S'Mores on a Stick

Yesterday I hosted a little play group at my house. My boys LOVE having friends over, so they were excited about all the action. Plus, one of their favorite cousins came over to play -- Jake! It was a good day.

For an easy and quick activity, we made S'Mores on a Stick (perhaps to the chagrin of the other moms.)

I just zipped over to the grocery store and grabbed skewers (which I cut in half), some chocolate chips, marshmallows, fruit loops, graham crackers and sprinkles. I crushed the fruit loops and crackers, and placed them on the table with the sprinkles. I melted the chocolate in the microwave, and we were ready to go! The kids simply put a mallow on a stick, dipped it in chocolate, then the topping(s) of their choice, then voila! Finished! My kids ate about 10. So did I. Ooops.

Play Time

While visiting Purl Bee today, I fell in love with this hand-quilted play mat.  I love the subtlety of the gray with the pop of color.  I'm really contemplating making one.  Why don't you make one with me?!  There is a great tutorial for the Cheerful Quilted Play mat here!  I love the hand-quilting around the flowers, but, most of all, I love the random stitching around the dots. 

Organize books

We love picture books at our house. We purchase them for our children on each birthday, holiday, etc. A few years ago, we reached the point where there were too many books and no organization. While shopping one day, I came across a clearance sweater organizer, and realized that it would be the perfect solution for our book problem. It has worked out really well.

It holds a LOT of books.
It's hidden away in the closet.
It doesn't take up much space.
Inexpensive!
Accessible for the kids!

Hopefully this idea can help you get more organized too!

Pretty things and a tutorial

Okay fellow bloggers. I have been working hard on a tutorial all week for you, but I am still not satisfied with the final product. I have literally forced myself to put it on the back burner for a little while. In the meantime I wanted to point you in the direction of an INCREDIBLY AWESOME tutorial. Shannon, over at Shannon Makes Stuff (did you know that Lynsee and I actually KNOW this amazing gal?) teaches us once and for all how to fix those annoying shirts that dip too low. I have so, so, so many tops that I am either forced to layer or constantly adjust. It's so frustrating. After a few simple steps, your shirt will be transformed into something that doesn't need to be fussed with. Thank you, Shannon!

Also, we wanted to give you a sneak peak at a new product line we will soon be launching in our shop. We are so excited to share it with you! Expect to see some fun new things in September.

Side note: I LOVE photographs edited using the lomo effect. Since I just got Photoshop Elements (YES!), I played around with this effect this afternoon. The before picture is below!

Silky Smooth

As a hairstylist, this is, by a long shot, my favorite tool...my best friend!  The ghd flat iron is absolutely amazing!  My sister-in-law, who has naturally curly hair, recently visited and tried out my ghd.  To say she was impressed would be an understatement.  To be honest, it is a bit pricey, but well worth the money.  This is a tool that gets used almost everyday and will last years.  It really makes my life easier.  That sounds ridiculous, but true.  This will flatten curly, frizzy hair to a silky smooth masterpiece.

I am not new to flat irons.  I have used the, so-called, "great" flat irons and this one is, by far, the best.  Not only does it perform great, but it comes with a zip up, heat resistant bag.  It's a pain in the neck taking your flat iron on the road and having to wait for it to cool in order to pack it up.  With this bag...no need to wait.  Just zip it up and pack it away.  So clever!  The ghd also comes with a hard case for even more protection.  Go to their website and check them out.   What are some of your favorite hair products or tools?

The PEN Story

Love everything about this video -- the music, the concept, etc.

I spent the night and morning working on a project I was hoping to share with you. I have encountered some pitfalls. I am taking a break from it but hope to finish it soon! (Hint: it involves lots of chiffon!)

German Chocolate Cheesecake

I discovered this recipe when my husband could not make a decision on what cake he wanted for his birthday.  He couldn't decide between German Chocolate Cake or cheesecake.  Really, who could?  That is why I went to my trusted search engine to see if the two coexisted somewhere.  And...they sure did!  This has now become a family favorite.  What's even better...this cake tastes better leftover.  My personal opinion, the longer this treat sits in the refrigerator, the better.  The recipe says to refrigerate before serving because that is how I like it.  You don't HAVE to refrigerate before serving, but I HIGHLY recommend it!  You must, must try this recipe and let me know how you like it!  Enjoy!

German Chocolate Cheesecake

Ingredients:

1 package (18-1/4 ounces) German Chocolate cake mix

2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened

1-1/2 cups sugar

4 eggs, lightly beaten

1 tsp vanilla

FROSTING:

1 cup sugar

1 cup evaporated milk

1/2 cup butter, cubed

3 egg yolks, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2-1/2 cups flaked coconut

1-1/2 cup chopped pecans

DIRECTIONS:

Prepare cake batter according to package directions; set aside. In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla; beat on low speed just until combined. Pour half of the cake batter into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Gently pour cream cheese mixture over batter. Gently spoon remaining batter over top; spread to edge of pan. Bake at 325° for 70-75 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. For frosting, in a heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, milk, butter and egg yolks Cook and stir over medium-low heat until thickened (about 10 min) This should be thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon. Remove from the heat. Stir in vanilla; fold in coconut and pecans. Cool until frosting reaches spreading consistency. Frost cooled cake. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. Yield: 16 servings.