Yummy Heart Chocolates - Makes A Great Gift!

I had SO much fun creating these heart chocolates. I made them in several varieties, and I am going to tell you how each one turned out! I used the highest-quality ingredients, mostly from the baking aisle and craft stores (for the heart mold and sprinkles). These turned out so well! 

 These would be the perfect Valentine's Day gift for someone who loves sweets but is hard to shop for! These aren't super expensive to make, like some seasonal recipes are, either! 

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INGREDIENTS:

Silicone Heart Mold - Ghirardelli Chocolate Chips - Ghirardelli White Chocolate Melting Chips - Andes Mint Baking Pieces - Chopped Walnuts - Heath Baking Pieces - Festive Sprinkles

*Note - do not use almond bark or candy melts for this method*

For best results, use a spoon to place toppings in heart mold. Let's begin the fun! 

Here are my "toppings" from left to right. 

Heath - make sure to only use a light, single layer of these or they won't all stick to the chocolate.

Andes - My favorite! Fill with Andes about 1/3 of the way.

Sprinkles - Look best on white chocolate, rather than milk.

Chopped Walnuts - Use only a light layer, similar to Heath.

Larger Sprinkles - use a single layer for best results.

*The prettiest ones were the little nonpareils (tiny ball sprinkles) in a single layer*

Now, melt the chocolate! I used a double boiler method (explained here - but do not add any butter). I used a shallow, medium pot and filled it about 1/3 of the way with water. I placed two 2 Cup Pyrex measuring cups in the water for a double boiler. Melt 1 package each of the milk chocolate and white chocolate in separate cups. Slowly melt the chocolates, and stir frequently. They should be smooth and move easily. 

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Once your melted chocolate is smooth, remove the cups with an oven mitt, and place them onto a towel near your work space. Get a little bit of chocolate onto a spoon, and begin adding milk chocolate to half of the hearts...

And, white chocolate to the other hearts. Be careful not to get chocolate everywhere, so your end result is prettier.

Carefully, slide the hearts onto a baking sheet or cutting board to transport them into the freezer. 

Here they are after being in the freezer for less than an hour! Make sure they are completely cooled and hardened before you move them. 

One of my favorite parts was removing the fresh chocolates from the molds and seeing my creations! I liked most all of them, and think they would look adorable packaged up all cute for Valentine's Day! 

Quick & Easy Glitzy Tree Earrings - DIY Tutorial - Make For Under $2.00

These festive earrings are so super easy! You could use any sort of fun mini ornaments! My Glitzy Gold Tree Ornaments came in a pack of four from The Dollar Store, and were 2" tall x 1.25" at the bottoms. 

HOW TO:

UPPLIES INCLUDE : 2 Ornaments, 2 - 10mm Jump Rings, 2 Earring Hooks, and Needle Nose Pliers.

1.) Here are your supplies! 2.) Cut off any ornament hangers or ribbons. 3.) Use pliers to open your jump rings, and attach the ornament and earring hook to the rings. 4.) Close the jump rings back up securely, and enjoy! These are very lightweight and above all, sparkly! Happy Holidays!

Happy Holidays!

Christmas is almost upon us! Here are a few wintery images to get you in the spirit throughout the nest few days...

Happy Holidays! 

Holiday Gift Giving

It's such a fun time of year! Half the fun is finding gifts for friends and family members. Here are some inspirational images Bobby and I created with my JCPenney finds! I just love how they turned out! Visit my Holiday Gift Giving Board Here. 

Holiday Cheer

The holidays have been on my mind for a while now and I wanted to share some of these Holiday Images and Ideas to inspire you as well! Check them out here, or click on the image below to learn more. What sorts of things do you love doing around the holidays?  

Kate Spade Gift Guide

I have always had a soft spot in my heart for kate spade! Her polka dots are timeless, and her color scheme is also elegant and chic. I created a little gift guide so you can see some of my favorite picks of the season! 

Visit Katherine A's profile on Pinterest.

10 Gift Ideas Under $10.00

I found some amazing gifts under $10 on ModCloth recently! There are gifts for secret santas, friends, co-workers, that cousin you only see once a year, and also for cute stocking stuffers! 

Check out the gift guide here. Happy Holidays! 

Holidays with Pinterest

We got our second dusting of snow today. Last night it was just a little bit. But, tonight, it snowed for quite a while, and it's beautiful outside! I hope it sticks around tomorrow, but we'll see. 

My Holiday Pinterest Board is shaping up quite nicely!!

Winter Outfit for Kids!

I created this Kids' Winter Outfit, inspired by Peek Kids. It would be great for holiday gatherings, and I added a few extra layers to keep them warm. Click here to learn more. 

This above outfit was partially inspired by this girl

Chocolate Dipped Halloween Marshmallows Recipe

Yum! These Halloween Marshmallows turned out so tasty! Chocolate always compliments marshmallow flavor, and the sprinkles were a nice addition, too.
I used jumbo marshmallows for these, but you can also just use the big ones, if you wanted to make more than just a few.

Ingredients Include: 

5-6 Jumbo Marshmallows

1/2 C. Chocolate Chips

A Dash of Sprinkles

1/2 C. Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips

Festive Ghost Picks

Instructions:

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. 

Melt chocolate in a 4C. Pyrex measuring cup. Let them cool slightly, so the marshmallows don't melt. 

Grab a marshmallow, and dip it into the center of the cup of melted chocolate with your hand.

Make sure the chocolate only goes a little over 1/2 way up the marshmallow.

Now, to remove the marshmallow from the chocolate, insert a ghost pick into the center of the marshmallow and pull the mallow out of the cup (it's a bit tricky). This will become the bottom of the treat, so don't worry about the little mark the pick makes. Wipe off any chocolate drips. 

Hold the treat in your hand, white side down. Remove the ghost pick from the mallow (keep the picks) and set the treat (white side down) onto the parchment paper/baking tray. 

While the chocolate is still warm, sprinkle the tops of the treats with a few (or more) sprinkles.

Also, insert the ghost picks into the center of the tops of the treats. Make sure they are straight up and down for the best look.

Place in fridge for 20 minutes, and they are ready to eat!