Linked v. 2

It's the most wonderful time of the year. Waking up kinda late, saying goodbye to your nice warm bed where you can still see an imprint of your once snuggled resting body and stumbling out the door to work without giving your car any time to warm up or giving yourself any time to scrape down the frost on the windows. This trick (a mixture of 2/3 Vinegar 1/3 water in a spray bottle) will help expedite your winter morning routine. (Watch what you can do with cooking spray and hand sanitizer!)

How cool is this vase shelf? Fresh cut flowers make any gloomy day brighter. Even regular days.

Manual Photography Cheat Sheet. Photo 101 made really simple.

Opposite of cheating, how to recreate instagram filters using real cameras and real film. (i.e. real work.)

No Bake Oreo Truffles. whaaaaat!

You wouldn't think so at this point, but i've never had much of a sweet tooth. But it's winter, and it's easy, and it has to be god damn delicious. Nutella Hot Chocolate. Add marshmallows (just guessin')

Gracious Rain's sweet acorns went over so well with my family on Thanksgiving! I made extra and ate them for days.

Want. Want. Want. I'm only shopping Ruche for undergarments from now on. Or any garments. Such beautiful stuff.

Can I live here?

And finally, dancing Gandhi! What a beautiful human.

Cake pops!

Recently, during her last visit, Andrew's sister Michelle told me about some cake pops that she made herself. I've seen these little treats popping up everywhere (no pun intended) and decided that it would be fun for us to make a batch together. Wanna try? This is what you'll need:

• Cake mix
• 3 eggs
• Vegetable oil
• Almond bark
• Lollipop sticks
• Wax paper
• Sprinkles!

First you go about baking regular cakes (we made two 8" cakes), but add 3 tbsp. more oil than the recipe calls for. This is important for making the cake more pliable and shaping it into pops. Let the cake cool, and then TEAR IT APART! and put all of your cake crumbs into a large bowl. Then take a handfull at a time and make cake balls, just like you'd make meat balls. Pop a stick in the center and freeze your halfway finished pops for an hour.
Then, break your almond bark into squares (almond bark is basically just a huge rectangle of meltable chocolate that you can buy at most craft stores or baking aisles) and melt it down using the double boiler method, or you could just stick it in the microwave. Once your almond bark is almost liquidy, take your frozen pops one by one and roll the cake around in the coating. Pour some sprinkles over them if you're feeling fancy. Have a wax paper lined cookie sheet handy for resting the pops on. Let them harden for about a half hour. And there you go!
These were so fun and easy to make, and also delicious! But the next time I make them, I'll be using styrofoam to hold the pops upright as the almond bark dries, so one side doesn't come out flat and I can put Starbucks' cake pops to shame.

It's been a pretty relaxing Sunday. Spent the morning on a hunt for an affordable juicer. Bought a new sweater instead (desperately waiting for fall, the season where I thrive most). Also today is a celebration! The 100th anniversary of Lucille Ball's birthday.
Happy birthday, Lucy!

another kale recipe and some pretty things

this weekend i made kale chips, thanks to a suggestion by my friend lee ann. the entire process took under a half hour and the outcome was crunchy, salty deliciousness (that's good for you!).

here's how:

preheat your oven to 300°
mix 1 tbsp. into about 6 oz. of washed and dried kale (bite size pieces with the hard stems removed)
the recipe i was given called for sea salt, but now i'm reading up on recipes that involve vinegar and/or herbs and spices. i'll be experimenting more next time, which could very well be tomorrow because kale chips are so easy and fun to make.
spread in a single layer on a cookie sheet. i used wax paper as lining for easier clean-up.
bake for TWENTY MINUTES. not one minute longer, or you'll be using kale flakes to feed your fish.
and there you have it!
i promise, this snack is perfectly legal and will not help music sound any better or treat glaucoma.

here is the adorable funfetti cake that andrew's mama and sister baked for baby giovanna's first birthday. due to unfortunate work scheduling, i was unable to help with the actual baking of this cake (baking is my favorite). however, i shed some creative light (the round cake for the crown to rest on, all me) and my idea was greatly appreciated. they did a great job, this cake was a hit! especially by giovanna.
this is the way any princess should eat her birthday cake.

last night, andrew and i went to our friend max's to hang out with these people,
we ate hot dogs and alcoholic whipped cream. it was cool.

after work today, my sister and i had a coffee & thrift date. today's findings were a brown leather/gold guess watch, a j.crew dress that's going to transition well from summer wardrobe to fall wardrobe, a banana republic cardigan for $1.50!, some slate gray silk shirt, and two really ugly framed needlepoint patterns because i'm a sucker for stuff like that.
the day that i can afford an authentic norman rockwell will be a good one.
finally, after coming home for five minutes, i decided to take the point and shoot camera andrew recently found for me to the flowerfield at the avalon preserve. the field is so beautiful this time of year and it was really nice just to be out walking and clearing my head. maybe i'm a loner, but these are my favorite times. here are some photos i took with my phone, and then that's it i promise!
bye!