Knead some Dough

Last night I went to my weekly ACT math tutoring chill session (yuck. math.)

But instead of doing math last night, we made bread.

Lucky for you I've got the recipe!

Delicious Bread:

5 (1/4) cups of bread flour

1/4 cup of sugar

1/2 tblsp of salt

2 tblsp yeast

2 cups of hot water

combine and mix a little with a spatula, make sure to get the flour mixed up so it doesn't stick to the bottom

Then continue mixing in a KitchenAid

2 tblsp of Soy Lecithin

Continue mixing in the KitchenAid, add more water if needed - at this point you CANNOT add more flour. Let it mix for 7 more minutes.

In the meantime, Pam your bread pan/take a break.

After the 7 minutes, take out the dough and split it into two. Spray PAM onto your counter and mold your dough into a ball

smoothing it out and tucking the edges into the bottom.

Then stick into the pan (which should also be covered in PAM. We really love PAM).

Let it sit for about 15 minutes. After the 15 minutes preheat your oven to 350 degrees, and then cook it for 25 to 30 minutes. 

Cinnamon Bread

There are really only some minor additions to the above recipe.

During the 7 minute mixing time; melt aprox 1/4 cup of butter (we added some vanilla to it as well - mmmm yummy)

And in a separate bowl we mixed up some spices. I can't remember what we put in because honestly, we just threw stuff in there.

Next we rolled out the dough until it looked like a square

Then we spread around the butter and vanilla using a.... paintbrush. Or something like that

Next spread the spice mixture AAALLLL over the dough

And fold in the side edges

And roll up the dough from one side to the other

Push in the last edges so nothing slips out of the dough

And tuck into the pan

Let it rise for 7 minutes, then cook it for the same time as the normal bread.

This bread tasted absolutely amazing. I'm actually going to go make some more right now... 

xoxo

ps- it tastes good with jam.

pps - Sorry if the pictures are blurry... my camera is on the fritz and the one I was using is evil.

Monday Mornings

Yet again, another Monday Morning's post in the evening... sigh. One of these days I'll get organized to actually post this at the allotted time.

Today's post is an outfit post. Because let's be honest, our lives revolve around clothes. It sounds conceited and maybe a little preppy, but think about it! When you get up in the morning and get dressed, how long does it take you? Maybe it only takes you 10 minutes (I envy you), or an hour (you should envy ME) - but what you wear each day is important.

Currently we've been having strange weather here in my hometown. But that in itself isn't exactly unusual. Our weather is messed up - and today was a high of 68 degrees! But it rained all day. 

I'm wearing my African safari pants (H&M). They're loose, cacky, and cute. I feel so fashion forward in these! But I have to admit, I miss my yoga pants. I'm too lazy for my own good.

And yet my lovely mother consented to hosting a quick photo shoot. Don't you just love her?

I've been dying to wear this cardigan + top for ages. I bought it from Forever 21 and have been saving it for a day when my hair looked nice to wear it. I paired it with my fluffy orange cardigan (from NY and Company) because I'm a fan of people who can color block and I wanted to attempt it. Plus the mannequin was wearing an orange cardigan too, so I figured it MUST be a good idea. 
I just really love the flowery fluffiness of this cardigan, it's fun to play with when you get bored.

I really loved the shirt because of the peter pan collar. Collars are back in fashion and I've been dying to make myself one/buy a shirt that actually has one! That and the perfect teal color goes well with my skin tone - and although I'm not usually a fan of polka dots, these dots were just so non assuming that I couldn't help but love them.
The shoes above are my prom shoes! I thank my gullible father for buying them for me, because I tricked him into it. The shoes went well with the dress because they added a little bit of pizzaz and  pop that I like to call "the Madison effect." 

My hair was the challenge of the day. I wanted to do something cute that you can only really do with straight hair, since it wasn't it's normal curl. So I went on my craftgawker lists and promptly found this hair recipe. My history teacher looked at my and said, " I love your hair! It's from a decade that I can't remember, but I absolutely love it! You should wear it like that more often." Needless to say she's one of my favorite teachers. 

And this is my mother. I think this pretty much explains our relationship. Don't you agree mom?


xoxo

Prom. Part deux.

Prom. Part II

Prom prom prom prom prom prom prom prom prom prom prom prom prom prom prom prom prom prom prom prom prom prom prom prom prom prom prom prom prom prom prom prom prom prom prom.

That's what has been going through my head all weekend. I even had nightmares about prom. Where everything went wrong and I had anxiety attacks so bad I woke up. 

Prom = stressful!

And yet... Prom is fun :)

I had my mom buy the boutonniere when I was in school on Friday (because I forgot the day before... oops). It was a white rose, a color that best matched my dress.

Well, the morning came, and I was stressing out. I woke up at 5 am out of habit and proceeded to try and fall asleep again. Epic fail. I finally got out of bed at 8:45 because I had been laying there for hours having anxiety attacks over everything. I hopped in the shower (actually it was more like I ran around for 20 minutes trying to find the duct tape to tape a stupid garbage bag to my arm to protect my cast, and then I FINALLY got in the shower), cleaned both bathrooms after I was done, and waited around for my mom to come home from Cardio Tennis so she could straighten my normally curly locks (she's addicted to tennis. It's like her crack). 

Then me and the girls met up at Portillo's (the single most amazing restaurant of my life) and I ate breakfast aka a chocolate shake.

This is us, shortly after, getting ready. Anja did my hair - because she's a magician with hair. As you can tell.

We started getting ready at approximately 12:30, and I was STILL getting ready at 4 o'clock when Jackson (my date. wahoo!) came and picked me up. #itsagirlthing

My mom blow dried my hair for me (schmanks mom!), and then we put in curlers and then curled it with a curling wand. Note: this recipe requires about one bottle of hairspray. I used this tutorial for my eye makeup (sorry, no pics), and bought fake nails from CVS for about $2. Love cheap things.

At 4 o'clock it went something like this;

Ok no, my dad didn't shoot him. But I think me made his point clear. My dad loves me :)

My parents were determined to take as many pictures as they could, and do they need reason? Plus I love being the center of attention so I was ok with it.

Funny story #1. My mom pinned on his boutonniere. awkward. He walks in and I take the boutonniere out of the fridge and open the case, "uhm... so I don't even know how to pin this on." So my mom took over from there, so now I know how to do it! But I've never done it. So I don't know how it's going to go next time (fingers crossed, knock on wood).

Funny story #2. I had secretly been wanting a feather pin/corsage for my corsage instead of the normal flower. Because they die, and that's depressing. So one of my friends had texted him and told him to get me a feather/flower pin of some sort. You see that white fluffy flower pinned onto my dress? Yeah, that's my corsage. No big deal but I know you're jealous. And this way I get to keep it!

I've mentioned before how my friend made my dress, but it's worth mentioning again because she did an awesome job by adding sleeves and making it absolutely beautiful. I felt like a princess the whole night (I feel pretty, oh so pretty, oh so pretty and witty and bright! And I pity, any girl who isn't me tonight.)

Oh, and she also made his tie. So we matched perfectly.

This was our entire group. Aren't they beautiful!? 

Front/girls left to right: Giovanni, Kristyn, Me, Kristen, Cambrea.

We are princesses. I've decided.

We're super secret spies. It's not a big deal, so don't worry about it.

After pictures and a formal dinner we headed to the dance, which was a blast! So many good songs, such a good venue, and the weather outside was not frightful. Quiet the contrary, it was a blessedly cool breezy night - which made the outside patio a perfect place to literally chill.

We made it through the night unscathed, so all of my nightmares were wasted. What a perfect dress, what a perfect date, what a perfect night. 

Sometimes I really love my life.

xoxo

Monday Morning's

Welcome to a new Segment I like to call:

Monday Morning's

It is Monday - but it's not morning. Oh whatever, the alliteration is the point.

Let me explain; (hopefully) every monday I will post a small little post on any given topic. Don't worry, you'll catch on.

Todays topic? Prom. 

I feel like not enough people go for the unexpected during Prom. And I really ♥ the unexpected.

1. Hair

This tutorial by Oh So Pretty is one I've been eyeing for a while now. I like the loose and playful idea it presents.

The Beehive is back ladies, embrace it. 

I love people who can rock the tip dyed hair (don't worry, this tutorial washes out)

2. Makeup

Please. SOMEONE rock the bold look. I'm diggin it.

(Can be found here and there)

Or go for sultry and mysterious with this classic smokey eye

Having trouble with your makeups? (no, not a typo, I just talk funny) Girl please. Been there done that. But amazingly, this tutorial works! Schmanks Oh So Pretty ♥

3. DRESSES

The indispensable part of Prom. Dress shopping.

You could always make it easy and sew your own dress (I got my friend to sew mine. Score!) Or you could simply go with the crowds and shop your little heart out. WARNING: Dress shopping causes extreme anxiety and unquenchable desires to buy things. Can result in debt.

This is technically a Wedding Dress. But several of these dresses are good places to start searching for your silhouette. Or go ahead and buy a Wedding Dress! It's not that big of a difference right? Right.

This is my dress (letter A). Although it's not in pink, it's still my favorite thing in the world right now. I found the pattern at Simplicity, and my friend is sewing it for my prom (eeep!)!!

I also like the idea of the short dress. But let's get real, don't be one of those girls who go with the shortest dress they can find with the low-cut neckline. Keep it classy ladies.

This dress is at Rent the Runway specifically, but one of my friends got her short prom dress at BCBG Maxazria, at your local Macy's ;)

4. SHOES

Who doesn't love this edgy gold oxford? Be a rebel. Beeesiides, most girls take off their shoes for dancing. You'll stand out!

Or be classy and go with a suede heel. But do me a favor and keep it bold ok? Bold is better.

(However my current favorite is a boho sandal)

Well, this concludes our Monday Morning post. Tip your waiters!

xoxo

{Indiana Shawn and the Temple of the Kinda Crappy, Rusty Old Dagger}

IT'S BACK. Need I say more? My favorite show of all time, the one I can't live without and always makes me happy, Psych.

"Lizardy, you were found in the yard on a really great day. You came to this house as my prisoner, but you left as my friend."

1. Sean doesn't deal so well with death

"You take a trip with the intention of proposing and don't tell me? Your oldest and blackest friend?"

"It's my emergency ring. In case the perfect proposal moment presents itself!"

"Just know, in case I ever do really propose, I want you on one side, Jules on the other, just as a killer whale leaps in the air for a macral."

2. Ouch, no fist bump

3. Ohhh nice face

"Buton Gaster, then Brutal Hustler!"

"I'll remind you, I've had 11 kung fu lessons!!"

"I know what I did was just incredibly cool, but I felt the need to point that out, I'm off the market."

"I think what this woman is trying to say here Gus, is that you can suck it."

"Excuse us while our lives end"

"I... don't... remember what she looked like."

4. Who buys a GPS watch? too hollywood

"Dude, if you suggest Batman one more time, I will pull out your eardrums."

5. Gus is NOT happy

"Could you put a value on your own father!?"

"387,000"

"Oh please Braxton"

6. oh yeah Gus hates him

"You're just jealous cause there's no black dudes in Raiders."

7. Oh Gus. Careful Gus

"Players don't hike."

"Man you don't know what players do"

"No, you got played. I had my suspicions all along."

"I think you mean dragon."

"Noooo I mean dagger."

"The mailbox on my player phone is full right now. If I had my player phone, it'd be blowin up right now!"

"It's a tiny rope Sean! Do I look like I have children's hands?"

8. Oh they're hopeless

9.  He's sooooo not dead

"Lassiter please, pretend you're a person."

"What are you my boss?"

"I'm your conscience."

"too stinky Sean, get to writing."

"Cause of death Diabetes. I'm kidding he exploded."

"The only thing that's gonna hurt, is your pride."

"Please, help me with my pants for I can no longer control my bowels."

10. I LOVE GUS'S FACES!

"You had that in your pants?"

"I will slug you in the face cartilage Sean."

"That's your problem Gus, you brought a funeral program to a knife fight."

"You wanna bumble with the bee huh?"

11. Gus has got some serious moves!

"No food, drinks, smoking, flash pictures, offensive clothes, tattoos with wolves, exposed liposection scars, hair extensions, loud noises, surprising gestures, bodily. fluids."

"uh uh, what are uh, pillows?"

"you stabbed everything in this mans house."

"This is a trap Sean. You push the wrong thing, and a giant rock comes rushing through here."

"Don't you just hate people who kill you?"

12. Seans's right. Desperaux is fricken cool

"It's a genie!"

"Gus, don't be ridiculous, genie's come in lamps."

13. Awkward tap

14. Oh Sean. Don't cry! I'll hug you

"His dogs name was Tartoof?"

"Probably."

"It's crappy."

"You're crappy."

15. Wow Sean that's deep

"You're just plain crapola."

16. Ok we all knew that was gonna happen. But I still liked it :)

xoxo