How to make the perfect mini bow

Did you see the adorable mini bows on the Christmas packages I shared yesterday? They are SO easy to make! And because they have no knot they are flatter than a traditional bow which also makes them perfect for cards or invitations. You can make these in any size & they use less ribbon than a regular bow!

All you need to get started is some ribbon, a pair of scissors & adhesive. I used glue dots you can use tape, hot glue, bubblegum...anything sticky.

1. Cut a strip of ribbon, I wanted a tiny bow so I used a 6 inch strip. Find the center of your strip & place your adhesive there. Fold one tail over & stick to half of the adhesive.
2. Repeat with the other tail.
3. Cut another small piece of ribbon (you will need 2x the width of your ribbon). Affix a second piece of adhesive over the seam you made on the bow's back. Stick your tiny piece of ribbon vertically to the adhesive, wrap around the front & around the back.
4. You are left with an adorable, festive bow!

I original saw these bows in a pinterest pic but when I followed the link the post wasn't in English. This may not be the "correct" way but it works for me! Hopefully this will help inspire some beautifully wrapped presents under your tree. :)
Oh! And P.S. my ribbon is from Michael's.

Friday Favorites - Winter Wonder

The past week has been a blur of turkey sandwiches, pine needles & shopping! I am also working my buns off in preparation to close my shop for a holiday break so needless to say I've been busy busy busy. Here are my favorites for the week :)

Peppermint Mocha Creamer

My love of Peppermint Mocha is almost as strong as Pumpkin Spice! While there is nothing better than a coffee shop PM this creamer is a nice substitute (& much better on the wallet).

My Winter Wreath

Earlier this week I shared where I founds the goods to make this beauty of a wreath for less than $15! Now if my downstairs neighbor would be kind enough to remove her pumpkins... ;)

Be a Bombshell Lip Crayon in Shameless

I got this lip crayon in my November ipsy box. Initially I was sure I would never wear this - if you know me you know I don't wear bold lip colors. Well...what a surprise! I love the color, love the way this goes on & love the way this stays on. Oh, and it is perfect for holiday party season.

Christmas in Paris by Yankee Candle

I am loving this candle! It is pine-y without being too much. Plus its made with pine extract from France so I feel extra fancy when burning it.

Monogrammed Puffy Vest

devon alana
I've seen this picture floating around Pinterest recently...I definitely need to find someone with an embroidery machine because I need this in my life asap.

Hairy Christmas by Willie Robertson & Luke Bryan


We watched the CMA Christmas Special on Monday night have been singing "...a hairy Christmas and a happy happy happy New Year..." all week.





I'm linking up with:

Sundae Campfire Cones

I've seen variations of Campfire Cones floating around the web all summer and on July 4th I had an opportunity to try them out!

We wanted to keep our ingredients simple: waffle cones, pineapple, marshmallows, chocolate chips, peanut butter bits, whipped cream & cherries. (Basically an ice cream-less sundae!)

Step 1: Grab a cone and fill it with your favorites! We found that marshmallows work best on the top, they stick together and keep all the goodness in the cone.
Step 2: Wrap your cone in tin foil. Be sure the edges are all sealed.
Step 3: Place wrapped cone around campfire. (The grill works well too) You don't want to put the cone too close to the flames though, your waffle cone will burn!

Step 4: Wait about 15 minutes, open carefully (it's hot!) and ENJOY! In my opinion it is best to take the cones out before everything inside melts to a liquid (see below). Ooey gooey melty goodness, without third-degree chocolate burns.

While munching on our cones we kept thinking of ingredients to try next time. Some of my favorite ideas included strawberries, crunched up cookies, Nutella & banana slices. Mmmm...

Adding Summer Curb Appeal to a Cookie Cutter Condo

We live in a condo and there are lots of rules about what you can and can't do to the exterior.
-Everyone must have the same exact front door, porch light, fire alarm, etc...
-"Decorative" items are to be kept to a minimum.
-No planting of perennials allowed!
I was able to come up with a few small touches to take our entrance from stark & impersonal to warm & welcoming. First up, a little burlap garden flag. Cute, no?



My solution for the "no planting" rule - I filled an urn! At first I was skeptical about how a single urn would look but our porch is too small for a pair. I actually really love the look...symmetry schmmetry. I've seen potted hostas all over the web this spring and decided to try one. I wanted to add some color so I framed my hosta with hardy wave petunias. They are flourishing even though the area is pretty shaded!



To dress up the front door I made a mossy monogram wreath. I actually made this a few months ago as my spring door décor but I love it so much I decided to keep it out for summer. I just added the pink blossom to tie it into my potted flowers. I've had the wreath outside for a few months and it is holding up really well!



Considering what I have to work with I love the results! :) I hope this gives you some inspiration to dress up your apartment, condo or house. Even if its a rental it doesn't need to be blah! How do you make your entrance welcoming?



I'm linking up with: Project Inspire{d} at Setting for Four, Tutorials & Tips @ Home Stories A to Z, Give Me The Goods Monday @ Rain on a Tin Roof, Liz Marie Blog

Friday Favs

Happy Friday all, I am celebrating the fact that I am now officially on vacation until July 7th!! Next weekend we have the wedding of some great friends, it should be quite the party! Then Brian & I are hopping in the car and heading to visit my parents in Michigan. Just 7 days until we are relaxing lakeside and recharging our batteries in my favorite place! Here are a few of my favorite finds from the past week.

Favorite Hair

I've been watching old episodes of Giuliana & Bill on Netflix and I am just loving G's hair circa 2010.

Favorite Casual Outfit

I got my monogrammed tee from Senn-sational Creations and LOVE it! My selfie doesn't do it justice. It is so cute and comfy, and I just love me some monograms. I plan to order more in different colors when we get back from vacay. Check out the shop, you will want to buy everything!!

Favorite Chuckle

Or my personal favorite way to end the day, margaritas.

Favorite Bargain Décor

Sunburst mirrors have been going strong for awhile now but some of them can be SO expensive. I've seen some great DIY versions, but this one from The Home Depot is just $35! I'd hate to drop big $$ on something so trendy, but at that price you can't lose.

Favorite Flip Flops

What would a Friday Favorites post be without shoes?! I love Tory Burch flip flops, they are the best I've ever owned. These lobster printed ones are so cute.

What are your favorite finds? I'd love to see them! Enjoy the weekend. :)

Friday Favorites

Happy Friday! :) It is very rainy here in PA today thanks to Tropical Storm Andrea, hopefully it will brighten up this weekend. Here are some of my favorite finds from the past week.

Favorite Sandals

Source
I found these beauties at DSW and had to treat myself. I told Brian he will have to pry them off my feet come winter. You can never go wrong with Michael Kors. :)

Favorite New Hobby

Golf...I'm not very good but I am having fun learning!

Favorite DIY

Source
I love this. Because who doesn't need a golden gumball machine??

Favorite Quote

Exactly.

Favorite Vacation Idea

We are planning a vacation to celebrate our 5th Anniversary(5th?! How did that happen?)... We have a sunny, tropical vacation in mind!

Favorite Book

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
I am completely sucked in to the world of Le Cirque des Reves!

Favorite Guilty Pleasure

Zoes Kitchen - I literally can not stop eating there. I especially love the Pimento Cheese Sammie :)

Favorite Smile-Maker

My pink computer with Hello Kitty bow, it always makes me smile. :)

All Time Favorite

Sleepy Wrigley

What are your favorites at the moment? Have a wonderful weekend - and stay safe until this storm passes! :)

Coffee Protein Shake

Being as I am out of creamer (& too lazy to go to the store) I decided to try a little idea I saw on Pinterest. A Coffee Protein Shake! This is perfect because some days I just prefer to "drink" my breakfast...but when you have a protein shake or smoothie AND coffee it is too much. Brian and I both loved these!

I modified the original recipe from one my favorite websites: SparkPeople
Here's what I used:
-1 cup Vanilla Almond Milk (skim works too!)
-1 scoop Protein Powder (mine is GNC Cookies 'n Cream
-1.5 cups of brewed coffee (Dunkin, my fav)
-1 small banana, sliced
-2 handfuls of ice
-1 packet of Stevia (if needed)



Toss it all in your blender and blend until smooth. Here's a little trick I learned: a standard size mason jar screws right into most blender bases! Just removed the blade & base from the bottom of your blender pitcher and screw onto the jar. I haven't used the blender pitcher since I discovered this. Don't go throwing your pitcher away though, you might need it to make a large batch of margaritas! But wait, single serve margaritas?! Excuse me while I run to the kitchen...)



Since I've been having these (Coffee Protein Shakes, not Margaritas) every morning I decided to freeze some leftover coffee into coffee cubes. Now I replace some of the ice with my coffee cubes for a less watered down shake. I also like to brew my coffee before bed and let it cool overnight...I know you coffee purists are cringing right now.



Thanks for joining me for my 1 Pinterest Project Per Week - Week 8 post! (Yes, I know I missed a few weeks...I'm human!) Let me know if you try this out!

One Pinterest Project a Week for 52 Weeks - Week 1

One of my resolutions this year is to try more Pinterest projects. It is too easy to just pin, pin, pin and never look back! I'm making it my goal to complete 52 Pinspired projects, one each week for 2013. Each weekend I'll feature a project, recipe or idea - but first here is a look back at some projects from 2012!



GLITTERED CHEVRON CANVAS - My original pin came from Southern Bells. Normally I would switch things up but the original colors were SO perfect for my office I stuck with them. The original pin only leads to a photo but it was easy enough to re-create. I simply cut a chevron pattern (I wanted more points than the original), traced it onto the canvas with pencil and painted the pink stripes. Once those were dry I coated the sections I wanted to glitter with Mod Podge, poured on the glitter and let it dry. Once everything was dry I shook off the loose glitter, gave it a full coat of Mod Podge AND a quick spray with clear Krylon. It's been 6 months and that glitter isn't going anywhere!





VINTAGE BOOK MONOGRAM - My original pin came from Ashbee Design. This was the easiest project ever! I simply picked out a vintage book at my favorite thrift shop, cut a paper template and handed it to my dad. And, POOF - there you have it, a vintage book monogram! Oh wait, you want to know how he did it? He taped my template to the front of the book, making sure to tape the front & back cover together to hold the book closed. Then he used a scroll saw to cut the template. (See, it really was easy!)



So, without further ado I present this week's PIN:
One-Pot Macaroni and Cheese made without butter or added thickeners. It's been so cold & windy here this week, I figured comfort food was the way to go! I also added chopped green chilies & taco seasoning to spice it up.



There are so many variations of this recipe floating around Pinterest, the one I started with can be found on Macaroni & Cheesecake.



One-Pot Macaroni & Cheese with Green Chilies

Ingredients:
2 c. dried shell pasta
2 1/2 c. skim milk
1 c. hand shredded cheddar cheese
1 tsp. salt
4 oz. chopped green chilies
1/2 tsp. taco seasoning
(Dijon mustard is called for in the original recipe but I decided to leave it out.)

Combine milk & dried pasta in saucepot and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to low and cook pasta until soft - about 20 minutes. Add cheese, salt, green chilies and taco seasoning. Stir, cover and let sit for about 5 minutes.
Now, the original recipe stops here but I was raised on hearty Midwestern mac & cheese and this was way too soupy for me. I poured the mixture into a baking dish and popped it in the oven for 15 minutes at 300*.

The above recipe says it feeds 4 but I doubled the recipe for 4 people (my hubby and dad count as double!) and we had no leftovers. I thought there was a gritty texture, possibly from cooking the pasta and not draining it. I still prefer baked mac & cheese but overall everyone gave the dish a thumbs-up.

I snuck back into the kitchen to take a few more pictures and this is what I found...it looks like I'll be making this again!


I'm linking up with Design, Dining + Diapers!