this and that

*sigh*  I feel like such an inattentive blogger.  I wish I could say that I have been SOOO busy baking, that I haven't had time to think about taking photos or blogging, but sadly I have been either busy with end-of-the school-semester nonsense or fighting a head cold.  I actually took a sick day today for the first time in a year, so I figured I'd take the bed-ridden opportunity to try to make up for my inattentiveness.  Here's what I've been doing:


1.  Business cards and labels on order, FINALLY!

FRONT

BACK

sticker/label

2.  Organized a trade with fellow KC Etsy.com user Lauren Alexander.  She is a wonderful water color artist who gave me an adorably tiny painting of a couple of polar bears (my favorite man-eaters).  She's going to feature Donut Girl in an upcoming edition of her blog, and I gave her a dozen of my Vanilla Bean Shortbread cookies in return.  yay!

3.  Paint chips!  I am currently obsessed with re-painting practically every room in my house.  When I bought the house in 2005, I went with a lot of warm, dramatic colors...golds and reds to go with the dark woodwork of the craftsman bungalow era.  Since then I have acquired quite a lot of COLOR!  Art, accessories, upholstery...and the result now is just DRAMA OVERLOAD.  So I'm trying to go for more neutral, calm, and cool colors....I can't wait til semester ends and I'll have some time to make it happen.

So, that where I'm at right now.  This week looks to be homework-focused, but next weekend will bring the return of cookies.  I cancelled the orders that we due today because I didn't want to send out germ-y cookies.  Here's my sick day partner, Gary, and  what I will dub an "apology recipe" for my lack of baking-related content...... ENJOY!   xo

GARY - keepin' me company

In celebration of the return of warm weather I give you my dad's recipe for ice cream....if you have an ice cream maker, this is a MUST this summer - use the recommended cardamom listed at the bottom.  Unexpected and sooo good!