New Eats & Book Giveaway

Hello and happy Wednesday! 

I have three things I am pretty excited about and

want to share with you today. 

1. Roasted Tomatoes--I tried these last night. Quick. Easy. Delicious. Perfect for those garden tomatoes that are coming in.

2. Avocado Tuna Salad--Also tried this last night. I changed the recipe slightly. I used diced cucumbers instead of onions. Also added sliced almonds. Yum!

3. Secrets of Persimmons Forest E-Book--I recently read this book and had to share it with you all. This is a great read for all ages. Set in Louisiana, it's tale of twin sisters with a dark secret. It's full of suspense and fun too! 

Want to win an e-book copy?

Just click HERE and enter to win by July 21st!
Good luck to everyone!

 

What's for Dinner?

Today instead of crafting -- I'm cooking.

Most days I'm not into cooking. 

I'd rather bake any day than cook.

However, on occasion I like to try my hand at a new recipe. 

The easier the better. The less ingredients the better.

So when I ran across a few really simple but delicious looking recipes on Pinterest I had to try them out.

 Here's the menu for today.

And a couple links in case you want to try them for yourself. 

Enjoy!

Crock Pot Hawaiian Chicken 

Who doesn't love a 3 ingredient only crock pot dish?

  Seven Layer Salad 

This recipe was from my grandmother. It was always a hit at church and family dinners.

 Sour Cream and Chives Mashed Potatoes

Thank you Betty Crocker. You just made my mashed potato making a whole lot easier!

 &

Garlic Bread

This came from the local bakery. Walmart bakery that is. It looked wonderful!

  
 Oreo Fluff

I was really craving some Oreo pudding. This was even easier and just as amazing. Then again -- how could you go wrong with Oreos? 

Hair Ties. Hair Bows.

It's been a rainy day here in Tennessee. 

Honestly, I just don't feel like being crafty on a rainy day. 

I'd rather be lazy and maybe read a good book or watch a movie.

However, I did want to feel somewhat productive today, so naturally I started browsing Pinterest.

That's the productive thing to do. Right? 

Right. 

 I did come across these cute hair ties that I've been wanting to try. 

It just so happens I had picked up more elastic ribbon the other day, so I had a nice assortment ready and waiting to try out.

If you're looking for something cute, easy, and inexpensive -- this is it!

 

 

 I love how versatile these ribbons can be. You can tie knots on the ends or bows. Or you can make super cute headbands for your little ones!

 

Here are a couple links with easy instructions.

DIY Elastic Baby Headbands

Hair Tie Tutorial 

*HINT* Cut the ribbon with pinking shears to eliminate the frayed ends.

 I decided make some headbands for my niece, then the rest will be as thank you gifts for my Etsy customers!

Thanks for stopping by! 

Jessica

Camera Strap Scarves

Want to know one of my weaknesses?

Scarves. 

I love them! 

I know this isn't exactly scarf-wearing weather right now, however, on occasion you can find lightweight scarves to wear even throughout the spring. 

Sometimes in my thrift store hunts, I am able to find all sorts of unique scarves for great prices! 

I will admit, I don't just buy them to wear anymore. I buy them to make into lovely little camera straps. 

Just type camera strap scarves (or click here) into your Pinterest search bar and see what I mean.

So this has been my latest DIY project. 

You can make these straps out of fabric scraps, but I found a scarf to be much faster. It was suggested to me to even try men's ties. Definitely going to try that one next!

P.S. If you're interested in any of these straps, you can find some of these in my Etsy shop!

 

 

 

Hello Spring

Click here to find more seasonal quotes.

 Summertime. 

It's my favorite season. Unless autumn has finally arrived. 

Then it's my favorite. Boots, scarves, and pumpkins. 

They get me every time.

Christmas comes along quickly with it's many festivities. If we're lucky the first snowfall soon after-and it's beautiful. 

After so long the winter starts to look cold and bleak. 

Then enters spring. It's wonderful. 

Colors begin to peak through the grass, trees, and mountains. I think God must have known what He was doing putting spring after winter. New life is all around and so is the sunshine. 

I believe that's my favorite part of spring. Fresh flowers and sunshine.

In celebration of spring - here is a handful of links to get you prepped and ready for the season!

Enjoy! 

 

 

 

A Little Coaster Love

Happy Wednesday everyone!

I've been working on some coasters lately and wanted to share them with you today. I found a pack at the local Goodwill and thought I'd give them a makeover.

 

These were already gold when I bought them, which I loved! So I  just added a little more pizazz with my paint pens. :)

 If you really like the coasters you can find them here also.

Here are some really neat DIY coasters I found on Pinterest.

Enjoy!

1. Natural Branch Coasters
2. Corkboard Coasters
3. Flannel Coasters
4. Washi Tape Mini Wood Pallet Coasters
5. Scrappy Quilt As You Go Coaster
6. Braided Rag Rug Coaster
7. Vintage Map Coasters
8. Coastal Rope Coasters

Have Cake. Eat it too.

Who here likes cake? 

Or should I say who doesn't like cake?!

I have always had a sweet tooth--especially for cake. 

Of any kind. 

I must confess. My all time favorite is the boxed cake mix. That might have made all you made-from-scratch bakers out there cringe, but it's true. 

Growing up, it's what my mom made for my brothers and I almost every year on our birthday. 

You know what the best frosting ever is???

 Rainbow Chip by Betty Crocker. 

Don't just take my word for it. 

Check it out yourself! 

It was discontinued for a year or so but was brought back by popular demand. 

Yep. Its that good!

Speaking of cake---While browsing through Pinterest the other day, I stumbled upon a interesting but beautiful cake. It was called a naked cake. 
I had never heard of this before, so of course--I googled it.

From what I could gather, a naked cake is created when the frosting or topping covers only the cake top and in between the layers but not the sides. Therefore leaving the sides exposed or--naked. 

Many of you have already heard of this trend, since countless blogs and magazines have been talking about it for some time, including Country Living who featured these last August. This style seems to be a popular trend for weddings and parties. 

I love the concept of this cake! 
I hope to be back in a few days with my version of a naked cake. 

In the meantime, here are a few of my favorties I found on Pinterest.

1. http://www.stylesweetca.com/blog/2016/1/6/how-to-make-a-naked-cake
2.
http://www.thenest.com/Recipes/87886/detailview.aspx?STOPREDIRECTING=TRUE&id=87886&type=7&recipe_ingredients=Chocolate&PgReferrer=results.aspx
3. https://www.instagram.com/p/8U43PxNQDx/
4. http://justdestinymag.com/how-to-make-beautiful-naked-cakes/
5. http://www.craftsy.com/blog/2015/05/naked-cake-tips/
6. http://whatsgabycooking.com/naked-birthday-cake/

--UPDATE--
Just wanted to let every know..I did try a naked cake of my own. However, I can't bring myself to post pictures of it. I'll try again next week and see if the second is any better! It's harder than it looks. Just sayin'...