150th + a giveaway

the giveaway is now closed.

the winner is #35, brandi! look for an email from me soon so i can get your information.

for everyone else, i am offering a 10% discount to my etsy shop.  just enter code 10OFFTWO at check out.  thank you to everyone that participated!!
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it has been nearly four years since i started this blog, and i have finally reached my 150th post.

this is it.  sure took me long enough.

to "celebrate", i am giving away two coffee sleeves from my etsy shop: one red with a top ruffle, and one yellow with a pink side ruffle, to one winner.

to enter and possibly win these coffee sleeves, you have the opportunity of up to three entries:

entry 1: leave a comment on this entry - tell me, what is the drink you most frequently order when you're out? - or something else, if you prefer

entry 2: follow my blog + leave a comment to inform me (if you are already following, leave a comment stating so)

entry 3: pin one of my tutorials/ideas/recipes/etc from this blog, and leave me a 3rd comment + link me to the post

entry 4: blog about this giveaway, and leave me a 4th comment + link me to the post

make sure you leave a way for me to contact you on your entry/entries!

the giveaway will close on tuesday, february 12th, midnight, pacific time.

1 winner will be chosen via random.org

*giveaway valid for u.s. entries only, sorry!* 

cashew butter cups

i made these over christmas but thought i'd share them now as another dessert filled holiday will be shortly upon us (we should really space these out better).  

like all americans, i am a big fan of peanut butter, but i am also quite partial to the fancy cashew butter.  so when i added this recipe to my holiday baking list, i thought that cashew butter cups would be nice twist on a classic favorite.

just substitute cashew butter for the peanut butter in the recipe. i also suggest using dark chocolate to combat the sweetness.

any baking plans for valentine's?

free printable valentine's day card

i made you a card that you can print out and give to someone else.
it's simple and to the point.  i hope you like it.

click here to download the pdf file.  for personal use only, please and thank you.

i suggest printing on a sheet of 8.5"x11" heavy weight white cardstock.  cut the card in half (i drew a short gray line beneath the card indicating where to cut), and fold in half, using a scoring blade if you have one.   when completed, the card will be 5.5"x4.25".

enjoy!

baby a's nursery

surprise!  i'm going to be a mommy.

just kidding.

JUST KIDDING.... and i realize that wasn't funny at all.

the truth is my friend a- recently had a baby we'll call baby a-, and today i'm going to share with you her amazing nursery.

stitched felt heart valentine's cards (ways to rid yourself of 30 yards of felt #7)

a couple weeks into the new year, and as expected, valentine's day products are already littering the aisles in shops all over.  here is a simple but slightly whimsical flat card that can be easily whipped together. send one or send twenty!

to make these cards, cut a sheet of 8.5"x11" cardstock into four. i used my awesome brand spanking new paper cutter (a christmas gift, thank you, thank you, bff!).  

hand cut little hearts with your felt.  twelve little hearts, to be exact. three for each card.  i used red and pink from my stash.

thread your sewing machine with thread (a color that will pop off the page and go with your hearts-- i used pink), and stitch three hearts down the middle with the centers of the hearts about an inch into the card.  

you may find it helpful to use a ruler and lightly mark with a pencil the line down the paper where you intend to sew. cut the threads flush (or you could leave them hanging a little longer if you like) to the card, and you should find yourself with something like this:

how do you feel about valentine's day?  love it? hate it? look forward to it every year? wish it didn't exist? 

kill that virus with ginger tea

since people everywhere seem to be crazy sick this winter (hopefully you are not one of them), i thought i'd share my favorite home remedy brew that i make when i feel borderline sick, or during a full blown illness: ginger tea.   

this is a seriously intense brew, and is not for the weak... BUT really works...in my opinion.   it's also very easy to make, although you'll need a little bit of time.   

all you need is: water, chopped fresh ginger, and dark brown sugar (or some kind of sweetener)

my friend d- likes to use a tiny piece of ginger.  my great-aunt likes to use several large roots.  i tend to be somewhere in the middle and use one or two medium sized roots.  so really, there is a lot of flexibility in how you want to make this.    

i like to make a lot at once, about 4 quarts, and throw in my chopped ginger into the pot as the water boils.  i also add a couple tablespoons of dark brown sugar, and let it boil. once boiling, i lower the heat down, and let the tea simmer for at least two hours.   the longer you let it simmer, the more intense the ginger will be (and the more effective, if you ask me).   

you can do without the sugar if you think you can stand it, but i have yet to meet a person that can.  

i like to keep the extra tea in a thermos and have a cup or two a day while i'm sick.   i also like to freeze the leftover tea for emergencies.    

do you have any home remedies you like to make when you're ill?

ikea expedit wall shelf --> nightstand

my new life left me with zero pieces of furniture.  so as i searched for a place to live in san diego, i simultaneously started collecting ideas for my future home.

being divorced and unemployed pretty much limits my shopping range, meaning places like room&board and crate&barrel are pretty much out.  possibly forever.  luckily, i love ikea, which generally matches most of my design sensibilities without tearing too big of a hole in my pocket.  my room is mostly finished, and i am quite happy with it.  while i am not ready to showcase the full room yet, i will first show you my one "diy" piece: my nightstand.

i can be very particular.  i want things to be just so, especially when it comes to my furniture, something i see and use daily.   i bookmarked several nightstands and except for a west elm nightstand i didn't want to pay for, i had trouble finding something that would fit the bill.  but after looking through what seemed like every product on ikea.com, i settled on turning the expedit wall shelf into a nightstand by adding hairpin legs.

hairpin legs are my FAVORITE.

aren't they magnificent? !

i bought my 8" legs made to order from hairpinlegs.com and attached them to a white ikea expedit wall shelf and added a two-drawer insert.   if you want to make this nightstand, you'll also need a drill.

i also rust proofed the legs before screwing them on, since i bought the raw steel hairpin legs.  just in case.  i just did a few coats since my nightstand lives indoors (the can recommended something like 6 coats?).  the legs are also available in brushed stainless steel, but i prefer the raw look... which is also slightly cheaper.

i kind of really want a second nightstand, but i don't have anywhere to put it... nor do i really need it.  how unfortunate. 

oh, and before i forget, happy new year! !