin really went above and beyond with Italian sodas, food, beautiful flowers... & he even had MiNdY GlEdHill come over and give us a private concert. pinch me.

It was so incredible to have many family and friends celebrate with me. Friends I've had since braces and passing notes in school & new friends. Also our family who we love so much & is always there for us.

Thanks for everything Collin!

My sister Camille and her darling son! Love my sisters!Camille made these "cake jars" with her friend Emily. They even personalized the tops with my Dear Lizzy paper and pictures of me! How cute and thoughtful... and yummmmy!!

My little sister Ashley and her family were here from Germany! So happy to celebrate and spend this summer with her.

Rhonna & Beth having fun making Italian Soda. Wasn't the giant chalkboard wall so cute with directions how to make them?! Collin thinks of everything.

A collage of people that are so dear to me! Especially little Hayes cuddled in a blanket.

Then the concert...!!

Serious brownie hot fudge sundae points for this boy!

Mindy and her 'groupies!'

I was dying laughing when Margie and Rhonna both wore this sweater great minds think alike! It's so darling I might have to pick one up too. ;)

shirt, belt, skirt: from Ruche ☆

Margie + Rhonna's twinner sweater

Here's to turning 30 and the adventures that lie ahead. xo

a day for mom

A day to celebrate the beauty of my wonderful mother... I'll take it!! Because the fact that she doesn't have her own parade hosted by Dick Clark or that there's not a ginormous broze statue of her down town is beyond me. One day just doesn't seem like enough for all she's done for me and my family.

Same with Collin's mom. Seriously, how did she raise such an incredible boy? I owe her BIG.

Despite the fact that my two oldest girls thought it would be fun to test every ounce of my patience today and really make sure that my motherly abilities were in tact, which I hope I didn't fail at too miserably, it turned out to be a good day. Especially when I snuck away to enjoy a hot bubble bath with a handful of Hershey kisses.

Happy Mother's Day to you!

I think I like 30

shirt, belt, skirt: from Ruche ☆

Seriously was laughing and crying at the same time reading Collin's birthday blog post! Funny, sweet & thoughtful just like him!

thanks for all the birthday wishes!

The Big Three Oh! (hijacked by Collin)

Photos: Jefra Starr Linn

Before we delve into the celebratory festivities, here's an actual conversation we had early this morning:

(3:44am)

(Baby starts crying. Cue baby)

Lola: "WAAAAHHH...WAH!! WAAAAH!! Will someone give me some friggin' milk for cryin' out loud and wipe the poop off my toosh?!!" (she's already conversing well at just 5 months)

(I abruptly end my dream of riding Falcor from the Neverending Story RIGHT when the bullies are about to jump in the dumpster, drag myself out of bed and pick said crying baby up. I lay Lola down next to Liz, walk around the other side, stub my toe on the portable stair stepper that wasn't put away, and flop back on the bed.)

(baby stops crying, 45 seconds goes by)

Liz (whispering): "Collin....Coll....Collin?"

Me: "What?"

Liz: "Can you die from a rattlesnake bite?"

Me: "Uh...yeah, if you don't get to a hospital in a couple days."

Liz: "Oh...okay."

Me: "Wha??"

Liz: "ZZZZZzzzzzz......"

It's MAY 4th people!! Liz is 30!!

Adios twenties. (cue Toni Braxton's "Unbreak My Heart") It's been a fun and very busy 2 decades for Liz. Let's recap, shall we?

1981: Born. Learned her first awesome trick, "I can hold your finger while I poop! YAY"

1982: Started walking. Sort of.

1983: Found her eyes, ears, mouth and nose.

1984: "You are super duper pooper! You can potty with the best!" ($5 for whoever knows what song that's from)

1985: Preschool: ABC's and eating delicious glue on a popsicle stick. (I actually got an invitation from my preschool teacher inviting me to my 25th Preschool Renunion. There's no way I'm going though, I've put on like...160 pounds since then

1986: Kindergarten

(skip along to the juicy stuff)

1993: Jr. High. Cut bangs. LOL'ed with BFF's all day. Way cute Keds. Decided to do something about rampant Tooth Fairy robberies and got braces (Anti-theft devices) Slow danced to "Lady in Red" with an 8th grader wearing Girbaud jeans and a striped Guess T-Shirt.

1996: Freshman year of H.S. Walks in on first day, sees pimple faced sophomore boy with heinous clear braces (that was me).

1996: Dad dies unexpectedly from diabetes complications. Leaves 5 kids under 15 and a wife. The Lord steps in and takes the wheel.

1997: Pimple faced sophomore boy is now cleared up faced Junior (thanks Neutrogena!) Boy gets the guts to ask Liz out to Homecoming dance. Buys a gallon of ice-cream and a shovel, sticks shovel in ice-cream with a note "I'd DIG it if you came to Homecoming with me!" and doorbell ditches Liz's house. (asking to date dances is a Utah thing)

-Liz says yes

1999: High school graduation. Senior trip to California with 7 other friends including the now extremely good-looking college freshman boy.

1999: Boy leaves to Taiwan for 2 years to serve as a church missionary, writes Liz every week (except last month). Tells her she should date whoever she wants while he's gone.

1999 and 2 days later: Boy kicks himself for telling her to date whoever she wants while he's gone.

2001: Boy comes home from Taiwan. Has to scare off current boyfriend.

2001 and 48 hours later: Boy scares off current boyfriend. Liz and boy go see Shrek 1 in the theaters then go to the Bridal Veil waterfalls at dark. Liz is wearing a white shirt with white capris (she'll kill me for this, she SWEARS it wasn't white-on-white but some light blue shirt....whatever. I know what I saw :) Boy and girl sit on park bench. Boy asks girl "Can I kiss you?" Girl says "Uh...yeah?"

2002: Boy and girl get married. (release flock of white doves)

2002: Boy and Girl buy a 750 sqft. condo in Orem, UT. Great neighborhood. Boy's car stereo gets stolen twice, and tires get stolen once.

2002-2005: working, going to school. Boy thinks he wants to be a dentist. Girl thinks she wants to work at juvenile correctional facility.

2005: Boy fails miserably at becoming a dentist. Girl pursues hobbies that don't want to stab her.

2006: Baby #1 is born. Avery shakes up the very threads of our lives (in a very good way)

2006: Sell condo and move to new home.

2006: Liz wins "Scrapbooker of the Year" and throws us into a new whirlwind of crafting craziness.

2008: Baby #2 is born: We can do this...

2010: Baby #3 is born: What were we thinking....?

It's been a great 29 years for this girl. She's finally grown into that huge teethy smile of hers, and grown into an incredibly beautiful wife and mother. Sometimes I pinch myself (then I pinch her butt because I LOVE pinching) that I'm married to her. It's not all Oreo's and milk all the time, life throws everything it can at you, but we hold together and make it through (and then make-out to some Boyz II Men).

Happy 30th Birthday to my widdle-chin, my wild stallion, my Lizzy Bear.

Guess who has "Unbreak My Heart" stuck in their head all day now? YOU do.

Past Birthday must-read posts about Liz: 2009 2008

right before my eyes

This girl is growing up right before my eyes.

Over the last five years she has made me who I am as a mother. She was the first to guide me through experiences of babies, terrible twos, teething & preschool. Testing every single ounce of my patience because she's definitely the trickiest of the three but also she's shown me how to love immensely.

She dances around all day with so much zest... only concerned with colorful things the world has to offer. (Drawing pictures of her holding hands with everyone she loves, taking pictures, painting, writing her name & others peoples' names that she loves.)

Crate Paper everything Papers, Chipboard, Ribbons & Trims, Buttons, Alphabet Letters

There was too much on my mind to fit somewhere on a layout so I included a note inside the page. When I scrapbook I most often write my titles and the journaling to whoever the page is about so naturally my journaling ends up being a letter.

Papers: Garden, Picnic, Visit, Honeymoon, Quilts, Teal Inventory background paper. Border/Banner Stickers.

Sewed a lot on this page and after I stitched on the bottom I left the thread because it was sitting there so nicely.

Supplies:

Papers: Garden, Picnic, Visit, Honeymoon, Quilts, Teal Inventory background paper. Border/Banner Stickers.

Pink Background Paper: Quilts

Epoxy & Fabric Brads

Buttons

Chipboard: Felt scalloped border under photo

Favorite Pen on sale: Precision 01

Alphabet Stickers for title: Neighborhood Collection

Favorite B&W stripe: Honeymoon

Ribbons & Trims

In other news: Incredible weekend of events... a Royal Wedding & the death of an enemy. Thanks to our soldiers and all they sacrifice & the sacrifice & support from their families.