DIY FRIDAY (A Little Bit Late)

Two Minute Statement Collar

Sorry folks... We're a little bit late this week on our DIY. This week's DIY is super easy and involves a collared button up shirt and a pair of scissors. All you have to do is cut the collar off your shirt and you're done! Be sure to leave the top button or you can replace the button with a vintage broach. It's a great statement piece and is best worn with a strapless top or dress. Enjoy!

 Before

After

DIY FRIDAY

Messy Bob

So, this DIY is very personal... I received a haircut back in February that I LOVED, went back to the same stylist and she took a little too much off. Like two inches in some areas. That's a lot in short hair world. When I woke up I was still bummed out, but looked up a few looks on my computer. One look I love is Alexa Chung's short tousled bob. I then Researched a few steps on how to achieve this look.

STEP 1

Wash hair and then towel dry. Remember: Do not brush or comb hair. This will break up the natural curl in your hair.

STEP 2

Add a product that will protect your hair from heat. Like Aveda's Smooth Infusion. Then add a mouse or creme that will help hold curl.

STEP 3

Twist pieces of hair in fingers to help and assist in curl. Twist some towards your face and some away.

STEP 4

Here's the hard part... Waiting for it to dry! Be patient. Wait as long as you possibly can. If you can't wait any longer (and need to go to work), break out the diffuser and scrunch hair while dryer is on a low setting and high heat.

STEP 5

Once hair is dry, go through with a curling iron and fix any pieces that look out of place.  Finish off with hair spray.

Good Luck! I'm letting my hair dry as we speak. I will try and post pictures of the end product.

DIY Friday

Easter Brunch Apple Cinnamon Muffins          

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup milk
• 2 apples - peeled, cored and chopped
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup butter, cubed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon   

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease six muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners.
2. Stir together 1 1/2 cup flour, 3/4 cup sugar, salt, baking powder and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Mix in oil, egg and milk. Fold in apples. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling to the top of the cup.
3. In a small bowl, stir together 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, butter and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Mix together with fork and sprinkle over unbaked muffins.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean. (This recipe was found at AllRecipes.com)

DIY Friday

Socktopus Pattern



Materials

1. Two pairs of socks.

2. Button eyes, buttons for tentacles, any accessories, and stuffing.

3. Scissors, sewing thread, needle, and sewing machine (optional).

Step One

Cut first pair down the ankle portion and stop cutting before you hit the heel. Sew the two separate legs together. Stuff foot (body) and legs with stuffing. Sew hole between legs.

Step Two

Cut out 6 more legs from the remaining three socks (from ankles). Sew pieces together to form legs. Sew legs to body of octopus.

Step Three

Here's the fun part!!! Sew on button eyes, buttons on legs (tentacles)and add any other personal touches. In the picture above, our socktopus has a crown and a cigarette. Hehe. Enjoy!!

DIY Friday

Homemade Banana Bread

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 1 hour

Ingredients

• 3 or 4 ripe bananas, smashed
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 1 cup sugar (can easily reduce to 3/4 cup)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• Pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

Method

No need for a mixer for this recipe. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). With a wooden spoon, mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar, egg, and vanilla. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour last, mix. Pour mixture into a buttered 4x8 inch loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour. Cool on a rack. Remove from pan and slice to serve.
Yield: Makes one loaf.

This recipe was found on Simply Recipes  :)

DIY Friday

Last Hot Drink of The Cold Season

Hot Toddy

Ingredients List:

* 2 fluid ounces boiling water

* 1 1/2 fluid ounces whiskey
* Honey to taste
* 6 whole cloves
* 1 cinnamon stick
* 1 slice lemon
* 1 pinch ground nutmeg


Directions:

Start by boiling water to desired temperature. I like my toddy to be super hot and then let it steep a bit. Pour in 1.5 ounces of whiskey. I used the Bulleit Rye. Add honey and one cinnamon stick. Slice a lemon so it is a thin circle. Push cloves in lemon and let float. A pinch of nutmeg and your hot drink is complete. You can add more honey if you would like a sweeter drink. This is a great cocktail after you've been out in the cold for a bit. Enjoy!

DIY Friday

Basics of Building an Urban Chicken Coop

Materials:

*Wood
*Chicken Wire
*Nails/Hammer
*Stain
*Hinges
*Handle
*Concrete/Shovel
*Water Dishes
*Nesting Boxes
*Hay
*Chicken Feed

Step One: Building the Hen House

The hen house should be a dry and safe place for the hens to rest and lay eggs. Our hen house measures 2.5ft. by 2.5ft. by 3ft. The roof is done at a slant to keep rain and snow from building up. One side of the house has hinges and the other has a handle. This enables you to open the top and collect eggs. It is also important to note that if the wood you are using is not treated, staining is required.

Step Two: Roaming Area

It is important your hens have an outside space to roam and scratch in the dirt. Chickens like to take dirt baths and peck around in the mud. We caged off a section which measures about 6ft. long, 2ft. wide, and 2ft. tall. We started by first digging two holes at the front of the caged section. Inside the holes we poured concrete around two posts and let it set over night. Concrete can be bought in smaller bags from your local hardware store. After posts are set, attach four 2 by 4s to the posts which were set in concrete. Attach two of the the 2 by 4s at the top of the posts, to the top of the hen house and two to the bottom of the concrete posts and the bottom of the hen house. You have now formed and rectangle shaped box. Stain all of the wood. The box will then be wrapped completely in chicken wire. Bend and shape the wire around the rectangle. Even putting wire on the ground and wrapping it upwards toward the bottom posts. Chicken wire can be attached using nails shaped like staples. It is important to make the structure tight with no gaps, in order to keep predators out. Cover bottom of fenced off area with dirt.

Step Three: Making Your Chickens Happy

There are a few things chickens need to be happy. The first thing would be nesting boxes. In order for your hens to lay eggs they need comfortable nesting boxes. Your hens should be snug in their boxes, surrounded by hay. The next thing hens need is water. Keeping lots of water is important, because chickens are like humans and they are constantly forgetting to drink enough H20. As far as food goes, you can buy chicken feed at the feed store or feed them table scraps like fruit and vegetables. They also love bread scraps. And finally, perching is the last thing chickens love. Having perches or poles in the hen house for your ladies to sit on makes them extra happy! Good luck and feel free to ask questions.

Special Thanks to Ben for all of his help!

DIY Friday

Delicious Vegetarian Black Bean Soup

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 3 teaspoons chili powder
• 3 15 ounce cans black beans
• black pepper, to taste
• 1 cup of salsa
• 1/2 cup of shredded cheese
• fresh chopped basil
• 1 avocado

Preparation

Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add onion, cook 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, cumin, and chili powder. Add first can of black beans. Drain last two cans of black beans and add to pot. Add 1 cup of salsa and 1/2 cup of shredded cheese. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring often. Add black pepper, to taste. Top with avocado slices, shredded cheese, and fresh basil.