Cupcake pops, moving, and more

Part of the perks of living near family (two big families- our parents come from families of 7 kids) is getting together a lot. Part of the problem is getting together a lot! Really though, we love it here... and we'd better, since we just bought and house and my husband isn't looking forward to taking the bar exam anywhere else! So... we're abundantly blessed but really busy this time of year. Unfortunately, my blogs have been very neglected. I also haven't checked my regular reads and I've really just been in survival mode. I know you all think we have three course Barefoot Contessa meals for dinner every night followed by some exotic dessert (cough cough) but I'll admit we've eaten a lot of soups, salads, and sandwiches... not to mention leftovers and crockpot dishes! We are also working on remodel for our house and I can't wait to have a kitchen of my own again, soon.

This is our old kitchen in Utah. My husband really wanted to try a new color so I flipped through the colors in the paint store and tried to keep an open mind. I don't think I was that successful, since it went about like this.

Red (no, all my accessories are red). Orange (nope, never have liked it). Yellow (maybe... maybe.) Green (I'd love green!). Blue (could be too Americana with all the red). Purple (never have been much for purple for myself). Pink (I'd love a soft soft baby pink, my husband would die). Brown (the rest of the house is tan, I'd like some color).

And there you go. It left yellow (his choice) and green (my choice). I was prepared for yellow but last minute I told my husband, "I just can't do it! It's not me! I want green for the room I'm always working in!" He caved and said as long as it was something different Green was fine.

So I went back to the paint store and chose a random green, bought a trial, and slapped it on the walls. He came over and said, "Looks just like the old green. But if it makes you happy..." So there you have it... this color green seems to be my soul mate. In my defense, it is a little less grey and a little more "apple". Either way, it's going to be pretty. We spent last weekend ripping out flooring, painting, and begging our relatives to babysit. We hope to move this weekend and have the kitchen operating in about two weeks. The blue is the color for the master bath (approximately) and the rest of the house will be the tan, with white doors and trim. The flooring is coming in this week and I'll have pictures soon.

So... I allowed myself a little blogging time this morning and went over to Bakerella's site. Along with a million cute Christmas ideas, I saw my cupcake pops I made last summer! They aren't quite as cute as the last batch I made with Auburn, but I think I've figured them out now and can make them pretty easily. If you try them, give yourself plenty of time, counter and fridge space, and cute decorations. I would also recommend using the scalloped cookie cutter instead of the trays (and a big one- the less scallops the easier they'll be to see after all that dipping!)

And finally... don't forget that today is the last chance to enter the giveaway! Tomorrow I'll be back with Dorie's ridiculously delicious sugar cookies.