Holiday Rolls

 Quick Recap of the No Knead Recipe:
-3C AP flour
-1.5C lukewarm water
-1.25 tsp salt* (I upped this to 1.5 this time, as I think the original could use it, I also like to add other herbs and whatnot to add flavor)
-1/4 tsp salt

Mix it all, let it rise overnight (or about 12-18 hours). 

Here is where I ventured to a new course: I let it sit in the fridge for another day and a half.  I read online that this lets this recipe develop a better flavor.  Turns out, it is true.  These were delicious!

So I pulled it out of the fridge yesterday, sprayed the miniature muffin tins with pam, and tore off hunks to put in the tins.  I preheated the oven to 200 and then opened the door and let the rolls raise in there for an hour and a half.  I had enough to do this pan and 6 of 12 larger muffin cups.  I put a little bit of water in the remaining empty tins. 

I preheated the oven to 375, put them all in, and set the timer for 20 minutes.  I wanted to watch the rolls, which sounds GOOFY I know, but I don't have a window in my gas oven at school.  I looked down to update my facebook...

AND THEN STEAM STARTS POURING OUT OF THE OVEN!!! Even though I knew that multiple recipes at substantially higher temperatures call for pans of water in the bottom...I still panicked.  I yanked the large muffin tins out and quickly used a fork to transplant them to a cookie sheet.  This was about ten minutes in so the rolls had more than enough time to form and be firm.

In hindsight, I have no idea why I thought this was such an issue at the time.  But since I was not prepared for this, it left room for panicking.  Luckily, they all turned out just fine.

And here they are!  I cooked them until just getting golden. 

So about 20 minutes, or just when they start to color is what you want to shoot for.

Remember, these don't taste like typical brown and serve rolls.  They taste like fancy bread rolls.  Which are also delicious! 

I would recommend oversized muffin tins or maybe even a small cake pan to make a bread bowl, after this experience.  I definitely think that it would be the easiest idea.

And yes, I am still working on Instagram.  I still kind of don't get it.  I think you could find me on there at greenzebra9...but I am not sure...so maybe you could follow them if you tried! Haha.

Happy baking!
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Turkey Pops

I don't mean to brag...but this was EPIC! These little buggers turned out so much better than I thought.

To start, I made chocolate cake pops.  I did this by using the lemon recipe in the babycakes cake pop maker book, leaving out the lemon extract, lemon zest, and subbing in more milk for the lemon juice.  I added 2 tablespoons of cocoa.

That is just how I roll.  I put a bavarian cream filling in them.

I cut up chocolate pieces and put them out into a tail.

Next, I melted candiquick.

I dipped the pops and then sat them directly on the tails.

I used a butterscotch for a beak.

My mom picked up the sugar eyes from Wal-Mart.

I cut apart a red chocolate and made a beard, which I attached with leftover melted chocolate.

And here they are! Pin It Now!

Hair You Go!

I know, I know, yet ANOTHER clever title. Go figure.

For a little background to this, I am 5'7"ish and have hair pretty much down to my waist.  Basically, it is pretty darn long.  I get a little peeved when people tell me it must be just tons of work...

I never use conditioner unless I have ten pounds of hairspray in it because I can't detangle it after using freeze it.

I only get my hair cut twice a year, three times if I am feeling fancy.

I don't own a straightener.

I don't own a curling iron.

I use my blowdryer maybe once a week...and that is probably vastly exaggerated.

So, how do I fix my hair, you ask?  Creatively!  Weeks ago I pinned one braid, and this will be another.  Braids are long hair's best friend. I hate hair in my face!

AHHH! My secret identity has been compromised!!!

Kidding :).  Regardless, this look is super cute and crazy easy.

I happened to do this after blowdrying my hair, which makes my hair pretty straight. 

I braided two sections of hair, one thinner than the other, pulling the sections from right behind and slightly lower than my ear.

You could put a tiny hair tie in the one while you do the other...I just held it in my mouth.  Sue me.  I don't like to waste tiny ties. After I got both of them braided, I wrapped them across my head and pinned them near my other ear.

Next, I grabbed the hair at the top of my head and ratted it with my teasing comb.  Simply ratting it never gets it to poof like in this picture, so I developed a workaround.  What I do is rat the section, then I twist it around a few times at the back of my head.  While holding onto the twist I push the entire section forward.  This seems to make the whole section hold better for me.  Once I have it to the height I want it I put three pins in the back section, two in an x shape and one going down through the x.  I call it the trinity of pins, AKA the PINity.  Seriously, it is the only way bobby pins consistently work in my head.

Then I spray the heck out of it with good quality hairspray (e.g. Freeze-IT).

Either I leave the rest of it down or I put the remaining hair in a bun.  If I put it in a bun I will sometimes take the pins out after just to make it more comfortable.  Once it is in the messy bun the poof stays up just fine.

Another favorite method of me fixing my hair is washing, detangling, and letting it get partially dry via air drying.  Like I said, I almost never use my blowdryer.  When my hair gets somewhat dry, I throw it up in a messy bun.  I sleep on it, take it out the next morning, mousse and spray it, and I have a fun scrunchy look for the day.  Usually takes me...about five minutes in the morning to get the wavy look I like.

Yea...long hair does not always mean long fixing time! Pin It Now!

Thanksgiving Ideas

Now technically this isn't a craft because I haven't done these but I was contemplating various ideas for thanksgiving cake pops. It occurred to me that it might still make a good blog for today, as the holiday is nearing and what is crafty if a good idea does not count as such?

That's my argument :) my real reason is most likely that I shut my computer down before blogging. Sue me.

Turkeys- I think it would be adorable to make a flavor of cake pops, let's say chocolate, and dip them in chocolate candy coating. Then you could put on those sugar eyes you can find at the grocery and two yellow sprinkles for a beak. You could probably use candy corn as a tail by setting it on your wax paper and then setting the cake pop on it and allowing it to dry. Another option would be using colored candy melts to make a tail and then attaching it to your cake pop.

Pilgrims- another hoot (or gobble!) would be using fudge stripe or similar cookies with rolos or Reese's cups (mini) on top to make pilgrim hats. You could sit these on top of the cake pop after you dipped it and they would have a cute pilgrim hat! Marshmallows might also be a worthwhile venture for the hat part.

Pumpkins- I know Wilton has a tip similar to a basketweave tip but its curved. This would make interesting sides on a cake pop that could look just like a pumpkin. Other options would be to use orange candy melts. A mini chocolate chip would make a perfect little stem, but I think butterscotch would taste far better with pumpkin!

Well my eyelids feel like lead....goodnight! Pin It Now!

The Craft Studio- Wall Work

As I have said, we are remodelling what will be my Studio.  It is a work in progress, and I had done the light a while back.  It makes complete sense to recreate a light months before you can hang it, right? Better to be prepared than to be in the dark, in my opinion!

The room used to just be plain white plaster with offwhite/cream trim. 

I bought the wallpaper on amazon.  There apparently is no wallpaper in any store near me, and I was about 12 shades of annoyed.  So I looked on amazon for a damask wallpaper, and found this guy!

The walls are Anonymous grey in Behr paint.  I love Behr.  It is really thick and it covers well.

We put the first coat of white on the baseboard, and I will probably put a second one some time.

As per my mom, who has used wallpaper before quite a few times, to newbies the secret is measuring and cutting straight lines.  We used a tub of warm water because none of the stores that I went to had a wallpaper tray.  But why would you even buy one when you can use a tub? Everyone has tubs!

You will want to get a wallpaper brush though, that thing came in really handy.  If you absolutely do not want to scuff up your paper (it is rare that it happened on mine but there were a few spots) you might be able to use a paint roller and get all the air bubbles out.  You would just have to try it. 

As some of you may have already noted, I did technically put the pattern sideways around the room.  I did this for multiple reasons:

• I would have had to waste about a third of a roll to get my pattern edges to match up.  Unacceptable.
• I cannot stand pattern edges not matching up.  I am looking at you, Project Runway designers.
• By going sideways, I had a perfect straight edge to butt up against the chair rail.
• By taking this pattern sideways, it draws your eye around the room, instead of being a short choppy up and down print. For a room that is about 8x8, it is PERFECT! It makes the room look much bigger.

I wanted to do a bit of a reverse in that the darker shades are on top and the wallpaper is lighter on bottom. If you want to do this in your own room, consider what paper you buy.  Smaller prints may be easier to match up, or may not be noticeable if it is not spliced perfectly.  A solid color or textured paper may not require splicing.  Also, consider measuring from the baseboard to chair rail and buying a paper with a very similar width.  The less you cut, the better.

We worked on it by cutting sections, most about 2 ft or less, and soaking them.  Next, we butted the paper right up against the chair rail, lined up the pattern just so, and used the brush to smooth it down.  You have to DRENCH prepasted paper.  Don't skimp out on it. I will probably end up using glue and reattaching some corners of a few sheets, don't worry if it does not end up perfect, you can always fix it.  ESPECIALLY if it will be your craft studio.  Heck, I will just mod podge it down if need be.

So, to recap:

• You will have a hard time finding something perfect in stores unless you want textured paintable paper.  Some stores do have ordering options.  Amazon, like usual, has everything.
• You will make sure the paper is prepasted.
• You will want to buy a brush.  A tray is optional, and tubs are very functional.  Especially under the bed tubs.
• The less you have to cut the better, but be able to cut it as straight as you can.  Get a long ruler, a pen, an EXCELLENT utility knife to trim up, and scissors.  Don't buy the cheapo knives they are awful.
• Start out slow, you will get the hang of it in no time.
• Don't give up! I was really bummed thinking my paper would not work with the small section, but the simple solution of turning it sideways made all the difference AND worked better for my room.
• Really put a lot of thought into your print.

Enjoy! Pin It Now!

Christmas Craft Studio White Tulle Wreath

My hometown is nearing their annual light up ceremony.  We wanted to start making the house look more festive, and I have desperately wanted to make a tulle wreath for my craft room.  I love some of the ones I have seen, but I was going back and forth on color versus all white.  I ended up sticking with a white and silver color scheme.

You need:
-A foam wreath form (Wal-Mart, approximately $5)
-Around 150 ft of white tulle (I bought two 100 ft rolls and did not really even use half of the second roll, but you should always play it on the safe side) Hobby Lobby had their christmas tulle on sale for 50% off
-A small 12-20 ft roll of silver sparkly tulle, I paid about $4 at HL or so
-A strand of 50 LED clear lights (my sister saved me by reminding me that LED's are cool to the touch, so I did not have to worry about anything)
-A pack of snowflake ornaments (at least 6)

If you are a little on the OCD side, you may want to make double sure they are on white strands.  I did not even think of this, but at least I was able to really disguise it with tulle.  Especially at night, you honestly do not notice it at all.

 I wrapped my lights around the form and made sure the two ends of the strand were close together.  You will probably need to use an extension cord regardless so be prepared with one when you go to plug it in.

I cut my tulle strands between 18-20 inches.  I say between because there is a good chance I eyeballed a lot of them based on one I had already cut.  It worked perfectly.




Tie the tulle onto the form, around the strands to keep the lights in place. Tie them close together, or shoved them close together after you tie them on. I did most of my white first and then tied the silver in later to be able to place it exactly where I wanted it. Let me tell you...sparkles...EVERYWHERE. You have been warned.


I have literally no idea how many little strands I cut.  But it was enough to use a 100ft roll and a part of another roll.  I know it was under 150 feet, maybe not including the silver.

You could probably get away with 125 ft of white, and whatever you can buy of silver.  I have silver and white leftover.

 My mom had the best idea ever.  I am going to hang this baby in the window (aka I already have) and so people driving buy will see it and I will see it from the inside.

I was going to put snowflakes on the outside, and my mom suggested since it was a second story window, putting the snowflakes on the INSIDE so that I could enjoy them and keeping the white snowy look on the outside for everyone else to enjoy!

I had enough snowflakes I technically could have done both, but most people (myself included) might not be able to see the real details with it being up that high so it just makes so much more sense this way! Ornaments would also be cute on this.  I tied my snowflakes on with silver tulle.  Two birds, one excessively glittered stone.

 Here is my cutie all plugged in.  The LED lights are not optional- they are AMAZING!

Big props to my sister for the LED suggestion, big props to my mom for the inside flakes suggestion, those really propelled this wreath into way cooler than what I might have originally ended up with.

Seriously.  LED is not optional anymore haha.  They come in all sorts of colors you have no excuse.

Happy holidays, and happy crafting!
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Puffy Snowman Christmas Card

Have I mentioned I love snowmen?  I really have only built one once, but I also have snow chair and snow dragon on my resume.

Don't act like you are shocked. 

Regardless, I got this blue textured paper and tore some white to go over it like a fresh blanket of snow.  My Durango hates snow.  I am good for about one day of snow a year, and then I like for it to magically disappear.  Regardless, I made the snowman using 1 inch circles as a guide and started covering the top one in puffy paint and then the remaining two, widening them as I went.

I tore some thin strips of red into smaller pieces and put it right in the paint to let it work like glue.  Next, I used my polyflake to make dots for snowfall and then polyflaked the heck out of it.

Now, I don't want to seem misleading, so I must inform you I had to photoshop the details in because it was not dry.  You know how I am with patience.  But it was too cute to wait.

Happy crafting! Pin It Now!