This Lil' Birdie Made Marshmallows

Homemade marshmallows?  Oh, yes!

I LOVE marshmallows (we're even having s'mores as our wedding favors!), and lately I've been hearing more and more about gourmet marshmallow shops popping up like cupcakeries did a few years back.

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So when I ran across this recipe for marshmallows, I knew I had to try it!!

Overall, I would say marshmallows are pretty easy provided you have a stand mixer.  In the first six minutes of beating on high, the fluff grew so much I was afraid it would poof out of the mixer!

Two minutes into beating on HIGH

Five minutes into beating on HIGH

The hardest part is by far the cutting and sugar dusting -- I had marshmallow all over my shirt and hands and counter.... I just love messy cooking!!  My advice?  Work on a BIG (very easy to clean) surface covered in wax paper and powdered sugar!

And what's a good marshmallow without some chocolate and crushed candy canes?  These little treat bags are FH's co-workers.  Lucky little guns, aren't they?

I think this is by far my new favorite snack.  Easy to make, easy to eat, and YUM YUM YUM!

Can't wait to try these in some homemade hot cocoa!

(p.s. linking up to Tip Junkie's Homemade Projects party!)

This Lil' Birdie is Crafty: Brown Sugar Honey Body Scrub

This Christmas is involving quite a few homemade presents for me.  One of my favorites was given to me a few years ago and I can't stop making it for myself.  So for Christmas gifts this year, I decided to share the love.  (Sweet friends that might get this as a gift from me: just pretend you've never seen this and act surprised, okay?  Okay!)

Here's what you need to have amazingly soft and yummy smelling skin this winter!

1.5 cups of brown sugar
1/2 cup of EVOO
1 tsp vanilla extract (here's your yummy smell)
1 full tablespoon of honey (this is specifically a help for dry skin; you can leave this out if you want, but I LOVE honey!)

Mix it all together and put it in an adorable little mini Ball canning jar (I found mine at Target for less than $5 for a set of 4).  A pert bow, a little scrapbook paper tag (can you tell I haven't made mine yet?) and you've got an adorable gift for neighbor friends, teachers (except in Alabama where our "ethics" law say you can't give teachers gifts anymore), or pretty much anyone!

Don't worry if the oil separates from the honey and sugar, just mix it back in and rub-a-dub-dub!

Linking up with Petite Hermine's Sunday Linky Party and The Girl Creative's "Just Something I Whipped Up" party!

This Lil' Birdie is Obsessed: Gold Ceilings

No, really.  Gold ceilings.

See?

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I cannot get over how amazing this looks!  It adds such amazing flair to this room.

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And this!  Ooh ooh ooh!  The cabinets are fantabulous!  If I thought I could talk FH into painting our cabinets, this would be on the list of possible colors.  All that natural light....I'm in love.

Now, FH isn't crazy about the idea of painting a ceiling gold, but I think it would look absolutely amazing in our guest bedroom/ someday nursery upstairs with creamy walls, dark furniture, and linen accents.  And so begins the process of convincing him that I am, of course, right.

This Lil' Birdie has a Fresh Fiancee

You won't even begin to understand that title until you click HERE.

No really.  You should totally click there.  Or clicking here is cool too.

Because that there linky up there (and further up there, too) is your direct access to my future hubby.  My own dear FH has started his own blog.

Here's a little excerpt from today.....

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And yes, before you ask, he actually is as big of a goober as he seems.  Boo boo?  Don't read that last sentence, okay?

No, really, he's fun and you'll enjoy his musings and recommendations.  And now I insist you visit and tell him I sent you just to annoy him a tiny little bit!

This Lil' Birdie Loves Fudge

I've never been much of a candy-maker.  Cookies, cakes, and especially cupcakes.  That's pretty much a weekly occurrence at my house.  But candy?  Not so much.

Until my sweet friend Julie introduced me to fantasy fudge last year.  Never heard of fantasy fudge?  You don't know what you're missing.  Really.

Not only is is super fabulously amazingly good to eat, but it's also super fabulously amazingly easy to make!

Here's the recipe I use.  I've never tried the stove method.  Give me a microwave any day, and I'm a happy girl!

Make this in the microwave and then take a little baby cookie cutter and cut out some cute Christmas shapes!  (P.s. see how my lil' tree is missing a corner?  I didn't wait until mine was fully cooled & hardened before going after it with the tree cutter, and this is what happened.  Heed my advice so yours turn out better than mine!).

This makes a great and easy gift idea for neighbors or co-workers.  Cellophane bags or cookie tins, a little twine or ribbon, and you're done!  Or do things like me, and make it and eat it all yourself!!!

Enjoy!

This Lil' Birdie is Obsessed: Bayou Salvage

Christmas is just around the corner, but I just now am starting on my Christmas shopping list.  I can't help procrastinating; I simply cannot stop thinking about linen dresses for spring wedding showers!

Like these beauties all from Etsy!

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Can you tell that I am loving absolutely everything from Bayou Salvage's Etsy shop?  I think I might need to re-make my Christmas list because I don't know how much longer I can live without her lovely linen everything!  Take a look yourself and just see if you don't fall in love with something!

P.s. Bayou Salvage has no idea who I am; I just truly love her items and will be purchasing soon :)

This Lil' Birdie is Decorating for Christmas

It was pretty well established last year that Christmas is my favorite favorite holiday!

And this year I'm even more excited to be able to decorate my own house! No more apartments for me -- time to bring out the BIG tree!

FH and I put the tree up the Sunday before Thanksgiving (to give me ample time to enjoy it).  We have the perfect little nook beside the fireplace, and isn't Sweet Sister's tree skirt fabulous?!  {P.s. That painting behind the tree?  FH's great-grandmother painted that.  So special. }

FH's parents were nice enough to give us his ornaments for my tree this year.  Here are a few of my favorites:

Seriously old-school technology.

His JanJan & Granddaddy went to Alaska earlier this year and brought back this guy.  **SHHH.... I broke this one.  Twice.  Thank God for superglue!***

Merry Christmas, Dudes!  Why, yes, we did grow up in the '90s!  How ever did you know??

Dear Santa-bell, your beard reminds me of fluorescent light bulbs and marshmallow twists. Sincerely, a energy-saving sweet fanatic.

Speaking of "Belles", even Puppy gets an ornament...

Or two!  What can I say?  She's well-loved!

Pinterest has fed my Christmas obsession, and I have a whole list of projects for this year. But the first thing I need to do is decorate outside this weekend.  Starting with getting rid of the dead mums that have been hanging out on the front porch since September.  Wish me luck.