DIY watch band

apair-andaspare.blogspot.com

I totally got inspired by A Pair and a Spare's silk scarf watch band DIY.  I've been really getting into making my own stuff.  It's fun to do, and makes sure that no one will have the same stuff as you.

First, get a watch you don't care about:

I got this one for $3.99 at a thrift store.

 Then, cut the straps off, leaving the bars that were holding them on in place.  I specifically picked this watch because the jelly straps were super easy to cut through.

I LOVE southwestern prints, like no joke, my dream is to live in Arizona

Finally, grab some ribbon or a scarf you like and thread it through those bars.  Wrap it around your wrist and VOILA! A fun and unique watch that's all your own.  Best of all, you can change the strap whenever you want to fit your mood or outfit.

Olympic Inspired Nail Art

I have been obsessed with the Olympics my entire life, and these London Games are no exception.  I love watching the Opening Ceremonies and seeing how the Host City introduces itself to the world.  London definitely brought it this time around.  One of the highlights for me was team Great Britain's parade of nations uniforms.  I though it was quite cheeky to have gold accents on the uniforms, as if to say "This is what we expect of ourselves, get ready to compete".

Anyway, these uniforms inspired me to do an Olympic manicure.  I started out painting al my nails white.  After they dried, I stuck small strips of tape (1/8 inch wide) across them to create stripes.  Then I painted my nails again, alternating silver and gold.  When you peel off the tape, you are left with super fun stripes worthy of the medal stand.

Happy painting! 

P.S. Was I the only one waiting to hear "And may the odds be ever in your favor" during the Opening Ceremonies? 

Low-Fat Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

I've been meaning to make these yummy bites of goodness for a while, and I am soooo glad I did today.  They are so delicious, with a lovely nutty, rich flavor.  And, bonus, I swapped the butter for applesauce, so they are almost fat-free!

Ingredients:
3 1/3 cup flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. pumpkin pie spice.

1 16 oz. can pumpkin
1 12oz bag chocolate chips
4 eggs or egg substitute
1 cup applesauce

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit
2. In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients and mix well
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs and applesauce, then add chocolate chips and pumpkin.
4. Add pumpkin mixture to dry ingredients, mix well
5. Spoon batter into prepared muffin tins, bake for 20-25 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out        clean

This recipe makes 20 large and 36 mini muffins or 24 large and 24 mini muffins

Pumpkin heaven!

2 Nail Trends in 1!

One of my favorite things to do is my nails.  I probably give myself a manicure once a week.  It's such an easy and quick way to polish your look.  I honestly feel naked when I go out without nail polish now.

Anyway, I love to experiment with new colors and techniques when it comes to my nails.  This week, I decided to play with two of the hottest manicure trends right now, color blocking and 3D.  I started out by painting all my nails a fire engine red (a pop of color everyone is sure to notice).  Then, while the topcoat was still wet, I dipped my ring finger into a pot of glitter.  The glitter stuck to the nail and created an awesome and sparkly 3D effect.   Once the glitter set I painted another layer of top coat on to make sure the glitter stayed on.  I hate having glitter everywhere, it is indeed the herpes of the craft world.  Once it gets out, it gets on everything.  Thankfully it seems to be staying put.

Finished product.  Please don't judge me for the messiness, it was late and I was pressed for time.  You get the general idea.  I feel fancy with this sexy red shade and sparkles.

Low Fat Blueberry Pancake Cookies

This is an awesome cookie that is not a total diet-breaker or calorie splurge.  I am absolutely in love with blueberry pancakes, but I tend to go a little crazy and take like ten to the face when I make them.  So, I decided to experiment with a smaller version of these in cookie form.  These are delicious and simple drop cookies with the same texture and taste as homemade bluerberry pancakes.  I made them low-fat by substituting the original called for half cup of shortening with a half cup of applesauce.  This made them moist and chewy.  There's no apple flavor and hardly any fat!

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup fat-free skim milk
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 egg
1 cup fresh blueberries, rinsed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine applesauce and sugar in large mixing bowl.  It should have the consistency of an exfoliating scrub (hmmm....idea for a new facial mask just popped into my head)

Add the egg to the bowl and beat well

In a small bowl, combine the milk and almond extract.  In another small bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, and salt.  Alternately add the dry and wet ingredients to the applesauce and sugar mixture. Mix well.  The batter will be really thick.

Finally, add the blueberries.  Be gentle when you stir them in so they don't get crushed.  You want them whole in the cookies or your final product will be bright blue.

Drop the batter by spoonfuls onto a greased baking sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 12-15 minutes.

Remove cookies from oven, let them cool on wire racks.

Finished product, yum yum!

You can totally freeze these goodies for later.

Low Fat Blueberry Pancake Cookies

Makes about 30 cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup fat-free skim milk

1/2 tsp almond extract

1/2 tsp salt

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 egg

1 cup fresh blueberries, rinsed

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
• In a large bowl, combine applesauce and sugar, mix well
• Add egg to applesauce mixture.  Beat well
• In a small bowl combine milk and almond extract
• In a second small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt
• Alternately add wet and dry ingredients to applesauce mixture.  Stir until batter is thick and blended
• Add blueberries, fold in gently so as not to crush them.
• Drop batter by spoonfuls onto a greased baking sheet.  Bake for 12-15 minutes
• Remove from oven, let cool on wire racks

ENJOY!

Untrendy Trends

So I have just returned from a massive shopping trip and I am appalled at some of the styles that I keep seeing in stores.  They just won't die, but I don't understand why anyone in their right minds would willingly put these things on their body.

My first offender is smoking flats.  Like seriously, what the fuck is up with these shoes.  It is not 1950 and unless you are Hugh Hefner you have no business wearing these.  Simply slapping a girly floral pattern on an ugly style of shoe dos not make it cute and feminine.

My second condemnation goes to skunk hair.  Not so much an item of clothing, but terrible nonetheless.  Don't get me wrong, I love the ombre trend for hair (Khloe Kardashian rocks it like none other), but the two tone layered look is atrocious.  Brown underneath and that awful golden/bleached color on top.  Never gonna look good.  Go blonde, go brunette, but not both please.

ew..... more like must not have (from swaggernewyork.com)

You might as well just give up (From MSN Living)

Hey betches,

So this is my first blog post on my fancy new blog.  My name is Kate, and I am a 20 year old college student.  I'm home for the summer, and I'm pretty bored so I thought I would try to do something at least decently productive that doesn't involve going like, completely post-menopausal cat lady, like knitting.  I mean, I do have an image to maintain.

Anyways, I'll try to get to this as much as possible.  I'll post style inspirations, recipes, and anything else  I wan to share. It's my blog, I do what I want.

A little about my fabulous self:  I am a vegetarian and have just recently discovered I love love love cooking.  It like totally beats the sawdust I've been ingesting for two years at the school dining center.  I am also a (broke) fashion junkie, so these days my shopping sprees just end with me crying on the floor in a pile of last season's styles.  These two obsessions take up a lot of my time, and inspired the name of my little blog here.  I also speak fluent French, and I am moving to Paris for few months early next year.

I'll leave you with that, and try to post something that doesn't read like a page out of my diary ASAP.

Kisses!