DIY: Bow Gloves (Gift Idea!)

 

I am so darn excited about this DIY! I was inspired by these great Bow Bracelet Gloves at Anthropologie. These gloves would make an excellent gift for mom, or sis, or auntie... Or whatever sweet lady on your holiday shopping list likes to keep her hands warm and look adorable at the same time!

What you need:

Gloves
Fabric
Needle & thread
Scissors
Iron (not pictured)

I found these gloves at Old Navy for $4! I love a bargain.

To get started, you'll need to cut a square of fabric that is about an inch wider than the wrist of your gloves and double the height of whatever sized bow you want. You can make a big fat bow or a skinny bow, it's up to you! ie: I cut my fabric about 4 inches tall, so my finished bow is about 2 inches tall.

 

Next, you want to flip your fabric square over so that the right side faces down, and fold the top and bottom edges inward so they meet in the middle. Iron this flat so it stays in place.

 

 

Lay your glove so that the under side faces upward, like shown. With the right side still facing down, place the fabric onto the glove in the approximate place that you want the bow to hit on the other side. You are going to sew it, then flip it inside out, to get it in the correct position.

 

I found that the easiest way to get started is to line one of the rough edges of the fabric along the glove seam, and sew right beside it. Sew all the way across, then go back across again and finish it by tying a knot inside the glove.

 

Now sew the other side the same way so that you have this:

It helps to put the glove on before sewing the other side of the bow, then marking lightly with a pencil where you want the edge to hit. Line the rough edge of the bow fabric up to the pencil mark and sew it just the way you did the other side.

To finish the bow, you need to make the center band. Using the same idea as before, cut a small piece of fabric and fold the edges inward to the center. Right side should be face down. Iron the folds to hold it in place.

Now take the folded piece of fabric and fold it in half again, so that the smooth ironed edges are laying on top of one another. Iron this again to hold it in place.

Place this strip of fabric under the bow, between the bow and glove, and wrap it around so the rough edges meet in the middle of the bow. Sew this together.

 

Now flip the bow over the bottom of the glove and over to the other side:

 

Repeat these steps with the second glove and that's it!

 

 

DIY: Painted Makeup Brush Set (Gift Idea!)

Each year I make it a point to do a few DIY gifts for my friends and family. For one reason, because I enjoy making things. For another, because people seem to appreciate a handmade gift that you designed specially for them. And last but certainly not least, because a handmade gift can often save you quite a bit of money!

One DIY that I've been wanting to try is a set of fun personalized makeup brushes. I never got around to it before, because I wasn't really in the need for new brushes... But when my teenage cousin asked for makeup for Christmas, I knew it was time to check this project off the to-do list!

I got these bamboo brushes at my local pharmacy for only $6! They are actually really good brushes that even came with a cloth sack. This project is so easy, all you need is...

A makeup brush set
Nail polish
Tape*
Toothpick or other thin paintbrush for painting designs*

*These are optional supplies but will help if you want cleaner lines!

The steps are so simple, it's just a matter of taping off parts you don't want to paint and then painting on the rest!

 

Lay down some paper to protect your work surface!

Nail polish dries fairly quickly which is great, but make sure each coat is dry before moving on to another section. Especially if you're going to be taping on top of an area you've just painted!

You can use a toothpick dipped in the polish to do polka dots! Drop a blob of paint onto a piece of paper and dip into it that way, rather than sticking it straight into the bottle.

That's it! Let them dry fully and they are ready to use.

Recipe: Eggs in a Basket

Here I am! I didn't really go anyway, I just took a nice little break from the internet (sort of, but not really) to stuff myself with turkey and sweet potatoes, do some Christmas shopping, watch lots of season finales, and prepare myself for a 5-week furlough from work. Which starts today, by the way. We got some really nasty weather overnight that is predicted to continue through Saturday morning, so I took a snow day today instead of braving that treacherous drive to and fro.

For a lazy snow day in my pj's, I definitely needed a good brunch like eggs-in-a-basket. I don't think I've ever eaten egg-in-a-basket (or eggs-in-a-hole, as it's also known) prior to today. If I have, I don't recall it. But I sure don't know WHY I haven't had it before because it's super easy and delicious!


Ingredients:

 

Bread of choice-- any bread will do; I had these fluffy sandwich buns and I wanted to use them, but a regular slice of sandwich bread is just fine.
Eggs
Butter
Shredded sharp cheddar cheese (not pictured)
1 tsp chopped green onions
salt & pepper, to taste

Grab yourself a biscuit cutter, cookie cutter, round glass, or other round object that you can use to cut a hole into your bread. Just press it right down in the middle of the bread and remove the middle. Don't throw that out, though. We're gonna eat it, too!

 

Heat a skillet on the stove over medium heat. I like to butter one side of my bread before placing it in the skillet, but you could also melt a little butter into the skillet instead.
Lay your bread down in the skillet and drop a little bit of butter in the center. Now crack your egg right into the hole.

 

Allow to cook for about a minute. The white should be beginning to cook, but you don't want the bread to burn. Flip your bread over gently as to not bust the yolk, and cook about a minute longer.

 

 

Sprinkle with salt & pepper and the chopped green onions.

 

Now top with shredded cheese. Go ahead and butter up your bread hole and place that in the skillet too.

When your cheese is just starting to melt you can remove the eggs-in-a-basket from the skillet. Flip the bread hole if you'd like and get it nice and crunchy on both sides.

Serve with breakfast potatoes, sausage links, or nothing at all because it's pretty darn good by itself and very filling!

Mmmhmm good :)

Recipe: Salted Caramel Cappuccino

 

This was my first attempt at making a cappuccino, ever! I don't have a maker but I do have a coffee pot... And I had a hankering. I was not entirely sure if calling this a cappuccino was accurate, so I looked up the definition:

 

cap·puc·ci·no

/ˌkæpʊˈtʃinoʊ, ˌkɑpʊ-; Italian ˌkɑpputˈtʃinɔ/ Show Spelled [kap-oo-chee-noh, kah-poo-; Italian kahp-poot-chee-naw]

noun

a hot beverage consisting of espresso coffee and steamed milk, often served with powdered cinnamon and topped with whipped cream.

Yep, that works~
 

Enjoy!

 

 

Ingredients:

(Makes 1 cup)

 

4-5 soft caramel candies, such as Kraft Caramels

3/4 cup milk

1 tbsp heavy cream

1/8 tsp vanilla

Approx. 1/4 cup strong brewed coffee or espresso

A pinch of coarse sea salt

 

 

In a saucepan over medium heat, warm 1/4 cup of the milk. Place caramels in the warm milk and stir until completely melted. Reduce heat to low.

Stir in the rest of the milk, vanilla, and heavy cream. Add a pinch of salt (2-3 turns of a salt grinder).

Whisk milk mixture until frothy on top.

Pour coffee into a mug then pour the milk mixture right on top. Do not stir!

Top with whipped cream, cinnamon sprinkles, an extra caramel drizzle, or anything your heart desires! I added an extra bit of salt on top cause I just love the mixture of salt and sweets!

 

 

 

Recipe: (mostly) Homemade Chicken Pot Pie

 

I just LOVE a good chicken pot pie, don’t you? It’s really a perfect meal for a cold fall evening. Working full time means I don’t always have the time needed to make a completely-homemade meal for my hubby and myself, but I like it to taste that way! Last night on a whim, I decided this is what I wanted to have for dinner. I had only about 30-40 min to prepare it, so I had to cut some corners…. Instead of homemade pie crust I opted for Pillsbury crescent rolls. It wasn't the same flaky goodness of the usual crust but it was delightful all the same.

Ingredients:

Makes 2 pot pies.

1 cup cooked chicken, shredded or cut into cubes

1 can refrigerated crescent rolls

1 cup heavy cream

1 chicken bouillon cube or 1 tsp bouillon granules

1/2 of a small onion, chopped

1 potato, chopped into bite-sized pieces

1 carrot, chopped into bite-sized pieces

1/2 cup of sweet corn kernels

1/2 cup of sweet peas

1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp flour

Pinch or two of celery salt

Pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 350°. Fill a small pot with water and set to medium on the stovetop. Place potatoes and carrots in the water and allow to come to a boil.

In the meantime, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft.
Add the flour to the onions and butter; mix until thick and pasty.

Pour in the heavy cream. Stir until thickened and beginning to bubble, reduce heat to low. Add bouillon and stir until dissolved.
Add all veggies, chicken, celery salt, and pepper to the saucepan and stir together.
Set two oven-safe bowls on a cookie sheet.

Unroll and separate crescent rolls along perforated lines. Place the large end of four of the crescent roll triangles in one bowl and press them in to cover the bottom. Keep the smaller ends draped over the outside edges of the bowl.
Scoop a big spoonful (I used a large ladle) of the filling mixture into the bowl. Now take the small edges of the crescent rolls and fold inward on top of each other to cover the mixture. Repeat with the second bowl.
Bake in the preheated oven for approx. 25 minutes or until the top is golden.
 

 

 

An unabashed teeny bopper post

I had been counting down to this past weekend for quite some time now. I am not the least bit ashamed to admit that my 15-year adoration (read: obsession) of Justin Timberlake is still going strong. It all started one summer day when I saw that curly blonde cutie pie pelvic thrusting the air in his baby blue basketball shorts on the Disney channel, and immediately I fell in love. (I probably SHOULD be ashamed to admit that!) My music tastes have changed greatly since then but I will forever hold a special place in my heart for JT and all things NSYNC. In fact, I might just dig out some old photos and put them up for a good laugh! I'll save that for another time, though.
Anywho, I took a small road trip up to Columbus, OH on Saturday with some girl friends for Justin's show. It's been 6 years since his last tour and man was I excited! JT was spectacular, but our seats were a-w-f-u-l. Thankfully I have a pretty decent zoom on my camera and captured a few good shots. Here's two of my favorites:

 

Now all I can think of is how badly I want to see him again, and actually be able to see him with my own eyes and not through the 20x zoomed lens of my camera! The tour is ironically called the 20/20 Experience.

DIY: Easiest Burlap Wreath Tutorial

 

 

(Please don't judge my frondoor. I have no idea how it came to be so badly dented. It is on the list of items to update!)

 

Yep, I finally jumped on the burlap bandwagon. I just couldn't help myself! I think burlap looks nice for any season, but especially works during fall. Something about the rustic feel of burlap really goes well with the browns, oranges, yellows and deep reds of autumn but can easily transition into winter/holidays with a big red bow or some other trinkets.

This is a really basic tutorial to make that pillowy burlap wreath I'm sure you've seen all over pinterest. Customizing it with accessories is entirely up to you!

 

 

What you need:

• Wire wreath frame, 18in.
• Burlap garland, 10 yds
• 2 twist ties (not pictured)

 

Intructions:

Step 1- Fold the end of the burlap garland in half and poke one of your twist ties through both sides of the garland. Coming up under the bottom two wires and over the top wire, secure it to the frame with the twist tie. It should be fastened to the innermost wire of the frame. Position the strand of garland downward toward you.
Step 2 - Think of the gaps in the wreath frame as 1, 2, and 3. With the garland still folded in half, pull a bit up through gap 1. Pull another bit of about the same size up through 2, and the same again through 3. You should have three loops of burlap now of about the same size.
Step 3- Fluff the pieces out by separating the edges where you folded it in half. Repeat this process around the entire frame. You don't have to keep the garland perfectly folded after you start, just push it through the gaps and fluff as you go.

Step 4- Continue steps 2 and 3 until you reach all the way around the frame and end up where you began. Use another twist tie to secure the end of the garland to the backside of the frame, and to the innermost wire.

Step 5- Flip the wreath back to the front and tug and pull at different sections of the burlap to get it to hide as much of the wiring as you can. Ta-da! You now have the easiest ever burlap wreath base.

 

Step 6- Now you need to add a string to hang it. I like to use this rope that I got at the craft store. It's lasted me a long long time and has so many uses! Cut a few pieces of about 6 inches long. Wrap them around one of the wires and tie into a knot.

 

 



Step 7- To make your wreath snazzy you can add some bows, flowers, or whatever your little heart desires. I added some of this:

 

 

I'm not sure what this is called but it comes rolled up just like this and is located around the floral section of the craft store. Unrolled, it was exactly the length of my wreath. I tucked it into the wires here and there all the way around until I reached where I began, then pushed the ends to the backside of the wreath and twisted them together to secure.

 

Here is what it looks like on my badly beaten front door: