lasagna cupcakes

I found this recipe over the weekend and could not wait to try it out! Making a big pan of lasagna takes a lot of work and these little cuties seemed so much easier and nicer to look at. I used this recipe from tablespoon as my guide line but switched it around so I will post what I did to make mine.

What you will need:
wonton wrappers {they come in packages of 80 which is way too much, I freeze the left overs and they taste just fine}
1 lb ground beef
pasta sauce of your choice {I used rago}
shredded cheese {mozarella for me}
optional {olive oil, sea salt, pepper and basil paste}

How to make:
Cook ground beef in olive oil, salt & pepper and basil paste until thoroughly cooked
Preheat oven to 375 degrees, spray muffin tin with cooking spray.
I placed one square wonton wrapper in the muffin tin so the edges popped up a bit, I filled with a spoon full of ground beef, a spoon of pasta sauce, added a little cheese and than added a spoon more of beef.
I than used a circle cookie cutter and cut a wonton wrapper to make the "top" of my lasagna cupcakes. On top of the wonton I added a bit more sauce and covered with cheese. I managed to make 10 of these and we had some left over they look small but are filling.
I baked mine for 16 minutes and than turned the oven to broil for the last 2 minutes which was just perfect.
The cupcakes remove quite easily with a knife, if you get cheese on the pan it makes them harder to get out...

Overall these are probably the tastiest little things I have made in a long time. Pizza lasagna is next and possibly mac and cheese cupcakes as well!

slight change

I LOVE buttons and my favorite thing to do is change out most of my buttons. These 2 tops from old navy got their buttons changed this week from subtle to stand out. I was going to go colour block crazy and add the orange buttons to the green top but ended up going more classic. I also resisted my urge to put a classic combo of black buttons on the ivory top. Overall it was a quick fix and I am sure I will still fiddle around with them, but I am loving the more unique look coloured buttons give these simple tops.

where's the colour?

In my head I feel that I wear colour all the time and hardly wear black anymore but over the weekend I re- arranged my closet and sadly found out I own almost no colour. A few of my coloured items could be easily donated as I know I haven't worn them in months... Sunday I had some luck adding colour back into my wardrobe with this yellow leather clutch from value village. It is a shame my camera wouldn't pick the actual colour but it is buttery! Hopefully this spring I don't revert to old habits and pick up some more colour.

recent purchases:beauty

I have been using these products for a little over 2 mo's now and sometimes there is instant love and other times you need a few months to know that this product is actually working wonder for you... I bought the covergirl tone rehab foundation on a whim since my skin was getting so oily with my maybelline dream mousse foundation. I of course read reviews on it after I got home and seem to have a very different take on this foundation. Many reviews say this foundation is not for oily skin but I have found this is the best foundation I have used! my t-zone is matte for hours if I use this foundation alone on my skin, if I use a primer I do notice my skin gets oily...The tone rehab aspect of this foundation is amazing, it really covers up blotchy skin, acne scars and general blah skin. The only thing that has been keeping me from proclaiming my love is how it feels on my skin, my skin feels quite cakey and not skin like to the touch, although nobody touches my face but me it has been turning me off. But right now this has been able to keep my wandering foundation eye satisfied.

Ooooh how I have chapped lips in the winter, I bought this after making my own was too messy and didn't seem to be quite the same. At $9 is is slightly pricey but I have gotten a lot of use out of it and I still have more than 3/4 a jar after 2 mo's. I use this morning and night to gently scrub my lips and it has done a pretty good job of keeping my lips from splitting if I could stop wearing lipstick my lips may be doing even better. Overall if you are too lazy to make your own sugar scrub I recommend just buying this one!

just saying...

dessert sinsations has the best imperial cookies I have tried in town {best sweet potato fries as well}

flea market style in the peg

note: not taken at this weekends flea market, taken off google, bad me

Over this past weekend The downs hosted it's annual flea market with proceeds going to riding for the disabled. I always look forward to the huge flea market like sales that hit winnipeg in the spring and fall. The next few events are planned for Sunday March 11th at canad inns polo park {10am to 4pm}and the downs will host another spring antique and collectible show Friday, April 13, 2012 {5pm - 9pm}, Saturday, April 14, {10am - 4pm} Do keep in mind there is a cover charge for these flea markets of around $4. Although I usually come home empty handed it is nice to see the variety of vintage items. Winnipeg also has 2 year round free flea markets that will fill your weekend urge to shop for vintage. Thirsty's and the mulvey market are open saturdays and sundays and most holidays. This summer I have plans on making better use of these markets.

oh no you didn't...

Don't get me wrong I love that this spring chiffon is everywhere. I just find that it tends to run big on me and my skinny arms are getting lost in these loose tops. After much debate I decided to try my luck and cut the arms off one of my shirts. As it turns out it was easier than expected, with tiny sewing scissors {think cuticle scissors} I cut the sleeve as close the the seam line as humanly possible right above the original serger seam. If you do attempt this keep the original serger seam don't cut off the arm and think you will hem it and it will look nice...

I almost didn't even have the sew the top but figured I would fold over the serger seam to make a nice clean edge. The only problem is I decided to do my project at 8 o'clock at night and didn't bother waiting till I had the proper thread color...but under cardigans nobody will know!

in love with...

monogrammed jewelry from urban outfitters. I have always loved the idea of "lettered" items but have never ever gave in to temptation. These beauties might be able to sway me 1, 2 & 3

not for me anymore...

Nail art seems to be all over the place lately {if you want really cute ideas the beauty dept does a mani monday features...this image was taken from there} However the past few months I have been growing farther and farther from my love of polish and come to enjoy my natural nails with a hint of clear.

I have been using sally hansen's green tea + soy cuticle oil and must say it is the best cuticle oil I have used. The application is lovely the little lip gloss like brush is firm but holds the product well, the oil sinks in nicely and keeps my nail bed from looking dry with the exception on my stubborn thumbs. I would have never thought I would grow out off my polish phase, anybody else not into something they used to be all about?

maybelline dream bouncy blush

Have you ever wished a company would make something they already offer better? I have wished maybelline would come out with new colors or packaging for their dream mousse blush for quite some time...Instead they decided to re-design the whole line and introduce dream bouncy blush to replace the original mousse blush. There are 10 shades in the new spring collection I only had a choice of 4 at shoppers so I chose "pink plum" which is a lovely shade in the container.
How is it different?
This new version of this blush is in a compact and it more solid than a mousse. The blush still manages to have a very unique texture to it and will "bounce" under your finger when you go to apply it. The only downfall I have found so far is that it is more sheer than the original formula:( Pink plum is really, really sheer I wish there would have been a tester for me to try before hand. I have to dig a chunk of it out and apply it quite thick to resemble the color on the compact.
Overall?
When I heard these blushes were getting a redesign I could not wait, hoping for the new incarnation to be my new holy grail blush {I just don't seem to get the hang of powder blush...} but sadly I am not sure if these will deliver enough pigmentation for me. There are 2 more shades I would like to try but right now I am slightly sad about these. If you want to see the full swatches musing of a muse did a great review.

new to me?

With the announcement that winnipeg will be getting it's first banana republic, I quickly went to the website to see what I could look forward to. Although I would have preferred a jcrew or h&m it will be nice to have a little more variety to look forward to this summer. I didn't find much that I drooled over but I do think I will be enjoying the accessories like this belt & earrings. See you this summer!

theBalm mary-lou manizer

There are very few items I contemplate for years before buying and for some reason theBalm mary-lou manizer was one of them. Mainly due to the fact the theBalm is hard to find here in winnipeg, london drugs does sell the brand but I have never seemed to be able to see this product in person to officially make my mind up. I decide to stop drooling over the possibility of golden highlighted skin and just order it online site un seen. It turned out the be the best decision ever! There is a reason this product has a 5 star rating on sephora, the color is just light enough to add highlight with out darkening your skin and the glow is so lovely it is hard to explain. Overall I am loving this new addition to my routine and am happy I bite the bullet. It is pricey at $27 can. but believe it or not it is well worth it:)

p.s if you want to have your self a lovely sewing pattern lady font I found mine here at dafont.

vs. organic eye creams

Nearing 30 {well in a few years...} I decided it was time to try out an eye cream. I really like organic lotions and decided to give the all natural option a try. I bought my first eye cream almost 6 mo ago and purchased something else to try when the first one ran out. Here is my take on the 2 options I have tried.

This is the first eye cream I purchased from 100% pure. There are 2 sizes to choose from 0.5 oz for $13 and 1oz for $25. The main thing to keep in mind with organic products is the expiry date most organic products have a shelf life of 6 mo after opening, hence why I went with the smaller size. I used it regularly as much as I could remember and still have some product left after I hit the 6 mo mark.
Pros:
* it smells like coffee! it has a really nice texture thick but sinks in and doesn't get greasy under your eyes.
Cons:
* I didn't really seem to notice a big difference in the lack of puffiness or dark circles...but I loved applying anyways

For my second option I decided to try out desert essence de-puffing eye cream. I really like this brand and it was easier to order in canada from well.ca. This tube is listed online as only 9.3 ml but it is full size at 30ml or 1 oz, very good value the expiry date is 9 mo's on this one.
Pros:
* very light, almost a mix of gel/lotion. Really sinks in and does not get greasy under you eyes.
Cons:
* no scent? most people would like this aspect but I kinda like a little fresh scent in my creams...
* again I haven't noticed a night and day difference in my under eye region, but using eye creams can't hurt.

Overall if I had to choose I would order the 100% pure coffee bean cream again. Unless you have a large order it makes no sense to order this on it own hence why I wandered. I do like the desert essence lotion and use it one my nose and other dry spots I just really like the texture and smell of the 100% pure cream.

second use

I bought this fabric spice rack over the summer and wasn't quite sure what to use it for, this past week while cleaning up my room I decided it made for the perfect behind the door product carry all. It made my dresser a lot less cluttered, which is lovely.

farewell sandbox!

To much shock the lovely winnipeg sandbox magazine is seizing publication after the January 30th addition:( It was love at first read for me and sandbox I loved the niche market they had profiling local business/artisans and featured former winnipeggers. The photography and styling always got me. If you are in the peg and free saturday January 29th be sure to try and attend their last party being held at the winnipeg art gallery. The very last issue will be sold only at McNally Robinson on grant, I will miss my trips out there to pick up the newest issues.

how to make tassels

When I tend to like something I tend to liiiiike it. Right now I am in love with tassels on necklaces. They are super easy to make, if you are like me and have a tin full of broken jewelry you will need 5 minutes tops to make some new and exciting necklaces.

What you are looking for in a successful tassel craft is a necklace or charm that already has a built in loop that you can simply just attach your newly made tassel too.

What you need:

A broken chain, that you can easily break apart {believe it or not some are hard to break...}

Pliers and tiny sewing scissors

Small metal rings {jump rings} new or re-purposed from an old necklace.

How to do:

With your chain I simply brake it up into 5 strands, you can make then all the same size or mix it up. Deciding on how long you want your tassel to be. I use my tiny sewing scissors to get into the small chains and break them apart.

If you have a large jump ring you can fit more than 5, but I have found it is a good un-even number to use. With your jump ring open tread the chain pieces through and carefully close the jump ring onto your necklace or charm. This will be the hardest part you will need patience but it well worth it.

Enjoy!



blogging holiday

Can't remember exactly where I found this image but I needed a good reason to post it! I will be taking a week off for sure maybe two. Be back soon:)

worn fashion journal: issue 13

I have posted about worn before and I will continue to do so as long as it is being published. If you want a magazine that you will actually read and find out interesting fashion facts than worn is for you. Issue 13 covers topics on how to dye your clothes {which is dangerous I have attempted and always want to attempt it again no thanks to the article...} A profile on the owner of workroom in toronto and how she makes her own clothes, a history of window displays/famous dressers and much more. Can't wait until the next issue in april. You can also visit the worn fashion journal site for their amazing blog.

same

I tend to really buy the same sort of items just in slight variations, here is a look at my love for yellow and white stripes {I have a knit blanket in this pattern as well but no need to see that I am crazy...} sweater from old navy, pillows from superstore.

style inspiration: sincerely jules

As always for the "new year" I will try to be more adventurous with my style. I always seem to right click the same type of images this one from sincerely jules in no exception. I love the look of fancy necklaces and casual sweaters...

I absolutely love exposed closets and clothing racks this looks amazing to me, also from sincerely jules.

last year...

I am not doing any sort of resolution this year, why? I sorta tried last year and made myself a list only to look back at it now and realize I managed to do NONE of them. Not even close actually, if I were to make a list for 2012 it would involve the exact same things we will see if I can ever get around to it.

impressed with: covergirl lash perfection

I will admit I cheated on my maybelline define-a-lash, rexall had a bogo sale on mascara and I decided to try out something new. I am actually pretty happy I did. I decided to try out covergirl's lash perfection mascara.
pros:
* Very lightweight, non clumping and semi dry but not too dry.
* Holds a curl all day
* Washes off easily! {This is the one complaint I had about the maybelline mascara that lead me to wander it never fully came off with remover. I almost don't know what to do with myself not having to always wipe mascara from under my eyes}
cons:
* The packaging, I am sorry but it took my a long time to try this out pretty much based on the looks of it...
* Subtle volume, this is not a heavy going out mascara but for day it is really good and light.

Overall I am liking how low maintence this mascara is, it makes my lashes fluffy and full but and not hard a super good new option.

vintage details

My urge to own metallic still rolls on. Even though I will most likely never wear this beauty out of the house I love the look of it. The sweet bows on the back don't really show up but they may be the best part:) Vintage treasure found at the ruby slipper vintage shoppe.

as of late

A few more holiday gifts using metallic doilies. Pictured is a dressed up gift certificate and recipe cards for cookies mixes I sent out.

Our holiday cookie factory. I made 74 cookies to be painted for a potluck. The best glaze ever for cookies is 2 cups icing sugar, 1/4 milk and 1/2 teaspoon flavouring of your choice. I applied it with a foundation brush and it worked out lovely.

I tried: baking soda for my skin

I have made my self a sugar and baking soda scrubs in the past but never really kept up with it, which is shame. Baking soda is a super cheap skin saving alternative. After contemplating buying a $60 microdermabrasion like scrub I decided to give baking soda another go in hopes that I will be able to keep it up. Here are a few things I experimented with and what alternately worked out the best.

baking soda scrub
all you need for this is baking soda {as much as you'd like} and some water to make it not to watery but also paste-y enough to spread. With a damp face massage the baking soda into your skin and let sit for a minute or two to really let it set in. Rise and your done. My skin is literally squeaky clean after doing this, it is just so darn awkward to do and messy my counter always looks a hot mess, hence why I tried some other "cleaner" ways of this

baking soda cleaner
For this I literally mixed baking soda with my cleanser to see if the added thickness would make it easier to apply. The two cleansers I tried semi- reacted with the baking soda and make a really cool non toxic foam. It didn't make it any easier to massage into my face though, still messy as hell.

baking soda scrub version 2
I mixed jojoba oil with the baking soda for this one and it made a lovely butter like texture. If applied to wet skin this held the shape of the baking soda quite nicely. I still recommend keeping your face over the sink, but it worked quite nice.

baking soda mask
by using a little more water than the scrub and a foundation brush to apply I tried using it as a mask. This can only stay on the skin for a few minutes as it dries it gets very flaky and you will leave baking soda powder where ever you go. But again cheap and effective.

Overall I have been trying my best to use this 2 times a week for the past few weeks and I can say that my larger pores are looking pretty darn good. If I can get in the habit I should probably shoot for 3 times a week. The simple water + baking soda seems to be the best version for getting the most effective results. To get more detailed instructions lease visit this site.