movember diy: acrylic paint t-shirt makeover

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So long Movember... as a salute to you, I made a shirt. It's really easy.
And it goes a little something like this.....


what you need:  acrylic paint,  a paintbrush,  a white shirt (I thrifted mine for just a couple bucks at the local goodwill!),  a cutting board,  a cute quote about movember

what you do:  take your white shirt, stick a cutting board in-between the front of the shirt and the back (so that the paint doesn't leak to the backside) and simply paint away! I free-handed everything since I was feeling too lazy to make a stencil. I started with an outline of a mustache and just started to roughly fill it in. Then I filled in my quote with different fonts and just had fun with it!
Let your paint dry, run it through the wash (and don't worry, acrylic paint is very very permanent!), and then mix + match it with your wardrobe!



So long Movember!

p.s. ♥  clara

moustache cake for movember

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Hello friends and Happy Movember!

Since November is drawing to a close, hopefully you've seen some magnificent moustaches (although I won't lie, I've definitely seen my fair share of sketchy ones).  Jordyn and I made a cake to celebrate, and were pretty stoked about finally using our giant moustache mold!



Why yes, that is a moustache comb in the photo above.  Doesn't everyone have one?

Mocha Cake
from: the Food Network

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup of strongly brewed coffee or espresso
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup hot water

Directions:
1) In a large bowl, sift together dry ingredients.
2) Add in eggs, vanilla, coffee and oil, and mix until batter is smooth.
3) Slowly add in hot water, until well mixed.
4) Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
*If you're using a mold like ours, be sure to keep checking on it.  We noticed the ends of the moustache cooked quite a bit faster than the middle.  So make sure to be checking if the fattest part of the cake is done!



We chose a chocolate butter cream to top our moustache, but you could definitely do a regular butter cream and make it any colour you desire!

Jordyn used a butter knife to spread the icing, and then made small grooves in it for a bit of texture.  We think that shaved chocolate would also be a neat idea!




Happy Movember!

p.s. ♥ kelsey & jordyn

outfit post: peter pan collar & pastels

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I really really love peter pan collars.
I'm shocked that my wardrobe doesn't contain more items with them, but I'm working on remedying that.  I found this top on ruche during a mega sale, and I'm in love!  I love pale pinks, and the lace detailing is just lovely.  I paired it with my mint pants and simple flats, and since it's Fall, and a bit chilly, I added my new favorite navy blazer for warmth!




 blazer: the gap // top: ruche // pants: stitches // shoes: charlotte russe

In other news, I'm off the Edmonton to visit Clara TOMORROW!   I cannot even express how excited I am.  I love that girl so much!

p.s. ♥ kelsey

Felix the Cat Comics: Felix Goes on Record by Otto Messmer circa 1953

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a weekend in jasper.

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I am in love with the mountains and although Edmonton is a little far away from them... I do love that we're still in driving distance of our gorgeous Canadian Rockies. They're definitely one of my favourite places in this world and I'm always amazed by the wildlife I encounter too - there is nothing more humbling to me than being in God's gorgeous creation.



"The mountains are calling and I must go."

John Muir.




p.s.
 ♥ clara

modcloth // uniquely you - coach dress in noir

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Uniquely You - Coach Tour dress



I was asked to participate in ModCloth's Uniquely You campaign by styling their Coach Tour Dress in Noir.
Now this may come as a shock to some of you....but I had never actually used polyvore before.  I had been on the site before, and love scrolling through the outfits others come up with, but I had never put together a collage myself.  All I can say is...dang, it's harder than it looks to arrange things nicely!  So, here's my first attempt.  I loved the simplicity of this little black dress, and decided to play up the gold accents with some delicate gold jewelry (and yes, those are cat earrings....I try to hide the cat lady inside of me, but sometimes she sneaks out).  Wine coloured tights, and an emerald bag gave it a bit of colour, making it perfect to wear to a Christmas party.  It's never too early to plan ahead!

p.s. ♥ kelsey

tasty tuesday: caramel apples

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Caramel apples are just one of those classic Fall foods that I honestly can't get enough of.  We always sell them during September and October during our apple festivals on the farm, so I'm spoiled with a steady supply of them.  A farm down the road makes them for us, using our own apples, and they are so wonderful.  Due to this, I had never actually made my own caramel apples from scratch!

I can now cross that off my bucket list though, because these beauts were completely homemade.  Not even halfway homemade with store-bought caramels. No way.  Although the ingredient list might make your teeth hurt by just looking at it.....hehe.  I will tell you that these are hands down the best caramel apples I've eaten!  The only thing that is keeping me from making them every day is because they take quite a bit of patience for your caramel to reach the right temperature.  And if you know me....you'll know that patience is one of my strong suits.  Ha!


This caramel has a beautiful colour, and is so creamy and rich.  It went so well with the tart Elstar apples that it covered, and made many mouths quite happy.  The extra caramel was used for dipping apples in over the next couple of days....and we also made some homemade turtles with it.  Delish.

Caramel Apples
recipe from: Sprinkle Bakes

Ingredients:
12 small/medium tart apples (I used Elstar apples)
popsicle sticks (I used cake pop sticks, which got a bit soggy and then weren't quite strong enough!)
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
1 cup white sugar
1/2 butter
1 tsp vanilla extract

*you will need a candy thermometer for this recipe!

Directions:
1)  First, place a large sheet of parchment or wax paper on a work surface that will be able to hold all of your apples without them touching each other.  Set aside.
2)  Clean and dry your apples (the caramel won't stick if they're wet at all!).  Remove the apple stems, and punch a guide hole for your stick using a metal skewer or skinny knife.  Insert stick into each apple, and make sure it's secure.
3)  For the caramel: in a 4-cup liquid measuring cup, stir together the sweetened condensed milk and heavy cream.  Set aside.
4)  In a large pot, combine corn syrup, brown sugar, and white sugar.  Bring to a simmer over high heat.  When the mixture boils, add the butter.  Stir until the butter is melted, and reduce the heat to medium-high.
5)  Add milk mixture in a small steady stream, whisking continually.  You want the caramel to keep boiling slightly.
6)  Reduce heat to medium, and attach a candy thermometer to your pot.  Be careful that the candy thermometer does not touch the bottom of your pot, as it will give you a false temperature reading.
7)  Bring to 250 degrees F.  This will take approximately 15 minutes or so.  So be patient!
8)  Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract.
9)  Wait until the bubbling stops, and the caramel has a smooth glassy surface.  Tilt pan slightly so that caramel is deeper on one side, and start dipping apples.  Cover apples completely in caramel, and twirl and gently tap the stick on the side of the pot to help excess caramel drip off.  Place on parchment to set for about an hour.  Serve and enjoy!
[Optional]: Immediately after dipping, roll your apple in chopped nuts, chocolate, skor bits, coconut, etc.
Keep extras in the fridge until you're ready to eat them!






You may have noticed the mini caramel apples in a few of these pictures.  We used a melon baller to carve out some mini apple balls for dipping.  While this idea was great in theory, they ended up being a bit too wet, and the caramel slid off most of them.  Sad day.



My favorite combo of flavors was definitely the pretzel covered apples.  Sweet and salty will always get me.  The extra crunch from the pretzels was also a lovely addition!

So, be creative and make these yummy treats!

p.s. ♥ kelsey