Homemade Peanut Butter Cups Win

I decided that this year I want to do some of my own Christmas baking to send to some of my faraway friends. I decided to get an early start on it last Friday since I want to have lots to send out. The first thing I made was some homemade peanut butter cups, from the recipe on Elsie's blog. I got nearly 40 out of the double batch, and hey turned out really well, and are completely delicious!

The one thing I noticed, though, was that I used a lot less peanut butter filling, and extra chocolate. Not sure what happened there, since mine seem to have the perfect ratio of both - but then, I did use an odly sized mini-cupcake pan... Anyway, these things are delicious and I highly recommend the recipe!

Are you doing Christmas baking this year? What are you making?

Wish List Wednesdays

{Easy Doe-s It Dress // Culinary Artist Apron // Buck and Forth Ring // Talk the Toggle Coat  // Fawn Never Stops Ring // Gold Under Wraps Bracelet // Wear to Wow Wedges}

Ideals // Daily Outfit Post

{dress//Old Navy :: belt//thrifted :: skirt//thirfted :: tights//Target :: boots//Blowfish Shoes :: bracelet//Charlotte Russe :: coat//Merona}

“I find the whole concept of being ‘sexy’ embarrassing and confusing. If I do an interview with photographs people desperately want to change me - dye my hair blonder, pluck my eyebrows, give me a fringe. Then there’s the choice of clothes. I know everyone wants a picture of me in a mini-skirt. But that’s not me. I feel uncomfortable. I’d never go out in a mini-skirt. It’s nothing to do with protecting the Hermione image. I wouldn’t do that. Personally, I don’t actually think it’s even that sexy. What’s sexy about saying, ‘I’m here with my boobs out and a short skirt, have a look at everything I’ve got?’ My idea of sexy is that less is more. The less you reveal the more people can wonder.” 

― Emma Watson

I love this quote from Miss Watson. 

Yeah, this outfit was pretty modest and covered up, but I felt amazing in it. I liked how I look and I was confident in it - and that's the kind of attractive I want to be. I'd rather be the sweet, cute girl with a really, really nice guy, than the sexy head turner who has half-a-dozen men drooling after her, any day! ♥

This and That

This: Baking lots. On Friday I made a double batch of blueberry muffins and a double batch of homemade peanut butter cups, and I'm hoping to make some peppermint bark soon. I'm planning on sending some of the peanut butter cups and peppermint bark (along with some other sweets I plan to make) out to friends for Christmas. ♥

That: We put up our Christmas tree on Sunday, which means my birthday is coming. *squeals*  It's the week before Christmas and I'll be eighteen this year. I've wanted to be eighteen for as long as I can remember - oh, and on top of that, it's my golden birthday. I'm very excited.

Knit Storm Coffee/Tea Cozies

{All images from Knit Storm - used with permission}

I stumbled onto the Knit Storm Etsy shop several weeks ago. I don't even remember how I found them, now, but I do remember falling instantly in love with their adorable tea cup cozies and coffe mug sleeves. Sooo cute! And most of them are only $16 + shipping. Score!

My favorite is definately the top left one, but since it's sold out, and I have no use for a His and Her's Coffee Cozie, I think my favorite is the Love Coffee/Tea Cozie.

I really want to get one, one of these days. ♥

Hanging Dress // A Peek into My Room

I got the idea to hang a dress up on the wall from Kate Gabrielle. Originally I was going to hang up my blue floral dress, but then I got this one, and it was just too pretty not to display - plus I wear my blue floral dress way too much to hang up on the wall. 

I think it turned out really well! What do you think? Does it work?

P.S. Next week I'm going to start posting about all the stuff I have on my dresser!

My Week in Instagram Photos

1. At the #owlcity concert!! <3  2.Me and my mum  3. Opening act: Days Difference  4. Fuzzy Blue Lights!!  5. Dreams Din't Turn to Dust (@owlcity)  6. Doing some baking! :D #homemakerintraining  7. Woohoo! Paper baking cups mean I dint have to wash our silicone ones!! :D  8. My 18 before 19 list including Amber Rose

Thanksgiving // Daily Outfit Post

{dress//Target :: tights//Target :: boots// DSW :: belt//thrifted :: bracelet//my mom}

I’ve actually worn this dress three or four times before, but this is the first time I’ve blogged it! I’ve gotten so lazy with getting outfit pictures. I really need to make an effort to do better.

Every year my mom hosts the Thanksgiving dinner at our house, which means we spend the day before cooking and baking everything that can be done ahead of time. This year she had to pick up my elderly great grand aunt from her apartment 45 minutes away, since she no longer had a car. That took a good hour and a half out of my moms day, which, in turn, meant that my dad, my little sisters and I had to pick up a lot of the slack. I hadn’t had anything planned to wear, so I had to rummage around in my closet, and this seemed like as good an outfit to wear as any. I think it looks a little fallish, so I was happy with it.

Anyway, the Thanksgiving meal turned out great and was lots of fun. How was your Thanksgiving? Do you host or go to family’s for it?

Christmas Playlist // Music Monday

So I was going to make a playlist on Playlist.com of some of my favorite Christmas songs, but they didn't have some of my favorites, so I had to go to YouTube instead. I tried to get ones without ads, but there were a few I couldn't find nice ones without ads for, so I'm sorry about that.

Anyway, these are some of my favorite Christmas songs. Most of them are by Enya, Celtic Woman, Hayley Westenra or Bing Crosby. Enya, Celtic Woman and Hayley are all artists I've found on my own, but I was pretty much raised on Bing Crosby, and it just couldn't be Christmas without him!

What are your favorite Christmas songs? Are there any that you've grown up listening to that you just have to listen to for it to be Christmas? What are they?

No One Else by Breanne Duren Music Video

Breanne Düren is the back-up singer for Owl City. I've seen her picture before, and thought she was adorable, but I'd forgotten about it until Sunday night when I saw her in person. She. Is. Adorable! She has the cutest style, and her video blog is so cute! 

 I found this music video of hers, and thought you all my appreciate it. I love the vintage flair of it - it totally reminds me of something Red Velvet would put together. ♥

I especially love the part when you can see what she's packing in her suitcase. What's your favorite part?

Owl City Concert

Last night my mom, my little sister, my cousin and I got to one of the coolest concerts ever: Owl City. *screams* It. Was. Amazing! Not only do I absolutely love Owl City's music, but Adam Young is pretty awesome too - I've never thought so more than I do after seeing him last night. He seems so nice, and down-to-earth and humble - not to mention nutty.

He shared how he dropped out of college because he wasn't good at math (he couldn't "make the numbers do their magic thing), how he "tosses and turns every night wondering how he's so deserving to get to do the only thing he's really good at every day," and talked a little about how he's so nervous around girls. He also introduced Lonely Lullaby as "a song I wrote about kidney stones," but after he was finished playing he made sure to inform us that "it's not really about kidney stones." :D

And they played Fuzzy Blue lights!! *screams again* That's one of my favorite songs, but since it's on the Of June album, I didn't have any hopes that they'd play it - but they did! And Cave In, Hello Seattle, Umbrella Beach, Galaxies (pictured below), Deer in the Headlights, Vanilla Twilight, and If My Heart Was a House (all favorites of mine), and a new song called I Hope You Think of Me, which I loved!!

Seriously, I have not jumped, screamed, and clapped so much in my whole life! It was an amazing night and next time he comes nearby I want to go again! I hope you al had as awesome of a weekend as I did! And on that note I am leaving. Here's a few (dozen) more pictures of Adam, and a short (30sec) video of the beginning of Galaxies. I didn't want to spend too long filming, but the lights were soooo cool I just had to get at least a snippet of it to show you all. :D

10 of My Favorite Owl City Songs // Music Monday

If you follow my Music Monday posts, then you're sure to know that Owl City is by far one of my favorite bands. Well, last night I had the great joy to be able to seem them preform live. It. Was. Amazing. (But more on that later today.) Right now I want to share with you this playlist of ten of my favorite of their songs (some of my favorites aren't included since playlist.com doesn't have them *sad face* You all should look up Deer in the Headlights and If My Heart was a House). I hope you enjoy it. :)