Carrot Cake Cupcake Purse and Happy Easter Bunny Purse

For those of you who have been waiting for the Memorylane Boutique Easter launch, you most likely know it is here.

So far, the designers have listed some really nice items that you won't want to miss. You can find the auctions by searching MLANE Boutique on eBay. You'll be glad you did!

Among the listings are two items that I listed and want to feature here. My items for this launch were inspired by customers pre-orders for Easter. I was so happy with how the custom crochet orders turned out, that I decided to offer them for the launch.

Easter is the perfect time for a new purse, because
as you all know, every chick needs a new purse at Easter!


This first one is per custom order. That means (for those of you who don't already know) that your item will be created (handmade) for you and will be shipped to you in a few weeks. It is a YUMMY Carrot Cupcake Purse.
I just love how it turned out!

It is the perfect accessory item! The cupcake holder is done in triple layers with a hard bottom made for reinforcement so that the cupcake will hold its shape. The cupcake is roomy enough for holding treasures and ties on the top with a pretty bow. Icing for this cupcake is cream with handmade appliqued carrots encircling the top. (Carrots can be replaced with beading if desired and icing or holder color can be changed upon request.)
You can contact me about it directly or can go straight to the current Ebay auction by clicking HERE!
The second purse is a Happy Easter Bunny Purse.

This purse is ready to ship!
It has the cutest puffy cheeked 3d bunny face appliqued on the front along with his favorite meal...carrots..of course. Bunny has a cute little flower on her head and lots of hand-stitched detail that makes this purse or tote extra special.
It can be ordered by custom order as well. You can contact me about this one directly for custom order or can go straight to the
ebay auction by clicking HERE!

Both of these purses would make a wonderful Easter accessory items for any Easter outfit or could be used alone as a seasonal item.

Custom Orders--YES!
Bella Sera Boutique welcomes custom orders.  If you like these purses but wish for them in another color  (perhaps different base colors or different bunny or cupcake icing colors or maybe you would like your cupcake beaded instead of adding carrots)... contact me about a purse made just for you. I have many happy customers who purchase or order from me regularly. I would love to make something for you as well.
Remember, these purses make the perfect accessory item, look great with almost any outfit, make great gifts and look terrific in pictures too. They are great for all ages to include todders, tweens, teens and adults. I will soon be placing both these items in my Etsy store as well.

Going on vacation?
Check out this vacation getaway treasury.  What a great collection!

I want to say a special THANK YOU to PrincessDesigns who featured my crocheted custom beaded ankle bracelet and necklace in her " Accessorize your Vacation Getaway" treasury collection on Etsy. It am in love with her choices. It makes me want to go on vacation! You can find the treasury HERE.
You can find PrincessDesigns on Etsy or by clicking on her shop name in pink here. Her store features some cute baby items and little bandana dresses. She is also running a sale right now! You get free shipping on the second item purchased through February 14th.

You can find my bracelet in her collection pictured here--- second row, second from the left. If you are interested in ordering one of my bracelets, you can find it in my Etsy store by clicking HERE.
This bracelet can be made to match, meaning the beads and foundation can be changed and ordered in other color combinations as well.

Thanks for visiting my blog today!

Superbowl XLV, Green Bay Packers & Best Game Commercial

Did you watch the Superbowl XLV?
We did. This year, my husband and I rooted for the same team...and I am glad to say, they pulled it off. Way to go GREEN BAY PACKERS! They socked it to Pittsburgh with a final score of 31 - 25!

The Packers are taking the coveted Vince Lombardi Trophy home with them after earning it fair and square! It was a great game! (I wonder if the Cheesehead's of Green Bay taking a vacation day tomorrow? I would say they earned it, wouldn't you?)

There was just something exciting about watching Quarterback Aaron Rodgers lead the packers to their first Superbowl win in 14 years! The icing on the cake was that Rodgers won the games MVP, which was thrilling to watch, even if I am not a Cheesehead. This should lessen the sting of the whole Brett Favre separation in Green Bay as Rodgers is now equal with Favre in Superbowl wins. Aaron Rodgers also succeeded in extending the Packer's record of NFL 13, nine of which were before the Superbowl era. Now, surely all Cheesehead fans will be focusing on Rodgers and the new champions of Superbowl XLV..THE GREEN BAY PACKERS!

**(Now, before you read on, if you intend to play the clip of the commercial, you will need to scroll to the bottom of this page and turn pause the music player.)

The winner,hands-down..at least for me... was the Volkswagen Passat-Young Darth Vader...

My second favorite was the Bridgestone Karma commercial. Funny stuff.
I hope you were able to watch the Superbowl and view the commercials. There were many funny ones and some....not so funny. Congratulations again to the GREEN BAY PACKERS! Good game boys. (And to the Stealers, you are a fierce team and played a good game, but, you know the drill boys...."May the best team win")
Thank for visiting my blog today.
Kassie

Every Little Girl Looks Pretty In Pink!

Looking for a really cute hat for a girl aged 3 to 6 yrs old?

Well, look no further!

This adorable hat is sure to make her smile.

It is a one of a kind boutique-style handmade crocheted hat in shades of pink and white.

You will love the multi-layer flower used to accessorize it. This darling hat is the perfect accessory item and the great thing is that it is made of fine cotton fibers, which can be worn YEAR ROUND!

Who wouldn't love a hat that can be worn every month of the year?!

This hat is a fun girly-girl style and would be the perfect finishing

touch to any cute outfit. (Perfect hat for Easter too!)

It would also be a gift that any little princess would love to get.

This hat is now listed in my EBay store.
***It is ready to ship!***
You can go straight to my EBay store to see the hat auction
by clicking HERE!

Thanks for visiting my blog today!

Salt Crystal Formation For Fun!

The formation of salt crystals takes weeks or even months to grow. I thought I would share with you one of the many home science projects we have been doing at our house. Seems we always have one or two projects going on. It is just something our family really likes to do.
While reading about salt crystals, we found some projects to do at home. There are various ways in which one might achieve salt crystal formation ...with the outcome being a bit different in each instance. For our current project, which was started months ago, we started with a small glass jar. We heated to boiling about a cup of water and a couple of tablespoons of table salt. To this we added some blue food coloring (my daughter's color of choice, though any color could be used) and poured all contents in the jar.  We sat the jar on a window sill, undisturbed.
Now, let me be the first to tell you that there is some truth to the old saying "a watch pot never boils" as waiting for the crystals to form was much like watching paint dry. I would like to have a dollar for each time my daughter wanted to look to see if any crystals had yet formed. I might be able to afford something really nice. (You parents with little children know just what I mean, I am sure!)

Several days had gone by when the first crystals could be seen forming on the inside of the jar. Many months have gone by and our salt crystal formation has made quite a lot of progress. I thought I would share a few of the pictures with you.

This is a look at the outside of the jar where our project is taking place. As you can see from the picture, the salt crystals are nearing the top of the jar now.

Here are a couple views looking down into the jar. Although you can see the formations
on the side of jar, sadly, the camera didn't pick up the beauty of the crystals that can be seen. They really are kind of pretty.

As you can see from the view above, the salt projections are growing inward. This might present a problem, at some point, when additional water, salt and food coloring need to be added.

In this picture, you can see how sheer looking the crystal formations near the top look as they first begin to form and climb. It is quite a different look later when layer upon layer form.

This picture is interesting in that the salt formation that can be seen on the left of the jar looks almost as if it is folding over as it grows toward the center.

I hope you enjoyed seeing our salt crystal formation pictures. Perhaps in a few more months, I will share another picture to update you on what the formation looks like then.
Thanks for visiting my blog today.

What A Cute Poodle Puppy!

A friend of mine (Tina) has some has some beautiful poodle puppies. I have been following their progress since they were born. I just had to share with you one beautiful red pup that I think is extra sweet! His name is Ryder and he is the prettiest color red. Those of you who know me know that for many years, I had a special poodle (Bridgette) who was red. I have a bit of a weakness for red poodles. I thought you might enjoy seeing Ryder's latest pictures. He is such a cute puppy!

You can see more of Ryder's pictures with a time-line since his birth by visiting my friend's site by clicking here: Raven Crest
or on either of his two pictures above.

While you are there, I encourage you to take a look around at the Raven Crest site. The dogs are especially adorable. I hope you enjoy seeing the puppies as much as I do.

I have been inspired lately to make a couple crochet dog sweaters. Who knows...keep checking back. You may see some of them featured here.

Thanks for visiting my blog today.

Something to get excited about......

I just had to share a couple of things to get excited about today.

Boutique Design Launch group: Memory Lane is preparing for another launch. This one is Easter themed
and will surely be one you won't want to miss.
Mark your calendar so you can stop by.
All the fun starts soon (February 8th)  and I just wanted to give you all a heads up! You can find their items on Ebay by searching MLANE Boutique.

The second thing to get excited about today is a beautiful new baby.
Just wanted to give a congratulatory shout out to Elizabeth and Axel on the birth of their
new little one, baby boy--- Blake Isaac.
Isn't he a cutie?!!
Born yesterday at 7:49 pm.
Weight 4-lbs 13 oz.

Congratulations also to Grandma and Grandpa Ridgeway (Connie & Roger)

Thanks for visiting my blog today.

Check out Bloggy-Blog....

I have something exciting to share with you all for January. Bloggy-Blog Designz is having a January Giveaway. I am excited about it and I believe you will be as well!
They are giving away lots of great things...so swing on by there and check out their site!
You won't be sorry. You can enter their January giveaway but there is something else....
ALL entrants will receive 20% off any purchase through the end of the month! In addition,  the first 5 entrants will receive a $15 gift card. How great is that!!! You can enter yourself, but don't wait. All entries must be in by January 22nd at midnight! Good Luck!
Thanks for visiting my blog today!

A recipe for a wonderful breakfast smoothie.....You are going to love it!

A vegan friend shared with me her favorite breakfast smoothie recipe. Now, let me just say that when she described the smoothie, I didn't exactly think it sounded all that appetizing. To be honest, the thought of mixing strawberries and oats with any kind of milk in a blender and drinking the concoction sounded very unlike what I might like to willingly consume for my breakfast. To be fair though, I have tried other recipes prepared by my vegan friend, and most have been rather tasty....and I emphasize "MOST" here. There were those few that almost made me gag when I tasted them (just to be polite) so anytime my friend offers up a new recipe, I am somewhat skeptical.
Rachel (my friend) ranted and raved about how great this smoothie was and insisted that she would email me the recipe if I promised to try it. I finally promised to try it and since I try my best to keep my word, "I gave it a whirl"...literally.
The smoothie, as you might have guessed is best prepared in a blender, so giving it a whirl in the blender was spot on.
OK, I know you are waiting to see what I thought. To my surprise...I didn't gag! Quite the opposite. I really liked it. So much, in fact, that I have decided to share her recipe with you here.
Perhaps you will be brave enough to try it too.

This smoothie was really easy to make. It had a rich creamy texture and because of the strawberries, was pink in color. I used iron fortified Soy Milk. I would imagine you could use any kind of milk you wanted though. I just used what I had on hand. The taste was smooth and the drink had great flavor. It was really quick to make....maybe 5 minutes..tops! It was very filling.

So, for those of you who might want to try the recipe my friend shared with me, here
it is. Drop back by here and let me know how you liked it.  This recipe made 2 regular sized servings.

Strawberry Breakfast Smoothie

Ingredients:
1 cup soy milk

1/2 cup rolled oats
1 banana, broken into chunks
14 frozen strawberries
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons white sugar

Directions:

1.In a blender, combine soy milk, oats, banana and strawberries. Add vanilla and sugar if desired. Blend until smooth. Pour into glasses and serve.

( I also think this recipe would be great with a bit of added fresh pineapple. I may try it that way next time.)
 
For those of you who might be vegans, I think you will soon add this recipe to your favorites.  For those of you who are not vegans, I encourage you to give this smoothie a try. It really does taste great.
 
Have a great day.
Thanks for visiting my blog today!