Halloween Party Inspirations

September 29, 2015

Dying to host a killer Halloween Party this year? Now is a great time to start searching for fun props, recipes, and party ideas!

TEST TUBE SHOTS & MIXED DRINKS

Mix up some blood orange cocktails and label them with Blood Types and drink ingredients.

Pamela Smerker Designs printed off cute tags so she could package up some candy in the cutest way ever! Click here to see the whole party she designed!

UTILIZE BEAKERS

This is my favorite Halloween idea ever! Halloween Drink Lab!

Here is a more sophisticated way to serve drinks in beakers. I could also see making a larger scale punch (or even sangria) for your party and use a larger beaker as a carafe. — Here is a more sophisticated way to serve drinks in beakers. I could also see making a larger scale punch (or even sangria) for your party and use a larger beaker as a carafe.

CANDY - CANDY - CANDY

Here is a DIY idea I just love! If your guests have a sweet tooth, grab some Halloween candy for them to munch on while they party the night away.

And, this idea is super easy! Grab a white bowl, set a rubber skeleton inside, and fill with this awesome Halloween Puppy Chow recipe.

A rustic candy corn display in a paper bag with twine tied around gives this a "farm" feeling

USE DRY ICE

This Dry Ice Martini is super chic and will be a crowd pleaser!

Whidbey Island - Langley, WA in September

September 16, 2015

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.

Fall Rice Krispy Treat Pops!

September 15, 2015

Ever wonder why your rice krispy treats don't turn out soft, rich, buttery, and super tasty? You may be using the wrong method. Here, I will show you the old-fashioned way to make Rice Krispy Treats on the stovetop - with real butter.

I love how these little leaf treat pops turned out! They could be customized to just about any holiday or party theme, too! Feel free to add food coloring to them to really customize them in a new, unique way. Here we go!

Fall Rice Krispy Treat Pops - Lily The Wandering Gypsy

Ingredients:

- 3 Tbsp. REAL Butter (Organic Preferred)

- 6 C. Rice Krispy Cereal

- 6 C. Marshmallows

- Sprinkles in Seasonal Colors

(Not Pictured)

- Parchment Paper

- Baking Dish

- Smaller Wooden Skewers

- Leaf-Shaped Cookie Cutters

Instructions:

In a large pot, melt butter over low heat (slower is better, so the butter doesn't burn.). As that melts, add marshmallows. Continue to melt the ingredients over low-medium heat. Make sure to watch the mixture so it doesn't brown. The mixture should look a little something like this right before you add the cereal.

Add the cereal and mix well to combine all of the ingredients.

1.) Spray baking dish with non-stick spray or butter. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit inside the dish.

2.) Pour in Gooey Cereal Mix.

3.) Use another piece of parchment paper to pat down the cereal mixture flat into the dish. This will keep your hands WAY less messy.

Once cereal has cooled, remove the cereal and parchment paper, and put it onto a cutting board.

Use your favorite leaf-shaped cookie cutter, press firmly down into treats. You can use a bit of non-stick spray on the cookie cutter if the treats stick. Carefully insert small skewer sticks into the leaves. Make sure you don't jab your hand. I got about 12-13 leaves out of my batch, and had lots of pieces left over to devour :)

Enjoy! Happy Fall! Check me out on Pinterest.

Boho Jewelry For Fall!

September 14, 2015

Look at these new arrivals from Maurices! They are all so adorable, and compliment your boho outfits SO well! Click the items to shop. Use the arrows to see the whole collection. Enjoy!!

Check out the whole collection from

Lacey Ryan's Jewelry Designs

NastyGal Clothing and Accessories

September 11, 2015

I have loved this company for a long time. I wanted to show you some cool items that are available on their site

Boho Outfit - White Dress + Cosmic Scarf

Lavender Lemonade - Bacardi Inspired

September 8, 2015

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.

Lavender Lemonade - Lily The Wandering Gypsy

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.

Cannon Beach, Oregon

September 7, 2015

We are here in Cannon Beach, OR and it's so beautiful! It's my favorite kind of weather, not usually above 75 degrees, and chilly at night, to where you have to wear long pants and a hoodie or light jacket. We are staying at The Tolovana Inn, in a rental condo, and we are just a short walk from Haystack Rock. Our balcony overlooks the beach, an ideal way to enjoy the beach. Last night, being the Saturday of Labor Day Weekend, there were bonfires spotting the beach, and it was so fun to sit on the balcony and people watch.

Here is a cute outfit idea of what to wear to Cannon Beach in the mornings and evenings.

Cannon Beach, and many of the beaches on the northern Oregon coast, aren't exactly beaches where you lay out and sunbathe. You may just get ankle deep in the water, but the beaches here are amazing for taking long walks. This beach is especially dog-friendly, so Cabbie has been having more fun than ever! It takes dogs a little while to get used to the ocean, since they are used to fresh water, in rivers or lakes. They have fun, nonetheless.

We have loved using the Garmin E-Collar for Cabbie, and while we always carry a leash with us, we hardly ever have to use it. The E-Collar is great because we can keep Cabbie within ten feet of us or so, and while she normally stays pretty close anyway, in case another dog catches her attention, or a kid is playing with a toy Cabbie things looks fun, we give her a little vibrate, and she comes right back to us.

Cannon Beach is also only under a two hour drive from Portland! We drove to sample the amazing beer selection the city has to offer, and I know we barely scratched the surface. We sampled some tasty brews, and also got as many bottles of unique beers as we could carry out of the store. But, I will post about that amazing-ness soon!

This road trip has been incredible and we still have two more glorious locations to go before we stop through Bellingham for a couple days, and then head back down the coast to ultimately return to Illinois...Until next time!!!

DogVacay - What's In Cabbie's Bag?

September 5, 2015

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! — 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.

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!
With over 1 Million doggie nights booked, our Hosts rest easy knowing each Vacay is covered by insurance and 24/7 customer care.

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