It’s Monday and things around here are back to the full routine after the long Chinese New Year weekend.
But oh February, you’re going to be something great.
Hello to celebrating love and the things that matter most. Hello, new ideas and creativity. Hello, catching up on Project Life and documenting life. Hello, new friends and adjusting back to routines. Hello to making the most of the shortest month of the year.
Hello, February – let’s make you swell.
Popping by to share a random mix of links that I spotted this week:
So snuggle up with a hot cuppa and click away!
I’ll be off to celebrate my busy Chinese New Year weekend (:
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Life is often full and busy. But I like to take time to enjoy some of my favorite things. So Friday Favorite is a weekly series where I share my favorite(s) for the week. Check out my other Friday Favorites here.
I’m not sure what project I had in mind when I put “Make something with cork” on the 22 list. But with this project, I’m pretty glad I did.
I purchased these inexpensive plain cork coasters and thought they would make a fun addition to my Christmas Post-a-parcel package. These DIY cork coasters came together pretty quickly!
Supplies:
I had several paint colors to choose from, but I eventually went with red and green since I wanted a really Christmas-y look. But I can’t wait to try it with the gold next time for a chic and classy look!
Step 1: Tape off your design.
Step 2: Using the foam brush, paint in your design. I found that dabbing the paint on works much better than actually trying to spread it. You might need several coats off paint to completely cover the cork (unless you want it otherwise, of course).
Step 3: After waiting for the paint to dry, use the multi-medium paste to seal in the paint. This will keep the paint from running when you put your cold drink on the coaster.
Step 4: Let the multi-medium paste dry completely before use. (Note: The sealant will look white when you first apply it, but it will eventually dry clear.)
And there you have it! Pretty coasters every time you have your drink.
I made two of each design in both red and green, for a set of six altogether.
I love how easily customizable these are. You can even do stripes, or include your initial to get this look. I can’t wait to do this again!
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The 22 list is a list of things I made to accomplish while I’m twenty-two. For more about my 22 list, read this post.
Thankful for catch-up sessions with friends.
Itching to play and put my Project Life spreads together.
Trying to focus and get work done.
Making plenty of to-do lists.
Staying busy.
Reminding myself to breathe amidst all the work + stress.
Loving that Project Life is pushing me to capture life’s little moments.
Learning to embrace all that life throws at me.
Being positive.
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Live every day with intention.
Only one more day to the weekend! xx
Nutella Cheesecake Pots by the Gluten Free Scallywag
If you’ve been reading my blog for awhile, you know that I absolutely LOVE Nutella.
I love Nutella so much that I’m always up for trying anything that involves Nutella.
Enter Nutella cheescake pots.
These pots are rich and creamy and super delicious. All the goodness of cream cheese and Nutella, mmm.
Even just typing this post makes me hungry for some.
I added more Nutella than the recipe required, since I like having a prominent Nutella flavor. And I also didn’t whiz the chocolate chips in the food processor because I bought the mini chips.
These make a great dessert for a dinner party (or any kind of part, really!), because you can put them into little glass pots or containers which are easy, delicious, and professional-looking.
This will definitely not be the last time I’m making these!
8 down, 14 to go.
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The 22 recipes are part of my 22 list, a list of 22 things I’m working to accomplish while I’m twenty-two. Check out my other 22 recipes here.
We’re about three weeks into the New Year and I’m finally getting around to sharing my title page on the blog.
I was able to put together the title page on New Year’s Day. I had my photos printed and ready to go, so it was just a matter of moving things around on the page and deciding where I wanted them to go.
As I mentioned in this post, I’m mainly using the Design A page protectors this year.
Overall, I kept things pretty simple with a handful of selective embellishments (namely, thickers and wood veneers), and a black-white-coral color scheme.
Funnily (or not), I’m already behind on my weekly spreads from all the travel I did a couple weeks back. But I’m really hoping to catch up soon! With how simple I’m planning to keep it, catching up shouldn’t take long at all.
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Supplies used: Midnight Edition Core Kit, Studio Calico wood veneers, Chic Tags Everyday Life II journaling tags, American Crafts thickers, Basic Grey Fresh Cut 6×6 paper pad
Project Life is a memory-keeping system created by Becky Higgins. I’m embarking on this year-long project to document all my memories in 2014. You can see my other Project Life posts here.
After being sick on the first day of school this week, and dealing with the worry of delayed/lost/missing school books (I still don’t know which!), it’s comforting + reassuring to know that things will always work out. Somehow.
And all you need is to have a little faith that things will be okay.
Even when things don’t according to plan.
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28
When I made this, I wanted to try something a little more “fall-ish”, different from my regular go-to chocolate desserts, and not too difficult.
The reviews on the website promptly noted that these have more of a cake texture, than a brownie texture which the name states. This was certainly true for me. But regardless of what you call it, this apple brownie-cake was moist and flavorful. Mine ended up being a little too moist for my liking, so I’ll probably cut back on the apples next time.
Overall, I loved how these turned out – a really great alternative when you need your sugar fix.
7 down, 15 to go.
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The 22 recipes are part of my 22 list, a list of 22 things I’m working to accomplish while I’m twenty-two. Check out my other 22 recipes here.
Spinach, Mushroom, and Feta Crustless Quiche by Budget Bytes
I made this as a quick and easy lunch one week day. It was so easy that I popped it in the oven and promptly forgot about it once I went back to finishing my work. Which explains the more-than-golden-brown color on my quiche.
Aside from the color, the combination of cheeses was quite delicious. And the spinach and mushroom made the whole dish healthier. Which just made me feel less guilty about the cheese in the dish. That is a very good thing, of course.
The texture of this dish is really more like a frittata, except you don’t have to cook it on the stove top before putting it in the oven. And even the leftovers for breakfast and lunch the next day were yummy.
I would absolutely make this again.
Except this time, I would definitely keep an eye on it.
6 down, 16 to go.
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The 22 recipes are part of my 22 list, a list of 22 things I’m working to accomplish while I’m twenty-two. Check out my other 22 recipes here.
One-Pan Pasta by Martha Stewart
After seeing this recipe being pinned multiple times on Pinterest, I finally decided to try it for myself.
And I really liked it! Maybe because of the fact that it’s all in one pot, which saves lazy me from having to do extra dishes (ha). But aside from that, I just loved the novelty of cooking everything in one pot and have it come together so nicely.
I couldn’t find any basil at the grocery store on the day I made this, hence the lack of color. Now I can only imagine how much dimension the basil would add to this already flavorful dish.
I guess I’ll just have to make it again to find out.
5 down, 17 to go.
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The 22 recipes are part of my 22 list, a list of 22 things I’m working to accomplish while I’m twenty-two. Check out my other 22 recipes here.
