DIY Fringe Necklace.

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Last month I stumbled across a beach photoshoot (I think I saw it on instagram…?) and one of the girls was wearing a super long fringe necklace over her bathing suit and I just adored it! It looked like a perfect, easy accessory for summer. So I brainstormed a few ways to make my own version and came up with this:
What you’ll need:
-Old shirt (Make sure it is pretty long and the collar fits snug around your neck.)
-Scissors

How to do it:
-Start at the back of the shirt and cut right along the bottom of the collar.
-Continue to cut along the collar until you have cut through the seam that would go across your shoulder, then start cutting down towards the armpit of the shirt and continue to cut all the way down the side of the shirt. Repeat on other side.
-You should be left with the collar intact and just the front of the shirt connected.
-Trim the shirt so that is is square with where it meets the collar. (You can leave it a bit wider depending on how much fringe you want.)
-Cut even strips across all the way up to the collar.
-Then you’re done! You should be able to slip it on over your head just like you would with a shirt.
It’s so easy, you could make a bunch of them in different colors, try dying the ends, add some knots and beads – whatever your heart desires!

xo. Caitlin

Coffee Cake

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This coffee cake is so, so good. Like you need a new projector at work so you make this for your boss and then you are promised whatever you need good. Not that I know from experience or anything, I’m just saying…it’s pretty fantastic.
It’s moist and buttery and melt-in-your-mouth good. It’s been rated one of my top “Manda-Monday” treats. (Every Monday I take in a treat to work and so it’s now called “Manda-Monday”).
So make this now. And if you need to get on your boss’s good side, it probably wouldn’t hurt to take it into work.

COFFEE CAKE

For the cake:
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder

For the topping:
¾ cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons butter, cold, cut into small pieces
1 cup toasted, chopped pecans (optional)

Powdered Sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour a bundt pan, set aside.

In a large bowl, cream the butter until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in sour cream, then beat in sugar. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. By hand, fold in the flour, salt and baking powder, mixing just until incorporated.

To make the topping: In a medium bowl, mix together brown sugar, flour and cinnamon. Using your fingers, mix the cold butter into the dry topping ingredients, until thoroughly mixed, it will look like loose damp brown sugar. (If using pecans, stir them in now).

Pour half of the cake batter into the prepared bundt pan. Sprinkle the topping on top of the batter. Add remaining cake batter on top of that.

Bake in the preheated oven for 50 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack, and cool completely. Dust with powered sugar. Enjoy.

(I must confess that I do have one issue with this, I can’t seem to keep the topping from sinking to the bottom of the pan. It then gets stuck to the pan and does not look so pretty after I have to scape it out and try to smooth it on top. I’ve tried several different things to keep this from happening, adding flour, putting the topping on the top of the batter, nothing works! However, a good dusting of powdered sugar seems to cover it up fairly well. Any tips or tricks I should try?)

Happy Monday! Manda

Slightly adapted from All Recipes

Life Lately

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Hey friends. This has been an incredibly hard week for our family and I wanted to give a little update to you. Monday morning, my sweet little Malacai pulled our very large television over on himself. We spent three days in the pediatric intensive care unit. We are now home and Malacai’s recovery has been amazing. Miraculous really. We’re slowly settling in at home and trying to rest and recover from it all; as well as starting a slew of appointments with specialists. I’ll update more once my brain feels like it can actually form coherent thoughts. Prayers for his continued recovery are appreciated. I’m so incredibly grateful that he’s doing so well. And thankful to all my family and friends for all their love and support. xo. Manda

Things We Like // Father’s Day

Honest Abe // 1st Birthday Party.

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The first birthday party is always extra fun to plan because the little ones aren’t old enough to demand what theme they want. For my little Abe I couldn’t resist the ‘Honest Abe’ theme once it crossed my mind. Abraham Lincoln has some fantastic quotes so we used that along with the color copper as inspiration for decorating.
Pictured above::
:: Sweet birthday boy. We used an iron on transfer to make the shirt.
:: Cait spent many hours collecting and hot gluing pennies on the wooden letters.
:: My garden is full of the loveliest peonies right now.
:: A couple party favorites: cheese curds from a local farm and 7 layer taco dip [vegetarian, of course ]
:: Manda painted the utensils with copper paint.
:: Love this silly little guy.
:: The tiniest lincoln logs, the little cabin was about 2 inches tall!
:: We used copper tins for some of the snacks and goodies.
:: Cait also made Abe’s sweet little silhouette! DIY tutorial here.
:: We pulled out a vintage table and butter churner for the desserts and drinks.
:: Decorated with some vintage books and copper accessories.
:: We had IBC Root Beer and Cream Soda..always better in glass bottles.
:: One dessert is never enough when Manda comes! Peanut butter caramel bars and little chocolate top hats!
:: Manda made the most delicious ‘White Out’ cake. The white chocolate frosting was a-mazing.
:: Vintage glass pitchers.
:: It was a perfect day for a party on the patio!
:: We used copper wire and wooden dowels to hang the Lincoln quotes.
:: We spray painted cans copper. Love how they turned out.
:: Baby Abey.
:: Uncle Mike crafted this amazing copper cake stand for Abey and I love the tiny silhouette cake topper Manda made!
:: Close up of Abe’s sweet little silhouette.
:: It’s his party…
:: Always helpers near by when it’s time to blow out the candles.
:: Realizing that frosting on the fingers is not a bad thing.
:: Skyping with Aunt Gingy in Santa Barbara.
:: Lincoln in his top hat.
:: I’d say little Abe had a good day!

Relaxed Summer Style.

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shirt: (old) old navy, shorts: vintage thrifted, hat: gift, necklace: diy, spoon ring: was my momma’s, other ring and bangles: thrifted

This outfit is perfect for those breezy, relaxing summer days that are surely ahead of us, right? (Go away rain!) But it’s also a great pick-it-up-unwashed-off-your-floor-and-wear-it-again outfit for when life just is not so relaxing. And, believe me, our lives definitely have not been relaxing this week. (We’ll share a little bit about that later.)

I seriously recommend spending the time finding yourself a couple of comfy staple wardrobe pieces – something that is easy to wear but you don’t feel like a skeeze ball when you’re wearing it. This loose black shirt is one of mine. I’ve probably worn it more than 98% of things in my closet! I’ve had it for 6 years and wear it throughout each season, it’s just the perfect shirt for me!

xo. Caitlin

A Merry Adventure // That Taco Place.