Classy.

Oopsie I had a little trouble cropping this picture x)
For my very first collage assigned in my fashion class I decided to go with the theme "Classy." It's all about the black suits and red lipsticks. I get inspired for Class from the darkness and warmth of fall. And even though its not fall yet...oh well everyone's getting into back to school anyways.

Fall is in the Air- Pumpkin Cupcake Recipe

So it feels like Halloween was ages ago and Christmas is just around the corner. But we can't forget about Thanksgiving and the warm, cozy joy it brings. So I originally made a batch of 12 cupcakes. Unfortunately, I think I was too excited and after I put my batter in the oven, I realized I didn't even put in all the ingredients. The recipe given is for 12 cupcakes, but for my second attempt (and yes it was a successful one) I just halfed everything to end up with 6 delicious, smells like fall, Pumpkin cupcakes.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of Sugar
• 1 cup of All Purpose Flour
• 1/3 cup of Vegetable Oil
• 2 Eggs
• ½ tsp of Vanilla Extract
• ¾ cup of Pure Pumpkin Puree
• 1 tsp of Pumpkin Pie Spice
• 1 tsp of Baking Soda
• ½ tsp of Baking Powder
• ¼ tsp of Salt

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2) Cream together sugar, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, pure pumpkin puree, and eggs.

3) Add in the dry ingredients-flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

I find that if I measure all the ingredients before hand, I don't repeat the mistake of forgetting an ingredient.

To the left is what the batter looked like before I added the dry ingredients. To the right is the final batter.
I used a 1/4 measuring cup to fill up my cupcake liners 2/3 way full and finally....

4) Bake for 20-22 minutes. Mine took about 22.

I topped it off with cream cheese frosting and cute  little rainbow sprinkles. These adorable cupcakes are not only the perfect fall treat, but they also leave your house smelling like Pumpkin. And I don't know what's better than your house smelling like Pumpkin on a chilly fall day.

And for more information click here for the original recipe:
Original Pumpkin Cupcake Recipe

Hasta la Vista.

By the way....here's the failed first batch. But hey, practice makes perfect, right?

Patching Up Works

  So today I volunteered at the 2013 fall patchwork show in Long Beach.

And no this is not an event where ladies come to sew quilts together. It's where all sorts of people, young and old, gather together to discover new arts and creativity. An idea becomes a dream, and that dream becomes reality as hundreds of vendors create their own unique masterpiece and display it for the world. Families and friends are all welcomed to this free event to window shop, support local crafters, or simply enjoy the satisfaction of the delicious food and live music. I don't think this picture does the event justice because there's so much more going on. However, I was busy working my booth and this is all I got.

By the way I was working the bike valet. I forgot to get a picture. But it was nice seeing so many people coming out on their bikes on such a beautiful afternoon.

 
This was just a cute little shop set up next to the bike valet. The shop owner was so sweet and she sold cute little jewelry.

Because patchwork is a pet friendly environment. :)

I think this shop is such a gem. The owner makes her own soap....and not just any ordinary soap. I was looking for a present for my friend and I kept walking past this booth. I don't know why it took me so long to finally decide that I was going to buy one. In the picture the owner ducked down because she didn't want to be in it. How cute. Haha

Sorry I took the picture late at night but is that not adorable? It's supposed to be a cupcake but now that I think about it, it kind of looks like a Christmas tree. This scented "bar" of soap has little glitter details that can be used to exfoliate the skin. It's a perfect gift, bath toy, or even a great decoration piece. Here's a link to the shop if you're interested:

Soap Cafe Shop

My Staff badge was the ticket to a free chicken burrito from Piaggio (one of the breath-taking foodtrucks stationed at patchwork) and fizzy pineapple coconut nutmeg soda pop. Yum.

After hours of working and hardcore shopping, I walked the 20 minute walk beside this awing view to the parking lot where I waited for my brother to pick me up. It was a good day.

Adios amigos.