Printable Carrot Cake Recipe

This carrot cake is so delicious!!! I'm a sucker for carrot cake in general (and cream cheese frosting for that matter!) and this recipe makes one of the best carrot cakes I've had. Thanks to the carrots, it always comes out super moist (I know people hate that word, but in terms of cake I think it's okay!) and the crushed pineapple gives it some extra sweetness. Plus, you can totally justify seconds since it has carrots in it. (That makes it healthy, right??)

I love this recipe so much that I've actually posted it on my blog before, all the way back in June 2015. You can read that post here. It includes a video of me making the recipe. (It's so embarrassing but I'm determined not to delete any of my old posts! So... enjoy that.) The recipe itself comes from the book Teens Cook Dessert, which I got for a couple dollars at a garage sale a few years back. Score!

Anyway, Easter is coming up and I thought I'd make a simple printable of my very favorite carrot cake recipe, since carrot cake is a classic Easter dessert. You can find the printable by clicking here!

Hope you had a marvelous weekend! See you on Easter Sunday!

Printable Christmas Gift Tags

Christmas is officially a week from today! I can't believe that it's that time of the year again. I've been busy this week wrapping gifts, baking cookies, and doing a bit of last-minute shopping. I've also been avoiding the area around the mall at all costs. It's worse than Black Friday in there!

For today's post, I've created these simple little gift tags to help you in wrapping your presents. I used them on a few of the gifts I wrapped and liked how they turned out!

I recommend printing them out on cardstock, just so that they're a bit sturdier and can handle marker or Sharpie or whatever you use to write on them.

Print them out here.

Merry early Christmas!

DIY Chalkboard Bunting

Tomorrow is Halloween!! Are you ready? Is your costume prepped? Have you bought your candy? As with every year, I am struck by how strange this holiday is. But I'm not arguing. I love holidays. They're opportunities to make memories with friends and family, have fun, and forget about the daily grind of life. So have fun tomorrow, whatever you're doing (but do be safe!).

This chalkboard bunting is so versatile. I decided to spell out "Happy Halloween", but you can pick any phrase, and change it up whenever you want! I'm totally going to bring it back out for Christmas and New Year's. It's super easy to make and very inexpensive. The only material you may not have already is chalkboard paint, which you can easily pick up at Michael's.

DIY Halloween Costumes

Halloween is just around the corner, believe it or not! We have just over two weeks to come up with the perfect costume! I love making my own costumes. Handmade costumes are so much more fun than those cheap ones you can buy at Spirit. For a bit of inspiration, I gathered up six DIY costumes from across the Internet to share with you. (I didn't even realize that five out of the six were food-related until I put them all together. Oops!) Which one is your favorite? I think I like the strawberry one the best.

Gumball Machine Costume // The Joy of Fashion

Popcorn Costume // Aww Sam

Milkshake Costume // Studio DIY

Strawberry Costume // Studio DIY

Mary Poppins Costume // Keiko Lynn

Ice Cream Costume // Treasures and Travels

Chai Tea Latte Recipe

The fall season is upon us! One of my favorite things about fall and winter is enjoying warm drinks! Sure, I drink tea all through the summer, but it's even better when it's cold outside. So I'm taking advantage of this season by making this delicious chai tea latte! I always order chai tea lattes whenever I go to coffee shops (since I don't really like coffee!) and I've been wanting to try and make it at home. This recipe makes enough for three to five servings, so you can enjoy it all week!

10 Fall Baking Must-Haves

Fall officially begins this Thursday, and we all know fall is the season for baking! I love baking all year (it's one of my favorite things to do!) but somehow in the fall, it's even more fun. I've gathered up ten fall baking must-haves that I use and love whenever I step into the kitchen. I hope you find some baking inspiration!

Easter Place Cards (Free Printable!)

 



Happy first day of spring! I am more than ready for the cold weather to be over! Even though I live in California, I still dislike the winter. For those of you who live in the snow - kudos to you. I don't know how you do it!

Free iPhone Wallpaper for Spring

Well, it feels like spring here in California. And it will actually be spring in only a few weeks! Mark your calendars! On March 20th, winter will officially be over! In celebration of the rapidly-approaching change in seasons and the upcoming Easter holiday, I have for you free downloadable iPhone wallpaper! 

These tulips are courtesy of my grandma, who dropped them off for my birthday (oh yeah, I'm 18 by the way!). They were so pretty I had to turn them into iPhone wallpaper!

Getting this picture from my blog to your phone is easy. If you're already on your phone, simply hold down on the photo below until the Save Image option comes up. If you're on the computer, go ahead and right-click on the photo and save it to your computer, then send it to your phone (I do this via email). Enjoy your small taste of spring!

Don't forget: my new Etsy shop listings are up! View them here. Also, check back again on Tuesday of this week because it's my first blogiversary! I'll be doing an extra special post for that day. You won't want to miss it!

DIY Valentine's Day Goody Bags + Free Printable

Remember the printable cupcake toppers I designed last week? Well, I've found another use for them! They are the perfect touch to Valentine's Day goody bags! I've re-sized them so that they're about twice as big. Here's how to use them to decorate goody bags! 

 

Materials:

• pink and red trinkets and candy
• red and white crinkle confetti
• pink cellophane gift bags
• twist ties
• hot glue
• printable hearts

Step 1: You're obviously going to need something to put in your goody bags! I just collected a bunch of pink and red trinkets, stickers, and candy.

Step 2: Fill your bags with your treats and trinkets. Add some crinkle confetti for good measure! Close your bag with a twist tie. Print and cut out the printable hearts.

 Step 3: With a small dab of hot glue, attach the cut-out heart to the front of the twist-tie.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Printable Valentine's Day Cupcake Toppers

I am super excited about today's post. I have finally figured out how to upload a PDF from Adobe Illustrator onto my blog! And that means I can make free printables! I've been experimenting a lot with Adobe Illustrator over the past month or so and I think I've finally got the hang of it (the basics, at least...). I designed these color blocked heart cupcake toppers with Adobe Illustrator. There are twelve on a sheet, perfect for a dozen cupcakes! I recommend using cardstock to print them. It's pretty self-explanatory after that: cut them out, tape them on a toothpick (with cute washi tape of course!), and stick them on cupcakes! So cute!

The way you download these is by clicking the arrow in the box icon in the top right corner. This will take you to another window, where you can download it. Happy early Valentine's Day!

Holiday Linzer Cookies

Merry Christmas Eve! I'm cutting it close by posting these holiday cookies the day before Christmas! But in case you're still in need of a traditional Christmas cookie recipe (or just want to keep celebrating Christmas afterward), I've got you covered. I've made these cookies twice this season, testing out different recipes. And I believe my search has been successful. I decided on this one.

So what are linzer cookies? They are traditional Christmas cookies that originated in Linz, Austria. The cookies are made with a nut flour, then sandwiched with jelly or preserves and dusted with powdered sugar. The small cut-out in the center is traditionally a circle, but other shapes, such as stars and hearts, have also become popular. (Side note: The hearts would be so cute for Valentine's Day, especially with red jam showing through!) If you've heard of the linzer torte, it basically the same recipe, but adapted for cookies.

Gingerbread Cupcakes

So... I know I usually only post on Sundays, but I realized that I had planned out all these Christmas posts and didn't have enough Sundays left to share them all! So hello on a Tuesday! Hope you're enjoying the holidays as much as I have been. 

I've especially been loving all the holiday baking. I've made these gingerbread cupcakes twice already! They turned out so delicious! I was inspired to bake them after watching Zoella's video (who, by the way, is posting a new Christmas video EVERY DAY in the run-up to Christmas). But I wound up using this recipe instead because Zoella's recipe used grams (as they do in England) and I was unable to convert it exactly into cup measurements. 

DIY Christmas Pillowcase

Phew! Finals are over! I'm officially halfway through my senior year! I honestly can't believe I'm a senior still. The days are long but the years are short. Never have truer words been spoken. 

Anyway, Christmas is almost here! I'm so excited to spend the next two weeks of Christmas break doing all of my favorite things: visiting family, baking cookies, reading by the fire... And sewing Christmas pillowcases!

This pillow came about through improvisation... I was playing around with some fabric and lace that my grandma gave to me, and I actually like how it turned out! So I decided to share how to make it here. I know the holidays are busy, but this pattern is really flexible and works just fine for nonseasonal pillowcases as well.

Christmas Essentials

Only 12 days 'til Christmas! In celebration of the season, I wanted to share with you nine Christmas essentials that I enjoy every holiday season!

candle with a wooden wick - I love these because they smell so good and they crackle like a mini fire! This one is from Target.

vanilla bean noel lotion - What is there to say? It just smells amazing. I use it year-round.

Let It Snow - It's kind of become a traditional of mine to read this every year during December. This year, I was really excited, so I started it a bit too early and already finished it. Oops.

hot chocolate on a stick - This makes the best hot chocolate! It's basically a cube of chocolate on a stick that you swirl around in warm milk. Yum! You can find this one at Trader Joe's or save some money and make it yourself.

twisted peppermint lotion - I have had this lotion for a few years now. It sits on my dresser all year, but I don't let myself use it until after Thanksgiving. When my hands smell like twisted peppermint, you know it's Christmas time.

peppermint hot chocolate - 'Tis the season for hot chocolate and everything peppermint. This particular peppermint hot chocolate is from Trader Joe's. Drink it with a candy cane for even more peppermint flavor!

candy cane green tea - This was the first tea I ever liked. I call it "level one" tea. So even if you're not a tea drinker, give it a go! And it's only at Trader Joe's during the holiday season, so stock up! (I buy about 5-6 boxes in December so I can enjoy it all year round!)

fuzzy socks - Fuzzy socks are a must. They also make great gifts, because who doesn't want another pair of fuzzy socks?

linzer cookie cutter set - I've been having so much fun making linzer cookies with these! Find them at World Market.

I hope you enjoyed this quick round-up of Christmas essentials! Happy Holidays! 

Orange Pecan Snowball Cookies

Happy Holidays! I've been busy getting into the holiday spirit -- with blankets, cozy fires, candles, hot chocolate, and three local tree lightings! Suffice it to say, I love the holidays. And to be perfectly honest, the anticipation is like 75% of the fun! Another part of the holidays I love is baking holiday cookies. To kick it off, I made these simple orange pecan snowball cookies. I added the orange because, well, who doesn't want a little hint of orange in their cookies? You can substitute walnuts for the pecans if you'd like. These cookies are pretty flexible. They're so great for the holidays because they look festive and they taste festive -- the crunch of pecans and the sweetness of orange. Plus, the moment you sprinkle the powdered sugar on top, this dessert turns into a winter wonderland! Pile them up like a stack of snowballs! If you're taking them to a party or holiday cookie exchange, I think they'd also look really cute in mini cupcake liners, then arranged in a good ol' holiday cookie tin. And yes, I just used the word 'holiday' eight times in that paragraph. (I'm excited.) 

6 Christmas DIYs to Try

First, let me just say that I am totally excited that the holidays are (almost) here. And I think I'm dreaming because 25 of the most amazing bloggers on the Internet have come together for Christmas time to create a holiday pop-up blog! It's called the Holiday Collective. Go check it out!

For now, here are a few of their DIYs from the past to get you in the holiday spirit!

Christmas Tree Party Hat {Damask Love}

Wooden Tree Advent Calendar {The Merrythought}***

Gold Glitter Block Letters {Hey There Home}

Paper Christmas Trees {Parscaeli}

Polymer Clay Peppermint Candies {Lines Across}

 Wreath Gift Labels {Damask Love}

***Yes, I guess it is a little late for making advent calendars, seeing that December 1st is this Tuesday, but this idea would still work for the 12 days of Christmas!

6 Thanksgiving Printables

Thanksgiving is a little more than a week away! To celebrate, here is a quick round-up of Thanksgiving printables!

Thanksgiving Menu {Almost Makes Perfect}

Thankful Tags {Almost Makes Perfect}

Thankful Booklet {Oh Happy Day}

Wild Turkey Cupcake Topper {Oh Happy Day}

Pie Box {The Merrythought}

"I Am Thankful For" Cards {Jones Design Company}

DIY Pumpkin Spice Soap

Pumpkin spice. Nothing is safe from it this time of year. The first thing that comes to mind, of course, is Starbuck's famous pumpkin spice latte. Everyone goes crazy for it! I much prefer the pumpkin spice steamer, but that's just because I don't like the taste of coffee (sorry!).

Did you know you can make your own pumpkin spice soap? Yep. You bet you can. There is no end to the limits of pumpkin spice.

Let's get right to it!

Fall Craft: Leaf Garland

It's already week 3 of the Fall Craft series happening right here on the blog! So far I've shared how to make a Wood Slice Chalkboard and a Painted Craft Pumpkin!

This week, I'm going to show you how to make a leaf garland. It's super super simple and an easy way to add some fall charm to your home!

Fall Craft: Painted Craft Pumpkin

Chances are you're going to have guests over sometime this season. I know I'm going to have family over for both Halloween and Thanksgiving. What better time to show off your craftiness with some fall-themed DIYs for your guests to admire? This painted craft pumpkin is very simple and leaves a lot of room for you to be creative and add your own touch to it. Pinterest has countless ideas for painting craft pumpkins. I for one really love this design. You can't go wrong with gold!