Today is my 33rd Birthday and I can promise y’all that I KNOW how truly blessed I am.  Of course its been quite a while since I’ve posted, but here I am.  There have been a number of positive things going on in my life; some to do with sweet opportunities, academic achievements, and most important my movements to simply “Be Good To Yourself” and know that “Joy Is Contagious”! Thank you ALL for remaining a part of MY journey as I continue to scribe my story and champion me.  I will make the promise never have another lengthy writing hiatus (well at least not another six months) *wink* as well as to always remain true to who the Pampered Sweet Tooth is (the woman, the brand, the candor) and WILL progress into. Now grab you favorite cupcake, a glass of sparkling wine and toast to wishing me a Happy Birthday!

- San, The Pampered Sweet Tooth

I just want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving from my family at Magnolia’s Sweet Haven and Pampered Sweet Tooth to yours.  In the spirit of being thankful, I thought I would share 10 sweets/desserts that I’m grateful for:

1. Lemon Raspberry Cheesecake on a shortbread crust, topped with Chambord druken raspberries.

2. Red Velvet layer cake with chopped walnuts and cream cheese frosting. (Best slice ever came from Ms. Jane, a former co-worker of my father!)

3. Fudgy brownies with chopped walnuts and powdered sugar.

4. Whipped cream from scratch.

5. Apple pie from the oven with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream.

6. Gelateria Del Duomo – Strawberry Stracciatella Gelato and Ben and Jerry’s Red Velvet Cake Ice Cream.

7. Sweet Potato pie and souffle.

8. Chocolate Chip Toffee Cookies.

9. Classic Pound cake with the crackle throughout on top.

10. Dark Chocolate covered strawberries injected with Sweet Red Wine.

Trust me when I tell you there are tons more, but I’m sure these are enough for “Pampering your Sweet Tooth” during Thanksgiving.

What are some of your favorite sweets/desserts to bake or consume during the holidays?

]]> http://www.pamperedsweettooth.com/2012/11/happy-thanksgiving/feed/ 0 http://www.pamperedsweettooth.com/2012/08/giveaway-winner-bakers-stock-and-amy-atlas-book/ http://www.pamperedsweettooth.com/2012/08/giveaway-winner-bakers-stock-and-amy-atlas-book/#comments Sat, 25 Aug 2012 12:48:49 +0000 San http://www.pamperedsweettooth.com/?p=661  

Another round of applause to each of my 300 plus fans on Facebook. Your support means more to me than you know. Now for the winner of last week’s giveaway: 600 cupcake liners from Bakers Stock and sweet read by Amy Atlas. The winner was chosen using random.org. Congratulations to  . . . #8 Stephanie O.! You have 24 hours to contact me via email msweethaven@gmail.com to claim your prizes. You Happy Baking!!

*A new winner, Stephanie O. was selected for this giveaway because former winner did not claim her prizes.

Photo courtesy  About.com

One thing is for sure, I love the power of learning and the opportunity to express to those that have supported me how much I appreciate them.  About two weeks ago I broke the 300 mark with fans on my Facebook page and I promised that I would share some sweet love with a giveaway.  Of the first that I would love for you to have is, not only a great read literally full of eye candy, but a great book full of baking recipes and dessert styling tips.  Amy Atlas’s book Sweet Designs: Bake It, Craft It, Style It is an outstanding resource for the aspiring to the professional sweets stylist.

Photo courtesy Amy Atlas

Up next for my readers and fans are a sleuth of baking cups from one of my favorite vendors Bakers Stock. I’ve been pleased with using their liners for quite sometime now.  I even adore their eco-friendly Bakers Twine and assortment of Americolor Gel Paste. The team has decided to theme their sponsorship with the number 300. You have the opportunity to win . . .

300 brown tulip baking cups

AND

300 brown cupcake liners

I know . . . generous right!?

Oh and for all of my dessert bloggers, avid home bakers, bakery, or cafe owners, Baker’s Stock has a Bakery Discount Program.  The discount applies to your entire purchase and includes bulk items too! Email info@bakersstock.com to register for the program to get your account setup for the savings.

I would love for you to win Amy Atlas’s book Sweet Designs as well as 600 baking cups from Baker’s Stock to start testing some of her yummy recipes. So, who is armed with their spatula ready to bake? You have two opportunities to enter . . .

1) Leave a comment below this blog post telling me your favorite cupcake to bake

AND

2) Like Magnolia’s Sweet Haven, Bakers Stock, and Amy Atlas Events Facebook pages, then return here and leave a comment stating that you have “LIKED” all three pages.

Now for the deets! You may enter with a maximum of two entries. This giveaway is open to U.S. residents until next Friday, August 24, 2012 8pm EST. The winner will be announced on Saturday, August 25, 2012 using random.org.

Good luck y’all!

Now in case you did not know, the PropHAUS is located in New York City and needs to transplant to Georgia quickly, per me. Their warehouse is full of an array of platters, vases, bowls, fabrics, tables, mugs, and basically anything that one could imagine to design and style a dessert table, photo shoot, home or event for entertaining.  My collection of vessels are only a small ode to the PropHAUS in New York.

Orange and Yellow plate and bowls {Photo courtesy PropHAUS}

Beautiful color palette of green bowls {Photo courtesy PropHAUS}

One thing that I favor doing with my business structure is implementing sustainable elements into my dessert table design.  Using upcycled wine bottles, old pickle and jamming jars work well on candy buffets and dessert tables when dressed with a little ribbon and creativity.

Do you have a favorite place to shop for vessels to display your sweet treats? What’s one of your greatest finds?

Today is my 32nd birthday and I feel blessed to be positioned to create and work in building my entrepreneurial empire (*claiming*multiple streams of income)!  I’ve been up to quite a few things in recent months including loosing a total of 26 pounds and I don’t know how many inches.  Just know that on February 19th of this year I was 246 pounds wearing a size 22/24 and today, May 14th, I weigh 220 pounds wearing a size 16/18.  Shout out to my personal trainer, Jarod and Pilates. Oh, and GO ME!!! This past Saturday I climbed Stone Mountain with a group of girlfriends and we made it to the top in under thirty minutes and posed for a photo op, of course *wink*.  I rocked my natural hair with an afro that has affectionately become known as Fraggle Rock (you remember the cartoon) and I feel fantastic!

In discovering some dynamic things about myself and getting back to doing more for self,  I would love to share with you thirty-two candid facts that you may or may not know about me, The Pampered Sweet Tooth:

1) I. Love. Italian. Cuisine. My favorite restaurant is Carrabba’s.

2) I walk around with a soundtrack in my head of various songs like Mary Mary Go Get It. My students find it hilarious, specifically, during class when the mood suits me to belt out what’s in rotation.

3) Baking and music calm me. When I can’t sleep at 2am, I’ve been known to go into my kitchen and bake while sorting through the things that are keeping me awake.

4) I am an early bird and night owl, never having really used an alarm clock, at all. For some reason I’m up at least an hour before I need to be anywhere.

5) Thrill seeking or an adrenaline rush makes me happy. Amusement parks are the best! Part of my retirement plan would be to travel nationally and internationally to all major theme/amusement parks. I want to go skydiving and zip lining, but no close friends and family share the enthusiasm to do so. I wonder why!?

6) I know that prayer is powerful to express thanks, wants, needs, and keeping a level head.

7) The movie Grease is my favorite musical and I can belt out the entire soundtrack . . . on key with no pitch problems, according to the reviews by my ears and performance in my bathroom mirror.

8 ) Movies are my theatrical staycations. I am a movie buff.  I shed tears for Doby from Harry Potter and I’m Team Edward from Twilight. Judge not! The Breakfast Club, The Goonies, and Some Kind of Wonderful are three of my favorite movies. 300 and Avatar are two of the most visually stunning movies I’ve seen; outstanding cinematography!

9) I may be a bit of a lush When opportunity presents, I want to get my sommilier certification. I’m a Red Head, but I love and embrace not only drinking various libations, but the knowledge and learning experience of the culture behind them.

10) My laugh is boisterous and comedians are a gift to humankind! I can have a potty mouth, but I’ve learned to filter based on location and audience.

11) I eat sweets daily, but not in the portion size that I used to consume. One of the best cheesecake flavors that I like baking and eating is Key Lime Raspberry.

12) My type A personality, sarcasm, control freak nature, candid disposition, unorthodox persona, and creative range are a Catch 22, but it’s all of who I am.

13) According to my two favorite girls (my nieces, Taneia and Sa’Nyia) I am “The BEST auntie EVER!”.

14) I still check out books at the library and have accumulated what I think is a Guinness World Record for late fees . . . $60 back in 2005. *hangs head in shame*

15) I DO NOT operate in gray areas, nor do I like for people to send me indirect messages threatening me personally or professionally through social media. That’s what telephones and effective communication are for.

16) I frequent consignment and thrift shops, yard sales, and clearance isles for vintage display/dessert vessels, jewelry, dresses, handbags, and kitchen equipment. Still have yet to find a good, old fashioned, seasoned cast iron skillet.

17) I’m not a formally trained baker, but hanging at the apron strings of my aunts and grandmother as well as reading everything I could get my hands on has developed my skill level.

18) I feel more comfortable speaking in front of thousands as opposed to five or six people. As much as I like to talk, go figure.

19) Edgar Allan Poe is one of my favorite 19th Century writers. Wonder if he had a favorite dessert!? My love of literature and words build my extensive vocabulary and Scrabble score.

20) I like ice cream, but I LOVE GELATO! My favorite flavor is Strawberry Stracciatella. Would love to see my own brand in store freezers one day. Who knows . . . *writing it down*.

21) Loyalty is important to me and I exercise that in my friendships and relationships with family. I don’t like liars or leeches!

22) Cooking is one of my favorite things, along with pairing the proper wine for each dish. Spicy is good! Remember #9. Guess, I can boldly state that my kitchen is where the magic happens.

23) Strawberries and peaches are my favorite fruits. Broccoli and spinach are my favorite vegetables.

24) I love handbags more than I love shoes.

25) Seafood is a must at least twice a week for me. Salmon is my favorite fish. One of the best dishes prepared in my kitchen is Sea Scallops on a bed of fresh sauteed spinach, topped with two interlocked  sauteed prawns, paired  with  Riesling or Sauvingnon Blanc. Dont’ forget #22. Perhaps I need to prepare this as a post for my Savory Sunday’s section.

26) Entertaining is a life line for me. I only currently possess 207 pieces of stemware, ranging from champagne and martini glasses to snifters and stemless wine glasses. For some reason, my friends and family think I’m a glass hoarder *shrugs shoulders* .

27) I’m a serious gamer and adore game nights with family and friends. Taboo, Phase 10, Pokeno, Monopoly, but not Spades (never learned how to play well) are a few games that I dominate.

28) Sustainability is important to me in my personal and professional life.

29) I’m a nerd, geek, whatever synonym you deem suitable. Well read about my loves and interest, and continuing my formal and informal education matriculation.

30) I’m a self-less giver and recently discovered over the past month and two weeks that I’ve given of myself to others, so much so that I gave me away. You will, however, be happy to know that my process aptly named, Getting Back to San, has commenced and falling in love with me again feels fabulous!

31) Excited is an understatement to describe how I feel about where I’m taking my brand. Two words . . . Sweet Mediums. Don’t worry you will know more about it in coming month’s.

32) I’ve always known that passion, resiliently, hard work, and time would position me to excel beyond anything that I could think or ask.

Whew! Now that it is all scribed, please share with me here and/or on my Facebook or Twitter pages  three facts; known or unknown that you would like for me and the reading audience to know. Cheers and Happy 32nd Birthday to me, your Pampered Sweet Tooth!

I. Love. Football. Shout out to my home team the Atlanta Falcons!! No, we did not make it to the Superbowl, however, I still wanted to share these chocolate covered football strawberries with y’all.

The Superbowl game will be a 2008 rematch of the New York Giants vs. the New England Patriots.  If my football fans remember, the New England Patriots had an undefeated season and were upset by Peyton Manning and the Giants who ended their winning streak.

I’m looking forward to a good game, the perfectly fried and sauced chicken wing, and some chocolate covered football strawberries.

Alright!  Who’s your pick to win  Superbowl XLVI?  Are you ready for some football . . . chocolate covered strawberries!?

Oh, how I have missed y’all!  There have been quite a few changes around here and in my life.  2011 was an eye-opener and has aptly prepared me for grandiose favor in 2012.  I realized that I needed a long overdue break from this sector of my work in order to maintain the quality of it.  My hiatus from here was a bit more long-lived than I expected, however, patience has resulted in a beautifully constructed redesign of my website/business, Magnolia’s Sweet Haven and blog, Pampered Sweet Tooth.  Who is responsible for executing my vision into a sweet reality!?  The wonderfully talented, Julie from Deluxe Designs. Yes! She is the same graphic artist/web designer that brought my logo to fruition.  I thoroughly enjoyed my experience as her client and student.  I’m an avid learner and Julie was encouraging in helping with my Blogger to WordPress migration.

There is  much to explore here, so take a look around!  Tell me what you think. Do you like?