Morgan's Closet

Jacket: H&M

Sweater: Forever21

Jeggings: Abercrombie

Boots: eBay

Scarf: Forever21

Morgan's Closet

Sweater: H&M

Tank: Walmart

Pants: Sam's Club

Necklace: Kohls

Morgan's Closet ~ DIY Sweater

This homemade crochet sweater is one of my favorite recent projects! It was so much easier than I could have imagined and only used 2 stitches (3 if you add the cuffs). 

I used this youtube tutorial for the body of the sweater: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pz8oys2VoCI

And this one for adding cuffs: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qzO0Uj2UcI

Homemade Stirfry

This recipe is another one of my favorites! It is pretty simple and very healthy!

Stirfry

Ingredients

• Brown rice
• Mushrooms
• Red/Yellow/Orange Bell Peppers (2)
• Green Beans
• 1 Onion
• 1-2 cloves garlic
• Your favorite soy sauce/marinade (I use a teriyaki marinade)

Directions

1. Wash all vegetables
2. Snap ends off of green beans and begin sautéing in frying pan with olive or vegetable oil over medium heat
3. Slice mushrooms, peppers, and onions into thin strips and add to the saute pan
4. Mince Garlic and add to saute pan
5. Once onions are transparent and green beans are a bright green and slightly soft remove from heat
6. Fix rice according to directions on package
7. Serve vegetables over rice and drizzle sauce over the top
8. Enjoy!

**You can grill chunks of chicken with a bit of salt and pepper to add protein to your meal if you wish! Switch up the vegetables by substituting some of your favorites like pea-pods or zucchini

Morgan's Closet

Dress: Target

Sweater: Target

Boots: Target

Necklace: Our World Boutique

Morgan's Closet ~ DIY Scarf

I found my inspiration for this scarf on Pinterest about a month ago. My sister insisted that I make one for her! This was my attempt and I think it turned out pretty well!

 I used:

• 3 skanes Lion Brand Hometown USA yarn in Houston Cream
• 1 10mm crochet hook
• 3 wooden buttons
• Needle and thread (to sew on the buttons)
• Scissors

Instructions:

1. Chain a length of yarn about 33-35 inches long
2. Crochet using the stitch of your choice (I used a modification of the triangle stitch) until your work is 10-12 in wide.

3. Sew on three buttons using needle and thread making sure that they are equally spaced. Observe photo for placement.

4. Enjoy!

Morgan's Closet

Dress: H&M

Boots: Target

Necklace: Our World Boutique

Vest: Saint Johns Bay

~DIY~ Valentines Day

As Valentines Day comes around every year, I find myself thinking...how do I make this one special? We are on a tight budget so its sometimes hard to find new ways to make Valentines Day great. This year, I decided on a little DIY project that will continue to make my husband smile even after the holiday is past.

This little jar is now sitting on his desk every day to remind him that I love him! Every once in a while I sneak a heart out of the jar and hide it in his lunch, or in his pocket for him to find later. Its satisfying to know that I have done something to make him smile and feel loved during his busy day.

I bought three different quilting fabric squares at JoAnn Fabrics and cut four hearts out of each. Its the perfect amount of fabric and is cheap! I then just stitched them together and stuffed them. I found this jar at Hobby Lobby and added a little note..piece of cake!

Morgan's Closet

Blazer: Forever21

Grey Vneck/White Vneck: Target

Black Jeggings: American Eagle

Flats: Walmart

Necklace: Forever21

Bracelets: H&M

Morgan's Closet ~ DIY Summer Top! ~

As I grow more and more tired of the cold, I have started to wish for my summer wardrobe! And, of course, the local shops have starting putting out all of their new spring and summer fashions. I have been loving all of the fun, flowy tops I have been seeing, but, clothes can be so expensive! Thus, I decided I would make a project out of it and make my own! Because I found on-sale fabric, this whole project cost me less than $10! Here is what I came up with:

What I used:

• 1yard fabric (I am 100% obsessed with animal print!)
• 1/4 inch ribbon (you will adjust the strap length for yourself and cut it)
• Matching thread
• Scissors
• Liquid Stitch
• Sewing Machine
• Measuring Tape
• Pins

Directions:

1. Cut your fabric into one 20.5 x 23.5in portion, one 23.5 x 23.5in portion, and one 16 x 6in portion

2. Pin right sides together, aligning along the bottom and sides (pieces should be equal width)

3. Sew along both sides.

4. Fold down raw edge of front piece (taller portion) one inch, making sure that the raw edge will be on the inside of the garment. This will serve as the sleeve for the ribbon.

5. Sew along this pinned edge, keeping as close to the raw edge as possible.

6. Turn down and pin any remaining raw edges of material (If your material does not fray, this is optional, although recommended)

7. Sew 

8. Fold 16 x 6in piece of material into thirds to make a 16in long tube. Glue together using liquid stitch.

9. Once dry, fold in half long ways and pin to center back of garment.

10. Sew.

11. Lastly, thread ribbon through the 1in wide sleeve along the front neck of the garment and then through the back loop you just created in steps 8-10. Adjust ribbon length for personal fit and cut. Glue or sew ribbon ends together.

12. Wear it and work it!

 I also made this top in much the same way. The only difference is in the way I did the straps. If you want the details feel free to ask!

Morgan's Closet

Shirt: H&M

Tank: Walmart

Leggings: Target

Boots: ebay

Necklace: Forever21

Morgan's Closet ~ Relish the Red ~

Loving these new red pants I just purchased! There are so many fun ways to wear them. Hope this post gives you some ideas!

Homemade Samoa Girl Scout Cookies

I absolutely LOVE girl scout cookies but I hate waiting for that one time of year when I may or may not get the chance to order them! I found this recipe for homemade Samoas and had to try them!

Mine were certainly not the most beautiful but they are so yummy! 

INGREDIENTS:

For the cookies:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the coconut topping:
3 cups shredded sweetened coconut
15 ounces store-bought or homemade soft caramels
3 Tablespoons milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 ounces dark chocolate (See Kelly's Notes)

DIRECTIONS:

Make the cookies:

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. In three increments, add the flour mixture to the creamed butter, mixing between each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add the milk and vanilla extract, blending until combined and the dough begins to come together in large pieces.

Use your hands to divide the dough in half, pressing it together to compact it into two disks. Wrap the disks securely in plastic wrap and refrigerate them until firm, about 1 hour.

Once the dough has chilled, roll each disk out onto a lightly floured surface until it is 1/8-inch thick. Cut out as many cookies as possible with a doughnut-shaped cookie cutter. (See Kelly's Notes for cookie cutter alternatives.) Place the cut-out cookies on a Silpat or parchment paper-lined baking sheet and repeat with remaining dough.

Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes, rotating the baking sheet half-way through, until the cookies are pale golden brown. Transfer the cookies to a wire wrack to cool completely.

Make the coconut topping:

Spread the coconut flakes onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake the coconut for about 10 minutes in a 350ºF oven until toasted, stirring frequently to ensure even browning and so that it does not burn. (See Kelly's Notes.) Remove the toasted coconut from the oven and set it aside.

Melt the caramels, milk and salt in a double-boiler by placing the caramels in a medium saucepot set over a large saucepot of simmering water. Cook, stirring, until the caramels are fully melted. Remove the saucepot from the heat and combine 3/4 of the caramel with the toasted coconut in a large bowl.

Carefully spread the remaining 1/4 cup of caramel atop the cooled cookies then press on a portion of the coconut mixture. Let the cookies cool for 30 minutes. If the caramel-coconut mixture thickens too much at any point while pressing it onto the cookies, return it to the double-boiler and warm it until it's spreadable again.

Melt the dark chocolate in a double-boiler or in the microwave. Dip the bottoms of the cookies in the chocolate and place them on a wax paper-lined baking sheet. Use a fork to drizzle the tops with chocolate. Let the cookies sit until the chocolate hardens fully

Recipe thanks to: recipesweet.net

Morgan's Closet

Sweater: Target

Shirt: Chicos

Scarf: Target

Boots: Target

Leggings: Forever21

Bracelet: Victoria's Secret