Colomba Cake for Easter Brunch

nudo easter panettoneDo you serve the same thing for Easter Brunch every year?  While most of us have traditions that we like to stick to, I usually like to try something new as well.  I knew that Panettone was an Italian tradition at the Christmas holiday but I didn’t know they had a version to share at Easter too.  This makes me really happy as I am somewhat obsessed with Panettone.  Nudo makes a Colomba Cake for Easter that is available online.  Like their other products, their packaging is gorgeous!  It arrives like a gift and would be perfect to take with you if celebrating Easter at someone else’s home.

panettone for easter brunchThis cross between bread and cake is so yummy!  It is light and airy with hints of citrus fruit and the crunch of nuts.  This Easter cake is made with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and is perfect for brunches during spring.

italian tradition for EasterThose white “sprinkles” are made of sugar and the cake is shaped like a dove (although I wouldn’t have made that connection on my own) to symbolize peace and renewal for spring.

easter brunch ideasNudo’s Colomba Cake is a limited edition and is $25.  Order now so it arrives in time!

nudo italian food productsThis cake is rather impressive to look at.  It is sure to get the crowd talking when you debut it at Easter brunch.

easter morning breakfast ideasThey suggest serving it at the end of the meal but I say put it out for the guests to enjoy all morning.  But be warned, it is totally addicting!!

Disclosure: On occasion, I receive products, compensation and/or services gratis or at discounted rates. This practice does not influence my point of view or the outcome of the review. All descriptions are factual and accurately reflect my experience. The opinions are my own.

 

Egg Shaped Feather Craft Fail

egg shaped feather wreathIt started out as a good idea.  I mean, an egg-shaped feather wreath sounds great for Easter, right?  I made up a quick one to see if it as, indeed, cute.  I showed my mom.  She looked at me like I was crazy.  So I blame her for the tutorial not working out.  I thought it was cute enough to share with you so I decided to do the full tutorial the next day.

crafting with wireSo I forgot how I did the first one.  And the more I tried to figure it out the dumber it got.  I had wire everywhere.  It started scratching my table.  I was bummed.  On a side note, feathers are the pits.  If you’ve ever bought them from the craft store you know that when you open up the bag, little tiny feather pieces float through the air.  Straight up in to your nose.  They litter your counter and as you go to wipe them up they just float away again.

feather wreathBut I kept going.  Because in my head I knew it would end up cute.  I had pictures of it all styled up in an Easter setting and just knew people would pin the crap out of it.  But the feathers wouldn’t stay and the gold thread I used to tie the feather to the wire shape kept coming undone.  What the!?!

egg shaped feather wreath tutorialThis is the first one I made.  Kinda cute, right?  It’s ok, I can take it.  It could be improved on.

feather wreaths for easterSo I failed this craft.  One that I made up.  I’m starting to learn that my crafts turn out a lot like my cooking.  It can go very wrong, very quickly.  So, if you like this idea, feel free to use it and make it even better.  And now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go eat a jumbo sized box of Nerds.  As an appetizer to dinner.  Which may or may not include ice cream.

Happy Cake Day Banner on YAMF

guest post for happy cake day garlandI have a really fun birthday banner up on You Are My Fave.  Have you seen it?  Fabric letters and napkin flowers make it fun and exciting.  Go check it out!!

 

St. Patrick’s Day Picnic and Crafts with Solo Products

green solo cup st. patrick's day hatsSolo sent me some products and asked me to make some crafts with them for St. Patrick’s Day.  I know these cup hats have been done before but how cute are they!  I kept this first one really simple.  At first, I had wanted to fringe the felt on the bottom but loved how they look like little top hats.  And kids love them.  Just look how excited my son is to wear it for a photo.

Leprechaun hat with Solo CupAll you need is a cup, a little felt, some string or ribbon and a little hot glue.  My glue gun had its way with my thumb during the making of this craft.  I took some ibuprofen and I’m doing ok now.  Use hot glue at your own risk!

st. patrick's day hat with gold flowerI made a little girl’s version too.  Because girl’s stuff is so cute.

Little Girl's St. Patrick's Day HatAnd then I asked one of my favorite neighbors to wear it for me.  She was WAY happier to help me with a photo than my son.  And I didn’t even have to bribe her.  How refreshing.

picnic for St. Patricks DayI am going to be leaving to go out of town on a mother/daughter trip early on St. Patrick’s Day, but if I was staying home, my family would totally be having a fun picnic at the park.  It would include a scavenger hunt for treasure and other fun activities as well as yummy food.  Or maybe we would just do a big charcuterie spread with meats and cheeses.  I didn’t have a bunch of cheese on hand for the photo so I substituted the “cheese” banner.  I created a Pinterest board for my St. Patrick’s Day picnic, check it out.

plastic plates for teenage mutant ninja turtle craftAnd while I was messing around with the Solo products, I realized that I could make a homemade Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle costume for my son.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Play OutfitIt is totally going to fall apart by the end of the day (the straps are made from flagging tape.  Ribbon would hold up way better) but that will save me from having to store it…

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Outfit out of platesI also think this method would be cool for making super hero chest shields.  Doesn’t he look so tough?  He was much happier to wear this for pictures.

What are your big plans for St. Patrick’s Day?

*Disclosure:  Solo sent me product to use for crafting.

DIY Knotted Yarn Bracelets

yarn braceletsI really like to knot things.  And I can’t stop.  I’ve used this particular knot for garlands, I’ve used them for hanging balloons and now I’m using knots for these Knotted Yarn Bracelets.  They are easy, they look cool and I just plain like them.  And I have no idea what this kind of knot is even called.

yarn bracelet suppliesFor these knotted yarn bracelets, you just need yarn and scissors.  For tutorial purposes I’m showing you how to make them with just one piece of string.  To make a thicker bracelet, just use more pieces in one color, or mix it up and use a bunch of colors.

knotted steps for yarn bracelet1:  Make a loop with the yarn. Make sure to leave enough at the end so that you can hold it in your left hand (you’ll be knotting with your right hand).

2: With your right hand, tuck the yarn through your first loop from underneath.  Do not pull it all the way through, you will be creating your second loop.

3:  Grab your new loop and pull to create a tight-ish knot at your first loop (from step 1) Have I lost you? It is really simple just super hard to explain!

4:  Here is a better look at the knot.  Remember do not pull the yarn all the way through.  Your knot may get really long in order to get your first knot to tighten which is fine and will be fixed in the next step.

5:  You want to work with a small loop to keep it efficient and taut.  Place that floppy loop around the thumb on your left hand and pull the loose string back through the first knot with your right hand.  This part is critical when making the bracelets with more than one piece of yarn.  This is where you get them to be smooth and not have one that is looser than the rest which can make it look really messy.

6:  Begin the next loop by repeating step 2.  And continue until you have the amount of knots you want.

knot a length of yarn for a braceletHere is what it will look like.  Remember keep the yarn tucked in your left hand and do the knotting with your right.  After the first few knots this will go really fast.

finish the knot of the braceletsTo finish the knotted portion of the bracelet, create one last loop, but this time you will pull the piece of yarn all the way through and secure the knots.

tie knot at end of braceletAs if that last part wasn’t hard enough to explain, here is how you make it adjustable and wearable…  On one end, make a knot (just to be safe, knot it again at the same spot so that the knot is larger).  This is the knot that make the bracelet slide to tighten on your wrist, but not slide all the way out of the other knot that secures it.

tie a second knotNext, tie a knot with both ends of the bracelet.

finish the knotPull the knot tight.  Trim the end of the bracelet without the knot.  Don’t cut it too short as this is yarn and it is somewhat slippery and a nice tug can pull it out of the knot.  Once you have this on your wrist, you will pull the end with the knot to tighten it.  To loosen, just pull on the piece of yarn (the one with the knot at the end) the other direction.

 bracelets made of yarnThen stack them up and wear them with other accessories.

easy yarn bracelet tutorialThese are perfect for Easter when using these pretty pastels.  And they are easy enough that young girls can do them.  This could be a super fun party activity.  And I love that they can be made with only yarn.  I’ve done it with rope for a really cool look but probably not something you would wear on your wrist.  Embroidery thread would be a bit too thin for my taste but would make a really delicate looking bracelet.  I would love to know if you know what this knot is called??