Date Idea: Candy Tasting

     I am always looking for cute date ideas for me and the boyfriend. Since we don’t get a lot of time together being long distance, I try to find different things to do together, often the dinner and a movie thing can get a little trite. I was so proud of myself of thinking up this one the other day, we had a couple of hours to spare one afternoon. It was the awkward time between lunch and dinner were you can’t eat either and nothing really to do.

     We were headed to the mall when I remembered there is a candy store there. Off we went, we picked a bunch of different candies to try. Some were my favorites he had never tried, others were his favorites, some were just ones with weird names or pretty colors (my picks). After we picked two of each, we paid and went to the sitting area. We took turns picking which ones to try and then compared preferences. It was a blast! Though be prepared for sugar high afterwards. If you don’t have a candy store, try world market or a specialty food store, they might have some different things for you to try.

                  What about you, what’s your favorite date idea? I am always in need of more!

Weekly Wonders: September 29th, 2011

I finally hung my art, now to paint it!

So this week, I thought I would take a break from showing you what I want to make, bake and eat and instead show you the five websites I am loving this fall. Some of them are more well known then others, but I check these sites daily and sometimes go through their archives!

1) The Beauty Department
     A great blog filled will all sorts of beauty tips, and Lauren Conrad is part of the team. I am not a huge Lauren Conrad fan but the blog is absolutely beautiful. They have great tutorials on just about every beauty and hair question. This weekend, I am so making up one of their masks!

2) Collegefashion
      I found this blog about 4 years ago when I was trying to find out how to copy Blair Waldorf's style from Gossip Girl. It's grown so much since then but still puts out fabuLESS ideas for outfits. And I've been feature on their haute links twice! It makes me feel real!

3) Cupcakes and Cashmere
      I want Emily's life. And her shoes. A great blog about fashion, food and decorating. She is absolutely amazing. I wish I had her confidence to pull off some of her looks, and I am can't believe she designed a Coach bag. Lusting after....

4) Apartment Therapy
      If you haven't hear of apartment therapy, I must ask if you are living under a rock. Some stuff is WAY too expensive but I love it when they do their small living competitions, they have amazing inspiration for how to decorate and design small places.

5) Cakes Event Blog
     I can spend hours drooling over the parties and photography. It makes we want to throw themed parties all the time. And the little kid parties are so cute, it makes me wish I had children..... For about 30 seconds. Then I remember children have to be taken care after the party too...

Anyways, what are some websites YOU think I should check out? What blogger's lives do you lust after? Or is it just me who does that?


~Blair
     

Martha Stewart Monday: Painted Glass

I accomplished another thing off my fall project list! Yay! Now just left is the chandelier, which I am kind of majorly dreading. This one was actually quite enjoyable and would make a great housewarming gift. You could do it and send it with this teapot.  I made these for my sister Aurora, of this cake fame, see Brandon had glasses with “B”s and Aurora wanted some of her own.  You can find the enamel in any craft store in a variety of colors; the weird thing is though you have to bake it. It’s what sets the paint.  Weird but better than having it come off in the dishwasher.

Materials:

Glasses

Thin paint brushes

Enamel

Stencil

Spray Adhesive (I use a 3M kind)

Directions:

1)      Clean and dry glasses. Then use spray adhesive to attach to the glass, use tape as well to really secure it. (I like to spray the stencil then attach it to the glass)

2)      Paint! Be careful it doesn’t bleed; I like to use thin layers and then keep going over to get desired opaqueness. You can also do the reverse of the stencil with I think it looks really cool sometimes.

3)      Then bake according to directions

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So what do you think? What would you put on a glass? Your initial? A funny quote? Design? 

Weekly Wonderings: September 21, 2011

Okay, so I know in the past few weeks I have shared things I want to do, like this, and this, and that but now forgive me, while I indulge in something a bit more fantasy like. What I want my closet to look like!

All of these images are from Pinterest, come check me out to find them! http://pinterest.com/blairfal/

Homemade Applesauce

     Apples are the quintessential fruit of fall in my opinion and there are so many ways to prepare them, but one of my favorites is applesauce. I love applesauce heated up with granola in the morning for breakfast. And now I've discovered a quick way to make applesauce in your microwave, goodbye motts, hello more homemade things! One more thing off my list! And the great part is this recipe is the perfect single serving, a must in my life, otherwise I'd eat all of it!

Ingredients:
1 apple (bigger is better)
¼ to 1/3 cup water
2 tsp sugar
1/8 tsp cinnamon (Optional)

 
Directions:

1. Peel the apple (I use a vegetable peeler) and core it. Then dice it into ½ inch pieces.
2. Pour water, sugar and cinnamon into a bowl (microwave safe) and add the apples.
3. Cover the top of the bowl, but not all the way, you want some heat to be able to escape. I place a saucer upside down on the bowl. Microwave for about 4 minutes.
4. Mash using a fork or a masher (If you are fancy and have one)
5. Enjoy!

Do you have any favorite apple recipes? What do you consider a fall food? Ever make applesauce before?

Gracious Gift: Housewarming Teapot

It's September, which for me means people are moving. It's the start of a new school year, leases are up and new homes are getting settled. For me, nothing quite feels as a cozy as a good hot cup of tea and a fuzzy blanket. (I kind of have an obsession with blankets, especially my new one!) Anyways, I've decided to do a series of posts on some inexpensive but thoughtful housewarming gifts in the next couple of weeks. First up is a teapot. Everyone drinks tea, well okay everyone should drink tea. Anyways you can quickly transform a teapot with just a porcelain pen and some jewels.

 
Who doesn't want to drink out of this pretty elephant? What's your favorite housewarming gift to give or get?

Weekly Wonderings: September 14, 2011

So I have a new obsession this fall, besides these, and its making things from scratch. I know I have my fall list of projects to do but I want to try to improve my skillz in the kitchen as well. Call me a renaissance woman if you will. (Actually please do, I love that term.) Here's my list for fall recipes to try.

Olive Garden Breadsticks!

Here goes my waist!

Cookiess, Enough Said

Ranch Dressing

Applesauce, a fall staple!

 
What about you? Do you have any recipes you want to try out this fall or some old-time favorites that will do the trick?

How to not: Melted Crayon Art

…As only a mother could love. So I decided to try one of those uber-cool melted crayon art things. One thing off my fall list of projects, phew. Still not sure if I love it, I tried to do a heart and FAILED but hey maybe, the half heart things is kind of cool in a modern art kind of way (though I detest most modern art, okay ALL modern art).

    I liked the original one but just found it a bit too elementary for my tastes ( I know I recycled my pun, but it's just so pun-y!) Anyways, I tried to make the heart stay white on the inside but I was lazy and thus failed. As my mother says "If you have time to do it over, you have time to do it right" and this time I learned that lesson really well. It's like the time I tried to make a lamp or ship a cake.

 
Materials:

Crayons

Blow-dryer

Hot Glue Gun

Canvas

Parchment Paper


 
Directions:

1. Decide on the pattern for the crayons. THEN unwrap the crayons, it's easier because you might not have to peel as many crayons. *Make sure you have a good tv show to watch, because it can take forever to peel them. Who knew?
   
2. Hot glue the parchment paper down completely (this is where I messed up). Then hot glue down the crayons.
   
3. Let it sit outside or a hot for a bit to soften the crayons.
   
4. Take a blow-dryer to the crayons, with the canvas slightly at an angle so crayons melt in down the canvas. Be careful there will be a 'splash zone'
   

 


I did this with one of my best friends when we were both home over summer, but hers looked much better. Oh well, next time?

Weekly Wonderings: September 7, 2011

So fall is finally here, or so the internet tells me. Personally, it's still pretty hot where I live but maybe it will start to cool down. Anyways, enough about the weather, I love big fluffy things, i.e. animals. I was playing around on the pinterest the other day (Okay, everyday ). I found these funny pictures of animals and it almost makes me want to have a wall of just funny animal photos, but first I have to convince my roommate. Maybe seeing the photos will convince her?

 
What do you think? Or am I just crazy? Do you have a wall of photos? Really, of what?