October

Hello! You might or might not have noticed but I’ve been MIA from blogging for quite awhile. There’s been a lot of reasons – all varied from family life, a desired break and a strong desire to lead a healthier, less-stress lifestyle. The latter means there’s been a detour from sweets and confections from my favored drug of choice – sugar. I know. A tad ironic and possibly problematic for a blog with “sweets” prominently featured in its title. I’ve actually struggled with this conundrum for a long time as I like things all tidy, wrapped up and everything in its place. I didn’t know what to do about this but I realized not having a solution to my blogging identity crisis was one of the things holding me back from moving forward and doing something I once loved which included more than just baking.

succulent pumpkin arrangementDIY of the succulent pumpkin arrangement coming soon.

So while I’m watching my A1C, (which by the way is just dandy but I also want to keep it that way), and keeping the calories in check (because seriously how can anyone bake so much and not nibble along the way), I’d like to blog about what I used to write about when I first started almost 9 years ago when my blog was called Pink Martinis and Pearls. Remember that? The blog was sprinkled with posts about crafts, cooking, and decorating here and there and not just about sprinkles on a cupcake.

If you’ve followed along with me from the beginning, you know I would scatter in posts of a more personal nature, about me, my husband and my boys who so long ago were just finishing up high school and attending college. They’re both grown, graduated and even graduated from grad school and successfully living on their own.  One, on the east coast and the other on the west. I’ve also decided to be much more private with my personal life going forward on this blog. The reasons aren’t important and have thankfully passed but I urge caution to anyone with an online presence of having too much personal info available even if you think it’s of little importance. You don’t want to find yourself in a bad Lifetime movie like I was, believe me.

So before this Stella gets her blogging grove back, I just wanted to say thank you for visiting me here and for being old friends or to welcome new ones!  I’ll still be more active on Instagram and Instagram Stories so you’ll see different things there of a more candid nature and in real-time. I hope you’ll follow me and join me there at SweetsToImpress. I love to respond to comments and I respond to all. I can be quite chatty but isn’t that what connecting on Instagram and here is all about?

So with all this said – this is what I’m working on now – big party plans incorporating a birthday on Thanksgiving Day! At this point I’m playing with colors and textures and what I’m going to do for the invitation for the birthday girl who will be 95! My MIL is an incredible woman who has a Facebook page, writes and answers emails, prints out photos and uses her iPad and computer regularly. She deserves another palooza, don’t you think? Here’s a link to her 90th paoolza party when I featured orange and pink as the color palette.

succulent pumpkin arrangement

Thank you again for visiting today! Have a great week ahead and happy October!

The Posts of Christmas Cookies Past

Christmas Spritz Cookies-0574

Happy, happy holidays! Since I noticed other bloggers and online magazines have been posting photos of my Christmas treats, which I have randomly found, I thought I better post them myself! I haven’t started baking in earnest yet so I’m going to visit The Posts of Christmas Cookies Past! Probably the most fun and interactive cookies I’ve made were the Shake-able Snow Globes Cookies. These White Chocolate Dipped Spritz Cookies are dipped and delish and make fun little packages to… [Read More]

The Best Chocolate Cake Recipe In All The Land!

blue ribbon winning chocolate cake

Hello! I hadn’t planned on posting today but then I found out it’s National Chocolate Cake Day!  I love this country and I love you and only want the best for you! If you didn’t catch this recipe the first time, here it is in all it’s blue ribbon winning glory and chocolaty goodness! “The Best Ever – Blue Ribbon Winning – Chocolate Layer Cake – In All The Land”! Now go forth and bake making your friends and family… [Read More]

Happy 2016 Update

decorated snowflake cookies

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season. Mine was very nice – boys home, family for dinner, all healthy, and a new MacBook Pro which I’m finding difficult to transition to from two decades of using a PC.  I’m selling more images through Getty Images and wanted some better resolution than what I was working on. I don’t even know the name of the screen I had on my old laptop but the screen looks different at every… [Read More]

#WiltonSweetUp Giveaway!

Wilton Cake Decorating Giveaway

One of the most fun experiences I’ve had being a blogger, besides being a member of Wilton’s Sweet Treat Team, was attending the #WiltonSweetUp last year in Chicago. The Sweet Up at Wilton’s headquarters is host to what I would call a celebration as they reveal their new products and where decorating trends are announced. I loved being in the middle of all the excitement last year and I’m thrilled to be going again next week and in a way,… [Read More]

Wilton Fabulous Fondant Give-Away

I’m very excited to present my ”Fabulous Fondant” Wilton Cake Decorating Give-Way! I’ve been planning it for a very long time and hand choosing each wonderful product for one very lucky reader of Pink Martinis and Pearls.  This fabulous fondant friend of my blog will win everything needed to get started to create fabulous cupcake toppers with embellishments.  Thank you Wilton! If you haven’t worked with rolled fondant to decorate treats such as cakes, cookies or cupcakes you’ve been missing… [Read More]

Hey, It’s New York! Fuhgettaboudit! Vacation–Part 2

Hitting NYC running was the second part of our “big” family vacation recently.  The first leg of our travels took us on The VIP Washington DC Trip.  I hope you go back and read about our adventures in the Capitol and to the Congressional floor! I considered this visit to NYC as my second.  My first trip only being four years ago where I blogged about it here.  This was our boys’ first trip. Without anything really planned in the… [Read More]

Snowflake Fondant Cutters Give-Away Ends Tonight

How will your cupcakes and cookies sparkle this holiday season? The give-away for a set of three fondant cutters end tonight!  They are so much fun to use and really kick up adding those special touches with ease and speed in this busy baking time of year. Hurry and enter HERE. The winner will be announced on Monday. Happy Saturday!  xoxo

Decorated Ornament Sugar Cookies DIY and Snowflake Fondant Plunger Cutter Give-Away

pink ornament cookies

I’m dreaming of a pink Christmas with sparkling snowflake cut-outs and if you are too you’ll want to enter and win this give-away for a PME Snowflake Fondant Plunger Cutter Set of three but first let me show you how to decorate pink ornament cookies using the fondant snowflakes as decoration. These punched out snowflakes of rolled fondant will dress up all your baking finery this season from cookies to cupcakes! To make the cookie dough, you’ll need a great… [Read More]

Happy April

I hope everyone had a nice Easter and Passover and break from academic endeavors.  We had a lovely visit with the collegiate spring breakers.  Son2 and his dad, planted the garden for us and added drip irrigation.  Son1 worked on his presentation for a meeting this week on the east coast.  I cooked and went to the store – a lot.  The boys also were able to individually take their grandma out to lunch which I know they all enjoyed…. [Read More]