Old to New

Mozzarella and Spinach Croissants

Okay, so it's one of those random days when I decide to experiment with the random ingredients in my fridge. Today I discovered a delightful idea for an appetizer/finger food.

What you'll need:

Croissant Dough (pre-made in the can, or homemade)

Fresh Spinach leaves

Mozzarella String Cheese Sticks

Olive Oil

Basil

Fresh Ground Pepper

Garlic Powder

What you'll do:

This is so simple. First, you'll preheat your oven based on the directions on the croissant package. Next, saute the spinach leaves in a couple tablespoons of olive oil, a sprinkle of basil and a dash of garlic powder. This should not take long at all, just saute the leaves until they turn bright green, then set them aside (leaving them in the skillet). Prepare the croissants by laying them out on a cookie sheet evenly spaced out. I almost always use aluminum foil to cover my cookie sheets (Mainly because my cookie sheets look awful and are covered in almost irremovable grease. Plus, it's extremely easy cleanup!). Next, cut the string cheese sticks in half, placing half a stick long-ways against the widest end of the croissant dough. Next, top the cheese with 3-4 sauteed spinach leaves (you can use more if you're a huge spinach fan). The next part is easy, just roll the croissants up as you usually would, but be sure to pinch off any openings where cheese might melt and leak out. Once the croissants are rolled up, brush a mixture of olive oil, fresh ground pepper, and basil over the top. Now, just bake them based on the directions on the croissant label. **Be sure to keep an eye on them. For some reason, I find that those pre-made croissants seem to almost always burn on the bottom, even when you follow the directions. So, I cut off a couple minutes. They seem to taste better when they're a tad bit doughy anyway.** These are best served right away, so if you're making them as part of a meal, try to plan them as the last thing to be done so the cheese is still melty and gooey when served. I can't wait to make these again! Enjoy!

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Off Brand vs. Name Brand: Bikini Zone Shave Gel

I am always up for saving a few extra bucks, and almost always opt for the cheap brand of most of the products I buy. In most cases, it pays off and the products are virtually identical. So recently, in an effort to make a new bargain buy discovery, I tried the CVS brand version of Bikini Zone Shave Gel (which I actually use for my underarms, since I'm uber-prone to razor burn). Unfortunately, CVS's version of this product did not measure up at all. It was actually quite frustrating, because the gel is so thick that it clogged up my razor so bad that I had to rinse it thoroughly between each sweep, with little luck getting all the goop out. I got so aggrivated that I decided to give up and had to go back to the store and grab the real thing. I'm sure there are other off-brands of this product, and I will try to get ahold of them and see how they stand up sometime in the near future. But for now, those of you who are faithful users of Bikini Zone, stick with it!

Spice Up Your Candle Holders

Hanging Monogram

So, I am a self proclaimed Pinterest addict. If you haven't checked it out, you NEED to. Especially if you're into crafts. I saw this splendid idea for a hanging monogram and knew I had to try it out.

Since my new color scheme in my living room is going to be coral and pale blue/mint, I chose to theme the monogram in color and white colors. It actually turned out really cute! Here are the supplied I used to make it:

Cardboard large letter (you can find them at most craft stores

Decopodge

1/2 inch brush to apply decopodge

Ribbon

Decorative flowers

Twine or hemp string (somewhat thick)

Gorilla Glue (not pictured below)

Below, you can get an idea of how I started the application of the string. Your strategy may differ from mine as each letter differs. To secure the ends of the string, use Gorilla Glue, as it has an extremely strong and durable hold. As you apply the string, brush decopodge underneath it to secure and hold it. Don't worry about how the back of the letter ends up looking, it will be against the wall. The back of mine looked pretty haggard.

Once you're finished applying the string, you can then attach the flowers and ribbon. The flower I used had pins on the back, so I just stuck the pins in the letter and also secure them with a little Gorilla Glue on their backs. I used thumb tacks AND Gorilla Glue to attach the ribbons to the back of the letter. Then, just tie a pretty bow in the ribbon and you've got yourself a beautiful hanging monogram. Your hands will be tired and covered in glue, but it will be worth it!

Recent "I Can't Wait For Spring" Purchases

In my recent excitement about the coming of spring, I made a few purchases :)

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All items purchased at American Eagle Outfitters.

Pin Me Up.

I have always had a love for 50s nostalgia and style. I was recently inspired to create such a look on myself, and couldn't pass up the opportunity. I must say, this look was a challenge for me, since I can't seem to get my hair to hold a curl to save my life. However, the method I ended up using was a pretty successful one. I can't imagine these curls would have held if I had worn them all day, but they did stand the test much better than any other curling method I've used. This was such a fun thing to try on a boring day off work, and I definitely plan on trying it again for an actual night out.

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Achieving this look is rather simple. All you need are bobby pins, a curling iron (preferably 1 inch), and flexible hold hair spray. Take the back and bottom part of your hair in sections and curl as you normally would (lightly spraying each piece with flexible hold hairspray), but as you release the curls, gather them immediately and bobby pin them flat to your head (one bobby pin per curl should do, unless your hair is thick and heavy - in that case you may need two). Once you reach the top and crown sections, pin the curls "long ways" as you see in the photos above (like the hair is wrapped around a curler on your head, only there will be a hollow area where the curler usually is. This is great, because you get the heat of the curling iron, but with minimal damage to your hair. Allowing the curls to "cool" in the position you curled them will lengthen their life.

After all your hair is pinned in place, spray lightly with the flexible hold hairspray. Now we wait. This is a perfect time to do your makeup. For this look, I kept the makeup very simple, as the dames in the 50s would have done, with a pop of color on the lips. Perform the foundation/powder routine you would on any given day. Next, sweep a light creme eyeshadow on your lids and line ONLY the top lid with liquid black eyeliner. I added a tiny wing to the outer corner of each eye with the liner. This will make your eyelashes appear longer and more dramatic toward the outer corners. For mascara, I used two different kind. One for separation and length - Avon Super Magnify (my favorite mascara!), and one for fullness - Maybelline One By One Volum' Express (a close second favorite! Both pictured below). Pay special attention to the upper lashes, and use minimal mascara on the lower lashes. For the eyebrows, I used a damp eyeliner brush dipped in a brown eye shadow close to my natural brow color. Filling in and defining your brows will make this look more authentic and dramatic, but don't go too far! - (Making your eyebrows too dark will cause them to be the focus of your face.). For blush, you want to keep it simple (as not too compete with the red lips), but enough to give a rosey glow. I have recently discovered a neat trick for blush. Use an old tube of lipstick as a base for your powder blush! Dabbing on the retired lipstick and blending it underneath your soft rosey blush will definitely lengthen its life. (I use this trick every day now.) The last part is simple. Just choose your favorite red or deep pink shade of lipstick to finish off this vintage look!

Back to the hair:

Styling these curls is so easy! Just release all your curls from the bobby pins and comb your fingers through them to soften them. Your curls should fall right into place. Once you've gotten the look you want, spray your hair with the flexible hold hairspray, and you're done!

I hope you will try this and enjoy it as much as I did! Feel free to send me photos of your vintage looks!