cappuccino muffins.

I've been so busy these past two days I haven't had time to write-so sorry!

I wanted to take the time to make sure I posted a cupcake for today; however, I'm giving you a recipe for a muffin instead. Please don't hate me, these are JUST as good and will be a great addition to your morning coffee. 

Today's cupcake muffin: Cappuccino/Dark Chocolate Muffins.

This muffin recipe was emailed to me from a dear friend...these muffins have a great coffee taste along with flavors of cinnamon, and dark chocolate. I promise you'll be getting rave reviews from the coffee enthusiast in your family. 

Enjoy!

future mrs. falkowski.

Today marks 102 days until I become Mrs. Falkowski- pretty crazy, but I couldn't be more excited! This past weekend was spend taking our engagment pictures, picking out paper for our invites, finalizing the guest list, registering, mailing out shower invites (thanks to my dear friends Lacy & Jayna) and watching airline ticket prices for our honeymoon. Things seem to be coming along just great!

Shout out to our AMAZING photographer Brandon Werth for taking our fabulous engagement pictures Saturday morning (and already having them ready for us to view) It was such a fun experience and we know your going to do a fantastic job July 8th!

If you wanna see a sneek peak of our engagement pics-click here!

fashion friday.

Here are just a few images I'm currently loving...

Enjoy your weekend everyone!

well look who just showed up at my door...

My soon-to-be nephew-little Mason!

Seriously, could he BE any cuter?  Today will be spent hanging out with this little guy & I can't wait to see what our day will bring.

cinnamon roll cupcakes.

This week has gone by so fast, that when I sat here thinking what to post today, I didn't realize it's Thursday- and that means cupcakes!

Today's cupcake: Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes!

Here's a goodie- if your planning a brunch or just want a special breakfast treat! A cinnamon roll, turned cupcake.

 
Ingredients: (makes 24 cupcakes)
1 package of dry active yeast
1/2 cup of granulated sugar, divided
1 cup of warm milk
2 eggs-room temp.
1/3 cup of butter, melted
1 tsp. of salt
4 1/2 cups of bread flour
1 cup of brown sugar
2 1/2 tbsp. of ground cinnamon
1/3 cup of butter, softened

Directions:
Dissolve yeast and a 1/4 cup of sugar into the warm milk in a large bowl-let sit until it turns "foamy"

Mix the eggs, butter, salt and the second 1/4 cup of sugar. Add flour and mix until the mixture forms into dough-then watch as the dough forms into balls.
Put the dough ball into a large bowl, place in a warm area and cover. Let sit and rise until the dough has doubled. (about an hr.)

After the dough rises,  turn it onto a slightly floured surface, cover and let sit for 10 min.
In a small bowl, mix the cinnamon and brown sugar together.
Line your cupcake pan with cupcake liners-you might wanna double up the liners for these guys!
Lightly spray your liners with cooking spray.

Roll the dough into a rectangle (12x22)
Spread the dough with the softened 1/3 cup of butter and drizzle the cinnamon/brown sugar mixture evenly.
Roll up the dough & cut into 24 rolls. Tip: use dental floss to cut through the dough-works like a charm!


Place the rolls into the cupcake liners, cover and let rise (again, I know) until doubled in size. (about 30 min.)
Preheat the over to 400 degrees
Bake the rolls until golden brown. (about 10-12 min.)
Let cool before frosting.

Frosting ingredients:
2 (8oz.) packages of cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup of butter, softened
2 1/2 cups of sifted confectioner's sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Frosting directions:
In a medium sized bowl, cream together the cream cheese and the butter until creamy.
Mix in the vanilla and gradually pour in the confectioner's sugar.
Make sure you store the left overs in the fridge!

I know these take time and can be tedious for some, but if you need a MAJOR time savor...just use the store bought cinnamon rolls-SHHH, don't tell anyone!
If your gonna take the challenge, I found the recipe found here!

how exciting...

Every Tuesday, I receive a e-newsletter called "Swag" from Mpls/St. Paul Magazine (sign up here). I read today that local handbag designer Nelle is going to be showcasing her amazing designs on the site BHLDN! (previously posted here).

Here are a couple other clutch designs Nelle is famous for & make sure you check out and support Nelle!

Congrats Nelle!

baby hummingbirds.

This past weekend was spent down in Arizona with my future in-laws (mother and sister) and my mom for a ladies weekend. Every morning was spent waking up to tasty breakfasts, a good cup of coffee and the warm sun. A day didn't go by that we didn't spent time hiking and with that comes the fabulous wildlife in the dessert. One of the coolest things we saw this trip was a hummingbird nest. I've never seen a hummingbird not flapping its wings flying around, so to see it sitting in a nest warming it's babies was so fun.

The nest couldn't have been bigger than a golf ball. We are making our way back down to AZ again in a week and a half and I can't wait to check back and see if the babies have hatched. (we researched it only takes 12-14 days)

blueberry white chocolate.

Today's cupcake: Blueberry White Chocolate Cupcakes!

The weather this week was so great-Spring is on its way! And because of that, I wanted to make a cupcake that was light and airy.  I'm hoping these will do the trick!

oh, and did I mention they are topped with white chocolate buttercream frosting?

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups of flour
1/2 tbsp. of baking powder
1/2 tsp. of salt
3/4 cup of superfine sugar (reg. sugar will work just fine)
2 large eggs
2 tbsp. of vanilla extract
1/2 cup of buttermilk
1 cup of fresh blueberries
1/2 cup of white chocolate chips*
1 1/2 sticks of butter
 *added myself, not from original recipe

Here can find the baking instructions along with the white chocolate buttercream recipe!

im not irish...

but you can still kiss me!

Happy St. Patrick's Day

have a plain white shirt?

Then your in luck!

 ...I didn't actually make this shirt, but found it here on the site I just posted!

This is so stinking cute I'm gonna try and make it. If anyone does and is successful, let me know!

need anything?

Sorry about not posting yesterday-the time got away from me!

Today I found out about a very cool website (through another blog) called Pinterest. This site lets you upload ANYTHING you are loving. What a great way to find things you need, yet never knew about! ha! This site is also great to create mood boards and store all inspiration into one place- a virtual pin board!

spring fever.

source

I don't know about you guys, but I TOTALLY have Spring fever.
I can't wait until I can enjoy my iced coffee's without freezing, sitting on the deck with a cold beer , grilling and not running to the car, only to find it just as bone chilling cold as the outside. I feel like we're getting one step closer with day light savings time yesterday!
With that said- Spring is a time to de-clutter and Spring cleaning is in full force for me. I'm cleaning out my closet/bathroom/desk and getting rid of old junk/clothes I never use/wear along with purchasing new items that will replace the old. {favorite part}

I purchased these adorable ikat bowls yesterday at Anthropolgie so I can have some sort of organization system for loose change, or even use as a jewelry holder on my bedside table.

primp yourself.

This morning I stopped in one of my good friend Wesley's shop, Primp (also owned by her friend Michelle). I must say, it was SO nice to see bright colors line the walls and try on all the sleeveless tanks & dresses in store. I think we are all ready for Spring to arrive. Everything there is incredibly priced and oh-so-stylish. I can't imagine anyone leaving empty handed.

If your in the area of Selby and Dale, make sure you stop into Primp{cheap-chick}Boutique!

Become a fan on Facebook!

Guinness Cupcakes.

Today's Cupcake: Guinness Cupcakes with Baily's Irish Cream frosting.

um...YUM! I wish I could be making these right now!
I wasn't even searching for St. Patrick's Day themed cupcakes, but happened to stumble upon the recipe for today's cupcake here and had to post. These look SO yummy and come on... chocolate ganache in the center?! Maybe this could somehow pass as a drink instead of dessert?? uhhh...I doubt it. 39 days to go...

goodbye my love...

Today is Ash Wednesday and with that comes Lent. Whether you are religious or not, it can also a good will power test. Last year I decided to cut out ALL sweets (yes, I'm crazy) I have the BIGGEST sweet tooth; however, still managed to do it- 40 days and 40 nights. This year, I'm planning to do the exact same...but for some reason this time around seems like it could/will be harder. Day 1 & I'm already struggling with my chocolate cravings! 

Urggggg...

What is something that would be hard for you to give up?

PS. Cupcakes Thursday WILL NOT stop because I can't eat 'em.

lovely

Source

Loving everything about this picture! 

With that being said, I cannot wear "boyfriend" style jeans. I have tried them on over and over again and they just look HORRIBLE on me. I have seen some women that look great though. If you are one of the lucky few or many (not sure which one it is) then I say go ahead and  rock 'em.

shhhh...

I've got a secret!

Living in Minnesota may have its perks (every once and a while) especially when you can find out exactly what one of the largest retailers is up to.

 

"GO International is an innovative program designed to provide affordable fashion created by emerging designers. GO International is an exciting way to deliver the latest style to our female guests at the prices they expect from Target."

Target's Go International line IS known for bringing great designers into their stores at affordable prices. The list of designers is impressive and this Summer is no different. They will be showcasing the work of Italian designer ? (click to find out) This line will have similarities to last summers designer: Liberty of London. The designs are being spread throughout Target stores.

Check back so I can let you know exactly when to mark your calender!

happy birthday to me...

Okay, well not really, but it sure felt like it when my shoes (here) arrived last week from Moxsie.
They were gift wrapped so nicely and waiting for me to open-how fun! I feel like we've just become great friends!

hot chocolate cupcakes.

Today's cupcake: Hot Chocolate Cupcakes.

 With the cold weather back again (seriously, when is it going away) I felt these cupcakes would cure the cold weather blues. I followed this recipe here and substituted 1/2 cup of applesauce for the vegetable oil, along with opting out on the mint kissed center.

They turned out to be just right and unbelievably tasty. Try them for yourself!

 Enjoy!

catchin' the most outta those z's.

Something we can all appreciate is a good nights sleep. When your young, you believe that naps are just making you miss out on all the fun. As you get older, you realize that being able to squeeze in a day time nap is like winning the lottery. (okay, not really, but close!)

Your body has 4 stages of sleep, they are:
Stage 1- Your body teeters between alert and asleep.
Stage 2- Your body temperature cools down and your oblivious to your surroundings.
Stage 3 & 4- This is when your body sends you into deeper levels of sleep. Your breathing slows, blood pressure drops and your muscles relax.

You then move into REM (rapid eye movement) sleep for anywhere from 5 to 40 minutes at a time. This is why the best time increment for people napping differs so much. Make sure you don't sleep too long-it can leave you more tired than before.
In REM sleep, your brain is awake, but you are unaware of your surroundings & you re experiencing your most vivid dreams. 

Your sleeping style also says a lot about you (and your health) 

 Stomach- If you prefer to be lying nearly face down, you're likely to be a perfectionist who is compulsive, persistent and goal oriented. These qualities are great for your career, but they don't do your body any favors. Sleeping on your stomach can twist your neck into awkward positions and put more pressure on your spine-which leads to more difficulty breathing. It's recommended you slowly introduce yourself into sleeping in the fetal position with one pillow between your knees and another behind your back.

Back- Staring straight up into the ceiling can signal an adventurous, confident and receptive personality. Sleeping on your back also keeps pressure off your jaw which  is crucial for people who suffer from T.M.J. but back sleeping can trigger unwanted stress on your airway-this is bad for snorers.

Side- 73% of women and 50% of men say they sleep on their side. Most curl up into a semi-fetal position with their knees slightly bent. Side sleepers tend to be compromising and appeasing while people who sleep on their side in a full fetal position are said to be introspective and intense.
Health wise, sleeping on either side helps with snoring and keeps your stomach active throughout the night allowing you to digest food and ease hearthburn.

Just some information to make sure your getting the most outta your night's sleep!

Source: Women's Health Magazine, March 2011