December 2016 – Hepburn Hippie

DIY: Christmas/Holiday Wreath (Up-cycle)

December 6, 2016 No Comments

I am not a big fan of winter. Okay…. to be honest, there isn’t much I can stand about the season, at all. One of the few things that brings me joy about the season, though, is that I get an excuse to spruce up my decor by going festive.

Now, I have never been into the traditional red and green aesthetic (not to knock you if you are a classic Christmas kind of girl/guy). White, light pink, gold, etc, have always been more of my style–not quite as flashy and if I “accidentally” leave it up till, say, June…it can kinda pass as non-holiday decor.

So, in the spirit of winter wonderland-ness, I am going to up-cycle a plain, inexpensive wreath, with items from around my home, to give it a more glam-holiday vibe. So… here we go!

Supplies

Wreath
Glue Gun
Twine
Spray Paint
Pine Cones or other nature inspired items ( I used some old potpourri )
Ribbon (with wire)
Any cute Christmas-y items that you aren’t using to their fullest potential!

Step 1) Cover your table or floor with some old newspaper, etc. to keep things tidy.

Step 2) Remove existing tags and ribbons that don’t go with your theme.

Step 3) Wrap your wreath in thin ribbon or twine (for a more rustic look).

Step 4) Flip wreath over and tie or glue ribbon ends to keep snug.

Step 5) Spray paint your decorations (I used silver because I had an old can lying around and I like that “mottled” look, but I think white “snow ” would be super cute!).

Step 6) Cut your ribbon into a bow shape and glue together the “bow” and the “tail” ribbons.

Step 7) Glue your bow on top of the wreath.

Step 8) Place your painted decorations evenly around the wreath and secure with glue.

Step 9) Step back and marvel at your DIY creation and place it on your front door or an empty wall space!

Foodie

Snow Ball Cookies : Vegan and Gluten-Free

December 3, 2016 No Comments

Holidays are just around the corner, and if you’re anything like me, bringing a healthy (ish) treat to all the parties and family gatherings is a must!

In my family, we have some gluten-free as well as vegan members, but the treats have to pass the “normal” eater’s taste-buds, and it can be a tricky task to satisfy all the different taste palettes.

First off, let me put out a disclaimer: I am not a baker. I have made banana-muffins-explode-in-the-oven kind of not-a-baker. Cooking is a whole different beast (a beast I really enjoy!). I think it has to do with the left verses right brain thing.

Baking is more of a science and you can probably guess by now how good I was in biology. This is what I finally decided on making for a Thanksgiving treat to bring to one of my (three , yes three) get-togethers.

Chocolate Snow Ball Cookies!

Now, since I am not a baker, I took inspiration from a Pinterest recipe from crazyforcrust.com: “doubleChocolateSnowball”

I personally prefer the gluten free and vegan version that I created better than the original recipe ( I made both).

So let’s get started

Ingredients:

I ended up doubling the recipe and making a ton of cookies!

3/4 cup dark chocolate chips (I used the Ghirardelli dark ones that don’t have milk) But here is a 100% vegan alternative Enjoy Life 🙂

1/4 cup cocoa powder ( I used dark cocoa…I like real chocolate!)

2 1/4 cups flour (2 cups oat flower and 1/4 cup tapioca)

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbs vanilla

1 cup vegan butter (I used the Smart Balance flax)

Heat your oven to 375 degrees and line a baking tray with parchment paper.

Mix (slightly melted) butter and powdered sugar together and add vanilla.

I did this by hand but an electric mixer would make it go faster.

Add in your flours and the pinch of salt.

It will get really thick, quickly.

Add in that cocoa powder.

Stir in the chocolate chips, lightly.

I took a spoon and made a rough glob of dough, rolled it into a ball shape and lined them on a parchment paper-covered baking tray.

Each tray held about 12 cookies.

Now it’s time to bake! I accidentally baked my first batch a little long….they just didn’t look done, but they were. Bake about 8-10 minutes until the top is not so shiny.

I would dive into one with a fork or toothpick just to make sure it is not goopey. A little underdone, more brownie texture is better than overcooking them.

Once they are all baked, roll them in a bowl of powdered sugar to cover the cookie. I found that keeping them on the warm side while coating them in sugar helped the sugar stick.

Now plate them up (don’t forget to save a few for yourself, girl, you earned it!) and get ready to party!

Gluten free and vegan snowball cookies

Lifestyle

November Favorites

December 3, 2016 No Comments

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Since it is now the first of December, I thought I would share with you some of my favorite things from the month of November! These are products that I have been using on a regular basis and loving! So if you take my recommendation and pick any of them up, I put in amazon.com links for your shopping convenience!

Flannel Sheets
Since it is getting a little chilly (okay for me…like antarctic level sub zero temps..I am that “cold friend”), some nice, cozy flannel sheets are a winter must have!
I am such a fan of printed sheets since my bedroom is sort of a minimalist Moroccan theme–a little pattern fits in nicely. I snagged two sets on the Black Friday sale at Target, but I will link some similar ones in the links for you! Snuggling up in a nice flannel sheet set with my puppies is the winter dream life.
Wet Brush Pro
The next item is a life changer: The Wet Brush Pro! If you have curly or thin hair like I do, brushing it is a lifelong battle. I finally got myself a wetbrush as recommended by a hairdresser and it is the best thing ever!
I had never brushed my hair wet since I always thought it would frizz it out like crazy, but this one is designed to be used under high heat and styles my hair (almost) straight with a blow-dryer! It only took me 5 minutes to get through my almost dreadlock, curly hair…it was a miracle!
Carol’s Daughter Leave-in Conditioner
Since we are on the theme of hair, the next favorite is this spray by Carol’s Daughter. It smells amazing and really helps de-tangle without adding a lot of weight or waxiness.
The vanilla blackberry scent isn’t too sweet and even my guy will use it. It is a fairly non-toxic and cruelty-free product that is available online and at some local retailers, which is convenient.
Peppermint Essential Oil
This little jar is amazing during cold and flu season! I put a few drops into my essential oil diffuser and it is like a vapor rub is released into your whole house.
You can also put a drop or two into the tub (just make sure you mix it with a carrier oil first and be very sparing on the essential oil…otherwise you will get crazy tingles or a reaction!) for an airway-opening bath.
Nature’s Bakery Double Chocolate Brownie
This has been my new on-the-go snack! They are like a brownie mixed with a protein bar; not too sweet, and filling enough to replace a meal if you need too.

My favorite flavor so far is the raspberry flavor, but I am sure they are all just as tasty. Its individual 2-pack package makes the perfect snack to share. P.S. they are also vegan.
Kirkland Signature Dark Chocolate Covered Mangoes
My last favorite is another chocolaty treat! If you couldn’t tell by now, I am a chocolate junkie. These snacks are about as healthy as you can get for a sweet snack and they are also a great vegan option to share with friends!
I found these at Costco Wholesale and when I see them they are a must-buy. I pick up one or three every time I see them in store…they are that good! Just dried mango and non dairy chocolate! It is the perfect chocolate treat to satisfy that sweet tooth without any guilty feelings (just try not to eat the whole bag at once!).
Tarte Tarteist Lip Paint
Last, but not least, is a beauty product. I am such a matte-lip girl and I am making it my personal mission to try every cruelty-free and green beauty brand out there. So far, this is my all-time favorite matte-lippie on the market.
The Tarte brand may not be for a purist who needs 100% clean ingredients in their products, but I looked up the safety ratings as best I could and they seemed to score pretty low on toxicity ratings. This product is so much longer wearing on me than any other matte-lip I have tried so far. The colors I have as my November favorite are TBT lip paint and Latergram liner, the perfect nude rose with a hint of brown. I want an everyday color with a close tone to my natural lip and a velvety smooth finish. This product does the trick.