The BEST salad dressing

I am not a fan of store bought salad dressings. Some can be yummy, but usually bottled dressings are packed with weird ingredients and lots of fat. Homemade dressing is tastier, and I feel healthier knowing exactly what I'm putting into it! Below is the recipe for a perfect dressing every time! It's great on salad as well as a marinade for shrimp or chicken. One of my favorite things about this basic dressing is the ability to swap out the ingredients to change the flavor. (My two favorite variations are Italian and Asian)

The Basics:

Vinegar (balsamic and red wine for Italian taste; rice wine for Asian taste)

Extra virgin olive oil

Citrus juice (lemon for Italian taste; lime and orange for Asian)

Seasonings (parsley, rosemary, etc. for Italian taste; ginger for Asian)

Garlic

Sweeteners- honey/sugar to taste if dressing is too acidic 

Salt and Pepper

Ratios:

I do a ratio of 2 parts oil to 1 part vinegar

Everything else is added to taste! Add as much or as little as desired 

Pizza Hut Personal Pans

Okay, it's been too long since I've updated, but it's been a busy summer so far! We made these amazing pizzas a few weeks back, and they couldn't have been better (see below)! Find the original recipe here!

Closet Organization!

We girls know what it's like to have clothes exploding everywhere. I've found that it's much easier to avoid the "I have nothing to wear" ordeal if my clothes and jewelry are organized and laid out nicely. (Check out my previous blog posts for my jewelry organization ideas!) For my closet, I've found a few tricks to keep everything looking neat. 

For scarves (as seen above), I use towel racks! I was able to hang them from the above shelving using the hooks (because they are originally meant for hanging on bathroom doors).

For my skirts, I use a multi-tierd (is that the right word?) hanger to keep them wrinkle-free. Hanging them vertically like this also reduces the use of closet space! 

For tank tops, I copied a brilliant idea that I saw on Pinterest. Use any type of hanger that allows for keeping them all in one place. It saves so much space when they aren't all folded up in a drawer or each on an individual hanger. Because of this, I have room in my dresser to fold all my T-shirts and now I can actually close the drawer without stuffing things down! 

I'm not entirely sure where all of these closet storage hangers came from because my mom got them for me, but I'm guessing that things like this can be found in the home section of any store! Happy organizing!

Days of the week dry erase memo board

This is a super simple DIY that is both functional and cute! Take an old picture frame set and turn it into a days of the week dry erase board! Use cute scrapbook paper or colored paper and make a different design for each day of the week. Cut to size, and place in each picture slot. Wipe the glass clean with some glass cleaner and a paper towel, and it's ready to go! Dry erase markers will work on the glass!

Perfect Nails!

I've gotta say... I'm so over spending $50 for a mani/pedi at a nail salon. It's so easy to do your own nails with the right tools and tips, and you'll save yourself some serious cash!

I suggest investing in:
-A bottle of good-quality nail polish remover
-Cotton balls/pads/swabs
-A pair of cuticle cutters and cuticle oil (coconut oil works well too!)
-A thick, rich hand creme
-A nail file and foot file (pumice stone)
-Nail clippers
-A multi-purpose base/top coat
-Quality nail polish (my new favorite is Essie brand...worth the extra few bucks!)

For the perfect mani/pedi:
1. Trim nails down using clippers so that they are all the same length. (I know it's painful to cut that extra-long nail that looks so pretty, but your nails will look better in the long run if they are the same length!)
2. File nails smooth, making them all the same shape. (for a square look, make straight across motions with the file, going up and down each side of the nail and straight across the top --- for a round look, move the file evenly around the whole nail, making sure to file away any pointy edges)
3. Remove any old nail polish with nail polish remover, and wash hands.
4. Trim any loose skin or cuticle around the nail with a pair of cuticle clippers and rub each nail with some cuticle oil (coconut oil works great!)
5. Lather up hands with some thick hand creme, and you're ready to paint!

Ta-Da! The perfect manicure that didn't cost you a fortune!

Get your feet summer-ready!

I have to admit I was skeptical about this one.... mix 1/4 cup listerine, 1/4 cup vinegar, and 1 cup warm water and soak feet for 10 minutes to remove dead skin. Although it didn't work wonders, there was definitely a noticeable difference in the texture of my feet. I used one of those foot file things to scrape my heels afterwards, and that helped too. Finish with lotion and your feet will be softer and begging to wear sandals!

Fleece Tie-Blanket

So this probably looks like a gift for a child, but it's actually something I made for my dorky comic-loving boyfriend who always complains of not having a blanket long enough to cover his feet! I found the directions for this super simple (I'm talking like, 2 hours tops!) tie-blanket craft on the Mommas Like Me blog.  It's very customizable as far as the fleece prints and size. I picked this superhero print for the front, and a simple green for the back, and used 2.5 yards of each fabric. It turned out pretty cute! And it's nice and big: about 3 feet wide and 6 feet long!

( See link for directions )