I'm Alive I Promise

Our happy family!

Well the past several months have been very eventful! First and most important Jeff and I welcomed our little bundle of joy into the world on August 8th, 2011. He is the most beautiful little boy and we love little William more than anything.

This was just a quick update. More details will be coming soon!

Guinness and Bailey's Cupcakes

Well instead of doing my homework I decided to finish up this post about these delicious cupcakes I made a few weeks ago. Jeff has an extreme love for Guinness, so when I stumbled upon this recipe for Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes I knew I had to make them. I am a sucker for sweets and these looked too good to pass up.

The cupcake is a chocolate Guinness base with a chocolate ganache filling and an insanely alcoholic Bailey's laced icing. Since I'm 5 months pregnant I had to make a separate batch of plain vanilla buttercream icing for my share of the cupcakes. These ended up being a huge hit with everyone, and Jeff has been begging me to make some more of them sometime soon.

Guinness and Bailey's Cupcakes:

Yield: 24 cupcakes
Ingredients:
For the Guinness chocolate cupcakes:
1 cup stout (Guinness)
16 tbsp. unsalted butter
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1½ tsp. baking soda
¾ tsp. salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cup sour cream

For the Bailey’s ganache filling:
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp. butter, at room temperature
2 tsp. Bailey’s Irish cream

For the Bailey’s buttercream frosting:
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
3-4 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
4-8 tbsp. Bailey’s Irish cream (I used 6 and it turned out super strong)


Directions:
To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350° F.  Line two cupcake pans with paper liners.  Combine the stout and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add the cocoa powder and whisk until smooth.  Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt.  In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the eggs and sour cream to blend.  Add the stout-butter mixture and beat just to combine.  Mix in the dry ingredients on low speed just until incorporated.  Divide the batter evenly between the cupcake liners, filling them about 2/3 to ¾ full.  Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 17 minutes.  Allow to cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the ganache filling, place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl.  Heat the cream in a small saucepan until simmering, then pour it over the chocolate.  Let sit for one minute and then whisk until smooth.  If the chocolate is not completely melted, place the bowl over a double boiler or give it a very short burst in the microwave (15-20 seconds).  Add the butter and Bailey’s and stir until combined.

Set aside to let the ganache cool until it is thick enough to be piped (I left mine in the fridge a little too long and it got kinda thick, so watch it close because it cools pretty quick). Meanwhile, cut out a portion from the center of the cupcake using the cone method (I had a filling attachment with my piping bag and used that instead or cutting out a piece of the cupcake).  Once the ganache has reached the correct consistency, transfer it to a piping bag fitted with a wide tip and pipe it into the cupcakes.

To make the frosting, place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.  Gradually add the powdered sugar until it is all incorporated.  Mix in the Bailey’s until smooth.  Add more if necessary until the frosting has reached a good consistency for piping or spreading.  Frost the cupcakes as desired.


Source: Annie's Eats

Bless this House Cross-stitch

After months of slaving over this cross-stitch project I have finally finished it! I am super excited that I got it done before Jeff and I move into our new place on June 1st.

I love the way that the project turned out in the end and I love the frame that I found for it; especially since the frame was on sale :) I got the kit on sale at Hobby Lobby for about $5 and I've been working on it on and off for several months. Unfortunately I wanted to post this so bad that I was lazy and didn't take any decent pictures, I just have the ones I took with my phone.

This is one of the first progress shots I took of the project, at this point I had only been working on it for a couple of weeks. I had started in the middle, like you do with all counted cross-stitch, and then I decided to make my way to the left side and work left to right. The piece was pretty long, about 18 inches wide, so working from one side to the other was easier because I could fold over the fabric I wasn't working with.

I was about halfway through when I took this picture. Spring break was a couple weeks after I took this and our 8 hours in the car to New Orleans gave me a huge boost in progress, I just can't seem to find the picture I took :(

Here is the finished product literally right after I finished it. As you can see it still had the creases from where I had it in a hoop.

And last but not least, the finished product all framed up and ready to go on the wall. My favorite part about getting this project done was how excited Jeff was for me that I finished it. This is the first thing that I have made for our first place together, so it has a ton of sentimental value.

I already have about 3 or 4 more projects lined up to work on next, but I need to get through these last few weeks of school before I can devote any large amount of time to them.

Disney College Program: My Final Thoughts

This past fall as some of you know I participated in the Disney College Program. I thoroughly enjoyed this experience and I will never regret doing it. I was a Skipper on the Jungle Cruise in the Magic Kingdom. I absolutely loved where I worked and the people I worked with.... most of the time that is. Like any other internship this is a job, and you will be working very long hours most of the time. You will also work holidays and weekends... yes I know it sucks. I worked Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years while on my program, but in the end it was all worth it. Being a Cast Member makes you part of the magic of The Walt Disney World Resort, and it is our job as Cast Members to make dreams come true for both the young and old.

Being a Cast Member mean that the perks are pretty awesome. First and foremost, you get to go to Disney World for FREE! And during my program they were having a special promotion that we got to go to the water parks for free too. As a castmember, you also get merchandise discounts, hotel discount, cruise line discounts, and ticket discounts. During the Christmas holiday our cast member discount was raised to 50% off, which was pretty awesome because it applied to all Disney merchandise except for movies and CD's.

Now I will warn you, the housing situation seems great but as one of my friends so adequately put it, she "hates Price Management and their stupid apartments... they can take their stupid rules and shove it where the sun don't shine". The company that manages the apartment complexes absolutely blows. The rules are ridiculous, the security guys are assholes, and if you break a housing rule you can be terminated from the program. The housing is the biggest bad mark on the program in my eyes. I would recommend living in Patterson or Chatham, stay away from Vista. Patterson is the newest complex and where I spent my program. DO NOT LIVE IN A 3 OR 4 BEDROOM APARTMENT because it is 2 people per room meaning there will be 8 people max in an apartment. Though this sounds fun.... you will have no space in your kitchen for anything. I lived in a 3 bedroom so there were 6 of us, and well there was never any space in the fridge at all. Plus 6 girls in one apartment.... no bueno.

Despite the lousy housing situation, I would recommend this program to anyone. I have loved Disney since the very first time I went there when I was 4 years old and I love it even more now that I have been a Cast Member. If you have worries about seeing the backstage stuff and it ruining the magic, don't worry, being a part of the magic is such a rewarding experience. So if you have ever wondered if the Disney College Program is right for you, I say do it. You only live once and to have an opportunity like this is, in my eyes, a dream come true.

I'm Back

Well after about a year of experimentation with different blogs I have decided to return to Blogger. Wordpress was beginning to be a pain in the ass, and to be honest not that cute. I'm currently in the process of trying to get some of my posts from my Wordpress over to Blogger so hopefully that wont take a small army and a minor miracle.

It's good to be back :)

Tinker-Belle Cross-Stitch

This project was one that I worked on while on a road trip because it was the perfect size to work on in the car. I love working cross stitch kits in the car because I feel like I am accomplishing something while sitting in the car doing nothing.

This project stitched up really quickly, I was able to finish it in only a couple of days, the greatest difficulty I had with it was using the pearl filament thread on Tink's wings and wand. That stuff is a pain in the you know what but in the end it turned out really pretty, with just the right amount of sparkle.

I omitted a part on the pattern that was supposed to go above Tink between her wings because I thought it was silly looking to have her name there labeling her. It is must more appealing and I like the simplicity of it just being sly Tink looking like she is up to something like always.

I had a spare frame lying around and I gave it a couple quick coats of purple spray paint any tada! I'm done. I decided on purple for the frame because it matched the back stitching around Tink, and I thought it would be fun.

My First Completed Project of the Summer: posted 2 months late oops

Over the past couple of months I have been working on several different craft projects and I am just now getting around to posting them. One of the first things I made was a memo board for my room.

I made it using THIS tutorial from Moda Bake Shop, and I love the finished result. I tweaked the tutorial a little bit just cause a few of the steps I did differently and I used some different materials but overall it's pretty consistent with everything else. I used a charm pack from Fig Tree Quilts called Fresh Cottons, and I love the finished result!

I used a frame that has been laying around my parents garage for almost a year now and I figured if it hasn't been thrown away or used yet then it was fair game for me to have. I toyed with the idea of painting it, but in the end I am glad that I didn't because I love the contrast of the wood grain against the fabrics.

The hardest part of the project was making sure that the ribbon stayed taught enough so that it would hold the photographs when it was all finished, but they all turned out the perfect tightness except for one that is in the bottom corner so it's kinda hidden. I love the ribbon I ended up using because it covers the seams from where I sewed the charm squares together but the edges are sheer so it gives it a cute little effect.

This picture isn't very true to color but it is a nice close up of both the ribbon and the buttons. In the tutorial it called for a variety of buttons but I liked the idea of them all being uniform and cohesive so I used the same buttons for all of the placed where the ribbons crossed.

I wish I would have taken in progress pictures but I always think about doing it after I have already completed the project. I pictures on the board are 4x6 so that gives you some idea of the scale of the whole thing. Also on the frame I mounted hanging brackets on both sides so that it could be hung either vertically or horizontally. I love this project and my mom has already hinted to wanting one for herself.

My Newest Project

I just finished this the other day and I am super excited that I finished it. I was thinking about giving it to my sister for Christmas but I think I have decided to make the whole set and then frame them. I just bought the Tigger one the other day and I still need the Piglet and Eeyore ones so that I have the whole set. I think they would be super cute for a nursery but I have a few years (like 6) before I have kids, so who knows what I finally end up using them for. The picture quality isn't that great cause my camera is dead and I left the charger at home in Texas and I am in Florida.

I love Disney!

There is nothing more wonderful than the Disney College Program! I have loved this experience since day #1 and will never regret doing it. I have learned so much from being here and my program still has 3 more months before it is over.

I have met so many amazing people, some of which I know I will continue to have wonderful relationships with as the years go on. I have decided that at the end of my program I am going to return to school and graduate while maintaining seasonal status at Disney. That way I can continue to work at the Jungle Cruise. When I graduate I would love to return to Disney and audition to be a member of the entertainment department.

I am truly looking forward to what these next 3 months have in store for me. I could have never guess that I wold be having the experience that I am having now. Some people may think that this is a load of crap, but I believe strongly that your dreams really can come true. I feel like I am living a fairy tale and each day gets better and better.

Have a Magical Day

Thoughts on the first Month

So I have been a Disney World castmember for a month now and I absolutely love it. I love my job working at the Jungle Cruise in the Magic Kingdom. Last night on one of my boats I had a little girl come up to me at the end and said she wanted to take a picture with me. She was the cutest little thing ever, she even let me pick her up for the picture. I have been told that I have a really good boat by alot of people, even some of the other skippers who have rode my boat say that it is good.

The thing that sucks the most about the college program is living in the housing. I am at Patterson and the apartment is great and so is the complex but, the security policies SUCK. You can't have anyone over after 1 AM, if they arrive after 9 PM you have to check them in with a drivers license, and your visitors must be 18 years old. So if my sister wants to come visit me and see my apartment she can't because she is a minor.

I bought 3 books yesterday at Barnes and Noble, I figure since I don't have my sewing machine with me here I am going to be doing a ton of reading to keep me occupied in my off time. I do have some cross-stitch kits with me that I could also do.

I'm here

I have officially been here for a week, and I love it. I found out that I am working in Magic Kingdom as a Jungle Cruise Skipper, which is one of the most sought after jobs to have in the Magic Kingdom.

Today was my second day of training and I got to drive the boat around the track without guests and I practiced spieling.

Packing

I have been in the mists of getting all my stuff together and packing for my adventure to Florida for six months. I am pretty close to getting finished but I still have quite a bit to do before my parents, my sister and I leave Texas on Monday. I just got a new laptop today which i am currently using. I am really excited about it and I think it is going to work out great for when I am in Florida.

I'll post later when I get my packing stuff alittle more organized so that I can show off what I am planning on taking. Thats all I have for now.

Have a Magical Day!

I'm alive

I have just returned from my week long vacation to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. It was an absolute blast despite the fact that y digital camera broke early on into the vacation and I had to buy a disposable camera to use. I had a lot of fun and returned home with a tan and not much sunburn. (Oh and the beach bikini workout book worked great! So if you are looking for a great workout to get you in shape for the beach I recommend picking one up)

I got my wisdom teeth taken out and that really sucked at first but the swelling has gone way done and I don't have much pain. The main thing that sucks is I can't exercise and I am on a liquid diet for a few days.

After I have recovered a little more I am back to packing for my move to Florida and I am hoping to make another Vlog before I go/while packing. We will see what happens. I am off to take some pain meds and go to bed for the night.

Have a magical evening.

Packing

I have begun my initial stages of packing for my CP and I am kinda glad I am doing some of it so early. My main motive is the fact that I have to get everything I am not taking and store it at my parents house while I am gone, which has proven to be a little more challenging than I thought.

Done!!

I am officially done with school till next January!!! I am very excited about that, I leave for Disney in less than 48 days! I just finished packing up all my stuff in my apartment for my journey home tomorrow, and I have to say you never really realize how much stuff you have till it is all in a pile in the middle of the living room. That is pretty much it for now, time to do some sewing. I finally have the time to relax and do some of that (I spent $50 bucks at Hobby Lobby getting fabric for 2 dresses I plan to make). Off to crafting!

Have a Magical Day/Evening

Last Week!

Today starts the final week of summer school, and I could not be more excited because I wont have "school" again till the spring semester. I am going to be taking 2 classes when I am down at Disney but I wouldn't count that as school.

This time next week I will be lounging by the pool at my house and not having to worry about papers, or homework or tests! I can finally finish the book I am reading for fun and work on my craft projects that are sitting half completed. It's going to be wonderful!

Well that's all folks, Have a Magical Day

A Few Updates

I felt like updating so here is how the next 59 days till Disney are going to go (surprisingly most of my time is booked/planned out):

This week(June 21-27): I am in my second to last week of summer school. I have a group presentation in my music class about Fantasia on Tuesday, on Friday I have an essay due in my American Lit class and a test in my Music class. This is also week #2 of my beach workout.

Week 2(June 28-July 4): Finals week! I have a two day Spanish final on Tuesday and Wednesday, and I also have my English final exam on Wednesday. Thursday I am done with summer school and I get to go home.

Week 3(July 5-11): Finally I have a full week without school. I am mainly going to be getting my stuff organized since it's all in boxes and I need to find what I am wanting to pack and take with me to Disney. I also get the lovely task of cleaning out the garage with my mom. Week #4 for my beach workout.

Week 4(July 12-18): Same as week three. Week #5 for my beach workout.

Week 5(July 19-25): Time to get packed for my trip to South Carolina, my flight is on the 23rd at 1:35. It is leaving from Houston so I will probably drive down there the morning of with my mom. Last week of beach workout.

Week 6(July 26-August 1): Myrtle Beach with my BF and his family.

Week 7(August 2-8): I get home from South Carolina on the 2nd of August, hopefully I wont be super sunburned. Time to chill and start to officially get things in order for Florida. Last full week in Texas.

Week 8(August 9-15): My mom, sister and I are leaving for Florida on the 11th to attend the Melaleuca Convention (its a business my mom and I do, I'll tell you more about it if you message me). The convention lasts through the 15th and that is when my Dad, brother and Bf will be arriving in Florida.

Week 9(August 16-19): Family vacation time/ spend time with me before they leave me in a different state. We are going to go to Universal and do other stuff in the Orlando/Tampa area. On the 19th they are dropping me off at Vista Way for me to begin my Disney CP adventure, and i think they are leaving the next day.

So that is my next couple of months. Have a Magical Day!

Beach Body Countdown

So at the end of July I am going to Myrtle Beach for a week with my boyfriend and his family. Well I have never been one to be super self-conscious about my body but I felt like since this vacation is devoted solely to going to the beach I decided to workout so I am all toned up for my trip. Also I figure it will help me fight off gaining weight while on my Disney CP because I have heard that you will gain weight while doing the program.

Today I bought the book "The Six-Week Bikini Countdown" and began my first day of working out. The book uses a combination of cardio, weight-training, pilates and yoga. Tonight my bf and I did the first day which is about 50 minutes of cardio, and it went ok. I haven't legitimately run any distance since I ran track in middle school, so it was a lot for me, but I am really excitd about the workout program. And my bf said that he will do the running with me, which is nice, since running alone can be boring.

I am hoping that when I get down to Florida that I can keep up this workout at least every other day or so.

Officially Have a Roommate

As of a couple days ago I officially have a roommate for my Disney College Program. We found each other through the Disney CP group on Facebook. Her name is Megan and I really think we are going to get along great.

We have already started talking about what each of us is bringing, and stuff like that. I am really glad this has been figured out and that on the first day I will know my roommate and also that we wont have a ton of duplicate stuff. Well that is all I have for now. Hopefully I will have more updates soon.

Have a Magical Day!

Mini-Breakdown

So, this morning I had my first (of probably many) breakdowns about summer school. For those of you who don't know, I am taking 10 credit hours of summer school all in only the first session (which is a lot). I looked at my calendar today and almost everyday from tomorrow on I have some form of test or quiz or project to tackle.

Well this morning at 5:50 AM, I woke up on the wrong side of the bed and was in a pretty bad mood through most of my Spanish class. I kept trying to figure out how I could drop one of my classes and if I would get a refund or not. But then I realized, I just have to make it till July 2nd and summer school will be over.

Once summer school is over I get to go home and do nothing for 21/2 weeks, then I am going to the beach for a week, and then only a week and a half later I am going to be in Disney. I guess it was looking at the broad scope of things that got me to realize that, hopefully, summer school wont be so bad.