I can't believe I'm a winner!!!

I won $25 store credit (and free shipping) to Timely Vintage via Blooming Leopold's (one the 'ol college buddies) blog!!! I am hardly a fashionista but this bow tie and this vest caught my eye (never mind the fact they are in the same picture :P ) I would love advice on this purchase!!

However, I definitely feel the need to get the bang for my buck since I have started my very own COUPON FOLDER!!! I am currently saving about 1/3-ish of what I spend. Like today I spent $21 after I saved $14. Not too bad!

I would love to sew a top to go with the bow tie, BUT I am going to finish sewing my current project (a dress) before I move on. I also thought the bow tie would be an adorable hair accessory. Like ponytail with the bow tie on top and tails on the side....hmmmm we will see.

Also! Due to my stupidity & lack of attention, I some how managed to start knitting backwards on my sock! :( ...then due to my ambition and seemingly random need for perfection, I started over...I was a good three inches in (maybe 5) now I have this.

BUT I know I was doing some of the stitches wrong and I know that this sock will look awesome because now I have practiced it and know some of the odd bits.


Any way thats really all I have for now. So have a good weekend readers and let me know your thoughts in a comment below.

The Big Move

Wow. Yesterday I began moving into my apartment for the summer. It's terrifying and wonderful. I've gained a little weight (heh) like most people who go to college. The final push this semester was especially stressful. (WHEW!) ....and I'm a sugar fiend. So this move into my apartment is also a move towards healthy. My 12 mbps internet gets turned on Monday morning and hopefully my job will start Tuesday.

I'll be minutes away from walmart, grocery stores, and organic food markets.

In the mode of If a Tree Were To Fall, I am also going to begin COUPON-ING!!!!

Also a big thing with this semester is a CRAFT opportunity. I am now minutes away from a Hobby Lobby and JoAnn's Fabrics and these are next door to a Barnes and Noble. Now I am definately a Borders kinda girl (the books are CHEEPER there), but perhaps I will go to B&N and read a book there and then buy it online.

OK so, Goals for the summer:
Finish current projects and get started on new ones
Coupon
Lose weight (I haven't weighed my self so I will set a goal for this once I do)
cook my own food
and thus eat better

Lets just see how I do

Startitis (start-eye-tiss)

I have a pretty decent blog list I read. I discovered the wonders of RSS last year and since I use a mac and use the Mail app I started collecting blogs. I have cupcake blogs, book review blogs, fashion blogs, knitting blogs, design blogs, and my newest to my collection is Twist Collective (also about 20 webcomics). I'm not really sure what all twist collective entails. I found their site through This BLOG and browesed for about 5 minutes before tapping my lovely RSS button (if you use safari it resides in your url space. It only appears when you can RSS something - kinda like magic) ... (I smirked as I said that... thought you'd wanna know).

Wow
Anyway

So whilst rendering (UGH!) I was reading some blogs. This is the one I read. I couldn't help but giggle several times at this blog. It talks about about startitis = the tendancy for knitters to starts several new projects before being able to finish the original....You have no idea, i thought to my self. Right now I have a dead fish hat - 50% done, a sock 15% done, a scarf 5-15% done, a sweater (that i plan on restarting), one of two mittens (who knows if I will ever even do the other one..) This is not counting the crochet, quilting, video, sewing, and paper crafts that I haven't had time to finish. Hopefully this summer of living independently will give me lots of free time to finish these WIP (works in progress).  Hey if I do I will put up pictures.

The problem is that when I learn a new technique i wanna try it. The sock is the first real attempt at a sock with my first set of DPNS (double pointed needles). Any way I am gonna go watch Avatar (the cartoon). More on that later.

So MANY cute cupcakes

Baking cupcakes and what-not for 13 hours sounds ridiculous....but I did it.

I am a graduating senior and that means I have to present my portfolio. I am a digital media major so my portfolio has photography, flash, video, and graphic design in it. The whole thing is online but I am working out some kinks before I want to tell you where online.

Anyway, if you want to keep people interested you have good food!! So I made TONS of cupcakes with the help of: cupcakes by Shelly Kaldunski, cupcakes by Pamela Clark (same name different book), Hello Cupcake, and Whats New Cupcake.

Doesn't this look yummy? Ok not yet. This is a delicious concoction that contains brown sugar, honey, milk, butter, white chocolate, and more. This melted together is the base for the delicious Georgia Mud Cupcakes.  

Here it is, post melting mixed with egg I think. I am about to add the flour! 

Yum! These will be stir fry cupcakes later! 

After several hour of baking here are some of the cupcakes ready to be decorated. All the white ones are Georgia Mud and the dark are chocolate mocha. 

Something was horribly wrong with this mix. All my cupcakes are from scratch. These were suppose to be yellow cupcakes, but something went awry and they tasted like vanilla biscuits. So they were tossed. Not a huge set back since it was a single batch and only made 6, barely. 

These crushed oreos are NOT FOR CUPCAKES, but something just as splendid. Mint Oreo Truffles. 

1 pkg of Oreos (pick your flavor, I like mint, but you can do whatever) 

1 pkg of cream cheese

1 pkg of almond bark (i like chocolate, but you could use white chocolate for a richer taste)

1) Crush oreos till no big pieces are left 

2) mix in cream cheese

3) roll out small balls

4) dip in chocolate! 

5) Let chocolate cool/dry and enjoy

To keep the ball intact, i scoop up some chocolate in a 1 Tablespoon measuring spoon and then using a regular spoon I cover the rest with chocolate and then place on wax paper. 

I have also added smashed coffee beans to the chocolate for those all nighters with chocolate cravings.

I started by decorating the Koi fish since those were a small batch of salted carmel cupcakes. (I also was limited by the number of brown mini m&ms)

Here are some of the goodies used to make this tasty creation. 

Here are some more. The odd metal thing is what I use for icing. It came with a cookie press set from a thrift store that I received for my birthday from my AMAZING boyfriend.

These are the stir fry cupcakes. They were VERY fun to make. 

I think I made around 75 mini cupcakes that looked like popcorn. 

Here they are on display (the creations on the left: white chocolate = cake pops..er...balls, because i was too tired to worry about sticks and the chocolate ones are oreo truffles.)

Here are the stir fry cupcakes and some popcorn cupcakes. 

I found these HUGE pans at walmart. $3 each and they have a great lid. I think I will reuse them                 The night went great and the food went fast. Hope you found something inspirational or at least edible looking. 

Julia and Julia feed the food lovers soul

I finally saw Julia and Julia. (I just needed a good movie) and thank you netflix it was on instant view. XD So click and it was on. I laughed, I cried, I sympathized (I know the feeling of getting the recipe just right only to forget to set the timer and burn the whole dang thing!!!) I watched it while eating some ramen, but it felt ...unethical? I wish I had some amazing take-out, but not much of that to be had in this big city (aka population 7,000). It made me want to bake my heart out...and be better at blogging (doing it more often at least). The whole movie was excellent and if you like a good laugh or a good cry, it's the perfect movie for you. You can relate to the characters whether you cook or not. And how can you not love Amy Adams? So adorable! I usually end up relating to her character. So give it a watch and tell me what you think :)