DIY: Bow Hairclips

Make a bunch of these super cute little bow hairclips, via Ruffles and Stuff - tutorial here

Kina Grannis 'In Your Arms' Jelly Bean Music Video

I saw Kina Grannis 'In Your Arms' music video for the first time today. It's simply amazing - literally a work of art! It took almost two years with the work of 30 people, and required 288,000 Jelly Belly jelly beans. Mmmm I love Jelly Bellies (my favorites are Pear and Root Beer)! Director Greg Jardin and his team assembled every bean, in every 2,640 frames and shot them individually! Yikes! Basically he created a music video with the same concept as the flip book.  Props to Greg and his extreme patience! Check it out. P.S. the behind the scene's clip is great too!

Homemade Pumpkin Spice Lattes. Tastes Like Starbucks!

Every year around this time the world seems to go crazy for Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Lattes.

Guess what? I've found a wonderful recipe to make your own at home! I made these for the ladies in my Bible Study last Sunday and they loved them.

You know what's so great about the homemade version? You use real pumpkin puree instead of the fake sugary pumpkin syrup that they use at Starbucks! So yay for choosing a healthier latte this holiday season!

 

Pumpkin Spice Latte

1. Make coffee (a pot, a cup, in whatever fashion and however you prefer making your coffee. The stronger the better)

2. Make Pumpkin Milk

1 c milk (I used almond milk but use any kind you want from half and half to rice milk)

1/4 heaping cup pumpkin puree (more if you really love pumpkin)

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice blend, or to taste

1 tsp cinnamon, or to taste

1 tsp vanilla extract

sweetener of choice, to taste ( 2 tbsp brown sugar or a pinch of stevia to taste; or try honey, maple syrup, etc. to taste)

Optional: pinch of ground nutmeg, ginger, garam masala, cardamom, or other warming spices to taste

Directions: Combine all Pumpkin Milk ingredients in a blender and strain through a fine mesh strainer.

Optional: Warm the finished pumpkin milk mixture in the microwave or on the stove top (I do a quick nuke of about 1 minute)

3. Pour 1 c of brewed coffee into a mug and pour half the pumpkin milk mixture over the top of the coffee and enjoy. (Optional: Finish by garnishing with real whipped cream and a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice/cinnamon on top)

The other half of the pumpkin milk mixture is for the refill you know you will want. If you truly don’t want a refill, refrigerate it for up to a few days and use for your next latte.

Notes:

The spices will not “blend” or entirely dissolve. This is to be expected and normal. If this bothers you, this may not the recipe for you and you may want to experiment with other recipes or techniques.

*I suggest using a strainer to get rid of any gritty spices that bother you (after you let it heat on the stove or in the microwave)

Recipe adapted from Love Veggies and Yoga Picture by blisstree

Update On Our 1920's House

Here are some recent pictures of the progress on our house!

Our 1920's remodel

Danny and Doug added a dormer.

I'll have to update the photoshop image of our finished house. The dormer wasn't in our original plans, but no sweat...I think is looks goooood.

Cleared out the backyard!

Dan ran all the electrical wires throughout the house.

Danny and Doug painted the cupola! We hoisted it onto the roof and the three of us walked out into the street to get a better view. We basked in the glory of our faux brick cupola! It's pretty classy stuff.

I'm so proud of these guys. They are an excellent Father/Son team.

Etsy Love

Here are some great finds from Etsy!

What do you think? I love em!

Click on the pictures and it will take you to the shops.

Words of Wisdom

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A Pat Surprise and Jump Rock

Our friend Patrick flew down from Oregon on Friday night just to come to our neighborhood Halloween party on Saturday! What a surprise! Danny and I wanted to show him around before he took-off Sunday morning. We thought it would be fun to take him for a boat ride and swim out to Jump Rock. Here are some pictures from Saturday morning. Fun stuff!

Shanny on the dock.

Boyzzz. Aaahummm... I mean MEN.

Danny and Pat.

I'm diggin the suspenders Patty! 

The gang.

We had to fill-up the boat before we made our way to Jump Rock

Shanny and I hopped off the dock and got some fruit for the ride. I love this little stand -- so cute. Danny and I walk past it when we take evening strolls around Balboa Island.

We made it to Jump Rock and dropped the anchor about 300 feet away. The swim was the only hard part...it's a bit cold in October and we "trunked it" in Daniel's terms (meaning, without a wetsuit). Pat didn't bring trunks so he decided to swim in his jeans and suspenders. Ha-ha he's hilarious! What a good sport. Once we reached the rock, we climbed up the back side and jumped off!

It's such a rush! I love it!

You can only climb the back side on calm days, otherwise the waves will smash you against the barnacle rocks. Some people prefer to climb the front of the cliff if they are swimming from the beach.

Here are some great videos put together by fellow jumpers. If you're ever in town, you've got to try it! The rock is about 25-30 feet high. It's surrounded by kelp beds and beautiful Garibaldi fish. Just make sure you bring someone that knows the area and can show you how to jump safely. 

So much FUN!