graduation dress

graduation dress

For my college graduation I wanted a dress that was really fun and different... So I made one! There are a lot of really easy and cheap patterns you can find for dresses.  I also like to have the ability to choose my own fabrics; it's nice knowing that no one will have a dress like yours. 

I chose a Vogue pattern (V1174), which was more expensive, more elaborate and more difficult than many dress patterns.  If you have never followed a clothing pattern, especially if you get a difficult pattern, it is REALLY helpful to have someone around that knows what they are doing.  (Patterns have symbols and names for techniques that they assume you know and are difficult to figure out on your own).  I was lucky to have my mom and aunt around.

These are the original pattern pictures: 

Here is what my dress looks like:


FRONT:

Bodice with Boning

BACK:

Lined pockets

Inside the bodice

Yes, buying a dress its much easier and obviously faster; but nothing beats wearing an original piece of art!

XOXO cupcakes

XOXO cupcakes

 These are amazingly decadent cupcakes! 

Chocolate fudge cake, strawberry whipped cream filling, topped with dark chocolate ganache.  

If you're going to make chocolate cupcakes, they might as well be moist and fudgey right?  And you might as well fill them with a little fruity surprise!  And topping them in ganache not only allows the cute heart shape to be more noticeable, but it is also a super easy and delicious alternative to frosting.

 Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes:

• I used a box of Duncan Hines cake mix and followed their recipe.   I do feel guilty using mixes of any kind, but I don't consider this cheating.  The boxes are way easier and usually taste better than cake from scratch. 

• Bake cupcakes according to the instructions (a toothpick should come out clean when stuck in the middle).
• Let cupcakes cool completely.
• Remove from pan. Cut a small cone from the cakes, not too big or too deep (Make sure the cake is strong enough to hold it's shape)
• Fill the hole with the filling.
• Top entire cupcake with ganache.  Pour small amounts from center outward.  Use just enough so the ganache flows over the sides but doesn't completely cover the sides.  
• Garnish as you like.

Strawberry Whipped Cream Filling:

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla 
• Real vanilla beans are always better: cut the bean lengthwise and use a knife to scrape out all the seeds and the good goey stuff.
• 1/2 cup finely chopped strawberries (or as much as you want)
• Optional: 1/3 cup sugar (I omitted this because the cupcakes are sweet enough)

• Whip the cream, vanilla and sugar until it can hold stiff peaks.  Then fold in strawberries.

Dark Chocolate Ganache: 

• 9 ounces chopped bittersweet chocolate (I always like to use Ghiradelli)
• 1 cup heavy cream
• Optional: 1 tablespoon dark rum

• Place chocolate in a bowl and set aside.
• Heat cream in small saucepan.  Bring just barely to boil.  As soon as it boils, pour over chopped chocolate and whisk until smooth.  
• Add rum if desired.  
• Let the ganache cool slightly before using.  Don't feel rushed, it will take a while to stiffen up.
• The ganache will harden slightly, but it will stay shiny.
• You can also let it thicken up and then whip it to create a fluffy frosting or filling.

 

Strawberry Garnish: 

•  (Making "x"s and "o"s was my sisters awesome idea)
• The "O"s are just slices.
• The "X"s start as slices and are then cut in half to make two half circles.  Then cut a notch out of the top of one and the bottom of another so they fit together and make an "X".
• I also shaved a chocolate bar to top several cupcakes.

 

Warning: You must love chocolate to enjoy these cupcakes! 

hand-dyed blanket #1

hand-dyed blanket #1

  When I see white fabric, I can't help but imagine what I could do with it.  Dyeing fabric can be pretty scary, because you only really get one chance to add color and hope it turns out the way you picture in your mind.  
For those of us that are a little OCD, its can be hard to relax and let the fabric do its thing.  Just keep reminding yourself that it's fun to be surprised by the end product.  And in reality, I've never had a dye project turn out in a disappointing way; it may just be a little interesting.

 

Supplies: 

•  Fabric 
• (Its best to choose 100% cotton. Keep in mind that different dyes and fabric paints will work for different fabrics)
• Dye / Fabric paint
• (I used fabric paint, so when diluted in water it becomes like a dye.  But these will not create colors as vibrant as a dye would.)
• Squirt bottle
• You can also brush the dyes on, drip them on etc. Squirt bottles are the easiest.
• Gloves & Apron
• Optional:
• Rock Salt: absorbs color and can create a cool effect
• Leaves or other cool shaped objects: If the dyed fabric is laying in the sun, objects that are placed on the fabric can leave a print.

  Step 1:

Mix the desired colors.  I wanted a plum color, so I added a small amount of red to the violet.  This is the color I wanted to have the most of and it was the color in between the two extremes (dark purple and yellow), so I began with this one.

Mix the dye with water and put into the water bottle.  (I mixed approximately 1 part dye to 4 parts water).

 

Wet the fabric (This is not always necessary.  I wanted the fabric to be extra wet so the color would travel to the lowest point and the higher points of the textured fabric would be lighter).

Step 2:

Lay out the fabric.  On a lawn would be the best; otherwise lots of trash bags will be needed.  You could always use your garage floor and have a much more colorful floor!

When laying out the fabric you can also pinch parts or create other textures that will affect the movement of the dyes; for example, folding the fabric like an accordion will create stripes.

Since this fabric already had texture, I laid it out flat.

Step 3:

Start spraying the fabric with the squirt bottle.  The first color went mostly in the middle, leaving the sides for the next colors.

I also flung blobs of color to create splotches.

Next, mix the other two colors and spray the sides.  Spray large amounts right on the edge and fade towards the middle.

Let the dye sit for a while.  If it starts drying, I like to spray it with more water.  This will give the dye a chance to move around and do it's thing.  

After a bit I like to spray more of the extreme colors to darken them after they move towards the middle. 

Do not worry about the fading effect, the fabric will take care of that!

Step 4:

After the fabric is mostly dry it's time to rinse.

Sometimes I use a product that is supposed to stop the running of the dye.  This is diluted in water and then the fabric is dunked in for about a minute.  Im not sure how well this works.

Rinse the fabric in water until the water runs clear. Then squeeze dry. 

I like to let it dry once more before placing it int the washing machine.

That's all! 

It's easy to get hooked.  You'll want to keep trying different techniques, different colors to mix etc. Don't dye your hands or clothes and Have Fun!

pecan pie muffins

pecan pie muffins

 

Sorry New Years Resolutions...

 

Wow, these are the best little things ever.  I absolutely LOVE pecan pie, and these come pretty close to the real thing. They are very dense, crispy on the outside and gooey in the middle.  They make a perfect little snack or desert, and it is such an easy recipe!! 

I found the original recipe on AllRecipes.com

The original recipe makes 18 mini muffins, but I changed it slightly to make bigger muffins. 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 2/3 cup butter, softened
• 2 eggs, beaten

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease and flour 9 muffin cups or 18 mini muffin cups. (I would recommend using a mini muffin pan if you have one; the muffins are rich.  Be sure to grease AND flour, they get VERY sticky.  The original recipe says you can use paper muffin liners, but because the muffins get so sticky, I don't recommend this).  
2. In a medium bowl, stir together brown sugar, flour and pecans. 
3. In a separate bowl beat the butter and eggs together until smooth, stir into the dry ingredients just until combined. 
4. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pan.
5. Bake at 350 degrees F for ~33 minutes for larger muffins, or for 20 to 25 minutes for smaller muffins. (I cooked mine a little longer, because I wanted the edges to be nice and crispy).

 

 Should I include the nutritional information? Nah, I don't want to make you feel guilty.  But you can find it at the link above.  

 

Enjoy!!

homemade bath gifts

homemade bath gifts

  I made a bunch of these as Christmas gifts.  They are fun to make- you can experiment with the scents, colors, shapes etc.  The materials are cheap, you can make a lot at once, and I think people really appreciate them because they are homemade. 

 soap

 

 green soap- rose scented olive oil soap, with strawberry seeds
blue soap- rose scented shea butter soap, with irish oatmeal
white soap- shea butter soap, with honey and oatmeal

Materials:

• Soap base
• You can buy soap base at most craft stores.  They come in several different types.  I used olive oil soap and shea butter soap (partially because the olive oil soap is transparent and the shea butter soap is white, so I could get different colors).
• Honey
• Oatmeal

• I used Irish oatmeal, because I think it has a more interesting shape ->

   

  

• Containers/ Molds

• I used yogurt cups and larger Greek yogurt cups. When choosing yogurt cups, compare the bottoms to find nicely shaped ones. (These are the easiest molds because they are cheap, great sizes, flimsy and easy to remove the soaps from, can be cut if necessary, and you get to eat the yogurt before you use them!) 
• I also used fun shaped ice cube trays. Cheap ones can be purchased at Ikea (I would recommend buying some to use only for soaps/crafts and never for ice)  Also, when deciding on shapes, you want to make sure it won't have weak/thin parts that may break easily (I had fish shaped ones that kept breaking where the body meets the fin).
• Keep your eye out for interesting containers around the house.  I used a plastic container that held apples.  It had 12 half spheres, which made the light blue soaps above.
• I try to use several different shapes and sizes. 
• Essential Oils 
• I used lavender, rose and peppermint
• Strawberry seeds
• These add a cool texture, give a little exfoliating power, and look really interesting.
• They can be purchased at craft stores (they also have other interesting things to add to soaps)
• Food Coloring
• Other materials you could use (explore your pantry):
• Ginger
• Cinnamon
• Clove
• Chamomile tea

Mixing and Pouring the soaps:

• Follow the direction on the soap packages for melting.  Be careful, because the soaps can get very hot and will stick to your skin if you spill.  I melted the soaps in a glass cup in the microwave, mixed in the colors, scents and oatmeal or seeds, and then poured immediately into the molds (I sprayed the molds with cooking spray VERY lightly.
• The soaps will set up fairly quickly, but I gave then a couple hours just to be safe.
• They should pop right out of the molds.

Have fun with combining different scents and colors.  

Striped soaps can be created by making different colors, pouring in layers and letting the soap set up before each new layer. 

scented body scrubs

These scrubs exfoliate and moisturize. They are extremely easy to make! 

How they are used:

        A small amount is spooned out and rubbed on the hands.  Rise the salt/sugar off and pat the extra water off.  Then rub in the left over oil. 

Materials:

• 2 cups Raw Sugar, Epsom salts, or Kosher salt 
• (all have larger crystals than normal salt and sugar)
• 1 cup carrier oil 
• I used almond oil, because it has a very light smell (this can be purchased at GNC)
• 12 drops essential oil
• These can be purchased at GNC, or a craft store (cheaper).
• 3 drops food coloring
• You want them to be just lightly colored (otherwise they might dye your hands)
• Jars
• Ikea has tons of cute/cheap options

Directions: 

• Mix salt or sugar with the carrier oil first!
• Then add essential oils and food coloring and mix until color is even throughout
• Spoon into jars

You can also find small wooden spoons to include as scoopers.

I like to print out labels with instructions and tie them on.

bath salts

These bath salts add a very refreshing scent to a bath.  They are very easy to make and are nice to have around the house when you need to relax in a hot bath.

Materials: 

• 1 cup baking soda
• 3/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 8 drops food coloring
• 15 drops essential oils 
• You can also add 1/2 cup citric acid to make the salt fizz when it's added to water. 

Simply mix all the ingredients together and place into a cute jar.

Once again you can print labels with instructions.

These are great, because people can use as little or as much as they would like to vary the strength of the smells.

There are also great scents for men! These include cedarwood, eucalyptus, pine, fir needle, etc.  Check Puritans Pride Essential Oils

 for a great list. 

A description of essential oils and carrier oils, as well as label clip art that can be used for labeling you homemade bath gifts can be found at MarthaStewart.com

GNC also carries essential oils and carrier oils.

Weck Home Canning Products has really nice jars and containers for your gifts.

Ikea also has cute containers that are priced really well.

vintage flower pics

vintage flower pictures

I LOVE these pictures from The Botanical Register: Consisting of Coloured Figures of Exotic Plants, Cultivated in British Gardens, with Their History and Mode of Treatment (I also love the name).  The entire Botanical Register can be viewed on Google Books, with great quality pictures. 

 

I want to use these pictures as a design for a quilt someday, but I don't have the time to start a huge project like that right now.  

 

They would also be great for other crafts:  

Decoupage Boxes- Martha Stewart's how to

Decoupage Votives- Martha Stewart's how to

Decorative Glass Coasters- Martha Stewart's how to

Decoupage Furniture- Martha Stewart's how to

Covering cork boards or magnet boards etc.

 

Here are some of my favorite pictures, but there are many more at the link above.