4th of July Cake Balls

Cake Balls seem to be the newest dessert "trend," so what better weekend to try them out than the Fourth of July!

Ingredients:

1 box of cake mix, any kind you like (I used Funfetti & Chocolate)

Icing

Candy Melts (from Hobby Lobby)

Mini cupcake tin
Mini cupcake wrappers

Wax or Parchment paper

Cookie sheet

Sprinkles or any decoration you want

Bake cake as directed on box, let cake cool before cutting into it. Cut into several sections and crumble into a large bowl. 

Add one spoonful of icing at a time and stir, keep adding until the cake can be rolled into a ball without falling apart (about 3-4 spoonfuls). You will not use all the icing. 

Roll cake into a balls and place on the cookie sheet that you covered with wax or parchment paper, put in the freezer for 15 minutes. 

While your cake balls are in the freezer, microwave your candy melts in 30 second increments until chocolate is all melted (this will be the base of your cake ball, use any color you like, I chose to use white and red). Take your cake balls out of the freezer and set aside. Place your mini cupcake wrappers into each mold, start filling them with the melted chocolate (only halfway), place a cake ball in each, put in freezer for another 15 minutes.  

Begin to melt the chocolate (candy melts) that you want for your top color. Remove cake balls from freezer and remove cupcake wrapper. Use the mold the hold while you dip the cake ball in the colored melted chocolate, decorate and set aside until all are finished. 

It is quite a process but well worth it! Enjoy!!

-Jane

Lawrence, KS on Design Sponge

Way to represent, Lawrence. What a fun town to feature in Design Sponge's City Guide section.

Check out graphic designer, Lauren Grieb's guide to Lawrence, Kansas.

She even touches on KU's campus area! Rock Chalk!

My favorite part:

The Wheel

If you’re looking for an authentic KU drinking establishment, then you’ve met your match. As the closest bar to campus, even KU Alumni in their 80s still frequent this watering hole – a student tradition since the 1950s. (Try the pizza too!)

-Whitney

Chicken Enchilada Rice Bake

mmmm mmmm this is a delicious, and fairly easy dish! We made it for a Mexican dinner that we had and it was a great twist on regular enchiladas. It made for great left-overs too! I found the recipe at picky-palate.com, a great site if you are looking for some new ideas.

 Ingredients:

2 cups white long grain rice

2 1/2 cups cooked, shredded chicken (I used a rotisserie chicken)

One 15 oz can mild green enchilada sauce

One 4 oz can sliced black olives

One 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes

1/2 c sour cream

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp roasted ground cumin

One 15 oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

The Dog Days of Summer

In between your pedicures and trips to the beach don't forget about your pooch.  Pretty Penny loves this hot weather and these toys and accesories are perfect to pamper your pup during the warm summer months.

Sailors Knot Collar

Relaxing Hammock and Bone Shaped Pool

Seashell Shaped Squeaky Toys

Natural Grassy Water Bowl

-Meg and Penny 

Twinkle Twinkle

no not little star but...Lanterns.  One week ago from tonight, was the shortest night of the year, also known as Midsummer's Night.  In Poland they did something very special and record breaking.  The residents of Poznan, Poland gathered around with Chinese Lanterns and released them.  A festival-goer described the night "This was the most romantic night in Poland as thousands of pairs of eyes looked up to the night sky in wonder."

via

-Megan



Etsy Elites: Brights

Loving these bright colored Etsy shops!

Booandboofactory

Yellena

 sidirom

  

HandMadeByToni

-Whitney

Completely Chambray Crazy

Chambray is a light-weight plain weave cotton fabric that just keeps making an appearance at all my favorite shops.  The mock denim look is really catching my eye, and I think a few of these pieces need to be added to my closet very soon. 

Ruffled Dress

Shirt-Jacket

Grey-Blue Shirt

Great Moments Shorts

Prism Stripped Maxi

Chuck Taylor's

From a Modern work shirt to a classic maxi dress find your Chambray piece that makes you completely crazy

-Meg

Color in the Lines

How fun and creative is this colored pencil jewelry by designer, HuiYi Tan:

source: Cargoh

-Whitney

Mashup Monday

Hope you had a fabulous weekend! Happy  Monday

ZØØASH- Dancing in Houston (Robyn vs Whitney Houston)

CEE-ROO- Let No Woman Cry (Bob Marley vs The Beatles)

SMITHAGENTSMITH- No Stero Loves Hands (Waka Flaka vs Edward Maya)

VICO ONO- Somewhere only Planes Know (Wiz Khalifa vs Keane)

REVY- Roll Away Your Lazy Eye (Mumford & Sons vs. Silversun Pickups)

-Whitney

Summa Summa Time

Summer is finally here, and like Will Smith said, time to sit back and unwind! Time for pool parties, BBQ's, the lake, pedicures, concerts, sun dresses, and refreshing cocktails.  In honor of this glorious season, which seems to put everyone in a permanently good mood, here are some of my favorite summer things.

SUMMER JAMS:

Nothing like driving around with the windows down (or the AC on if you live in Kansas City), or cruising on the boat with some great tunes. These are some of my favorite summer songs right now:



GIVERS- "Up Up Up"

CHAPPO- "Come Home"



THE ASTEROIDS GALAXY TOUR- "Golden Age"

AVRIL LAVIGNE- "Smile"

METRONOMY- "The Bay"

Pretty Penny says Happy Weekend

hang your head out the window this weekend.

-Pretty Penny 

Motivating Mud Rooms

I have always been fascinated by fun "Mud Rooms", a room in the house usually by the back door or garage door that is used to hang coats, shoes, and do the laundry.   I always procrastinate on doing my laundry so when I grow up I have always wanted a fun and organized "Mud Room" to motivate me to do the laundry and stay organized more often.  Here are some I found that I would aspire to have some day:

-Brooke

Perfect Pairing

It's another edition of "Perfect Pairing" and we are expressing our street style through an interior space.  This time the inspired room is a Mediterranean feel with pops of color and textures.

Living In

A Mediterranean oasis

via

Going Out

 

A neutral mini dress sets the stage

 

Sea Blue Wedges are inspired by the show stealing day-bed

The diamond pattern bag mimics the pillows and adds the perfect punch of pattern to this look 

 

Natural accessories like wooden bangles work perfectly and bring attention the the benches in the middle of the room

 

These crystal and gold posts complete this look with the perfect touch of shimmer

Find an oasis in your own home and in your closet.

-Meg

Crabby

Sorry for the lack of posts Blogger was down...making us crabby...

-All of us

World Wide Summer Solstice Celebrations

Celebrating the first day of summer and the most sunlight in one day.  How are you going to celebrate this special day?

Lovely Couple in Russia

Fireworks in Barcelona

Waiting for the Sunrise in Stonehenge

Folk Dancing and the Raising of the Garland Pole in Seattle

Jungle Themed Parade in Santa Barbara

-Megan and Whitney