craftyc0rn3r

Making a Camera Strap Cover

2013-05-16T20:25:00.000-05:00

I've been rather busy lately. If you haven't noticed, my posts have been far and few from my normal 3+ posts I used to have. I promise I will be back during the summer. My mind is going crazy thinking about all the projects I want to do. In the meanwhile, here's a simple project that my sister asked me to make her. For her birthday, she wanted a new camera strap. The stipulations were I couldn't buy it, yellow was the preferred color, and it needed to be girlie and pretty.

Here is what I came up with:

It's definitely home made, yellow, girlie, and hopefully its pretty as well. What do you think?

Of course this is me so making one camera strap cover as a birthday gift just wouldn't do. Therefore, I made THREE. Here's how I did it. My original plan was to make a camera strap so I bought the materials which included the fabric, vinyl and strap.

I, of course, could not find the little strap that ties to the camera so with lack of time, I decided to make a camera strap cover instead. I was very bummed and I still hope to make a strap one of these days when I have more time.

First I measured my own camera strap (she has the same camera) with the fabric, making it a little more than twice the width and an inch longer in length.

Next, I sewed any embellishments onto the fabric including lace and ruffles.

I hemmed the edges of the fabric and then folded the fabric right sides together and sewed along the length of the fabric.

I flipped the fabric inside out and voila, a new cover for your camera strap. Easy peesy.

For this particular strap cover, I made a the top ruffle by first sewing a tube, flipping it inside out and pleating the fabric as I sewed it onto the strap.

The flower was made with the extra piece I made for the ruffle. After making the tube, I swirled it into circles, shaping the top to form a flower. I used a safety pin to adhere it to the strap so that it could be removed and interchanged between the different straps.

The bow is made by sewing a small pillow case, flipping it around and hand sewing the opening. I used a smaller piece of fabric to bind the center, forming a bow.

All the bows and flowers are removable and can be swapped around which makes it so much fun.

Which one is your favorite?

My favorite is the turquoise corduroy ruffly one. It's too bad I gave it away. I guess I'll have to make myself another one.

I certainly hope she likes one of her birthday gifts.

Happy Birthday Lil Sis!

Breaking their boards

2013-04-21T18:46:00.000-05:00

A couple of weeks ago, E. and R. broke their first boards in Karate! I'm so proud.

They first got a little pep talk.

Then it was time to get into position and kick.

And they did it!

They got to keep their boards as a keepsake.

I love this pic of E. He was so proud at that moment walking back.

After they broke their boards, they received their yellow belts.

Way to go boys!

They worked so hard.

R. looks so adorable here getting congratulated.

It's time to wear the new belts.

Cheese!

E. said it was a perfect day!

Sea World Sleepover

2013-04-07T15:42:00.000-05:00

For Spring Break, we decided to take the kids to Sea World for a sleepover. We've been to Sea World a dozen times, but this time we would be going to the Sea World Camp and spending the night. I looked online everywhere to find out what really happens during the Sleepover to better prepare, but there were no details on their site. During the camp, I discovered that Sea World does not disclose what goes on during their camp because each sleepover is different.

Therefore, I thought I would take you on our Sleepover adventure at Sea World. A little over a month before our sleepover date, we submitted all the necessary health forms and paid for our tickets. Each adventure can include 1 day pass, an over night stay, a behind the scenes tour and a parking pass (it really just depends on what you want). Typically, a camper arrives at 5:00 in the evening to check-in, stays overnight, goes on a behind the scenes tour (around the park before it even opens), and then can enjoy the rest of the day at Sea World with the day pass.

Since our sleepover was a Saturday night, and we were headed back to town on Sunday, we did things a little out of sync.

We used our day pass the day before the sleepover. This turned out to be a great idea because we were there all day.

We watched all the shows.

Played paper, rock, scissors while we waited in line.

Paper beats rock Dad!

We rode rides (well, I didn't ride any since I am a big wimp).

Kids ate A LOT of cotton candy.

We had a great time. The next day, we arrived for Sea World Camp.

Each person received a matching t-shirt and water bottle. This was an excellent thing because as it got dark, it was a lot easier to keep track of all the kids.

We learned about the animals.

Got to see a momma nurse her baby.

We smiled at a Sea Lion...

And one smiled back....

We walked a lot. A. even held the tour guides hand the whole time which is quite abnormal for him.

We got private seating at a show. A. stood up and waved so that we could be noticed.

So he was noticed and landed on the big screen!

We watched Shamu jump.

After the show, we went in the back to see the belugas and dolphins.

Then we sat out front and learned about them some more.

We went to the penguin cave and discovered all the many kinds.

We made special ID bracelets like the ones they have on the penguins.

Afterwards, we headed to our camp in the Shark tank.

It was absolutely beautiful to sleep among them.

Since it was close to midnight at this point, we were beat tired...at least I was.

The kids were out in no time.

The next morning, we woke up at 6. We got to see the Coral tanks.

They were amazing.

As was the shark tank. I couldn't believe how big it was.

It was so nice to view them from above.

We walked through a lot of different spaces...looks like a kitchen?

Which reminds me that we need to eat breakfast.

A. asked his pal Jonathan if he could take a picture with him because he was his new favorite person. My hubby and I were pretty much non-existent during the camp (which was great!).

After breakfast, we walked through the park. It was still dark so all the lights were on.

We got to the dolphin feeding area where they were so happy to greet us.

This was my FAVORITE part of the trip. We got to hang with them for 45 minutes! It was just our little group..no crowds, just us..which made it quiet...and perfect.

We didn't have food just yet for them, but the came to the surface and allowed us to pet them just the same.

That or they demanded a high five!

The fish finally arrived! A. was SO careful to not drop his fish.

They certainly opened their mouths for food.

So we fed them and had fun doing it.

After we washed up, we walked behind Sea World to see the stingray breeding tank. The babies were SO cute.

Each person also was able to take home a stingray tooth. A. is using his stingray tooth to make a mustache.

We saw so many dolphin tanks. Who knew there were so many animals behind the park.

We saw the shark breeding tank as well.

We were also able to pet a baby shark.

After our tour, we sat down to learn all about sharks.

Our camp concluded with a mustached smile picture. Oh, and you can say thanks to A. for that. He wouldn't pose any other way, so they made everyone do it. :)

We had such a great time and would probably do it again. The day before when we were at the park on our own, my kiddos complained of being too tired to walk. During the camp, I heard NO complaints. A. was more than happy to sprint ahead just so he could walk next to the tour guide. The tour guides were fabulous and they held all my kids' attention the entire time. That in itself was worth the trip. I would have to say it was so much fun. If you ever get the opportunity to go on a Sea World Sleepover, take it. I promise you won't regret it.

Happy Birthday A.!!!!!

2013-04-05T15:58:00.000-05:00

A. turns 5 today! I cannot believe how much he has grown. Here's last year's birthday photo (haven't gotten to today's yet).

He'll be starting Kindergarten in the Fall and all my babies will be out of the house. With life being so hectic, I decided to spend the day with just him. We had a blast doing everything he wanted.

Happy Birthday my sweet boy.

Happy Easter!

2013-03-31T16:37:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone is having a wonderful Easter.

This year, we decided to have a neighborhood Easter Egg Hunt. Everyone with kids on our street participated in "hiding" eggs so it was nearly a block of egg hunting.

Here are some of our participants. Littlest ones got a little head start.

The kids were all spread out as eggs where along several homes.

R. decides to aim for our house first before venturing down the street.

E. more or less cozies along.

CHEESE!

A. goes everywhere. Up and down and in and out of homes.

It was so so much fun. Our first annual neighborhood Easter Egg Hunt was a blast!

I so love my neighbors and I'm hoping this is the start of a wonderful tradition.

$10 off $25 at Macy's

2013-03-26T19:52:00.001-05:00

$10 off your purchase of $25 at Macy's Wednesday 3/27 before 1:00PM. Click here for the printable coupon or text "CPN" to Macy's (62297). This is a great coupon to have while shopping. Too bad I'll be at work, but hopefully some of my readers can take advantage!

Carson's Graduation Pics

2013-03-18T17:29:00.003-05:00

A couple of weeks ago, a friend of mine asked me to take her son's graduation photos. I was ecstatic to capture some pics of Carson before he walks across the stage. Here are some of my favorites.

Carson plays baseball for his high school and will be playing in college so capturing some baseball pics was a must.

We also went to the train tracks and a local park to shoot.

Congratulations Carson! Good luck next year!

I had to nab a picture of mom and son before the shoot was done.

It was a fun photo shoot. I've never gone to 3 locations for one shoot before, but with Carson it was a cinch.

Free Lego Mini Build Today

2013-03-05T06:59:00.002-06:00

I know I haven't posted anything in a while. Life's been a bit hectic lately. I have many more projects stored in my head that I need to tackle that I can't wait to share. In the meanwhile, here's a freebie for you. This month's mini build at the lego store is a sea turtle. Isn't it cute?

Lego mini builds are for kids 6-14. It starts at 5:00 today. My kids love it and this one is just too cute to miss.

Ice Cream Sandwiches

2013-02-20T16:04:00.000-06:00

Its no secret that our family LOVES ice cream so I thought I would make them some ice cream sandwiches for an afternoon snack.

I found a pan that would make the sandwich part of the ice cream sandwich at Target the other day. It was such a great deal that I thought I would give it a try.

ice cream sandwiches

6 tbsp unsalted butter, softened

1/4 cup sugar

1 egg yolk

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

6 tbsp cocoa powder

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp water

ice cream and sprinkles if desired.

directions

Heat oven 375F. Grease pan. combine butter and sugar in a large bowl and beat at medium speed until creamy. Add egg yolk and vanilla, beating until well mixed. In another bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Set mixer speed to low and add dry ingredients to butter and sugar, beating until dough forms, adding water to help it combine.

Press 1 packed, level tbsp of dough into each pan cavity. Press top with back of spoon to smooth. Bake 10 minutes.

Cool on a wire rack 5 minutes, then invert pan to place approximately 1/4 cup slightly softened ice cream between two cookies. Roll in candy sprinkles if desired. Freeze individual sandwiches on plate or cookie sheet 30 minutes.

The cookies turned out firm and not very sweet and since it was refrozen, it was a little too hard for my kiddos. I should have served them right away after adding ice cream.

Not every recipe is a winner and this was one of them. Although more than half of every sandwich was eaten, I didn't get the "Mom, you have to make this again!" cheer. If I make these cookies again, I'd add a little more sugar and serve them right from the oven. It wasn't all a disappointment. After all, there was ice cream involved and with that are always smiles.

Rain Check puh leese

2013-02-15T10:05:00.000-06:00

The majority of the time I am shopping, the sale item I want is on the shelf or another store has it so its a rarity that I request a rain check. When an item is sold out at the store, you can oftentimes request a rain check which is a slip that promises you the sale price when it is restocked. I have never redeemed the few rain checks that I have requested, except for today.

Last month, Target had Oral-B replacement heads on sale for $3.00. That is a phenomenal deal since the store sells it regularly for $31.29. Yes, you read that correct. That's an enormous price difference. The deal was too good to be true so it was sold out everywhere. I gave up and requested a rain check.

They finally restocked the shelves this week so I used my rain check to cash in on my deal. It was such a cinch. Purchase the item, show them your rain check receipt, instant savings!

I had a rain check for 5 3-packs. Instead of spending $169.36 (cost with tax), I only paid $15.43. I ended up paying only $2.75 for each pack since I have a Target Visa card. This is a perfect example of how a rain check can save you a whole lotta money.

Now you must be thinking the replacement heads price is insane. I generally do not buy them at Target, but rather at Costco since they are about $36.99 for a 7 pack. Generally twice a year, they'll also have a $7 coupon bringing it down to $29.99. Each toothbrush head comes out to about $4.28 which is a lot cheaper than Target's price of $10.43, but it certainly doesn't top my rain check price of only 92 cents each. Crazy huh? Let's just say I'll be smiling every time I brush my teeth now :)

Making Photo Valentine Cards

2013-02-05T08:00:00.000-06:00

I've been making photo valentine cards for the past three years so I thought this year I would try something different. I found a how-to on some super hero lollipops that I planned on making, but when I checked to see if I had the fabric, I didn't have the color felt I wanted and Hobby Lobby was closed so I decided I'd go back to the cards that I made a few years back.

I wanted an outside shot because of the lighting. Of course, the sun was so harsh I told E. to stand in front of the fence which provided about 2 feet of shade. Here's the original image of E. holding out his hand to which a lollipop will be inserted later. I made sure to have him off centered so that I could add wording.

For a vintage feel, I added an aged photo filter to the image.

I then changed the exposure of the image and added more contrast so that E.'s face wouldn't be so washed out.

For that extra something, I added a simple vignette to the photo.

I added a few words, cut out a slit on the top and bottom of his hands and voila I've got a cute photo Valentine's Day card.

Cute huh? I love the way the hand pops out. I've come a long way from the photo card I made a few years back.

What's better than having totally unique cards? It took me 15 minutes to make (from the time I shot the picture to the time I had it printed) AND it ended up costing LESS than the store bought cards. Double win!

I know I reused this idea of mine, but I did check my kids class roster to make sure none of the kids were in his class a few years back. We're good to go. :)

Free TurboTax Premier for Fidelity Customers

2013-02-05T04:00:00.000-06:00

Have you done your taxes yet? I would normally have mine done already except for the fact that my hubby's W-2 hasn't come in yet. Thank goodness for that because now I can return my turbo tax software I bought at Costco. With their coupon last month it was the cheapest I could find. That is until I discovered that Fidelity is giving their customers a free copy of the Premier version. Yes, thank you very much! To get the software, all you have to do is login to Fidelity and you'll see it right away.

Under the Sink Curtains

2013-02-04T04:00:00.000-06:00

My sister is currently renovating her kitchen. Although she still has a few things to tackle, she is hosting our book club meet this week so as a temporary solution to the hole underneath the sink, she asked me to sew her a curtain. She replaced her sink with a farmhouse sink so in doing so, the doors no longer fit.

Instead of leaving an empty space for all to see her garbage disposal, I made her something to cover it up. Since her cabinets are white, I decided that a big graphic print like this black and white damask would be perfect. To tie in the teal curtains she has in the living room and kitchen walls, I added a little trim.

Even though this curtain would be under the sink, I did not want to show any seams or stitching. First I sewed the trim onto the fabric. Then I folded the top of the fabric down to cover the seam and I pressed in place.

I made a simple pocket hole on the top so the curtain rod could be inserted through and I sewed a 3 inch bottom hem with a blind stitch so no thread would be seen.

Here's the lovely hole under the sink. Its a little site for sore eyes, isn't it?

Right underneath is a tension rod to hold up the curtain.

I slipped the curtain in and voila, no more hole.

I think it is adorable. I love the detail and the extra layer with trim.

The kitchen is now ready for our little get together.

More details on her kitchen still to come :)

My First Pinewood Derby

2013-01-28T04:00:00.000-06:00

This is the first year my son is in Boys Scouts so needless to say that I am a newbie to everything. In December, R. received his first pinewood derby car kit. I looked at the box and thought, "cool! We get to paint a car!" (see the pic of the car on the box).

However, when I emptied the contents, I had my first "moment" (one of many in this process). "It's a block of wood." Yeah, that is what I thought. "You've got to be kidding, right?" I had no idea what or how to begin so it sat in the box for a month. I guess I was hoping it would make itself.

My brother in law was a boys scout so he gave me my first lesson. I have to draw a design. "ummm...help please.." so he helped R. with the design.

R. cut out the design and placed it onto the block of wood to trace.

With a coping saw, my hubby cut along the penciled design.

Not too bad, right? "Yay for Dad!"...but that was all my husband did. Now, it was my turn.

I had to cut the sides of the derby car. R. traced the design on the bottom of the block for me to cut.

Ready? This is what I ended up with when I was done using the coping saw. This was also when I received my second "moment." Yes, I nearly had a heart attack when I stepped back to examine my creation or lack there of.

But with perseverance, some tools, and a lot of deep breaths, anything is possible right?

I must say, thank you to my dremel and the sheet of sandpaper that I had because that ugly thing became this...

Yes, it is the exact same piece of wood as the picture above! So far, no one believes me, but it is.

Sand paper can do wonders. Next, we had to paint it so I just screwed some screws on a piece of wood so that the car can sit.

Final look of the car after R.'s paint job:

It's cute, right? That's our first car, but its actually not the car we entered because of course if we want to even have the possibility of not coming in last, the car needs to weigh as close to 5 oz as possible. The heavier the car is, the faster it should go (since the movement of the cars are purely from gravity).

I did a lot of research and got a lot of advice. The only way to add enough weights to make this car near 5 oz is if I started adding weights to the top of the car. I didn't want to do that. I wanted to hide the weights because after all I am a girl and I wanted a "pretty" or maybe I should say, "cool" looking car. I thought about it for a few days and so three days before the race, I decided to build a new car. Yes, I'm crazy. I wasn't aiming at the win, I was just aiming at not losing.

So then, R. and I built this car. Nearly the same shape. We just made the back far thicker so that I could add weights inside of it.

Our original car was just painted with some craft paint, but as I was at Hobby Lobby, I found this paint for model cars clearanced for $1.33 so I thought it was perfect. R. sprayed away. It only took 2 coats for the perfect finish.

He added transfer stickers all over the car by rubbing them on and then we finished with a clear coat of modge podge.

Before he painted it, I drilled a couple of holes in the back so that we could slip in the weights. I wish I had a picture to show you, but it was eleven at night when I was working on it so I was aiming at just finishing. You can kind of tell in the picture below where the weights are. I know I could have done a better job filling in the holes, but by the time I really noticed, R. already painted it and I didn't want to redo it.

I had to add more weights to the bottom of the car to make it heavier. I used the dremel to cut out space for the added weights. I added the axles and wheels to the car and used some duck tape to make sure the stayed in place. Yes, I have penguins on my duck tape. We ran out of the silver one so penguins it is!

So now, the weigh it. I purposefully had the car come in at 4.9 oz (just in case the official scale didn't match mine). I thought, it would be easier to add instead of take off.

Ta Da! I got it to 5.0 oz on the nose with an extra weight. You can see the extra weight on R.'s car below.

Because I'm crazy, I had spray painted the weight to match (just in case).

There were so many creative cars that day.

6 cars are lined up for each race and each car races in each lane once for a total of 6 times. The best of five races will be averaged for the final time.

It was pretty exciting.

In the end, I shall say, I was shocked to hear that R. came in 2nd in the Pinewood Derby Race. The reason being, I didn't do any of the tricks people told me to do. I didn't remove the burs from the axles. I didn't polish the wheels. I didn't add graphite to the wheels before the race. Because of all this, I didn't expect to place, but we DID!

R. and I were super ecstatic.

I asked R. if he wanted to do this again next year and the answer was a definite yes, but he mentioned that next year, he would build an even faster car! So, next year, I'll polish the wheels, sand and polish the axles, and add graphite for an added edge.

This year, I'm pretty happy with the car we built just a few days before the race. I had such a blast building it with my son. Next year, I'll be prepared to win. :)

How to shorten pants, but keep the hem

2013-01-21T04:00:00.000-06:00

I'm only five feet tall so nearly every pair of jeans I buy (unless its in the girls section) has to be hemmed. I've faced the fact that even petite sizes run too long for me (yes, even in heels). It'd be great if I could always find jeans in the girls section, but sometimes finding a pair that isn't bedazzled, glittered or embroidered with hearts and flowers is rather difficult, especially in my size.

If I could help it, I don't like to alter clothes because sometimes it just doesn't look the same. With jeans that have an unworn perfectly clean hem, I do the standard, fold

cut

and sew technique.

That's pretty basic and typical. It looks great for the unwashed jean, but what if the jean is tattered (purposefully), washed and imperfect to begin with? For those pairs of jeans, I want to keep that hem so I will shorten the jean, but not cut off the hem.

It's not that difficult. Fold up the jeans and pin.

After you have pinned it, unfold and try them on to make sure they are the correct length.

Next sew just below the original stitch. DO not sew over or beyond that stitch because you want to have that stitch seen. For example, in the picture below, you would sew where the white needle heads are.

Once you are done, flip the hem down and press.

Voila! Perfect original hem, tattered, washed and all.

That was a pair of my petite pants so I only had to shorten it an inch (that wearing. No cutting was required. What if it were longer? Here's a pair where I need about 6 inches off. What was I thinking when I bought these jeans?

After sewing along the hem line stitch, cut off all but an inch below that hem line. I should have straighten the jeans so that it doesn't look crooked (its not crooked, trust me :)).

Next, you can do one of two things. You can hem the frayed edge using a zig zag stitch or you can take it a step further by folding in the two edges toward each other.

Here I fold each side towards the center and then close them together.

Sew close to the folded edge for a clean look. Although, this will not be seen.

Pull the hem down and press.

Inside it looks like this

but on the outside, once again you have your original hem.

Neat huh?

3 pairs of jeans down, now 4 pairs of slacks to go (that's a whole-other post since slacks need hidden stitches). At least I can finally wear some jeans that have been in my closet for a couple of years now. At this rate, my hubby's slacks will be done next year. :)

How to fix small cracks in the wall

2013-01-14T04:00:00.000-06:00

We built our home over 5 years ago and now that it is starting to settle a bit, we are getting cracks in the walls. In the beginning, the builder sent someone to fix the cracks, but within the year, they would come back which was a little frustrating.

I talked to the best handy person I know, my dad. He told me that when the crack is very minor to just use some caulk. Best advice ever because its been a few years and they are still gone! Here is an example of a crack in my wall. It looks pretty bad and scary (well, it did to me when I didn't know how to fix it).

All I did was gently sand down any raised pieces of paint so that it would be level. This does not mean get rid of the texture if there are any. Sometimes when the walls crack, the paint where the crack is is no longer level. All I did was remove that.

I used DAP Alex Ultra 230 caulk to fill in the crack. I applied a small amount along the line of the crack and used my fingers to force it in, removing any excess caulk.

After I covered the entire crack, I waited until it was dry and then applied a coat of paint to cover the caulk.

Voila! The crack is no longer there. A job that I thought would be scary to tackle was pretty easy peesy... so easy that even my hubby can do it. ;)

Popovers

2013-01-06T17:02:00.000-06:00

I came upon a popover recipe one day, but it required a popover pan. I called my sister, very excitedly, hoping she would have the pan, but no luck, she didn't have one. Low and behold a few weeks later I came across a popover pan right in the end cap of an aisle at Target. I wasn't looking for it, but it was waiting for me nonetheless. I couldn't resist so I bought it and was making popovers that evening.

I'm quite shocked at how easy it is. Here's the recipe on the back of my popover pan.

Petite Popovers
4 large eggs
1 1/4 cups milk
1 1/4 cups flour
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
3/4 tsp salt

Directions
Preheat oven 400F. Grease pan; set aside. In medium bowl, beat together all the ingredients. Using half the batter, fill each well 2/3 full. Bake for 20-23 minutes, until golden brown. Remove popovers from the pan. Repeat filling and baking procedure with remaining batter.

I bought the petite popover pan and hence the petite popover recipe. A couple of weeks ago, I found the regular sized popover pan for half off at Target so I bought that one too! I couldn't resist the red clearance sticker. I haven't made regular sized popovers just yet. I'm a little scared how big they will be. Look at the picture of the petite popovers baking in the oven.

They are huge!

They do deflate so maybe making bigger ones won't be that much bigger :) E. absolutely loved them and ate them for dinner. Yes, that was all he ate that evening.

Most Meaningful Gifts of 2012

2013-01-01T01:00:00.000-06:00

I've gotten a lot of meaningful gifts this year. The few that stand out made me either giggle, laugh, or cry when I received them. They made my favorite list simply because they brought a squishy feeling to my stomach when I received them. Although, I received a lot of cute handmade things from my kids, I'm going to concentrate on materialistic items (yeah, I know) that tug at my heart and you will see why. Get ready for my long winded stories. Feel free to skip this post if it gets to mushy.

TB Handbag - My husband came home one evening with an ENORMOUS grin on his face and told me he had a gift for me. He handed me a dust bag and I knew immediately that he didn't buy it because the bag was way too small to be anything I would carry and even though I recognized the Tory Burch emblem, I knew he knew I had never shown an interest in buying one. So why did it make it on my most meaningful gift of 2012?

That's because my husband told me that he won this bag for no other reason, but because of me. He had gone to a conference to learn about trademarks and copyright infringements. As a contest, they had brought several handbags, real and replicas. If you could name the most correctly, you won the Tory Burch bag. He told me he had a lot of "experience" at identifying the handbags because of me. That's sad that my handbag obsession has brought this on. Despite my obsession, nearly everyone of my handbags I have, I received as a gift from him. I'll admit I'm just too frugal to buy them myself most of the time and half the time he gives me one, I tell him to return it. He's learned to "lose" the receipt on more than one occasion.

He was so giddy coming home because he knew I would have a huge smile when he said it was FREE and an even bigger smile when he could tell me why. The squishy feeling it gave me when he said the LV purse was fake because of the handles while Chanel purse was a definite bad replica because of the material just made me want to squeal. He definitely knew me and because he knew me, he won me a free bag. That's why this bag makes it on my favorites list.

S Tablet- I hate putting an electronic device on a meaningful gift list, but it has become something I don't think I could live without and without a doubt it has united me with many different people. This summer I started a book goal for myself and then became obsessed (which is an understatement). I borrowed my sister's kindle on more than one occasion till finally she said she needed it back (because her obsession was WAY beyond my obsession and I am pretty obsessed).

I was in the middle of a book that I really wanted to finish and my sister was taking her kindle home despite much begging and pleading SO my hubby surprised me when he came home with this (the only tablet that Costco was selling at the time).

I generally do major research before buying almost everything and I especially do not buy anything NOT on sale (yes, I know, double negative) without at the very least looking it up, but my husband's excuse was that it was Costco so if I didn't like it, I could return it. I can honestly say that this device gets used EVERYDAY. I still go to the library on a weekly basis, but it takes me forever to read a library book because I don't have time to read in the day and I get tired of holding a flashlight and a book to read at night in the dark. That is UNTIL, my hubby came home with this head flashlight.

Isn't he considerate? Now I can read in the dark! I may look like a dork (hence, that's a picture of E., not me), but I don't care so long as I have no permanent pictures as evidence;).

The real reason that the tablet was such a great gift is that it really helped me want to read. As a child I hated to read and now I love it so much so that I created a book club where each month we meet to discuss everything under the moon (and of course books). The tablet is a great tablet (so much so that half our book club members have now bought one), but what was even better was that it brought together a group of women who wouldn't otherwise come together each month.

Photo Op - It's no secret that I love cameras and I love taking pictures. My husband did buy me a really nice camera this year, but I would say that what was more memorable is the photography job he got me and the fact that he pushed me to do it. I was so nervous to shoot a wedding and at first I told him I wasn't going to do it, but in the end, he convinced me to.

He gave me my first real photography job, a new camera to do the job, and the confidence to do it.

All I ever want when asked is happiness in a box. I know, its super cheesy, but that is really all I ever want so generally when anyone asks me, my answer is always "nothing." Growing up from such humble beginnings, I got used to getting nothing. When I say nothing, I really mean nothing that was non-essential. If we could live without it, we did.

Fairy Doll - I remember the very first non-essential gift I got was from my sitter, whom I called "Ma" (northern dialect for Mom in Vietnamese. I called my birth mom, "Me" which is the southern dialect for Mom in Vietnamese) because she was in every way another mom to me. She gave me my very first toy, first barbie. It was a fairy and it was my first real Christmas gift, something I didn't need. I must have been 5 or 6 years old and when I opened it, I was just ecstatic. I was probably the happiest kid on the block that day, but my happiness was short lived as I was told by my birth mom that she was going to re-gift the barbie because she couldn't afford to buy a gift for her friend's daughter. Needless to say, I was crushed, but when you expect nothing growing up, you get used to it.

We're supposed to be talking about 2012, right? Well, Santa brought something to my neighbor to give to me. When I opened it, tears just flowed. I was so emotional because what I got was a fairy barbie doll.

Do I have a fantastic neighbor or what? I told her that story in passing when we were talking about how lucky our kids are and I mentioned that my kids will never experience some of things I went through. I'm really quite shocked at this gift. I think it means so much because I'm reminded of the fact that yeah, its great to get a gift, but the person behind the gift, the friendship behind the gift means so much more. I'm so lucky for having such a great friend. One that really knows how to give me happiness in a box.

So enough of my yapping and my sappiness. I want to wish everyone one a Happy New Year! I look forward to all that it brings.

Lego Cupcakes

2012-12-31T04:00:00.000-06:00

R.'s birthday was a few weeks ago. Although he opted out of having a party, he did want lego cupcakes so I made him some to bring to his school.

All I did was made a batch of vanilla cupcakes and piped on frosting using the 1M tip. That's my favorite no fail tip.

I used my lego mold I made here and used candy melts to make the lego blocks. The mini-figure mold I bought at the lego store.

My best advice for getting perfect figures is to shake the mold after you pour the candy melts so that all the air bubbles are released.

After the candy melts are set, I just popped them out of the mold and placed them randomly on the cupcake.

R. said they were a hit and since the molds I used are true to scale and looked pretty convincing, some kids were hesitant to eat them.

Not to worry, once R. demonstrated they were edible, the lego candy were the first to be scarfed down. :)

Merry Christmas

2012-12-25T16:43:00.000-06:00

The kids have been waking up super early every morning, except ironically this morning they decided to sleep in. I toured the house seeing if any kid was lurking, but not a sound I so turned on the tree lights and went back inside

Hours later, with no peep, announcement or sound, I came out to check on the cinnamon rolls in the oven and found A. just sitting and staring at the tree. He was so mesmerized, he didn't even hear me snap a picture.

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season.

Fried Turkey

2012-12-21T06:00:00.000-06:00

Having a turkey is one of the most typical things to have during the holidays. A couple of years ago, I decided that I was going to try to make fried turkey and since then, I haven't done it any other way. The outside remains crispy while the inside remains super moist.

It is really so simple to prepare.

Fried Turkey
10-14 lb turkey
1 cup salt
1/4 cup black pepper
1/4 cup garlic powder
3/4 cup paprika
4-5 gallons of peanut oil

Heat peanut oil in a turkey fryer or a very, very large stockpot to 350 degrees F. I would recommend you do this outside.

Combine and mix the salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika and set seasoning aside. Wash turkey inside and out, and allow to drain. Pat turkey dry. Rub turkey all over with the seasoning.

Lower turkey into hot oil, very carefully, making sure it is fully submerged. Fry turkey for 3 minutes per pound plus 5 minutes per bird. Once the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F, remove turkey from oil and drain on paper towels.

Add some sides and you are done!

Note: To measure the amount of oil needed to fry the turkey, place uncooked turkey in fryer, add water to top of turkey, remove the turkey and the water line will indicate how much oil will be needed to fry your turkey. Having too much oil can cause a fire. The pot should not be more than 3/4 full or the oil could overflow when the turkey is added.

Peanut Brittle

2012-12-20T11:00:00.000-06:00

During college, I would spend my summers working in D.C. I made my land lady some spring rolls one day and in exchange she asked me what I wanted her to make me. She handed me this cook book and told me to thumb through the pages and see what I wanted to learn how to make. Back in the day, I had never followed a recipe before (other than following directions on the back of a box). I never baked anything from scratch following a recipe. Crazy as it sounds, I learned everything from my mother who cooked by taste. She was great at cooking, but she really never made any sweets or baked anything so one of the things I asked her to teach me was how to make peanut brittle.

I LOVE peanut brittle. I probably could eat a pound of it without even blinking, but I don't make it very often because R. is allergic to peanuts. This year, I decided to include peanut brittle in my goodie box I was handing out. The recipe is from the Betty Crocker cook book. I received this cookbook from my landlady when I moved out. Even though its now 15 years old and filled with flour, sugar, drops of oil, chocolate splatters, fingerprints, and sticky pages, it was my very first cook book and a gift. That in itself makes me cherish it.

Peanut Brittle
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp water
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup water
1 cup light corn syrup
3 tbsp butter
3 cups unsalted raw peanuts (1 pound)

Directions
Grease 2 cookie sheets with butter.

Mix baking soda, 1 tsp water and vanilla and set aside. Mix sugar, 1 cup water, and the corn syrup in 3 quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat, about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, to 240 degrees on candy thermometer.

Stir in butter and peanuts. Cook, about 15 minutes, stirring constantly, to 300 degrees. Watch carefully so mixture does not burn. Immediately remove from heat. Quickly stir in baking soda mixture until light and foamy.

Pour half of the candy mixture onto each cookie sheet and quickly spread about 1/4 inch thick with buttered spatula. Cool completely, at least 1 hour. Break into pieces. Store in air tight container.

This is SO good.

For me, it really is one of those recipes that I can't walk pass without nabbing a piece or three :)

If you love this recipe, you might want to try my cashew coconut brittle recipe here. I love it even more than peanut brittle.

Okay, its bad, but I'm off to nab another piece.

Peppermint Marshmallows

2012-12-19T19:55:00.001-06:00

Yesterday was my all day baking day and since I still craved peppermint, I decided I would be making peppermint marshmallows again. They are so yummy.

The marshmallow recipe can be found here. This year, I decided that I would not make enormous marshmallows so instead of using 1 10x10 pan, I followed the recipe and split it into 2 10x10 recipes.

Also, instead of using gel food coloring, I used the liquid. If you like the deep red swirls, stick with gel food coloring. It works a lot better. Using the liquid red food color just made everything pink on top. I think the next time I make these, I'll leave them white.

My Christmas goodie box before I filled every nook and cranny with Christmas candy.

Its been a crazy day putting everything together. This year my goodie box consisted of banana bread, peppermint cookies, mint chocolate cookies, peanut brittle, and peppermint marshmallows. I filled the empty spaces with candy canes, candy cane and mint chocolate hershey kisses. Can you see my theme this year?

Gotta get back to baking. :)

Peppermint Cookies

2012-12-17T20:07:00.002-06:00

This year my family is all about peppermint. From peppermint bark to candy cane hershey kisses (which I must say is now my favorite candy), we have been buying everything peppermint. I even went as far as buying the handmade peppermint snow from williams-sonoma. I think we have just become obsessed with the flavor of peppermint this year so I decided to create a peppermint cookie to calm my cravings a bit.

Here is what I came up with. I thought it turned out pretty delicious. In my recipe below I increased my peppermint extract from what I originally tried to give it a little more peppermint flavor. In my original trial recipe, I used only 2 candy canes, but since I love the bits of the peppermint, the next time I make it, I'll add 3. The recipe below depicts what I would do next time. The amount of white chocolate chips and candy canes used is purely preference.

Peppermint Cookies
2 3/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup unsalted butter (at room temperature)
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/4 tsp peppermint extract
red food coloring
8oz of white chocolate chips

3 candy canes (crushed)

Directions
Preheat oven 375 degrees. Sift the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt) together and set aside. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in egg and peppermint extract. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients. Add red food coloring (I added a tiny squirt of red gel food coloring, about 1/3 inch) and mix.

I didn't want the entire cookie to be pink so once the food color was evenly mixed in the center of the dough, I folded in the sides for the bi-color effect.

Add in the white chocolate chips and 2 of the crushed candy canes. I saved the larger pieces to top the cookies.

This cookie recipe originated from a sugar cookie recipe so the dough will be extremely crumbly. Roll rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into balls with your hands (as if you are forming meatballs), flatten, and place onto cookie sheets lined with parchment paper. Top cookies with remaining crushed candy canes and press into the cookies. Make sure you do flatten the cookies a bit so that they are uniform in size.

Bake for 8-10 minutes. Let stand on cookie sheet for 2 minutes before moving them to wire racks to cool.

These cookies I thought were SO good. They were chewy on the inside, but the crushed peppermint added an extra crunch.

The cookies themselves had a slight hint of peppermint flavor which added that extra punch to the cookies.

I will definitely be making these cookies again.

I'm salivating as I am posting these pictures so I'm off to eat another cookie. :)

I've got to stop or I won't have any to give out.

Making your Own Christmas Card

2012-12-12T18:37:00.000-06:00

Every year, I would spend hundreds on family photos because I figured I'd get great pictures. After a few disappointments, I decided a couple of years ago I would start taking my own family portraits. If they didn't turn out, I could always go find yet another photographer. The last two years have been interesting using a tripod, timer and running back and forth, but we were able to actually get a lot of great pics, some of my all time favorites.

This year, I solicited my sister to snap the pictures for me since it is a lot easier than arranging everyone and trying to snap the pictures while being in it as well. I generally scope out a location that I love, but this time, we winged it. My husband suggested a local park I'd never been to and to my amazement, it had a secluded path that was completely private.

We had 1 hour of overcast (according to the internet) so we had to work quickly. I decided this year, I wanted to have fun Christmas cards so I made A. wrap lights around us because he is the mischievous one in the family. I am so happy with the results.

Then, I went home and added text using photoshop and voila I have my Christmas card. I love it!