Homespun Philly

Procrastination Station

noreply@blogger.com (Caitlin Faitoute) — Wed, 16 Apr 2014 01:53:00 +0000

It seems every week I find something outside of my usual routine and hobbies that I get fixated on. I procrastinate instead of getting chores done and daydream about new gadgets that have made it the market, new music I can't get out of my head or more often than not adorable animal videos that make my heart melt. I'd like to share all these weird, little things with you...welcome to the Procrastination Station.

Lake Street Dive

Based on the cover of their most recent album, Bad Self Portraits, I knew I would love this band. Lake Street Dive is an indie jazz and soul band that was founded in 2004 in Boston, MA. They're a few albums in now but I believe what got them buzzing on the internet was their sidewalk rendition of I Want You Back by Jackson 5. Give them a listen - try their most recent single Bad Self Portraits, you will not be disappointed!

Mac Mart Food Truck

Food Trucks have really blow up in the past few years and Philly is no exception. Last year at our annual Manayunk Food Festival there was a line of food trucks along Main Street but all I cared about was Mac Mart food truck. I'm a sucker for a good bowl of mac & cheese and I must say this truck delivers the goods. They have different takes on mac & cheese like the "Wit" Mac -a nod to Philadelphia cheesesteaks and Return of the Mac -a grilled mac & cheese sandwich! Crazy, I know...but crazy delicious. I follow them on Facebook now and get inundated with beautiful mac & cheese pics day after day...let's just say it's tough. As you can tell from my above instagram post, i'm obsessed.

Levenger Circa Notebooks

I've always been a bit of a stationary and office supplies nerd after working in a stationary shop during High School and for a while now i've been on the search for a customizable notebook to carry around with me to scribble notes in, keep as a planner, and make lists...lots and lots of lists. I've found everything i've ever wanted in the Circa Notebook from Levenger. Their system of notebooks, paper punches, paper refills, and accessories encourage flexibility and lets you organize projects to suit your needs. There is a Levenger store in Boston that i'm hoping to check out next time N and I are up there visiting his family!

Secret Agent Raccoons

Need a good laugh? Check out this Buzzfeed Article 16 Secret Agent Raccoons that showcases hilarious gifs of Racoons getting into trouble. I can't stop watching #8 and #15. Pretty sure my friends thing i'm crazy busting out in laugher at this article time and time again.

What's going on in your Procrastination Station?

Weight Watchers & Phillies 5K

noreply@blogger.com (Caitlin Faitoute) — Fri, 21 Mar 2014 14:46:00 +0000

This year I decided to take my New Years Resolutions seriously - how did I do this? I threw money at them! Just hear me out. My goals for this year were to get fit and feel better about myself.

I knew the only way to do this was to eat right and exercise. I also knew that although it sounds easy it was going to be a very tough task to keep myself motivated. That's where the money comes in. I knew that without set goals with very real dates I would slack off and this year would be like all the years past where New Years Resolutions were made but never followed through on.

With those thoughts in mind I paid up and joined Weight Watchers at Work -a ten week program in which I would be weighed in every Friday for 10 weeks. I also signed up for the Philadelphia Phillies Charity 5K which was set for mid March. I figured after paying to make these goals 'real' I just had to follow through on them. And guess what, I think I was right!

It's been a couple months now of weigh ins and doing the Couch to 5K running program on my own time to get ready for the 5K. Of course I had some weeks where I lost no weight and where I slacked on the running but overall I made some great strides towards my major goals. I've officially lost 12 pounds and went from feeling like I would die after 1 minute of running to being able to run 10+ minutes straight and feeling great about it.

UPDATE:

The Phillies Charity 5K came and went and I couldn't be happier with my results!! My only goal was to run the 5K in under 40 minutes and I managed to run it in 39 minutes!! Not to mention I ran almost the ENTIRE thing! I've NEVER run 30 mins straight in my life but this past Saturday I did it. It felt amazing. And when I came back to work this week I was actually able to tell people I had fun...running...I had fun running. Who knew!?

My next goal is to just try to run the 5K faster and sign up for more races. Look at me, i'm a runner. :)

Chocolate Chip Butterfinger Cheesecake Bars

noreply@blogger.com (Caitlin Faitoute) — Thu, 13 Mar 2014 15:44:00 +0000

My best friend Liz's Birthday is in March and for the past two years i've been wanted to make her treats inspired by her favorite candy bar - Butterfinger. Yes, I know two years is a long time..i've been slacking, ok?

It took me a while to decide on what to make. I went to Pinterest to find all my options. In the end I decided to make Chocolate Chip Butterfinger Cheesecake Bars. I found the recipe on the blog That Skinny Chick Can Bake. Check out the link for the recipe.

I must say these were a hit! Though I hear the boyfriend of the Birthday girl has devoured most of the treats, haha.

Road Trip: Where To Go!?

noreply@blogger.com (Caitlin Faitoute) — Thu, 06 Mar 2014 22:21:00 +0000

Next month my brother, his girlfriend, N and I are going on a 5 day road trip. We weren't sure where to go we just knew we were going to drive somewhere far and hang out. This is probably the first trip I haven't planned every second of and that i'm taking a very casual approach to. I can't wait to just get where we're going and relax for a few days and not think about work or chores or whatever.

Since we'll be starting our journey in New Jersey and we only have five days we decided to go somewhere only about 8 or so hours away. We came up with two options:

1. a trip to Maine and New Hampshire

2. a trip to upstate NJ and Canada to see Niagara Falls

Both trips had their pros and cons. N lived in Maine for a few years and would know his way around the city of Portland and the outer lying areas. Seeing Niagara Falls (for the second time for my brother and I) and visiting Canada would feel like a bigger more exciting trip. Since it's winter we had to be conscience of what activities we could still do in the 40 degree weather.

As of now we're searching for passports and trying to make a decision. :)

UPDATE:

We made a decision! We're heading to Portland, Maine! We're staying right outside of Portland and are planning to spend a day in New Hampshire. Here are some of the activities we have lined up:

City of Portland - minutes away (5 miles): old district - restaurants, shops, and pubs; mall; outlet stores

Allagash Brewing Company- taking a brewery tour!!

Portland Observatory -beautiful views of the Maine coast

Colby College - 1 hr away (N's alma mater): see college, eat at Big G's Sandwich Shop, check out downtown

Brunswick - 50 mins from Colby: Sea Dog Brewery - brewery & restaurant

Kennebunkport - shopping/restaurants - nearby is Cape Porpoise the Cape Pier Chowder House!

Freeport - 20 mins away: shopping - giant LL Bean Store & outlet shopping

Day Trip:
North Conway, New Hampshire - Funspot: 3 story arcade with go carts, bowling, indoor mini golf, cash bingo; outlet shopping nearby (kitchen outlet, new balance, nike, stonewall kitchen, white mountain cupcakery)

I can't wait! See y'all when i'm back from my mini vaca!

DIY Repost: Hanging Jewelry & Accessory Knob Boards

noreply@blogger.com (Caitlin Faitoute) — Thu, 06 Mar 2014 22:21:00 +0000

Reposted from my old blog The Sweet Shop:

DIY Vintage Knob Jewelry & Accessories Display Board

I found an amazing DIY hanging jewelry & accessories display online one day (Pinterest? Etsy? Can't quite remember where I saw it)...it's the perfect piece to organize and display your favorite necklaces, bracelets, scarves, you name it. The ones below are made up of wooden molding boards, glass/ceramic/metal knobs in various shapes and sizes, two screws and some bolts and washers. A short list of materials..but it requires a wide array of tools, which is why I enlisted my Dad who i'm pretty sure owns every tool ever made!

We created a few different pieces: two long boards - one with small mismatched knobs and one with slightly larger mismatched knobs. a short board with extended knobs to hang towels in the kitchen. two blocks used to string up sunglasses.

My Mom ordered a ton of drawer knobs off Ebay, she found some great groups of 2-4 knobs in multiple colors. The knobs she found were amazing! I loved that we had so many to choose from.

The molding boards were purchased from Lowes, where they were willing to cut them into the sizes we needed. We had one more cut to make at home so we used a Mitre box with a saw to cut the molding.

The prep work involved deciding the array of knobs for each board as well as the spacing between them. I spaced the knobs about 2" apart to allow space for fluffy scarves.

After deciding on placement & spacing I punched a guiding hole where the knobs would eventually be placed. We then used a drill to create holes all the way through the board so that the screws on the knobs could pass freely through the opening. Don't forget to drills a hole on the end of each side of the board, this hole will be for the screw to mount the board on the wall.

We then had to countersink the back of the board so that the washer and bolt would lay flat against the back of the board. This is needed so that the board lays flat on the wall.

There was a lot of trial and error during this part of the project. Since the knobs are all mismatched sometimes the countersink needed to be adjusted, sometime the size of the knob screwed were inconsistent and the drilled holes needed to be adjusted.

We inserted the knob screws through the board while placing a washer and bolt on each side of the board to keep it in place.

Note: if you want to hang larger items on your board you can use the washer & bolt to create the length of the screw on the front side of the board. I kept my knobs flush on the jewelry & accessories display board but for the kitchen board, on which I wanted to hang towels, I kept the knob about 1 1/2" from the front side of the board.

The next step is to tighten the bolt, make sure it's flush with the back, in most cases the screw will need to cut down. My Dad used a saw to cut it down then sanded down the metal until it was smooth. You don't need an electric sander for this, but it sure does help.

Ta Da!

I was able to use square wooden rossettes (that I painted white) to create my make-shift sunglasses/eyewear display. Any type of thread/yarn/rope can be used to create the strand that the sunglasses will hang on. Just mount the two rosettes level with each other about a foot apart then tie the string the thread/yarn/rope to hang from each knob.

To mount the boards onto the wall we used two long screwed that were painted white to match the molding board. The real trick while mounting is to use a level so that board isn't crooked on the wall, I know that would drive me crazzzy everytime I looked at it.

And voila, here you have an entire accessories display area. I added in my jewelry bulletin board (see my past post) and an IKEA mirror & cubical storage shelf and the area was able to hold most of my accessories.

Thanks to my Dad for my help with this. Shortly after we made this project (yes, it took me months to post this) he had his surgery. I can't wait for him to be fully recovered so we can get back to making more projects together. <3

Flea Market Finds

noreply@blogger.com (Caitlin Faitoute) — Thu, 27 Feb 2014 22:28:00 +0000

I've always been a fan of craft fairs, flea markets and thrift shops. I still remember afternoon trips with my Dad to an indoor flea market 30-45 minutes away from my parents house on Sunday afternoons. A year or so ago I went to a flea market in Philly and signed up for email alerts about EVERY flea market in Philadelphia. I'm proud to say i've finally been to each different one and i've taken friends and family back to many of them. I've even developed a set of negotiating skills...I can't get enough of that thrill of the ultimate find!

I wanted to show off some of my favorite flea market finds. I'll post about my favorite Philly flea markets in the near future. :)

Vintage Bread Box <3 <3 <3

Wicker Chairs

Squirrel/Nut Jar and Gold Etched Shotglasses

Gold Etched Ice Bucket and Glasses

Mustache Mug!

Vintage Coca Cola Wooden Crate aka Shotglass Holder

Pan Am Travel Bag

(w/ a The Beatles Pam Am playing card)

Geometric Squirrel Necklace <3

(from the Santa Monica flea market)

And these are just the favorites. ;)

Building a Classic Wardrobe

noreply@blogger.com (Caitlin Faitoute) — Thu, 20 Feb 2014 04:29:00 +0000

I decided to join a Weight Watchers group at work. Not that i've lost much weight so far but the thought of going out and buying a entirely new wardrobe is something that really kicks my willpower into gear. I would be so excited to basically build a new wardrobe by altering key pieces I already own and by added some new classics to the mix. Sometimes I think I could reinvent my style and finally go after what I love on other people but am too scared to try myself.

Pinterest has been a great source of encouragement in losing weight and has gotten me excited about reinventing my wardrobe. This Pinterest page has it all: Building a Wardrobe -from how to build a wardrobe or how to pack a suitcase with minimal pieces to advice from stylish people and how to fit/wear/choose your clothing.

Here are a few pieces i'm loping to add to my closet:

A Little Black Dress

Basic Cardigans

A White Dress Shirt

Ballet Flats

Brown, Tan, or Camel Knee-High Boots

Dark-Wash Boot-Cut Jeans

A Perfect Black Blazer

Black Pumps

Simple V-Neck Shirts

Black Dress Pants

Comfy Skinny Jeans

A Classic Pea Coat

Happy wardrobing!

Sweatheart Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies!

noreply@blogger.com (Caitlin Faitoute) — Fri, 14 Feb 2014 19:08:00 +0000

Just in time for Valentines Day! When any Holiday comes up I use it as an excuse to bake something new. During Christmas one of our staple cookies are Peanut Butter Kiss cookies. Ever since seeing a version of these cookies with chocolate hearts instead of kisses on Pinterest I knew I wanted to make them for Valentines Day.

I found what I have come to believe is the BEST peanut butter chocolate heart cookie recipe on the blog The Baker Chick. I stumbled upon this blog via Pinterest and it's quickly becoming one of my favorites. Everyone who tried one of these cookies said it was absolutely amazing!

Yummm Dove chocolate...

As usual the peanut butter cookie dough was rolled in sugar before baking. After baking I placed the chocolate heart in the middle and quickly put them into the fridge. If this isn't done quickly you'll end up with lots of melted hearts...and lots of rejects to eat..mawahaha.

ENJOY and Happy Valentines Day!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Dip: Valentines Day edition

noreply@blogger.com (Caitlin Faitoute) — Thu, 13 Feb 2014 23:28:00 +0000

Can you believe tomorrow is already Valentines Day?? 2014 is seriously flying by. At work we decided to have a 'Dip Party' and since it was the week of Valentines Day I figured why not make a themed dip. Thanks to the blog Erica's Sweet Tooth I was able to find a great dessert dip. She made a Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough dip....the only difference is her's was a Super Bowl theme and is shaped like a football.

The only changes I made to her recipe were the shape - now a heart - and using Gluten Free All Purpose Flour instead of plain 'ole flour.

I mixed the dry ingredients in a separate bowl then using a hand mixer blended the other ingredients together. I folded in the whip cream at the end which gives the dip a lighter, fluffier texture that's easier to scoop up with fruit or pretzels.

I put the cookie dough in the fridge for a bit before molding it into a heart.

I chopped up some chocolate baking melts to cover the dough with chocolate. I offered up apple slices, strawberries, gluten free pretzels and Nilla wafers as dippers..I would also suggest some graham crackers!

Overall the dip was a hit and everyone was seriously impressed with the presentation. And I must admit it was a pretty easy dish to put together. I would suggest making it for any occasion...and I would also definitely suggest having a Dip Party at work!

Small Changes Make a Big Difference Around the Home

noreply@blogger.com (Caitlin Faitoute) — Wed, 12 Feb 2014 04:52:00 +0000

I've been in my condo for about 1 1/2 years now. I have most of the 'big projects' done (with a few exceptions) so for the past year i've been making tiny changes in each room to give them updates. Here are a few i've done over the past year:

Some updates can make a big impact! I'm not much of a drinker but I must admit I have a bar where my dining table should be. Why you might ask? Well, why not! When I moved in I had no use for a dining table since I had space to sit and eat in my kitchen and I happened to have this bar back home just waiting for me to scoop it up and put it in my very own place. It's been the focal point of the few parties i've hosted here and more importantly it's Memphis's favorite hang out spot.

I had been on the search for a big, interesting mirror for behind the bar (instead of the placeholder band posters) and I finally found the perfect one at Homegoods. I. Love. Homegoods. I needed something to balance out the space behind the bar and add some extra workspace so a floating shelf was used under the mirror. To the right of the mirror is my flea market wooden Coca Cola crate filled with shot glasses...I have a very extensive shot glass collection!

The guest bathroom in my place has been a blank canvas for a looong time. The room is painted a brown suede color and accented with white. I needed some extra storage as well as something to decorate the wall - I found both of these things in a *discounted* wall mounted 3 level shelf from Urban Outfitters. I screwed it into the wall, filled it up with some vintage mason jars my Dad found for me. I absolutely love the overall look and is even useful showcasing all the toiletries my guests might need.

This past week I finally got my order of Instagram magnets in the mail from StickyGram a website that allows you to print your Instagram photos as magnets or even phone cases! I had purchased a few in the past but wanted to update my collection I had littering the fridge. And not to mention i'm on their mailing list and they had a great deal I couldn't pass up.

I printed out all kinds of pictures - some showcased my baking, others were pretty flower, and most showed off my amazing friends and family. I thought it only fitting to spell out LOVE with my magnets. I can't wait for some friends to come over so I can show off all my great memories in magnet form.

Good luck on your next mini home project! ;)

Super Bowl Baking: Chocolate Chip Cookie Helmets & Brownie Footballs

noreply@blogger.com (Caitlin Faitoute) — Sun, 02 Feb 2014 19:34:00 +0000

Super Bowl XLVIII is upon us! I've made it a habit of baking something for every Super Bowl party i've been to in the past few years. The past two years i've gone the easy route and made a football-cupcake-cake. I made them with store bought cake mixes and icing...funfetti of course!

This year it was time to try something new! After discussing option with my best baking bud, Emily, I was offered the use of her football and helmet shaped cookie cutters. I decided to make brownie footballs and chocolate chip cookie helmets.

I used a Ghirardelli brownie mix - cause it's delicious and easy and I ain't got all night. The chocolate chip cookies were made with a knock off Mrs. Fields cookie recipe found on the website Yum Sugar. They even offer a video of how to make the cookies and I must say it was really helpful. Try it next time you whip up a batch of chocolate chip cookies I swear you won't regret it.

The footballs needed their laces and of course I had to decorate the cookies with the team colors. It was hard to get the orange exact but I think they came out just fine.

They were a hit!

Philly: The City of Conventions

noreply@blogger.com (Caitlin Faitoute) — Thu, 30 Jan 2014 23:57:00 +0000

Hey are you interested in flowers? How about cars? Now wait, what about tattoos? How about all of them (like me!)? It's that time of year in Philadelphia that brings out the crazies for all kinds of conventions. The Pennsylvania Convention Center is buzzing with all kinds of folk - from the Grandmas at the Flower Show to the gear heads at the Auto Show you can find just about anyone wondering around the Convention Center...as well as Reading Terminal Market which now becomes a nightmare on Saturday afternoons!

This is really my favorite time of year to live in Philly, once a month from January to March I have at least one event to go to! This has been a few years running now and each year I still go back for more. If you're in the Philly area this winter be sure to check out what's coming up!

Up first is the Tattoo Arts Convention this coming weekend Jan. 31st - Feb 2nd, I've gone to this for the past few years with friends that were dead set on getting tattooed...I just watched. I have tattoos but I haven't been able to pull the trigger on my next one. I usually go to check out the artists, pick up cards if I think maybe they could tattoo me in the future, and most importantly people watch! There are usually tattoo industry celebrities to meet as well.

Every year the Philadelphia International Auto Show is a must see. I've been going to the NYC or Phila Auto Show for as long as I can remember (I have to thank my car obsessed Dad & Brother for that one!). This year it runs from Feb 8th - Feb 16th. I usually go each year with a specific car in mind that I'm dying to see. Last year I wanted to see if any of the Prius models had been updated since I drive a baby blue Prius C that I'm absolutely in love with. I even got the surprise of seeing the new VW Beetle with a soft top convertible! I want!

Every year the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society puts on the Phila. Flower Show, this year it's March 1st - March 9th. Each year is a different theme -inspired by the flora and fauna of places like Hawaii or the UK! The flower displays are out of this world and you can't even begin to imagine the work that went into creating these masterpieces. I think my favorite part of this show is shopping the vendors, they have everything from cut flowers and succulents to outdoor furniture and handmade vases.

Now these are just some of the conventions going on this Winter/early Spring, be sure to check out the Convention Center website to see what else is going on! A few weeks ago N and I walked by a line for the Convention Center that was at least 5 blocks long. We were looking at the people trying to figure out what they were there for but we had no clue. I did some investigative work and figured out they were all there to audition for The Voice! That just goes to show how many different, awesome things are going on at the Convention Center.

Well, Hello There

noreply@blogger.com (Caitlin Faitoute) — Sat, 12 Oct 2013 15:28:00 +0000

Welcome to my new blog! Over a year ago I starting blogging over at The Sweet Shop my lifestyle blog concentrating on baking and DIY projects. Unfortunately after a few months my regular posts starting to dwindle and eventually I stopped blogging all together...well, except for my every-four-months post about how 'I'm coming back!'..and guess what, I didn't.

Back in April I announced on the old blog that I would be starting up an Etsy site selling my homemade goods and would re-design my blog to match. The Gods of the Blog Universe didn't make it easy for me to transition my old blog..so here I am! I plan to re post some of my old blog posts and use this Blog as a platform to discuss all of my fun, exciting, and not always successful DIY projects. I'll also be using this as a 'lifestyle' blog...basically so I can post pictures of my adorable cats (Memphis & Felix) and talk about my adventures around Philly and the Tri State Area.

Well...that's about it for now. Check out the below quote that really struck a cord with me. I plan for my future with this thought in mind: