New Favorite Gift Filling!

Ahhh, I can't wait to share the coolest thing since sliced bread! Well, not english muffins, but the regular sliced loaf. 

Beautiful, fun, and easy gift filling that really makes a statement!

So.. My name is Ally and I'm addicted to Pinterest. There, I said it. So good to be honest. Anyway, I found this post on Oh Happy Day (via the beauty that is Pinterest) where the blogger makes DIY Zig Zag Party Streamers. FUN!

I am always looking for new a fun ways to jazz up gifts that I send friends - so I tried my hand at zig zagging some tissue paper today. 

I took some orange and pink tissue paper (if happiness were two sheets of tissue paper, it'd be orange and pink - fact). I used 1.5 sheets of each to fill up the shoe box.

I cut strips about 4 or 5 inches wide. 

I then cut across the tissue paper (not all the way through) making a cut every 2 or 3 inches. 

Then I turned over the tissue paper and cut in between your previous cuts (again, not all the way through). 

I chose to stack tissue papers and do 3 or 4 strips at a time. You also don't need to be super precise as it's tissue paper. Bonus - less messy than the shredded filling as these stay in one piece.

TADA - beautiful streamers! 

I then placed them inside my gift box. 

What a fun surprise when my friend opens the box! Who wouldn't want to get a gift with this presentation!?

DIY Monogram Letters

We are, as human beings, incredibly narcissistic. We love most everything to do with ourselves. Including our names, our initials, monogrammed bags, jewelry, mugs, you name it (ba dum cha!!). 


As English speakers, we're very lucky that there are only 26 letters in the alphabet - it makes personalized stationary, anything with initials (oh, I'm wearing an "L" necklace right now), and gift giving a lot easier.

While trying to find a (fun, young and thoughtful) gift to send a friend, I ran across these cardboard letters! Now, tell me, who doesn't love their initials?!

At less than $4 each, I grabbed one for my friend's first initial and one for her last initial and one sheet of pretty craft paper.. I already had Mod Podge and a brush. 

Total cost coming in under $10.

Easy + inexpensive + thoughtful + I get to play with glue* = perfect present!

*I started the first part of this project in bed, while my boyfriend worked. He gave me a look which said "don't get glue on the bedspread" and I responded with a look that said "Gawd, so insulting! I can't believe you don't trust my crafting skillz!" Sure enough - I spilled mod podge on his bedspread. I don't think I'm allowed to craft in bed anymore. :-/

To start, I traced my letters on the back of the pretty craft paper (making sure to trace one for the front of the letter and one for the back of the letter).

After cutting out my letters, I used the other side of my craft paper (which is usually a complementary color, mine was shiny gold) to decorate the sides of the letters (you can use the front pattern or no pattern or a totally different pattern - it's your thing, you do what you like!). I Mod Podged the sides first, then the back (as a tester in case anything went wrong) - after the sides and back dried, I did the front. 

The whole process is incredibly simple:

1. Apply a layer of Mod Podge

2. Apply the paper cut out, pressing it firmly and securely 

3. Apply another layer of Mod Podge

4. Sit back and watch two episodes of The Office as your letters dry

TADA! BEAUTIFUL!

Haha, from the pictures, you didn't think they'd turn out this great, did you? :)

Paper Source has these cardboard letters here, Hobby Lobby has them here, Michaels apparently has them and I know I have seen cute scripted letters (which I want to find and make!)

They're all wrapped up and ready to send - I hope MN loves them!

*Beautiful gift filling, huh? Hop on over to the blog post here.

Some variations:


- I saw a blog today where the crafter applied glue adhesive along the rim of the letters so that the paper firmly stuck along the rims (and still used Mod Podge under the paper, inside of the glue outlines) . SMART - the edges were an issue I had! So I will try that next time. 


- You can also opt out of using Mod Podge on the outside of the letters but I wanted to give mine a shiny finish. I am going to do other letters soon for another friend - I am wanting to use a matte paper so I will leave the outside Mod Podge-free.

Peekaboo by train

I adore this series of photos. Just am absolutely biased - I love these. :) I hope you enjoy too!

Can cats be studly?

Yes, yes, they can. 

Since I have been moving so much, my cat of almost 10 years has been staying with my mom - can't wait to get him back! :) I snapped a few photos of him (and all his studliness) when I was home. :)

A long trip home..

I know, I know - it happened. I warned you, I lose interest in things quickly and swiftly. :(

Well, I am back! Partly inspired by a friend's blog that is going STRONG: The Busy Bee Writes - and partly inspired by some fun photos I've been taking lately.. 

I just spent 2.5 weeks in Missouri visiting friends and my mom in St Louis, Columbia, the Lake of the Ozarks and Kansas City. Having just moved back, I have missed certain things about the midwest - super kind people, barns, good food, and the natural beauty that surrounds us always in the midwest. :) Most people may beg to disagree, but I think it's important to stop, look around and really take in the beauty that surrounds us.

Here are some photos of my recent long trip home...

You will thank me later: Chocolate Kiss Cookies

Heeellllllo? Hellllllooooooo? Is anyone out there?

For a girl who picks up and drops things as quickly as hot potatoes, I gotta say I'm proud that I am continuing to update - even if I'm not sure anyone is reading. So shoot me a comment if you are!

Although, according to my Blogger data, someone was referred to this blog because they searched "depressing valentine's day cards" on Google.. I hope you found what you were looking for!

I am still working on my valentine's day packages and had really high hopes of making all sorts of different cookies to send to friends - I even purchased enough baking ingredients to make three different types of cookies. Then, I made these and it was all over. Done. I don't think I will ever make anything else again. And we are eating most of them so very few friends are getting them this go-around. :-/ I am all about life being easy and these could not get easier! And if you love peanut butter and chocolate, especially together, you'll be in heaven. Thank me later. :)

One batch makes about 24, so I made one batch and then immediately made a second batch. Here is the recipe for one batch, but feel free to double or triple accordingly

You will need: 1 cup smooth peanut butter (1/2 of a jar), 1 cup sugar, 1 egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 24 Hershey kisses

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the sugar and peanut butter until creamy and fluffy ("It's so fluffy, I could die!!" from Despicable Me always comes to mind).

Add egg and vanilla, and mix until you get a soft dough.

Roll 1 and 1/4 inch balls and place 2 inches apart on greased cookie sheet.

Bake for 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees. Unwrap the 24 (or so) Hershey kisses that you will be using.

When you take them out of the oven, immediately press a Hershey kiss into the center, leave to cool for 5 minutes before moving to a cooling rack.

Oh my gosh, so ridiculously yummy, and they are best the night that you make them as the chocolate is incredibly soft. Enjoy.

Easy Recipe Alert: Spinach and Artichoke Dip

This cooking novice is all about starting off easy - so for the Superbowl, I decided to whip up some homemade versions of my favorite dishes. I love knowing where the food I'm eating is coming home - albeit, I prefer to buy organic although we don't always and who the hell knows where mayo comes from?

I am obsessed with appetizers, if I could only eat cheese and crackers, chips and dip and mini quiche for every meal, I would be set. So our Superbowl dishes consisted of rotel and chips (good Midwesterners are all too familiar - my east coast friends had never heard of rotel!), crescent wrapped mini hot dogs and spinach and artichoke dip. Here's my super duper easy recipe for Spinach and Artichoke Dip:

You will need: 2 cups Parmesan cheese (we only had 1.5 cups on hand, and it worked great), 1 box (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach (thawed), 1 can (14 oz) artichoke hearts (drained and chopped), 2/3 cup sour cream, 1 cup cream cheese (8 oz = regular Philly Cream Cheese box), 1/3 cup mayo, 2 teaspoons minced garlic and some sort of dipping cracker/bread/pita (we made our own from french bread, butter, and salt).

Bread Directions: 

Using about 1/3 of a large french loaf, we cut thin slices, placed them on a cookie sheet, drizzled a bit of butter and salt on the top. Pop them in the oven on Broil for 1-2 min, turn over and repeat on the other side. Perfectly toasted bread - and we know where it came from (healthy + yummy)!

Dip Directions: 

(Could not be easier!) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Mix together the Parmesan cheese, spinach and artichoke hearts.

All I think of is "BLOB" - I love how ugly this looks pre-mix. :) 

Combine remaining ingredients (sour cream, cream cheese, mayo and garlic).

Mix remaining ingredients in with spinach mixture.

Bake 20-30 minutes. Voila! And SO YUMMY!

Artifacts and Taxes

Good evening! This post will be a lot shorter than the last.. mostly because it's tax night tonight (woo?) and pictures are better than words.

Yesterday we spent the afternoon at Architectural Artifacts Inc in the Ravenswood neighborhood of Chicago. My boyfriend was once an architecture major in college and I love taking pictures of weird and interesting things - oh and it's free to enter and browse around - so this place fit us well! We did a quick browse, and I was having some focusing issues (camera, not attention), but I'm sure we'll head back there soon!

I hope you enjoy a few quick snapshots. :)

Which way?