What's Christmas without cookies?!

Christmas is not Christmas unless there are cookies involved, so of course I spent over 4 hours baking my life away!

Xoxo,
Tonka Violet

Handmade Christmas Card

I so desperately need a REAL camera, this iPhone is not cutting it. And clearly does not justify many of my creations. Bleh. College problems.

Anyway, I bought the card paper at Joann's. I had the lace and the twine at home. The "joy" quote was a part of a little scrapbooking packet that I had found on sale at Joann's as well. There are so many adorable and fun cards that you can purchase at any store, but I love the idea of homemade and handmade EVERYTHING! I had to give the card-making a try, and I must say I will probably never buy a card again. It is very personal and meaningful when you put real effort and creativity into a little project like this- little things like this are truly keepsake and thoughtful. 

Xoxo,

Tonka Violet

I'm dreaming of a burlap christmas

 

Oh so..... ugly. What the heck is that green foil material. Just horrible. We've had about 10 of these for several years, and each year we've left them in that ugly green wrap. This year I decided to give these babies a little makeover to spruce them up a bit. So of course..... I used burlap, obviously!

First, I teared that ugly green thing off. I measured the burlap precisely to insure that it would cover the holder. I used twine to tie a neat little bow around the burlap and to hold it together. It was insanely simple and such a quick task. 

Ah, much better.

Xoxo, 

Tonka Violet

Gift Wrap

One of the most exciting parts of Christmas is wrapping gifts!!! Yes! I get ridiculously ribbon and gift wrap happy. As you can see..

My current gift wrap obsession is the paper bag material. I just love the rustic look of it and you can add ribbon, bows, and any other little details your heart desires to make it more personal. I look at gift wrap as a way to express my personal taste and style, and the effort you put into it shows that you really care!

I was at Walmart, running through the aisles and knocking people down on my way to the shipping/packaging aisle.. Just kidding. But it is absolutely ridiculous how some folks act around Christmas time. Merry Christmas to you too, scrooge! -_- Back to my story.. I found a HUGE roll of this "paper bag" wrapping paper, so I snatched it and as you can see I went crazy with it.

With this particular gift, I used some of the leftover burlap I had from a project I had done. I made little hearts and I felt that they were the perfect little touch of personalization and creativity. I LOVE burlap.

 

I bought this very pretty gift wrap at Joann's when they were having an awesome Christmas sale. Again, I loved the paper bag material and the poinsettias; I added a twine bow for the perfect rustic touch.

I used a real paper bag for this one:

This gift was for one of the girls I nanny for! I added the glitter ribbon for a little fun and girliness, and a cute gift tag with mittens on it.

Bows! Ribbons!

 This gift was for my brother!

I am quite new to the gift-wrapping world, so I mainly experimented with these Christmas gifts and had some fun with them. I will continue to share my gift wrapping ideas with all of you as the year progresses! Happy Gift Wrapping! :o)

Xoxo, Gossip Girl

So long, Upper Eastsiders *begins sobbing*. Okay, not really... but really. Gossip Girl has come to an end. That means I will no longer look forward to Fall, ever again.... Kidding. But seriously, I sorta kinda grew up with GG in a way, so I'm incredibly sad to see that it's over. Just like every other GG lover, I've fallen head over heels in love with Chuck and Blair's relationship and was ridiculously giddy to see the last episode.. yes, I cried too during the series finale- don't judge me and my absurd love for characters from a television show!

Officially, Chuck and Blair Bass.

So if it isn't obvious enough, I praised Queen B as did all of her beloved minions. Hahah- Oh gosh I am going to miss this show! I adored Blair's outfits all the time- the elegance, preppiness, and the classic style was always just right. Although Blair Waldorf does not exist and she is in fact Leighton Meester (jeez can't you just be Blair in real life!), I still choose Blair as one of my style icons. Don't get me wrong, Serena's outfits were kickass- but Blair takes the cake for me. 

^wasn't too fond of Serena's choice, eh

Little Jenny Humphrey is back! I loved how the producers brought back tons of characters from way long ago, especially when Gossip Girl was released on The Spectator- that was priceless!!

I would have to say seeing Chuck embrace Little Henry Bass was when the tears began to flow.. Marriage and a child all in one episode for Chuck and Blair- I have been waiting 6 seasons for it!!!!

And the best part of all.. DAN HUMPHREY= GOSSIP GIRL. It was so unbelievably obvious, yet I could NOT figure it out for the life of me. Totally made sense. I wasn't even angry at all, as evil as Gossip Girl APPEARED to be.. just the life of an outsider always looking in. 

Well.... Goodnight Upper Eastsiders. Forever. *tear*

Xoxo, 

Gossip girl Tonka Violet

Conquering Arizona

Yes, that's right. I went to Arizona in October and it was AMAZING! The weather was so beautiful coming from cold and rainy Michigan. I had never been to Arizona, or to the Southwest, ever- so this was really exciting for me. The mountains were a huge change, and don't even get me started on the cactus. As I strolled on through the airport, I peered out the window staring at, yes, a CLEAR and SUNNY sky! Quite the rare occasion in Michigan (ok, I'm being a little overdramatic, but you get the point). The excitement I got from seeing a cactus for the first time was comparable to a 6-year-old visiting Disney World... Whatever!!!

I tried In n Out for the first time.. HEAVENLY!!!

 Dress: Forever21(old)

Oh look! My name!

Hopefully the University I will attend in the near future =)

Beautiful campus

About Me

Hi there! My name is Tonka, a 19 year old college student with a passion for all things beautiful.

My hopes with this blog is to spark inspiration and creativity! The truth is, so many of us scroll through our Pinterest boards, drooling over celebrities stunning outfits and extravagant home designs- but for many of us, this lifestyle is not very realistic! I've come across tons of popular blogs that are far too similar to the life of celebrities. So, my initial goal is to provide a realistic blog with my everyday sense of style, my craftiness, and my love for experimenting with cooking and baking! I hope you enjoy!

I would describe my sense of style as: elegant, natural, fun, and feminine.

xoxo, Tonka Violet

Give.

Ahhh, the holidays- the most wonderful time of the year! As cheesy as that is, it is so true. I really love Thanksgiving and Christmas time. The most beautiful part of this time of the year is all of the wonderful opportunities to give that come along with it. I have been blessed enough to come across some great options to give, and I am so happy that I did. 

In October, I was listening to my absolute favorite radio station- 99.5 WYCD Country!! Anyway, I heard the radio hosts announcing the Give Thanks. St Jude Walk. I was immediately extremely excited and reminded myself the whole way home to do some research. Once I got home, I should have started writing my paper, but I researched the St. Jude's Walk. I created a team and got a few of my girlfriends together to help me raise some money! And honestly, we didn't do half bad! I was really proud of myself and the money I was able to raise. It is honestly quite hard and time consuming to raise money with being in school and having a job, but it was so worth it and I'm glad that I did. Just knowing that I made a difference in one child's life is a really great feeling and achievement. So many times in life, we come across opportunities to help someone who truly could use a little help, but we pass it up and say.. "next time." And I'm guilty for this as well! But we have to remind ourselves, that in the midst of our wonderful and blessed lives, there are people who are suffering or who are going through really tough times, and in order to fulfill ourselves- we must help, as much as we can.

So, christmas is right around the corner and a few weeks ago I was pinning my life away for holiday ideas. Seriously, pinning my life away- this addiction cannot be healthy! Anyway, while I was scrolling down all of these awesome holiday ideas I came across a photo of a young girl opening a shoebox that was wrapped in wrapping paper and it was filled with little toys and goodies. I clicked it right away and discovered this AMAZING and exciting opportunity to brighten a child's day. You fill a shoebox for a boy or girl with toys, books, crayons, candy, and a whole lot more! You get to wrap it up in cute wrapping paper and send them a picture of you and your family as well as a letter. I was ecstatic to find that a drop-off area was SO close to my house, and I bet there are plenty of drop-off locations near your home as well. This year, the collection for shoeboxes ended in mid November, but there is always next year. I strongly encourage people to participate in this, especially those with children. It really brings back the true meaning of Christmas and reminds us that we must give and give and give and give. 

Here is the site! Save it for next year: Operation Christmas Child

xoxo, Tonka Violet

My lovely family

My sister is wearing my favorite koala slipper-socks. Grrrrr >:\

Yes.... I have 5 siblings! I am the second oldest.

Parmesan and Asparagus Orzo

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I am so thankful for the wonderful people I have been blessed with by God. I give thanks for my health, my family and friends' health, the beautiful home I live in and the people I share it with (regardless of how annoying they can be hehe). I give thanks for my education and the ability to grow as an intellectual and as a person. I give thanks for the special people in my life who support me in all that I do. I give thanks for living in the flawed, yet free and amazing United States. More than anything, I thank Jesus for sacrificing his life- for us and for our sins. I hope everyone had a wonderful thanksgiving filled with family, love, and of course.. FOOD!!!

Which brings me to my next point :)

I had searched all over Pinterest for a great side dish that everyone would enjoy for Thanksgiving dinner. I came across this recipe found on this woman's awesome blog and since I've grown a great love for asparagus, I thought it was worth a try!

P.S. I won't provide precise measurements, because honestly I completely estimated. Her recipe called for a cup and I knew I'd need way more considering my gigantic family! This recipe is EXTREMELY hard to mess up, even if your new to the cooking world like myself. So just roughly estimate based on the number of people you are planning to feed.

What you'll need:

• Orzo pasta
• Grated parmesan
• Asparagus
• Heavy whipping cream
• Salt 
• Pepper
• About 1-3 tbsp butter depending on how much butter you like!

........I had to. You go Paula Deen!!!

So anyway, disregard my horrible sense of humor and let's get back to the recipe. 

First, fill a pot with water and bring to a boil. Once the water is boiling, toss the orzo in. In the meantime, rinse the asparagus, then cut into small pieces. Don't forget to cut off the ends and throw them away! Once you are finished, you can toss the asparagus right into the boiling water with the orzo. Allow to cook until the orzo and asparagus are both tender. Drain. Bring the orzo and asparagus back to the pot, and toss in your butter. Then begin to pour the grated parmesan into the pot and mix. Start pouring the heavy whipping cream and continue to mix thoroughly. Season with salt and pepper- don't be shy with it, feel free to add another seasoning that you may enjoy. I personally love garlic salt, so next time I make this dish I will most likely try a dash of garlic salt as well. I hope you enjoy! 

xoxo, Tonka Violet

Fallen Leaves

Dress: Francesca's Collections, Shoes: Target, Bag: Tory Burch

DIY Painted Mason Jars

I CANNOT get over how pretty these jars are! I saw this wonderful idea multiple times on Pinterest and I've finally decided to try it myself. I am SO happy I did! It's so easy to do yourself and they make a great vase for flowers (although you can't put water in the jar or it will wash the acrylic off, but you can try to fit a cup of water in the jar if necessary, and place the flowers in).

You can buy Mason Jars literally anywhere (Michaels, Joann's, Wal-Mart, Dollar Store,) But I got mine at Christmas Tree shops, they're only $.99 there!

I bought these mini bottles at Wal-Mart for $.57 each!! They had so many cute colors, 

I wanted every color! But I just settled for 3. And a larger mason jar 

only uses about 3/4 or less of these mini bottles.

Start by squirting a good amount directly into the jar, about 1/2 inch high. 

Rotate the jar slowly so that the paint covers it entirely.

Place the jar upside down so that the paint covers the top of the jar 

and all of the excess paint will come out onto your plate.

Every 5-10 minutes or so, lift the jar and move it, like I did above. I used a Q-Tip and dipped it in water to clean off the tip top of the jars. When all of the excess paint is poured out, 

flip the jar back up and allow it dry for several hours.

Lace & Ribbon Pretty Gift Wrap

Lovely lovely lovely. 

That's the only word I think of when I look at this gift wrap! I bought "paper bag material" wrapping paper. And a yard of this pretty lace at Joann's Fabrics, and the ribbon I have had for a while.

I got this inspiration.. or should I say pinspiration, on pinterest! Duh! I fell in love with the rustic, yet elegant look of it and decided to try it for myself. 

KEEP CALM IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!

Well, it was actually on July 20th tehe!

My friend got me my ULTIMATE favorite ice cream EVER!!! Coldstone's Birthday Cake Remix. It's literally like a pint of ice cream! Mmmmm

My little sister and cousin made me this hehe, they're cute =)

My crazy sister's gifts to me!!

She knows my weakness, Nicholas Sparks novels! I've read ALMOST every single one, so she bought me the books that I didn't yet own :)

Red Toms and other clothes

Cake Pops.... Sorta.

Okay, so I'll tell you right off the bat.... My cake pops are NOT perfect like 99.99999% of every cake pop I've ever seen on any and every blog... BUT, I found the solution!!!

You Will Need:

• Box of Devil's Food Cake
• Candy Melts of Your Choice
• Shortening
• Frosting
• Veggie Oil Spray
• Veggie Oil
• Foil
• Styrofoam
• Candy Sticks (I bought them at Michaels)

First, you will make a cake as you normally would. Following the directions on the back of the box. 

Okay, here is where I messed up!!!! When the cake is fully baked, you have to let it cool COMPLETELY. Either by putting it in the fridge or freezer to quicken the process. It takes quite a while to cool. I got too anxious and I crumbled up the cake while it was still warm so that totally ruined my cake pops perfect shape circular shape. So, PLEASE, make sure you allow it to cool completely!

When your cake is completely cooled, crumble it all up using your hands. Then you will add the frosting and mush it all up. The frosting makes it extra yummy and holds the cake together. 

Then you will roll your the cake in your palms to the size of your choice. You don't want to make them too big, because they will fall off the sticks. 

Next, melt a bag of candy melts. Don't leave the melts in the microwave too long or they will taste gross!!

Now, dip a candy stick in the melted chocolate on the very tip, and push it into a cake pop. Stick the cake pops into the styrofoam to harden for a bit. Take your spoon and drizzle the chocolate all around it.  Place it back into the styrofoam when you are done. 

They should turn out super cute and not lumpy like mine did! Hehe!

They still tasted delicious! They just weren't perfectly shaped!