Jersey Shore Greek Festival

Mike and I are always looking for fun things to do outside during the summer months. So, when we were driving and saw a sign for the Jersey Shore Greek Festival, we knew we just had to go. We watched the Greek Orthodox Church be built from scratch over the past couple of years and every time we drove by, it looked more and more beautiful.  The festival was so much fun. There was food...lots of food!  With all the stations set up we could not decide what we were going to dig into. After walking around, checking everything out, we finally decided on Gyros & Greek fries! As we scarfed them down, we watched the church’s youth group do a couple of different sets of Greek dances. The whole atmosphere brought back memories of my Yia Yia & Popou and the Greek festivals I used to attend as a child. We can't wait to go back next year!

If you’re looking for fun & inexpensive things to do this summer, I would suggest taking a look around your town or just get on Google and start searching. As I am driving, I am always seeing different signs for fireworks, music festivals, carnivals, etc. Take advantage of these events during the summer! They will make for great memories and full bellies! 

Summer Events in Philadelphia

Summer Events in New Jersey

Summer Events in New York City

If you've attended any cool summer events, leave a comment below! Please leave any other links you suggest are helpful when searching for fun things to do!

DIY Coasters

I have pinned so many DIY projects on Pinterest but never followed through with any of them until now! I went into this project expecting it to turn out like a mess (which usually happens when I attempt crafty things) So when this turned out pretty good, I was impressed and knew I had to share! It is so easy, very inexpensive, and makes an adorable gift!

Materials

• Mod Podge
• Foam Brush
• Tiles (I bought plain white ones from Home Depot for $.16 each)
• 1 roll of thin cork
• 1 can of clear acrylic sealant
• Scissor or paper cutter (using a paper cutter will make your squares neater)
• Scrap book paper (You can also use wedding invitations/baby announcements/pictures/cards/decorative napkins, etc)<
• Heavy duty glue
• Card board (This is to work on so you don’t get mod podge all over your hardwood table top like I did)
• Ribbon/Tags/baskets (if you are giving them as a gift)

Cost cutting Tip: You can also use felt for the back of your coasters which is less expensive compared to the cork. The cork I bought was from AC Moore and was $7.99 for a roll. I used a %40 off coupon which you can find here for AC Moore and here for Michaels. They usually have 50% off coupons on certain days too. I will get about 12 squares with the roll I bought, but there are all different sizes you can purchase.

Instructions 

• Cut your squares/cork/felt (make sure the squares are a little smaller than the actual coaster) 
• Paint the mod podge onto one square at a time (work fast because it dries quickly) 
• Center your paper onto the square and press down from the middle out (this helps with air bubbles) 
• Let dry for about 10 minutes (I was inpatient and waited about 5 so it really doesn’t make a difference) 
• Paint the mod podge over the paper (do this 3 times letting each layer dry for 10 minutes in between. Also, make sure your strokes are in the same direction) I let my squares sit over night before I did the next step 
• Spray each square with the acrylic sealant (Again, I let mine dry overnight) 
• Glue the cork/felt onto the back of each tile 
• You’re all done! 

Tip: If you want to, you can sand down the sides of the tiles. I decided not to because I felt like it gave the coasters a rustic look. 

Gift idea: Make a gift basket with your coasters, wine/martini glasses & a bottle of wine/alcohol. You can add in a drink mix, shaker, wine stopper, corkscrew, etc….Be creative & have fun! 

Please leave a comment and let me know if you tried making these. Send a picture of your finished project to my instagram (marisfischer86) and tag @mariscreativelove

I love Cinnamon Buns!

I have been obsessed with cinnamon buns since I was little. I always chose them over chocolate, ice cream, candy, etc. I came across this recipe here and was basically drooling on my computer. This recipe is a little time consuming and I need instant gratification when I am craving something so I'm surprised I even made them. Let me tell you though...it was definitely worth it!

Every time I make something, there is always a part I do differently from what the recipe calls for. In this particular situation the size of my cinnamon buns came out gigantic. If you want a bunch of medium sized buns then I suggest actually following the part that tells you to roll out the dough to 15X11 inches!

Shopping List 

Dough

• 1 Cup of milk
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 1/2 cups (or more) unbleached all purpose flour, divided
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 1/4 teaspoons rapid-rise yeast (from 2 envelopes yeast)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Nonstick vegetable oil spray

Filling

• 3/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

Glaze

• 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

If you tried making these please leave a comment and let me know how they turned out!

Happiness

There are so many things that I am grateful for and reading this every day helps me to remember how important the little things are in life.