It's the Middle of the YEAR.

Life Currently:
1. Quit my jobs!
2. Got engaged
3. Planning a wedding that is at the end of this year.
4. Working out a lot.
5. Getting ready for a surgery that is next month.
6. Babysitting the cutest kids.. but also not wanting kids now for 10 years.

Craft Show #1

Last weekend my sister and I set up in Anahiem, CA and participated in a craft show! Our first oen ans we had 2 weeks to prepare. It was a lot of fun experiencing this. What you see in this photo is our pallet board display that we made out of pallet boards found behind Walmart and 2$ hinges. The left two are connected and the right two are connected. They are hinged in the front so that they close perfectly on top of each other. We also have twine stapled onto the wood and we closepinned headbands from the display!
The two frames we found at a garage sale, and refurbished them to have a chalkboard paint backing and we painted the teal one, it was gold before.

I hope to have all of this in our etsy store after the holidays calm down.
We plan to do a few in 2013. I would love to team up with someone from So-Cal to share a booth. Hopefully that will happen!
<3

Doing a 5k

Last month I ran my first 5k! The Electric Run. I did not run the whole thing, but I completed it in 32 minutes! My initial goal was under 40 minutes, so I was SUPER proud of myself. Some of you might know a little bit about my weighloss journey (starting at 230 lbs, now I am under 170 headed to 135!). I am NOT a runner, or an athlete. Coordination and endurance do not run in my blood.. at all. BUT, I am trying! I go to a small gym in my town that offers unlimited personal training for as low at $119 a month. I am only doing it till February and then I am starting up my membership I recently won at the local climbing gym.

Anyways, how I started getting motivated to run.
Pinterest.
I was on the health and fitness category of pinterest all of the time, getting myself pumped on running. It worked! Finally I got on that treadmill and started one of many training programs out there to train for a 5k. Something about me though, I am a quitter. Things get hard and I am out. So, running as been a challenge because it IS hard. It's just awful.

What helping in the end was paying the entry fee for my run. I didn't want to waste that money!
Here are some things I learned after running the 5k:

1. Make a playlist! I didn't do this, I ran out of time and forgot, so the whole time I was just changing songs on my pandora and that was just awful, it kept getting me out of the grove.
2. Wear pants that fit. I wore my yoga pants I always run in that have recently started to get big (this is a good problem) but it was a problem having to keep holding them up.
3.If you run with a friend don't feel as though you have to stay with them! I was worried about this because my friend I ran with is more of an athlete then me but when I let her keep going it was almost a relief, I didn't have to keep up or make her feel as she had to slow down!
4. Get there early. The earlier you get there the earlier you take off! Well, in this runs case.

Have you done a run recently? I am hoping to sign up soon for some in 2013. Then I will start training for a 10k! Nervous!

Headbands.

My sister and I have launched a headband shop! We are super excited about this new adventure, if you are looking for a new headband be sure to check it out! http://www.etsy.com/shop/JJSisters

Mini Pies.

Last week my sister and I made mini pies. We had found the idea on the lovely Pinterest (of course), and decided to make them! It was SO simple and SO easy. 
So, I encourage you to make them. 
What you need:

• Pie Crust Dough — I used store bought refrigerated crust but feel free to use homemade
• Filling — choose your favorite pie fillings and make mini batches of each one (or use canned filling) I used pumpkin and apple!

Lay out the pie crust on the counter, and take a cup to cup out circles! Spray Pam or something like it on a cupcake pan. Place the little "circle doughs" into your pan! Then fill each with your pie crusts. 

Bake these for around 13-18 minutes! And they will be adorable, delicious pies. 
Good Luck! 

-Justine 

Pinning Love.

If you follow me on Pinterest it is no secret I am a pinning machine recently. I have a lot of down time spent in my car in between classes or if I arrive to work too early, and my goodness I am obsessed right now. I wanted to share a few of my favorite pins recently!

1. This beautiful background. I am a SUCKER for planning things, and I am always wanting to dream up a classy dinner party, but it's so hard to find/invite the right people that will just mesh well, you know? And plus they are expensive. BUT, if I was going to have one soon, or if I was going to have a New Years Eve party, I am would implement this idea into somehow in a heart beat.




2. I would have never come up with the idea of a medicine cabinet do-over! I AM IN LOVE WITH THIS IDEA!!!! Find it on Inspire, Design and Create. How cute would it be to open it up and have a cute note from a loved one?! As soon as I live in my own house I am doing this first thing!...probabaly more like 55603 thing ;) 


3. Lastly, I am not the most handy of girls. I'd like to call myself more of a dreamer than a do-er.. SO, that being said, if I was a do-er, I would do this.. for SURE.




Do you have a Pinterest?! I would love to check it out!!

Candy Corn Cookie Crunch

Seeing how close it is to Halloween I thought it was only fitting that I post a Halloween recipe! 

It was adapted by Scrambled Henfruit  It's crazy simple and doesn't involve an oven! :)

Ingredients

1 lb. almond bark candy coating or white chocolate

14 Oreos, broken into pieces- I used the Halloween ones with orange filling

1 and 1/2 cups pretzels, broken- I used the thin straight ones

1 cup candy corn

1/4 cup Reeses Pieces

1/2 cup Peanut M&Ms (fall colors)

Halloween sprinkles

Cover a cookie sheet with waxed paper or foil. Spread the broken pretzels, broken cookies, and about 3/4 of the candy corn on the prepared cookie sheet. Melt the white chocolate or candy coating until smooth, according to package directions. 

Drizzle the melted white chocolate over the pretzel mixture, spreading with a spatula if needed. Before it sets, sprinkle on the remaining candy corn, M&Ms, Reeses Pieces, and sprinkles. Place the tray into the refrigerator until set. Break into pieces and enjoy! 

XO.

Caramel Apple Crisp

The other night I made the most delicious apple crisp with my friend the other night. We got the recipe from Hil's Blog and it was so good. AND EASY.

Ingredients:

2 medium apples, peeled and sliced
2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoon butter
4 tablespoons quick-cooking oats
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 to 2 heaping tablespoons Mrs. Richardson's Butterscotch Caramel Topping
Cream or Ice Cream (optional)


Directions:

Place apple slices in those little pie crusts, and  Spoon Butterscotch Caramel topping over the apples.  In a bowl, combine flour and brown sugar; cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add oats and cinnamon.  Sprinkle over apple slices and caramel.

Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until tender. Serve with cream or ice cream if desired.

<3

Life Update

Hello Friends. It's Monday and it's almost NOVEMBER. Can we all freak out a little bit?! That is just crazy. Thankfully Southern California is cooling down a little bit, it has been nasty here. I wanted to do a little life update.

1. School: This is my last semester in community college and I am SUPER thrilled. I hate school. HATE. What am I going to do after this semester? I am going to Real Estate school! I am going to be a real estate agent for a couple years before Kyle and I take off to North Africa one day.

2. Work: I work too much, but I am currently paying off car loans and but the end of this year I will be 100% debt free. Isn't that so exciting?! Oh gosh, I am super thrilled. I work at Pizza Hut, I originally started that 5 years ago, and have been back 4 times haha. I deliver 3 days a week an manage 3 days a week. Then a few hours a week I tutor kids on giving speeches at my school!

3. Church: I am finally committed and involved to a new church called Sandals. Sandals isn't new I have just been church hunting for a few months after leaving a long term church a few months ago! I am volunteering in the children ministry working with special needs kids!

4. Big News! Some of the biggest news is that Kyle bought a house! In Georgia! He is currently there right now working on it getting it renter ready until we are ready to move there! There is not set time for when we are going to move, but it's super exciting and we are thrilled. :)

5. Kyle: Speaking of Kyle, we are going to be celebrating our one year next month :)

Have a great day everyone!

Peep Cake!

Cute tip for a cake this month? Add some peeps to the side!
<3