I'm over my Saturday Blogger Love. I still enjoy reading other blogs a ton, but I feel like my Fun Friday Fascinations is a great place for me to link up some awesome finds in the blogosphere. There are only so many days I need to repost or copy other content I'm seeing around the net. In an effort to keep saturday's simple, but totally me, I came up with a new series.
This Is Me will be all about things I love, and what makes me me. I have a ton of ideas for this new series, and I can't wait to share them with you. Each saturday I will share five fun random tidbits about me. I hope you enjoy! :)
#1. I have blue eyes. I get the most complements for how pretty people think they are. For me, they are just my eyes, and most everyone in my family has the same eyes. I didn't realize blue eyes were so uncommon until we talked about genetics in science class.
#2. Bugs love to eat me. Delaware has lots of marsh land, which means lots of standing water, which means lots of mosquitoes. I spend most of the summer with at least thirty bites in random spots. No exaggeration there, thirty is being conservative. They really like my knees and ankles.
#3. I have two tattoos. The first one I got on my right shoulder blade. It's a butterfly coming out of a cocoon backwards, hanging from a 'C' or crescent moon. I came up with the idea when I was seventeen. My mom drew it for me, and went with me for my eighteenth birthday to get it done. It might be a silly butterfly tattoo, but I'll always love it because it has a personal meaning for me, as corny as it may sound.
#4. My other tattoo is on my left wrist, and is of the golden spiral. The golden spiral or the golden ratio is the most common number found in nature. It's related to the Fibonacci numbers, or da Vinci's Vitruvian Man. I'm not a math whizz, but I love the beauty in this. For me this symbolizes noticing the little details, and loving everyday for the simple wonders in life. This spiral is the same spiral seen in the way rose's grow their petals, or a conch shell is shaped. Isn't it lovely that two things so unrelated have the same pattern intrinsically apart of their physicality?
#5. My socks never match. I don't remember when I started doing this, but I think it had to do with not knowing what to do with socks that didn't have a mate. Plus it saves time on folding laundry, I can dump all my socks into their drawer. No matching up each individual socks, and balling them together.
I hope you enjoyed this new series. Have a lovely day, and happy DIYing, chris!
Happy Friday, I hope everyone is having a lovely day! Here are my fun fantastic finds for this week.
I'm absolutely in love with Kaylah's new hair! The colors are amazing. Wish I could dye my hair fun funky colors, but my job is not okay with awesome hair. She's amazing too, if you haven't checked out The Dainty Squid before, it's definitely worth peaking around.
This coral maxi dress found on Sosie is perfect for summer. I spotted Emma wearing it over on A Beautiful Mess for this week's sister style. Those two girls (Elsie & Emma) are super talented. It's awesome to watch their careers blossom.
This is a beautiful dress over on ModCloth's Be the Buyer. I really hope it gets picked. Ya know I'm usually a bright colors person, but the detailing and subtle pattern are lovely on this dress. I love how it's reminiscent of the 20's flapper style.
This pair of shoes are handmade in Africa by eight lovely gentlemen. They make twenty pairs a day. They come in a variety of style and colors, and are unisex. I love the neon toes on this pair. I could see Aaron or I rocking these out. :) To find out more about the shoes, you can find them online at Schier Shoes.
I love all things having to do with owls, and this birthday card is awesome. Plus, I'm a big fan of stationary, especially if it's handmade. Found on Etsy at Drawn By Lucy Smith.
Love this super simple DIY I found on David Leon Morgan's blog. Plus David looks like a super awesome dude! Check out his 'About Me', it's eloquently written, and I definitely hit his follow me button immediately.
Mmmm, this french onion soup looks amazing. I love cooking, and I love soups, and I love cooking soups. French Onion Soup is one of my favorites, but I've never attempted making it. I want to try The Curvy Carrot's recipe soon. Yummy! Haha, I guess this isn't really a spring/summer food, though, huh? Oh well!
Hope your week has been awesome thus far. Here is the last leg of my Vermont photos. My other Vermont photos included photos of Bennington College's graduation with Peter Dinklage, and a set of outfit photos, some of which were taken at the location of today's photos.
This is the Historic Park McCullough House in North Bennington, Vermont. It's a lovely estate that used to be open for tours, but since tourism has been down with the economy they weren't able to keep the place staffed for tours. The property and gardens are still maintained and open for the public.
They recently started renting out the carriage house for weddings and other types of special events.
This is a tiny play house that was constructed for one of the children. Isn't it cute?
We strolled around the gardens, and talked to an awesome gardener.
I wish Bennington's winters weren't so brutal, and long we'd move there permanently. It's one of those places, where I walk around town, and even though all the locals know I'm not from there, I feel accepted and welcome. I'm pretty socially awkward, and avoid talking to strangers, but it's so easy to talk to people in Bennington. We talked to more strangers walking around town in one afternoon, than we do in a month in Delaware. Just a different type of people, and way of life I suppose. Aaron and I are visiting some friends in upstate New York in a few weeks, and we are thinking we might stop off in Bennington again.
Have a lovely end of your work week, and happy DIYing, chris.
More photos from Bennington, Vermont. This is the outfit I wore on Friday for the graduation ceremony. Well, really just Peter Dinklage's speech.
This is a new dress I got at Target recently. I was having a rough few days, and I decided to do some retail therapy. This dress did just the trick.
I didn't think I liked this photo at first, but I like this in-between moment Aaron caught.
I love the angle of this photo. I think I look thinner and taller. I'm making a funny face, but everything else is so lovely I couldn't leave this one out. Aaron took this photo standing at his normal height. He must tower over me all the time. I always seem to forget he's a foot taller than me, and things must look different from up there. Hehe.
Uh-oh, my hair kind of looks grey on top. Maybe it's just the way the light is hitting my head ... I don't dye my hair, so it's not like my roots are growing out, and showing under hair dye. I always forget to take photos of the back of my outfits. I thought this back was worth remembering. :)
For this photo Aaron stood like a sumo wrestler, with his knees fully bent, and his feet spread wide apart. It was easy to smile.
I love the colors and pattern of this dress. This is my first maxi dress, and this one makes me feel so pretty. I want to go buy more. The material is luxurious, and makes me want to lounge around all day. I guess I was hesitant to jump on this trend, because I was worried a long flowy skirt could label me a hippie, which for some reason is a label I've always resisted. I guess I've always been adverse to labels though. Anyway, back to the dress, the colors and pattern on this dress are anything but hippie, perfect for outdoor events in the spring/summer. :)
Dress -- Target
Cardigan -- H&M
Sandals-- DSW by Mix No. 6
Sunglasses -- Target or H&M
Hope ya'll are having a great week so far, and happy DIYing, chris.
I finally went through my pics from Vermont, and I'm going to break them up into three parts. Most of today's photos are from my campus, Bennington College. We went on this trip for a little celebrity stalking, and a break from our daily lives. Who doesn't enjoy that? :)
This is the only photo from the hotel, and I had to share it. Let me start of by saying we did not stay at Best Western. I thought this tray was brilliant, Aaron and I couldn't decided, do you think they stole the trays? Or do you think they bought them at a garage sale or thrift store? The coffee mugs are amazing. I really wished the comforter had matched. I didn't take a photo of this, but they had two pieces of 'art' hanging on separate walls, and they were the same exact watercolor flowers! What an awesome design idea! Hehe. 'I like this art so much, I'm going to buy two, and hanging them both in the same room.' Awesome. I'd totally stay at this hotel again. No seriously, no sarcasm there, I like their quirkiness!
Bennington has changed a ton since I last lived on this slice of heaven, but this is a view that has not. I used to spend a lot of time on this lawn, or inside on cold snowy/rainy days looking out at it. We call it The End Of The World. It's the perfect place to sit, and think about life, and everything, and nothing, all at the same time.
Another view that hasn't changed. This is my home. I dream of birch trees and tall grasses. I rarely went down this path, but I crossed over it often. It leads to the music buildings, and though I enjoy music, I have no talents for that art. I would crossover this path, because obviously it's a lovely place to be, but I also lived to the left for my last two years at Bennington, and the places I spent most of my time were to the right.
My last semester, I lived in this building, my window was the one on top. What a lovely place to hide away in. Which is exactly what I wanted to do my last term. I wanted to get my work done, and get out of there. I love Bennington, and it was an amazing place to spend four years. I know now, no where will ever compare. While I was there daily life was a struggle, and there aren't words to describe the emotional roller coaster I road during my time there.
Ah, but his smile makes this place even better. I wish we had more time here. More than a weekend, or a week to retreat to Bennington. In this perfect spring evening, it was easy to imagine we'd enjoy a lifetime here. It's easy to forget the winters.
I was sitting on the bench next to Aaron, laying backwards to take this photo. I love how lush and green everything is. Ignore the electrical/telephone lines. Isn't it lovely?
I'm getting really good at finding mushrooms. This one was hidden in the tall grass around the bench we were sitting on. Aaron decided this means I need to start growing mushrooms. I can't wait to buy the goods. He wants me to buy this DVD first. The first four parts are free on his website, if you're interested.
This is the view from the bench, looking out on Bennington's little campus pond. The building in distance is the back side of VAPA, the visual and preforming arts building. I spent a TON of time there. Most of my classes and homework happened in that building.
This is the main event we came for. Graduation, but we didn't know anyone graduating. We just wanted to see Peter Dinklage give the commencement speech, and we are thrilled we made the trip. The student nominated class speaker was great. I didn't expect to enjoy anything but Mr. Dinklage. However, the student speaker made a romantically articulate speech about the journey one makes at Bennington, with thought provoking Proust quotes. Perfect for a Bennington graduation.
Now I can't delay sharing my awesome photos of Peter Dinklage any longer. Okay, they aren't the greatest, I was very far away. I ran up to a much closer spot, but I was still a good twenty feet away, in a dark tent, and just a bit nervous. I wanted to wait to get a photo of him looking in my direction, but I when got to the tenth photo, I decided it was time to go back to my far far away spot, and enjoy the speech. That is what we came for, after all.
gosh, he's handsome. :)
I enjoyed how he described himself during his time at Bennington in the late 80's early 90's, "I wore a woman's black velvety cape, black tights, black combat boots, and a scowl." I think that's what he said, and something to the effect that he fit right in, and felt at home. The costume changed by my time at the college, but the same feeling of belonging in all my awkwardness resounded.
He talked about how he struggled to make it after he graduated. He worked at the same dead end office job for 6 years, and squatted in an industrial loft, with one window, he couldn't see out of for ten years. He reflected on how amazing the people at Bennington are, and drove home how unlikely it is to find such bright shiny people anywhere else on Earth. Peter told a story of how someone once said to him, "For Bennington being such a small college, there sure seems to be an awful lot of you around". That's a true testament to how prolific, and outstanding Bennington students are.
My favorite part of his speech, was when he told us about a recent walk he took in Manhattan. I'm paraphrasing but it was something to the effect of ... "A flock of excited girls cornered me, but they hadn't a clue what to say, and then it came out that they were studying theater at NYU. I asked them what plays they were doing this year, and they told me they weren't allowed to act during their first year. I think I told them to hang in there. At Bennington if a first year student wanted to write, produce, and act in a play, the lights would already be hung". Later while writing the commencement speech he realized he should have told them to go out there and get a role, and not to wait for someone to tell them it was okay. That was the biggest bit of advice he had to impart. Don't keep dreaming about tomorrow, and waiting for a sign to go for your goals. If you're waiting for permission to proceed with your life, you'll be waiting a long time. If we want something to happen in our lives, we need to take it into our own hands, and make it happen. We are in control of our own destiny, and the only thing stopping us from getting what we want is ourselves.
I'll leave you with that to think about, cause it certainly has me thinking. Happy DIYing, chris.
P.S. Here is a video I just found of his speech, credit due to Bennington College. It's a great speech worth watching.
Hey all! Today's my first non-auto post in almost a week. I thought about writing this up on Saturday when we got home, or even during the five and a half hour drive home from Vermont, but that didn't happen. I wanted to take a break for a couple days, since I had gotten ahead. Yesterday I was busy most of the day at my niece's baptism, so I didn't get a chance then either. It's nice to get ahead with the blog. Needing to make a DIY, photograph it, and write a well written, sincere post all in a day can be stressful. I'll definitely need to get ahead for this fall. In the fall I can easily work 45 - 50 hours a week as a school photographer.
Anyway! Happy Nom Nom Monday! For today's recipe I have the cookies I made for my niece's baptism. I made Reese's Nutella Cookies, and they were a giant hit. Everyone was telling me how delicious they were. I sourced the recipe from Domesticated Engineer, but she forgot a step, so I had to also check out her original source on My Kitchen Addiction. To simplify things, if you want to give this tasty recipe a try, I'm going to share my steps here.
What You'll Need:
- 2 1/2 C All Purpose Flour
- 1 Tsp Baking Soda
- 1/2 Tsp Sea Salt
- 2 C Mini Peanut Butter Cups (cooking size)
- 1 C Reese's Pieces
- 2 C Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips
- 1 C Unsalted Butter
- 1 C White Granulated Sugar
- 1 C Light Brown Sugar (lightly packed)
- 2/3 C Nutella
- 2 Eggs
- 2 Tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
Directions:
I began by preheating the oven to 350ºF. In a large bowl I whisked together 2 1/2 cups of all purpose flour, one teaspoon of baking soda, and half a tea spoon of sea salt.
In a separate bowl I mixed together two cups of mini peanut butter cups, one cup of Reese's Pieces, and two cups of semi sweet chocolate chips. I seem to have the best luck finding mini peanut butter cups at Trader Joe's, and it's definitely best to use the tiny sized cups for cooking, instead of chopping up the larger miniature peanut butter cups Reese's makes.
Then, I used my Kitchen Aid to cream a cup of butter, and slowly added a cup of white sugar, and a cup of lightly packed light brown sugar. My sources called for dark brown, but I only had light brown, so I went with it. The internet says the difference between light and dark brown sugar is the amount of molasses, which makes sense. So, dark brown sugar will have a stronger and sweeter flavor, and that is the major difference between the two sugars. It shouldn't affect the consistency or outcome of the cookies, other than the flavor. The light brown sugar will result in a lighter flavor, than if I had used dark brown sugar. Once the butter and sugars were completely mixed, I added in two thirds of a cup of Nutella.
Once that was throughly combined, I added in two eggs, one at a time. Then, I added in two teaspoons of vanilla. I continued mixing until everything was throughly combined. Then, I slowly added in the flour mixture.
When everything was completely mixed together, I called the mister in to do the heavy lifting. :) He used a wooden spoon to mix in the chocolate candies by hand. This was a super thick mixture, he was even tired by the time he finished. I'm pretty sure he needed to drink a glass of milk to replenish his strength.
I also make him spoon out the cook dough on the cookie sheets, because when directions tell me 'a heaping tablespoon' I end up with a cookie lake on my cookie sheet once removed from the oven. And by 'make him' I mean, I butter him up with heaping tablespoons of velvety compliments, waxing about his incredibly perfect cooking-making-abilities.
See don't they look all nice pre-oven time? Aaron's a fantastic helper! What a lucky girl I am. :) Aaron and I were super concerned there was way too much candy in the mixture, and that they wouldn't turn out at all. The candy to dough ratio made us think there was no way these guys would hold together in the oven. We thought for sure they'd come out as little chocolate puddles.
This is how they looked after thirteen minutes in the oven. The dough actually held everything together! After I let them cool for a couple minutes, they popped right off the cookie sheet. Then I moved them to a cookie rack for an additional five or so minutes to continue cooling. This mixture made 72 decent sized cookies. They were by no means 'small' cookies.
Great cookie recipe! How could you go wrong with Nutella, Reese's Pieces, peanut butter cups, and chocolate chips? Chocolate and peanut butter heaven! I made these on Wednesday before we went up to Vermont. My mom delivered them to my brother's house on Saturday, and my brother said they almost didn't make it to Sunday for their party. I think that's a true testament to how taste they are. Yummy!
Don't they look fantastic all piled up together? Hmmm, when will I be able to make these again??? These could become my go to cookie. Hope ya'll are having a fantastic Monday! Happy DIYing, chris!
