Chai and Lemon Zest Cookies

Well I finally found the recipe that matched these cookies! 

I had the pictures for a while, but I couldn't find the recipe that went with it. I knew it was in this one book, but after going through it several times I couldn't find it. Turns out I was calling it the wrong thing. Oh well. But here it is!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon of salt

2 tablespoons of finely ground Chai tea

1 cup (2 sticks) of softened butter

1/2 cup of confectioner's sugar

1 large egg

1 tablespoon of lemon zest

1 egg white, lightly beaten

So, you first mix together the flour, salt, and ground tea in a large bowl. 

In another bowl, beat together butter and confectioner's sugar until blended. Then you beat in the egg and lemon zest. (I didn't add the confectioner's sugar to my recipe and it tasted really good without it, so  just in case you wanted sugar free!)

Gradually start mixing in the flour mixture from the first step and then put the batch in the fridge for about 30 minutes to cool down and harden.

Once the oven has been preheated to 325 F and your cookie sheet has been buttered, you can scoop the dough into little circles and spread them out on the cookie sheet.

Then brush the top of the circles with the egg white and cooke them for about 10 to 12 minutes!

Happy eating! I have been so busy lately. I was in PA for a wedding last week and for the next week I will be in South Carolina and won't have internet, so I apologize in advance! My oh my this summer has flown!

Love, love

Kate 

Thrift Savvy

If anyone knows me, they know I like to thrift. Recently I spent 2 hours in a single thrift store. Why? Because there were too many good bargains to pass up. 

Being a low-budget senior in college, I don't have the luxury of buying brand new designer dresses whenever it strikes my fancy. But, on occasion, I do find a great designer dress at a consignment shop and finds like those get me so excited, making me feel like I just won the jackpot.

Second hand stores also are places clothes go when their owners don't want to put effort into keeping them in great condition. Like this shirt below. Cute right?

Well this little shirt here had one small problem.

It had a hole in it. I knew I could fix it easily, so I kept it in my "to buy" pile. When I got to the register, I decided to ask them if they had a discount they could give me since it was ripped. Sure enough they did. A whooping 50% off discount. So I paid a little over a dollar for this shirt.

It took me about 3 minutes to sew up the hole and now no one can even recognize where it previously was.

It doesn't hurt to ask for a discount! I also got this skirt that day too.

Love, love

-Kate 

Chalkboard Cabinet DIY

I opened my mom's spice cabinet a week or so ago and saw her top favorite recipes taped to the inside of the cabinet. It was kind of cluttered, so I suggested that we paint the inside of it with chalkboard paint and then write the recipes on the cabinet so it would be easier to read. She loved the idea and let me do it up!

I used the sponge because the angles work really well on the edges and it doesn't leave any streaks!

Really easy! My mom keeps showing it off so I think she really likes it. :)

Hope you all had a great 4th of July! We had people over at our house from before noon till almost 11 at night! We had so much fun and enjoyed having lots of friends of all ages come hang out with us.

How did you guys spend your 4th of July?

Love love,

-Kate

Life is Chaos

So on Monday when I said I'd be back tomorrow, I really meant the day after tomorrow. Not really. Yesterday just ended up being busier than I thought. Isn't that always the case though?

I mean, nothing ever seems to go exactly how we plan, on matter how much we plan. There are too many variables we can't control. And the more we try to control it, the worse we feel when it doesn't happen like we thought it would. But the beauty of all the chaos is, while we may not know what's going to happen, God does, and if I trust him, then I know I don't have to worry about whatever life throws at me.

I did some painting therapy a few days ago and I thought I'd post about it. I just took some quick photos, nothing special.

I wanted to make a banner, but I didn't have any long pieces of paper so I cut 3 strips of paper and connected them. 

After outlining the edges with yellow, I mixing white and some black with the blue, red, and teal to give it a turbulent vibe.

Yesterday I took my sister shopping and we hit the jackpot at a thrift store. In fact, we spent almost 2 hours in that place. I might write a post on that for you. There is just a thrill about hunting for the best bargains it makes me so happy when I stumble upon a treasure.

Love, love

-Kate

Illustrator Fever

Hey everyone, I'm so sorry I haven't posted anything in over a week. But I am back and with more stuff for your viewing pleasure. 

I've been addicted to Illustrator as of late and have been designing lots of different things for my internship.

This week I have: 2 DIY projects to post, 1 cookie recipe to show you, and a couple photos from my internship.

Since it's Monday, I figured I owed you guys a mixed-media Monday post. :)

I will be back tomorrow! :)

Love, love

-Kate

Articles and Experiments

I thought I'd show you a little of what I've been working on at my internship. A week ago or so I wrote and assembled images for an article that was posted on Hallie's website. I am currently working on 2 more articles and informational pages for her website. 

I've been assisting on shoots, and when I'm done, I rush home to try on my own what I've learned, with the camera and with editing. Here are a couple shots I took of my sister while I was practicing.

She's such a good sport putting up with all my experimenting.

I'll be back around soon! I am working on the CUTEST DIY for my little reading nook and I can't wait to share it with you! 8)

Love, love

-Kate

Anchors Away!

So I'm in a nautical mood as of late. And have an obsession with anchors. So I decided, naturally, to make an anchor for my living room.

There really weren't that man steps. I just cut out an anchor, painted it (I had no black paper), and wrapped yarn around it.

I'm thinking of writing a sailor phrase or word, at the top. It doesn't have to be in English. Got any ideas? I'd love some input!

Love, love

-Kate