Unusually Lovely on BuzzFeed

A few weeks ago, I was asked to put together a DIY for BuzzFeed on cord organization that was featured on their DIY website! Check out the link to see how to repurpose some Altoid tins to keep your headphones and cords manageable. The tiny one came out just darling. So honored to be featured among these four other lovely ladies!

Just Making Some Vintage Sleep Shorts

These sleep shorts were a combination of a two ideas I stumbled upon on Pinterest. I found an online shop/blog which sells handmade dresses made from vintage sheets as well as a tutorial to make sleep shorts. I decided that since I had a small growing collection of vintage sheets in my fabric stash, I'd try my hand at a pair of elastic sleep shorts made from vintage sheets. So soft!

With only a minor size issue in the behind, I love them. Since I made them, I've been thinking about who else would want a pair so I could make another! My next step is to figure out how much to adjust my pattern for a smaller and larger pair. They look really cute with a simple ribbed tank top, so I also want to figure out a way to use the fabric on a tank, maybe a pocket or something. Who wants a set?! 

Soft, Funfetti Sugar Cookies

Sometimes, I think up recipes because I'm hungry and can't stop thinking about what I would love at that moment. This was one of those recipes. I was just sitting at work on a slow day thinking about sweets and this idea came over me and I went home and made them. These are a cookie game-changer.

Now, I should say that I'm not usually a huge sugar cookie kind of gal. I'll take a snickerdoodle or maybe even chocolate chip over a standard sugar cookie any day. But these aren't your standard, run-of-the-mill, cookie cutter sugar cookies. They are soft and creamy and even border on doughy, in the best way possible. After searching around online and in some baking books, this recipe is a pretty standard one for soft sugar cookies. And since sprinkles make everything better, I decided to spice of the standard to make funfetti cookies!

Here we go...

Soft, Funfetti Sugar Cookies

Yields about 40+ cookies, depending on size

10 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature

2/3c vegetable shortening

1 1/2c sugar

2 eggs

1 tbsp vanilla

2 tsp baking powder

1tsp salt

3 1/3 flour

3 tbsp rainbow sprinkles or nonpareils

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream butter and shortening with an electric mixer. Add sugar and mix until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time and vanilla.

In a separate bowl, sift flour, salt, and baking powder. With your mixer on low, add dry ingredients to the butter/egg mixer. Using a spatula, fold in sprinkles.

Drop rounded tbsps of dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Bake 8-10 minutes or until bottoms just begin to brown. 

The trick is to not over bake them, or you won't get that super soft texture. I baked mine 9 minutes and they were just slightly brown on the bottom.

Thinkg about the possibilities! You could use a basic buttercream to make these little guys into cookie sammies, or maybe even dip half of them in chocolate for the chocolate lover in your life. It's a challenge to not eat all of them. After eating half the batch, I then took mine to a party only to get them out of our house. 

Need more funfetti options? Try these homemade Funfetti Cupcakes too!

Yum!

May Thrift Finds

Do you ever pick up thrift store finds and wonder who the previous owner was? I always do, especially when the items are quirky and strange like these little cuties. Who else wanted puppy (dachshund?) suncatchers and why would they discard them??

T and I have been taking nightly walks around town now that the weather is nice since I'm always itching to get outside once I'm home from work. We're also loving the easy exercise and I'm loving that there are several thrift stores within walking distance of our apartment.

I always walk up and down each of the bric-a-brac sections of thrift stores because I love housewares. These two suncatchers were just hanging on a lone hook next to a dog leash and I nabbed them immediately. They're so darling!

Can't wait to find a home for them! For 95cents, how could I turn these little guys down?

Anyone else pumped for warmer weather and flea market season? I know I am!

Want your own neon terracotta planter? Follow the link!

Chocolate Banana Cupcakes

For as many recipes for sweets that I put together, I rarely eat any of them. I'm not a huge sweets kind-of girl, but like anyone I do have my vices. Cinnamon, pie, cookies, but not really cakes. I have to admit that I make these Chocolate Banana cupcakes all the time, I get a lot of requests for them, but I don't think I've eaten one since I came up with the recipe a few years ago. But my taste-tester boyfriend has never turned down a chocolate cupcake, so he makes sure to make sure they are up to par. And we're off....

Chocolate Banana Cupcakes

Yields 24 cupcakes

1 1/2 granulated sugar

1 1/2 sticks of unsalted butter, room temperature

3 eggs, room temperature

2c flour

3/4c cocoa powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp salt

2 tsp vanilla extract

1c buttermilk

2 bananas, mashed with a fork

Preheat over to 350 and place liners in a cupcake pan.

Cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, Combine. Add vanilla.

In a separate bowl, sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add dry mixture to the butter mixture, alternating between dry and buttermilk. Only mix until combined so you don't overmix. Overmixing= dry cupcakes.

With a spatula, fold in bananas.

Fill each cupcake liner 3/4 full. Bake for 15 minutes until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool completely before frosting.

Chocolate Buttercream

Yields enough for 24 cupcakes

1 stick of butter, room temperature

2 1/4c powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 cocoa powder

a few tbsp of milk

Cream butter and vanilla with an electric mixer.

Slowly add powdered sugar and cocoa powder. Add milk until buttercream is desired texture, several tbsps

Using a soup spoon or offset icing spatula, spread the buttercream on each cupcake. Place a dollop buttercream in the center of each cupcakes, then spread to the outside in a circular motion. Top with banana chips or chocolate chips.

Impress all your friends!

Need more of a chocolate fix? How about Toffee Crackers, Chocolate Mint Cupcakes, Chocolate Potato Chip Cupcakes, or Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes.