How to Cross Stitch Anything

I love cross stitching. I really do, but the kits often are a little pricey. Plus, I often want to stitch something outside the box - something from my favorite TV show or a quote from a friend. So, I have a quick little "how to" to help out girls like me who are new to the stitching world.

What You'll Need:

A photo/print to work off of

 Graph paper

Blank cross stitch canvas

Any thread you need

In this example, I simply used "Confidence." I printed off the word onto two pieces of paper, half on each: "Confi" on one and "dence" on the other.

Begin by transferring your photo to the graph paper. You can do this by simply tracing, or you can color each square individually for a more detailed graph to work off of. I like to color each square in and then cross them off as I stitch. Here's my example of the "dence" half:

Next count off how the length and width on your graph.

Cut the blank cross stitch canvas accordingly.

Begin stitching!

If all goes well, you're have your cross stitch done and beautiful! Such as mine:

  

Cake Batter Dipped Pretzels!

I have always loved chocolate dipped pretzels. So when my company potluck rolled around and I found out I was going to be out of town that day, I was racking my brain for the perfect treat to give a co-worker to bring for me in my absence. Then these came to me! An old favorite, with a fun, tasty twist!



Ingredients:

Stick Pretzels

Almond Bark or Chocolate Melt

Yellow Cake Mix

Rainbow Sprinkles

 

There is no perfect formula to these treats. It really depends on the quantity that you want to make. I only made two trays and I used three squares of each almond bark,  2 Tablespoons cake batter for each almond bark, and 1 bag of pretzels.

Preparation

Begin by melting the almond bark/chocolate in a microwave safe bowl. Heat for 30 seconds followed by 10 second intervals, stirring in-between, until it is completely melted. If possible, use a tall bowl for easy dipping. Otherwise, you can just use a normal bowl and spread the almond bark around like I did.

Mix in cake mix gradually. The mixture should be thick, but still a melted consistency and workable.

I suggest rolling the dipped pretzel in a bowl of sprinkles for an even covering. I sprinkled mine on and it got messy.

Place on a wax paper cover cookie tray, put in fridge, and let cool.

Bing, bang, boom - the prefect salty, sweet treat.

Almond Bark & Peanut Bark

This is a little treat I made for my Dad for his birthday. Quick and easy, it is a great college dessert.

Vanilla Almond Bark

1 cup (6 oz) almonds

16 oz vanilla almond bark (or white chocolate)

Chocolate Peanut Bark

1 cup (6 oz) peanuts

16 oz chocolate almond bark or milk chocolate (dark chocolate would also be tasty!) 

 

Preparation

Place the nuts in a plastic bag and crush them using a rolling pin (I used a hammer lol)

Spread the crushed nuts in a thin layer on a cookie pan and bake at 350 for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown, stirring occasionally. When done, set aside to cool.

Melt the almond bark/chocolate in a microwave safe bowl. Heat it for 30 seconds, followed by 10 seconded intervals, while stirring in-between till the almond bark/chocolate is completely melted. 

Stir in toasted nuts.

Place wax paper on a cookie sheet and spread the candy out in a thin layer. If you are making both, I drizzled a bit of the other almond bark/chocolate on each bark for fun. 

Place in fridge to cool.

And that's all there is to it! I adore the Vanilla flavor with the almonds. Perfect for a small get together.

Curly Hair Tips

As an Italian girl, I am blessed with beautiful curls...that can turn to crazy, fizzy, tangles in the blink of an eye. Especially in the summer months, I hear girls such as myself often expressing their woes over this unmanagable curls. Therefore, I thought I'd offer what wisdoms that I could.

1. Only brush your hair when it is wet and filled with conditioner. I just keep my hair brush in my shower and comb it right after I lather the conditioner.
2. Leave a bit of conditioner in your hair. This will help control frizz. After I am done brushing, I feel my hair and make sure there is just a touch of cream left in.
3. Invest in some hair mousse. It doesn't have to be fancy (I get mine at the Dollar Tree!), any old mouse does the trick. Take a good amount and scrunch it into your curls right after the initial towel ring out after your shower.
4. Invest in some hair gel or cream (Again, it can be found at the Dollar Tree). Use it when your hair is mostly dry, first scrunch, then touch up on top. This will cut your frizz in half!
5. Invest in some hair spray (Dollar Tree!). I know it seems like I am giving you a shopping list, but good hair takes effort! And it is worth it. Even if you are a crunch hair hater, you need to give in. Just get a simple spray that you can spray lightly all around your hair after gelling. It will keep your curls bouncy and frizz free.
6. If you blow dry, do it in rounds and only with a defuser. I do a bit right after showering and moussing, just to the point that it stops dripping. Then I let it air dry for a bit, go watch the news, have breakfast. At that point it should still be wet to the touch, but not frizzing out yet. Then you can blow dry again, but stop just before it is completely dry. Add your gel, spray it out, and let it dry. Best formula there is.
7. Curling irons can be our friends. I used to think I never needed to curl my hair because it was already curly. But then I would be pouting by the end of the day because of how flat my curls looked. Therefore, befriend a curling iron. We, the gifted curly hairers, do not need to do all of our hair, but just a few top pieces all around our heads. You bottom curls will support them and keep them bouncy and beautiful all day. If you do curl, do it before gelling and spraying.
8. Keep a little frizz gel/cream in your purse. You can buy a travel size, or just transfer a regular size into any old small container. This way, you can touch up throughout the day. You never know when you're doing run into an old friend, a crush, or your boss, so be ready and keep the gel handy!

An Old-Fashioned Girl: A Book Review

I supposed I am a bit late on the Louisa May Alcott train. However, one can not blame me for she seemed rather old fashioned when I was a child. My taste were more geared to fantasy at that age. So I did not have the enlightening experience of reading Little Women until my 20th year, which I rather regret since it is such a touching story. But it is not just a children's tale, I believe adults can still enjoy Alcott's little life lesson and young women can still learn a thing or two from her stories. However, very few, even those who loved the book, look further into her works nowadays. Therefore, I decided to give An Old-Fashioned Girl a go and see if it followed the high praise I attributed to Alcott's best know book.

It did not disappoint. An Old-Fashion Girl starts off with little Polly Milton, a country girl, visiting her rich, city friend, Fanny Shaw. Though Fanny laughs at her little friend's modesty and traditional ways, the little girl finds a way into all the Shaw's hearts, even Fanny's younger, foolish brother Tom. We follow Polly through a couple of winters with he Shaws, teaching them valuable lessons and standing up for herself along the way, before the story skips ahead to where she is a beautiful young working woman moving permanently to the city. As Fanny is introduced to society and works to be a young lady, Polly is busy teaching music lessons to earn a living and keeping an eye on Tom, who in his later years has become quite the "dandy." Polly struggles to find happiness in her busy, hard new life, while the Shaws attempt to tempt her into simply living with them and forgetting her goal to earn her own way in the world. Just when all seems well, disaster strikes the Shaw household and poor Polly is the only one who may be able to guide them out of it.

An Old-Fashion Girl is the perfect summer read. It will make you laugh and cry, has surprise and romance hidden beneath its pages. Plus, it is just a feel good book. After you're done reading it, you will feel all warm inside. I also highly recommend mothers to offer it as a read for young girls, it may not have all of the flashy fantasy adventures I enjoyed as a child, but it is sweet, funny, and filled with little lessons that can make anyone smile.

5 Tips for Gals Trying to Shape Up

SO, as your average college girl, I dreaded the freshman 15 and in my later years of college still dread weight gain that comes from the fast meal, eating out, date night world I exist in. And, though I am still working on getting to my goal, I thought I'd offer up a few tips that have kept me and my petite little body healthy.

1. Water Water Everywhere! Drink it, drink it now! Always have a water bottle with you, even if it is just a small one. If you drink water in between meals, you feel fuller. If your tummy starts to growl, reach for your water battle instead of a snack. If you can down that water bottle and still feel hungry, then you can eat. One of my big problems is bored eating. When you're bored, you eat to spice up or sweeten your life. But often it is not your stomach asking for it, just your boredom. So fight back with water! If you can't stand it's blandness - flavor it! Toss in some oranges or lemons. Mint is a great addition because it curves appetite. For the really adventurous - try mango and ginger for a tangy taste that will boost your metabolism!
2. It's Okay to Snack! Really, no one can get through the day on just three meals. Seriously, you can eat snacks and it can actually help your metabolism. And you won't be watching the clock and getting ready to scarf down your next meal. For college gals like me - make your own trail mix with protein packed nuts and yogurt covered raisins! Stick an apple in you backpack. If you choose healthy options even ladies on a diet can snack.
3. Count Your Calories I know, I know, "it's only for people on a strict diet." Well, it doesn't have to be! Even if you just try it for a day or two, just to see what you all intake. It can shock you! I have an app on my phone I use everyday and it is called ShapeUp and I love it! It has a great database for all kinds of food and restaurants. It even has a feature where you can create your own food off of a recipe! Check out it's FB page https://www.facebook.com/#!/ShapeUpClub?fref=ts. I previously used Noom, which is another good calorie counter, with color coded food options and weight loss tips https://www.facebook.com/#!/noom?fref=ts.
4. Work That Body! For a long time I was a lazy pants who did not want to face facts, but the truth hurts - there is no weight loss without exercise. Plus, exercise is just part of a healthy lifestyle! For girls on a big campus like me - walking that 20 minutes to class is a start, but not enough! Get active! Last year I was on a very tight schedule and couldn't get to the gym. So, I started looking up exercise videos on YouTube! Here's one with all kinds of quick workouts for girls on the go http://www.youtube.com/user/popsugartvfit. And here's one that has great videos for target muscle groups http://www.youtube.com/user/FitnessBlender. And for shy girls like me who are a bit timid to sign up for a class, there are even hip hop and zumba classes on there! They are a lot of fun and you barely notice all the calories you are burning. Also, find little ways to get active during your busy life. At work, I get up and move around every 10 minutes, even if it is just a little pace around the room. In the car, do a little dance (just keep your eyes on the road and your hands on the wheel). In class, I fidget. Seriously, no one is paying attention to you. So bounce your leg, pat your hands. One move I picked up was shrugging your shoulders as high as you can and making a circular motion first forward, then back 10 times. It is quick and easy and relaxes tight shoulders from sitting in a desk chair all day.
5. Enjoy Your Favorite Foods - Just Control Your Portions I certainly do not have the will power to cut my favorite, salty, sugary, deliciously fattening food from my life. But I compromised and controlled myself. I used to be addicted to Cheddar and Sour Cream Chips,1 bag would last me 2 nights. And I had to call it quites. I stop buying the big bags and instead when I had an irresistible craving, I bought a small bag that could not have me coming back for more. For a grab and go option, I go for the 100 calorie bags. For sweet, sweet sweets, I found miniature options. Here is a recipe for 1 cookie: http://www.food.com/recipe/chocolate-chip-cookie-for-one-356866?layout=desktop. It is soooo satisfying and you don't have a whole batch tempting you. And here is a favorite 3 2 1 Microwave cake http://www.duncanhines.com/recipes/cakes/patti40/3-2-1-microwave-cake I use this anytime I am craving cake and it is so easy! You can even take it on the go! Also, look for skinny options. In the Pinterest age, there is always a skinny recipe for something. A quick fix is substitute geek yogurt, applesauce, or avocado for butter. It will cut your fat intake in half!