Full Start to the New Year

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The end of the January? Good night! This was a quickie. Well, except for the week everything shut down in South Carolina for snow. Now that it's over and we didn't lose power or have any ice damage, I will say it was a lovely view out my front window for two days.
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In the meantime, I've spent the month finishing up the 2010 One Block Over Bee and getting a start on the new. I'm in love with the Fairy Tale house block we all made in December. I need to track down the fabric used for the center and make one of those for my own! If not a whole quilt – when do I actually get that done? – then a wonky block as above quilted and sewn into a pillow cover.

January was full of organizing activities. The loveliest day was the day when my friend, Robyn, spent her day off helping me execute the organization two rooms in the downstairs apartment. The blue room is looking great again (it's been about two years since I could say that), and the guest room is ready for company and/or for when my son returns home from Germany and lives downstairs during his senior year of college!
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My husband has a January birthday, and I made him what I understand to be perfect Red Velvet Cake cupcakes. Now, you know me. If it's not chocolate, pretty much I don't waste my calorie intake on it. I only want rich, chocolatey cake when I eat cake; well, that or my friend, Teresa's, cream cheese pound cake, the only other best cake out there. When I told the man I was making his favorite cupcake recipe for his birthday, he said, "Why don't you just pick some up at Publix?" Uh, hello? Game on! If my first batch didn't turn out absolutely perfect, by jiminy, I would try, try again until I could be featured on Food Network. However, my combination of ideas from Martha Stewart, Paula Deen, and The Pioneer Woman recipes turned out perfecto! The frosting was lush and not too sweet.  I even took a few to work with me and had the ladies there do a Cupcake War and grade me on texture, taste, and beauty. I won! By the way, I picked up a beautiful Red Velvet Cupcake at Publix a couple of days later, so I could try their version. I'm thinking that mix is from the box. Speaking of chocolate ... I have a yen for my double layer favorite.