Reindeer Poop: vegan and GF cookie dough bites

This has been my super quick go to recipe for the holiday season since I came up with it; the great thing about this is it's something you can do all year round, vegan and gluten free friends can enjoy them, and they're so good no one can resist them. They're kinda like reese's peanut butter cups in cookie dough form. I found this lovely recipe over on momables but ended up tweaking it so much I think it qualifies as a different recipe. Here's the lowdown of what I did, but if you're feeling creative let me know what changes you made in the comments! I couldn't think of a better name for it but I think it's cute, no?

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup coconut flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup crushed almonds
• 1 to 2 tablespoons maple syrup to bind

Directions

1. Mix ingredients in a in a bowl with a fork until it resembles cookie dough. if it doesn't stick together, add more syrup. If it's too sticky, add a bit more flour.
2. roll into one inch balls (about a teaspoon of dough)
3. chill in the fridge for about an hour
4. enjoy!

this recipe makes about a dozen balls. I've made this recipe once with regular flour and once with coconut. Both times it came out great! If you would like it to look marbled like the photo, add the cocoa powder after everything else has been mixed. 

Other substitute ideas: almond butter, whole wheat flour, nutella, agave nectar, walnuts, peanuts, gosh the possibilites are endless...

Ugly Christmas Sweater DIY

I've noticed lots of sites have been popping up to supply the perfect "ugly christmas sweater" which I feel takes away all the joy from finding these in thrift stores; not to mention, who wants to pay $30 for an ugly sweater? What really makes them great is that they were originally designed without the intention of being ugly, and they've eventually retired to thrift stores across the nation once their owners have realized their fashion disaster.

I went with Zack last night to find sweaters for the party tomorrow night. We found the most hideous amazing sweater vest for him, but nothing quite right for me. So I decided to make my own. I snagged the green sweater for $4, and spent another $2 at the dollar store for the creepy santa ornament and the gold garland. $6 and an hour later BOOM! My masterpiece.

POSSIBLE MATERIALS

• Sweater
• Sewable ornament(s) that's flat on one side
• Garland
• Pompoms
• Yarn
• Needle and thread
• Scissors

I would NOT suggest glue. Not even liquid stitch, given the nature of sweaters it'd probably give you more hassle than convenience. I'm not so great with a needle and thread but it doesn't have to be perfect. The hat on the santa made it super easy to work with, so I suggest a bit of cloth on the ornament if you can. I might add some pompoms later  to fill up the sides, but I'm cool with it the way it is.

X = where I tacked things into place with needle and thread

DIRECTIONS

1. Try on the sweater and pin where the main attraction(s) will go. Take off sweater.
2. With a needle and thread, tack objects into place.
3. Be festive.

Are any of you sporting "ugly christmas sweaters this season? I'd love to see! Link it up in the comments below :)

TTFN!<3

Thanksgiving Centerpiece DIY

Super quick and easy DIY to add a final touch to your thanksgiving decor. Most if not all of the stuff you might already have!

YOU WILL NEED:

• twigs
• leaves
• pine
• ribbon
• optional: gold spray paint

INSTRUCTIONS

1. gather all the nature you'd want to include into your centerpiece. I wanted to make sure I had all of the colors of fall!
2. depending on the size of the table, brake the twigs to the size you'd want. I ended up using a total of about a dozen twigs and kept them around two to 3 feet in length.
3. If you're using spray paint, split the amount of twigs in half and give them a nice coat of spray paint. Wait a couple minutes, flip 'em over and spray the other side.
4. After your golden twigs dry, layer the twigs into a bunch, alternating between gold and brown. 
5. Using about three feet of ribbon, wrap it around the bunch twice, and tie a pretty bow
6. using the leaves and the pine, stick them all throughout the leaves until you are pleased!

As you can see, this would look fine with just the twigs, or just twigs and pine; especially for a christmas centerpiece. This idea is totally customizable and didn't cost me a dime! If you found some pinecones, you can spray paint them gold and use them as place settings for a little something extra :3

 

Hope you like this little DIY! let me know if you've tried this or had a centerpiece DIY of your own!

TTFN <3

-Avé

P.S. - Dont let your dog chew up the material

Happy Thanksgiving!

DIY: Simple Lace Headband

I had some left over lace scraps and found a cute way to use 'em! for this super easy project, you will need:

• 18" - 22" of lace trim (or ribbon)
• a hair tie
• scissors 
• needle and thread or a sewing machine

Directions:

1. Measure the lace trim around your head. The ends don't have to reach each other but make sure it reaches to the nape of your neck, keeping in mind seam allowance. My lace piece was 22" total.
2. Fold the lace end around the hair tie and sew back and forth a couple of times. I used a straight stitch back and forth about five or six times. Repeat for the other end.
3. Trim the excess near the stitch. DONE! 

For the skinnier lace trim I used some left over elastic instead of a hair tie. I try not to waste my scraps. Hope you enjoyed this little tutorial!

TTFN<3

Independence Day Nails! You're a Grand Old Flag

Here's a little secret: I stink at painting my nails, but I still love to! I'm messy, accidental, and I always manage to smudge them before they dry (my sister can attest to this). Nevertheless, I made a super easy 4th of July manicure! GO MURRICA!

base - red - white crackle - blue - glitter - more glitter - top coat

All the polishes from start to finish; except I didn't realize the red was a terrible crackle; I replaced it with a brick red (sally hansen). The OPI blueish glitter had bigger silver speckles that served as stars!

1. Base coats are my best friend; I hate stained nails. womps!
2. Two coats of red.
3. One thin coat of white crackle. I deliberately left a couple of stripes just to make sure people kinda get it.
4. Paint the blue square in the lefthand corner of the nail; I took up about 1/4 of my nail bed.
5. GLITTERRR! I did one coat of the blue one first and made sure to get a couple of bigger silver pieces in each of the blue squares. Then I did a general glitter, still only over the blue squares.
6. Top coat!

That's it! super easy. I like that this is kinda edgy and fun. It also goes along with the whole "grand old flag" HAHA get it? 'cause it's all cracked and stuff? no? ok...

hope you like it!

TTFN<3

DIY: Ombre Canvas Shoes with Sharpies

I've been wanting to alter these plain Jane canvas shoes for quite some time, and I've finally found a fun and easy way to add some color. Just in time for summer!

You will need:

• Canvas shoes
• Rubbing alcohol
• A sponge, cotton pad, or dropper (something to drip the rubbing alcohol onto the shoe)
• Your choice of Sharpies
• Tester fabric (optional)
• Newspaper
• Bowl

Inspect your shoes if they're not new. Make sure they're relatively clean! I had to wash mine. They'll be fine in the washer machine with a couple of old towels. Remove the laces, get your stuff and head outside for this super fun craft! (if not outside, A well ventilated area is cool too)

What colors and fades do you want for your new kicks? I recommend a tester fabric because I found out later on that some colors don't spread at all, and some colors spread into other unexpected colors; although the surprise outcome is part of the fun.

To get colors to fade, color across the shoe with one or two colors, and immediately drip the rubbing alcohol over the color. To do this I poured some rubbing alcohol in a bowl, used the cotton pad to soak some up, and squeezed the pad over the color. The more rubbing alcohol, the more it spreads. You don't want to wait too long to drip the rubbing alcohol, because the sharpie ink could dry permanently. 

~ Color and drip, color and drip... ~

The teal in the middle didn't spread well, so I went back over with a blue that did

A few tips: 

• If you want to go back over a section, try to wait till it's a little dry at least. If you color on parts still really damp with rubbing alcohol, you'll dry out your marker.
• If you must and you're impatient like me, then go ahead. When the marker appears like there's no ink coming out, then grab a scrap sheet and color till it's revived.
• The ink spreads in all directions; experiment with other shapes and patterns if you'd like!
• Sharpie.com goes into greater depth about this technique.

Once you're all done, leave them out to dry over night. Once they're completely dry, the ink will stop spreading. Don't be afraid to go over a few spots if you feel like it! I did a OOTD post earlier with these shoes, if you want more pictures. I think they came out pretty great; I want more!

Let me know if you make these and how they turned out for ya! Hope you liked the tutorial; feel free to post any questions.

TTFN <3

Review: Boiing Concealer by Benefit

Can you tell which half of my face has the concealer?

This is by far my most favorite concealer I’ve ever used. It was recommended to me by a gentleman who works at Ulta; he swears by it. This concealer is the first one that I’ve owned that you can use all by itself (as I did in the photos) so it’s great for those days when all you want to do is cover a zit or under the eyes. 

I’m using number 02, about four times a week mainly for the bags on my eyes and the occasional zit. Boiing usually retails for about $20 - $25. However, it has lasted me four months so far and I’m about half way through with it. My sister uses it every day, and hers lasted about three months. Worth every penny! The Boiing concealer is creamy, smooth, and leaves skin feeling just the same. I usually only use my finger to apply it, making it perfect for beginners or people who don’t put on alot of makeup (ie. dudes).

Benefit’s packaging is cute and simple, if you’re picky about those things. I haven’t had any issues with the cap or anything. I only have to apply it once at the beginning of the day, no worries about it rubbing off.

Every time I wear this concealer in conjunction with my foundation, I get compliments on my beautiful skin. It’s sheer enough to let your natural tones (like my rosy cheeks) show without overdoing it. It IS possible to cake it on, but it’s still not so bad….you’ll just end up looking like a porcelain doll.

All in all, a great product! TTFN!<3