I always have artificial fragrances in my home, especially those plugins, and I tend to change the scents with the seasons. It just gives my home a fresh, clean feeling when I walk into a room. However, the plugins can get pricing and have to be full of chemicals, so I am giving the essential oils a try and making my own reed diffuser was very budget-friendly! Many of us probably have the raw materials to make our own lying around the house. Here’s how to DIY a reed diffuser for a hint of natural aromatherapy at home. What you will need: ¼ cup of carrier oil (such as vanilla) 1 tablespoon vodka (this helps it travel up the reeds) 20+ drops of essential oil 4-5 reeds Step by step: Start with a clean container and add in the tablespoon of vodka. I used a regular ... [Read More]
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Dip Mix Ornaments
I love creating simple and semi-homemade holiday gifts that I know people will enjoy, and these Dip Mix Ornaments hit all of those attributes. I also like gifting and receiving food items during the holiday season, mainly because I know that it will be eaten or used! But even more so because if you are like me you spend most of the holiday cooking or baking to take food elsewhere and when you get home you truly do not want to cook for yourself or are too busy too. What you will need: Funnel Package of Plastic Clear Ornaments Ribbon Variety of Dip Mixes Step by step: Prepare your ornaments for the dip mixes by removing the tops and ensuring that your funnel will fit. Mine was a little too large, so I created a makeshift funnel with a piece of cardstock rolled ... [Read More]
Fall Marbled Leaf Cookies
The leaves are finally turning here in East Texas and I can not get enough of them! Mainly because I know this sight is short and we will be welcoming the wet cold season of Winter before we know it. As I was sitting in the deer stand this past weekend, I was soaking up every beautiful auburn tinted leaf drift down and cover the tree line floor. And as you all know my creative outlet is baking and this inspired me to try out the royal icing marbling effect in a new way. The Pioneer Woman, talk about a woman who lives the dream, made marbled butterflies this summer on Food Network and I loved the imperfectly perfect differentiation between the cookies. It is seriously so much easier, messier but easier, than flooding cookies in my opinion. I did use my favorite sugar cookie recipe ... [Read More]
DIY Fall Hoop Wreath
Fall is here and this DIY Hoop Wreath is the perfect decor for your home this season. And you can make it in no time flat! What you will need: 1 Large Hoop 1 Large Package of Baby’s Breath Floral 4 Steam of artificial wheat 2 Stems of Feathers Scissors Wire Cutters Hot Glue Gun + Glue Sticks Step by step: Layout the floral on your hoop the way you would like it to look. First, lay down the baby’s breath, then add in the wheat and accent with the feathers.Once you have the look the way you want it to remove the wheat and feathers.Start using the scissors and cutting the baby’s breath stems into larger bunches & smaller stems.Hot glue the baby’s breath to the hoop. Add the smaller stems to fill in spots.Then take the wheat and fan it out. Clip ... [Read More]
DIY Soak & Scrub
Being human can be messy sometimes! There are seasons in our life we find ourselves spinning due to over-commitment, being stretched too thin and end up drained. So, if you or someone you love is going through one of these tough times, a time where it all just feels like too much, call up your girlfriends for a night out, call in sick to work or take a long relaxing bath. I have always loved soaking in the tub and feel completely renewed after them. This at-home DIY soak and scrub smells like cookies and will make you feel like a new woman! Whip a batch of these and pass them around to your friends. I promise they will thank you for it. ... [Read More]
DIY Fruit Cocktail Umbrella
It doesn’t get any more Summer than a drink that’s topped off with a cute fruit cocktail umbrella. Simply use cardstock and wooden skewers to make this DIY that is perfect for all those fruity drinks your guests will be sipping on poolside. Things you will need: Cardstock Black sharpie Toothpick/wooden skewer Glue Stick Hot Glue Scissors 1. Begin by cutting about 16 cm circles, which is folded 8 times in the middle. *Thinner paper folds better! If, after folding, the small triangles are pressed inwards and outwards alternately, a screen form is created. 2. Depending on which fruit you design; you now need another circle. For a watermelon, for example, you cut a slightly smaller circle, glue it to the bigger circle with your glue stick, ... [Read More]
Mason Jar Banana Pudding
Wow, it is really July guys! Which means I have not posted on the blog for quite some time now. Well, no worries because I am back and with another mason jar dessert! I know I know, but I just can not get enough of these easy and portable desserts, so you should just jump on the bandwagon with me. Banana pudding is such a Southern staple dessert and goes well with just about everything! From the family fish fry to the neighborhood barbeque, you cannot go wrong with taking this dessert along. My girlfriends and I could seriously bathe in warm banana pudding and we are always making it for our get-togethers. Summertime is wild and crazy enough, and we/you just do not have time to be fiddling with plastic wrap and fancy dishes that could fall and break on your way to a picnic! ... [Read More]
No-Bake Mini Key Lime Pie in a Jar
These might be the most darling Cinco De Mayo / Summer desserts ever! These little cuties will hit the spot for your guests sitting poolside or for them to take home in a doggie bag after a mid-week dinner. Who doesn’t love a good mini dessert when you go to a party that you can have all to yourself? Cinco De Mayo is such a fun reason to gather up your gang and have a fiesta! In Texas, the month of May officially kicks off Summer as the days begin to heat up quicker and quicker. Pretty soon we will be spending the dog days laying in the pool, reading trashy magazines and I absolutely can no wait! Last year I whipped up delicious hot pink prickly pear margaritas for our celebration, that you can check out here, and this year I decided to make a sweet treat. Growing up I was ... [Read More]
Mother’s Day Amazon Gift Guide
My mother has always been my emotional barometer and my guidance. I was lucky enough to get to have one woman who truly helped me through everything. - Emma Stone Mother's Day is such a wonderful day to celebrate all of the mothers in our life's. With every day that passes, I become a little more obsessed with my mom and I can't wait to celebrate her (which I honestly should be doing all year long) on Mother's Day in a few weeks! I have put together a Mother's Day Gift Guide full of items that you can find at Amazon which hopefully helps you decide on the perfect gift, especially for the Mom that has everything. Wild Bird Seed BirdhouseThe Citilane Croc SneakerEmber Temperature Control Ceramic MugAnti Aging Jade RollerBakers Floursack Kitchen Towels KitchenAid Flex Edge ... [Read More]
Rope Wrapped Planters
I love repurposing things that I already have and transforming them into something new. We recently stained our porch and I am in love all over again. Instead of going and buying all new décor, I have set a goal to give my porch a fresh new look with things I already have. Such as buying new pillow sleeves for my outdoor pillows, spray painting my sides tables and repotting plants that made it threw the winter in these super cute and easy rope wrapped planters! They are very easy to do and give such a fun nautical look to your old planters. Things you will need: Hot glue gun Plants of your choice Plastic planters Potting soil Rope Scissors 1. Begin by wiping down your planters to ensure you have all dirt removed, this will ensure your hot ... [Read More]
DIY Bunny Treat Bags
It is just a hop, skip, and a jump away from Easter Sunday! I have the perfect quick and easy DIY for the little ones to pass out at Sunday school or for them to take home after the egg hunt. All you really need are brown paper lunch bags, cotton balls, and string. Be sure to have everything on hand before you begin and this process will go by lickidy split! Things you will need: Brown paper lunch bags Cotton balls Hot glue gun Ribbon of your choice Scissors Treats to fill your bags Step 1: Cut a triangle out of the opening of your brown bag to form your bunny ears. Step 2: Place a dot of hot glue ¼ of the way up your brown bag and place your bunny tail. After though* I thought it would be so cute to have pink bunny tails for the girls and ... [Read More]
Rosie’s 2nd Birthday Blueberry & Banana Bundt Cake
We celebrated our sweet Rosie’s second birthday yesterday! It is hard to believe that two years have come and gone already. It seems just like yesterday we picked her up and she could fit in the palm of my hand! She definitely makes us laugh until our stomachs ache and every day a little bit brighter. We have been picking that she has now entered her “teenage years”, according to dog years, and we will not be taking any sass! 😊 To celebrate her birthday last year I made peanut butter pupcakes, which you can find here. This year I decided to incorporate her favorite fruit, blueberries and made a blueberry banana pupcake topped with a honey and yogurt glaze. It was so easy to make and she loved every last bite! XO, Ashton Blueberry Banana Pupcake Cake ... [Read More]
DIY Spring Garden Arrangement
Spring is one of my absolute favorite seasons. Everything seems to come to life, with the birds chirping and flowers blooming, I cannot help but want to be outside every waking moment to soak it all in. I always have a bundle of flowers in a vase during Spring for just that purpose, to bring the outside in. I am loving the edible arrangement trend going around and with the tulips at their peak, I could not resist recreating one for myself. How gorgeous would this spring garden arrangement be as the centerpiece for your Easter table or garden party? The simplicity and bright colors say it all. Things you will need: 1 Block of wet floral foam 1 Cabbage head Bundles of tulips Knife Scissors Begin by soaking your floral foam in water while you prep your cabbage vase.With a sharp ... [Read More]
Fredericksburg Anniversary Trip
Zac and I travelled this past weekend to the small Texas German community of Fredericksburg to celebrate our second wedding anniversary and we had such a wonderful time! We slept in, had delicious food, saw wildflowers and of course tasted amazing Texas wines, and beer! We stayed two nights at a gorgeous bed and breakfast, the Hoffman Haus. The grounds are absolutely beautiful and each cottage is uniquely decorated in their own way. We received a complimentary room upgrade with it being our anniversary, such an unexpected treat, and we enjoyed every moment staying in the Cottage Suite. Breakfast was brought to our cottage promptly at 9 am each morning in a picnic basket marked with our room number. Being the early birds we are, knowing breakfast was being provided and at 9 ... [Read More]
St. Paddy’s Day Treat
We usually do not celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day at the Clark house, but I simply can not pass up an excuse to whip up a fun holiday treat! Last year I whipped up the cutest mini mint chocolate brownies that were to die for that you can find here. I have been seeing others create a rice krispie treat with Fruity Pebbles and thought, how fun would it be to create that but with Lucky Charms? With the four-leaf clover and rainbow marshmallows it fit perfectly for my St. Paddy's Day treat! Zac was in love from the first bite! These little rainbow bars are delicious, simple and way to cute to not make for your family's lunches on Saint Patrick's Day. Be sure to give them a try!XO, Ashton Lucky Charms Marshmallow Treats 10.5 ounce bag of mini marshmallows5 cups ... [Read More]
