Retro Headband

I have a serious headband obsession. I should probably be embarrassed by how many headbands I have, but I love them and how much easier bad hair days are with them. I also love bows, my mom used to put giant pink bows in my hair so she could easily spot me when I was bouncing around the pool or playground like the spastic child I was. I'm a little sad that its now only socially acceptable for me to wear giant bows in my hair for sports games or sorority mixers, which is why I was overjoyed when I found this headband! Not only did I get to make it pink, but it has a updated 'bow' on top so I can sport my old accessory again! For this craft you will need at least 10" x 6"  of fabric, hemming tape (or if you are better at sewing than me, you can sew it), and velcro, elastic, or ribbon. If you have those things than you too can make an adorable retro headband!

Do it yourself!

Cut two pieces following the measurements above. I have a pretty small head, but I wanted to have a big knot. If you have a big head and want a small bow, this will be fine.

Fold the two pieces in half like a hotdog bun...

Flip the two pieces inside out so the seam is on the inside, keep the ends open

In the open ends, tape/sew/iron on your fastener. I used thick pieces of elastic.

Make sure you measure how it will fit on your head before adding the fastener!

Now you have your very own retro headband!

xx, Megan

French Onion Soup

Soup is possibly the most comforting food. Its warm and delicious and just makes me happy on cold winter days. As soon as the temperature drops below 60, nothing makes me happier than curling up with a great book and a hot bowl of soup. I thought Fall was finally here a few weeks ago, but the warm weather came back and pushed the lovely cold weather back to the north. This weather may be able to stop me from wearing cozy sweaters and warm scarves, but it can not stop me from craving my favorite winter comfort food.French onion soup is the clear champion of the soups. The caramelized onions, boozey brandy-beef stock, and the pile of melted cheese combine to deliver a healthy dose of happiness with each bite. Don't let the stress that comes with the end of  semester get you stressed or sick, enjoy some warm soup that is good for your heart and soul!

From the Bon Apetit Test Kitchen:

Ingredients

• 2 medium onions, finely chopped

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

• 1 tablespoon Calvados, Applejack, or other brandy

• 4 cups low-salt beef stock

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 4 -8 1/2"-thick slices baguette, cut to fit ramekins

• 1 cup grated Gruyère or raclette cheese

Special equipment:

• Four 10-oz. ramekins

I hope this cures everything from winter madness to your sniffles.

xx, Megan

Manicure Monday: Geometric Nails

I am so excited for my first Manicure Monday! I spent K-12 at prep schools with strict dress codes, with rules about clothes, hair, and accessories. I loved wearing a uniform, it made getting ready in the morning so easy (yet I still managed to show up late almost every day of my senior year); I could even handle the rules about hair, I'm personally not a fan of unnatural hair colors. What I was not okay with was the rule banning nail polish. I spent many Monday morning carpool rides desperately picking the nail polish off my nails in fear of being sent to sit on the bench, oh how I feared that bench. Now that I am in college, I wear nail polish every day and am borderline obsessive about it. When nail polish chips, most people just touch it up with the same color.. not me. I see chipped nail polish as time to completely repaint my nails and try something new. Sometimes Manicure Monday will be a simple color that I love, but normally I will try cool designs like these Geometric nails. Stay tuned for more manicures to come and read on to learn how to get this fun design on your nails!

Nail lacquer used:

-Licorice by Essie

-Power Clutch by Essie

-A World of Compassion by SpaRitual

-Smoke & Mirrors by SpaRitual

If you're really anal about having straight lines, use pieces of tape as a stencil to make them perfect. I don't think its necessary though.

xx, Megan

Creamy Pumpkin Penne

It looks like Fall is finally here to stay, it may have missed Halloween but its in time for my school's Novemberfest (tailgating, music, and football, oh my!). My favorite thing about Halloween used to be Trick-or-Treating. But as I grew up, I stopped stuffing my face with Halloween candy and started snacking on pumpkin seeds from the Jack-o-Laterns that lit our front porch. I started to realize that while I  love candy (and I do love candy, I'm snacking on PEZ from a halloween themed dispenser right as I type), pumpkins really are the best thing about Halloween, and when the pie is cooked right, pumpkins are the best part of Thanksgiving too! But why are we letting these holidays be so selfish, they should share the pumpkin love! I love stocking up of canned pumpkin and cooking with it all throughout the season.  This year, my first pumpkin-filled night of the season consisted of Organic Canned Pumpkin and Hocus Pocus with my roomates; resulting in a creamy pumpkin pasta dish -- so good, it could distract the Sanderson sisters from their hunt for children. Topped with crispy sage leaves and toasted pecans, this savory dish is impossible to resist! Say 'Hello!' to Fall, and get in the spirit with Creamy Pumpkin Penne with Crispy Sage!

Recipe adapted from Chloe Coscarelli

INGREDIENTS -1 pound penne pasta -4 tablespoon pumpkin seed oil, divided (vegetable oil can be subsituted) -1 onion, chopped -4 cloves garlic, chopped -1 (14-15 oz) can organic pumpkinP -2 tbsp tomato paste -2 cups non-dairy milk (regular milk can be used) -1 tsp nutmeg -1 tbsp maple syrup -3 tsp salt -1 tsp pepper -8-10 fresh sage leaves, divided -3/4 cup toasted pecans

Preparation

Add the pecans and some of the sage leaves to the blender. Blend on low to break up the major chunks

Pumpkin flavored kissed,

Megan