Spring is in the air..

The weather around here has been hitting very comfortable temperatures in the mid 70's and it definitely has us excited for all things Spring! 

We've been doing some Spring cleaning and that means a few changes for Bringing Beauty...

First, most obviously, we recently updated our blog with a whole new look fit for the Spring weather..
We want to know if this new layout is working for you so - What do you think?

Next we have a big announcement! We will be hosting our first ever Beautify It Monday Link Party on Monday, March 26th.  We're inviting you all to link up anything that your proud to show off - crafts, recipes, fashion etc.

We have a ton of great posts planned for the next few weeks! You can expect to see a bunch of great Easter and Spring crafts, recipes and fashion tips so make sure to stay tuned!

We're so happy to see that our number of followers continues to grow! We're hoping to reach 100 followers (with Linkys and GFC combined) by the end of April - If we reach our goal we are going to do a fun giveaway open to everyone who began following us before we reach 100 -  So don't forget to follow us so you don't miss out!

Finally we just wanted to highlight some of our favorite posts that we've seen this week that have added to our Spring excitement..
 

 This mantel display from Echoes of Laughter simply screams Spring! 

We absolutely love the combo of white and yellow! Fantastic job!

 

Aren't these edible daffodils from The Seven Year Cottage amazing!?

 These Strawberry Lemon Creme Cake Cups from Everyday Insanity look so delicious! This one might make an appearance on the desert table at our Easter Party!

We hope that you are all as inspired by Spring and these great posts as we were! 

We look forward to sharing more ideas with you so we hope that you keep on coming back! 

Please follow us and like us on Facebook!

xoxoxo

Easter Banner

This Easter banner took almost no time to make and most of the materials I already had on hand! 

I purchased the wooden Easter letters from Micheal's for about $1.50 a piece then I created the banner using an old book and some left over scrapbook paper. 

First I cut a triangle out of the book pages to make this shape.  Then I cut egg shapes out of the scrapbook paper and simply glued then onto the book pages - So simple!

Since I was using a sort of muted color pallet for the eggs I decided to stick with that theme and paint the letters grey - I think the color works really well with the book pages!

 

I attached everything with hemp string and simply taped it behind the  mirrors on the 

fireplace mantel. 

Thanks for stopping by!
Don't forget to come back on Monday for the first ever Beautify It Monday link party!
Comment below and don't forget to follow us
XxoOXo

We're linking over here!

 

Hatching Chick Cake Pops

HAPPY SPRING EVERYBODY!

These adorable Hatching Chick Cake Pops are easy to make,

and will have your EASTER guests "tweeting" with excitement.

Start by cutting small “v” shapes out of the top of your cake balls to create a cracked egg look.  Add the sticks, coat your cake ball in white chocolate, and set aside to dry.

Create your baby chicks using yellow fondant for the body,

orange fondant for the beak, and black edible marker for the eyes.

Dip your little chick in chocolate, attach to your cake pop and decorate.

Enjoy!

Next Monday we will be hosting our first ever Beautify It Monday link party! So get your recipes, crafts and fashion posts ready and don't forget to stop by on Monday!

We're linking this at these great blogs!

Liebster Blog Award!

Last week when we were reading comments from our Chevron Vanity we were honored to find out that Tara from Urban Hoot chose us as one of 5 blogs to pass on the Liebster Blog Award to. 

Thanks Tara!

We couldn't be happier to receive this award and we're so excited that it's our turn pass this award along to 5 deserving blogs!

And the winners are...

Erin over at A Crafty Cook has some amazing recipes! If you have a sweet tooth be sure to check out her Apple Pie Egg Rolls and  Brownie Stadium Bars.. YUM!

All of you fashion lovers out there have to stop by Newly Loved to see how you can put together some really adorable outfits on a thrifty budget! 

Over at Que Linda Jenny is sharing some amazing recipes like her Tomatillo and Black Bean Enchiladas as well as fun craft ideas like Pallet Art and Fabric Lined Mason Jars!

Deny is showing off some really incredible furniture makeovers! Take a look at the fabulous desk and stool (Audrey and Audrey Jr.)  that she refinished right here at A Girl and a Brush!

Ashley and Zach over at Keeping Up With The Joneses are sharing the process of turning their house into a home with great crafts and recipe ideas like Twine Wrapped Bottles and Bacon Cheddar Ranch Dip!

Congratulations to all of you! Now it's your turn to pass the award on!

Here are the rules for passing it along.

• Choose 5 up and coming blogs to award with less than 200 followers.
• Show your appreciation to the blogger who awarded you by linking back to them.
• Post the award on your blog.
• Link back to the blogs you are awarding so that everyone else can pay them a visit. 
  Thanks again Tara for choosing us! I hope these new winners appreciate it as much as we did!
  Xoxox

Shepherds Pie

Whenever I think of Irish cooking, Shepherds Pie is always at the top of my list.  There are several different ways to make this classic Irish recipe and today I wanted to share my favorite version with you!

 Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F

Season beef with salt and pepper then add to a large skillet with a little bit of olive oil - cook until browned on all sides.  Remove the beef from the pan with a slotted spoon.

Add the onions, carrots salt and pepper into the pan and cook for about ten minutes or until the veggies are tender.

Add your mushrooms, tomato paste, thyme, parsley and cinnamon to your veggies and cook for 5 minutes.

Add the red wine and beef stock and return your browned meat to the pan.  Bring this to a slow boil and begin working on the topping.

Dice your potatoes into even medium pieces and place into a pot with salted cold water.  Bring the potatoes to a boil and cook for about ten minutes until they are fork tender. 

Add the butter, sour cream, salt and pepper and mash together. 

Now, transfer your beef and vegetable mixture into a 9-by-13 in baking dish and cover with the mashed potatoes.

Scatter the top with cheddar cheese and chives. 

Bake for 20 minutes until the top is golden brown.

Now pour yourself a tall Guinness and enjoy!
We love to hear from you! Comment below and tell us what you'll be making for St. Pattys day this weekend!

Xoxox

p.s we're linking this all over the place!

 

Rainbow Cupcakes

 

You may not find a pot of gold at the end of this rainbow, 

but these cupcakes are sure to be a hit at your St. Patrick's Day Party!

 

After making your boxed cake mix (or your homemade mix if your not slacking like I was) separate the mix into different bowls and add your food coloring.  I used blue, green, pink, purple and yellow - but if you're more traditional you can always stick with ROYGBIV.

Since the whole point of these cupcakes is to show off the great rainbow pattern we're not using cupcake liners so be sure to spray your pan with non-stick spray before you fill them.  Start filling the pan with about a tablespoon of each color, one at a time at a time - I like my cupcake pretty big to I fill the pan up close to the top!

Bake your cupcakes according to the direction on the box - take out and let cool before removing from the pan.  While your cupcakes are cooling you can dye your icing sky blue. 

Make sure that the cup cakes are completely cooled before you start to ice them or else you're going to be left with some sad rainbows and we don't want that!

How amazing do these look!

We love to hear what you have to say so please comment below and don't forget to follow us!

We're linking all over the place!