All you need is love

Okay, I know I promise more of Lil, but I'm having a bit too much fun editing them thus it's taking me a wee bit longer than expected! Lots to post next week for sure!!

I was backing up all my photos last night when I came across these-I can't believe I forgot to post them!!

A perk of shooting with Shauna Younge Dessert Tables is...you guessed it...tasting the treats afterward! That and Shauna is just plain awesome. ;-) Her creativity amazes me: the silhouettes are hand cut and the framed words are Shauna exclusive as are the cupcake towers and all the labels on the variety of goodies. She even designed the cookies on paper and her baker recreated them perfectly. Girls got skills!!!

These popcorn bags, with custom labels, boasted delicious Chicago mix, caramel or crunch.

Ok, this was my fav. These are chocolate covered strawberries. When Shauna told me that I had to have one, I was super skeptical. I was thinking somewhere along the lines of nasty grainy fake strawberry jell encrusted in crumbly chocolate. Obviously, I should have known better. It was like an authentic chocolate/strawberry explosion in my mouth! Real strawberry, smooth melty chocolate, crisp outer shell...I'm drooling just recalling the memory...

Aren't these super sweet!? And delicious to boot!!

Custom printed/created labels

Who's hungry?! 

;-)

Feels like January

I'm back!

BOOM, baby!!!!

Yeah, I just quoted the Emperor's New Groove. Don't hate.

I have my computer once again!!! Due to a back ordered part, I was without my little guy for nearly four weeks. Insane. Word of the wise to anyone who values their computer work: back up, back up, back up! I was able to retrieve all my information (I'm 94% certain I only lost by Internet bookmarks), but that's not always the case. I'm so happy I have an external hard drive and bunches and bunches of discs laying around!! Anywho, that's all in the past, no need to dwell...still...heavy sigh of relief...

I've been working like crazy to get caught up--possibly even ahead!--and get back on track. I have so many posts to catch up on and I hope to be posting much more often in the coming days, weeks, months, millennium, what have you. Let's get this ball a-rollin!

I met Shauna about a year and a half ago for a make-shift maternity shoot. Even though we had several mishaps during the shoot (we rented a studio that didn't quite hit the head on the nail when it came to accurate descriptions of the equipment and space...) she was a super rockstar and took everything in a stride. Bringing fun new ideas to the table, we had a great *hot, muggy* day. She has since had her little bouncing bundle--with, possibly, the best hair ever--and started her own business. Check it.

Shauna Younge Dessert Tables is...well...super sweet. On all accounts. Shauna has a great eye for detail, crazy people skills, and some super nummy treats which will surely make her new business a blooming success. This table was designed off this inspiration board (borrowed from Shauna's blog)

From gathering visual info from all these aspects, she creates a dessert table that not only incorporates the feel of the wedding/event but also the personalities of the people involved. Genius.

Some of these are hand painted (yes, that's right, hand painted truffles) and custom designed especially for Shauna. She searches high and low to find something unique and fitting for each catered event and she seriously knows her sweets.

Oh, and those purple flower little suckies--located in the stage left--in the square bowl? I had one. And I think it changed my outlook on purple candies forever. Mr. Nick and I both decided that is what the color purple tastes like. Like a rainbow of purple fairies dancing in your mouth. This coming from the girls who dislikes grape Jolly Ranchers, Popsicles, Skittles and all other likenesses. Except juice. I likes the grape juice.
Anywho....continuing on...






Why, hello macaroon tower. Where have you been all my life?





Ok, see the little bitty cookies in the front? They are like Cheetos, Bugles, M&Ms and shoes all rolled into a delicious bite-sized little cookie--there is no way you can have just one.

Juvenile Diabetes Fundraiser

The cookbooks are in!!!!

Help support the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation and 2-year-old Nadia as she learns to deal with this life altering disease. The books are filled with over 300 recipes and are only $15 (plus shipping and handling).

Call Amy to get yours today!!!

• America's heartland •

Growing up on a farm in the upper midwest has been pretty sweet. No, we don't have cows. Nor do we have pigs. Or chickens. No goats, sheep or other typical barnyard animals either. No skeins of wool, breakfast sides or Thanksgiving Day stars found here.

Nope, instead of black and white our farm gleams black and red and in place of manure, bleats and crows, we boast diesel smoke and train horns. Our Caterpillar doesn't crawl, it roars. The equipment is well-used, yet rarely is there a speck of dirt to be seen. The leader of this team rises before the sun and continues working long after it sets.

Agriculture has been around for at least 10,000 years. Crazy, huh? Practices have changed and techniques have evolved and with them the equipment has been upgraded and reborn.

Speaking of equipment (nice segway, eh?) check out this new beast of a planter. Looks wide, right? Wrong. The Case IH 1200 Series ASM Planter has a remarkable 12 foot transportation width due in part to new(ish) pivoting technology. Once in the field, the driver doesn't even need to leave the cab to make it pivot and spread, thanks to innovative time-saving technology. With the touch of a few buttons 12 feet twists and transforms into 30 feet of pure planting power. Not only is this planter reported to increase the overall crop yield, but it is also more consistent in seed-to-seed spacing and does not play favorites when it comes to seed size. Yeah, I'm a little jazzed about this thing.

Oh, how I love being a farmers daughter.







Did I mention it has a digital touch screen that not only controls the pivoting, but virtually everything else about the planter? Oh, I didn't mention that? Well...it does. And it's rockin sweet.



One of the many perks of being the daughter of a farmer is getting the 'inside scoop'. Most people would take photos of this bad boy from a safe distance (I mean, the planter does weigh well over 20,000 pounds). Not this chick. She gets to ride along, laying smack dab right on the planter. The only way I could have gotten closer was if I were the soy bean itself. Yeah...sweet shibui...for sure.

Love BaRKLee!

My best friend Calie started her own business this past fall. She makes fantastic custom furniture for dogs--they come in three different styles and many different fabrics and patterns. Check em out! www.LoveBaRKLee.com

Chops, very curious about the camera

Modern

Classic

Lounge