Thursday, December 2, 2010

Thrift find Thursday!


It's been many months since I made a blog post. I have a lot of time on my hands now that I am no longer working outside of the home and the weather is a bit harsh for my hobby of choice, photography. I decided it's about time I get my blog up and running again, and there is no better way than to dive in head first. Luckily the break has given me a while to accumulate a big stockpile of items for Thrift find Thursday. :)

Today's item isn't anything of real value, there was just something about this piece that made me need it. Well, that and it only set me back fifty cents. I think what I like about this piece is that it is charming. It's something someone painted by hand and it has an undeniable pin up vibe, plus I had the perfect place for it on the bookshelf in my office. :)

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Jean Paul Gaultier at Target!

I can't say I love every piece in the collection, but there are a few items worth checking out! I will definitely be taking a peek in person next week!

Go see it for yourself!

Really, Mattel????




While roaming the toy section in Wal-Mart I spotted these Barbies. I was so excited and I loved everything about them until I saw the little quotations above their heads. I don't know I was so disappointed and offended by these quotes. The quotation over the teacher's head is 'I chalk it up to my Ph.D. in fashion' and the Nurse's quote is 'Get new shoes and call me in the morning!'. I was so mad, really irritated that Mattel thought those quotes were even remotely funny??? Perhaps, I am being overly sensitive, but I thought we had come far enough in society to know that women are JUST as smart as men and in my opinion those quotes are absolutely patronizing. I don't know why they couldn't have just done these reproduction Barbies and left me with the impression that they were smart, successful women with college educations? Is it really that much to ask Mattel? Readers, do you think I am being oversensitive????

Monday, February 8, 2010

Lock it Necklace at Modcloth


(Picture from modcloth.com)
I love this locket. It is so inexpensive too! Go see for yourself!

Forever 21 Twist! Limited edition vintage inspired pieces.


(Image from forever21.com)

Forever 21 has a limited edition line of vintage inspired pieces! I swear I want to buy one of everything!!! Go check it out!!!

Friday, January 29, 2010

Oh Deer! shoes 70% off at 6pm.com

I am a sucker for a cute pair of shoes. I have coveted Oh Deer! shoes for a few years now. Quite honestly, I am cheap. I refuse to part with more than $30 for a pair of shoes. Luckily for me, being cheap means I can get great deals on adorable shoes because I wait until they are on clearance. I love these shoes (and the Marilyn, Garbo, and Katherine style). Truthfully, if I had an extra couple hundred dollars just laying around I would probably order all of them.




(Photo from 6pm.com)

Dorothy by Oh Deer! Now: $18.74, go see for yourself by clicking!

Oh Deer! shoes feel half a size SMALLER than the size they are, so order your pair half a size BIGGER than you would normally wear. :)

Unattainable Beauty:The Decade's Biggest Airbrushing Scandals

This Newsweek gallery exposes such an important issue. I urge everyone to take a look at it, you will be amazed!

My faves Friday!!!



I love making fresh and natural beauty products in the comfort of my own home. I buy a face mask once a month or so from Wal-Mart simply because I am too lazy to go buy a face mask weekly. Here are some simple tips and recipes to make your OWN face masks! I am definitely doing this tomorrow while my hubby is at work! :)

Go look at the Yummy Suds 'fresh face masks' blog post!!!

Norma Kamali at Wal-Mart!

Okay girls, as much as we hate to stress ourselves out we have to face facts. Swimsuit season is just around the corner. I have always wanted a vintage looking swimsuit, but, I always flinch when I see the high price tags on most of them. This swimsuit is so cute, and comes in plain or polka dot patterned. I like that it has vintage qualities, but is totally a modern take of a vintage swimsuit. I also love the fact that it is $15 per piece, pretty amazing!



(Image from Walmart.com)

Go take a look for yourself!



(Image from Walmart.com)
Here is a link to the bottoms!

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Anna Sheffield for Target jewelry

The first thing you see when you walk into my local target is the jewelry counter. Usually I am able to bypass, but, when I saw pieces from the Anna Sheffield for Target collection I couldn't resist stopping. I started stopping in to visit the pieces once a week and finally last week they went on clearance...50% off at my local Target. Stop in and check if your Target has some pieces for 50% off, I think they are making room for new inventory! I haven't seen this bird ring yet, but, I &hearts it!




(Image courtesy of kaboodle.com)

Go see what you might &hearts from the Anna Sheffield for Target collection!!!

Just Can't Get Enough-The Saturdays

A friend forwarded me this video a few months ago. The director did his/her Pin Up art research! This video is so perfect.


Edit: I just realized this is the 'comic relief' version. The original version can not be embedded, if you would like to watch the video minus red clown noses click here!

Thrift find Thursday!!!

I am in the process of building up wardrobe for my photography business. I am always looking for unique, vintage, and CHEAP pieces. I stumbled upon this bustier at the local thrift store. It is authentically vintage and teeny tiny, it may never fit any of my clients, but it was so pretty that I couldn't resist spending $2.50 on it. I really want to put it in a shadow box and hang it up on my wall, this photo really doesn't do it justice.

Monday, January 25, 2010

This dress is ADORABLE.

I loooooooove this dress....it is SO adorable.


(Image courtesy of Fred Flare)
Gingham "I heart you" dress

'The Golden Age' promotion at Urban Outfitters!

Urban Outfitters is overflowing with 1940's inspired clothing, purses, shoes and accessories!!! It's a bit pricey because Urban Outfitters always is, but, it's worth taking a look. :)


(Image courtesy of Urban Outfitters)
Go take a peek!!!

Beauty Tip Monday!

Okay, everyone. I have to confess that last week I was inexcusably lazy. I honestly don't even have a good excuse I was just L-A-Z-Y. This week I am going to make up for it and work twice as hard. :)

This weeks beauty tip is sort of a beauty tip/tutorial ALL in one. How exciting, right???

It is very important to nourish your hair, but,it is even MORE important to nourish it in the winter. You can buy intensive conditioners and leave in conditioners, and they work fine. For me, those intensive conditioners work fine for a day. The next day my hair is feeling dry, frizzy and unmanageable all over again. You can purchase handmade all natural hair masks, but, why do that when you can make your own. If there is ONE thing I would like to accomplish with this blog, it is that YOU can MAKE almost anything yourself with simple ingredients.

So, today it's time to make your own hair mask:

You will need:

1 ripe avocado

1 ripe banana (think banana bread banana)

2 tablespoons of olive oil

a bowl, fork, knife, and cutting board

a shower cap or plastic wrap



Once you've got all of your ingredients gathered begin by cutting your avocado in half. Remove the pit and skin and place it in the bowl



Now go ahead and smash it up. I used a fork, but, a food processor could probably be used as well. If you use a fork it will be kind of chunky.

Go ahead and slice up your ripe banana and add it to the avocado.



After the avocado and banana have been thoroughly smashed together add the olive oil. If you have naturally oily hair, or your hair isn't extremely dry/damaged I would suggest less olive oil or omit it all together.



Now comes the messy part. I suggest putting a towel over your shoulders to catch anything that falls off of your head. Start applying the mask to your hair. Unless you have really long hair you will not need all of the mask, you can freeze any leftovers and use them next month. Make sure you saturate all of your hair with the mixture. Warning: this part looks and feels gross but your hair will &hearts you for it!



Now you need to do one of two things, wrap your hair in plastic wrap or put a shower cap on. Set the timer for an hour and rinse.

*The rinsing part is the most annoying part of the entire process. I suggest bringing a comb or brush in the shower with you to comb out all the bits and pieces of smashed banana and avocado out of your hair. I ended up shampooing my hair to make sure I got all the mask out.

Monday, January 18, 2010

Beauty Tip Monday!

I never really thought about how disgusting dirty makeup brushes are. I think I have cleaned my brushes once in the last six months. I never thought about the oils and bacteria that were building up on those brushes, or that both of those things could lead to breakouts. Well, guess what...I started breaking out! I thought it was my facial cleanser or moisturizer. I finally realized that I started breaking out when I began using my powder brush to apply my pressed powder instead of the sponge it comes with. I needed a quick fix and didn't feel like going to the store...so I searched 'make your own brush cleaner' on you tube. I found a perfect recipe immediately and went to work making it. Then I spent my Saturday evening cleaning my makeup brushes and sanitizing my makeup. If you would like to make your own brush cleaner check out this video!!!



It's also a good idea to sanitize your makeup...I &hearts this girl's makeup tutorials and am glad she posted a makeup sanitization tutorial. :)

Cat Eye Sunglasses for $5.80!

I <3 these cat eye sunglasses! The best part...they cost about as much as a trip to Starbucks!!!

Cat Eye Sunglasses at Forever 21!!!

Friday, January 15, 2010

My faves Friday!!!



I love shoes. If I could wear a different pair of shoes every day of my life I would. Unfortunately at the moment over half of my shoes are in storage. I can't think of a better excuse to buy NEW shoes?! Luckily I bought these two pairs today on clearance. It was a 50% off clearance price sale so I got both pairs for about $12! Getting a great deal on shoes is definitely one of my favorite things! ;)

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Grandparents...

My husband went out of town last night. I decided to pack myself and my daughter up and stay at my Grandma and Grandpa's house. These are some of the pictures I took while we were there. :)



My Grandma gave me a refresher sewing lesson, I STILL can't sew a straight line...




My grandparents used to own and fill gum ball machines. They sold their company to my dad when I was younger. I have loved this gumball machine since I was a kid. :)



My grandparents keep EVERYTHING, and apparently their parents did too. I am glad they kept everything because I get the chance to peek into the past because of them. These blocks were my Grandpa's when he was little. He thinks some of them may have even been his mother's when she was a child, if they were that would make some of these blocks 100 years old!

I always feel like life is simpler when I am at my grandparents. I am so glad I have so many grandparents left to share their experiences and memories, I feel so lucky to have them around. :)

Thrift Find Thursday!!!

This week's thrift store find is pretty amazing. I have ALWAYS wanted a set of china. It is pretty hard to find a nice full set at a thrift store, and, it costs a small fortune to purchase a set from a department store.

I decided to stop into a few thrift stores while I was out today. I didn't find much at the first store. I went into the second store and as soon as I walked in I saw a full set of china. I expected the price tag to be ridiculously expensive, at least for my small budget. When I walked by and saw the words '47 piece set $30.00' I couldn't contain my excitement. I managed to walk around the store and fought with myself over whether I REALLY needed a set of china. I guess I really did need the set of china because five minutes later it was paid for.

Once I got home I decided to inspect the china. I completely expected chips and missing pieces. As it turns out there was a pretty big chip on one serving bowl and one salad plate was missing. If I really want to I can replace the plate for $10, but I doubt I will ever use all SIX place settings. I seriously don't even know what some of the bowls are for?!

Anyway, I am sooooooooo excited to use my china and so glad I decided to stop into the thrift store this afternoon!



Wednesday, January 13, 2010

I <3 Marina and the Diamonds....

I have been obsessed with Marina and the Diamonds for the past few months. Unfortunately her debut album is being released in the UK next month and there is no word on when it will be available here. Thankfully there are lots of youtube videos to watch! :)

Waistline Watch Wednesday!



It's no secret that I loooooove Coke Zero. I do like classic Coke, but I hate all the sugar in it. Whenever I want something sweet I reach for my trusty can of Coke Zero. I know a lot of people give diet soda a bad name, I just can't give it up!

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

A few photos from today...

I have a soft spot for old cars. I honestly don't care if it is a picture perfect show car, or an old car that has been abandoned in a field and rats have been chewing on the seats for years. I love them all the same. Today my husband and I went to the local classic car restorer and asked if we could take some pictures of the cars he has sitting around. He told us as long as we didn't mind tromping through the snow we could take pictures of anything we wanted. I &hearts people like that... :)









Test Drive Tuesday



Last week after posting a link to the restyled Hard Candy line I ended up finding it at my local Wal-Mart! I purchased the Blush Crush Baked Blush in Pin up, Walk the Line liquid eyeliner in Asphalt and the Kal-eye-descope Baked Eyeshadow Duo in High Maintenance. I decided that these products would be perfect for Test Drive Tuesday, especially considering that a lot of people tried Hard Candy before it was available at Wal-Mart, and they may want to know how the new stuff stacks up.

First I will review the blush. I usually don't use blush. I don't necessarily like the pink blushes. I chose pin up because it isn't pink, it is a shimmery natural almost peach color. The first time I applied the blush it was way too shimmery. I started applying it just along my cheekbones, instead of all the way down to the apples of my cheeks. I feel when this blush is applied along the cheekbones it is perfect, but it is too intense if you apply it to your apples. I think the blush will last a while because it is highly pigmented and a small amount goes a long way. I will probably buy the blush again. You also get quite a lot of product for $7.

Next, I will review the Walk the Line Eyeliner. The things I liked about this eyeliner are that it is very dark and only one application is necessary. The brush end fits comfortably in my hand. The eyeliner lasts all day, it doesn't fade or smudge and looks fresh until I take my makeup off.

I do not like that the liquid eyeliner has a very thin brush, it's much thinner than a lot of other liquid eyeliners I have used. I don't care much for brush tip eyeliner and tend to like felt tip eyeliner better. I feel that with felt tip eyeliner it is easier to control the line. The major downside of this eyeliner is that it is VERY hard to remove. This could be a good thing if you have a very steady hand and want your makeup to last 12 hours. I make mistakes with liquid eyeliner, especially because the brush is so thin. I have had to leave the mistakes because I do not have time to scrub the eyeliner off and start over. I am not sure if I will buy this eyeliner again, I may keep some on hand for days when I need a very fine tip eyeliner. I am also hoping with practice I will learn how to keep my hand steadier when applying this eyeliner.

Finally, I will review the Baked Eye shadow Duo. I chose the duo that included a light champagne color and a medium shimmery brown. The eye shadow is actually pretty hard, it definitely isn't one of those eye shadows that will break the first time you drop it on the bathroom floor. The colors can be used wet or dry, I prefer to use them dry because I like a more natural look. If you use the shadows wet it will provide a more intense look. I also like that the shadows have shimmer and small specks of glitter. Some of my Urban Decay shadows have large specks of glitter that end up under my eyes, and fall from my lids throughout the day. Once again I feel like you get a lot of product for the price. I will most definitely buy this product again, I am looking forward to trying new colors.

I was worried that Hard Candy being distributed by Wal-Mart would mean Hard Candy would be low quality. I am very impressed at the quality and the packaging is cool. I love the grown up look and more mature color palette they are offering. They still offer a lot of products for younger consumers, while appealing to older consumers as well. Oh, and they STILL don't test their products on animals. I actually think I like Hard Candy more than I did before?! If you have never tried Hard Candy now is definitely the time!!!

Monday, January 11, 2010

Beauty Tip Monday!


Okay girls, last week's beauty tip was a pretty obvious one. Today, I'm going to let you in on my secret (secret until now that is) bedtime ritual. Think of this as your beauty sleep kit.

The first step is really the most important. You NEED to wash your face before you go to bed! You can wash with good old soap and water, or do it the easy way! I choose the easy way and use Pond's cleansing wipes. These wipes remove makeup so easily, I swear by them!

Next, I apply an under eye cream. Always use your ring finger to apply anything under your eyes, and swoop from the inside corner of your eye to the outside corner.

Now that you have a clean face, and have mosturized under your eyes, you will need to put mosturizer on the rest of your face. I apply my mosturizer from my forehead all the way to my chest. I use a different mosturizer at bedtime than I do in the morning, but it doesn't REALLY matter as long as you mosturize. :)

If you live in a warm climate you can probably skip this step. In the winter chapped lips are pretty common for me, I ALWAYS put on some lip balm before I go to sleep. I feel like this helps keep my lips nice and soft, and I don't have to worry about them chapping and cracking.

Lastly, I ALWAYS put lotion on my hands before I go to bed. If you have the extra time, it is a good idea to put lotion on everywhere. I am one of those people who waits until I can't keep my eyes open to go to sleep, so, I never feel like mosturizing my entire body.

Now you can make yourself a 'beauty sleep' kit, put it on your night stand, and start doing these 5 simple steps every night. This routine takes less than five minutes and it really does help prevent wrinkles!

Our first giveaway!!! :)


We are very excited to announce that we have a very special treat for all of our readers. We made it through our first week and so we want to reward you!

January 11th marks the 75th anniversary of Ameila Earheart's solo transoceanic flight from Honolulu, Hawaii to Oakland, California. All we want to know is, if you could fly ANYWHERE in the world right now where would you go????

Leave your answer to that question in the comments section of this post. (Or e-mail it to sprinklesandstardust@gmail.com, please include your name!) Doing that makes you eligible to win one of two adorable sets of soap?! It's REALLY that easy! Don't forget to include your name and an e-mail address so that we can get in contact if you are one of the lucky winners!

You can enter for 24 hours after this is posted, winners will be informed tomorrow! :)

Go check out these pictures from some of the first commercial flights!

Sunday, January 10, 2010

CURL your hair with your FLAT IRON?! How did I not know this was possible before yesterday???

I got my hair cut and styled yesterday. I couldn't see in the mirror for the right side of my hair so I had to guess what was going on. I hate letting anyone else style my hair because I am incredibly picky. Finally, I was able to catch a glimpse in the mirror. I see the flat iron in the stylist's hand and the curls on the right side of my head...I was perplexed. She grabbed a strand of hair, slightly turned the flat iron, pulled the iron through my hair and released my hair from the flat iron with a perfect curl!!! I HAD to figure out how she did this as soon as I came home. Thank goodness for youtube tutorials, and the stylist who has inadvertently made curling my hair take much less time!!! :)

This would make laundry day so much easier!

I recently moved from a three bedroom house to a two bedroom apartment. The things I miss most are my washer and dryer, which are sitting in storage. l hate having to haul my many loads of laundry down the hallway to the laundry room. I hate having to check the loads every 20 minutes, or fear receiving more of these notes.



(You have NO idea how badly I wanted to take my red pen and correct spelling and grammatical errors!!!)

Most of all I hate having multiple laundry baskets sitting around the house with sorted loads of laundry. This hamper could solve TWO problems! 1. It has three different compartments, so you can sort the laundry right away! 2. It has WHEELS!!! Maybe I can even (FINALLY) teach my hubby how to sort his OWN laundry?!

If this laundry sorter would make your life easier CLICK HERE!

Saturday, January 9, 2010

Make your OWN perfume!!!

I have always loved atomizers. I was so happy when we moved near a Hobby Lobby and spotted atomizers amongst the other decorative glass at the store. I couldn't justify spending $20.00 on something I really had no use for. I put one on my Christmas list and patiently waited to see if I would receive one. My husband followed through and on Christmas Eve I finally had an atomizer. To be honest it sat in the box for a week, it sat on my dresser the next week, and eventually ended up in a pile of stuff on my dresser. My husband got the bright idea to actually USE the atomizer, and told me I should make my own perfume! I was instantly excited and borderline obsessed with learning how to do so. We began researching and it turns out making your own perfume is INSANELY easy!!! I decided I'd share with all of you, now you can make your own perfume too!

You will need:

A small dark container to store the perfume in. I chose to use an atomizer, you don't have to use an atomizer if you don't want to. ;)

1/4 cup of vodka or brandy. I chose to use vodka.

10-30 drops of essential oils. I chose to use a premixed perfume oil that smells like Victoria's Secret Love Spell. I was kind of nervous about mixing my own, I will next time!

2 tbsp distilled water

A small dropper if your bottle of essential oil does not have one built in.

Something to protect your work surface in case you spill is recommended.

Optional: 1 tbsp of glycerin to make your perfume last longer



Now, take your 1/4 cup of vodka and pour it into your small dark container.



Next, you will add your essential oils. Once you have added the oils, mix the vodka and oils slowly.



The next step is the most important. Seal up that bottle and let it sit anywhere from 48 hours to SIX weeks. As your perfume sits it is going to get stronger.



Check on your perfume every few days. Once it smells the way you want it to smell add 2 tbsp of distilled water. Shake or stir your container and start wearing your new perfume!!!

This site explains making your own perfume in more depth with a lot more steps. It also explains perfumery notes in detail. :)

Friday, January 8, 2010

Everyone loves a Freebie!

Get your sample of Purex 3-in-1 laundry sheets here! I've been wanting to try these for awhile, let me know how they work for you!

Need some entertainment? Here's a one month free pass for Club PoGo! They have quite a few awesome online games!

My faves Friday!!!



My husband bought me a train case for Christmas. I can't believe I went SO long without one. My makeup used to be scattered throughout different containers between two bathrooms. I just couldn't fit it all in one place. I'd have to go back and forth between bathrooms, dig through multiple storage containers and STILL not find what I was looking for! Thankfully my train case holds EVERYTHING and it's all in one place and so easy to find. The only downside is that my makeup box weighs close to 20 pounds now...ha ha.

The one I have seems to be out of stock everywhere except Walgreens...mine was purchased at K-mart where it was about $30.00.

http://www.walgreens.com/store/catalog/Packing-and-Comfort/Ultimate-Organizer/ID=prod2474199&navCount=0&navAction=push-product

Here is a youtube review in case you want a better look at the train case! ~

Happy Birthday Mr. Presley!

Message in a Bottle Necklace



It sure is a good thing my hubby isn't romantic enough to buy me this necklace! I am quite positive I would melt into a giant love puddle all over the floor. I find it amazingly perfect.

Message in a Bottle Necklace

Lo-Fi, High Style Contest at Urban Outfitters!

This contest is PERFECT for those of us who &hearts everything vintage!!!

Click the link for more info:

http://contests.urbanoutfitters.com/lo-fi?100106hp

Grand prize is a holgaroid instant film back, color film for holga instant back, Holgawood Camera, $300 gift card to Urban Outfitters!

4 runners up will receive $50 Urban Outfitters gift cards!

Spotted at Target- Mountain Dew & Pepsi Throwback



I had to laugh when I saw the Mountain Dew Throwback bottle. Why is there a hillbilly with a bottle of moonshine on the label??? I don't drink soda with sugar, but, if anyone has tried Pepsi or Mountain Dew Throwback how does it taste? How does it compare to soda made with high fructose corn syrup???

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Pin up art slideshow :)

Pin up lip balm


I love the packaging of this Pin Up lip balm! There are so many flavors you are sure to find one you &hearts! :)

http://www.moodswingsonthenet.com/p-1534-pin-up-flavored-lip-balm.aspx

Thrift find Thursday!




I found this purse a few months ago. I fell in love with it at first sight. I paid less than $5 for it and it has come in handy! Most of my purses are pretty small. This one is big enough to hold my DSLR as well as the normal contents of my purse! I love the handles and vintage inspired closure. The best thing is, every time I use this purse I get a compliment on it. :)

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Fettucine Alfredo

Meg made a post earlier today on how to better shrink your waistline...I'm about to blow that right out of the water. I apologize in advance. Really. I'm sorry. First of all I love to cook. I love browsing recipe sites, I love trying new things, I love hosting dinner parties and sharing good food with good friends. Luckily I have a few healthy options in my arsenal, but today...well, I'm not sharing any of those today. Today is about cheese...and cream...and cheese...and butter...and pasta...and did I mention cheese? Today is about Fettucini Alfredo. Fettucini Alfredo that's So Good it would make Olive Garden wanna curl up it's little fist and punch me right in the face.

Here's the thing though, girls...we're into Retro here. Vintage. Back in the day if you wanted something delicious, you tied on your apron and you made it yourself! So that's what we're gonna do. Right now. You ready?

Here's what we're working with:

1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 clove of garlic, crushed
1/4 cup real sweet cream, salted butter
1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese (please just this once skip the pre-shredded stuff, k? K.)
Fettuccine - if you're extra ambitious you can make your own pasta...I'm not quite that vintage. Yet.
Whatever kind of meat or veggie floats your boat. I'm using Sausage tonight, but chicken, salmon, or even spinach is divine.

To begin, throw a pot of water on the stove...bring the water to a boil & cook the pasts according to package directions. Sometimes I salt my pasta water, this time I didn't because we're using salted butter.


Next, Grab that block of Parmesan cheese and grate, grate, grate. Make sure you get at least the full 1.5 cups, plus I like a little extra to sprinkle on top of the finished dish. Use the little bitty grater to make it easier to melt the cheese in the sauce.

There ya go. Perfect.

Ok...moving right along. Begin cooking whatever type of meat you're using. Throw the sausage, chicken, or fish into a skillet. Obviously this step can easily be left out...again, this dish is all about you.
Ok, now we've got all the frivolous stuff outta the way...time to dive right into the sauce. The big thing here is patience. It should easily take 15 minutes or more to incorporate and mix in everything. Should be about 5 minutes with the cream and butter part, and at least 10 or more adding a little cheese at a time. You absolutely can not toss it all in a pan and step away. That's why we got the noodles and meat out of the way first - this sauce needs all of our attention.

Throw in your 1/4 cup of butter. Keep the burner on LOW...we just want a nice slow melt, not a quick sizzle....Once the butter is melted, slowly pour in the 1 cup of heavy cream, whisking constantly. Whisk nice and slow and let the butter and cream melt together for about 5 minutes. It's very important to keep the heat low when you're working with cream...we want it creamy and warm, not hot and curdled.

Ok, so it's been gently warming for about five minutes...time for the garlic (just toss in the full crushed/diced clove) and some of that freshly grated Parmesan cheese - again, slow and steady wins the race...add a little cheese at a time, whisking until melted before adding more. It's very easy to get impatient and dump it all in - know what'll happen? The cheese and butter will not get along. In fact, they will not get along so much that there will be a separation. A Separation! Right in the pan! So let's take this slow....I think there may be a lesson in this dish somewhere...

Beautiful! Next add a little bit of freshly ground pepper, and we're ready to assemble...

Look at this!!! Amazing! Try this dish ASAP...you will thank me for it.