Ten More Shopping Days Left! Be sure to visit Studio Marcy on Etsy.

The Etsy store we are going to shop, and I do mean shop until we drop, is that of Studio Marcy. How I would love to walk through Marcy's brain and see all that she sees through her eyes. If you have ever visited her store, you note the ever present joy of the beads in her store. Marcy is well known for her sculptural abilities in the beads she makes. Let's take a look at some of her outstanding work.









I'd like you to meet Sanderson the Pound Puppy. Isn't he adorable? This is an excellent example of Marcy's sculptural work. She's good, isn't she? And I do love this little guy.


















Now, doesn't this look good enough to eat? I'm hungry. I love the chocolate with the peppermint twist on top. Nummy and zero calories.


















Now, isn't this a great little sea horse? Her name is Olivia. Can't you just see her swimming the ocean of your love? Amazing!


















And, last but not least, Love Your Mother Lampwork Bead. Great, isn't it?

This has been a quick tour of Marcy's store. I urge you to take a longer tour. You won't regret it.

Shopping on Etsy! This time it's Patty Lakinsmith!

I love Patty Lakinsmith's work! She's a very busy artist! Not only does she have an Etsy store, she blogs, she manages her website, and she also has a Glass Artist Org showcase of her work. She's one busy lady!







I love this bead. It's a two holed pillow bead called Phata Psychedelic Pillow 2 holed Lampwork Bead. It is absolutely gorgeous! Look at Patty's use of a twistie and dots. Wow!

















Look at this stunning bracelet that Patty made. This is bracelet is in her Etsy shop. Absolutely gorgeous!













This bead is called Frosty Garden Lampwork Bead. I love it! It reminds me of summer when flowers are blooming.















When she has spare time, Patty is busy writing. This tutorial, The Big Fancy Bead Tutorial, has helped me so much. This is a well written tutorial, and for those people who are lentil challenenged like, it is a wonderful resource.

I hope you enjoyed your tour of Patty's Store. She's another fabulous Etsy Bead Artist.

Spotted Cow Soaps! Time to shop Etsy again!

I belong to an Etsy Street team called Etsy Bloggers Team. Each month a blogger on the team is named the featured blogger of the month. This month, the featured blogger is: Spottedcowsoaps.
I took a look at her shop, and I wished I had been there before. I have a feeling I may be spending more time there now. Take a look at her blog, too. She has a fabulous recipe for dark chocolate brownies on there! Sounds wonderful to me! Anyway, let's backtrack and take a look at Spotted Cow Soaps on etsy.

I can smell this soap already. It's called: Gingerbread Soap. Does that smell great or what? What a perfect gift for the holidays. Hint. Hint. I love this soap!



















Not only does Spotted Cow Soaps have a wonderful selection of soaps, it also has an awesome selection of other bath related products. Take a look at these bath fizzies. This one is called: Chocoholics Unite! I'm in. Hint. Hint. I love bath fizzes.



















Another product featured in Spotted Cow Soaps is her line of lotions to go with her soaps. This one is called Lemon Grass Lotion. Hint. Hint. I love Lemon Grass Lotion!














In addition to soaps, lotions, and fizzies, Spotted Cow Soaps also features accessories for the bath. This set is called: Organic Cotton Bath Accessory Kit. Isn't that great? Hint. Hint. I love organic bath sets.

I hope you enjoyed the tour of Spotted Cow Soaps. I know I did! Hint. Hint!

Look at my world today!

The world woke up white today. It's actually quite lovely. The heaviest snow is supposed to fall this afternoon. We've just had periods of snow on and off since last night.









Here's another view.














If you look beyond the trees, you can see the city of Mankato.


















Oh, the carrier for our local newspaper didn't make the curve on my driveway today. So much for the birdbath.

Texas Sheet Cake--My idea of a great brownie!

As a young bride, I received this recipe from a more "seasoned" cook who was, and still is, a wonderful friend. Although I don't make this Texas Sheet Cake recipe any more, I can never forget the wonderful chocolate taste of this cake aka brownie recipe!

Texas Sheet Cake

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup butter
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup buttermilk or sour milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• .
• Chocolate Frosting:
• 1/4 cup butter
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
• 3 tablespoons buttermilk
• 2 1/4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans, optional

Preparation:

Cake
Grease a 15X10X1-inch or jelly roll pan or a 13X9X2-inch baking pan; set aside. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

In a medium saucepan combine 1 cup butter, 1/3 cup cocoa, and 1 cup of water. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. With an electric hand-held mixer on medium speed, beat chocolate mixture into the dry mixture until thoroughly blended. Add eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla. Beat for 1 minute (batter will be thin). Pour batter into the prepared pan.

Bake in a 350° oven about 25 minutes for the 15X10-inch pan or 35 minutes for the 13X9-inch pan, or until a wooden pick or cake tester inserted in center comes out clean.

Pour warm chocolate frosting over the warm cake, spreading evenly. Place cake in pan on a wire rack; cool thoroughly before cutting.
Makes 24 servings.

Frosting:
In a medium saucepan combine 1/4 cup butter or margarine, 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, and 3 tablespoons buttermilk. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat; add 2 1/4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Beat until smooth. If desired, stir in 1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans.