Up Cycled Long Sleeve Shirt with Lace

I'm on the band wagon of Up Cycling T-Shirts lately. It's more of a wanting to update my wardrobe and not wanting to spend any money! I started with a long sleeve t-shirt and cut off the sleeves.

Then I cut a piece of lace to fit the inside of the neck line. I cut it square, pinned the lace to the inside of the shirt and trimmed the lace. Then I did a double stitch on the outside of the shirt so I would make sure the stitching looked right. Then I trimmed the lace closer to the stitching.

I almost left it like this. Then I decided to add a thin piece of lace around the sleeves. 

Pretty enough like this but then I decided to try and make the sleeve gathered. I started about 4 inched down from the shoulder by making a few stitches and back stitching. Then sewed a basting stitch down to the edge of the sleeve leaving a long tail of thread. 

I then pulled the bottom thread to gather the sleeve. 

Then take the top thread and thread it through to the bottom of the lace. Tie a few knots to secure the gathering. Cut the extra thread off.

Self portrait of the finished project, hence the cut off head and no smile! Which shirt will I do next? 

Orange Blondies

I was in the mood to make something with oranges. I love white chocolate cranberry blondies so why not make orange ones. So I loosely based my recipe off one that I had and they turned out alright if I do say so myself!

Orange Blondies

Ingredients:

3/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
2 eggs
3/4 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/4 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon grated orange peel
12 ounces white chocolate chips

Frosting:

1 8oz package cream cheese, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
Orange juice

Directions:

1. Melt butter, stir in brown sugar. Cool to room temperature.
2. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt.
3. Beat eggs and vanilla into butter mixture.
4. Gradually add the butter mixture into the flour mixture.
5. Stir in grated orange peel and white chocolate chips. (Batter will be thick)
6. Spread into a greased 9 X 13 pan. Bake at 350 for 18-21.
7. Cool on wire rack.
8. For Frosting, beat the cream cheese, confectioner's sugar and orange peel together. Add a teaspoon of orange juice at a time until you reach desired consistency.
9. Once blondies are cooled, frost.
10. Cut into bars and store in air tight container in the refrigerator.

Serendipity and Spice

S'mores on a Stick!

No time to lite a fire, these S"mores on a stick will certainly satisfy that S'mores craving.  My family fell in love with these when we were at a BBQ last 4th of July when some friends brought these for dessert. These have got to be one of the easiest desserts to create!

Ingredients:

1 package Large Marshmallows

12 oz Milk Chocolate Chips

1 package Graham Crackers

Sucker Sticks

Directions:

1. Line a cookie sheet with either foil or parchment paper. 

2. Insert sucker sticks into large marshmallows and put onto cookie sheet.

3. Crush graham crackers and put into a bowl.

4. Melt milk chocolate chips according to package directions. (One minute in microwave, stir, can cook for 15 seconds at a time if they are not melted all the way)

5. Dip marshmallows one at a time into the melted milk chocolate then roll them in the crushed graham crackers.

6. Put them onto the lined cookie sheet. When finished with them all put them into the refrigerator for 15 minutes to set the chocolate. Enjoy!