DIY {fancy friendship bracelets}

I'm sure all you of, myself included, have made enough friendship bracelets to last us a lifetime. However, can you really have enough colorful and fun friendship bracelets? I think not! After seeing this fun take on embellishing them, I decided to give it a try and love the newest edition to my arm party. Get crafty friends! 

chocolate crinkles

A sweet friend of mine gave me this book recently and I've been dying to make something from it. The book is filled with the cutest illustrations of directions in a fun, nicely designed layout. Just my kind of book if you ask me (my friends know me oh so well)! I decided to make crinkles which I had never heard of before but reminded me of a traditional cookie I make during the holidays. Much to my surprise, the crinkles turned out to be more of a cake-like-brownie ball, even my not sweet loving fiance had a few. Needless to say, I can't wait to make another sweet treat from the cookiepedia.

Crinkles

Ingredients:
6 oz bittersweet chocolate. finely chopped
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
2 tbsp cocoa powder
3/4 baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
powdered sugar for rolling

Preheat oven to 325. Use a double broiler to melt the chocolate and butter slowly. Beat eggs and sugar until thick and smooth. Add the vanilla and melted chocolate mixture. Sift flour, powders and salt and gradually add to egg mixture. Cover dough with plastic and let chill for 2 hours. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Rolls 1 inch balls or dough and toss in powdered sugar. Bake for 8-10 minutes rotating half way. Cool the sheets 5 minutes before transferring to cooling racks. Enjoy!

DIY {dipped wooden utensils}

After I saw these dipped wooden spoons, I knew my next project would be to jazz my utensils up a bit. I browsed through my collection of paint colors and my indecisive self couldn't pick just one color, so I opted for good ol' white. I think it brings a fun aspect to my otherwise plain utensils and who knows I might jazz them up a little more by added some gold dots, because those are my favorite!

{my version}

Happy crafting friends!

DIY {painted cork coasters}

For as long as I can remember, my coaster collection comsisted of those cheap very thin ones from restaurants and cool bars I've been to. You know the kind that when you were a little kid, you made a coaster house out of them when bored at dinner with your parents. I've always been fond of them mostly for the reason that the majority of them have funny or clever sayings on them and bring back some sort of memory for me. Well friends, I've finally decided that it's time for an upgrade. You know I wouldn't just buy any old coasters, I had to put my own little spin on them. I picked up a pack of cork coasters and some paint and got to work. I knew I wanted to have a fun pattern and some ampersands and incorporate white and mint. I made my stencils from contact paper and let the paint sit for a minute and was really pleased with the results.

DIY {etched mr & mrs glasses}

When it comes to gift giving, it might just be one of my favorite things. I love finding themes to presents and honestly I love getting creative and making something special for my closest friends. This time around, a fun wedding present. I wanted something a little girly yet still fun for the guy involved. I mean who wouldn't want to drink out of a mustache glass, right? I've seen multiple mister and misses glasses popping up around the marketplace and I thought I would try my hand at a new method of crafting, glass etching. I used this cream and a simple stencil made from contact paper and these were my results. 

DIY {homemade coffee syrup}

I am the kind of person who has to have my morning cup of joe in order to go about my day otherwise I feel a little funky. I think it's more of the routine and the warm factor as I am getting ready for my day that makes it so comforting and something that I truly love. I came across this great idea over the holiday season and thought it was such a great idea for any coffee lover. Homemade coffee syrups would be the sweetest surprise in anyone's cup of java.  I can't wait to make some vanilla for myself! What is your go to coffee flavor?

source

twice as nice chocolate brownies

Whenever we rally up our friends and have a dinner party or get together, it wouldn't be the same without me baking up some yummy treats. This weekend I decided to try my hand at brownies from scratch. Yep no box needed just lots of chocolate. I might even be bold enough to say that they were easier than the box versions. Try it for yourself!

Ingredients:

2 cups chocolate chips, divided

1/2 cup butter cut into pieces

3 large eggs

1 1/4 cup all- purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease baking pan. Melt 1 cup of chocolate chips and butter in a large saucepan over low heat. Stir until smooth. Remove from heat and add eggs, flour, sugar, vanilla and baking soda. Stir in remaining chocolate chips and nuts. Spread into baking pan. Bake 18-22 minutes. Cool and cut into bars.

Happy baking friends! 

DIY {metallic makeup pouch}

Lately, I've been referred to as 'Mr. T' and/or 'Goldfinger' because of my recent obsession with all things gold. I don't know if it's the shiny factor or the idea that when wearing a lot of gold, you could be considered unstoppable, right? Nonetheless, I can't get enough. So naturally there was no way I was going to pass up these metallic makeup pouches at the craft store the other day. I gladly scooped up a few of each color (black, bronze and gold) and went home with endless ideas of patterns that I wanted to decorate them with. Here are a few that I painted up yesterday, despite my high from the insane paint fumes. 

 

DIY {mini tassel garland}

Call me crazy but, I'm guessing that you've seen a few of these around the world wide web lately and I'll bet that you love them as much as I do. Honestly, who wouldn't? For the last couple months, I've been wanting to make my own tassel garland but haven't found the right materials (you know I want some gold in there!) So I decided to try a mini version in valentine's colors instead and get some practice in for the real thing. I grabbed tissue paper in the colors I wanted, bright pink, red and light pink and scissors. Although I think crepe paper would work a tab bit nicer. She thinks so too! 

I think this tiny decor would spice up any little present you'd like to give someone for the upcoming love holiday, even a cute little succulent. Happy crafting friends!

DIY {chalkboard coffee mug}

One theme that seemed to be apparent this holiday season was coffee/tea gifts and I couldn't be happier. We finally got a coffee maker that didn't make a bigger mess than you did when pouring coffee and we added fun newcomers to our mug collection, this chalkboard mug being one of them. I've been a fan of this chalkboard trend that has started but haven't participated much in it yet and I'm not sure why. It was so much fun to decide what I wanted to draw on my new blank coffee mug. I contemplated a bit and once I decided on my design, I made a stencil. I opted not for a saying but for a simple herringbone heart. A combo of two things I have been into lately and I love it! 

For a step by step how to on chalkboard painted mugs, check out this tutorial. Super simple and super fun

oh nutmeg

Even though the holidays are over, I still have a large box of cookies left over that I can't seem to part with. Holiday cookies are one of my favorite things and I suppose it's something that I like to savor a little after the holiday madness is over. One of the more fun cookies to make is what my family calls nutmeg logs. It's kind of like playing with play dough, you get to roll the dough out into long strips and cut them into little logs. You then frost them with powdered sugar frosting and scrap it to look like wood. Check it out for yourself.

nutmeg logs

sift 3 cups flour and 1 tsp nutmeg. cream 1 cup butter and 3/4 cup sugar. blend in 1 egg and 2 tsp vanilla.  gradually add the ingredients and mix well. shape dough into long rolls about 1/2 '' diameter. cut into 3'' lengths and place on un-greased baking sheet. bake until light brown 12-15 minutes at 350 degrees. cool and frost with powdered sugar frosting. mark frosting with fork to resemble bark. sprinkle with nutmeg. 

DIY {brown sugar body scrub}

I've always been the friend who makes most gifts, 1. because I think they're more personal and special 2. I like crafting and figuring out new ideas and 3. most of the time they are less expensive and way cuter than anything you could buy at the store. Now don't get me wrong I'm no cheapskate, I simply love making homemade gifts. It's my M.O. if you will. This year, my theme was beauty and I made homemade body scrub. Super easy and very practical. I've already used mine twice. I combined a few recipes I found online by added spices and extracts and I've very happy with the results. I hope you get a chance to try it for yourself.

vanilla - cinnamon brown sugar scrub:

1/2 cup of brown sugar
3-4 tablespoons of olive oil
a few dashes of cinnamon ( whatever you like )
and a few drops of vanilla ( I'm sure essentials oils work best, but I only had extract on hand )

mix all ingredients together. if you find that you added too much oil, add more sugar. The first time I made scrub I added too much oil, so add sparingly.

I also decided to decorate the jars that I put my new scrub in with cute paper I had on hand. A little modge podge goes a long way.

Happy crafting friends!

DIY {glitter mason jar candle holder}

A few months back, I got my hands on tons of mason jars and haven't quite decided what I wanted to do with them until now. With my recent addiction to glitter, as you must know by now, I decided why not glitter the mason jars for stylish holiday table decor. YES! So grab your jars, double stick tape and glitter color of choice and get crafty friends!

Here is my winter wonderland version. Stay tuned for the tablescape photos. 

source

praline crunch

Last night marked our annual pumpkin carving and I got to thinking what would be an interesting substitute for your normal roasted pumpkin seeds. The best answer I came across is a brittle/praline type treat. I opted to try it out first with peanuts, because it was my first time making a candy like treat. I followed this recipe and believe it or not, it was super easy. Now that my pumpkin seeds have sat overnight, it's time to roast them and add them to this crunchy treat. 

DIY {green notebook}

I know I have already confessed my compulsive list making and I have found yet another way to organize them and keep them in one place. I was looking for a cheap and easy solution and came across this great idea, cereal box notebooks. Yep I transformed a cereal box and a few sheets of paper into a kate spade inspired polka dot notebook. Take a peek...

I have already used them this week for a few new adventures and have gotten several compliments.
Happy crafting friends!!

DIY {business card case}

Business is on the up and up over here lately so one thing I've needed to fix is the constant bending and messing up of my nice business cards in my purse. Clearly, I was on the lookout for a nice and simple business card case that wasn't too over the top, something to keep my cards clean yet a little stylish. When looking for ideas, I found this one that I loved, only problem being I couldn't get my hands on any leather. Then I found this gem and got a whole new idea. This is what I'll be carrying my little business cards around in now.

materials needed:

fabric of choice
button
iron
sewing machine

Measure the size of whatever it is you're making a case for. Mine for example was for business cards.
Take the height of the business cards, add 1/2'' and multiply by two to get the height of your rectangle. As for the width, use the length of your card plus 1/2''.

Then for the envelope shape, add a triangle to the top of your rectangle about the height of your card. Allow yourself 1/2'' for seams all around. After you've figured out your numbers, draw your shape twice so you have two pieces of fabric.

Cut the shapes out and sew together, right sides in. Make sure you leave room at the bottom for you to be able to turn it right side out. Flip and press.

Fold like an envelope, press again and sew the side edges. I wanted to add a bit more color to my new little business card case so I added a colorful button I had on hand. That's it!

I've already had a request for one from a friend. Happy crafting!!

mr oreo & mrs brownie

My latest sweet creation married two of my favorites, brownies and oreos. I'm not quite sure why I've never tried mixing these two before but thank goodness for left over oreos. I decided to whip up this treat over the weekend because 1. sweets always make a good present for friends and 2. it was a gloomy day and baking almost always makes me feel better. 

I simply followed a normal brownie recipe and then after researching a few oreo brownie recipes, I decided to toss my crushed oreos in a tablespoon or two of flour (to prevent them from sinking to the bottom) and bake. I waited for them to cool then cut in small squares. Easy as that! For a nice package, I put the brownies in parchment and plastic wrapped with baker's twine, a tag made from a TJ's bag with "eat up" stamped on it.

DIY {gold & beaded bracelet}

Arm parties are all the rage in the fashion world and what better way to add to your collection then making a few gems yourself. I found this beauty online and wanted to try to make one myself. Here's how I made them. 

Here are the materials you need:
4" gold chain, cut in half
2 bead tips
2 jump rings
a lobster claw
seed beads in choice of color
heavy duty string

tools: scissors & needle nose pliers

1. attach lobster claw to one half of the chain with a jump ring, set aside
2. attach bead tip to string by tying a knot and crimping the bead tip
3. string about 20 beads onto the string (or how ever many you'd like, I measure mine to be the width of my wrist)
4. attach the beaded string to the first half of chain with lobster claw, then attach the other bead tip to the end by tying another knot
5. attach the other half of chain to rest of the bracelet with the last jump ring at the end
6. make another one because layering is cute too!

DIY {colorful doily plant holder}

I'm sure you know that I am a sucker for succulents. Especially because I do not possess any strain of green thumb-ness at all. Plant growing skills aside, I came across this amazing tutorial yesterday for a colorful doily plant holder and can't wait to try it. I completely love the fact that string holding these lively plants is friendship bracelet string, tied exactly the same way me and my friends used to make them. So bring back the nostalgia friends and get crafty! 

This would make the most amazing house warming present, in case you are ever in need of one!

sweet and salty

 The other night, I had the most insane craving for popcorn which I don't normally want unless waiting for the latest blockbuster in a movie theater. After I devoured a bag of popcorn, naturally it got me thinking and I've never put my own spin on a popcorn treat. Ergo my latest sweet treat, caramel corn popcorn balls drizzled with nutella. I originally followed this recipe and added the nutella, just because!

These treats were ridiculously easy and quite tasty. Perfect for a last minute need for something sweet!