Friday, March 30, 2012

Insta-Friday

How about a little Instagram fun to kick our weekend off?  I’m linking this post up with all of the other Instagram junkies over at Life Rearranged.

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This week,

~the husband and I had a rare opportunity to grab some coffee one morning, only to discover that the nearest Starbucks was remodeling and we could only get coffee and pastries at their mobile setup, so it was a coffee date in the car for us. 

~I pulled a rad, vintage Elvis shirt from under a big pile of never-worn t-shirts and rocked it all day long. 

~My daughter brought me a lovely weed bouquet.

~Yummy sangria was technically last week, but who’s counting, right?  My oldest BFF treated me a much needed girls night out for my 10th consecutive 27th birthday.  Where would we be without the unconditional support of our gaggle of besties??

 

Go over to Life Rearranged to share your Insta-Friday pics.  TGIF, have a great weekend!

~julee~

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

What We Wore

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This outfit might not seem like much, but for me it’s a big reach from my comfort zone.  See that top there?  The one with the pretty print?  Yeah, I don’t ever wear those.  But I liked this one, so I thought I’d give it a go.  I wore this to school, and I didn’t hate it, and my husband said I looked pretty.  Plus, I’m wearing purple shoes, and that automatically makes this an awesome outfit.

Top:  Old Navy, via the thrift
Jeans: Target
Sunglasses:  Tourist Beach Shop
Shoes: NYC a million years ago
(But I just ordered some similar ones from Urban Outfitters, and you can too!)

What about you?  Have you been wearing any pieces that are out of your comfort zone?

We’re linking up with The Pleated Poppy.  If you’re popping in from there, leave us a comment.  I’d love to come over and check out your blog!

~julee~

Monday, March 26, 2012

Calling All Sponsors!

diygold

Looking for affordable advertising for your blog or indie business? Advertise in April on D.I.Y. Louisville!

D.I.Y. Louisville has been growing by leaps and bounds over the last few months and we plan to keep up the momentum with great tutorials, projects, featured artists and What We Wore posts. In the last thirty days our blog has had over 13,000 views. In addition to our blog, we regularly post on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest and are members of the Clever Girls Collective.  D.I.Y. Louisville has been featured in Today’s Woman Magazine, Craft Gossip, Tip Junkie, and Little Chief Honeybee.

Ad sponsorship spots are sized at 250x120  and start at $10 for a one month run.  All sponsors will be given a featured write-up and will be recognized on our Facebook and Twitter feeds during the month. Any revenue generated from this blog is reinvested in advertising D.I.Y. Louisville in our community and on larger blogs. In this manner, we are able to help secure new readers which in turn helps support your blog or business.

To advertise contact us at diylouisville@gmail.com. We accept Paypal as method of payment.

Magazine Challenge: Black Bean and Toasted Corn Tacos

black bean roasted corn tacos

This recipe is from Vegetarian Times.  I can never toss out a Vegetarian Times magazine because they are our go-to source when we want to try something new, but I need to start weeding through the back issues and picking out only our favorite recipes.

We make black bean tacos often, but this recipe uses toasted corn which we hadn’t done before.  My husband whipped this up for lunch one afternoon.

black bean roasted corn tacos

Recipe from Vegetarian Times, only slightly modified:
(I use organic ingredients whenever possible.)

1 can black beans, drained
1/2 cup salsa
2 tsp garlic
2 1/2 tsp ground cumin, divided
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
Corn tortillas
Baby spinach leaves
1/2 cup jarred roasted peppers (diced or cut in strips)
1/4 chopped cilantro
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup crumbled cotija or feta cheese, optional

1) Bring beans, salsa, garlic, and 1 tsp cumin to a simmer in saucepan.  Reduce heat to medium low and cook 5-6 minutes or until soft.  Remove from heat, and mash  approx 1/2 of the mixture with fork.

2)  Heat skillet over medium-high heat, and coat with olive oil cooking spray.  Wrap corn in paper towels and squeeze out excess water.  Add corn to skillet in single layer, and sprinkle with remaining 1 1/2 tsp cumin, black pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste.  Cook 5-10 minutes or until golden and crispy, stirring frequently.  *Don’t overcook, or corn will become chewy.

3)  Heat tortillas in toaster, oven, or your preferred method.  Fill shells with 1/2 bean mixture and 1/2 corn.  Add spinach leaves, red pepper, cilantro, and green onions.  Top with cheese.
Makes 6-8 tacos.

black bean roasted corn tacos

My verdict:  These were delicious and easy to make.  They were filling enough to be made for lunch or dinner.  My husband and I ate outside, and these were honestly so good and so pretty that we could have been sitting in any outdoor sidewalk bistro in any city.  Also, we made these for lunch two times last week, if that tells you anything.

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Monday Magazine Challenge is a new feature we are starting.  You can read more about why we’re doing it HERE.  A Magazine Challenge is any recipe, craft, DIY, tip, etc. from a magazine that has inspired you.  If you would like to link to your own magazine challenge, please use the linky tool below.  It would be mighty kind if you’d help us spread the word by linking back to us.



Sunday, March 25, 2012

Magazine Challenge: New Feature

I love Pinterest.  I do.  But long before I was wasting my time perusing fabulous ideas and virtually pinning projects and recipes that I will never, ever have time to complete in a million years, I was ripping pages out of magazines with tips, projects and recipes that I will never have time to complete in a million years and stuffing them in an old folder.

Monday Magazine Challenge

I’m still an old-school lover of magazines.  My PC and my iPhone are awesome, but they still don’t compare to holding those glossy pages in my hand and pulling those glorious pictures right up to my nose.  Am I alone here, or does anyone else agree?

Monday Magazine Challenge

After doing some spring cleaning, I realize that I need to use these magazines and pages I’ve been saving, or ditch them.  And guys, ditching them is hard, so I’m determined to use them.  Thus, we’re beginning a new feature called Monday Magazine Challenge and we’re going to start using a linky feature so that you can link up your own magazine challenge projects, too.  Old-school fun, right?  Right?  Who’s in?  We’ll be starting the fun this week, so get your magazine projects ready!

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

What We Wore

what we wore

what we wore what we wore

Last week I showed you the sweater I saved, and here is the outfit I wore it with.  Confession:  I had to ask my husband at least twenty times if I could pull off these purple tights.  I felt a little witchy in this shoe/purple tight combo.

Dress:  Charlotte Russe, Thrifted
Cardi: Ann Taylor, Thrifted
Shoes: Aigner, Thrifted
Tights: Target
Earrings:  Made by Kim (Yes, I wear these almost daily.)

~julee~

We’re linking up with up the fun over at The Pleated Poppy!  If you're popping in from one of these great blogs, leave us a link in the comments.  I'd love to visit your blog!

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Eat Your Veggies: Pizza Night

I have been recently trying to increase my consumption of veggies and decrease my consumption of meat.  I’m not totally vegetarian, but almost.  In the last week I ate a tiny bit of meat one day, the other six were meat free.  I was a vegetarian many years ago but was terrible at it.  I ate almost no vegetables and lived off of grilled cheese and bean burritos.  This time around I am just trying to eat a more plant based diet.  I have been trying to make some of my typical go –to’s like pizza and sandwiches (I’m a bread lover) more veggie friendly.  Yesterday for dinner I made this amazing loaded veggie pizza.  I used refrigerated pizza dough from Trader Joes, tomato sauce, tomatoes, basil, spinach, broccoli, mini sweet peppers, pepperocini, onion and light mozzarella.  It was so good and really satisfying.  Hopefully I can start sharing some of the ways I am using veggies with you guys and I would love to hear some of your ideas and recipes too!

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Kim

Monday, March 19, 2012

Easy Dress to Skirt Refashion

Here I am with another refashion that’s going to rock your world.  Er, not really. 

This is just another easy fix I made on a $3.50 thrift store find.

I love the color blocking on this dress.  It also reminded me of Kim’s sherbet dress, which I love.  Unfortunately, this dress was manufactured for a junior wearer, and I, well, have graduated past junior status long ago.

dress to skirt refashion

Fortunately, the tank top portion of the dress was attached with a really nice, thick waistband.  So, I turned the dress inside out and cut off the top as near to the edge of the waistband as possible.  This left me with a much better suited skirt. 

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I left the original serged edge, because I didn’t mind it, but it would have also been easy to remove the threads and make a new seam.

dress to skirt refashion

Now I have a skirt with all of the same cuteness and much more versatility than I could have gotten from the dress.  Plus, no worries of flashing the undergarments while running about town, which I’m certain the townsfolk are all thankful for.

How about you?  Have you been cutting up any perfectly good clothing lately?

~julee~

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

What We Wore

I wore this outfit on Saturday for a house party that I had for Tastefully Simple.   I ate so many “samples” that I had to skip lunch and dinner!  It was really good though and I stocked up on party type foods for all the upcoming summer barbeques and parties.  After the party Tim and I headed out to the back of our property for a little photo shoot with the kids.  The lighting was so pretty!  I love the feeling of Spring in the air and this floral dress just seemed so right!  Oh, and not sure how noticeable it is, but I had my hair color blocked with some teal on Friday.  It’s still in progress, I’m going to go back in a week or two and get it bleached again and more color added.  We bleached twice already, but getting black hair to go bleach blonde is a process!
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Outfit details:
Dress- Alyx- from Marshall’s
Cardigan- Target
Tights- Hue
Clogs- Lotta from Stockholm
Necklace- Forever21

--kim

We're linking up with the fun over at The Pleated Poppy.

What We Wore

Last week, we played in the snow.  Today, we played in our shorts.  Whatever, Mother Nature, I can’t keep up with you.

what we wore

I was probably just a little bit too excited for the snow, if only for the excuse to wear these awesome boots I snagged at the thrift the week before.  $3 for brand new Polo boots with the tags still attached, what?  My good thrifty fortune continues and my boot collection is out of control keeps growing.

what we wore

what we wore

Sweater, Jeans: Target
Boots:  Polo, thrifted
Earrings: Made by Kim

Yes, I always throw teeny tiny snowballs like a girl.  Proud of it.

~julee~


Check out more What I Wore Wednesday fun over at The Pleated Poppy;
That’s where we’re linking up.

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

D.I.Y. Sweets: Skinny Cherry Muffins

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Recently I had dinner with my parents at a chain restaurant and my mom ordered cherry bread as a side.  I was pretty jealous, because I love all things cherry.  I didn’t try any because I could just tell that the calorie count was through the roof, but I did ogle it quite a bit.  I’m not going to lie, that cherry bread has been on my mind for a while now.  Then today I saw some diet cherry 7UP sitting on my counter and had a light bulb moment.  Why not recreate them in a Weight Watchers friendly form?  So that’s what I did this morning.  These are 2 pts each on Weight Watchers and the recipe makes about 26.  You could freeze some for later or give them to a friend. 

Skinny Cherry Muffins
1 box yellow cake mix
10 oz cherry 7UP
25 diced maraschino cherries and 1 tbsp liquid from cherries
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(These heart shaped mini tins are from a million years ago, made by Reynolds.  I wish I could find them again, but I don’t think they make them anymore Sad smile)
In a bowl combine the cake mix and soda and beat until no large lumps are remaining.  Add the cherries and liquid and stir until combined.  Pour into paper cupcake liners about 3/4 full.  Bake at 350 for 15 minutes. 
These came out so moist and the flavor is just perfect!
* Yes, I know these are full of chemicals and red dye.  I eat super healthy 95% of the time, naturally and organically.  Every once in a while I want something sweet and dessert like that doesn’t break my Weight Watchers points for the day.  I live by the “all things in moderation” code.  If you aren’t trying to lose weight you could certainly make these with out the soda and use a from scratch cake recipe.  I would suggest adding in fresh cherries and cherry juice, to avoid the red dye.

Friday, March 9, 2012

Two-Minute Refashion

I don’t know if this technically qualifies as a refashion.  It’s more of a fix, or an alteration.  Semantics, schemantics. 

The point is, it took me literally two-minutes to turn this Ann Taylor wool sweater (thrifted for $2.50) from crazy to plain.  And plain is just how I like my clothes.

crazy bow sweater refashion

I’m pretty sure this sweater was brand new.  And I’m pretty sure the lady that donated it did so because she thought those bows were as hideous as I did.  And I’m also pretty sure you can tell that my daughter took this photo based on the weird angle. 

But this sweater is so soft.  And those pearl-esque buttons are so cute.  And those pockets, well, I’m just totally in love with those pockets.

So I took this baby to the thrify fitting room and took a closer look.  And what was standing in the way of taking this sweater down to my plain-jane level of clothing comfort?  Three tiny threads per bow.

crazy bow sweater refashion

Thus, with a pair of sharp scissors and a steady hand, the two-minute refashion…fix…alteration…whathaveyou.

crazy bow sweater refashion

So much better.

What do you think?  Did you like the crazy bows?  Would you have left a few of them on?  Or are you a plain-jane gal like me? 

Happy refashioning, DIY’ers!

~julee~

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

What We Wore: So Seventies


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I wore this outfit Saturday when I spent the day at Disney Live and later at the Arcade Expo.  I think this is the first time I’ve done a post where I am wearing jeans.  Also I hate all of these pictures.  I think the angle makes me look unusually stumpy and my sweater just looks frumpy and not so flattering in these pics .  I do, however, love my clogs, they are amazingly comfy and I love how they look.  They were an awesome Valentine’s surprise form my sweet husband.

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Outfit details:
Jeans, cardi, tee, earrings- Target (where else?)
Shoes- Lotta from Stockholm
bracelets- Sneakpeeq
ring- vintage from mom
necklace- handmade by me
sunglasses- Forever21

--Kim

We're linking up today with the What I Wore fun over at The Pleated Poppy.

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Arcade Expo 2012

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On Saturday we packed up the kids and headed to Arcade Expo. Arcade Expo is an event hosted in Louisville every year that celebrates vintage video games.  They have a huge selection of pinball, arcade and console games.  There are also various tournaments and contests throughout the day and a room of vendors selling old games and collectibles.  Entrance is a flat admission fee (kids were free) and then you can play all the games you want for no additional cost.

Our kids played video games for about 3 hours straight and we played along as some of the arcade games were 2 player and up to 4 player on the consoles.  It was really awesome and brought back some memories to see them playing the games I remember loving at their age.  Some of the highlights of the night for them were Duck Hunt for NES, Streets of Rage, Street Fighter (arcade) and Crystal Castles (arcade).  There was also a costume contest for kids and adults the night that we went (Saturday) and we dressed H in his Ghostbuster costume.  My husband programmed in the music for the original Ghostbusters game for NES, so needless to say it was a huge hit and he won 1st place. Arcade Expo was a really cool event and we met lots of super nice people and talked with them about H’s costume.  We will definitely be planning a trip back for next year, only I will be planning on more comfy shoes, wooden clogs all day on your feet is a bad idea!
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Monday, March 5, 2012

D.I.Y. Sweets: Skinny Snowball Cake


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Sunday we celebrated my dad’s birthday with a little brunch and cake.  As long as I can remember my dad has been a fan of those packaged snowball cupcakes that you can buy at the store.  This year he has decided to join Weight Watchers, so since now there are more people on WW than not in my family I really wanted to do a WW friendly cake.  I thought for days on how to make this and keep it fairly accurate to the original without going calorie cray cray.  The final result is a pretty good cake for 8 pts per slice (1/12 of the cake).  It’ s not 100% a copy of the original, the inside filling is more cheesecake like that the cream on the original.  You could totally make this full fat if you aren’t watching your calories.
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Snowball Cake recipe:
1 box chocolate fudge flavored cake mix
12 oz cherry Coke zero
8 oz light cream cheese
2 tbs granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
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In your mixing bowl mix the cake mix and soda until there are no lumps.  Pour into a greased bowl. I used a pyrex mixing bowl, it can be whatever size you like it just needs to be oven safe.
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In a separate bowl mix the cream cheese, egg, vanilla and sugar.  Beat well until smooth.  Carefully and slowly pour into the middle of the cake mix.  I used a spoon to help make a well to pour the mixture into.
Place in the oven at 350 and bake until a tester comes out clean.  Mine took almost an hour, but it will really depend on the depth/width of your bowl.
Let the cake cool and turn out onto a cake plate.
Marshmallow frosting:
1- 7 oz. container of marshmallow cream
1/2 c. powdered sugar
1 c. shredded coconut
food coloring –optional
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In a mixing bowl combine the marshmallow cream and powdered sugar.  Frost the cake with this mixture.  It will be kind of sticky.
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In a baggie mix your coconut with a drop of pink food color until tinted.  Press into the frosting.
WW pts + 8 per 1/12 of the cake
*note, I did have  bit of trouble with the frosting wanting to slide off of my cake a little bit.  This might be solved by adding more sugar but it may also raise the points per serving.

Friday, March 2, 2012

Leather Skirt to Leather Cuff Refashion

leather skirt refashion

This leather skirt set me back $3 at the thrift. 

I didn’t purchase it to wear, but then I tried it on for fun and I kind of fell in love with its awesome high waist and beautiful not-quite-red-not-quite-orange color.  For a wee split second I thought of keeping it, but then the reality set in that I didn’t have anywhere in the world to wear a 10-pound high-waisted  honky tonkin’ 70’s flashback leather skirt.  Alas.

So I cut in to it.  And the pain only lasted for a second. 

Because before I knew it, I had a couple of these bad boys.

leather wrist cuff

A much more practical use of the beautiful material, if I do say so.

leather wrist cuff

This is the accessory piece I made for our D.I.Y. Louisville accessory swap.  I used the tutorial found on Oh The Lovely Things HERE.  (Which *is* a lovely blog, and totally worth your clicks.)

We're linking this post up with other fun sewing projects at Sew Country Chick.

~julee~