Sweet Melissa Sunday: Should be called Moist Almond Bread Drizzled in Brandy

Golden Almond Fruitcake picked by Karin of Sugar and Spice & Everything Nice shocked the stuffings out of me! I have only tried fruitcake once in my life and this beautiful, moist bread was not anything like the small boulder of hard, dry cake with candied whatever in it. I wanted to support Karin, albeit I am late once again, and what a treat! Karin picked this recipe because of the memories associated, which always brings a tear to my eye and warms my heart during this holiday season. My grandpa was my best friend in life and I miss him so much right now, which makes me think who doesn't have loved ones to whom warm, loving feelings sneak up on during the holidays (even from our childhood)?The ingredients took a little bit of time to assemble before starting. I love the idea of using marzipan in the recipe and freezing until time to mix the ingredient in batter.

My choice of dried fruit: Apples and Cherries.
Brandy: Yes; I used apple brandy.

Sifting onto a small piece of wax paper makes easy work out of adding the dry ingredients slowly and one less dish to clean. I am a huge fan of dirtying as few dishes as possible.

The batter came together nicely, loaded with delicious chunks of dried, moist fruit, frozen marzipan and chopped almonds.
Golden loaf of bread dotted throughout with wonderful, homey flavors. I ground fresh nutmeg and using cardamon is always a great choice.
Melissa was so right about calling this recipe something, anything other then fruitcake. So many people, including myself, are pre-set as to what all fruitcake tastes like . . . something we wouldn't wish on anyone (especially friends and family). I would happily share this recipe with anyone willing to be pleasantly surprised.

Karin, thank you for choosing this recipe. I absolutely LOVE the almond cake/bread/fruitcake. Delicious! For the recipe, please go to Karin's blog or, better yet, buy Sweet Melissa's baking book and enjoy pleasant surprises throughout all her recipes.

Snowshoeing

Last year, Matt got showshoes for me for Christmas and we finally got to go out yesterday. It was so lovely outside in the middle of the forest and surrounded by snow. Indy had such a wonderful time too. I think she felt right at home and we let her run around on her own for a little while. She is of course, much faster than we are in the snow. We were only holding her back:

Indy was very distracted and only wanted to go play.

Indy hears something...

"Must bury my face!"

"Must bury my face, again!"

"I see something!"

"I'm a happy dog!"

Whew! Tiring but so much fun... until next weekend!

Thanksgiving 2009

Just a few photos from Thanksgiving...

My sis got a gingerbread house kit and this is what is was supposed to look like.

Ours looked like this because we were impatient and didn't wait for the frosting to dry.

So sad...

Making faces...

Until next year!

Perfect Picks for HOLIDAY GIVING! PLUS a few GIVEAWAYS for YOU!

For those who love their jewels and accessories we have handpicked (and tested) many tiny treasures but we have only a few that made the cut.

Just dying to know what topped our list? Skinny, Pink Sanguaro, Big Girl Workshop & Stiruppz.

SKINNY: Chic, Simple & Modern (oh, and VERY budget friendly!)

From the pages of Lucky and Instyle to Rihanna - Skinny pieces are floating around everywhere. From simple to statement we just can't get enough of Skinny. Skinny will surely make heads turn. With a funky array of rings, bangles, earrings and necklaces, Skinny has a piece fit for every fashion sense. The collection's versatility and playful sense of chic makes it a must for day or night. Skinny is made with the same attention to detail and premium materials found in high quality jewels, however, the price points speak to all budgets. Swarovski crystals, rainbows of colorful glass beads and enamel are glittered throughout the collection. Jessica Elliot continues to deliver innovative styles coupled with luxe materials, making Skinny the finishing touch for a look that is both fun and polished.

*GIVEAWAY* Just in time for the holiday season we want to give you a little gift! Skinny wants you to have the Large Domed Ring (below) to wear for your holiday party! Just leave us a comment below telling us why you LOVE Skinny! In the meantime we will tell you our faves.

Nickel Square Solitaire Ring: White Opal $22

Simple, classic, and is perfect for anyone on your list.

"Candied" Enamaled bangles $30

Snatch them up in all colors so you can mix and match making a fun & colorful statement. They look ever so chic stacked and we def recommended stocking up!

PINK SANGUARO: Modern Twist to Vintage Jewelry and totally unique finds

We LOVE handmade & can't get enough of Etsy so we wanted to feature a designer who made oh so pretty things. We just can't stop wearing Pink Sanguaro's Big Love rings ($10.50) in winter colors.

They are a perfect gift and they come wrapped ever so sweet ready to give. Another great pick is the bangles. We adore the Ocean Bangle for only $12! It is a perfect little shop to find whatever you are looking for at super great prices.

BIG GIRL WORKSHOP: Delicate, Feminine, Whimsical, yet says something....

The ever most perfect silver sterling designs come from this creative little shop. Currently we are obsessed with the "Believe" Bracelet ($32) – an exclusive Big Girl Workshop design. Both sleek and sophisticated it reminds you everyday to "Believe in Your Dreams." The gleaming script is cut and polished to perfection, and centered on a delicate chain.

Another adoring piece is the darling Peace Sign Cluster Necklace ($32) with green accents. We love the moss green fresh water pearl, green teardrop quartz and sterling silver charms clustered together on a 16" chain. Another perfect gift for the jewelry lover on your list.

STIRUPPZ: Keep Your Style Secure! Perfect for your favorite fashionista!

Stiruppz help you achieve a chic look at a perfect price that doesn't take a lot of time. NO Time, Chic, Perfect Price – three MAJOR things we love in a product! Stiruppz are a great stocking stuffer and perfect for any fashionista. We suggest picking up a pair for yourself too! Made of elastic webbing, nylon and alligator clips – we had no damage to our clothing and were comfortable enough to wear all day long! We couldn't believe the difference with Stiruppz. We had no bulging jeans at the top of our boots. They are a serious MUST and perfect gift for only $25!

Personal Tip: Roll your jeans up much higher than your ankle to achieve the right tension. Doing this will help keep your jeans really smooth in your boots! You won't be disappointed and will achieve the perfect trendy look this season.

*GIVEAWAY* Since we have decided this is a BIG must have item for every fashionista we want YOU to have your own pair. Post a comment below telling us why you just can't live without Stiruppz!

*All comments must be received by Friday, December 4th, at 11:59 EST. The winner will be chosen randomly and emailed the following day. Open to U.S. residents only. Skinny ring is size 6 and has a retail value of $70. Stiruppz are one size fits all and has a retail value of $25.*

CUPCAKE MAG has LAUNCHED SPRINKLES!

Cupcake Mag has just launched the highly demanded blog "Sprinkles: Fashionable Treats for Chic Moms and their Babes" that features must reads for the fashionista momma. From product reviews to must read celebrity interviews and all the little things we can't leave without in Mommywood! Make sure to take a peek at our most recent interview with one of our favorite chic mommas, Tori Spelling. Check back often as we are working on things all day, everyday!

Don't forget to head over and become a follower so you can stay up to date with everything a mommaista needs for their chic little babes!

As for Cupcake Mag - don't worry we are still here (just branching out) and getting ready to gear up for another season at New York Fashion Week too! Keep reading for all your latest fashion must haves, giveaways, and well, everything a fashionista needs!

New Bits at Black & Spiro

We've finally received our delivery of Megan Park cushions in at Black & Spiro along with some of our other lovely cushions {top image}. I thought I would take a couple of photos of some other bits which we just received in last week. The little Antique brass mirror is one of my favourite things in the shop at the moment and the colourful ginger jar lamp bases are divine!!

For all enquiries, please email us info@blackandspiro.com.au

Thanksgiving

More to come but yesterday, Matt and I spent time with my side of the family and today we'll be heading up to Hood River to spend time with Matt's side.
Jenga... fun...

Jenga... sad...

Ashgrove House

Images above and below you may be able to spot the floor in the sun room to the left which we had painted in a green and white stripe. We will be doing some beautiful white cane pieces upholstered in lovely bright fabrics in this area in the New Year.

Here are some photos of a job I finished off this morning for a lovely, lovely client at Ashgrove. The brief was to create an area which was fresh, bright, colourful and family friendly. This is what I created.

Black & Spiro Today

I love the new painting we have just received into the shop by Diana Favell...thought you would love to see a photo of it. It's so big and gorgeous!!

Obsession is VERY Addicting -- Our Obsession -- MOGO!

Addicted and Obsessed doesn't even

cover how fixated we feel about MOGO.

Just a few days ago we received the uber cute magnetic charm bracelets from MOGO & well, we haven't taken them off since we put them on; it is currently our deepest most prized possession. MOGO is anything but your grandmother's charm bracelet - it's truly a modern and original concept.

MOGO is a modern, artistic, & playful line of accessories that combines interchangeable charms, linkable Charmbands,and reusable packaging for a completely new take on the charm bracelet concept. We LOVE how you can link multiple Charmbands together to make necklaces, headbands, anklebands, wristbands, belts and even special occasion jewelry for your fabulous, furry friends. The possibilities are endless (so let your creative side run wild) with MOGO’s fully adjustable, high quality (and strong!) silver hook that latches onto any of the charmbands rivets. MOGO Charmbands come in five fashion forward colors - perfect for the accessory obsessed fashionista.

It doesn’t stop there! As for the charms - the fresh, fun, magnetic charms connect securely to the charmband rivets with a powerful "click", providing one-of-a-kind personal style. MOGO Charms come in funky & hip designs such as 'Groovy Love', 'Heart to Heart', 'Peace Time', 'Pet Pals', and 'Free Bird'. You can get packaged sets of 3 in a reusable tin that accommodates a Charmband at the bottom making it perfect for gift giving! We recommend stocking up because you will quickly fall in love with this line - we have no doubts!

The Charmband can also be personalized with fun, vibrant letter charms (sold individually) for endless opportunities in spelling words like LOL, BFF, - which is just OMG so perfect for ‘tweens’.

The tweens we know are so hard to shop for, but the fashionable, high quality and affordable (yes, very budget-friendly) MOGO Charmband and Charm set with tin make the perfect oh so chic holiday gift for under $30. We promise you'll want to snag one for yourself too!

The "must have" accessory for tween and chic moms is debuting in December (just in time for the Holiday season!) exclusively at Fred Segal, select Neiman Marcus stores and additional retailers nationwide after the first of the year.

Sidenote: One of our six year old product testers loved her MOGO Charmband and Charms so much she slept in it (and the charms didn’t budge)- definitely the perfect gift for any fashionista in your life.

The website, www.getMOGO.com will be launching soon so keep checking back often!

*Disclaimer: MOGO is Cupcake Mag tested and fashionista approved. We do not get paid to review products. Just like all the products we feature, this is just our opinion (and review) on the brilliant MOGO products mentioned above.