House Keys, Easter Crafts and White Chocolate Truffle Cupcakes

Sorry I haven't been here in a while. Again...stupid school! I'll be on Summer break in exactly 1 month!! Fastest semester ever!! I will finally be a Senior. Can't believe how fast college has flown by. I am SO ready to graduate. It will be the 3rd best day of my life (behind getting married and the birth of my future children...that only counts as 1).  I've been in school since I was 6...to be honest, it's getting kind of old. Anyways, enough of my school rant.   CRAFTS AND GOODIES! I have a few things to catch yall up on. 

First, I made this craft! I framed our house key along with a picture of our house. I'm going to make one of these for every house we live in. It'll be a nice little collection! I got the inspiration from Pinterest! I got the frame at TJ Maxx and the paper from Michaels. I told the key lady at Lowes what I was doing with the key (I told her I was framing it) and she seriously looked at me like I had 12 heads...kind of awkward. That didn't discourage me!! It also didn't discourage me when I went to Michaels and the lady who always works there told me I hadn't been there in a while...kind of embarrassing. Anyways! This project is self explanatory. I used glue dots to attach the key. I love how it turned out!

Next I decorated for my mother-in-laws birthday!! We had the whole Hedgepeth family over to celebrate. Her birthday is the Tuesday before Easter so I decided to make it Easter themed. First, I made these little bunny napkins! I got the idea from Pinterest. 

http://messagenote.com/interior-photos/25-easter-holiday-ideas-for-table-decoration

I got the raffia at Michaels and the pink napkins at The Dollar Tree (20 for $1). I then decided that they needed a little extra somethin somethin....so I added a bunny face with Sharpies! I sat them up on each plate at my table with napkin rings that I got as a wedding gift. 

I unfolded the napkin completely then folded it in a triangle (corner to opposite corner)...then you just roll it up! I secured it with a glue dot. Then you wrap it around a boiled egg, tie it with the raffia, and draw a cute little face on it and you're done! So simple and cheap!

I then made this peep and jelly bean centerpiece!! 

http://mixmingleglow.com/blog/?p=1411

I got the square glass container at Michaels. It was $10 and I had a 50% off coupon...you do the math! I got a smaller vase as The Dollar Tree that fit inside of the square vase perfectly. I couldn't find solid green jelly beans, but I did find these Jolly Rancher pastel-colored Easter jelly beans which I actually liked better (got them at Target on the Easter candy aisle). I got the pink Peep bunnies at Ikes (they only had yellow ones at Target...weird). Anyhoo, the website above tells you how to put it together. Not very hard at all. I also added some sage polka dotted ribbon that I got at Michaels for $2.99. I used glue dots to secure it to the outside of the vase. I finished it off by adding Gerber Daisies (my favorite), some purple flower (don't know what it's called), and some white flowers I found in the flowerbed in my backyard. 

Here's a look at the whole tables (I decorated the kitchen table and the dining room table). 

I got the table cloth and plates at The Dollar Tree. You can find so many awesome things there!!  I laid a scrap of this Premier Fabrics fabric that I had amongst my craft supplies to act as a table runner. The placemats I got at Ross (one of my favorite places to shop) probably 2 years ago.  

I got these Mason jars at The Dollar Tree for...you guessed it! $1! I got the pink ruffle ribbon at Michaels for $2.99 and wrapped it around the top of the jars with glue dots. I got the floating candles at Michaels also. A bag of them were a little over $3. Cute, easy, and CHEAP centerpiece!

More pretty flowers! I got the purple ones and the Gerber Daisies at Kroger and the white flowers came from my yard.

And this is my dining room table! I used scrapbook paper from Michaels as placemats. The paper under the centerpiece is cutout scrapbook paper from Hobby Lobby. 

I surrounded the centerpiece with more floating candles (my new obsession). I got the 2 vases at The Dollar Tree and the wine glass I already had as wedding gifts. I put some ribbon around the 2 vases and some raffia around the stem of the wine glass. I got the green candle at The Dollar Tree as well and put more pastel jelly beans in the bottom.

Overall, this whole thing was very cost effective and I loved the way it turned out! I just love Easter. 

Last, but CERTAINLY not least....CUPCAKES! I saw these cupcakes on Pinterest and I knew I had to make them immediately. This was my chance! They are white chocolate truffle cupcakes and they are SO yummy...but I must warn...they're like the sweetest things that have ever tickled my taste buds.  Here's the link to the recipe:

http://www.pamperedchef.com/recipe_search/recipe.jsp?id=100348

Here are some pics!

 I've never whipped egg whites before! I had no idea it would look like shaving cream! I ran in Matt's office to show him. He didn't think it was near as cool as I did...

Just melting some delicious truffles into my delicious cupcakes. 

Note: The batter made more than 12 so I ran out of white chocolate truffles. I had some dark chocolate raspberry-filled truffles on hand, however, and those sufficed. I should've filled the cupcakes cups a little more.

Oh yes...while I was making the icing my Kitchen Aid mixer literally blew up in my face. It was one of those moments that happens unexpectedly and I literally thought the end of my life had come. I was adding the powdered sugar to the mix and it shot right out at my face. I screamed in terror then laughed hysterically. Matt ran in to see the damage...and take this picture. Before I also spilled my bag of powdered sugar everywhere. It was a series of unfortunate events. Check out this mess!

It was on everything...my window, the sink...

In the outlet...you know!

Anyways...after cleaning that mess up I got back to my cupcakes! Lookin good! I finished them off by adding some silver dragees...my favorite decorating goodie. I got these at Mary Carter (best place ever!!) but I think you can get them at Michaels and Hobby Lobby...could be wrong though. 

Ta da!!! So yummy!! I got the cake plate at Diane's Gift Emporium in Germantown...another one of my favorite places. I want everything in that store!!!

I believe this concludes my segment!! Hope yall enjoy and have a great Easter. So thankful for a wonderful Savior! The real maker of all things cute and delicious!

I will end with this picture of me, my sister-in-law and my soon-to-be sister-in-law!! I just love them...