Jams of the Week 12/15/2015

Howdy all, welcome to jams of the week!

First off, I love when awesome artists get together and make an epic song; "Powerful" is the perfect example.

Powerful - Major Lazer - Powerful (feat. Ellie Goulding & Tarrus Riley)

Speaking of powerful, I love love Vance Joy's sound. "Mess is Mine" is one of my favorite songs. I always get kind of scared when talented artists have a song as popular as "Riptide", but his voice and lyrics make him so much more than a one hit wonder.

Fire and the Flood - Vance Joy

I don't know how it's possible there was a Beyoncé song I didn't know about, but I'm glad I finally found it.  This song makes me want to conquer the world. 

"If I lose myself, I lose it all"

Naughty Boy - Runnin' (Lose It All) ft. Beyoncé, Arrow Benjamin

Till next time,

Maggie

Cookie Season! No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

Cookie season is here! Cookies are one of my favorite things about the holidays; I normally spend a week mixing, baking, packing and of course eating, cookies. I like to make huge trays for my family as Christmas gifts. Once my dad's old secretary gave him this epic, epic tray of Mexican cookies for Christmas and I thought it was the most awesome-tasty-beautiful thing ever, so I always strive to make something like that. Honestly, Christmas baking is probably one of the main reasons I became a baker.

Here's last years trays:

Most cookies I make have memories that make me love the cookies even more. These peanut butter cookies bring me back to the sixth grade. That year a new girl moved to town and sat next to me in class. Her name was Jessica and we became friends. Her Mom is one of the best cooks I know, and she made these cookies for us and I thought I had died and gone to heaven. Basically every sleepover after that we had to make these cookies. The crazy part is I really don't like peanut butter, but I would kill for these cookies! So good.



These cookies take less than ten minutes to mix and make, so when you need a fix these are perfect. I almost always already have everything I need in the house so I can whip them up in a flash.


No Bake Peanut Butter Drop Cookies

2 cups quick-cooking oats, uncooked
2/3 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup cocoa
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup butter or margarine


Combine oats, peanut butter, coconut, cocoa, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl; set aside.

Combine sugar, milk, and butter in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Pour over reserved oat mixture; quickly stir to mix well.

Immediately drop by heaping teaspoonfuls onto waxed paper-lined baking sheets; let cool. Carefully remove from waxed paper to serve.

Etsy Gems - 12/7/15

I was greeted today with this gem on etsy. It's for "Women, Teens and Maternity." I don't think anything should be for all three of those categories.

I mean who, what, and why??

Thankfully I moved on to cuter and better items. Like this one, it's Scarfy from A Very Potter Musical!

via FunkFleece Etsy 

I would totally walk around talking to Scarfy...that's probably look pretty normal =)


I'm also in love with this shop, the one I want to buy right now is the Leaky Cauldron zip up...or the Weasleys Wizard Wheezes one...I can't decide!!

Via FanFash Etsy

I love this take on those traditional "in this family we do love kisses blah blah blah" signs. This one is so awesome I can't believe I haven't seen it before now! I love that HP is there near the top =)

via AlderCrafts Etsy




So...HOW DO YOU MAKE THESE PURSES?? I need someone to show me asap. I want them all.

via QuirkieCraft





I can't decide if I want to buy this paper kit or not. It's so awesome, I honestly think I would put together one building and then lose patience.

so awesome. via KikoIlustrador




Lastly, this little Ned the Pie-makers big eyes make me want to buy him asap. ADORABLE!

via LaPetiteMortt



What have you guys been eyeing for Christmas?

-Maggie

Awesome Art Roundup: Doctor Who

I'm currently on a quest to watch all the modern Doctor Who and my brain is now stuck in Whovian mode, so I think this art round up should be Who themed! I started watching it on a whim a month ago when BBCA was airing a season eight marathon, and then I decided to go back and start with season five, because lets face it, Matt Smith is epic. Eventually I'm going to go back and start with season one, but I really just wanted to see the Eleventh Doctor episodes first. I'm halfway though eight now, and I've already seen all of season nine to come. I have never been more nervous for a finale than season 9!

So anyways! first is one of my favorites, Alice X. Zhang. I've loved her art forever, and when re-finding it for this I found out shes super famous now, and she does the official art licensed by BBC. That's pretty epic. Here are a few of my favorites that are Doctor themed, but she does other things as well (like House Brawl, my favorite =) and the Tangled one).

Wonderful TARDIS. 

Pure joy!

Amy VanGogh style =)

(sorry those are so large, I can't scale them right, internet-ing is hard on blogger...grr...)

Next is  BlueFox, I love her cartoon-y doctors, they're adorable =)

Tens just like, I'm a plane!

the Doctor and Amy first meeting is one of my favorite things, especially when they're trying to figure out what foods he likes. 

Next, I found these Doctor Who printable Doctor ornaments and I am SO going to print them! I can't wait to make a Doctor tree!! Here's the 9,10, and 11, check out the rest on StevenRayBrown's site.

Lastly, I love MeganLara, when I met her at C2E2 I bought soooo many of her prints because they're all awesome! She has Doctor Who, Princesses, COMMUNITY! (YAS), and Harry Potter and so much more. Literally just love all she does (fangirl over). Here are three awesome companion prints of my favorite ladies:

That's all for this roundup, if you see any cool art, feel free to pass it on to me! =)

-Maggie

Jams of the Week 12/01/15

Hola! Welcome to jams of the week. December is finally here, but I'm just not feeling the Christmas music yet, maybe next week? Firstly, let's begin with the totally epic Adele. Can we talk about how much I love her album cover? We're just staring straight into her soul.

Send My Love - Adele

"Fighting" is a great song if you literally need to fight someone, or need to pump yourself up. Possibly for working out, but honestly I wouldn't know about that lol

Fighting - Saints of Valory

I have been listening to the Chainsmokers on repeat lately. I love so many of their new songs. They still have ones I don't like, (Waterbed...why?) but this is my favorite. Also recommend: Roses, New York City, and Until You Were Gone.

Kanye - The Chainsmokers

 

Till next time,

Maggie

Jams of the Week 11/23/15 Sunny Snow Days

Hola amigos! Sorry for being a major slacker on the posting. Thank god for the ability to schedule posts for when I'm stuck in a doctor who marathon for a few days. Life here is good, I'm 26 now (woot!) and employed again (thank god). On those awesome notes, here are my jams of the week.


Even when Wisco is covered in snow, it's nice to drive and be in the sunshine. So this trio are my current sunny snow days songs:

Sunshine - Matisyahu

Alex Clare -  Never Let You Go

lastly, the best feel good song,

Express Yourself - Labrinth 

Get out and get some sun! =)

- Maggie

Harry Potter Awesome Art Roundup pt 3

Hi hi! Welcome to round three of Harry Potter Awesome Art Roundup! This round I'm doing two per artist, the more the merrier.


So apparently, this artist has JK Rowlings approval that these are close to how she sees the characters!! I mean holy crap, I'd die that's so awesome. First, Lupin and Harry

Love it. She said she made them younger instead of like how old Gary Oldman is, and I love it.

via x

This one is called "Pajama Party" and I love how Harry is painting Hermione's toes. 

Weasley Family!

via x

Both of these next ones were done in MS Paint!! Crazy awesome. 

via x

These notebook doodles are so colorful, the snitch looks beautiful. There are a bunch more, definitely check them out!!

via x

and lastly, I am in love with the style these professor portraits were done in, they're like comic book characters and the detail is so great.

via x

Till next time,

Maggie

Harry Potter Awesome Art Roundup pt 2

Hi hi! It's time for round two of Harry Potter Awesome Art Roundup! 

first off, this room of requirement is beautiful, it has so many details you can stare forever. The room of requirement is one of those HP things I have a million questions about. Like what if two people tried to use it at the same time? How many people knew about it in general? How hard is it to find? I need answers J.K....

via x

This shot of George breaks my heart, but it's done so well. All the feels, all dem.

via x

I'm always amazed at what people can make out of paper. I think I can craft pretty well, but then I see awesome things like this, so cool!

via x

If you're not on Craftster, you need to be. I've been waiting all year to join the Harry Potter Holiday swap and it's finally here! I found this one while looking at previous projects, and I need to figure out how to make it. I mean, I know how to make it, but I need to do it, like yesterday. 

via x

Some fanfiction led me to some funny Dramonie pictures done by the artist who also did these, and they made me laugh because I love the idea of domestic Draco hanging out with Teddy Lupin. You have to go look at the other ones they did =)

 via x

and one last one for this round, this happy Hagrid makes me happy. It looks like a perfect snapshot of the moment in the book, complete with the sausages Hagrid makes Harry. 

via x

till next time,

Maggie

Hogwarts Great Hall Floating Candles

Someday, I want to throw the most epic of Harry Potter parties. Maybe when I get married, or maybe for a birthday, a HP bash is going to happen. Until then, my HP crafts have taken over my room, and I love it. I was at JoAnns and I saw these LED candles and I thought they'd be perfect for floating candles like in the Great Hall. They're currently on Christmas sale (gah) so I got them for about $2 per candle. I liked these ones because they flicker and have a pretty good battery life. Before you start to craft them, try them to make sure they work, I've had two packs not work well.

 So first I needed to make a hole to string the lights up with. I took a pin and heated it on a candle. I used my epic White Yeti candle, and left it burning because Yeti candles are the best =)

Then while the push pin is hot I made a hole in the tip of the candle, and strung some clear fishing line through. I decided to paint the candles, even though I think the ones in the movies are just white, they looked too boring without some sparkle. I used a gold metalic paint, and gave it 2 or 3 coats. 

 Here they are all shiny and ready to go

So then I just attached them up with thumbtacks and enjoyed them while watching HP 

=)

Wooohoo! I love them! If they weren't so expensive i'd do the whole ceiling! 

Harry Potter Awesome Art Roundup Part 1

Heya. So this week I stumbled upon some super awesome Harry Potter artwork so I thought I'd share. First off, I am in love with these gifs. Look at cute Ron and Hermoine sleepin' and Harry creepily staring at them.

via x

this one is all the feels. rip jily. 

via x

Next up are these awesome character portraits. I love love love all the details. She did a TON of characters and even some wizarding world places. I love her drawing style. 

via x

I LOVE this Harry and Ron checking out the trolley. It looks like an awesome comic book version, which I need ASAP. She has one more of Harry going to the burrow that's awesome. Check her out!

via x

Can we talk about how cute this re-imagined movie poster is? I like how Ron's qudditch breakfast is on there. 

via X

This burrow is beautiful.  Can they replace those boring dentists office landscapes with this?

via x

This is the one that got me going on an hours long quest for new HP art, I mean I really hope my patronus is a t-rex, that'd be freaking awesome. 

via x

Part two of awesome HP art roundup coming soon! I found so many gems I think I might do this weekly/monthly/every stinkin' day? 

#hpforever