1. I Love You More Than Bacon Card – Yes, this would mean alot coming from The Baconator!
2. One Dozen Vanilla Heart Marshmallows – These would be yummy in some hot chocolate.
3. Killer Love Note – The little note is contained in an actual egg. Super cool!
4. Burlap Heart Pillow – I am so into burlap right now.
5. Burlap Heart Banner – Again, with the burlap but I can see this hanging in my office.
6. Set of Valentine’s Soap – Such a cute little gift set. Pampering is always good.
7. Fudge Pops – Need I say more?

Oh and if you are still looking for some great Valentine favors the the kid’s party, check out Write With Moxie. Only a few more days left to order! (Yep, I just shamelessly self promoted!)

This whole trip and the piece I bought from the above described booth, gave me the inspiration I needed to makeover my office. Since getting new furniture was out of the question, I decided to put a bit of pop into my existing pieces. (FIY – The piece in the top right corner is the one I purchased…it is the most delicious color of teal ever. It looks a little blue in that picture because of the crappy lighting in here. The upper pic is the closest to the actual color.)

So what do you do with a plain white desk from IKEA? Mod Podge it of course! I actually started out with Amanda’s desk because it was in pretty sad condition. Before adding her to the team, the desk was used mainly to cut things and craft so it was pretty beat up. I had some really cool green fabric on hand and went to mod-podging! Amanda’s work space is the first photo.

I really didn’t have an intention of doing my desk but after seeing how cool Amanda’s desk turned out, I was jealous and wanted to do mine too! I did have to make a trip to the fabric store to try and find the right shade of teal to match my existing pieces. But hey, a trip to the fabric store is like much needed therapy for this chick. Gia went along and picked out a few fat quarters for herself…I have no clue what she is making with it (she says it’s a surprise!).

I also spray painted a little wooden table in the same teal and covered it with the green fabric. Since I had the spray paint out, I also gave my storage bins a once over since the previous colors didn’t really match any more.

This next photo doesn’t really have anything to do with the makeover but I thought you may like to see what the other side of the room looks like. It is mostly inventory and supplies for Write With Moxie.

I am a huge believer that if you really want your creativity to flow, you have to have things around you that can help inspire. Having a clean, organized and bright workspace always helps me to be productive. After all, if you like coming in and spending time in your office…the rest will follow!

PROTECT IP / SOPA Breaks The Internet from Fight for the Future on Vimeo.

(I found this video on Amy’s blog. I am spreading the word. :) )

(Starting from the top left)
1. Whimseybox – Have you heard of this? It is a super cool subscription service that will send you a little box of craft goodies every month. I think this could do wonders for inspiration!

2. XBox Kinnect – I have been wanting this for awhile. I think it would be a fun way to get in shape and play games with the kids.

3. Messenger Bag – I have a love for messenger bags and this one is super cool with the photo image of a camera.

4. Graphic Art Print – This sums up most of my day so it would be nice to have it hanging in the office.

5. iPad Paint Brush – This is actually a kid’s version but I think it is super cool. It allows you to paint using your iPad.

6. Pop-Up Flash Bounce – I so need this for indoor photos of the kids I take at night.

Anyway, one of the 6 books I got was Paper Wonderland by Michelle Romo. I loved the illustrations and thought it would be fun for Gia and I to work on these little paper creations together.

After school today, we tackled the first one on her list. Yep, she made a list for the order she wants to go in with each project…oh she is her Mother’s child! The first one is a cute little toaster that actually works. Well, works if you have steady hands and not so much those of a 6 year old. We still thought it was cool though!

Our next one is a camera, which is super cute. I am thinking about putting these on a little shelf to just look at when the entire book is done. They really are that cute.

Yep, that says crapballs…but don’t let that deter you. ;) You will be saying it yourself once you taste these little bites huge bars of goodness.

Ingredients:
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt (you can usually regular – we just have this in our house)
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup light brown sugar
1 egg
1 cup dried sweetened cranberries
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chocolate candies (M&Ms or Sunspire will work)
2 cups salted popcorn
4 bars of white chocolate candy melts (we use Log House brand because it doesn’t have any artificial stuff in it)

Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Butter a 9 inch square baking pan.
- In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda – add 1/2 cup of cranberries, 1/2 cup chocolate chips and chocolate candies. Toss around to coat everything.
- In another bowl, beat butter and sugar together with a spoon until combined – add egg and beat again.
- Add flour mixture and stir altogether until well combined.
- Pour the batter into the baking pan and bake until just cooked through and golden brown (about 15 minutes). Set aside to cool all the way.
- Melt candy melts and remaining chocolate chips in a bowl (we use the microwave).
- Drizzle melted chocolate over the bars, then add the rest of the cranberries and popcorn over the top. To help everything stick, we drizzled another layer of melted chocolate on top of the popcorn and cranberries.
- Let the chocolate set and then cut into squares and devour!

They look a little sloppy in the pan but they are so good, I promise!

The recipe may seem a little complicated but I promise it is not difficult at all. Since the base of this is basically a cookie, you can add anything you want to it. Let the kids go crazy! ;) Here is to starting out a sweet 2012!

The name says it all…I am a BIG believer in karma and luck in general. What you put out to the world, I believe that you will get it back (good or bad). So this year, it’s all about thinking positive in my personal and business life. Helping others and just try to be the best person I can be. No lists required. :)

We had a great Christmas and I think Santa was pretty good to everyone. Instead of trying to muster together sentences (thank you again Vicodin) I am just going to post a few photos from the weekend. :)

Cookies were decorated at my Mom’s house on Christmas Eve…I think we are going to make this a tradition.

Gia’s big present was a puppet theater (handmade in the USA). In fact, all of her toys this year were handmade. :)

Xander’s big gift was a Go Cart. Oh yes, his sister is loving it too!

One of my gifts was a lovely necklace from Merriweather Council. I have been admiring her designs since I did her website. The Baconator took notice. ;)