Fall DIY Wreath

Fall is in the air, y'all!

September through November is most definitely my favorite time of year. The weather turns cooler but not cold, I can wear cardigans and not sweat to deff, and let's not forget scarves and all things pumpkin!

Check out this sweet candle and holder I got from Kohl's.

It's pumpkin-something. And I love it.

Ahem.

So with it being time for all things wonderful, aka fall, I thought I would attempt to make my first fall wreath. Last year I never really had time or desire to really decorate for the season. We did have two pumpkins that rotted on the front porch, though. Gross.

I got these supplies (5 bunches of silk flowers and a 16" grapevine wreath) from Michael's for a whopping $10.32.

It is optional {but totally necessary} to have coffee and
Pinterest nearby when you begin this sort of project :) 

My only tool that I needed was a really awesome pair of scissors. If you don't own a really awesome pair of scissors, then you should probably get some wire cutters. Might have been easier if I had those. My hands got tired, and my husband had to cut the stems for me. :-)

I cut all the stems as long as possible. I figured if I needed to trim them I could. Then I just started playing with the colors and sizes of the silk flowers and sticking them in the wreath. 

I decided about halfway through that I wanted this to be an indoor wreath so I could enjoy it. I don't stare at my front door very often.

Loving my candle. And I had a few silks leftover for a little candle wreath.

Once I finished, I stuck it on my mantle and admired it. Today, I went to Hobby Lobby with Melba and found the cutest little "R" to add to it.

I just stuck it on there. I probably should find some type of wire/glue/twine/ribbon to hold it on better. But the "R" just makes the wreath perfect. I love it.

 I couldn't have done this project without the help of this girl:

Little Lola

She's such a creative genius. ;-P

Thanks for stopping by! 

~Jordan

Fashionable Friday

Happy Friday Everyone!
Fall is in the air, and you know what that means...boots (&scarves :])!

The perfect pair for a dress.

I love cowboy boots, so therefore I take advantage
of any time to wear them (which is a lot)!
I also am a fan of scarves; my cheetah print is one of my personal favorites.

For this look I went with more of a gold, brown, and neutral color palette.

Can you believe I got this dress for a whopping, $10?!

Its cute by itself, but a scarf adds a great touch (again, gotta love fall!).

Don't be afraid to mix certain colors and patterns,
so long as there is something that ties them together
(in this case the browns and neutrals)

As far as makeup, I kept it nude and natural (theme, huh?).
Using a slight smokey in naturals.
(Don't forget to do an eye primer before your eyeshadow;
intensifies the shadow and makes it stay longer).
Then using the "cat-eye" application of eyeliner,
finishing it off with some mascara.
I also paired off the look with a great deep berry red lip!

Again, Happy Friday and Happy Fall "Y'all"!

Butter Pecan Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Aaaah Yummy!!

I was in the mood for cakey sweety chocolatey goodness so this is what I made.

And I can spell. I just like making up my own words. Cakey. Webster's Dictionary, here I come!

BUT all I used for the cake was a Super Moist Betty Crocker butter pecan cake mix. Super easy, super quick. Sorry it's not from scratch. I didn't add any pecans, but if  you were to add pecans this cake would be even more delish. 

Delish. Dictionary addition by Melba #2.

Preheat your oven, put those paper liners in your cupcake pan, mix your ingredients (water, oil, eggs, cake mix), pour it up, and bake those puppies!

But don't bake your puppies. That's just mean. And cruel. Moving on.

The icing is what I make from scratch. I've used different recipes for different decorating purposes, but all I wanted today was some good 'ol buttercream. Chocolate buttercream, that is. This is a standard Wilton recipie, and you can use water instead of milk, but milk just makes it creamier. And more unhealthy for you. But nobody cares about healthy icing. Well maybe. Well yes. But that's something I'll try later. On to unhealthy icing.

1/2 cup shortening

1 stick unsalted butter (but if you swear by salted, then use it)

1 teaspoon clear vanilla (normal vanilla is fine since you're not worried about it tinting the icing)

3-4 tablespoons milk

3/4 cups cocoa

1 lb. (about 4 cups) powdered sugar

The shortening, FYI, can be bought in sticks instead of a can (thank-you, Crisco!) and is so much easier to use than the messy dip-it-out-of-the-can-with-a-measuring-spoon technique. LOVE.

Mix the first 4 ingredients in a bowl until smooth. The more milk you add, the thinner the icing will be. Start with 3 tbsps then add more if you want it thinner.  

Add the cocoa gradually unless you want it to *POOF* everywhere when you turn the mixer on. Beat until smooth, scraping the sides with a spatula. 

Add the powdered sugar gradually, mixing thoroughly between adds. Add, mix, add, mix until it's all in there and beaten together and creamy. You're looking for a medium consistency. Thin enough to spread, but thick enough to hold up while decorating.

Now, on to the decorationating.

Decorationating. Dictionary addition #3.

Using a decorating bag (or you can use a food storage bag), cut off the corner enough for the tip to show through. I am using a 1B tip which is a fairly large star tip. You can buy decorating tips from Michael's, Hobby Lobby, JoAnn's, or where ever you get your artsy supplies from.

Turn the edges over so you can add the icing to the bag with a knife. Or spoon. Or spatula. Just so long as it gets in.

After the cupcakes have cooled for 10 mins, spread a thin layer over the top. It doesn't need to cover the whole thing. Just enough for the rest of the icing to stick.

The end product is called a rosette. To make a rosette on your cupcake, hold the bag in your R hand (or L if you're a lefty) and the cupcake in the other. Start at the back and squeeze the bag to get a steady flow of icing, then slowly move in a clockwise circle and around and around until you're at the top! Then squeeze and release to form a point at the top. This is all done in 1 squeeze of the bag. 

Practice, practice, practice! I didn't get this right my first time - you just have to keep trying until you get it!

Continue to make rosettes on all your cupcakes. Like I said, practice! But if you don't want rosettes on them all and just want to start eating the icing, like I did, then that's ok too. 

But you won't have enough to finish. 

And I didn't have enough to finish. 

Oh well.

Happy cupcaking! Let me know how yours turn out!

Cupcaking. Dictionary addition #4.

Betty Crocker, Crisco, Hersey's, and Wilton do not know who I am. They do not pay me to push their products, I just happen to use them in my baking. I give all credit to them where it is due and take none for myself.

From Garage Sale Pile to New Living Room Style :-)

Hey y'all, Jordan here. I wanted to share with y'all my first "real" DIY project: refinishing our old, ugly living room tables. I picked these up at a garage sale in our old neighborhood right after we got married. 

That's Jackson in the middle. He is an attention-hog.
See the awful honey-colored tables? 

They were hideous, beat up, and just plain ugly. But for $25 I thought I could restain them and give them new life. Flash forward two years. New living room, same tables. Yuck!

And then I stumbled on a blog saying that Rustoleum's Furniture Transformations kit was awesome. So I thought, hey, why not? Anything is better than how these tables look now. The biggest draw for me was that this kit didn't require any sanding.

We checked online to make sure Home Depot carried it, picked out a color and headed to the store. It's on the same aisle as the spray paint. For $35, this is quite a deal. The kit has everything you need except for paintbrushes, trays, and gloves. It includes a few rags for the glaze, but I ended up using an old t-shirt too. Make sure to get your base coat tinted before you leave the store! It honestly could not have been easier to use. 

Remember, we are not (were not? ;) ) DIY people AT ALL. 

There are four steps in all, first to deglaze your piece (kit includes a scrub pad) and I would wear rubber gloves for that. Then two base/paint coats, then glaze, and finally protective top coat.

Between base coats. The color is a handsome charcoal gray.

Yes, we painted in the living room. Those suckers are heavy!

The glaze has to set for 8 hours and then you can seal it with the protective top coat. Then that dries for 12 hours and you're done!

Starting the glaze...

The glaze will set a little lighter with the protective coat, so if you want it a little darker, don't be afraid to use more. There are specific instructions for cabinet doors, too. Take pictures! You will be amazed at the difference. Also each box covers 35 square feet, so measure before you go.

Glazed.

I felt like this was a lot of glaze, but I so could have used more! This is before the
protective top coat.

Ta-da! 

I am so glad we decided to try out this project! It has made such a difference and really made our living room feel like it all goes together. Let me know what you think!

Rustoleum has no idea who I am. I just really liked their product. This is not an advertisement, nor will I get paid for this post.

Welcome!

Hello and Welcome!

We are 3 girls and a blog. Join us for our new adventure in blogging, filled with DIY projects for your home, your belly, your health, and your beauty.

Check in with us weekly as we share our ideas!

Intros

I am Melba! I am recently married to an awesome guy (I wouldn't have married him if he wasn't awesome) and I love to cook, bake, workout, and try new things. Cakes are my specialty - I learned the  tricks of the trade from my grandmama and also took Wilton classes when I was 16. I'll be posting about my future cake adventures (which will be present adventures when they post!) and past experiences as well. I look forward to sharing with you!

Hey y'all, I am MaryAnn & I am not married, haha, I'm the single lady in the bunch. Currently I am an art student with a passion for all things creative. Fashion, Cosmetics, & Art (obviously)! Keep following for tips and tid-bits on such things. Can't wait! :]
"Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything beautiful, for beauty is God's handwriting."
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Hello! I'm Jordan. I am married to the handsome man in the picture above. We are just past two years of marriage and love it more every day! I am a Registered Nurse and an avid blog reader in my spare time. ;) My husband and I are involved with leading a young married small group through our church. I love finding healthier ways to eat yummy, not-so-healthy food, hanging out with my pups Jackson & Lola, and figuring out how to decorate my big new house on a budget! I have just gotten my feet wet with DIY projects and can't wait to share my trials and triumphs!