cinco de mayo

I'm not totally sure why, but I LOVE Cinco de Mayo! Maybe its because I always make homemade tacos that are greasy and super delish!! Not only did I make those today, but I also made the cutest cupcakes! I was brainstorming on what I wanted these cupcakes to look like for this holiday and decided to make them look like little margaritas! I just love them!!

Feliz Cinco de Mayo mis amigos!!

Easter festivities

Spring has sprung and we celebrate Easter this day with cute baskets full of decorated eggs, candy, and sweet cupcake treats. Last night I spent the evening with my Aunt, Uncle, cousins, and my Gramma. We had lots of fun decorating eggs! We are a crafty bunch!

But the real reason for this holiday is not because the Easter bunny comes...we celebrate Jesus Christ's resurrection! May God bless you as you celebrate with your family and friends!

He is Lord, He is Lord
He has risen from the dead
And He is Lord
Every knee shall bow
Every tongue confess
That Jesus Christ is Lord

autism speaks

A couple months ago I was asked if The Clever Corner would like to donate some cupcakes for a good cause. The event was a fundraising mixer & silent auction benefiting "walk now for autism speaks" in support of two young boys who have Autism, and to raise money for research to find a cure for Autism as well as to spread awareness on this growing developmental brain disorder. I was glad to be a part of the cause and donate some cupcakes for the event. I delivered the colorful cupcakes and setup the display yesterday, and they gave me this nice Certificate of RecognitionAutism affects 1 in 110 children and 1 in 70 boys! If you would like to find out how you can help or donate towards this cause go to Autism Speaks and see how you can help in the search for a cure!

St. Patty's Day

I just find St. Patrick's Day to be so much fun! Wearing green so you don't get pinched...or wearing red so you get kissed! Fun times! Here are some cute cupcakes I made to celebrate this holiday They are of course green and then topped with gold sprinkles to represent the luck of the Irish! Yummy and Cute...can't beat that!

the girl in the green scarf

The last few days I have been treasure hunting across Washington and Idaho. Yesterday I was in search of something green to wear today for St. Patrick's Day. I was pretty excited when I found this green scarf... It reminded me of the movie "Confessions of a Shopaholic", which is absolutely what I struggle with....shopping! But I must say, when I shop its for bargains...you won't find me in those high priced department stores, no way! I love the hunt at thrift stores, flea markets, and yard sales!
And this adorable green scarf was a total bargain at $1.
Today I was "the girl in the green scarf"
and loved every minute of it!
Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

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highchair downpour

I was driving around Spokane, WA this morning and came across a vintage highchair in front of someone's house with a FREE sign...so of course I stopped to pick up the fabulous find!! It was sitting up on a brick wall, and when I went to bring it down the tray tipped and DRENCHED me with water! Hair wet, clothes wet, and cold!!! Not a happy hunter anymore! It must have been out during the rain the night before. What bummer...I had just gotten ready for the day. Oh well, hopefully I will make some money off this find and all will be grand again! :)

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my crafty grandma

My family is going through a tough time right now as we say goodbye to our beloved Grandma Hyde. Six months ago we mourned the loss of our Grandpa, who is so dearly missed, and Grandma has now joined him in Heaven. My sweet Grandma was very crafty! She did a lot of crocheting of afghans, doilies, pillows, and crocheted purses for me and my sister when we were little girls, as well as dolls for us. She also was crafty in embroidery, needlepoint, painting, baking and decorating cakes...she was so talented and creative!! (I'd like to think that I got some of my creativeness from her)

One of Grandma's paintings that I inherited and LOVE!!!One of Grandma's needlepoints that my mom now has...When I was younger and my Grandma got to the point where the arthritis was too painful for her dainty hands, she passed down to me her crocheting hooks & needles, and her (now vintage) yarn basket. I have since crocheted 3 afghans!

My Grandma baked and decorated cakes for different events and gatherings, including weddings. Kind of awesome that I now bake and decorate cupcakes for special events...and I use her old (now antique) cupcake pans to bake them in!!

My mom made this counted cross-stitch for my grandparents to celebrate their grandchildren and it hung in their house for over 30 years. I look at this cherished framed handmade art that my mom made and am reminded of how blessed we grandkids are to have such amazing grandparents. The love they showered on us is priceless!! I will forever remember and love them...and will try to continue the craftiness my Grandma encouraged in our family.

I love you Grandma and will miss you immensely! And each time I look at all the things you've created, whether it be doilies, afghans, paintings, etc. I will be reminded of your great love for your family, and cherish all you've left behind.

Found it!!!

I'm soooooooo excited right now...
I finally found the newest Flea Market Style Magazine!! I can't wait to open the crisp pages and dive in! I've been waiting all year for this! Thank you, Vons, in Yucaipa CA, for carrying it!

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tie-twist-tac

I got a little crafty today...

A few weeks ago I was out shopping with my friend, Jessica, at an antique store and the girl working there was pretty crafty and making these cute tie broaches. They were pretty pricey, so I decided to figure out how to make it myself.

I found this super cute men's tie at a local thrift store up here in WA where I've been visiting the last couple weeks. It's Italian and made of pure silk. It was a steal of a deal at $0.99!! So I crafted this cute tie into a flower-like broach and topped it off with a vintage clip-on earring. Im absolutely in love with my new broach!!! :)

I will continue to make more, if you're interested in having one of your very own, let me know. I will be listing some on Etsy here soon! :)

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tweet-tweet

It's official....I've become a tweeter like all you other little birdies out there! My tweets may or may not be all that exciting, but won't the curiosity kill? Don't miss out on The Clever Corner happenings!! Follow us on Twitter!! :)
@TheCleverCorner

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Flea Market Style

I'm sitting here in the basement (when I should be sleeping) reading my favorite magazine, Flea Market Style. Its an old edition, as I haven't been able to find the newest one that just came out on shelves this month. I hope I find it soon...I'm so anxious!! :) I just get so excited looking through these magazines, getting ideas and tips...I can't wait for my next treasure hunt!! I just wish I had oodles of money so I wouldn't feel guilty about shopping! Hopefully the life of unemployment won't last too much longer so I can shop again. In the meantime, feel free to let me know if you have anything you'd like to part with for free...I LOVE hand-me-downs!!! :)

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Be Mine...

I just LOVE Valentine's Day!!
Just wanted to wish my readers a VERY Happy Valentines Day! I hope you all
got loved on today by your sweethearts like I did :) Me and my fluffy valentine had a great day!The day began wih cupcakes! YUM!
My mom and I made some super cute cupcakes for her husband (my step-dad's) office today. A lovely delight!My mom and I spent the day doing some fun thrift store shopping in her town in WA, where I found this super cute antique pedestal candy dish (for $1.89) perfect for our Valentine candy!!Later, my mom, step-dad and I had a fun Valentine dinner where we made our own individual pizzas and had a yummy treat table. We had lots of fun!!
Well, I hope you all had a great day full of love and yummy treats!

AND...

Won't you please BE MINE?!...
be a follower of The Clever Corner that is!
Click on the "Follow" button in the right column and you'll be the first to know of all my updates and stories! Exciting stuff! :)

Happy Valentines Day...
thanks for loving The Clever Corner!

Pillow Case Project

At my craft class this evening, we sewed our first in-class project. We made pillow cases! We ended up staying about an hour past the end of class so as to finish our projects, but it was worth it because I have a finished product! Its cute and Christmas themed...too bad I'll have to wait a whole year to use it! lol :) Anyway, its fun learning to sew and I can't wait for my next project!

Cupcake Zipper Bag

My 2nd sewing project ever was completed tonight!

At my craft class tonight, we were learning more about our sewing machines and how to use them properly. So when it was over, I was very motivated to make something. So I went home and got everything out and organized, and then started my 2nd sewing project.

After a couple hours trying to figure out what I was doing (lol), I finally finished my little zipper bag. The zipper was a little hard for me to figure out how to sew on...but I did it!!! Hopefully with a little more practice I can figure out how to sew zippers on faster :)

Anyway, I'm pretty excited about my new finished product...I think the little bag is so cute! Here's my super cute cupcake zipper bag (I'll probably use it as my makeup bag in my purse)...

Valentine's Day

Quite a few new pieces of jewelry have been added to The Clever Corner's Etsy shop! Please, check it out...and make a purchase! Valentine's Day is coming...buy something unique and special for your sweetheart! And if you're single, buy something pretty for yourself! :)

The Clever Corner's Etsy Shop

learning to sew...

Ever since I was a little girl I've wanted to learn to sew. Well, this past 'Black Friday' I splurged and bought myself a Singer sewing machine that was on sale for $50. I am so excited that I'm finally going to be able to make some cool things by sewing!

Tonight I learned how to thread the bobbin and needle and started to sew! I had a few knot issues, but finally got it working. So, for the first time ever, I sewed a pillow all by myself!! :) I figured it would be best to start with something simple...like a square! LOL :) So here it is, my little mini pillow made out of vintage material and adorned with a simple vintage button on each side. I am so excited that I've learned how to sew and can't wait for my next real project! :)

Photoshoot with Danny Vasquez Photography

Yesterday, The Clever Corner did a photoshoot with Danny Vasquez Photography. Poor guy, I'm not experienced with being the focus of a shoot, but I'm glad he was able to capture this photojournalistic viewpoint of the cupcake/baking aspect of my company.

At home with The Clever Corner...

Don't forget to check out Danny Vasquez Photography

And be sure to visit The Clever Corner often for all your cupcake needs!

Princess Baby Shower

Sunday afternoon I provided Princess themed cupcakes for a baby shower. Sweet Brianna is pregnant with a little girl and is excited for her new addition to arrive. The ladies at church all got together to celebrate her soon coming arrival and to shower her with gifts and love.

There were three cupcake designs in all. As you can see below, there were white chocolate molded crowns with pink accents, white chocolate molded baby footprints, and pink meringue cookies atop the scrumptious cupcakes. Super cute!!!
If you need cupcakes for your party or event, please contact The Clever Corner.

www.theclevercorner.net
jody@theclevercorner.net

pages of history

Its always fun finding something unusual when least expected!
Recently I was at the thrift store looking through some old books. I like looking through all the old dusty books, reading covers, and finding different books on crafting, decorating, beading, painting, or anything that catches my eye. Well on this one particular day, I found a book that I just had to buy! Sometimes you've just gotta snatch the book that you never thought you needed or knew was out there! LOL :)

A New Year...A New Obsession

Today is the start of a New Year!
2011 is here...
and with it comes new adventures, treasure hunts and....obsessions! LOL :)

As you know, I love the hunt at thrift stores, flea markets, yard sales, etc. Well, I have a new obsession that I'm hunting for...

Cameos & Pocket Watches
I love the uniqueness of them, and the story behind them. Its probable that I won't find the ones of extreme value for $0.25 at a yard sale, but its fun going on the hunt. I found this vintage Lucerne pocket watch (above) at a little thrift store in Coos Bay, Oregon (while on a road trip with my mom) for $1.00! Yep, that's right, only ONE DOLLAR! It was marked $20, but since I showed the lady working behind the counter that it didn't work, she parted with it for $1. So that was exciting! Now I just need to get it working again. And this lamoge cameo broach (above), I found it at a local thrift store for a couple bucks as well.

As I realized my new obsession growing, I decided to go through all my jewelry and see if I had any others of this sort that I had forgotten about. Sure enough, I had 4 more cameos mixed in with my other vintage broaches that I had been collecting over the years.
FUN FUN FUN!!
It was a hunt in my own jewelry box! I love that!

I also recently purchased an Ingraham/Biltmore 1940's pocket watch for $10 that is currently not in working order, but I researched online and I found one going for $400 in restored/working order! Hopefully I can get it all fixed up, and either keep the fabulous find, or resell it for some profit. We shall see! :)
So, if you have any lovely cameos and pocket watches that you feel no special connection with and are willing to part with, please let me know! I would LOVE to add to my newly started collection!

* 2011 *

What better way to start a New Year, than with a cupcake?!

Sparklers...Sprinkles...and Scrumptiousness!

May your 2011 be filled with tasty delights!
(made by The Clever Corner)

Happy New Year!

Cupcake Catering for 2010

I know its been awhile since my last blog post and I apologize! Life has been busy lately, with finding a full-time job, starting my cupcake catering business, and keeping up on my social engagements. But I'd like to share with you some stories and photos of my cupcake designs since I started "The Clever Corner" business this year.

My very first cupcake design was for a Luau themed Bunco night for the ladies at my church. I had signed up to bring some cupcakes for dessert and thought it would be fun to make them themed. Little did I know that this would be the start to my new business! My mom was in town and so she was my assistant...we make a great team, and if she lived local I'm sure we'd do this business together! Anyway, the cupcakes came out soooo cute and I was very excited to show them off!
I had also signed up to do cupcakes for a friend's baby shower. So to make it extra special, they were specialized with her colors of pink and black and adorned with edible pearls. The ballerina baby shower cupcakes and display came out great and everyone was impressed!

I was then asked to do another baby shower...but this one was for a baby boy. It was a Prince themed shower with blues, browns, and whites. I designed 5 themed cupcakes in all, and was excited to make some molded chocolate crowns to go along with the Prince theme, as well as molded chocolate footprints for the baby theme. They turned out great and the mommy-to-be was very happy! I even made a crown to top off the cupcake tower as a special gift for mommy's new arrival.
Mid November I participated in a local craft fair, displaying my jewelry and cupcakes. I enjoyed this event, as it was my first time having a table where I could share my creations with others (both jewelry and cupcakes). I made some money, and really appreciated the feedback from all the shoppers. I look forward to my next sale!
A few of my really good friends were turning 40 and a big party was in store! They needed some custom cupcakes for their gathering. Since it was the Fall season, their theme was Fall with the warm tones and colors. So I made 3 different themed cupcakes to along with their party. They were a hit!

I catered a surprise birthday party for a friend turning 37. One of his passions is golf, and so his wife thought it would be great to have a golf-themed party. So I brainstormed and came up with a few cupcake designs (4 designs in all). I even made some molded white chocolate golfballs to top a few off! Everyone loved the cupcakes, and I was pleased.
The Holidays:
Halloween was a fun holiday to design cupcakes for. I did a few different designs, plus an awesome display! It was spooky and perfect for this holiday!
For Thanksgiving, I created the cutest little turkey themed cupcakes. I just fell in love with these little guys, and it was hard to eat them! LOL :) They were a hit and tasted scrumptious!!
Christmas just passed, but through the holidays I enjoyed making cupcakes for my office party, and friends. Below are a few of my designs...
If you need cupcakes for your special event, please check out my website for more information. Just go to:
www.theclevercorner.net

I look forward to making your event EXTRA special!!!