SO crafty! Sundays - 3D beading

I feel like maybe I am just a fan of 3D things. 3D origami, 3D movies, 3D beading...

Super cool Marvel characters from shiny bead.

Today's SO crafty! Sunday features 3D beading--something I have been dying to try since the eighth grade, but never got a chance to. Sadly, I don't have many comments on this particular topic since it is merely something I am interested in and have not yet tried. But, have some tutorials and patterns anyway!

Seahorse.

A PUG. OH MY GOD HOW CUTE.

An anime-esque black cat.

Rabbit.

Dolphin.

Carnation.

Favourite Fridays - ice wine tea

On Tuesday I bought Canada True's ice wine tea from my local Winners. It instantly became a favourite! Here's a picture, but mine doesn't look like this at all (or any of the pictures that I've seen) so maybe it was a reject. It does have "Canada True" on the top, though.



The tea has a very nice and sweet aroma, but I'm not a big fan of the tea itself. To be honest, the tea doesn't taste like much. It is a very watered-down version of what it smells like and is not very sweet at all, unlike it's alcoholic counterpart. This is also, however, why I like it.

Here's a picture, but mine doesn't look like this at all (or any of the pictures that I've seen) so maybe it was a reject. It does have "Canada True" on the top, though.

You see, I really, really like how it smells; and since it basically tastes like water, it's perfect for mixing with other drinks! So, what I've been doing with it is combining it with other teas that have no aroma but a really strong taste. For example, lemon teas that are very sour, but don't smell like lemon.     Or those frozen fruit concentrates that you add water to.

Here's my recipe:

1 teabag of sour lemon tea
2 teabags of ice wine tea
4 cups of water
1 can of peach fruit punch
Frozen fruit of your choosing

Boil the teabags in the four cups of water. Let it cool for about fifteen minutes to half an hour or so so that it is still warm, but not boiling. You should have about 3 1/2 cups of tea. Mix it with your fruit concentrate. Add frozen fruit for extra flavour and to cool it faster. Refrigerate.

Might look something like this?

Tasty Tuesdays - flan (custard pudding)

Who here watches or used to watch anime? Well here's one for you guys!

I was always very fascinated by japanese pudding. Not only does it jiggle, but it's in so much anime and is sometimes depicted as super cute characters. What does it taste like?? Make your own and find out!

On Youtube there is a channel called "Cooking with Dog" in which a Japanese woman makes food with her super cute and well-behaved dog. Here she shows that making flan is, apparently, really easy.

Now, I'm sure there are plenty of variations of flan or custard pudding. If you think about it, creme brûlée and flan are basically the same thing, so there is definitely many other recipes all over the internet. I just like this one the most because the flan that I wanted to make was the one from anime and I trust this Japanese woman to make a basic, traditional Japanese flan. Plus, it's super easy!

SO crafty! sundays - eeveelutions

Who here has never heard of pokemon? Hands up. Well, if you're hand was up, SHAME ON YOU.

Just kidding.

Pokemon was basically my life growing up. I loved cartoons so, so much when I was little (STILL DO, NO SHAME). They basically fuelled my life and also shaped me into what I am now. I'm not saying cartoons are good for kids, I'm just saying they're not all that bad for kids in moderation.

Anyway, I grew up with Hello Kitty, Sailor Moon, Hamtaro, and, of course, Pokemon. My favourite Pokemon? Eevee. Not just eevee, though, eevee and all of the eeveelutions. So this SO crafty! sunday is all about them.

Firstly, amigurumi. Amigurumi is, to briefly explain, the Japanese art of crocheting dolls. You may thinks that's silly, because it's just crochet, but most North American crochet is of scarves, blankets, mittens, or generic toys like The Princess or The Dragon. Amigurumi is usually the crocheting of characters; for example, pikachu from Pokemon, The 11th Doctor from Doctor Who, or Harry Potter from the Harry Potter series.

Let me tell you this, sonny: there is a ton of super cute, super cool, and maybe-not-super-easy-but-not-super-difficult amigurumi patterns of eeveelutions on the web.

aphid777 on deviantArt has a lot of free, super cute eevee and evolutions in her gallery! :) For the basic eevee, visit here. REMEMBER: Everyone has different rules for their tutorials, especially for crochet/knit things that require patterns and, for simpler patterns, very little skill or understanding. For that reason, people who post free patterns, such as aphid777, usually require that you credit them and do not sell the pattern or finished product. Even if you do sell the finished product, please don't do it obnoxiously--for example, selling it online or making a point of "legally I can sell it". If you really need to sell it (someone asked you to make one for them, and you don't want to say, but you don't want to do it for free) then make it very clear that you are charging them for material and time. I'm not sure if that justifies it, but I think it's better than just blindly taking credit for everything. 

Eevee shrink film charms. This is very helpful! I never knew how you made the colour look so nice.

This is a site full of pokemon paper crafts--most importantly, however, is that they have this super adorable paper version of a jolteon (and the rest somewhere, I reckon).

If you didn't know, I'm a huge fan of 3D origami.

Super old picture (2011)

Therefore, 3D origami eeveelutions are heaven. As much as I like this vaporeon, I personally prefer things to be smaller and cuter, so I would probably make a few adjustments--but that's just me! (Note: This is not a tutorial, but if you get the basics of 3D origami, "copying" other people's projects aren't too difficult! For a beginners tutorial, simply search "3D origami for beginners". There are a lot of beginner tutorials--each of them slightly different, so I'm not going to link to a specific tutorial. I had to go through a few myself before finding the one I liked the best.)

Eeveelution perler beads. Super cute and easy to do... but what do you do with the end product...?

Fox Ears headband; simply adjust the colours to your preferred eeveelution!

Favourite Fridays - Collins Key

If you keep up with America's Got Talent, you might have heard of him. I do not keep up with America's Got Talent, so I hadn't heard of him. Basically, though, he is a combination of a few of my favourite things: magic, Youtube, and pretty eyes.

Collins Key was a teenaged contestant on the show whose talent was magic. He was dubbed, I think, the "popstar magician". Something to that effect since he's met a couple of celebrities and many a Youtuber through his performances.

Why do I like him? I love magic. Like, so so much. I love the wonder, the unexplainable, the Disney. As an added bonus, he's around my age! To be completely honest, there are not many North American celebrities that are around my age (i.e.: people around the same age group as me in which I can relate to) that I like. Either I don't like their personality, or I don't like what they do (because there are some people who I really don't think can act/sing very well--personal opinion!).

From his Youtube videos, he just seems like a really likeable guy. I mean, I'm not saying he's an amazing poet or literary expert, but he can connect to his audience really well--like any self-respecting magician should!

Why does it matter that he's a Youtuber? It doesn't. I just love Youtube, especially the people on it. I yearn so much to be a cool blogger or a funny Youtuber--but I'm just not that good with words, written or otherwise. I have my days, but there are very few days. Few and short. So the fact that he's on Youtube, and has met and might be friends with Youtubers I have subscribed to and love just amplifies the amount of appreciation I have for him.

(Seriously though, I think he's super hilarious. And magical because magic, wow.)

Tasty Tuesdays - rubiks cube brownie

Hey there, world! It's Tasty Tuesday!

I can't remember whether or not I have already mentioned this, but I had my birthday party a little while ago in July. It was "nerdy" themed and all we did was eat and watch movies for about... ten hours? Something around that. We watched three musicals--Repoman, Little Shop of Horrors, and the Rocky Horror Picture Show--and nibbled on Lego piñata cookies, blueberry trifle, finger sandwiches, melting "ice creams", and Rubiks cube brownies.

I got the idea for lots of them from Pinterest and Youtube! There are tutorials all over the place.

The easiest to make out of all of these were the Rubiks cube brownies. All you need to do is bake brownies, cut them into cubes, and use frosting to attach the cubes of brownie. Attach three together first, and then attach two more rows of three brownie cubes. Then just decorate the outside to fit the "colour" of a Rubiks cube.

I used sprinkles because I didn't want to make frosting and didn't have enough coloured chocolate. For the full tutorial that I used to make these, go to Rosanna Pansino's Nerdy Nummies. (PS: Her end product looks ten million times better than mine. I need to find a recipe that doesn't make crumbly brownies...)

wrinkles and technicalities

Hey there!

I'm not sure if you've noticed, but I've changed up the schedule.... No particular reason, though.

During my hiatus, I've been crazy busy with side projects, baking, work, and super exciting things like opening a stall at the farmers' market in my town for the very first time! However, I'm back now--just before 2nd year starts, which should be very interesting--and I hope to keep up this blog as a kind of journal for myself.

So, firstly, it's Sunday! Let's get crafty!

Since it's my first post for the new schedule--and since I haven't had much time to really test out any projects firsthand, I'm going to post a couple of super easy, last minute gift idea projects.

Origami/Duct Tape earrings - Basically making very small things with duct tape or paper and attaching the earring fastenings. For origami earrings, you can fold small cranes, mini paper stars, or even fold mini 3D origami triangles and make little fish or dragonflies! Just be sure to glaze/gloss the paper afterwards, just to reinforce it and protect it from water!

Duct tape notebooks - I really like the notebooks at this particular link (there's no tutorial), but there's tons of tutorials on the internet!

Easy luminary ideas! - any shape, any colour light, any material! Totally up to you!

Make some paper cut outs for whatever it is you need a gift for! Frame it, glue it onto a card or  a box, make a shadow puppet... the ideas are endless!

Place your gifts in boxes that can turn into a desk organizer! :)

Happy making!

Hiatus

It's only been less than a month, and I'm already going on hiatus. What is this life.

Firstly, I apologize for straying from schedule and disappearing! What seemed to happened is that I'm still used to my high school timetable, and with nothing to do in what used to be the two busiest months of my school year, I was more than a little depressed. Not that I was too aware of it until it started to go away. I don't want anyone to be confused, though. I'm not trying to say that depression is something that easily comes and goes or anything--nor am I trying to romanticize illness. Simply, I was unhappy, and nothing was able to cheer me up.

That's why I started this blog. To give me something to do, to make me happy and full of purpose.

Then the end of June came. With June came the feeling of summer and, more specifically, not wanting to do anything. Yes, the summer holiday mood has finally kicked in. And so has my schedule. It's funny, isn't it? That, when you want to do something, you have nothing to do; but when you don't want to do anything, there's always a lot that needs to be done.

As soon as I became lazy, more of my friends began texting me to for coffee dates or shopping trips or movie nights. Then, it also kicked in that I have to arrange a time for my correspondence tests and to renew my license.  I also, finally, have my own laptop. It's just too bad that I don't know how to use it. As funny as that may sound, I am not lying when I say I cannot use new technology without help. Then this, then that... I just didn't have time!

Right now, I'm also in the middle of cleaning my house--which includes going through boxes that have been untouched for more than a decade--and I will probably be on leave until August. Which is really too bad, because my birthday is in July!

I have been keeping up with DIY Tuesdays and Tip of the Weeks, though. When I get back to blogging, I will overwhelm you with my newfound knowledge! Promise.

improve me

I didn't do a Mismatched monday yesterday because I realized Mismatched mondays are now very similar to trending Thursdays. So, I'm still looking for something to write about on Mondays. My apologies!

On Sunday, a friend and I went to a festival in a neighboring town. It was an hour and a half drive away, and during this trip I stepped up my iPhone picture taking game--I have to catch up to Erika, after all! As an apology for my lack of Mismatched mondays, please accept these pictures.

 
The gist of it is - I tried deep fried ice cream for the first time, there are a lot of mountains and pretty scenery where I live, we found a lonely crab, I had cotton candy on a stick for the first time (was not as tasty as I had originally anticipated), and I TOOK PRETTY GOOD INSTANT PICTURES.

Tip of the Week - smelly stuff

Have shoes that stink? A bag? Garbage that just follows you around your house?

Do you drink tea or coffee? If yes, then save those teabags and coffee grounds! The caffeine in both of these substances absorbs odors (just don't smell the teabags after you've put them in your shoes--gross!).

All you have to do is save up a few teabags, keep them on a plate or in a cup to dry, and then place them in your shoes overnight or even up to a week. Here's the thing, though. Tea doesn't have as much caffeine as coffee and also--usually--doesn't have as strong a smell. If using teabags, they soak up their capacity for smelly odors quickly which means you have to replace them often and use more of them. 

So, obviously, the opposite of that is that coffee absorbs more and leaves a fragrant coffee smell in your shoes. For the garbage, all you have to do is save up your coffee grounds in a separate container and occasionally sprinkle your garbage bin with it. For your shoes, bags, or other "use-ables", place two or three heaping spoonfuls of coffee grounds into a small coffee filter (the filters that are usually used for single servings or for two cups). Pour it into the flat middle, and then fold the frilly edge to meet the base of the filter. Fold the other edge to the end so that you now have a rectangle. Take the open ends (your filter should now be long with the coffee in the middle, and two sides will be open) and fold the filter in half so that the ends meet. Fold the tip of the ends about a centimeter, and then fold again. Staple. It should kind of look like a teabag. Stuff into your shoes or anything smelly! 

Trending Thursdays - what IS up?

The sky is up and the sky is beautiful today.

Here's the thing. I've been looking at "what's trending" and "what's popular" but all I get are (a) videos or (b) celebrities. Or BuzzFeed lists. So I'm just going to look up things that I find cool that I don't know enough about.

Today's topic, thrift stores.

I was out with a friend today. We had lunch and just chatted for about two hours. When things get long like that I tend to get a bit awkward or antsy... So I usually look around and such, but he didn't seem to mind at all! I actually think we're both like that.

We caught up, but he did tell me he had an appointment around three. This is another friend who didn't know I had an instant camera so I took a picture of him in front of a mural that's by the building he needed to go to. It turned out really well (in total I have only two polaroid pictures that came out well, not including that one) and then we went our separate ways.

Well, right beside this mural was a local thrift store. I hadn't been in there in ages, so I dropped in really quick to check out the books. This was my find.

I found a violin jar and a book about conspiracies! The thing about thrift stores is that they are so hit-and-miss. It is a real life example, like garage sales, that one man's junk is another man's treasure. To you, these things may not be interesting or may not have a use, but to me, they're perfect.

You see, I've been looking for a cool, cheap glass jar for a while. I fold little paper stars and straw stars and put them into all sorts of glass containers. Some of them are little jars with corks, some are star-shaped, another shaped like a bear. I have some that are actually uniquely shape wine bottles that I washed out and removed the stickers from. But I've filled them all up. I've been folding stars since I was eight, maybe younger, and over the years I've probably made over five thousand stars. I love string instruments, especially violins, so this violin-shaped glass jar that cost one dollar just made my day.

(The next is the book about conspiracies. I can't explain that. I just have an interest.)

I got to thinking how a few years back, thrift stores became this big thing. Like, with the arrival of "hipsters" came the demand for used books and thrift stores. Old fashioned, vintage items came back in to style (were they really out?) and all of a sudden, young people were going to libraries and thrift stores more than before. Has that stopped? Or did it even really begin? Was it maybe that teenagers were always going to libraries and thrift stores, but now they had a name and a presence?

I don't know. What I do know, though, is thrift stores weren't created the day hipsters demanded them. They've been here a long time, and I don't know much about them.

Thrift stores are also known as charity shops, and generally what happens--and what people know about--is that used items are donated to the store manned by volunteers, and then sold at very low prices. The profit these stores receives goes to their stated charity, like the Red Cross, Salvation Army, or funding for patients of a local hospital.

(info via Wikipedia) The first few thrift stores began during World War I. It started as more of a bazaar or fundraiser of sorts as one of the earliest thrift stores, Wolverhampton Society for the Blind, began selling items made by blind people to raise money for the society. It wasn't until World War II that thrift stores really became popular as Red Cross opened over 350 of these such stores.

Now, especially with this kind of economy and with the pop culture trend of "being hipster", thrift stores are popular in entirely different sense. So popular, in fact, that there are even tutorials teaching you how to shop when you're there! Here are some tips I found:

-look for something specific. Think about online shopping and how sometimes that can be difficult because you can't "see" everything. In stores, there are a limited amount of items in a enclosed space. Online, there could be an endless amount of things--if you just follow a subject, you could be searching for hours! When you have something in mind, even roughly, online shopping becomes incredibly convenient. The same applies to thrift store shopping. Sometimes, because it's a second hand store, you may have a negative impression of a certain colour or style of clothing before really looking at it--or maybe a too positive one. Sammy Davis suggests taking pictures of certain items of clothing you already own so that you can find something to match it.

-Get Rich Slowly suggests to ignore your prejudices. Don't assume that second hand items are dirty or only there because they are "garbage". Also don't assume, though, that all things at thrift stores are vintage and hipster

-They also suggest using thrift stores as a way to diversify your wardrobe or to decorate your living area in ways you never thought of before. You can buy colours, designs, or just things you wouldn't normally pay for to experiment for cheap.

-and a lot of different sites suggested looking for familiar brands. Don't be afraid to try out new brands, but it's always a steal when you see cardigans--if you're a cardigan lover--of your favourite brands.

DIY Tuesdays - of panda macarons and 3 ingredient chocolate banana cake

Last Thursday, I attempted to make lemon macarons with Erika. Sunday, I successfully made panda macarons--can I get a hollaaaaaa?

The recipe is from Ochikeron on YouTube--it did help a little that I could see each step before acting them out myself. Plus, I legitimately think that this recipe is ten times simpler, partly because there are less ingredients and partly because I managed to make them by myself. Since this recipe comes with step by step instructions, I'm just going to post little tid-bits on the side... 'Cause I made a lot of mistakes along the way.

Panda Macarons:

Necessary Equipment:
electric mixer
pastry bag with a 3/8-inch round tip

Ingredients:
((Macaron Shells))
55g (2oz.) egg whites
50g (1.8oz.) granulated sugar
60g (2.1oz.) ground almonds (without skin)
80g (2.8oz.) powdered sugar (confectioner's sugar)
((Buttercream Filling))
2 egg yolks
40g (1.4oz.) granulated sugar
100g (3.5oz.) unsalted butter *room temperature
vanilla extract
((Decoration))
brown and pink chocolate pens

Directions:
((Macaron Shells))
1. To draw panda face, you want to make large macarons. So, draw about an inch and a half wide circles (leaving about 2 inches between) on a piece of paper. To make perfect uniform circles, you wanted to place it under the parchment paper to trace. You can search for the template online.
2. Measure the egg whites in a large bowl, and keep in the fridge (to make them easier to whip). Sift in ground almonds and powdered sugar in a large bowl, then keep in the fridge (to let them stay dry).
3. Meringue: Whip egg whites with an electric mixer until foamy. Gradually add granulated sugar 1/3 at a time, then continue to whip until stiff glossy peaks form when you lift the beaters. 
4. Add the meringue into the dry ingredients, and mix with a silicone spatula until just incorporated.
5. Macaronnage: Punch down the spatula into the batter, then scrape batter from the sides to the center, and punch again. Repeat this for 10 or more times (depending on your arm strength) until the batter slowly and continuously drips back into the bowl like a ribbon when you scoop it up with the spatula.
6. Line baking sheets with parchment paper, place the template under the parchment paper. Fit a pastry bag with a 3/8-inch round tip, and fill with batter. Pipe out the batter in the circles (the batter will spread a little, so keep it smaller). Tap bottom of each baking sheet (or slam on the counter) to release any air bubbles in macarons.
7. Let stand at room temperature until dry, and a skin forms on the tops,　for about 30 minutes or more. Make sure the batter will not stick to your finger.
8. Preheat the oven to 150C (302F). Bake for 14-15 minutes. Let the macarons cool completely on the baking sheet.
((Buttercream Filling))
1. Beat the egg yolks and sugar until they turn a lemon-yellow color and thick.
2. Add the butter and mix well. Then add vanilla extract to taste.
3. Pour the buttercream into a pastry bag.
((Decoration))
1. Pipe about 1 teaspoon buttercream on to the middle of one shell, then gently place another shell on top.
2. Set the chocolate pens in a cup of hot water for a few minutes. Cut the tip of the chocolate pens and draw panda faces on the macarons.

Rest the filled macarons for a day before eating them. You can store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Firstly, when she talks about a template, take her seriously! My macarons were all weirdly shaped and oval at best, so it really does help to have a template! Then, because I think Japan is more humid than western Canada, I also didn't re-refrigerate the egg whites nor the almond-icing sugar mix. With the almond flour, dispose of anything that doesn't sift through! You don't want chunks of almond in your macarons, after all. 

Then, unless you are experienced with making macarons (in which case you are probably just laughing at this post), take her seriously when she describes the macaronnage. Actually count out how many times you've done it. I didn't and was trying to gauge by comparing it to cake batter; the macarons did not crack and actually came out pretty well, but they fluffed up a lot because I over-thinned it. What happened was I had a very thin, crunchy layer of macaron, and then a lot of air before a chewy and dense bottom. At least the "feet" did actually come out!

Definitely use parchment paper as it helps a lot when you are trying to get the macarons off of the baking sheet. They should stick a bit to the paper--macarons are chewy inside!--and it's just much easier to be able to hold the sheet up and peel the macaron off. Don't forget to tap it on the table because if any air bubble remain in the macaron, it will crack! 

My macarons only had to sit for about 15 minutes, but remember I also thinned it way too much. When I piped my mixture on the baking sheet, it spread like crazy (importance of counting!), and became very thin so it may have dried faster. I'm not too sure. What I do know is you can actually see a skin forming on top! It goes from being shiny--when you first pipe--to glossy.

 

BE CAREFUL WHEN YOU TAKE YOUR MACARONS OUT OF THE OVEN. I squished a perfect macaron shell with my thumb because I wasn't paying attention. 

Next, the buttercream icing is pretty straightforward. The only issue I had here was that my butter wasn't soft enough. I was able to cut through the butter easily, so I assumed it to be soft enough. What I ended up having was a lot of butter chunks and I wasn't able to mix it with a spatula. I beat it on medium with my mixer instead, but that just made little butter chunks. I ended up putting the mix in a small bowl and putting that into the microwave for ten seconds. After that, I used a spatula to flatten the bigger butter chunks, and then used one of the beaters from my electric mixer and just whisked quickly until the right consistency. It turned out really well! I then put it in a bag and refrigerated it (mostly because I had microwaved it I was scared of it being too runny). It was super easy to pipe and melted in your mouth.

Lastly, the chocolate pens. I can't buy chocolate pens where I live, so I dropped some dark chocolate chips into a Ziploc bag, tied off the end (like you would a piping bag), and placed it into a cup half full of hot water. every few minutes I took the bag out and "kneaded" it just to help it melt and see how far it's already melted. I repeated this until it was completely melted, and then cut a very small hole for piping.

Mismatched mondays - of doodles

Ah, doodling. It's what you do in math class when things just get too...math. Scribbling, writing, drawing, you name it--it happens without you knowing. To some, it's a waste of time and a distraction. Spending time doing something you're not supposed to; drawing pictures of cats (that aren't necessarily nice) instead of focusing on your studies. To others, however, it's an escape. It enables you to rest your brain muscles and clear your head so that you can think more creatively and clearly. (That's what I think!)

Well, to those of you who believe that it's a waste of time, suck it, because studies show that people who doodle during phone conversations, lectures, and while studying actually retain more of the info. Of course, the doodles have to be somewhat related to the information, something like a visualization of what you've just learned. 

(I don't know about you, but I hate it when I'm note taking, and my professor just speaks at a 100 miles per second. "Doodling" comes in handy when taking notes, too! Instead of writing out "flower" or "house" just draw a quick one!)

Fastcompany.com lists steps to turn your mindless masterpieces into learning enhancers! Although they mean to enhance doodling in a "company" sort of sense, their tips are helpful for everyone. They discuss the "visual alphabet"--symbols that are easily recognizable and draw-able--to just having confidence in your doodles. Really, who cares? Remember, it's the thought that counts!

Besides remembering that last thing said during a lecture (that could help you pass your midterms!), doodling also helps enhance your artistic abilities. Need to learn how to doodle? Well, it's quite simple, really. 

Everyone has their own method of memorization, their own studying techniques, and their own doodling identity. I like like to jot down a single idea first--my name, something that's currently bothering me (if I'm worried about a test, chances are my page will be filled with vocab that I can remember), a flower as spring draws near--and then work around it. Draw shapes or write words that somehow relate to your idea and then just get farther and farther away from it. I do highly doubt that you don't know how to doodle, though. Just check your homework or notes from the class you hate most, you could be very surprised!

If you've checked out the link above, I particular like their last suggestion: create your own doodle world. Create a place that inspires you every time you think about it. A place where you can do whatever you want, however you want. Create a story with characters, unexplainable shapes and events and people. 

Make your doodles inspiring and let them inspire you.

You never know what it may turn into.

Here are a couple of themed ideas to get you started if you're nervous:

Doodle on your hand. (not what it sounds like, more like this) Trace your hand(s) once or several times and create something within the hand. I remember back in pre-K my teachers used to have us do this on Mother's Day and Thanksgiving. It was a bittersweet reminder of how fast we grow, but just how much smarter and more creative we get with each passing day; yet, it was also a weird shape and a great way to make a turkey. Just saying. 

Doodle the Earth. Show how this planet looks in space, in your head, or just draw it and fill-in-the-blanks.

Heck, doodle space or animals or space animals. Just get on a tangent! 

(NOTE: As I was typing that, I couldn't remember the word tangent and instead wrote "tandem" which I learned it's number one definition, according to Google, is "a bicycle with seats and pedals for two riders, one behind the other.". This is the kind of stuff I'm talking about, people. Learn something new from a silly mistake and just keep going.)

And, of course, it wouldn't be Mismatched mondays if there wasn't something to mismatch. You see that "TO LOOK FOR..." list? That's a list of things I will continually be searching and try to fit in here and there.

Well, here's a cheap, quick, and totally dorm room approved Paper Heart Wall Art.

macaron adventure

A couple of things before I begin the adventure:

-My headphones have just broken and I am devastated. 

-I just bought a dress. This is something new, trust me. 

-Screw it, I've decided to do "Mismatched monday"s, "DIY Tuesday"s, and "trending Thursday"s. Mismatched monday will be just random thoughts I have or interesting things I've found. DIY Tuesday will be anything DIY that I've recently done (crocheting, baking, origami, etc.), with a tutorial. Trending Thursdays will be about "trending" things. Basically, I will try and find popular things and learn about them and blog about it. *Note: I'm not a very trendy person. Not even in that cool, old-fashioned, backwards way. 

-Erika's made me sound pretty amazing on her blog. She's an amazing writer, though, so I think this fact just amplifies her talent. 

On to the show!

Erika and I decided to make macarons. We were very excited, but we maybe should have seen the signs ahead of time--things weren't exactly going our way. To start things off, we couldn't find almond flour. We live in a small town, so chances were if one grocery store didn't have almond flour, none of them would and we would never be able to make macarons ever. Turns out we seemed to be blind specifically to almond flour, as we had been in the right aisle, looking at the right section, and it was just sitting there staring us straight in the face. We didn't even see it until the second trip to the aisle.

We bought our groceries, headed over to my house to pick up some necessary ingredients that I had, and headed on over to Erika's house. We had dinner. Had a nice conversation. Caught up. It was quaint and lovely. And then it ended.

Here's the recipe:

For macaron shells

• 1 cup almond flour
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 egg whites
• ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
• ¼ cup fine granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon lemon juice
• Yellow food coloring
For lemon buttercream
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teapsoon lemon zest
• ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
Instructions
1. In medium bowl, sift together almond flour and powdered sugar twice. Set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl with whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on medium speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar and continue to beat. Slowly add sugar one tablespoon at a time. Increase the speed to medium high and beat until hard peaks. Add lemon zest, vanilla extract, lemon juice and yellow food coloring. Beat on medium speed for one more minute.
3. Sift the almond flour/powdered sugar mixture over the whipped egg whites. Gently fold the mixture running the spatula clockwise from the bottom, up around the sides and cut the batter in half, as shown in the video above. The batter will look very thick at first, but it will get thinner as you fold. Be careful not to over mix it though. Every so often test the batter to see if it reached the right consistency. To test the batter, drop a small amount of the batter and count to ten. If the edges of the ribbon are dissolved within ten seconds, then the batter is ready. I repeat, do NOT mix again. If you still see edges, fold the batter couple more times and test again. I posted a few pictures above to show you how just couple of folding changes the consistency of the batter. This step is so crucial, so please make sure to test often to ensure not to over mix the batter.
4. Transfer the batter into a pastry bag with a round tip.
5. Pipe out 1.5-inch rounds about an inch apart on prepared baking sheets.
6. Tap the baking sheets firmly on the counter a few times to get rid of any air bubbles. If you don’t release the air bubbles, they will expand during baking and crack the beautiful macarons shells. And who wants cracked macarons, right?
7. Let the macarons rest and dry for 15-30 minutes. On a humid day, it might take an hour or so. To see if it’s ready to be baked, lightly touch it. If the batter doesn’t stick to your finger, then it’s ready. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
8. Bake the macarons for 18-20 minutes. To check the doneness, remove one macaron. If the bottom does not stick, they are done.
9. Transfer to wire rack to cool for 15 minutes, and then remove from the baking sheets.
10. While macarons are drying, prepare the lemon buttercream. In a mixing bowl with whisk attachment, beat the butter until fluffy. Add powdered sugar, heavy cream, lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla extract and salt and beat until well combined.
11. Transfer the buttercream into a pastry bag and fill the macarons.

We began by "sifting". The only thing is, Erika does not sift, or measure to a T as I do. There was a lot of guestimation as well as me silently crying inside. Okay, maybe not that silently. I made my opinion quite clear, rudely even. 

"sifting"

We also didn't read the recipe ahead of time. I had seen a few videos making macarons, and they described this unique method of making the thick batter a bit thinner--this recipe didn't use that and instead used a simple folding technique... We may have over folded. 

 

We piped them, let them set, and put 'em in the oven. They looked pretty legitimate!

...And yet, this is how they came out:

Smiley face!

Half-eaten "macaron"

 

Erika takes really good iPhone pictures

They came out ridiculously flat--but they were sweet, tangy, and deliciously chewy. The buttercream came out perfectly, though!

Look at how incredibly fluffy and delicious that looks. You probably can't see it. That's okay, it's hard to see. You're just going to have to trust me.

Did I mention I have a Fuji Instax 8? It's a polaroid/instant camera--and, apparently, I keep forgetting I have not told anyone about it... or very few people, as Erika did not know. I had brought it along to take beautiful pictures of our amazing macarons, which didn't exactly end up happening, but Erika took beautiful pictures of the one polaroid I did take.