Pumpkin Body Scrub

One of my complaints about the dropping temperature is that it makes my skin very dry.  It seems like no matter how much I try to moisturize, my skin is always rough and tight.  One of the things I use to remedy my dry skin is a body scrub.  It not only hydrates your skin, but also exfoliates.  I love going to mom and pop shops to get my body scrub, but a couple years back, I learned how easy it was to make my own at home.  I was amazed at how well it works and how long it lasts. 

Since it is fall and all, I thought I would share a recipe for pumpkin body scrub.  The ingerdients you will need are:

1 cup sugar in the raw
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp of vanilla extract
About 5-8 dashes of pumpkin pie spice
3-4 dashes of cinnamon
3/4 cup melted coconut oil or almond oil

All you need to do is mix the ingredients together in a small bowl and store in an air-tight container.  Mason jars are perfect!  This recipe made about 13 oz and I put in a 16 oz jar.  I have kept some in a mason jar for about 2 years now, and it is still holding up.

I like to use mine in the shower.  Just rub onto your skin and rinse off.  Your skin will feel heavenly... I promise! The fall scent is pretty awesome too ;-) 

Oh and how can I forget... Happy Halloween!!

Last Minute Halloween Costume Ideas

If you are like me, you are constantly waiting until the last minute for Halloween.  I never know what I want to be.  I hate buying a costume because I refuse to be a "sexy cop" or "hot wonder woman".  I love putting together something creative and different, but I never know what that is!  So this weekend I was running around, as usual, to put together a costume.  I had three ideas in mind, which I thought I would share below.  I chose one of these options - stay tuned to find out which one!  I will post a picture of my outfit next week (assuming all goes well).

Sandra Dee from Grease

Top - Charlotte Russe // Pants - H&M // Moto Jacket - H&M // Belt - H&M // Shoes - Forever21

Carrie Bradshaw from Sex and the City

Top - H&M // Tulle Tutu - Chicwish // Bow Belt (make your own!) // Shoes - 6PM.com

Daisy from The Great Gatsby

Dress - ASOS  // Headwrap - Forever 21 // Shoes - Forever 21 // Necklace - Forever 21 // Clutch - Akira

Fall Accessories Edit

One of the best parts of the cooler weather is layering on the accessories and wearing warm, dark colors.  I normally don't wear a lot of color, so fall is my time to shine with bold, warm colors.  I love a burgandy lip and some statement earrings to finish off any look.  Here are my picks for this season's accessory must-haves:

1. Floppy felt hat- I love this one from Top Shop.  The color just makes it even more amazing.

2. Over-the-knee boots- These Charles by Charles David boots will be a great pair of go-to boots.

3.  Blanket plaid scarf- Everyone needs a blanket scarf to keep warm this fall, and at $49.90, you can't beat Express' price point.

4.  The Bucket Bag- This bag is so practical, and Forever21 pulls it off beautifully.

5. Art-deco statement earrings- Add a bit of glam to your look with these Baublebar earrings.

6. Burgundy lip- Top it all off with a bold lip.  Mac's Heroine lipstick is a perfect color to add to your fall palette.

Stripes and Flannel

I have to admit, I have always been a little intimidated of mixing prints.  I have seen it look phenomenally gorgeous, but I have also seen it go horribly wrong.  I love when it turns out fabulously, so I figured I would give it a try.  I think the key is to picking patterns that aren't overly bold, and the color palette needs to be just right.

In honor of the cooler temps, I decided to go with a flannel shirt over top stripes.  I paired it with a layering necklace, boyfriend jeans and booties.  Of course, I had to top the look off with my signature top knot.

Flannel Top- Target //  Striped top - Target // Boyfriend Jeans - American Eagle // Booties -  White Mountain Snack Via DSW //  Necklace - Similar

Black & White

I have always lived in black and white.  If you take a peak in my closet, you will see that three quarters of it is lined with hues of black, white and gray.  I know it's boring, but I cant's help but be drawn to the chic look of black and white.  I try to dress up my neutrals with pops of color, but sometimes you just need to go with classic black and white.

I have been dying to find a draped lined leather jacket for some time now.  I almost bought this one from Zara, but at almost $300, I had to be good and say no.  Finally, after a long day of shopping last weekend I came across this one from Dynamite.  Not only was it exactly what I was looking for, it was on sale for $40!  How can you beat this price point?!  I have only warn it a couple times so far, but it seems to be made of quality materials and it is very thick and warm.  Highly recommend for fall!

Jacket - Dynamite // Tee- Old Navy //  Necklace - Similar // Jeans - Express //  

Shoes - Kenneth Cole Via Nordstrom //  Crossbody - Similar

Tour Of Blogland

Starting this blogging journey has been so rewarding for me.  I still consider myself new to blogging, so when Kat of Lemonade Linings asked me to be a part of Tour of Blogland, I was thrilled!  I saw it as a great opportunity to meet new "blogging friends" as well as share some of the amazing bloggers I have met so far.  

Meet:

For anyone who is not familiar with Tour of Blogland, I answer a few questions about my blogging process, and then I nominate three others to do the same!  Below are my answers to the questions with a short bio of the three bloggers I nominated to follow after me, so be sure to follow Hannah, Nicole, and Carli to see how their blogging process works as well!

1. What am I working on? I am working on really developing the voice  and branding of my blog.  I am working on a little inspiration board that will help my posts keep true to what truly inspires me.  It will be a source to go to when I am stuck on coming up with content and creative for my posts.  I will definitely share once complete!  I have also been working on my photography and Photoshop skills, so if anyone has any tips, please feel free to comment or message them to me!  Also, I am trying to find a great, affordable, first-timer camera.  If anyone has any camera suggestions... please let me know!

2. How does my work differ from others in its genre?  That is a really great question!  I think mine is very similar to others, but at the same time, the voice is uniquely branded to me!  My blog is about the things I am really passionate about and the things I personally want to share with my readers. I incorporate my own style into my fashion posts and my personal taste in flavors to my recipe posts.

3. Why do I write/create what I do?  I started blogging because I always looked up to other lifestyle and fashion bloggers, and I wanted to be that source of inspiration for others - whether it is inspiration through my outfits, or a simple recipe to make for their next party. 

4. How does my writing/creative process work?  I have been keeping an ongoing list of things I would like to write about.  I have been trying to at least write two posts a week.  I know it doesn't seem like much, but I am a firm believer in quality over quantity.  I try to get ahead of my posts, starting a couple days out, but it seems like often times I am up till midnight the night before I want the post to go out!  A lot of times I scour through Pinterest, the Zoe Report or Refinery 29 to get some inspiration for upcoming posts.  What did we ever do before Pinterest?

Now I would like to introduce you to Nicole from Class to Closet, Hannah from Sweeter than Serenity, and Carli of Puppies and Polka Dots!

Pumpkin Soft Pretzels

Sorry if everyone is getting sick of all the fall-inspired posts, but I just can't help myself!  Fall is the best season for food, clothes and weather; hands down!  If you are as obsessed with pumpkin as I am, you are going to love this recipe.  It's basically a pumpkin flavored soft pretzel with a cream cheese-bourbon icing.  What is there not to like?

I have to admit, I have never actually made a pretzel, or even used yeast in a recipe before.  I was quite intimidated.  However, this ended up being so easy!  This will make a perfect game-day snack.

Ingredients:

Pretzels
1/2 cup  + 1 tbsp warm water
1 packet of dried yeast
1/4 cup light brown sugar
3 1/4 cup of all purpose flour
1 pinch of salt
1 1/2 tsp of pumpkin pie spice
2 tbsp of corn oil
1 cup of pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix)
1 egg

To dip the pretzels
1 cup hot water
2 tsp baking soda

Topping
1 stick of butter
2 tbsp of pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp of salt

Icing
1 airplane bottle of bourbon
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup soft cream cheese

For the pretzels 
Combine warm water, yeast and 1 tbsp of brown sugar and set aside.  Mix the flour, salt, pumpkin pie spice and the remainder of your brown sugar in a large bowl.  Add your yeast mixture, oil, pumpkin puree, and egg in a bowl.  Mix until your mixture becomes a doughy ball. Sprinkle some flour onto a flat, dry surface.  Knead your dough for about 10 minutes on your floured surface, add more flour as needed. Place in a large, lightly oiled bowl and cover with a towel.  Let the dough rise for about an hour, or until it has doubled in size.

Once the dough has risen, cut into 10 equal parts. Roll each part out until it is about 20" long and form into a pretzel.  Here is a great Youtube video that shows you how to do it.

 

Combine your hot water and baking soda into a large bowl.  Dip your pretzels in the mixture and let sit until your oven is preheated to 435 degrees.  The baking soda mixture helps to stop the active yeast.  It will allow your pretzel to have a crispier outside and a soft inside.

Place your pretzels in the oven for about 10-15 minutes, or until a nice golden brown.

Topping
As the pretzels bake, brown your stick of butter.  To do this, heat your pan on medium to medium-high.  Allow your butter to melt until it turns brown and you smell that nice, sweet, nutty flavor.  Next combine your sugar, salt and pumpkin pie spice in a small bowl.  Once your pretzels are done, bush on your browned butter and sprinkle your sugar mixture on top.

Icing
In a saute pan, burn off your bourbon.  Warning - it may cause a flame because you are burning off your alcohol.  It should die down after about 10 seconds.  Then add in your sugar and cream cheese.  You may need to add in more sugar or water to get your desired texture.  Set aside and let cool for a few minutes.  Apply icing however you desire.  Be sure not to cool too much or the icing will harden.

Fall 2014 Checklist

Here's a little fall inspiration for ya!

Now that it is finally starting to feel like fall, I am finally getting around to starting all the things I want to do this season.  To hold myself accountable for this list, I figured I would share some of the things I want to do.  Since I am writing it, and you all see it, I have no excuses! So far I have one thing check off my list... you can see the result of my burlap wreath on my Instagram page.

What's on your fall checklist? 

Almond Cupcakes with Cherry Buttercream

Okay, so I know I promised I had some more fall flavored cupcakes, but this recipe is a special recipe.  I promise I still have some fall cupcakes on my to-do list, and trust me, they will be worth the wait!

Anyways, these cupcakes are for my Mom's birthday.  Like me, my Mom has a huge sweet tooth.  She prides herself in the ability to eat a quart of ice cream in two days (impressive, I know).  Her absolute favorite ice cream is the vanilla flavored ice cream with large chunks of maraschino cherries.  These cupcakes are inspired by her favorite flavor.

Now - let's cut to the chase.  The ingredients are

Cupcake
- 1 box of white cake mix
- 1/3 cup of melted butter
- 1 cup of water
- 4 eggs (two whole and 2 yolks only)
- 1 tsp of almond extract
- 1 tsp of vanilla extract

Frosting
- 1 cup of melted unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 3 1/2 cups of confectioner's sugar
- 1 tsp of vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- 20-25 maraschino cherries, drained overnight and diced
- 3-4 TBSP of juice from maraschino cherries

Garnish (optional)
- Sliced almonds (about 1/2 cup)
- 2 TBSP of warmed honey
- Confectioner's suger

For the cupcakes, preheat your oven to 350 ° and line 24 cupcake liners. Mix your cake mix with the melted butter and water on about medium speed.  Mix until smooth.  Add in eggs one at a time while mixing on medium-low.  Then add in your almond and vanilla extract.  Mix on medium for about a minute or until mixture is smooth and creamy.  Here is a picture of what your mix should look like:

 Fill your cupcake liners about 3/4 of the way and pop in the oven for about 20 minutes, or follow the instructions on your box.  They should be a nice golden color.

For the frosting, whip your room temperature butter for about 3-4 minutes on medium speed. It should become light and fluffy.  Drop to a low speed and add in your sugar one cup at a time.  Add in your salt and vanilla extract. Up the speed to a medium high and a mix for about 1 minute.   Add in your chopped cherries.  Please note, you must strain them overnight.  They will carry a lot of unwanted moisture and your chunks will end up being soggy.  I also blotted them with a paper towel once I diced them to get rid of any excess moisture.  Lastly, add in your cherry juice 1 tbsp at a time until you get your desired taste. Continue to mix on medium for another 30 seconds or so to make sure your ingredients are mixed well. 

To frost them, I used a piping bag with no tip.  With the piping pack straight up and down, start in the middle and work your way in a counter-clockwise position around the cupcake.

For the garnish, toast your almonds on medium high heat until they are slightly browned, about 5-8 minutes.  Make sure to keep them moving so they do not burn.  Take the almonds off the heat and stir in your honey.  Let cool for a few minutes.  Add about a pinch or so to each cupcake.  Lastly, I sifted powdered sugar on top.

Eat and enjoy!