Cake in a Cup

Regardless of how much food I eat at lunch/dinner, I always seem to crave something sweet afterward. Lately it's been frozen Thin Mints (soooo good) but there has been a sudden dearth of Girl Scouts in my area and I'm on my last few cookies for the season. (Noooo!)

If you're like me and love a quick, no nonsense treat that takes a minute to make and isn't high in fat or calories, this little cake does the trick. My aunt told me about it a few weeks ago and it sounded so intriguing that I had to put it to the test. I think this is one of those viral Pinterest things that really is as awesome and delicious as they say.

Are you ready? Here we go.

{cake in a cup}

All you need is two boxes of cake mix - one Angel Food and one of anything else you desire (I chose fudgey chocolate) - and to remember the mnemonic "3-2-1."

Mix the two cake powders together in a large tupperware or a large ziploc bag.

3. Scoop three tablespoons of the cake mix in a microwave-safe mug.
2. Add two tablespoons of water. Mix well.
1. Microwave the mug for one minute.

Voila! Instant mini cake!

Note: if you have a hot microwave like me, you may need to adjust your heating time. I microwaved mine for 40 seconds and it turned out perfectly.

Wait a few minutes and then turn out your cake onto a plate and eat like a little cupcake, or eat it straight out of the mug. Dress with whipped cream, chocolate, caramel, etc!

DIY: Dry Erase Artwork

I love Pinterest as a source of crafty inspiration. However, I think sometimes I get so carried away pinning things and surfing the internet for inspiration, that I forget to take time to actually create anything. Sound familiar? Are you guilty of this, too? ;)

I've loved {this} idea for some time, and I finally decided to make one of my own! I had an old IKEA frame that I bought a while ago and had yet to find a good use for it. So with a little craftiness, some colored cardstock, a little sketch done by me and a nail to hang it on... we have an adorable new piece of customizable art in our bathroom. So cute!

{diy dry erase artwork}

Needed:
Colored cardstock
Frame (5x7 opening)
Paper cutter
Double sided tape
Pens/ colored pencils
Ruler

I created a framed photo by cutting out black cardstock to 5x7, then cutting red cardstock slightly smaller to create a border, then white cardstock slightly smaller than the red. I attached everything with double-sided tape and sketched out my artwork on the white cardstock.

I drew lines with the ruler and a pen and colored in my artwork with colored pencil. Then it went into the frame and into the bathroom!

You can write whatever you like on the glass of the frame with a dry-erase marker. All it takes is a little tissue paper to wipe off what you've written and start again! Have fun! :)

Snowstorms, Birthdays, and Giant Cupcakes

Hello lovely readers! I had a fabulous birthday weekend, thanks for asking! I have to say, though, I'm at that age where birthdays are starting to get strange. For the past year or so I've run into an odd realization: I'm starting to forget how old I am. When people ask, I have to think for a second before answering. Wait, am I 27 or 28? It's come to the point where I have to do math in my head, just to be sure. 

Now that I'm officially 28, I find it unnerving that I'm almost 30. Isn't 30 that age where you're supposed to have life figured out, and stuff? I mean, all my friends are starting to get married, or having kids, or have real jobs, and half the time I feel like I still tell people, when I grow up, I want to be an artist and travel the world.

Ah, well. There's still plenty of time to cast off the "real world" and go exploring.

Speaking of exploring, this weekend Tanner and I hopped in the car and spent a few days up in rainy, lovely Washington. Our weekend was full of traveling, skiing, and visiting family that I haven't seen in a long time. I mean, like ten years. Crazy. It was fun to visit my aunt and my cousins, who I remember being little kids and are now in high school and college. Birthdays serve to remind us how quickly time flies...

Photo recap time! The first set is from Saturday when Tanner and I skied at Crystal Mountain -- a gorgeous resort, with towering mountains all around that cup you in an expansive bowl of snow and slope. So different from Mount Hood's open face, and so beautiful. The second set is our trip north of Seattle to visit family and their adorable home along the foggy, misty shores of Puget Sound.

It's my cousin Audrey's birthday this week too, so my aunt made us a giant cupcake to celebrate. (Yes, that is a regular dinner-sized plate.) Winning!

P.S.- this is the gift Tanner got me for my birthday. He was totally clever and went to my favorites page on my Etsy site to find this gorgeous mug that I have been talking about for weeks. It came all adorably wrapped and with a note from the artist for my birthday. I'm in love! (With Tanner, too!) ;)

Fresh Tracks in 14 Inches

Even when work and errands and taxes and my Etsy shop seems to be taking up most of my time lately, one still needs a moment to get out and enjoy the day. (Especially in rainy Portland, where a nice day is worth celebrating!)

This week Elizabeth and I went on our favorite day-trip getaway up to Mt Hood. The weather was gorgeous and since it just snowed 14 inches the night before, the powder was pure bliss. It was like magic under my skis. Seriously. Is there anything better?

We ventured off our favorite runs and took a new lift to the top-ish of the mountain (7,000 feet, anyway) where the clouds were softly hovering, looking like a misty cowl draped over the mountain top. It was completely lovely until we got caught in the middle of it and couldn't see two feet in front of our noses. Skiing in a whiteout? Yeah, we did that.

Here's the day's photo recap. Some of these shots look better bigger, so click on them for the full effect. My favorite is the very last one: the dark shapes of skiers silhouetted against the rolling clouds. I almost fell off my skis and dropped my camera trying to stop and grab that shot. Totally worth it. :)