not for the casual chocolate lover

WARNING:This dessert is only for chocolate lovers that are ready to go the distance. Instead of my typical monday-celebrity-inspired-food, I’m going to post this cake I made for my little brother. He had his first day of high school yesterday, and he loves chocolate chocolate cake so I wanted to make him something fun to celebrate. This cake has 6 different levels of chocolatey-ness so get excited! And buy some vanilla ice cream…or milk, if you’re into that kind of thing.

[ingredients: 1 box chocolate cake mix and ingredients listed on box | chocolate chips | milk | 3 oz. instant chocolate pudding | chocolate frosting | oreos | hot fudge for sundaes]

Follow these directions to create an extra moist cake from the box mix. Add chocolate chips. Split into three 8 inch pans and bake according to time and temperature on box. Meanwhile, crush 1 part oreos and mix with 1 part hot fudge (no need to heat it).  Once the cake cools, put a little chocolate frosting on the first layer. Then put a heap of the oreo fudge mixture on top of that and spread it out. Top with the next layer of cake and repeat. Then frost the entire cake with the remaining chocolate icing. 

mad men

I recently got really into Mad Men, obviously because all the seasons are on Netflix now. Every now and then they flash a well-designed printed piece on the screen and I have to pause and screenshot it for my inspiration bank.

» love this adorable greeting card.

»Fans will recall when Kenny Cosgrove got published in a magazine. The typography and layout is so wonderful. And check out that sea foam green!

=)

I love my bedroom. But if it looked like this, I certainly wouldn’t complain.
I just love the country feel. Maybe my next apartment….

paintings

Now that I have a big-girl-job, I’ve suddenly been inspired to make better use of my free time. So in between Boy Meets World reruns, I’ve somehow found time to paint some of my favorite subjects.

I painted them on blocks of wood so you can see the wood grain peeking through (and so I don’t have to buy canvas). 

One of my favorite animals, the fennec fox.

deal of the day

I stopped at an Urban Outfitters in DC and got this amazing cat rug. It’s 4x6 and sells for around $50 or $60. But I got it on sale for $10! An exceptional deal. Next time you need a rug, take a look at the UO sale section. 

(kitty corner)

InCandations

Several months ago, I stumbled across these beautiful cuffs at an outdoor booth downtown. They are so unique and well-made, definitely a stand-out piece.

Look at the variety!

They are made by the talented Leticia Santarelli, sister-in-law of Candice Fuentes, founder of InCandations. You can purchase them through their facebook page. Candice also has many lovely creations of her own that can be found on the site. 

Take a look. They are wonderful, locally made pieces at a great price! (I’ve got three)

Is there anything better than food?

No. But getting an amazing deal is almost as euphoric. I found these beautiful frames at a thrift store several months ago. 3 bucks a pieces! And if you are cheap frugal like me, instead of buying a sawtooth hanger with which to mount, just take a soda can tab, bend it slightly, and glue it on the back. 

the GAP

GO NOW! Seriously people, they are having 50% off their already reduced sale prices! I got a shirt, a sweater, and 4 scarves for 5 dollars a piece! I also splurged on one item that was 11 dollars all by itself. (but I had a gift card so the whole purchase cost me nothing)

I’m obsessed with the scarves though. They are each about 3.5×6.5 feet, so at 5 dollars they are a way better deal then running to the fabric store. I can’t wait to turn them into curtains or stuffed animals…stay tuned!

My swag pad

I just moved into a new apartment and I love finding simple cheap ways to decorate. I bought these amazing wooden hand-made flowers from World Market. Normally I wouldn’t spend 10 dollars on fake flowers (or real ones for that matter) but these were too beautiful to resist. Anyways, I made up for the steep price by splitting the bouquet in two and buying super cheap tins (99 cents at ikea) to “plant” them in.

I put them in opposite corners of the room. Simple, clean, crisp. They make the room look taller right? Maybe. (I may or may not have used instagram to hide the fact that both of these were very poorly exposed photographs.)