Homemade Marshmallows

I think these homemade pink marshmallows from No Fuss Fabulous would make and adorable Valentine's Day treat for your Valentine. I have not made them myself, but my friend Kerrissa made them for a school party last year and they were DELICIOUS! The pale pink is a perfect shade also, don't you think??


Image { No Fuss Fabulous }

Here is a reipe for these yummy bites from Martha Stewart
Makes about 40

2 1/2 tablespoons unflavored gelatin
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
Directions
1.Combine gelatin and 1/2 cup cold water in the bowl of an electric mixer with whisk attachment. Let stand 30 minutes.
2.Combine granulated sugar, corn syrup, salt, and 1/2 cup water in a small heavy saucepan; place over low heat, and stir until sugar has dissolved. Wash down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush to dissolve sugar crystals.
3.Clip on a candy thermometer; raise heat to high. Cook syrup without stirring until it reaches 244 degrees.(firm-ball stage). Immediately remove pan from heat.
4.With mixer on low speed, slowly and carefully pour syrup into the softened gelatin. Increase speed to high; beat until mixture is very thick and white and has almost tripled in volume, about 15 minutes. Add vanilla; beat to incorporate.
5.Generously dust an 8-by-12-inch glass baking pan with confectioners’ sugar. Pour marshmallow mixture into pan. Dust top with confectioners’ sugar; wet your hands, and pat it to smooth. Dust with confectioners’ sugar; let stand overnight, uncovered, to dry out. Turn out onto a board; cut marshmallows with a dry hot knife into 1 1/2-inch squares, and dust with more confectioners' sugar.
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Read more at Marthastewart.com: Homemade Marshmallows - Martha Stewart Recipes

Vintage Valentine Wedding

This Vintage Valentine Wedding shoot I came across on The Sweetest Occasion, was
designed and styled by Bethany of b * spoke. It is full of sweet inspiration. I love
the crocheted heart place cards and the always perfect chalkboard signs. You can
view the entire shoot here.

Cupcake Balls

What do you get when you combine the deliciousness of a cake pop with the cuteness of a cupcake? These ULTRA adorable cupcake balls by Jessicakes.
Genius I tell you !!! You have to check out her step by step tutorial here.



Images via Jessicakes

{ Baby Shower Monday } Little Man Shower

I have long been a fan of Little Man parties, so it's no surprise I love this Little Man baby shower from the talented girls over at Icing Designs. It's a perfect theme for anyone expecting a boy. Be sure to check out more photos from this darling shower here.

{ Baby Shower Monday } Bump Smitten

One of the best sources for inspiration is other blogs and websites. Peoples creativity and style continually amaze me. Bump Smitten is a fabulous site full of baby shower ideas, DIY projects, and vendor guides. Here is a sneak peak at some of the showers featured on their site. Be sure to visit their site here to see all the baby shower inspiration they offer!

Coconut Ice Cream Snowman by Martha

I love this coconut ice cream snowman I came across on Martha Stewart. It would be perfect for the kids as a treat on Christmas Eve or Christmas. Yummy and cute!

Makes 4

2 1/2 pints best-quality vanilla ice cream
Two 7-ounce packages coconut
Orange food coloring
FOR THE NOSE
1 tablespoon marzipan (1/4 ounce)
FOR THE EYES, MOUTH, AND BUTTONS
40 Sen Sen licorice candies
FOR THE HAT
4 marshmallows
4 chocolate wafers
Sifted confectioners' sugar
Directions
1.Line a baking pan that fits in your freezer with parchment paper. Scoop the vanilla ice cream, rounding scoops as much as possible, until you have 4 of each size, and place on the prepared baking pan. Place the pan in the freezer to harden for 15 minutes.
2.Remove the ice cream from the freezer, and roll in coconut. Return to pan, then return the pan to the freezer. Add orange food coloring to marzipan until carrot color is attained. Shape marzipan into small carrot shapes, using a paring knife to make ridges. Remove 1 small scoop of ice cream at a time from the freezer, and make faces using Sen Sen for eyes and mouth and marzipan carrots for the nose. Return to freezer until ready to serve.
3.Remove middle-size scoops from the freezer one at a time; place Sen Sen in a row down the front to create buttons. Remove remaining scoops from freezer, and stack to create snowmen, pressing slightly to adhere. Return snowmen to freezer.
4.Make the top hats by roasting marshmallows on skewers over a gas burner. Alternatively, place marshmallows on a baking sheet under the broiler, and cook until browned, rotating every few seconds. Place the toasted marshmallow on the chocolate wafer, and dust with sifted confectioners' sugar. Place the hat on the snowmen just before serving.


Read more at Marthastewart.com: Coconut Snowmen - Martha Stewart Recipes

Handprint Snowmen Ornaments

Have you heard about the 3 crafty sisters from Eighteen25? They have the best DIY projects and this handprint snowmen ornament is no exception. I love keepsake crafts that involve handprints, footprints or fingerprints. They are dear to the heart and for me those are the best ones! Check out the girls DIY instructions here.
I think these little cuties would also be adorable tied to presents for grandparents!