New Years Inspiration 2016!

Hey everyone and Happy New Year! At the start of each new year everyone decides to make a change and make the following year 'the best one yet'. We make commitments and resolutions but a goal without a plan is just a dream and without inspiration and something to urge us to plan out how exactly we want to achieve our resolutions we will end up exactly where we were last new years.  Also, a tip is to only make 1 or 2 main goals for 2016 that can be achieved with hard work, instead of making a bunch that will never happen. Anyways, today I am going to be sharing with you a bunch of pictures from Weheartit to inspire you and encourage everyone to make a goal and stick to it because 2016 can only be great if we make it great.

Hope you enjoyed this post and wish you all a happy and healthy new year! 2016 you will be our year to never forget. xx

How to Make Money Fast! #Poshmark

Hey everyone! Today I wanted to share with you an app I've had since about last summer where I post pictures of and sell my old, unused clothes. If you're looking for a fast, easy way to earn money this app is perfect for you! I also wanted to bring this up to give you an opportunity to look at my clothes and possibly purchase some of them.

How Poshmark works for the buyer, is you scroll down your feed and when something catches your eye you click on it. From there you can look at all the pictures and decide if this is something you want to buy. I've never bought anything from someone on Poshmark so I'm not exactly sure how the paying goes but I know that you select a shipping type and then pay for the item safely through the website. Then, once the seller ships your item you will receive it in the mail and then have to verify that the item is the correct one you purchased and in good condition.

For the seller, I can give you experience first-hand. You begin by taking and posting pictures from all angles of the clothes or items you are wanting to sell or get rid of. Then, you add descriptions, sizes, and the original price and selling price. Since it has probably been worn at least once you want to mark the item down a lot from its original buying price so people will want to buy it. Next, you wait for someone to make an offer or buy it, package it up, print the shipping label that is emailed to you, and ship it out as soon as you can!

I have made over 200$ from Poshmark in just a couple of months so I really recommend downloading the app. It's also a great way of getting rid of clothes that you no longer wear and still making a profit from them. Also, it's a great activity to do in your spare time and shows you what it's like to sell and ship products and also customer service/how you respond and act to the buyers.

Go check out my closet at https://poshmark.com/closet/emilysdc and currently I am in the process of uploading a bunch of new clothes and shoes so make sure to continuously check it over the next couple of days to look for new items. If you have any questions about how Poshmark works let me know in the comments. xxx

Last-Minute Christmas Gift Ideas In a Jar Part 2!

Hey everyone! I am finally on winter break and will have more time for blogging. Today, I have a last-minute christmas gift ideas in a jar part 2, because it was one of my most popular posts from last year, so I decided to do it again with some new ideas. The gifts range from cookies in a jar, brownies, bath bombs, and succulents. I think gifts in ball jars look so trendy and instantly make any gift look cuter, and they are also all DIY so can be made at home and don't cost a fortune.

Candy Shop Cookies
The first gift idea are these candy-shop cookies. They are so easy to make and the cookies taste amazing! Also, they are great small gifts for neighbors, a group of friends, or co-workers. All of the dry ingredients are played out inside the jar and then the rest of the ingredients and instructions are attached to the side of the jar.

Peppermint Brownies
The next gift is the second of three baked good ideas because the holidays are all about cookies and desserts. It is peppermint flavored brownies and look so festive and delicious in the ball jars. Similar to the candy shop cookies, these brownies have all the ingredients inside the ball jar except for any wet ingredients that need to be added along with the instructions attached to the jar.  I got the recipe and pictures from an amazing blog called A Pumpkin and a Princess who has a ton of DIY's and homemade gifts.

http://apumpkinandaprincess.com/2014/12/peppermint-brownies-mason-jar-gifts.html?crlt.pid=camp.DdZqIT7T4B3c

Ingredients

1. 1 2/3 cup granulated sugar
2. 3/4 cup cocoa powder
3. 1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
4. 1/2 tsp baking powder
5. 1/4 tsp salt
6. 1/2 cup chocolate chips
7. 1/4 cup Andes peppermint baking chips
9. Additional ingredients:
10. 3/4 cup melted butter
11. 2 large eggs
12. 2 tablespoons water
13. 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

1. In a small bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt.
2. Layer granulated sugar, cocoa powder (wipe the inside of the jar after the cocoa layer), then flour mixture.
3. Add baking ships and chocolate chips on top. 
4. Directions:
5. Preheat oven to 350 and grease 13x9-inch pan. 
6. Mix brownie mix with wet ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
7. Spread into prepared baking pan. Bake for 18-25 minutes.

Succulents in a Jar
I love this next gift idea because I am a sucker for succulents and have three of them on my desk in my room. I think they add such a nice aesthetic to the room and are a perfect gift for any one who loves easy-to take care of plants that look great as decoration. These plants can also live inside and require very little water since they are used to living in the desert. I gained inspiration for this gift from http://elisamclaughlin.com/design/2012/01/diy-succulents-in-a-jar/ as well as the beautiful pictures of the plants.

Layer an inch and a half to two inches of medium to small stones on the bottom of your jar. You can start with large stones and then top the two inches off with smaller stones to fill in the gaps.

Lay the small piece of mesh or burlap over the stones. This provides a natural barrier between the dirt and the stones allowing the water to drain and the soil to dry. Layer a small layer of charcoal on top of the mesh and then layer some dirt.

Now you can place your succulent in the jar and fill it with more dirt. Sometimes I top the jar off with a small layer of orchid bark or something purely ornamental to finish off the look.

When watering a succulent that is potted this way it is best to only use a little bit of water. Then let the soil dry completely before adding a little more water. Succulents are desert plants and survive better with less water than with over-watering. Once you have finished you can decorate your jar if it is more simple with fabric, white burlap, and other trimmings.

Red Velvet Cupcakes
Next, I have the final baked good gift idea. It is sure to please anyone who loves an already baked, moist cupcake in a jar. It is layered with frosting and has a portable spoon on the side so it can be eaten anytime and anywhere. Also, it requires no work for the person receiving the gift-except eating it of course! I found this recipe on CAKIES and thought it looked phenomenal and worth a try. 

Ingredients

- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

- 1 1/2 cups sugar

- 1 tsp baking soda

- 1 tsp salt

- *2 1/4 tsp cocoa powder

- *1 1/2 cup canola oil

- 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature

- 2 large eggs, room temperature

- 2 tbsp red food coloring

- 1 tsp white distilled vinegar

- *2 tsp vanilla extract

for the cream cheese frosting:

- 1 pound cream cheese, softened

- 2 sticks butter, softened

- *2 tsps vanilla extract

- 4 cups sifted powdered sugar

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 (12-cup) muffin pans with cupcake papers.

In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In a large bowl gently beat together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla with a handheld electric mixer. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet and mix until smooth and thoroughly combined.

Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake tins about 2/3 filled. Bake in oven for about 20 to 22 minutes, turning the pans once, half way through. Test the cupcakes with a toothpick for doneness. Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting.

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla together until smooth. Add the sugar and on low speed, beat until incorporated. Increase the speed to high and mix until very light and fluffy.

Assembling the Jars

-Once they are cool, I slice them in half. You will have a stack of tops and a stack of bottoms.

-Place one bottom in each jar 

-Put a layer of frosting

-Take the top of the cupcake and place on top of the layer of frosting 

-Flatten or gently smash the top part of the cupcake inside of the jar-you want to get the top pretty flat 

-Frost the top and place on lids and a spoon! 

Homemade Bath Bombs 

Next, I have homemade bath bombs in a jar, which are perfect for a spa-themed gift or as an extra gift for relaxation. I'm obsessed with bath bombs and usually pay for them at Lush until I found this recipe for homemade bath bombs on Club Chica Circle which looks super easy and just as amazing! Most of the ingredients can be found at home and the final product looks so cute. You can also make them Christmas themed/colored, but for this one the bath bombs were more neutral colors for any occasion. 

Ingredients

1/2 cup baking soda

1/4 cup citric acid

1 tablespoon of massage oil

Spray bottle with water

Mold

Instructions

The first step is to mix the baking soda and citric acid in a large mixing bowl with a whisk. Then add the oil and mix again really well with the whisk.

Then the next step is the trickiest one. While my daughter mixed with her hands, I spray water into the bowl. The chemical reaction of the “fizzing” happens when water hits the mixture, so you don’t want to add too much at one time. I sprayed about 10-20 squirts in the bowl, until we got a nice clumpy consistency and it could hold a shape when squeezed together. That’s as complicated as it gets.

The final step is to press into silicone molds. I have been collecting some great ones that I found in the dollar bin at Target. Make sure to compact the mixture into the mold as much as possible. The mixture might expand a little bit in the mold while you are working but that is ok.

The first batch we made, we pressed out of the old right away, and put on a baking sheet to dry.

Thank you so much for viewing this post and I hope some of you give any of these gifts a try for Christmas or a birthday coming up. Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays and I hope everyone has an amazing and relaxing break with family or friends. xx

I'm Thankful for...

Happy Thanksgiving! I finally have enough time to sit down and write a blog post. It's been so long since I've blogged but I just needed a little break to focus on schoolwork and dancing. Now, I am in Madison, Wisconsin at my grandparents house for thanksgiving. It was snowing a couple of days ago and now it's cold and rainy which is a nice change in the weather since it's been bright sunshine almost every day in California.

Anyways, to get back into the routine of blogging I thought I would write down things I'm thankful for in my life because there is so much to be grateful for and I feel so blessed and happy with my life and everyone that's a part of it.

I'm thankful for...

Family
Family is such an important part of my life and I honestly don't know where I would be without them. They are the only people in this world that know every part of me (good and bad) and also the only people that I have known since birth. I know my family will always be there for me and I can always count on them over anyone or anything. I am thankful to have such an amazing family that I have a strong connection with and feel very fortunate in how I was raised and by whom.

Friends
Friends are such an important part of my life and I love meeting new people and becoming friends with as many people as I can. Without friends my life would not be the same and I can honestly say that they mean so much to me. I am also so grateful to have friends from all over the world and although I can't always see them or hang out with them they're such a big part of my life and I miss them so much.

The ability to have an education
A lot of times we complain about having to go to school and act like school is a prison or such an awful place. But every day that I wake up I feel so grateful to be able to go to school and have an education because there are so many people who can't even read or write. School is exhausting and a lot of work but it's also a place where you get to hang out with your friends every day, meet new people, learn new things, and be educated about the world.

Dance
I love dancing and expressing myself through movement and songs. Even though I know I'm not the best dancer in the world and probably won't dance professionally, it's something I have a passion for and love to do. Finding an activity you truly love to do and go to every day is hard and I'm so lucky to have found that through dance.

Basic necessities in life that we take for granted: food, home, water, clothes
If you have food every day, a house to live in, water, and clothes than you should be thankful because those are basic things that we assume everyone has but doesn't. I love Thanksgiving because it's a time for me to realize that my life is so fortunate and just having basic necessities could make someone else's world.

My dogs
My two dogs put such a big smile on my face and make me so happy. Whenever I'm upset or had a bad day they always cheer me up and can sense when I'm feeling sad. Our older dog I basically grew up with so he's such a big part of my life and I can't imagine not having him in our family.

To be alive and healthy
Lastly I'm so thankful to be alive, breathing, and healthy; which I think speaks for itself.

Thanks for viewing this post and Happy Thanksgiving again! Hopefully I will be posting something soon so look forward to that xx

How I Edit my Instagram Pictures!

Hey everyone!

I love taking photos and scrolling through Instagram feeds so today I am going to show you how I edit my photos for Instagram. It's a fairly quick process for me because I edit most of my photos the same to keep my feed cohesive and matching.

The main app I use is VSCO Cam but sometimes I also use Squaready (blurred background), Layout (collages), and Afterlight (texture). In VSCO Cam I downloaded the package with all the filters, which I highly recommend because it gives you so many options to choose from. My top two filters that I use are A5 and S3 because they work with about any photo (with the help of extra lighting, temperature, etc).

After I apply my chosen filter and how much of the filter I want in the photo, I move into the detailed editing. The main extras that I fix are: lighting, temperature, saturation, shadows, highlights, and highlight tint. I usually increase all of them except I decrease temperature to add more of a blueish tone and depending on the lighting of the photo will either brighten or darken it.

Below is an example of how I would edit a basic photo...

Before

After

I hope you got some ideas and inspiration on how to edit your Instagram photos! Thanks for reading xx

Zucchini Bread Recipe | Fall Foods!

Hey everyone! I'm finally back blogging, sorry for the absence of posts and information but I decided to take a little break to get inspired and overcome my blogger's block. I've also been crazy busy lately with balancing all my dancing and school work and just haven't been able to think of anything to write about. Nonetheless, I'm finally back and can't wait to share posts with you every weekend.

Today, I have a fall food recipe, specifically zucchini bread. It's one of my mom's special recipes and is so delicious and yummy, without leaving you feeling guilty and stuffed. I know the idea of a baked good with vegetables probably sounds pretty dissatisfying but it is so so amazing! Zucchinis are not my favorite vegetable but this sweet zucchini bread is to die for; it is moist, healthy-ish, and will leave you wanting more and more. When my mom first made this zucchini bread I thought no way I'm never trying this, but I reluctantly tried it and to my surprise it was delightful.

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs
• 1 C oil
• 2 C sugar
• 3 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 C flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 3 tsp cinnamon
• 2 C grated zucchini
• 1 C chocolate chips (optional)

Instructions:

1. Beat oil, eggs, sugar and vanilla
2. Sift flour with salt, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon
3. Add to egg mixture and beat well
4. Fold in zucchini with a spatula
5. Pour into greased and floured pans (loaf or muffin)
6. Bake at 325F for 1 hour or until edges become firmer
7. TIP: don't bake too long or it will become very dry-it's always tastier a bit undercooked and moist

You can also add chocolate chips for a sweeter bread!

I hope you enjoyed this fall foods recipe and give it a try one day. It's super simple and well worth the process! Till next week xx