How To: Make a 5 Ingredient Lemonberry Trifle

Happy Easter Eve, Friends!

I know I've been away for a bit again, but I PROMISE I have some things in the mix for ya, coming SOON!  For now, I'd thought I'd show you this KILLER trifle I whipped up today.  In a word: DELICIOUS!

My family does a brunch for Easter, all the way out in Beal City, Michigan.  (farm town, USA.)  My Mother, for the second year in a row, has asked me to bring "something sweet."  Ok then.  This is actually more tart than sweet, but as we all know, I do what I want.  And it's gonna be BOSS. Boss I tell you!

Now, I'm sure that this recipe probably exists someplace out in the Pinterest world, but for all intents and purposes, this is a B.Cheniful Original, and I came up with it myself.  So here we go!

Ingredient list:
1 Angel Food Cake (store bought, yes please!)
2 Cans of Lemon Pie Filling (or one Large)
1 Pint Fresh Strawberries
1 Lemon
2 Containers of Cool Whip (or one Large)


Steps 1-3

Step 1:  Cut your strawberries up nice and cute! Or, I guess technically, lengthwise.
Step 2:  Cube your angel food cake.
Step 3:  Mix both cans of pie filling with 1 container of cool whip. Zest lemon into filling, then squeeze lemon juice into mix as well.  Fold.

Steps 4-6

Step 4:  Gather up your goodies and get ready to rock this trifle!
Step 5:  Add a layer of angel food to the bottom, then place strawberries around the sides. Add a layer of lemon filling.
Step 6:  Add a later of strawberries atop your filling, rinse and repeat!

Step 7:  Add a layer of cool whip to the top of your trifle.  You're done girl, now rock it!

Have a super Happy Easter!

Big (Mmmmm, lemonberry trifle!) Smile,

How To: Chevron Pattern Easter Wreath

Well, hey girl, hey!

Considering it's practically summer here in Michigan--for real, 86 yesterday--and my daffodils are already up, you'd think we skipped Easter all together.  Nope, not so much!  Still two more weeks to go and I still have my St. Patty's Day wreath up.  I'm calling it my Michigan State University (GO STATE!) wreath--it IS March Madness, ya'll!  (yo, did I just say ya'll?)

Chenyways, I did make an Easter wreath (SHOCKER) and thought I'd show you!

I worked with the top of the wreath facing me.  It's how I roll.

Ingredient List:

Wreath Form (mine came wrapped in burlap)
Plastic Eggs

Hot Glue

Hot Glue Gun

Ribbon

Step 1.   Determine your egg pattern to be used on the wreath.  Here we're using a Chevron Pattern (Charlie Brown Stripe) in assorted colors.

Step 2.  Starting at the top of your wreath, begin hot gluing your eggs into "V Shape" patterns, as shown.

Step 3.  Continue your pattern around to complete the wreath, gluing egg tips together to secure your wreath.

Step 4.  Tie a bow at the top of your wreath to finish it off. 

Step 5.  Rock it girl!  Hang that baby up and enjoy for the next 2 weeks! ;-)

Big (Momma Nature is totally skipping Easter!) Smile,

An Observation

Hello Sports Fans!

I'm always thinking about my blog, and how little I am able to always update it.  My "problem" is, I think that to have a creation blog, one must, well, create.  However, many of my favorite blogs don't do a lot of the creating themselves.  They tend to find something cool--likely from Pinterest--and then repost those tutorials on their site.  The thing is, I could do that too.  I could probably even commit to doing that 5 times a week.  But I always wonder, is that cheating?

So the deal with me is....(well, many things!) that when I write a post, it is always a tutorial that either I have come up with on my own--and committed HOURS and HOURS to create/photograph/write, like my Sunburst Mirror or Up-Cycled Heels--or found somewhere else, but showed you my version--example, my Cupcake Pincushions.  I took a teacup pincushion and applied my passion for food.

So, I just wonder, dear readers, would you rather see an actual tutorial from me or a paragraph about someone else's?  Or doesn't it really matter to you?  Tutorials are tutorials after all, however I can't promise that they'll be as witty as mine ;-)

Big (hmmmm) Smile,

How To: Make a Brownie Trifle

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Oh hi.  I  made this.  -->

It's a brownie trifle of sorts with lots of other yummy stuff in it.  It was super good.  I think you should make one, too.

Ingredient List (actually makes sense this time!)
Brownies--either mix and make or buy em, girl!
2 Boxes of chocolate instant pudding
1/4 cup Kahlua--I used a cheap knock off, thanks.
1 large container cool whip
8-pack of Heath Bars--at least I think they come in 8-packs...
Container of Raspberries
Trifle Dish--MUST HAVE.  Or don't do it at all.  :)

Step One:  Let's say you bake your brownies--once out of oven, punch some fork holes all over and pour in the Kahula.  Allow to cool.  It's ok if you bought them, too!  Leave them be till Step Four.

Step Two:  While that's cooling, make up your pudding and mix with 3/4 of your cool whip.  Set aside.

Step Three:  Crush your candy and wash your berries.  Set aside.

Step Four:  Cube your brownies and set aside.  Add Kahlua now if they're store bought.

Step Five:  Layer, girl!  Brownies, candy, pudding, berries, repeat.

Step Six:  Top with remaining cool whip, candy and berries.

Step Seven:  ROCK IT GIRL!

And now you have a super easy go-to dessert to impress your friends and fam.  You're welcome!

Big (the Kahlua is optional, but why would you ever do that???) Smile,

How To: Up-cycle Shoes, Part 2

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So once upon a summer in 2011, I wrote this post about up-cycling heels.  TODAY, I found all these awesome photos of when I made another pair, to show you a step by step tutorial.  Who cares that I also took them once upon a summer in 2011.  I'm showing you them today, dammit.  :)

Side note, I was so in love this with paisley print fabric that I not only up-cycled the shoes in them, but also made a pair of earrings, too.  I'm trying to keep it alive forever.  Or until the mod podge gives out....

Ingredient list
Shoes you're sick of (backless heels are WAY EASIER than pumps....)
Fabric--around a fat quarter worth (busy patterns are best!)
Pod Podge
Foam Paint Brush
Scissors
Exacto Knife
Ribbon--optional

1.  You'll need about double the size of fabric for each shoe.
2.  Start painting with your mod podge, girl!
3.  Place fabric over the shoe and smooth out.  There's no wrong way to do this--you know I don't believe in that!  The easiest way is to place the "point" of your fabric just in front of the point of your shoe.  Press and smooth out, then cut away excess fabric.  Add another layer of mod podge.
4.  Cover shoe completely and allow to dry until hard.  I waited overnight.  Probably because I was tired, NOT because I'm patient.  Clearly.
5.  That would be the hardened shoe.
6.  Using scissors, cut into the fabric and fold into the shoe.  Mod Podge the fabric down.  Only the top of your foot will see this, so it's ok if it's messy.  Unless, of course, you're totally trying to impress your foot....
7.  Using your exact knife, cut away any extra fabric on the shoe.
8.  This step is optional....I used a slip on heel--mule?--for this up-cycle.  Why?  Cause I'm a little lazy and botched up the back of shoes before.  This type of shoe was WAY easier.  BUT, I hate the way they flip flop when I walk, so I added the ribbon to the bottom to make a ribbon-tie ankle.

Finished, girl!

Rockin it!

Annnnnd, that's it!  This is a cheap and relatively easy project that makes a HUGE impact, cause girl, NOBODY has shoes like this!  Now go rock it, girl!

Big (Paisley Print) Smile,

Admire? Acquire!: Retro Shades Lapel!

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ok, so it's not a blatant knockoff.  No bigs!

Hey Gals!

I'm back for another Admire?Acquire! sesh!  This time taking on an increasing trend--the shades.  Or sunglasses.  Or eyeglass.  Or those cool things that go on your face--whatever you wanna call it!

Here's a look at what's doin around the inet:

Gotsa give credit where credit is due

So, seeing this fab trend, I made a take on this retro cutie a couple weeks a go and wanted to show you how to make your own, too!

Ingredient List:
Eyeglass necklace charm--Hobbit Lobbit, $4
Upcycled necklace chain
Safety Pin
Jump hooks
Pliers

Well, it's super easy to make a lapel pin.  I mean really, all you have to do is add a pin to really anything.  To make this guy a little more interesting, I incorporated another big trend:  FRINGE.  It's back, baby!  

Step One:  Take your necklace chain and detach to even pieces of chain for your fringe.  Then, using your pliers and jump hooks, attach your fringe to the sides of your eyeglasses--because this was a necklace charm, the holes were already there.

Step Two:  It doesn't get any easier than this, sports 
fans.....Hot glue your safety pin to your eyeglasses.

Step Three:  Do I even have to say it?  Okay, I will:  ROCK IT GIRL!  Yep, cause that's what time it is!  

Are these creations getting too easy?  You just let me know....until then, continue to rock it in 3 steps or less :)

You see?  Rockin it.

See you soon!

Big (I heart black turtlenecks) Smile,

Oh, hi. I'm alive.

Oh hey girls!!!

Blaise and I last year at Karaoke.

I'm visiting my girl Blaise for the weekend in lovely Ferndale, MI.  Jealy! So, we're sitting here talking, I say Chenyways and that B calls me out for not posting lately.  I figured it'd been like a week....and then I realized, it's been over 2. Cue the "dude, I suck" music. I didn't realize!

I guess I can probably blame it on a recent explosion of etsy sales--listen, people are all over my Muggle Born onesie!   So I've been super busy making and sending out orders. And then there was some sickness, including J Chen getting the flu over Valentine's Day. It was cool, you know, hanging out in bed drinking wine from a coffee cup while he was passed out. Ah, romance.

Then there were the Grammy's. And 400 Facebook fans. And searching for a buffet--sideboard, whatev!--for the dining room (getting it tomorrow!). Um, and working my "real" job. And smiling, and talking loudly, laughing even louder, and being awesome. Girl, I've been busy!  ;)

The worst part? I totally missed my very own Blog-aversary on the 12th! WTF. I blame Whitney.  And Cheesecake--it was her 4th birthday. And J Chen--he made me go out to dinner....  Chenyways, hi! I'm back!  And better than ever in year 2. So, thank you ALL for caring enough to read all these crazy ramblings, and for everyone who left a nice comment--I freaking adore you!  :)

So, I just wanted to let you know that I'm still alive, and that I'm looking forward to a night of karaoke tonight!  Did I ever tell you I'm a karaoke whore? Cause I am.  Maybe we'll have a video to post tomorrow--ya neva know.


Big (Sing it, Bitch!) Smile,

Also, Blaise's creepy cat keeps staring at me. Ugh.