Lovely and Delicious!

I was cruising through my blog reader this morning, waiting for my morning mocha to jumpstart my brain, and I came across these!

peanut butter chocolOTT cupcakes

at "A Latte with Ott A".

Ott, A, somehow manages to rhyme or incorporate  her name into every post which I totally love, and if you've never visited her blog then let's correct that now OK because she has the recipe for these lovelies posted over there.

She did these to celebrate her 2nd Wedding Anniversary but they are perfect for any occasion don't you think? And they match her current blog design which is all decked out in sunflowers.

I'm a Bad Blogger, And "Hoo's Birthday" card

Recently two wonderfully kind people, Melissa from Those Northern Skies and Ashley from Life After the Aisle, have surprised me with blog awards. I really appreciate that anyone thinks I'm worthy of these and try to do my best to pass them on timely but boy have I been bad about these!And continuing being a bad blogger ( shame shame shame) I'm going to combine the two. Ssshhh don't tell the blog award people!

Melissa passed on the Ms. Bright Side award to me (thank you!)

 and Ashley gave me the One Lovely Blog award ( thank you too!)

The combined rules are:
1. List the top ten things that make me happy.
2. Share with my favourite bloggers and ask them to do the same.
3. Link the blogs I choose and link the blogs of the people who gave it to me.
4. Accept the award. Post it on your blog with the name of the person who has granted the award and his or her blog link.
5. Pay it forward to 15 other lovely bloggers.


Top 10 Things That Make Me Happy (not in order of importance ) 


1.)    Chocolate ( that was a given right? )
2.)    Family and friends 
3.)    Mexican Food
4.)    Sweater and boot weather! Love clear crisp Fall days
5.)    Finding new blogs with amazing creative people like the ones who gave me this award 
6.)    Random acts of kindness
7.)    Starbucks iced mochas all year long
8.)    Creating
9.)    Stashbusting
10.) The end of Stashbusting :)

In the "paying it forward" part, (also something I really really love and believe in) since I have to limit it to 15 blogs, here goes, but it's hard because I follow so many amazing blogs. And if I happen to pick you and you're a blog that doesn't do awards, no worries...I know several don't and  I won't cry...too much...just kidding...totally understand. 

1. Get Craftin'
2. A Little Knick Knack 
3. Christine & Co
4. Cindy Adkins Whimsical Musings
5. Closet Crafter
6. Envirocraftiness
7. Langes Fädchen, Faules Mädchen 
8. Netty's Craftings 
9. Paisley Passions
10. Polish The Stars
11. Rook No. 17
12. Scrapping With Sherry
13. Something From Cassie
14. Southern Scraps
15. Tracy's Trinkets and Treasures

Oh yes..and a card ( reminder...World Card Making Day is October 2! More here) 

"Hoo's Birthday Is It"

• Cricut "Sentimentals" cart for owl tag
• Judi Kins Mica Gloss (copper) smeared on panel behind owl
• K&CO scrapbook borders ( copper / teal) 
• DCWV "Indian Summer" Fall Stack ( from last year...I'm stashbusting!) patterned paper
• Purple cardstock

Signs Of Things To Come

Stashbusting September is winding down....Day 28 and haven't stepped foot in a Goodwill, Michaels or JoAnn's or my local addiction, The Paper Zone. Friday Friday Friday!

I have decided to try my hand at my first craft fair in November so I've started working on some things for that. Win win 'cause they're from my stash! I am planning on doing a variety of things since I can't seem to stick with making just one thing. So I'll be making some cards, decorative boxes, pillows, decorations, decor items etc. I started with a collection of these little signs that I thought were fun. What do you all think?

The sign w/ the crazy lady says "My Whole Life Is One Of Those Days"

It's A Queen Thing

 

The Mumster ( aka my Mommy) sent me a supply of bling for my birthday

And The Fabulous Friday Surprise Giveaway Winner Is.....

Selected from random.org:

 Sourkraut from Langes Fädchen, Faules Mädchen

Don't ask me to pronounce that! But do visit her blog for some wonderfully innovative Halloween ideas! Congatulations Sourkraut and I will give Terrell your email information so you can select your frame and she can get your mailing address.

Thanks again Terrell for this impromptu and fun giveaway and here's to much success with your new Etsy shop! 

Stashbusting September Project #12: Quick Banner

But first, it's still not too late ( but almost!) to enter a lovely giveaway sponsored by Terrell @ Frou Frou Decor. Details here.

I'm still gearing up to decorate for Halloween which I'll do next weekend. But I made one more quick thing that is now hanging up in our bedroom. This was SUPER fast so I almost forgot to take pictures.

Designed the word "SPOOKY" in my graphics program :

Forgot to take a pic of the printout, so luckily this was still on my screen

Cut around the circles and cut out backgrounds on my Cricut. You could do this same project with decorative edge scissors or punches. Mounted the letters to the background and went around the edges with green "Stickles" glitter glue:

Glitter glue doesn't show up great but it's an acidy green

 Punched holes, strung on black organza ribbon, and hung it up:

This paper was double sided so you can see the orange reflecting in the mirror which also looks like a drop shadow

Once I get the actual Halloween bins out, I'm going to put the pull apart spider web stuff around it.

Fabulous Friday Surprise!!! Giveaway from Frou Frou Decor !

Happy Friday all. I am so excited because my sweet friend Terrell from Frou Frou Decor , in addition to hosting a wonderfully fun ( and fabulous) Friday link party each week ( which you should totally add to your list of link parties!) has opened an Etsy shop!!! So as if that wasn't enough to make me as happy as if I'd gotten locked in Willy Wonka's chocolate factory, she is offering one of my wonderful readers a chance to win a frame from her brand spankin' new Etsy shop! Now how fabulous is that?!

Here are the details:

• Leave a comment on this post

Seriously, can it be more simple than that? Of course if you want additional chances to win, you can:

• Become a follower of The Answer Is Chocolate if you aren't already. Leave a comment on this post.
• Visit Terrell's Etsy shop here, and leave a comment on this post stating which frame you'd choose if you won
• Become a follower of Frou Frou Decor. Leave a comment on this post.
• Blog / Facebook / Tweet about this giveaway. Leave a comment (one for each thing you do) on this post.

This giveaway will run through Sunday September 26 and the winner will be selected using random.org on Monday September 27. What are you waiting for? GO!!

Stashbusting September Project#11: Crafting Chicks Inspired Banner

This is more like "Six Degrees of A Project" because it was inspired by my daily visit ( OK make that one of my daily visits!) to One Pretty Thing which led me to The Crafting Chicks to this project Trick or Treat Banner

which led me to the inspiration to make my own. Whew! Still with me?

Since I'm still stash busting (DAY 23 and though they taunt me, I haven't been to visit my friends Michael or JoAnn) I had to use what was on hand ( because that's SUCH a problem!). I adapted Jamie's idea and created the words "TRICK OR TREAT" in my graphics program and pulled some coordinating papers from my stash:

I cut out the letters ( putting a border around the letters helped me cut them out easily) and I cut starbursty thingies to go in back of them using my Cricut. Cut triangles from the polka dot paper and using coordinating scraps, tore pieces to go along the top of each triangle. I mounted the letters to the triangles using foam dots, strung (why does that look weird?) on twine, and tied cream and black ribbon between the letters:

Hard to get a good picture that fits the whole thing in

I haven't done my mantel yet but put this up temporarily to get pics.

Now go on over to The Crafting Chicks because they have the coolest SPOOKY banner up today!

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