Harley Cruz

Meet Harley Cruz, the addition to the Clements family! Tysen wanted a bulldog, Lauren wanted a small dog, so a mini bulldog it was! We absolutely LOVE him. So far all he wants to do is sleep and cuddle. Perfect! and only one accident so far. He's so sweet and so good and we just adore him! 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

I've gotten on a new saturday treat kick so don't be surprised if we bring you a random treat on the weekend haha. These are very delicious and easy though! a MUST try! I found them off passionfoodie. 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes (makes 12)

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 cup cold water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare cupcake pan by spraying with cooking oil and placing liners in the pan.  Set aside.

In a medium bowl, shift together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.

In another bowl, whisk together vanilla extract, oil, vinegar and water.  Then slowly whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.  The mixture will be wet but do not overmix.

Pour the batter into the cups until they are 2/3 full. Place cupcake pan into oven for approximately 20-22 minutes, or until a toothpick is inserted into the center and comes out clean.

Remove from oven and cool in pan for 10 minutes.  Then remove to wire rack to cool completely before adding the frosting.

Peanut Butter Frosting

1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), at room temperature
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
2 cups of powdered sugar
1 - 1 1/2 tablespoon milk (depending on desired consistency)

Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream together to butter and peanut butter until creamy and there are no more butter lumps.  Add the two cups of powdered sugar and beat on low for 1minute.  Add milk and beat on medium for an additional minute.  Add additional powdered sugar if you want your frosting to be thicker.

Decorate cupcakes with frosting and sprinkle with chopped Reese's peanut butter cups

Yummy Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies

We made this on Sunday for our neighbors and they are so easy and YUMMY you have to try them!

Directions:

1. Prepare the brownies: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Spray a 9x13-inch pan with nonstick spray. In a medium glass bowl, melt chocolate in the microwave in short bursts of 30 seconds; stir after each burst and remove from microwave when melted and smooth. Set aside to cool slightly. In a large mixing bowl, mix butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer. Beat in eggs and vanilla extract. Mix in melted chocolate. Blend in flour and mix just until combined (don't over-mix). Spread batter into prepared pan. Bake 25 to 35 minutes. Watch closely and remove from oven when toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool completely.

2. Prepare the cookie dough: In a medium bowl, use an electric mixer to combine butter, brown sugar and white sugar. Mix in milk and vanilla. Mix in flour just until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

3. Spread cookie dough over the cooled brownies. Refrigerate until the dough is quite firm. It's okay to speed up the process and place it in the freezer too. The firmer the dough, the easier it will be to cut into neat squares. Use a sharp knife to cut the brownies. You may need to wipe the knife off with a paper towel in between cuts since the fudgy brownies and cookie dough will tend to stick to the knife a bit. These brownies are best to serve placed inside cupcake papers and served with a fork.

4. If you'd like to add chocolate drizzle on top, melt 1/2 cup chocolate chips with 1 teaspoon of shortening in the microwave; stir until smooth. Scoop the melted chocolate into a zip baggie and snip off the corner. Squeeze the bag to drizzle the chocolate on top of each brownie. Sprinkle additional chocolate chips on top, if desired.

lovely quotes

I have a bit of a quote obsession. But I just can't help it.. they either make you feel justified in the way you already feel... or make you feel much much better!

my "work" design blog

http://designbylaurenashley.blogspot.com/

i love graphic design.

bye bye sun car

This was a happy sad day. We changed in my little car and got a new white Jetta. We love our Jetta and it will work perfectly but it was still sad to say good bye to my little yellow bug:(.

home sweet home

I love designing things. I do it all day everyday so I wanted to have some special details in our own house. Tys and I have had fun making it our home!

 I made us an "established" sign and put it above one of my favorite dressers! I love unique vintage painted dressers. The blue tea cup on the left my great grandma brought over from Germany. On the right is the first photo Patti took of us and gave to us when we got engaged, an engagement photo, and a collectors item my mom got us that looks like me and Tysen. So sweet!

This is my wall of mirrors! I always thought those were the coolest so I wanted to do one in our house. It worked out perfect because we have this huge wall in our main area that we could fill.

I love the look of decorating with books. I like neutrals, baskets, and vintage items.  A lot of the things on this shelf you see I got out of my granda Ada's old stuff. She had the coolest painting of the Mona Lisa on a board. I'm such a sucker for art pieces! 

This is the coolest candle from Potterybarn that we put sand from our honeymoon in. Plus some of my favorite books!

I love rustic brown leather.

The pearl C off our wedding cake.

  I love off white antiqued cabinets! I've always wanted some and I couldn't believe they put them in the whole house! I love green plants and anything from Anthropologie! The bird towels, and the dishes I got from Anthro. And all the glass bottles are from our wedding. I wanted to use everything I could from our special day! 

 I made the funnest white board with burlap in a frame we can put our grocery list on. I love making little crafts. Etsy always has the funnest ideas. If you hadn't been on there you need to look!

 I love things in three. Especially plants. 

A fun rug that reminds me of my special trip to Paris. 

I love floral rugs. 

A sign I designed for our wedding I hung in our bathroom.  

 This is a silver plate we got at our wedding. I'm obsessed with baskets! 

  My favorite bedding of all time from Anthropogie my grandmas gave me! It's so soft and off white so it doesn't get dirty as fast. 

 

 This is a print I put in a frame as a white board again. Ashlee and I made this at work one day. She's so creative! 

One of my favorite dressers my parents gave me for my birthday this year! Tys loves huge TV's haha but it makes it fun because we both enjoy watching movie series every night in bed with a pure chocolate. 

Right after we got engaged I sketched the slc temple for us! We always both wanted to get married there because both our parents had. It's a special memory for us!

 One of our wedding songs I put across our bridal picture. I think it's fun to make pictures more personal! 

This is my dresser all growing up! I still love it! Mostly everything on here is antiques I've inherited. I love when stuff has meaning behind just being decor.

 I love framing fabric to add a touch of color! 

 I like to draw stuff on newspaper in pen.