Folksy Floral Loretta Apron {Product Review}

So, remember that Apron that I really, really, really, really loved?....."Oh, Loretta?"
Yeah, that's the one.

 Well, my awesome friend, Susan, wrote the company (ASD Living) to see where she could get one and they ended up sending one to me for free in the Folksy Floral Fabric that I loved!!

Now, how awesome is that?!

It just gives me warm fuzzies that people are so nice and giving. :) smile.

There you are.

Upon receiving this fabulous gift, I admired how it was packaged. That stuff doesn't really matter but it makes me happy when things are packaged in a cute way.

Two thumbs up. Simple but thoughtful.

And I open her up to find....

Really cute buuuut I will say I was a bit disappointed in the coloring of the material.  That's almost 90% of the reason why I wanted it and it's not the color that it looked like on the internet (maybe it was just my computer). It's kind of like expecting a sip of cranberry juice (which I like) but getting black cherry (which I also like). I thought it would be more blue and white than teal and cream. But still! It is really cute and I love it! I probably would have bought it anyway so 2 thumbs up!

Functionality

I had to give 'er a test run of course to make sure the pockets were in the right places for my monkey arms and that it did in fact look cute as well as keep the mess offa me.

No better way to test drive it than to make some Christmas cookies for the neighbors, eh?!
Well, I got lazy so I didn't make the cookies but I did try it on. ;)
Review: The pockets are in the perfect spot to rest my weary cookie making arms, {I don't know why I love pockets} The apron itself does cover a lot of square footage so it is definitely functional! For the fit, it is pretty good for an apron. I am definitely not as small as that mannequin is so it fits quite different. The bottom is super cute and frilly (love), but for me the top just doesn't fit like the picture looks. I think my torso is a bit too long (and wide) plus I'm not a mannequin. ;) This Loretta halter style would look best on a thin frame. If you have the shape of this mannequin then it will look stunning on you! Otherwise, it is still a nice apron but other styles would likely be more flattering.
I also really love the material. It is sturdy but flowy and very comfy. It's perfect for an apron.
So, overall I give it a 2 thumbs up rating! Check out ASD Living for other cute apron styles as well.

And just for fun I am showing you these ridiculously awesome spatulas I received as a gift for Christmas last year.

Happy Baking!

Cupcake Liners

It doesn't seem like there is much to know about cupcake liners, huh?

Well, actually there is...sort of.



Beyond Pots and Pans

Have you ever had your cupcake liners separate from your cupcake?

Ever bought some cute cupcake liners just to bake your cupcakes

and find that they look gross after actually cooking in them?!

It can be pretty frustrating.

A key quality you might want to look for, especially for patterned liners,

is to make sure it is "grease proof". It usually says right on the package front. 

This keeps the grease in the cupcake from saturating the liner and discoloring it.

This simple thing will make your liners come out looking like they did when they went in.

Now, when your cupcake liner starts separating from your cupcake, this is a result of too much moisture. Either your cake is too moist (Is this really a problem?!) or your liners are a thin lower quality that absorbs a lot of moisture.

You can try to help this by making sure your cake is not undercooked as well as purchasing decent quality paper liners. {Stay away from the super cheap kind}
Grease proof liners will also help with this.

Another thing I personally like to consider regarding cupcake liners is the size of the liners.

Not all "mini" cupcake liners are the same size. You will want to figure out which size you like best and just stick with those. You can look on the package and it will always say the size.

I prefer regular cupcakes with a 2 inch diameter bottom and mini's that are 1 1/4" diameter bottom.

Now if you really, really love a certain patterned or colored cupcake liner and it is not grease proof, it's ok. you can still use them. You can bake the cupcakes in a plain white liner and then set them inside the nice pretty liner. This works well too. Just make sure that the liners you bake the cupcakes in are the same size or smaller than your decorative liner....
 I learned to think about that one the hard way. ;)

Now, go have fun trying out the different types of cupcake liners out there.

There are a ton!