Amazing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies Recipe

These cookies tasted beyond good, and made the house smell like a cookie candle :) I wanted to share some of my favorite ingredients, so you can make your Oatmeal Raisin cookies the very best ever!

INGREDIENTS (WET):

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

INGREDIENTS (DRY):

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon
• 3 cups oats (not instant)
• 1 1⁄2 cups raisins (I used 2 small boxes)

INSTRUCTIONS: 

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Melt butter in heat safe container. 
3. Whisk dry ingredients; set aside.
4. Combine wet ingredients with a hand mixer on low.
5. To cream, increase speed to high and beat until fluffy and the color lightens.
6. Stir the flour mixture into the creamed mixture until no flour is visible.
7. (Over mixing develops the gluten, making a tough cookie.) Now add the oats and raisins; stir to incorporate.
8. Use a silicone Tablespoon measuring spoon, and scoop out dough
9. Drop 2-inches apart onto baking sheet sprayed with nonstick spray.
10. Bake 11-13 minutes (on center rack), until golden, but still moist beneath cracks on top.
11. Remove from oven; let cookies sit on baking sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

Awesome Oatmeal Cookies! YUM! - The melted butter and the sugar, eggs, and both sugars.

Here is the cookie dough before the dry ingredients are added.

I hope you have enjoyed my process of creating some incredible Oatmeal Raisin Cookies! If you make some, I'd love to see them! Put your link below in the comments! 

Nordstrom Rack + Lily The Wandering Gypsy

A little while back, I collaborated with Nordstrom Rack! They have some pretty wonderful items, for a fraction of the price you would normally find at Nordstrom. I got to choose from hundreds of items, within certain brands, and I chose all sorts of lovely accessories. 

This Mint Tote from Nine West (The It Girl Tote) is really beautiful. I love the size of it and used it for a long time, right until it got too chilly to be wearing as bright of a purse. The little laser cut flowers show off a bronze metallic layer underneath, I love how it shines! 

Also, these Sam Edelman Studded Sandals are very cute! They make an outfit look a lot dressier then other sandals. They are a little bit tight in the toes, though, so I would recommend getting a half size larger than normal. 

Next, the J. Simpson Camellia Stud Satchel, below, and the Lucky Brand Alixis Flats were cute as well. I thought that styling them with these ripped up and distressed jeans was great! I normally would prefer a darker colored purse, but if you do like lighter colors, this one may be for you. The Lucky Brand Flats have this cute little bow at the back, and the back was even stretchy, making them more comfortable. With these shoes, I would recommend even going a half size smaller or just right at your average size, so that they don't slide off your feet. These could really be dressed up quite a bit! 

 I also chose this black, Nine West Angular Zipper Satchel and the Kate Spade New York Cooper Pyramid Stud Leather Strap Watch. The watch was my absolute favorite item of all. Extremely comfortable, and I also love the colors! The purse was extremely sturdy, and only had hand held handles, so if you prefer a more structured purse, you might like this one. 

Love this watch!! Kate Spade really knows what's up :)

ITEMS FEATURED IN THIS POST:

Kate Spade Watch - Sam Edelman Asbury Studded Sandals - Nine West It Girl Mint Purse - J. Simpson Camilla Studded Satchel - Nine West Angular Zipper Purse in Black - Lucky Brand Alixis Flats in Black and White

e.l.f. Cosmetics #PlayBeautifully

I have used e.l.f. cosmetics for a long time, I love their price point, and the packaging is always so attractive! So, I wanted to share a few of their newest goodies from e.l.f. to inspire you to #PlayBeautifully! I also encourage you to check out @elfcosmetics on Instagram to see what they are up to! 

So, the makeup pictured is as follows (all products from e.l.f.). I absolutely LOVE the Moisturizing Lipstick. The shade is also incredibly versatile, and has a very natural look to it. It was definitely moisturizing, which is hard to find most of the time. I think I will be picking up as many of these lipsticks as I can hold in my little hands next time I go to Target :) 

Moisturizing Lipstick in Marsala Blush ($3), Kiss It Goodbye Lip Color Remover ($3), Prism Eyeshadow in Sunset ($10), Precision Liquid Eyeliner ($3), On The Spot Blotting Papers ($5), and the Illuminating Palette ($6).  

I'm loving this moisturizing lipstick from e.l.f. in Marsala Blush. 

FIND THESE PRODUCTS ON AMAZON
New ~ e.l.f. Illuminating Palette
e.l.f. Precision Liquid Eyeliner, Black, 0.13 Ounce
e.l.f. Prism Ultra-silky and Lustrous Eyeshadow (e.l.f. Eye Shadow - Sunset)
e.l.f. Moisturizing Lipstick (Marsala Blush)
New ~ e.l.f. Studio Kiss It Goodbye Lip Color Remover

Find e.l.f. around the web - Instagram - Facebook - Pinterest - YouTube - Google+

4 DIY Christmas Gift Tutorials - By Lily The Wandering Gypsy

Check out my Pinterest Board here - https://www.pinterest.com/happysolez/a-hankering-to-be-making-this/

This DIY Planner is one of my most popular blog posts! Check out how easy it would be to make one, and give as a gift. 

Also, check out my pin board, A Hankering To Be Making This for TONS of ideas! 

These amazing No-Bake Cheesecakes are made with animal crackers instead of traditional graham crackers. These would make amazing gifts for the holidays, since they are individually packaged. 

All you need is 3 materials for these super easy, Tassel Earrings, and they make a thoughtful gift.

These Glitzy Tree Earrings are also a cute and festive gift idea you could make for a friend, and then make yourself a matching pair! These turned out really great! 

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Fall Favorites with Toad&Co

A little while back I visited a pumpkin patch and chose the most perfect pumpkin ever! I wanted to stop at Rendleman Orchards so many times, and was so happy I finally did! The season is about over mid-November, but during the summer and fall, you can visit their adorable shop, The Farmer's Market, and get apple cider donuts, amazing apple cider, all sorts of other food and gift items, and more. If you are looking for the best pumpkins in southern Illinois, look no further! You can pick your own, or choose one they have all ready for you at the shop. 

The best part about this day was the fact that I got to sport some Toad&Co clothing!  I have loved Toad&Co ever since they had a totally different name (Horny Toad). I found a pair of their shorts at some cool shop on one of our travels, and as soon as we got back home I ordered two more pairs. I have such a hard time finding shorts and pants that fit me properly, that aren't super short, but aren't unflatteringly long. Toad&Co came through for me, and I love them for it. 

One of the items I am wearing here, is the Women's Printed Lean Leggings in Falcon Brown Print. These leggings have not pilled yet, which is amazing. Make sure to get your size, rather than sizing up. I am kind of curvy, so I ordered one size larger than I thought. These have a very forgiving fit, so just make sure you go with your normal size. The material is beautiful, I love the different shades of brown together, and the print is cute. They're very versatile! 

The shirt I am wearing is the Intermezzo Pullover, in Tyrian Purple. It has two pockets on the front, which I love, and a secret pocket that has a hidden zipper to keep small items like cash, cards, or a house key. This would be a great go-to shirt for a million different reasons. It's warm, but breathable, which is a must for me. 

I reached out to them a little while ago, to let them know how wonderful their items are, and they graciously sent me some things to review. I was extremely happy when the package arrived at my door. These clothes fit extremely well, and wow, are they well-made! No pilling at all, and I have been wearing them pretty regularly.

Cabbie even helped me out, modeling for this project :) She really doesn't like the camera at all. We point the thing at her, and she looks away, or even just plain gets up and leaves. This day, I think she really had a lot of fun at the pumpkin patch, so she humored me for just a few photos.  

I just love these clothes! They were perfect for a day out, picking pumpkins. 

These leggings are great, super comfy and NOT see-through like some out there! I have worn them with my taller boots a lot, too, and they are so cute. 

Have you ever worn anything by Toad&Co? If so, comment below and let me know what you have! 

Be sure to check out the Intermezzo Pullover, and the Women's Printed Lean Leggings. They go together so well, it's an outfit match made in Heaven! A special thanks to Toad&Co. for being so awesome! 

And, look for another upcoming post where I feature a few more of their items, soon! 

CHECK OUT TOAD&CO

Website - Facebook - Instagram - Pinterest

Erin Pelicano Necklaces

Looking for an incredible gift that is not only thoughtful, but really well made? Here are some ideas for you! Erin Pelicano has designed some amazing pieces for the women in your life. 

Erin reached out to me to help showcase her work. In these photos, I wanted to convey just how beautiful the necklaces are, and how wonderful they would be for a Christmas or holiday gift. 

All of Erin's jewelry arrives in a beautiful gift box, with her signature on it in silver. Her whole presentation is spot on! You could probably tie a ribbon around the box and consider it wrapped. 

Be sure to check out even more wonderful updates from Erin around social media!

Facebook - Pinterest - Twitter - Instagram - Google+

This one, below, I'm going to have to gift to myself, I think :) I absolutely love it! 

These necklaces are going to make some incredible Christmas presents!!! Check out her website HERE.

Happy Veteran's Day!

I wanted to share a super quick and easy recipe to add to your Veteran's Day fun! You may already have these two simple ingredients at home, so let's get started! 

INGREDIENTS

- One Bag of Lightly Salted Pop Corn - I used something like this. *Do not use white cheddar, it won't taste as good* - You can also quickly pop some at home if you prefer! 

- One Bag Each of Blue and Red Candy Melts (pictured below). 

That's it. Here are some blue candy melts, below.

OTHER SUPPLIES

Two medium sized microwave-safe dishes, and two heat-safe spatulas (one for red, one for blue).

INSTRUCTIONS

1.) Decide how much popcorn you want to use. You will need 8 candy melts per 1 cup of popcorn. The red ones coated the popcorn a bit more intensely than the blue ones did. 

2.) Melt the candy melts in the microwave at half power for 1 minute and stir. Melt again for 30 second intervals until you are satisfied with the texture. If you don't wish to use a microwave, a stovetop double-boiler method is best. Be very careful, candy will be HOT!!! Let candy sit for a few minutes to cool. Here is more info on melting the candy melts.

3. In each bowl, put desired amount of popcorn. Carefully drizzle the candy melts over top of the popcorn and stir each color with a large spatula.

4. Let popcorn mixtures cool separately for about an hour, until candied popcorn has hardened and cooled to room temperature. Mix the blue and red popcorn together in a fresh serving bowl. Serve and enjoy. 

Sugar and Spice - Yummy Creations By Cold Stone Creamery

Don't think Fall is the time to eat ice cream? Well, it is! I recently visited Cold Stone Creamery, in order to help showcase some of the most amazing ice cream I have ever eaten! There was just a small hint of spice that was very well balanced in these treats. And, if you love frozen coffee drinks, there is even a Sugar and Spice creation for you! Make sure to stop by the Springfield, IL location, the general manager was incredibly helpful throughout this project. 

I think one of my favorites in this collection is the Salted Caramel Frappe! It has just a hint of coffee flavor, just enough for me, and it's topped with a generous amount of whipped topping and a caramel drizzle. This would be perfect for an afternoon pick-me-up. 

Next, I think this adorable Pumpkin Ice Cream Pie would really impress your guests at Thanksgiving! It contains pumpkin ice cream, and is adorned with vanilla bean whipped topping and chocolate leaves! This would make such an elegant dessert option for the holidays. 

This Twisted Salted Caramel Ice Cream was also pretty great. It starts with Salted Caramel Ice Cream, and they mix in chocolate chips and pretzels. They will even top it with caramel if you ask with a smile. 

So, the Pumpkin Pie In The Sky Ice Cream was my second favorite treat. It contains Pumpkin Ice Cream, and they mix in Graham Cracker Pie Crust, Whipped Topping, and drizzle it with Caramel! At first bite, I knew this one was a winner :) 

A Halloween Party With Skype!

My friends at Skype asked me to share some amazing Halloween Party DIY Ideas! I have a few amazing ideas for a party that would appeal to kids and adults! Below you will find Chic and Cute Halloween Decor, Ping Ping Ghost Lights, and also a Tasty Candy Halloween Centerpiece. 

GHOST LIGHTS - I absolutely love these cute little ghosts! I created them with a few simple materials. The other fun part of this project, was that I was able to use Skype to help share this project with my friend, who absolutely LOVED them :) It's great being able to connect with people who live far away, and Skype made it easy. 

MATERIALS

- 1 Strand of white lights (with white wires). I used a strand of 50, but 25 would be great also.

- 10 Ping Ping Balls

- Modge Podge (any type will do)

- Foam Brush for Modge Podge

- Cheesecloth (found in the fabric/notions section at Hobby Lobby)

- Permanent Marker

- Egg Cartons and Painters Tape 

- Drill and Drill Bit - 5/16" - Or a large nail will be good - to poke holes in ping pong balls

- 4" x 4" squares of cheesecloth (x10)

INSTRUCTIONS

1.) Drill holes in all ping ping balls. You can also use a large nail to poke the holes in them. Make sure you poke the hole where the logo is.

2.) Draw spooky ghost faces on all ping pong balls. I searched for "Ghost Faces" online, and all sorts of ideas came up. 

3.) Grab your egg cartons and use the painters tape to create little cones, so your ping pong balls can sit up in the egg cartons. Use the sticky side of the tape on the outside. 

4.) Drape the cheesecloth squares over the ping pong balls, and use your foam brush to paint the Modge Podge over the cloth, to adhere to the ping pong balls. They will definitely begin to look like ghosts now!

5.) Let them dry for 4-5 hours, and place a ping pong ball ghost to every third or fourth Christmas light! That's it! Please comment below if you make these! 

HALLOWEEN CENTERPIECE

I used a big assortment of Halloween candy for this one! It turned out SO cute and I think kids would just love it. This would make the ultimate conversation piece at a Halloween party, too! 

MATERIALS 

- Large Glass Vase with straight sides

- 1 large bag of mini marshmallows and 3-4 other types of Halloween candy and Halloween Peeps

INSTRUCTIONS -

1.) Pour 2 inches of marshmallows into vase

2.) Layer Halloween Peeps around edge of vase, and fill center with more marshmallows

3.) Layer alternating colored candies all the way up, and top off with more marshmallows and Halloween suckers of your choice! 

THE ULTIMATE CHIC HALLOWEEN PARTY DECOR

I am in love with the look of a Monochromatic Halloween Party! Here, I used mostly black dishes, tablecloth, and Creepy Cloth to drape over the setting to really add a spooky element. Just let your food add some pops of color, and your guests will be so happy they came to party! 

I was able to use Skype to let my friend know the party was all set up and ready! 

Happy Halloween! And a special spooky thanks to Skype for hosting the best Halloween party ever in NEW YORK CITY! I will blog about that soon!!! 

Ooey Gooey Marshmallow Cones

Bonfire season is in full swing! I have a yummy treat that just about anyone will enjoy! You can either make these over a campfire, or even in your oven at home, suer easily. This recipe was featured on the Missouri Department of Tourism Blog! So honored to collaborate with them!

INGREDIENTS:

Hershey's Candy Bars (roughly 1 candy bar per cone or a bit less)

Mini Marshmallows

Waffle Cones (store bought works perfectly)

Foil 

CHECK OUT MY MISSOURI DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM PORTFOLIO HERE.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1.) Break the Hershey's Bar into pieces, and set aside. 

2.) Take one cone in your hand, and fill the bottom 1/3 with mini marshmallows. Add a couple of pieces of chocolate, then more marshmallows. Once you get towards the top, fill the rest of the way with marshmallows, then put a few more pieces of chocolate on top. 

3.) TO HEAT: Wrap the whole cone (and luscious filling) in a couple of layers of foil. Place near campfire (not directly on the flame - you're just trying to melt the filling.), for about 8-10 minutes, being extremely careful to remove from the embers/coals. Once cooled a bit, unwrap the foil and behold the most wonderful thing you can eat while you're camping!

- If you want to easily make these in the oven, fill the cones with marshmallows and chocolate as described above, and wrap in foil. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees, place each foil-wrapped cone in a heat-safe coffee mug (ceramic go glass only). Make sure the pointy end of the cone is facing downward into the mug. Bake for about 7 minutes, carefully remove from the oven, and once cooled, unwrap foil to see if everything has melted enough. Enjoy!!!

Halloween Party Invites + A Free Printable

I really love how these adorable invites turned out! I love the fact that you can fill these gift boxes with spooky treats, and include the invite in a really unique way! I included two printables, 

MATERIALS NEEDED

5" x 6" Black Jewelry Boxes - I used the type you would put jewelry into, with the cotton inside. 

2 Free Printables - found below this image

Red Paper Crinkles (from Hobby Lobby) - But, I found mine at the Dollar Tree

Plastic Halloween Toys / Rings (small enough to fit into the boxes) - Also found at the Dollar Tree

Halloween Candy that fits into the boxes

Halloween Confetti (found at Hobby Lobby)

Scissors

Plastic Packing Tape and a Glue Stick 

Right Click and Save the two images below. You can print them off for this tutorial! 

Print and then cut out the invites below, and insert them into the boxes at the end. 

Let's Get Started! Lay out all of your materials for the project. 

Cut out the skull design from the first printable. This will be glued to the front of the boxes. Also, cut out the address labels, which are also on that same page. 

Next, glue the skull cutouts onto the boxes with a glue stick. When you mail these, you will be covering them with clear tape, so they will stay put during shipping. 

Add Red Paper Crinkles to emulate "blood" that is oozing out of the invite...

Next, place as many pieces of candy and Halloween toys as will possibly fit into the boxes while allowing the lid to still close. I also added spider confetti here, too. 

Cut out your Get Spooky Invites, fill out the blanks, and add them to the box, on top of the candy! 

Add the recipient's address to the back of the invite, and wrap everything up tight with clear packing tape! 

Aren't they adorable??!!

Missouri Department Of Tourism

Super excited about this recent collaboration with Missouri Department of Tourism! They even posted my recipes on their blog (here). They asked me to submit ideas and then images of activities someone would do in Missouri in the Fall. I immediately thought about all the times we have camped, fished, hiked, and road tripped to Missouri! Bobby used to go down with his family to camp in Missouri a countless number of times when he was younger, and he was the one who really showed me the beauty of the state. 

CHECK OUT THE MISSOURI DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM BLOG HERE

Here are a few of my favorite images Bobby and I created for this amazingly fun and nostalgic project! View all the images in my Portfolio (here). 

VIEW THE WHOLE PORTFOLIO HERE

View This On Pinterest / View This On The Missouri Department of Tourism Blog

View This On Pinterest / View This On The Missouri Department of Tourism Blog

View This On Pinterest / View This On The Missouri Department of Tourism Blog

Emma Stine Limited

I have loved Emma Stine Limited for a LONG time. Their clothing and jewelry is gorgeous and would make any woman feel special. They recently asked me to model and photograph some of their items! I was so excited to collaborate with them. Below, you can see what I created! 

Below, I featured a few of my favorite images from the project. To view the whole photo shoot, please visit MY PORTFOLIO :) There are so many more photos to see! Enjoy! 

Learn more about these earrings - click here.

To find this dress, click here. 

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Portfolio Spotlight - FYI Style Unzipped - Cute Fall Ideas

FYI Style Unzipped was such a cute show, and a fun brand to collaborate with! I have always LOVED fashion, and you can see that in my pins I find daily. I also love TV shows where you learn about fashion, so when FYI approached me, I was beyond excited! I was asked to showcase my style in regards to scarves, ballet flats, and neon! These terms are pretty open-ended, so I did my best to try and figure out how these specific terms were most relevant to today's most current trends. Check out my FULL PORTFOLIO...

Whidbey Island - Langley, WA in September

Well, we are on one of our last stops of our BIG road trip, and this area is just beautiful! You can get a good taste of a small ocean-side town, that is not so focused around deep water ports, like some of the places we visited (like Port Townsend WA - where we hopped on the ferry, or even Newport, OR - where we visited Rogue Brewery). It's less fishy-smelling, that's for sure :)

I'm not saying we got the friendliest vibe from the people walking around the downtown area, or even at the place we hiked! We are generally friendly people and smile or wave at those who pass by us, but people seemed a little freaked out by this, and made sure to avoid even looking at us altogether. People also almost seemed bothered by us, and made sure not to move out of the way if we needed by them in a restaurant or on the sidewalks. Not sure why, maybe because we are about half the age of most of the people here, and maybe we look a bit out of place, but we don't live here, so we just take in all the beauty wherever we can. 

Don't get me wrong, we did encounter some very nice people, especially the store owners of three shops in particular, those being Kalakala Co. Mercantile, edit. gallery, and Music For The Eyes. See some of my photos from the stores, Whidbey Island in general, and Langley. 

KALAKALA CO. MERCANTILE 

Kalakala Co. Mercantile was probably my favorite of all the places in town. It is owned by one or two girls, who are super hip and really creative! The who place is ridiculously hip, actually, featuring air plants, awesome t-shirts, beer and kombucha on tap, Washington-made chocolate and caramel sauces, and more! I grabbed a couple of can glasses with their adorable logo on them, and they also offer taster glasses, half-growlers, and full sized growlers, all merchandised with their name in the most fashionable way possible! I loved the art and ambiance in this place, and I wish we had been able to drink a couple beers here, and get a growler filled. Oh well, next time! 

EDIT GALLERY 

edit. was amazing! It's not a very big space, and everything in the shop is sleek and minimal. No clutter, here! You can find more minimal and masculine gifts here, mostly home goods. I really liked the Juniper Ridge Trail Soap, the cap was made out of a branch! SO creative! They have a small set of product photos on edit's website, but items are only available in-store, so be sure to make a stop by this amazing shop if you are in Langley! I wanted everything :) 

USELESS BAY COFFEE CO. & CAFE

Useless Bay Coffee Co. and Cafe is named after one of the bays on this island. This place was packed for lunch, even in the middle of the week. The burger was really good, and although they forgot my cheese (which was $1 for a slice, so you know I went ahead back and grabbed some...), it was done just right and the shoestring fries were a great compliment! The BBQ sandwich was also great, with lots of flavor, topped with semi-sweet coleslaw. The hot cocoa was pretty good, but more light and milky than the one I had from the Braeburn Cafe just yesterday. Still, a great place to grab breakfast or lunch, sit outside with your dog, and enjoy the beautiful sights and vegetation of downtown Langley. You can definitely grab a lot of different sandwiches or pastries to go here, too. Isn't the signage at this place cute?!

HIDBEY ISLAND AGATES + THE BEACH

The beach was right at our back porch! The Whidbey Island Agates were mixed in with the normal rocks and sand, and were definitely easy to spot. They ranged in colors from green to red, orange, blue-ish, and more! We even saw a huge Man-Of-War jellyfish, it looked like Amber. What a site! There were also tons of clam shells, still in tact, and super purple inside. We also saw playful sea lions, that Cabbie wound up really taking an interest in, and also crabs and jellyfish in the water. 

Our VRBO house was located in the Fox Spit area/neighborhood. We were RIGHT on the beach and water, and the sunsets were absolutely gorgeous! Cabbie LOVED being able to swim every day, and it was hard to get her out of the water. Such a difference between low tide and high tide, because when we arrived the first night, the water came right up to the property, and we could't even see a beach at all. The next morning, we had at least 3-4 feet of sand behind the house, and we were SO happy! There are such beautiful homes here, all looking like they belong in Coastal Living Magazine or something. The house we stayed in was a newer home, two stories, that both had great views of the water. 

Lavender Lemonade - Bacardi Inspired

One of the coolest projects I have ever done is working with Bacardi to show my readers how to create summer party-ready drinks with two of their flavors - Limon and Tangerine (a new one). 

I was asked to pretty much create whatever I wanted, and below you will see some of the goodness I thought up.

Actually, the main reason I thought this recipe would be great, is that the VRBO house we stayed in while we were in the Tahoe are a couple of weeks ago had some wild lavender growing nearby. I technically borrowed some clippings from the neighbor's yard, and WOW, did it smell incredible! The other wildflowers in the photos were also sourced from the neighbors, and I will tell you, I didn't even make a dent in their landscaping :) 

I made a simple syrup with the lavender, some sugar, and water. This way the lavender infused properly into the drink. But, I actually added it into some pretty glasses with Simply Lemonade and a shot of Bacardi. Below, you will find the recipe if you want to make it from scratch, with real lemons. 

LAVENDER LEMONADE VIA SIMPLYRECIPES.COM

The sugar/lemon balance will depend on what types of lemons you are using (Meyer lemons are less tart than regular lemons), and your own preference for sweetness. While all varieties of lavender are edible, English lavender and Provence lavender are most often used for culinary purposes. If you use fresh, garden flowers, make sure they have not been sprayed with pesticides. Do not use florist flowers.

Ingredients

• A small handful of freshly picked and rinsed lavender flowers or a tablespoon of dried lavender flowers
• 1 cup white, granulated sugar
• 2 cups of boiling water for the infusion
• 1 1/2 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 cups or more of cold water
• Ice

Method

1 Cut the lavender flowers from the stems (no need to strip) and place in a medium bowl (a large pyrex measuring bowl works great because you can pour easily from it). Pour the sugar over the flowers and use your (clean) fingers to gently rub the flowers into the sugar.

2 Pour 2 cups of boiling water over the lavender sugar and stir with a spoon until the sugar has melted. Cover and let infuse for 30 minutes (or up to several hours).

3 Strain the lavender-infused simple syrup and pour into a serving carafe or pitcher.

4 Stir in the lemon juice.  Add another two cups of water. Taste and adjust for tartness. Add more lemon juice if too sweet.  Add more sugar if too tart. Add ice and more water to desired level of concentration. Note that the ice will melt eventually, further diluting the drink.

Add some thinly sliced lemons and a few lavender sprigs to the serving pitcher for presentation.

DogVacay - What's In Cabbie's Bag?

Sometimes, we are lucky enough to take our pups on vacation. But, sometimes, it's just not feasible. Next time I travel without my baby girl, I am considering using DogVacay! It's a service tat enables you to hire a dog (or cat) sitter to come to your house, or you can actually bring your pet to their house. There are thousands of sitters in the country, which is pretty cool, so most likely, someone close to your home can help you out. 

Cabbie + DogVacay  - Get a FREE day or night of Pet Sitting! Click the image to learn more!

In honor of New York Fashion Week, I wanted to show you what's in Cabbie's Bag! These are some of the items I would pack for her for a weekend away at a sitter's house. 

Water and food bowl, toys, poo bags, lots and lots of treats, rawhides, leash, collar, E-Collar with remote, A blankie that smells like home, and her new dog bed. 

Cabbie + DogVacay

HOW DOGVACAY WORKS

• DogVacay is an online community that connects dog owners with our 20,000 vetted and insured pet sitters across the US & Canada, ready to care for your dog like a member of their family in their home or yours.

• All reservations include pet insurance, 24/7 customer support, and daily photo updates of your pooch enjoying a "Vacay" of his own. You can finally travel with peace of mind--at prices half the price of the local kennel.

• How it works:

  • Type in your zip code and find a PAWesome sitter in your neighborhood.

  • Schedule a meet ‘n greet to meet your Host, then book your pup’s Vacay and pay online.

  • Receive photo updates showing how much fun your pup is having, and rest assured knowing each Vacay is covered with our free pet insurance and 24/7 customer care.

• Featured in the Wall Street Journal, the NY Times, Forbes and The Today Show.

BECOME A DOGVACAY HOST:

• Who can Host? You! Whether you're a professional dog sitter or just a regular dog lover, DogVacay makes it easy to earn money watching pups. Simply create a free profile, set your own rates, decide which dogs to take and when to take them. We do the rest!

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Cabbie + DogVacay

Cabbie + Her DogVacay Tote Bag

Use code WANDERINGGYPSY for a FREE day or night of pet sitting on DogVacay!! 

Cabbie + DogVacay

Cabbie + DogVacay

So, remember, if your fur baby needs a sitter while you are away, DogVacay has you covered! Get a FREE day or night of sitting with code WANDERINGGYPSY. 

Ulta Hair + Nails Collaboration

Recently, I was contracted by Ulta Beauty to share some of the ways I would style their nail polish. This dark denim color was really nice. I usually wear lighter colors, but I just loved how the dark indigo color complimented most of my clothing. It looked great with different shades of brown, especially leather. I was also offered a complimentary hair appointment to test out one of their new hair color services for Fall. The hair trend is bronde, and I like it a lot! It is a nice mix of brown and blonde, and my stylist made it look so natural! I am very happy with the results.

I hadn't colored my hair in about ten years, and I knew they were trustworthy enough to make my hair look natural, but elevated.

Our Big Trip!

We have been having an absolute BLAST this past week on the first leg of our road trip. I have also been gaining lots of amazing followers on Flipagram, and you can see all of my stories here - 

I just love Flipagram! I have been an active member for less than two weeks, and I have had an amazing response from their community. I have been wanting to venture into making videos and multimedia projects for some time, and this app is the best way I have found to incorporate photos, videos, and music. They make it easy to share your story with the world.

Below, you can see some of my Flipagrams from our trip so far. If you have a company and would like mw to create you a Flipagram and share it with my followers, just contact me, or comment below! I would LOVE to work with you! 

AND HERE ARE A FEW MORE STORIES I CRATED

Have a wonderful day! See you soon!

Check Out These Top Instagram Accounts

I absolutely love what some people and companies are doing on their Instagram accounts these days! Some people just have a nack for making all their images all look so incredibly cohesive, and I am still trying to figure it out! 

@juleytl

I just love her sense of style, and it looks like she has an amazing home, which is the perfect backdrop for lots of her photos. Her website, upperlyne.com, is also stunning, and a wonderful source of inspiration for me! She's based in NOLA, which would be a dream for any fashion blogger, because of all the amazing locations you could shoot photos. 

@sugarandcharm

Next, we have Sugar and Charm, She is absolutely incredible, and I am beyond smitten with her website, www.sugarandcharm.com. She features all sorts of recipes and bright, beautiful photos, and amazing DIY projects. 

Stay tuned, I will post more awesome Instagram Accounts soon! 

CHECK ME OUT!

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