little things i love

Recent Posts

    • welcoming summer

      With the long weekend, it officially feels like summer around here. Ever since our Halloween banner project, my friend Stacy and I have been in production mode making banners for most of the holidays. And just when I was beginning to get tired of repeating the same design, my favorite craft store Ben Franklin got in fresh supplies. In addition to their other banner-making embellishments, Paper Accents is now selling extra-large chipboard pennants and, as is usually the case at my Ben Franklin, one of the employees had made a sample inspiring me to try my own. I combined some pretty blue and yellow papers and buttons from My Mind’s Eye and made flags to string across the top from my collection of Washi tape. I love the results: a cool new banner for the front door to welcome guests – and summer – to our house.

       

    • blueberry muffins

      I love to bake, and it’s one of my favorite things to do for my family. I got up a little early this morning, and it was cool and rainy outside – the perfect morning for blueberry muffins. This is a great recipe; I’ve been making it for years. The best part is the sugar sprinkled on top before baking, which creates a crunchy sweet crust that is so yummy! My girls were excited to wake up to this treat. They had a warm muffin for breakfast, and then we wrapped one for each of them – tied up in a cloth napkin Little House on the Prairie style – to take for a school snack. Enjoy these with your family!

      Blueberry Muffins

      3/4 cup butter softened
      3/4 cup sugar
      2 eggs
      3 cups flour
      1 tablespoon baking powder
      1 teaspoon salt
      1 and 1/3 cups milk
      1 cup blueberries

      Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a mixer, beat butter and sugar until well blended. Add eggs one at a time, creaming. In another bowl, combine 2 and 2/3 cups of flour and remaining dry ingredients. Mix the dry ingredients into the egg mixture, and then slowly add the milk. Combine until moist – do not over-mix. Place remaining 1/3 cup of flour in a ziplock bag, add the rinsed berries and shake to coat with the flour. Stir the blueberries into batter. Fill muffin tins (either greased or lined with papers) almost full. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 20 – 30 minutes or until lightly browned.