Me + Power Sander + The Weekend =

 A new fun project, of course! 

Fact, my room is a crazy space, you really can't imagine. Its the epicenter of my creations and also my attempts to clothe myself. Another fact, I'm slowly reorganizing and creating a more functional living space.

A few months ago I was at my favorite place, Good Will, and I stumbled upon this beauty... I was in love and at that moment I decided I NEEDED a vanity. I however, was not there to purchase furniture and I'm a firm believer that if its meant to be mine, the next time I come back it will still be there.... Over a month passed before I made it back... low and behold, there was my beloved vanity waiting for me to whisk it away in my little red wagon....okay, I was REALLY excited. It was friday, that means 9:00 I could plug in my sander get that baby cleaned up and refinished and have it in my room by the end of the weekend... Mission accomplished!

Bailey's and coffee cupcakes anyone?

OH MY GOODNESS!

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH MY GOODNESS!

These cupcakes were hands down the best (chocolate) thing to ever grace my counter top. I think I ate three of them, and that's saying something, coming from a girl who doesn't normally eat the finished product! Maybe it was my love for coffee, maybe it was my love for chocolate, and maybe it was my nostalgic lust for my mom's homemade baileys that sparked this creation but regardless, these three flavors came together to form a cupcake trifecta.

Last Friday marked the last day that my coworker would be with the company and as a goodbye treat I asked her to pick this month's cupcake - Chocolate, Fruity, or Savory (like pumpkin) and obviously she chose chocolate... I had already decided after making those boozy little tequila cakes that at some point I'd like to try chocolate and bailey's so when she said chocolate I was presented the perfect opportunity to run with the idea. All day at work I mulled over the perfect combination of chocolate and bailey's cupcake, and decided coffee would be a good addition to the mix. Coffee naturally brings out the flavor in chocolate, people put bailey's in their coffee, baileys and chocolate icecream make a mudslide(right?) and chocolate and coffee make the mocha,  I mean come on, can you say love triangle? anyway, I figured out what I was going to do. a chocolate cupcake, with coffee custard filling and a bailey's buttercream frosting. BEST IDEA EVER!

 Get your basic chocolate cake recipe and add some coffee and baileys to it. bake that. grab some instant vanilla pudding and add coffee to that (I was winging this, didn't know it would actually work, good news, it does - Beautifully) and then make a buttercream frosting base... add some bailey's to taste, assemble and top with a lone coffee bean (this little bean really packs a punch at the end) and VIOLA. This recipe sorta just came out, like it was meant to be. I didnt have anything written down and I spent a lot of time thinking "God, I hope this works out okay" but... I've really said enough I think... so I'll leave you with one more picture.

Care Kits Version 2.0

A while back I decided I was going to make care kits to keep in my car so I have something to give out to the homeless when I pass, rather than tossing some pocket change that generally wouldn't even buy a bus fare. So I had set out to Costco and the dollar store in search of "the right things" to fill my bags. The first kits turned out okay, though I was greatly overwhelmed by my want to give everything that someone might need and the realistic capacity of a gallon size bag. I crammed in a toothbrush and toothpaste, soap and a washcloth, snacks, bandaids, and the most appreciated item, a new pair of socks. A couple weeks ago I gave away my last kit, so once again it was off to Costco, this time with a little more focus. I knew that this time my packs were going to be centered around warmth - what can I provide that will help keep people warm and dry and provide basic needs? This is what I came up with. 

1 pair of mittens

1 pair of socks

2 pairs of hand warmers

2 protein bars

2 garbage bags (for water proofing belongings)

chapstick

1 pack of gum

1 fruit cup

1 water bottle

1 pack of kleenex

1 mini first aid kit

I have to say, I'm REALLY excited about these ones, and the first morning I had them done I ended up with the opportunity to give one away. Boy, was he ever excited! "I just hit the jackpot! This is AWESOME!" I can't tell you how special it is to see someone light up like that man did. I only wish I had already put in the little notes of encouragement. There is so much value in knowing that someone out there has compassion for you and there is such great reward in reaching out and sharing your compassion with others. 

Okay, Okay. Sooo maybe you're wondering what this cost me.... all in all I ended up spending about $120 to make 12 kits, with some supplies left over. that puts each kit at $10 which honestly is really not that bad considering what you're getting out of it (or in this case giving). All in all, I'd have to say that this round was much more successful than the last. Now I just need to figure out a way to get more people involved. I'd love to be able to make 20 or 30 kits and drop half of them off at a local outreach program, but perhaps I should take a few of these ones over, since I never feel like I get rid of them as quickly as I'd like. That could be next step. :)