Southwestern Chicken Spring Rolls

It's certainly taken me long enough to post this, let alone anything else. My pictures were ready to go last week, but finding the time to sit down and blog was harder to come by. In time, blogging will become a part of my regular routine. First off, thank you so much to everyone who commented on my last post. I was apprehensive about mentioning my lover's TBI and its impact on our life because of how serious the matter is, but your kind words greatly eased my mind. So thank you, again, for taking the time to send your love and encouragement. 

Now for the delicious part of this post. I shared a picture of my lunch on Instagram recently and promised to share the recipe. So without further ado, here it is:

 These are a fantastic little snack, appetizer, or even great for lunch or dinner. I love to serve them with an assortment of fresh veggies, which are yum-yum-delish with the dip. Another great thing about this recipe is they freeze well. Matter of fact, I actually prefer them after they've been frozen. I flash freeze the rolls immediately after wrapping them, and then place them in a freezer bag. Talk about having a fantastic homemade snack on hand that is much healthier than your typical frozen meals/snacks. Nutrition for each roll based on this recipe yielding 26 rolls is 73 calories, 1.4g fat, 8.5g carbs, 6.7g protein.

The ingredients you will need are:

1 package spring roll wrappers

1/4 cup water for sealing

Filling:

12 oz. chicken breast, shredded

1 can black beans, drained & rinsed

1 cup corn, frozen or fresh

2 cups fresh spinach, chopped

2 large green onions, diced

2 large green chiles, diced with seeds removed

2 jalapenos, diced with seeds removed

1/2 large red bell pepper, diced

1-1/2 shredded cheese

handful of fresh cilantro, chopped

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. chili powder

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1/2 tsp. onion powder

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

A quick note about ingredients. This recipe works great with substitutions. Use what you have. If you have organic and fresh ingredients available use those. If not, no worries. Frozen corn and spinach can be used. If you don't have fresh peppers on hand, pickled jalapenos (that's what I used this time) and canned green chiles will work just as well. For the cheese I used Kraft 2% Mexican blend, but any variety of your liking will work. The wrappers I used were found in the freezer section of my commissary, and the brand was Orientex. For the chicken I simply prepped it in my dutch oven with stock, peppers, and onion until it was tender enough to shred. If you have a rotisserie chicken available, you can use that, too. I would have used more chicken, but that's the biggest package that was available at the store, so feel free to add in more protein...you'll be able to make even more rolls!

Back to the recipe...once you have all your ingredients chopped and prepped, combine all the filling ingredients in the bowl as pictured, sprinkling the seasoning on top, then give it a good whirl to combine the ingredients thoroughly.

Now for some reason I nearly forget to add the cheese EVERY single time I make these. It happened again as I was making them for this very post! Why I do this? I have no idea, but trust me you're gonna want to add the cheese. So before you move on make sure you add the cheese!!

Mixing all the ingredients together was the quick part, assembling the rolls will take a bit longer. I usually have a little prep station to help me along. You'll need a small bowl of water for sealing the wrappers. I also place a damp paper towel over my stack of wrappers since I can be a tad slow when it comes to making the rolls in the beginning and I don't want them to dry out. Spoon about 1/3 cup (or less) of the filling into the bottom corner of the wrapper. Do not over fill because the wrappers will rip during prep and/or baking. Roll halfway, then tuck the left & right corners. Lightly line the top corner with water, and finish rolling making sure the spring roll is nicely sealed at the end. No matter how many times I use spring roll wrappers, my first 2 or 3 are usually a hot mess until I get into the swing of things again, so just take your time and they'll turn out great.

Once you've completed your rolls, place them about an inch apart on a baking sheet with a silpat mat or simply spray the sheet with a cooking spray of your choice. Pop them into the oven at approximately 400F (make sure it's preheated) for 20+ minutes until the edges become crispy and golden. The baking time may vary depending on the type of oven used. 

While those are baking away, it's time to make the spicy avocado ranch to dip them in. Do not skip the dip...you'll be missing out!

The ingredients you will need are:

6oz. no fat plain Greek yogurt
1/2 tsp. dill, fresh or dried
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 TB. parsley, fresh
1/4 tsp. chili flakes
1/2 avocado, mashed
1 jalapeno, diced with seeds removed or 1-2 TB. pickled jalapeno
1 small red chile pepper, sliced
salt to taste (or creole seasoning if you're feeling zesty)

Combine all of the ingredients. Mix well and refrigerate for 30-60 minutes, if possible. The dip tastes great immediately after making it, but is even more amazing after allowing the flavors to blend for a bit. I tend to add extra peppers and chili flakes after the fact because we like things spicy in our house, so feel free to increase or decrease the seasonings to your liking.

If you try these out, please let me know how you like them. Hope you enjoy them!!

'Tis the Season

This Christmas is different from last year's in that my lover is deployed and I'm not in my own house for the holidays. Although, Christmas in my own house is a rarity in and of itself, considering I've only celebrated it in my own house twice in the last 11 years. However, I had the good fortune of being asked to decorate for the holidays. The only requests were that it be something that was elegant & less traditional, not too over the top, and blended well with the natural colors inside the home. Other than that I was given free reign to do whatever my imagination could conjure up. 

I had a blast working with a color palate & theme that I normally wouldn't choose for myself. I really enjoyed the challenge. It took me several days to bring my ideas to life, running to multiple stores several times to collect supplies, even though the decorations look rather simple in the end. I love the outcome, though, and it reminded me why I'm so passionate about decorating. I could happily do this every single day. One of my dream jobs would be as a decorator. Could you imagine if people were willing to pay me year round to put my creativity to use and decorate their homes & businesses? I wish!! Because let me tell you I have a million other ideas running around in this noggin' of mine.

All I know is that the day I get my forever home, my lover better watch out because I am going to go all out for every holiday, invest in extravagant permanent fixtures for the house, and finally decorate my home the way I want year round since we won't have to think about moving every few years anymore. A practical and frugal mind can put a real damper on a creative spirit. But until then I will just continue to make the most of each house that will serve as our temporary homes while we continue on this journey with the Army. After all, it's been a pretty amazing journey thus far.

Now on to the good stuff...the decorations & photos!

For the exterior, the colors were gold & red. I decorated an arch for the doorway, made a lighted garland for the lamp post, a wreath for the door, and bows to hang from each outdoor light. It was rather chilly (33 degrees to be exact) the two nights I worked on it, but thanks to a wonderful outdoor patio heater, some hot chocolate with homemade whip cream, and my fave Christmas radio station, I couldn't even tell it was freezing. And yes, I work best in my oversized pjs.

For the interior, I did a bronze & metallic theme, using silver & gold and a hint of burgundy accents. I decorated a 9 foot Christmas tree...there's literally hundreds of ornaments on it. I even spray painted several pine cones gold for the final addition to the tree. Decorating the top was a challenge considering I have terrible balance when I'm that high on a ladder. I also wrapped multiple gift boxes adorned with ribbon & flair to go underneath the tree, and made two lighted garlands (one for the fireplace, the other for a console table). I also took a few macro pictures of the decorations to put in frames for another decorative tabletop piece. And of course, I found a mini Hello Kitty cookie house kit that I had to try, so I snuck a pic in for you to see it.

The decorations look much better in person, but it doesn't help that half the pics I took were with my cell phone. What can I say...I was being lazy. It was nice having a temporary creative outlet...certainly helped with a lot of the deployment blues I've been dealing with. It also makes me very excited for all the Christmases I get to decorate for in the future. I have endless ideas for every type of theme possible...I can't wait to put them to use someday!! 

I hope you are having a wonderful holiday season! Just a few more days and Santa will be here! Word is there may even be some snow in the forecast for Christmas Day...like the song goes, "I've been dreaming of a White Christmas." 

Did you decorate this year? 

If so, what was your theme or color scheme?

Delicious Turkey Burger Recipes

Part of Operation Fierce Bod (OFB) is about fueling your body with nutritious and delicious food. There's nothing worse than eating something that tastes terrible or boring. Your taste buds deserve better than that! Eating healthy is not about feeling tortured or deprived...it's about enjoying flavorful combinations in a well-balanced diet. I've been playing around in the kitchen, once again, and this week I put together two new turkey burger recipes: Meatloaf Turkey Burgers and Sun-dried Tomato, Basil, & Feta Turkey Burgers. I have more to share in the future, but I only have photos for these two so far (everything looks better with photos!). These two are loaded with flavor, packed with protein, lean fat, & omega-3. Eating healthy never tasted so good!

Meatloaf Turkey Burgers

(makes 8 patties)

1 lb. 99% fat-free ground turkey breast

1/2 small onion, diced

1 - 1 1/2 stalks of celery, diced

1/3 green pepper, diced

2 mushrooms, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

5 Tablespoon ground flaxseed

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Nutrition facts per patty: 98.5 calories, 2.7g fat, 3.9g carbohydrates, 2g fiber, 14.6g protein 

Sun-dried Tomato, Basil, & Feta Turkey Burgers

(makes 8 patties)

1 lb. 99% fat-free ground turkey breast

1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, diced

1/2 cup crumbled feta

1/4 cup onion, diced

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 cup ground flaxseed

1 teaspoon dry basil 

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

dash of garlic powder

Nutrition facts per patty: 138 calories, 3.4g fat, 8g carbohydrates, 2.3g fiber, 17.3g protein

For both recipes, dice and chop all of the necessary ingredients. Then combine all ingredients from the recipe in a bowl, and mix until well blended. To make each patty, I mold the mixture into a rectangular shape. You can either use your bare hands (preferably washed) or a piece of saran wrap. I then cut the log into 8 equal pieces and form each piece into a round patty by hand. To cook, fire up your grill to 350-400 degrees F. It will take approximately 3-5 minutes on each side. Each grill varies, so keep a close eye on it to ensure you don't overcook or scorch the burgers. 

I like to keep these on hand for a quick lunch or snack option. I flash freeze the patties, then separate each layer with freezer paper, and place in a freezer-safe container. Pop the frozen patties in the microwave for 60-90 seconds and voila....you have a quick, delicious & healthy option for lunch, dinner, or a snack. I like to eat them with lots of alfalfa sprouts & a few tomato slices. They can be served on a bun of your choosing (I prefer sandwich thins), in a lettuce wrap, or chopped into pieces on a salad. These are sooo good...you have to try them...your taste buds will thank you...I PROMISE!!

Side note: other types of ground turkey may be used, but the calorie & fat content will increase. Also I prefer to use fresh basil, but was out, so that is also another substitution that can be made.

The Next Step

This past December I finally completed all of the requirements for my bachelor's degree. It took 10 years, something which will haunt me forever, but regardless I did it! It wasn't until the end of March that I actually received my diploma in the mail. I thought the accomplishment would feel more real then, but it didn't. Since it took me so long to finish it, it sort of feels like the accomplishment doesn't matter to anyone anymore. Maybe the day when I can put it to use will make it feel real. Who knows maybe I just need an over the top celebration? I love celebrations!

My current locale has limited my ability to put this baby to use, so it's left me to wonder what to do with the next 3 years that I'm in Italy, especially since I can't run & operate my cuppycake business here. Of course I'll be traveling and soaking in the culture, but I always have to keep an eye on the future and prepare for all possible scenarios good & bad. With this in mind I made the decision several months ago that I was going to go to graduate school. I laugh at this decision, considering I swore that once I finished my bachelors I was done with school and never returning. I seriously can't stand going to school and prefer to follow my creative pursuits. However, we live in a day and age where a bachelor's degree is no longer enough, and by the time I move back to America I would be behind the curve once again with a 3 year gap in employment & education. Plus I like to have options in case my creative pursuits falter. Thus the decision to do the unthinkable and return to school to get my master's degree.

So here it goes...I start grad school this month. I'm scared out of my mind. The intensity of the classes already has my stomach in knots. But I must focus on the potential benefits (fingers crossed) this decision will have on my future, as well as my lover's future. I've set lofty goals for myself, and have even bigger dreams. I guess the only way to see if I can reach my potential is to take the plunge.

What are some of your goals & dreams for the future?

Reese's PB Cup Cookie Bars

Yesterday I had an unexpected opening in my day, so I decided to do one of my favorite things right now...bake sweet treats for my lover. I've been trying to send him homemade baked goods every week or two. I'm intent on mixing it up, rather than sticking with my fave chocolate chip cookies. If I only made those I would end of eating half the batch before I ever mailed them. I'm a sucker for chocolate chip cookies! And they certainly won't help me reach my OFB goals.

Digging through my arsenal of baking supplies, I decided this week I would go the peanut butter route. I should mention that I despise peanut butter since it gives me a headache. However, my lover, like most men, can't get enough of peanut butter, and I had a jar of peanut butter and bag of mini Reese's peanut butter cups that were taking up space in my kitchen. 

After playing around with a few ideas, I decided to make my version of a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Cookie Bar....thick & chewy, packed full of peanut butter flavor. I posted a pic of the final product on my Instagram, and as per the request of one of you fabulous chickadees, I've decided to share the recipe for any of you who might be interested.

Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Cookie Bars

2 1/8 cups of all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 sticks of butter, melted & cooled for a few minutes

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup peanut butter, creamy (or chunky if you're feeling wild!)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 large egg, plus 1 egg yolk

1 (8oz.) bag Reese's mini peanut butter cups, halved or left whole (YES, the whole bag! Don't skimp!)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Take a 13"x9" baking dish and line with parchment paper or foil leaving an over hang so that you can life the bars out upon completion. I prefer parchment paper. Spray the parchment paper/foil with cooking spray.

In a bowl, combine flour, baking soda, & salt. Set aside. In a second bowl, combine the butter & sugars until smooth. Mix in peanut butter, followed by the vanilla, whole egg, then egg yolk. Make sure each ingredient is fully incorporated before adding the next ingredient. Add in the flour mixture. The batter will be thick. Finally fold in the Reese's PB cups. I tend to keep my Reese's frozen before mixing them in and use a rubber spatula to fold them in.

Transfer the batter into the prepped baking dish, using a spatula to evenly spread the batter to all sides & corners of the dish. Press a few remaining Reese's peanut butter cups into the top. Bake for 28-35 minutes, until golden brown on top. My oven is very temperamental, thus the varying baking time. Check at the 28 minute mark, and if the middle is too soft & it needs longer, check every 3 minutes keeping an eye on the edges...don't want to burn your delicious creation. 

Remove the pan from the oven and let cool completely before removing the bars. If you try lifting it out of the pan too soon, it will fold in half since the middle will still be semi-soft when you take it out of the oven. Cut into squares and serve. 

And there you have it! Easy peasy Reese's peanut butter cup cookie bars for all of you peanut butter lovers out there. If you decide to make these, I would love to hear about it! 

Happy baking!

France: Blunders Edition

I'm back from my week in France, and block leave is officially over. Hello reality, goodbye vacay. France was an interesting trip to say the least. The weather was no where near what was forecasted. Instead of the 60s, it was mostly in the 30s/40s with lots of rain and whipping winds. I swear when we travel in Europe, it's like a National Lampoon's movie come to life. Blunders are synonymous with our travels, but I will tell you they make for the best memories to look back on and laugh about, and we love to laugh!

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Some of the blunders from this trip:

* When we checked into our first hotel, the clerk spoke no english, but I could make out enough of what he was saying to understand that we needed to pay for the daily guest surcharge on top of our prepaid stay. No biggie. That is until he charged us for our entire stay in full again in addition to the surcharge. It wasn't until the shift change an hour later that we were able to get our card credited despite showing him our proof of payment. 

* The biggest blunder would have to be that day 2 of our trip I got pink eye. Yes...freaking pink eye! Oddly enough, I didn't panic and even thought I could wait it out. By day 3, I woke up and my eye was swollen shut and when forced open it was blood red. Brushing aside my usual apprehension with taking medication I can't read in foreign countries, I knew I had to take a leap of faith and get medication for my eye. Fortunately there was a pharmacy near the hotel, and when I walked in looking like a cast member from Pirates of the Caribbean, the women spoke no english, but one look at my eye and she headed straight for what I needed (after her eyes bugged out a bit). I hate using eye drops, but I used my madre's tried and true method and now my eye is back to normal.

Day 1 of pink eye.

* For some odd reason the bus system doesn't go to Disneyland on Sundays. It said this no where on any of the time tables. We didn't figure this out until we had waited outside in the chilly whipping winds for nearly an hour (thinking we had missed the bus). Nothing a taxi couldn't fix though.

* In Paris, we were on the Metro heading to the bus station to catch our bus back to the airport (the airport is an hour and thirty minute drive away). Wouldn't you know this is the one time during our stay that the Metro line we were on had to suddenly shut down with no explanation and no replacements coming in the near future. In a panic we raced up to the street to flag down a taxi. We had less than 10 minutes to make it to the bus station. Taking the metro we should've been there much earlier before the delay/shutdown. Of course, when I asked my lover how much cash he had he told me he only had 5 euro...what?!?! The taxi driver I flagged down spoke no english, but with the help of our bus tickets and hand gestures, he agreed to take us to our destination with what little euro cash we had. Come to find out the station was a block away and the buses were delayed by half and hour. We laughed hysterically about this.

* To end the trip with a bang, once we were at the airport, through the security check point, and outside about to board the plane, my lover realized the woman at the sandwich shop outside of security never gave him his debit card back. Eeek!! My lover decided to race back to retrieve it, which left me in a panic because it took us over an hour to get through security the first time, and we were starting to board the plane. Fortunately, he got his card back, the woman apologized profusely, and he cut in front of the security line and explained the situation. He made it on to the plane just in the nick of time.

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Wow! This was supposed to be a short post...haha. Anywho...these blunders certainly kept us on our toes. What are the chances that nearly everyone in France speaks english except for the hotel clerk, the pharmacist, and the taxi driver? And that I would get pink eye?!?! We really did have a great time though, in Paris especially. Paris is always a good idea, even if it doesn't like me (last time I broke out in hives for the first time ever). Since we've been there before, we were able to take it really easy this time and just enjoy hanging out together, strolling through the streets of Paris. Getting away from all of the chaos of late was exactly what my lover and I wanted for block leave. 

It wasn't until the end of the trip that either one of us remembered that this means the upcoming deployment is that much closer. It's crazy to think that up until that point neither one of us had really been thinking about it. It almost feels like it's not happening, probably because of all of the date changes. Of course, this just means that it's going to smack me in the face when it starts. I'm going to miss waking up to his handsome face everyday and feeling the warmth of his embrace as each day closes. I'm thankful we had this little getaway...lots more pics and posts to come about the trip and adventures in Italia once I can find a better internet connection for uploading. Stay tuned!!

Sightseeing Trio

I've been lucky enough to have had a little bit of girl time since moving to Italy. So what exactly does girl time consist of in Italy, you ask? Well on special occasions, today being one of those days, it involves Venice & the surrounding islands. And for your viewing pleasure, I quickly grabbed a couple photos from the day to share with you.

My fabulous chickadee Melissa, you may know her as New Girl or my super awesome workout buddy, and I met up with our equally fabulous chickadee Jessica, you may know her as Jesstagirl, in Venice. Venice just so happens to be the midway point between all of us via train. After meeting up we jumped on the vaporetti (water buses) for the long journey to the island of Burano, known for it's colorfully painted homes. It took nearly 2 hours for us to make the 7km journey.

The island is actually itty bitty, but ever so charming. My favorite houses were the magenta, teal, and purple houses. I wonder if my landlord would let me paint our house one of those colors? Probably not. We spent the afternoon exploring, snapping lots of photos along the way, and enjoyed a delicious lunch outside.

This is one of my favorite pictures from the day...

We asked a fellow tourist to take our picture, and I have to say I think it turned out pretty darn cute!

It was a wonderful warm day and we even made it to our train in time after a super speedy walk/jog to the station. I did, however, drop my brand new iPhone in Burano, cracking part of it. All because I was trying to take a darn picture of my sugar deficient treat from the local bakery that I crumbled all over myself. I wanted to cry, but I didn't.

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A few weeks back, the three of us met up in Venice to take in the sights of Carnevale as well. I've been horrible about sorting through pics, thus the delay. So here's a random selection from that day.

The costumes were fantastic. It was even better when people truly embraced their characters. It was, of course, jam packed, but a shutterbug's delight, and they even had a wine fountain. 

I've been very lucky to have had some girl time with these chickadees. 

It's been a welcomed break from the stress of this transition. Unfortunately, I've been spoiled, and my time with Melissa is limited, as she is moving very soon, and Jessica lives about 2 hours away. So I have to enjoy this time while I can. Pretty soon I'm going to be solo in my neck of the woods. I'm not looking forward to that, and sadly meeting new people on post has been a major bust. 

How do you meet new friends when you PCS/move?

10 Years of Wedded Bliss

On this day, 10 years ago, I married my soulmate. It's so weird to be able to say that we've been married for 10 years! I don't feel like we're old enough to have reached this milestone yet. On one hand the time has flown by and I find myself desperate for more time with my lover (darn deployments), and then on the other hand when I look back at the multitude of fabulous memories we've made together, I know that we've had a blessed, exciting, colorful, and full 10 years together. 

It's been a decade of multiple combat deployments, countless schools and training/field problems. Many days, weeks, and months spent apart, but our hearts have always been intertwined through it all. Our love has stood the test of military strains, and the strains of life in general. Reality is always good at throwing a monkey wrench into our love bubble. Fortunately, we have thrived as a couple, discovering a more mature, pure, and passionate love along the way.

We were young and naive, but crazy in love when we promised our hearts to one another forever. Without a doubt, we both didn't fully realize the magnitude of such a promise at the time, but I can say it was the best decision I've ever made, and I know he feels the same way. I wouldn't change a thing about the last decade of our love story. Through the struggles and separations we have found a way to persevere and grow into greater beings contributing to our success as a couple. I know that I wouldn't be the person I am today without the love, support, and partnership of my lover. There's something magical about a love that can make you feel exhilarated & forever young, while also making you feel protected & significant.

Reflecting on the last 10 years of being The Missus, I have an even greater appreciation for this momentous milestone. When I was 18, the life I had envisioned for myself was nothing like the life I have today, and I'm thankful it's not. My life has turned into something far greater than I could've ever imagined. It hasn't been without its challenges, but it's also been filled with extraordinary moments that make my heart swell beyond immeasurable means. 

I'm lucky to have found my soulmate at such a young age. I'm even luckier to be able to say that we're a gazillion times more in love today (that's a lot of love, folks!) than the day we said "I do", and we still have an entire lifetime ahead of us to continue loving and living in one another's arms. It makes me giddy to think that I get to continue making new memories with my best friend, especially knowing that there's an extraordinary amount of fabulosity in store for us.

So it's with an enormous amount of love, gratitude, and pride that I say 

CHEERS TO US!!

Lover of mine, you are still the only one who can make my heart skip a beat!! I can't wait for the new adventures that await us. I love you with every ounce of my being...every moment of forever!!

Vantini Winery

On President's Day, my lover and I took an impromptu trip with friends to a winery near Verona by the name of Vantini. They are known for producing Valpolicella wines; dry, sweet, red, white. My palate leans towards the super sweet variety, although I did give a few of the dry reds a try.

We were graciously greeted by the owner's daughter who educated us on the various wines produced by her family as we sat in an area that closely resembled a family dining atmosphere. She was hilarious and inviting...it was like sitting down with an old friend. We were especially spoiled when she brought out a large sampling of the salami they make on site. I've never been a fan of salami, but I certainly didn't want to come across as rude by not trying it. I took a thin baguette slice, drizzled it with olive oil (also made on site), and placed a paper thin slice of the salami that was marinated in their Amarone wine on top. Oh. my. word. It was SOOO delicious! So much so that we had to buy some. This surprised me immensely. Looks like it's time for me to invest in a deli slicer.

In addition to the indulgent wine & food tasting, we toured the facilities and met the current owner (the founder's grandson). He was rather excited to see my lover, squeezing him to pieces. After a little help with the translation, we learned that he thought my lover bore a striking resemblance to a famous Italian singer. This was incredibly amusing for us, especially considering my lover couldn't possibly look more American, freckles and all.

We had a wonderful time at the winery and definitely plan to go back in the future. For now we grabbed a modest selection of wine and salami to hold us over until the next time we visit the winery.

What types of wine do you prefer?

Ruffle Tree Skirts

A few months back while milling about on Pinterest, I saw a DIY ruffle tree skirt made using only hot glue. I was in love immediately! You could say I have a mild obsession with ruffles. Well leave it to me to resist the hot glue method when it came time to making my actual tree skirts. Sewing ruffles has become second nature to me this year, so I thought how hard could a tree skirt be. The answer is not very hard if you know the precise measurements and have a list of supplies. I had neither one when I made the decision to make the tree skirts. I guess I like a good challenge.

For the first tree skirt, I actually used a round fabric table cloth as the base because it was the only neutral colored fabric I could find on the island that I liked, and it was big enough for me to use part of it for ruffles as well. I slid it under my Hello Kitty tree to figure out the size I wanted and went from there.

Fortunately, after several days of cutting, sewing, ruffling, and attaching, I finished my first tree skirt. I happened to have the thread and ribbon I needed on hand, so I only had to purchase the fabric. I was happily surprised by the final product.

The second tree skirt came together much more easily since I finally knew what I was doing. I bought double the amount of Hawaiian print fabric before knowing how much I would really need. It's a good thing I did this because the second tree skirt ended up needing to be larger to fit our Norfolk Pine. Once it was finished it was the perfect touch to our Hawaiian Christmas tree.

I worked on the tree skirts here and there whenever I could squeeze them in. I continually referred to this project as the "Longest Sewing Project Ever". It took much longer than I anticipated, and several times I wished I had just hot glued the darn things. However, once I finished both of them, I was so happy I decided to sew them. They both have a polished appearance and I know they will hold up for many years to come.

No project would be complete without a little horsing around. I tortured my lover a bit with my first tree skirt. He was a good sport about it though.

I also danced around a bit with them. I had to have a little fun. How else was I going to remain sane working on this project? I seriously thought I was beginning to lose my marbles making these.

In the end, all of the hours, days, and late nights spent working on these were absolutely worth it. Now I have two fabulous unique tree skirts that compliment my trees.

O Christmas Tree!

This Christmas will only be our second Christmas that we've ever spent in our own home in the last 10 years. There's been no need to celebrate in our home due to our trips to see family and several deployments separating us for the holidays. The first year we were married, we went all out and bought loads of decorations for the inside and outside of our house. They were only used that one time, thus the reason we donated everything, except for 3 items, a few years back.

Knowing that my lover will be gone next year for another deployment, and with us getting ready to leave Hawaii for a few years, we really wanted to enjoy a Hawaiian Christmas. With this in mind we decided to have not one, but two trees. We have two living rooms so it only seemed suitable to do so. I'm also adamant about doing anything and everything to make this Christmas special knowing what lies ahead for us in the new year.

I actually started planning for this Christmas last Christmas when my lover was deployed, which is a good thing. It gave me a chance to slowly add to my Hello Kitty collection so that I would have enough items for my Hello Kitty tree. Does it really surprise you that Hello Kitty would be one of the themes? I couldn't resist!! The artificial white tree is adorned head to toe, front to back, with 46 Hello Kitty items; an assortment of mini and full size Hello Kitty ornaments, plush and plastic toys, in addition to green, pink, and silver ornaments. Pictures really fail to capture just how spectacular the final product is in person. I love it! If I could I would keep it up year round, but that would be overdoing it.

Our second tree is our Hawaiian tree. This is the Norfolk Pine we got from the tree farm. My lover helped me decorate this one while we listened to festive music. He was the hooker, as I liked to call him much to his dismay, and I was the hanger. We made a great team.

To continue with the Hawaii theme, we adorned it with the cutest Hawaii ornaments we could find: spam musubi, shaka santas, honus, menehunes, shave ice, tiki faces, rice bowls, maneki neko, our annual HCL ornaments, and a few lovey dovey hearts just because. Oh and how could I forget my lover's Starbucks and Ranger ornaments. He thought they were the perfect final touches.

Being able to put together two Christmas trees has reminded me of how much fun Christmas can be. Of course now I wish we could do this every year just so I could do a different theme each year (might get expensive though). I suppose that's what our retirement will be for, especially since neither one of us will be home for the holidays next year, so who knows when we'll have Christmas in our own home again. More reason to enjoy our special trees this year.

How did you decorate your tree this year?

Christmas Candle Tutorial

Although I'm rarely at my own house for Christmas, every year I still make a candy cane Christmas candle no matter where I'm at. It's one of the easiest ways to make a candle more festive for the holidays. This year my lover wanted our house to have "the Christmas tree smell"...his words, not mine. I was happy to oblige and saw it as an opportunity to make my annual candy cane candle over Thanksgiving weekend. The one difference this year is that I've put together a quick little tutorial for my blog.

To begin with you will need a candle of your choosing, preferably in a glass container. My lover selected a Christmas Wreath scented Yankee candle.

Other supplies include:

- 3 boxes of candy canes or peppermint sticks

- 1 hot glue gun

- 4-8 hot glue sticks

- 15 inch piece of ribbon

- 1 clothes hanger

I must mention that all candy canes are not created equal. Although they come in the same box, they are not always the same length. This is where the hanger comes in. I hung the hanger from my oven handle and arranged all of the candy canes by length. This is an optional step.

Starting with the longest candy cane, place a line of hot glue down 3/4 of the back of the candy cane. From there line the piece up with the bottom of the candle and place against the glass. Repeat this step until the entire candle is covered. Keep in mind you may have to raise shorter candy canes in order to keep an even top on your candle.

Once the candle is covered it's time for the final touch. I decided to use an extra piece of red grosgrain ribbon I had in the house. Centering the ribbon along the base of the candle, place a drop of hot glue on the inside of one end of the ribbon, then glue it against one of the candy canes. Wrapping the rest of the ribbon around the candle, allow it to overlap a bit before gluing the remaining end on top of the first ribbon end. And voila! You have a beautiful festive Christmas candle!

It looks super pretty at night too...don't you think?

I originally wanted to use peppermint sticks, however after looking at 6 different stores with no luck, I went with the red/green/white candy canes. It just goes to show you that the options for this project are endless. You can add more flair with a bow or decorative accents. This year I kept it simple so that it would go along with the rest of my decorations more easily. If you have a candle on hand, then the total cost of the project is less than $4....pretty sweet!

If any of you decide to try it, I would love to see your candy cane candles!