Gracious Inspiration

Way Cute Ice Cream Cake Truffles

noreply@blogger.com (Bunny Byrne) — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 13:00:00 +0000

Say ice cream's a little messy for you? A little melty?
Try these darling i ce cream cone cake truffles. If you haven't made cake truffles before, they're super easy!
And Miss Candiquick has puh-lenty of other recipes sure to entice you - s'more bars, fresh peach torte, whoopie pies.....

Relationship Hierarchy - Stationery is Top Tier

noreply@blogger.com (Bunny Byrne) — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 13:00:00 +0000

More on the post we had last week about putting relationships on paper! Watch the video + let us know what you think - are your top tier friends getting handwritten notes from you? Does a paper greeting mean more than a digital one? {That used to be a no-brainer, but with sites like Paperless Post and the Cartolina iPhone app, not anymore.}

Are You Ready for a New Paperclip?

noreply@blogger.com (Bunny Byrne) — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 13:00:00 +0000

Don't act like you've never seen pretty paperclips and thought "Nah, that's silly."
If you love stationery, chances are, you love all the accessories, too. Pens, pencils, colored inks, lined envelopes, and yes, paperclips.
So the brand ACCO has come up with a new style of paperclips - what's your take?

Stationery's Getting a Boost!

noreply@blogger.com (Bunny Byrne) — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 13:00:00 +0000

Stationery is getting a boost from an unexpected source - bloggers + tweeters. As digital relationships form, people are using traditional stationery + mail to solidify those relationships. Check out the full article in the Wall Street Journal.

Another Recipe from the Ice Cream Contest

noreply@blogger.com (Bunny Byrne) — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 13:00:00 +0000

Another fave from our Ice Cream Contest was the Chunky Monkey flavor. Num num num - peanut butter, banana {but not too much}, and chocolate, topped with raisinets or brownie crumbles.
Not quite the same as this, but I'd say just as good.

Find the recipe here.

Winning Ice Cream Recipe!

noreply@blogger.com (Bunny Byrne) — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 18:08:00 +0000

We had an Ice Cream Contest in our sweet little town this weekend. Haile did make the Goat Cheese ice cream, but her official entry was Peanut Butter with Chocolate Chips + boy was it good! The Goat Cheese was great {if you like goat cheese}, and we decided it should be paired with something sweet like a strawberry jam or blood orange syrup. But the PB.... oh my. Plus it was super easy! I'll have to get the official recipe from Haile, but she said it was just pb, sugar, and a little cream, then pop it in the ice cream maker.

One of the official winners this weekend was a Strawberry Basil ice cream - I personally voted for it. It's waaaay yum. Here's a link to the recipe, and a few pics from the contest.

Make Your Weekend with PB Ice Cream Sammies!

noreply@blogger.com (Bunny Byrne) — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 20:09:00 +0000

Wouldn't this just make your weekend? I know it would make mine. A peanut putter ice cream sandwich with strawberry ice cream.... nummy! Go here for the full-on recipe {from Paula Deen} with everything made from scratch. Or just buy some PB cookies + strawberry ice cream and go crazy.

Oh yes - Bonbons!

noreply@blogger.com (Bunny Byrne) — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 14:58:00 +0000

Homemade bonbons - who knew they were so easy?! I'm hoping Haile will make a goat cheese version of these for her entry in an upcoming ice cream contest. Jaclyn from Food + Words has made a dandy little tutorial and she promises we can all make these.

Ice Cream Party!

noreply@blogger.com (Bunny Byrne) — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 13:19:00 +0000

Ok, how cute is this?

And exactly how cute is this??

Who wouldn't want an ice cream party? This one's a baby shower, but would be perfect for a kids party or even a silly bachelorette party. Or an end-of-the-summer party, or end-of-the-school-year party, or I'm-bored-let's-have-a-party....

Happy Friday!

Ice Cream: Did You Know?

noreply@blogger.com (Bunny Byrne) — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 14:20:00 +0000

Am I the only one who thought Europeans came up with ice cream? Apparently the Arabs and the Chinese had a jump on them. (Snow! In caves!) But leave it to the Italians to make gelato.... my personal fave.

More interesting history here, including an old English recipe from 1718!

Very Vanilla Ice Cream

noreply@blogger.com (Bunny Byrne) — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 14:28:00 +0000

I tend to think of vanilla as boring, but if you have a really good vanilla, it's out-of-this-world good! This recipe is for said good vanilla - from the man himself, Alton Brown. It's a no-egg recipe, if you prefer that sort of thing. And it uses a real vanilla bean, so like I said, out-of-this-world good!

Get the recipe at Food Network here.

Margarita Ice Cream

noreply@blogger.com (Bunny Byrne) — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 16:23:00 +0000

Num num! Perfect for the last few weeks of summer - it's time to have a pool party. All you need is fresh salsa (a cinch to make!), a 7-layer dip, and Nigella Lawson's Margarita Ice Cream. This is a no-machine recipe, so whip it up!

Just a few ingredients:

1/2 cup lime juice
2 tablespoons tequila
3 tablespoons orange liqueur
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
2 cups heavy cream

And then you get this:

Fro-Yo Without A Machine!

noreply@blogger.com (Bunny Byrne) — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 15:14:00 +0000

One of my fave food blogs, Poor Girl Eats Well, just posted a recipe for homemade blueberry fro-yo. It's the season for blueberries, and I've been out picking a few times, so I have puh-lenty of berries for this recipe. And blueberries are the hubbs' fave, so that makes this doubly good.

Did you know you could make homemade ice cream without a machine? It's a little more leg-work (arm-work), but totally doable. You just freeze-check-stir, freeze-check-stir. Then there's ice cream! Or frozen yogurt, in this case. And this recipe has the real yogurt tang. So looking forward to it! Get the recipe here.

Lovely Lavender Ice Cream

noreply@blogger.com (Bunny Byrne) — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 11:20:00 +0000

Have you eaten lavender? It's one of those love or hate things, like cilantro. {I'm a cilantro hater, lavender lover} It's a bit like eating a subtle herby perfume and if you like Japanese sake it might be right up your alley.

Check out this recipe from Eat Drink Better for Lavender Ice Cream.

I'm Screaming - Are You?

noreply@blogger.com (Bunny Byrne) — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 12:08:00 +0000

We all scream for..... ice cream!! This month, the hottest month, it's all about ice cream. Yum yum yum!

Via

Haile Just Scored Some Indie Goods!

noreply@blogger.com (Bunny Byrne) — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 17:53:00 +0000

Haile's out West with the fam + she just scored a handbag made by indie leather artists Black Sheep Custom Leather. Her purse is based on a saddle from the 1920's that Brian was repairing - she met the artist in Bozeman.

Happy trails to all of you this weekend!

Indie Absolute Goodness

noreply@blogger.com (Bunny Byrne) — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 16:24:00 +0000

There's nothing better than surrounding yourself with handmade, freshly created, special, one-of-a-kind items that are just plain loved into being. Meet R. Wood Pottery. There's a real R. Wood - Rebecca - and she and her peeps really do make each and every piece of this fabulous stuff. Plates, cups, bowls, serving pieces, vases, you name it. It's all gorgeous, but not too stuffy. Fall in love here and be inspired here.

Sweet Little Indie Label

noreply@blogger.com (Bunny Byrne) — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 16:31:00 +0000

I am in total L.O.V.E. with Pip-Squeak Chapeau! Linen and silk, lots of it, cut to flatter. No trendy style here - just timeless classic pieces. Check them out:

Indie... Jewelry? Candy? Candy Jewelry?

noreply@blogger.com (Bunny Byrne) — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 15:43:00 +0000

Do you remember all the CANDY you used to eat during summer vacay? I do! All my teeth are sweet + I used to enjoy Nerds, Dweebs, Lemonheads, Boston Baked Beans, Gobstoppers, you name it! {Nerds are still a secret fave}

In honor of the magical time of summer vacation + the sweet memories it holds... meet With Sugar on Top. Faux, sometimes wearable concoctions for my sweet toothed friends.

{Those are all faux!}

More Indie Jewelry

noreply@blogger.com (Bunny Byrne) — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 12:28:00 +0000

Perfect for Fall... wooden jewelry by Loewestamm... earthy, warm, true.

Indie Clothing

noreply@blogger.com (Bunny Byrne) — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 12:29:00 +0000

Circa 24 is an indie clothing label led by this gorgeous native of Jamaica {Asanyah Davidson} who now resides in NYC.

I love the bags especially:

And how fun is this?

Indie Toys

noreply@blogger.com (Bunny Byrne) — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 14:08:00 +0000

I love this sweet indie line of toys - Gifts Define! I like to make little stuffed toys as gifts, and this gal took that fun project to the next level. She started making them as a way to ward off homesickness when she moved to the U.S., but it grew into a business. You can read on the website about her philosophy and the great charities she supports - and you can pick up some handmade goodness for yourself!
{Plus they have a cute blog here.}

Indie Beauty

noreply@blogger.com (Bunny Byrne) — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 19:20:00 +0000

The name of this indie beauty brand is just too funny - Bunny Butt. Uh-huh. They {apparently} smell like a spring meadow! Check out their whipped cream, mineral lip tints, and body polish.

Indie Info

noreply@blogger.com (Bunny Byrne) — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 13:13:00 +0000

We love a good independent magazine, don't we?

Meet Neet. Filled to the brim with indie designers, dressmakers, jewelry, writers, artists, tutorials, travel tips, and so very much more.

You Can Walk All Over These Indies

noreply@blogger.com (Bunny Byrne) — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 14:24:00 +0000

Super cool shoes from indie designer Mohop. Pick a style of sole, then customize with ribbons - a set for every outfit! And the company supports fair trade. Love!