Make Your Own Taco Seasoning

Today at the grocery store I stared at the back of the mystery taco seasoning packet for a while and began to wonder why I was even considering buying it. Not only do I have everything to make my own taco seasoning at home, but if I make my own, I'll actually know what's in it! So, I searched through some recipes online and put this together. The verdict... I'll never buy a packet of seasoning again!

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper

Mix it all together and keep what you don't use in an airtight container.

DIY: No-Sew Burger Costume

You might recall the Louise Belcher costume I made last year. Well, my obsession with Bob's Burgers (and burgers in general) continues. I finished this burger costume (complete with a pickle hat) yesterday and couldn't wait to share it. It's so easy too! I didn't sew a thing!

What you'll need:

• about 2 yards of tan felt
• green, yellow, red, brown, and white felt (pre-cut squares or about 1/2 a yard of each)
• scissors
• Poly-Fil
• hot glue

Start by cutting out everything you'll need. I cut 6 large tan circles, white sesame seeds, yellow squares for cheese, red half-circles for tomatoes, and scalloped green shapes for lettuce. 

Hot glue two of the circles together at the edges (do this twice). Leave a small opening and flip the circles. Now stuff them and glue the opening shut. You should have a top and bottom bun as well as two leftover circles.

Glue the sesame seeds onto the top bun. Glue the cheese, tomatoes and lettuce to the back of the top bun. Do the same for the bottom.

Now take those two leftover tan circles and glue them to the backs in order to cover the ugly edges of the cheese, tomatoes, and lettuce. Use brown felt to make straps.

That's it! I made my pickle hat by sandwiching a piece of cardstock between two green pieces of felt and gluing the entire thing to an elastic headband.

The Last Empty Wall

I moved into this apartment in June and I've had a lot of fun decorating it but there was one wall that I just couldn't figure out. This wall behind my TV was driving me crazy. I thought about hanging some framed prints, putting up shelves, etc. Then, I saw an image in Pinterest that I loved and it dawned on me... I needed a flag!

I went to the Long Beach Antique Swap Meet yesterday, found two crates and the perfect American flag and voilà! The wall is finished! I just couldn't wait to share it with you guys... clearly, considering I did this about 5 minutes ago.

Also, I'd like to mention something I discovered recently. I found this post from last month via A Cup of Jo and read each and every comment. I can't believe some of the views people have about displaying American flags. I can understand if you think it's tacky (not that I care) but when people argue that it screams conservative or say that it's weird and unsettling, I'm shocked. Here's the thing... I'm American. I was born and raised here and I'm grateful for that. Lastly, it's important to remember that you can love your country without having to love your government. There's a lot wrong with this country but there is a lot to love too. I simply prefer to focus on the latter.

DIY: Halloween Party Favors

I'm thrilled to finally share a very special DIY I've been working on recently! This month I teamed up with Tiny Prints and created these Halloween party favors using their custom gift tags.

I used some old caramel jars and a few dollar store items (faux moss and tiny skeletons) to create these miniature graveyards. Check out the post on the Tiny Prints blog here!

Halloween Round-Up

I'm so ready for Halloween. Well, by ready I mean excited... I'm not actually ready. I have a lot of work to do on my costume. I've also been working on a very special Halloween DIY that I'm going to share soon. In the meantime, I thought it might be fun to do a round-up of some of my past Halloween projects. The wreath pictured above is my absolute favorite DIY. Check out the tutorial here.

This garland is a simple and quick way to get any room ready for Halloween. All you need is a paper punch and a sewing machine.

These peanut butter cups are one of my favorite desserts to make. I added sprinkles and used some orange and black liners to make them more festive.

Here's an old favorite that anyone can make. These fabric ghosts are a perfect project for kids.

I made this garland just a couple of weeks ago. Click here for more photos and a free printable of the stencils you'll need!

Not into dressing up but still want to wear something spooky? All you need to make this necklace is a simple chain and a styrofoam (or plastic) skeleton hand. 

I've made my costumes for the past couple of years and this Louise (from Bob's Burgers) costume is my favorite.

This gnome costume was extra simple because it's only halfway homemade. I cut the beard out of felt  and for the hat, I made a cone out of poster board and covered it in felt. The dress is from Forever 21 and the boots I had.

I can't wait to share more DIYs and this year's costume with you guys!

Let's Get Real

Last month I posted a tour of my kitchen here on the blog but of course I didn't take any photos until after it was perfectly clean. Let's be honest, most bloggers do this. It gets a little frustrating. Sure it's nice to see photos of beautiful spaces and perfectly decorated homes but it's also not realistic. I live in this apartment. Sometimes it's a complete disaster. See all those dishes? It just took me an hour to wash them because I let them pile up in the sink for 2 weeks! My kitchen table is currently in my living room directly in front of the TV because I've been using it as a workspace for the past week. Sometimes I don't make my bed for days because it's just going to get messy again anyway. I'll wash and fold my clothes but not put them away until I've worn them all and they're dirty again. That's real life! And I for one think that as bloggers, we need to show more of that. It's refreshing. Don't you think?

Moonstruck Breakfast

I'm a big fan of Moonstruck. It's one of my favorite Cher movies... well, besides Mermaids. My mom and I used to watch Moonstruck when I was a kid and then we would make the breakfast that Rose (Loretta's mom) made at one point in the movie. The only difference is, we would use marinara sauce instead of peppers. I make it both ways now but today I thought I'd share the traditional Moonstruck way with you guys.

Ingredients:

• a slice of thick Italian bread
• one egg
• olive oil
• half of a red bell pepper

Using a small cup, make a hole in the middle of your bread. Slice the bell pepper and saute it in a little olive oil. When the pepper slices start to get soft, add the bread to the pan. Brown on one side and flip. Crack an egg into the hole and brown the other side while the egg cooks. Serve side by side.

DIY Halloween Garland

It might only be October 2nd but I'm already really excited for Halloween. I made a garland yesterday so I thought I'd share it with you guys. It's really simple. 

Click here to see the stencils I used and print to fit on a regular-sized sheet of printer paper (the thicker the better). Cut out your stencils, trace them onto whatever color paper you like and cut those out. Then attach them using tape or hot glue to some string. That's it!

I haven't decided where to hang mine yet so I might just have to make a few. Now... on to some pumpkin decorating!