excitement!!

To everyone within driving distance of Carlsbad, California...
Come out and visit me at the
Queen Bee Market!
{Saturday, May 1st from 10am to 6pm}

The vendors are amazing,
The merchandise is incredible,
and we had the best time setting up our booths tonite!!
Can't wait to shop, shop, shop tomorrow!!!
And with Mother's Day coming up next week,
this is the perfect event to pick up something special!
LOTS of photos coming soon....

xo! :)

things that are making me happy.

- My sweet little dictionary birdies made it to the front page of Etsy this evening! Yay! Go birdies! :)

-T minus two days until this fabulous event! Who's going to be at the Queen Bee Market on Saturday?! I can't wait to show off all of the fun items I've been working so hard on.

-Parenthood. Anyone else watching this hilarious and wonderful new show?

-An awesome blogger event is coming up for all of us girls here in Southern California. Heard about Blog Sugar yet?! I am so happy to be able to make it to this one at the end of May!

-Possibly being able to see the new J.Lo movie on Sunday! Anyone seen The Back Up Plan yet? I can't wait for a much needed {and oh-so-relaxing} day off. :)

-My new necklace. So cute and the color is perfect for spring. I love Forever 21!

-I am on a baking streak and am dying to try this recipe from the most beautiful food blog. If you have a seriously yummy recipe, feel free to let me know. I am determined to become a better cook/baker/eater/etc. :)

-Knowing that as soon as I post this blog, I have a cozy bed to snuggle up in and I'll fall asleep watching old Friends dvds. :)

And on a not so happy note...

-What is WITH the voters on American Idol this year? And tonight's show.... Michael Lynche is still in?? And Siobhan got kicked out tonight?! BOO. Anyone else think the show is slightly dull this year?

OK!

Ranting done, I am now off to sleep. :)

xo!

shop love no. 5

This shop is so cute, I could eat it all up!
{Literally!!}
SugarRobot is the most fanciful shop on Etsy,
stocked full with edible decorations for your next party treat!
Or if you just want to make extra-fancy cupcakes for yourself,
which I personally think is a fantastic idea.
I mean,
who wouldn't want to sit down and devour one of these?! :)





OK, now I want a cupcake. :)
SugarRobot is amazing.
Happy Tuesday, xo!

lemon bars and a sneak peak!

Ok, baker-girls! Get your ingredients and mixing spoons at the ready. Here's another fab-tastic recipe that I whipped up the other evening! And PS. Notice there are no great after photos. Yes, we ate them that quickly. :) Onto the recipe...

Lemon Bars
From Get Togethers Cookbook

Ingredients:
2 cups flour, divided
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter, softened
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup lemon juice
Garnish: powdered sugar

For crust, combine 1 1/2 cups flour, powdered sugar and salt in a medium bowl. Cut in butter with a fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press into a 9x9-ish baking pan in an even layer. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 18 minutes, until just golden at edges. To make filling, whisk together eggs and sugar in a medium bowl until smooth. Stir in lemon juice, then remaining flour. Pour filling over baked crust. Reduce heat to 325 degrees; bake 25 to 30 minutes, until filling has just set. Let cool for at least 30 minutes, then dust with powdered sugar and you've got a dream dessert ready for you! :)


And...
To keep with this lemon and yellow and happy theme, here's a sneak peak for you as to what's going on behind the scenes while I get ready for the Queen Bee Market this Saturday!

There's going to be piles of cute things.
I hope you can come visit me & shop, shop, shop! :)
xo!

a thrift store find and a very frightened cat.

Max is under the impression that a large cheetah has taken up residence in our home. :) The cheetah has made Andrew very happy. Seven dollars very well spent at the local thrift shop!
And PS.
My house smells mouth-watering.
Lemon bars just out of the oven...
recipe to follow on Monday!
Enjoy the rest of your weekend, xo!

happy weekend sale! :)

This weekend I am:
cutting
gluing
stamping
creating
etc
etc
etc
rinse&repeat!
{Notice I am not shopping like I'd like to.}

SO...
If you are shopping this weekend,
enjoy 20% off in my shop!
Just include the code "weekend20" in the message to seller section
and pay like normal!
I'll refund you your 20% through PayPal! :)
{Discount given before shipping & not available on custom orders!}
Happy weekend!!
xo!

dear orianthi,

I love your song.
I can't stop listening to it!
You are addicting.
Your video is super cute.
So are you!
I adore your hair and bangs.
Where did you buy your cute clothes?
Oh yes, and I'm painting my nails purple tonight.
Love, Holly :)

And for those of you who have not been blessed with listening to Orianthi,
please enjoy!
{Although since I am a complete music idiot lately, you've all probably already heard it. I don't listen to the radio anymore. Ever. So I am not aware of pop music anymore. Sigh. Things were easier when all I had to love were NSync and Britney.}

And one more thing while I'm on the popular music topic....
do girls really think this little tool is sexy?!

I hadn't heard Justin Bieber's name until recently and now he is all I ever hear about. So I finally got with the program and googled him. I have to admit, his song is annoyingly catchy and now I can't stop humming it. So I decided to add it to my playlist as well.
Now you all can be singing along to his girlie song like me!
You are so welcome. ;)
Your world, is myworld!
My fight, is your fight!
My breath, is your breath!
OK, I'm done.
xo!

raindrops make me happy.

Rain makes me so happy.

I feel cozy and inspired when the rain is falling outside.

Maybe this is nature's way of telling me to stay inside

and get to work with all of my items for the Queen Bee Market?

Yes, I think so.

I will sip my cup of coffee, get Andrew off to school and then off to work I go!

Thank you, rain. :)

xo!

ps. {print found here.}

rocky road bites.

Andrew helped me make this fantastic recipe the other evening.

{And excuse his odd "hat" in this photo. He got "how to train your dragon" pajamas and has not wanted to remove the cape that goes with them yet haha!}

This is one of those recipes that is 100% kid-friendly, fool-proof, and you will have so much fun tossing chocolate chips onto the graham crackers together! :)

Crispy Rocky Road Bites

from Get Togethers Cookbook

Ingredients:

24 chocolate graham cracker squares

{However, I used regular graham crackers and it was amazing!}

1/2 cup butter, melted

12 oz. package semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided

1 cup white chocolate chips

1 cup toffee chips

{I am not a fan of toffee, so I used those yummy Reese's chips instead, which I highly recommend!}

2 cups mini marshmallows

{We had extra bunny-mallows left over from Easter, so ours are pastel colored haha!}

Arrange graham crackers on a jelly roll pan or cookie sheet, sides touching. Pour melted butter over crackers; sprinkle with 1 1/2 cups of chocolate chips and white chocolate chips. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes at 350 degrees, until butter is absorbed. Using a spatula, spread melted chips over crackers; sprinkle with toffee {or peanut butter chips} and marshmallows. Return to oven for 3 minutes, or until marshmallows begin to soften. Set aside. Place remaining chocolate chips in a small ziploc bag. Microwave on medium setting until chips melt, about 2 1/2 to 3 minutes. Snip a small hole in one corner of bag and drizzle chocolate over crackers. Let cool for at least 30 minutes until set.

And here is my warning to you all...

These are so hard to stop eating.

Proceed with caution. :)

xo!

shop love no. 4

If you have been a recent customer of my shop, you will notice the cute birdie label stickers I use on a lot of my merchandise! I purchased them from the amazing & talented Cindy of Letter C Design!! Her shop is so lovely. You will want sticker after sticker. And print after print. And her items are so well-priced that you can shop like crazy with her and not feel bad about it!
Please visit Letter C and say hello for me! :)


heart in the middle address labels


follow your bliss bike print


woodland return address labels


spread your wings butterfly print

Happy Tuesday, xo! :)
PS.
Stop in tomorrow for a killer recipe {again}!

shopping is tough.

My sister and I went shopping a few days ago, all set to purchase our spring wardrobe. Gift cards in hand, cash at the ready, we went in with high hopes and great expectations. We weren't looking for anything crazy, just great staples that we can integrate throughout spring. And guess what?
We came up empty handed!!
Aside from a pair of slammin' clear jellie flats {I have had an undying love for them since I was small!}, I bought nothing. Nothing!
Is is that hard to find some cute pieces like my Polyvore set above???!
Ugh.
So, I am still looking and feeling frumpy in my less-than-perfect old clothes.
Hopefully I'll have success on my next shopping trip out!
Until then, I'll be window-shopping via Polyvore.
xo! :)

a wild week!

With a trip to the Wild Animal Park on Tuesday...


And a trip to the San Diego Zoo yesterday...


...we are ready for a relaxing weekend
before Andrew heads back to school on Monday.
Happy weekend, xo! :)

owls & mushrooms!

A pile of new items have hit
Mommy Holly!
My favorites have to be these fantastic little mushroom tags and the most adorable tags with the owl-in-a-tree motif! I have been happily creating lots of fun items for my shop, as well as many new things for the Queen Bee Market coming up on May 1st! If you live near San Diego, you should definitely note that on your calendar. :)


funky mushroom tags


owl in a tree tags

Happy shopping! :)
Now we are off to the San Diego Zoo for the day!
Pictures to follow soon... :)
xo!

a dollar to happiness.

Andrew and I raided the dollar section at Michael's a few days ago.

It was fantastic and spring break was our excuse to get a few fun new things.

I got Hello Kitty notebooks {they are too cute!}

while Andrew got stickers, tattoos, notebooks,

and this fabulous dry-erase board!

He has been happily practicing his ABC's and I couldn't be prouder.

Where did my baby go, and who is this sweet & smart almost-6-year old?!

Spring break has been what we so needed.

Relaxation and time spent together.

Perfect. :)

xo!

shop love no. 3

"Moon Buns are delightful little bunnies that come from the land of Moon, a beautifully forested valley surrounded by mountains. The Moon Buns love to sing, dance, dress in fancy costuming and put on plays, but they love making new friends even more."


Where can you get your own little moon bun?
From this whimsical little shop!
And the bees are to die for.
And the mochi birds, too.
And every single one of these little creatures, eek!
I bought Andrew the charcoal moon bun and tucked it in his stocking this past Christmas and he was instantly in love. He appreciates sweet little faces like I do and likes to take care of small stuffed animals. :)
I'd like to buy myself a whole pile of moon buns.
Who's with me?! :)

What are your current Etsy favorites?
xo!

almond butter chocolate chip cookies.

As I was flipping through the latest issue of Clean Eating,
I found this yummy-looking cookie recipe.
Using some new ingredients to me,
{sucanat & almond butter, anyone?}
I whipped up a batch yesterday.

Let me tell you...
super easy,
suuuuper tasty,
and no refined sugar!
They are "clean" cookies!
I say, not too shabby! :)




Andrew prepared the chocolate for me. :)





Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

From Clean Eating Magazine,
March/April 2010

1 cup unsalted almond butter, stirred well

3/4 cup Sucanat

1 large egg

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp sea salt

3 oz dark chocolate (70% cocoa or greater), broken into small pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl. stir together the first 5 ingredients until blended. Stir in chocolate. Drop the dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Let cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes. Remove to a wire rack and let cool for 15 more minutes.
Makes about 24 cookies.

Super yummy, right?!
And eat these knowing that you aren't being too bad on your waistline. :)
xo!

scooters, trains, and fresh flowers.

All in all,
a happy trip to the farmer's market this weekend!
A bright, sunny day...
The train in the park past so Andrew could wave at the conductor...
Gorgeous flowers in bloom...
Spring is definitely here!

How was your weekend?!
xo!

PS.
Stay tuned tomorrow morning for an excellent cookie recipe!

happy weekend.

On the schedule for this morning?
A walk over to the farmer's market.
A few piles of asparagus.
A basket of fresh strawberries.
A stop by the baseball field to let Andrew watch the games.
Home to enjoy the weekend.

Happy Saturday, xo!

a tasty coffee cake.

For Easter breakfast, I made the most delicious coffee cake from one of my favorite bloggers. I've wanted to try it out for the longest time, but I rarely eat anything more than a bowl of Cheerios for breakfast! :) I finally tried it out in honor of the holiday morning, and it was
oh-so-delish!

Cardamom Coffee Cake

2 c. soft butter
2 c. light brown sugar
4 eggs
2 tbsp. vanilla
2 c. sour cream
(I only had 1 cup on hand so I did 1 cup sour cream and 1 cup vanilla yogurt)
4 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. powdered cardamom
1/2 tsp. salt

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, beat well. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cardamon, and salt. Add sour cream and flour mixture alternately, beginning and ending with flour. Fold in each addition just enough to blend. Don't beat or over mix!

NUT MIXTURE:

1/4 c. light brown sugar
1 tbsp. cinnamon
1/2 c. chopped walnuts

Mix together brown sugar, cinnamon, and walnuts.

Spoon 1/3 of the batter into a well buttered tube or bundt pan, then 1/2 of the nut mixture, then 1/3 batter, then remaining nuts, then remaining batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 to 1 1/2 hours until brown on top and dry when you insert a probe all the way down. Turn onto a plate after 10 minutes of cooling.

Then slice up some strawberries, and enjoy your delicious breakfast!
xo! :)

enjoying the sunshine.

Andrew is on spring break for two weeks...
So we are fully enjoying our time off,
playing in the sun,
trying to ride the two-wheeler bike,
and spending lots of time together.
:)

Oh yeah...
and we aren't the only ones in the family who are enjoying the sunshine...

Max frequently falls asleep on top of the fence in our backyard...
so sweet. :)

And
Mousey likes to roll around in the sunshine on the patio.
She knows she's a few pounds overweight,
but that's not stopping her from enjoying bikini season. :)

:)
Happy sunshine-y days!
xo!

shop love no. 2

For the most delicate and unique jewelry,
you must visit this sweet little shop!

I keep sneaking peeks at this shop,
wanting desperately to buy those cloud&umbrella earrings!
They are subtle, yet so imaginative.
One of my etsy-faves at the moment for sure.
Please visit this darling shop here!

Oh...
And buy me some earrings while you're at it.
hehe! ;)

What are you current Etsy favorites?!
xo!

bake these right this minute.

Thanks to this fantastic blogger, I tried these yummy little snowball cookies.
Am I in a baking mood lately or what?!
And while I know these are more of a classically winter cookie,
{what with the name "snowballs" and all!}
I just decided that they are now my anytime cookie.
Seasons be darned! :)









Snowballs

¾ C butter

1 tsp vanilla

1 Tbl water

1/8 tsp salt

1/3 C sugar

1 ½ C flour

1 C chopped nuts

1/2 C choc chips

{the recipe called for a cup, but I cut a few of the chips out since my dough looked quite chocolate-y already!}

Cream butter, vanilla, water, sugar and salt. Add flour and mix well. Add chips and nuts. Form into 1” balls. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Cool for a few minutes. Roll in powdered sugar while still warm. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Then pop one in your mouth and

enjoy the deliciousness that is the snowball.

xo!

And

PS...

Andrew enjoyed them, too! :)

whip this up before sunday!

Tutorial here.
Is this the cutest thing you've ever seen?!
The perfect addition to your Easter Sunday!
As if we need anything else added to our to-do lists, right?
Enjoy your weekend, friends!
xo!