Happy Valentine's Day

Every year for Valentin's Day I try out a new sweet for my husband. He loves chocolate chip cookies, so this recipe seemed perfect!!

• First I made the cookies....

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup (2 sticks) softened butter
3/4 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cups packed brown suger
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 1/2 cups chocolate morsels ( I prefer dark chocolate but milk chocolate would be just as good

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees

• Combine flour, salt, and baking soda, set aside. Beat butter, both sugars, and vanilla with a mixer until well combined and creamy. Add eggs one at a time. Gradually add dry mixture, once combined add chocolate chips. 

• I used a table spoon cookie scoop to make similar size cookies. Bake for approximately 10 minutes, until the edges are just golden brown. 

• While the cookies are cooling make the filling.

6 tablespoons softened butter
1 1/2 cups confectioners' suger
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 jar marshmallow creme (about 7 oz)
1 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract (if you are not a fan of coconut use vanilla extract)

• With a mixer, beat butter until creamy. Add confectioners' sugar and salt, mix well. Add marshmallow creme and coconut extract, mix well.

• Once the cookies are cool I added the creme to the middle like a sandwich. I then put them in the fridge to cool while I melted the chocolate. 

• I used dark chocolate but you can use milk chocolate too!!

• I melted the chocolate in a glass measuring cup in the microwave for about 2 minutes. I stopped it every 30 seconds to check and stir. 

• Dunk the cookies and then place them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Place them back in the fridge to cool. The cookies will be ready in about 30 minutes. Keep refrigerated.

Enjoy!!

Happy New Year!!

As most people probably did, last night we went to a New Year's Eve Party. As I sat there drinking my Sam Adams and watching my husband play Mario Brothers I crocheted this neck warmer. I love to keep my hands busy while observing everyone around me. As the ball dropped I couldn't help but be so grateful for all that 2011 has done for me and my family. I was married to my best friend, we went on a fantastic trip out west to Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, and Glacier National Park, and I have a ton of wonderful memories made through out the year with our friends and family. I hope everyone had a great a night and a great 2011 and I wish everyone a very happy New Year filled with love and joy!!

cbrandt12.etsy.com

My New Owl Suitcase

 I have seen these really cute 1970's mini suitcases online before and have always wanted one of my own. While me and my husband were at an estate sale two weeks ago I spotted a little red suitcase that had been placed in the corner of the living room. The suitcase was a bit dirty and looked like it had not been used in many years. The price was right so I brought it home to fix it up. After many hours of sewing, cleaning, and gluing, the suitcase has had it's makeover. It is perfect and will accompany me to many destinations in the future.

A new life to an old sweater.

I was given this maroon argyle wool sweater last week. The sweater looked as if it had seen better days. It was stretched out a bit, and a little fuzzy. I like to think that this sweater was someone's favorite, that they wore it dozens of times over many years. Then one day the owner found that the sweater just didn't fit like it used to. So it was given to the second hand shop. That is when the sweater was given to me! I felted the sweater and looked at it a couple of times over the next few days. I was waiting to be inspired! I finally sat down at my sewing machine this weekend to give the sweater a make over.

A little about me....

My name is Crystal and I live on the Jersey shore. I graduated from the Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, with a degree in Environmental Science. I work now as an Environmental Scientist, but have always had a talent and love for making things.

I started sewing when I was young, like most I took a home economics class in middle school. Soon after, my mother bought me my first sewing machine and over time using a bit of creativity, I made some pretty neat creations.

I began 'up-cycling' old items into one one of a kind functional pieces just trying to be more eco-friendly. I love to take a piece of "unwanted" clothing and make it new again and into something useful. My goal is to use as much of the clothing items as possible so as to give a second life to something used, and contribute as little as possible to the waste stream.

Along with sewing I also crotchet and throw pottery.


On the weekends me and my fiance spend time with our two wonderful dogs outside. We love to hike, explore, and garden.