My sweet Mallorca



Today's project, satisfy my dull sweet tooth. By dull I mean a slightly sweet but fully delicious pastry or bread of some sort. Not long ago during one of my visits to Starbucks (one of the few visits that I got out of my car and went in) I discovered this curiously delightful little bread sitting there so quaint and pretty. I decided to give it a try. Mallorca Sweet Bread, was its name. It turned out to be just as delightful as my curious mind had imagined it to be. I was instantly drawn to the thought of making my own one day. (Of course! Would you expect any less?)





Well today just so happens to be that day! So after scouring the Internet I stumbled upon this lovely little blog "The Noshery"

(http://thenoshery.com/2009/08/19/mallorca/), where I found my recipe/experiment for the day. She seems very well versed and experienced in, not only the original Mallorca bread, but baking as well. Reputtable? I think so (especially since the second recipe reference from tasty kitchen.com turned out to be 'The Noshery's' recipe).



3 little egg yolks, waiting to be stirred.

 

I was up against a bit of a challenge when I discovered that I only had 4 eggs and the recipe calls for 6. Going to the store for more eggs was more of a chore then I deemed worthy for this particular project. Why bother when I could just cut the recipe in half? And that is exactly what I did!

The time spent on this fabulous little baked good was well worth it. During the periods of waiting (for the dough to rise) I was able to watch soccer ( Glory, glory Man United ) do some cleaning and play with my beautiful little Lily bug. Patience is certainly a virtue in the baking world. I've learned that the hard way. Don't rush the rising. I did, however, have some issues in the "rising" department but all in all I was quite satisfied with the results. Check out the pictures and tell me they don't Stun your Senses!

 

Once the bread was in the coiled up roll form it began to rise rather quickly.

Finished off with some delicious honey butter.





Please ignore my un-manicured fingers and marvel at the beauty of this sweet fluffy roll.





Thank you, Anthropologie!

  

And what good is baking

without fancy utensils?

Ciao!

(Thank you, The Noshery, for your inspirational recipe and blog.)

One Special Lily

Lily's turning ONE! Yes, my beautiful little baby Lily is getting her own number. Can you believe it? I sure can't! Planning a first birthday party can be tricky. Who is the party for, really? The child is only turning one, they won't really remember. This is true. So with that thought in mind, is the party for the guests?

I don't see it as that and here's why...One of my most favorite things to do is look at pictures of my childhood. The pictures don't create themselves. They exist because of memories, experiences, happenstance. I look at the first birthday party as such. The first milestone and the start of many more memories, experiences or happenstances to come. My goal is to make it one of the most memorable experiences of my daughter's, my husband, my guests and my life. On that note, look at all the fun stuff I've been making for Lily's big day (the "theme", though I don't technically like to claim one, is alphabet):

Flash card invitation "Ll is for Lily" side A.



Flash card invitation side B (notice the address? I've exposed my inner nerd).

 I have been a pinterest addict recently and there are so many projects I've found there that I want to recreate but just haven't had the chance yet. However, I did get around to making these gorgeous tissue paper pom-pom's. I think they'll look great with all the other decorations. And check out what I did with the scraps. SIMPLE!



Don't judge my shower/bath, the curtain rod was just the best place to hang them at the time (and yes that is the high chair, it needed a serious cleaning)

They are so fun. Dainty but elegant. Beautiful but fun.

These are all the scraps from the pom-pom's (from rounding the edges). A clear jar without any detail or etching may be better but this was all I had on hand at the time. Maybe confetti?

 Some other great ideas I have up my sleeve, or should I say "pinned" on my pinterest board are as follows:



LOVE this idea, alphabet flashcards for the food cards.



Thanks to "Blonde invitations & stationary" for the ideas/inspiration!



The table runner is...well...Stunning. And oh-so-simple!

Love the first year photo collage idea.

I'm practically boiling over with ideas and inspiration but I don't want to completely spoil it...pictures of the big event to follow. Stay tuned!

Ciao!

Eclectic Kitchen

Who doesn't love receiving a package? Whether you're expecting it or not! In this particular instance I was more than expecting it. I was anxiously awaiting its arrival. The tracking information (which I stalked daily) couldn't sustain my anticipation. (You'd think I was receiving ___ <= insert most cherished item you could imagine taking ownership of.) So here it is, finally! My beloved polish pottery tray!!! Go ahead, marvel at its beauty...

It looks simply dashing with the eclectic set of dish and serving ware I've been collecting over the years. Wouldn't you agree?

Thank you, World Market, Polmedia.com, Plum district and Home Goods for making my eclectic-kitchen-dinnerware dreams come true!

Bon Appetit!

Ciao!

The Senator

How sad I was to learn of the passing of a legendary...tree. The Senator tree, so aptly named for the Senator Moses Overstreet in 1927 when he donated the tree to Seminole County, Florida to become part of The Big Tree park. This was the fifth oldest tree in the world and oldest pond cypress standing until January 16, 2012. Its tallest recorded height was 165 feet and 125 feet before its collapse.

If tree's could talk, this particular old man would have some of the best stories ever told from what it must of seen over the past 3,500 years of life. This just goes to show how durable, long lasting, strong and enchanting nature can be.


picture courtesy of http://www.fl-dof.com/index.html

information courtesy of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senator_(tree)

Laying the ground work.

I’m no creative genius (by any stretch) but I know what I like. I have enough of a creative eye, passion for and elementary (at best) talent to carry out a project. I scour the web for inspiration, ideas, tutorials and… pictures, pictures, pictures.

 I’m a visual learner so pictures and videos are my best friends! I have a fairly decent camera, and an undying desire to be a “photographer” so great pictures make those tiny little hairs on the back of my neck stand at attention. I’m a mom, wife, daughter, sister and friend so I have more than a handful of reasons to craft, recycle, follow trends and appreciate a classic design, style, taste and sound of all things Stunning to the Senses.

My husband is a chef, map maker, gardener, environmentalist and the epitome of practicality. My daughters are equally beautiful, creative and artistic in their own individual ways. As are most people if they would just embrace it…This blog has no real intention or purpose besides giving me the opportunity to share with you all that I admire in life; from food to crafts to interior design and everything in between.

If you gain nothing more than inspiration and delight through your viewing and reading pleasure, then my mission has been achieved. Thank you all for stopping by, I welcome and invite any comments, questions, ideas or requests you may have and look forward to sharing all my “stunning to the senses” articles with you.

Ciao!