Extra Spicy Pumpkin Chai

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

By popular demand, I'm sharing my recipe for my homemade pumpkin spice chai. This recipe is two-part. The first thing you'll need to make is the spicy chai syrup. It's super easy and doesn't require any cooking! You'll then combine that into your drink later down the line... Let's go...


Spicy Chai Syrup

-1 can of sweetened condensed milk
-4 teaspoons pumpkin spice
-2 teaspoons ground ginger
-1 teaspoon white pepper
-1 teaspoon vanilla extract
-pinch of salt

Mix all ingredients together and store in a jar for up to six months.


Iced Pumpkin Spice Chai

-1 tablespoon Spicy Chai Syrup
-1 cup brewed and chilled black tea
-2 tablespoons canned pumpkin
-1/2 cup milk (I used almond)
-sweetener to taste (I used about a tablespoon of honey)

Combine all ingredients in a festive mason jar and stir to combine. Serve over ice.



Expect Autumn 2014 Launch

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Sorry for the radio silence around here. If you follow me on instagram, you're probably more up-to-date on my goings on and are aware that I have been consumed for the last month with launching my fall line for Expect. Now that it has been successfully launched, I'm hoping I'll have a smidge more time for fun stuff like blogging (not that running my line isn't fun, but you know...)

To celebrate the big day, I hosted a little party at Trinkets and Treasures. We enjoyed lemonade and cupcakes, chatted about the new line, and narrowly avoided getting sunburned. Good day.


Here's me wearing the Hazel dress. Ignore the huge condensation spill on the table behind me. It was seriously hot on Monday! I probably drank six glasses of lemonade and was still boiling up! You can see the entire collection behind me -- each piece was thoughtfully designed and loving handmade by yours truly! From the fun prints, soft colors, vintage touches, and simplistic shapes, I am in love with everything I have created for this season. I truly hope you love it too!


Chatting with customers -- especially when they had mouths full of red velvet! -- about the line, my inspiration, technique, and philosophy was my favorite part of the night.

Fabrics have always been my jumping-off point when it comes to design. When I came across April Rhodes' Arizona collection, I instantly thought back to driving cross country with my now-husband back in September 2011 before we were married. We were both so taken with the colors and natural beauty of the southwest, and that's when the light bulb went off! I believe deeply in the quality and innate passion that goes into making garments by hand. The one thing I'd love every one of my customers to know when they purchase something that was made especially for them, is that I put all the care I have into each piece I design and sew.


After viewing the collection, my guests had the opportunity to make their purchase right then and there through the iPad kiosk. It was wonderful to see people taking in the website that I had worked so hard to create!


I am so grateful to everyone who has supported me and my business. I want to especially thank my brand reps, and their moms for providing wonderful modeled photos, and my husband for helping me take all the product photos, and providing input and advice along the way. To those customers who have already made purchases, your continued praise and support keeps me going and I can't say thank you enough!


 
Designed with ♥ by Nudge Media Design