drum roll please...

shout it from the roof tops, tell your friends, invite your neighbors, send an email, post it on your blog. anything & everything that will get the word out. i want EVERYONE in the world knows about the...i hope you are as excited as i am! here are all the particulars...

it's really quite simple: as a participant, you will be asked to choose at least three objects (i don't think anyone would mind if you decide to send more) that are some of YOUR favorite things to send to your partner... maybe it's an apron you made, your new favorite book, or that favorite flavor of lip gloss. be creative & most importantly have fun with it! objects can be new or vintage, bought or handmade... just remember, it is probably best to send something the you'd be pleased to receive yourself.

ready to join the fun? please e-mail your particulars to accordingtokelly@gmail.com. sign-ups will be open until friday, june 8th... so get your friends involved!

• your name.
• mailing address.
• email address.
• website / blog / flickr
(must be involved with at least one of these).
• a little something about yourself.
• please indicate if you are willing to ship internationally.

swap partners will be emailed to you shortly after the sign-up deadline. the delivery date for this swap is Monday, June 25... please have it postmarked by then.

once you receive your package, be sure to post photos here, for everyone to enjoy! if you don't have a flickr account, email me your photos & i will post them for you. if you have any questions/ comments, just drop me a line at: accordingtokelly@gmail.com

i'm so excited! i can't wait. i hope you are too!

ALMOST as good as being IN hawaii

Who doesn't love chocolate haupia (coconut) pies from Ted's Bakery? What you've never heard of it? Well, it's on the North Shore of Oahu... next time your visiting the islands, make sure to pay them a visit! But until you do, you can make their famous pie at home...

Chocolate Haupia Pie
1 9-inch prepared pie crust
7 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
1-1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup sugar
Shaved chocolate, for garnish

Haupia:
1 can coconut milk
1 cup milk
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 cup water

Preheat oven & bake crust according to the directions.

Meanwhile, make haupia: Whisk coconut milk, milk and sugar together in a small saucepan. In a separate bowl, dissolve cornstarch in water. Bring coconut milk mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and whisk in cornstarch mixture, whisking until thickened.

Microwave chocolate pieces on high 1 minute; stir to melt completely. Pour half the haupia into a bowl. Mix remaining haupia with melted chocolate and pour over the bottom of the baked pie crust. Layer white haupia over the top. Cool pie at least 1 hour in refrigerator.

Whip cream with 1/4 cup sugar until still peaks form. Garnish pie with whipped cream and shaved chocolate. Chill another hour. Serves 6 to 8.

they grow so fast!

I know this isn't news to anyone, but I am always amazed at how fast they grow. I can't believe Owen is already 7 months old. He still seems so little, and yet, everyday I am reminded about how big he is. He isn't really a "baby" anymore. He is sitting up on his own, doing the army crawl & even standing against the furniture! I don't know if I am prepared for him to grow up this fast!

busy crafting...

Had to finish these up for a baby shower. Girls are so foreign to me... I think I went a little crazy with the pink! Is it too much?

i can't stop myself!

I stole these from my mom's house, sorry mom! Anyway, i just can't stop eating them. They are so minty cool... thought you'd like to know. I wonder if I could create a yummy dessert out of them? There are probably a billion recipes already out there, maybe I'll do a little internet search. Do you know of any recipes involving Andes Mints?