DIY: Keychain Stocking Stuffers

Happy almost-Thanskgiving everybody! I am ready for a four day weekend filled with friends, food, shopping, and most definitely Christmas decorating.

And with Black Friday almost upon us, we all must face the fact that it is time to start Christmas shopping (if you haven't already). If you're looking to avoid the malls this holiday, DIY gifts can be a great option. Maybe you already have all the supplies at home, and if not, just make a quick stop at your nearest craft store (probably still going to be busy, but a little more bearable than driving around in circles looking for parking at the mall). 

Today's DIY started out because I actually needed a few new keychains (car/house keys, work keys, mailbox key, zack's extra car key), but once I started, I realized these would be the perfect stocking stuffer or small addition to any gift! And with that realization, I just started cranking them out, so today I've got double the DIY with a Tassel Keychain and Wooden Bead Keychain. (Spoiler alert, friends: some of you may or may not see one of these heading your way this season.) 

Click HERE for Tassel Keychain details and HERE for the Wooden Bead Keychain.

XO – Courtney

DIY: Tassel Keychain

Ready to make the easiest stocking stuffer ever? Keep on reading to learn how you can make these tassel keychains. And if you're not looking to make a keychain, these tassels could add some flair to a bag or even make cute Christmas ornaments. Get creative! 

SUPPLIES

• Scrap Leather or Vinyl
• Scissors
• Ruler
• Glue (Fabric Glue, Hot Glue, or Super Glue will work)
• Marking Pen or Pencil
• Key Ring

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Cut a 6" x 4" rectangle out of the fabric along with a smaller rectangle approximately 1/4 inch by 1 inch.
2. On the larger piece of fabric, use a ruler to measure down 1/2 inch from the top (along the 6" side) and mark.
3. Next, make markings along the bottom every 1/4 inch.
4. To create the fringe, cut vertical strips along the 1/4 inch markings all the way up to the 1/2 inch line. 
5. Grab the small rectangle, fold in half, and glue together to create a loop. This will be the tab that can be connected to the key ring. Glue the loop to the top right side of the fringed piece.
6. Add glue to the marked off 1/2" top section and begin rolling the tassel.
7. Once the glue is dried, take your key ring and slide the tassel on the create your keychain! 

Scroll down for photos, then click HERE learn how to make the Wooden Beaded Keychain OR go back to DIY: Keychain Stocking Stuffers

XO – Courtney

DIY: Wooden Bead Keychain

These beaded keychains are so simple but I am loving the end result! If you opt to go with colorful or decorative beads, you can whip several of these guys up in a matter of minutes. If you decide to paint some of the beads, you'll only need to wait for the paint to dry. My suggestion: squeeze in a few minutes of a Christmas movie while you wait. 

SUPPLIES

• Wooden Beads
• Suede/Leather String
• Scissors
• Paint/Paint Brush
• Key Ring

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Start by selecting which beads you want to use, and decide if you will paint any.
2. Paint selected beads and set aside to dry.
3. Cut a piece of the leather string and loop onto key ring.
4. Slide beads onto string (once the paint is dry!) and tie a knot at the bottom to keep the beads in place.
5. Trim the leather string to desired length.

If you haven't already click HERE to learn how to make the Tassel Keychain OR go back to DIY: Keychain Stocking Stuffers.

XO – Courtney

A is for Apples: Oak Glen, CA

It's that time of year when we start to think about all the things we have to be thankful for. We should be grateful the whole year, but it is nice to take a step back and really think about how blessed we all are. With all the craziness going on in the world lately, it really makes me (and probably many of us) thankful to be alive and safe.

On a lighter note, this week I'm especially thankful (and giddy) to be celebrating 9 years of dating Zack. And not just that, but a also one year of being engaged. I can't believe it's already been a year! I got a little reminiscent when looking at time hop this week, so I had to go back and read my post all about the engagement. Did you miss the story? Check it out here!

Anyway, I think if I tried, I could write pages and pages of things to be thankful for, but today I'm thankful for travel, and all the opportunities I've had to explore this beautiful world of ours. And with that, I wanted to share a little weekend excursion from a few weeks ago. 

It was a Friday afternoon when Zack and I, along with our roommate Alex, made a last minute decision to head to the mountains and do a little apple picking that Saturday. Zack and I used to go apple picking every fall in the NC mountains with his family, so this was right up our alley, so Saturday morning we woke up and made our way to Oak Glen, CA.

Oak Glen is a tiny town that has orchard after orchard. Apples, pumpkins, berries, and more. Unfortunately, the apples were few. Most of the apple trees had been thoroughly picked over (we later learned that because of the severe drought, the apple yield was pretty low this season). We went to three different U-Pick orchards and came home with 4 apples. You win some, you lose some. 

But the day wasn't over and there was success to come. We headed down the road to Snow-line orchard to have our picnic, and I've got to say, it was a picnic fit for a king. Fried chicken, crackers & brie, mozzarella & pepperoni, chips & guac, cornbread, pasta salad, potato salad, watermelon, pumpkin chocolate chip muffins, and wine. I mean....yum. 

Now, Snow-line orchard was also a winery. With free tastings. See, told you it got better. We got to sample some cider beer as well as green apple wine (which I definitely bought a bottle of). Not only that, but the Snow-line store also had samples of several different flavors of cold apple cider along with slices of various types of apples harvested from the orchard. And last but not least, we ordered the most delicious apple cider donuts. Served hot and covered in cinnamon sugar. Well worth waiting in the long line for (even when it started raining). By the time we got our donuts, the rain had passed and we even had time to wander through a corn maze. 

For a spontaneous day trip, it was pretty successful. A few hiccups here and there, but that's what's so fun about traveling somewhere new. You don't always know what to expect, and things might not always go according to plan, but there's always fun to be found, even if it's just with the people around you.

XO – Courtney

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Gnocchi, Gnocchi. Who's There?

Tis the season to eat and eat and eat and eat. Ok, so there's more to the holidays than just that, but it's definitely a big part! There's just something about this time of year that has me craving comfort foods. From a big bowl of steaming hot soup (totally recommend trying this recipe for chickpea soup) to the ultimate comfort food: mac & cheese.

M&C is my weakness you guys. My favorite food since I was a kid. Today I've got a variation on the traditional version: Gnocchi Mac & Cheese. So cheesy, and it comes together rather quickly. While you wait for the water to boil, start shredding the cheeses (yes, plural...there are 3 different types in this cheese sauce!). Once the water is boiling, pop in the gnocchi and start the cheese sauce. From here it takes all of 5 minutes before you'll be ready to eat. Check out the recipe below.

This is the first recipe I've made with gnocchi, so let me know what you think, AND if you have any other gnocchi recipes, I'd love to hear them (and try them soon!)

XO – Courtney

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 Gnocchi Mac & Cheese

INGREDIENTS

· 2 1lb packages of Gnocchi

· 3 T Cornstarch

· 1 cup Chicken or Vegetable Stock (room temperature)

· 2 T Olive Oil

· 3 cloves Garlic, minced

· 1 cup Milk

· 1 1/4 cup freshly-grated Fontina Cheese

· 1 cup freshly-grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese

· 1/2 cup freshly-grated Parmesan Cheese

· Salt & Pepper to taste

· Toppings: Basil and Extra Parmesan (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Once boiling, add gnocchi and cook according to package instructions.

2. While you are waiting for the water to boil, begin preparing the ingredients for the cheese sauce. Grate all the cheeses and set aside. Whisk together the cornstarch and stock in a small bowl. Make sure cornstarch is completely dissolved. Set aside.

3. Once you've added the gnocchi to the boiling water, begin the cheese sauce. In a large sauce pan heat olive oil and garlic of medium heat for 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

4. Add the cornstarch mixture and milk, whisk until combined. Continue whisking constantly until the it reaches a low boil. 

5. Remove from heat and add the cheeses. Stir until they are completely melted. Season with salt and pepper as desired. 

6. Drain gnocchi and add to cheese sauce. Mix until gnocchi are coated in the cheese sauce. Serve in a bowl topped with basil, fresh ground pepper, and extra parmesan. 

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Yes-vember

November. What a downer of a name. It should be called Yes-vember because there is a lot of goodness happening, and the month basically revolves around happiness and giving thanks. 

So let's talk about some of that Yes-vember goodness. A cold front has (finally) hit Southern California. And by cold front I mean highs in the upper 60s/low 70s. I can finally wear long sleeves and/or scarves without sweating to death. Plus the AC is now OFF (for the time being) and our wallets can be happy when the next electric bill comes around. 

And with this cold(er) weather comes the holiday season and a whole lot to celebrate. We've got the big ones: Thanksgiving. Christmas, and New Years. But Zack and I have a lot of extra celebrating to do around this time of year with our 9 year (!!) dativersary coming up + Zack's 26th birthday. 

One looming question that all the upcoming events have in common: what will you wear? Well you can bet I'll have my fat pants (aka leggings) on for Thanksgiving, and I'm sure there will be a tacky Christmas sweater somewhere in the mix, but for everything else, you can't go wrong with a statement piece like this bold duster from h&m (dressed up or down). And I've got to say, I went on a little shoe shopping spree a few weeks ago when UO was having a great sale and my favorite find were these olive boots. Incredibly comfortable, great color, and works well a lot of different looks. So let's get started on our holiday shopping...even if that means a few new things for ourselves. 

XO – Courtney

duster [h&m] // top [urban outfitters] // pants [j.crew] // 

shoes [urban outfitters]

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[photo credit: zack hardy]