Maia the Bee- Guest Blogger

Good morning!  Today,  I am back with another guest blogger for you today!  Today, we Andrea from Maia the Bee!  She is an amazing mother to a beautiful 9 month old!  Check her out!

 

 

Thank you, Bonnie, for letting me make a guest appearance on your blog today!

 

Hi everyone!  My name is Andrea and I'm new to the blogging world.  You can find me HERE blogging about my adorable daughter, my new life as a SAHM, and our life overseas.  (Yup, we've lived in Germany for 4 years!)  I'm an amateur baker who loves taking pictures, traveling, and crafting.  Stop by and say hi!  I have so much planned - I can't wait to share!

 

When my friend Brittany asked if I could make Settlers of Catan cupcakes for her husband's birthday, I was excited…and scared!!  Who were the Settlers of Catan??  And how was I going to make cupcakes about them??

 

It turns out, I'm not the first to make these cupcakes.  Not even close.  Pictures of Settlers cupcakes and cookies are all over the web.  I had a lot of inspiration to draw from, seeing as I have never played the game in my life!!

 

I printed out full sized photos of both the game board and a sample set of cupcakes I found in a Google search and then I got to work coloring fondant.

 

 

I had counted 4 grassy fields, 4 hay fields, 3 mountain ranges, 4 forests, 3 with bricks, and one lone piece that looked like a chess piece.  (Brittany later told me that this is the robber piece and it sits on a desert tile.)  I decided that I didn't want just plain "grass" cupcakes…I wanted sheep too!

I always make the fondant pieces in advance.  It gives them a chance to dry and harden, and it gives me a chance to make everything and have it all ready in time!!

 

 

The cupcakes are red velvet with strawberry filling and cream cheese frosting.  I delivered them to Brittany who gave them to her husband, John, for his birthday.  Here is a picture Brittany took of John with his birthday cupcakes…

 

 

In fact, ALL of these pictures were taken by Brittany.  She is an AMAZING photographer!  Look at how beautiful this picture is…

 

 

It's even been used on Pinterest!  (We're both pretty darn excited about that!)  You can check out more of her work here.  She sells prints if you're interested in a gorgeous photo for your wall.

 

What do you guys think?  I was pretty nervous but I'm really happy with how they turned out!  And my husband and I have decided that we need to get the board game to find out what it's all about!

 

Thanks Andrea!  Please stop by her blog and follow this gal!  She is new and would love to hear from you!

 

Have a great day!

How To Choose A Tiled Kitchen Backsplash

How To Choose A Tiled Kitchen Backsplash



The kitchen is more than likely the main part of the house that we spend our time in these days, and thats more than likely not just for cooking and cleaning. It is no longer a place where we just cook and go. The kitchen is seen and a premium area of the house nowadays, so its has become more important that it looks rather stylish as people dont just want to feel good about their food they want to feel good about where they are preparing it. Thats why many are opting to modernise their kitchen by having a nice shiny kitchen backsplash installed or fitting one themselves.



Maybe you already have a pretty good looking kitchen but you are getting tired of your current design. Your kitchen might be missing something so maybe is it time to really change how the kitchen looks. Backsplashes can really complement the kitchen, so maybe you need to consider some of the following simple backsplashes ideas for the kitchen that can help lighten and brighten your kitchen.



There are some definite ideas that you need to consider in creating your backsplash designs. Start with a strong theme and move forward from there. Decide on a color scheme to be used and then move on to the other elements planned. Your choice of materials and texture is really important, with use of imagination being the secret to success in choice of the perfect design.



When choosing or designing your new backsplash you have the choice of so many differing styles colours and materials. You can consider a mural on your backsplash tiles. For example you could get an artist to create your own kitchen backsplash design by custom hand painting you a mural on ceramic tiles by hand to order. They will usually be able to do this in any pattern, style, theme or colour. Or maybe you can get a picture printed onto individual tiles that then make one glorious picture when the tiles are stuck up on the wall.



You should also study the colors of your current kitchen accessories or consider the purchase of new items in the kitchen before you make your choice, otherwise it might not work. Backsplashes can be very bold if thats your style or they can be extremely plain and simple.



The backsplash area is possible the busiest and hardest working place in your kitchen, that is likely to acquire food stains from all the various kitchen activities. So its definitely a place that could do with sprucing up and making less functional. So redesign your kitchen backsplash to bring together the entire kitchens kitchens design. Add a new sense of character and flair to bring your old drab kitchen space into the trends of today and turn that very standard and function area into the main centre stage for your kitchen. You may just want to update your kitchen backsplash to make your kitchen look shiny bright and new.



Take the time and effort create a beautiful kitchen backsplash for your kitchen and you will be well rewarded. Your imagination is your first tool for designing an new lok for you kitchen so make the most of it. With so many choices of designs its amazing what you will be able to think of for your backsplash.



Materials to choose from for your modern design for your backsplash range from glass, ceramics, metal, steel, tin or other such materials. Sometimes people choose themes when embarking on a design for a backsplash and when bouncing around ideas, choosing colors and looks. Accompany these with some clever designs and you can create a backsplash that really stands out.



Traditional backsplashes can be made from marble, or unusual materials for today such as earth colored chipped tiles which would give a more traditional look in the kitchen. These are the little touches that make all the difference.



Just be sure to consider all of the available options where possible. Look around all your local stores for ideas, and dont forget that you can request free samples to take home and compare with current colors or to help motivate you with ideas. There are all kinds of possibilities for kitchen backsplashes these days. You may just stumble across a new style that wasnt something you had seen before or considered. Think stainless steel, glass mosaic, colored sheet glass backsplash, brick backsplash, stacked stone backsplash, copper panels, gold tiles, mirror tile, ceramic tile, marble, granite, bead board, embossed tin and on and on. Dont limit yourself and remember to shop around as much as you can. The kitchen backsplash of your dreams is out there somewhere!

White Quartz Countertops

Remodel Kitchens

Glass Tile Backsplash Ideas

How To Choose A Tiled Kitchen Backsplash

Twice Owned Party

Welcome to my

64th

TWICE OWNED TUESDAY PARTY!

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Hello all!  I hope that you have been enjoying all the guest bloggers around here! Yes, I am still here,  just been crazy!  I will update you with everything this week!  Until then,  show me what you have been up to by linking up below!

Here are my Queens from last week!

Bee Interiors spruced up her light fixture!

Three Boys re-upholstered this cute chair.

Clear Blue Sky found some really neat items!

Busily Spinning Momma made a shirt from a sheet!  How cute is that?

Blissfully Ever After monogramed these basket liners herself.

Shabby Love re-did a whole bunch of neat items.

Thanks for stopping by. Have a great day! :)

Thanks to everyone who linked up!

Please feel grab a button for your blog, you were just named a TWICE OWNED QUEEN!

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Have a great week!

I can’t wait to see what you link up this week!

If you are linking up, please grab a button! :) Thanks.

Have a great day! :)

Landscaping around the Burj Khalifa, Downtown Dubai, February 2011

Bathroom Remodeling Project of University City by dRemodeling

An old bathroom need to remodel in order to keep it's modernity while still keeping the basic architecture, here are the project of dRemodeling that renovate and remodel the old bathroom of a historic 1894 home in the University City neighborhood of Philadelphia. You can see the picture of before and after remodeling process. here are the pictures.

dRemodeling undertook much more than a mere cosmetic makeover - They undertook a complete structural renovation to bring the bathroom up to the most modern codes and standards and to ensure the bathroom would last for decades to come. Simply put, the homeowners wanted a guest bathroom that was built as solidly and as elegantly as a master bathroom.

The homeowners wanted the bathroom to exude a Zen-like atmosphere, so dRemodeling undertook several measures to ensure that they would get exactly (and beyond) what they wanted. The room was stripped down to the bare lath and then completely rebuilt and refinished into a modern bathroom. The process involved replacing the dingy old bathtub with a modern frameless glass-enclosed shower whose floors and walls were covered with pebble-like tiles to add a naturalistic flair to the modernist bathroom. via

A True Opulent Modern Living in Luxurious and Charming Serrano by A-Cero

If you believe in Karma then perhaps A-cero got the karma of always designing such luxurious interior design as well as a marvelous job in home designing. It seems that it is a curse given to them, and of course it is a good curse. You will be fascinated by this architecture projects and interiors in this incredible looking Serrano apartment located in center of Madrid in a four storey building. This 185 square meter apartment has the best interior design of in elegant black which becomes sort of the trade mark of A-cero and I just loved it. The loft here has four or more bedrooms, a lounge room, a kitchen, bathrooms and dining room. You will love the tender natural light coming from the wide windows and skylights. A truly opulent modern living space from A-cero.

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