Weekly Wonders: November 14th, 2012

I love festivals, one only needs to glimpse here, and there. I love seeing new stuff and different stuff and well, just stuff stuff. I am constantly like this otter, much to the chagrin of my boyfriend on occasion. Well image how happy I was at this place: The Siesta Key Master Sand Sculpture Contest. It was amazing! I walked around in awe, apparently they spray the sand with a mixture of Elmer's glue and water to keep it from blowing away. So what about you? Been to any great festivals lately? Know something I should go check out?

The Shea Shoppe

There has been a lot of attention recently given to my Holiday Headbands. This traffic has convinced me to set up shop. If you would like your own Holiday Headband, check out my new etsy shop!  Feel free to send me suggestions!

Go vote!

It saddens me that America has a historic low voter turn out rate. So go vote! Exercise your rights! I don't care how you vote (in truth I do, but that's not as important) so much as the fact that you do vote. If you don't vote, you can't complain in my book.

In a strange turn of events, I was without a car today. I did want any normal citizen would do: rode my little brother's bike! Truth be told, I tried to ride my Dad's bike but it was too big and my Mom's bike was too small (lol, it had a flat tire). It rained the whole time but voting is important! So go vote!

Mini Caramel Pecan Pie

Fall is finally here, right? All the hubbaloo of Halloween has gone (not that I don’t love Halloween, but orange is not my best color), and temperatures are dropping. Though currently, it has dropped from 90 to 85, but I will take what I can get. Anyways, fall seemed like the perfect time to break out pies, but not just any pies. Mini pies. Because everything is better in miniature form, right? I am a sucker for mini anything, I saw mini eggplants the other day and almost died with excitement. But for the moment, I am content with my mini pies. Mini caramel pecan pies = love. Because no one can eat a whole pecan pie, but four minis, bring it on.

Ingredients:

1 ready to roll piecrust

1/3 cup Caramel sundae topping

2 tbsp. milk

2 1/2 tbsp. butter

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1/8 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup pecans (chopped/ diced)

Directions:

1) Spray a mini muffin tray with non-stick spray (cause I’m paranoid). Heat oven to 350 degrees.

2) Use the top of a mason jar (or other circular glass or cookie cutter) to cut pie crust. Smush (yes, that is a word) the circles into the greased mini muffin pan. It will not be perfect. And your fingers will leave marks in the crust.

2) On the stove over medium heat, combine milk, butter and caramel topping until mixed and heated through.

3) In a  heatproof bowl, mix sugar, egg and vanilla. Then add caramel mix. Once combined, add pecans.

4) Pour mixture into crusts until 2/3s full. Bake for 10-15 minutes.

5) Enjoy!

A Few of My Favorite Things: Crepe Maker

So I got this a few months ago, and immediately started using it. See it was a birthday gift, from a pretty good giver of gifts. I love FRANCE. LIKE LOVE. This summer, we were over in Europe and he saw these being used by the crepe vendors there and saw my love of it. Thus it made the perfect birthday gift. It’s actually made in France, or at least the box says so. It has the stick like real vendors use and its flat. The best part is it comes with a great recipe book to make all sorts of things like spring rolls and other international crepe like things. Plus cleaning it is quite easy! Can’t beat that! So have you ever had a crepe maker? Will my love of it soon wear off? Can one get sick of eating crepes? (Personally, I cannot believe that but I am naïve)

Birthday Candles

I love sparkle. I like to think I am the perfect amount of classy and glittery! Take these birthday candles, they are are perfectly boring in my humble opinion. Enter sequins and modpodge. Instant upgrade! Don’t you just love inspiration?

P.S. Don’t use hot glue. I tried that first and it did not work!

Weekly Wonders: October 11th, 2012

It's funny how some month just fly by and others creep by slowly. This past month has been crazy! I was gone 5 weekends in a row. This week I took some time to check out a new farmers market and visit an Italian grocery store with my grandparents. The market was a blast even if the heat was a bit unbearable! I love exploring speciality stores, something about imported things makes me think things are more genuine. I had to walk away from like 15 different things! Oh well, there is always next week.

P. S. When's the last time you visited your local farmer's market? They aren't your grandmothers market anymore! I always find the coolest new stores there!