Delicious Red Velvet Cupcakes

9 / 11 / 159 / 11 / 15

Are you a big fan of red velvet cupcakes? I am! This summer I decided to do some baking for my birthday. We went camping with the family and I wanted to create something extra special. Believe-it-or-not, I’d never made red velvet cupcakes from scratch before.

They turned out fabulous! The cake was moist and the cream cheese frosting had the perfect tangy-ness to it. My only regret was that it was very hot in my kitchen and the pretty frosting melted. As soon as I noticed it falling, (after meticulously frosting them with a decorating gun) I placed them in the refrigerator to cool and set up.

They were a big hit! A few people were fighting over them and Dustin, my husband wanted lots more. I found the cute matching red sprinkles at a local shop called Pumpkin Seed Bulk Food. The Pumpkin Seed has lots of different spices and baking supplies at really good prices.

I found the recipe from Allrecipes.com. I looked at a few different ones, but this one seemed the easiest and had the best reviews. Once I was done, I felt very proud of myself because they looked as great as they tasted. (Sometimes it doesn’t turn out that way.) Here are the ingredients:

Red Velvet Cupcakes

-2 1/2 cups flour

-1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

-1 teaspoon baking soda

-1/2 teaspoon salt

-1 cup butter, softened

-2 cups sugar

-4 eggs

-1 cup sour cream

-1/2 cup milk

-1 (1 ounce) red food color

-2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting

-1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese

-1/4 cup butter, softened

-2 tablespoons sour cream

-2 teaspoons vanilla extract

-1 (16 ounce) box of confectioners sugar

Head on over to All Recipes for all the instructions to make them!

Some Tips From A Gal Who Made Them

-Make sure you ice them in a cool place or else the icing will melt and look ugly!

-Use lots of red food coloring for the red color to show up.

-Don’t over-mix the cake or else it won’t rise.

-Buy some pretty nonpareils (round sprinkles).

Let me know if you try them! Have you made red velvet cupcakes before?

Love & Laughter,

Tiffany

P.S. The fun white tree trunk display was purchased from T.J. MAXX. We used it and others for my little sister’s Alice In Wonderland bridal shower!

Organic Sunscreen, Lotion & Coffee Free From PinchMe

4 / 20 / 155 / 6 / 15

Have you heard of Pinchme? I discovered them a few years back when I was obsessed with getting free things sent to me in the mail. Although I still love free samples, I find that I only sign up for things I know I’ll use. I have a kazillion foil packets at home that are collecting dust.

Pinchme is a website where you can sign up for free samples. There aren’t any catches. They send you a box of samples if you qualify. You don’t have to jump through hoops or pay a cent. No credit cards. No spam. They send you email updates and let you know when you can sign up for a box. You pick up to three or four samples and you receive it for free. All you have to do is re-log in and review the items you received. In the past I’ve gotten perfume samples and other wonderful items. This month, I opened my box and found:

Neutrogena Hand Cream

An itty bitty little hand cream that’s .5 ounces. It smells like lotion and looks like beauty primer. It is kinda clear-ish and disappears once it’s rubbed in. According to Neutrogena, this product is their Norwegian Formula

which is supposed to moisturize your hands without leaving a greasy feel. As soon as I used it, I began typing and my fingers stuck to the keys. Although it does seem greasy, it definitely moisturizes. I don’t think I’ll be buying this – or even finishing the sample. Bummer.

Sunny Body Natural Sunscreen

This 1 ounce sample is really cute. We’re running off to Myrtle Beach this month so it’s the perfect thing to try. Sunny Body Natural Sunscreen

is a sunscreen that’s made of some organic ingredients! From Goddess Garden Organics, this product offers a broad spectrum SPF of 30 and it’s water resistant for 40 minutes. I was a little thrown off by the branding. I thought it was 100% organic, but it only has SOME ingredients like sunflower oil and aloe vera that are. It smells like sunscreen. Nothing special there. I haven’t tried it yet but will while on vacation at the beach. On the side of the tube it says “sheer mineral lotion, biodegradable, cruelty free, reef safe, non-GMO” I’ve never heard of the brand, Goddess Garden, so we’ll have to wait and see. You can purchase it on Amazon for $13.49 for 3.5 ounces.

Gevalia Kaffe

Ok, I’m addicted. I love coffee samples. It doesn’t matter if you’ve tried them…you still get them. This little .84 ounce bag is good for four cups of coffee. I like Gevalia

ok. I’m not a huge fan. I’d prefer Starbucks but, hey, it’s free. I got a sample of the house blend which is a medium roast. It comes already ground.

Nivea In-Shower Body Lotion

I hate foil packets but I can’t complain because it’s absolutely free. This little sample is of Nivea Body In-Shower Nourishing Body Lotion

. I get it. Some people have extra dry skin and need this. I’m not one of them. I usually take a bath to feel less icky and not put on lotion. BUT part of blogging is trying new things and letting you guys know what I think. I’ll give it a shot.

Overall: It’s Free & Fabulous

Pinchme sends free samples at no cost to you. They just ask you take a little survey once you try them. I love it. It’s an easy way to try new products and get free coffee samples. It’s also nice to get a box in the mail. FOR FREE. You can sign up here.

*I don’t receive anything for you joining. I’ve been a member for about one year.

Poeticlaughter. What You’re In For.

2 / 5 / 155 / 6 / 15

Hello there! If you’re checking this post out, chances are you’ve already seen some of my blog and want to know a little bit more about me and what I’m about. (Or where I began)

Perhaps I’ve become a world-wide-web phenomenon and I’m working with Sephora and Taylor Swift is my bestie and calls me when her cats aren’t getting along.

Or… you may have just stumbled upon this itty bitty section of the internet by accident or by looking up information about T-swift’s cats.

However you got here: I hope we can become fast friends and you’ll want to click around and stay awhile.

Poeticlaughter is a blog dedicated to life and beauty through the lens of love.

The journey to begin this blog is a long one with many attempts and failures. I remember when I lived in Chicago (in 2010) and worked in an office. I hated it. I lacked creativity and was sick of getting everyone’s mail everyday. Deep inside I knew I had more to offer the world and that I just needed the right push.

A few years went by and we moved to Ohio. I began freelance writing and learned to have the confidence I needed to run an online business and express myself as a writer. Many different beauty blogs approached me and I wrote a lot about interior design, beauty, and travel. As I wrote, I realized I wanted to create something organic…something new that I wasn’t being monitored to write. It was through reading lots of different books about online business and flipping through many magazines that I realized:

I have something unique to offer. There aren’t many beauty and lifestyle blogs that follow the latest trends but with an uplifting, empowering believers perspective.

So what does Poeticlaughter mean? It means that there is beauty and poetry in our life and laughter. It means that you can laugh at yourself and embrace your unique God-given talents in a way that doesn’t make others feel less-than. It means that whether you’re in your teens or are navigating retirement you can be beautiful inside and out while leaving your own mark on the world.

On poeticlaughter.com I’ll be your guide, blogging about the latest in makeup, home decor, relationships and life! Although my primary focus will be on beauty, you may see glimpses of my personal life. I’m learning to love myself well and the world around me one day at a time. Join me and learn a thing or two about lipstick, the latest in skincare, and if that hyped-up mascara is really worth $24.

Oh, and there may be a few posts about cats.