**For 1 Week (and only one week, thank goodness!) Emilee and Marquette attempted to live a life that matched up to Social Media Standards, mostly just to show what that could look like in real life and how ridiculous the idea is.**
New to the series Keeping Up Appearances? Here is where we explain our fun project, and here is where you can read how Day 1 went!
New to the series Keeping Up Appearances? Here is where we explain our fun project, and here is where you can read how Day 1 went!
Hello!
Day two of the Keeping Up Appearances Challenge is upon us, and it is going...really good!
I had a really long shift at work today, so I didn't have much time to do all the cleaning and prep that I did the day before, but I accomplished (most) of my daily pins, and a couple extra pins on top of that!
Today was craft day! Woohoo! I have been dying to make a fall wreath, and what better time to do so than in fall and during a DIY challenge!
I took some inspiration from a BUNCH of fall wreath pins on Pinterest and then went in my own direction. I love love love that I finally have a Hobby Lobby where we live and was there for an hour and half looking at all the goodies, planning, scheming, and calculating all the 40% sales I had in my basket. It was one of the best Hobby Lobby trips I've had in a while!
Here is a shot of secret pin board with all of my Pinspirations for this project.
I took inspiration from each pin and created my own smorgasbord of a wreath! Side note: I JUST NOW realized I have been saying smorgasbord wrong my entire life. Thank you internets/spellcheck, I have always said Schmorgasborg. I apologize for slaughtering the Swedish language. The more you know.
For this wreath I used a grape vine wreath form, a package of black tipped wheat, two black faux floral pieces, a package of pinecones and acorns, a faux gold leafed letter G, and some other floral accessories I picked up at Hobby Lobby. I also used hot glue and twisty-ties. There wasn't really a rhyme or reason to where anything went here, I just kind of played with the proportions and asymmetrical look and glued when I thought it looked good. How's that for directions!?
I liked this pumpkin pin a lot and decided to try it out, it didn't look too hard. I didn't know until I was picking up the supplies for this that Hobby Lobby carries fake carving pumpkins! How cool is that?! They are made from styrofoam and you can carve them like a real pumpkin, only they won't wilt or rot! Awesome right?! They are a little on the pricey side, but I used my 40% coupon and felt a little better about it.
Since I live in an apartment complex I didn't want to use the urns (which were really cute), because space is tight, but I thought just a little pumpkin the porch would be cute.
This pin was super easy. I bought the supplies, (I just happened to see these Mums at Lowe's and liked them, that is what she used in the original), I measured the circumference of the mums pot and cut the hole for the flowers with a knife, took the top off and placed the flowers inside. Voila! Quick and easy!
As for fall decorating inside, I thought this pin looked quick easy and cheap!
I chose to go with different colored candles (because it's fun!) and they all smelled yummy so I thought combined they would be delish, and they are!! The orange candle was the first to go, but eventually they all melted down and trickled through the corn kernals which looked a little halloweeny (especially red), so now they are extra fall-ish and I love them! This whole pin took me 10 minutes and $10 ( I didn't have any of the supplies for this one on hand). Also to note, my vases were a little smaller than the original and plastic cups wouldn't fit inside, so I cut different lengths into toilet paper rolls and used those to prop up the candles instead.
It's day two of Paleo and I am DYING for sugar. So I sucked up went for a five mile run and drank some water.
TOTALLY kidding!!! Seeing as I am not actually Pinterest Perfect, I made paleo brownies instead and they were amazing! My friend Randi gave me this recipe a while back and let me tell you it is stellar!
I'm not much into walnuts, so we emitted those, but I made the rest of the recipe to the letter and they turned out fantastic!
They taste like real brownies!! Hit the spot!
Update:
#longlivereallife
Here is what my house looked like while I made my Pinterest Perfect Paleo brownies (which contained REAL chocolate, take that social media! #rebel *In all reality I would have used the "healthy" chocolate, but I forgot to get it when I was grocery shopping, because I'm not picture perfect and I still wanted brownies, so I used the chocolate I had on hand, semi-sweet Toll House and it was glorious. No regrets.*)
Bed head, pajamas, real chocolate, no makeup and a kitchen mess. Day two and I'm already slipping further away from the perfection that seemed so close yesterday!
For dinner I made chicken wings...and completely forgot to take a picture! Ah! A real social media savy person would gladly have their $400 Nikon ready for some kitchen action at all times. I am soooo not used to taking pictures of all of my food, so we ate all our dinner and I didn't even think about it! Sorry! But here is the pin I used and these guys were SO DANG GOOD! Relatively easy and still paleo. Booya!
The new ingredient I used for this pin was chipotle. Believe it or not, this New Mexico native had never cooked with a southwest favorite, chipotle seasoning. We just always use straight up Chili!
All in all today went really good, I don't feel as energized and rip rearin' to go today, but I feel accomplished and think this is going well for how intimidating this felt last week. Tune in tomorrow for more fun!
Those brownies sound awesome! I've been Paleo for nearly 2 years but still have a hard time finding a variety of good desserts (nut-free because of allergies). I actually made regular brownies last night because I was craving some and didn't have a good healthy recipe, but now I've pinned this so next time!
ReplyDeleteI certainly don't live a Pinterest perfect life, but my new house majestic it look like I have an Instagram perfect one. We've got one of those hanging Mason jars light fixtures you see all of Pinterest that our friends ooo and ahh about. Lucky me, someone else did the awesome work before we bought the house.
I LOVE those hanbging mason jars, but they look like so much work! I'll have to look into them and see if they really are worth the trouble.
DeleteI really love this recipe. It tastes like real brownies and is really simple. I was impressed with the taste despite using all "healthy" ingredients.
Sorry if my comments keep posting multiple times! My Internet is being wonky!
DeleteSorry if my comments keep posting multiple times! My Internet is being wonky!
DeleteI don't get paleo, isn't there plenty of sugar in chocolate chunks? Or do you get the darker ones to reduce it?
ReplyDeleteNatural sugar is fine. Processed is the problem.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
DeleteThere is plenty of sugar in regular chocolate chunks you are right, but you can find a more natural chocolate at health food stores (up to 90% cocoa), which I have done in the past, but slipped my mind this time so I used regular chocolate. #cheater
DeleteI eat ketogenically. That would have been fun to see you try lol. Yay you for going paleo! We are all so addicted to sugar - it is like coming off a drug!
ReplyDeleteI'm not familiar with eating ketogenically, I'll have to look into that. I really love trying new diets though, not so much for the fad as to see how my body acts while on a specific diet, food is really powerful and it's interesting to see how each body reacts with different fuel.
ReplyDeleteThat wreath came out lovely.
ReplyDeleteThank you! It was sure fun to make!
DeleteGreat 2nd day. I am really wanting to make a wreath now that I see yours. It's simplicity is breathtaking and I will be stopping off after work today to buy some pillar candles to make the popcorn/candle display you made, I love it! Great 2nd day!
ReplyDelete