Best Chocolate Cake and A Marvelous Mess #46 (And, Features!!)

I had a birthday party to go to and a cake requested....and I was running out of time to make it. So, I did some quick online research for the "Best Chocolate Cake" and found this:

No doubt about it....it was the best chocolate cake I've ever made....or tasted!!!! I found it on the website Kevin and Amanda. 

I did a little outline in gel frosting of an old Chevy truck, as this was a cake for a mechanic with a passion for old Chevys....and my mom. :-)

Here is the recipe:

1 box devil’s food cake mix

1 small pkg Jello instant chocolate pudding mix

1 cup sour cream

1 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups mini chocolate chips

Read More http://www.kevinandamanda.com/recipes/dessert/the-best-chocolate-cake.html#ixzz1isFAy4Oz

~Set the stove for 350 and mix all ingredients except for chocolate chips in a *large* bowl. Once it is thoroughly mixed, add the chocolate chips and place it in two greased 9 inch cake pans. 

It should bake for around 45 minutes, but check it at 30 and every 5 minutes or so after, remembering that the melted chips can trick you.
:-)

I made a simple frosting with a crisco base.... and decided against frosting the entire cake. This is a truly decadent cake and I didn't think we needed all that frosting. 

The cake isn't as sweet as it seems. The sour cream gives it that tanginess to balance out the chips. VERY moist and rich, thanks to the jello. Totally delicious!!

Now, on to my favorites from my last Marvelous Mess Party:

Resolve to Recycle from I Gotta Create. Such a great (and helpful) idea!!!

Cocoa Mousse from Talking Dollars and Cents. How about a little cup of hot cocoa and some cocoa mousse after your latest sledding adventure?

Algerian Cookies from Karima's Crafts. These look delish!!


The project I'm going to feature on my side bar is....

DIY Stable from Seven Sisters. Pretty awesome right? This Stable comes with a tutorial. Yeehaa!!!

Congrats to all of you and thanks for sharing such great ideas on my blog!!
For those of you I featured, here's a button for you to show off on your blog:

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Now, lets get this party started!!

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Global Eyeglasses

There is nothing like becoming a librarian to make you appreciate the fact that you NEED GLASSES. Those barcodes on the books are so small and when you spend a lot of your day looking at them, you can really feel it in your vision. I've got a pair of glasses that are on the older side, back when my face was skinner....and is there nothing worse that putting on small glasses to make you really *feel* all that weight on your face. *Pout* I need a new pair. And, I should probably update my prescription while I'm at it. 

Global Eyeglasses is a site that offer prescription glasses at a fantastic price. Here's a pair that was only $6.95!!

Completely serviceable and stylish discount glasses can be found throughout the site. I've definitely shopped around my share of online glasses stores and this site offers just as many different options as the next. What I think is really fun is that they have a "virtual mirror" for you to try on glasses while shopping!! You can upload a photo or use your local webcam (though that process is still in it's beta phase). Then, you can fit the glasses onto your face!! Saves you time waiting for your turn at the eye doctors, for sure. 

Since I like to keep my privacy, Chloe offered to try some on for me....

(Giggle)

They're a little big. 

I love the idea of shopping online for cheap eyeglasses. It is such a time saver and it gives you a lot of options in terms of style. Another plus for Global Eyeglasses is that they've got this great page detailing the type of frame to fit different shapes of faces....very handy.

Think about buying your glasses online. And, when you decide, go to Global Eyeglasses and use my 15% OFF discount code. Yahoo!!

Just type in marvelouslymessy15 when asked for a coupon code at the checkout. I tried it today and it worked just fine!!

I received compensation for this post. All opinions are my own and written entirely in my own words. 

A Marvelous Mess #45 and Features!!

Finally, I got the party up....we've got some modem problems in our house and nothing is going to get fixed until after tomorrow. The writing of this very easy post took me all night!! Rrrrrrrrrr.

Sorry for missing the party last week!! I hope you all had a wonderful Holiday Season!!

Here are my fave's:

Asparagus wrapped in Phyllo from A Little Bit Of Everything

Snowflake Garland from Nifty Thrifty Things

Vintage Cone from Lisa's Craft Blog


And, the project I'm going to feature on my sidebar is.....

Snowflake Lanterns from Everything Under The Moon

Thanks so much to all of you for linking up!!
If I featured you on this post, don't forget to grab a button:


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Now, on to the party!!

Valentine Burlap Love Birds

It's definitely time to switch Holiday gears. I'm moving on to Valentine's Day. Who's with me?? I'm skipping the whole New Years thing....I don't know why but I've never had an easy time making any kind of New Years craft. 

So, Love Birds.

What you'll need:

Red Felt (trimmed to bird shapes)

Burlap Circles  

Paper

Stamps

Fusible Webbing

Hand Towel

~Trim the felt into bird shapes. 

~Stamp onto the paper with some different designs (I used a heart design and music notes). 

~Tear around (and out) each design. 

~Use the fusible webbing and to attach the circle of burlap to the felt (trim the webbing to be the exact size of the circle) and place it under the towel and iron it. 

~Do the same with the piece of paper. 

~Thread something though it and decorate a branch with it, should you like!!

I shared this post at the following linky parties....

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Wool and The Gang

Sorry I didn't get my party up this week, folks!!  Things were just so busy right around the holidays....it absolutely slipped my mind!! It will definitely be up this Sunday with all kinds of fun features, because you guys always go above and beyond. You totally inspire me. 

I wanted to tell you about a fun little online shop called Wool and the Gang. It's a very all-inclusive knitting site that sells all kinds of knitting kits and finished pieces. They have got some very high quality alpaca knitting wool that are used in some of the patterns. Though the prices can be high, the quality of the wool and the pattern is represented well. 

A Knit Kit Gift is a great idea for present for the New Year....it's so cozy to be sitting in your warm house, with your fleece pants on, fuzzy socks, pony tails and a nice romance movie on the tv while you begin a new project. Okay, so now you know what I do in the winter time. :-) 

Look at this sweater:

Such a gorgeous piece, right? This is one of the kits you could make. Click on this link HERE to learn more about it.  

Here is one that you could just buy and be totally pleased with....

You can find Wool and The Gang here:

Website

Facebook

Twitter

This post was sponsored by Wool and the Gang. I received compensation for my mentioning this site. All opinions are my own and written in my own words. 

Winners of Your Novel and Guylian!!

Merry Christmas Eve to those of you who celebrate it!!

Here is a little gift from me to two of you.... (I wish I could give one to you all!!!!)

The winner of the Your Novel Giveaway is....

#1

Michelle L.!!  Yay for Michelle!! She has a really fun blog, by the way. 

The winner of the Guylian Giveaway is....

#5!!!!

CLC408!! 

I'll send you both an email right away and give you 8 days to contact me. If you don't contact me within that time frame I'll need to move on to a different winner. Happy Holidays to all of you!!

Guylian Belgian Chocolates Giveaway

Here are some of the most delicious chocolates I've ever tasted. 

Smooth. 

Rich. 

Silky. 

Absolutely Decadent.

Guylian Belgian Chocolates Truffles are filled with the finest white, milk, and dark chocolate and filled with their signature truffle. They produce the most beautiful marbling on the shell and sea horse shaped chocolates. 

I've had my share of many *many* different types of chocolates. I spent some time in Eastern Europe and ADORED the rich chocolates there. These chocolates remind me so much of the ones I had there....they are so incredibly rich and creamy. This chocolate is really high-end. I actually brought these truffles into my workplace and there wasn't a co-worker who didn't "MMmmmmm" and "OOooo" over them. 

The story behind the name of Guylian is just as romantic as their desserts. Guy Foubert was a passionate Belgian chocolatier who met and fell in loved with a woman named Liliane. In 1958, they married and combined their names to make Guylian. Their chocolate recipe is still used and made in small batch kettles and combined with their delicious hazelnut truffle center. 

Lucky for you, and just in time for the Holidays....I've got a giveaway for a Box of 22 Chocolates.

Oh, yum. 

You are going to LOVE these!!

This Contest Ends on Friday, December 23rd,  @ 11:59EST

To Enter (leave a comment for each type of entry):

~ *MANDATORY* Like Guylian on Facebook (1 Comment)

~Follow Guylian on TWITTER (1 Comment)

~Visit Guylian and tell me what kind you would buy. (1 Comment) 

~Tweet this giveaway (once daily) and leave me the link to your tweet. (1 Comment)

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