Stud Earring DIY Roundup
very pretty earrings
Add a little something to your next outfit without making waves in your style by adding a set of studs, stud earrings! 
These fun glitter earrings are high-end inspired, but can be made with old nail polish from your medicine cabinet!
These druzy earrings are perfect if you want to add a little bohemian flair to your outfit.
These heart-shaped earrings only takes a piece of wire to create, but the results are so cute.
These studs are modern, simple and chic; and are made with shrinky dink material. What’s not to love?
These earthy studs are perfect for mixing and matching!
A movie to empower women…
50 Shades Gone Bad
50 Shades of Love
50 Shades of Love
When There’s This Much Snow, Create Soup
I live in Attleboro, MA and we have gotten several blizzards in a row. Although we have a lot of snow here and if you want some, I’ll gladly ship it to you, but I have friends on the South Shore (Weymouth, Hingham, Holbrook, etc..) and they have far more than me….up to 28″ in some areas. No thanks. Well, with snow comes freezing cold temps. Today I decided to warm up the house by creating a soup. My husband and oldest daughter are lactose intollerant but one of their favorite soups is corn chowder, so a few years ago I created a milk free corn chowder. Today I made it even better. How???
So here’s a list of ingredients…btw I’m not very good at writing recipes.
Celery, Cabbage, Potatoes, Onions, Garlic, Corn, Chicken Stock, Salt, Pepper, Red Pepper Flakes, Thyme, Chicken Apple Sausage
So I started heating up the chicken stock and at the same time I diced the sausage and sauted it. I cut up all the veggies and added them to the broth once the sausage was done I added them to the soup. Then I added the spices. I did this in my Le Creuset (knockoff), best thing ever! I put it on low and let it sit there for about an 1 1/2-2 hours. One last thing, I added a ploop of organic soy free milk free butter. Then I had my husband taste test it. He LOVED it! Of course he said it tasted just like corn chowder, just no milk.
So if you are stuck inside because of the snow or if you just love soup, try my recipe out or create your own and then share it here.
Enjoy and stay warm!
Merry Christmas
I hope you all have finished your holiday shopping and you’ve wrapped all of your gifts. For the very first time EVER!! I’m actually done on time. Take note as this will most likely never happen again. It’s like peeing in peace, never happens. I’m pretty darn proud of myself too. But I don’t dare get too haughty, as I am making christmas dinner. Something is bound to happen.
I hope you and yours enjoy this blessed holiday. Remember to show your loved ones how much you care.
Happy Holidays!
See you in 2015
A Memorable Christmas Meal
Yes, you can make Christmas special with a meal. From the decor to the desserts. Ham, roast beast (as we call it..thank you Mr. Grinch), assorted veggies, macaroni and cheese, lasagna, a great assortment of cookies and many more desserts…what do you serve your family and guests?
I want to wish you a very MERRY CHRISTMAS! I hope you have a wonderful time with your loved ones. Remember Jesus is the reason for the season! Visit a nativity, sing Christmas carols, send greetings to someone-let them know you care, spend as much time as you can with family-they are so important, show love, give instead of asking. My family and I have been blessed in so many ways throughout the years and this year we were finally able to give back in very small ways but still, we were able to do so. Even a little is a LOT! And who knows maybe we will get a little snow on Christmas day too (not a lot though please, I have guests coming). =)
I’ll leave you with a recipe for Mac and Cheese. http://www.thatwhichnourishes.com/tag/macaroni-and-cheese/
Thanks for posting this on Pinterest YUM!!!!!!! I can’t wait to make it for Christmas!
My husband and oldest daughter are lactose intollerant so I will be setting aside some pasta for them and using Daiya Cheese and Earth’s Balance butter to *try and make them some. We’ll see how it comes out. =)
Boil your choice of pasta (I love cavatappi ’cause it’s just so fun) in water salted with a teaspoon of salt until al dente.
While the pasta is cooking, melt 1/2 c. (1 stick) of butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Sprinkle in 1/2 c. flour and whisk together for 2-3 minutes to let it cook.
Slowly pour in 4 cups of whole milk (don’t skimp here–in fact you can even use some cream) whisking as you go until smooth. Add in 6 cups freshly shredded Cheddar (I use white or sharp). You can mix your cheeses if you’d like. Last time I made it I substituted in one cup of Gouda for one cup of the Cheddar and my husband declared it the best yet. I’ve also added in Parmagiano/Reggiano as well.
Add in 1 T. salt and 1 T. pepper. It’s a lot of spice, but you’ll need it. If you’re not huge pepper fans cut that down a bit, but you need the full amount of salt for this amount of pasta. I use Kosher or sea salt or my new favorite Real Salt.
Put the whole hot, gooey mixture into a buttered 9×13 pan.
In a small skillet, melt 2 T. butter over medium heat. Add in 1/2 c. panko bread crumbs. Stir constantly until golden brown. Sprinkle over the macaroni.
Bake in a 325 degree preheated oven for 12-15 minutes.
Hot, cheesy perfection.
THE Mac and Cheese Grocery List
1 lb. pasta
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. flour
4 c. milk
6 c. sharp or white Cheddar
1 T. salt
1 T. pepper
2. T. butter
1/2 c. panko bread crumbs
Christmas Gifts…Homemade
Homemade Gifts are one of a kind, they are unique, they are heart felt. I love making hand made gifts. So I thought that I’d send you a few examples of gifts that you could make; for your husband, wife, mom, dad, kids, uncle, aunt, inlaws, etc. Enjoy.
1. Jewelry Holder
and here’s a video on how to make one of these…
2. Hot Chocolate Spoons
Hot Chocolate is SO yummy. Well, chocolate in any form is yummy. But these spoons are so easy to make and they are easy.
http://alphamom.com/family-fun/hot-chocolate-spoons-tutorial/
And here’s a link to the hot chocolate in that cup, it’s called “Spiked Mexican Hot Chocolate”. There are other types of hot chocolate on there too, who knew there were so many, oh can my palate handle them all? Chocolate is an AMAZINGLY wonderful beautiful thing, I am so happy it was created!!! ❤
3. Ribbon Embellished Notebooks
Do you have extra scraps of ribbon lying around? Don’t let them go to waste. Use them to liven up a simple spiral bound journal from the dollar store. I know that the picture displayed is not the same as the one in the link below but it gives you an idea what you can make. And this is a holiday one. These can easily be made for tween girls, teens, moms, aunts, grandmothers, sisters or even as last minute teacher gifts.
http://www.bhg.com/crafts/easy/1-hour-projects/what-to-make-with-craft-scraps/?page=11#page=14
4. Lego My Holiday!
Your kids can create a keepsake gift for any family member and have fun doing it. Playing with legos is fun!!!
5. Yummy Gift Baskets!
Create a homemade giftbasket with products from local companies, above are several ideas. Creative Catering by Chef Shelton creates the HOTTEST, tastiest hot sauce out there and has now created some of the YUMMIEST cranberry salsa just in time for the holidays. He also hosts catering events/cooking classes in your home, setup/cleanup all done by Chef Shelton and you and your friends and family will get the most amazing tasting meal out of it and some great cooking skills. So go to his site and check it out, ask for the hot sauce and salsa to add to your gift basket. And maybe even a gift certificate for a catering event/cooking class. You’ll be glad you did. Follow him on Twitter too, @CreativeCateringbyChefShelton and on Facebook.
6. We Whisk You A Merry Christmas!
I made one of these for my mother in law last Christmas, for her stocking. It was so easy to make and just so cute. These can be made for teachers, neighbors, friends, etc…. Enjoy making this and it’s a must that you listen to the song while creating them.
We wish you a Merry Christmas;
We wish you a Merry Christmas;
We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Good tidings we bring to you and your kin;
Good tidings for Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Make sure you have lots of fun and listen to a Pandora christmas music station, drink hot cocoa and eat a candy cane. Enjoy and be creative!!!!!
orchidmoonbeads 
