Sugar & Cloth

You may or may not know that I started this blog a year ago with little to zero idea of how the whole blogging world worked. Everything that I’ve done well (or failed at miserably) so far has been by a pretty steep learning curve. During the summer I happened to come across Alt Design Summit through following Hank + Hunt, and it’s like I’ve had an entire vat of knowledge delivered to my virtual doorstep! Literally. I can’t believe I’ve been missing out for this long! You can find out what to do when you feel like your mom is the only one reading your blog (hey, mom!), how to start working with advertisers, and the importance of keeping the community alive.

Not only can you take classes online & attend their conferences (like where Martha Stewart showed up, ah!), but they have some of the top bloggers post tips and info on the Alt blog which is available to everyone. Needless to say, I realllllyy wish I could have snagged a ticket to the conference, but now they’re giving one away! I feel like I’m trying to win a visit Willy Wonka or something! Anyhow, what are some of the things you’ve learned along the way from blogging, or what do you love most when reading other blogs? I’m learning to love getting more involved with readers and other bloggers instead of having tunnel vision glasses on constantly.

photo via // design by S+C

I’m really into industrial & vintage decor right now. I don’t know what it is about it, but if I could afford to decorate my whole house from Schoolhouse Electric & Supply, I totally would. These are my favorites–

Noble memo pad // Ion lamp // Taper candle set // Cocanu chocolates // Apothecary soaps // Radar wall sconces

I’m almost too embarrassed to say that I got new business cards, again. I feel like I’ve shown you a lot of new promo material lately, but I really needed personal business cards. You know, the kind that people read and then actually know what name to call you besides just “Sugar & Cloth”. Let’s be honest, being called Sugar & Cloth randomly out of context kind of sounds like it could be a stripper name.

This time around I asked Mike from Eat Sleep Ride Print to help me bust out some last minute cards, and I’m totally in love with them! They are letterpressed on both sides and are much more gender neutral than my previous design, not to mention they were a total hit at the blog conference this past weekend!

This past weekend was the very first Houston Blogger Symposium (thanks to the lovely Megan of Greetings from Texas), which also happened to be my very first blog conference in general. Despite the fact that I’m much more shy in real life than I am in describing my love of cupcakes and DIY’s here on S+C, I’m so glad I attended, it was refreshing getting to meet bloggers in real life for a change.

As for the speakers, there was Laura “the powerhouse” Mayes (as I’ve deemed her, this is why), Katy Atlas of Sugarlaws, the gutsy  Alicia DiRago of Dismount Creative (go DIY!), Kristina of Pretty Shiny Sparkly, and the ever cute sisters of Mucho Mucho Bueno Bueno, Brandi & Kelly.

In case you’re curious about speaker topics, these were my favorite panel points:

• If there are brands you want to work with, take the initiative instead of hoping they will knock on your virtual door.
• Be authentic in your own content
• Perfectionism is overrated, give yourself a break!

With summer coming to a screeching halt, I thought I should squeeze in one more ice cream related recipe for you. If you’re like us and live in a place like Houston (or the desert I guess) you could be enjoying these babies up until Christmas morning, I’ll leave that up to you. Either way, these chocolate cupped ice cream cupcakes are surprisingly simpler to make than their title, and they will surely leave your guests licking their lips (and possibly twirling around the room until the sugar high wears off). If you’re into healthier means, you can always modify this recipe to your skinny alternatives. Here we go-

To make 12 cupcakes:

• Silicon cupcake molds
• Chocolate for melting – approx. 32 oz.
• Icing of your choice – approx. 24 oz.
• Ice cream of your choice – approx. 1.5 quarts
• Spray oil
• Sprinkles

To make the chocolate liners: lightly coat the insides of the silicone  cupcake molds with spray oil. Next, melt the chocolate and spread a thin layer over the inside of each mold. let them cool completely for about 30 minutes, and then coat with another layer of chocolate. Let the second coat cool for an hour.

Releasing the chocolate from the molds is a little tricky. Start by gently pulling the silicon back from the very rim all the way around the mold. Once the top is released, the bottom sort of pops out. The thicker the chocolate, the easier it is to take them out. Don’t worry if the top chips, you’ll never notice once you add the icing.

To finish your cupcakes, scoop your favorite ice cream into each chocolate liner, and then let them sit in the freezer for a bit.

Once they’re nice and chilled, top with frosting and sprinkles, and you’re all set!