I Solemnly Swear To...

So, while finishing up school, I have been dreaming about all the glorious free time I will have this summer.  In the margins of my research and in my planner, I have been making lists of all the things I want to do. Partially, I am putting them on the blog because if I type them I will HAVE to do them, and partially, I am blogging about them because I'm wondering what should be added to my list. So here it goes:


I solemnly swear to finish my wedding thank you notes now that I'm not writing papers. NEXT, I will practice my mandolin. I've been trying to learn ever since David gave it to me, but every time I pick it back up I have to start over again remembering chords. AND THEN, I promise to make things: 

• A braided beaded necklace
• some vintage rose earrings 
• a nautical headband 
• and maybe I'll finally make that globe

ALSO, I solemnly swear to replant my window box (hopefully like this one) and maybe add a garden to the backyard. Andddd working out, yeah, that'll be in the mix. *Not to mention, I have to work.* And of course, I will READ. I will read lovely books that I get to choose. Here's the list so far, tell me what you think and what I should add:

So, I know I'm not supposed to judge a book by it's cover, but aren't these more fun to look at? (Also, if anyone has these and wants to lend a copy, I'd be much obliged!) Happy Summer everybody!

DIY Cornhole

What have we been doing in Miami?

Working on our tans and...

Making a Cornhole set:

• which was very hard to explain to the people in home depot (culture shock)
• which is really NOT my DIY project because it requires drills and saws
• And which is really interesting when it must be accomplished all on a balcony. (sorry for the bad lighting in these pics) That's what we've been up to.

Give me Chocolates!

I wish I had had time to post this BEFORE Valentine's Day, but here it is today (And I should be writing a paper - oh well). Saturday, my friend Grace and I decided we were going to attempt to make homemade York peppermint patties as Valentine's Day treats! We found the recipe on Eat, Live, Run and thought it just looked delicious. But I must tell you, as much as I love to cook, bake, whatever - I am not Jenna. I am not Jenna, Paula Deen or Cecilia Villaveces.  I am "oops I think I forgot that ingredient at the store" and "how does that taste, I-think-I'll stick-my-finger-in-it." So, there is your preface.


But first, here is the recipe from Eat, Live, Run:
Homemade Peppermint Patties from Gourmet:
makes about 20 patties

2 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar

1 1/2 T light corn syrup

1 1/2 T water

1/2 tsp peppermint extract

1 T shortening

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate

2 T butter

Mix together the confectioner’s sugar, corn syrup, water, peppermint extract and shortening using an electric mixture until combined (mixture will be crumbly). 

Scoop out and knead on a confectioner’s sugar-dusted counter top until the mixture is a smooth white ball. Roll out to 1/4th inch thick using a rolling pin and freeze for ten minutes.

Using small circular cookie cutters (or hearts like me), punch circles into the peppermint “dough”. Freeze again for ten more minutes.

Melt the chocolate and butter over low heat. Drop the peppermints in and smooth the chocolate over the tops to coat well. Lay each patty on wax paper and freeze until firm, about twenty minutes. 

Now, for those of you who are cooks more like me… here are a few tips on this recipe:
1) "mixture will be crumbly" means it will look exactly like dippin' dots. The key here is to put the dry ingredient in BEFORE you put the corn syrup and other wet ingredients in. If you don't do this, everything will stick to the bottom of your mixer. 

2) "melt choc. and butter over low heat" should read "rub to sticks together under the pot and don't let it get hotter than that" - people, it is verrrryyy difficult to not turn your chocolate into fudge. Therefore, if it were me (and it was two bags of morsels later), just buy semi-sweet baker's chocolate and melt it over a double-boiler like you're making candy. Don't add butter and you won't even face that problem. It's probably healthier and taste great even without butter.

*needless to say, these are REALLY EASY to make with a few extra tips here and there. I used a heart-shaped cookie-cutter for vday, but these would be delicious anytime of year.
(I also put them in a gift bag like this. Gotta love free PDFS)
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Other fun posts: 
SNAIL MAIL
3 EGGS & A LITTLE SUGAR
ALL FOR SOUP

Spare time...

Now that school is out, I'm all over some christmas crafting.  Our latest project has been these caroling banners. Please excuse the bad photography, our kitchen lighting isn't the best. Inspired by this website, we decided these were the perfect fun and cheap decorations. So, last night, we played around cutting out letters, dipping pretzels in chocolate and listening to a Louis Armstong Holiday pandora station. And now, our walls officially say, "Fa la la la la" and "Pa rumpa pum pum" - two of the most recognizable lines in all of christmas songs, of course. 

What's next on the list? Maybe some Martha Stewart….

Or how about doing a little thrifting, finding some old sweaters, and making these as gifts? What a great house warming present! I think this craft may take the cake. 

Anyways, hope all of your holidays are filled with cheer and hope these fun ideas give you something to do on a cold winter's day. 

*And for some really great downloadable xmas tags, click here!

Oh, the places you go!

Remember that childhood game where you close you eyes, spin the globe and place your finger on the spinning ball til it stops - Then, immediately declare, "I'm going on vacation to..." or "I will forever live in..." (and frequently you're finger is in the middle of the ocean?) I don't know why I loved this game, but I did. Maybe it was because my parents took me to Europe at age six, and I already had the travel bug. But the "globe" game was up there with cat's cradle and MASH for me. It was a classic.

Thank you designsponge for bringing back good memories. Thank you for not only reminding us the wonders of the globe game, but for making it a chalkboard. They just upped the ante. I have been looking at this DIY project for weeks, and then yesterday, when the Pottery Barn magazine arrived, there was a very similar chalkboard globe for sale. Pay for it? No way.

Why is it whenever there's something expensive I just want to make it? Am I that obsessed with beating the system? Well, anyways, I was enjoying it so much, I thought you might too.

DIY CHALKBOARD GLOBE