i'm excited to announce that i've changed blogging locations! please check me out at http://www.emilysparks.blogspot.com/

these are delicious muffins that have a yummy cream cheese filling! i absolutely loved these when my mom would make them for me and now i get to make 'em for my sweety! here's the recipe:
      MUFFIN INGREDIENTS:
       2 c. four
       3/4 c sugar
       1t baking powder
       1t salt
       1/2 t soda
       3/4 c orange juice
       1 egg
       2 T vegetable oil
      1 c blueberries (fresh or frozen)

     STREUSEL INGREDIENTS:
      1/2 c butter
      1/2 c brown sugar
      1 c flour

grease or line 16-20 muffin tins. mix muffin ingredients with 75 strokes.  fill muffin cups 1/2 full. (if you would like to fill with cream chese fill cups 1/4 full and then add 1 T cream cheese and then fill cups until 1/2 full.) Mix streussel ingredients well and sprinkle generously over muffin batter,

bake 15-20 min at 400 degrees   

i know it's past the holidays, but i wanted to share a recipe for some of my favorite cookies! these shortbread cookies are addicting and are easy to make! i dipped some of them in dipping chocolate this time around and i thought it was a really nice touch. here's the recipe:

Ingredients
1 teaspoon unsalted butter, softened, plus 8 ounces (2 sticks)
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Directions Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Lightly grease a 9-inch springform pan with 1 teaspoon of the butter and set aside.

In a large bowl fitted with an electric mixer, cream the remaining 8 ounces of butter. Add the sugar and beat until light. Add the flour and salt, and mix just until incorporated, being careful not to overmix.

Press the dough into the bottom of the prepared pan. Pierce the dough all over with the tines of a fork, and press the edges decoratively with the flat side of the tines. Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and sprinkle lightly over the dough. Cut into 12 wedges before baking. Bake until set and pale golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and release the sides of the pan.

Let cool before serving, or store in an airtight container for up to 3 days and serve at room temperature.

here are some clipies that i've made and will be putting in my shop in the next couple of days....once i get some photographs made i think they are so cute in penelope's hair!!! i found the rose patten on joann's website if you want to try to flourish some hats, headbands scarves, mittens and much much more!

there is a new legislation requiring lead tests for toys and clothing for kids 12 and under. the testing is $200-4,000 for each product that would be sold. this would put a lot of handmade small businesses out of business!
I wanted to draw your attention to this important petition that I recently signed:

"Save Handmade Toys & Children's Products from the CPSIA"
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/handmadetoys?e

I really think this is an important cause, and I'd like to encourage you to add your signature, too. It's free and takes less than a minute of your time.

check out my friend kristy's shop! RED BARN BOUTIQUE! she makes and sells the cutest little girl dresses. penelope modeled some of her dresses for etsy.

this is my first speedhook project. i think it turned out well. everywhere i've taken penelope in this hat she's gotten at least one compliment, i think i will be trying to make a few of these hats and selling them in my shop page, so if you are interested click here!
also, i took this patten from a free one on Lion Brand's website, i altered it a bit, but it;s super cute! click here if you want the pattern

it's been a whole month since i last posted on my blog! i'm so sorry. i have bunches of things that i'm working on and i'm planning to blog about them this weekend! so wait a few more days and i'm going to share my holiday endeavors.

'tis the season

christmas is on its way and i'm so excited about it! i found some free christmas patterns on amy butler's web site. she is so good to always post free patterns that make her fabrics look so cute. i think i'm going to start with the tree skirt, because my tree will be skirtless otherwise--yikes! check out her paterns here http://www.amybutlerdesign.com/products/me_patterns.php

also, here are some things i found at anthropologie that i would like to copy! i think i'm going to have a bird themed tree! so cute.

some of you might know that i used to make quite detailed beaded dolls. i may post them on the blog for fun...but that is for another day. this last week i decided to try to make rag dolls for penelope. i'm loving the project and intend on improving on the art.  luckily penelope LOVES the dolls--mainly because she can chew on their heads and appendages. here they are.