January 24, 2012 · 7:58 pm

Flowers Aren’t Just for Spring…

They’re for birthdays!

Hi there everyone! So this weekend we celebrated two birthdays in my family, my Aunt Michelle and Uncle Art! We had my family over and it was an all-around get-together of family, fun, friends, good food, and of course, good dessert. Earlier in the week my mom said to me, “Laura, the family’s coming Saturday for Aunt Michelle and Uncle Art’s birthday. You’re going to bake a cake, right?” My response: “Uh, mom, duh.” Me, bake a cake? What else do I do?! So, I set out to do something simple and delicious that I knew my family would love: Chocolate fudge cake, filled with my chocolate buttercream fudge frosting and finished with my scrumptious buttercream frosting. Yum. But I wanted to make it more than delicious, I wanted to make it look as special as it tasted! So, I decided to make a flower/rose cake. The result…

Voila! I was pretty happy with how it turned out! Sure, some of my flowers are a little abstract, but flowers aren’t perfect okay!

I did purple for my aunt and blue for my uncle.

The flower technique is super easy to achieve! All you need is an icing gun or bag with a star tip, and you basically create a little circular motion to make a little rose/flower!

I threw in some tiny sugar pearls I had laying around as well. I thought they added a nice little touch and they had a great sweet crunch when you ate the cake!

A flower cake with flowers :)

The most important thing in making a cake like this is to have fun! No, mine isn’t perfect, but it’s not supposed to be! It has an organic, whimsical feel that everyone enjoyed.

This cake is so easy to make, delicious and fun! So yes, it may be January, but this cake brought some fun into the winter! I mean, today practically feels like spring anyway, so why not?! Bake something that’s both pretty, and pretty scrumptious :)

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January 12, 2012 · 9:37 pm

Rain, Rain, Stay All Day!

Hi there everyone! So if you know me, you know when I like something, I don’t just like it…. I become kind of obsessed. Kind of like my relationship with making fudge. Oh and anything sparkly. Well, I have found my latest obsession… RAIN BOOTS! Now, I have always been a fan of the cute wellie trend, but wasn’t always certain I could pull it off. You see, I never really found the right ones that screamed “ME!” Well, until Christmas morning, when I opened up these puppies…

I died. Well first, I tackled my mother and thanked Santa immensely. She (oops, I mean he) really is fabulous ;) The terrible quality of this photo really doesn’t even do them justice. Hot pink. Lace up. WEDGE. Rain Boots. I felt like a kid in the candy store.
So, obviously, I could not wait for it to rain. I waited and waited and finally, it rained today and I got to wear my crazy, ever-so-me rain boots! I felt kind of like a cartoon character, in the best way possible. If I could turn myself into a rain boot, these shoes would be me.
I’m sort of in love. Here are some other rain boots I’m just gaga for:
EVEDON Womens Wellies
EVEDON Womens Wellies
These Joules Rain Boots could not be cuter. They come in two other colors as well, but I’m a purple freak. How can you not just love that big bow ?! You can find them here.
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Completely unconventional, these rain boots are so funky I can’t get over them! Who would’ve thought of ankle booties for rain boots?! Pure genius. I love love love them! Leave it to ModCloth to supply these fierce babies.
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And of course, what would a post about rain boots be if I didn’t include the ever-fabulous, ever-classy Hunters?! These two are my favorites from the current season. You can find them on the Hunter Website!
These are just a few of the beyond fabulous rain boots out there! The point? Don’t settle- find ones that SCREAM “you!” like mine scream “me!” Rain boots are an amazing way to bring some shine to a gloomy day :) So make every day a beautiful one, rain or shine!

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January 3, 2012 · 12:56 am

2011, Not Too Shabby… HELLO 2012!

HELLO MY DEAREST READERS!!!! I know, you’re probably thinking, who is this person talking to us? Is this the girl who hasn’t posted in over a month? We thought aliens abducted her or something… Nope, I’m still here on planet earth! I want to give a humungous, gigantic, whopping apology for being MIA for so long!! With college applications, a play, school, the holidays, and my life, I have had absolutely ZERO time! It has truly killed me. I so badly wanted to share with you all my fun treats and fabulous fashion! But I know you didn’t miss me too much, and now, it’s a new year, and I am a new woman! My new years resolution? To post at LEAST twice a week!! I’m going to do my best here!

I want to thank everyone who’s been reading my silly little posts and making me feel like someone enjoys what I write about! Check out these fun 2011 facts… and get ready for a FABULOUSLY FULL OF POSTS new year with Little Girl, Big Taste! :-)

xoxo,

Laura!

Here’s an excerpt:

The concert hall at the Syndey Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 12,000 times in 2011. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 4 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.

Click here to see the complete report.

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November 27, 2011 · 7:36 pm

Three Musketeers Fudge Brownie Bars… For the Extreme Chocolate Lover.

Hi there! Alright, I know I have been absent for about 1000 years. I was having some technical difficulties with uploading my pictures, so I couldn’t share anything sweet or stylish with you guys! :( But, it’s all figured out now and I’m back and I have something that is certainly going to make it up to you, something that is going to make you drop everything and bust out your apron and mixing bowls…. Three Musketeers Fudge Brownies. Yup, I did it. This may be the chocolatiest of chocolaty treats I have yet to make. You see, for Halloween, my two best friends and I were the Three Musketeers. I decided to put a little play on words on the costume, using actual Three Musketeers wrappers in our outfits…

 

See?! What goofballs. So, what is a girl to do with 70 three musketeers bars? Eat them? HA. No no, she must bake. So I devised a plan and created these delectable bars. Check it out:

Three Musketeers Fudge Brownie Bars

 

1. Brownies:

1 Box brownie mix. (or if you have the time, your favorite homemade brownie recipe!)

Prepare the brownie mix as directed and bake. Let cool.

 

2. Fudge:

1 14-oz can sweetened, condensed milk.

2-3 Cups semi-sweet chocolate chips. (I pretty much just eyeball this- you need enough to make your fudge come together!)

1 Tbsp water.

Combine ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl and heat for 1-2 minutes. Stir and if not fully combined, microwave for another minute. Set aside.

 

3. Assemble:

1. Now that you have both your brownies and fudge prepared, cut your Three Musketeers into cubes. I used 10-15 bars. You can pretty much use however many you want!

2. Sprinkle a layer of the diced three musketeers onto the brownies.

3. Pour fudge on top, using a rubber spatula to press the fudge down, ensuring it attaches to the Three Musketeers and the brownie.

4. Finally, sprinkle another layer of diced Three Musketeers onto the fudge.

5. Put in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to let the layers adhere to one another.

6. Remove from fridge and cut into squares.

So much chocolate.

Do you not just love this cake plate? Chubby people eating cake. I love it.

And voila, there you have it: the chocolaty, marshmallow-y brownie bar! So the next time you find yourself with tons of extra Three Musketeers bars laying around, don’t just go the boring route and eat them- bake this magnificent treat!

More scrumptious treats and chic styles will be coming your way very soon due to my prolonged absence, but for now, revel in this chocolate dream. :)

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November 4, 2011 · 9:04 pm

Never Too Late for Halloween.

Hi there! So I realize this post probably should have been made on Monday. Or Sunday. Basically, I’m really late. But hey, better late than never right?! So, I’m giving you these tasty treats now. Plus, it’s never a bad thing to extend Halloween a little further, is it?! Didn’t think so. So check out these scrumptious and adorable Halloween treats and put them on your to-bake list for Halloween! Ready, go!

First up, Candy Corn Cupcakes! No, they do not taste like candy corn. I was browsing Halloween recipes on Pinterest and saw this recipe and just had to! I didn’t follow the recipe at all, though. I used a vanilla box cake mix (time constraints!) and my never-fail buttercream frosting which you can find here! Once your frosting is made, separate into 3 bowls. Dye one bowl orange, one yellow and leave one white. Then, to create the candy corn affect, using your icing bag or “gun” with a star tip, make the orange layer on all the cupcakes, then the yellow, and finally the white. And voila, adorable candy corn cupcakes!

Yum.

Oh hi, those would be my glittery Halloween fake cupcakes! They make me smile.

I just think these look so festive!

Oh yeah, my attempt to make my candy corn cupcakes in the shape of a candy corn. I am so lame.

And there you have it, one easy and delicious Halloween treat!  Let’s check out what’s next….

 

CANDY CORN FUDGE! Okay, so I maaaaaaay have gotten a little carried away on the candy corn theme this Halloween. But come on, it’s just so cute and festive looking! I couldn’t control myself. I blame the internet.

So I got the idea for these little buggers from Something Swanky. I was so excited when I saw this because, as you all know, I love making fudge! It’s so easy and it’s always delicious. I followed this recipe exactly, and it was one for success! The only semi-difficult part is cutting the little triangles. You will have excess fudge, because when you cut the triangles from the strips you make, every other “candy corn” will be upside-down (White on the bottom, orange on top.). But no worries, save the extra for an at-home treat (it’s just as delicious!) or toss it- you will have PLENTY!

I had a little photo shoot with these treats near some of our Halloween knickknacks. I am kind of obsessed with that sparkly thing to the right of the photo- yeah, it’s a candy corn party hat. No big.

Come on, how precious are they?! It’s just the right amount, too. A perfectly portioned treat!

Everyone loved them! Oh yeah, this is a real good view of the party hat, too.

So there you have it! My two candy-corn-a-licious treats. I hope you all had a happy, fun, sweet, stylish Halloween and save these recipes for next year! Until next time :)

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October 28, 2011 · 10:54 pm

Scrumptious Spooky Halloween Bark

HI THERE! Remember me?! Ya know, that girl who used to leave you fabulous tidbits of food and fashion close to every day?! Yeah, I wouldn’t remember me either. I have been LAME! L-A-M-E. That is what I am. You see, this is my favorite time of year, as I have expressed before. What I intended on doing these past few glorious weeks is posting you Halloween-inspired treats and trends and just having a ball! Instead, my plan was foiled. By what, you ask? College applications. School. Work. More school. More college applications. Getting the point? Hence, my absence for the past two weeks. But, I am back with something that will hopefully be fun and exciting for you guys and get you in the Halloween spirit! (Ya know, just in case you aren’t already…)

TADA! Halloween Candy Corn Bark. Oh come on, tell me this is not the most festive treat you have ever laid eyes on? And guess what the best part is ?! It could not be easier. Check it out:

Scrumptious Spooky Halloween Bark.

Ingredients:

3 bags white chocolate morsels

Approx. 2/3 box of oreos

Approx 1 bag Candy Corn

Halloween Sprinkles.

Directions:

1. Prepare 2 cookie sheets with a piece of wax paper.

2. Take your oreos and break into chunks.

3. Melt your chocolate in a microwave safe bowl. Remove and stir until smooth.

4. Combine oreos and chocolate.

5. Spread onto the cookie sheets, flattening the bark as much as possible.

6. Throw some candy corn and Halloween sprinkles on top.

7. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours.

Then you will have something that looks sort of like this. Have you ever seen anything so beautiful and sugar-laden?

And come on, it was SO EASY! No, it may not be the most creative treat in the world, but I promise, it is AMAZING!

All that’s left to do is break your bark into pieces and voila, and easy and delicious Halloween treat!

I decided to have a photoshoot with this bark near my Halloween decorations. In my house, Halloween is BIG. My mom goes all-out. She has the BEST decorations! Thanks, mom :)

Yes, that is a creepy picture with glowing eyes that talks to you when you walk by and scares you no matter how many times you’ve heard it…

Take a moment to note the sparkle pumpkin. Do you know understand why my mom is fabulous?

Even Dracula was loving the bark!

So whether you’re having or attending a Halloween party or just want to make a festive treat for your friends and family, make this bark! Oh and more importantly, have a Happy Halloween :-)

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October 15, 2011 · 2:46 pm

What a Doll.

Hi there! So in case you’re totally completely out of the loop, you should know that about two weeks ago, September 28- October 5, was Paris Fashion Week, AKA the most epic, fabulous, amazing week ever. I’m not trying to diss my NYC, but come on… Paris Fashion Week is IT. Don’t get me wrong, New York Fashion Week is glamourous and exciting as well, but Paris Fashion Week is where the designers bust out the big guns. Of course being the obsessive fashion junkie that I am, I pretty much stalked every runway show (thank you Fashionologie for your pretty much instant coverage of every runway show!). I have to say, this was, in my opinion, one of the most consistently amazing fashion weeks I have ever seen. There was truly no collection I despised! Of course, McQueen was AMAZING (Sarah Burton is a goddess.) and Dior is always a favorite of mine, but the one runway show that took me by surprise was Viktor & Rolf. As much as I appreciate the two avant-garde designers, their collections are usually not the ones I fall in love with. But this time, they knocked me off my feet.

viktor rolf11 Viktor & Rolf Spring 2012 | Paris Fashion Week

Their entire line was doll-themed. You known I am a fan of all things cute, and they somehow managed to make cute fierce. If that’s not talent, I don’t know what is.

viktor rolf8 Viktor & Rolf Spring 2012 | Paris Fashion Week

Every look was more precious than the next. I adore those little shorts!

viktor rolf9 Viktor & Rolf Spring 2012 | Paris Fashion Week

The shoes are very important to me in a runway show as well, and these had me dying. They’re like little cupcakes on their feet!

viktor rolf18 Viktor & Rolf Spring 2012 | Paris Fashion Week

This is one of my favorites- does she not look like a little barbie?! The oversized stitching I think is what won me over. How they managed to make huge stitches couture is beyond me, but it works.

viktor rolf21 Viktor & Rolf Spring 2012 | Paris Fashion Week

This almost makes me think of a seashell…

viktor rolf41 Viktor & Rolf Spring 2012 | Paris Fashion Week

Oh come on, you know I’m a sucker for fabulous poofy dresses. This color is amazing, this dress is amazing, this collection is amazing. Period end of story. Hope you love these dolly looks as much I do! Have an adorable day ;)

(All images courtesy of fashiongonerogue!)

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