Gifting Food

Bright and early on Saturday morning, some friends and I met up for a Cooking Class.

I love to cook and bake - so spending time learning about either of these with friends is a lot of fun for me.



We met up at Green Plum Cooking School, which I had blogged about back here. Chef Monica Pope showed us how to make a lovely Romaine, Date and Olive Salad, but that was quickly eclipsed by the other item on the menu - a delectable Rice Pudding, infused with Creme Fraiche, White Chocolate and Mint. It was simply divine.


Since this was a girly morning, and we were going to a cooking class - i decided i wanted to make some sweet treats for the lovely gals who came along with me. I didn't want to make the usual cupcakes, so I decided to make some little cheesecakes. I have seen on a lot of blogs that people are cooking cupcakes in jars now, so I thought I would try this same theory out with Lemon Cheesecakes. They were a hit!

So what were your weekend happenings?

Presenting Pretty

As I have mentioned here often, I LOVE getting packages in the mail. Who doesn't?

Who doesn't love the idea of a wrapped parcel that has crossed miles of land and possibly sea to get to you? And I love it even more when the contents inside are pretty little things that take me to another world.



A recent package that I received took me all the way to Japan. I opened it up in excitement, and inside were lovely tastes and treats from my lovely blog friend Photojoy.




The Japanese sure how to make a pretty package! Look at the prettiness and detail that goes into their packaging for crackers. I am always impressed by the charm of Japanese packaging. She included a basket she'd made, along with adorable Japanese seals and candies. Everything really was a feast for the eyes!

What was inside one of the prettiest packages you've ever received?

PS. For those of you who haven't and would like to - please vote for City of Dionne here, you have until tomorrow evening.

Australia Day

Happy Australia Day!

January 26th is when we celebrate the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788 (basically when the British claimed sovereignty over Australia). And back home, this day is usually celebrated with lots of barbequeing, fun at the beach and Pavlova.
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Even though I am all the way over in Houston, I still wanted to pay homage to my roots - so to celebrate this day, I made some Pavlova Cupcakes and some Damper.


Tonight I am teaching some of my American friends the Australian National Anthem, and some Aussie slang. It should be fun. It's funny to hear what people from other countries know or think about Australia.

What are some things that you know about Australia? And if you're an Aussie - what did you get up to for Australia Day?

Chocolate Snobbery

I am a Chocolate Snob.

Before I go on my Chocolate Rant, can I ask you a favor? I have been nominated for an award for Poppytalk's Favorite Handmade Artist Blog by the lovely Kristin. If you enjoy my blog and think it's worthy of the award - I would love it if you'd vote for me here. Just click the City of Dionne button, and then Cast Vote at the bottom of the page. Thanks, guys!

Now, back to the chocolate...



When are the American and Australian Commercial Chocolatiers going to get the right recipe? Sure there are individual Chocolate Artisans here in the US and Australia that work wonders with Chocolate, but when are the big commercial chocolate companies going to wake up? Whenever I bite into a Hershey's bar, I taste the sugar more than the chocolate.

Remember my lovely Aunt from here? Once again she gave me a lovely box of chocolates. This time it was a box of Duc d'O chocolates - some of my absolute favorites. The Belgians and the Swiss really know what they're doing with chocolate, don't they? Each piece is so silky and creamy. This weekend Brian and I indulged on these, along with Banana Smoothee Shots. Delicious!



What are your favorite Chocolates? Along with Duc d'O, I also love Toblerone and Vosges.

(PS. My latest article is up at Meylah. It's a Thank You Card Tutorial. To check it out, go here).
(PPS. The winner of the Christina P Designs giveaway is Hannah. Congrats!)

Cupcake Comradery

I like to bond over cupcakes. Or any sweets, for that matter.

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Yesterday I met up with a friend at a sweet little cupcake store and chatted over little sugared cakes and vanilla juice.




I guess it's because sweets can be such a comfort food, and induces the desire to share it with others. At least that's how I rationalize all my social sugar intake, hehehehe.

This little outing inspired me. I got home and decided that I want to host a Texas Blogger's Cupcake Social. It will be in Houston, and I was thinking of doing it in May. Any Texans interested in coming? Or anyone not from Texas that might be in the area in May?

Frills and Flowers

Winter always makes me feel a little less girly.

Not that I don't love the warm layers, scarves and snuggling - but the heavy clothing, tailored jackets and bulky boots make me feel more classy and dressed-up, than playful and girly. All the jewelry that I love to wear gets hidden beneath the layers of wool and cotton. Winter makes me miss the frills and flowers.


I am already dreaming about playful Springtime picnics, lace dresses and dainty bracelets. That's why I am drooling over the prettiness at Christina P Designs.



I absolutely adore her feminine creations. I am in love with her stacking rings, and LOVE LOVE LOVE all the shapes and textures she includes in all her jewelry. Living in a wonderful city like Chicago - Christina is surrounded by inspiration every day. She loves the architecture and the lake front that her city has to offer, and among her inspirations are the balance of imperfection and beauty, along with the combination of nature and humanity.

Her style is really unique, she works with materials in such an interesting way. Christina's favorite colors are indigo and pale yellow, and her artistry really reveals a love for enhancing the color around her.



I asked Christina my favorite question - "What is your favorite dessert?" And her answer was Profiteroles. Such a perfect, dainty dessert to go along with her delicate jewelry.

Christina is giving one lucky winner an amazing prize from her store. Your choice between the 6 Stacking Rings, the Three Ring Harmony Necklace, or the Silver Disk Ring. To enter, let me know which one you'd like if you win, and also let me know what you're most looking forward to in Spring?

Bread and Berries

Saturday morning was cold and overcast here in Houston.

My friend Romanthie and I had planned a trip to the Farmer's Market with a bunch of other girls for Saturday, but because of the unfavorable weather, all but three of us piked out. It was chilly, and the three of us were very layered, but it was a great time - well worth it. The third girl who braved the cold weather was Sarah from Sarah and the City. This was the first time I had met her in person, and she was absolutely LOVELY.

We wandered the market, exploring the gorgeous produce at each stall, and I walked away with some amazing Portabella Mushrooms, Oyster Mushrooms, fruit, and some lovely fresh bread.

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This morning, I put those yummy berries and bread to use, and made some delicious French Toast Skewers for breakfast. I found this recipe on the Martha Stewart blog, but replaced the buttermilk with heavy cream, and added cinnamon and confectioners sugar to the mix. I also used two types of breads to bring extra texture and layers to the skewers.



What did you get up to this weekend?

(for photos from the Farmer's Market - see here).

(PS. The winners of the Goody Bag Giveaway are A Lovely Girl, Carrie, Ang, Annie, and Sarah. Congrats!)
(PPS. The winner of the Mainichi Giveaway is Arlette - hooray!)

A Great Loss Not Just for the Blog World

As many of you might already know by now, Brooke Prieto of White Market Blog fame passed away recently.



I had the pleasure of meeting Brooke outside of the blog world, many years ago at a small church in California. Her husband is a friend of Brian's, and while I didn't know her too well, I did get to know her a little better while she and her husband were still just dating at a Craft Workshop that I hosted about five years ago. She was a lively, gentle-hearted, sweet soul that touched every single person she met. She really was a shining light.



Brooke and I had talked on Facebook about getting together for a Foodie Adventure sometime when I visit California, but it never did happen, and I really regret not being able to have some extra moments with her. My mother had the privilege of going to her Memorial and told me that it was standing room only. A great tribute to a great woman who really sought after showing God's love to everyone.

When Brian and I heard the news, as we were praying for her husband Edmund and her family, we both wept. We couldn't control our tears and just held each other crying.

Brooke's life is the perfect reminder to live life to the fullest and to love with everything you have - she was the perfect example of how life should be lead. What an awesome legacy to leave behind.

Here is a small video tribute created by Robedom, if you'd like to see it.

(photographs by Morgan Taylor).

I Still Call Australia Home

Lately I have been a little homesick.

Australia at this time of year is stinking hot, so Christmas is so different back there than it is here in the US. Not that I don't love the winter Christmases in the US, but I haven't been back home in seven years, so I am missing it.



While I do consider California home (where I lived before Texas)- Australia is my true home. This year, the day after Christmas, I planned a Cricket Match. The day after Christmas in Australia is Boxing Day, and that's when everyone gathers around the TV to watch the Boxing Day Test (Cricket) on TV - so in homage to my home traditions, I hosted a Boxing Day Cricket Match. It was a lot of fun, but made me all the more homesick.

So walllowing in my homesick state, I was delighted to come across Dearne from Mainichi, a lovely Etsy store based in Melbourne Australia. Being so far from home, whenever I come across a fellow Aussie - I feel some sort of connection with them. Dearne's lovely store is such a haven of lovely handmade wearable art. She sells really unique leather necklaces, and the cutest little felted pins. Everything has such character to it.



Dearne first came across the Etsy phenomenon when her friend started up an Etsy store selling toys for children. She showed Dearne the community spirit behind Etsy, and spoke about blogging and selling items online at a Creative Women's meeting that Dearne had set up. Dearne's inspiration comes from traveling, her husband and son, fashion, blogging, and her city of Melbourne. It's full of creative people, interesting architecture and unique design. She is also inspired by the Faythe Levine "Handmade Nation" DVD (watch the trailer, it definitely looks inspiring!).
Her favorite colors are combinations of bright hues tied in with a little charcoal grey, but she also enjoys mixtures of neutral shades.



While Dearne enjoys art and creating, she also enjoys a good dessert. One of her favorites is an Aussie staple (that I miss sooo much!) - Pavlova. It's basically a meringue topped with lots of fruit and whipped cream. And when she feels like something different, her alternative favorites (because everyone needs a backup! LOL) are Chocolate Brownies and Aussie Chef Stephanie Alexander's Middle Eastern Orange Cake.

Dearne is generously giving away to prize to one lucky reader - their choice of either an Embroidered Felt Face Pin or a Digit Leather Necklace. To enter, please leave a comment here letting me know what makes you think of home when you're away. I will announce the winner on Sunday.

(PS. My latest article with Meylah is up. It's all about blogging and crafting etiquette. Stop by and leave some comment love!)

Decorating Our Lives

This is the time of year when people evaluate their lives.

We sort through everything we do and have, and try to figure out what's important. We set up goals and resolutions to help us keep our priorities in focus.

Looking around my apartment, and all the 'things' i have - the clothes, the accessories - you could deduce easily that I like to decorate.



And I do! I love pretty frames, lovely necklaces, beautiful scarves, all that stuff - and there's nothing wrong with wanting to decorate your surroundings. But at this time of year, it's normal to look a little deeper. We not only ask ourselves what we decorate our home with, but more importantly - what do we decorate our LIVES with? What do we do to brighten our day? How do we cheer up dark corners of other people's lives?



I think that when we decorate the lives of those around us - whether it be our family, our friends, our neighbors... we are decorating our own lives in the process. Don't you all just love Interior Decorating??!!!!

(PS. My latest Article with Meylah is up. It's a Packaging Tutorial. Stop by and leave some comment love!)
(PPS - the three winners of the HUGE Christmas Holiday Gift Guide Giveaway are: Julie, Kitty, and Carapace. Congrats! All the prizes will be split between you three. Please email me at spotty_zebra@hotmail.com and let me know your three favorite items in that giveaway. I will make sure that your prize pack contains at least one of your favorites!)

Goody Bags

So as you read in my previous post, we had a great time at the Winter SoCal Blogger's Brunch.

There were great people, great food, amazing decorations by Blackbird Blue and You, and of course LOVELY Goody Bags - courtesy of some generous Etsy Sponsors. All throughout the weeks leading up to the event, I got packages in the mail filled with lovely items from talented Etsians. Thanks to them, I was able to put together some wonderful Goody Bags!



Each bag was filled to the brim with exciting surprises!


Sarah from that adorable Etsy store Crafty Folk contributed a lovely collection of her endearing pins. I love how quirky and cute each one was. I really fell in love with them all! Kelly from Kelly Is Nice completely wowed us all with her gorgeous earrings. Each pair was completely unique and absolutely stunning to behold. Even her packaging was amazing, complete with a wax seal.


Quotes And Notes is a lovely Etsy store full of sweet sentiments and eye candy, and for the Brunch, Marlene contributed some lovely wooden bookmarks with literary quotes. She then personalized the back side to say "Winter SoCal Blogger's Brunch", which was such a sweet touch. Jenn from Monkey and Squirrel added a girly charm to our Goody bags, donating some truly amazing cast iron wall hooks. I was completely in love with the lovely delicate pieces, and as soon as I got home, I hung it up in my French-themed bathroom as a pretty necklace-holder.


And what girl doesn't love some pretty hair bling? As well as lovely handmade cards, Kim Art donated some particularly lovely flower hair pins with layers of lace and color, so soft and delicate. Maggi popped one of hers into her hair immediately upon opening. And then there was Margaret Meyer's amazing art prints. The prints were of a lovely, whimsical scene that you'd expect to see in your favorite children's book. We all ooohed and ahhhed over this for a while.


Haruka from Designs By Takemoto contributed some adorable little plates. She created them especially for the Brunch (amazing, right?!), and they included cute images of different animals. Perfect for a little spot to rest your earrings, or even to hang up as wall decor. And then who could forget Marie from The Blue Balloon's donations?! She contributed packets of lovely hand-made doily note cards. So dainty and delicate, each depicted a different vintage image, from a typewriter to a sewing machine. They were very lovely cards indeed! And also congratulations to her - she gave birth to a lovely baby boy on New Year's Day - it was so good of her to be part of this even though she obviously had a lot on her mind!


Another amazing contribution was the pretty items from Monica and Grace from EmenGee Designs. These lovely artists handmade some amazing button cluster and flower brooches. The flowers were so chic and feminine, and the button clusters were so fun and whimsical. These brooches were another lovely contribution to our stash!


Then last but not least were the beautiful tags from Jen at Jzroszell. She sent us a beautiful array of lovely art tags, ranging from Eiffel Tower collage tags, to beautiful spring birds in flight. Each little tag was truly lovely, and are just too pretty to use on a gift - i would rather keep them as a keepsake!

Finally there was the Door Prize Bag. Lucky Kristy won this, and inside were a few amazing items from other Etsy Sponsors. First of all, Amy from the charming Etsy store SeeChange Design contributed a luxurious strand of vintage pearls that everyone there wished they had won! Next up were some lovely magnets with beautiful illustrations by Sabine from Zarou, and then to top off this lovely prize was a truly lovely photograph print by Vicki from Simply Hue. That lovely carnival scene was such a beautiful prize!


So a big Thank You to all of our fantastic Etsy Sponsors!
And now here is your chance to win some of the items from these Goody Bags! As well as a lovely Flower Place Card from Blackbird Blue and You!
To enter, all you need to do is leave a comment here telling me about the best get-together you've been to in the last month or so. It doesn't need to be a Blogger's Meetup - just anything you've been to lately that you really enjoyed. I will announce the winners Sunday, January 17.

Winter Brunch

I'm back! Happy 2010!!!!

Our Holiday to California was WONDERFUL. It was so much fun, and great spending time with family, catching up with old friends, and meeting new ones.

I am sure you are all interested in hearing about the Winter SoCal Blogger's Brunch, so I will get right to it.

Although it was the middle of winter, you'd never know it. It was in the mid to late 70's, so it was absolutely perfect for a lovely outdoor brunch at Aroma Cafe in Studio City. I reserved a table under the awning, and it was such a pretty little corner of the patio.




Brian and I got there half an hour early to set up our table. I was a little nervous, because I had been planning this event for months, and was hoping that everything would turn out perfectly. I had been talking with the awesome Lindsey and her partner Amanda from the lovely Etsy store Blackbird Blue and You, and she generously donated all the lovely flower tree centerpieces, and some gorgeous flower place cards.


Aren't they amazing? I was so blown away by how whimsical and pretty each piece was. Obviously a lot of effort and detail was put into each piece. If I could do my wedding all over again, I would definitely be turning to Blackbird Blue And You for decorations. Everything was just so soft and absolutely perfect for our SoCal Winter theme.



Over the last few weeks before the brunch, I made little Keepsake Booklets for each guest. It was a fun little project, and they matched Lindsey's flower decorations nicely. I was really happy with how everything turned out.


The first bloggers to arrive were Tracy and Kristy. Tracy was every bit as cool and spunky as I thought she would be. She was such a riot to talk to, and totally down-to-earth. I also noticed that she has the nicest eyes. Kristy was a sweet-heart. Really friendly, with beautiful long dark hair, and smiling the entire time, she was definitely another blogger that I am glad to have met.

Carissa was next to come, and she was absolutely lovely. She was tall and gorgeous, and we bonded over complaints about our men playing video games for too long, hahaha. It was great to finally be able to meet her! It was interesting to hear her stories of celebrity encounters through her job, and embarassing moments with her boyfriend's friends. After Carissa came Ashley, who is the cutest, most daintiest little darling you'll ever see! She was sweet and extremely endearing. I just wanted to put her in my pocket and take her back to Texas with me!

And of course there was Maggi. You all know Maggi by now with her soft curls and sprinkle of darling freckles - she's one of my favorite bloggers ever, and also happens to be a personal friend of mine from outside the blogging world. She was her usual bubbly, sweet self, and it was wonderful to have her there - blogging and Maggi are synonymous to me, so it wouldn't have been the same without her.

In addition to me and the other bloggers, Brian was there to help me out, and thankfully Maggi's awesome husband Steve was there to keep Brian company. It was a great time with great food. Like last time, lots of generous Etsians donated items for the Blogger Goody Bags, and you will have a chance to win one soon. I will post more about the sponsors in a future post.

Once again, a HUUUUGE thank you to Blackbird Blue and You. Please head on over to Lindsey's store and check out her amazing creations.

(see here for more photos of the event).