Can't Get Enough - blogs, blogs, blogs!

This edition of "Can't Get Enough" is all about blogs! I am a fashion, design and DIY junkie, so the world of blogging makes me feel like a kid in a candy store. I get entirely too excited (and, unfortunately, addicted) when I find a blog that I love. Here are two blogs that I literally CAN'T GET ENOUGH of:

Pink Peonies:

Pink Peonies is an awesome fashion blog. I mean, just look at the photos above!! These are her last three posts... UH-MAZING! I know. The brains behind this cyber success is 22-year-old fashionista, Rachel Parcell. Yes, I did say 22. (Incredible, right!) This young and successful woman is stationed right outside of Salt Lake City and has a passion for fashion.

When asked why she started a fashion blog, Rachel replied, "I've always had a love for fashion, ask anyone who knew me growing up. I was always the outlandish dresser (sometimes good, sometimes bad). I danced in high school and in college and always ended up designing costumes or being involved in the fashion side of dance, I guess I gravitate towards it. When I got married I started a 'journal blog' to document our first year of marriage. We went on a vacation to Greece in May of '10, when we returned home, I blogged about it and began receiving comments from women I didn't know, asking me to post where I got my outfits. That sparked the idea to begin what is now Pink Peonies!"

Click here to check out Pink Peonies. Follow Rachel on Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest!
All photos were borrowed from www.thepinkpeonies.com.

Being the DIY enthusiast that I am, the next blog that I am going to highlight has a ton of great DIY projects and tutorials.

Young House Love:



Country chic is totally my style and I can't get enough of the interior design of Young House Love contributors John and Sherry's cozy home. On their blog, they provide all the information you need to make your house look just as welcoming as theirs does. Being that they are a young, newly married couple, they save some money by doing a lot of the projects themselves - and they share all their secrets with you! How nice?! The couple also released a book in November of 2012 appropriately titled Young House Love.

Learn how to make the clothespin light here. (picture 2)
Learn how to paint furniture, like the table in picture 3, here.

A quote from the fixer-uppers: "Our obsession with DIY & all things home started back in 2007, when we got married in the backyard of our first house. Then we turned our attention to the house itself, and four and a half years later the dust cleared and it was totally transformed, which meant it was time to move and start all over again. Especially because our family grew to include the best DIY project we’ve tackled to date: a sweet little bean girl named Clara (who made a pretty dramatic entrance into the world) and a cute pooch named Burger."

The duo is now in their third home and are sharing with all their followers their journey of renovating yet another house into a warm and welcoming home.

Click here to check out Young House Love. Follow them on Twitter and Pinterest!
All photos were borrowed from www.younghouselove.com.

I hope these blogs inspire you like they do me!
ENJOY!

-ck.

Peanut Butter & Dark Chocolate Drizzle Cookies

Peanut butter and chocolate go together like a pool and a hot summer day, Monday nights and the Bachelorette, or Butler students and Broad Ripple. It just makes sense! So, I have taken the classic "peanut butter blossom" and put my own twist on it.

ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter - unsalted, room temperature
• 3/4 cup peanut butter - chunky or creamy (I used chunky)
•  1/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 Tbsp milk (I used fat free milk)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup Nestle Dark Chocolate morsels 

directions:

First, preheat your oven to 375 degrees. It will take you approximately 10-15 minutes to prepare the peanut butter dough, so you want the oven to be ready whenever you are finished. 

Step 1: Mix all of the ingredients together - minus the chocolate chips, obviously. 

Step 2: Take approximately a tablespoon of dough in your hands and roll into a ball - about the size of a large gum ball. Don't forget to spray your cookie sheet with non-stick spray!

Step 3: Bake the cookies for about 10-12 minutes or until they are a light shade of brown. Remove and put on wax paper to cool.

Step 4: The chocolate! Put about 3/4 cup of morsels in a microwavable dish and heat the chips, stirring periodically, until all are melted. If you are like me and don't own an icing bag, you can make your own using a Ziplock baggie. Place the melted chocolate in the baggie and cut a very small snip off the corner. Use this as you would an icing bag, squeezing the baggie and coating the cookies with melted dark chocolate. Cover the cookies to your preference. (I made these for some of my co-workers, so I did varying chocolate amounts. Some have lots of chocolate and some only have a little. It's up to you!)

 

If you are not planning on serving this delicious treat right away, let the melted chocolate harden before placing them in any sort of container. This will help the cookies not stick together. If you don't have time to wait for the chocolate to cool down and harden, you can always put them in the refrigerator to quicken the process.

suggested serving: 

With a tall glass of milk!

This is a recipe that your family, friends, neighbors, book club members, boyfriend, co-workers and Santa will be extremely happy that you stumbled upon!

ENJOY!

-ck.

inspired by : http://www.kaceyskitchen.com/2009/11/peanut-butter-blossoms.html 

Weekly Outings - Team Trivia!

Looking for something fun to do on a week night when you aren't really feeling the wild and crazy bar scene? Try a local trivia night! I have been going to one on Wednesday nights at Tin Roof Nashville with my co-workers and it has been a blast! The one at Tin Roof is sponsored by a company called Team Trivia that sets up trivia nights at bars all over the United States. Check out the company website for a location near you!

If you are a Butler student or live in the Indianapolis area, you are lucky! I am going to do all the hard work for you and tell you all the trivia hotspots close to campus. (And there are quite a few! YAY!)

Monday:

The Mokey's Tale - 9:30 PM

925 E Westfield Blvd.

Indianapolis, IN 46220

Fox And Hound - 8:00 PM

4901 E 82nd St.

Suite 900

Indianapolis, IN 46250

Tuesday:

Old Pro's Table (OPT) - 8:00 PM

827 Broad Ripple Ave.
Indianapolis, IN 46220

Moon Dog Tavern - 7:30 PM

4825 E. 96th St.
Indianapolis, IN 46240

Wednesday:

Brother's Bar & Grill - 8:30 PM

910 Broad Ripple Ave.
Broad Ripple, IN 46220

Tin Roof - 7:30 PM

36 South Pennsylvania Ave.
Indianapolis, IN 46201

Joe's Grille - 8:00 PM

6645 East 82nd St.
Indianapolis, IN 46250

**NOTE: Notice all of the locations for Team Trivia nights are at bars, so most likely there will be a "Trivia Special" - $5 pitchers anyone? I think so!

Another great thing about Team Trivia game nights is that, most of the time, there are prizes (gift certificates, cash prizes, etc.) for places 1st-3rd. Did I mention that it is free to play? So, grab a group of friends and enjoy each other's company while exercising your brain with a friendly game of trivia - and who knows, maybe you will kick some butt and actually win something!

-ck.