How To Bake: {Heart Shaped} Cinnamon Rolls

My favorite food in all the world: CINNAMON ROLLS! I thought I would try making them into heart shapes for Valentine's Day, although they didn't turn out quite as heart shaped as I would have liked! Regardless of how they look, the recipe is the same and it's the one I have used over and over again for years.

Also, you will notice I used goat milk powder in this recipe, but you can easily substitute regular cow's milk. I try to stay off of cow's milk, which is why I tend to use goat milk powder a lot in my baking.

Happy Baking!

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many thoughts.

The dresses I am working on right now are taking longer than I thought. Or at least, I started to realize how silly it was to think I could open up shop before finishing these dresses! Making historical clothing is so much different than modern apparel. There are so many little details. You can't just cut it out and sew everything up with a machine. Lots of hand sewing involved. And I am drafting the patterns from scratch, so it is time consuming. It's been awhile since I've made a historical garment. Probably not since last year! So I'm doing a lot of research at the same time, which I actually do for pretty much every historical dress project I start. That is the reason why these two dresses will be my last historical dresses for a long time. I have not made any public statement or closed down my website (I will probably keep it open for those who use it for reference) yet, but have decided it's time. Time to move on to other things. I already have fabric for my spring/summer clothing and am itching to start work on those. But alas, I have other work to do first. I also have more Henriette dresses in a new blue/cream plaid made out of a lovely silk/linen fabric. And I made the Eugénie dress in a hunter green silk velvet I picked up the other week. It's really a stunning color. Jed helped pick this one out, so if you like it you can thank him for the color selection! :) I am sorry I can't reopen the shop just yet, but hopefully these dresses won't take too much longer!

I also have a lot on my mind regarding some of the things I wrote recently in another post I made about making youtube videos etc. I have been agonizing over whether or not to make videos, even going so far as to make a few sample videos (I know, really lame!) but am not happy with any of them. And have decided, for the time being, that making videos and doing the YouTube "scene" really is not my thing. I've found that as much fun as it sounds to do little videos, most of the time it just makes me feel like I need more "stuff," that I don't have enough "things." That feeling of "needing" more in my life than what I already have is not healthy for me. I do like to watch YT videos, but sometimes it is hard for me not to want to buy whatever product someone is talking about. Thinking it is the instant cure-all for whatever I'm dealing with at that moment. And while I'm not trying to put anyone down for making these videos (I really do enjoy watching many of them!) I just don't think it is right for me. I want to be real and myself, and I have a feeling that if I made videos I would be too worried and would just copy someone else! Perhaps there may be an occasion to make a video for a tutorial or a hairstyle, but you know I kind of prefer photography over video anyway.

So that's that! Hopefully I haven't offended anyone. I am trying to be honest and true to myself. Anyway, blah blah... back to sewing for a little while. Perhaps a cup of tea and then to bed I'll go. I am sorry I wrote a book this time! Thanks to those who were able to sift through my writing. Have a really lovely and beautiful weekend! xoxo

peaceful weekend

{mom made doughnuts the other day. tons of doughnuts! we have a tradition to make doughnuts after we have a blizzard. i like this tradition. fresh home-made doughnuts are oh-so delightful. unfortunately they are filled with about a million calories, but who cares??}

I love quiet mornings and afternoons. I got up late so I'm still considering this my "late morning." Even though it's afternoon. Last night my friend Alanna and I went off to Scattergoods dance. It was the first time for both of us to attend. They have it every month, but it's a 40 minute drive so I've never gotten around to driving out there until last night. So much fun. The last time I went to a contra dance was in St. Louis a couple years ago. Last night people kept asking me if I danced and I would explain that I do a lot of mid-19th century dancing, which always ended up in a rather long explanation of what exactly that is. By the time we got home it was past midnight and this morning when I got up I discovered sore knees. I don't think I was want for a partner more than once the entire evening. People really like to dance at these things, and never stop! You also meet a lot of interesting characters. :) A few things I've learned from dancing through the years is one, always look your partner in the eyes. The first time I did this I felt very awkward, because let's face it, people have a really bad habit of looking around the room instead of at the person who you are talking to. It's not like they are going to bite your eyes off or anything. And and the next thing I've learned, when your partner spins you around, don't be afraid. He won't drop you. Just hold on and lean back, it's fun! I'm not sure if I'll be able to attend every dance, but hopefully I'll make it out there again. And maybe I can convince a few more people around here to come with me.


{wearing my new knitted hat, pattern by Ysolda.}

I'm looking out the window as I type this and the snow is blowing all over the yard. But I'm cozy warm inside, sipping my hot coffee and listening to Chopin. Yes indeed, this is what I call a relaxing Saturday. The cold weather has encouraged me to continue knitting and I keep finding patterns that I want to knit up. I've also begun this nasty habit of stopping by the local yarn store in town on my way home every Sunday. Last week I picked up a ball of some chunky weight wool yarn for the lovely Icing Swirl Hat I had to make by Ysolda. It was so easy to make and I'm already beginning another one that I plan to give to someone eventually. It's nice and cozy warm and I really like how it looks. My latest obsession is this knitted neck tie {via 16_sparrows}. I need to look and see if I have any appropriate yarn for this project or if I have to go back to the knit shop tomorrow once again and pick up something else.

Recently I discovered a new channel {to me} on YouTube. {Youtube, how I love thee.} It has tons of great movies I've been wanting to see for a long time. Or other movies I had never heard about and a great bunch of pre-code films too! Last night after coming home from the dance I just had to finish a movie I started earlier that day. It's called Private Lives {more info on imdb.com} and it was made in 1931, which makes it pre-code. I always find pre-code films to be much more interesting and I found this movie quite hilarious. This part I found particularly funny, I think mostly because I didn't expect someone in a 1930s film to say "pompous ass," but it's said throughout the film, which makes it even more hilarious.

Amanda {Norma Shearer}: You're a pompous ass!
Victor{Reginald Denny}: Mandy!
Amanda: Pompous ass! That's what I said and that's what I mean! Blown out with your own importance!
Victor: Mandy! Control yourself!
Amanda: Get away from me!

I also found I am beginning to love Norma Shearer. I'd only ever seen her in one film before, so I am delighted to find she is in several other films this YouTube channel has to offer. I also want to mention the same for Robert Montgomery. What a delightful couple he and Norma make!

While I'm at it, I've just discovered the joys of Tumblr, thanks to Erica. :) It's a nice and easy way to keep track of things I find as I surf the web. Often times I will see something I want to remember and save a link only to find later I can't remember where I saved the link. This makes it so much more convenient.

Well I'm off to try and be somewhat productive today. Then later will probably go have coffee with Alanna. I am sad because she's going off to France on Tuesday and then from there to Vancouver, so I'm not sure when I'll see her next. I hate it when friends go off, but I'm happy for all the new experiences she will have and all the adventures that await her in a different country.

Be well. Stay warm.