JESSICAAA

So there isn't going to be a post today, but we'll have one up tomorrow!
Here's a filler:

Girls' Generation's Jessica

So yeah. I drew this myself. It looks nothing like her, but I tried...

New posts every Sunday (except today)! 

♥

Nat

Spring Outfits feat. My Dawg and my friend Boring

So spring is coming, and everyone's whipping out their spring gear.... so here's mine!

Ma pretty summer dress from...somewhere.

For colder days

Derp.

Oh and here's my dog.

Sorry that this post was extremely boring, but I was busy all week painting my room.

Sigh. I'll post something interesting during the week or something.

♥

Nat

Gingerbread Cupcakes

Gingerbread Cupcakes
with (stabilized) Whipped Cream Frosting

I was instructed to make something with spices from "the Spice Islands," so I decided on this Gingerbread Cupcake recipe. It contains cinnamon, cloves, and ginger. I am not sure if ginger is a "spice island spice" or not, but the other two certainly are. Anyway, I chose to top them with a whipped cream frosting. Using a stabilized recipe allowed me to pipe it. Part of what "stabilizes" the frosting is cream cheese, which also added a flavor that complimented the gingerbread nicely!

<My adorable apron just waiting for me to start baking...








Gingerbread Cupcakes
{This recipe is from Crazy About Cupcakes by Krystina Castella}

Ingredients:

• 1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2/3 cup light molasses
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 cup sour cream

Directions:

1.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Insert liners into a medium cupcake pan.
2. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugars together with an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy, 3-5 minutes. Add the egg, molasses, and lemon zest to creamed mixture. Beat well. 
3. In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves.
4. Add portions of the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture, alternating with portions of the sour cream, until they are completely integrated, about 30 seconds. 
5. Fill the cupcake liners one-half to three-quarters full. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of cupcakes comes out clean. Cool cupcakes in the pan.  

Whipped Cream Frosting
{from The Baker Box}

Ingredients:

• 1 block 8 oz. cream cheese
• 1/2 cup sugar- NOT powdered sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 tsp. almond extract
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream

Directions:

In your mixing bowl, with the whisk attachment, whip together the cream cheese and the sugar until nice and soft. Add flavorings and slowly poor in whipping cream. Whip for a few minutes until nice and stiff. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl a few times while mixing.

I used the 1M Wilton frosting tip to pipe the frosting.

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Cupcakes ready for transporting in my handy-dandy cupcake carrier...>

~Esa

Intro to Cupcakes

Cupcakes!

I do a lot of baking and cupcakes are one of my favorite things to make!

I thought I'd share some (photos of) cupcakes that I've made...

Apple Cupcakes~
I got the idea for these from one of the "Hello, Cupcake" books. They were so cute! Also very fun to make :)

Its a Koi Fish Pond! Another creation inspired by "Hello, Cupcake!"

Some simple flowers...

Just for fun!!!!!!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with fresh Chocolate Whipped Cream. DELICIOUS.

Valentines Day! Homemade Vegan Red Velvet Cupcakes~

A few weeks ago, for Easter. Little Cadbury Eggs in the grass on chocolate vegan cupcakes and some mini vanilla cupcakes, and in little nests on mini vanilla cupcakes.

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Many more cupcakes to come....

Love~

Esa

Smokey Blue Prom Look

         Prom has come around once more, and many of you are going to go to one. This look can be customized with any colour to match your outfit.

Let's get started!

Gear for today!

-Coastal Scents 88 Palette
-NYX Jumbo Pencil in Milk
-E.L.F. Primer
-Perfect Ten Color Palette
-Clinique High Impact Mascara

Start with a white base so that your eyeshadow will stay on all night, and so that you don't look like a zombie after prom when you go "after-partying" with your date or friends if you are forever alone.

                                                               Add a light wash of blue.

Using a slightly darker shade, apply it to the outer third of your eye.

With a deep purple, create or intensify your crease for a more cut-crease look.

Next, with black eyeshadow, layer it over the deep purple to darken the eye. Applying the dark purple first ensures that the black will not look as flat.

To add more shimmer, apply a glittery blue over the inner third of your eye to make them pop.
Balance out your eyes by lining your waterline and lower lashline with black and violet.

Lightly line your lashline. I say lightly because the eyeshadow makes your eyes look dramatic already, don't overpower your look with dramatic eyeliner.

Pop on some mascara, touch up your eyebrows, and you're done!

~

After I had applied my makeup, Esa curled my hair with an InStyler Rotating Iron. Unfortunately, I only got waves, but they looked amazing! Props to you Esa.
Even though I wasn't going to prom, I wanted to get into the prom feel, so I had Esa help style me haha.

Fake prom photos 

(A.K.A I didn't want to take pictures but mum made me)

♥

Nat