Redefining Reality YouTube Channel

My newest video is up!!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=P3Xzrcj2nsg

There's a giveaway! 

Check out my youtube channel!

Hey bloggers!
I made a Youtube Channel called Redefining Reality - it goes along nicely with my blog here!
Please check it out. It will be worth your time, I promise.

Here's the link :)
My Youtube Channel

DIY Clothespin Photo Frame

       Lately on Pinterest I've been seeing tons of projects using clothespins + frames to make a unique way to display photos. After searching through the various takes on the craft, I realized I liked the ones where the photos had a vintage feel to them. At first I set off searching for a polaroid camera thinking - How cool would that be! Then after a quick search on amazon and other general websites I came to the realization that polaroid cameras were a little expensive just to buy for a craft. Luckily, I found this cool application that turns your digital photos into polaroid ones. It was super easy ( here's the link http://www.poladroid.net/)

Supplies:
8 nails
28 gauge silver string ( normally in the jewelry section in stores like Michaels)
inexpensive frame
photo paper
mini clothespins
spray paint

        To start off, I decided on all the photos I wanted for the frame. This probably would be easier at the end when you know how many pictures your frame fits, but I just could not resist.

From there I drilled in six nails ( three on each side) on the back of the frame. Try to make sure the nails are straight across from one another. Next take the 28 gauge string and tightly wrap it around one of the nails. Then stretch the string across to the opposite side (making sure the string is taught) and then wrap it around that nail. Repeat this with the remaining two sets of nails.

To hang the frame on the wall, I just hammered in two nails where they would match up with the hooks on the back of the frame. The next part of the craft requires a covered area as you have to spray paint ( spray paint easily gets things painted you don't want to). To make spray painting the mini clothespins easier, I clipped the clothespins onto a box. This made it easier to get the clothespins from all angles.

                                                        

Gluten Free Pumpkin Donuts

                                                         

        As anyone who has ever tasted gluten free baked goods knows, food items without gluten just taste a little off. Let's me honest - they taste horrendous. BUT sometimes you find a gem and this recipe is one of those times!

Ingredients:

1 cup sorghum flour 

1 cup potato starch (not potato flour) 

1/2 cup hazelnut flour 

1 cup light brown sugar 

1/4 cup cane sugar 

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda 

1 teaspoon xanthan gum 

1 teaspoon sea salt 

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger 

3 organic free-range eggs, beaten 

1/2 cup organic expeller-pressed canola oil 

1 14-oz can pumpkin 

2 teaspoons bourbon vanilla extract 

For sugar dusting: 

Granulated cane sugar 

Cinnamon                                        

 

Directions:

1) Preheat the over to 350 and grease a donut pan

2) Mix all of the flour, sugar ( brown and white), baking soda, xanthan gum, salt, and spices

3) Add the eggs, pumpkin, oil, and vanilla until the batter is moist        (don't worry if it is sticky) 

 4) Fill the donut pan until each section is almost full. Bake for 15 minutes ( or until a toothpick comes out clean) 

 5)  In a zip-block bag mix sugar and cinnamon to taste. 

 6) While donuts are still warm place each donut in the bag full of the cinnamon sugar one at a time. Move the zip-block bag around so that the donut is fully covered is the sugar mixture.

                                 Enjoy!!

recipe from http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2012/10/gluten-free-pumpkin-donuts.html

Burgers and Fries ( aka brownies inside of cupcakes and sugar cookies)

So for Father's Day I made my dad these delicious treats! The burgers are cupcakes split down the middle with brownies in-between. To represent the lettuce and ketchup I used green and red ( maybe a little pink...) icing. To fully capture the idea of a burger, I sprinkled cut up seeds on top.  To help the seeds stick dust a little water on top of the cupcake ( bun top).

To make the fries I made sugar cookies. Normal sugar cookie recipes aren't fitted for needing to cut or mold the dough, so once the regular recipe is complete roll the dough in some all purpose flour. The flour will allow more work to be done with the dough. Roll the dough out as thin as possible and cut the dough into really thin slices. Even the thinnest slices with expand and end up looking like steak fries, so don't worry if they look to thin before you make them! Once the cookies are finished baking if you feel the fries are too fat, while they are still warm you can cut them in half.

 Enjoy!

People Watching: an activity that some may find creepy but I regard as one of the best forms of entertainment

Quirky with Confidence: My dad has many strange friends, this might be because my dad is quite peculiar himself, and the other day I had the pleasure to spend time with one most bizarre ones by far. I must start off by saying that Burke, my dad's unusual friend, is a extremely kind and loving guy. However, some of his mannerisms are just off the chart abnormal. He walks into our house wearing an outlandishly bright pink colored shirt, an electric blue bow tie, khakis that cut off a little too short ( guy capris?), and too tightly tied oxford shoes - not exactly the typical outfit of an 65 year old. Right after he enters the house he turns to cat and in his cartoonish voice and says,"Hellloooo little doggie!" Now you might be thinking maybe he has some vision problems, I mean the guy is 65, but sadly no. I listen to Burke talk to my dad for a little while, picture a screaming old man who's constantly waving his hands, until Burke announces he must be on his way to save his dog. Save his dog from whom you might ask? - his wife. 

What Our Generation Has Come To: Traveling always presents great opportunities for observing people. While I was taking the Hampton Jitney into NYC I witnessed a spectacle that led me to understand why so many question what will become of the new generation. Five girls got on the the bus, all of the screaming and giggling like the just got asked out by rock stars. They sat in the row across from me and I cringed as I they continue to squeal and stomp their feet as they laughed uncontrollably. What in the world could be so funny? Apparently - boys. As they spoke in a decibels tens times too loud, I couldn't help but overhear as they gabbed on and on about prom. Who wore what, who said what, who went with who, and so on. I tried to keep my focus on my book until one of them turns to me and offers me some goldfish, a dare to entertain them of the long bus ride I'm sure. As I glance over to decline I couldn't help but notice the girl offering me the goldfish was dressed in red and black checkered shorts, a blue and yellow tribal shirt, globs of makeup in all colors of the rainbow, and very out of place stiletto heels. I don't even have a chance to say no thanks before she's back to screeching with her gal pals. I look around the bus and have to stifle a laugh after seeing the faces of everyone surrounding them - half of them purely annoyed and the other half just as horrified. After this experience I realized I'd been pretty wrapped up in my own nerdy world and had failed to notice the down hill spiral of my own generation. From now on instead of rolling my eyes when adults make comments like "kids these days," I'll nod my head right along with them wondering the same thing. 


The Hip Grandma: Today I attended my brother's award ceremony for his rugby season. While there we sat with one of his best friend's family, which included his grandparents who came out for the night. Halfway through the ceremony someone's phone began to go off and who's phone was that you might wonder. If you guessed his grandma you would be correct - but I'm not going to give you too much credit since the title kinda gives it away ;). Then about fifteen minutes after that her phone went off again! By this time I'm thinking wow this is one popular old lady! Then her daughter, my brother's friend's mom, starts scolding her! She continues by shaking her head and demanding to have her phone and says she will give it back at the end. Now I'm on the verge of hysterics, the little old lady is having her phone taken away by her daughter! Then the grandma shows her rebellious side by refusing to hand over her phone and texting ( yes, texting!) whoever was calling her. You go girl. 

The Ladies at the Square: The other night I was enjoying dinner with my mother, something I have become to cherish as I realize I'll be leaving the nest soon, and overheard a conversation that caused both my mother and I's jaws to drop. A middle-aged to older women who was dressed in the typical style of a women who has money and wants to flaunt it was informing her three friends, all who were dressed to the T in their gaudy jewelry and overly priced designer clothes, that the school she fundraisers for just doesn't have the resources to deal with such "problematic cases." Intrigued to hear more I began to pay closer attention to what she was saying and was shocked as she explained she believed kids with disabilities or financial issues should not be let into the school. Her opinion was that "they probably don't want to come anyways, you know how kids from those types of homes are." I was about to jump out of my seat, but I restrained myself because I needed to know more. She continued to tell her friends how she just doesn't think its fair to make all the "normal" children suffer just because the school is trying to look good. After hearing her explain how she plans to use the money she raised for extra field trips and rewards for thenormal children instead of assisting those "problematic children" she mentioned before, I had to tune out before I snapped. It made me think of how that is exactly what would have happened in the movie the Blind Side if kick-ass Sandra Bullock hadn't fiercely shot down all the derogative comments of the ladies she was sharing her "overpriced salad" with. 

Quote Painting!

This craft is actually quite simple! Supplies needed include a blank canvas, multiple colors of paint, paint brushes, and two inch sticky letters. Start off by choosing which color(s) you would like for the letters. Using these colors paint the entire canvas and try to make sure you have all the colors represented in all sections. This way you don't have one color overloading one side. Once the paint dries apply the sticky letters to spell out the quote you want. It's really important the paint is completely dry, because if the paint isn't dry then when you go to paint over it the colors will mix. So once you have ensured the paint is dry and you've stuck all your sticky letters on, paint over the entire canvas in a new color. It helps if when picking you colors you have a color theme such a light colors verses dark colors. This way the words will stand out more clearly. For mine I chose a light blue, a lilac purple, and a baby pink for the words and painted over the canvas with a plum purple and dark blue. Once you've painted over the canvas wait for the paint to dry, and then you can peel the sticky letters off and whalla a beautiful, unique quote painting!