Big Mac Horseshoe

Big Mac Horseshoe

Friday, July 28, 2017

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Disclaimer: This post is absurd. I'm am aware at the level of ridiculousness that I have hit and I've decided to just keep running full force. That being said, please don't take this post seriously. Unless you seriously love Big Macs. And horseshoes.

Another Disclaimer: McDonald's didn't pay me. Also they own the Big Mac. And a lot of the branding in this post.

So around these parts (aka the Missouri/Illinois area) we have this dish we like to serve called the horseshoe. The basic recipe is two slices of bread with two beef patties on top, open face. Cover with fries and cheese. It's a good, hearty, indulge yourself meal, especially if you get a fancy one with all the fixins. 


There are a few programs for the library teens that I've wanted to do for years. One of them was a kind of challenge: could you make a horseshoe out of fast food meals? This little idea fried (har har puns) itself in my brain about two years ago and won't go away, so the other day I decided to try a proof of concept. Thus: the Big Mac horseshoe was born.

The secret? Ask for the secret sauce on the side.Then peel apart your burger and put it all back together. Buns, patties, fries, secret sauce, and then all the toppings. 

Verdict... was it yummy? Yes. I mean, it's still a Big Mac in the end, and as long as you like Big Macs then you'll be pleased. Was it worth the time? Probably not, but it made me giggle. Should McDonald's add it to their menu? Um... sure.... it's not like they'd have to buy any more ingredients. They'd actually save money, cause honestly, that middle bun was just in the way. Would anybody eat it? Well... it's not the prettiest girl at the ball, but I'm sure some adventurous teen would brave it.

Honestly, it seems more like the kind of food Hardee's would serve. But for a teen program? Yeah, I think this would work perfectly. Now I've just got to go on a fast food scavenger hunt.

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In My Bag

In My Bag

Friday, July 14, 2017

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There was a while where "what's in my bag" posts were all the rage, and I ate them up. I just love seeing what people haul around on a daily basis. Right now I've got a collection of things living in my purse that I'm absolutely smitten with, so I thought I'd share.

I got these Gia Sunnies from Ascot + Hart as a birthday gift for myself and I love how they make me feel like a rock star.

I use the Blue Leather Credit Card Case to hold gift cards that I am constantly forgetting to use.

The wallet is from Stash Co. and it's one of my favorite things. I've been following Stash Co.'s growth for years now and I absolutely love their products. I'd been eyeing this wallet for a while, and when it went on sale I couldn't resist any longer.

Lint rollers are saviors for people who own cats. I found this adorable one at H&M, and it's the perfect size for my purse. Though the pink one is sold out online they have a blue one with a snakeskin print that I kind of want to get.

Tide Stick. I can't talk about how important Tide Sticks are when you are incredibly, incurably clumsy like I am. I spill something almost daily, and being pregnant has not made that happen any less! As long as I use the Tide Stick right away, no one need's to know that I had pizza for lunch.

I got this pin in the shape of Voldemort's Wand at the Warner Brother's Studio in London. I'm not a Slytherin at heart but there's something about that wand that I think is really cool.

Lip balm, tissues, and phone chargers are things every purse need, but why can't they be pretty at the same time? I love the cute little tubs of balm from Eos, and these pocket sized Kleenex are so lovely. The charger was just a cute one I found in a gas station.

I love my field notes journals and use them daily. The Lunacy Edition is a special favorite of mine, it comes with werewolf facts and a wonderful light gray dot grid. I use it as a bullet journal, and it holds my goals, to do lists, etc. I'll do a post about all of it later.

This notebook is a very old one from Studio C. I don't think it's in print anymore, but they still have an adorable collection you should check out. I use this notebook to jot down ideas for the blog. It's basically my go to for scheduling, ideas, and everything else I need to run this blog.

My bag is from Nine West, bought in 2015, and the gorgeous tassel attached came from my Stash Co. wallet.

And just to keep it real, things not pictured:
- Tylenol
- feminine hygiene stuff
- Tums
- receipts, so many of them
- Harry Potter stamps
- gum
- broken pencils
- the key to a lock that has been changed + corresponding key chain
- monster/skull band-aids
- work schedule
- sonogram pictures
- Skittles

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Etsy Shop Update

Etsy Shop Update

Tuesday, July 11, 2017

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With a little one on the way and my life not looking like it's going to get any less hectic anytime soon, I've found myself looking at options for money making that are a bit more passive. That's when I found a few articles that talked about a part of Etsy I was always afraid to approach before... digital downloads.

A lot of the products I sell at farmer's markets are one of a kind. 30 minutes can go into a card that sells for five dollars. And while that isn't exactly time wasted, it does seem as if I could do a bit more with my creativity. So I had a "duh" moment and started scanning in my cards. I've now got quite a few listed on my Etsy shop (JesLesemannHughesArt) and I'm so excited to share them here!

I hope to add more cards as time goes on, and then possibly expand what I sell, but baby steps. For now, I'm just excited to have some creative juices flowing.

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Mood Board #1

Mood Board #1

Friday, July 7, 2017

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Right now my wish is to park an Airstream in the back yard, renovate it with a super beachy vibe, and then take it on the road, wearing comfy worn out clothes and painting abstract landscapes the whole time. Dream life, yeah? I asked my husband if we could do it and he seemed a bit apprehensive. What, you don't want to birth/raise a newborn in a space that's smaller than our living room? Silly.

These jeans look like the kind of jeans you'd wear during lazy days around the house, which are my favorite kind of jeans. (Buy similar here.) (Or just go to a thrift store, buy some mom jeans, bleach them, and wear them every day. For style purposes. Or because comfy jeans can easily become a uniform.)

This tee was from Billabong like three years ago.

That bag is an old one from Bluma Project, but all of their bags have the same beachy feel.

Love love love these sunglasses from Ascot + Hart, but that could just be because they're called Gia.

Sometimes I want to give into the teenager part of me that just needs to cover her walls with beautiful pictures.

This. House. Tour. Is. Amazing. It's the house of one of the aforementioned Ascot + Hart owners, and it is described as "California meets Texas" which I guess really fits in with my tastes. I love how eclectic, casual, kid friendly, and fun it all is.

I cannot get enough of Mavis the Airstream. Jason & Sheena, the people who remodeled this little beauty, have such excellent taste. Everything is light, flowy, airy, and perfect. It's calming just to look at the pictures, I can't even imagine what it would be like to spend time in their little slice of heaven. Their Instagram is super inspiring too.

This keychain is so very cute.

The last photo is from the Instagram of one of my all time favorite artists Teil Duncan Henley. She switches up her subjects every once and a while but always has the same style and color pallet and I just can't get enough of it.


Other things that fit this vibe:

This scarf from Block Shop.
Everything about this outfit.
This girl power shirt.
This whole stinkin pin board of beachy locks.

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DIY Recycled Spaceship Console

DIY Recycled Spaceship Console

Wednesday, July 5, 2017

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I'm not going to give a step by step description of how to make this because I thought figuring out what to use and where was half the fun. I am going to give you a GIANT supplies list and a .pdf of most of the graphics I used, though, so I'm not abandoning you completely.

This year's summer reading theme is space centered at my library, and we really wanted to have some interactive play stations to enhance the children's experience. I found some awesome space consoles that looked easy enough to DIY, so I gave it a shot using what various supplies we had around the library. And by various, I mean I used anything I could get my hands on.

The trick to really making this work is to make sure that the bottom of your structure is hollow. A long, thin box works best: I used two banker box lids taped together. Having some space at the bottom gives you a place to have things hanging out underneath, and a place to hide your hot glue globs and massive amounts of duct tape.

Supplies:

contact paper, metallic contact paper, butcher paper

cardboard boxes and hot glue

packing tape and duct tape

ribbon spools, marker lids, water bottle lids, beads

 colored paper, baby food jars, Easter eggs

 brads, game controller parts, a number pad

 glue sticks, and used up tape rolls

To make these knobs (that turn... ooooo, fancy) I used the bottom half of a glue stick and stuck on a bunch of beads.

Lots of bottle caps went into making buttons. I put a big wooden bead at the bottom of these which hid the hot glue and made them look more like buttons. All of the meters in this project have working dials. To make the needles durable but still movable I covered both sides in contact tape then attached the needle with a brad at the bottom.

I think the joysticks might be the most loved part of this whole setup. I made them by tearing apart an old game controller (a PC one who's buttons kept sticking, to be specific) and then attaching the joysticks and the hardware that goes with them. I made them more impressive by gluing on, you guessed it, more bottle caps.

These meters were created by covering used duct tape rolls with paper then taping in the meter graphic. The needles were covered with lots of tape then attached with a brad (that looks like a screw, how cool is that?).

The two big dials were created with a used ribbon spool with a thin marker cap inserted inside. The top of the marker cap was glued to a water bottle lid, and the bottom came out through the cardboard. The blue, green, and orange switch slide along tracks so they can be adjusted to sit at different levels.

I'm happy with the way this project turned out, and it's a hit with the kids. They always take at least a few minutes to pretend to blast off into space. I'm also slightly impressed by the durability. We've had this sitting out for two weeks and only one thing needs to be re-glued.

If you want to decorate your own spaceship,
click here to download the .pdf of the graphics I used on my console.

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