I thought I’d have a little giveaway to add some sunshine to the February blahs! The giveaway includes two of my wishlist/favorite things here… I’m sure you’ll guess by the end of the post which ones they are.
A clue; sorry, it’s not a Oprah-esque giveaway! 😉
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This post isn’t really sugar related, but I do have other things I love besides my sweet hobby; a few of which I’ll share with you:
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1. Anne Taintor Products
Her name is Anne Taintor and she runs a humorous business selling greeting cards, notepads, magnets, purses etc., which, to quote the words on her site, “…give voice to modern women’s secretly subversive thoughts.”
I just knew that when I found this charming Anne Taintor I Don’t Recall Asking notepad, it would be a perfect gift for my female colleagues studying Culinary Arts in Kingston this past summer. We definitely did enjoy some interesting, insolent humour together. (That’s Liz and Delia below):
They did get a kick out of their parting gift from me. (Notepad above). You can find Anne Taintor’s hilarious items on her site here or if you’re an Amazon fan, at my affiliate link here
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2. Kindle
This one’s on the wish list. Ever since I used a Kindle
(a wireless reading device), at a friend’s place over the Christmas holidays, I’ve been thinking of getting one. If you have one I’d love to hear what you think of it in the comment section.
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3. iPhone
The iPhone… Also don’t have one of these yet, but I’ve certainly looked at them longingly a few times. I’ve pledged not to get one until my old phone dies, but I’m really looking forward to that day.
You should see my phone. My students think it’s so old and retro that it’s ‘sick’. Here’s a pic:
Pretty battered huh?
I’m glad this pic is in my favorite things after all. This phone has lasted me a long time, and (my DH will laugh at this), it has great reception. Let me tell you, there’s been many a time that all the BlackBerries in the room didn’t get a signal and I did. It is analog-digital after all.
Ahem… on to another favorite thing. This one is a gadget as well – seems like I like a lot of them.
This one has helped me take better pictures this year.
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4. Canon Rebel Xsi Camera
The Canon Digital Rebel XSi
is what I use. I’m still learning lots on how to use it, but even on the automatic settings it does a great job!
I really do dislike getting my picture taken – it rarely works out. So, only because I wanted to post a pic of the camera and needed a mirror to take a its snapshot, I’ve put a photo of me in here with it. (Okay, and because I actually paid some attention to my hair this day I was out with my friend. I was waiting in change room for her to try on some clothes and I had recently acquired the camera).
Anyways, on to the next item.
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5. MACRO LENS
With this Canon Macro Lens 
you can easily get great close-up shots; I used it to take this next photo:
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6. Cupcake Charm
Of course something sweet related had to sneak in here. I gave this cupcake charm to my friend Kim earlier this year… she’s a sweet-nut as well. I don’t have one yet but might just head over to Amazon
to order one. They’re $17.99 (Guess you know now Kim. Actuuuually, really they were SO expensive when I went to buy one. They’re on sale now).
Ahem.
The next fave is, alright, another sweet related item.
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7. KopyKake Projector
Not a very pretty looking thing, is it?
It’s big, it’s awkward-looking, (although it doesn’t look quite as bad with the table clamp option), but I know I couldn’t have created many of the cookies I did this year without this Kopykake Projector . If you’re new to visiting Sweetopia, you can find some examples of cookies I made using the projector by clicking these links:
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8. My Winter Coat
What is there to say? I love it! I have to wear it every day in the climate I live in and never get tired of it. (I don’t think I look like her in it though!)
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9. EMU Australia Winter Boot 
These boots keep me so snuggly warm! Enough said!
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10. Martha Stewart’s Wedding Cakes Book
I’d like to practice more of my cake skills in 2010 and am going to use this inspiring cake book
by Martha Stewart and Wendy Kromer. Here’s a small sampling of what you’ll find inside:
Excuse the crooked images; I took actual pictures of my book.
Wendy Kromer, the creator behind many of Martha’s cakes, is coming to the Bonnie Gordon School in April. I’m so excited to be signed up for one of her classes and will keep you posted on that!
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Now that I’ve shared my current 10 favorite items, it’s time to have a giveaway for TWO of them!
Wish I could be like Oprah, but even though they aren’t a KopyKake Projector or a Kindle, they are FREE! (If you win!)
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Martha Stewart Wedding Cakes and Cupcake Charm Giveaway!
If you’d like the chance to win a copy of Martha Stewart’s Wedding Cakes & a Cupcake Charm Necklace, leave a comment below, maybe sharing one of your favorite things or whatever you’d like to write! CONTEST CLOSED
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- Another way to enter is to retweet this post on twitter. You can tweet as many times as you choose; they will be added to the draw! CONTEST CLOSED.
- The contest is international
- The draw will be held on Sunday, February 7th, at 7 pm EST
- I’ll be using www.random.org to draw the winning comment.
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Good luck!
xo,
Marian
Hello Marian, I love all your favorite things! I also love all your cookie art!
What a great way idea! Somwe of my favourite things…definitely my kitchen aid stand mixer that my fiance bought for me…without it…all of my sweet treats wouldn’t turn out as well as they do! Love you list too!
What a great way idea! Some of my favourite things…definitely my kitchen aid stand mixer that my fiance bought for me…without it…all of my sweet treats wouldn’t turn out as well as they do! Love your list too!
Sorry! I forgot to spell check before!
that cupcake charm is adorable!
@ linda:
I love seeing all your new creations! Really like the olympic cookies!
I would love an XSi, too…one day, I hope!
I think that the “I don’t recall asking your opinion” was made just for me. I would love to see that sign in every room of my house. Maybe even made into a necklace. Oh the possibilities are endless.
I really love your blog for one, I also love sweet things. Especially recently cookie decor and cupcakes. I also love kittens, which I hope one day I can get.
You have some great things on your want list. I hope you get them soon. You have a list, that is a great start. The Martha Stewart Weddings is on my list along with 3 other of your things. I also have the new Cricut cake machine and an edible image printer on mine. Pretty big toys! Thanks for the opportunity to win!
OOo I’ve had my eye on the MS book for MONTHS
Marian, Thank you for sharing. Love your blog “Sweetopia”, without a doubt you put a smile on my face. 😉 God bless.
I just came across your site this evening. I am SO looking forward to my toddler’s nap time tomorrow so I can try out a few things from this site…
now i know a little more about you
you have good humor and some expensive tastes too
a kopykake projector and kindle for reading
you should get an iphone that’s all you’ll be needing
Love your site! I check daily to see what adorable cookie idea you have!
Awww, what a sweet giveaway! I have to admit, I discovered your site the first time by means of a giveaway, but ever since then, I’ve been hooked! <3
Lovely, lovely list! I wouldn’t mind one of each either! 😉 An interesting and cool crafty thing I’ve been eyeing lately is a Yudu silkscreening machine. The possibilities look so fun. Thank you for having a giveaway – so generous of you.
how fun! I absolutely LOVE your blog!
I love these things. Martha’s cakes amaze me and the charm is soo cute!!
My cupcake apron from Jesse Steele is one of my favorite things. I could wear it and the cupcake charm while making a cake from Martha’s book.
One of my favorite things: my dell laptop.
I would be lost without it!
I love reading your blog!
My favorite thing lately is the beater blader for my KitchenAid Mixer. I don’t know how I lived without it before!
Hi Marian — That’s a great picture of you!
My friend just found this beautiful cupcake pendant on Etsy…thought it might call to you, too! This jewellery artist has a line of beautiful dessert themed jewellery – the macaroon bracelet and the tart necklace are some of my favs too!
http://www.etsy.com/view_transaction.php?transaction_id=24748114
http://www.etsy.com/shop/carolyntillie
Cheers
Kelly
LOVE LOVE EVERYTHING YOU DO!!! =D
Hi! It may not be the projector or camera et al but anything is appreciated! I do want to say that I have the Sony Reader (competitor to the Kindle). I truly enjoy it! I read a lot of books which is why this one was great for me. The Kindle is great if you plan to use the wifi feature and read magazines etc.
Just my $.02
I’m new here–found you via Bake it Pretty who I found via Bakerell. LOVE the site! I’m going to try some of your tips & tricks for my COLTS SuperBowl cookies this weekend! (I make them every year for playoffs, but this year I had a feeling I should wait for the big game.) Another favorite of mine is most anything Russian, especially matryoshka nesting dolls. I need to make some matryoshka cookies . . . thanks for the giveaway!
I stumbled upon your site looking for some inspiration for my cookies. I love your blog and thanks to you and your amazing creations – a KopyKake projector has been added to my wishlist….
Keep Baking~
Honestly, and I know this is cheesy… YOU are one of my favourite things! I love the site, and your positive attitude. God bless you Marian!
Hmmm, favourite things??? I have to say my pampered chef stoneware makes my cookies perfect every time!
Skating outside with my family, hot chocolate with HUGE marshmallows, raindrops on roses… you get the picture 🙂 THanks for another great giveaway
I LOVE you website!!! I’m not sure how i even found it, but i LOVE LOVE LOVE it! thanks for everything you do and not keeping all the good ideas and tips to yourself!! I’m excited about this giveaway! Ive never won anything before so this would be nice
Wow… what a fabulous list of favourite things! Like you, I have vowed to do more things ‘cake’ in 2010. I look forward to seeing your newest creations! Thanks for giving us all a chance to win some sweet stuff!
I love all of your favourite things….they are awesome! I love the coat too! And those boots, they look so warm…are they?
I have a wedding cake to make for the end of this month and that book would just be perfect…..as for the charm I adore it! It is absolutely the cutiest, so dainty, colourful and fun!
Your blog is great, I love everything that you do!
Wow – thanks so much for a chance at this giveaway! I love your site!
I am just in love with all your cookie creations. Plus, love the fabulous giveaway!
International give away YAY! So many aren’t 🙁
Nice list indeed. My favourite thing has to be my Kitchen Aid & my wish list would be an edible printer & a kopyKate.
I look forward to seeing the cakes in 2010.
Those charms are so cute! What a great giveaway. Thanks!
Hurray for giveaways that include Canada! (Not US only!!).
I now have an urge to go buy those boots, they look like slippers (so comphy!).
Keep up the great writing! I love all your creations =)
I love reading your blog and your wishlist. It makes me want to go out and get all the items. Thank you for sharing!
What a wonderful thing to do, Marian!!
I had a chance to thumb through the martha stewart book while I was at Barnes n Noble and it is such a beautiful book!
Keeping my fingers crossed!!
~~ cindy
I LOVE my iPhone (even more than my husband. haha) I highy recommend you getting one ASAP. Thanks for the fabulous giveaway. I hope I win!
I twattered!
http://twitter.com/IHCuppycakes/status/8570344930
Thanks for yet another wonderful giveaway…and for all the tips and ever-inspiring pictures…
I pondered the Kopycake when I took a painting class with Mary Owens a couple of years ago…OOOH ,now I have 2 reasons….
I think that my wish,after looking at your work,would be that you teach somewhere,that I could go, for consecutive days/classes…….just a thought!
I just found your blog from a Twitter post and love it! I bake to keep myself entertained and to challenge myself, so the cake book would definitely be something that I would love to get to see the techniques. Not to mention, I would love a pendant of one of my favorite things — cupcakes!
LOVE the cupcake charm. I covet several of the same things that are on your list. I need to win the lottery!
What a great list! I actually had the Martha Stewart Wedding Cakes book in my hand at Williams Sonoma a couple of weeks ago, but had to remind myself that it was not what I went there for (darn New Year’s resolution to be mindful of all purchases!). Thanks for the chance to win!
Oh and yes, you need an iPhone. I put off getting one for quite some time, and now I have no idea how I functioned without one!
A little embarrassing perhaps, but Martha Stewart is my favourite “thing” 😉 My husband finds it amusing that I smile, move forward in my chair & nod in agreement when I’m watching Martha on TV. Lol, that just sounds sooo tragic doesn’t it!!
Cute site! I love the cupcake charm its adorable!
Thanks!
Chelsea
WOW! Thanks for this GREAT giveaway! A current favorite of mine is Peggy Porschen’s Pretty Party Cakes and I am anxiously awaiting her next one! I would also love some Sweetopia classes. Thanks, Jen.
I love my iphone. I would love a kindle. I love my kitchen Aid and all my cast iron pans, baking stones. My wish list right now includes a really nice maple cutting board, and a set of pastry tips.