ADD THE SLIDER CODE HERE

19 December 2011

All together now.

When I started the Delighted Studio blog, I thought it best to filter my posts. I tried to stay just within the design realm, and keep my personal posts and news to places like twitter or facebook. However, as time went on I had things I wanted to share, and Delighted Studio became a place for me to share stories about my family and other interests apart from my design work & projects.

I recently finished building my online portfolio, daniellemckenrick.com, and as a result I've decided to streamline. Why keep up to blogs when a lot of what I post would be duplicate material? So, I've decided to merge.
I will no longer be posting about Delighted Studio projects here, but rather on daniellemckenrick.com. You can find a link there to my Delighted Studio business page, but if you want to learn about my work & projects, daniellemckenrick.com is the place to go.

I hope this will not be confusing for anyone. And I appreciate all of your support and for each visit you make to this page. I hope you enjoy my posts on daniellemckenrick.com. Check back in the new year for more printables and DIY projects!

-Danielle

08 November 2011

Monochromatic Note cards



I can't stress enough the importance of editing. In design and in life, less is more. So when Caitlin approached me to create personalized note cards, I was thrilled that she shares my love for simplicity. Caitlin and her boyfriend, David, recently moved from Virginia to San Francisco. They've fallen in love with the city and wanted note cards to reflect their new lifestyle. Since the pair love all things outdoors--hiking, biking, concerts, etc.--the bicycle-built-for-two seemed like the perfect fit.


Working on this project inspired another design project - so stay tuned for that in the coming weeks!


13 October 2011

DS Kitchen // Cake Pops


A couple weeks ago I made some cake pops for my best friend's baby shower. She's having a little boy, and I wanted to make some cute treats to share. The ingredients are simple, you just need to give yourself enough time to complete each step and allow for the cake pops to set.

What you'll need:

1. Your choice of cake mix - I chose a simple, white cake.
2. Your choice of frosting - I went with vanilla.
3. Lollipop sticks - You can purchase these at a craft store, like Michael's.
4. Mini cupcake papers 
5. Melting chocolate - I chose baby boy blue and dark chocolate.
5. Sprinkles - this is optional. Feel free to decorate however you choose.
6. A large bowl to mix your ingredients, and later to mix cake + icing.
7. Wax paper
8. A sheet cake pan and a baking sheet.
9. Styrofoam block

Instructions:

Prepare your cake mix following the instructions on the box, and bake. Once your cake has finished baking and cooling, crumble the cake into a large mixing bowl. You want to crumble the cake into a very fine texture. I recommend slicing the top 'crust' off the top of the cake, and using only the inside of the cake. The outer crust is very hard to crumble down, and leaves chunks in your cake pop.

Next, mix in spoonfuls of icing into your bowl of crumbled cake. You're looking to create a Playdoh-like texture. There is no need to use the entire jar of icing, you need just enough to be able to roll the cake mixture into balls. These treats are very, very sweet, so I recommend that you use the icing sparingly.

Next, line your baking sheet with wax paper. Roll the cake mixture into balls about the size of a golf ball. Once all your cake balls are formed, you'll need to chill them so the mixture can set. I usually keep them in the freezer for 15-20 minutes.


Once your mixture has set, warm up a portion of your melting chocolate in a microwavable dish. Then take a lollipop stick, dip the end in the melting chocolate, and insert the stick about half way through each pop. Repeat the chilling process until the melted chocolate has hardened and the stick feels secure. I usually put them back in the freezer for another 15 minutes.

Once the melted chocolate has hardened enough to support the pop, you can begin melting the remaining chocolate in your microwavable dish. Then coat each cake pop with the melted chocolate, using a spoon or knife to smooth off the excess. After this step add sprinkles while the chocolate coating is still soft. When your pop is fully coated, secure the lollipop stick into the Styrofoam block. This block is really important because it will allow the chocolate to harden and maintain the shape of the cake pop. 

Place the Styrofoam block of cake pops back in the freezer for 20 minutes. When the chocolate has hardened, place each pop in a mini cupcake paper and arrange on a tray for serving.



 I wanted to personalize these pops, so I printed up some tags on sticker paper and added them on at the end. Enjoy!

10 October 2011

Steal the Look: Padma Lakshmi



photo from The Vogue Diaries
I've created a copycat look based off of Padma Lakshmi's appearance on "Extra" at The Grove in Los Angeles, CA. I saw this look posted on a blog that I love called The Vogue Diaries. This could be a great look for fall with a slight footwear change!
           Steal Her Look: Padma Lakshmi

Here are the items I chose for this look: 

09 October 2011

Engaged // Janelle + Casey



Two of my friends are getting married next summer. I had a blast celebrating their engagement last weekend at a party hosted by the bride's family. I decided to make a few note cards for Janelle + Casey because if there is one thing a newly engaged couple needs---apart from more hours in the day to plan a wedding---it's thank you notes.


Congrats, Janelle + Casey! So happy for you both!