AfricanKelli

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My friend Amanda recently raved about a new recipe she’d tried and loved: chocolate cherry cupcakes. She’s a baker and the one who introduced me to my very favorite baking cookbook, “The Cake Mix Doctor.” I thought I’d give these a whirl for some bagel shop/coworker CAOK love this week.

I picked up a few of these Chinese take-out boxes last month with the hopes of making fortune cookies to celebrate the Chinese New Year. I thought the pink would be particularly festive for the Year of the Boar. Alas, the fortune cookies didn’t happen. (Although one day! I have cute little fortunes in mind to fill them with.)

Instead, they were filled with one giant chocolate cherry cupcake. I poured the frosting over the cake once it was in the box, keeping my fingers crossed the frosting would harden as planned and not make a gooey, chocolate puddle. It worked!

A bit of ribbon and one of many stamped CAOK notes and voila — a chocolate treat wrapped and ready to go.

I knew the bagel shop boys wouldn’t appreciate the frill, so their platter was plain.

It is safe to say they enjoyed these — down to the last drop of frosting. Recipe found here.

~K

I work in international health. I get to travel about nine weeks a year to far off lands to manage and develop health projects for the poor. I truly love my job. Not a day goes by that I don’t find myself truly thankful for being in this line of work. I’m very lucky.
This past weekend I was in charge of a giant fundraiser. It was the first time I’ve been responsible for this sort of event and it took about six months of work to pull together. We had 500-plus people attend and early estimates show we raised about $100,000. Thankfully, it was a huge success. I am even happier that I’ve got nearly a year until we do it again.

Needless to say, I haven’t been crafting or baking as much as usual. Last night was the first time I’ve been able to sit down and really sew in about a month. No photographs of my CAOK projects yet — they need some final touches before their Kodak moment.

However, I did manage to find time last week for a haircut. While waiting for my trim, I browsed a new magazine, Country Home. Have you read this? The March 2007 issue was the first time I’d even seen this magazine and like I’d been struck by cupid, I fell head over heels in love. The cover photo is ugly, but once you get past the chartreuse, the interior photos and information really speak to my style and current love of all things shabby chic. {French shabby chic is even better!}

I cannot believe that I’m finding myself loving the country-farm-shabby style, but I am. Why fight it? Instead, I drooled over these photos and am making plans to incorporate more of these colors, textures and styles into my home.

If you are looking for a design magazine with great decorating tips and well-written articles, I highly recommend this issue.

Cheers,
Kelli

P.S. I very well may have to file an extension for my February entry to the In Stitches Sew Along. What a flake I am! To be an organizer and to not have my project completed. C’est la vie.

P.P.S. I got quite a laugh from my stylist when during my haircut we were discussing art. She mentioned that while she loved Frida Kahlo, she still really wishes she’d had time to wax those brows and mustache.

The girls I’ve grown up with are essentially my sisters — the Ya Yas. We love, fight, gossip and party like we came from the same womb. While we’ve seen our interests and lives go in different directions since we’ve left our parent’s homes on Dobson Ranch, our bond remains tight.

If we’d been attending the Oscars last night, we certainly would have been at the Beverly Hills Hotel beforehand, kicking out the stylists to make more room for bartenders, drivers and nannies. I can just imagine the night would go something like this:

Amanda, with her long golden hair, would exit the limo with a tuxedoed Ryan on her arm. She’d smile and bat her long eyelashes at the cameras, trying carefully not let the scar from her recent neck surgery show. Knowing Amanda, she’d have her hair pulled to one side to carefully cover the wound (a la Gwyneth) and nary a paparazzi would see the bandage when she accepted her award for Volver. {Freduardo, the mysterious neck lump, will not return this time!}

Jenny, with her silken tresses piled high on her head, would wear a long red sheath gown and a tasteful diamond bracelet. She’d have to pull her beau Kelsay away from the masses of onlookers as they walked down the red carpet. He’d want to entertain them along the way with his silly humor. Jen — who spends 80% of her life on the road for a very demanding job — would graciously accept her award for The Departed before sneaking out early to spend time at home.

Min would wear Betsy Johnson, fabulous heels and jewelry from her mom’s collection. She’d have the outfit of the evening that everyone would comment only she could pull off with such taste. Her husband Jason would wear a tuxedo t-shirt and would try not to tear up when Min accepted the award for Dream Girls. The mother of two of two sons is expected a new babe this fall.

Speaking of girls, Shayla and her lovely daughter Maddy would have matching outfits and would hold hands walking down the red carpet. They would wear black velvet gowns and have diamond stud earrings. Shay would beam with pride when they were both called on stage to accept their award for Little Miss Sunshine.

Reese Witherspoon would be glad she wasn’t at last night’s Oscar. It is An Inconvenient Truth for her that fans regularly approach to ask if she knows she looks a lot like a certain Rebecca who lives in Phoenix. Rebecca, and her husband Matt, would wear Versace — she in a flowing eggplant-purple gown and he in a George Clooney standard tuxedo.

And Kacey would walk down the red carpet with her sweet Mike in hand, making sure she didn’t have chalk dust on her gown before smiling for the cameras. After having just finished coaching volleyball at her her inner city school near Chicago, the teacher would have to be pried away from the always-demanding needs of her students to accept for Notes on a Scandal. It seems Louis Gossett Jr. should be the principal at her school. Kacey could teach that million dollar baby a thing or two about teaching tough kids.

Me? I thought about accepting for Pan’s Labyrinth — considering many days seem like a series of mazes until I reach my next bagel. Instead I opted for The Pursuit of Happyness. I’m silly-optimistic and the fact they spelled it incorrectly makes me want to accept the award with a bottle of White Out tucked in my tiny Judith Leiber handbag (I’ve always wanted the ladybug.) I’d be wearing Carolina Herrera and Manolos and would keep my impromptu speech short and sweet.

~K

Two dozen long-stemmed roses on my doorstep this afternoon, with a CAOK card attached.
Whomever you are — thank you! They are lovely!

~K

“The three highest causes of the upright human: Honor, Duty, Truth.

Three things from which never to be moved: one’s Gods, one’s Oaths and the Truth.”

From my friend (and domestic queen!) June.

I promise to have more energy for craftiness and the such next week. Long weekend of work ahead — and I have a great feeling it is going to be very successful. Here is to having a wonderful weekend!
~K